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Photo courtesy Anela Holck / Assistant Photo Editor
With Saturday’s sunrise came 1,380 Pepperdine students and faculty to Eddy D. Field Baseball Stadium to begin Step Forward Day 2005. That was an increase of at least 30 volunteers more than last year’s event.
Volunteers were served bagels and juice to awaken their senses and gear them up for the day’s activities.
However, the key to bringing the students out of their early morning stupor was the announcement of the day’s speaker.
A ripple of excitement surged through the crowd as Sean Astin, known for his work as Sam Gamgee from “Lord of the Rings” and Rudy from “Rudy,” made his way toward home plate.
Astin has been a part of several community outreach programs. He explained to Pepperdine volunteers the importance of community service.
Following Astin’s address, students and faculty set off in shuttles, buses and even on foot to their destinations. These destinations varied immensely, not only in location but also in the projects assigned to the volunteers.
Seth Allingham, a Pepperdine Volunteer Center intern in charge of transportation for the event, said that there were a few glitches throughout the day, but spirits were still high.
“By and far we’ve heard plenty of positive feedback,” he said.
One of the groups to venture off of campus was the Pepperdine women’s swim team. The swimmers and their coaches traveled to nearby Malibu Creek State Park to collect synthetic garbage.
The group picked up bottles, cans and dirty diapers. It also encountered bees and poison ivy. Even though the activity did not appear enticing, freshman Katie Hakim had other thoughts.
“As trivial as collecting trash may sound, it is a dire need in society and somebody has to do it,” Hakim said. “There is a myriad of more ‘respectful’ charity work to do, but my job today was to see that others can participate in those more prestigious activities and not have to worry about a forest fire. I helped prevent a forest fire today, and that in itself is fulfilling.”
Other volunteer destinations and tasks included the Dream Center in inner-city Los Angeles, visits to homeless shelters, retirement homes and cerebral palsy centers, and assistance to St. Monica’s Parish with an upcoming carnival.
Pepperdine students and faculty who participated in Step Forward Day truly put others first an themselves last, regardless of whether their assignments involved teaching children to read, putting up posters or picking up trash, Hakim said.
“I may have made an insignificant difference of one small step today, but as a whole we all took that giant leap forward,” Hakim said.
Submitted 09-15-2005
MALIBU, CA
