By Bryan Yannantuono
As deputy director of the Community Service Coalition (CSC), I noticed that the MLK Day of Service was not given the attention it deserves in the most recent editions of The Eagle.
AU represents a passionate, motivated, selfless and caring community. Every day, students, staff and faculty alike all devote countless hours to social justice issues. While the “culture” of service is usually one of anonymity and modesty, we should celebrate the positive social change every person makes when they volunteer.
On Jan. 19, over 100 volunteers from the greater AU community made their impact felt at nearly a dozen sites in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To highlight just a few of the projects, we prepared meals for the homeless and low-income seniors with the Campus Kitchen Project, assisted the Women’s Collective with their peer education programs for sexual health, organized a food pantry for Damien Ministries, marched on the Mall for workers’ rights with UNITE HERE, helped sort materials for the MLK Library for the Blind and provided companionship to the aging at the Washington Home & Community Hospice.
In my opinion, a small picture in the print version of The Eagle does not do the event justice, nor does it serve to inform students about future ways to get involved.
Sarah Palazzolo’s “Quick Take” article from one year ago rightly reminds us that service is more than a one-time event. I wish The Eagle would feature more stories about the impact AU’s hardworking volunteers are having on the community. The paper has neither made mention of past successes (such as the National Day of Service in September which featured nearly 50 students participating in six service outings both on- and off-campus), nor the dozens of smaller projects our dedicated members are planning on their own.
While the article on the Sue Marcum Day of Service several months ago was welcomed, it lacked crucial details that would have strengthened AU students’ ability to serve. Most importantly, it should have published the details of when and where the event would take place.
It also should have mentioned that students needed to sign up using the EngageNet function on the Community Engagement and Service (CCES) website and that we would all take AUTO vans together. Finally, the article should have provided who to contact for more information, as well as volunteer opportunities in the future. Despite our best efforts, how many students know where the CCES office is or how to contact the CSC?
While the increased attention on service activities by The Eagle’s reporters is encouraging, it has not necessarily enabled the AU community to better live up to our motto: turning ideas into action and action into service. I sincerely hope the CSC and The Eagle can work closer together in the future to address these issues and serve the greater community.
Bryan Yannantuono is the deputy director of the Community Service Coalition.
edpage@theeagleonline.com
