By Nikki Dabney

Start looking through your wallet, the bottom of your purse and the floorboards of your car because it’s that time of year again: Greek Penny Wars.

IFC, Panhellenic, MGC and NPHC organizations will be collecting spare change to go toward the SMU Student Emergency Fund April 13-15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This fund provides one-time grants to students facing an unexpected financial crisis.

Past grants have funded:

• a student’s travel to Florida for the funeral of his grandmother who raised him;

• two nights at a Holiday Inn to prevent a student from having to live in his truck as he took his last finals in December;

• a grocery store gift card to cover food costs for two weeks until scholarship funds reached a student’s SMU account;

• overdue fees for a student with a small child so she could graduate, get a transcript and start a job in hopes of building a self-sustaining life; and most recently

• emergency room expenses over and above what insurance would pay for a young woman who had been sexually assaulted.

This last grant is particularly close to the heart of the host of this year’s Greek Penny Wars, Not On My Campus, which promotes sexual assault awareness on SMU’s campus.

Money collected during Penny Wars earns the Greek organizations points and the winning group will have 10 percent of the proceeds donated to the philanthropy of its choice.

Scoring:

1 Dollar = 100 pts

1 Quarter = -25 pts

1 Dime = -10 pts

1 Nickel = -5 pts

1 Penny = -1 pts

So far, the Student Emergency Fund has raised $7,651. Swing by the flagpole this week and be a part of SMU helping your fellow students in their time of need.

*Due to the weather, Greek Penny Wars will be held in Hughes-Trigg Student Center and not by the flagpole on Wednesday, April 13.