Social awareness - not just a three hour commitment

The numerous community service organizations that harassed me at the Dwight Hall Open House inspired me to establish my own service activity: Say Hello to New Haven. All that is required is a willingness to recognize and greet the non-Yale community. From what I've seen in my few weeks here, it seems that grand designs predominate, and simple concern for those in the community is lacking.

A few days ago, I arrived at Lanman-Wright and saw several children in the courtyard. They were maybe 10 years old, innocent and care-free, a group of close friends goofing off on their bikes. This pleasant image, a refreshing break from the hours I had spent on a paper, was spoiled by the reaction of my fellow classmates. Several were disturbed that security had allowed these New Haven youth into Old Campus. Others explicitly stated, "What the hell are they doing here?" Not one of my fellow classmates felt the slightest need to interrupt their socializing or procrastinating to chat with these kids, or even to take the time to give them a smile or greeting.

I was shocked, perhaps due to my idealism about Yale and its students. Seventy-five percent of Yale students volunteer in social service programs in New Haven, which include child care, tutoring, socializing, and volunteering at community centers and soup kitchens, as well as many other programs. I attended the Dwight Hall Open House and was pleasantly surprised by the level of enthusiasm that student coordinators had for their respective programs, each one believing that only a vigor for active service is all that is needed to solve the problems that surround all of us.

However, there exists among a significant portion of the Yale student body has an entirely different attitude toward such activities. To these seemingly involved Yalies, community service really constitutes just another class on the schedule or another activity meant to impress potential graduate schools and future employers. They hope that this duty will not involve a significant time commitment or turn into a burden as the semester progresses. To them, service begins and ends at specified time periods. Yale will undoubtedly attempt to solve "all the problems of New Haven" from two to five o'clock on Friday afternoons, but if one of these "problems" comes up as we are getting ready for a Thursday night party, then we neither have the time nor concern to become involved.

Organized community service is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the New Haven community and attempt to ease some of the problems that surround us. But we need a change in our humanitarian attitude toward New Haven. We are known for our ability to recognize, analyze, devise, and interpret complex ideas and concepts. What we may lack in our furious chase to attain excellence are a familiarity and ease with some fundamental humanitarian qualities.

We have to stop viewing our service in New Haven as a structured activity with specified parameters. Rather, we should view it as an essential aspect of our daily existence here. For better or for worse, New Haven and its various problems are home, and home improvement can't be quick or superficial. It requires more attention--and also a general concern and interest about the state of one's surroundings.

What these kids and many other disadvantaged members of the New Haven community need more than service programs is a little respect and recognition from Yale students outside of structured activity. While there are numerous community service opportunities here, many of which have beneficial goals, sometimes, a personal chat, a simple hello, and some basic respect go farther than the entire Yale community's idealistic designs.

Kamran Khajavi-Nouri is a freshman in Saybrook.

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