Constitution Week: ‘Project Affect’ offers students ways to get involved

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Dana Beasley, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, helps Johntez Thomas, a freshman from Louisville, register to vote. “It is important to vote, Thomas said.” I’m a citizen, so it is my job.” Multiple booths were set up on WKU’s campus for the Constitution fair that is designed to get students involved in their community.

Taylor Harrison
September 16, 2011

The WKU ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships sponsored Project Affect on Thursday, where different organizations from WKU and Bowling Green were able to set up informational tables to promote community engagement.

The Alive Center had a number of tables set up, one of which was about the $100 Solution. Community Engagement Coordinator Nadia De Leon said that the solution offers the opportunity for students to get $100 to work on projects, but only after being trained to find sustainable long term solutions.

An upcoming workshop for this training is on Sept. 29 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Training should only take about 20 minutes, and after that they become eligible for funding, De Leon said.

Another ALIVE Center table focused on the Hill House, a place where select graduate students live together as they are working toward their degrees. Hill House will be hosting a Block Party on Sept. 25.

The Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility was also on hand to talk to students.

Bowling Green graduate student Lindsey Ardrey said the objective is “to get students as civically engaged as we can” and “to take volunteerism a step further.”

Ardrey said that rather than just volunteering at a soup kitchen, they ask “Why is there a soup kitchen there in the first place? What can we do to facilitate that?”

The Student Activities Office also had representation which showcased volunteer programs and organizations hosted by SAO.

“Every single month we help out a different cause,” said John Sanders, a Student Activities Office graduate assistant from Plainfield, Ind.

For the month of September, SAO is hosting a coat drive. Sanders said SAO also hosts Relay for Life and St. Jude’s Hospital events. There will be a blood drive on Oct. 3 through 5.

Habitat for Humanity, Invisible Children, WKU AID, and the Public Health Department had tables at Project Affect, among many others.