Community service leaders from Andover and Exeter met last Saturday in a joint effort to improve their programs. Among those present were student members of the Exeter Social Service Organization (ESSO) and their faculty advisor, Laurie Loosigian. Three faculty members from Andover and seven of the eight members of Andover’s CEC were also in attendance. The CEC is Andover’s Community Engagement Council, a group of eight of Andover’s 25 student Community Service Coordinators. While most of the community service coordinators focus on specific projects, the members of the CEC are involved in oversight of the entire community service programs well. The purpose of the meeting was to share ideas and resources and discuss future cooperation in community service. This was the first conference of its kind between the two schools. Exeter Senior Raymond Braun first contacted Andover Community Service Director Chad Green to organize the meeting. Braun is the student leader of ESSO, which was entirely student -run until two years ago, when their faculty advisor, Ms. Loosigian, joined them. “Exeter’s program is much younger,” said Mary Doyle ’08, who is a Community Service General Coordinator. “They wanted to come to us to get some input on their program so they can improve and emulate ours.” Upon arrival, the group from Exeter was given a tour of the Community Service Office, and afterwards they assembled in Graham House for the joint discussion. Both schools discussed their methods for signing up for projects, choosing their coordinators and the overall structure of their programs. “We discussed issues like the number of outreach versus oncampus programs and awareness programs,” said Assistant Director of Community Service Adrienne Marshall. Marshall commented that in the past, Exeter has focused its service on its own campus because there is not a very visible need for volunteer work in the surrounding community. “They have this one program where the faculty kids come to campus and they sing lullabies to them in their pajamas,” Doyle said. At Exeter, any organization with some community service involvement is part of ESSO. The group is in charge of the clubs that focus on everything from charity to global issues, which means ESSO takes charge of over 60 groups at Exeter that would not be included under the umbrella of Andover’s community service. “They have a student in charge of publication: The Exonian has a little blurb in their newspaper about community service every week. They do a profile of a community service coordinator, a project that’s been going on, or an announcement of a big event coming up,” Marshall said. Those involved with community service at Andover were optimistic after the meeting. “I think this meeting will set the precedent for collaboration, because maybe we don’t do enough sharing of ideas and transferring of resources here,” Marshall said. Though Community Service Director Chad Green has always been in contact with Exeter’s faculty advisor, this was the first instance of student interaction. “I think we were also able to appreciate what we learned from each other more so because we’re so used to seeing each other as one big entity,” said General Coordinator Jess Cole ’08. “You talk about the Exeter kids and the Andover kids but rarely as kids working toward the mutual goal of improving their communities,” Cole continued. Exeter has expressed interest in holding a conference with other prep schools around New England to share information and take note of what other schools are doing. In the past, other schools have held similar events, but Andover has never attended one. The next meeting with ESSO will come next weekend at Andover-Exeter when members of the CEC will go to Exeter a few hours before the games. There, Andover’s representatives will visit their counterpart’s community service office and facilities in order to further explore their program. “I am looking forward to seeing how well we can collaborate on Andover-Exeter day when we’re divided into Big Blue and the Exies,” said Cole.
