Every time you walk around campus you pass decades of tradition in the class gifts that line the sidewalks and decorate the buildings. Even if you don’t notice them, Penn State students have been donating a class gift since 1861, and now is your chance to join the team who makes that tradition a reality year after year.

Applications are now open to join the 2018 Class Gift Executive Committee, a group of students who works throughout the remainder of this school year and the beginning of next to organize and publicize the Class of 2018’s gift.

The last two class gifts have trended towards a donation more meaningful than a statue or mosaic — the Class of 2016 opted to fund a CAPS endowment and the Class of 2017 voted similarly to donate to Lion’s Pantry. Before that the trend was “green,” with the Class of 2014 donating the HUB’s Green Roof Terrace and the Class of 2015 donating a solar array panel. My guess is that the Class of 2018 finds another way to donate their gift monies to Penn Staters in need, a trend that will hopefully benefit the university more than a statue or bench could.

Applications are open until January 27 and can be found here. Applicants must be intending to graduate after December 2017 but don’t have to be graduating in 2018 to be on the Executive Committee. Join the oldest tradition at Penn State and give to the class gift campaign before the Class of 2018 give to the university a symbol or donation that will remain For The Future.