The Orbis

Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: Issues

The most successful community-building endeavors tend to be student-led and student-instigated activities, though they often enjoy support from the administration. The support and even the enthusiasm of the administration is vital to the success for many campus events and activities, but foisting activities upon students is less than conducive to building community. The promotion of sporting events, speakers and performances seems less contrived and more genuine when coming from a student group rather than the administration.

True community comes from the many student-led groups on campus that devote themselves to a huge spectrum of causes and beliefs. The mantra upperclassmen, parents and faculty repeat to freshmen is "get involved," and this command is central to what fosters true community. Getting involved by choice rather than by default allows students to shape their Vanderbilt experiences and build an organic community rather than an artificial one.

Having a single "Vanderbilt experience" to strive for eliminates the possibility of building community. Instead, embracing the variety of experiences available to undergrads as part of a larger whole is more in keeping with idea of community.

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