One of the University of Dallas’s most beloved traditions is Charity Week. The Juniors create an exciting and high-spirited environment on campus that refreshes the soul of the stressed UD student. The student body and professors not only find joy together on campus, but also create fun for themselves all in the name of charity. Every year, the student body creates something unique; but let’s take a look at what has continued to remain close to our hearts throughout the years. In doing so, we will reveal what lives within the spirit of UD.
Innovation and Flair
The shenanigans of the students and professors reveal our innovative nature:
The Charity Week of 1984 held something that was entirely unprecedented. The President’s parking spot was auctioned off to then-sophomore Mark Grayson for $80. A bed and desk then appeared in the space and was used for a week. Throughout that week, bookshelves, a rug, and a tarp were all donated to Grayson’s new living space. Grayson slept and studied there with only tape-recordings of Handel’s “Messiah” and Anton Dvorak to keep him company.
The Cistercians at UD are remembered for their inventive escapes from the UD jail. It is said that Fr. Thomas Esposito escaped one year by jumping out of the jail onto a student’s motorcycle and sped off towards freedom. Fr. Robert Maguire is also noted for a long history of great escapes. (See “Fr. Maguire’s Legacy as Charity Week Escapee” in The Cor Chronicle’s Oct. 30 Issue.)
Furthemore, Dr. Olenick, professor of physics, created a pulley system in Gorman to rise above the shenanigans of the students and escape imprisonment.
Creativity
Every year, the Junior class picks a theme that reveals their creativity. Here are some notable ones:
- The Wild West ‘24
- Ye Olde Charity Week (medieval times) ‘23
- Divine ComUD ‘95
- Roman HolUDay ‘93
- The UDyssey: An Epic Adventure ‘92
Others include:
The Godfather, The Wizard of Oz, the Roaring 20s, and The Dead Poet’s Society
Charity
Here are some recurring charities that we have served:
- In My Shoes ‘23 and ‘24
- White Rose Women’s Center ‘92, ‘93, ‘98
- Diocesan Seminaries of Dallas and Fort Worth ‘61, ‘64, ‘90
The first documented Charity Week was in the Spring of 1961, and consisted mainly of a carnival and talent show. The chosen charity for that year was the Diocesan Seminaries of Dallas and Fort Worth. Since then, we have continued on with the tradition of charity, encouraging and inspiring all students to open their hearts to their neighbors.
This year’s Charity Week, headed by Isabelle Luevano and Robert Cook, has come and gone, yet the tradition of our charitable spirit lives on.