Memphis Mayor AC Wharton (third from left, front row) joins Rhodes students for the 9/11 Artistic Board Up
defines “meaningful service” for him. He is working with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and has discovered a passion for urban advocacy.
have one thing in common: “They are savvy. They navigate the world as knowledgeable travelers.”
For some students life in the city is a shock—many of them hadn’t seen real poverty or met anyone who is in great need. Volunteer service is a lesson in reality.
The knowledge gained from service is part of the reason almost 85% of Rhodes students participate in community service projects. This year Rhodes once again ranked number one on Newsweek’s “Most Service-Oriented” list of schools. And when the White House challenged college campuses to bring Americans from often hostile religious groups together through community service, Rhodes applied and joined about 300 colleges and universities around the country.
“The world is largely nonwhite and poor. Whatever you’re going to be you need to know how to relate to a wide range of people,” says Tennyson. As he travels around meeting Rhodes alumni, he’s discovered that those with lots of volunteer hours in their college life
One result of that challenge was the fall 9-11 Artistic Board Up in North Memphis. More than 30 Rhodes students from different faiths worked through MIFA to board up vacant buildings on Kney Street. Later the same group will create artwork on the boards to
“You live in the city; you should care about its neighborhoods,” he says. Herman, who grew up in a small town, is the first person in his family to attend college. Memphis, he says, has opened his eyes. “The city has become a home for me.”
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