The Story
Students Helping Out Williamsburg Day
This past week, the freshman halls of the College were filled with excitement and noise and the new members of the Class of 2012 settled into Williamsburg, their adopted hometown for the next four years. More than one thousand newcomers to the Tribe streamed down the brick pathways of campus, learning the bearings of their new and unfamiliar home, but some students made a special connection with Williamsburg from the moment they set foot on campus through the innovative Students Helping Out Williamsburg (SHOW) volunteer program held this year on Aug. 26.
These dedicated freshmen, sporting baby blue T-shirts and the trademark green orientation backpacks could be seen on campus and around the city of Williamsburg giving back to the community days before they even entered their first class.
It is estimated that about 200 freshmen participated in this program in various service capacities in the program which emphasizes volunteerism and the College’s wish to give back to area it calls home. The Office of Student Volunteer Services Website shows that participants in the program give their time at a wide range of locations including the Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Agency, the Community Action Agency, the Mayor’s Office, Colonial Williamsburg, Whaley Elementary School and York River State Park.
“It’s such a rewarding experience to see the efforts of your labors materialize before your eyes…not something that every service project allows”, Rebecca Easter (’12) stated enthusiastically about the service project that she undertook along with ten of her classmates and a senior supervisor. The project: restoring damaged bricks from Colonial Williamsburg that will be used to construct an authentic coffeehouse slated to open in 2009.
Michael Vereb (’12) joined another group of volunteers who ventured into Williamsburg to spend the afternoon painting houses and volunteering at a preschool and daycare center run by Head Start. When asked if he would recommend SHOW to incoming freshmen of the Class of 2013, he responded with an emphatic affirmative nod.
While Easter, Vereb and many of their fellow Tribe members spread their service wings into Williamsburg other SHOW participants appreciated the art of volunteering on campus, the core of their new home in Williamsburg. “At first I thought that volunteering on campus wasn’t a meaningful as working off-campus, but then I realized what an important service we were doing for the college”, noted John Kirn (’12). Kirn’s service group spent the day distributing fliers and promotional information at the Muscarelle Museum of Art on campus. “Helping spread information about such a great asset to our campus [Muscarelle] is helpful too…it’s cool to think that I did my service just steps away from million-dollar pieces of artwork.” Kirn also noted that SHOW Day was a great way to build upon the community service he participated in through his high school and church organizations.
But SHOW Day is by no means the end of campus and community volunteerism for these three freshmen. All have positive memories from their first service experience at the College and are eager to continue this practice. Vereb reported that SHOW participants were given myriad information about future service opportunities for students and both he and Easter are planning to rush APO, the campus’ co-ed service fraternity, an organization in which they both expressed excitement.
“The program [SHOW] gave us opportunities to continue our service at the College”, said Kirn.
Becca Easter summarizes the appeal of the SHOW program as it fulfills the desire to do meaningful service and bridge the gap between home and college. “Programs [like SHOW] get you involved because you interact with other people who are your classmates…this is not the type of service that you can do alone, you have to get out there and work with others, and that is what makes SHOW so rewarding.”