The SDSU Foundation hit new highs in private donations and in donor numbers last year.

Private donations in 2005 reached $14.8 million, a 44 percent increase from 2004. This is due primarily to a seven percent rise in total donors, said Foundation President David Marquardt.

“Once again, SDSU alumni and friends showed their willingness to make vital things happen on this campus through private support,” Marquardt said.

Because of the increased financial support, SDSU was able to create 191 new scholarships, many of which are named after donors. Some of the money is also being used to fund the Jackrabbit Guarantee, one of SDSU’s largest scholarship programs.

“The impact of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts will continue to be most noticeable in the area of scholarships,” said Steve Erpenbach, vice president of development for the Foundation. “With programs like the Jackrabbit Guarantee allowing SDSU to grow at a time when high school enrollments in South Dakota are on the decline, donors understand the need to provide more scholarships and enable SDSU to maintain that competitive edge.”

In addition to scholarships, donations are being directed towards the renovation of the United Ministries Center, which is being transformed into a student tutoring and advising center. The money will also be used for teaching development, giving instructors the opportunity to attend professional conferences and teaching seminars.

Last year’s financial gifts are also allowing the university to expand on research opportunities.

SDSU programs attract new donors and university partnerships strengthen from year to year, said Jeff Muchow, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, in a statement from the 2005 Honor Roll of Contributors booklet.

SDSU alumni donated 47.4 percent of last year’s total donations. Businesses and foundations, friends of the university, faculty and staff and trusts and bequests also contributed in 2005.

With the transition to Division I, Marquardt believes the Midwest’s awareness has risen and that SDSU has reached a more national level in terms of overall exposure, making impossible donations become possible. The Foundation hopes for another record-breaking year in which SDSU can continue to experience academic advancement.

“Pledges from SDSU friends tend to be good as gold,” Marquardt said.

The Foundation is a private non-profit organization that receives and oversees private gifts made to SDSU, said Marquardt. A 56-member volunteer board of directors serves as the governing body for the Foundation. These directors are elected to serve a 3-year term and come from a variety of backgrounds across the nation.

In addition to creating numerous scholarships and endowment programs, the Foundation raises money to help launch new programs, like the equestrian team, as well as helping with fundraisers for existing organizations. The Foundation also receives financial gifts from alumni wanting to invest money in programs they graduated in.

Planning for the future and looking for strategic preparations to solve future global problems were the primary issues discussed in this year’s Griffith Honors Forum Lecture.

“Could we have predicted in the ’60s and ’70s the march of technology currently taking place in our world? No one could have predicted the changes we’re witnessing today,” said Erik Peterson, director of the Seven Revolutions Initiative.

The Griffith Honors Forum Lecture was established by the board of directors of the William Mibra Griffith and Byrne Smith Griffith Foundation to bring nationally known speakers to SDSU.

“After years of preparing students for tomorrow, I have come to realize how much a treasured gift people like Erik Peterson really are,” said President Peggy Miller in front of a crowd of roughly 120 at the Performing Arts Center on April 6.

Peterson spoke about the seven revolutions: population, strategic resource management, technological innovation, information, global economic integration, conflict and governance.

Peterson works as the senior vice president for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.

He believes the seven revolutions initiatives provide essential analysis in planning and bringing together a more stable effort in looking at problems concerning global issues, as well as providing world leaders with strategic insights on emerging global issues.

The rapid growth of populations poses a serious threat to countries that cannot support their own development, said Peterson.

Even a more difficult task, he said, is feeding the growing populations and providing the land space, land quality and water, which all correlate into weight decisions for tomorrow.

“One flush of today’s Western toilet would provide enough water for washing, cooking and eating for one person in a developing country,” said Peterson.

Technology plays the most obvious role in future advancements and continues to play a major role in shaping everyday life, Peterson explained.

“Because of technology, we can now personalize medicine and throw out the one-size-fits-all approach,” Peterson said.

Online information becomes more and more accessible and depicts a large variety of media.

“We’re moving to a world where we choose our own truth,” said Peterson.

Integration and economic expansion is taking place on the largest scale in history with countries growing at exceptionally fast rates, Peterson added.

However, disparities still exist.

“2.8 billion people live on two dollars a day,” said Peterson.

Governance and military approaches are taking place globally.

Companies are being forced to display beliefs in certain issues and military efforts depend on aid and peace processes for the modern model to take place, Peterson explained.

He broke down the seven revolutions as guidelines for upcoming promises and perils and encourages the leaders of this world to not simply become managers, but rather maintain solid-based decisions.

“Advancements not only impact the survival of ourselves, but also provide our children with a brighter future,” he said.

A country that supports democracy and strives after economic growth, India is establishing itself to become one of the world’s elite.

Culture, environment and food systems were the primary elements South Dakota State University students studied while spending spring break in India.

“Three main elements: Culture, environment and food systems provided the main emphasis for the trip,” said Diane Rickerl, professor and coordinator of the diversity and multiculturalism program for the College of Agricultural and Biolo-gical Sciences.

“We try and pick the elements that are both similar and relevant to SDSU students, and we all thought India provided that.”

Rickerl developed the course to help students experience culture and diversity in countries other than the United States.

“It’s important to look at diver-sity in foreign countries,” said Rickerl.

Students who went to India traveled under the ABS 482 Inter-national Experience program that takes students to foreign countries and introduces them to ethnic culture and tradition.

Majors represented include: psychology, history, geography, economics and journalism. Eleven students, three faculty members and SDSU photographer Eric Landwehr took part in the Experience program.

The primary emphasis was for students to become more familiar with the culture, environment and food systems in India.

“The entire experience is a lesson in humanity, hope, and humility. It was very eye-opening and really put a lot of things into perspective,” said geography graduate student Anya Hartpence.

Many of the students attended lectures at the University of Hyder-abad, which presented issues like environment and social movements happening in India. The information accumulated during the lectures will become sources that the students will use for their final class projects.

“The lectures at the university and the institution helped us understand the culture of India and how the food system works,” said Lacie Brandts, a Garden City junior ma-joring in animal sciences.

Students were able to experience the culture of India, a country that is dominated by the Hindu religion.

“I really liked that there were cattle everywhere,” said Brandts. “When we were in the country we saw farmers with their cattle, but there were cattle in the cities, too. In Dehli, a city of about 14 million, there were cattle walking down the middle of the street with all the cars, buses and people. When we were at the University of Hyderabad, we even saw cattle walking around on campus.”

While seeing and learning, students were also able to smell and taste the ethnic food.

“The food was another thing I especially liked while there,” said Hartpence. “It was absolutely scrumptious. I will not soon forget the wonderful aroma, flavors and textures of dining in India.”

India is a country that boasts the second highest population growth rate in the last 15 years – after China – and grows more than 6 percent in population each year.

A study conducted by Goldman Sachs projects that in the next 50 years, India will be the fastest-growing of the world’s major economies.

Currently, Indian companies are posting yearly gains of 15 to 25 percent, suggesting an enormous push for growth and economic expansion.

However, India still holds plenty of problems within its own borders. Containing 40 percent of the world’s poverty and second-largest HIV population, India still presents the problem of financial isolation. But many experts believe India is a primary candidate for economic growth and change. According to Newsweek magazine, Gurcharan Das, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, said, “The government sleeps at night and the economy grows.”

India has sustained democracy for more than 60 years even though it still remains one of the poorest countries in all of Asia, which makes many experts believe change is within grasp.

“When I travel on these trips, I always realize how insignificant so many of my problems are in the greater world,” said Hartpence. “I also realize how much I take for granted, and how much of a greater appreciation I have for the rest of the world in light of the different standards of living and so forth.”

According to a Pew Global Attitudes survey, 71 percent of Indians had a favorable impression of the United States, making both students and faculty comfortable with the idea of studying in India.

“Above all, I think it is important for people to realize how much is gained by travel-abroad experiences,” said Hartpence. “When one becomes completely immersed in a new culture, and is taken outside of the context of their comfort zone, amazing things become realized about themselves.”