Bonaventure Magazine: Winter 2015-2016 Page 10

"Now that the emergency is over, how are
they going to be able to move forward by es-
tablishing themselves in business, and things
like that."

So while Presuma recruited program partici-

pants across Haiti, Mahar began preparations
at Bona's, finding cooperation at every turn.

The Haitians paid their own airfare, a hurdle

too high to overcome for some would-be at-
tendees, but faced few other expenses.

The university provided free housing in un-

occupied rooms in Loughlen Hall; professors
and other instructors volunteered their time
to teach special non-credit classes; Aramark,
the university's food service provider, donated
meals; other program expenses were covered
by donations, BonaResponds, the School of
Business and the school's Pacioli Scholars Pro-
gram, which helps fund student leadership
opportunities.

"We had help from across the university,"

said Mahar. "It was heartwarming to see the
university come together and work together."

THE IDEA WAS TO IMMERSE

the students

in American culture and the uniquely Francis-
can experience that is St. Bonaventure while
equipping them with knowledge they could
take back home and share with others.

Dr. C. Joseph Coate, accounting chair and

the department's first McQuade Faculty Fel-
low, presented a lesson on free markets,
using props he picked up at a local dollar
store.

"It was a lesson on how free markets work

that they could take home and tweak to
teach anybody, from an 8-year-old to some-

one who's 28," said Coate.

But can you teach someone accounting in a

few weeks' time? Yes and no, said Coate.

"I can't really teach you how to do account-

ing in three weeks, but I can get you an un-
derstanding of what this is and why it's
important," he said. In that sense, Bona's and
Beyond is a catalyst meant to inspire aha mo-
ments.

"There's a motivational aspect to this," said

Coate. "We want participants to say, `Wow,
look what I could do. There's a world of possi-
bilities and I could learn these things if some-
one got me started.'"

In addition to accounting, there were

classes and workshops in economics, finance,
management, chemistry, political science,
wind and solar energy systems, composting
toilets and more, along with demonstrations
of simple, inexpensive technologies the
Haitians could take back and put to use im-
mediately.

Dr. Carol Fischer, interim dean of the School

of Business, sat in on an irrigation workshop.

"It was a drip irrigation system, an inexpen-

sive way to irrigate crops that requires very lit-
tle in terms of equipment -- essentially a
bucket and some special hoses," said Fischer.
"You could see the light bulbs going off, and
not just in our Haitian visitors. A lot of us,
too, were learning about some different solu-
tions that are not at all that complicated, but
just require someone to really have passion
and a willingness to get this technology into
people's hands."

The program was also a learning experience

for Bonaventure students, who lived and

WINTER 2015-16

You are giving

education and

contributing to

the education of

children who

can't afford

school. Now

some of the

children are

going to learn

and they will

become

resources for

Haiti. After a

time, you will

not need to

support them.

-- Haitian visitor

Djemson Jeudy

In addition to attending classes and workshops, the Haitians gave a public presentation at the
Olean Public Library.