The bartenders wore hard hats at The Boot last Thursday night to support Habitat for Humanity. Almost 400 students packed the bar for a construction-themed benefit that raised $1,100 for Habitat.

The benefit was one of many events held for “Get Back in the Habit” week, which was put on by the Bateman team Feb. 13-17.

The week was aimed to encourage students to volunteer more.

A survey, conducted by the Bateman team, showed that 92 percent of Loyola students volunteered while in high school and 42 percent do so now.

The week’s events were part of the Bateman team’s campaign for a case study competition, which is held yearly by the Public Relations Student Society of America. It is intended to “prove analytical skills and public relations expertise at the college level,” a Bateman team press release said.

PRSSA chooses a company for the Bateman teams to work with, and the teams are able to decide if they want to work with the national organization or a local affiliate. Loyola’s team, which is comprised of five communications students, chose to work with a local group.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we thought Habitat for Humanity New Orleans would be a good opportunity to aid the community,” said Kerri Driscoll, communications senior and the team’s director.

While there are usually 70 or 80 teams, Loyola has placed in the top three for six consecutive years.

“The Loyola Bateman team is reputably one of the best in the nation, but we believe in the cause of this campaign far more so than the desire to win,” Driscoll said.

At each event held last week, students were able to sign up to help with construction of the Musician’s Village, a project that is co-chaired by musicians Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis.

“The ground-breaking in March will lead to over 80 homes … to bring back local musical talent,” Driscoll said.

Amy Nash, communications senior, attended a few of the week’s events.

“They were fun,” Nash said. “Creating awareness on this campus is a good idea … it helps people get involved.”Other events included an obstacle course, a raffle and a rally to raise awareness of poverty in New Orleans.

Meghan Wasson can be reached at [email protected].