SOUTH RIVER — For one group of South River High School physics students, the wheels weren’t just turning last spring over energy exertion and velocity.


FARRAH MAFFAI Casey Conger, (l-r) Rick Rosenberg Jr. and Raja Krishnamathy, members of the community service group South River Students for the Enhancement of the Community, serve dinners at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, located on Leonardine Avenue, last Thursday.FARRAH MAFFAI Casey Conger, (l-r) Rick Rosenberg Jr. and Raja Krishnamathy, members of the community service group South River Students for the Enhancement of the Community, serve dinners at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, located on Leonardine Avenue, last Thursday.

Several students put their heads together and decided to form the South River Students for the Enhancement of the Community (SRSEC).

Club President and Co-Founder Rick Rosenberg Jr. said he felt that many community service clubs at school could be doing more.

"A lot of the clubs that we already had … were exclusive. We wanted a club open to anyone that wanted to help the community," Rosenberg said, referring to organizations such as the National Honor Society, where membership is based on grade point average.

"I felt that the clubs we did have weren’t doing enough. … They have a certain requirement, but it doesn’t seem to be with South River. I felt it should be more localized," said Casey Conger, vice president of SRSEC.

The students formed the club during the last month of school last year. The school district granted the SRSEC approval for use of the grounds, and the borough’s municipal alliance decided to help the group with seed money, Rosenberg said.

This fall, the students began volunteering for various community events, first helping at the municipal alliance’s Heritage Day Sept. 28, then volunteering at the senior picnic sponsored by the borough’s Office on Aging.

Members of the SRSEC have been serving dinner for the outreach program at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Leonardine Avenue each Thursday. Among the students’ upcoming projects are helping the borough’s Historical Society refurbish chairs from the old Campbell School, and volunteering at the South River Arts and Cultural Heritage’s Fall Festival Oct. 27.

"It makes you feel good about yourself when you see the difference you make," Rosenberg said about community service. "The only reward you’re getting is self-gratification for doing something great for your community. I think it teaches you a lot. I think you get a lot of friends … and it actually helps your career; it helps with teamwork."

Megan Wesp, who serves as the press coordinator for the SRSEC, said volunteering has even helped her choose a career path. Through teaching catechism classes at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, Jackson Street, Wesp said she has decided to become a teacher.

Conger and SRSEC Treasurer Dominick Bongiovi said they have been recruiting students by talking to friends and explaining the purpose of the club. They have also printed fliers, and the club’s weekly meetings are announced during morning announcements at the high school.

"A lot of people want to get involved, but they don’t know how to, and our club really directs them … and it helps them grow toward their goals of community service," Rosenberg said.

Thus far, the club has more than 40 members, and each is required to complete 18 hours of community service during half the school year. However, some of the students have gone beyond that minimum pledge, Rosenberg said. The average number of pledge hours is approximately 35, he said.

"Right now, we’ve been working with programs that already exist. We’ve completed 225 hours for South River so far, and we have a pledge for 1,170 [total]," Rosenberg said.

Students involved with SRSEC also have to complete two non-pledge programs, such as the upcoming coat drive, the Toys for Tots program, the paper goods drive for Holy Trinity, or volunteering at the borough’s food bank.

The students are also working to establish a Web site and newsletter for the organization.

The club meets once a week, every other Monday, and sign-up sheets for the projects are passed around. Students are able to select projects for which they would like to volunteer. Updates are communicated over e-mail, Rosenberg said, adding that it was important for the executive board to have the student’s contact information since projects can be changed or canceled.

The SRSEC has had help from various guidance counselors in the district, particularly high school counselor Cindy Kozicki, the students said.

They are now working with district officials to start an after-school tutoring program for middle and elementary school students. This involves providing a tutor for each child and trying to keep the same tutor with the student so that a solid relationship can be formed. According to a prepared explanation of their proposal, the students will use the public library as a study place from 4 to 6 p.m. However, the SRSEC said they would be willing to consider meeting with the child at home.

These and other goals such as helping to re-establish a community center, coordinating a free annual communStudents find volunteering

helps selves, community

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Staff Writerity dinner, and promoting neighborhood watch programs are projects the SRSEC will be working on for years to come. Bongiovi, one of the few juniors on the executive board, said he hopes to continue the projects the SRSEC has been involved in this year, and continue to recruit new members.

Since many of the current members are not seniors, they will be around next year to keep the club going.

Rosenberg, who plans to attend Rutgers University, New Brunswick, next year, said he intends to come back to the high school to help with the SRSEC as an adviser.

"This is kind of my brainchild, and I want to make sure it’s successful and it stays around," Rosenberg said.

As the student representative on the Board of Education this year, Rosenberg said he may suggest that students have mandatory community service hours, as some schools in the nation have implemented. If he isn’t able to have that instituted through his position, he said he may run for the school board.

"I never thought this would be as successful as it is now. It’s made me feel great, and it’s made me feel great about people," Rosenberg said. "I firmly believe in a tight-knit community, especially [in] a small community like ours."