In Natalie’s most recent blog post titled “Another Birthday” she discusses the events that occurred at Geneseo’s Relay for Life. Along with my sorority, I attended the event as well. Similarly, I went in with an outlook just like Natalie. I didn’t see how sitting in a gym for twelve hours is an effective way of raising money to find a cure for cancer. Dreading the long hours and crowded room to come I went in with a negative attitude. But twelve hours later I walked out of the gym with an entirely new perspective on the traditional event. I reflected on what had happened in the gym and it hit me that yes sitting on the floor of the gym is not raising money in itself, but, it is raising a community. We, the dedicated students of Geneseo, came together for a cause. We sat there together. We watched montages of lost loved ones, survivors and fighters. We listened to individuals talk about their experience with cancer and the effect it has had on their life. “WE” being the keyword in each sentence. As a student body we dedicated our time to be there and WE made a difference. Raising money for the cause is extremely important but what I didn’t understand was the factor of raising awareness. The time we spent in the gym was to truly show us the effects of cancer, and educate us on what we can do to help. The entire event motivated me to do my part as well as cherish life as it comes.
Geneseo’s Mission Statement goes beyond the factor of grades. Yes a “rigorous curriculum” is an important aspect of a proper educational institution but there is much more to a well rounded student. Community involvement is something greatly valued at our school, and it is portrayed in Relay for Life. We came together as a community, we raised about $160,000. You can leave the school with straight A’s but the feeling of accomplishment when helping in an event such as this can not be attained by a GPA.