When other University of South Florida students were hitting the beach for Spring Break, Ken Whiting was giving away quarters to the poor at a laundromat in Los Angeles and putting together care packages for rescued victims of human trafficking.
It was part of a mission trip put on by Faceless International and Current, a new student organization at the University of South Florida.
Jason Sowell founded the group last year to raise awareness of current affairs and social injustices from a faith-based perspective. He wanted to challenge complacency and lay the groundwork for young adults to do good works with a global reach. Whiting, a 21-year-old senior majoring in sociology, serves as president.
"So many Christians talk about issues but don't do anything about them,'' said Sowell, 30, a pastor who works with various churches and organizations. "This group wants to see action.''
Current focuses on topics that extend beyond the classroom, from teenage poverty to homelessness. It's heady stuff for many college kids, but not absent from a lot of their minds, he said.
Three to four times a year, the group plans humanitarian mission trips to help charities with their ongoing efforts in big cities. The hope is that students will use what they've learned and apply it here at home.
Next week, the group hosts a screening of the Crossing, a film about human-rights abuses in North Korea. Presented by LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) in California, the movie is being shown at 300 college campuses nationwide.
Eventually, Current wants to expand to college campuses nationwide, starting with the University of Tampa. The group is not affiliated with any church, and membership is based on mindset and willingness to act, rather than on religious belief. Funding comes entirely from private donations.
"You're not necessarily going to be famous for this,'' Sowell said, "but you can change the world in one moment in one particular day.''
Movie with a message
A free public screening of the Crossing, about human-rights abuses in North Korea, will be held Wednesday at the University of South Florida. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the film starts at 7:30 p.m. engagethecurrent.org.
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