Service projects give students a panorama of what their careers are all about •Social Work Club makes members' knowledge useful t o the community Like many of the organizations at Harding, the Social Work Club offers hands-on experience for the students outside of the classroom atmosphere. "The club allows out-of-classroom experience and self-directive activities that support what the students learn in class," Terry Smith, social work program director and co-sponsor oHhe club, said. "These activities are not grade-dependent; therefore, a lot of the people want to be in the club for their own interests, " Smith said. He also believes that the people who are drawn to the social work major already have a built-in desire to be around people and to help others, so this adds to the active participation of the social work majors in the club. About 50 of the 80 social work majors actively participated in the club's activities. Stephanie Howard, a senior social work major and vice president of the club, joined to gain experience in her major and to learn from some of the other members of the group. Although she is required to complete 480 hours in an agency under a social worker in order to graduate, like all social work majors, she still finds that the club provides her with valuable insight. "The purpose of the club is for all the social work majors to come together and exchange ideas and share what they have learned from their experiences," Howard said. The social work club is a student-operated organization, which allows the students to decide what projects they want to do. The Resident of the Month is the club 's most publicized activity. Each month, the club selects some nursing home residents and writes a script about their lives. The program is then presented in chapel. The students are responsible for the residents ' arrival for the presentation and for preparing the scripts to read to the chapel audience. The students also actively participate with the Sunshine School , a Searcy school for mentally challenged children, by taking the children on outings and playing with them in the classroom. The club sponsors Blue Ribbon Day, showcasing children who have done exceptionally well in their achievement. They are presented to the student body during a special chapel program and awarded a certificate for their achievements. During the spring, the club helps with Special Olympics, in which many of the Sunshine School students participate. The club has also been active in River City Ministries, an inner-city program for children and their families in North Little Rock, and flood relief programs sponsored by Harding. "Through all of these activities, we hope to expose the students to some of the traditional areas of social work and give them a taste of some of the different areas in which they can choose a career," Smith said. - Christie Rogers Social Work Club. First Row: Becky Ely, Sherry Gentry, Debbie Ford (faculty sponsor). SecondRow: DanMurrie, Jennifer Wolfe, Shelley Hodge. ThirdRow: LizMagruder, Hettie Odell, Jaymie Hopkins. Fourth Row: ChristineGiacobassi, Shelly Keech, Theresa Bray. Fifth Row: Stephanie Hollcroft, Jennifer Frye, Kristy Ross. Photo by Aaron Gillihan. Tara Simmons picks up trash from Moss Street in an effort to help keep Searcy clean. Through many ecologically-orientedactivities, RENEW arousedpeople ~s awareness of the need for a better environment. Photo by Christie Mangrum. Social Work Club 194 *' Organizations -----------------
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