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Video Contest Encourages College Students to Help End World Hunger

Chi Alpha has announced the winners of its video contest. Partnering with feedONE, Chi Alpha asked its college student members to participate in the contest by submitting a video that answered the question, "Why feedONE?"

Hungry?

If so, there is probably a stash of food nearby to satisfy that hunger craving. But not everyone is so fortunate. At least 100,000 children are currently on a waiting list with Convoy of Hope partners because there are not enough funds to fulfill the need.

In April 2014, feedONE director Chris Sonksen held a meeting to discuss Chi Alpha's national involvement and partnership with feedONE. Chi Alpha is the Assemblies of God campus ministry to students in secular colleges and universities, and feedONE is part of Convoy of Hope, the international compassion ministry.

Chi Alpha and feedONE leaders brainstormed methods to help students grasp feedONE's important mission. Through the exchanging and merging of ideas, they decided on a video contest where the grand prize was a trip to Haiti, a country home to many needy children who benefit from the food and education feedONE provides. Not only would the grand prize winner go to Haiti, but help Chi Alpha Communications Director Nathan Cole film "The Waiting List" documentary. The name of the documentary is based off the list of children anticipating feedONE's help.

Cole and the team contacted Chi Alpha campus pastors and encouraged them to pass the word along to their students. Chi Alpha also utilized social media, posting on Chi Alpha Facebook groups and pages, to advertise the contest.

The contest encouraged Chi Alpha students from around the nation to submit a 30- to 60-second video answering the question "Why feedONE?" 

The goal of the contest was to allow students' participation in the film's production while making them aware of just how many hungry children are out there and how they can help. 

There were 24 video submissions with 17 campuses participating. Three equally weighted components made up the total score: Online voting, number of YouTube views, and an expert panel of judges. 

The viewing and online voting period lasted from Nov. 10 to Nov. 21 and participants solicited help from friends and family on social media. Judges graded each video submission based on adherence to the creative assignment, originality, creativity and overall appeal to inspire the collegiate audience.

The winners were announced Nov. 24 via social media. The grand prize winner is Ed Ju from the University of California-Davis. Ju and three of his friends will join Cole in Haiti this summer to film part of "The Waiting List" documentary. 

"I have nothing but gratitude and humility in my heart," Ju announced after winning the contest. "I am so thankful of my community for supporting me and teaching me how to be humble."

Ju was excited at the beginning, but as he received an unexpected "downpour of kindness, encouragement, and relentless love," he felt unworthy and undeserving of the support. "Honestly, it made me scared because I didn't want to let anyone down," he says.

But Ju soon learned of God's true unconditional love for him. "Day by day though, I think I started to subconsciously realize that God's love for me is the same way — He gives it to me, and keeps on giving it to me even when I did nothing to deserve it."

Matthew Magdefrau from the University of Central Arkansas is the contest's first runner-up and will receive a budget to shoot a short segment for The Waiting List documentary. 

"Working on The Waiting List Film Contest was a great experience for my team and me to use our creative abilities to spread feedONE's cause," he says. According to Magdefrau, his video alone was shared to at least 1,000 college students who had no prior knowledge of feedONE or its mission.

Second runner-up, Ernest Fipps, from Indiana University will also receive a budget to host a local feedONE event and shoot a short segment for The Waiting List documentary. 

"It was a really cool experience to get to be in the competition, and to see so many people rally around my cause, and the cause of feedONE," Fipps says.