By Matthew Dooley Staff writer
The 13th annual service event, SU SERVE, is happening on April 22 for any students interested in helping the Selinsgrove community. The Johnson Center for Civic Engagement and the Alumni Office will host SU SERVE, which is also known by the longer title SU Students Exploring Regional Volunteer Experiences.
SU SERVE is an event meant to bring the Susquehanna community together for a day of helping others.
Junior Gabriela Marrero said: “SU SERVE is an afternoon full of service. We send out students to the surrounding communities, not too far away from campus. Any organizations that help out their communities that need general cleanup or extra hands, they contact us and we contact them and send them students that are willing to serve for the day.”
For those interested, SU SERVE will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Garrett Sports Complex.
Marrero said: “People will meet in the gym at 12:30 [p.m.] before being dismissed to their sites for the day. The service aspect is 1 [p.m.] to 3:30 [p.m.] depending on transportation and stuff like that. But it is usually a decent two hours of service.”
Different groups are assigned to do service in different locations. In 2016, buses were provided to take certain groups to their service projects if they were far away from Susquehanna’s campus.
Junior Linsey Sipple said: “I would describe it as a really good event that kind of brings the community, as well as the Susquehanna campus, together. It is a really great day to go out and serve. It is a lot of fun; you can make a lot of new friends. I did it freshman year, and I met a lot of people in my major.”
Junior Nate Adler shared a similar sentiment. He said: “All the people I have helped have been very grateful and very funny. It has always been a very positive experience. There is never a dull moment in it. “
SU SERVE provides students with a chance to help others with its variety of service opportunities. On the day of the event, students will sign in at Garrett Sports Complex and receive a number. That number corresponds to a number that is put up around the field house. Students will find their number and join their group, led by a site leader. Each group will be responsible for a different service project.
Sipple talked about her previous project experience, saying: “We went to the community gardens in Selinsgrove. We helped them to do weeding and pulling some of the vegetables. Then we got to eat and try some of the vegetables, which was really cool.”
Addler emphasized the importance of students serving the community surrounding their campus.
He said: “I feel as if everyone should give back to the community that helps them. Obviously, I don’t know the story of everyone that is here, but everyone had to get here by some kind of scholarship or charity, and it always helps to give that charity back to someone and others who are less fortunate than you.”
According to Marrero, when students return from their days of service, there will be a reception in TRAX with food and music.
