AIPAC Activist of the Year Award Inscription
Our second Activist of the Year Award honors an AIPAC Campus Cadre that consistently goes above and beyond. In building relationships and in serving as a valuable asset to the wider pro-Israel political movement, their contribution is in always going the extra step, tipping the balance in a pinch, and becoming a model that sets a high bar for all pro-Israel student activists. The constellation of strong and dedicated pro-Israel political activists who make up this Campus Cadre has distinguished itself by the quality and quantity of its achievements this past academic year.
These Activists of the Year approached Campaign ’08 with energy and sophistication, hosting a highly successful debate-watch party. First, they fostered a partnership with a bi-partisan campus group to sponsor the event. Then they reinforced a message underlining the value of the U.S.-Israel relationship during the event: by creating an impressive visual component that featured quotes taken from both candidates at the 2008 AIPAC Policy Conference. They also arranged for their event’s final speaker to provide strong reinforcement of the bi-partisan display of support for America’s alliance with Israel. The result: a strong, pro-Israel message intelligently communicated to hundreds of young people, many newly involved as a result of Campaign ’08.
Another opportunity presented itself when a neighboring campus hosted a presidential debate, which this Campus Cadre knew would attract widespread media coverage and national attention. These Activists of the Year lined up at the debate venue in the middle of the night to demonstrate strong student support for Israel and for stopping Iran’s nuclear project.
Later, Israel’s Operation Cast Lead posed a different kind of challenge, and again, these Activists of the Year distinguished themselves. When AIPAC sent out Action Alerts urging student activists to contact Members of Congress expressing support for Israel’s right to defend itself, this Campus Cadre mobilized all available resources and significantly expanded their network. They held educational events to engage pro-Israel students and pioneered an innovative use of new media to garner a widespread response.
Indeed, these Activists of the Year employed diverse methodologies aimed at broadening the base for pro-Israel political activism on their campus. They were able to creatively cull campus resources to this end, recently securing a major grant to bring a high-profile Israeli political figure to address more than 500 politically engaged students as the campus featured speaker of the semester. They also successfully implemented a strategic coalition-building effort directed at engaging the influential campus Christian community by first reaching out to leaders and then offering educational briefing opportunities to the membership.
This Campus Cadre’s strong relationships with campus leaders was on display at their annual Leadership Dinner, which added religious and Greek student leaders, as well as members of the administration who have been supportive of their work, to last year’s list of dozens of invited campus political officials. Additionally, there was so much interest in this Campus Leadership Dinner among the general student body that these Activists of the Year decided to have an all-campus ‘Israel at 61’ celebratory picnic a few days before the Leadership Dinner to provide another opportunity for engagement.
Whether numbering among the first AIPAC Campus Cadre’s to fill a Government Affairs Portfolio position or proving a valuable asset to AIPAC in recruiting student leaders participants for AIPAC national engagement opportunities, this group has excelled in all that they do to advance the U.S.-Israel relationship. The members of this Campus Cadre are among the most influential and politically active on the campus. They have taken a group comprised of a few students on a campus in the center of the Bible Belt, and made it a stronghold of pro-Israel political activity.
For innovating engagement methodologies that will inspire activists to come, for their path-breaking coalition-building skills and positioning success in become valuable allies and resources to campus leaders, for expanding this campus movement by leaps and bounds, and for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty in implementing AIPAC’s campus initiatives, the second Activist of the Year Award goes to….
The AIPAC Campus Cadre at Vanderbilt University!
I’d like to invite the Vanderbilt University AIPAC Campus Cadre to please join us on stage to accept their Activist of the Year Award
These Activists of the Year approached Campaign ’08 with energy and sophistication, hosting a highly successful debate-watch party. First, they fostered a partnership with a bi-partisan campus group to sponsor the event. Then they reinforced a message underlining the value of the U.S.-Israel relationship during the event: by creating an impressive visual component that featured quotes taken from both candidates at the 2008 AIPAC Policy Conference. They also arranged for their event’s final speaker to provide strong reinforcement of the bi-partisan display of support for America’s alliance with Israel. The result: a strong, pro-Israel message intelligently communicated to hundreds of young people, many newly involved as a result of Campaign ’08.
Another opportunity presented itself when a neighboring campus hosted a presidential debate, which this Campus Cadre knew would attract widespread media coverage and national attention. These Activists of the Year lined up at the debate venue in the middle of the night to demonstrate strong student support for Israel and for stopping Iran’s nuclear project.
Later, Israel’s Operation Cast Lead posed a different kind of challenge, and again, these Activists of the Year distinguished themselves. When AIPAC sent out Action Alerts urging student activists to contact Members of Congress expressing support for Israel’s right to defend itself, this Campus Cadre mobilized all available resources and significantly expanded their network. They held educational events to engage pro-Israel students and pioneered an innovative use of new media to garner a widespread response.
Indeed, these Activists of the Year employed diverse methodologies aimed at broadening the base for pro-Israel political activism on their campus. They were able to creatively cull campus resources to this end, recently securing a major grant to bring a high-profile Israeli political figure to address more than 500 politically engaged students as the campus featured speaker of the semester. They also successfully implemented a strategic coalition-building effort directed at engaging the influential campus Christian community by first reaching out to leaders and then offering educational briefing opportunities to the membership.
This Campus Cadre’s strong relationships with campus leaders was on display at their annual Leadership Dinner, which added religious and Greek student leaders, as well as members of the administration who have been supportive of their work, to last year’s list of dozens of invited campus political officials. Additionally, there was so much interest in this Campus Leadership Dinner among the general student body that these Activists of the Year decided to have an all-campus ‘Israel at 61’ celebratory picnic a few days before the Leadership Dinner to provide another opportunity for engagement.
Whether numbering among the first AIPAC Campus Cadre’s to fill a Government Affairs Portfolio position or proving a valuable asset to AIPAC in recruiting student leaders participants for AIPAC national engagement opportunities, this group has excelled in all that they do to advance the U.S.-Israel relationship. The members of this Campus Cadre are among the most influential and politically active on the campus. They have taken a group comprised of a few students on a campus in the center of the Bible Belt, and made it a stronghold of pro-Israel political activity.
For innovating engagement methodologies that will inspire activists to come, for their path-breaking coalition-building skills and positioning success in become valuable allies and resources to campus leaders, for expanding this campus movement by leaps and bounds, and for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty in implementing AIPAC’s campus initiatives, the second Activist of the Year Award goes to….
The AIPAC Campus Cadre at Vanderbilt University!
I’d like to invite the Vanderbilt University AIPAC Campus Cadre to please join us on stage to accept their Activist of the Year Award
posted by Vandy Hillel
