Fort Hays State University

HAYS, Kan. – Constant efforts to provide students with opportunities to give back to the community recently paid-off for Fort Hays State University when it was named on the President George W. Bush’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The honor roll is a recognition program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It is designed to increase public awareness of the contributions that college students are making in their local communities and across the country through volunteer service. This year’s special emphasis is on recognizing service activities performed in response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005.

FHSU is one of six colleges and universities in Kansas to receive this honor. Other Kansas schools include Bethel College in North Newton, Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, and the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth.

All accredited degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States were eligible to apply based on student service that took place during the 2005-2006 academic year.

All colleges and universities listed on the honor roll were selected based on three main criteria: the level of student participation in service activities; the dollar amount of funds raised and dollar value of material support provided for hurricane relief; and the level of effort, innovativeness and effectiveness of service projects.

“This is a huge honor for the university as a whole and for each of its service-based programs,” said Dr. Curt Brungardt, director of FHSU’s Center for Civic Leadership.

The CCL houses several of these service-based programs, including Tigers in Service, a program matching students with volunteer opportunities on and off campus; the Kansas Youth Leadership Academy, instilling leadership skills in Kansas youth; the American Democracy Project, seeking to increase the number of undergraduate students who understand and are committed to engaging in meaningful civic actions; LEAD, providing leadership training and development activities for FHSU students and communities throughout the state of Kansas; and Service-Learning, involving students in projects outside of the classroom to enhance their learning and growth while simultaneously benefiting the community.

For more information, contact Brungardt at (785) 628-5399 or cbrungardt@fhsu.edu.

'AWB Applications Due November 29'

On Saturday, December 16, 20 Fort Hays students will set off for Gulfport, MS to continue aiding in hurricane recovery efforts. While the Alternative Winter Break trip in January of 2006 involved “cutting and gutting” homes in New Orleans, this effort will mostly consist of actual rebuilding, much like the Alternative Spring Break trip to Port Arthur, TX in March 2006. Through Disciples Home Missions, Tigers In Service volunteers will be helping by roofing houses, putting up dry wall, laying floors, moving belongings, and much more. Even though our trip will take place nearly a year and a half after Katrina hit, there is still an overabundance of damage and work to be completed for people in need.

After a hard day of work, students smile proudly with the Habitat for Humanity foremen in Port Arthur, TX.

Severely damaged houses like the one pictured here can still be found along the Gulf coast.

While in Gulfport, we will be staying in a local church that houses one of the Disciples Home Mission Stations, and we'll be preparing our own meals. We will be taking two, 12-passenger vans, with enough room for 10 people in each van. The trip must be made in two days to accommodate the drivers and to arrive at our destination at the designated time on Sunday, December 17. The trip to Gulfport is about 20 hours long, and we plan to average about 10 hours per day. Four days will be spent working, and volunteers will drive through New Orleans on the way to Gulfport. We will head back on Friday, December 22, arriving back in Hays on Saturday, December 23.

Interested students should submit an application and the Disciples Home Missions release forms to the Tigers In Service office in Picken Hall 201 by Wednesday, November 29. Download the Application (two page application, one page waiver, and one page health form) and DHM waiver (only the last five pages of the document need to be filled out and returned). Timeliness of your application is appreciated.

For the last several years, volunteers have helped with Operation SOS’s Holidays for Heroes, which involves packaging care packets for men and women who are serving our country overseas. This will take place Saturday at the new Army Reserve Center ( 880 Commerce Pkwy) with volunteer shifts from 10 a.m. – noon, and again at 1 p.m. The morning volunteers will help organize the goods to be shipped and the tables. At 1 p.m. is when packing the boxes will begin.

Another project will be helping a new campus organization, Food for Thought, to collect nutritious food to send home with children of seven Hays families on the weekends and during holiday breaks from school. We need volunteers for a 10 a.m. – noon shift, and then noon – 2 p.m. Volunteers will stand outside Wal-mart, and hand out lists to customers as they enter, then collect the food as they leave.

In addition, we will be having our first annual Boo Bash on Sunday, October 29 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Children’s Room of the Hays Public Library. Volunteers will read stories and help the children make crafts and snacks. At 3 p.m., volunteers will deliver the crafts made to residents at Hays Good Samaritan.

The Color Guard prepares to lead the walk.

Tigers In Service would like to thank the Hays community, including numerous veterans and the students, faculty and staff at Fort Hays State University for making the first annual Freedom Walk a success. We hope that those who attended enjoyed the event! The weather cooperated nicely, and 164 participants walked from the National Guard Armory to the Ellis County Courthouse to commemorate September 11 and past and present troops and veterans. We would like to thank the National Guard and Heath Kohl for allowing us to use their facility, vehicles, and Color Guard. The walk would not have been possible without these individuals and we appreciate their support and assistance.

We would also like to thank Carrico Implement and Wal-Mart for donating the water for everyone to drink and the Red Cross and Bill Ring for passing out the water. In addition, we would like to thank Representative Phelps and Senator Lee for joining us and saying a few words to welcome the participants. We want to extend a huge thank you to Congressman Jerry Moran for attending the walk and providing a very inspirational speech. The event would not have been possible without the help of the police department, courthouse staff, and the Hays Public Library. Thank you to Wendy’s for providing cookies and lemonade for all of the participants.

Congressman Jerry Moran visits with two student Freedom Walk volunteers, Weston Moody and Ryan Small.

Terry Crull, the choir director at Fort Hays State University, provided amazing music, and we appreciate him being a part of the event. The local media helped spread the word for this event, and we would like to thank Micah Mertes at the Hays Daily News, Callie Kolacny with Eagle Radio, Becky Kiser with Street Beat, and Krystal Baugher with the University Leader. Thank you to Brain Shoaff with Gone Logo who printed the great t-shirts and the Student Government Association for providing funds for the t-shirts. Also, thank you to all of the elementary schools and students for participating in the coloring contest.

The pictures are still displayed across from Northwest Office Supply on the corner of 8 th and Main. Last but definitely not least, we would like to thank the Center for Civic Leadership staff for helping make the event happen. This includes: Jill Arensdorf, Chantelle Arnold and family, Diane Becker, Curt and Christie Brungardt, Mark Colwell, and Matt Musgrove. In addition, we are grateful to Weston Moody and Ryan Small, two FHSU students who volunteered their day to make this event possible. Thank you all so much! God Bless America!

The balloon launch at the end of the ceremony celebrated our American colors.

During the 2005-2006 school year, SPURS (Service, Patriotism, Understanding, Responsibility, Sacrifice) honorary society became FHSU's first Volunteer Organization of the Year. By recording their volunteer hours with Tigers In Service, SPURS surpassed any other organization, completing nearly 170 hours of service in Hays and other communites across the nation. This is no small feat for an organization with about ten active members at each service event. The Volunteer Organization of the Year plaque contains an 8x10 photo collage of different service events as well as an engraving. The plaque will be on display in the Memorial Union for at least the next 25 years with space for the winning organizations in years to come.



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