Freshmen take part in Service Day

As Bloomington City Clerk Regina Moore held up a quilt donated to Middle Way House, she noted that the freshmen participating in IU’s New Student Service Day were similar to the patches on the blanket.\n“We’re kind of insignificant on our own,” Moore said. “But all together, we can make some sort of a difference.”\nTwo-hundred-fifty freshmen turned up to 22 different locations Saturday in Bloomington to volunteer in the second annual event put on by the IU Office of Orientation.\nStudents went through a brief introduction at 9 a.m. before setting out to locations across town, from United Way to the Shalom Community Center. Freshman Janelle Phillips helped paint a stage and stairs while volunteering at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, a non-profit organization that showcases work by local artists. \n“I think it’s important to be a part of the community that you are going to be living in,” Phillips said. \nOther students who volunteered at the Bloomington Playwrights Project washed the floors and windows, pulled weeds and bagged sand that was used in a play last year.\n“We’re not really doing anything theatrical,” said Sonja Johnson , the board president of the Bloomington Playwrights Project’s board of \ndirectors. \n“What’s important is that the place is clean,” she said.\n Floors weren’t the only thing that needed cleaning Saturday.\nAt the Bloomington Animal Care and Control, student volunteers bathed the shelter’s puppies and cleaned their crates and a play room where prospective adopters play with the animals.\nFreshman Courtney Strother , a non-profit business major, said she loves to work with animals. \n“With Welcome Week, (I’ve) been busy every day and had a lot of late nights, but it’s worth it,” Strother said.\nKathy Obrakta , volunteer program director at Bloomington Animal Care and Control, said it is nice to have as many helpers as they did during New Student Service Day, but volunteers are needed on a consistent basis. \nWith the program in only its second year, Paul York, one of the coordinators of the event, said they didn’t really have any expectations concerning turnout. Although only half of the students who made reservations to participate in the event actually showed, up, York said there were more than enough volunteers to go around.\n“We’re just glad that we are able to provide all of the organizations with a group of people,” he said. \nThe number of students who participate in Student Service Day is thrilling, said Emily McCallister , an assistant director in the IU Office of Orientation .\n“We had an excellent crowd,” York said. “It’s a great introduction for new students to service at IU.”