By Kimberly Chin
The University’s chapter of the ONE organization was one of 10 schools selected out of more than 1,400 to enter the final round of the ONE Campus Challenge (OCC), a nationwide competition that promotes university students who organize to increase awareness and work toward ending extreme poverty and curing preventable diseases around the world.
Each of the ten schools received a $1,000 grant, which is to be used in a competition to build the best project, program or event that can promote awareness and fighting poverty around campus. The students have five weeks to organize their prospective campaigns, which will be judged by a panel of acclaimed experts, which includes Gene B. Sperling, a former national economic adviser at the Council of Foreign Relations, Sam Worthington, the president of InterAction, and OCC leaders Erin Eagan and Weldon Kennedy.
The schools were chosen by the most points accumulated after the first two rounds of contests which tested how they have organized and participated in matters that address ending the “crises of extreme poverty and preventable diseases,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
The University’s OCC chapter, headed by Katherine Lozier, a junior print journalism major, was started last semester. Lozier led the University’s chapter as first place in the nation for two months consecutively last year.
Lozier’s work resulted in her selection as the University’s representative to go to the first-ever ONE student summit in Washington, D.C. in January 2008.
Lozier plans on circulating fliers for the campaign this week, to be held on March 26 in the Memorial Quad during common hour. She indicated that she could not give details just yet, but said that she the fliers would say “One New Era” and the date, time, and place, expecting to draw students in by curiosity, much like the “G is coming” campaign that the Student Computing Services held to announce the switch to G-mail.
The OCC chapter plans on showing a visual presentation giving students a glimpse of life in an impoverished country, and holding informational tables. The group plans on getting students to write and sign letters to Congress, promoting the Education For All Act, an initiative to bring elementary education to all parts of the world sponsored by presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).
“The innovation, energy and ideas that America’s young people bring to the movement are making America’s leaders pay attention,” Eagan said in a statement. “Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know these students as they have worked, week after week, to make the end of extreme poverty a reality. Their potential to create real change is thrilling.”
The OCC chapter will also be raising funds for Sema Academy, a private school in Kisii, Kenya. This was brought to the chapter’s attention by Arthur Dobrin, a professor of university studies and director of the Kenya Project, which funds elementary schools in Kenya.
In addition to being honored, the winner of the challenge will receive a free, on-campus performance “from somebody so big, they [the OCC] can’t even tell you who it is,” said Lozier.
“Fighting to end poverty is something that has become tangible to me,” Lozier said. “So many Americans are oblivious to the fact that the U.S. spends so little on foreign aid.”
Reflecting back on all the work she has done and looking forward to what she can do, Lozier said, “We can do something.”