Thank You to The Review

For the first time in my time working at The Review a feature story featuring global volunteer work ran not only on the front page but with wonderful graphics and an in-depth jump on the inside.

It's a great step in raising global awareness on campus and it's necessary to give proper thanks to the managing editors.

Please support these active choices by reading these (5) awareness stories....

Students Helping Students in India

The Situation in Iran

Remembering 9/11

Generation Y...

Makes Volunteering a Priority

Remembering 9/11

When the towers came crashing down the morning of September 11th 2001 I was in my middle school auditorium. I remember watching the teachers nervously whisper. I remember my Mom picking my brother and I up from school.

I grew up in Queens NY so I also remember seeing the smoke rise over the city and smelling the charred air as it crossed over the river.

9/11 was a tragic moment in American history the likes of which our generation had never and hopefully will never experience again, but how do we remember it?

I find myself not wanting to watch 9/11 movies, I never read any of the literature that came out of the tragedy - last year I spent September 11th in Greece and the day took little meaning so far away from home.

I don't actively think about 9/11 on a daily basis and I think unless personally affected most of generation doesn't.

It's human nature to suppress fear and pain and try and move past it but with our country still engaged in two wars stemming from that sunny fall day I fear the slogan "Never Forget" may not be spoken strongly enough.

This year I will try and do a good deed on this day. I'm not sure what that will be, but i will actively remember the lives lost in the most horrific terrorist attack of our lives by trying to better this world that we live in.

The New York Times calls theses acts "A Living Memorial", I like this idea and urge you to adopt it as a tradition, even if your good act is a simple phone call to your grandmother - a good deed is a good deed and on such a tragic anniversary I can't think of a better way to "Never Forget".

**There are no scheduled events to remember 9/11 on the university calendar. If you know of activities around campus please comment on this post or let me know and I will update.

How to help the situation in Haiti

Matt Watters was kind enough to write in offering some advice on how to help the people of Haiti in this time of crisis.

He expressed his concern over the global economy in its relation to raising charity money. He said in an e-mail message,"this economy is going to make it hard to raise the money that is so needed. The situation is beyond desperate, to say the least. It is going to be a challenge to raise the funds, but i am confident it can be done. It must be done"

Matt is currently working on numerous on-campus projects to raise money for his cause. Look for his efforts in the future including a community run, dinner, canning event and activities in coordination with Greek life and residence life.

If you want to read more about the plight of the Haitian people check out this website.

Getting involved in active volunteer work is always the most meaningful way of offering support. If you would like to help Matt in his efforts he is collecting checks to building a new medical clinic in Haiti.

Checks can be made out to
St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, with a memo at the bottom indicating "fishing
village clinic".

St. Boniface is serving as the entity that will hold the funds till the amount has been raised. Please send them to is University of Delaware address
at:

1307 Christiana west tower
16 Christiana drive
newark, de 19717

"The clinic can use all the help it can get. The longer it takes to
build this clinic, the longer those people are without any health care. Anything
you can do in terms of fundraising is greatly appreciated," Matt said.

Iran

Here is the link to a column I wrote about the unusual connection between Michael Jackson's death and the future of democracy in Iran.
As I mentioned in "topics to watch" June's presidential election in Iran was of monumental importance to the spread of democracy in the Middle East. The fact that mainstream media largely abandoned the issue after Michael Jackson's death is troubling.

If you are interested in the issue make sure to follow the story in international news outlets. The situation has been changing each and every day.

Check out this week's issue of The Review for a more detailed opinion piece on the matter.

Also watch for a weekly update on the situation in Iran, how it affects you and how you can help.

THE REVIEW ARTICLE

Let's get started - Haiti

To start off the new semester, rather than discussing the ongoing violence in regions of China or atrocities being conducted in Darfur I thought I would link a university student who has spent years conducting humanitarian work in Haiti.
Working with the The St. Boniface Haiti Foundation in Haiti, Matt Watters aided impoverished women and children as an emergency medical technician while studying at the university.
The situation in Haiti is often overlooked as one of the most talked about third world country in need of humanitarian aid. According to The New York Times, Haiti is by a great margin, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with four out of five people living in poverty.
UDaily, the university's public relations website posted an article about Watters' efforts.

Look for more information regarding how you can help continuing relief efforts in Haiti.