Compassion has flooded the hallways of Libertyville High School in Illinois. I and my fellow students are taking action for the fight against disease and poverty and today, on March 19, our school will become the first official “ONE High School” at the same time Libertyville becomes an official “ONE City.”

Next month, we’re organizing a massive community benefit concert that will take place on April 18, 2008 at the high school’s field house. Just like the roots of the ONE Campaign, this started as just a few students’ idea and has grown into a movement.

What inspires me the most is how quick more students are to join. Our group continues to grow and we’ve already signed up more than 580 new members in just two days of tabling. Between our school and town, the Libertyville community is truly taking on to the idea that we all can come together as ONE community to change the world.

-Ryan Steel, ONE member and LHS senior, Libertyville, IL

Last weekend, at an event called “International 10 for the 10th”, Congressman Mark Kirk honored 10 people in his district who have made a difference in the world.

District residents were invited to come and hear what their neighbors had done to (among other things) empower Afghan women; build clean water wells and promote education in Africa; and to help health care systems in Mexico.

ONE was also given the opportunity to let the people in the 10th Congressional District in Illinois know how they could join the fight against extreme poverty and global disease. Volunteers Ryan Steel and Dana Salmond were on hand to answer people’s questions about ONE, and Ryan took advantage of the opportunity to invite Rep. Kirk to a ONE event he is planning at Libertyville High School in April!

-Annisa Wanat

When the snow finally stopped falling Friday afternoon, I dug my car out of a good 8 inches of snow so I could drive to the Chicago suburbs to hear Sen. John McCain speak. I got a little choked up when his wife introduced him with a story about how she fell in love with an orphan girl in Bangledesh and brought her home to raise (without telling her husband first – who knew) and McCain went into his speech. I listened intently and got excited when he talked about wanting to inspire the next generation of Americans to do something greater than themselves.

When he was working the rope line later, I got to shake his hand and give him a band. He looked at my ONE shirt and said with all sincerity , “Oh, I forgot to mention you guys” and grabbed the band.

See and you thought an Arizonian in Chicago in February was the beginning of a joke. There is no joking about the world’s poor and I hope the next president (whoever he or she is) remembers that. And to all you in Illinois and the other super Tuesday states, remember to use your voice for the world’s poor and choose the candidate who you think has the best ideas on how to make poverty history. Check out all their platforms at www.onevote08.org/ontherecord.

-Annisa Wanat