Service Day: The Divine Art of Doing Good

Service Day is a demonstration of the college's commitment to the founding principles. This year's Service Day took place on Sept. 28 and consisted of 25 different service projects according to Jacob Richards, Community Service Coordinator and Director of the Difference Makers Program. Students, staff and faculty came together to help better the community. Richards estimated that 350-400 students participated in Service Day this year and the founding values of Olivet could be seen through their participation in Service Day.

“Our Founding Fathers said if they could do nothing else, they would like to instill with our students the divine art in the science of doing good onto others,” said Richards.

“Service Day is important because you get to be a part of the community and I think it just brings everyone together,” said Courtney Balazs, sophomore. This year Balazs participated in the Relay for Life walk and a service project at the Wee One’s Pre-School at the Olivet Congregational Church.

Michael Fales, Director of Service Learning, has been a part of Service Day from the start of it in 1994 and has participated in every Service Day since. “It was created the same time that the Olivet Plan was created, and it was part of the idea that everyone here would participate in something that helped the community but also helped the college at the same time,” said Fales. The biggest challenge is that there aren’t enough service opportunities. “The hardest part about Service Day is finding enough meaningful projects for everyone to do…we obviously live in a small community and that’s the challenge,” said Fales.

Service Day is an important day for Olivet College as it shows the college’s commitment the founding values and backs the college's saying, ‘Be More, Do Good.’

Photos by Ella Gaffke