Communities I am a part of:
- Resident of Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- Randolph Macon College
- Jones dormitory resident
- Intervarsity
- Pittsburgh Steelers Fan

Resident of Ligonier, Pennsylvania
As a resident of Ligonier, I gain a sense of community because of the way the town functions. Ligonier is a small town, and all the small business owners know my family and most of them go to my church. I am part of this community because my parents raised me in it, and rather than me becoming part of it because of my values, my values reflect those of Ligonier. For example, I appreciate small business, quaintness in architecture, and rural areas. Because I live where a lot of people ride horses and ski resorts are 10 minutes away, I value the outdoors and appreciate the aesthetic qualities of rural America.

Randolph-Macon College
R-MC is definitely a community. Getting an education from Randolph-Macon means that the students will have one on one attention from the professors, become very close to other students, and feel like they have control over what happens on campus. Because we eat, sleep, learn, and play together, Randolph-Macon students share common goals and interests, increasing the feeling of a community on campus.

Jones Dormitory Resident
Although this might not seem like a community, living in any dorm in the freshmen village on campus brings those students within it a sense of community. Living in Jones is just like a smaller community within Randolph-Macon. Because I live with these people, I go to them for help when I have a problem, share camaraderie with them, and expect them to do so in return.

Intervarsity
This Christian organization on campus is a community that reflects the values of its participants. I was a member of a church community at home, and coming to Randolph Macon I knew the importance of having good friends that would help me grow in my faith. The relationships that occur between the students that attend Intervarsity foster a religious belief and build strong friendships.

Pittsburgh Steelers Fan
Although being a football fan in general could be considered being a part of a community, being a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan is unique. Broadcasters often call Steelers fans the wildest and most involved fans in all of sports (not just football). Being a Steelers fan means being part of a community that shares a common love for a team. Living a half an hour outside of Pittsburgh, this was definitely apparent in the past month during Super bowl time. In fact, I was walking to my car in Ligonier and the town square was blaring Steelers fight songs (this happened every day before the Super bowl).

Communities on Krista Street.
When first turning down Krista Street, you’ll see Randolph-Macon College. This house has an interesting architecture, and its residents and customs make it quite dynamic. RMC is defined by a group of students from approximately age 18 to 22, Professors varying in age and experience, coaches, and campus workers. Many of the residents, especially the student body, have shared interests. The student body is seeking an education and a fun social life. Most of the students share general values, such as being mainly of Christian background (RMC is affiliated wit the Methodist church), raised by parents that value education, and desiring an education enough that they found a way to pay for it. RMC came into being around the Civil War period, and this affects the way the students experience college. The lay out of the college reflects the way the original student body felt they could best learn and enjoy their college, and different traditions have adapted. For example, the Thanksgiving dinner at Estes is a tradition that has been around for a long time and that all students look forward to. The costs of being a member of this community are very high. A member must not only have worked hard enough in high school to become accepted into this community by the Admissions council, but must pay around 30 thousand dollars a year. Although members of the RMC community do not necessarily have a certain dress of language, the community could be stereotyped as a preppy school of J Crew lovers and people that say “That’s so sketchy” and “I’m not going to lie”, more often than other phrases.
Right beside RMC is a house called Jones dormitory. The factors that define this group are more definite than those that define RMC. Because Jones is a freshman dorm, most students are 18 or 19, are interested in getting good enough grades to keep a scholarship, and enjoy hanging out with other Jones residents. Most students in Jones are honors students, so probably more studying goes on in the community than in other sub-communities of RMC. There is no extra cost to being a part of the Jones community, and the rewards include having friends that you can always go and hang out with or go to with a problem. Because there are only about 30 members in this community, they certainly use special terms and behave in a certain way. The majority of the residents share a multitude of inside jokes, so that when one resident says the joke to another resident they are the only RMC students that know what is being said. This is very difficult to decode.
Moving farther along the street sits a house called Intervarsity. The factors defining this group are even more specific than the previous houses. This is a religious group, so all the members share a reverence for or an interest in God (the Christian God). Therefore, the bond of this group is based on their shared values and interests in Christianity. Members generally use certain terms and dress a certain way. For example, the average member of this community could carry on a conversation about a book in the Bible, a verse in Psalms, or a specific word such as Grace. Because of their belief in modesty, most members of this community avoid belly shirts or baring their cleavage. To become a member one simply must agree with the beliefs of Intervarsity.
Probably the most unique and fun of the houses on Krista Street is the one where the Pittsburgh Steelers fans reside. This is the most unique house because it has the broadest member profile. Residents can be from ages 1 to 100, of any ethnicity, of any educational background, and any religion. To be a Steelers fan means to love a specific team, which allows little personal differences to disintegrate. Although diverse, this group does behave a certain way. Each member can often be seen sporting Steelers gear, waving a terrible towel in front of the TV or at Heinz Field, or showing off a Heinz Ward bumper sticker on the back of a car. To become a member is extremely simple, no costs of initiations required.