On Giving Tuesday, an opportunity to give back

The days after Thanksgiving are a frenzy of sales and promotions, but they are also a time for giving – and an event established three years ago aims to focus attention on that.

Giving Tuesday is observed worldwide on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, immediately following the shopping events known as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Launched in 2012, it harnesses the power of social media to celebrate and support philanthropy and charitable donations.

Now, for the first time, Capitol alumni are being invited to make Giving Tuesday an occasion to give back to their alma mater – by providing support to Capitol cybersecurity students as they prepare for the spring cybersecurity competition season.

The alumni office has launched an appeal timed to coincide with the global event. Funds received through the campaign will go exclusively towards equipping the Cyber Lab and providing resources for the Cyber Battle Team, which participates annually in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC) and is hoping to advance to the nationals.

Capitol is a pioneer in cybersecurity education, and the Cyber Lab is a unique resource for providing real time, hands-on practice in this vital arena. But the field is ever-changing and upgrades are needed in order to ensure the program remains state-of-the art.

The Cyber Battle Team, meanwhile, requires funding in order to travel to meets, and being competitive against other teams depends on having the right simulation software. Resources are needed for that, too.

“When alums donate to this campaign, their money is going directly to support the lab and the team,” said Andrew Exner, assistant director of foundation relations. “The Cyber Battle Team is a collection of students, from freshmen through seniors, who need training and software as well as support from faculty, alumni and other people in the community to gain the expertise they need to compete as effectively as possible.”

“It’s very similar to donating money to support a school sports team. The Cyber Battle Team is our big team here at Capitol. It’s our football, our basketball, our lacrosse. We like to think of these students as our cyberwarriors. Like any sports team, they need coaching, they need uniforms, and they need to be able to travel to meets. Donations received through this campaign will go towards that.”

While alumni support is the focus of the appeal, other members of the Capitol community – including current students and their families, as well as faculty and staff -- are also invited to make donations, Exner noted.

Leah Caputo, assistant director of development, said the campaign is a powerful motivating factor as the team prepares for the spring season. “Knowing they have your support is a tremendous boost to their morale, and you’ll feel good about it too,” Caputo said.

“School spirit at most institutions of higher education centers around the athletics teams,” Caputo said. “Alumni take pride in wearing their spirit wear, and each season they follow their school’s football or basketball team with intense interest. Although Capitol doesn’t field athletes in these long-established sports, our Cyber Battle Team is in every sense a team, participating in a highly competitive arena. And they need your support.”

For more information on how to support the Cyber Lab and Cyber Battle Team, or for general questions about alumni outreach efforts, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@captechu.edu.