On Saturday, September 12th, Stockton University hosted an event called the Day of Service. This event was open to all students that hoped to become more involved in the community and to gain insight about possible opportunities to serve.
The gathering began with opening remarks by the keynote speaker, Todd Bernstein. He introduced the message of the day with quotes and anecdotes about service and its power. Next, students broke off into different sections and proceeded to various seminars and programs. One of the most prominent programs was hosted by Stockton’s Books without Borders. Here, students were able to learn about fellow students that are working to attain an education but have limited access to necessary books. Students were called to action, aiding in the organizing and packing of hundreds of workbooks, textbooks, and novels that would be sent away to countries in need. A speaker from the Covenant House in Atlantic City also spoke during this program, informing students about the work that is done at the house, and ways in which others can assist and improve the lives of the many unfortunate local children that the organization supports. Another striking component of the Day of Service was a lecture by Brian Pluchino. This discussion introduced the role of “green dots” on campus. Here, students were informed of the important actions that they should take to reduce violence around Stockton and to promote an atmosphere of community and cooperation.
The day ended with a reflection session in which students were grouped at tables, each table paired with a discussion leader to prompt conversation. Participants discussed the importance of the knowledge that they gained throughout the day, and conversed about what actions they planned on taking in the future to promote service on and off the campus of Stockton University. Many state that the Day of Service did not include much hands-on service at all, but throughout the reflection session, students learned that the hands-on service is not what is the most important, and it is not the first step. The Day of Service presented the idea that the most meaningful aspect of service is its effect, and it cannot take effect if it is not first understood.