Rock the Community 2015
Over 150 Simon’s Rock Volunteers to Participate in Annual Community-Wide Day of Service
On Saturday, September 26, 2015, Bard College at Simon’s Rock held its fourth annual Rock the Community: A Day of Service in Honor of Emily Fisher. The event was established to celebrate the leadership of Emily Fisher, former chair of the Board of Overseers, for her commitment to both the College and the community more broadly.
Over 150 students, faculty, and staff volunteered approximately 400 hours of service to community projects. Volunteers fanned out to sites from Great Barrington to Sheffield to pitch in. “Rock the Community is another chance to apply what we learn in the classroom to the outside world,” explained Director of Activities Valerie Fanarjian. “Whether we’re helping control invasive species at the lake, working to bring food from the garden to the table, or interacting with the elderly, these activities influence how we navigate our everyday lives.”
Simon’s Rock students have a long history of volunteering at a variety of sites in the Berkshires. Organizing all of the programs under a single umbrella reinforces the importance of community service. Rock the Community also helps introduce new students to the area they will be calling home for the next few years, create a closer tie between the community and the College, and greater awareness of the service initiatives the College supports.
In addition to on-campus events (Interpretive Trail maintenance, Sugar Shack, apple picking, Community Garden clean-up, campus-wide cleanup, and letter writing to service men and women), Rock the Community served the following sites:
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Adopt-A-Highway (Route 7 N, GB)
12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Appalachian Trail Conservancy
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Riverwalk with Greenagers
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Drury Preserve, The Nature Conservancy
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Railroad Street Youth Project
2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Fairview Commons, Musical Performance