Every fall, Austin College hosts two big service events: RooBoo and Great Day of Service. This past Wednesday, RooBoo was held in one of our gyms. A trick-or-treat events for kids in the Sherman area, RooBoo offers a safe, fun environment for kids to trick or treat. Almost all the organizations on campus participate and offer candy and an activity for kids to do. I was involved with four organizations, each having a different activity, like balloon animals, coloring, origami, and even a monster hunt where kids had to find "monsters" in the gym and get them to stamp a card.

The event is a great success every year, and this year was no exception. Kids had a fantastic time, and got more candy than they probably know what to do with.

AC's next big event is the Great Day of Service, which falls on November 5 this year. GDS is another service project the college does that nearly all campus organizations participate in. Individuals can also sign up to go to locations. GDS is all about serving and being active in your community. Every organization who signs up is either assigned or can request a site to go to. Each site has a different job -- there is everything from roofing to painting. Last year, the organization I went with went to the Women's Crisis Center in Sherman and helped them repaint their walls. It was really awesome to get to interact with the lovely people who work and live there.

Other groups went places such as the Children's Advocacy Center, Elementary schools in the area, nursing homes. Some worked with projects like the Texas Ramp Project, which installs ramps in places that don't have them for those with disabilities.

This year, I'll be leading a site for my sorority. We will be working at the Dia de los Muertos festival helping them with what they need us to do. I'll be making a video about what we do and different people's views on GDS and why they do it.

Service is an important part of what Austin College is about -- serving our community and helping to create generations of open-minded, global thinkers. The first step to becoming a global community is to serve the community you live in. If we all start with that one small step, we can create a better world and future for other generations.