Adam Smith
Dr. Rosner
GEN 1033-003
9/22/15
Freshman Blogging Project: Day of Service
Service is a vital part of becoming a competent citizen. By providing service to others, one may learn new things, not only about those being served, but about oneself. On September 12th, I attended Stockton University’s 12th Annual Day of Service. The purpose of this event was to enlighten students about the benefits of community service and provide them with opportunities in which to donate their time and effort. The Day of Service started at eight o’clock in the morning, where students ate breakfast and registered for the day. Like most students attending the event, I was eager to dive into “hands on” community service that would hopefully fulfill one of my requirements for service learning, but as I began talking to my peers, I realized that not many students knew what the itinerary entailed. We shrugged our shoulders, finished breakfast, and waited for the first lecture to begin.
What struck me as odd, when I first sat down in the event room, was that it seemed as if the day was not going to revolve around physical community service at all. It became evident, however, that the student body would be lectured for a majority of the day about the benefits of service. Although this may have seemed disappointing at the time, I believe it was a smart decision on behalf of the planning board. Without the information sessions about organizations such as“Books Without Borders”, students would not know where to volunteer, let alone how. For a short while, I assisted a few members of the “Books Without Borders” organization in the packing and arranging of books that would be sent to the less fortunate. This was the extent of the physical service that many students took part in. What I realize now is that this Day of Service, in particular, served as stepping stone for students, and provided them with the necessary information to take part in community service in the future.
Another aspect about the Day of Service that I am impressed with is the wide variety of opportunities that the students were presented with. While I was sitting in the information sessions, listening to the speakers, I could not help but wonder, “What do these lectures have to do with each other.” I am now aware, looking back at the event, that the planning board used varying organizations as a means to show students that they can volunteer in many aspects of society, whether it be homeless shelters or book organizations.
Although I may not have been enthusiastic about how the Day of Service played out while I was there, I now realize the importance of the event. It was more of an informational service to us, than a community service interaction. I now feel more knowledgeable about the various community service opportunities in the area and would not hesitate to sign up again for the next Day of Service. I believe that Stockton University’s 12th Annual Day of Service prepared students to take action in the community, while also providing them with information that will further benefit their time at the university.