Why Service?

With Parent’s Weekend and our annual panel on service at Haverford coming up in a few days, and with some of our biggest service events (Barclay Haunted House, Hunger Week, the AIDS Quilt Display) on the horizon, it’s a good time to think about what service means at Haverford. So, while this blog will often document how we do service, here are some ideas about why we do service.

Is there a moral obligation to perform service? That probably depends on who you ask, but what about helping out a family member or friend who really needs you? I think most people would answer yes to this one, because being there for someone when they need some kind of help is the basis of a healthy, meaningful relationship. But relationships need not be personal, or between just two people. We can have a relationship with others simply by being a part of the same community, be it a neighborhood, a city, a country, or a planet, even if we have never met them. So doesn’t it make sense to do what we can to make these relationships healthy and meaningful too, and improve these communities in the process? To me, this is the ultimate goal of service: that communities of all types and sizes, from two friends to the entire United States, can be improved with the attitude that we should help each other out without expecting anything in return.

Just because the spirit of service means that we should not expect compensation for our work, however, does not mean that we receive no compensation. In fact, it is impossible to do service and not gain anything. First of all, providing your time, energy, skills, etc. in a way that is valuable to others is an incredibly rewarding feeling in itself. Secondly, engaging in service is also an educational activity. It is a great way to learn about other people and other cultures, as well as our own feelings, ideas, and possible misconceptions about them. In fact, the name 8th Dimension was chosen for the community service office because at the time, academics at the time were divided into seven dimensions, and there was a feeling that to have a truly well rounded education, service was needed as the eighth dimension. So, the next time you do service, of any kind, think critically about it: what it means to you, the effect you're having on others, the long-term goals of the project. And, if you're in Philadelphia this weekend, come to McCrate Recital Hall, in Union Hall at Haverford, on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. We'll be having a panel discussion that will feature insights from students about service at Haverford.