The University of Tampa student organization, Project Earth, will be hosting an on campus concert benefit on April 21, 2012. Jenna Mingledorff, junior communication major and president of Project Earth, came up with a thesis to assist in helping others. Mingledorff saw the opportunity as something that students at UT could assist with if they too shared the same desire to help others in need.
Gezime Ismaili Christian, senior economics and math major, is the co-president of Project Earth and admitted, “I was scared at first because she [Jenna] had a lot of strong ideas. I have a lot of strong ideas myself and I wanted to support her idea.” Mingledorff added, “ever since then it was just the two of us.” Though their dream seemed out of reach, they managed to put it together. Christian, who was just recently accepted to Yale’s grad school program for economics, admitted that the biggest struggle thus far has been the finances.
Their goal has been to bring awareness to children in poverty. According to their event profile, Project Earth will be “donating 100% of the net proceeds to a non-profit organization called Parents and Children Advance Together Literacy Ministries, which provides free reading, writing and life skill tutoring for first and second grade students who attend Sulphur Springs Elementary.”
“Join the Beat to Defeat” will be held on the UT Intramural Sports Field beginning at 6:30 p.m. on April 21 and will go until 11 p.m.
Despite the trouble Mingledorff and Christian have had, Mingledorff said, “what keeps us going the most is that the bands are so excited to play, and so many people are looking forward to being a part of this.”
According to Mingledorff, the vibe of the night will be “rock and roll, reggae, indie, acoustic and hip hop.” These genres will come from, “three student bands; Jahgur, The Last of the Mohicans, Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity and one faculty band that Professor John Stinespring is putting together.”
UT alumnus and American Idol contestant, Julissa Veloz, will be flying in from New York to perform at the concert benefit as well. Project Earth has provided UT students with the opportunity to give back and share their love for music.
They will be offering free food and door prizes that include: two free tickets to the Tampa Art Museum, four $25 gift cards for Urban Cantina and four $25 gift cards to UT’s campus bookstore.
Tickets will be available for $8 in Vaughn Lobby. Project Earth will have a table on April 19 and 20 starting at 11 a.m. If student organizations are interested in going, they have made a special deal: when bought in groups of seven, individuals will get tickets for $5 a piece. Tickets will also be sold at the door on the concert night for $10.
“Project Earth is exactly the type of organization that does stuff like this,” said Mingledorff. Anyone interested in contributing ideas and becoming a part of Project Earth in the fall of 2012 can contact Jenna Mingledorff at jmingledorff@spartans.ut.edu.
Jenn Bedell can be reached at 1jennbedell@gmail.com.