The Importance of Community

By Noran Alaa Morsi

Arts & Culture Editor

“Being a part of something special makes you special.” 

That was the mantra I lived by throughout high school. It was from the pilot of the TV show Glee, a pop culture icon of my generation. 

The meaning of the quote morphed and took shape over the years to become a theme hanging over my life. Throughout high school, I struggled to fit in, with undeveloped social skills and a tall, lanky existence where I didn’t quite feel comfortable.

I eventually found comfort in extracurricular and after-school activities, and that was were I found the Glee quote proving to be true at every step. The more I participated in drama club or wrote for the yearbook, the more I started to find friends and cultivate a level of happiness for myself that I hadn’t felt before. 

Before I knew it, I was laughing my heart out at rehearsals at 10 PM or running a MUN conference on the weekend.

Being part of something special brought me joy – it did make me feel special. By the end of high school, I had become more comfortable with who I am than I would have ever imagined. I had community – which mattered more than anything. I was happy.

Coming into university, it seemed as if I had forgotten the last four years and what really made them worthwhile. I came in with a negative mindset and chose to hold off on the extracurriculars for a while, thus holding off on any sort of community and consequently, an abundant amount of friends. I was miserable for two whole years.

Had I forgotten everything Rachel Berry taught me? 

Luckily – and quite by chance – I came across The Caravan earlier this semester from journalism colleagues. The further I got into the community, the more familiar it became. I was back in the drama club, the yearbook room, the glee club. OK, maybe I was never at the glee club – but you get the idea.

I was back to having a community and back to being part of something special. The happiness followed. 

But, just as Rachel Berry discovered by the series finale, it’s not about being special. It’s about community, about friendship and being surrounded by like-minded people. 

I forgot the value of community for a couple of years – and it was detrimental to my happiness. Thank you to The Caravan for reminding me.