By Mauricio Anguiano, president, City College of New York CKI Club

It is not uncommon for students attending a commuter school in New York City to have busy schedules. Between classes, a job (or jobs) and family commitments, it can be quite difficult to fit in CKI events. Our previous president, Yussef Ibarra, wanted to provide the opportunity for service and fellowship to students who couldn’t attend during the school year.

During the break between academic years, he held a lighthearted leaderboard attendance competition framing both social and service events. Perks included incentives such as “bring a friend, get a treat.” The winner received a certificate of appreciation and a US$10 gift card. Between both iterations of Summer Service Madness, over 40 CKI members joined in, none of whom had previously been able to participate.

Providing all students a chance to be included in club events has been a top priority. We emphasize fellowship to encourage retention, and this project has allowed us to extend this effort year-round. This year, we added fundraising and even more ambitious events, with a new emphasis on leadership opportunities for each of our e-board members. All e-board members were required to create and lead their own events for the competition. We’re very proud of being able to bring the three tenets of CKI together in a fun and exciting way and hope the initiative continues for years after us.