After last year’s Non Sibi Day assigned students to projects, the day’s second incarnation is doing more to pair student with service. Last year’s Non Sibi Day left no room for personal preferences within the student body. All Juniors were assigned to clean the Spicket River, while all Upperclassmen were assigned to various projects based on an interest group they had selected. This year, the Community Service Office allowed students to sign up directly for projects that fit their interests, according to Alana Rush, Assistant Director of Community Service. Also, this year, the Non Sibi Day Committee hosted the Community Partner Fair in Uncommons. At the fair, various groups presented information on the community service projects available to the students, enabling the students to make a more informed decision. “When you get to choose your project, you are more involved, and it becomes more personal,” said Lexi Moroney ’11. “Firstly, we encourage the Junior class to get to know one another, and they are the perfect number for the Spicket River cleanup. Also, many of the Juniors are taking Biology 100, and the teachers are able to incorporate the project throughout the year,” said Green. “I enjoyed last year’s Non Sibi Day because I felt that it was a great opportunity to bond with the other freshmen,” said Emily Rademacher ’11. Though most projects from last year are on the list again, there are “almost an equal number of new projects,” said Manuel-Countee. Green elaborated, “Non Sibi Day was made up of a vast majority of organizations we work with throughout the year. The criteria are organizations that do good work, and those that truly involve volunteers.” The Community Service Office started planning for Non Sibi Day in the spring of 2007 with a new student committee. Krystle Manuel-Countee ’09, a member of the Non Sibi Day Committee, chose to join the committee because she “wanted to become more involved and learn about what goes on behind the scenes.” Manuel-Countee explained, “Last year was just a pilot, because we hadn’t done it before.” Among the many changes, the committee cleared the schedule for Non Sibi Day weekend, because last year, that weekend was overwhelmed with multiple activities, distracting the students from their projects. In 2006, the Alumni Council planned Non Sibi Day as a “day of service across the globe, with Andover as the common factor,” explained Chad Green, Director of Community Service. Tori Wilmarth ’09, a member of the student Non Sibi Day Committee, considers Non Sibi Day 2007 “a foundation to improve upon.” Funding of Non Sibi Day this year was largely thanks to the alumni, specifically the Abbot Class of ’73. Last year, Non Sibi Day was funded by an Abbot Grant.
