In an effort to enlist student volunteers, raise money and showcase campus service pride, the weeklong UCSD Cares campaign kicked off on Feb. 24.
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Students and faculty alike lined the borders of Library Walk and sponsored various events, hoping to increase student participation by raising awareness of numerous volunteer opportunities.
A variety of volunteer programs set up tables along Library Walk and offered a wide range of volunteer opportunities, including tutoring underprivileged children, helping the elderly and developmentally disabled, building houses in Tijuana, and more.
Associated Students, which sponsored the event, organized a variety of events, such as a live DJ, an all-campus talent show and hosted local speakers like Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph Watson.
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Watson addressed the Price Center Plaza crowd on Feb. 24, expressing his desire to see student contribution in the community. The vice chancellor described the attributes of a healthy community in which people are “”actively concerned with the well-being of its members.”” He explained that UCSD itself exists because of donations, and that there is no better way for students benefiting from a public university to prepare for their future contributions to society than to volunteer now.
Associated Students also gave students the opportunity to donate money and to create flowers and comfort pillows for AIDS and cancer patients.
Other departments took advantage of the week’s theme to muster up support for their own community service interests. UCSD Libraries teamed up with the San Diego Council on Literacy to host a book drive where students could donate used books, as well as buy and donate discounted books from the UCSD libraries.
The Bayside Community Center sent its UCSD alumni volunteers to recruit more UCSD students for various programs geared toward challenged youth and family development.
UCSD Partners at Learning gave information on how students can teach underprivileged children through university classes and work-study programs.
Many other groups also worked to increase student involvement. Alternative Spring Break is using the week as a chance to recruit students to participate in the group’s three-day trip to Tijuana during spring break to build a school for impoverished children. Freshman Maricela Sandoval helped sell baked goods for the project and expressed her desired to “”just get involved.””
The UCSD Cares week will conclude on Feb. 28 with the WinterFest concert, and all proceeds from the concert will be donated. There will also be A.S.-provided volunteer opportunities at the benefit concert.
More information on the UCSD Cares campaign is available on its Web site at http://as.ucsd.edu/ucsdcares or http://volunteer.ucsd.edu.
