The Back-to-School Barbecue is an annual event that brings together students, faculty, alumni and staff of the College of Design that will take place Friday.

The get-together, which is exclusively for those associated with the College of Design, is something students like David Maki “definitely look forward to and something we anticipate every year.” And it almost didn’t happen.

The University mandated a 10 percent budget cut this year. This meant sacrificing some programs and events to keep as many classes as possible, meaning the College of Design had to make the decision to cut the annual barbecue out of its budget.

“The money we used for the barbecue would have been donations dollars, such as unrestricted gifts from donors. We would never abuse state money to support the barbecue. But since donations are down, we wanted to make sure we used the dollars as best as we can,” Carla Abramczyk, assistant dean of external relations and development for constituency development programs, said.

But just because the College of Design wasn’t paying for the barbecue, which costs about $4,000, didn’t mean that was the end of the story.

Abramczyk said the College of Design began asking a small group of friends of the college if they were interested in donating money to the event because it was such a great tradition. Donors stepped up to the plate and not only is the event fully funded, an alumni also offered to supply the food for next year’s event.

“We felt like it was something we built up over last 10 years. It’s really important to bring students together … to really kick off the year and create community,” Abramczyk said.

Turan Duda, a partner in Duda Paine Architects and a 1976 graduate of the

College of Design, decided to donate to the event because “it’s awonderful tradition. It needs to be supported and continued. I have had anumber of students tell me what a wonderful tradition it is, and it’s awonderful way to kick off a new year.”

Maki, a senior in graphic design, said he appreciated the generous giftsdonors made toward the barbecue.

“I heard alumni and people in the area donated. It’s really awesomebecause it’s a tradition in the College of Design that helps everyone getacquainted. I’m really grateful to the donors who have helped out,” Maki said.

“In these economic times, it means a great deal to us, the alumni supporting us. They stepped up for students,” Abramczyk said.

Maki said Friday’s barbecue will be the fourth one he has attended and that it is a way for new students to break out of their shells.

“I met a lot of people when I was a freshman. I went to the barbecue, and would sat in line for food, afraid to talk to people around me. But then I met lot of people. It’s a stepping point for social interaction,” Maki said.

To people like Duda, who is also president of the Design Guild Board at the College of Design, donating to the event means more than having a social get-together. It’s about helping students get acquainted with the school and nurture a passion for design.

“In the school of design, you know, the little area around school is your world. These students are passionate about what they do, in love with design… it’s not about the vocation, it’s about the passion, the school

 eaches you how to learn,” Duda said.

Though this year’s Back-to-School barbecue is set to happen, Abramczyk said she was uncertain of how the College of Design would handle this events.  “I don’t have a good answer for it at this time, but with the budget the way it is this year, it made it a necessity to have donations. I don’t have a good answer for the future. It depends on the budget situation. Like everybody else, we want all resources to support students and faculty. The barbecue was never paid for by state funds, there was no money appropriated for that. But this is the first time we specifically targeted people.”