the Informer

[caption id="attachment_427" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Photo courtesy of Facebook"][/caption] January 12, 2010 started off as a normal day for me. It was the last day of Winterterm, and I had been up most of the early morning hours studying for my Finance 450 final exam. The stress of foreign exchange rates, put and call options, and forward and futures contracts was soon to be overtaken by agony and despair.After the exam, around three o’clock, I glanced at my Blackberry and saw several text messages and countless BlackBerry Messages. They were all relating to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that had occurred in Haiti. At that moment I didn’t realize the severity of the situation. All I could think of was the conversation I had with my friend Courtney and her Facebook status from the day before. Her status read, “ 36 degrees in Boca!! Off to save the world in HAITI!!!!.” As a freshman in college I attended Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. I met some amazing people who I remain in contact with today. One of who was Courtney Hayes. I remember first meeting Courtney out at the local watering hole. I was instantly attracted to her infectious smile and that southern accent of hers. Ever since then we remained close friends. Courtney and 11 other Lynn University students were spending their J-Term (fancy word for Winterterm) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Their mission group, Students for the Poor, was in Haiti feeding the impoverished nation, which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Courtney always was a giving person who would go out of her way just to put a smile on someone else’s face. Speaking to Court the day before she left, she told me how excited she was to go to Haiti to help those with next to nothing. I told her I was so proud of the journey she was about to embark on. I told her to be safe and make sure she BlackBerry messaged me once she got there and to keep me updated with the mission trip. This was the last time I ever spoke to Courtney. Through my network of friends from Lynn University and advancements in technology, I was able to gain some “inside information” as to what was going on in Haiti. The day of the quake I learned from a friend that half of the mission group was trapped on the mountain that the Hotel Montana sat. Due to infrastructure damages to the roadways, access to the Hotel they were staying at was impossible. Courtney however was one of the 4 girls and 2 faculty members that were still missing. As the days passed, the thought of losing a dear friend became more of a reality. I would pray every night that I would get a chance to hear Courtney’s sweet southern accent and to see her impeccable smile once again. That day however will never come, not in this life anyway. On January 24, 2010, Courtney Elizabeth Hayes’s body was located amongst the rubble that was once the Hotel Montana. Now I’m not here to blame God for taking such an innocent life or express my anger towards Lynn University for alerting numerous media outlets that Courtney was found on Jan. 14 and would be back in Boca safely. I am here, writing this article, to raise awareness of just how serious the devastation in Haiti really is. We as a University need to come together and give back to those in need. Those who are begging for a drop of water, a piece of bread, things we all take for granted in this great country of ours. I have initiated a fundraiser for Haiti, in memory of Courtney. You can donate money by going to my webpage, http://www.firstgiving.com/matthewcosenza, which all proceeds will go to the Save the Children Foundation, a non-profit organization. My ultimate goal is to reach and surpass $10,000 in donations. This money will help in the recovery, relief, and rebuilding efforts of Haiti. Your donations can be completely anonymous. At this point every penny counts. If you would like to donate by check you can make the checks out to the Save the Children foundation and contact me by email at, mcosenza@hartford.edu. In addition to online donations, I will also be holding numerous on-campus fundraising events, which I will keep you up to date with on my Web page. I will never delete the last two BlackBerry messages I sent Courtney on January 12. They read, “Please tell me ur ok” and “Court”. No response. It kills me to think how long she had to suffer. May you Rest In Peace my Georgia peach, I am doing this for you and I know you’re looking down on us all, with a smile on your face, praying for those who are still missing, praying for Haiti. I, with the help of others will finish the mission you set forth on. I promise you that.