Caroline Morrelli | Staff Cartoonist

Once a week, our editorial board comes together to talk about salient issues and subjects in the GW community. We’ve discussed the lack of transparency in the arming of GW Police Department, GW’s past mistakes when addressing unionization efforts and more, and as we approach the end of the semester, it’s clear that those conversations often focus on the need for transparency and communication from University and District leaders. But as students, we don’t always discuss how students like ourselves play a large role in bringing change. 

Students are quick to point out GW’s shortcomings and flaws, what it can do better or what it should have done in the first place. Most of the time, it is easier to criticize or complain while we sit on the sidelines instead of opening ourselves up to engaging with the University’s efforts for increasing of communication and transparency. We should recommit ourselves to improving our University and community as the year and semester come to a close by becoming more active community members.

Confidence in higher education has been declining in the past decade, with more frequent discussions of the value of college degrees and rising costs and student debt. And the confidence in GW has shifted in past couple of years, stemming from the tenure of former University President Thomas LeBlanc, to the University’s current responses to campus protests and discussions on how to navigate free speech. 

When GW makes decisions that community members feel have a lack of transparency or consideration from stakeholders, it’s normal to want to detach oneself from the University and forgo attendance at events or meetings. But by deciding to stay outside of the GW community, students don’t have as much of a say in what the University can or should be doing.

In this past semester, there have been widespread calls for more active engagement and discussion between the community and GW’s leadership. But if GW holds forums or already-established University events with administrators, and no one shows up to them, then one can’t expect the University to listen to its student body. This sort of thinking soon ends up limiting the potential that students have to help the University and community improve with communication. When students go back for winter break, that thinking should start shifting into a reflection of what we can do to be more involved at GW.

Students have noted that at some GW events, like Interfaith Week, have been underpopulated by students and overpopulated by staff. Maybe this is a sign that these events need to include more student input, but by not attending or sounding off on the event’s aim or success, students end up excluding themselves from being able to appreciate or take note of changes being made in their benefit. When officials try and make themselves available to their community, and students don’t show up, it’s counterproductive. According to GW’s “GWrapped” of 2024, the University had over 10,000 events in the last year. We’re curious to know how many people showed up. Substandard community participation from the community doesn’t have to be carried over to the new year and semester. 

Sometimes, it’s easier to think that by rejecting the GW community, one is rejecting the institution too, but we would hope that the effort and participation that one puts into the community is the effort we get back from the University. Inaction may send a message, but participation sends a much bigger message. As the saying goes, when you’ve got skin in the game, you stay in the game. Effort goes both ways. It’s clear that people voice their concerns or criticize GW because they care about the University, and want to see GW at its best, so engaging in this passion shouldn’t be viewed as a job or a chore. There should be integrity behind participation, especially when at the end of the day, the outside world sees us students as part of GW — the community and institution.

Participating doesn’t mean students have to become best friends with University President Ellen Granberg or go to every event, but it can start small. People always make a list of resolutions for self-growth for the new year, like how to be a better person, friend or student. So go to office hours with professors and express your thoughts about their course or your major — after all, almost every student at GW has complained about something in their courses. Complete those course evaluations that professors beg their students to fill out every semester. It can even be as simple as participating more in class with professors and classmates. GW already lacks a sense of community because of its location in a metropolitan area, so when students start rejecting the GW community even more, there is virtually no community left at the end of the day. Our change and growth for the new year marks the change and growth of our institution too.