Looking back on my experience during my college years more than a decade ago, I would characterize myself as an "episodic" volunteer who contributed several days a year to the community.
At that time, volunteering often took place in the form of doing good deeds, a practice that was promoted on Chinese campuses. Once I went with my classmates to the city port terminal to help passengers disembark. We would try to help the travelers with their luggage - something they often protested - and escort them out. Although we had lots of time on ours hands back then, I believe that volunteering could have been better conceived to make it more meaningful.
Later I had my first and only volunteering experience in the United States when I, as an international journalism student, was invited by a local businessman friend to spend one afternoon with his church group promoting the cause of a US presidential candidate.
While addressing and stuffing envelopes, I was puzzled to see those volunteers form a circle and hold hands to pray for the politician, during breaks. I was glad they had sensed my boredom and I was not invited any more. The voluntary commitment is based on a free personal decision that is motivated by solidarity as well as altruism.
Now, after I have socialized into working life and stopped engaging in volunteer work, I regret that my college volunteering experience could was not more rewarding. A better-organized system could spur a generation of more active citizens.
It's encouraging that hundreds of thousands of college students in Beijing have already applied to be volunteers for the Beijing Olympics, which promises to be one of the greatest social and sporting events for China and the world.
While there are far more candidates than places available, and the expectations for students seem to be going up every day, I am also interested in knowing how the concept of volunteering is evolving here to encourage students to become regular volunteers in later life, as they learn about commitment, altruism and what it means to contribute to society.
Volunteers should possess money, time and a loving heart, one Olympic official was quoted as saying in the press, adding that - of these three - many Chinese students probably only have time to spare.
Olympic organizers have revealed that they intend to recruit up to one and a half times the number of volunteers they need in case some quit early.
As such, the candidates have been told that some may be asked to carry out mundane chores, while others will be posted in places where they cannot watch any of the competitions or catch a glimpse of the athletes. Chasing people for autographs or lapel pins will also be discouraged.
A rigorous pre-Olympic training regime covering general courtesy and skill development has already been started. Some local university students have even been trained to "smile three meters away."
In return, the volunteers will be given uniforms, free food and transport during the Games, as well as being provided with moral rewards such as volunteer service certificates and badges.
Personally, I believe that volunteering at the Games may also be seen as an opportunity for students to acquire professional values such as taking pride in their work and learning about teamwork. Wherever possible, they should be deployed to carry out technical and specialized assignments, which may help with their future employment.
I also do not see any problem if the students use the Games to develop social contacts for their professional careers.
Although a global search for the Olympic volunteers' slogan has yet to reveal its final result, a Chinese professor who specializes in the Olympic Movement has already announced that his entry ("My smile, your joy") is getting approval from other specialists and experts.
But I prefer like the already-in-use mottos as "I participate, I give and I am happy," which suggests both the selfless nature of volunteering and the recognition of such efforts.
