100,000 community service hours achieved to secure First Lady as GWU commencement speaker

[bigtree]

4/5/10

George Washington University reaches Obama service challenge goal

The George Washington University community completed the 100,000 community service hours needed to secure first lady Michelle Obama as GW's Commencement speaker, the University confirmed Sunday night.

Knapp announced back in September that Obama would speak at Commencement on May 16 if the GW community could log 100,000 hours of community service by May 1. The University community reached this goal with a little less than a month to spare.

The University will continue to tally the amount of community service hours logged by the University, and an official tally will be announced at Obama's Commencement speech on the National Mall, according to the University's announcement.

read: http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2010/04/05/News/Gw.Reaches.Obama.Service.Challenge.Goal-3899805.shtml


related:

Friday, Sept. 11, 2009
First lady offers service challenge . . .

First lady Michelle Obama promised to be the 2010 Commencement speaker if the GW community completes 100,000 hours of community service this year . . .

Service hours will be counted monthly by the GW Office of Community Service, and “volunteerism, service learning, and federal work study service employment” will count toward the tally, according to a University statement. Work with AmeriCorps and other pro-bono service will be counted as well.

Obama’s challenge coincides with GW’s Freshman Day of Service, and the eighth anniversary of 9/11. More than 1,500 freshmen are expected to participate in the Day of Service, according to the statement.

Student Association President Julie Bindelglass and SA Executive Vice President Jason Lifton said Obama’s challenge spurred from a letter they sent the first lady over the summer, asking her to participate in the Freshman Day of Service. Read the letter here (PDF).

Although Obama said she could not attend the event, she offered the possibility of speaking at Commencement if GW students could complete her challenge.

read: http://blogs.gwhatchet.com/newsroom/2009/09/11/first-lady-offers-service-challenge-may-be-commencement-speaker/

[fleabert]

1. am i stupid?

what is a 'GW community'?

please be kind in responding to my 'am i stupid' question ;-)

ps- i get that it's a university, but which one? article just says GW. I have never seen this abbreviation.

[bigtree]

3. it's a college-oriented report

...speaking, primarily, to (and about) the college 'community' of students.

[fleabert]

5. which college?

i really feel stupid not understanding this. i am not dumb but sometimes I am obtuse.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I believe GW refers to George Washington University

[fleabert]

9. thanks! duh! nt

[Walk away]

7. George Washington....nt

[fleabert]

10. thanks! sometimes i miss the obvious. nt

[bigtree]

8. It's not you . . . it's my local mentality

We tend to refer to George Washington University As 'GW' 'round here.

[fleabert]

11. thanks :-)

i'm also pregnant, so i get to claim that the kid eats all my brain cells right now.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Too bad they couldn't have a challenge to other universities

and the university accumulating the most community service hours would have her as their commencement speaker. That would require any that participate to have backup speakers. I suppose it is possible that more than one could win the honor too if they don't have commencement on the same day.

[Frustratedlady]

4. Quite a contrast to Palin's 100,000

only her 100,000 is in dollars to wink and say, "betcha, gotcha"...that kind of stuff.

[CTyankee]

12. what a wonderful idea!

It shows real "out of the box" thinking on the White House's part, or maybe just Michelle's part.

I think it is very nice and is appealing to idealistic youths...and, of course, heh heh, they VOTE!