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Volunteers answer 'Extreme Makeover's'
call, sending line down the hall
By Irene Gudmundson
October 16, 2006 | The scene: Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition's volunteer table Monday
in the Taggart Student Center.
By 8 a.m., when the sign-ups actually opened, the line
stretched the front of the USU Bookstore.
"There was a girl here at 5:50! I didn't wake up 'til
7," said Erin Didericksen, a public relations and marketing
student in charge of the service opportunities for this
project.
Amanda Davis, a junior majoring in speech communications,
didn't arrive until 8:30 but she was still able to sign
up for Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m.
"I'm nervous. I don't know what we'll be doing," she
said.
Extreme Makeover is Davis' favorite show.
She watches it every week and said the chance to help
out is great, even if she has to do it alone. Her husband
has to work that night.
Davis and the other 109 on-site volunteers have to
arrive a half-hour before their shift in work clothes
and closed-toed shoes. They will do odd jobs, said Didericksen,
such as getting water and doing clean-up. Members of
the Kartchner's construction team will be hitting the
nails and swinging the sledge hammers.
USU's Career Services is volunteering as a group,
said assistant director Randy Jensen.
"I watched the show last night and then on the news
they said it was in Logan," he said.
By 8:40 there were around 50 people signed up said
Didericksen and only three time slots on Tuesday were
left open for volunteers.
Jackie Marchant, a junior majoring in nursing, heard
about the show at work from the FedEx man whose brother
is doing the cabinets for the new home. Most student
learned about the show from friends and like Marchant,
saw the chance to volunteer this morning on the way
to class.
"I've watched the show since it aire and it's amazing
that people devote their lives to giving to others,"
said freshman Megan Olson.
Virginia Todd, a sophomore majoring in political scienc
sees it as a great opportunity to serve. As does junior
Justin Hill, who added that the show is actually a "good
reality show" to watch.
Beside the 110 volunteers needed on-site Tuesday,
60 to 90 volunteers will be serving at the benefit concert
Wednesday night starting at 7.
Volunteers will be doing everything that night, said
Didericksen, from set-up to take-down.
Sign-up sheets for on-site service were filled by
9:11 in the morning with 220 volunteers, made up of
individuals, clubs and other USU organizations. Sixty
people are on the waiting list for on-site help.
One hundred and sixty students signed-up for the benefit
concert. This was not the last chance to get involved.
A clothing drive started today and runs through Thursday;
boxes for warm weather clothing are in all the major
buildings on campus and other service opportunities
are being held all week.
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