Katie Roberson
Lorato Powell
Carla Pare’
Habitat for Humanity gaining momentum
UT's Habitat for Humanity campus chapter was officially chartered a year ago. According to chapter president Tyler McCurry, a senior in premed, the chapter is gaining momentum with each meeting and event.
"This has been a building year for us," McCurry said in Monday's meeting.
This year chapter members volunteered in 13 house builds and hosted a Valentine's dance.  They are still fundraising for a house build in Ecuador May 12 through May 22.  To pay for this trip, the chapter must raise $20,000 by selling jewelry and collecting donations on campus.
Chapter members meet twice a month, and at their last meeting,  students shared their favorite memories.  Ann Wells, a senior in microbiology, told a memory of screwing drywall into a ceiling with her friends.
The chapter's vice president and a senior in mechanical engineering, Tricia Goetzka said, "Right after I studied beams and trusses in Engineering Fundamentals, I went and built a roof."
Next semester, the chapter has its eyes set on various ways to get students involved. Several major events are in the works, including a fundraising event called “Shanty Town” in September where students raise support while recreating the homeless environment for a night.
McCurry said “Shanty Town” is a way to raise awareness that poverty is real. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2005 that 25 percent of individuals in Knoxville live below the poverty level.
The chapter also hopes to host a Halloween dance, a reverse trick or treat and a talent show next semester.         
Meetings for UT’s Habitat for Humanity campus chapter are held every other Monday at 6 p.m. in HSS Room 68. The meeting schedule can be found online at http://web.utk.edu/~habitat/.