Do you agree with Dave Eggers that community service should be Essay

Do you agree with Dave Eggers that community service should be required for college students Why or why not - Essay Example As the saying goes, "get the leader and the masses will follow". I personally agree with Dave Eggers community development strategy, as it will not only benefit the community and the students but the nation as a whole. Students are like droplets of water and when gathered together to perform useful community activities they can be compared to enriching the ocean that surrounds them. These droplets should be used to enrich the community, for example even with a modest 9 hours a year requirement (the equivalent of less than two mornings a year), America would gain 54 million volunteer hours to invigorate the nation's nonprofit organizations such as churches, environment protection groups and college outreach programs; if the community service requirement is made compulsory for all private colleges. In other words, American is wasting 54 million precious volunteer hours a year. The next question to be answered is; would if the college students would like serve the community That is said to be the million dollar question, as they say, "you can take the horse to the water, but can't make it drink". I agree with this quote, but this statement is only true when the horse isn't thirsty. Using the "carrot and stick" method proposed by Dave Eggers, where the students are awarded up to three credits for community service, would get the majority of the students motivated. There are many advantages for the college students to become involved in community service, such as: Community service also helps enhance learning by allowing students to integrate course material with actual issues in a community setting. Community service also takes out the "curiosity" which many students have about the "real world" and would help the students gain valuable practical life experiences or even valuable history lessons, like meeting a World War II veteran. Another valuable ingredient for the idea of community service to be a long-term success that is needed is instilling patriotism amongst the students. Community service should be showcased as something to be proud of like when you high grades in the exam. This would remove the temptation to quit halfway through, which was the case for Dave Eggers. Prevention is better than cure; thus community service can prove to be the answer to many problems like drug addition, gangs, etc. Doing something constructive, like community services will stop the students from getting into destructive activities like drugs. Community service plays an important role in personality development. Volunteering will him the student be balanced and indulge in activities that will be to help others. Community service will also help the students develop and hone, "soft skills" that are very much in demand in today's job market. Community service can also act as an anti-depressant by being of service to others. At the same time, it is also important for the student to volunteer in that activity or activities that he or she likes, for example if a person is religious he or she should rather volunteer to help out at a church than at a conservation group. Programs such as the, President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary student community service and service-learning programs,