To be honest, I had no idea what would happen during Fresh START Day of Service. I was always involved in community service back home, and I felt like this was a chance to meet people who shared the same values as I did. I signed-up by myself and I felt nervous. I had just met my four (yes, four) roommates and made a few friends, but not alot. As I walked around that huge, hardfloor room in the HUB where they coralled all the freshmen into their corresponding groups, I got excited. I wanted to be friends with at least one person in my group and I prayed someone normal would be there.
After wandering aimlessly with my obnoxious yellow Fresh START t-shirt for a few good minutes, I found the group headed to Shaver’s Creek and took a seat on the floor. I was welcomed by my group leader, and after introducing myself, I glanced around. Everyone must have been really interested in their orange juices and bagels, because no one was talking. It was awkward. I could tell the other group leader was ready to jump in with some ice-breakers, but the first speaker had taken the stage. After a very good performance by an all-male acapella, I said to the girl next to me, “Wow, they were so good! Too bad its like 8:30 am…” and just like that, we began a conversation.
Claire and I sat next to each other on the bus as we made the bumpy 20 minute ride. The rain came down sideways as the buses windshield wipers struggled to keep the glass clear. Most of the girls donned their free ponchos immediately, while the boys attempted to be tough, but before long, everyone had theirs on. For reasons unknown to me, I was assigned the task of spreading woodchips over dirt. The man was never clear as to why I was doing this.
After a while, we were forced to call it quits, and everyone dried off inside. The director of Shaver’s Creek thanked us for working in the rain and if we wanted, they would put on a show featuring their famous collection of owls. The show room was brightly lit, with windows on three sides. Four cages sat on a table in the corner, each a different size and covered with a towel. The man was very knowledgable about the different owl species, and fun to watch. Surprisingly, I was sad to leave. I wanted to see more animals, I think they had a vulture!
Immediately after Fresh START, I joined a special THON organization that Claire was involved in, called Pillar. I even managed to drag two of my roommates! Community Service is something that I believe everyone should be in involved with at some point in their lives, if not all their life. It is one of the those experiences that can make you feel truly happy, because you know you are helping someone less fortunate. Every little bit helps.
After wandering aimlessly with my obnoxious yellow Fresh START t-shirt for a few good minutes, I found the group headed to Shaver’s Creek and took a seat on the floor. I was welcomed by my group leader, and after introducing myself, I glanced around. Everyone must have been really interested in their orange juices and bagels, because no one was talking. It was awkward. I could tell the other group leader was ready to jump in with some ice-breakers, but the first speaker had taken the stage. After a very good performance by an all-male acapella, I said to the girl next to me, “Wow, they were so good! Too bad its like 8:30 am…” and just like that, we began a conversation.
Claire and I sat next to each other on the bus as we made the bumpy 20 minute ride. The rain came down sideways as the buses windshield wipers struggled to keep the glass clear. Most of the girls donned their free ponchos immediately, while the boys attempted to be tough, but before long, everyone had theirs on. For reasons unknown to me, I was assigned the task of spreading woodchips over dirt. The man was never clear as to why I was doing this.
After a while, we were forced to call it quits, and everyone dried off inside. The director of Shaver’s Creek thanked us for working in the rain and if we wanted, they would put on a show featuring their famous collection of owls. The show room was brightly lit, with windows on three sides. Four cages sat on a table in the corner, each a different size and covered with a towel. The man was very knowledgable about the different owl species, and fun to watch. Surprisingly, I was sad to leave. I wanted to see more animals, I think they had a vulture!
Immediately after Fresh START, I joined a special THON organization that Claire was involved in, called Pillar. I even managed to drag two of my roommates! Community Service is something that I believe everyone should be in involved with at some point in their lives, if not all their life. It is one of the those experiences that can make you feel truly happy, because you know you are helping someone less fortunate. Every little bit helps.
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