On September 18, staff and students alike gathered in the Dining Commons to show their support for friend and former colleague Rosetta Linder.
The open-mic night, which began at 7pm, was a fundraiser to help pay Linder’s medical bills.
Linder, who worked in Andrews Hall as part of the Arthur Jackson cleaning service until 2003, was diagnosed with cancer in June. Linder now has to undergo six months of chemotherapy following her surgery.
Besides her life savings, Linder has only Medicare for insurance, according to administrative assistant Nancy Hartsock.
Hartsock said she came up with the idea of the benefit because it was a tangible way to help out a friend. However, Linder was much more than just a friend to those around her.
“She is the campus mom at Eastern,” Hartsock said.
During her nine years at Eastern, Linder attended every theater production, according to Hartsock.
Linder has impacted more than just Eastern students.
“She has been there to listen and offer words of support,” said Leonard Jamison, vice president of human relations.
“She would come out with these words and it was like God speaking,” Hartsock said.
During the benefit, songs of love and support for Rosetta were performed by Mark Hallen, Leonard Jamison, Mark Duska and Teresa Nevola Moyer, among others.
“I love everybody,” Linder said. “It’s wonderful. God laid it on my heart to do the things I did. It’s great to know everyone loves me.”