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Tiger Serve Day provides outreach opportunity BY ELIZABETH WIMBERLY
Staff Writer
The Elrod Center hosted this semester’s Tiger Serve Day on Saturday. More than 600 students got involved to serve the Arkadelphia community, keeping the campus-wide tradition going strong. Tiger Serve Day is an opportunity that empowers students and faculty to clean up throughout the Arkadelphia area and to help individuals in the community who need assistance with more strenuous tasks, such as yardwork or cleaning.
Taylor Fielder, senior Christian Studies major, has helped plan Tiger Serve Day for three years as a member of the Tiger Serve Day leadership team. Fielder’s job includes looking for future projects and putting all of the routes together. “We plan throughout the semester and stay up the Friday before to put together the tools and items needed for each project,” Fielder said. Students who serve on the Tiger Serve Day leadership have shown great leadership qualities that caused them to be hand-picked to
lead and plan service projects. “It was kind of a God thing that got me involved with Tiger Serve Day,” Fielder said. “The teams pick their members to put together a perfect team.” Other students on the leadership team set aside a couple of hours each week to plan the event for each semester. Associate Director of the Elrod Center Judy Duvall serves with Director of the Elrod Center Ian Cosh to coordinate Tiger Serve Day. Tiger Serve Day is not only an event for students to enjoy. Elderly or disabled individuals, non-prof-
its, schools and nursing homes all look forward to seeing young people that care about them. Duvall has done Tiger Serve Day for 16 years. She has seen countless ways that service brings joy. “We have many senior adults, nonprofits, schools and nursing homes that look forward to Tiger Serve Day each semester,” Duvall said. “They greatly appreciate the help and the interaction with volunteers.” One of the main purposes of Tiger Serve Day is to help students put their faith into action. “In many ways, Tiger Serve
Day serves as an entry into service for our volunteers,” Duvall said. “This day gives our campus an opportunity to see the value of volunteering , and many will go on to be involved in other forms of service throughout the year. This day serves as an excellent opportunity for our campus to put faith into action by serving our community.” Tiger Serve Day takes months of preparation, good leadership and love for service. Tiger Serve Day is an important tradition that continues to positively impact the Arkadelphia community and the campus culture at Ouachita.
President Dr. Ben Sells and Elrod Center Director Ian Cosh converse before Tiger Serve Day, while the Tiger Serve Day leadership team (wearing green shirts) prepares to check in teams. (photo by Abby Blankenship)
