After a successful initial build, ETSU will be constructing its second Habitat for Humanity house and has organized a council of students to help lead, plan and execute the project.
While there is no limit to how many people can be on the council, the elected executive committee will be announced Thursday, April 24.
In a recent news conference Wyeth Lawson, the project coordinator for the council, described the qualities the steering committee was looking for in candidates.
“We are looking for committed and excited individuals that are looking to take an active role in the project,” he said.
The executive committee will have a president, vice president, secretary and chairs for fundraising, food, volunteers and public relations.
These students will work with the student council and the steering committee to facilitate the building effort.
Last year 300 students from 30 student organizations built the first house in eight weeks and dedicated the house during homecoming week.
“It was an incredible success,” Lawson said, “and we decided we would move forward with another build with aims to make it an annual project.”
This year’s project will be a 10-week build starting the first week of fall 2008 classes and is to be completed right before Thanksgiving, allowing more students the opportunity to get their hands in on construction.
Lawson has a vision for students to take a more active role in the ETSU Habitat for Humanity projects and to make it a sustainable student-led undertaking.
The first project was directed by a steering committee composed mostly of faculty and campus administrators, with Lawson as the only student member.
This year the newly formed council for habitat will work with the steering committee to handle the organizational and volunteer responsibilities.
Perhaps the largest preliminary work of the project is fundraising.
It takes roughly $35,000 to build a habitat house locally.
So far $20,000 has been raised, $17,500 from the ETSU Buc Fund and $2,500 from other efforts.
According to Lawson, another fundraiser already in place is a $100-a-plate dinner with ETSU President Paul Stanton set for Aug. 14, aimed mainly at vendors or suppliers who support the build. There will be a faculty and staff challenge as well as one among student organizations, and awards will be given to those who raise the most money.
In an organizational meeting last Thursdays the charter members ratified the council’s constitution, which calls for a minimum of three meetings per semester.
There will not be any meetings over the summer, but the council plans to hit the ground running during the first week back in the fall.
The council’s two main goals are to improve student leadership and increase fundraising.
Anyone is welcome to join the committee and to help build the house in the fall, according to Lawson. For additional information contact Lawson at lawsonwa@etsu.edu.

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