Student Volunteers Redefine University Orientation
By Carla Fernandez
Anyone walking or cycling along the Hudson River on Saturday, August
25, would have witnessed quite a sight—an army of 120 young adults,
equipped with garbage pickers and trash bags, wearing matching
chartreuse t-shirts, all scavenging between rocks and bushes for any
sign of debris.
These green-clad volunteers were participating in the fifth annual “OutReach Day,” a four-day orientation program for 75 community service-minded incoming freshmen and transfer students (selected from a pool of nearly 300 applicants). Co-sponsored by the Student Resource Center, Office of Community Service, and Office of Student Activities, program, participants give up their last week of summer to move in early and literally get their hands dirty serving their new community.
During
this year’s week of service, OutReachers clocked over 2,000 volunteer
hours at 11 non-profit agencies in four boroughs. During the Riverside
Park clean up, they collected 82 bags of trash that had been dumped on
the shore, weighing over 2,220 pounds of primarily non-biodegradable
goods. OutReachers volunteering at The Food Bank of NYC set a two-day
volunteer record, packing 22,941 pounds of food that provided 17,647
meals to hungry New Yorkers. Divided into small groups led by
upper-class student leaders, OutReach teams also packed and delivered
groceries, contributed to the ongoing beautification and expansion
project at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and painted murals with senior
citizens and hospitalized children.
Evening
activities offered participants and leaders an opportunity to reflect
on their experiences before touring the city, where older students
introduced freshmen to their favorite NYC haunts, including trips to
improv comedy shows, famous cupcake bakeries, and live music on the
waterfront. The experience allows students to see the diverse
geographic and social aspects of the city while building connections
that last far beyond the program.
