Many of Georgia Southern’s student organizations make community service a top priority during each school year and students are constantly encouraged to take advantage of service opportunities.

“Your community depends on service to run,” Lindsey Ivy, junior political science and anthropology major and market chair for Southern S.T.A.T, a student philanthropy organization, said.

Most student organizations on campus have a community service component involved, including the Honors Program and many sororities and fraternities.

“Our organization takes part in community service because we are trying to give back and educate individuals on such a great cause,” Katie McKnight, president of Zeta Tau Alpha said, referencing their philanthropy, breast cancer awareness.

There are many benefits that come from partaking in community service. When students take part in community service they not only help to strengthen the community and develop leadership skills, they also help to relieve their personal stress and meet new people from varying walks of life.

Aside from the potential benefits, some students say that community service just made them feel like good people.

“In high school there was a girl whose family was a part of our community and her house got struck by lightning and it pretty much burned down. So we put in so many hours, it was hot outside and it was gross and it was really easy to get discouraged, but after we were done fixing her house so they could have a safe place to live, seeing how grateful her family was, was so worth it,” Ivy said.

A list of local service opportunities can be found on Georgia Southern’s Leadership and Community Engagement page by clicking on the Community Engagement tab and selecting “Want to Volunteer?”.

Many organizations have local chapters in Georgia and right here in Statesboro. Some of these include The Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

While some students complain about this, many agree with the idea of volunteering being a college requirement.

McKnight said, “I think that community service should be required for students because it is a great way to give back to the community. You can learn so many life lessons through service.”