During the week of October 14 - 19, the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE) hosted its annual Sculpt-It event as a part of Homecoming week festivities at Georgia Southern University.
This creative competition encourages student organizations to collect as many nonperishable goods as they can, and then challenges them to use the items to create a sculpture that embodies the Georgia Southern Homecoming theme. The sculptures are built and on display in the Russell Union lobby during Homecoming week, before being disassembled and donated to local organizations.
Groups are judged based on numerous categories, including:
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Creativity and originality
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Use of Homecoming theme
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Georgia Southern spirit
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Overall appearance
The competition also includes a People's Choice Award and a newly created High Impact Award given to the organization whose donation takes into consideration quantity AND quality.
"Organizations are provided with a list of 'high need' items from our food pantry partners," explains Emily Tanner, the Community Engagement Coordinator for OLCE and the event organizer. "Judges from our partner agencies award points based on the incorporation of high-need items, with 10 points representing a high quality donation in addition to quantity."
In total, this year's Sculpt-It event included eleven sculptures crafted by 14 student organizations.
The groups collectively donated an impressive 4,446 items, with 2,260 going to the Statesboro Food Bank and 2,186 to the Eagles Essentials Food Pantry.
2024 Winners
Judges Choice: Phi Mu & Kappa Alpha Order
People's Choice Award: Alpha Omicron Pi
High Impact Award: Habitat for Humanity Student Organization
Honorable Mention: Chi Omega and Kappa Sigma collected 2,260 cans for the Food Bank. This donation alone accounted for over half the total items donated this year.
In addition to the sculptures, the event raised awareness about food insecurity on campus through educational signage and resources for students, highlighting ways they can contribute to ending hunger in their community.
Sculpt-It not only showcased the creativity and spirit of Georgia Southern students but also reinforced the importance of giving back to those in need.
