Select Dorms to Pilot Dorm Service Program
ESSO will be piloting a new community service project in Hoyt Hall, Lamont Hall and Wentworth Hall in which dormitory residents are allotted service assignments around campus. The project is an effort to better integrate community service into Exeter student life. It is predicted to expand to all students in all dorms next year, with a few changes based off of feedback during the pilot.
According to upper and ESSO Co-president Jenny Yang, the main goal of the project is to “increase the presence of service on campus and weave it into the fabric of everyday life at Exeter.” ESSO aims to actively incorporate the school motto, non sibi, into Exeter’s school identity and culture. Yang believes that the dorm service project, which roots community service into the communities in which we live, is a major step towards ESSO’s goals.
Upper and fellow ESSO Co-president Grace Gray described the dorm service project as a way to give back to the Exeter community. “It essentially is a project where each dorm or house will be assigned either two weeks or a month of community service, depending on their size,” she said.
Service opportunities range from cleaning the quad to wiping dining hall tables at night. Currently, faculty members are not expected to participate; however, Gray hopes to find a way to integrate them in the future.
In addition to incorporating community service into daily life, Yang hopes that the project will “bridge the gap between students and dining and facilities services” in order for students to “gain a deeper understanding of all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on in the upkeep of this school.”
By the 2018-2019 school year, the ESSO Board hopes to integrate these services into campus life. “After the pilot program, we will be able to understand how to appropriately make changes to make the program more successful,” Yang continued. “We have the approval to continue pursuing this project from numerous groups on campus, such as Dean’s Council, the Academy Life Task Force, Dining and Facilities Services and dorm heads.”
As for now, Lamont, Hoyt and Wentworth will be piloting the project for two weeks. Gray, Yang and former ESSO Co-president Jackson Parrell each live in one of the dorms involved in the pilot, which will make it easier them to listen to student feedback.
Lamont and Hoyt have yet to decide on which type of service they will participate in. Wentworth residents voted to join the effort to clean up the quad on April 22. “The plan is that a group (10 or so students) will sweep through the quad collecting trash every night,” Wentworth dorm head Sean Campbell said. “The groups will rotate such that all dorm residents will participate at least once.”
Campbell hopes that students will imbue responsibility and reflect upon their actions through this project. “If you are responsible for cleaning up after others, it usually affects your own behavior in a positive way,” he said. “You might think twice about littering or leaving things out once you know how much work goes into picking up after you.”
The service project has garnered mixed reactions from students.
Lamont resident and upper Gillian Quinto adopted a positive view on the pilot program. “I think it’s a really good idea because it will provide opportunities for dorm bonding. It will be a good way to get involved with the community and to interact with people we don’t acknowledge on this campus as much, such as dining hall workers and custodians,” she said.
Senior and former Hoyt proctor Athena Stenor appreciated the positive intentions of the project but felt that it put unnecessary strain on students. “I do not think this project is a good idea because it’s too difficult logistically,” she said. “I’m thinking about the strain on a new proctor team to organize the schedules and then enforcing the times with their dorm mates.”
In Stenor’s opinion, the project contradicts the value of non sibi. “Non sibi is only meaningful if students choose to partake in activities they really care about, which results in the work being done more thoughtfully and more gladly,” she said. On top of the mandatory requirement, Stenor believes that there will be pushback because of the lack of consult with the student body.
On the other hand, Campbell noted that a group effort should not require much effort or time. “Beginning at 8 p.m., 10 people will be working at a time. Since not every student will be participating each night, it works out to about 15 minutes once a week per student.”
Although the time per person isn’t extensive, upper and Wentworth resident Victor Luo felt like it would be of inconvenience to other students. “The bad part is that you’re assigned random days, and you have to commit to some day of the week,’ he said. “The time commitment is negligible, but it may interfere with other commitments.”
Stenor suggested removing some Saturday classes to compensate for time lost. “It also seems ridiculous to add the burden of this time commitment to students who are already stressed and busy without getting rid of a time commitment,” she continued. “I think in order to have more balance, there should be fewer Saturday classes throughout the year, for example.”
Lower Justin Li expressed enthusiasm for the service project to be expanded to all dorms in the coming year. “I am grateful for the fact that the Academy is giving us these opportunities to serve others and help our own community,” he said.