As the holiday season begins on Howard University’s campus, so does Howard’s plethora of on-campus organizations dedicated to service.
Howard University has constantly shown itself as an institution where students champion social change.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Chapter, hosted a canned food drive for Thanksgiving. Jarrod Huey, a junior finance major and a member of Omega Psi Phi, oversaw and facilitated donations in Blackburn University Center on behalf of his fraternity on Nov. 13.
“We’re going to be collecting cans, and then we’re gonna donate them to the shelter this weekend because we feel like everyone should celebrate Thanksgiving. Everybody should be able to celebrate with the people they love, and if they can’t be with the people they love, they should at least have some food,” Huey said.
This drive was also in alignment with the organization’s national initiatives.
“It’s important for my organization, specifically, because it’s part of our achievement week, which is a nationally mandated program that we do across the country, actually across the globe, and we just like to bring help and awareness to [these] causes,” he continued.
In addition to on-campus organizations, student council administrations have also found it important to showcase their commitment to service this season.
According to the United States Census Bureau, 13.3 percent of the D.C. metro area lives under the poverty line. That approximates to 91,709 people in D.C. alone. For families living in poverty, the financial pressure of the holiday season can be debilitating. For families and individuals, having money for feasts and presents isn’t always realistic and can cause the holiday season to be stressful.
Julius Shanks, president of The Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts Student Council, feels that his council’s service should be spread as far and wide as possible.
College of Fine Arts Student Council members have committed to serving in their hometowns. All COFA Council members have agreed to give back to their respective communities in ways unique to them through sharing their talents and studies off campus.
As students studying within the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, each council member will take their preferred medium, whether that be theater arts or music therapy, and share it with their hometowns.
“For me, I’m gonna be going back to my old high school and middle school, and I’m going to be performing for those students and helping them in their theater classes,” he said.
Howard’s ELITE Models Organization, whose motto is “role models by day, runway models by night,” decided to give back to the community this season through a clothing drive with all the proceeds going towards the Central Union Mission D.C., a local homeless shelter.
Lyayla Lynch, a junior psychology major minoring in human development and head of community service for ELITE Models, feels it is important to take their motto seriously.
“ELITE feels like it’s very important because our motto is ‘role models by day, runway models by night,’” said Lynch. “So we find it very important to give back to the community and make sure everybody can stay warm this winter season,” she said.
Copy edited by Whitney Meritus
