Stoutonia

Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Lenn Soderlund

One student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has its eye on conducting community service at both the local and national levels. Phi Upsilon Omicron is a National Honor and Service Society for family and consumer sciences. Its goals are to recognize and promote academic excellence, enhance qualities of leadership by providing opportunities for service and encourage lifelong learning and commitment to advance family and consumer sciences and related areas.

Last spring, Phi Upsilon Omicron teamed up with Kids Against Hunger to bring the crisis meal project to campus. Kids Against Hunger began this project to provide meals to hungry people in crisis countries. The project was brought to Dunn County to provide meals to the elderly and homebound citizens. These meals may be the only option for some residents if the Meals on Wheels service is not able to deliver food due to inclement winter weather.

"Every year, we work on a professional project that is submitted the national office," said senior Co-President of Phi Upsilon Omicron and food systems and technology major Christi Schmitt. "The professional project is a compilation of our events, activities and service works throughout the semester. We work on service projects in our community, as well as works aimed outside the immediate community."

This was the first year that the group participated in the Clinton Global Initiative. The CGI is intended to bring together world leaders and take action on global challenges. The Clinton Global Initiative University was launched in 2007 to engage college campuses around the world into the event. President Bill Clinton hosts the CGIU meeting with 1,200 students and leaders of some of the most innovative non-profits in the world attending. Celebrities, philanthropists and university presidents also attend the conference.

"This was our first year participating in CGIU. We were absolutely astounded by the company we were in. Seeing other people our age, just like us, the amazing works they could accomplish and the outstanding effects of their work, was just what we needed to fuel our project ideas," said Schmitt.
Some of the ideas that were completed by CGIU attendees ranged from installing energy-efficient light bulbs to establishing campus bike share programs. Other projects completed included distributing life-saving water filtration kits and designing medical backpacks for nomadic doctors in Africa.
This year's CGIU meeting will be held at the University of Miami from April 16-18. Students are encouraged to come up with ideas and submit them to the CGIU Web site. The early decision deadline for applications is Nov. 20 with the final deadline not coming until Feb. 1, 2010. The earlier the ideas are submitted, the better.

Schmitt added, "The real heart of the project beats through the commitments made by those who attended. It is a great honor to be a part of this event."

For more information on Phi Upsilon Omicron, visit its Web site at http://phiu.org. For more information or to submit ideas for the CGIU, visit cgiu.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

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