The Observer, September 9, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2
Flawed Case for Community Day is useless to the city
Although Cleveland has moved down in the poverty rankings from No. 1 to No. 12, Case's obligations to its community are still as important as ever. Unfortunately, the university's third annual Case for Community Day does little to satisfy the dire need for community service in Cleveland.
The idea behind Case for Community Day has honorable intentions; it was established by the Staff Advisory Council as a means of involving Case faculty, staff, and students in community service projects throughout the city on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The projects, however, are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., a span of time during which most students and professors are occupied in classes.
In a perfect world, professors would cancel classes for such a worthy cause, and students would flock to their respective service jobs, wearing the Case logo across their chests and so demonstrating to the world that this university cares for its city. In the Case world, professors do not cancel classes for university-sponsored events, and students only skip classes to sleep and to study for exams. The intention here is, by no means, to paint professors in a negative light. More often than not, these events are announced long after instructors have established their lecture schedules and have little space to trim even one hour.
Had this day of service been set for a weekend, or even during a Provost/Community/Fourth Credit hour, members of the Case community could (and would) find the time to help out their city. On class days, students barely have time to eat a quick lunch, much less arrange a carpool and spend hours giving back to their community. By creating a nearly-impossible community service schedule for students and faculty, the university has offered the city a lot of talk and no action while maintaining its philanthropic façade.
The groups on campus who dedicate their time and energy to bettering this city – namely Alpha Phi Omega, Habitat for Humanity, and the Office of Student Community Service – find ways to schedule with students in mind. This effort actually makes a difference, while giving Case students much-warranted praise. Taking their approach to community service would benefit Cleveland as well as those who volunteered their services.
In order for an event of this magnitude serve a meaningful purpose for the City of Cleveland, Case has to go beyond labeling a random day in the semester Case for Community Day with the goal of seeming like a hero to the outside world. If the university believes that this city is as important as it claims, they must do what is actually best for the community – not just what sounds best to the outside world. The Case community has many resources to offer the City of Cleveland, but the poor execution of Case for Community Day hardly does them justice.
In its implementation of Case for Community Day, the university has fallen into the trap of one-shot volunteerism, a well-intentioned but naïve strategy. In order to make a lasting difference in the Cleveland community, Case must be willing to invest long-term resources, including manpower, capital, and expertise, as part of an overarching scheme to integrate the university's vision with the future of its city.
