Northwestern students have a shot at bringing a concert to campus just by clicking on a Web site.
Oxfam America, an organization that works to fight hunger and poverty, is sponsoring a national collegiate contest from March 11 to April 15. A click on www.povertyfighters.com will generate a 25 cent donation, paid for by the site’s sponsors.
The school whose students provide the most clicks will receive the money to host a concert, said Marci Surkes, the drive’s spokeswoman and a junior at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. Drive leaders said they have considered performers such as Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, R.E.M., Sting and Barenaked Ladies as groups who could perform in a concert funded by the organization Zero Population Growth.
“It is safe to say that the winning school will not be disappointed,” Surkes said.
The funds will go to providers of small loans given to poor people for self-employment projects.
But while more than 120 public and private schools, including Harvard University and Michigan State, have signed up, students have yet to register NU for the competition. The contest begins March 11.
For NU students just learning of the drive, the mention of a concert coming to campus gets their attention.
“The prospect of a concert gets me all riled up,” said Kristin Bird, a Weinberg freshman, who said NU could beat the other schools if the prize is promoted well.
It only takes one person to sign up, but a student group should publicize the cause on campus and remind students to go online, Surkes said.
Some students said they are skeptical about the click drive because it seems too simple. Still, Danielle Ongart, an officer for NU’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she would tell members about the drive.
“The project is great, especially if it’s true,” said Ongart, a Speech sophomore. “Some may think it’s futile to do it, but even if it doesn’t actually work, I don’t see it as a waste of my time – with the Ethernet it takes five seconds.”
Students can click twice a day and raise up to one million dollars nationally during the competition. The schools’ rankings will be updated daily and are available online, Surkes said.
Brandeis junior Benjamin Brandzel suggested the click drive project to Oxfam two years ago. “College students have a unique opportunity to make a difference with our ability to be organized, our level of education, Internet usage and passion for ideals like ending poverty.”
He said he hopes students will learn about poverty by visiting the Web site.
“Our goal is to put together a coalition and prove that the concept could work,” said Brandzel, who hopes to have a larger sponsorship, more participation and a bigger prize next year.
