Last night the University of Colorado Student Union passed a proclamation declaring the campus to be a Campus of ONE. The unanimous decision reflects the University’s commitment to being a leader on social justice issues and standing up against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. What’s even more significant is that the committee is determined to be more than a quiet statement of faith, but to make it public with a signing event and active promotion of ONE on campus throughout the next school year.

The sponsor of the bill, Dan Omasta, described the bill as unique because in this election cycle we are constantly hearing about all the things we can’t agree on, it’s nice to talk about what we do share as common values. The passage of this proclamation makes the University of Colorado one of the largest school to become a Campus of ONE.

I’m very proud of my University and look forward to the work we have to do over the summer and next year.

-Matthew McAllister, Colorado ONE member and CU Sophomore

The ONE Student | ONE Vote series came to a close Thursday evening at the University of Seattle. The event was amazing — students, politicians and ONE partners all coming together to lead the charge for the next generation of student voters.

The African Children’s Choir was there – and if you saw them on American Idol — I can tell you that they are even more energetic and inspiring in person. The crowd favorite was clearly “Oh Happy Day,” and at one point I almost jumped up in front of all 450 students to join the dancing.

FOX News anchor and ONE member Carl Cameron opened the conversation with a video message to encourage all participants to become educated about the issues of extreme poverty and global disease. Mike Allen of Politico.com moderated the conversations. State Senator Ed Murray and UW professor Patrick Murphy participated as well as ONE Vote ‘08 superstar and Rwandan political refugee Natalie Sugira. Loyce Mbewa-On’gudi, founder and president of the Rabuor Village Project, also joined in the conversation.

ONE Student | ONE Vote has been an incredible effort to get students involved in the electoral process and each panelist has been a fantastic addition to the ONE community. I’m already looking forward to the lasting effects that students will have on the election and all they will accomplish between now and November 2008.

-Chandler Smith

Over at our brand new ONE Campus Challenge Blog Weldon Kennedy is live blogging the UPenn ONE Student | ONE Vote event.

Thursday’s first ever “ONE Student | ONE Vote” event at the University of Central Arkansas was a huge success! Politico’s executive editor and co-founder Jim VandeHei moderated the discussion. The conversation leaders included UCA President Lu Hardin, national security expert with the Century Foundation Jeffrey Laurenti, State Senator Gilbert Baker, UCA professor Dr. Elaine Fox and two UCA students – Brooks Cato, who lived in Tanzania, Thailand and Costa Rica, and Emily Daniel, who participated in relief efforts in Central America.

The conversation covered reasons why students should be involved in the upcoming 2008 presidential elections and all of the different ways that involvement could occur. The conversation then shifted to ways we can become involved in our community to help those who most need our help around the world. Both Emily and Brooks have traveled abroad, as had other members of the panel, and had seen the extremely dire circumstances that many in the world’s poorest countries live in.

The panelists took questions from the student audience of more than 150 UCA students. Among the questions was one from a UCA student from Nigeria, who asked what UCA was doing to expand its study abroad programs. UCA President Hardin responded that it has been one of his top priorities to expand the program, and in the five years he’s been
president, the program has more than doubled in size.

Students left ONE Student | ONE Vote energized and enthusiastic about all of the different ways they could be involved in their community, as students and in the upcoming 2008 election.

-Kimberly Cadena

ONE, the newspaper the Politico, the University of Central Arkansas, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Washing are teaming up to launch the national “ONE Student | ONE Vote” today, an unprecedented initiative to motivate students to become politically active global citizens. Right now, ONE’s Kimberly Cadena, Chandler Smith, Sheena Arora and Erin Eagan are on the ground in Arkansas to help the already strong crew down there pull off the first ONE Student | ONE Vote event.

Jim VandeHei, executive editor and co-founder of the Politico, will moderate the conversation at the 1:30 p.m. ONE Student ONE Vote forum. Panel members include UCA President Lu Hardin; author and national security expert Jeffrey Laurenti with the Century Foundation; Dr. Elaine Fox, a professor with great knowledge of Central America and the needs in that region; UCA students and others. Students will provide questions for the panel beforehand as well as throughout the event.

Next ONE Student ONE Vote events:

University of Pennsylvania on November 1
University of Washington on November 8.

This afternoon Sen. John McCain arrived in Lexington, SC, on a stop during his ‘No Surrender Tour’.

We met the senator as he walked out of his tour bus following his speech to a crowd of United States Veterans. Sen. McCain thanked us for the cause that we drive day-in and day-out and said that whenever he has an opportunity, he speaks out on our behalf.

We presented him with a band even though he was already wearing one in support of ONE Vote ‘08! We made sure that he knew that we appreciate his efforts to further acknowledge ONE. We look forward to meeting with Senator McCain again in the near future.

-Wes Mishoe