Last Saturday, I volunteered at the Community Clean-Up, planned by the United Student Association’s Sustainability Committee. When deciding to go, I thought I was merely signing up for a few hours of getting my hands dirty – another bullet point to add to my law school resume. What I did not know when I signed up was how rewarding the event would be.
Equipped with a grabber, I felt unstoppable removing items ranging from thick, muddy socks to tiny bottle caps. I never realized how invigorating finding a styrofoam box of half-eaten pancakes on the sidewalk of Hughes Avenue on a Saturday morning could be. My favorite part, though, was how the service was directed towards our campus. Having a personal stake in the collegiate environment I subject myself to, I was proud to create a symbiotic relationship to a campus that has offered me so many opportunities for positive growth. Not only was the cleaning exciting, but the relationships built with my fellow volunteers likewise grew. There is a unique bond created between people attempting to make their community a better place by meticulously ridding the curbs of pesky cigarette butts. Any scruples around beautification ought to be unfounded. For anyone in the campus community interested, the Sustainability Committee will be hosting its next clean up on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Griffin admires how numerous clubs on campus whose raison d’etre is unrelated to community service will still establish volunteering and other service activities as one of their tenets. Such initiatives embody the Jesuit value of magis – choosing to do more – and the Sustainability Committee does it in a deliberate, environment-enhancing way. Other organizations like the Honors Student Association (HSA) have an entire executive board position – currently held by Michaela Staskiewicz and Ava Wohlleber – dedicated to coordinating community service activities. What’s even more wonderful about Canisius’ HSA is that their service opportunities are open to everyone, with the hope that we’ll all strive to be men and women for and with others. Their next service event will be helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Griffin encourages its readers at any stage of life to serve their community. It is rewarding and a part of our never ending quest to become better students, leaders and people.
-CL
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