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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Barry Unger
Washington, DC
13 September 2006
watch Volunteerism report
In the United States, volunteering has long been a part of the American way of life. In 2005, roughly a fifth of the U.S. population participated in volunteer activities. More than eight million of those people were between the ages of 18 and 24. VOA's Barry Unger looks at some college students who are volunteering in the Washington area. Crystal Park narrates1.
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First year student, Virginia, volunteering at Bancroft Elementary School
Things are not getting off to a good start for Virginia, a first-year student at American University, on this hot summer day. She is attempting to connect a hose to an outdoor water faucet2, and the water is spraying everywhere.
Virginia is one of 10 college students volunteering at Bancroft Elementary School in Washington. After the hose situation is resolved, the volunteers receive some instructions, and are ready to begin working.
They are volunteering here for three days as part of the Freshman3 Service Experience. More than 520 incoming freshmen4 at American University volunteered for the program. They perform community service throughout the Washington area, before they even begin taking classes.
Carolyn Phenicie
Carolyn Phenicie is a sophomore5 at American University. She participated in the program last year and is a group leader at Bancroft Elementary this year.
"They have a lot of trouble with storm water runoff when it rains. So, we are trying to help them do [fix] that by digging, and putting gravel6 in some of their tree beds, and then we are going to help with one of the beds by the playground," said Phenicie.
Iris7 Rothman
Community volunteer Iris Rothman helped set up the event at Bancroft. The students quickly won her over. "I think they are terrific. Just the fact that, when they found out they would be digging holes in the heat, they did not say, 'Oh my God, no.' I was impressed," said Rothman.
Bancroft Elementary is one of 44 sites participating in the program this year. Students also worked at multi-cultural centers, food banks and a variety of other places.
American University has been running the program for 15 years. Organizers say it provides students with a different type of education. Marcy Fink Campos is the director of A.U.'s Community Service Center.
Marcy Fink Campos
"Incoming freshmen are going to be spending the next four years of their lives here. And, while their studies are a really important part of that, we want them to know they live in the capital city," said Fink Campos. "They live in a place that has many different concerns, issues and needs like any other urban area. And the best way to learn about that is not in their books, but to go out in the community, and learn what the non-profit sector8 is doing, what the churches are doing, what is going on in the schools."
Back at Bancroft Elementary, the students are immersed in their work.
Caitlin Green
Freshman Caitlin Green says the value of community service is something she learned at home.
"I come from an upper-middle class family. But, they have always wanted to make sure I understood how lucky I was to be where I am," said Green. "They always made a point of getting me involved [in the community], because they were themselves and still are."
But not all student volunteers have a choice. The eastern U.S. state of Maryland requires all high school students to engage in community service to graduate. School districts across the country have implemented9 similar requirements.
The American University students had a mixed reaction to the idea of mandatory10 community service.
"I know it is mandatory in a lot of schools and people like it. I do not think it is a bad idea. I think schools could do a lot more to promote volunteerism," said freshman Kelly Doffing11.
Zoey Rappaport
Freshman Zoey Rappaport said the mandatory service may turn off some students. "I think a lot of people see it as an obligation, something they have to do, and not something they enjoy," she said.
Julie Howard is the volunteer coordinator12 for Greater DC Cares, a volunteer center in the Washington area. She says the mandatory requirements have led to a rise in youth volunteerism.
"We have this whole group of people, who are emerging from high school, who really love volunteering, and have been doing it their entire lives. So, they continue through college. They continue after college. And it is just a great way for them to give back to the community," said Howard.
After spending a day helping13 teachers organize their classrooms, the students at Bancroft are back outside working. Group leader Carolyn Phenicie is impressed with the freshman students.
"I am really, really proud of the kids. You have these girls that are not that big. They are hoisting14 around 80 pound bags of concrete, digging holes in trenches15, and just getting dirty. I am proud of them," she said.
Phenicie and several other students have professed16 an interest in continuing their community service at Bancroft Elementary during the school year.
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narrates
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| v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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faucet
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| n.水龙头 | |
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freshman
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| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
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freshmen
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| n.（中学或大学的）一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 ) | |
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sophomore
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| n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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implemented
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| v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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mandatory
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| adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者 | |
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doffing
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| n.下筒，落纱v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的现在分词 ) | |
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coordinator
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| n.协调人 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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