Rory Moon
Rory Moon, Graphics Editor
While NC State does not require volunteer hours for graduation, some believe it should be. The idea behind mandatory volunteering is to promote students’ involvement in their surrounding community, whether they want to or not. The effectiveness of this, however, is debatable.
Let’s make one thing clear: Community service is important, and students should participate in volunteer work. But mandatory community service is not the solution.
Previously, I attended an institution that required a certain amount of community service hours to graduate. While this stemmed from administration wanting my peers and I to involve ourselves in the surrounding communities, the actual practice was not well-received. Many people dug in their heels due to time constraints, transportation and general disdain for the idea of mandatory service.
I, too, fell victim to the dislike of community service as my school forced it upon us. It deeply saddens me to say that while I did participate in service work to some degree, I also forged hours to get by.
While reflecting upon my time in that institution, I have come to the conclusion that the mandatory service was not beneficial for myself or my peers.
In fact, the phrase “mandatory volunteering” is an oxymoron.
The idea of community service is that an individual wants to better their community and has taken steps to do so on their own accord. If the intention of the individual is not to better the world around them and rather to check some boxes for their own personal gain, could the work even be considered community service? I tend to think not.
The intrinsic values of service are often what drive people to volunteer. However, these values are essentially thrown out the window when the work becomes mandatory. When external control is issued, students with less volunteering experience tend to drop any positive associations with previous volunteer experience and actually become less likely to pursue volunteering in the future. This circumvents the various benefits students can find from volunteering, including improved mental health and increased employability.
This factor of external control has been a reason for my own hesitance and dislike of community service work. As a result, the negative association I had formed with volunteer work stuck with me for four years before I finally decided to volunteer again of my own volition. The work itself is leagues more rewarding when I choose to do it — not for the sole purpose of fulfilling a graduation requirement. Although I used to dislike community service for the sole reason that it was mandatory, I can proudly say that I now willingly volunteer because I want to.
So what, if anything, can the school do to encourage volunteer work without exercising external control?
NC State already has many volunteer opportunities. There are many different options for students, from virtual chatting with hospice patients to being an on-call delivery driver for Meals on Wheels.
However, there is more that can be done to get students involved in community service work.
In 2019, there was an on-campus volunteer and service fair that has not happened since. If it was revamped, it would be a wonderful opportunity to show students what opportunities are available to them on their own terms without any pressure to actually participate. This would also be a way for organizations to speak to students about various opportunities in person rather than communicating online, allowing students to ask questions and fully understand what they are signing up for.
Volunteering is something that students, especially college students, should do. Encouragement and promotion of volunteer work will get more students active in the community. Requiring service will not.