As USU students, it’s impossible to meander from class to class without spotting a handful of cardboard boxes generously spread throughout campus, urging holiday donations. Even in these difficult economic times, the boxes are usually stuffed to the brim with cans of tomato soup, Windex and tired-looking tennis shoes.

So many of us are scouring our pockets in order to buy Mom her favorite new chick flick and Dad a replacement necktie for the current one displaying Homer Simpson in all his glory. It’s remarkable the excavation work students do to find enough funds to provide for complete strangers when there are roommates and family members expecting their annual Christmas gift.

USU values the principle of service and it shows through the non-stop opportunities available for us to reach out to our local community. Not only do we accumulate knowledge of 18th century literature and biomechanics during our college careers, we develop meaningful character traits through service experience.

Organized donation events like The Clean Drive and Stuff A Bus started with the will of one or a few people who had the goal to make a difference for people who don’t have enough money to enjoy steamy mashed potatoes and stuffing with their loved ones during the classic holiday meal.

The motivation behind the generosity strictly being that some Cache Valley residents have unfortunate circumstances with needs that will not be filled if the community does not jump in. Seeing as the USU student body comprises a substantial fraction of Cache Valley, a lot of civic duty rests on the shoulders of the financially unstable. However, the lack of money in student bank accounts does not keep these people from giving what they can if it means someone who is struggling will be able to breathe easier. It seems USU students have grasped the most pure and meaningful aspect of the holidays.

Is it the spirit of the holidays or the eagerness the student body has to serve on a daily basis that causes our campus to provide for numerous families during the Christmas season? Perhaps both influence students to fork over and collect thousands of canned food items for the less fortunate every year. We exhort all Aggies at the dawn of this giving season to remember what goes around comes around.