Day of Service – Brian Gembara

Among all the principles of Stockton University, service is highly emphasized on campus. Much to this point, the Day of Service took place recently, stressing once again the importance of service learning. Volunteers were not limited to students, and activities ranged from civic engagement exercises to helping move and organize donated books for “Books without Borders.” The Day of Service started with complimentary breakfast after dividing the volunteers into four groups, and progressed in rotations to four different service stations where the four groups experienced opportunities in service relating to Civic engagement, Greendot, Environment and Sustainability, and Books without Borders / Covenant House. This scheduling format is different than past Days of Service, offering a wider variety of service activities when compared to the previous format where volunteers could only choose one of the projects available. Lunch was served in the middle of the third station in the rotation, after which the rotation continued; eventually volunteers who had stayed the entire duration were given a free shirt after a reflection session. At the end of the day not only did volunteers gain a greater understanding of what service opportunities are available to them here at Stockton, but they also got their foot in the door metaphorically. This step is important not only for those freshmen who are in the Honors Program but also for those who wish to become more interconnected with the community at Stockton, as many sociable and friendly students encouraged students to join organizations like Circle K which promote “the qualities of leadership, the rewards of service and the unique spirit of friendship” (Stockton). Overall, the event was a great success and will no doubt return next semester, taking into account all the feedback volunteers gave.