This past week Her Campus Smith was thrilled to hear from another fabulous campus organization. Community service is an important aspect of campus life at Smith, and the CSO Board runs our most popular volunteer events on campus, such as the biannual blood drives.
What is the CSO’s Mission?
Michelle Kim: The CSO’s Mission is to engage students in volunteer opportunities within the community, where students could develop leadership skill, become aware of community-related issues, and deepen the understanding of what it means to serve the community.
How and why did you become involved with the CSO?
Kimberly Kupinski: I started working on the board in the fall of my junior year: first as Newsletter Chair and then as Blood Drive Chair. I had been involved with a CSO partner organization, the Interfaith Cot Shelter, since my sophomore year, and I wanted to get involved behind the scenes on campus to encourage other students to volunteer with organizations like the Shelter.
Sarah Walton: Honestly, serving others has always made me feel whole- it’s so gratifying to feel like you’re making a difference in someone’s life, and I have been involved in a lot of community service projects over the past several years. I thought it was time to bring my passion and knowledge to the Smith community, and to get others excited about getting involved.
What is the most gratifying part of being on the board?
Angie Dinh: Learning from other people, such as the staff, the board members, and the volunteers. It is very nice, and is a good learning experience, to work with talented people who has interesting backgrounds and are very dedicated to community service.
Michelle Park: It is so amazing and humbling to be surrounded by people who have a passion for community service. Back in high school so many people were doing it for college apps, but everyone on the board is just so committed and enthusiastic about the work we do. It’s definitely a lot of work, but we make it happen because we are so eager to share these amazing opportunities with everyone at Smith.
What are your most important tasks as board members?
SW: As board members, we must ensure that a wide variety of projects are made available to the students and that we properly serve the needs of our community partners in those projects. My personal role is to reach out to other groups on campus, whether those are houses, clubs, etc., and help them find a service projects that suits their interests. The ultimate goal of my position is to get more people involved in community service.
Veronica Oberholzer: My most important task as a board member is heading the CSO House Representatives, who are a very important source of publicity for the CSO and its events.
AD: Doing our jobs with enthusiasm. Also, collaborating and being responsible for CSO as a whole, which can include helping each other with their events, promoting CSO events, brainstorming ideas, and representing the image of CSO on and off campus.
What are some of your favorite events to host?
Kelly Francis: I enjoyed hosting our recent recruitment fair because it was cool to see so many Smith students interested in becoming involved in our surrounding communities. We had a great turn out. I liked chatting with the agency representatives and feeling all the enthusiasm from the Smith students who attended.
KK: The Blood Drive is a huge event to coordinate, but it’s gratifying to see the great turnout from students, faculty, and staff on campus. The Community Education Luncheons are usually pretty small, but these are a great way for students to learn more about how to get involved with a certain issue– and to get fed at the same time!
VO: I love hosting Winter Gifts because we get to actually purchase the clothes and toys that go to children in our community.
What are some upcoming events?
SW: This semester, some Ada Comstock Scholars will be volunteering at the Prison Birth Project’s Solidarity Supper- the PBP is a non-profit that provides support for mothers or pregnant women who have been incarcerated. Safe Passage’s Hot Chocolate Run will be happening later on in December, and Smith has its first school-wide team this year- Smithies for Safety! Anyone who has done the Hot Chocolate Run or is interested in doing it should sign up!
MP: We are in the midst of planning an event called Enchanted Forest! It’s an annual event for children that incorporates fun, education, Halloween spirit and environmental themes. More details will be released soon via eDigest and Facebook so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!