In his final Convocation speech, former College President James Wright remarked, "In this era, although we surely need expertise and specialization, no one who aspires to leadership can afford to focus too narrowly, at the expense of attaining a broad perspective."
This quotation summarizes the philosophy behind Dartmouth's graduation requirements. Among these requirements are ones you would expect to find at any liberal arts college for example, the natural sciences distributive requirement. Other requirements are more unique: not many schools demand that students complete three physical education courses before obtaining a degree.
But markedly absent from these requirements is community service. As College President Jim Yong Kim urges us to find our passion and serve the greater good, the administration should supplement this verbal encouragement with policy. Upon leaving Hanover, every student should have served the community at least once.
Inevitably, some would see such a requirement as yet another tax on their time. Such a concern isn't selfish rather, it's realistic. Fulfilling requirements shouldn't be a chore so much as an adventure. To avoid the woes of over-scheduling, one of the three physical education requirements could be substituted with the new community service requirement. That way, students wouldn't be overburdened, and the principles of athleticism and outdoor exploration cornerstones of the Dartmouth experience wouldn't be completely sacrificed either.
While some people simply don't want to do community service, that's often the nature of requirements: more than a few people hate fulfilling them. I'm sure a poll of any class would find many students who would rather avoid most of the graduation requirements altogether. That said, stories abound of those who have found a hidden interest, or even a new major, because of a course they took to fulfil a distributive requirement. What's to say this wouldn't be the case with a community service project?
Many organizations on campus already take the initiative and do community service, absent any administrative obligation. Just recently, the women's varsity softball team volunteered to build the Marshall family a new home as part of ABC's television show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" ("Local house makeover' revealed," Oct. 6). It would be easy for other varsity teams to follow suit. "Service" is one of the six pillars of Greek life, and houses therefore incorporate community service projects into their yearly activities. Besides, I'm sure service experiences build brotherhood and sisterhood just as much as, if not more than, a couple of Keystones.
The community service initiative, beyond its day-to-day administration, should be student-led. Any student concerns would then be adequately represented in the new requirement, and there would be no reason to blame the administration for any undesirable outcomes. In too many instances, administrators make policy, seemingly ignorant of student opinion on the matter (criticism of the College's keg policy has become a platitude at this point).
Might this new requirement be counterproductive, in that community service is meant to be voluntary, not mandatory? Of course, service should come from an inner desire to help people in need, not some overbearing administrative ruling. It should not become a last ditch, senior-spring attempt to get a diploma. This argument, though, is one of convenience. While it may not be apparent initially, the benefits of an overarching service requirement far outweigh its potential to make students grumble. Discussions, both in and out of the classroom, about community involvement would be bolstered by experience. Students might even gain a great appreciation for the Upper Valley and some of the underserved residents in the area.
Putting action to words is the true test of determination. This new administration should make good on its call to service by requiring of every Dartmouth student time serving the greater good.
