On Friday, August 28, Mitchell Moran-Kaplan, Ahmed Ibrahim, and Rebecca Guerrero got their first taste of Baltimore City as Goucher students—but in an expected way. As cars rumbled overhead on the Hanover Street Bridge, the first-year students hopped from rock to rock, picking up trash.
“It makes me feel really good that we’re getting involved in this so early on,” said Rebecca, who has done her share of community service work in the past. “We’re making a different; every little thing helps.”
The three were part of the nearly 500 first-year students, upperclassmen, faculty, and staff who tackled five South Baltimore sites for a day of service, partnering with local nonprofit Blue Water Baltimore.
Mitchell, who is from the area, said the project seemed like a good way to get students engaged in the city early on. “Baltimore is not just the Inner Harbor.” And as an international student from Bangladesh, Ahmed said it had been a rather surprising afternoon. “I’ve never heard of the United States having a dirty place,” he said, shifting a garbage bag in his hands. “You always hear of it only being clean.”
Director of Community-Based Learning Cass Freedland, who organized the event with Associate Director of Community-Based Learning Lindsay Johnson, said it was the second year Goucher has done such a wide-reaching community service project. “It was a great day for new students to make friends, meet faculty and staff, and help Blue Water Baltimore beautify Baltimore parks,” she said. “It extends Goucher’s longstanding commitment to the community, and gives participants a chance to better understand thoughtful ways that they can work, as partners, with community members.”
Ann Duncan, associate professor of religion, was at Cherry Hill Park working with others on forestry. She said the event wasn’t just a great conversation that started in the dorms, but one that even found its way into the classrooms.
“It’s the shared experience of it all—the backbreaking labor, the funny things that happened, the adventure,” Duncan said. “It also highlights the social justice issues Goucher really cares about and gives students a growing awareness. All of it coalesces together in a helpful and provocative way.”
She said the timing, just 36 hours after most first-year students arrive on campus, could seem odd, she thinks it’s perfect: “I think it’s important in getting them out the ‘Goucher bubble’ immediately.” Especially with recent unrest in Baltimore, Duncan said the trip may have quelled the fear or pre-conceived notion some students might have about the city.
Gianni Rodriguez, from Monroe, New York, said he appreciated the informational session before the work actually began. He learned about the history of the area, what the program was about, and how Goucher’s close-knit community expands into Baltimore. He also liked feeling helpful.
“I’ve been plowing through all these water bottles hiding in the crevasses in the trees,” he said. “It’s a little bit fun.”
Jasmine Beverly ’16, a student leader in the office of Community-Based Learning, was one of the upperclassmen to spend the day voluntarily doing manual labor and interacting with incoming students.
She ticked off a list of things she had seen pulled out of the Patapsco River on her watch. She also reported varying levels of enthusiasm at the project, but said she had seen 100% participation, and the day’s goals were met. “It seemed to go really well. The main goal was for someone to make a friend,” she said. “People are bonding even if they don’t know it.”
For more information on the day, visit the great newsletter piece Blue Water Baltimore published here.