400 Students Go Har'd CORPS

Over 400 Harvard students rolled up their shirtsleeves on Saturday and worked on one of 16 different community service projects organized by Har'd CORPS, a community service organization started by Stephen N. Smith `02.

The day began with breakfast outside the Science Center, courtesy of Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS).

At 10 a.m., the participants split off to work on their separate projects.

Forty students handed out leaflets at major Boston destinations describing an upcoming AIDS walk sponsored by Aerosmith.

Forty Harvard students cleared 20 cubic yards of trash from the Alewife Reservation-100 acres of swamp, forest and fields housing hundreds of species of animals. They exhumed tires and shopping carts, a 300-pound safe, a steel gallon drum and even a kitchen sink.

The Hyde Park Community Center, which offers continuing education classes for adults and afterschool programs for children, asked Har'd CORPS to repaint their teen center.

Volunteers signed up as individuals or as teams. Margaretta E. Homsey '04 cleaned nature trails with Horizons for Youth, an organization that takes inner-city youth into the wilderness for a week of hiking.

Emilie S. Fitzmaurice `04 picked the 16 projects from a list of around 70 that she compiled. Projects had to be close by, fun and "hands-on," she said.

"I've wanted to do more service this semester. The service day helped those of us who can't do stuff every week," Abigail S. Burger '04 said.

Burger did "lots of laundry" at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter with a group of students from Collegium Musicum, the Crimson Key Society and faculty from the Classics department.

Julie P. Hackenbracht `04 also worked at the shelter. It was her first time working there, but she was impressed the shelter is completely student-run and says she might be back in the future.

"As an organization, we are always looking for ways to attract people to service in the long term, and support the ongoing programs that hundreds of Harvard students are already a part of," Smith said.

Kristin J. Hung `04, who sang with the a cappella group Under Construction at a nursing home, described the day as "a really moving experience. I feel so sheltered from the real world here at college. In high school I was much more exposed to the community."

At 2:30 p.m., students met back at the Science Center for an HUDS barbeque and a performance by the student band Subject to Change.

"This was a great community building activity," Homsey said. "Plus there was lots of free food and awesome bands in the afternoon."