Tuesday may be the first day of classes at Lipscomb University, but this year's new freshmen were scattered throughout Nashville Monday, engaged in learning by serving.
More than 350 freshmen -- over half of this year's incoming class -- spent Monday afternoon volunteering their time at 21 different locations, 19 of which were in Metro Nashville.
The students were involved in the university's third annual Freshman Service Day, which is designed to familiarize them with opportunities to serve the community during their student days.
"One of the things that's important to us as a distinctively Christian university is for our students to learn that they can make a difference in the lives of people around them, from the time the are freshmen through the rest of their lives," said Sarah Keith Gamble, associate dean of campus life.
"The idea of Freshman Service Day is to help our new students understand the wide range of service opportunities in Nashville, to get them thinking about ways they can help other people and help them become committed to volunteering their time and energy," Gamble said.
The largest single group of students -- about 40 total -- spent the afternoon performing clean-up chores at Outlook Nashville, a home for the mentally and physically disabled.
Without volunteers, the work "wouldn't get done," Outlook Nashville's LynnAnn Daugherty told WSMV reporter Terry Bulger. "We're very short staffed, we're non-profit and in need of volunteers constantly."
Kristina Hagerty, a junior English and Spanish double-major from Mount Juliet, Tenn., participated in service day her freshman year and was one of the student leaders as a member of the Quest Team her sophomore year. This year she's back on the Quest Team and was responsible for organizing Freshman Service Day.
"I absolutely love having the opportunity to be with my friends, have fun, and completely give of myself to help others," Hagerty said. "I want to see Lipscomb's incoming freshmen find an outlet to serve our city, meet new people and get involved. The goal is to let new freshmen truly see the heart that Lipscomb has -- the heart of a servant."
Lindsey Townsend, a freshman pre-nursing major from Nashville, said activities like Freshman Service Day help set Lipscomb apart.
"Lipscomb is a pretty special place to me," Townsend told Bulger. "They're always giving us opportunities to get out of our comfort zone and help those who really need it."
Most freshmen interviewed said they expected to make new friends during the day, but seemed to be getting the larger lesson.
"Service Day is a great way to get new students involved with service activites on campus. Getting involved allows students to form new relationships while giving back to the community and experiencing first-hand the satisfaction of service," said Megan Pacella, a freshman English major from Columbiana, Ohio.
Freshman Ryan White of Lewisburg, Tenn., told WSMV that comparatively, "We're all pretty well off and don't have problems and stuff, so it's just great to be able to go help people who aren't as fortunate."
Most groups included between 10-15 students, but 20 students worked at Second Harvest Food Bank for the afternoon, and another 20 signed up to work at the Community Housing Partnership.
Another 30 traveled about 45 minutes to Springfield, Tenn., where they spent the afternoon at the Robertson County Senior Center.
Other organizations involved in Freshman Service Day included Monroe-Harding Children's Home, Ross Head Start, Safe Haven, AGAPE, Matthew 25, Ronald McDonald House, both locations of Youth Encouragement Services, Healing Hands International, Nashville Rescue Mission, Lakeshore Home (Wedgewood), Madison Church of Christ Christian Care Center, Marriott Brighton Gardens in Brentwood, Morningside of Belmont, American Red Cross, Cumberland Ombudsman, Mental Health Association, and STARS.
Freshman Service Day is just one of the community service events being planned by students for the year. Fall and Spring service days are being planned, and students will be encouraged toward service through club activites and other events as well.