Since the beginning of the school year, there have been an abundance of changes occurring on the hilltop. Cushing is now closed and is undergoing extensive renovations, Saint Anselm was just granted one million dollars towards scholarships for low-income, first generation students and Campus Ministry has been working on a plethora of new programs for the student body.

However, one of the biggest changes has been a relatively unpublicized one. This year all clubs are now faced with a new requirement, every single one has to complete a total of fifteen mandatory community service hours.

According to the Secretary of Club Affairs Andrew Keyes, “This became official at the start of the new administration during the transition period, the hour requirement was brought up numerous amounts of times and the SGA President Emma Bishop thought it would be best if clubs participated around the campus and outside community even more. The requirement is officially in the SGA handbook and will be enforced heavily this year. The reactions from most clubs have been very positive, as most clubs had gone above the old policy of 10 hours and now it is officially 15 hours with 8-10 members must be in attendance to earn at least an hour.”

As with most legislation, reaction from many in the school community has been mixed

According to junior Aidan Denehy, President of History Society, “I think club service requirements are important. My frustration with them is that officers often seem to do a lot of work because the members don’t want to, when it should really be a club commitment. If you’re talking about the recent changes, I think it was unfair of SGA to make those changes without talking to clubs first. I know the recent change to service requirements are almost impossible for my club [History Society] to fulfill unless they change them or make an exception.”

Currently the History Society is not sure yet as to what type of service they will participate in. They are currently exploring opportunities for consistent and relevant community service projects between our club and the Manchester area.

On the other hand, Matt DeSchuiteneer, Class of 2018 and President for Hint of Lime, had a more positive reaction. “Personally, I think it’s an okay thing. Obviously, it should never come before the primary focus of the club, regardless of what club it is. However, I typically view it as a win win situation. For example, if Hint of Lime has a service singing gig off campus, its good practice and keeps us on track in addition to providing a service to the community. I do wish that more requirements played into the actual functions of the clubs, but I do see how it is easier sometimes to just have a club do some clean up or something like that.”

Saint Anselm College is already ranked 6th in the nation for community service by the Princeton Review. Saint A’s collaborates with over fifty institutions in the Manchester area to provide over eighteen thousands community service hours.