When it snows in Memphis, there is hardly enough to make amud-caked snowman, much less to ski or snowboard, but that didn'tdeter University of Memphis sophomore Magda Dutkiewicz fromstarting the first U of M ski club, the Memphis Snow Tigers.
"A lot of the members and officers have never seen snow in theirlives," said Dutkiewicz, a psychology major and president of theorganization.
In West Tennessee there's no ski slopes -- or mountains for thatmatter -- and the closest ski resort is nine hours away.
"I have been skiing one time, two years ago," said club memberKimberly Collins, sophomore art education major.
Nevertheless, the Memphis Snow Tigers hope to bring theexperience of wide-open spaces and fresh snow to The U of M.
Dutkiewicz started the club with the idea of forming anorganization that would subsidize the cost of the ski trips forstudents by organizing fundraisers and other money-generatingactivities.
The Poland native and avid snow skier realized that manystudents had the desire to go skiing but lacked the funds.
For the past two weeks, the Memphis Snow Tigers have beenselling snow cones at the University Center Mall, and next week,the members will participate in a neighborhood-wide garage sale inCordova, all in an effort to raise the cost of ski trips that caneasily reach costs of more than $1,000.
The Memphis Snow tigers will schedule three trips before thestart of spring 2004 semester, including a January trip to JacksonHole, Wyo.
Through her organization's efforts, Dutkiewicz said she thinksmembers will only have to pay one-third to one-fifth of the actualcost of the trip.
Dues for the club are $20, and all members must help at twofundraising events, Dutkiewicz said. Meetings are held everyTuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the University Center.
