Fitting into Dwight Hall's framework

Community service groups eye funding, autonomy under blanket organization.

By Rachel Luberda

From the moment freshmen arrive at Yale, they find themselves amid a campus-wide community service frenzy, one that caters to a school population heavy with social activists and philanthropist types. A perception common among Yalies echoes that of Senior Associate Director of Career Services Edward Miller: that Yale students are dedicated to a long-standing tradition of service on campus, and, as such, "are intensely committed to community service work."

Given this label of social servant, one would anticipate a campus atmosphere in which students actively seek out community programs. The search for service opportunities remains a relatively simple process, however, as most students end up at Dwight Hall, Yale's Center for Public Service and Social Justice. As such an extensive umbrella organization, including 47 student member groups and more than 2,000 volunteers, Dwight Hall is an integral part of community service at Yale. Member organizations, ranging from tutoring programs to activist groups, all unite under the Dwight Hall system, which provides them with necessary funding, contacts, and logistical support.

But a concern that often surfaces with Dwight Hall is whether or not so many diverse groups can combine effectively under one roof. How does Dwight Hall's dominant presence on the Yale campus accommodate the average student's desire to serve others? More important, in what ways does the structure of Dwight Hall benefit or limit member groups' efficiency and the services they offer to the greater New Haven community?

SINCE BEING FOUNDED AS THE YALE UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN
Association in 1886, Dwight Hall has carried on a long tradition of service throughout the community. Currently, Dwight Hall defines its establishment as a "nonsectarian, independent, nonprofit umbrella organization with a strong history of social justice work in New Haven and beyond." A group of 10 student coordinators, collectively referred to as the Executive Committee (ExComm), and paid full-time staff members oversee the organization's three member divisions. These groups include affiliated community agencies, associate organizations, and Dwight Hall member groups; it is within this final category that all student-run organizations fall.

In comparison with community service networks at other Ivy League institutions, Dwight Hall stands out because of its administrative autonomy and financial independence from the University. At both Princeton and Harvard, the university funds a variety of service organizations that fall under larger umbrella networks. Fifty-five work projects comprise the Student Volunteer Council (SVC) at Princeton, which includes a board of 25 students and receives funding from the university. The most prominent umbrella organization at Harvard is the Public Service Organization (PSN), which includes 33 member groups, including the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA), with its own 82 groups. In terms of financial support, member groups of either the PSN or PBHA can select to apply for funding and grants from Harvard's endowment.

Though groups at Harvard can rely on the university for adequate funding, there are questions as to whe-ther or not ties to the school result in the degradation of individual group autonomy. What exactly does a member group owe to the university in exchange for funds? Can groups adhere to their own values even if they contradict the official stances taken by the university?

According to Meg Brooks Swift, the director of the Public Service Network at Harvard, a recent issue on campus has been where to draw the line between service and activism. Rarely does this debate surface at Yale, as Dwight Hall does not differentiate between community service and social justice groups. The lack of financial dependency on the University enables service groups to exist autonomously from Yale and any particular viewpoints it might maintain. "Dwight Hall is unquestionably on the side of the students and is not concerned with the image of the University," said Lindsay Stradley, PC '03, co-coordinator of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Project (YHHAP). Beth Rubenstein, CC '03, the other co-coordinator of YHHAP, asserts that though intense debates between groups and the University rarely occur, "keeping that avenue open is very important."

New Haven Ward One Alder Benjamin Healey, BR '04, who was involved in the Student Labor Action Coalition as a freshman, credits such autonomy for separating the student from the University. "Every Yale student faces

the stigma of being associated with Yale and of not being truly interested in the city of New Haven," he said. "[When you're affiliated with Dwight Hall,] you don't have to worry about making Yale look good."

REBECCA ROSENTHAL/YH

BUT AUTONOMY FROM THE UNIVERSITY—AND ITS deep pockets—has its price. Dwight Hall must rely upon the donations of alumni and fundraising to provide funds for its member groups, staff, and operation costs. According to Financial Coordinator Mark Dinner, CC '02, Dwight Hall's endowment reaches somewhere around $12,000 per semester, with 80 percent of that amount going directly to member groups. Though Dinner admits that autonomy from the University limits the organization's financial initiatives, he sees a lack of funding as "an inevitable problem of non-profit organizations."

Healey claims that the Dwight Hall's lack of funding is its greatest weakness. "The lack of money available to provide their services is terrible," he said.

Membership Coordinator Bethany Lacina, ES '02, likewise points out that funding to groups is at times strained, given Dwight Hall's limited financial resources. "Groups are loosely prioritized for funding based on how many people they reach—bearing in mind, of course, that services should meet real community needs and be well delivered, and not just extensive," she said. After filing requests demonstrating their financial need, member groups fall within one of three funding categories: level one, which receives anywhere from $150 to $300 and where most groups qualify; level two, which receives up to $500; and level three, which receives amounts over $500 and encompasses such large, established groups as YHHAP.

How Dwight Hall's endowment affects individual member groups varies. Stradley, for example, claims that because YHHAP has remained somewhat separate from the large umbrella organization, the effect is less staggering. "We are financially stable enough on our own that we don't have to rely on Dwight Hall's resources that much," she stated. Things are slightly different for smaller member groups, such as middle-school literary magazine Splatter!, according to Co-coordinator Kira Ryskina, SM '03. "Yale can't fund publications, so groups like us have a hard time getting money," she said. Groups thus develop a sense of dependency on Dwight Hall, rather than Yale itself, in order to meet their funding needs.

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WITH YALE OUT OF THE
picture, Dwight Hall's position atop an extensive service network may be perceived as one bureaucracy merely replacing another. The interaction between the administration of Dwight Hall and the individual member groups creates specific roles, requirements, and responsibilities for all of the parties involved. General Secretary-Executive Director Kathrine Burdick recognizes that member groups take on an immediate responsibility once they become a part of Dwight Hall. "To be admitted as a member group, the group's mission has to be consistent with the mission of Dwight Hall," she said.

Creating a sense of unity among all of the member groups in terms of a common mission raises concerns about the specific identities of each service organization. Are member groups losing their own autonomy by adhering to a particular Dwight Hall standard? Similar debate surrounds the bureaucracy of the PBHA at Harvard, where 82 groups converge under one oversight network. Dan Lee Vasquez, currently attending Harvard Business School, is student director of Project HEALTH, the largest PSN program. He recognizes the downside to the fusion of so many diverse groups under one simple theme, but feels that PSN has avoided such pitfalls. "Project HEALTH is able to innovate—we don't have to face any limitations or traditions," he said.

At Yale, the sheer number of Dwight Hall member organizations makes it possible for groups to focus on their groups' specialized missions and make a name for themselves, despite being linked to a large service network. "My sense is that in the New Haven community, the students are better known for the particular program than for their affiliation with Dwight Hall," Yale President Richard Levin, GRD '74, said. "Programs like LEAP [Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership] and FOCUS, for example, are probably more well-known independently."

Still, Dwight Hall's presence fuels the very foundations of member groups, particularly in regards to the resources it offers individual organizations. In addition to financial help, Dwight Hall provides groups with meeting spaces, and transportation. These resources can be extremely beneficial to small organizations because they cut down on group expenses. Perhaps even more beneficial, however, are the community contacts Dwight Hall can supply its member organizations. With its long-standing tradition and prominent visibility, Dwight Hall can facilitate communication between New Haven and smaller, lesser-known organizations.

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Co-coordinator of Splatter! Susannah Camic, SM '03, praises Dwight Hall for its connection to area schools. "We need to continue moving into schools and contacting teachers," she noted. "Being a part of Dwight Hall helps us with that."

Because Dwight Hall makes so many services and contacts readily available, member groups may be more inclined to meet the requirements needed for membership. Burdick claims that organizations have to adhere to relatively few guidelines. For instance, all member groups must send coordinators to monthly cabinet meetings and volunteers to participate in a phone-a-thon for fundraising efforts once a semester. This creates a balancing act, as individual member groups try to forge their own identities while still adhering to the mission and requirements advocated by Dwight Hall.

Head Coordinator of PALS Yanev Suissa, CC '02, admits that groups depend on Dwight Hall for recruitment and resources, but that the service network aims to coordinate organizations, not define them. "Rather than directing the focus, Dwight Hall brings groups together in a forum," he said.

BUT BY BRINGING SUCH A VAST NUMBER OF GROUPS together into one organization, a new problem arises, as groups must make a choice between funding and autonomy. With so many public service and social justice networks under its umbrella, Dwight Hall has often come under scrutiny for not consolidating its efforts. Tutoring in Elementary Schools (TIES) Coordinator Jordan Hinkes, BR '02, recalls past experiences at community service fairs when interested volunteers ask him how TIES is different from any of the other tutoring organizations. Such a question is not uncommon among the tutoring and mentoring groups at Yale, as they form the largest network within Dwight Hall. All these educational groups seem to be accomplishing similar tasks in the community.

Hinkes recognizes that consolidation of groups could prevent "duplication and inefficiency," though he feels that a group like TIES, with its 200 volunteers, is already too large to undergo such regrouping. Rubenstein likewise asserts that streamlining volunteers could preserve resources and build communication, particularly in the education network. "Groups vary to some degree, but I think they could be combined to be more effective," she said.

Suissa worries about a time when an overlapping of tutoring and mentoring groups might confuse the very people the groups intended to help. "I don't think there is a problem with the current approach," he said. "However, if responsiveness from the New Haven community and schools suggest otherwise, change might be needed."

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Though many groups, coordinators, and volunteers appreciate the advantages to group consolidation, little has been done to combat the issue thus far. According to Youth Together Co-coordinator Emily Hurstak, SY '03, few groups have taken proactive steps to consolidate. "I haven't heard a lot of discourse about consolidation lately," she asserted. "Things have quieted down this year."

Any attempts to encourage unified efforts among groups occur at the funding level. According to Burdick, Dwight Hall tries to provide financial incentives for groups to work together or collaborate under the same service umbrella. Dwight Hall Program Director Johnny Scafidi claims that even though "groups can benefit from bouncing ideas," the collaboration process can be rather slow, particularly within the education network.

A recurring argument against group consolidation efforts is that it is unnecessary to limit service organizations' actions because they are all dedicated to a good cause: bettering the community. Is it really possible to have too many groups committed to public service and social justice? "It is difficult to step in from above and form more cohesive groups," Financial Coordinator Dinner said. "While groups are doing similar things, they're not really hurting anybody in the process."

AS DWIGHT HALL AND YALE COMMUNITY SERVICE enter a new era, member groups find themselves faced with a difficult question. If, as Dinner suggested, a dearth of funds is "inevitable," will Dwight Hall—and the New Haven community—be better served by group autonomy and the specialization that it allows, or by organizational streamlining, which will free up resources?

All debates pertaining to the effectiveness of service clubs, it seems, eventually return to the fundamental notion that a commitment to community outreach takes precedence over any other issue. Collaboration, autonomy, funding, and, at times, even long-term policy change take a backseat to the immediate, everyday plights of the public.

"Dwight Hall provides incredibly valuable services to the New Haven community," Healey said. But with the addition of three or four new groups each semester putting an increasing strain on already limited resources, Dwight Hall may have to address issues within its own structure, even as it continues to address those of the surrounding community.

Front graphic by Gene Smilansky.

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