Taking it to the streets

Each year, 300 bulldogs are released into the streets of Indianapolis during the University’s August orientation program. Don’t worry, it’s not the bulldog canine breed, bulldogs here refer to Butler students. The program called BITS (Bulldogs Into the Streets) is a service program designed for incoming students. As part of the program students spend an afternoon volunteering at a community service agency in Indianapolis. They get to learn about the Indianapolis area, meet members of their class and also members of the community, but most importantly they make an impact on the city of Indianapolis and the lives of many. Since 1995, the program has built a strong foundation on campus but the program director says she would like to see it develop even further. “My hope is for this program to serve as the basis for our students to start thinking and looking at larger social issues and to get them excited about being a part of change.” Some initial enhancements have included developing the BITS II program. Like the original, BITS II is dedicated to service and making a difference. But it defers in that it is a week-long program in the spring, which focuses not only on service but building class unity. Each class is teamed up for hand-on service as well as an awareness campaign.