There is no justification for the unfounded allegations made by The Daily Free Press that the Community Service Center is charging too high a cost for its programs (“The high costs of volunteering,” Feb. 26, p. 4). Every penny from participation fees goes directly to providing educational volunteer experiences for BU students.

Unfortunately, BU does not have the endowment of an Ivy League school, but students in the CSC have never used this as an excuse for the quality of their programs. In fact, because of their excellent reputation of building lasting partnerships and providing high quality community service, CSC programs and volunteers are often sought out by local organizations. It is unfortunate that the Free Press chose to single out the only fee-based programs the Center offers. In doing so, the Free Press neglected to recognize the 11 other programs and countless one-time service opportunities the CSC provides each semester for free.

The idea that program fees are preventing students from volunteering is ludicrous. As program fees have increased over the past years to match rising costs, so has interest in CSC programs. ASB now boasts 25 trips with 334 volunteers, up from 12 trips and 162 volunteers in 2005. FYSOP now services 9 issue areas with 744 volunteers up from 8 issue areas and 555 volunteers in 2004. Scholarships are available for both programs to students who demonstrate need.

Many students walk down Commonwealth Avenue complaining about what is wrong with the university waiting for someone to do something to improve their surroundings. The students of the CSC see beyond our campus, recognizing not only the social injustices in Boston, but also issues which plague the country. They recognize that college is the point in their lives when they are most free to learn about the issues that concern them and do something to literally change the world for the better.

I agree that doing community service at BU should be as easy as possible. As our great alumnus Martin Luther King said, “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” Hundreds of students stand behind the excellent work that volunteers of the CSC perform every year. During the past fiscal year, more than 2,800 volunteers performed over 80,000 hours of community service with an estimated economic impact of more than $600,000. True, with help from an enormous endowment we could send students across the globe to perform service and forget about academics. However, I know countless students who wouldn’t trade their experience at BU or with the CSC for one year abroad and four in New Jersey.

Ben Dauksewicz

CGS ’05 CAS/GRS ’08