Shilpa Vaswanath, sophomore in LAS, was chosen to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University, or CGI U, a conference where students gather to make a difference in the world. The conference, started by President Bill Clinton in 2007, will take place Friday to Saturday in Miami, Florida.
The CGI U is an extension of the Clinton Global Initiative started in 2005. Through both organizations, Clinton’s objective is to challenge people to make commitments to action and address global issues. It is free of charge for students who attend, but they must fill out an application with the intent to “Commit to Action.”
“We select students based on the strength of their Commitments to Action, coupled with other characteristics we care about,” said Keisha Senter, CGI U director. “We want to make sure we have a good proportion of community colleges, Ivy league schools, public and private schools and historically black colleges, as well as good representation of all 50 states. We also look at biographical information.”
The event will consist of a large panel for the entire audience, with the opening discussion by Clinton himself. This year, more than 1,200 students from over 100 colleges and Universities, as well as the University presidents, will attend.
According to its Web site, the CGI U focuses on five main areas in the world: education, environment and climate change, poverty alleviation, peace, human rights and public health, which will all be discussed in detail at the conference in Miami.
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Along with students, other guests will include professors, activists, government officials, business leaders and celebrities such as singer Usher Raymond, founder of Usher’s New Look, a charitable organization.
Vaswanath is the current president of the RSO called FeelGood, which raises money and awareness for ‘The Hunger Project.” She said the project works to give people the resource of food throughout the week on the Quad. This, among other clubs, has allowed her to follow the CGI U, she said.
“(It) is a great opportunity that I never would’ve found without FeelGood and will learn so much from my peers around the world. Simply put, it will help me become a better change maker,” Vaswanath said.
