OSU Students "Can Hunger"
Business students travel across nation, state to promote hunger awareness
Ben Sundberg
Issue date: 9/28/09 Section: News
This last summer, a group of students from OSU's Austin Entrepreneurship Program and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) traveled 8,000 miles across the United States touring several non-profit agencies in the "Hunger in the Homeland Tour." In an effort to learn about how these agencies tackled the issue of hunger, the students volunteered in food banks and soup kitchens from San Francisco to Raleigh, N.C.
"The most valuable thing that I learned was that the majority of people that are homeless are really trying to get out of their situation and help themselves," said Stephen Hodges, a senior in international business and entrepreneurship and one of the eight students who went on the trip.
Following their nationwide tour, the students returned to Oregon and traveled to over 20 locations that fight hunger on a local level.
The group recently won first place in the "Let's Can Hunger" campaign that is sponsored every year by the National Students in Free Enterprise organization and the Campbell Soup Company. Among the runner-ups were Oklahoma State and Monroe College.
"For the students it was just an honor," said Sandy Neubaum, faculty advisor for the Austin Entrepreneurship program. "It's not the reason they did it, but it gave them a chance to sit back and analyze what they did and to figure out how to move forward [next year]."
The OSU team will be awarded $3,000 as well as a feature in a Campbell Soup print advertisement.
"I'm ecstatic about it; we were just trying to spread the word," said Drew Anderson, a sophomore in pre-business. "To win the Can Hunger competition was awesome and unexpected."
Using the skills they learned on their tour, the group now plans to raise 55,000 pounds of food for charity. The group is also working on a hunger awareness curriculum for middle schools.
"I think it's important that people recognize that hunger security is an important issue here at home," said Neubaum. "[The students] want to take the awareness to a new level."
For information about getting involved with SIFE, visit the SIFE office in Weatherford Hall or www.oregonstate.edu/groups/sife.
Ben Sundberg, staff writer
737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com
"The most valuable thing that I learned was that the majority of people that are homeless are really trying to get out of their situation and help themselves," said Stephen Hodges, a senior in international business and entrepreneurship and one of the eight students who went on the trip.
Following their nationwide tour, the students returned to Oregon and traveled to over 20 locations that fight hunger on a local level.
The group recently won first place in the "Let's Can Hunger" campaign that is sponsored every year by the National Students in Free Enterprise organization and the Campbell Soup Company. Among the runner-ups were Oklahoma State and Monroe College.
"For the students it was just an honor," said Sandy Neubaum, faculty advisor for the Austin Entrepreneurship program. "It's not the reason they did it, but it gave them a chance to sit back and analyze what they did and to figure out how to move forward [next year]."
The OSU team will be awarded $3,000 as well as a feature in a Campbell Soup print advertisement.
"I'm ecstatic about it; we were just trying to spread the word," said Drew Anderson, a sophomore in pre-business. "To win the Can Hunger competition was awesome and unexpected."
Using the skills they learned on their tour, the group now plans to raise 55,000 pounds of food for charity. The group is also working on a hunger awareness curriculum for middle schools.
"I think it's important that people recognize that hunger security is an important issue here at home," said Neubaum. "[The students] want to take the awareness to a new level."
For information about getting involved with SIFE, visit the SIFE office in Weatherford Hall or www.oregonstate.edu/groups/sife.
Ben Sundberg, staff writer
737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com
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