Sustain Mizzou executive board members attended the Clinton Global Initiative University 2011, a program meant to bring together leaders on college campuses worldwide, on April 1 through April 3 in San Diego .
Sustain Mizzou President Tina Casagrand said a desire for assistance with the group’s ongoing Sustainahouse project prompted the organization to apply. This year’s CGI U was held at the University of California, San Diego. Casagrand attended along with Vice President of Programming Monica Everett and Secretary Kat Seal.
“People had been suggesting that I, or Sustain Mizzou, apply for it for a number of years now, but you need to have a specific project that you would like to get some help with and would like to commit to and we thought with the sustainable living houses it would be a great opportunity,” Casagrand said.
According to the CGI U website, President Bill Clinton launched CGI U in 2007 to “engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world.”
CGI U hosts a meeting every year to bring together leaders at college campuses around the world. Their five focus areas are education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health.
“There were plenary sessions, which highlighted some commitments that groups made and they also had panel discussions with really inspiring people,” Casagrand said.
Casagrand said Everett, Seal and herself all split up and attended different sessions. Casagrand attended a presentation about fundraising.
“The energy at the conference was nothing but positive,” Seal said. “I feel rejuvenated and proud to be a part of this generation.”
In the environment and climate change session, “The Anatomy of a Building: Breaking Down Our Built Environment,” Sustain Mizzou was recognized.
“We got onstage and they introduced our project and gave us a little certificate, which was nice,” Casagrand said. “We didn’t have to speak or do a presentation or anything. They just looked off of our application and talked about it.”
Aside from Sustain Mizzou’s attendance at CGI U, they were also selected to be featured on an mtvU video countdown show.
“Somebody from CGI U chose our project and obviously, our group, to be featured on mtvU’s Dean’s List,” Casagrand said. “So we picked a song to introduce and wrote a script explaining our project and how we’re representing the University of Missouri at CGI U and what we plan to do with our commitment.”
Casagrand said she is unsure of when their appearance on mtvU will be broadcasted.
“Attending CGI U was inspiring on so many levels,” Seal said. “It is a powerful feeling to be with a group of young people that are passionate and committed to a certain goal.”
