Eastern participates in Challenge For Change

Eastern is going head-to-head with Morehead State University this winter.

But it's not about sports or academics. Instead, the two universities are competing to see whose students will rack up the most volunteer hours at local charities and across the communities over the next few weeks.

The competition, which is called the Challenge For Change, was introduced two years ago.

Now the schools have continued the event, which began on Jan. 14, coinciding with the date that Morehead and Eastern's men's basketball teams faced-off.

"The main goal is to encourage students across campus to volunteer in the community and help those less fortunate," Mollozzi said.

But for those who do get involved, and for their efforts to be counted, they'll have to log their volunteer hours on official log forms, which can be found at the student life office or by going online to orgsync.com. The log forms then must be turned in to Eastern's official Challenge For Change hour-keeper, Brian Perry in the Office of Student Life in the Powell Building.

Any volunteer hours can be recorded. All students are welcome to participate, and Greek hours also can be used, Mollozzi said.

The school that amasses the greatest number of volunteer hours not only wins bragging rights but also a traveling trophy for the school to keep on display until the next year's contest, said Matt White, SGA vice president.

Morehead has won the both years. Last year, for example, Eastern logged 2,931 volunteer hours compared with Morehead's 4,111 hours, said Brian Perry, assistant director of the Office of Student Life. This year, however, White said he hopes Eastern will broaden its involvement.

"I would like to get more student participation as well as Greek participation," White said. "Some students don't track their hours, but if we get all hours turned in it is an easy win."

The competition officially end when the two teams next go head-to-head, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 in McBrayer Arena. The volunteer hours will be tallied and the winner announced during the game's half-time show, said Rachel Mollozzi, president of Eastern's Student Government Association.

Either way, Mollozzi said, both schools win in the end.

 "It allows students to do good work and have fun with it," Mollozzi said.