When I am handed a cinnamon-raisin bagel and a free t-shirt first thing in the morning, I know it will be a good day. No matter that I woke up earlier than Old Macdonald on harvest day. No matter that the hot water took a leave of absence halfway through my shower. No matter that homework piled on my desk like Mount Kilimanjaro. No matter at all, because it was Step Forward Day.
For the past 24 years, thousands of Pepperdine students have gathered annually to serve their community on this special day. They (meaning we) have gardened at elementary schools, handed out canned goods, painted recreation centers, etc. all over the Los Angeles area. Of course, In-N-Out trucks always deliver lunch at Alumni Park at the end of the day. As an aside: during my time here at Seaver College, I have very quickly learned that free food equals student attendance. I also learned that free food at Pepperdine, specifically, equals In-N-Out, which I wholeheartedly support. However, could we please get some fries up in here rather than chips? I know, I know, call me a classic case of #pepperdineproblems.
Last year, my freshman seminar class sorted dried food at a food bank for two hours. Freshman-year bonding at its finest — especially since I definitely fell asleep on one of my new friend’s shoulder during the drive home. She told me that I drooled on her shirt. And this year, I went with my dorm (shout out to LEAD House) and we played with the neighborhood kids while other members of our group delivered care packages. We folded paper airplanes, listened to a Bible study and painted every little girl’s fingernails. Afterwards, at the picnic on Alumni Park, all of us students patted each other on the back. We had done some real good community service work that day. Oh yes, contributed to society. Done our part. Gave back. All that good stuff.
And, I am ashamed to report, that is where it ended for many of us.
It was as if we had completed the “do good” quota and now could go back to living our lives. You packaged food for a few hours or painted over some graffiti or rode some buses to some part of town to do something relatively humanitarian? Congratulations, you have just won Person of the Year. Now you may live fully and completely for yourself. Selfishness simply doesn’t exist in the soul of one who has participated in Step Forward Day.
I hope that you, my dear friends, understand my dripping sarcasm. I hope you also understand that there were outliers who carried the spirit of Step Forward Day throughout the rest of the year. I commend those people, those true servant-leaders, because it’s hard to do good when no one cheers for you as you walk under a balloon archway. It’s hard to do good when you don’t have someone’s shoulder to fall asleep (or drool) on. It’s hard to do good when it isn’t popular or, if I can be quite frank here, when there seems to be better things to do. So major props to my fellow students who serve each week at Habitat for Humanity or LA Mission or SOS or any other place. You are the people to whom Pepperdine owes its reputation of being an institution passionate about service.
To the rest of us (myself included) who think that Step Forward Day is a one-time occurrence, let’s readjust the focus from ourselves, our homework, our social lives, our hardships and let us make it a point to live up to Pepperdine’s mission. Freely ye receive all that you have. So, now, freely give all that you have. And ayo waves.
