New Student Service Day refreshes Bloomington

New students connected to each other and the Bloomington community Monday afternoon as they participated in service projects at 19 local nonprofit organizations. 

Emily McCallister, assistant director of orientation programs, said the Office of Orientation Programs conducts New Student Service Day during the Welcome Week schedule to get students involved with another element of campus life.

“Something we wanted to add in the process of students transitioning to the University was getting them off campus and into the community,” McCallister said. “We wanted to connect new students with the people, places and resources of IU.”

The nearly 300 students who attended service day were divided into groups of 10 to 20 so they could become more familiar with their classmates. One small group worked at Bloomington Playwrights Project, a nonprofit performing arts theater. 

Freshman Rachael Al-Saadon joined four other students to wash windows, sweep and paint at the theater.

“I was in a community service club in high school and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to stay involved at IU,” Al-Saadon said.

Breshaun Joyner, the education director at Bloomington Playwrights Project, said the theater relies on community involvement as it only has three full-time employees. 

“Taking part in New Student Service Day is really important for us because the students can help do the tasks we don’t have the time or resources to do otherwise,” Joyner said.

Sophomore Ricky Owens helped coordinate the day by contacting 75 nonprofit organizations in Bloomington. After participating in New Student Service Day himself, Owens wanted to help this year’s freshmen get involved as well.

“I hope the new students connect with each other and gain a sense of pride and joy from helping the community,” Owens said. “If nothing else, though, I want them to have a desire to volunteer more in the future.”

Students who wish to help out around Bloomington can visit the Student Activities Office at the Indiana Memorial Union or contact the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network. Owens said both organizations are connected to an array of nonprofits in Bloomington, so everyone should be able to find some way to volunteer.

“You can’t really understand when you only see the finished product,” Owens said. “When you volunteer, though, you really start to appreciate the amount of thought, time and commitment that goes into these organizations.”