How to Better a Community; Step One College Students

Jacob Schekman Julio Leal English 1A 6 July 2009 How to Better a Community; Step One: College Students â€Å"I went to a large state school – the University of Illinois – and during my time there, I became one of the best two or three foosball players in the Land of Lincoln. I learned to pass deftly between my rigid players, to play the corners, to strike the ball like a cobra would strike something a cobra would want to strike. I also mastered the dart game called Cricket, and the billiards contest called Nine-ball. I became expert at whiffle ball, at backyard archery, and at a sport we invented that involved one person tossing roasted chickens from a balcony to a group us waiting below. We got to eat the parts that didn’t†¦show more content†¦Still, when a student does decide to sacrifice some of their own time to help their local community, they do not usually stay the job for long. Dave Eggers talks about his volunteering experiences while in college: â€Å"I volunteered a few times in Urbana-Champaign – at a Y.M.C.A. and at a home for senior citizens – and in both cases it was much too easy to quit. I thought the senior home smelled odd, so I left, and though the Y.M.C.A. was a perfect fit, I could have used nudging – nudging the university might have provided. Just as parents and schools need to foster in young people a â€Å"reading habit† – a love of reading that becomes a need, almost an addiction – colleges are best-poised to create in their students a lifelong commitment to volunteering even a few hours a month† (Dave Eggers 583). Most students just don’t feel the need to volunteer in the community. Some feel they need more study time, and others just want more recreational time. They don’t realize the benefits of working for their local community. 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