March 17th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
We’ve got our Top 10 and Top 20 schools locked in after a very dramatic 48 hours of action submission!
Our Top 20 brought the heat all year – by recruiting new members, tabling, petitioning, calling their members of Congress, educating peers, collecting books, and being model advocates for the world’s poorest people since early last semester.
Huge congrats to:
Missouri State University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
St. John Fisher College
Michigan State University
Clark University
Bentley University
Boston University
Seton Hall University
University of Florida
Sacred Heart University
Webster University
Kennesaw State University
Maharishi University of Management
Luther College
Brandeis University
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
George Washington University
Baylor University
University of Texas – San Antonio
The Top 10’s final projects are due on April 2 and the group whose project scores highest (through a combination of judges’ score, members’ votes, and points accumulated to this point) will receive a $10,000 contribution in their name to the partner organization of their choice!
For the Top 20, we’ll have the Africa trip application up later this week. Remember, you must be a board member at a top 20 school in order to apply.
Congrats again, Top 10 and 20. You deserve it and we can’t wait to see the final projects!
Huzzah!
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 17th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Congrats to the not one… not two… but THREE groups completing all 15 tasks on our March Scavenger Hunt checklist!
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, and Clark University will all receive 50,000 points – and of course, secured positions in this year’s Top 10 – for their hard work.
Amazing work, guys!
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 16th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
On February 20th, ONE Webster sponsored the Men’s and Women’s basketball games, themed “Pink Zone” in support of breast cancer awareness. We set up camp right outside the gym doors and got people to sign a petition, House of Representatives Bill 1410: Newborn, Child and Maternal Survival Act of 2009. This bill is currently sitting in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill has the aim of improving the health of newborns, children and mothers in developing countries. At the game, Webster students, alumni, parents, and members of the community showed their support by signing this petition. We also handed out candy with messages attached about the bill, the ONE campaign and about ONE Webster. We were able to hang the ONE banner, and give away a prize package worth about $80, packed full of candy, gift cards and ONE memorabilia. Webster’s Danceline was banded, as they showed their support for the ONE campaign.
Another part of Webster’s recent success was the Emergency Calling Party that was held March 4th. We also had HR Bill 1410 out for signatures. We had 43 people call both Missouri Senators and area Representative Carnahan, who is coincidently on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. We gave away pizza for every call they made and for their signature on the petition.
ONE Webster has also spoken in classrooms and tabled at different events throughout the semester, continuing to spread awareness about the ONE Campaign and how we can all fight global poverty.
-Caitlin Creech, ONE Webster OCC Director
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 16th, 2010 at 8:21 am
On February 27th, OCC at Clark partnered with another campus group, All Kinds Of Girls (AKOG). AKOG is a mentoring program in which female college students at Clark University mentor around 75 nine to twelve year-old girls in Worcester, Massachusetts every Saturday. The program encourages the young girls to build friendships, increases their self-esteem, and helps them grow in character and confidence. For each Saturday, the mentors plan activities centered on a theme of the day, like Go Green Day, Around the World Day, and Media Day.
That Saturday’s theme was Superhero Day, and AKOG invited ONE Campus Challenge to help them out by working a station! Each station focused on a quality or skill needed to be a superhero. While the girls had fun creating superhero names, identities, and costumes, they also focused on how they can stand up for a cause and be a superhero every day. OCC was asked to run the Unity station! We first explained to the girls some background information on the ONE Campaign. Then we discussed the importance of uniting together as one voice to fight for a cause you believe in and the power of teamwork. Then the girls decorated strips of white fabric according to what unity, teamwork, or ONE means to them. They tied the decorated fabric around their head, arm, or leg as part of their superhero costume.
The girls had a blast making headbands and armbands, learned information about the ONE campaign, understood the value of uniting together to fight for what’s right, and went home with something to wear and remember ONE by. Not only did we reach out to youth by doing this, but we also found support from another campus group. Sharing ONE’s message with younger kids and seeing their creativity was a blast! We are hoping to do more youth outreach in the future.
-Jessie Risman, Clark University
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 12th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Last year’s OCC Africa Trip participants described their experience in Kenya as “extraordinary,” “amazing,” “powerful,” “unforgettable,” and “life-changing.”
What will you say about it?
Anyone in a leadership position for a Top 20-ranked OCC group is eligible to apply for this summer’s 2nd Annual OCC in Africa trip. The Top 20 will be determined based on points accumulated up to 11:59pm on March 16. We don’t have all the details on the trip yet, but we’re looking for it to take place some time in June. And what we know for sure is that you are gonna want to be on it.
So now’s the time for one last push for points. Hope to see your application soon!
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 12th, 2010 at 9:38 am
ONE@LMU joined forces with other on-campus groups to raise awareness and money for the efforts in Haiti. We teamed up with McCarthy Resident Housing Association (RHA), NIKA water, and the American Red Cross. The event was hosted in front of McCarthy. RHA dedicated time in their meetings leading up to the event to help organize volunteers and finalize details. The event incorporated a bake sale, packets from the Red Cross, NIKA water, and pies – all to support Haiti Relief! The event included “Pie an RA” where McCarthy RAs offered their time (and faces) to raise money for the Haiti Relief Efforts. NIKA Water generously donated bottled water for the Benefit. Students were able to learn about NIKA Water and their efforts to donate 100% of their profits to clean water projects around the world. Everyone was given a ONE Band and American Red Cross handouts. There was updated information on Red Cross efforts in Haiti along with steps to prepare for a natural disaster. We thought it was vital to include earthquake awareness, especially since LMU is located in Southern California. Attendees supported a good cause while learning about important issues. The Benefit was proof of how successful an event can be when groups collaborate. In all, it was an entertaining afternoon that raised money for a worthy cause.
-Stefani Morones, Campus Leader at Loyola Marymount University
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 11th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
This week is Peace Week at Luther College, and ONE decided to take advantage of this opportunity to table for those people who are forced to drink dirty water on a daily basis. We set up a table right outside the cafeteria and set up a dirty-water display that consisted of four water bottles filled with filthy water collected from Luther’s own mud puddles. A bug even decided to pitch in and hang out in one of the bottles. We posted a sign that read “Water for Sale.” This definitely got people’s attention because no one wanted to drink such stuff.
We had out information about dirty water and two laptops to have people sign a petition to ask Congress to support an increase in the International Affairs portion of the budget to help people not have to drink disgusting water anymore. It was a great experience because it raised a lot of attention about ONE and how simple it is to make a difference.
Next time you fill up your water bottle, think about how lucky you are that your water is readily available and clean. I sure will after staring that bug in the eyes.
-Dione Miller, Luther College
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 11th, 2010 at 11:26 am
The OCC March scavenger hunt challenge is loaded with large and small opportunities to spread the word around campus about ONE’s mission and ways to involve students in the fight against poverty. Our chapter immediately sprang into action when the opportunity to host a combined speaker and movie screening presented itself. We were so excited to welcome Carol Nyirenda, a Zambian community health activist to Ann Arbor.
Our event, cosponsored with ONE partner organization, RESULTS, began with Carol giving a background story of her life and how she began her activist work. Nyirenda is HIV positive and was formerly infected with Tuberculosis. She spoke extensively about the stigma she faced from the community and her own family. A large struggle of her activist work is to bring effective drugs to Zambia and other third world countries for HIV, Tuberculosis, and other diseases associated with poverty. She spoke about the ineffectual drugs that large companies send to impoverished nations, and the intense struggle to find equality with drug distributors.
Many of the event’s attendees wanted fist-hand information on the issue of AIDS orphans. Nyirenda accounted that practically every family in Zambia has taken over the care of AIDS orphans, and in many cases, young children hold the responsibility to support and take care of their younger siblings. Nyirenda’s insider accounts of the devastation of poverty diseases had a huge impact on all present, and gave a new urgency to ONE’s mission.
The University of Michigan was lucky to welcome Carol Nyirenda and hear of her inspirational and first-hand accounts of the effects of poverty. Her speech was a great introduction to “Where the Water Meets the Sky,” an inspiring film about Zambian women who film the stories of their lives. The speaker and movie screening was a great event to kick-off the month’s challenge, and educate students on the dire situations created by poverty, yet the hope the future holds thanks to activists like Carol Nyirenda.
- Dana Prainito, ONE member at UofM
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 10th, 2010 at 10:29 am
ONE-Michigan State University is taking advantage of the spring weather to promote one.org and attract new members! In order to attract the attention of the average MSU student, you need something catchy. Allow me to introduce the campus unicyclist. This lone unicyclist on our campus often sports the ONE logo, whether cruising around town or competing in 5Ks (on a unicycle, with reckless abandon, passing runners at dangerous speeds). He gets noticed! He often receives inquires about our organization and encourages students to come out to our meetings.
This month, try to think outside of the box to come up with new promotional activities to recruit new members, whether befriending the campus unicyclist, or by coming up with another catchy display of your ONE pride!
- Carolyn Chan, Campus Leader, ONE-MSU
TAGS: Uncategorized
March 9th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
The announcement of the Top 10 schools is fast-approaching (March 17!), and that means it’s high time we told you what the grand prize is.
We listened to you when you told us last year that the prize should better fit the work you do as advocates for the world’s poorest people. So, we took a step back and decided we should let you choose the prize.
The winning group will receive a $10,000 contribution in their school’s name towards the ONE partner organization of the group’s choosing. You’re already making a huge difference in the world — why shouldn’t it be your name on the check?
Top 10-contending schools should look over the list of ONE parters and think about choosing one early, and tying it in to your project (e.g. if your issue focus is Water & Sanitation, why not choose a water-related charity?). Being able to say “if we win, x organization gets $10,000 in our name” could be a selling point for your efforts!
And be sure to check out the low-down on how the top 10 competition is going to work this year. It’s going to be a lot different from past years so make sure you know what’s up!
TAGS: Uncategorized
