Lately there has been talk in New York State (and others) to set a requirement of 100 hours of community service in order to graduate from high school [a recent 21st Century Opinion Poll question]. There are many who are against this. Although I am involved in numerous community service projects myself, I admit that I, too, am against it.

Personally, I feel that community service shouldn't be a requirement; it should be done by choice. Students, especially those in high school, should want to go out into the world and help others, rather than do it just to graduate.

I confess that when I first started volunteering, I thought it would look good on my college applications. I was also very reluctant, because I didn't know what to expect. But once I began, I didn't feel like I needed to do it - I wanted to. And I still do.

I know there are many students out there who do work, but not voluntarily. They need to be paid to help support their families or to save for college. These students would not be able to fill this requirement too easily because they would not have enough time. It would be unfair to force them to do community service.

Also, many students who want to do community service don't know where to go. They don't know what charities or organizations exist, or they don't know where to start. I think that every school that establishes a community service requirement should also create a community service class to help students contact the organizations in their neighborhood that need help.

I admit that a community service requirement would not be that bad, but a few changes need to be made to make it easier for some. I believe that if everyone took out just one hour a week to help others, we could really make a difference. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community. ?