By Katrina Grant
Each year at Centenary College in Hackettstown, first-year students are required to take part in a program called The Community Plunge.
The Community Plunge is a daylong community service activity. Students are able to pick the activity that they want to participate in. On their orientation day, they are provided a list of volunteer sites from which to choose, as well as meals and transportation to those sites.
This year, sophomore Christine Creque of Tabernacle, took part in The Community Plunge on Aug. 29. Creque, who is majoring in Equine Studies at Centenary College, spent her Community Plunge day at Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack, N.J.
Matheny Medical and Educational Center is a hospital for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The hospital provides a special education school combining academics and functional life skills, for students who range in age from three to 21. The facility also has an outpatient center for health-care needs of people with all types of disabilities in the community and a teaching hospital that develops ways to train health-care professionals, therapists and educators in to work with people who have developmental disabilities.
“I got involved with The Community Plunge because it’s mandatory for all first-year students to do it,” Creque said. “Even though it was mandatory, I had a blast doing it. I wouldn’t even really consider it community service because it was more fun then work.”
Creque thinks The Community Plunge program is very important and something that she will continue participating in.
“I think this is an extremely important activity because you’re giving back to the community in such an awesome way and having fun while doing so,” Creque said. “This is something I want to definitely continue doing.”
Outside of college, Creque sees having this experience from The Community Plunge as something that will benefit her in many different areas.
“The effect it’s going to have on me outside of college, I would say, is pretty big, because it just makes you feel good all around to know you’re helping these kids and putting a smile on their faces,” Creque said. “It was definitely an awesome experience, and I think everyone should have this experience.”
