Chris Osterlund, senior in industrial and systems engineering and SGA executive vice president, has teamed up with Nathan Warner, senior in chemical engineering, and Julia Wiard, coordinator for the Center of Leadership and Ethics, to develop an initiative he hopes will move Auburn's students to action.
"The purpose is inform and engage students so that they can find something they're passionate about," Osterlund said.
The event, called The Challenge, begins Feb. 20 and will involve several weeks of events, including demonstrations, lectures and service projects designed to help students become aware of issues facing society and find ways they can get involved.
Wiard said the idea for The Challenge grew out of a Quality Enhancement Plan proposal submitted by Ainsley Carry, vice president for Student Affairs. The original proposal was similar to The Challenge, but included extended features such as the creation of new courses and study abroad opportunities.
Although the original QEP proposal was rejected by the University, Wiard said it inspired the concept of The Challenge.
"That was not the QEP proposal that was ultimately accepted by the University, and Chris and Nathan knew about it and knew it was something that we'd proposed and came to us and said, 'How can we make this happen? We want to see this project or this program kind of become a reality,'" Wiard said.
The Challenge is divided into five teams, each representing a different priority within community involvement. The teams are Public Health, Sustainability, Civic Engagement and Volunteering, Education and Poverty and Hunger.
Osterlund said events sponsored by The Challenge will fall under the categories of "see, learn and experience."
"So the first theme would be 'see,' which is providing provocative concepts and things that capture your attention and kind of get you thinking like, 'What's this talking about? Like, I'm interested in this,'" Osterlund said. "Then 'learn,' which is like educational pieces and speaking arrangements and things of that nature. And then 'experience' would be like simulations.
I think one of the biggest pillars of our Auburn culture is blind privilege and just not being experienced or having knowledge or something just because you've never been a part of it. So having a simulation where you actually take part in something."
Some events sponsored by The Challenge include a week of service, a classroom simulation, a "how to use your skills" panel and several movie viewings.
Osterlund said all the events will culminate in a summit March 2-3 that is being organized primarily by Warner.
"And the summit is really like, 'What do I do now? So I've been gifted with all this, I understand and I think it's cool and I really want to get involved, so what do I do?'" Osterlund said. "We've got like a business expo. We've got the Global Poverty Project coming to speak. We're going to do a couple breakout sessions."
Osterlund said he has enjoyed the process of planning The Challenge.
"That was really my objective, was to work with a bunch of passionate people on something that they care about, and it's been that and more," Osterlund said.
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