Meadows Senator Roza Essaw promoted a new SMU organization, ONE, during the Student Senate meeting Tuesday.
According to its website, ONE is a “grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization” that “rights extreme poverty and preventable disease…by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effect policies.”
Bono, the artist from U2, and other campaigners co-founded ONE. ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.
“What makes ONE unique from other organizations on campus working on these similar human issues is that we are dedicated to working as a collective ONE group,” Essaw said. “We want to bring the talents, voices and ideas of all students in different organizations to achieve the purpose of creating a better world.”
ONE is a national college-wide competition that every three weeks issues a challenge for students to combat.
ONE at SMU competes against 2,581 other schools.
Currently, students involved with ONE are working on preventing budge cuts relating to the state and foreign operations budget.
This budget allocates funding to programs that support education, HIV/AIDS and agricultural development.
“I want SMU to lead the movement in human rights initiatives and to compete with these other campuses and work toward a ONE common goal of helping the less fortunate,” Essaw said.
Due to ONE’s efforts, nearly 4 million Africans have access to AIDS medication, Malaria-related deaths in Africa have been nearly cut in half and 42 million more children are now going to school.
Also, Student Body President Austin Prentice announced that he will send out one more Senate update this semester.
Prentice sent out an update about the Senate that summarized its activity this fall “in order to continually promote transparency.”
The Finance Committee has funded 38 organizations $32,115 this semester, and Spring 2012 budget allocations have been posted on the Senate’s website.
Also regarding Senate funding, 22 undergraduate and graduate students received a scholarship courtesy of the three Senate Endowment funds.
Another highlight of the senate this semester was surprise guest former Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates, who talked about the responsibilities college graduates have regarding leadership.
The Senate has passed legislation regarding increasing game day recycling on the Boulevard, creation of more outdoor study facilities, emphasizing more “appropriate” timing for lawn-care; and “honorariums” for Fred & Judith Banes and Clarence Perkins & Alphonso Buchanan.
Finally, Prentice indicated the Senate is currently discussion how to increase student participation in athletic events, unifying the undergraduate and graduate student populations, and prompting senate transparency through electronic voting mechanisms.
Also, Prentice inaugurated new Cox Senator Jason Carlson. Carlson joins fewllo new Dedman II Senators Matt Alexander, Hiba Ibad, and Meadows Senators Meredith Tavallee.
