Two weeks ago, the Technique claimed that Greeks head philanthropic efforts at Tech. Last week, a letter to the editor asserted that one specific service organization drives volunteering. Both of these statements are false and dramatically underestimate the scope of service activities that take place at Tech.
The service that goes on at Tech is so abundant that it is nearly uncountable. There are over forty student organizations that focus on some aspect of the spectrum of service, from direct service to awareness to philanthropy and fundraising. Beyond this, many other organizations such as religious groups, honor societies, and fraternities and sororities focus some or most of their efforts on giving back to their community. Numerous students serve individually without campus organizations, and many faculty and staff members are involved in community service. Each of these efforts is making an impact on the world outside of Tech, and whether small or large, their impact is still significant. It is impossible to claim that one organization drives these efforts. The drive comes from the individual members of the Tech community who understand their potential to make a difference and their calling to give back. It is the passion of these students, faculty, and staff that manifests itself through all kinds of organizations and individual efforts.
I find it distasteful that the representative one service organization would refer to his group as “the premier volunteer community service organization at Tech.” Aside from the fact that such an obviously biased statement is easily debated, such an opinion should never even be expressed in the first place. If the end goal of service is bettering our community, then we should celebrate when other groups are working toward that same goal. I question whether the author of the previous letter is more interested in serving the community or serving his own interests. While touting accomplishments of serving the greater Atlanta community, he ironically created discord within our own Tech community. The organization he represents does undeniably fantastic work, but to magnify its accomplishments by downplaying the works of other organizations is unacceptably disrespectful. Such bickering only detracts from the overall purpose of serving the community.
With this letter, I hope to put to rest the competition of “who serves the community better.” I’d like to give credit where credit is due- to every one of the many Yellow Jackets who engages in serving the community.
Lisa Thornsberry
Fourth-year CHBE