TO THE EDITOR:
I was disappointed to read the opinion in The Daily Tar Heel this Monday that service-learning is an “excessive requirement” of the Buckley Public Service Scholars Program (BPSS).
The writer’s misinformed classification of service-learning as an opportunity to “preach to the choir” reminds us exactly why it is a requirement of BPSS.
Service learning is an opportunity to integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection, allowing participants to collaboratively place their experiences in perspective.
Without perspective, my hundreds of hours of community service are fairly insignificant.
Although I may be able to help a student learn algebra or help a family build a house, I am doing nothing to address the underlying issue of why a family is homeless or why a student is behind in algebra.
The experiences that I have been privileged to participate in through a variety of service-learning opportunities have challenged me to ask not just what I can do to make a situation better today, but what I can do to eliminate the very need for this service tomorrow.
My participation in service-learning courses has been one of the most collaborative and meaningful experiences that I have been a part of at UNC.
Jacob Frumkin ’13
Mathematics
