Last Thursday saw upwards of 1,000 University students, faculty and staff volunteer for University Day – an opportunity for students to beautify the campus. Among the mulch spreading, flower planting and litter collecting was a sense of community pride. While the main objective of the day’s activities was to make superficial improvements to the campus, the event’s overwhelming turnout served as a testament to the community’s spirit of helping others.
University Day is hardly the only example of members of our University community thinking and acting beyond themselves. The past few weeks alone have been indicative of the spirit, drive and good nature of University students and community members, who reach out to help others.
There are plenty of examples of small groups, and even individuals, making a big difference. Take for instance, the Warsaw Sports Business Club. When Andrew McKay, a member of the club, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his friends and fellow members decided to take action. They donated the proceeds from their Third Annual University of Oregon World Cup to research for the disease.
Kevin Summerfield is a University senior, majoring in family and human services. Last year he learned of a 15-year-old who died of leukemia because he was unable to receive a bone marrow transplant. Moved by the story, Summerfield began work to ensure that others wouldn’t suffer the same fate. He’s now working with the National Marrow Donor Program to register bone marrow donors.
And the goodwill extends far beyond the University’s student body. Maggie Matoba runs Healing Harvest, a local program dedicated to helping people recover from trauma, as well as making the places around them look a little nicer. It’s a unique version of horticultural therapy that has met with great success. Matoba taught the Hilyard Community Center Adaptive Gardening Workshop this past Saturday.
The improving weather conditions bring out the best in University students. As spring establishes itself in the Willamette Valley and throughout the country, more opportunities to make a difference in the community are presenting themselves; just because students missed out on one of the aforementioned activities does not mean that it’s too late to join a new community service project. Located in the basement of the Erb Memorial Union, the UO Leadership Resource Office offers students an abundance of opportunities to help themselves and those around them.
Established over the summer of 2005, the Leadership Resource Office seeks to “serve the UO community as a clearinghouse for leadership development opportunities, materials and experiences, and to develop, coordinate and support leadership education and development for all students at the UO.” The opportunities they offer vary from Greek Life programs to Outdoor Pursuits programs, but all emphasize the significance of leadership on campus and throughout the greater community.
With sunshine and warmer days coming, and so many opportunities to make a difference, there’s no excuse not to get out there and help. Whether it’s making a donation or planting a tree, donating bone marrow or working at a daycare center; it’s likely to make a positive impact on someone’s life, and that makes all the difference in the end.
-Campaign Oregon http://campaign.uoregon.edu/
(541) 346-3016
-National Marrow Donor Program http://www.marrow.org/
(800) MARROW2 (1-800-627-7692)
-Healing Harvest http://www.healingharvest.org/
(541) 915-0599
The UO Leadership Resource Office sponsors several community outreach and leadership building programs through the year. These are group and individual-based programs, which include:
-Leaders with No Limits
-Oregon LeaderShape
-World Series of Leadership
-Service Learning Program
For more information, drop by the UO Leadership Resource in the basement of the EMU, call (541) 346-1146 or visit their Web site at http://uoleadership.uoregon.edu/
UO Student Organizations (drop by the ASUO Office for opportunities)
EMU Suite 4, (541) 346-3724, [email protected]