Though alluring, the free t-shirts and donuts were not the culprit for the record-breaking flood of Service Plunge volunteers.Instead, it was the opportunity to meet new people, serve others and give back to Greencastle.
Service Plunge, an annual event organized for the first time this year by the DePauw University Civic Fellows, takes place the first weekend of the academic school year in order to encourage first-year students to get up early and get involved. From the Humane Society to the Hartman House, more than 100 first-year volunteers served by packing school supplies, writing letters to soldiers, transforming the “Mason Jar” into a Thrift Shop and much more.
With a record-breaking total of 150 sign-ups, Civic Fellows was forced to close registration for the Service Plunge. Some first-years, such as Brenton Turner, signed up before he even arrived on campus.
“I think it’s cool to have all freshmen start off with community service, so I signed up over the summer,” Turner said.
Coordinator of Service Plunge, Ellen Tinder worked to make students aware of the event.
“I believe the turnout was a little larger this year because we had a student organization promoting it," Tinder said. "We were able to connect with students and make sure they knew it was happening."
Because Civic Fellows is a student organization, they received funding from the Allocations Board that they were able to put toward purchasing materials for the event. Each site received $100 worth of materials. This allowed them to do more than they have done in the past, such as planting flowers at the Asbury Towers.
The group re-contacted previous service sites, in addition to adding a few more, making a total of 14 locations.
Civic Fellows has big dreams for expansion, and the change in organizers was one way for them to reach them. Kevin Bugielski, a member of Civic Fellows since his freshman year, is the current vice president.
“This is the first year we are actually hosting Service Plunge--we have grown a lot since my first year,” Bugielski said. “I guess the end goal for us is to eventually be a new Fellows program here…rooted and grounded in service and leadership because that’s what we believe in.”
Tinder highlighted the importance of involvement within the Greencastle community.
“We do [Service Plunge] right at the start of the year so first-year students not only find their home at DePauw, but also their home in Greencastle,” Tinder said. “I think it’s important that you’re not just moving to DePauw, you’re moving to Greencastle, Indiana. It’s kind of a kick-off to service.”
Tinder easily summed up the spirit of Service Plunge.
“I love service,” she said. “I love Greencastle."
*Maria Rummel contributed to this article
