The One World Initiative is a way to bring a global perspective to Sacramento State through classroom inclusion, events and student activities. This year the theme is a global perspective on happiness.

Lisa Hammersley, the creator of the One World Initiative, said she hopes students at Sac State gain a global perspective regardless of their major.

“Most of our students come from here and stay here because they are from this region, and we love that but we want to be able to bring the globe to campus,” she said.

The College of Continuing Education’s English Language Institute presented this past Monday Sept. 29, an ELI Symposium called Miles of Smiles, an International Perspective on Happiness. Kicking off this year’s theme, students in the ELI will present posters and talk about happiness in their home countries.

Geology- Ecology Environmental Science Colloquium presented on Tuesday, Sept. 30 Happy Otters: How can sea otters tell us about ecosystem health?

The First Year Experience program joins the initiative by hosting an exhibit: Happiness in the First Year. First year students are encouraged to take pictures of anything that makes them happy and post them online.

Jasmine Campos, FYE student assistant, said the photoshow is about students perspectives being captured in a snapshot.

“It helps students make connections with what they like about campus and what makes them happy about Sac State,” she said.

The FYE program has always promoted and encouraged its students to participate in One World events but this is its first year joining the committee.

“The FYE program is trying to mirror The One World Initiative with the Photoshow event because all the students are in different disciplines learning how to make the most of [their] college experience. Photoshow is allowing them to share that experience through pictures,” Campos said.

Hammersley’s vision for the initiative is that a student will go from class to class and each professor will discuss the theme, in hopes students will see the connections across disciplines.

Global perspectives on happiness have been in the works since The One World Initiative began in 2012 with Global Perspectives on Water. In the beginning, the committee wanted an initiative with a more serious topic so that the structure of the program could be established.

“When you talk about the big heavy topics, it’s clear that we are talking about something of global importance and then put something like this, something a little different,” Hammersley said.

Hammersley describes this year’s theme as fun but also as an issue of global importance.

Students will have the opportunity to think about what makes a country happy and also what takes happiness away.

“We try to move it around a little bit, but keep [the theme] as a broad topic, next years theme is power” Hammersley said.

Chair of the Photoshow committee Anastasia Frandell a peer mentor here is trying to get first-year students to participate.

“I think it’s important for students especially first- year students to recognize what happiness means to them, whether it be working out or netflix they should fit it into their schedule,” Frandell said. “The photoshow asks them to take a picture and identify what makes them happy on campus which in the long run will help them graduate.”

By taking a picture of something that makes them happy here on campus reminds them why as a senior in high school chose to attend CSUS in the first place or why they will keep pursuing their degree even when it is hard.

One Day in One World is the end of the year culminating event where the One World Initiative committee invites the community to share their perspective and celebrate. Date and time To Be Announced.