Service day connects new IU students to campus, community

It was around 8 a.m. Saturday when alarm clocks started to go off. For the freshmen and transfer students who signed up for New Student Service Day, it was time to roll out of bed.

They didn’t know where they would be volunteering or whether it would be worth their time, but 130 of them got out of bed anyway.

What they received in return was a chance for new friends, new experiences and new perspective.

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By the time the volunteers were divided into groups, it was 9:30 a.m.
Service Day group leader Dan Murphy took his group to the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, one of 15 service sites available.

“All right, everybody, let’s circle up. How about you guys tell me your name, where you’re from and where you’re living this year.”

His students were from every on-campus neighborhood. A few were with a friend from their residence halls, but most were meeting each other for the first time.

“We’ve got a far walk today, so we’re going to do good for our bodies, and do good for others,” Murphy told them.

As they walked, the students broke into groups of two or three and started up conversations.

Sophomore transfer student Ashley Rojics walked alongside freshman Jessica Edwards.

“It’s the small things you do that make a difference,” Rojics said to Edwards. “I used to be philanthropy chair for my sorority at IU-South Bend.”

“So, sororities aren’t all that bad?” Edwards asked.

“Oh no, I loved it. Are you thinking about rushing?”

The two became instant friends. They chatted about their home lives, their aspirations at IU, even their religions.

“Oh, let me give you my phone number,” Rojics said.

A friendship was born.

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By 11 a.m., the sparkly laces in freshman Jenna Pinkston’s green Converses were turning brown.

“There’s just straight worm poop in here,” Pinkston said. “That’s just weird to me.”

Pinkston and her newfound friends were mixing nutrients into a large pile of soil.
The soil was for a garden being built on the rooftop of New Wings Community Partnership, a facility run by Middle Way House.

“Hey, you’re lucky it’s not manure,” said Stephanie Partridge, facilitator of the garden project.

Before Saturday, the student volunteers said they had never heard of Middle Way House. They had also never been past Kirkwood Avenue.

“I don’t want to stay in a campus bubble,” Pinkston said. “I want to be involved in the community.”

Her friends agreed.

“Part of the reason I came out today is because I hoped it would open up opportunities to volunteer during the school year,” freshman Hannah Cooks said.

The students were all proud to say they helped build a rooftop garden during their first weekend in Bloomington. The food grown in the garden will go to Food Works, a catering company that supports Middle Way House.

“I didn’t know this was something I could do,” freshman Becca Parker said. “But it was one of those situations like, ‘well okay, let’s do it.’”

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At 12:20 p.m., 13 exhausted students stretched out in Dunn Meadow. They had spent their morning at Boxcar Books and Community Center weeding, painting tables and responding to letters from prisoners .

Before leaving, they were asked to reflect on what their service had taught them.
Some said they want to continue volunteering and being involved outside of campus.

Others said they knew their heavy school workload would keep them from doing so.
But all agreed they made the right decision in waking up to come to New Student Service Day.

“We may not get to see the end product of our work,” sophomore Christiana Graves said. “But knowing that we helped just feels good.”