Jackson State University students placed third in the fourth annual Up to Us national campus competition by spotlighting to their peers the travesty of the national debt.
Because of America’s fiscal challenges, four JSU students spearheaded a campaign jointly sponsored by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) to educate and engage millennials.
The enterprising quartet is part of Net Impact, a nonprofit entity on U.S. colleges and university campuses in which students and organizations use business skills to support social and environmental causes.
Lofti Eljai, a junior finance major and one of the JSU students leading the effort on campus, said, “When I came to the U.S. I befriended many people who were saddled with major student loans.” The native Moroccan said he was alarmed how in just three years the national debt ballooned from $16 trillion to $19 trillion.
‘Impacts the entire world’
Eljai, from the northern African country, was quick to point out that the intent of the campaign is not focused on specific solutions but rather on raising awareness because “a lot of students don’t think the U.S. debt affects them.” In fact, said Eljai, calling for urgency in addressing the issue, “The U.S. debt impacts the entire world.”
Anissa Hidouk, a senior marketing major, is another student involved in spreading the word about the soaring debt. Although Net Impact’s Up to Us team is comprised mostly of international students, she said U.S. citizens, and especially JSU students, embraced the mission and were actively involved in addressing America’s debt dilemma.
The group of four leading the charge at JSU used creative ways to relay information about the crisis, including a video, a recent presentation during the JSU-Alcorn State University basketball game and a “debt funeral parade” featuring the Sonic Boom of the South marching band. The Tiger football squad and cheerleaders also joined the effort.
Algerian native Hidouk said the impact on funding education is another reason for raising the alarm.
“The national debt affects scholarships,” said Hidouk, worrying that options for paying for higher education would be severely hampered unless debt levels are better controlled.
Support from lawmakers, campus
Meanwhile, the four JSU students solicited support from lawmakers such as Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie G. Thompson and secured 585 pledges from students, who agreed to make conscientious decisions in tackling the nation’s debt.
JSU’s Net Impact students leading the campaign included:
- Lotfi Eljai, a junior finance major from Morocco
- Anissa Hidouk, a senior marketing major from Algeria
- Amara Knott, a junior management major from Jackson
- Lufat Rahman, a junior engineering major from Bangladesh
Competitively, out of 70 participating schools, JSU ranked among the top – succeeding only William and Mary and Penn State, respectively.
