The French traveler, Alexis de Tocqueville, observed in his landmark book, Democracy in America (1835 and 1840) that the United States had a passion for “associations.” That is, we joined together in countless ways to build more caring and stable communities. Tocqueville saw this as one of America’s most notable features, one that would keep its democracy robust and vital. Associating, joining together in common cause with our fellow citizens to address the needs of the day – this remains one of our nation’s greatest strengths.
The Kirkpatrick Signature Series promotes the idea of limited government. For this idea to work, that is, for our elected representatives not to succumb to the temptation to intervene in our communities on our behalf, we need to do our parts as responsible and concerned citizens to engage fully in our communities’ civic life. We need to take steps ourselves to ensure that our towns and cities, that our neighborhoods, remain vibrant and healthy. We are fully capable of doing this important work ourselves.
Whether it is taking time to visit with the elderly in assisted living centers, or to help build a home for Habitat for Humanity, or to be a big brother or big sister to kids who need a caring role model and mentor, or to help organize a blood drive, or to volunteer to serve dinner at a local shelter, or to fill bags of food at a local food bank, or to deliver “meals on wheels,” or to assist with the Special Olympics, or to help raise funds for a skate park for kids, or to help clean up a park or “adopt” a stretch of local highway, or to shovel the snow or cut the grass for elder neighbors – all of these things, and thousands more, are best done by us, by private citizens who are willing to take the time and the initiative to see that they are accomplished. We are the ones responsible for the sense of fellow-feeling and compassion in our communities – not the government. This is our job, not the job of tax–funded agencies and well–intentioned programs.
The Kirkpatrick Signature Series asks of all students that they engage in volunteer activities in their communities. The goal is to give them an opportunity to learn how invigorating it feels to be of service to their the fellow human beings, to see how much good the private citizen, motivated by a faith in democracy and a concerned heart, can do. Almost all of our Bellevue University students share that their civic projects are the most meaningful single part of the Signature Series courses. They come to see that their projects tie together the objectives and themes of the courses and give coherency and singular relevance to their studies.
Without doubt, our students benefit from this requirement – but the greatest beneficiaries are those members of our communities who are simply in need of a helping hand. Bellevue University cares about promoting the principles and ideals of democracy, and it cares about the communities in which its students reside – towns and cities all over this nation and in many other countries as well.
Tens of thousands of hours have been donated by Bellevue students since the inception of the Signature Series in the 1990s. In this way the University has done its part to take its ideals into the sphere of action. In this way – as in many others – it has given back.
