No Lost Generation, a student organization focused on raising awareness for the Syrian refugee crisis, just started a new chapter on the Mississippi State University campus. 
  No Lost Generation was started a year ago when the pilot chapter began at George Washington University located in Washington, D.C. 
  Now, there are roughly 40 universities nationwide hosting a new NLG chapter, all with one common goal: to provide awareness and education about the children being impacted by the Syrian Refugee Crisis. 
Faculty co-advisors Melanie Loehwing and Sky Cooley said that although they will offer general insight and guidance to those involved, it really is a student organization, meaning No Lost Generation will truly be led by the students who founded it on campus. 
    “We are excited to support the students’ efforts as they raise awareness for the suffering of refugees, particularly children,” Loehwing said. 
  NLG, an organization funded by the Department of State, has three main goals for MSU: fundraising, advocacy and volunteering. Advocacy being the main goal for the fall 2016 semester. 
     Executive Director Laura Herring, said her position in MSU’s No Lost Generation chapter is also a part of her role as an intern for the Virtual Student Foreign Service, which is a part of the Department of State.
   “I want students on our campus to understand the history and motives of this crisis,” Herring said, “and see it as the alarming emergency that it really is.”
  The ultimate goal is to change the social climate in surrounding areas towards refugee children and resettlement policies. 
MSU’s No Lost Generation chapter will be hosting two main events on campus this semester in hopes to educate more students on the crisis.
The first event will be a screening of Salam Neighbor, a film documentary that follows two Americans who travel to a refugee camp and live there. 
   After the film, break-out discussions will be hosted by faculty members for those who have questions about the situation or want to gain more knowledge about the crisis. 
    A “hack-a-thon” will also be hosted on campus as a main event this semester, as students involved in the organization will work directly with the Rumie Initiative project. 
The Rumie Initiative works to send preloaded tables to schools located in crisis zones, and during the hack-a-thon, students will be working to search the Internet for valuable educational material to upload on their cloud drive. That information will then be put on the tables. 
 Assistant director for MSU’s chapter, Trey Wallace, said he is responsible for the organization’s campus events and programs. 
  After the first two events, the organization hopes they have enough students interested and involved to start a fundraising campaign. 
    “My hope is that students will realize that they have the resources available to them to make a difference for these children,” Wallace said. 
    No Lost Generation said it is their goal as a student organization to show people their time and talent is an invaluable resource to the less fortunate. 
 “The burden of responsibility falls on those capable of helping,” Wallace said, “and I believe the students of Mississippi State University are capable.” 
    For more information on No Lost Generation or how to get involved, contact executive director Laura Herring or assistant director Trey Wallace. Information is also available through Dr. Loehwing or Dr. Cooley at [email protected] or [email protected].