Freshmen get physical on their Day of Service

MARIA D’ALESSANDRO MANAGING EDITOR MAD724@CABRINI EDU

Freshmen teamed up right from the beginning of their college careers to join in the Day of Service. Mandatory for all incoming students, the 12th annual Day of Service, Aug. 26, forced students to get comfortable.

The Day of Service was integrated into the orientation program for first-year students.

David Chiles, coordinator of service learning, said that the goal behind the move of the Day of Service was simple logistics. “It was just easier to put together that way,” he said. Chiles said that scheduling the service day on the first day of classes would have “worn students out.” He said that the students were given “more of a chance to reflect” with this new schedule.

First-year students filled busses to local shelters, food banks and schools. MaryLaver, AngieCorbo,AnneFerry,and Amy Hecht worked to put together the transfer student experience as well.

GwendolynAtkinson-Miller, director of Act 101, general studies, Academic-Intellectual Resource Exchange (A.I.R.E.) Student Services and instructor for section E of a college success seminar,took her students to the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank. Her students learned about issues of hunger and worked in the food warehouse to sort and box donations.

Similarly, Dr. Kathleen Acker,assistant mathematics professor, escorted her class to SHARE, where the students worked in a warehouse creating food boxes.

Dr. Seth Frechie took both of his college success seminar class- es to Eisenhower Middle School, where the students doubled as landscapers for the day.

Some groups boxing the food orlandscaping complained of the lack of personal communication with those they were to be “helping” on the service day.

David Chiles, coordinator of service learning, said that because of the time of year, before schools are back in session and after-school programs are running, the groups of Cabrini students were too large for anything other than “physical labor,” Chiles said.

However, Chiles said that professors reported to him that the seminar classes were able to bond with one another. The time after the day of service was dedicated to more discussion and reflection on the work.

“The students were able to know instruction out of the classroom. It was very positive,” Chiles said.

“I feltverygoodaboutmy experienceattheEisenhower School.Itmademefeellike I washelpingoutthecommunitybymakingtheirschool lookmoreacceptable.Ijust hopethestudentsthatgo therewilllikethelooksof it,” Kasey Minnick, an English/communications major and student of Dr.Frechie, said.

Chiles believes that the Day of Service, while mandatory,served only as an “initial bonding.” He said, “There are many opportunities to become involved in more in-depth projects.”

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