On the first Day of Service, which involved all grades and students in philanthropic
activities, the administration encountered reactions of all sorts. This included
students who did not want to come to school and participate in Special
Olympics, listen to presentations or go off-site for service. Some underclassmen were
upset that they did not get to participate in Special Olympics while some freshmen did
not like that their schedule did not feature hands-on activities. The day ended with the
entire school in the stadium watching a faculty vs. seniors soccer game, but the entire
school was not actually present.
“The school’s attitude of ‘we know what is best’ did
not promote student independent thinking for a
good cause nor promote community involvement.
It promoted rebellion and distrust. The Special
Olympics was a disaster: There were not enough
student volunteers for the special needs students,
students deserted their booths, there was lack of
communication, and in general the whole event was
poorly organized which ultimately reflected badly
on the school.”
— junior Justin Nguyen
“I think Day of Service was great. It was wonderful
to make kids’ days. They were so happy, and we
got to bond with them to make it special. Everyone
is entitled to their own opinion, but it’s sad that
people think it’s terrible and not worth it; it makes
me sad.”
— junior Emily Goldstein
“It was fun to work with the kids, and it was a
great idea to dedicate the day to them. However,
students need to be held to a greater accountability
so that they don’t skip the day or ditch their stands
at the carnival.”
— junior Drew Edelstein