By Sahaja Bandari

Many students are against performing community service. But why? Why should someone not help others? It is our responsibility to give a hand and help others by doing good deeds. It is very important for young people to develop a habit of performing community service, which could help them develop civic responsibility.

I have been participating in various community services conducted by different school clubs. I have done things such as cleaning up a downtown parking lot, helping sow plants in the community park, and helping to set up a toy store for orphans (even on my birthday). It gives me pleasure, a feeling that is amazing. I have always had a very pleasant time volunteering for community services. Giving up ones time for volunteering and involving oneself in community service is one of the best activities done by human beings.

It is very true that only a few members of the clubs show up for joining in this helpful service. For example, one weekend in the beginning of the new semester, when the club had scheduled to clean up the school parking lot, only five members showed up out of the two hundred members of the club. I felt that it is not as bad as people think about community service, it is fun and one can enjoy. Many people don't seem to have a sense of responsibility for joining this social service. One should try to encourage others to participate.

There are many types of community services which benefits one in selecting something that can give them a glance of their career, too. One doesn't have to take part in something they hate. One can as well participate in the one that they are most interested in. For example, one day during summer, I volunteered at a science museum, explaining how things work to curious people passing by. This also helped me to explore the science world and meet new people. I had a choice between giving out water to the marathon runners in the park or to help in the science museum. I preferred to help in the science museum since I love science, which I found very fascinating, rather than standing in the sun giving water to the runners. I picked what I am most interested in rather than what I didn't like.

Community service is important because it is an excellent aspect to take part in. Everybody seems to be working for themselves and not caring for others; society needs everyone to work together for the caring community, to make the world a better place for everyone. There are numerous disabled and under-privileged people in our society. Even normal people like us need other's support during medical emergencies, calamities etc. The community facilities like schools, hospitals, parks, parking lots and roads are some things that do not belong to an individual, but to the community, yet we all get benefit by their use. All of these facilities need community services to make them work for everyone.

One more reason community service is important is that good colleges are looking for applicants with community service hours along with excellent SAT scores and good GPA in high school. According to Princeton Review and College Board, a community service is necessary to get into the very best colleges such as Ivy League colleges. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology requires at least ten hours of community service for its entering freshmen.

We all need to do some community service, regardless if we are a student or a teacher or any other occupation. I prefer performing community service rather than watching a football game. Schools should make it mandatory for students and teachers to have at least six hours of community service every semester.