Will Do Community Service for Hours

JENNIFER PIERCE
Staff Writer

Community service is the magical term for acts of altruism performed by a human being. For the supposed purpose of furthering that aim, service clubs have been created for the high school student.
Now, take a step back. What does the picture look like? Ideal, right? But what does reality look like? A lot less than ideal, I can tell you that much. These high school service clubs have a second side to them—the selfish side. That’s right; community service is not all early morning sunshine and rainbows–it’s the ticket most frequently used to get into college.
Not that doing service hours isn’t hard work. But the motivation behind doing them is questionable. What is supposed to be a shining example of selflessness in our youth has turned out to be just another means to further their success in life. Well, that’s depressing. Why did that happen?
On one hand, colleges do look at community service hours, so it does look nice when applying. But your application isn’t really a true testament to your character if that’s your only motive for doing hours. Therefore, your character is also at fault here.
Maybe the reason you joined the service club was not for the hours or the experience at all but because you wanted to be with your friends. So because all your friends are doing it, you will, too. There’s only one question that comes to mind when I hear this: What if all your friends jumped off a bridge?
Now, if we look at service clubs as a whole instead of picking apart each member piece by piece, there are a few things that are not quite aligned with the clubs’ goal. For example, the Homecoming Floathouse costs hundreds of dollars for a club to make a nice float. Another costly activity involves gifts for senior members from their club as they graduate. (There go the couple hundred bucks I was planning on donating to charity.) Although it is a nice gesture and boosts school spirit, anywhere over a hundred dollars is a tad ridiculous, especially since there are better places to spend that money.
Granted, not everyone in a service club is doing it for their own gain, but how many are really doing it for the sole purpose of helping the community? Yes, there are some well-meaning members, but not enough. So, here’s an idea: instead of jumping up at the opportunity to do a service to get into college or to get a free shirt, try thinking about the person or group you’re working for during the service; it’s the thought that counts, after all.
Or, better yet, do something nice when it doesn’t count. No, it doesn’t do anything for college, but it does prove character. Since we are the future, how we act today is going to affect the world of tomorrow. If we can create a culture of giving and living for the sake of others, the world tomorrow would be so much better.
Yes, that is the idealist inside me talking, but if you even wish for peace or fight for a better life, you are one too. Ideal is simple. It’s “I Deal.” My life might not be perfect, but “I deal” with it while maintaining a positive attitude and striving for improvement.
Service clubs can embody just that. It has the means; it does the works. All it needs now is the right attitude. If members of a service club can really be doing a service for the sake of the community, then that would be a true service club. That doesn’t mean you have to banish the thought of college from your mind; it means don’t do your hours solely for a selfish purpose. Embrace a larger purpose.
Serve the community.