Dorm Residents Perform Community Service

Faculty member Maria Bowditch is pleased to recount some of the year’s community service efforts by the residents of Locke Hall:

Wednesday night in Locke Hall might mean microwave plus popcorn or mac ’n cheese. There will often also be teams returning from victories in golf or softball. Without a doubt, however, Wednesday night brings opportunities for community service. Students participate in various projects for some expected and traditional reasons. Tatiana Kalainoff ’13 joined Ladies of Locke (LOL) because the activities were fun and “even freshmen could easily participate.” She also got to know more people right from the start of the year. Tatiana organized the project, “Grateful for Good Food,” to thank the local restaurants that deliver to Blair. The girls filled posters with messages to the staff of Ho Ho’s and Frank’s, to name just two. According to Tatiana, the best part of the project was “the road trip when a group of girls made their own delivery (of the posters that is) with Mrs. Bowditch as chauffeur.”

Council Dawson ’13 found LOL an easy way to get involved in Blair life and coordinated the project, “Butterflies and Bouquets to Our Friends Downstairs.” (No, the girls did not trap Monarch butterflies!) Emily Boak ’13 created folding cards in the shape of butterflies to express LOL’s appreciation for the secretaries in the admission and Headmaster’s offices. Emily got involved because she has always participated in community service and “probably always will.” When asked about her favorite project, she couldn’t name just one. Emily and Hannah Huntley ’12 felt that the notes at Thanksgiving to all the faculty members at Blair was one of the best because “we got to show the teachers how important they are to us.”

LOL also tackled a “Happy Unbirthday” project to all the in-dorm staff /faculty and Brenda, who cleans the dorm. The tradition in Locke Hall is that the prefects decorate students’ door for their birthdays. LOL turned the tables and decorated the apartment door and the door to Brenda’s supply closet (see photo).

Other students joined LOL for some unexpected reasons. Mel Andreas ’13 joked that she was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that is how she began to help out. Another girl chimed in that she had no homework one Wednesday night and Mrs. Bowditch recruited her. The last project of the year recognizing the staff in the technology office was a favorite of Audrey Snyder ’13 and Elyse Pattaway ’13. As Elyse said, “When our computers break, the guys are always there for us.” Roving photographers, including Claudia Russell ’12, Ami Saito ’12 and Sam Kall ’13, took pictures of all the Locke girls with their computers – pictures that then became part of a paper chain to decorate the hallway by the tech office. Cupcakes completed the surprise thank you. Mr. Facciani, housemaster of Locke, commented that LOL “encourages our girls to look beyond their own lives and gain an appreciation of others in the community.”

Posted 6/1/2010

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