Frogs found Glass Half Full

Over the summer a group of concerned TCU students decided to help Africans struggling to find clean drinking water.

The result is the new student organization Glass Half Full, lead by co-founders Dalton Goodier, pictured above, and Lauren Enyart. They have paired up with LifeWater International, a non-profit dedicated to providing wells and other clean water sources to Africans across the continent. LifeWater identified the need for a new well in Ogette, a village in northern Uganda, home to about 130 families. 


“There is an unprotected spring that the village uses when possible, but when it dries up in the dry season, the community has no other alternative except a nearby swamp about three kilometers away,” Goodier, a sophomore from Lufkin, wrote on the group’s blog. “Those who have bicycles can ride to the swamp but others must walk.”

Glass Half Full is now working to raise awareness of the project and asking for donations of as little as $1 towards its initial goal of $5,500, the amount needed to build the well in Ogette.

“We want to get TCU really involved,” Enyart says in the group’s introductory video. “We think it’s a good project for everyone to get on board with. We’re going to be doing lots of cool stuff, concerts and events. It’s not just for people who are really into it like me, it’s for everyone.”

The group is already planning a fund-raising concert with recent TCU alum and musician Tim Halperin ’10 at the Aardvark on Sept. 10, with more events on the way.

“This is another way for TCU to continue reaching out to the global community,” says member Shane Constable, a senior from Houston. “There are people who don’t have clean, safe drinking water. This is something that’s important for us to help provide to other people.”

“Here in Texas the big crisis is getting the right brand of bottled water,” says Enyart, a sophomore from Kingwood. “But in Ogette, they don’t even have clean water to drink. The TCU community is very service oriented already. Once they hear what’s going on, the facts and figures behind it, I hope the campus rallies behind it like I know they can.”

Crystal bedecked horned frog

Linda Moss Motley ’86 invited a special “guest” to the great big Purple Party she’s hosting Thursday at her stationary and gift store, P.S. The Letter — Addy the horned frog.

Addy, who was created exclusively for P.S. The Letter by artist Jay Strongwater, is handcrafted, hand-painted and bedecked with 150 hand-set Swarovski crystals.

Motley said sales for Addy have already been stellar: The first order of 50 has already been sold. In two weeks, the second 50 will arrive, and already half of those have sold. So you’ll need to get your name on the list quickly if you want one.

There will also be plenty of fun purple items for sale at the party, including TCU stationery, towel wraps, frog pins and grilling accessories; and lots and lots of purple things, such as leather items, ornaments, pictures frames, trays, wine glasses, handbags, key chains, pillows, and much more!

The party runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 26, at P.S. The Letter, 5136 Camp Bowie Boulevard, at Merrick Ave. in Fort Worth. Call 817-731-2032, or go to P.S. The Letter online.

Brothers cross the country for worthy cause

What did you do on your summer vacation? Did it occur to you to ride your bicycle all the way across America?

Two TCU students who are also blood brothers and fraternity brothers of Pi Kappa Phi did just that. Last summer Adam Wilson started from San Francisco and completed a 4,000-mile cross-country trek to Washington D.C. and this summer his brother, Kyle, began his journey from Seattle to the nation's capital. He is joined by T.J. Howard and Rudy Granaghan. (pictured together in photo). The team is currently in Kentucky, with plans to arrive in Washington on August 14.

Their goal is raising awareness and to money for people with disabilities.

Pi Kappa Phi, a national Greek fraternity with a chapter at TCU, has a full time philanthropic arm founded in 1977, Push America, whose mission is serving people with disabilities. They organize and sponsor many events throughout the year to raise awareness and funds for their cause. The “Journey of Hope” is their largest annual effort and this is the 23rd consecutive year for as many as 75 cyclists and 25 crews to cross America on their own power.

Day after day, week after week the team is peddling across America, averaging 75 miles a day. They've met governors, mayors, state and federal politicians, and many others educated and inspired by their efforts. They worked out with Olympic wheelchair basketball team and Rugby team. They visited with other Pi Kappa Phi fraternity chapters at universities throughout the entire trip. They were also introduced and honored at several major league baseball games where they were able to promote their story.