This past week, the University was placed on the White House's 2012 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year due to its continued commitment to service. The award recognizes universities that not only consider the service necessary within their own campuses, but actively reach out to solve their surrounding communities' problems and issues. This recognition comes at an appropriate time, as last weekend the University hosted the annual Relay for Life fundraiser and benefit concert Brandeis Cares, to raise awareness about the battle against cancer and AIDS, respectively. In light of this recent recognition, we applaud the student body's continued commitment to service, as it is vital to ensuring a productive community.

This year was the fifth consecutive year the University held Relay for Life, the annual walkathon dedicated to raising cancer awareness. While the event was just as successful as previous years in regards to participation, the 12-hour event raised a record $77,000, shattering the Relay for Life's committee's previous fundraising efforts.

This record-breaking participation and fundraising demonstrate the community's overwhelmingly positive attitude towards service. Furthermore, last Thursday Tympanium Euphorium hosted Brandeis Cares, a benefit concert that featured several performances showcasing the various talents of the University community. With Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel serving as an emcee and a wide range of groups like the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance and the Undergraduate Theater Collective sponsoring the event, it was apparent that the coordinators were enthusiastically working to garner attendance and aimed to incorporate all members of the Brandeis community.

The success and widespread student involvement of these events, along with the other community service opportunities available on campus, demonstrate the reason our University was included on the list of institutions dedicated to improving their communities. As the University now begins to welcome prospective students on campus, we're glad the student body has been eagerly displaying its passion for community service and accurately portraying the University's continued dedication to improving our community.

We urge the student body to continue its efforts to facilitate a productive and involved student body so we can receive a place on the White House honor roll for a third consecutive year.
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