Apr. 5 , 2007

MC students to help out the community
Leanne McCullough
lem001@marietta.edu

“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in,” said former President Theodore Roosevelt. The Marietta College community will be putting this quotation into action on April 14, Community Service Day.

Dr. Tanya Judd-Pucella, Director of Civic Engagement for the McDonough Leadership Program, said that so far, over 13 organizations have registered to participate in this years Community Service Day. All the Greek Organizations (Alpha Xi Delta, Sigma Kappa, Chi Omega, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, and Lambda Chi Alpha) will be participating for Greek Week.

The psychology club, Rainbow Alliance, Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American International Association, Circle K, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Charles Summer Harrison, and the Volleyball team also plan on rolling up their sleeves on Saturday morning to help the Marietta community. Over 250 students are already registered, and Judd-Pucella expects over 300 Marietta students will participate.

Community Service Day is a “show up and volunteer day” that anyone can join in on. Registration will take place on the mall side of McDonough at 9 a.m., and volunteering will take place from 10-1 throughout places within the community. Registration forms were filled out and organizations were asked to rank their sites in preference order. They will be placed as close as possible to their requested location; however, many places throughout the community need assistance. The YMCA, Incredible Playground, Ely Chapman, Multiple Sclerosis Organization, Indian Acres Trial Walking, and the City of Marietta will all receive volunteers to help with projects. Although advanced registration is preferred, students may show up on Saturday at 9 a.m. to be placed at a volunteer site.

Will Sullivan, a Student Coordinator, responded to how he foresees the day’s activities playing out: “The day is a great opportunity for the student body and the city to work together to make the community better. Last year, we had a very strong turnout, numbering over 400 students. This year, we hope to have the same turnout but including more city members.”

Gwen Chamberlain, the other Student Coordinator, explained why Community Service Day is important to the Marietta community: “It allows interaction between college students and community members, and that interaction is crucial to any student’s time here at Marietta. You can’t just stay in the box of campus; you must go out and make a difference!”