Community as we have learned in class is a system of individuals who seek the

same goal and share the same satisfaction when it comes to benefiting others.
There are many communities that each of us would associate with even though we
dont even recognize it, but it is something that it natural. In one of our class
discussions (11/18), our professor stated that we are in the communities we are in
either because it was something we are born into or it is something we intentionally
joined. The communities we discussed were family, neighborhood communities,
area communities, and other ones that we are naturally joined into. Intentional
joined communities would be things like school clubs or organizations that doesnt
involve your relationship ties or living area. A question that is imposed sometimes is
what is the benefit from assisting my community? In a reading from Arnaud,
students develop a better sense of character that not only serves to the community,
but students can utilize their motivations for assisting their communities as a way to
strive in the classroom (Arnaud p.163). In a reading by Richard Morril, he discusses
what values are and how they serve as an importance in assisting our communities.
Our values is what drives a community as a whole and take affirmative action
against their targeted problems. What is very crucial to ones being is that if there is
a value that is held on to dearly, do not release it from your opinion (Morril p.169).
truly holding on to your values not only makes you better as a person who stands
by their opinion, but it also makes an impact on the world, especially if you can find
those who share the same perspective(s) as you do. What can be truly learned from
the reading is that our values lead us towards our satisfaction. Loneliness is often
the main reason for lending a hand towards the community for social satisfaction.
Inside a community, there is a network of people who have a good source of social
capital. Being in a community not only rids of the loneliness one may suffer, but it
can also build meaningful and positive relationships. In a reading by Newman and
Newman, they describe loneliness as the inevitable. It is unavoidable to experience
loneliness. It occurs even when we dont necessarily experience it, it is all about
your surroundings. When you actually leave your dorm and actually talk to people
instead of texting or using other ways media communicating, it leads to build
meaningful relationships with others. Being socially involved in the school youre
attending will have you feeling right at home and have a greater pathway to
succeeding in college (Newman p.73). A circle of close friends can lead to a long
term of connections and a vast wealth of social capital. Ericson and Stromer both
wrote an article that details the hardships of fitting in for college students. It is
reasonable to say that college drinking rates accrue over time because when there
are freshman only wanting to feel like they belong to a group of people he/she can
identify with, it is commonly known that other will summon peer pressure and make
the loner feel right at home by ding a bit of mischievous activities. It is inevitable to
be presented with drugs and alcohol during your time in university, but it is a choice
you make due to what you are comfortable with. How community can be involved is
that a student can partake in some extracurricular activities to find that right group
of people he/she may associate with. When many first years have it rough trying to
find that right group of being people to be around, they will often take up clubs or
sports, or better yet, participating in making the community a better place to live in.
(Ericson and Stromer p.186). What strikes me is when it states in the article that it is
usually the minority who has no choice but to adapt in the new environment when it

is surrounded by the dominant culture. Ina personal standpoint, I temporarily

attended a high school where the student body wasnt as diverse, if you catch my
drift. It didnt pose a problem to me, but it did feel a bit unsettling knowing that
there was nobody in the entire school I could relate my life experiences with. That is
when I took up football and found a vast network of people who share the same
things I have and have no judgment of my personal life. Starting anew in sac state, I
will take the necessary steps to widen my social network and establish more social
capital. The sooner the initiative is taken, the better.