Although showing favoritism is usually frowned upon at Trinity, last week students were encouraged to do so for a good cause by voting for their favorite professor through charitable donations during Alpha Phi Omega’s Brightest Bulb fundraiser.

The Brightest Bulb fundraiser is one of APO service fraternity’s annual fundraising events and allows students and professors to work together to give back to the community.

“It helps students see professors in a way outside of them being our teachers,” said senior Josie Hammons. “We get to see that they care in ways outside of their job.”

Hammons also says that fundraisers like this help fulfill APO’s threefold mission: leadership, friendship and service.

“We get to practice leadership by contacting the professors and organizing the whole thing. We get to work with our friends, and it’s a way to serve in our community,” Hammons said.

Six professors, nominated by members of APO, selected charities that they wanted to support. Students then voted for their favorite through monetary donations.

“Brightest Bulb is a great event because it’s a way for Trinity professors to get their names out there and show what they’re passionate about,” said junior and APO president Becca Burt.

At the end of the week, the competitor with the most votes was professor of history Aaron Navarro.

All of the money raised during the campaign will go to the San Antonio Food Bank, the charity that Navarro selected. APO members believe that getting involved in the community through events like this is important for Trinity.

“It is important to get involved in the San Antonio community and events like Brightest Bulb are a great way to do that,” said sophomore Mollie Patzke, APO service chair. “Helping others in our community is always a good thing to do.”

The other professors in contention were: Rosana Blanco-Cano, assistant professor of modern languages and literatures; Andrew Hansen, associate professor and chair of human communication and theatre; Nicole Marafioti, assistant professor of history; Kevin McIntyre, assistant professor of psychology; and Sheryl Tynes, associate vice president for academic affairs.

The Brightest Bulb contest raised $143.80. Patzke, who coordinated the fundraiser, says that she learned from the experience and got ideas for how to improve even more next year.