The Observer, November 16, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 11
Case does provide support to community
To the Editor:
Regarding the editorial "Struggling city needs help, not policing," I read one quote that was particularly disturbing to me. Wesley Brue, in discussing the impoverished areas surrounding Case Western Reserve University, wrote, "It disappoints me that Case sits on the border of such an unhealthy community and our most visible response to it is to protect ourselves from it." These words fail to take into account the tremendous efforts made by Case Western Reserve University to support Cleveland's low-income communities.
In 2006, Evan Dobelle, president of the New England Board of Higher Education, named Case sixth in a list of 25 schools that have provided support and guidance to surrounding communities. The title of this list was aptly named "Saviors of Our Cities." Academic departments at Case continually support the local area, integrating community service into the curriculum. A poignant example is the Healthy Smiles Sealant Program, pioneered by the Case Dental School. In this program, dental students provide sealants to all second and sixth grade students in the Cleveland Municipal School District, covering low-income children who would not otherwise receive dental care. This is just one example, and there are many more.
The Office of Civic Engagement and Learning offers weekly service opportunities for any undergraduate, helping at the Cleveland Foodbank and East End Neighborhood House, among others. The members of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity at Case, have completed nearly 1800 hours of service in Cleveland already this semester. Greek organizations should also be commended for their outstanding accomplishment in completing the 365 Days of Service program.
And of course, one cannot ignore the hundreds of Case students involved in individual service and philanthropic opportunities. These dedicated students tutor weekly at the Church of the Covenant, volunteer at University Hospitals, and provide support to a myriad of other organizations. It is unfair for the author to simply write off these outstanding achievements with a flippant comment that has no factual basis. While Case does sit on the border of an unhealthy community, our most visible response is to support it. I challenge the author and other Case students to become active community members by volunteering in the local Cleveland community.
Caroline Sonnefeld
Undergraduate student
