Staff Writer

Tech’s Student Council of Family Relations group, the school affiliate of the National Council on Family Relations, made a $400 donation to the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team as part of a project the group does each spring quarter to help out in the community. Tammy Harpel, the adviser for the group and an assistant professor of family and child studies, said the reason for the donation to D.A.R.T. reflects the group’s desire to serve the community. “The group chose D.A.R.T. as the donation recipient because they value, believe in and support the work that the agency does for families and children in the Lincoln Parish area,” Harpel said. “The students wanted to do something that could help D.A.R.T. continue to provide services to the families and children who are impacted by domestic violence.” The family relations group has been a part of Tech since 2001. The group’s goals are to help students in the areas of professional development and socialization. It also strives to provide service to the school and community. Jordan Smith, the president of the council and a senior family and child studies major, said the group is devoted to contributing to the community and university by being actively part of on and off campus activities. “We do social activities as a group so that we all know each other well, because we are a small department and it is important that we all stay connected,” Smith said. “We are like a big family.” In order to raise the money to donate to D.A.R.T., the group conducted a cookie dough fundraiser. This fundraiser’s purpose was to raise enough money to accomplish three goals. The group’s three goals for the spring are to support the activities of the council, to donate funds to D.A.R.T. and to establish a small monetary scholarship for a student member of the group. Enough money was raised to accomplish all three goals. Alisha Gilbeaux, a member of the council and a senior family and child studies major, considers the group to be a good organization on campus to get involved in. “Not only do we serve the students at Tech we help in the community,” Gilbeaux said. “This group is good for both campus and community life.” Some activities that the council does throughout the year include; hold meetings, host one social gathering during the year, participate in formal recruitment activities for the School of Human Ecology and participate in informal recruitment activities for the family science program each spring. Group members also attend the annual conference of the Texas Council on Family Relations, which is an affiliate of the National Council on Family Relations as well. Harpel said she believes this group is beneficial to both students and the university. “Their service to the community helps establish positive relationships between university students and the Ruston community,” Harpel said. Smith said he considers the group to be a contact and informant for other family and child studies students. “We stay up-to-date on current family and marital issues so that our students are a step above the rest in this area,” Smith said. “This organization is really an organization for students who are concerned about the future of our families and trying to better our community.”