Donating to College Alma Mater

[aephi alum]

I do not donate to my alma mater.

I participated in a five-year bachelor's/master's degree program. During my graduate year, I lived in graduate student housing with my then-fiancé, also a grad student. We didn't have caller ID, but if you got a call from on-campus you heard a double ring, while if you got a call from off campus you heard a single ring.

So he and I are in our apartment one evening when the phone rings - double ring.

Me: Hello?
Caller: Good evening, may I speak to aephi alum?
Me: This is she.
Caller: Hi, I'm calling on behalf of the school's telethon. For a generous donation of $250, you can -
Me: Hold it right there. You called my campus extension, right?
Caller: Yes...
Me: You only dialed five digits, right? You didn't dial 9, right?
Caller: Right...
Me: You therefore KNOW that I live in grad student housing, and am therefore more than likely a GRAD STUDENT. A POOR STARVING GRAD STUDENT. And YOU'RE asking me to fork over two hundred and fifty dollars???
Caller: Um... well, class participation percentage is more important than the dollar amount. You could maybe contribute $100, or...
Me: No.
Caller: Or even $25... or even $10... <sensing a lost cause>
Me: How about zero?!?

And I hung up.

A couple of minutes later, they called back for my fiancé (his last name was just a bit after my maiden name alphabetically). We let our answering machine have the pleasure of taking that call.

The thing is, I might have been willing to send a small donation their way each year, had that one call not left such a bad taste in my mouth.