Deirdra Stockmann: Playing our part in West Phila.

Commitment is a scary word. As college students, we strive to enjoy our current, commitment-free place in life precisely because we see the world of weighty responsibilities looming in our futures.

Our vision of college as prospective students and underclassmen was one of freedom. Liberation from parents, the limitations of suburban life, extra-curricular resume-building activities and class rank. Responsibility and commitment were not in the picture.

Older adults tend to look at us the same way. They are the first to say that "college students have so much free time, they don't even know what to do with it."

With open minds and lots of free time, university students and recent graduates are often perceived as the group best equipped for public service. Undergraduates are less tied down by the obligations of adult life. Most of us do not have children to raise, mortgages to pay or multiple tax forms to file. Free of constricting commitments, we have lots of time to devote to improving society, right?

Apparently not.

When asked about community service activity, the first thing many undergraduates say is that they just don't have time. Students who show interest in getting involved are frustrated by the demanding courseloads and other commitments that impede their action.

Additionally, the attitudes of those with little time to contribute only perpetuate the problem. They tend to be the most skeptical of the "real impact" of work in the community, which conveniently serves to justify their own inaction. "Isn't education like a huge problem in this city?" they say, "I mean, do you really feel like you can make a difference?"

Yes.

One hour per week tutoring an local youth can directly change two lives: the child and his mentor.

Five hours per week can help an overcrowded classroom run more smoothly. The teacher may get the chance to give a struggling student the extra attention they need, while a few Penn students lead a hands-on learning experience that the teacher could not do alone.

Combining class research with action, a Penn student can gain insight into the missing links in the insufficient provision of a public service. Her work might contribute to an improved solution that affects an entire community.

So what is the key? You guessed it. The key to making a difference is really making a commitment.

Ask any teacher how a Penn student can help most. The answer will be by being reliable. As students who have made commitments will attest, the experience is enriched for everyone when a mutual relationship based on trust is formed. Teachers actually change the structure of the day to better meet the needs of the students when they can depend on support.

Additionally, with children leading the transient lives that many of our neighbors do, they are most positively affected by Penn students who have shown that they will be there every week.

Even with just a few hours a week, as long as it is consistent, we can make a difference. But how do we engender the crucial component of commitment when we, those college students who are supposed to have all of that free time, are overburdened with responsibilities?

Academically Based Community Service curriculum is the most obvious place to start. Many ABCS classes were developed by undergraduates who identified problems in West Philadelphia that were beyond what students normally devoting out-of-class time could substantively address.

If students do not feel they have the time to take on public issues because they have too much schoolwork, make our community's problems part of school. Make hands-on experience and site-based research the homework. Make developing new or improved programs or more ABCS classes the final project. ABCS simultaneously addresses the problems of over-committed students and under-commitment to the community.

In addition to the strengthening and broadening of the ABCS program as a way to help student make commitments to the community, our sports teams might develop partnerships with physical education classes. Art students might integrate the development of elementary level lesson plans into their curriculum.

When we think of commitment, we think of the limitations it imposes. We consider the things we are unable to do because we have promised our time and resources to others.

In the world of public service, however, it is ultimately commitment that makes change possible. As a community servant, one forgone activity in the realm of college life may translate into an expanse of new possibilities for an entire community.

Deirdra Stockmann is a senior Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major from Oak Park, Il.

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