requirement in a pandemic

from The ReMarker | October 2020

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COMMUNITY SERVICE Fifteen hours

While COVID-19 continues to be a problem, community service remains as important and necessary as always.

It’s the same as every other year. Fifteen required hours of community service. The number hasn’t changed, but other things have: there are fewer opportunities available to students through x2VOL, the website where students log their service hours and find projects and events.

So why is there still a deadline in the midst of a global pandemic?

For Community Service Director Jorge Correa, the answer is simple. The opportunities may have gone away, but the community’s needs haven’t.

Fifteen community service hours will continue to be mandatory for Marksmen, according to Correa. After the first meeting with the Community Service Board, Correa decided, for now, students should aim to complete 10 hours by Jan. 22.

“I don’t think it’s a good starting point for St. Mark’s,” Correa said. “I think that’s a good middle point or endpoint. Towards our deadline, we could say, ‘You know what... 80% of the school body doesn’t have their hours. I think we’re going to have to make a decision as to how those hours count.’ But I don’t think it’s good to start the year and say to not worry about the 15 hours.”

While completing the hours is not a problem, Correa knows that the community needs even more help than it did before, especially in a situation like this one.

Potential events “The reason is not us,” Correa said. “It’s not that the students • Personal projects aren’t capable of doing • Candy Drive: Nov. 2 - 6 this. The main reason is • Food Drive: Nov. 9 - 20 that there are still needs • Upcoming events on x2VOL in the community that haven’t gone away. They have increased. So many people have lost access to many things.”

However, nothing is confirmed at the moment.

The Community Service Board, Correa and Assistant Director of Community Service Isabel Cisneros are still watching how the pandemic progresses and how well Marksmen can serve before making their final decision.

“It’s not ‘no matter what, you need 15 hours,’” Community Service Board Co-Chair Benny Wang said. “As of now, that’s in place, and we’re monitoring [the situation]. Whether or not the deadlines or number of hours are going to be changed isn’t set in stone right now.”

In light of having fewer volunteer opportunities through the school, the Community Service Board is encouraging students to take this opportunity to begin personal projects to benefit the community.

“Now that we’re still reaching out to a lot of the organizations, and they’re still reaching out to us, and a lot of them still aren’t even going on, we’re encouraging people to do their personal projects, whether that be in-person or online,” Wang said.

Correa encourages students to serve their communities, but he understands that can only be determined by the students themselves.

“In the end, this is very important, you decide

DONATION STATION

Seniors Will Chance, Owen Goldberg and Michael Anderson collect clothing donations for last year’s drive.

where you want to go,” Correa said. “You and your parents decide, according to your time, the distance from your home, what you think. We post the opportunities, but it’s up to you to decide if you want to go.”

The Community Service Board is still working toward finding opportunities for students, whether virtual or in-person.

“Some of the popular [opportunities] like Rays of Light have gone virtual,” Wang said. “A lot of the events are going to be either virtual or very changed. [The Board] will be contacting specific organizations and trying to figure out what they need, how they’re going about this and whether or not it would be safe for us to help out in any way they decide.”

Even though community service events will be modified due to the pandemic, Wang has outlined some of the upcoming opportunities around campus.

“Stay on the alert for the Food Drive and the Candy Drive,” Wang said. “Once again, those are probably going to be changed like the Clothing Drive, but, at its core, it’s still going to be the same.”

STORY Jack Davis, Morgan Chow PHOTO Jerry Zhao October 29, 2020