Chapter Focus: Rhodes College
Posted on Jun 16, 2010 by Ankur Asthana
By Renee Kreidl
A GlobeMed chapter starting with ten students in a school of 1700 does not exactly sound like a recipe for success. In the fall of 2008 when Shannon Fuller and Allison Dove founded this chapter, they were probably having their fair share of doubts. However, meeting their partner AMOS in Managua, Nicaragua for the first time last summer and volunteering alongside them during health-promoter training infused the Rhodes chapter with a new sense of purpose. Now, those initial ten students have expanded to twenty regular members who rally around fundraisers and globalhealthU events year-round.
The first large campaign event the Rhodes Chapter held was a silent auction. Artists submitted their work to the event, which was held on a weekend when prospective students and their parents were visiting the school. In the end, about 100 people stopped by to bid or just look. GlobeMed members worked the auction at all times to sell baked goods, answer questions, and tell people about GlobeMed’s model and Rhodes’ partner AMOS. Through the auction, the chapter was able to raise over $1000 for its partner health organization as well as awareness about GlobeMed around campus. The Rhodes chapter also held a 5K run/walk as well as several smaller campaigns like coffee sales. However, organizing events wasn’t always the easiest. Carolyn Lamere, last year’s Campaign Coordinator, says “I found that the events were the most successful—or failing that, the least stressful and most fulfilling—when I relied on general staff members to run campaigns.” Not only was it less stress on Carolyn, but it was also a great way to share responsibility and leadership with members in the chapter.
The Rhodes chapter is also actively involved in the globalhealthU curriculum. Dev Varma, last year’s globalhealthU Coordinator, led weekly discussions about global health topics, engaging his fellow members of the Rhodes chapter. Dev also decided to reach out to the larger Memphis community and asked Dr. Satish Kedia, a professor at the University of Memphis and a specialist on AIDS treatment adherence in resource-poor settings, to speak for a global health event. Dev reflects, “hearing him speak about adherence issues affecting people literally a stone's throw away from Rhodes was nothing short of invigorating. Most, if not all, of our staff stayed after his presentation to pester him with questions.”
So after those doubts in the beginning, the Rhodes chapter has proved that ten students are capable of leading a movement. This is why we believe in Margaret Mead’s conviction to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” And with GlobeMed expanding in the fall, we will have 33 groups of thoughtful citizens like the one found at Rhodes. Perhaps we can change the world.
*you can follow GlobeMed at Rhodes College on their blog at http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
By Renee Kreidl
A GlobeMed chapter starting with ten students in a school of 1700 does not exactly sound like a recipe for success. In the fall of 2008 when Shannon Fuller and Allison Dove founded this chapter, they were probably having their fair share of doubts. However, meeting their partner AMOS in Managua, Nicaragua for the first time last summer and volunteering alongside them during health-promoter training infused the Rhodes chapter with a new sense of purpose. Now, those initial ten students have expanded to twenty regular members who rally around fundraisers and globalhealthU events year-round.
The first large campaign event the Rhodes Chapter held was a silent auction. Artists submitted their work to the event, which was held on a weekend when prospective students and their parents were visiting the school. In the end, about 100 people stopped by to bid or just look. GlobeMed members worked the auction at all times to sell baked goods, answer questions, and tell people about GlobeMed’s model and Rhodes’ partner AMOS. Through the auction, the chapter was able to raise over $1000 for its partner health organization as well as awareness about GlobeMed around campus. The Rhodes chapter also held a 5K run/walk as well as several smaller campaigns like coffee sales. However, organizing events wasn’t always the easiest. Carolyn Lamere, last year’s Campaign Coordinator, says “I found that the events were the most successful—or failing that, the least stressful and most fulfilling—when I relied on general staff members to run campaigns.” Not only was it less stress on Carolyn, but it was also a great way to share responsibility and leadership with members in the chapter.
The Rhodes chapter is also actively involved in the globalhealthU curriculum. Dev Varma, last year’s globalhealthU Coordinator, led weekly discussions about global health topics, engaging his fellow members of the Rhodes chapter. Dev also decided to reach out to the larger Memphis community and asked Dr. Satish Kedia, a professor at the University of Memphis and a specialist on AIDS treatment adherence in resource-poor settings, to speak for a global health event. Dev reflects, “hearing him speak about adherence issues affecting people literally a stone's throw away from Rhodes was nothing short of invigorating. Most, if not all, of our staff stayed after his presentation to pester him with questions.”
So after those doubts in the beginning, the Rhodes chapter has proved that ten students are capable of leading a movement. This is why we believe in Margaret Mead’s conviction to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” And with GlobeMed expanding in the fall, we will have 33 groups of thoughtful citizens like the one found at Rhodes. Perhaps we can change the world.
*you can follow GlobeMed at Rhodes College on their blog at http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
