Civic Engagement News
April 30, 2012Cornell College’s annual Relay for Life will run from 7 p.m. May 11 to 7 a.m. May 12. The night will include games, demonstrations and ceremonies throughout, starting with an opening ceremony and survivor lap at 8 p.m. There will also be free food throughout the night. There will also be a Fight Back ceremony [...]
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March 13, 2012For the third consecutive year Cornell College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Cornell was one of 17 Iowa colleges and universities on the list. The honor roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of community service and celebrates the transformative power and volunteer spirit that exists within the [...]
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March 10, 2012Cornell College is teaming up with Iowa Special Olympics once again to host its fifth annual Unified Sports Day on March 17th! This is a great opportunity for Cornell students, faculty, and staff to get involved with local and regional Special Olympic athletes. If you haven’t been able to participate in the past, now is [...]
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March 7, 2012Join Cornell’s Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program (ICAP) and the Civic Engagement Office for a panel presentation and discussion. AmeriCorps members from five local service organizations will talk about their service experiences and give you a chance to ask questions. Bring your dinner or join us for dessert!
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March 5, 2012Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program (ICAP) members and the CEO will kick off AmeriCorps week (March 10th-18th) on the OC on Monday March 12th with information about volunteerism, AmeriCorps, and the work ICAP members have been doing this year. Plus music and games!
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February 3, 2012This short workshop on Feb 9th will be of interest to those looking for volunteer opportunities, as well as those who already volunteer, but are looking to get more out of their experience. Presented by Collin Paschall, Civic Engagement Office AmeriCorps VISTA.
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January 11, 2012On Jan 18th, in honor of the MLK holiday, the Civic Engagement Office will host a showing of the documentary “We Still Live Here: As Nutayunean.” This one-hour documentary details the efforts of the Wampanoag Nation to revive its language more than a century after the last native speaker died. A facilitated discussion will follow [...]
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November 4, 2011Find out your fate as you acquire an identity at the door on Nov 16th. A meaningful, interactive, educational eating experience that enfolds learning about the distribution of wealth, access to food, and local and global hunger. Consider bringing a free-will offering of a canned good, ramen noodles, etc. for an area food pantry. Guest [...]
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November 3, 2011A fundraiser with Turkish items will be held on the OC on Nov 10th. Purchases assist the people of Van, Turkey–home of visiting Islamic Professor Nilay Ozok-Gundogan–whose earthquake-rattled city has seen many dead and missing, and thousands of people homeless and without warmth as winter sets in. Funds are directed toward Nilay’s recommended NGO–Van Women’s [...]
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October 12, 2011Do you want to find out how to get involved in the community through service? Come on Oct 19th to this panel to learn how from representatives of local non-profit agencies. Staff from Matthew 25 Ministry Hub, Willis Dady Emergency Shelter, and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group will talk about their organizations, share the [...]
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September 17, 2011When Mike Johnson arrived at Cornell for his freshman year, he found himself at a campus mobilized for action. Nearby Cedar Rapids had just experienced a flood so massive that it ranked fifth on the nation’s list of worst natural disasters. Cornell, service-oriented and neighborly, called on its entire community to help. Johnson made a [...]
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September 8, 2011Are you interested in service and volunteerism? Looking for a way to get involved in the community? Come learn about the programs and services offered by the Civic Engagement Office this Sep 15th. Play games, meet student leaders, win prizes, and get all the information you need to be a more active citizen!
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July 11, 2011In July, 48 students from 27 schools will participate in the Social Justice Training Institute, an opportunity for students to gather and do some “personal work” related to social justice issues. The institute will provide a developmental opportunity for students to examine the complex dynamics of oppression and to develop strategies to foster positive change on [...]
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July 5, 2011The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Cornell College as a leader among institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Cornell was admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the [...]
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May 15, 2011Fat snowflakes fall on a Saturday morning in April at Taylor Elementary in Cedar Rapids, coating spring’s budding progress with a raw crust of slush. But inside, in a second floor classroom, a young boy named Jordan warms the air with a well-rehearsed piano tune. Cornell College senior Ben Mosetick taps a pencil on his [...]
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May 11, 2011The Civic Engagement Office and Chaplain’s Office are hosting a Kids Against Hunger meal packaging event in May 18th. Students can sign up to work 30-minute shifts between 3:30-6:30 p.m. Kids Against Hunger’s approach to achieving its goal–the eradication of world hunger–includes the packaging of a highly nutritious, vitamin-fortified soy-rice casserole and the distribution of [...]
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May 2, 2011AmeriCorps Week is coming to Cornell College May 9-14. See all the incredible work AmeriCorps volunteers do in the community as well as discover ways you can make an impact on critical issues by becoming involved in volunteerism and serving in AmeriCorps. Throughout the week, there will be opportunities to talk with current AmeriCorps members [...]
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April 13, 2011The Cornell College Chaplain and Spiritual Life Office, it’s Soul Friends and Interfaith Understanding/Exploration
team, Civic Engagement Office, and Eyes of the World held a candlelight healing vigil for Japan disaster relief on Tuesday, April 12. The event raised money for Red Cross Japan. View a photo gallery in the full story.
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April 6, 2011Cornell College’s ninth annual Relay for Life will take place April 15 and 16 in the Small Multi Sport Center on Cornell’s campus.Teams are welcome to come set up their campsites at 6 p.m. and the opening ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. A new Fight Back ceremony at 1 a.m. is scheduled to [...]
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March 22, 2011In terms of popular spring break destinations, South Dakota might not make the list, but that’s exactly where some Cornell College students will be headed next week—to serve. The Cornell College Civic Engagement Office Alternative Spring Break program will be sending a group of Cornell students to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The [...]
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March 1, 2011The Peace Corps celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, and while many Cornell College graduates have served, one stands out: Bill Aossey ’63. Aossey was recognized as the first Muslim to serve in the Peace Corps. He was posted to Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation, after his graduation. While there, he coached what would become [...]
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February 10, 2011During the 2009-10 Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program seven Cornell students–Annie Armatage, James Hoeffgen, Theresa Hunter, Michael Johnson, Alyssa McMullin, Matthew Moore, and Elle Pope– served a combined total of 2,240.5 hours to local community organizations and projects. The Civic Engagement Office offers the Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program (ICAP) to engage students in long-term volunteerism within their [...]
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February 8, 2011Each year, the faculty and staff put on a talent show to support students who are participating in Alternative Spring Break.During spring break, the students will perform service in South Dakota, Florida and Georgia. Please upgrade your browser
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February 7, 2011Cornell College will host the Social Justice Training Institute Student Experience from July 20-23 on campus. What is the Social Justice Training Institute? Opportunity for students to gather and do some “personal work” related to social justice issues. The institute is open to 50 undergraduate students on college and university campuses in the U.S. and [...]
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February 2, 2011Cornell College’s Relay for Life will hold a kick-off event on Thursday, Feb. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on The Orange Carpet in The Commons. The event, centered around the theme “celebrate more birthdays,” will have an atmosphere like a birthday party, with games and cupcakes. There will also be luminaria that people [...]
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January 17, 2011Cornell College’s 2010 Relay for Life raised $35.97 per person, the most money per-capita in the Midwest Division of College Events, and more than double the amount raised by the second-place event. This is the fourth year the event has been honored for its fundraising. The event raised more than $41,000 for the American Cancer [...]
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January 3, 2011Isaiah McGee ’01 has been named director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights by Gov.-elect Terry Branstad. McGee, 31, who’s served as a city councilman in Waukee, where he lives, has also served on Iowa Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Generation Iowa Commission, and the Iowa Indigent Defense Commission, [...]
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October 7, 2010Global Zero Program Director Derek Johnson ’04 and the Civic Engagement Office are hosting a screening of “Countdown to Zero” on Oct 14th. This documentary from the producers of “An Inconvenient Truth” explores the danger of nuclear weapons and features insights from international experts and world leaders who advocate the total elimination of nuclear weapons. [...]
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August 30, 2010New Student Orientation (NSO) Service Day took place Saturday, August 28, bringing together Cornell College students, faculty, and staff to partake in various community service projects in Mount Vernon and the surrounding area. There were 300 new students involved, 33 returning students, and 24 faculty/staff advisors for a total of 357 participants who contributed 928 [...]
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June 15, 2010PELLA — Cornell College has helped Iowa become second in the nation in volunteerism. According to a report released by Volunteering in America, Iowa college students rank second in the nation in volunteering within the college student demographic up from 32nd in 2006, with 41 percent of college students volunteering their time in 2009. As [...]
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June 14, 2010Habitat for Humanity volunteers staying on campus this weekend took a walk around campus and shot some video. You can see what they saw, and hear what they think of Cornell’s campus:
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June 8, 2010Rachel Sage, a two-time Independent Music Award winner and multiple Out Music Award recipient founded and runs her own label, MPress Records, will perform a free concert Tuesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. outside of King Chapel. This concert is presented by Legion Arts in cooperation with Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity, and honors the [...]
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June 8, 2010Cornell College will host hundreds of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps National Direct and VISTA members from across the country who are in the region for the annual Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon. As part of the annual event, more than 20 homes will be built, rehabilitated or repaired in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 11-18. Participants [...]
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May 11, 2010The theme for this year’s The Million Ram March, part of the larger Cornell College Relay for Life, is “Just Drew It,” in honor of Drew Wall, a 13-year-old battling osteosarcoma. Cornell Volleyball’s addition to Relay for Life 2010 by the numbers:1 million pennies, 720 minutes, 378.8 miles, 13 participants, 1 goal: celebrate, remember, fight [...]
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May 10, 2010Since 2005, Cornell students have regularly joined Dr. Larry Dorr ’63 and other medical professionals on Operation Walk, a medical mission that performs hip and knee replacements in countries such as China, Peru, and Viet Nam. During the trips, students observe surgeries and assist with physical therapy and many other aspects of the project. The [...]
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March 10, 2010Two poets, Patrick Rosal and Kiki Petrosino, will read at a benefit for Haiti relief at Cornell College at 7 p.m. on March 17. In addition to the reading, there will be music and a raffle to raise relief money. The event is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5. The benefit is [...]
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March 8, 2010Cornell College’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer will hold a Relay for Life kickoff celebration this week, including a lecture March 10 and a party March 11. On March 10, Van Tompkins will talk about his research into cancer from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Shaw Conference Room in The Commons. Tompkins received his doctorate [...]
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March 8, 2010Each year, faculty and staff put on a talent show to support the alternative Spring Break service program. There’s singing, dancing and all kinds of other talent on display. Here are some highlights: Faculty/Staff “No-Talent” show from Cornell College on Vimeo. Highlights from the faculty/staff “no talent” show to support alternative spring break
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February 25, 2010Cornell College has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The award, given by the Corporation for National and Community Service, recognizes the college’s community service efforts. According to the corporation’s Web site, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes institutions of higher education for [...]
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February 12, 2010The Relay For Life at Cornell College was recognized for their fundraising efforts by the American Cancer Society. The chapter won the National Top Five Youth Per Capita award for raising $50.20 per capita for Relay For Life of 2009. That total put them first in the Midwest and second in the nation, according to [...]
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February 2, 2010As a new semester begins, students from 19 Iowa colleges and universities are engaging and volunteering as part of a national effort providing over $5.7 billion annually in service to their communities. The institutions are part of Iowa Campus Compact, a consortium of public and private colleges that came together in 2003 to promote the [...]
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January 27, 2010MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon firefighter and 2009 Cornell graduate Mehrdad Zarifkar will put his disaster training to test on a 10-day medical mission to Haiti scheduled to leave Feb. 8. As a volunteer member of the Mount Vernon Fire Department, Zarifkar is an emergency medical technician (EMT) trained to deal with disasters and hazardous [...]
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December 20, 2009Chris Davids ’09 earned recognition on campus and beyond for his academic research in psychology and for his leadership of Cornell’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer. Award-winning Research Davids earned an award from the Iowa Sociological Association for best undergraduate research paper for “Filling the Gap: An Examination of Body Dissatisfaction of Differences of Gay, [...]
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December 3, 2009As a pre-med student aiming to become an emergency room doctor, Mehrdad Zarifkar ’09 benefited from many opportunities at Cornell, including a two-block Cornell Fellowship at Translational Genomics (TGen) in Phoenix, dedicated MCAT preparation, and reading groups with President Garner. But he also left his mark on campus and the community through his service as [...]
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October 23, 2009Colorado Springs native Annie Schneider is fond of saying that she’s the rebel of her family. Only this rebel has a cause. Growing up as the oldest of seven children in a family that homeschooled until she reached high school, Schneider was raised by her father to “question everything.” The result is a keen interest [...]
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September 17, 2009Brittany Atchison is trying to save the world. Listening to this energetic Randolph High School graduate leaves one with the impression that her goals are awfully lofty for someone who hasn’t quite graduated from college. She talks readily about working with others to make collective changes, about the injustices of position and privilege, about racism [...]
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July 30, 2009CEDAR RAPIDS – Cornell trustee John Smith ’71 and his wife Dyan never really seem to keep their checkbook closed in the face of a worthy cause. The Smiths, who have donated millions to Cornell over the years, are at the forefront of “Block by Block,” a program aimed squarely at speeding up neighborhood recovery [...]
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April 10, 2009Leah Clemente confirmed her desire to work in public health by spending five months in Pune, India in late 2007 as part of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s India Studies Program. Her adventure included a research project in the Pune slums with Uplift, a grassroots organization focused on preventative health care and the eradication [...]
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April 10, 2009Brittany Atchison knows she will dedicate her life to addressing issues of social justice and inequality, and she already boasts a two-page resume documenting her efforts. For starters, she’s completed internships with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin in Washington, D.C. and with the grassroots organization Bread for the World in Minneapolis. She also interned with the [...]
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March 26, 2009Amber Fricke entered Cornell determined to work for social justice, particularly related to reproductive freedom, and she created her own special studies major in politics, women’s studies, and ethnic studies. But a range of experiences in and beyond the classroom have expanded her vision of how to become an effective advocate. In particular, she’s now [...]
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