THE HILL NEWS
VOLUME CXXXIV. NO.4
VERBA VOLANT, SCRIPTA MANENT
APRIL 14, 2025
Athletics swaps cleats for kindness with Hill VIPS By MAX YANG ‘27 STAFF WRITER
In a noticeable effort to elevate volunteerism at Hill, a groundbreaking three-term community service co-curricular was recently unveiled. The novel program is known as Hill VIPS and spearheaded by Cathy Skitko, Director of Communications and Community Relations. The initiative hopes to tackle the persistent winter-term roster gap in volunteers by creating a dedicated corps of students who serve the local community year-round and mentor their peers in the spirit of service leadership. “I proposed this program to ensure we can continue serving our nonprofit partners, even when we typically see fewer volunteers,” Skitko said. “Many students who might otherwise have done community service are fulfilling their athletics requirement.” Skitko further explained the shortage of volunteers during the winter season. “It’s also a disappointment for our community partners,” Skitko added. “Under this new plan, students who are genuinely passionate about community engagement can commit to service for all three athletic terms, ensuring we’re able to continue supporting these organizations year-round.” Skitko emphasized that local nonprofits “absolutely love having Hill students there.” Many sites, such as the Ricketts Center, a local hub for tutoring and youth activities, look forward to a reliable schedule of Hill School volunteers. With the new three-term approach, Hill students will be present each season, enriching relationships and providing valuable help. “If we can send students all year, our community partners can count on us,” Skitko explained. “We no longer have to apologize for not having volunteers during a particular term.” Beyond simply increasing the workforce, the program envisions a leadership team of
students who will mentor newcomers. “Part of what they will bring to this is not only that we will be able to provide students to our nonprofit partners year-round,” Skitko said. “This core group of really passionate students who want to give back to the community will also be mentoring other students in community service.” Many concerns of this program lie in the lack of athletic activities, possibly leading to poor physical well-being. “Our afternoon community service is much more than opening doors and running small errands,” Skitko noted. “If you’re working with the food pantry, you might be carrying heavy boxes and stocking shelves. At the Ricketts Center, you might be tutoring children or playing basketball with them.” Skitko emphasized that even a quick walk to sites off-campus can turn routine volunteer tasks into a mini workout. “We’ll definitely be heading to Edgewood Cemetery in the fall and spring,” she said. “Students might be working in the gardens and carrying pails of water. There’s a lot of walking involved, so we try to keep everyone moving while giving back.” Even on-campus projects require physical effort. Students might assist Sodexo, the school’s dining service, by setting up tables for special events or tackling spur-of-the-moment cleanups. “We want to make sure our volunteers stay active, so they fulfill The Hill School’s commitment to physical fitness while contributing to the broader community,” Skitko said. Koji Karasawa ’27, a 4th former with an interest in community outreach ,gave his thoughts on the new program. “While the Hill VIPS might not be compatible with most of the student body—since the majority of us are dedicated to at least one sport—it does fit a couple of individuals who don’t have a prominent sport but are really passionate about community service and want to spend more
Yancy Sun ’26, left, and Abhi Siripurapu ’25, right, volunteer their time to community service in the fall term. Students can now participate in community service all three terms in the new Hill VIPS program. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH BENDER hours on it,” Karasawa said. “There are certainly people in this school who fit into this category.” Some expressed interest in the program’s name. As the name Hill VIPS inevitably has connotations with “very important person”, it adds a bit of prestige and exclusivity to this program. Caroline Fung ’27, a 4th form student who had only a vague idea of what the program involved, admitted, “I was initially interested in the program not knowing what VIPS stands for. I didn’t know it was community service.” Likewise, it is clear that the new program is not designed to attract large numbers right away. “Certainly, I don’t expect more than a dozen students to enroll,” Skitko acknowledged. “Most volunteers will likely stick to the one-term community service model. But anywhere between four to six people in the Hill VIPS would still be satisfactory to me.” Furthermore, what truly sets the program
apart, according to Skitko, is its leadership component. In the proposal, Skitko initially coined the term “Hill Service Ambassadors,” though she now leans toward calling these year-round volunteers “fellows.” She believes the title conveys both honor and responsibility. “This is an important position of leadership for students truly passionate about giving back,” Skitko said. “The fellows will mentor other students, help them learn how to contribute effectively at each site, and spread the word about the value of service across campus.” Skitko also believes that the joy of volunteering can often be discovered in an unexpected way. “One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced is when a student signs up simply because they need an afternoon co-curricular, then realizes they actually love giving back. They end up saying things like, ‘I want to keep volunteering,’” Skitko said.
The DEI Council played a key role in shaping the day’s activities, as they wanted to create something that would resonate with everyone. The idea of using art to reflect on social change felt like a way to bring people together in a meaningful way. One of the activities, “Threads of the Fu-
ture”, invited students to write their hopes and wishes for the future, which were then hung on string lights in the library. Khong originally wanted to create a ‘wishing tree’, but the snowy weather made it hard to accomplish.
DEI Council presents MLK Day programming titled “Voices of Change: Social Movements Then & Now” By LULU ZHOU ’26 STAFF WRITER
MLK Day at Hill was a blend of art, reflection, and conversation as students and faculty came together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through interactive art exhibits, and a keynote address by renowned activist Tarana Burke. The unique programming this year which allowed the Hill community to reflect and explore some of the ongoing works of social justice was organized by the DEI Student Council along with the Dean of Equity and Inclusion Eric Khong. The planning for MLK Day began early in the winter term when Khong and the DEI Council started brainstorming activities that aligned with the theme of social movements and community engagement. “We knew Tarana Burke was coming and most likely going to talk about her work with the Me Too movement as a Tom Ruth speaker, and this became the spark for our inspiration to talk about social movements more broadly and analyze how society changes over time,” explained Khong. As a big fan of “artivism”, Khong brought
Hill Model UN travels to Columbia and Cornell Universities CAMPUS | Page 2
up the idea of using communal art as a way to reflect which started the planning process. Then, the team spent over a month organizing the event, with intense planning in the final two weeks leading up to the day. From the list of possible exhibits, the team settled with four activities they intended to execute.
“We knew Tarana Burke was coming and most likely going to talk about her work with the Me Too movement as a Tom Ruth speaker, and this became the spark for our inspiration to talk about social movements more broadly and analyze how society changes over time,” - Eric Khong, Dean of Equity and Inclusion
Student wishes hang in the “Threads of the Future” installation
FEATURES | Page 4
Review: Hill’s student band concert
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ARTS AND LEISURE| Page 6
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PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDI YANISKO
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