Boston University’s Community Service Center celebrated its 25th birthday on Friday, complete with a cake, a piñata and a station for decorating birthday cards for a senior citizens home in the Boston area.
More than 60 students joined the CSC directors at the former home of the Guitar Center on Commonwealth Avenue for the celebration. Director Lindsey Kotowicz spoke of the CSC’s mission, which she said has always been to help the community in any way possible since its founding in 1976.
“When addressing the needs of the city, constant issue areas tend to come up, like homelessness, hunger and any human health problems, which are just some of the things we focus on here,” Kotowicz said. “The main work from the administration perspective is to get as many students involved as possible, global citizens who are passionate about giving back.”
Kotowicz also said that the birthday party was meant to celebrate the students who have worked hard to give back to the community, rather than the growth of the CSC.
“The birthday party is meant to be a round of applause for the students,” Kotowicz said. “They very rarely give themselves a pat on the back or credit for the work that they have done.”
Amey Owen, a College of Arts and Sciences senior who works in the CSC, said the volunteers of the center are proud of their accomplishments, and that the 25th anniversary was the perfect time to celebrate.
“The birthday party is to celebrate not only the programs, but the volunteers,” Owen said. “We’re very proud of the work we’ve done, not only in the Boston area, but the community as a whole.”
College of Communication senior Quincy Wright said that he thought it was important for the CSC and its members to celebrate all their work.
“One reason I wanted to make this happen is that people don’t understand how long the CSC has been around,” he said. “It has an amazing legacy.”
“I’ve been involved since my sophomore year,” said Kate Burnham, a senior in CAS. “It just does so many great things for the community, and we never take the time to celebrate us.”
Many students who participate in the CSC said the center not only offers them a great way to help give back to the community, but also gives them a great group of friends who share common interests.
“It’s not just a center for community service,” said Sofía Gugliotta, a sophomore in the School of Education. “It’s a legitimate community.”
Elodie Paquette, a sophomore in CAS, said that the CSC is important not only for the community, but to the students who volunteer.
“At a school that’s so big like BU, it’s just a nice thing to have.” she said. “It’s like a family.”
Owen agreed that the CSC gives its participants a sense of belonging.
“Not only does it do so many great things, but it gives a sense of ground. It’s somewhere to go full of people who don’t judge and have smiling faces,” she said.
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