September 12th marked Stockton’s 12th annual Day of Service, organized by the Office of Student Development. Day of Service, an all-day event (8 to 4), offers both students and staff the rewarding opportunity to participate in service projects around the campus by exposing them to a wide variety of service projects and enlightening volunteers about the impacts they could make as opposed to simply jumping directly into work. Upon entering the event room, participants were asked to choose a team that they would be rotating with throughout the day. About a half hour in, keynote speaker Todd Bernstein was introduced. Bernstein explained how it is up to the citizens to bring about change, not the government.
Although there were four service projects, two in particular stood out to me. The first service project I attended was in regards to the environment. Richard Dovey, the CEO of Atlantic County Utilities Authority, discussed his company’s efforts to maintain a sustainable environment. Stockton’s very own Water Watch organization and sustainable farm volunteers also spoke about their works in reducing pollution and properly utilizing land and water.
Another service project I attended was in regards to education. An organization called Books Without Borders collects books ranging from children stories to chemistry textbooks for those who cannot afford books or simply do not have access to books. Whereas other service projects were more so presentations, this one was more hands-on; volunteers helped put together boxes, organize hundreds of books based on topic, and carry particularly heavy boxes from the building to a storage container. A lot of volunteers actually opted out of the final service project to continue their work with this organization.
Day of Service was an excellent way to work with peers and make a difference. Learning should not be restricted to just the classroom, but integrated into our everyday lives as well.