CLARION – Over 200 Clarion University students in 35 teams and litter crews swept through the Clarion region on Saturday, Oct. 16, performing a variety of services and clean-up activities as part of the university’s annual Community Service Day.Â
“For at least 24 hours, Clarion was litter-free,” said Kelly Ryan, assistant director for Leadership Development and Recognized Student Organizations.   “I am very proud of the Emerging Leaders student organization for planning, promoting and conducting this successful activity.”
At first there was concern that student interest would exceed service needs.
“Thanks to the overwhelming interest from Clarion students, we were able to reach out to the Clarion Borough’s Public Works Department and add more sites,” Ryan added.
Service sites included the Sawmill Center for the Arts, the ARC, the New Bethlehem Community Center, SAFE, the Northwest Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging, the Golden Living Center in Shippenville, Highland Oaks, the Clarion Free Library, the YMCA, and the Community Action Children’s Program.
“Whether you are working with senior citizens, painting a wall or picking up trash, do it with a smile on your face and an attitude of gratitude,” said Shawn Hoke, director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Involvement as part of his welcome to the volunteers on Saturday. “We don’t do service because we have to or because it makes us look good. We do service because it’s the right thing to do and because it allows us to share our good fortune with others.”
For a couple of the site, the work is not over. When it was determined that the crew could not complete the work on Saturday, the student volunteers decided to return to the sites at a later date to finish what they started.
Ryan noted that the annual event was such a success that it will now be conducted each semester. She credits the hard work and planning of eight freshmen in the Emerging Leaders Program for pulling everything together:
- Kaiti Capurro of Pleasanton, Calif., early childhood/special education major;
- Lauren Cleaveer of Mechanicsburg, Pa., marketing major;
- Diana Detrick of Clarion, psychology major;
- Brittany Gauger of Rimersburg, early childhood/special education major;
- Anna Olszewski of Boonsboro, MD, early childhood education major;
- Amanda Platt of Pittsburgh, secondary education/social studies major;
- Gabrielle Scrofano of Erie, marketing major; and
- Katilyn Welteroth of Jersey Mills, Pa., early childhood education major.
The Emerging Leader Program gives first year students the opportunity to learn about, use, and reflect on leadership skills and issues. This particular activity challenged them to effectively organize and market a community event. As part of the program, students are asked to initiate a project during their freshman year and build upon it while they are at Clarion.
“The Emerging Leaders Program and activities like Community Service Day give students the opportunity to become more involved at Clarion University and create ties within the community,” Ryan said.
Click here for more information on the Emerging Leaders Program.
Community Service Day is also part of the university’s Around Clarion in 80 Days Program, an initiative being conducted between August 27 and November 13, 2010 to help students navigate the campus and community through programs that promote academic success, wellness, career and personal development, and commitment to service and community building.
Fr more information on Around Clarion in 80 Days, go to http://www.clarion.edu/aroundclarion.
