FLEX Day Draws 450 for Community Engagement Projects
More than 450 每日大赛 freshmen, transfer students, faculty and staff gathered on Aug. 27 to clean, garden, paint and volunteer at community organizations throughout the region.
The Freshman La Verne Experience (FLEX) and New Student Community Engagement Day took students across Southern California 鈥� from the Church of the Brethren just blocks away from campus, to the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles.
It was their first academic experience at the university, and their first chance to connect with faculty and make new friends.
鈥淭oday is one of the first days at the 每日大赛 that you are majoring in your mission,鈥� said 每日大赛 President Devorah Lieberman. 鈥淧ick a discipline, but major in a mission. It will carry you through the rest of your life.鈥�
FLEX immerses incoming freshmen in learning communities 鈥� three courses the same students take together during the fall semester. Students are placed in communities based on their majors.
Dr. Kat Weaver, director of the La Verne Experience and associate professor of biology, urged students to get to know members of their FLEX communities. She also thanked participants for the impact their work has on the community.
鈥淭he community partners appreciate you so much. Your hours of community service that you do today will save the community thousands and thousands of dollars,鈥� Weaver said.
For Clara Brandt of San Diego, volunteer work is not new. The creative writing major has accumulated 300 volunteer hours for a San Diego County library, where she helps organize books and tutor students. She worked with her FLEX group at Amy鈥檚 Farm in Ontario.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready to have some fun.鈥�
Jack Kolodge, a freshman business major, worked with students at the Peace and Carrots Garden at the La Verne Church of the Brethren. Despite having an injured foot, he spent time shoveling compost materials. He said he has done much volunteer work here and abroad.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good to get the experience giving back to the community,鈥� he said.
Athletic training major Clinton Bocanegra, who transferred to the university from San Bernardino Valley College, said he has done some community service, but nothing like FLEX Day.
鈥淚鈥檝e never done anything to this scale,鈥� he said.
It was also a day of giving back for Orientation Week Leaders (OWLs), who participated as freshmen and returned to help new students get acclimated.
鈥淚f they do this without knowing each other, they can do anything together,鈥� said Josh Bay, a sophomore communications major. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bond they鈥檒l have for the rest of their lives.鈥�
Associate Professor of Education Dr. Lynn Stanton-Riggs and Instructor of Music Michael Ryan took their FLEX students to the Boys and Girls Club of Pomona to paint, clean and organize classrooms. The pair planned to harness the students鈥� energy from that experience and use it for a new task once they returned to the classroom: songwriting.
Students will use the theme of childhood emotions to write and record a song to be performed by children鈥檚 music group The Happy Crowd.
鈥淲e hope to do a concert on campus,鈥� Stanton-Riggs said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l perform their own music and ours.鈥�
