Michelle Obama Challenges George Washington Students
Michelle Obama likes to say that, in spite of her public obligations, she is first and foremost a parent. And like a mother coaxing a child to be good with the promise of a reward, the first lady has promised to speak at George Washington University's 2010 commencement ceremony if the GW community completes 100,000 hours of community service before the May ceremony, the GW Hatchet reports.
Activities like volunteerism, service learning, and federal work study will count toward the service goal. For GW students to complete Obama's challenge by next year's May 16 commencement ceremony, students will have to volunteer an average of 405 total hours per day, which breaks down to a perfectly reasonable 10 hours of service per undergrad over the course of the year.
Obama's announcement coincides with GW's Freshman Day of Service and the eighth anniversary of 9/11, which President Barack Obama declared a national day of service. Student Association President Julie Bindelglass said that she invited the first lady to the Freshman Day of Service over the summer, and when Obama said that she could not attend, the idea to propose the challenge emerged.
Last year, Michelle Obama spoke at commencement ceremonies for the University of California-Merced.
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Tags: colleges | Washington, DC | George Washington University | Michelle Obama
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A regression in social and political development
So-called community service that is required or "encouraged" is a regression in social and political development. It is a regression to a time when peasants paid their taxes in the form of labor at their lord's direction, or when Egyptian farmers spent the non-farming season building pyramids as directed. It teaches many bad lessons: that unpaid labor is nobler than paid labor; that one's labor is subject to involuntary conscription or "challenge" at the behest of the powerful (in opposition to this principle, we even abolished the military draft in this country); that a donation of labor is worthier than a donation of money derived from labor; that the collectivist objects to which this labor is directed are inherently worthy objects; and, most insidiously, that a truly voluntary donation of labor is of no special merit since such donation is an obligation. Further, at a wage of zero, unpaid community service unfairly competes with those poor persons who need a paying job and could do the work. It would be better to fund those jobs with cash (instead of labor) donations. Also, isn't it curious that the vast majority of the beneficiaries of community service who vote would vote for the Democratic party?
So, the George Washington students should take their 100,000 hours and spend them in paid labor and donate the wage proceeds to charity in the manner and to the extent they wish to do so.
No" Ms.G "on menu
If it were not for journalism majors putting lipstick on your marionette we would not have to lose sleep over the fate of our Nation & traditions.
Wow, this is amazing
Since when is it popular to be selfish, illiterate, violent, and down right mean. You all need to wake up and realize that you are making Americans look like the clowns the world thinks we are. All of a sudden rural white america is the face of our country. If I hear one more person compare the president to hitler, castro, or any other dictator I am gonna scream. We are a democracy and President Obama was voted in fairly. You lost, McCain/Palin lost. I for one think the President is handling this country with intelligence and grace. I dont need a journalism major trying to fix problems that are way beyond her pay grade. Let your voices be heard, but be respectful of all others opinions because we who voted for President Obama are the majority now.
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