By Meg Parker
TSC Writer

Five members of a group communication class hosted an ice cream social Tuesday to show their appreciation for the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) at Santa Clara.

Senior Chrissie Leibman is part of the class and said that they did this to give the EMTs the respect that they deserve.

“Our group decided we wanted to treat a group that rarely gets recognized. It was sort of a role reversal. For a day, we wanted to take care of them instead of them taking care of others,” Leibman said.

The EMTs are all volunteers who pay for their own training and uniforms, which can cost as much as $950. While their efforts and services often go unnoticed by others, it doesn’t seem to affect their work.

Joe Goethals, a Santa Clara alumnus who helped bring the program to campus in 1997, said that EMTs are on call whenever Cowell Health Center is closed.

He also said that they respond to any call that they get on campus. These calls range from a sniffle to hives to any other medical trauma. Their shifts run from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m.

The two groups met for ice cream and cookies with hope that the afternoon would be the beginning of a continued appreciation for the Santa Clara EMTs.

“Today is just a small appreciation of all the work that you do. But even more importantly, we hope to build awareness of all the contributions that you make to the community,” Leibman said.

All of the food was donated by Wilson’s Bakery and Bon Appetit thanks to senior Connie Rice, another member of the class, who contacted them.