Freshmen more eager to serve community

There has been a substantial increase in the number of freshmen involved in community service projects this year, according to Program for Student Community Involvement Director David Grossman. Before the school year began, about 50 students participated in the largest PennCorp program ever. Most of the participants were incoming freshmen. Last Saturday, more than 1,000 freshmen participated in the Into the Streets program, in which students participated in various community service projects in the local community. And last night, more than a dozen freshmen showed up for a workshop entitled "Making a Difference" on how to get involved with community service at the University. All of these numbers point to a growing trend in student service. "It's certainly true that there's been greater interest than in the past," Grossman said. But the trend may not be limited to the University community alone. Each year, more freshmen come to the University having done service work in high school, Grossman said. This may account for the increase in freshman involvement. PSCI plays a key role in the University's efforts to mobilize students for community service. In addition to organizing programs like Into the Streets, the office acts as a community service clearinghouse, pairing interested students with volunteer opportunities. Grossman's office also provides support for student groups involved in community service work. According to Urban Studies Professor Ira Harkavy, who also directs the Center for Community Partnerships, several other factors have contributed to increased service among students. University programs like PennCorp and Into the Streets have a "significant impact" on freshmen, Harkavy said. And freshmen and faculty members have said President Judith Rodin's convocation speech inspired them to work with the community, Harkavy said. At convocation, Rodin spoke about College sophomore Tal Golomb's work at the Shaw Middle School over the summer. She said his service was in line with University founder Benjamin Franklin's spirit and she challenged the freshman class to engage in similar service work. "I think it's pretty impressive that our president would focus on community service," said Pennsylvania AmeriCorp Service Scholar Liz Theoharis, a College sophomore. Theoharis added that she thinks the AmeriCorp program is "creating a culture of national service" on college campuses. "I feel like every student should get involved," College junior Ajit Mahapatra said. "It's in our interest because we live in the community." Mahapatra said he feels more students are performing community service because Rodin's administration is more "vocal" about service opportunities. "We live here. Everything affects us," College sophomore Avi Raval said. "We're fooling ourselves if we think the Ivy Tower exists here."