(December 11, 2007) — Freshaman Arsen Pirijanyan has a dilemma—money or community service? At the beginning of the school year, guidance teacher Judy Sanzo assigned the community service project to her freshmen—ten hours of community service to be done by January—to get her students to become more well-rounded. However, Pirijanyan has mixed feelings about this assignment’s value. “I don’t know,” Pirijanyan said in response to the question of how he first felt about the assignment. “I didn’t really like it because you help others and you don’t really get much back.” Pirijanyan said he has other priorities, such as a new phone and a new car. He believes that community service will not help him with his dream job of working with computers either, because besides the medical field, community service won’t help you choose a job field. Sanzo, however, believes that community service should be balanced into a student’s life. According to Sanzo, some students need to be guided to become aware of the difference they can make. “By being guided and realizing that they make a positive difference, they take away a positive intrinsic reward,” she said. Some students with more experience feel that community service is not just a time-killer after all. Senior class president Beny Babu said that community service gives her an opportunity to give to society rather than to focus on herself. “I always put people before me,” Babu said. To her, the reward presents itself inside when she knows she did a good thing; money is a lesser priority. Babu aims at 700 hours, and advises that freshmen start their service now if they want a special recognition for 100 hours of service at graduation. Instead of confining community service to one thing, one can do a variety of activities. Among her services, Babu volunteered at the YWCA, at her church and at a nursing home. “There are so many people out there that need help,” Babu said. “When you just go and help them you feel like you’re giving more to the community instead of just focusing on yourself.” Babu’s dream is to be a pediatrician, and by working with children at church and the YWCA, she said she develops the skills she needs for that particular job. She said that community service can help you with any fi eld. A potential computer programmer may volunteer in any organization that needs computer help, and an aspiring actor may volunteer in a day cay center, reading stories to children and developing oral skills. Babu feels that incorporating community service in school is essential for students, that freshmen may not appreciate its value, but once they actually get out there, they may enjoy giving to the community. “It’ll change them just because you require them to do it.” Although Pirijanyan doesn’t particularly appreciate the community service assignment, he found at least one thing worth his time—helping out at Edison Elementary, his former school. “At that school—definitely. I’ll do anything for that school.” According to Babu, choosing a service you enjoy is the key to community service. “If you pick something you like and you enjoy doing it, you will get more out of it.”