Because we are college students, we obviously want to “Become More Educated.” This is one of the “Become More” banner statements that head the Guilford website. This is an expectation of any college environment. There are other “Become More” statements that require more than just brain power and resilience. Some of the statements wouldn’t even be addressed on a larger university campus, but Guilford is different. If you go online and read these “Become More” statements, you’ll discover that Guilford’s purposes reflect a concern for the whole person.

One says, “Become More Connected.” The following is part of the explanation: “Your college education should provide you with daily opportunities to form connections with other students, as well as members of the faculty and staff. Every person on the Guilford campus accepts responsibility for his or her role in creating the kind of positive setting where community can flourish.”

I am involved with different extra-curricular activities where I feel that connection and community, but usually when I am walking through the campus, I don’t sense the community and connectedness that the website advertises.

I believe it’s because every person is not accepting responsibility for his or her role in creating the setting where community can flourish. When you live in a community, I believe you greet people as you walk by them. When you live in a community, you don’t go through a door and let it slam behind you when a person is within inches of coming in or out of the same door.

You may not feel like smiling or talking, but a community of people at least nods a greeting as they pass by one another. A community that wants to be connected observes what the needs of another might be, even if it is as simple as holding the door. These are only baby steps to making Guilford a connected community. The website’s writers are correct in stating that every person must accept his or her responsibility in order to “Become More Connected.” The responsibility is more than just about joining a club, a social group or any organization. This responsibility reaches outside the walls of the classroom, the dorm room or your home. I’m going to do my part, so don’t be surprised if I yell out a hello across the cafeteria or the sidewalk. I might even grab a hug or shake your hand. Let’s live like we believe in and belong to the Guilford community.