The Story
Tribe Vibe: Community Service
This article is the latest in The DoG Street Journal's weekly series of opinions pieces, "Tribe Vibe." Tribe Vibe discusses the most important aspects of William and Mary, the Tribe and life in Williamsburg.
Did you know that William and Mary students currently conduct approximately 323,000 hours of community service each year (compared to just 34,500 hours in 1994)? Can you believe 75 percent of seniors reported providing service on a weekly basis? What about 90 percent of those seniors planning to continue serving after graduation?
As I reflect upon my experiences at the College, it is clear to me that one of the most valuable and intriguing lessons I have learned is that “William and Mary” and “community service” go hand-in-hand.
Here are a few starting points:
College Partnership for Kids
The College's tutoring program sends an astounding 325 William and Mary students to tutor students in 13 local schools ( both elementary and middle schools as well as one juvenile detention center!).
Bone Marrow Drive
The largest collegiate drive in the nation and winner of the 1st Annual National Bone Marrow Donor Program Collegiate Award. Founded in 1991 to save a W&M professor and continued by Jay Buzkin ('94), the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive has registered over 12,000 individuals into the National Registry. This has led to over 275 matches and 90 life-saving procedures.
Service Experience Program
Sends W&M students on domestic and international service trips during weekends,winter breaks and spring breaks. Last year, the program provided over 300 students with the opportunity to join 28 trips (of which 10 are domestic, 12 international, and 6 weekend).
However, I now hit the focal point, the new Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship (OCES).
OCES will embark on its inaugural year this fall, combining two of the College's premier service organizations: the Office of Student Volunteer Services (OSVS) and the Sharpe Community Partnership Program. The former addressed more local projects within the Williamsburg community, while the latter groups 75 freshmen "Sharpies" into a community service project for the semester.
The former Directors of OSVS, Drew Stelljes, PhD, and Sharpe, Monica Griffin, PhD, will be charged with managing the combined office. With such outstanding leadership, one can expect service at William and Mary to take on a new direction, increasing accessibility and productivity of volunteer opportunities.
One of these include the creation of a Community Studies minor, which will “provide opportunities for students and faculty to pursue collaborative research across disciplines and borders, working with communities across the Commonwealth and the globe.” The coursework will encourage focus on civic engagement and community-based research methods.
But as you can see, civic engagement and community service are very much alive at William and Mary! I urge each member of the Class of 2013 and all returning upperclassman--to find your niche within OCES, as it truly is one of the College's greatest treasures.
For more information on how you can get involved, go to www.wm.edu/service.
Timmy Siverd is the Opinions Editor for The DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.