MCLA Announces 2014 First Days Schedule
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will kick off this year’s First Days activities on Sunday, Aug. 31. On that day, the campus officially will launch its 9/11 Community Service Necessities Drive in support of local and homeless veterans, as first-year students bring items to donate when they move into their residence halls.
Sponsored by the Massachusetts Service Alliance, this new MCLA First Days community service event is part of the campus’s annual service programs. For the two weeks that follow the first-year students’ arrival at MCLA, members of the community will be asked to consider supporting area veterans through contributions of items such as shampoo, soaps, and, toothpaste, and other related products.
Donations to benefit local veterans through the 9/11 Community Service Necessities Drive may be dropped off weekdays from 9-11 a.m., or at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main St., Suite 218, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at MCLA.
Volunteers will be mobilized on and off campus at various locations to begin this drive, which is being held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Americorps, in remembrance of 9/11, and to benefit veterans, according to Spencer Moser, coordinator of MCLA’s Center for Service and Citizenship.
This year, MCLA’s traditional hike up Mount Greylock will take place on Sunday, Sept. 7, when students are back on campus. In addition to the Drive, other community service activities will happen at MCLA’s annual Fall Day of Service in October, when the College partners with the City of North Adams and area organizations to bring the campus and the community together for a day of service.
The service will take place at the same locations as in past First Days volunteer efforts, Moser said.
In addition, the annual art crawl that happens throughout downtown North Adams will be held on Thursday, Sept. 25, in conjunction with the September DownStreet Art celebration.
According to Celia Norcross, director of student development, this gives the entire campus community an opportunity to access these activities, and allows upperclassmen – many of whom asked to be included in the events – to participate, along with the new students.
Likewise, the entire student body will have an opportunity to volunteer throughout the community in October, during MCLA’s annual Fall Day of Service. As a result, Norcross expects a greater number of students to give back to the community on this day.
“It’s really bridging a sense of community across the campus with these major, traditional events, rather than just keeping it to one group of students,” Norcross said. “We’re embracing all of the First Days components for the larger campus community.”
On Monday, Sept. 1, first-year students will immerse themselves in three Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) education workshops, “Succeed at MCLA: Don’t Just Survive, Thrive!” The workshops will take place at the MCLA Church Street Center.
“We wanted to offer an academic and engagement purpose during First Days, and to establish some successful habits prior to classes beginning,” Norcross said. “The topics we will cover will help incoming students to become engaged and involved at MCLA, and will acclimate them to academic life.”
Workshops will include those devoted to academics, involvement on campus and communication.
For more information, contact Moser, 413-662-5251, or spencer.moser@mcla.edu. For more information about the MCLA’s Center for Service, go to www.mcla.edu/Student_Life/community/centerforservice.
