What is the importance of the introductory anthology in the book, Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad?

This anthology's introductory story is crucial in establishing a framework for how community service is perceived by its participants. Although Preston Moncrief's community service is court-ordered, his attitude and approach toward serving his hours is comparable to the high school students required to perform service for school. The distinct voices of teenage protagonists are presented in the nine reports that Randall, an African-American college student, evaluates for a social work class. The narrators are a sampling of 310 senior high school students who have fulfilled community service assignments in order to graduate. They had some choice in choosing their service, volunteering for favored organizations or specific institutions due to personal interest or selfish agendas.