Blue sky, sunny, and a high of 87 degrees. That is the kind of day you want if you're working in the New Hampshire Food Bank gardens.
From the title of First Year Service Day (FYSD) we can understand what it entails; first year students going out and performing some type of service for the community -- but this event goes much deeper than that.
Trece Mettauer, the coordinator of Community Outreach and a faculty member in the Communication Arts program, and Victoria DiPippo, a senior in the Humanities program, both gave some insight into what FYSD is and what it means to them.
So what is First Year Service Day? In its fifth year, First Year Service Day is an event designed to bring both freshmen and transfers students together with faculty and staff, student leaders, and the UNH Manchester campus (which happens to be the city of Manchester itself). Mettauer said that she has always seen it as important for students to communicate in the community. She also stressed that with UNH Manchester’s urban mission “we are bringing our resources out into the Manchester area”.
With combined effort, both Mettauer and DiPippo plan and run FYSD. Don’t worry, it is just not the two of them checking in students, handing out t-shirts -- they enlist the help of faculty, staff, and other student leaders on campus.
DiPippo, who has been planning this event for three years, says that it is a process but it helps to build on what happened last year and make it easier for the next. She says that this is also giving her some experience in event planning, and working with various organizations in the Manchester community.
Well, the planning and hype of this event is one thing. What about the actual day of the event? On Tuesday, August 26th more than 80 first year students, faculty, staff, and student leaders came out and participated in FYSD.
Cameron Ugolini, an incoming freshmen, said that he attended First Year Service Day because he recognized the New Hampshire Food Bank from one of the emails that was sent out. "I remembered various drives that were conducted at my high school and thought it would be really cool to participate."
Throughout the time spent at the New Hampshire Food Bank Gardens a mixture of laughter, talking, and some chanting “weeds are weak” could be heard.
During the event, students were split into groups and assigned various jobs to do in the gardens. Some were picking weeds, pulling dead plants, turning over the plant beds, or just passing out water and sunscreen to those that needed it. When asked how the day was going, Hannah Quinn and Caroline Consolini, both incoming freshmen, said that it was hot, but were having a lot of fun and were meeting new people.
Without question, Mettauer says her favorite part of FYSD is doing the service. “There is something about being sweaty and dirty with each other that just breaks the ice."
DiPippo's favorite part is bus ride back. "The ride back is super loud because everyone feels comfortable with each other and all the new friendships that were made," says DiPippo.
Molly Greenwald, an incoming transfer student, attended FYSD because she heard about it at orientation. When asked what the most important thing she got out of FYSD, she said it was the new relationships she made with some of the other people while pulling out weeds. “That is always a positive thing” Greenwald said, and, given the opportunity, she would volunteer next year.
At lunch, the students were given the chance to reflect on their experience in the gardens. When asked what the next step in giving back to the community would be, many students drew light to the various clubs and organizations at UNH Manchester that thrive on their philanthropic mission, and some courses that integrate community service into their lesson plans.
With closing remarks, Regina McCarthy, Assistant Dean of Academics and Student Services, left the students with some words to think about, including a quote from Winston Churchill and President Theodore Roosevelt.
Calling all the students, faculty, and staff “Wildcats”, she said they have left their “paw prints” on the Manchester community. McCarthy stated that at this time next year the university will be located in a different location, but she hopes that the student’s “sense of service on our campus and in our community remains constant”.
Everyone who attends FYSD will gain something different whether it be new friends, a love of community service, or just a need to take a shower. However, we all come out with one thing in common; a sense of unity. As UNH Manchester faculty, staff, and students, we all have the ability to come together as a community and give back.
Contact Marisa Forti for more information about the First Year Experience program.
