It’s absolutely stunning to see what a community can do when it comes together to accomplish a particular goal. In fact, I would even say that it’s one of the most amazing things to witness as a human being. After the vandalism committed against the Jewish community at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, Governor Eric Greitens asked for volunteers to help him clean up on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Archdiocese of Saint Louis also called upon its members to help as well. That Wednesday afternoon, I went alongside Student Body Secretary Sam Radetic and Mr. Kenneth Luecke to answer the call to service.

Sam and I left De Smet at around 2:30 p.m. and arrived at the Cemetery at around 3:00 p.m. When we arrived, there was already a massive crowd of people standing at the gate of the entrance, pouring out into the street. We noticed several highway patrolmen around the area and assumed that Governor Greitens was already there. Sneaking up to the front of the line, we were met by secret service agents. We learned that Vice President Mike Pence was there as well.

Later, we had the opportunity to talk with Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. When he approached the horde of people, the media tried to rush ahead and push us aside, but we managed to be one of the first people to reach him. He noticed our De Smet apparel and, remembering his meeting with our school’s Young Republicans earlier this school year, started a conversation with us. Other people grabbed his attention, but he returned to us later. We took a picture with him then left to do our service.

The number of people that were volunteering around us was enormous. People of all ages contributed their time towards the beautification of the cemetery. There was an elderly lady raking leaves into a pile as well as a small child cleaning the tombstones with a cloth. There was a man handing out smiley face stickers as a group of young college students handed out water. Sam and I went around stuffing piles of leaves into black plastic bags.

What happened at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery was stunning. However, that is the exact same word that I would use to describe the Day of Service. Not necessarily in the same context, but to see the accomplishments that the community made was unreal. This further reiterates what can happen when a group of people comes together in pursuit of a single goal.

Within an hour, the cemetery almost looked like new. The day concluded with a prayer service as well as brief speeches from Governor Greitens, University City council members, and various religious leaders from around the Saint Louis area.

The message here is that no matter what religion, race or political leaning, at the end of the day, beneath it all, we are all human. And to see the amount of people that came together to support a community during a time of need was unparalleled to anything I have ever seen. It is in moments like these that make me proud to be an American as well as a member of the human race.