Knox College students got ready for the 2015-16 academic year by exploring and engaging with the Galesburg community -- volunteering at nonprofit organizations and taking tours designed to make them more familiar with the area.

The Wednesday, September 9, Explore and Engage Galesburg event attracted roughly 200 students, many of them new to Knox and Galesburg.

After finishing their volunteer work and tours, students returned to campus to join faculty, staff, and other members of the Knox community in the traditional Pumphandle ceremony in which everyone greets everyone else while forming a long, winding line. Pumphandle was followed by an all-campus picnic and the Carnival of Clubs.

At Explore and Engage Galesburg, President Teresa Amott welcomed the students and thanked them for choosing to get to know the Galesburg community. Knox and Galesburg have historic, long-standing connections, she noted, pointing out that Knox contributed 58,000 hours of community service to Galesburg last year.

"It is a part of our DNA as a college. We are a college that gives back to the community. We're a college that cares about the community," Amott said.

"We're a college that sends people to the Peace Corps, sends people to be teachers, sends people to Teach for America, [sends people to be] scientists, social workers, doctors, lawyers, all kinds of people who are going to change the world and help the community," she added.

Students volunteered at several organizations, including Discovery Depot Children's Museum, Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg Civic Art Center, and Prairie Players Civic Theatre. Tours included a trip to Green Oaks biological field station, a bicycle excursion through Galesburg, and an exploration of local art centers and cultural venues.

Michael Morrow, a first-year student from Chicago, Illinois, helped with cleanup at Discovery Depot Children's Museum.

"I've always felt good when I've done volunteer work and helped out other people when they need it," he said.

The Kleine Center for Community Service partnered with the Knox chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-educational national service fraternity, for Explore and Engage Galesburg.

"For me, volunteering isn't just doing the work. It's about interacting with people," said APO member Jenny Ripka '17, who volunteered Wednesday at the Galesburg Public Library. "It builds a sense of community."

Other Knox students who volunteered at Wednesday's event included Sam Jacobson, from Wauconda, Illinois, and Laura Jenn, from New Bern, North Carolina. Both first-year students were part of a group helping with painting, cleaning, and other work at Prairie Players Civic Theatre, and now they're both thinking about volunteering with the community theatre group on a regular basis.

"I did technical theatre in high school, and I'm interested in doing theatre things" [as a Knox student], Jacobson said.

"I saw this as an opportunity to gain momentum in the community," said Jenn.

Judy Diemer, president of Prairie Players, said the students' contributions are greatly appreciated because the Galesburg theatre group relies heavily on volunteers. "Having eight people show up, enthusiastic and willing to work, is huge for us," she said.