Be a Part of Something Bigger

By Sydney Bennett

Be a Part of Something Bigger

Being a part of something bigger than myself has been a common theme in my mind lately. At church last Sunday, my pastor talked about many greats of the Bible and how their decisions impacted generations. He also talked a lot about having vision vs. being a part of a cause. A few quotes he mentioned really struck me.

"Vision is personal; cause is bigger than one person".

"Vision exists for you, but you exist for a cause."

He also mentioned how people will die for a cause, as many people have. This made me think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life lived a cause we just celebrated. So, with all of this on my mind, I am happy to introduce one new way I am becoming a part of something bigger than myself.

I just became a campus rep for 31 Bits. 31 Bits describes themselves as a socially minded business that uses fashion and design to empower women in Uganda to rise above poverty. The women in Uganda make beautiful jewelry made out of recycled paper that other reps and I get to sell. The profits are used to pay the women and provide holistic services for the women's education, health, and all around productivity.

I am so excited, but a little nervous to have to be a seller. I always say I would prefer not to go into sales, but as a communication major it comes with the deal. Besides, I'll always sell myself as a person/brand. I am already making efforts to partner with a few organizations on campus, like BSU to promote service, using 31 Bits as one way.

If you'd like to know more about how to purchase a bracelet email me at http://us.mc1622.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bennett.s01@mymail.sxu.edu OR you can go to 31bits.com and with my rep code: Sydney2012 receive $5 off of a $20 or more purchase.

In other news it is the second week of school and I am still getting settled into my classes which I am liking for the most part. I look forward to sharing more about my classes and assignments soon!

As a closer, I'll leave you with a thought. I was talking with someone who said they weren't really passionate about anything or a lot of things. I can definitely relate to feeling like that. However, we all have different things that we naturally like and are interested in. For me, I really like fashion and learning about cultures as well as women's empowerment. I may not be able to make clothes or study fashion right now, but selling jewelry for a greater cause is something I can do. Everyone may not like what I like and that's great. We only need to be really passionate about a few things and run with them, even if we have to make a few baby steps at first.

Sydney Bennett is a junior from Chicago, Illinois. She is a Mass Communications major with minors in both Sociology and Art & Design. She is President of Ambassador's for Christ(AFC) and a member of their Gospel choir at Saint Xavier.