Collegiate Times

A rare occasion is coming up at Virginia Tech — the university’s five a capella groups, Soulstice, Naturally Sharp, Mixed Emotions, Sensations and Juxtaposition, will be performing together in concert to raise money for charity.

Joined up with Students Helping Honduras, the a cappella groups will be donating their time and vocal chords for a benefit concert on campus. The free event is tailored so all proceeds may directly help SHH and its on-going efforts. While SHH has held concerts with a capella groups before, this will be the first time all five have managed to work out their schedules for the musical spectacular.

The night will have twofold benefit — the music at the concert and donations for the cause. Money raised at the event will fund SHH’s projects in Honduras, many of which build basic structures Americans take for granted. Volunteers raise funds for their trip and then travel to Honduras to build schools, houses and other components the village needs.

Soulstice president and senior communication major Madalyn Ainley said her group has participated in the concert all four years she has been at Tech.

“They just contacted us about the event,” Ainley said, “and we always love doing philanthropic events.”

Soulstice is not alone. SHH, which started as a one-man organization at the College of William & Mary, has grown into a multiple chapter organization drawing hundreds of members and acclaim from a CNN special entitled “Heroes.”

After an initial mission trip to a makeshift village, founder Shin Fujiyama was saddened by the damage done in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and decided to do something about it.

It’s a concept so simple, but not many people put in the effort of Fujiyama and his organization. After seeing the villagers’ positive reactions after rebuilding the school, Fujiyama raised enough money to buy a tract of land upon which SHH can build one house for every family in the destroyed village.

Tech's SHH Fundraising Chair, junior marketing major Brittany Seaton, elaborated on the huge undertaking by SHH.

“Forty-four houses have been completed, and it’s taken five years,” Seaton said.

Having visited and helped in Honduras twice, Seaton is no stranger to the cause. Her first, independent trip in 2009 consisted of a week of digging trenches and ditches.

“Everything is done by hand,” Seaton said. “There is no money for machinery so even basic things that pipelines for water and waste need to be dug by hand.”

Seaton is one of many volunteers faced with a culture shock when arriving in Honduras.

“I had never been out of the country,” Seaton said, “but I had that college kid mentality that I could change the world.”

However, Seaton said it was stunning to see how underdeveloped the country was. She said it was probably the stark differences in reality that motivated her to join SHH upon her return to Tech.

And beyond their physical help in Honduras, volunteers have some fun and experience new things. Seaton visited a state-run orphanage where she had the chance to interact and play with many children.

Seaton said she was shocked when villagers remembered her during her second weeklong sojourn to Honduras. She did not think her brief trip had any significant impact. Not only did the village people remember who she was, but they were also extremely grateful for her efforts and the efforts of her group.

The performance will be Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 pm in Squires Student Center's Colonial Hall.

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 19 issue of the Collegiate Times.