Posted on Friday, May 8, 2015 by
Michael •
“I read our FPF updates with enthusiasm and at times curiosity. I live on Main Street in the heart of the beaten path to and from off-campus student activities. I have lost flags, and other decorations to midnight five-finger-discount perpetrators. Yet, I refuse to brand ALL students as impish, hooligans, and ne’er do wells.
“Our college has myriad examples of kind, considerate and cooperative students: Mentor Programs, Meals on Wheels, etc. I am also a faculty member… Our students are reaching out regularly to become more involved with OUR community as we incorporate more Civic Engagement into our curriculum.
“You can’t expect to solve a problem with a school without taking into account the problems in the community. There is substantial divisiveness, tension, and squabble among and between us. There is a history of bullying and strong-arm behavior in our politics. If you believe that students don’t see it, then GOD BLESS YOU!!!
“I would like to have the community welcome new students as they arrive for the first time to our town. I have spoken to several folks about making this idea happen. We have a BEAUTIFUL town and caring people in it. Why not model the behavior we would like them to embrace as a standard?”
• Robert, shared recently with neighbors on his local Front Porch Forum
Posted in: Civic Engagement, College Students, Community Building, Front Porch Forum, Knight Foundation, Local Online, MacArthur Fellows, Neighborhood, Politics, social capital, Stories, Vermont