CU Tradition was 'Daily Point of Light' for May 29

The Cornell Tradition was named the "Daily Point of Light" for May 29, by action of the Corporation for National Service, the Points of Light Foundation and the Knights of Columbus, which sponsor the Daily Point of Light Awards.

Given each weekday, the Daily Point of Light Awards honor an individual or organization that makes a positive difference in the lives of others. Originated during the administration of President George Bush, the program was reinstated Jan. 1, 1998, by the joint actions of President Bill Clinton and former President Bush.

The Cornell Tradition is an alumni-endowed program, established in 1982, that awards 600 fellowships each year to undergraduate students at Cornell based on their work experience, campus and/or community service and academic achievement.

The Daily Point of Light honor -- which includes a certificate, congratulatory letters from Clinton and Bush and being featured on the Points of Light Foundation web site (www.PointsofLight.org ) -- was announced at a May 22 farewell gathering in the A.D. White House for Cornell Tradition Director Janiece Bacon Oblak.

The Points of Light Foundation was founded in May 1990 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to promoting volunteerism. Based in Washington, D.C., it promotes community service through partnerships with a nationwide network of more than 450 volunteer centers and through alliances with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies and individuals.

Over the past five years, Cornell Tradition fellows have averaged 166 hours of campus and community service annually, per student, equaling nearly 100,000 total hours per year. And the program provides up to $3,500 per year in loan replacement for students in the program who complete at least 75 hours of volunteer community service and 250 hours of paid work, while maintaining their grades. Since its founding in 1982, Cornell Tradition has replaced nearly $20 million in student loans.