Volunteer Speech

Perks of Being a Volunteer

Speech written by D’Mone’ Clendinen

Date: 12/1/2013

A volunteer and lawyer die and go to heaven. As Saint Peter opens the pearly gates to the lawyer, the volunteer hears a great musical fanfare. The Lord himself appears and greets the lawyer. Saint Peter closes the gate behind him. As the celebration dies down and the last angel floats away, Saint Peter opens the gate for the volunteer. No music, no angels, nothing. Confused, the volunteer looks to Saint Peter for an explanation. "Oh, we get volunteers in here all the time. This was our first lawyer."  

A volunteer is a person who performs a service willingly and without pay. Volunteering is usually viewed as work for the angels of society because of the sometimes menial tasks that are completed. Being a volunteer is being a part of something greater than you. You get a chance reaping the rewards such as community service hours, the experience of shouldering responsibility, checking on your status in the actual community rather than just the virtual one, and finally, the incomparable experience of helping those in your community.

First, as a volunteer you may gain community service hours. It is important because many jobs and colleges look for people who are an asset to their institution. People who work with others and accomplish a task are its primary focus. College admission officers look at volunteer hours as a way to weed out students who are not well rounded. Second, volunteers experience responsibility learning time management and leadership. It gives volunteers a goal, helping others with the aid and support by others.

Most importantly, this act of kindness is a huge reality check. As teenagers or young adults, we tend think of ourselves way more than we should. What we do not realize or understand is that there are more people in the community with worse issues than what we think is the end of our world. So instead of wallowing in your own issues, volunteering gives a deeper look as to what is actually occurring right around us. We learn to be sympathetic to the elderly in the nursing homes, homeless mothers and families in shelters, or children in foster homes. Volunteering offers a chance for self- evaluation, granting you the ability to realistically see how others perceive you.  

Some might say that volunteering is a waste of time because there is no pay, but being a volunteer has its perks. It’s not about getting compensated. That’s what you get from a job. Volunteering is doing something greater than yourself for the betterment of your community. Whether it’s just for community service hours, personal enjoyment, or experiencing leadership and self-reflection. Remember the volunteers usually do not have the time; they just have the heart.

 

 

Press Release

Dress for Success Worldwide
32 East 31st Street 7th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Ph: 212.532.1922
Fax: 212.684.9563
worldwide@dressforsuccess.org

CONTACT: D’Mone’ Clendinen

email: dmone.clendinen@spartasn.ut.edu

Date: November 28, 2013

Putting Women Back on the Grid

Help empower women and get them back on their feet.

Tampa, Fl November 20, 2013 – Many women are at a disadvantage in trying to reenter the workforce. Dress for Success became well-known for providing suits to disadvantaged women returning to or entering the workforce. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and additional week's worth of clothing when she becomes employed. Many Dress for Success affiliates provide more than just a suit, and when available, supply the women they serve with other pieces of clothing and accessories such as shoes, scarves, jewelry or other interview-appropriate items. The goal is for each woman to leave Dress for Success with a complete outfit that will help her feel confident in her interview and land a job.

Dress for Success table in Vaughn Lobby.

The Sassy Sigma Nu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated hosted a Dress for Success Jewelry Drive on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 in collaboration with the Dress for Success Organization in Tampa. Members of the University of Tampa were asked to donate any jewelry that were not using to help supply unemployed women with the right kind of flair for their job interviews.

Imani Brathwaite, a junior who donated several pieces, said, “I think the drive was really successful. It opened my eyes to the smaller things that nobody pays much attention to. I think it is great that so many students and even faculty contributed… it was for a great cause.”

 The next Jewelry Drive will be December 5^th and 6^th in Vaughn Lobby. The women of Sigma Nu believe that accessories are just as important as the actual suit because it adds confidence and puts the finishing touches on the overall outfit.

 

News

October 11, 2013

Cracking Up or Not?

By D’Mone’ Clendinen



Carlie & Doni are taking the fresh faced comedy scene by storm

The last comedic performance, Carlie and Doni, shook Reeves Theatre with their musical comedy act on September 11, produced by UT Student Productions. The room was jam-packed; laughter was seeping through the cracks under the door. They poked fun about the struggles of women in life and being in college. The line-up this year promises more laugher, however, many students think that the acts brought to perform could be better. Some are looking for an opportunity for input.

            An unofficial survey rating comedy performances at UT was conducted.  About 70% of the 15 students questioned rated the acts as low. When asked why, the most common answer was that they felt that the acts aren’t advertised enough, corny, and do not appeal to a majority of the student body. It is hard to appeal to everyone, but they wonder how acts are supposed to excel if students cannot put in their two cents to decide?

            Comedians are chosen by members of Student Productions who attend an annual conference for the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Performers display their talents for the attendees live. Then the attendees decide on which act will raise the roof. Of course they have a budget, and that affects who they can book.

While UT does not have established rules governing selections, members attending the NACA must also consider the content of the act. Marketing Chair Katie Drake said, “We watch their performance beforehand at NACA, so we know what to expect when they come to UT.”

However, some students think that this is a university and that we are all adults; there should be no limits.

While this is true, some comedians are unpredictable, so what happens if one dares to be bold and crosses the line? According to Drake, so far this hasn’t been a problem, but if the act becomes offensive, they will not hesitate to pump the brakes on the show.

Sammy Obeid making his statement.

However, you can be the judge if you attend the next comedy performance on October 16 at 8pm in Reeves Theatre by Sammy Obeid. He was recently featured on Conan after he performed his 1001^st consecutive night of performing standup in San Francisco, California. His acts can be viewed on www.sammyko.com.

 There is another act in November. Jamie Lee is one of the women from MTV’s GirlCode. So look out for the flyers because it will definitely be a show that will crack you up. Visit www.utstudentproductions.com to learn more about the upcoming performers.

 

 

Radio

SLUG           TITLE:  IT IS NOT FUNNY          D’MONE’ CLENDINEN
TIMING	NARRATOR
:60	HI. TODAY, I WILL BE CRACKING DOWN ON A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE, THE COMEDY ACTS BROUGHT TO CAMPUS. LET’S BE HONEST, COMEDY ACTS AT UT HAVE NOT BEEN WHAT MOST STUDENTS WERE EXPECTING. SOME STUDENTS THINK THAT THE PERFORMANCES BROUGHT TO CAMPUS ARE AS DULL AS DISH WATER. ALTHOUGH A FEW STUDENTS ARE NOT LEGALLY OF AGE, OLDER STUDENTS THINK THAT THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ADULTS DOMINATE, THERE SHOULD BE NO BLANK WALLS ON WHAT IS ALLOWED IN COMEDY ACTS. A FEW SECURITY OFFICIALS SAID,
:40	“THIS IS A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE ENTERTAINMENT, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO SET RULES. THIS IS A UNIVERSITY, NOT A PUBLIC COMEDY CLUB.”
:20	HOWEVER, WHEN STUDENTS COME TO COLLEGE, THEY ARE ALREADY EXPOSED TO CERTAIN INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS THAT WE ALL HID FROM OUR PARENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO UNTIL STUDENTS AND OFFICIALS AGREE ON A MEDIUM, THE DEPRESSING, CORNY COMEDY ACTS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN THE DUMP. I’M D’MONE’ CLENDINEN, SIGNING OFF.