These are the final words of the Ephebic Oath that all incoming students must take at Townsend Harris High School, my alma mater. In an event called Founder’s Day, all classes are canceled and students have the opportunity to wear some of their nicest pieces of clothing as they come together at Queen’s College’s Colden Auditorium for some motivational words of wisdom from students, faculty, and alumni. On top of this, the recitation of the Ephebic Oath is the main event that inaugurates all incoming freshmen and is to be recited once again at graduation before sending the advancing class into the world. The Ephebic Oath is a major component of the school’s environment. Students and teachers often refer to the Ephebic Oath at many points throughout the year and school requirements are even based off of this motto. In order to receive a Townsend diploma, every student must complete at least forty hours of community service a year. On top of this, students must also complete ten hours of political service the summer before their senior year. Volunteer work becomes an inevitable part of every Harrisite’s life.
Like every incoming freshman, I became wide-eyed at the idea of dedicating 160 hours of penniless work and dreaded having to complete it but it actually wasn’t that bad. In fact, I ended up completing nearly 300 hours one summer. (This does not mean that the requirement can be met in one summer. You must volunteer at different parts of the year, four separate times, with at least 40 hours during each time of the year. I just did the extra hours for fun.)
Naturally, this spirit has been transferred to my college outlook and I look forward to embarking on another journey here at Baruch. What a coincidence that the program has a service requirement! This oath can definitely be echoed in my service requirement at Baruch and the rest of my life. Baruch’s Honors Program has the same goal in its requirements.
I think that I could serve my community in a number of ways. I do not always feel the need to volunteer my time at nonprofit organizations but I think that serving my community can be as small as helping out a fellow peer or adult. Whether it’s answering someone’s question about finding directions on the subway or clarifying a concept recently learned in psychology, I intend to make my city greater, one person at a time. The Ephebic Oath does not simply state to join an organization and help out, it tells people never to “desert [their] comrades in the ranks” and to “fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city” both alone and with a team. Camaraderie is important in the oath and so is standing up for beliefs. Using the oath as my guideline, I will make my city, and later the world, greater than I found it, one tiny step at a time.
