Since Thursday, The New York Times has been running an article in its Style section about “Star Power in the White House.” Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen a good share of articles about volunteerism cross my desk, including one titled How to Volunteer with the President of the United States. Actor Kalpen Modi — alias Kal Penn — could’ve written it. He didn’t (our talented HSW writer Chris Obenschain did), but he’s walking the talk, so to speak.

Modi put his acting career on hold to work for President Obama, for whom he actively campaigned last year. You’ve seen Modi’s acting chops in the Harold & Kumar movies, as well as “House” and “24.” Modi gave his “House” producer early notice that if Obama were elected, he’d be leaving the show. He kept his word and now works in the Office of Public Engagement.

The Times seems pretty impressed with Modi’s commitment to his country. As you’ll read in Obenschain’s article, several U.S. presidents have issued a “call to service,” perhaps most notably Kennedy, Bush Sr. and Obama. Americans can answer that call in their own communities, but some (Modi included) prefer to get involved in the thick of it — in Washington.

But The Times narrows a skeptical eye at other celebrities who’ve been spending time at “the people’s house” (to borrow the Obamas’ phrase). Some simply visit the White House for a tour, or they come at the request of the president or first lady. Some, says The Times, “come with agendas.” For Pierce Brosnan, it’s whales; for George Clooney, it’s Darfur.

What’s the danger in this? For one, who’s to say the president has time to spare amid the economic and military crises he’s dealing with to hobnob with the rich and famous? For another, literary editor Leon Wieseltier questions whether these people have any real insights into their platforms — or if they’ve just got more glamour than a run-of-the-mill activist.

More volunteerism:
How to Volunteer with the President of the United States
Can you be a professional volunteer?
How AmeriCorps Works