Here to Volunteer
Written by Eli Matola
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”—Aesop
Last week University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) students participated in the Make Your Mark campaign's Volunteer Week. Conducted by the Office of Applied Learning Experiences (ALEX), Make Your Mark seeks to promote a climate of change, a climate wherein individuals are willing to render the world a better place. Volunteer Week, a Make Your Mark event, asked students to donate whatever time they could to start bettering the world, beginning with areas around campus. In total, 37 students donated 111 hours of their time to make the UH Hilo campus a better place.
Weeding the university garden behind the College of Agriculture was one of five activities offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Other activities included painting handrails across campus, sorting out the costume closet and painting scenery at the performing arts center, and serving as peer mentors to high school students visiting campus. Tuesday saw five students in the garden. While ALEX reporters had only to write an article about a Volunteer Week activity, the author decided to pull on a pair of gloves and weed. Participants weeded for two hours; by the end, there sat a pile of weeds taller than any of them. Realizing how much can be accomplished through group work proved amazing.
Photo courtesy of Eli Matola.
When conversed with, every participant implied he/she had decided to volunteer for the sake of volunteering. The consensus that none of them had anything to gain for attending the activity, besides good karma, imbued their talk. The good intentions which radiated from the students demonstrated the effectiveness and necessity of Make Your Mark. That UH Hilo attendees are more than willing to assist with a task out of their own will should make those with a tie to the university feel great.
After the activity, when asked what they gained from the experience, some participants stated character building, others stated exercise. Losalia Seumana asserted appreciation. “We often only see the end results of maintaining the campus,” she explained, “but often overlook what it takes for the campus to stay nice. Now [that I] know[] how much work needs to go into everything, it was great experience”
All students agreed their favorite part was volunteering alongside awesome individuals.
Volunteer Week turned out extremely helpful and constructive. ALEX intends to consistently conduct the Make Your Mark campaign. Students interested in volunteering should remember that each week is volunteer week and that volunteering can be wonderful for both the resume and heart.
