Last year’s Community Day included a lineup of speakers and activities, but one component that was absent?
Service.
While the school used to set aside a day hosted by a Service Learning Club, making time for service in the school calendar has been gone for years.
Until now.
Carys Hsiung, USC co-Vice President, led the initiative this fall to bring Service Day to campus.
“Service Day is meant to not only gain traction for not only the sophomores who are currently required to submit service hours… but to serve as a reminder that service is a great way of … helping communities who receive less resources,” Hsiung said.
The event will take place Jan. 31.
One aspect of last year’s Community Day agenda that has carried into 2025 is hosting a keynote speaker. This year, Tracy Nielson, Executive Director of HandsOn Twin Cities, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting volunteers with a variety of opportunities.
Nielson plans to speak on the importance of volunteerism. She will also lead a panel, consisting of two to four students actively partaking in volunteer work outside of school hours.
Additionally, the Culture Fair is returning, because USC felt the student body showed the most active participation in the culture fair last year.
“We’re gonna try to make it longer because I think that’s what most people liked from last year,” Hsiung said.
Many student groups or individuals operating tables use the time to offer informational posters or activities to educate their peers.
USC intends to utilize the Driscoll Family Commons, so all booths, including those offering food, can be in the same space. Last year, groups offering food were in the cafeteria, while others were set up in the small gym.
USC hopes to dedicate more time to the fair based on the feedback from the 2024 Community Day.
Sophomore Eliza Bray, who worked at one of the Chinese tables in the Culture Fair last year, believes there is value in making space for these events.
“I think the whole idea is to share more about your culture, especially to people at school who might not know about it, [and] it’s also just … a fun way to get together and participate in activities,” Bray said. “I go to a grocery store to grab snacks, etc., and that’s what I usually contribute.”
Sophomore Sam Hilton appreciated this component of the fair. “The food was probably my favorite,” Hilton said.
During the Service Day planning process, Hsiung contacted various volunteer-based organizations, including Star House, a crisis nursery, and Period Kits MN, a nonprofit dedicated to packing menstrual product kits.
“I first made a list of all of the organizations that SPA has partnered with in the past, either for the Service Night that occurred last year in April [hosted by Community Action and Service] or from the 2016-17 Service Day. We then voted on three organizations in USC, and I sent emails before and during break to see whether organizations wanted to partner with us,” Hsiung said.
“Initially, we did not hear back from as many organizations as we wanted,” she added, “so we had to try to incorporate some SPA clubs as well.”
Both organizations will host packing-based activities at SPA using materials collected from drives leading up to the event.
For Star House, suitable donations include diapers, winter clothing, children’s clothing, and hygiene products. The organization accepts used calming toys (but not stuffed animals), office supplies, books and pajamas, but all other items must be new.
Period Kits MN, whose primary goal is to provide period kits to those experiencing homelessness and poverty, accepts donations of pads and tampons.
Donation collection wagons are posted in Huss and Davern lobby entrances at the school.
Even as supplies are collected, the planning continues: “I recently reached out to Cards for Hospitalized Kids to see whether they wanted to host a service activity,” Hsiung said. “This was my first time planning an event on this scale, so it was really rewarding for me to receive good news during the outreach process and also gain insight into the planning that goes behind big school-wide events”.
Service Day replaces all classes on Jan 31.
Project: Service Day
Hsiung leads effort to reimagine the community initiative
GIVING BACK. Upper School Council meets Jan. 13 to finalize communications for the Jan. 31 Service Day. “Service has received less emphasis in the SPA community, especially after the service requirement was removed for the current juniors,” USC co-Vice President Carys Hsiung said. Hsiung (second from front) led the planning efforts around bringing the event to campus this month.
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Wynter Feiner, Staff Writer
My name is Wynter Feiner (she/her). I work as a Staff Writer for The Rubicon, RubicOnline and Ibid yearbook. I love to spend time with family and friends and write. I can be reached at [email protected].