The Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) celebrated its numerous partnerships with community organizations last night at an event in the Remis Sculpture Court. LCS members looked to use the gathering to give thanks to the people and groups that sustain its projects and to make headway with town-gown relations.
Since LCS is the umbrella organization for 30 programs, the event provided a rare opportunity for its various parts to come together.
"It's nice to see everybody together and all of the different people the Leonard Carmichael Society works with," junior Alisha Bouzaher, the community relations director for LCS, said.
LCS student volunteers also used the gathering as a springboard to promote upcoming programming, such as the Faculty Waits on You Dinner and Auction. The annual event, which will take place later this month, raises money for the Somerville Homeless Coalition. During the dinner, faculty members serve students, who in turn bid on a variety of items.
Another popular event is Kids Day, when LCS and other Tufts groups organize activities such as magic shows and lunch at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall for about 300 children from Medford and Somerville.
This focus on local children underscores much of LCS's work. Local school administrators were present yesterday to meet with volunteers. In many cases, LCS voluneteers serve as role models for the students, whose parents might not have attended college.
"It's good for Medford students to be exposed to college students from different parts of the country," Stephen Mascoll, the senior submaster at Medford High School, said.
Riverside Community Care, an organization that specializes in family support for disabled children and adults, also sent a representative.
LCS and Riverside together sponsor the Caring Helps in Living with Disabilities program, which brings local children to Cousens Gym for two hours each week. The program, also called Gym and Swim, creates valuable connections between the students and children at no cost to the families. "It is a positive experience for the children and such a benefit for the families," Riverside case manager Kristen D'Andrea said.
LCS, named after former Tufts President Leonard Carmichael, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As it moves forward, it is also looking to maintain ties with its past through an alumni newsletter and panel.
The society has had a storied journey since Richard Dorsay (A '60) founded it in 1958. At the time, it consisted of a small group of students who regularly visited a mental hospital.
While its membership has vacillated significantly over the years, from a highpoint in the '60s that brought the group national attention to a low the next decade that saw the number of people involved drop to 15; the group currently counts on a strong network of 1,500 volunteers.
"There are not many student organizations that have lasted this long with the same goal," Barbara Rubel, the university's director of community relations, said during her opening remarks at yesterday's event.
