Elks National Foundation Blog

by Brandon Dawson Freshman Scholar Advisory Board Member From the moment you step on campus, you are completely bombarded with information regarding student groups, community service, and on-campus events. The only problem? They all sound AMAZING. You have hundreds of options to choose from and only 24-hours a day (not to mention classes and getting adequate sleep!). This is the struggle of college freshmen all across the country and when I got to Duke University, I decided to take on the challenge head first.   One of the very first things that I got involved with was Duke Student Government, or DSG. Freshmen can run for senate positions on the various committees that it encompasses. I ran to be a senator on the committee for Facilities, Environment, and the Arts, and fortunately, I won!    As DSG Senators, we are tasked with creating projects that will enhance the campus that we have come to love. The project that I took on revolved around reducing the am

by Alexa Vaghenas 2016 Most Valuable Student Scholar, Yale University College students often become enclosed in a sort of "bubble" over the course of four years, wrapped up in their studies and social lives, preoccupied by extracurricular activities and on-campus events. Although this can lead to individual growth, unforgettable experiences, and admirable accomplishment, too often we forget about the greater community around us. On Friday November 18, I volunteered at the New Haven Sunrise Cafe for Elks Scholar Service Days. A freshman at Yale University, I knew it was time to pop the "Yale Bubble" and give back to the small city of New Haven; my new home. As a Sunrise Cafe volunteer, I was tasked with serving breakfast to the homeless. Shifting my sleep schedule a bit to get up at 6:45 on a Friday morning, I walked several blocks to the basement of St. Paul and St. James Episcopal Church and followed the cheery logo of the Sunrise Cafe. In the kitche