Droplets Enrich the Ocean - Essay Example

Is Dave Eggers right to propose that college students be forced into community service? It’s common knowledge that forced community service is normally reserved for criminals. This is a psychological, cultural as well as a legal concept. As an introductory strategy, to get rid of this stigma it is important to do a pilot test in the Ivy League Colleges. Credits in exchange for community service could be introduced in Ivy League colleges, where students are already highly motivated; community service would act as a much-needed break, which benefits at least 50,000 students of the Ivy League Colleges. Also, its success would encourage other colleges to make community service compulsory for the students. As the saying goes, “get the leader and the masses will follow”.

I personally agree with Dave Eggers's community development strategy, as it will not only benefit the community and the students but the nation as a whole. Students are like droplets of water and when gathered together to perform useful community activities they can be compared to enriching the ocean that surrounds them. These droplets should be used to enrich the community, for example even with a modest 9 hours a year requirement (the equivalent of fewer than two mornings a year), America would gain 54 million volunteer hours to invigorate the nation's nonprofit organizations such as churches, environment protection groups and college outreach programs; if the community service requirement is made compulsory for all private colleges. In other words, American is wasting 54 million precious volunteer hours a year.

The next question to be answered is; would if college students would like to serve the community? That is said to be the million-dollar question, as they say, “you can take the horse to the water, but can’t make it drink”. I agree with this quote, but this statement is only true when the horse isn’t thirsty. Using the “carrot and stick” method proposed by Dave Eggers, where the students are awarded up to three credits for community service, would get the majority of the students motivated.

There are many advantages for the college students to become involved in community service, such as:

Community service also helps enhance learning by allowing students to integrate course material with actual issues in a community setting.

Community service also takes out the “curiosity” which many students have about the “real world” and would help the students gain valuable practical life experiences or even valuable history lessons, like meeting a World War II veteran.

Another valuable ingredient for the idea of community service to be a long-term success that is needed is instilling patriotism amongst the students. Community service should be showcased as something to be proud of like when you high grades in the exam. This would remove the temptation to quit halfway through, which was the case for Dave Eggers.

Prevention is better than cure; thus community service can prove to be the answer to many problems like drug addiction, gangs, etc. Doing something constructive, like community services will stop the students from getting into destructive activities like drugs.

Community service plays an important role in personality development. Volunteering will him the student be balanced and indulge in activities that will be to help others. Community service will also help the students develop and hone, “soft skills” that are very much in demand in today’s job market. Community service can also act as an anti-depressant by being of service to others. At the same time, it is also important for the student to volunteer in that activity or activities that he or she likes, for example, if a person is religious he or she should rather volunteer to help out at a church than at a conservation group.

Programs such as the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognize institutions of higher education that support exemplary student community service and service-learning programs, thereby encouraging growth in the number of college students engaged in community service and service-learning each year.

Thus Dave Eggers is right in saying that students who think of ingenious new ways to while away their, will be better of putting their youthful energy to productive use by community service.

Finally, community service aims to instill in college students a greater understanding of humanity and a greater appreciation of their lives.