Service Groups Make the Most of Inaugural Fervor

“Service” has been a Columbia buzzword ever since then-presidential candidates Barack Obama, CC ’83, and Senator John McCain paid a visit to campus during September’s ServiceNation summit. But only time will tell if this new attention will persist.

The event sparked discussion about the most effective forms of service, with Obama suggesting that universities reward student service with scholarship money. And on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as the country prepared to celebrate his inauguration, Obama made a speech calling for a national day of service in honor of the slain civil rights leader.
Alex Kirk, CC ’11, spent her inauguration day helping to pull together care packages for American troops. It was a day that drew volunteers of all ages, she said, an effort that “obviously shows his [Obama’s] own initiative.”

Service groups around campus are reveling in the moment, although there are few specific initiatives in the works to harness this civic-minded energy. In light of the inauguration, these groups are considering how Obama’s presidency will affect the nature of American service.
“All of the presidents have had some sort of service component ... I think he [Obama] is even more interested [in service] and I think that will result in good things,” said Sonia Reese, executive director of Community Impact—a University service umbrella organization that encompasses 25 different service groups and nearly 1,000 students working to better the community.

The Columbia University College Democrats said they are pleased with Obama’s start in making service a national priority, specifically in his designation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a day of service. “In the past, people considered it a day to take off for your responsibilities ... It was really intended as a day to give back to your community,” said Dems media director Avi Edelman, CC ’11.

Recognition of the importance of service is not limited to student groups. For example, Jack McGourty, associate dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, teaches a first-year design course that features a service-learning component, in which students use their design skills in community projects.

“We think it’s really important that we train our students to be socially responsible when they think of working in the areas of emerging science and technologies,” McGourty said. He added that SEAS teaches students social responsibility by allowing them to see “that the things that they do have a real impact on communities.”

For Columbia students who participated in D.C. inauguration activities, the weekend was the culmination of a semester-long discussion of service. As Obama pitched in to help paint the walls of a local shelter, some Columbia students felt that the political celebration fit into a renewed government call for personal, individual service.

As a student of international affairs and conflict resolution, Samantha Jackson, GS, looked forward to bringing her service experience from the inauguration back to campus. “I think the message that he’s sending are that simple acts of kindness go a long way,” she said.
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