Giving Back to the Community Part 3: Student Organizations with a Service Component
Now that I've written about all of the different activities and campaigns you can be a part of on campus in previous posts, now the time has come to write about which organizations on campus have service component. The ones listed here are only some of the many different service organizations at OSU.
1. FisherServes is a way for students at the Fisher College of Business to participate in different community service projects. This is great if you want to complete a variety of shorter-term activities as opposed to joining an organization with a specific project they complete over the course of a year or more. The mission/vision statement for the organization from their website reads as follows:
FisherServes is a graduate student led organization at theĀ Max M. Fisher College of Business that is committed to promoting awareness of civic and social responsibilities and to connecting the Fisher College of Business with the surrounding community by leading service-based initiatives throughout the Columbus area.
2. College Mentors for Kids - The Ohio State University is an organization where students can become mentors for kids in various elementary school levels. Mentors show the children the value of working towards a college education by hosting the children usually once a week. It is a year-long commitment and you have to fill out an application in order to become a part of the organization.
3. Buckeyethon is a year-long commitment for those who want to help raise money for Nationwide Children's Hospital. The fund-raising culminates at the 14-hour dance marathon that is usually held sometime in February. There are multiple ways you can get involved. You can be a dancer, a morale captain, or just donate money to the cause. This is a great way to have fun with friends by getting a group together to dance or if you just want to get some leadership experience by becoming a morale captain.
It's important to stress that once you become a student at OSU (undergraduate or graduate student) you join a community and OSU is a community that likes to give back wherever and however they can. Because Ohio State and Columbus are both so big there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer either as part of an organization, on your own, or with a group of friends. I would encourage everyone who comes to OSU to participate in at least one service project during their time here. Even if you just participate for one day, the reward is indescribable. The feeling of helping someone else and the knowledge that you have a positive impact on someone's life is just incredible. So while you're at OSU, remember to give as much as you can and I guarantee you won't regret it.