By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Fort Hays State University Foundation announced Thursday a $100,000 gift from Curtis and Renee Longpine to benefit the University’s Journey Campaign.
The gift brings the Journey Campaign total to $56 million of its $100 million goal.
About $60,000 of the Longpines’ gift will go toward the Geology Field Camp program, $20,000 will go to the President’s Venture Campaign and $20,000 will be an unrestricted gift to the FHSU Foundation. Curtis Longpine will serve as the next president of the foundation board.
Ken Neuhauser, professor of geology and co-director of the Geology Field Camp, discussed how the donation will benefit FHSU students.
Neuhauser said the Geology Field Camp, a six-credit course, is an essential part of geology students’ study. They use all of the skills and book learning they have accumulated in their time at the university and apply it in the field.
“You get to see things that were in textbooks or on YouTube. It is not the same,” he said. “You gotta be out in the dirt and the mud and the bugs and the cold and all those things that they have to deal with daily. We guide them through that. It is something that is going to be a great experience to them. It is something they will never forget for the rest of their lives.”
The cost of sending one student through field camp is about $2,000. This includes tuition, camping fees and equipment, such as tents, sleeping bags and geology tools. Over the years, more of the burden of this cost has been borne by the students. This gift will help defray some of that cost.
Curtis Longpine of Damar Resources of Hays studied geology at FHSU and said he and his wife are very fortunate to be able to indulge in philanthropy.
“My interests in charity are to stay local when possible, to help those who can’t help themselves and to help those intent on improving themselves,” Longpine said. “Obviously when a student comes to Fort Hays, they are making an investment in their life, and I want to help them with that investment.”
He said Geology Field Camp allowed him to use the range of his education all at one time, all in one place.
Longpine said when he attended field camp, the school paid for all of the field camp expenses, but today much of the expense falls on students. The Longpines’ gift will create a an endowed scholarship fund to ease the burden of the cost of field camp on students.
The funds that are going to the President’s Venture Fund will help incoming FHSU President Tisa Mason lead the college into the future, Longpine said.
Longpine urged members to consider donations to the foundation.
“Why? Because they do great work. They truly do. Why? Because it is good for the community and it is good for our future. Why? Because it is just a great time to be a Tiger, and you all want to be a part of that,” he said.
Interim FHSU President Andy Tompkins said when he went to college, the community supported a lot more of what was happening at the college.
“You know that has flipped over the years, and it has become more important to see the importance of a greater good, and giving back and giving to things we know make a difference in other people’s lives,” he said. “We are grateful for not only the gift, but for the givers and the message that you give us about giving, so I want to say thanks for that too.”