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Show 10 BEYOND CAMPUS GRIFFINS IN ACTION: The face of volunteerism FATHOM CROTEAU STAFF REPORTER Westminster is known for being a small, close- - . knit community. However, volunteering offers a way for students to engage in the community beyond the boundaries of campus. The newly renamed Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagement is the place to begin for students who are interested in serving their community and expanding their professional network of connections. Whether it be to satisfy course requirements or to become rooted in the community, the center has options for those interested and willing. I see our role as a matchmaker of sorts said Julie Tille, director of the Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagement. Every program has a mentorship aspect and we guide students based on passion, interests, major and career goals, Tille said. Students are able to participate in volunteer projects both on and off campus. According to Tille, the goal is to get committed students to fill the need that exists in the community be it on campus or off. what is the difference between civic engagement and So volunteering? While it seems like they might be different, Tille said, Civic Engagement is a term that isnt quite so user friendly yet. I define it as engaging meaningfully in the community with the purpose of making a positive impact and that can happen through volunteering. The center offers a multitude of options for students who are interested in beginning a volunteer project or seasoned volunteers who are interested in committing to a long-term project. Recently, the center received a large endowment which allows for a more structured volunteer experience for involved students. The endowment allowed for the implementation of the Merrit Take Action program, an opportunity for students to received a stipend payment Westminster students take back the night TAYLOR STEVENS CONTRIBUTING WRITER during their time of service. The student must commit to a minimum of one academic year of service with a community partner at a minimum of six service hours per week. For students who are unable to commit to an entire academic year, there is an opportunity for a shorter term with a smaller compensation available. We look at those instances of sustained and prolonged engagement and we see needs being met in the community, Tille said. We are excited that with this endowment we are able to offset some of the financial impact of student engagement. In an anonymous survey, students cited lack of time and lack of compensation as the key reasons they dont participate in volunteer activities. Another common response was that students simply do not know where to start when it comes to finding an organization or agency with which to volunteer. When we are able to pay a student to be committed, they are more motivated to reach out to their peers and volunteers, Tille said. Though it is less than would be made at a full or part-tim- e job, the financial compensation that is available four-mon- th to students through the center make civic engagement a less strenuous feat. Tille also cites a misguided idea about what volunteering entails as a cause for decreased student involvement. You can do things without spending a huge amount of your time, Tille said. It depends on the kind of service that you want to do. It is reciprocal. The student should learn and grow but they have to be able to meet the agencies needs. The Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagement will hold an official naming ceremony on April 16th at 4 p.m. in the Bassis Student Center with refreshments. For more information, contact Julie Tille at jtille westminstercollege.edu or visit the Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagements website. Westminster students hold signs while marching from the University of Utah to Westminster to raise awareness about sexual assault. More than 50 students from Westminster College and the University of Utah marched through Salt Lake City as the sun set on April 1 to raise awareness for sexual assault. Take back the night symbolizes how public spaces arent safe spaces for everyone, said Leah Weisgal, president of the Students for Choice chapter at Westminster. The march began at the University of Utah at 7 p.m. and ended on the steps of Converse Hall. Rep. Angela Romero spoke about the importance of community education to change the societal culture around sexual assault. Romero supported legislation marking April l as the first annual Start by Believing Day as part of Aprils Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This was created in order to shape the discussion on and raise awareness about sexual violence. We thought that it seemed fitting to inaugurate Start by Believing Day with a big event by working with the University of . Utah, Leah Weisgal said. The Students for Choice chapters at both schools paired with Planned Parenthood, the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Rape Recovery Center to make sure it was really a community event, Weisgal said. Sexual assault is not just a womens issue or a campus issue, said Ryan LaRe, a Westminster student who marched. We need community involvement to foster change. It was amazing how much Westminster students were represented at the event. It is a real testament to the amazing potential of our student body. Leah Weisgal, a New York native and devoted advocate for reproductive and r womens rights, reinstated the Planned Parenthood chapter at Westminster earlier this year. I think theres a real place right now in the world and society to make sure we all have a voice in our reproductive health, she said. Theres so much energy on college campuses especially at Westminster but it stays centralized in college campuses. Thats a great place to start, but lets take that energy and bring it into the community, the legislative session and to our representatives. Weisgal said this event demonstrates the importance for students to remember that they have a voice and should raise it. You can contact your representatives, she said. Thats how I got in touch with Angela Romero. I called her on her cell phone and she answered and gave me her email, and thats how she got to be at this event. Thats how you play the game, you know? People think that they have dont voices, you just have to navigate the channels, . Weisgal said. According to statistics from Utahs Rape Recovery Center, One in three women in Utah report that they have been a victim of some form of sexual violence in her lifetime and one in eight women report being . raped. Weisgal said these sobering statistics are even more cause to get involved. Its really important to ; remember that the issues that we find on campus are likely because of a broader scope of issues in I our community or in our society or in our country, and thats why it cant just stop with our ; activism on campus, Weisgal said. We have to magnify our efforts. |