Date: Oct 23, 2007

Hofstra's ONE Chapter Takes the Lead in Nationwide Campus Challenge

Hofstra places first out of 1,200 campuses after first challenge

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra’s new student group ONE – Hofstra Chapter has taken the lead in the nationwide ONE Campus Challenge after the first Global Day of Action Challenge. The student group, in its first few weeks of existence, beat out 1,200 other campuses in the challenge to gain the top spot.

ONE is a national organization seeking to raise public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in developing countries. ONE Campus Challenge is a nationwide challenge involving college students at more than 1,200 colleges.  

The goal of the first challenge was to get the most signatures on the ONE Declaration within a one-week period. Hofstra gathered more than 500 signatures. The student group received 140 tickets to attend “Alicia Key’s Keep a Child Alive Black Ball” for their win.

On October 17, 2007, the Global Day of Action, the Hofstra ONE Chapter held an information event where they received 200 additional signatures for the Declaration. In addition to signing the Declaration, students were encouraged to sign letters to Congress urging them to enact the “JUBILEE Act”, which aims to cancel the debt of third world countries. At the end of the day 98 letters to Congress were signed.

“The students really impress me with their knowledge of the issues and their enthusiastic dedication,” said Director of Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement Cynthia Bogard, Ph.D. “Hofstra's ONE chapter members are just the civically engaged, politically aware students we are trying to encourage through the Center for Civic Engagement. I commend them!"

To monitor Hofstra’s standings in the ONE Campus Challenge visit http://www.one.org/campus