Students at SLOHS participate in a myriad of different community service activities. Photo courtesy of seniors Cate Tucker and Addison Woods.
Many students at San Luis Obispo High School have jam-packed lives. Sports, part-time jobs, and demanding classes leave students with very little time, and with those precious minutes many choose to relax, or catch up with friends and family. However, students who wish to give back to the community or are applying to competitive colleges, may choose to devote time to volunteering. Community Service is one of the best experiences anyone can have while helping people around them, and SLOHS should require hours to graduate.
“These activities are so rewarding, and make a positive impact on our community by helping those in need,” said senior and ASB Commissioner of Community and Sustainability Lauren Fouhy.
Volunteering is known for making people feel good because of the purpose it provides. Students who are feeling lost, or who simply want to experience new things, could benefit greatly from a community service experience.
“It teaches you to be grateful for what you have, and helps build a strong foundation in the principles of social service,” said senior Aria Olsen.
Olsen participates in multiple volunteer organizations, but a significant one is Mujeres de Acción, a local grassroots organization working to empower the Latino community. One of the best things about community service is that there is something for everyone.
SLOHS requiring volunteer hours would stress the importance of discovering your passion. Even if all you want to do is play basketball, there are still community service opportunities within the sport, like working the scoreboard or teaching youth league.
However, some students express concerns with enforced hours, especially if the number is too large.
“I would say yes to a requirement, as long as it is within reason. Maybe not 100 hours per year, but 50 or 25 for all four years,” said Olsen when asked if she would support a required number of hours. “High schoolers are resilient, and if you have good time management it is achievable.”
One hundred hours per year of required community service would definitely be met with backlash, particularly from student athletes or musicians. If the number of hours was deemed reasonable, however, it could be a great motivator for students to explore volunteering, and learn new things about themselves and their community.
“I would support it. Volunteering has helped me be more talkative, and I learned to work as a cashier,” said freshman Sydney Brown. Brown’s firsthand experience shows the skills one can gain from volunteering.
Additionally, the majority of teens already volunteer, whether required or not. According to a recent nationwide survey, about 64 percent of teens said they volunteered in the past year.
For many students, enforced hours would not be an additional burden, and the positivity that is created by volunteering makes up for it. As long as the requirements are reasonable and accommodations are considered, required community service hours would be a net positive for SLOHS.
Source: newsroom.edu
