On Community Service and Into the Streets
By Victoria Sananikone, Staff Writer
My initial perspective of east St. Louis mirrored that of everyone else’s: a dangerous zone of crime that was unsafe to visit. After visiting the area for a service project, my perspective was altered, and I now feel that east St. Louis may not be as unapproachable as everyone seems to believe.
Our goal within McKendree University is to project a selfless institution that gives back to the community without hesitation. We channeled this notion within my University 101 class as we commuted to east St. Louis.
There, we targeted an old church called New Haven to help clean and organize. Immediately we were greeted by members of the church who welcomed us with smiles and laughter, thanking us repeatedly for coming out to help them when we could have been ...