According to a published report, a group of Albion seniors approached Swan Library director Susan Rudnicky requesting the opportunity to fulfill their 30-hour community service requirement. Some of the seniors needed twenty hours with less than three weeks to go until the end of the school year. Evidently, this understandably irked another board member who suggested that Albion High School should require students to fulfill their community service requirement by June 1 of their senior year.

 The story made me chuckle a bit, because this is one of those issues that really hits home because I am the consummate procrastinator, which is typical of many writers who are used to dealing with deadlines. My procrastination drives those around me crazy so I fully understand why there was some concern on the part of the board member-my wife who often greets me in the morning with statements like, “did you start your column yet, it is due this evening." In fact, even though I am a procrastinator I know her complaint is valid based on personal experience, my son waited until the last minute to meet his community service requirement even though I badgered him about it until he got it done.

 I do not think it is necessarily genetic, because my father was the opposite end of the spectrum, he was early for everything, including showing up for doctor's appointments at least an hour early. Since I was the lone procrastinator in the house when I was growing up, it drove everyone else nuts. I was always the last to pack for a trip and the last person ready for church. I cannot count how many times my parents said to me "why do you always have to wait to the last minute for everything."

 What people do not realize about us procrastinators is that it is not a condition, something that cannot be cured, only managed. If the deadline were moved to June 1 then the result would be that the week before June 1 procrastinating seniors would besiege organizations with last minute requests. The only way to spread the hours out would be to stagger the requirements, have ten hours required by the end of sophomore year, ten at the end of junior year and then by senior year they would only need ten hours instead of thirty. Of course, that would not cure the procrastinators, but it would help ease the parents of procrastinators worry about their kids being able to graduate.

 It is important to note the value of the community service requirement. Those students that take it seriously will certainly gain some valuable insights into the community and feel a sense of connection.  In a best-case scenario, a student may wind up doing something that leads to a career, especially in human services.  At the very least, community organizations receive valuable assistance, and with the state cutting funding to many non-profits, the help takes on added significance.
 I would advise Albion seniors not to wait until the last minute to fulfill their community service requirement, but I know that it is futile to do so, especially when I have a deadline to meet.