Fundraisers offer hope

Close to 60 million people tuned in to watch "America: A Tribute to Heroes" on Friday, Sept. 21. The telethon, an all star concert to honor our real-life heroes.was aired on over 30 networks, seen in 210 countries and heard on over 8,000 radio stations.

So far an estimated 150 million dollars was raised during the two hour telethon. Billy Joel, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews and U2 were just a few of the top acts to join in the tribute. l\'ei 1sen ratings indicate that some 89 million Americ..'m, turned to the telethon at some point during its broadcast. For people who are old enough to remember, the telecast was reminiscent of 1985's "Live Aid" concert for famine.

Phone lines were jammed. In the first 15 minutes over 300,000 phone calls came pouring in. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars like Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts lent a hand answering phones throughout the evening. So far Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey and Rosie O'Donnell have donated over a million dollars a piece.

If you were unable to get through during the telethon there are still plenty of ways to make a donation. Local Wawa stores have extended their fundraising drive and the Red Cross (1800-HELP NOW) is always taking donations. Morning shock-jock Howard Stern has also set up a fund in support of the firefighters and NYPD, the number is 1-800-711-3050. Please don't rely on someone else to make you donation. It's not too late, every dollar counts.

The editorials, viewpoints, opinions and Jetters to the editor published in Loquitur are the views of the student editorial board and the individual writers, not the entire student body or the facultyand administration. Editors Editor in

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The luxury of only working weekdays gives me a new role within my circle of friends. This new job has to do with six words, concert tickets and early Saturday mornings.

U2 tickets went on sale this past Saturday morning at 10 a.m. My friend Kelly and I ~-----~ had decided the night before Renee that the concert was a must Di Pietro see after all the praise we perspective heard from other friends who editor saw their last concert. Kelly ~-----~ called me at 9 a.m. from her job to remind me of my job that morning. I was awake when the phone rang. She sighed with relief. She was happy that I was on top of the morning. Little did she know I still was under the covers and had my head on the pillow. Awake? Yes. Out of bed well that was a different story.

I started to get out of bed while we talked but did not become fully conscious of what I was to do until I opened the ticketmaster web page on the internet. The tickets were going on sale in 15 minutes. I began to type in the link for hotmail when it hit me 15 minutes, tickets, U2, my job.

I stared at the little clock on top of the computer and stood silent and still for a minute. I stood there in shock. Then I began the quickest exiting of my house.

I ran out to my car, jumped in and drove to the Springfield Mall. From the mall entrance I could see the line filing out of the door into the mall parking lot. I cursed loudly. How could I not set an alarm for this extremely important morning?

I raced out of the car and won a nice spot in the long line before the others like me filed in behind. I began to wonder how much the tickets were going to cost as I noticed the man in his dressy pants and shiny shoes in front of me. He was on the phone with his business colleagues asking them if the $130 tickets would be the best way to go. Just as the words dollar came out of his mouth so did the thought of did I have money at all?

I slowly opened my bag and peaked inside. I was really scared of what I was not going to find in there. With one eye opened I looked in I saw a wad of cash and began to smile. I might save this day after all.

Next to the money in my purse was another fun discovery, a pahn reading, pocket sized book. I am not too sure how the pocket book found its way into my purse but I was glad to have something to help pass the time. I took the book out and began to study it from cover to cover. The girl two spots in front of me looked back and saw me reading. She immediately asked me if I knew how to read palms. I told her that I did not but this opened up the floor for good conversation to pass the time.

She was on pins and needles like myself and began to tell me of the U2 concert from last spring. I told her how U2 was the first band I ever wanted to see in concert and that I hoped we would have tickets when we returned to our cars.

At 10 a.m. a woman organizing the ticket sales began to make her way down the line, stopping every 15 people to announce the rules of purchasing. I could pick out the people who were in line and not waiting for U2 tickets by the look of disguise and boredom on their faces. The tickets these folks were waiting to purchase were not going to sellout in the hour but they waited anyway, which actually helped balance out the excitement in the line.

The woman I was sharing stories with was waiting with her best friend and about eight of their neighborhood children. She had thought that tickets were going on sale at noon but when she learned they were actually on sale at 10 a.m., she drove to pick up her friend and rallied all the children that were on their bikes on the lawn to get in her car too. Now the children were somewhere in the Macy's furniture department jumping on the beds and getting in trouble. She did not stop them. Her mind was concentrated on the whispers we heard behind us.

People in line began to share the warnings they received by their cell phone that the concert was selling out quickly and that the line was not moving because there might not be any tickets left. I looked at the cashier. I was four people away. I could see the people tighten up behind me. I decided to ignored the warning. I looked at my watch. An hour and a half I had waited in line. I felt good. I knew I had to be rewarded for the time and effort I was putting towards these tickets. I was staring at the people leaving with their tickets in their hands. My blood was rushing with hope and confidence. I am leaving here with tickets, I know I am, I kept saying and then a person tapped me on the shoulder. My turn had arrived. I walked up to the counter and smiled at the woman. She smiled back.