Dear Editors,

As the social justice head, I was able to experience the changes to Civic Engagement in a more intimate way.  While there was a significant change to the Civic Engagement program this year, it was based on feedback from the students.  Last year the requirement for Civic Engagement was attending public events, however students wanted to have an opportunity to partner with organizations as well and expressed their interest in this last year. This year in the program, as a result of these interests, both are incorporated. Students have the choice of partnering with an organization, doing a certain amount of hours, or attending public events that interest them.  This year students have the opportunity of choice, and can follow their interests. I’m glad that the article was written because it capitalized on a really important change to the program, and I liked how the article was written to bring awareness to this change in the program.  I think that this change demonstrates how the student body can actually mold our program to what they want it to be.  Even though the program has changed a lot in the past couple of years, the change is definitely helping to improve the program, and the change is what makes Civic Engagement at Parker a student-oriented program.  Civic Engagement, even though there are times when students find it tedious and unnecessary, is important because it teaches us to be active leaders in our community, and it broadens and expands our view of things going on outside of just Parker.  

Katrina Holceker ’17