Alexis Miniat, Contributing Writer
Dear Friends,
The Order of the Gown is voting on community engagement as a membership requirement. We hope that this recommits our organization to our historic pillar of community. The amendment that we have proposed to the organization is a mere five hours per semester, hours that many of our members are already doing. I encourage you to vote in favor of this amendment, as it brings us closer to our values, pushes us to learn outside of the classroom, and more importantly, challenges us to make this place better than when we got here.
The Order of the Gown, since its inception, has been charged with upholding the spirit, traditions, and values of the University. We hold none of these ideals more closely than Ecce Quam Bonum, “Behold how good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” It speaks to the community we build and foster in our years of Sewanee. I think that this community extends beyond the gates, to our alumni, and to the community that lives in and around Sewanee. By extending our definition of community, we also create more opportunities for Sewanee students to learn from each other and the community. It extends our learning outside of the classroom, is wonderful for students who want to gain practical experience in a specific field and is great for students to have a record of their community engagement for their future career goals.
Among the many benefits of adding this engagement to our charge, is also our goal to begin breaking down the “town-gown divide.” Historically, there have been divisions between the community surrounding Sewanee and the campus itself. Part of this comes from the students on this campus being isolated within the Domain. Without fostering connections, we are actively engaging in keeping up the boundaries between the campus and the greater community. There is so much for us to learn, and so much growth can happen on both sides if we create a larger connection. This amendment solidifies our efforts to break down this divide and learn a lot in the process.
Similar to the Bonner/Canale definition of service, community engagement for the Order of the Gown will be a broad definition that may include direct service hours, community events, and hours with other organizations’ “Community Engaged Events.” Community Engaged Events (CEEs) are like many of the ones we have on campus today. For example, CEEs include events like Dinner and Dialogues, Night Owls, Farm to Table, and more. CEEs are events that are open to the public, have conversations that engage many community stakeholders, and events that engage in a wide variety of views, perspectives, and opinions. By this definition, the students of Sewanee engage in community engagement weekly. Student organizations will be able to register their CEEs on Engage or GivePulse. We have videos that organizations can follow to register their events as CEEs, and we will train Order of the Gown members through video on the simple steps to log their hours on GivePulse. This amendment is about fostering an environment that creates more community-building opportunities and encourages students to participate in more of these activities.
I hope that this amendment lays the groundwork for something larger at Sewanee. Once the Order of the Gown implements this program successfully, I dream that in ten years the University will make community engagement a requirement for all students. Community engagement is perhaps the best way students can begin to extend their education outside of a class’s four walls, and therefore I think one of the best ways to prepare students for their time after Sewanee.
EQB is not just a motto; it is a way of life at Sewanee. It calls us to embrace goodness and unity in our lives. Service to the community—both within the Domain and beyond—is a natural extension of these values. By adding community engagement to our members’ activities we are challenging our organization, this campus, this community, to rethink what the gown can become. A symbol of academic excellence, a symbol for the pursuit of knowledge, and a symbol for our continued commitment to make Sewanee a better place.
This amendment is not just about adding a requirement; it is about fostering a mindset. It challenges us to ask, “Now what?” after earning the Gown. How can we use our talents and knowledge to make a difference? How can we honor the traditions of the past while shaping a more engaged future?
If you are interested in moving the Order of the Gown forward in this way please vote! Voting is open on Engage from February 12th to February 26th.