The Importance of Community Service
Without community service people would not know the meaning of charity and giving back. It creates a better society and helps improve one’s individuality. Community service carries a reward that is beyond the obvious and tangible. Volunteerism is no longer just a résumé padder for college applications, it has become a graduation requirement for high school students in hundreds of school districts across the nation. Some say that requiring students to volunteer as a part of the graduation requirement is a good experience and will increase their job skills. While others say that it should not be required because students will be unwilling to do the work. High school districts should require community service because keeps students busy and out of trouble, prepares students for the real world and enhances their job skills, and increases their chances of being chosen for some of the top universities.
Some may say that forced volunteerism in not volunteerism at all. Community service is not a responsibly or an obligation. It is a commitment, one must want to do it with good intentions and not because the are being forced to do so. Students who volunteer against their will most likely do a poor job compared to those who see it as a hobby. Some may say that schools are sending students the wrong message by equating mandatory community service with volunteering; volunteer or risk graduating. If students are resistant to the idea of volunteering they could risk not being able to graduate on time. Some may also say that required volunteering effects the student’s academic or extracurricular activities. Students are already busy with homework, exams and college applications, adding to their workload will only overwhelm them. For example, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut proposed a bill requiring high school students to complete 100 hours of mandatory community service before graduating. Under this proposal students would have to go...