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ASU Students Turn Words Into Actionn, Find Writing Inspiration Through Volunteering

Apr 30, 2010

This spring, composition students at ASU are finding inspiration for
their writing outside the classroom. Partnering with multiple community
organizations, Dr. Kate Henderson's Composition II classes are exploring
social issues not just through their textbooks, but through hands-on
work alongside members of the Jonesboro community.

In their final assignment of the semester, students were asked to
identify a social problem they would like to change and a local
organization that helps to address that problem. The students combine
research on that social issue with service to get a fuller sense of how
people in Jonesboro are affected. This service-learning project,
according to Dr. Henderson, takes the topics that composition courses
tend to explore as hypothetical debates and asks students to reconsider
them as real-life situations. "Debating something like animal cruelty
laws is much different to students after working with an organization
like the Humane Society," Henderson explained. "Students begin to see
that their opinions do matter; they can actually take real steps to
change the situations that they write about in their papers."

Small groups of students spent the first week of April working with
several organizations in Jonesboro. They cared for abandoned animals at
the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society; offered childcare and supported
teen parents at Paces, Inc.; prepared for a Mother's Day Brunch
sponsored by the Woman's Discovery Center; packed food for seniors at
the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas; lent a hand constructing a house
with the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro; helped organize the
March for Babies event with the March of Dimes; and spread the word
about support for drug addiction with Out of the Dark.

All of the organizations, in turn, welcomed the student volunteers. "The
March of Dimes is a volunteer-led organization, and we could not carry
out our lifesaving mission without volunteers," stated community
director Melissa Gann. "The students did a great job." Gann also noted
that when students become involved in the development of a project,
"they tend to learn a lot more and get a greater reward." Vicki Pillow,
the director of development for the Northeast Arkansas Food Bank, also
praised the efforts of the ASU students: "They worked very hard and were
a great asset for us. They packed the senior packs in record time."

Students saw this as a chance to learn more about the local community.
Linh Pham's service with the Food Bank helped her discover "how big of
an issue hunger is in Northeast Arkansas," while Mizuki Ueno, an
international student, loved working with the March of Dimes because it
allowed her to explore Jonesboro and make connections with people
outside of ASU.

When asked what they liked most about the project, the students often
spoke about the opportunity to contribute in a small way to something
meaningful. Ryan Harmon stated, "If I can just help the Food Bank out
with something as simple as sorting cans, I will have done some part in
helping everyone." Curtis Carter, who spent a Saturday with Habitat for
Humanity, also looked forward to lending a hand: "They may only know me
as that guy who was here for a few hours or maybe just a person they
spoke to once, but I know that I will make a difference by working with
such a respectable organization."

Some students have become so inspired by these organizations that they
plan to offer more of their time. Kristie Lloyd, interim director of
Paces, Inc., was pleased that one of her student volunteers, Karysta
Sturges, plans to continue working with them in the future. Sturges, a
psychology major, initially chose to work with Paces, Inc., because she
hoped to be able to learn more about helping and relating to teen
parents. This work aligns with her major, but is also important to
Sturges because she has several friends who have young children.

After completing their service experience, all the students will
complete a final essay that persuades people to become involved with
these organizations. Dr. Henderson is already impressed by the students'
passion about their topics. She says, "By using their writing skills to
explain why the work they've done is important, they connect their words
to their actions. Through this process of service and writing, the
students become powerful advocates for change."

For more information, contact Dr. Henderson (khenderson@astate.edu) at
(870) 972-3043.

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