The COSMOS 40-Hour Challenge

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

Ben Keri is scribbling on a notepad. “Being mute has shown me the difficulties of not having a voice in society.” The international development studies major accepted the challenge of Avondale College of Higher Education student mission club COSMOS to go 40 hours without hearing, seeing or talking. He writes of sitting with friends but feeling excluded from the conversation. “I now realise people in poor communities also have no voice. They are the destitute, and they often experience injustice.”

Rosemarie Southern and Karli Borresen’s faux speech and hearing impairments. Credit: Brenton Stacey.

The 40-Hour Challenge, October 19-21, not only raised awareness of the emotional and physical state of those with an impairment but raised more than $500 for Asian Aid’s Kollegal School for Speech and Hearing Impaired Children in India.

COSMOS president Ketannah Hope describes the challenge as “isolating,” which can be similar to life at college. “It’s easy to focus just on your study, so COSMOS helps me keep God’s message of love alive.”

Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) student Krissie Hopkins reminds us as staff members and students how lucky we are. “We have a voice,” she says, “so we need to use it.”—with Megan Townend, public relations editorial intern, Avondale College of Higher Education