BY JOANNA LYONS

For our generation the phrase “community service” has, unfortunately, become associated with another, far less pleasant phrase: college applications. Though students may volunteer at a soup kitchen or help build a home for a family in need, many will admit that they are doing these things not because they have a strong desire to help their community, but rather to gain a competitive edge when applying to colleges. Performing some form of service grudgingly is not the right way to help one’s community; volunteer work should have nothing to do with personal benefits such as enhancing a resume. If Mamaroneck High School were to create a community service requirement, students would be more likely to choose something that interests them and perhaps even perform this service on their own time.

These requirements, already employed at many other schools, would help the Larchmont/Mamaroneck community as well as MHS students. The school could create a program to help students find the right community service project; each student would have to complete a certain number of hours per year at MHS. As students perform community service in each of their four years, they may discover that they want to continue these projects on their own time. While some kids would only complete the required hours and no more, if even one student decides to dedicate some of their time to helping out in the community beyond their requirement, both the student and community will benefit.

It’s important for all students to remember that even in affluent towns, there are still a lot of improvements that can be made and people who need help. MHS students are extremely fortunate to be given many opportunities at the high school and should therefore feel responsible to help the community that has given them so much. Every student should feel a moral obligation to give back to Larchmont/Mamaroneck. Having a community service requirement would help students realize this responsibility; having a legitimate program to match students with projects they are interested in would make the requirement more enjoyable. If kids realize that they should give back to the area, they will be more willing to do service on their own time and MHS, the surrounding community, and all students will be stronger for it.