Every year students of the IB program, different honor societies and other organizations are required to submit a minimum amount of service hours. This can be challenging to those balancing extracurriculars and other obligations.

Yet, community service should be a vital aspect of one’s education. Although some might find required volunteerism to be an oxymoron, the simple act of participating in community service will most likely develop a belief in service to others.

“Find something you enjoy so that your community service and extracurriculars overlap,” senior Amanda Halacy said. “If you love medicine, volunteer at a children’s hospital. If you love working with kids, volunteer at a day care center. If you enjoy it, [the hours] won’t even feel mandatory.”

For students who have a passion with something outside of school, they find combining their everyday activities with volunteering is efficient and rewarding.

“I choose to volunteer at a cheer gym because I love cheerleading a lot and that’s something that I know how to do,” junior Emily Brumfield said. “It’s not all that hard for me to do because I’m familiar with and it sounds fun.”

Freshman Darya Kharabi agrees that if she were to do community service, she would incorporate her love of art.

“I would try to spend the day doing something artsy, such as a repainting a house,” Kharabi said. “I enjoy art and it’s something that I’m good at. Introducing art to people in lesser communities can also help people in need. I have heard stories about people who were living in poverty, but managed to use art to help themselves out of it.”

Although some disagree service hours should be mandatory, there are good reasons for their requirement. Service to one’s community is essential of civic responsibility, but sometimes a sense of force is what is necessary for action.

Because it is a requirement and not strictly volunteer work, students may not interact full-heartedly. However, habits are still being created. Community service raises awareness and helps create a sense of community- something students can carry with them past graduation.

“Part of what high school is supposed to do is prepare you for the real world and everyone should take part in community service, whether you are a student in school or an adult in community,” head of security Brian Elliot said.  

The overall idea is that community service is community service. Even if hours are only done for completion, the student is still giving back to their community, and that is the point of the requirement in the first place.

“Community service should be mandatory,” junior Abby Reinhold said. “It provides you with a chance to do character-building and self-fulfilling things outside the classroom. By completing service, you’re not just thinking about yourself but about other people in need as well.”

To read the opposing view, click here.