Service takes on new meaning with National Service Week
By Alexis Ancel, News Editor//
Service has always been taken very seriously at High Point University, and this is clear during Service Week, a specific week devoted to focusing on the community and our involvement in it.
It is celebrated nationally, and HPU has been participating for about four years by organizing events and activities designed to get students involved and active in the community by touching on various topics and issues.
While most of the planning and organizing for this week is done by Student Life, Nick Ruden, the Resident Director for North College, is the main leader and overseer for the week and its activities.
“The week is dedicated to understanding how you as a citizen can be intertwined with the community and understanding what’s going on in the community,” Ruden said.
This year, Service Week takes place from Sept. 7-11 and will consist of three main events that aim to help students better understand the community they live in and how they can make an impact.
The first will be a Voter Registration Drive run by the College Republicans, Democrats and politics clubs which is intended to help students be part of the conversation and recognize the influence they can have on their government.
The second is an event entitled “Cards for Cops” in which students learn about the importance of the police and their work as well as write cards to officers to show support.
The third event, to be held on Friday, Sept. 11, will be Patriot Day where flags will be placed on the lawn of Hayworth Park in remembrance of 9/11.
On this day, members of the High Point community will be brought in to take part as well. Each of these events will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Slane Philanthropy Desk.
Ruden said that one of the main goals for the week is for “students to learn that they can affect so much in the community and government.”
HPU does a great deal of community service throughout the year, but this specific week encompasses a different kind of service that focuses more on getting students more in tune to Americana.
“It takes a different tone. It’s more focused on the individual within the community,” Ruden said.
However, whether outside the classroom or an extension of the curriculum, service has always been prominent and important at HPU.
Gail Tuttle, Senior Vice President for Student Life, said “The HPU community has always embraced the value of service. Our students continually give back through service and philanthropy.”