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(11/13/08 5:00am)
Seven Campus Y groups sponsored Dollar-A-Day on Thursday" an event to raise awareness of the 1 billion people — about one sixth of the world's population — who live on less than $1 every day.""My cell phone bill is more than $1 a day"" organizer Thomas Ginn said.Students purchased slices of pizza for $1, which enabled them to see what it was like to spend that amount on food. They broke their $1 limit with a midnight feast at the Pita Pit and Firehouse Subs.Those two restaurants agreed to donate 10 percent of their profits for the day for the event. All money raised by Dollar-A-Day goes to Stop Hunger Now, a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization started by a UNC alumnus.The money raised will provide schools in impoverished areas with meals consisting of rice, soy and dehydrated vegetables.We wanted to donate to an outside cause" one great cause" Ginn said.This is the second year the event has been held. Last year's event, which focused mostly on awareness, drew 400 participants.This year" we trounced that Ginn said. We had more shirts more experience and we had the Pit" which helped a lot despite the bad weather.""The groups raised $700 last year" which they reinvested into Thursday's event.Ginn said $200 would be a conservative estimate for money raised Thursday but that does not take into account Pita Pit or Firehouse Subs' donations.While less money was raised this year" Ginn said it was still more of a success in terms of awareness.""This year we had more of a presence on campus"" he said. It shows how many students care about this issue.""In August" Stop Hunger Now held Million Meals an event in which UNC" N.C. State University and East Carolina University students packaged a million meals to send to poorer regions around the world.Dollar-A-Day aimed to further help that cause and provide more meals for underprivileged children and families.Junior Sara Riley said the groups had no trouble attracting attention throughout the week.""We had our bright red shirts" she said. It's too bad about the weather" but we wore our shirts all week. I think that's how we got our message across.""Riley said Dollar-A-Day helped her feel more knowledgeable about poverty.For all students" the day served as a chance to reflect Riley said" adding that most UNC students are privileged enough to not have to endure the same conditions that 1 billion people do in other areas.The fact that Dollar-A-Day included eating pizza and subs as a means to empathize with the poor was a challenge.""That's one of the things we talked about" Riley said. We wanted people to participate" but we tried to make it clear our message.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/11/08 5:00am)
A dance and music performance moved the Millennium Village Project one step closer to its $1.5 million fundraising goal Monday night.The project's aim is to eradicate poverty by sponsoring a village in Kenya. In 2006 UNC joined with Duke University and Bennett College for Women to take on that challenge.Students have already helped raise $1.2 million. Monday's event was an attempt to finish the last stretch.The fundraiser titled Cheza Kwa Tumaini featured raffles for coveted ACC basketball tickets a PlayStation Portable player and an iPod touch. The event also featured performances by a capella and dance groups including the Loreleis Cadence Sababa Misconceptions and Que Rico.Taylor Isenberg a Millennium Village coordinator said rallies and other awareness events have occurred in the past" but this event was the first fundraiser.""This is new territory for us so we don't know what to expect"" Isenberg said before the event. Before the event started, $300 had been raised from ticket sales.Isenberg said students may not be able to raise the whole amount, since other donors play a bigger role.Instead, the event primarily serves to raise awareness of the project's many goals: eliminating hunger and poverty, instituting universal primary education, improving gender equality, empowering women, reducing child mortality and preventing AIDS.Between the singing performances, dance acts and raffles, host Abbas Rattani presented the goals that students' ticket money will benefit.UNC has been the major drive behind this project" Isenberg said. This fall semester" we want to show donors that students are passionate and care about global issues.""Student excitement is essential in acquiring private donors to back the project" Isenberg said. In February Phi Delta Theta fraternity raised $250000 and presented a record-high Greek donation to the project.Millennium Village Project coordinators plan to reach their goal by the spring but the economy may provide a challenge" Isenberg said.""Wachovia gave us their advertising spot last year"" Isenberg said. Companies like Wachovia may not be able to be as generous this year due to the recession.But Isenberg still remains hopeful that they will reach the $1.5 million mark next semester.Rattani also tried to keep the mood lighthearted, despite sharing staggering statistics on the 1 billion people that live on less than $1 a day.Dude" you're funny but you're bumming us out" he said, joking about what the audience probably thought of his hosting abilities.Rattani also kept a positive outlook by assuring students of the significance of the money raised. He explained that when the goal is met, people will not go to Kenya and say, Listen up. We're here to save you guys. Here's $1.5 million. Peace.""Instead students will travel to Kenya to interact with the people who benefited from their fundraising.Cheza Kwa Tumaini is one of several events this week" dubbed Millennium Developmental Goals Week intended to further funds and student involvement on the various issues surrounding the project.Contact the University Editorat udesk@unc.edu.6-8 p.m. Tuesday: Discussions on Global Health Hanes Art Center10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (the Pit) 7:45 p.m. (Gardner Hall Room 08) Wednesday: MVP in the Pit and the Green Microfinance WorkshopThursday: Dollar-a-Day the Pit10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday: Gender in Africa the Pit
(10/28/08 4:00am)
A new task force will see if instituting a dance minor at UNC is actually feasible.The task force to be led by Bill Andrews associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will examine the budgetary considerations" space and faculty that would be needed. ""These things the task force needs to look into" so it's not just a philosophical thing" Andrews said.Student Body President J.J. Raynor pledged in her campaign platform to advocate for rehearsal space for performing arts groups, with the idea that more space would be a prerequisite for a minor. This semester, students have raised the need for a dance curriculum at several forums on campus. The task force, which includes dramatic art department Chairwoman McKay Coble and music department Chairman Tim Carter, also will investigate students' need for the minor.I know that we've had a large indication of students taking dance classes. Lots of students signed up for the dance lifetime fitness courses"" Andrews said. Does that mean there's an interest in students actually minoring in dance? I don't know."" Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Bobbi Owen said minors are created mostly on a need basis" with consideration for how many students will take part and what available resources already exist.Several forums already have been held to gauge student interest.About 50 students at a forum Oct. 13 all raised their hands when asked if they would enroll in a dance minor.The students said there are more than 20 dance groups on campus" but only one shock-absorbing ""sprung floor"" located in the Center for Dramatic Art. This provides a limited amount of rehearsal space for dancers, since undergraduate and graduate dramatic art students receive first priority.They also said UNC is losing interested dance students to several nearby institutions.Duke University has both a dance minor and major. Department Business Manager Christina Price said about 250 students enroll per semester, including four to five UNC students.At James Madison University, which has an undergraduate population of about 16,600, only two or three students per year graduate with a dance minor, said Dance Office Manager Nancy Kupec. The program has been in place for more than 13 years.Originally we were set up as physical education and evolved from that"" Kupec said. UNC already has several fitness courses relating to dance, which could be included in a minor. By April 2009, the UNC task force will present its recommendations about the minor. Even if a dance minor is agreed upon, it will take time to implement. This office represents a few faculty"" Andrews said, and it doesn't mean what they recommend will happen.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/07/08 4:00am)
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(09/26/08 4:00am)
More than 200 participants refrained from food drink and negative thoughts and actions during the annual Fast-a-Thon on Thursday.The Muslim Students Association Sangam the Arab Student Organization and other organizations sponsored the event" intending to raise awareness of the Muslim observance of Ramadan.""Fast-a-Thon has an interfaith" outreach component to learn about Ramadan during this month" said MSA president Ola Mohamed. It's a time to build a sense of community.""Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar" in which Muslims are supposed to fast daily.The event was a way for people to understand Ramadan firsthand by experiencing it through spiritual reflection" Mohamed said. That makes it more effective than talking about Ramadan in the Pit or showing people a PowerPoint.""The idea is when you are required to not eat or drink" you're letting go of basic necessities or desires" she said. You're forced to think twice about calling someone out or complaining. You build self-discipline and self-evaluation. It's not a laundry list of things you can or can't do.""The event also functions as a service project. Business sponsors donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Participants went hungry for one day so that someone else would not have to"" according to their slogan.Mohamed explained that Fast-a-Thon was an experience that allowed people to ""try out and really understand"" Ramadan.Helping others is central to the tradition of fasting" which dates back to the prophet Muhammad who gave food to the poor rather than feed himself.At sunset" students broke fast together in the Great Hall and wrote down their thoughts about the experience.""Fast-a-Thon means different things to people"" Mohamed said. For some, all they could think about was their hunger or thirst. Sophomore Brian Pritchett said people around him were eating bagels and Chick-fil-A in classes, which made the experience difficult.But most were able to eventually overcome their hunger and reflect.At first I was ‘I'm really hungry"' but then I was able to prioritize what's really important" senior Danielle Allen said.Some students said they realized that hunger for one day paled in comparison to those who go hungry almost every day. Before eating, students spoke of people overseas and down the street that go without food and might live on less than a $1 a day.Sophomore Jack Brock, a business major, said he liked the fact that he was able to help others.I think fasting is important because food is essential" he said. I have an Arabic and Econ exam tomorrow" but that stuff doesn't matter.""