Students volunteer at Marshall Service Day

Paul Boulos and his team spent their Saturday morning sorting different types of bread — 20,000 pounds of it.

Boulos, a freshman studying business administration volunteered at Marshall Community Service Day on Saturday with approximately 150 USC students, staff, alumni and faculty. Volunteers met at 7 a.m. to work at one of the nine community service sites, two of which were on campus, ranging from the L.A. Food Bank to the L.A. Ronald McDonald House. The event was hosted by the student-run Marshall Outreach and Volunteer Entrepreneurs organization, and was open to any USC-affiliated volunteers.

“Volunteering made me realize how lucky you are,” Boulos said. “It makes you feel really good … it clears your mind.”

The event provided volunteers with breakfast and lunch on the Marshall Lawn. Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs Tyrone Callahan gave a speech in the morning to thank volunteers for their service.

Lindsay Sotnick, a junior studying business administration, is the current president of MOVE and has volunteered with the organization since she was a freshman. This year, she worked at the World Harvest Food Bank, a food bank only two blocks from USC’s campus.

“As college students, we tend to think of ourselves as so busy,” Sotnick said. “Noticing that you have the time to give back, even if it’s just for a few hours on a Saturday morning once a semester, is important to recognize I’m not having the biggest problem that’s out there.”

Ximena Araujo, a junior studying business and accounting, is the vice president of MOVE and has found that joining a service organization has helped her continue to volunteer. She stayed on campus during MCSD to manage the food and coordinate transportation for volunteers.

“There’s so much controversy about the top 1 percent, and the business leaders who have all this power, and the people at Marshall are the future business leaders,” Araujo said. “It’s really important for Marshall to be involved in teaching our students that they have to give back.”

Sowon Kang is the assistant director for international programs for Marshall undergraduates and the former student services coordinator. She works to connect student organizations to available administrative resources. She credits MOVE with the event organization, but provided administrative support and coordination.

“This gets people more engaged, and it is eye-opening to see how they can contribute to local communities, which is a great experience for students to have,” Kang said. “They can understand how to give back to the community which is not as fortunate as they are.”