STAFF EDITORIAL
Every year Pepperdine students merge together to conquer Step Forward Day, an event that provides hands-on assistance to non-profits, builds community on campus and gives students a taste of service. This mission-centered event is one of the highlights of the school year. But this year it seems like many students weren’t satisfied with the taste they left with that day.
On Sept. 8th, 1,375 students, staff and faculty participated in Step Forward Day. Fifty-one groups went to work sites to contribute hands-on to various non-profits that needed some extra help.
Step Forward Day is an exceptional endeavor. The fact that the Pepperdine Volunteer Center (PVC) is able to organize and mobilize more than a thousand people in a single day of service is something to acknowledge and commend.
However, many students feel that their time wasn’t spent in the best way possible. For example, some of the work sites didn’t need as many volunteers so students were either standing around or let off early. Also, some students told the Graphic that their time should be spent in the inner-city rather than volunteering in Malibu.
These problems are well worth noting, but students must also understand that Step Forward Day is an opportunity to orient freshmen with the University’s commitment to volunteerism and is a refresher for returning students. The day is meant to be “a springboard to service,” according to Ashley Nolan of the PVC, who has orchestrated the event for the last six years.
Nolan added that the organizers of the nonprofits give her the number of volunteers that they require; she simply gives the groups as many people as they ask for, so any miscommunication or grumblings about not being put to work are not the fault of the PVC.
She also says volunteering in Malibu stems from the Pepperdine tradition of building community and establishing ties with those outside of the school. She said Step Forward Day began locally but it has expanded. The PVC likes to keep some of the volunteering in Malibu because of the community-based legacy.
The question is, will the students who participated take advantage of the “springboard” and continue their volunteerism throughout the year and during their Pepperdine careers? Unfortunately, there is only a minority of participants at Step Forward Day who continue to volunteer.
Throughout the year, some students remain active through the PVC and volunteer with one or more of the 15 ongoing programs the center offers. Nolan says she thinks more students should volunteer throughout the year, but she can only “provide opportunities” to students. She “can’t twist their arms.”
How can the PVC increase the numbers of students who continuously volunteer throughout the year and how can students remain involved in the unique Pepperdine value of a service-centered University? While the responsibility lies largely in the hands of students, as the University’s primary volunteerism outlet, the PVC also carries a crucial weight.
Undoubtedly, students shouldn’t have their arms twisted to be encouraged to volunteer. But unfortunately, it takes more than a “you’ll make a difference” to encourage busy students to take a moment to care for those who are less privileged. Step Forward Day could very well be the avenue by which the PVC can do some subtle arm-twisting.
It is important to remember that even outstanding programs can be improved, and like any well-oiled machine, there are always ways to make a good thing better. Why is there only one day a year that thousands of Pepperdine students join to volunteer?
Maybe there should also be a Jump Forward day in the spring semester. This way there is more time to organize and freshmen are ready to dig in and help those in need.
As far as Step Forward Day goes, if its goal is to continue the mobilization of student volunteers by using the “springboard” as a starting point, the “springboard” should be the best it can be. At the same time, if students feel discouraged about their volunteer experiences on Step Forward Day, they should recognize the numerous opportunities to volunteer throughout the year – many of which are offered by the PVC. Those include Project Serve, the Jumpstart Program and Habitat for Humanity.
09-20-2007