MBCNews - Students Gain Global Perspective at National CGI U Conference

Students Gain Global Perspective at National CGI U Conference

By Dawn Medley

2009-02-16

Four Mary Baldwin College students and MBC President Pamela Fox were among nearly 1,000 college and university representatives at the second annual Clinton Global Initiative University Conference last weekend in Austin, Texas. The conference is more than an event. It is an opportunity for young leaders who don’t just want to talk about the world’s challenges — they want to take action toward solving them.

In 2008, Mary Baldwin students dove eagerly into a commitment that they generated — one of the requirements of CGI U participation — to raise awareness of human trafficking and help young girls at risk. The college’s commitment was further defined by giving specific aid to Dhamma Moli girls’ school, a safe haven in Nepal for girls who might otherwise fall into human trafficking. Students’ attendance at the second CGI U conference served as a recommitment to those goals and a gathering place for ideas about advancing its mission on campus.
Senior Robyn Stegman helped establish the original CGI U commitment after she spent time in a Buddhist monastery with the nuns who operate Dhamma Moli. She returned from the recent conference with renewed energy and plenty of ideas for carrying CGI U momentum through her final semester and beyond.
“We realized that one of the unique things about our commitment was that we created a student organization, the Mary Baldwin Global Initiative (MBGI), not only to raise awareness about Dhamma Moli and young women at risk, but as a place for students to find support for other commitments they want to make while at Mary Baldwin,” Stegman said. MBGI must show progress toward its official CGI U commitment, but Stegman and other participants also hope to give students the tools to address other issues on campus and in the community. They tossed around ideas about introducing freshmen to the idea of championing a cause that would continue through their college career.

Stegman also caught up with one of the members of a group from University of North Texas that is working to improve the lives of people living in Kroo Bay, Sierra Leone. She learned about the program ( www.kbinitiative.org ) at last year’s conference and plans to serve there after graduation.

One of the things that stood out for Nicole Crowson ’10 — who also attended in 2008 — was the MBC group’s close relationship with President Fox, which was particularly meaningful at the conference.

“Instead of having to take notes and jot down all of our ideas and keep that enthusiasm up by the time we got back to campus, Dr. Fox was right there, so we could say ‘I just thought of this great idea,’ and bounce it off her right away,” said Crowson. “Everyone was impressed that we knew her well enough to have real discussions. I think having a close relationship with Dr. Fox and administrators is why we really can make steps toward our commitment.” Having an MBC alumna in the organization, Mary Morrison ’95, CGI director of membership, is also a boost, Crowson said.

This year’s CGI U conference featured famous faces, like its inaugural event. Among the well-known participants were actors Matthew McConaghey and Natalie Portman and political consultant and commentator Paul Begala. Although a little star power never hurts, it was not one of the significant parts of the conference for MBC participants.

They were clearly focused on making the most of the Mary Baldwin Global Initiative.
Local television coverage of CGI U: WHSV-TV3
For more about progress on Mary Baldwin’s CGI U commitment read “Students Continue Global Initiative” in the February 2009 issue ofThe Cupola: www.mbc.edu/cupola/archives/cupola_v4n6.pdf
Links to national coverage of CGI U:
Fox 7 (Austin) China Daily