The class of 2016 traveled to several different locations today to participate in the annual freshman community service day.

Advisories chose among several destinations, including Elkus Ranch, Resource Area for Teaching(RAFT), The Humane Society, Rose Garden, Eco Magic, Sunrise Village, Family Supportive Housing, and Acterra to help the community. Students were assigned various tasks based on their choice of community service.

“My advisory was working in the kitchen, so we put chips and cookies in bags and then cleaned the kitchen and sorted the cans. We all worked together to clean up the kitchen,” said freshman Anika Mohindra, who volunteered at the Sunrise Village.

Freshman Natasha Santhanam, who went to the Humane Society, thought that community service day was a way to bond for the right reasons.

“Community service is a good thing because it brings us all together for a good cause,” she said.

Freshman advisor Karl Kuehn also found community service day to be a bonding experience, as well as an act of goodwill.

“I think the best part of today was seeing my advisees giving back towards the community and having fun while decorating for Halloween,” he said.

Freshman Karen Qi believed that volunteering enhanced her growth outside the classroom.

“It’s important to [be wealthy] but it’s also important to give back to the community,” she said.

While many students found community service day to be an enjoyable experience, others found some parts of their day unsatisfactory.

Although Tong Wu (9) enjoyed playing with puppies and making toys for rabbits, she discovered her allergy towards cat fur when she was cleaning cat playgrounds and had to sit out on that activity.

At the end of the trip, freshmen were required to fill out a form documenting their experience during community service day. They will bring their completed form to their advisories on Thursday, October 18, for discussion and reflection.