Excuse Me Mr. Mayor, can we make the trains quieter?

Today I had the privilige of being a part of the group that got to converse with Riverside Mayor Loveridge.

I honestly had no idea what to expect... but i didn't expect a few of the questions that were asked. For example... where is the nearest location to recycle our cans? (It is at Stater Brother's down the street btw)

(This is in no offense to the people asking the questions... they were only representing the students)

But it did give me a few thoughts and observations about both our students and about the city of Riverside...

1. The majority of college students (and perhaps Americans in general) are looking for ways to consume rather than give back. Could this be why it is so counter-culture when we want to be involved in service? Why it is hard to reconfigure our schedules to fit in time where we intentionally engage the community along with balance our classes?
2. Mayor Loveridge pointed out that on average leadership will recieve 1500 persuasive messages a day. 1500.
3. How then, do we not only sort through these (as from their perspective) but be able to be one of those that rises to the top?
4. The Mayor also pointed out that he is impressed by people who do things out of the ordinary. Not that we are seeking to impress people, but to "make our mark" no matter what it is for... we must do things out of the ordinary... which makes sense because since when were followers of Christ supposed to fit into the mold of "ordinary"...
5. Statistic: 80% of high school dropouts go to prison.
6. Statistic: The majority of those were influenced most in elementary and middle school.
7. That is the biggest area where the Mayor said we need volunteers and investment... specifically he mentioned Liberty Elementary School.

What would it take for the majority students to not only WANT to be involved, but to be active in investing in our hurting community?