Agricultural Students Serve Campus, Community, State, Nation
by Jenny Matthews

If you dedicated your hands to larger service or you lived to serve, chances are you were in a community-service-oriented organization.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources supports organizations that value service. This is evident by the caliber of community-service projects in which the students of CASNR participate.

“All of the organizations I am involved in have excellent community-service programs,” said Jonathon Knopfel, agricultural leadership junior. “What I like about CASNR is being involved in organizations that are involved in the community.”

Students who help the community learn and grow outside and inside the classroom. Many organizations base their values on this philosophy.

“One of Alpha Zeta’s fraternal goals is to be involved in the community in which we live,” said Jenna Noah, animal science junior. “Members gain awareness of social issues and grow personally through helping others in the community.”

The activities Alpha Zeta selects each year change with what members feel is important.

“Each year the officer team selects the events Alpha Zeta will participate in,” Noah said. “Having six to eight community-service activities a year encourages members and pledges to get involved in the community.”

Hunting for Help

Other clubs, like the newly formed Leadership League, chose a service-related theme, “Preventing Hunger,” and launched a service project, “Hunt for Hunger.”

“Poverty is a big issue,” said Ashley Marquart, animal science and agricultural leadership junior. “So many different countries can’t feed their people. The statistics on hunger really made me realize that there needed to be something done.”

Leadership League invited all CASNR organizations and individuals to participate in this event. Each club was given an area of Stillwater to hunt for nonperishable food items. By the end of the night, 14 organizations had collected 1,106 items from Stillwater residents.

All the items were donated to Mission of Hope, just in time for them to be sorted and distributed for the holiday season. The mission houses homeless and needy residents and helps these individuals find employment in the Stillwater area. Leadership League plans to hold the event again in October.

“I am really glad so many people were able to help us,” Marquart said. “I hope this year more organizations will be able to participate.”

Christmastime Caring

The Hunt for Hunger is one way clubs help the community during the holiday season. Another creative way CASNR has contributed to the community during the holidays is the Agricultural Student Council Christmas Tree Philanthropy.

“The Christmas trees were a unique idea with a significant impact on the community,” said Dwayne Cartmell, OSU agricultural communications assistant professor and Ag Student Council senior adviser. “The project was easy for several organizations to do. It helped to make the college visible and spread holiday cheer throughout the community.”

Hobby Lobby of Stillwater donated artificial Christmas trees to give to each student organization in CASNR. The trees were then decorated and donated to the Stillwater Housing Authority. The newly decorated trees were given to families in the community who could not afford Christmas decorations. By using an artificial tree, the recipients can enjoy the tree year after year, Cartmell said.

“This is a project that has an impact on the receiver for years to come,” Cartmell said. “They get to keep the trees, so each year we are helping a new set of people.”

Another holiday project unique to CASNR is the Live Nativity Scene, which Cowboys for Christ has put together on the Edmon Low Library Lawn for the past 10 years. The members act out the nativity with live animals. It is free entertainment for anybody on campus or in the community who would like to attend.

“We do it to show our faith and a little bit about our organization to the community,” said Chelsea Farris, animal science graduate. “We just want to do something nice for the Stillwater community.”

National Recognition

In addition to the personal satisfaction gained through community service, some CASNR clubs have received national recognition for their efforts. The Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow received the 2005 National Community Service Award from the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.

“This award shows our involvement in the community,” said Gail Banzet, agricultural communications senior. “It proves our commitment to the chapter and the community.”

The Ronald McDonald House is ACT’s national philanthropy. OSU ACT donated toiletry items and household supplies at the December club meeting. In the spring, ACT members collected pull-tabs from aluminum cans and donated money during the local 4-H Kids Helping Kids Campaign, which raises funds for RMH in Oklahoma.

OSU ACT members also served as reading buddies at Highland Park Elementary and Sunnybrook Christian Academy. In this program, college students are paired with elementary students to read together for 30 minutes each week.

Several other organizations participated in reading buddies, and the program benefited everyone because of the one-on-one interaction between students, Banzet said.

Other opportunities to get involved

In addition to these community-service programs, CASNR students also can participate in several campuswide community-service events throughout the year.

Into the Streets, which is in early November at OSU, is a national volunteer program that gives clubs, organizations and individuals an opportunity to give back to the community through service. OSU has consistently put on one of the largest and most active community-service efforts in the nation.

Fellowship and fund raising are the name of the game when it comes to Relay for Life. This American Cancer Society event is a nationwide community-service activity that brings cancer research to the forefront of everyone’s mind. Stillwater holds different Relay for Life events, one in the fall for the community and one in the spring for the university.

The Big Event is a national service project sponsored by the OSU Student Government Association. Each spring its goal is to get organizations to help the residents of Stillwater have a better place to live.

“The Big Event allows us to do something for someone who needs it,” said Megan McConaghy, agribusiness senior. “If we aren’t helping other people, we really aren’t doing much for ourselves because you grow a lot when you put yourself aside.”
Some students use their interests and skills to volunteer in the community on a weekly basis. One place agricultural students in particular can use their skills is at Turning Point Ranch.

Turning Point Ranch is a therapeutic riding center northeast of Stillwater. At the ranch, people with disabilities receive equine therapy.

“It is a valuable project because of the joy it brings to children who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity,” said Kristen Marcus, Turning Point Ranch volunteer and CASNR graduate. “Without volunteers, this program wouldn’t exist.”

None of these community-service programs would exist without the dedication of CASNR students' time and energy. Through their efforts, students continue to grow outside the classroom as they make a transition into the workforce.