9:23 a.m., Dec. 12, 2008----Running, walking, raking, baking, planting, collecting, cleaning, creating, fundraising, surveying, sorting, delivering -- these were among the myriad activities performed by University of Delaware first year students to serve the campus and community at large through the First Year Experience (FYE) program.

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The First Year Experience Fest to celebrate the students' many accomplishments was held Thursday, Dec. 11, in Gore Hall.

FYE Fest was a volunteer fair in reverse where instead of learning about volunteer opportunities, students reported on their groups' service projects during several concurrent sessions.

There are 82 clusters with 1,500 students participating this fall, Meghan Biery, program coordinator, said.

At the FYE Fest, student groups were rated by student and faculty judges on their projects and their presentations.

The criminal justice group, for instance, evaluated different sections of the campus and adjoining areas of Newark to determine how safe they were in terms of lighting, traffic and the presence of other people, blue lights for emergencies and other factors. They made up flyers, which they distributed on campus, about safe and unsafe areas.

University Studies Program students were concerned with environmental issues. Aware of the harmful effects of deforestation, the students helped plant more than 80 trees at Middle Run Valley Park in conjunction with the Delaware Nature Society.

Other student groups put on their walking and running shoes to raise money for worthy causes, participating in the Reindeer Run in Newark to benefit Special Olympics of Delaware and the Race for Hope in Philadelphia for the National Brain Tumor Society.

The Basket Brigade got a helping hand from students who packed baskets with turkeys and food and delivered them the next day.

Another University Studies Program group went all out, buying toys for Toys for Tots, doing a roadside clean-up and making Bracelets for Elizabeth to sell in honor of an employee's daughter with cancer to raise funds to increase cancer awareness.

FYE is designed to help first year students succeed in a major, including University Studies, and offers four programs -- LIFE (Learning Integrated Freshman Experience), FYS (First Year Seminar), Pathways courses and the Honors Program.

Following are winning sections for FYE Fest 2008:

Best Creativity

Section: UNIV 101-087 Music

Students: Matt Arnold, Alex Arpajian, Erin Call, Evan Campbell, Rachel Clark, Rebecca Cweibel, Juan Guerrero, Matt Jufer, Frank Lao, Julia Li Gregni, Ben Owens, Halley Pearlstein, Rachel Pomeranz, Meghan Scully, Duo Shen, Jeffrey Starr, Nathaniel Van Pelt, John Weimusz, Emily Zeisler, Bonnie Von Duyke. Mentor, Doug Schwartz.

Best Presentation

Section: UNIV 101-068 History

Students: Anthony Campanella, John Cohen, Adam Dweck, Sigrid Eriksson, Stephanie Gallo, Jessica Inskeep, Tomilayo Jacobs, Kim Lasky, Maria Laverghetta, William Leonard, Matthew Liebross, Sara Mann, David Mulrooney, Patrick Mulshnock, Stephen O'Connell, Sean Oakes, Brian Ong, Ben Regester, James Shields, Rachel Denise Smith, Anne Sokolow, Lindsay Tietze. Mentor, Kelly Welsh.

Community Benefit

Section: UNIV 111-011

Students: Cecilia Baggott, Julia Buchanan, Kevin Corbett, Megan Cornelissen, Jonathan Corwin, Matt Costa, Alexandra Devine, Matthew Giunta, Angela Ianni, Gregory LaLuna, Danielle Larregui, Roberto Mendoza, William Morton, Kurt Niebanck, Courtney Olsen, Kyle Owen, Hye Park, Thomas Regan, Keith Salerno, Phillip Schweiger, Punya Sethi, Alyssa Tait. Mentor, Elizabeth Kurban.

Most Substance

Section: UNIV 101-079 Psychology

Students: James El-Deiry, Tucker Gilligan, Dana Ginsberg, Courtney Glashow, Matthew Gluckman, Taylor Hadley, Marisa Hood, Marissa Marschall, Gabriel Mendez, Kayla Moody, Nicole Morreale, Samara Newman, Molly Nicholl, Julie Nolan, Caitlin O'Toole, Danielle Pascetta, Ashley Rossi, Alex Unger, Monica Vilacha, Natalie Wagner, Karia Wallace, Kyle Wharton. Mentor, Karly Laughlin.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Duane Perry