Civic Engagement at Southwestern University
2008-09 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 This document gives a glimpse into the 17,891.7 hours students served while doing co-curricular, non-academic credit bearing civic engagement during the fall semester.

Allies

  • Held a “Transgender Day of Remembrance Forum and Night Vigil” in observance and honor of those who lost their lives due to who they were as people.

Best Buddies

  • Organized a “Disabilities Awareness Training”;
  • Painted spirit signs with their Buddies which they took to a Southwestern vs. Trinity game.

Collegiate Percussive Arts Society

  • Hosted a public Master Class conducted by Nancy Zeltsman.

Ebony

  • Shopped for Christmas gifts for those staying at WF State Hospital.

Food Advisory Committee and Student Congress

  • These two organizations teamed up to host the first ever “Trayless Week” in an effort to save water, food, and educate the campus community on how we can easily conserve our environment’s resources.

Habitat for Humanity: SU Chapter

  • Volunteered their time to assist on houses currently being built in the area.

Colleges Against Cancer (CAC)

  • Observed Breast Cancer Awareness Month by passing out Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and selling t-shirts to benefit cancer research;
  • Members served on the Relay for Life Georgetown Committee and signed up the campus community and other organizations to join the event;
  • Hosted “Paint the Campus Pink” where students had the opportunity to write letters to women in their life as a reminder to get their yearly mammograms, and the community was also challenged to wear pink for an entire month.

Students Ending Sexual Assault (SESA)

  • Hosted “Feast for a Cause”, a campus wide dinner focused on bringing the community together to support the prevention and end of sexual violence. T-shirt proceeds went to support Hope Alliance, and goods such as food and toiletries were also donated.

Students for Activism at Southwestern (SAS)

  • Threw a Halloween Party where attendees were encouraged to bring canned food to donate to those in need.

Student Peace Alliance

  • Organized a “Call In” in which the campus community was asked to call their representative in support of a U.S. Department of Peace.

SU Native

  • For 3 weeks, member Rob Atkinson stayed on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in St. Francis, South Dakota to tribal members get ready for their annual ceremony;
  • The Nava Family did a presentation at Village ESE, an after-school program, for local elementary students.

Alpha Delta Pi

  • Several members volunteered at local schools such as Casey Grier who taught art classes at Forbes Middle School, Teryl Henderson who assisted teachers in a middle school after-school program called ASAP, Ursula James who mentored at Williams Elementary, and Lindsey Knapton who served as a regular volunteer at Northampton Elementary School.

Kappa Upsilon Chi

  • Hosted the annual “Kappa Chi Turkey Fry” in November and sent all proceeds to The Caring Place;
  • Sang Christmas Carols at the Sterling House, an Assisted Living Community in Texas;
  • During fall Mission Trip, members picked up trash and cleared brush at a local individuals land in Fredericksburg.

Phi Delta Theta

  • Participated in the local ALS Walk, which helps to fund Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”;
  • Organized a blood drive for “Baby Eli”, a young child connected to the organization who needed an immediately supply of blood.

Sigma Phi Lambda

  • Spent a Saturday volunteering at The Caring Place and working on a Habitat for Humanity house;
  • Volunteered at Ride on Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.) in Williamson County filing office paper and cleaning horse stalls;
  • “Angel Tree” continued this year as Phi Lamb’s philanthropy, and with the help of the campus community they were able to provide holiday gifts to almost 200 Austin area children whose parent(s) are incarcerated.

Delta Delta Delta

  • Hosted “Delta Desserts”, a night of sugar and sweets, to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital;
  • Joined Sigma Tau Delta in sponsoring a volleyball tournament to raise money for fellow student, Kaity Cromwell’s friend Dylan who suffers from Lymphoma.

Zeta Tau Alpha

  • Organized several events during Breast Cancer Awareness month such as “Paint the Town Pink”, “Pink Out”, “Save Lids to Save Lives” with Yoplait, and Race for the Cure;
  • Participated in Sigma Phi Lambda’s “Angel Tree”;
  • Hosted the annual “Crown Classic” dodgeball tournament which benefits breast cancer awareness and education organizations;
  • Created Boo-Boo Bunnies (washcloths folded up into bunnies) for the Children’s Ward at local hospitals.

Sigma Tau Delta

  • Organized “Darfur Awareness Week” on campus in conjunction with Student Peace Alliance where they sold t-shirts for the Save Darfur Campaign;
  • Observed International Day of Peace on September 21 by walking from Austin’s Capital Building to City Hall;
  • Hosted a voter registration drive on Fraternity Row to promote political civic engagement among the Greek Life students, and later held another drive during their Presidential Debate Viewing Party;
  • Extended help to the Hurricane Gustaf Red Cross Relief efforts;
  • Joined Delta Delta Delta in sponsoring a volleyball tournament to raise money for fellow student, Kaity Cromwell’s friend Dylan who suffers from Lymphoma;
  • Joined with Southwestern University’s Police Department to promote National Alcohol Abuse Awareness Day;
  • Organized members to participate in a Southwestern sponsored blood drive;
  • Deliver Thanksgiving boxes of food on behalf of The Caring Place;
  • Hosted a film viewing regarding victims of drug trafficking in an attempt to raise awareness on campus, and held a clothing drive for the underprivileged and victims of drug trafficking;
  • Sold t-shirts to benefit underprivileged families on the Texas boarder;
  • Participated in Sigma Phi Lambda’s “Angel Tree”.

Pi Kappa Alpha

  • Organized a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament and Pancake Breakfast to benefit Ride on Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.).

Rotaract

  • Worked with Project Linus by creating handmade fleece tie-blankets for traumatized, ill, or in-need children at Williamson County Crisis Center, Williamson County Advocacy Center, Williamson County Sheriff’s Dept - Victims Services, Georgetown Hospital, Georgetown Police Department, Round Rock Police Department, Round Rock Counseling (foster children), Round Rock Health Clinic, Texas Baptist Children’s Home in Round Rock, and Victim Services in Cedar Park;
  • Raised $331 for PolioPlus, Rotary International’s global effort eradicate Polio, at the Downtown Georgetown Association’s Annual Christmas Stroll;
  • Through partnership with the local Rotary Club, member Lindsay Loocke traveled to Norway to work with “Handicamp” where she was partnered with a fellow Texan with cerebral palsy and assisted him with various activities such as water skiing and horseback riding.

Alpha Phi Omega

  • Sorted coats at The Caring Place in preparation for winter, and also participated in “Coats for Kids”;
  • Parked and helped with general needs at the “Transition Fair”, an informational event held for persons with disabilities and their families;
  • Assisted a local mother in creating educational enrichment booklets for Georgetown students with special needs;
  • Created holiday cards for Lighthouse Hospice during their National Week of Service;
  • Participated in a Children’s Festival, Georgetown’s “Uncorked”, Race for the Cure, and Southwestern’s “Jameson 5K”.

Circle K

  • Participated in “Coats for Kids”;
  • Hosted “Piratas Para Mathuala” Christmas Drive throughout campus to collect donations and deliver them to Mexico;
  • Members tutored Upward Bound students one hour a week over the course of the semester and have since then adopted Upward Bound as their after school program;
  • Volunteered at “Texas Mission of Mercy”, a free dental program which comes to Central Texas every 2 years;
  • Cleaned up Hornsby Conservatory at the “Hill Country Division Fall Rally”;
  • Worked with Texas Association of Down Syndrome.

Catholic Student Association

  • Volunteered at H-E-B’s Feast of Sharing, a free traditional Thanksgiving meal provided to over 12,000 individuals;
  • Joined with Methodist Student Movement and sang Christmas Carols at a local nursing home;
  • Served as volunteers at the St. Helen Parish Festival as facilitators for the children’s game booths.

Canterbury

  • Built a garden for a local church;
  • Sponsored a food drive for hurricane relief.

College Republicans

  • Members assisted with the Bryan Daniel, Dan Gattis, John Carter, and John McCain campaigns;
  • Organized and hosted the State Representative Debate for House District 52;
  • One member severed as a GOP Representative in McNeil High School’s political debate.

Equestrian Club

  • Members spent hundreds of hours volunteering at Ride on Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.);
  • One member regularly volunteered at an Elgin, Texas vet clinic.

SU Dancers

  • Threw a campus-wide party and donated t-shirt sale proceeds to The Caring Place.

Women and Men’s Soccer Teams

  • Sponsored “Storm the Field for Hurricane Relief” where donations were collected for hurricane relief in and around the Houston area.

SU Volleyball

  • Sponsored “Dig Pink” where proceeds from “digs”, tshirts, cupcakes, and additional donations went to benefit Side-Out Foundation and Breast Cancer Awareness.

Theatre for Social Justice

  • Partnered with SEAK to perform “I am Sam”, a play about environmentalism and ways students can be more environmentally friendly in their daily lives, at a local elementary school and Southwestern;
  • Led a discussion and performed “First-Year Show” for incoming university students to educate them on issues such as sexual assault, alcohol and drug safety, diversity, and safe sex;
  • Performed “Got Money”, a short play discussing socio-economics on campus, and donated proceeds to Georgetown homeless youth organizations.

Mask & Wig

  • Created “Haunted Hospital”, a campus haunted house which gave half of all proceeds to Second Youth Theatre in Austin;
  • Sold concessions at several fine art events to benefit Second Youth Theatre.

Southwestern students participate in civic engagement through their on-campus organizations, but a large percentage also volunteer as individuals during their own time.

Paige Ammons

  • Volunteered at NARAL ProChoice, the nation’s leading advocate for privacy and a woman’s right to choose.

Gillian Graham

  • Rainbow Foods, an after school nutrition program which reaches over 200 second graders in Taylor ISD.

Sarah Gould

  • Developed Society for Young Women Leaders, an organization matching high school and college women to explore civic engagement, career, and educational opportunities.

Amy Litzinger

  • Has presented or volunteered at over 20 events surrounding issues on politics, disabilities, and/or human services.

Carol King, Vanessa Reynolds, Nicole Powell, Jamie Falconnier, and Carolyn Acker

  • Participated in “NAMIWALKS” to raise money and awareness about the United States’ need for a world-class treatment and recovery system for people with mental illness.

Kimberly Griffin and Rachel Baker

  • Walked in “March 4 Peace”.

Carolyn Acker and Nicole Powell

  • Participated in “AIDS Walk”, which enables AIDS Foundations to continue their critical work and provide services to more than 100,000 men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Lindsey Smith, Rachel Hampton, and Nicole Powell

  • Volunteer on the crisis hotline, in the shelter, and with clerical work at Hope Alliance, a Williamson County organization dedicated to empowering victims of family violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes through support and advocacy, while promoting community awareness, compassion, and responsibility for creating a safer community.

Braden Ackley

  • Drove to Missouri to campaign for the newly elected, President Barack Obama.
  • Canvassed for the newly elected State Representative of District 52, Diana Maldonado.

Braden Ackley, Janet Del Real, Caitlyn Carnes, and 4 other students

  • Attended the National Protest against California’s Proposition 8, a proposition that changed California’s Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples’ right to marry.

Kimberly Griffin, Connor Hanrahan, Paige Menking, Leah Jones, Lindsey Knapton, Carissa Nash, Kate Castles, Alexis Kropf, and Vanessa Toro

  • Drove to New Mexico to campaign for the newly elected, President Barack Obama.

Paige Ammons

  • Campaigned for newly elected State Representative of District 52, Diana Maldonado.

Kimberly Griffin

  • Organized the second annual Youth Environmental Summit (Y.E.S.), a conference for high school aged students who are interested in learning more about environmental issues and finding a community with common interests.

SEAK’s Community Outreach Committee

  • Presented at the Youth Environmental Summit (Y.E.S.) over varying topics, one being “How to Start an Environmental Club at Your School”.

Rachel Baker and Ursula James

  • Helped construct the campus Compost Pile which recycles or “downcycles” organic household and yard waste and manures into an extremely useful humus-like, soil end-product called compost.

Student Activities held an extensive voter’s registration drive, and helped register and/or provide transportation to over 252 young voters.  On Election Day, Student Activities provided a shuttle every 20 minutes to the polls.

Over 50 students participated in various blood drives at the University; some of which were sponsored by “Well Fest” and the Central Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

The Office of Civic Engagement organized “First-Year Road Trip”, a day of service designed so incoming students could familiarize themselves with community needs and local social services.

In preparation for the November elections, the Office of Civic Engagement joined with Dr. Andy Ross, SU Libertarians, College Republicans, and Young Democrats in hosting Constitution Day’s “Presidential Election Q&A”, a public forum discussing the presidential candidate’s positions on hot topics.

41 students are mentoring students in Georgetown ISD this year through Partners In Education’s (PIE) Project Mentor program.  6 students are tutoring in PIE’s Helping Hand Tutoring program.

13 students are Community Interaction Partnership interns for The Georgetown Project.  Through this unique program, students with Federal Work Study stipends are placed at different sites throughout the community.  Examples of work include mentoring at the Boys & Girls Club, tutoring at the Georgetown Public Library and the After-School Action Program, and serving as a teacher’s aide at Williams Elementary School.

92 students participated in Southwestern’s Operation Achievement, an after-school mentorship and enrichment program that assists selected sixth through eight grade students in the Georgetown Independent School District.