Kaak ’29: Sidewalk etiquette is the first step toward a better campus community

I was out on a run the first time I noticed how territorial Brunonians are about campus sidewalks. At the time, I was blocked by two individuals inconveniently spaced out ahead of me. The easy solution would have been for the pair to walk closely side-by-side, or in a line, to allow me to pass through. As I came closer, I understood that my fellow travelers were not going to budge. In a split-second decision, I darted out into the road and almost got hit by a car.

The basic rules of sidewalk etiquette are simple: Be cognizant of those around you, don’t litter — garbage or scooters — and be friendly and courteous. With an increased awareness of our peers, traversing campus could become a more welcoming experience for all. But the current lack of sidewalk etiquette isn’t just annoying. It’s also reflective of a harmful clique culture at Brown that needs to be addressed.

Since my vehicular incident, I have been on the lookout for other instances of this so-called sidewalk etiquette epidemic, of which I have discovered plenty. Brown students will regularly leave clusters of scooters littered across walkways and before crosswalks. Groups of people will push through entryways, barring passage for all others wanting to head in the other direction. Other times, people will even push through others merely passing by. After only a brief mention of this plight to my friends, I was met with similar stories of foot traffic terrors. 

The toxicity of sidewalk culture demonstrates how Brunonians see themselves as isolated from the broader Brown community. Unable to see beyond their own mini-communities, students often bump into those whose existence they never even considered. Moving about between classes, it is easy to view our own groups as islands in a crowded sea of people. This inability to acknowledge our peers on the concrete reflects a growing insularity — both on and off of College Hill.

In a broader context, the Pew Research Center reports that only 54% of Americans feel connected to others in their local communities. Here on College Hill, opinion pieces published by The Herald have touched on the issues of a fractured Brown community, whether that be our lack of school spirit or the presence of transactional relationships. Both at the national and university level, we are failing to connect with our broader social groups. Understanding ourselves as members of the greater Brown community is essential to developing a sense of identity and belonging. More than just seeing yourself as a friend, a peer or a mentor, you can see yourself as a Brunonian. On the national scale, finding a sense of community helps to develop relationships with people who are different from you — one of the keys to reducing the political polarization and intense disagreement that plagues our modern nation. Community gives voice to who you are.

While it may be an incredibly simple step, an increase in sidewalk etiquette can help foster this community and reduce the presence of cliques on campus. When we step off of our island of close friends and see the sea of others as actual people, the distance between us and them closes. Before we can recognize ourselves as being a part of any broader community, it is key we see our immediate peers as people too. Through practicing better sidewalk etiquette we become aware of those around us, and only then are we able to recognize the diverse community we exist within.

Good etiquette isn’t difficult to achieve, either. It doesn’t cost anything to improve our own conscientiousness, and it might even benefit our own sense of belonging at Brown. Better yet, why not take it one step further? Tomorrow, greet a few people you pass by, or try holding open the door for someone you don’t know. Regardless of how far you go, we should all strive to be good denizens of our Brown walkways. The simple act of being perceptive of others’ comings and goings is just one small step toward making our campus crowd feel less like a collection of strangers and more like a community.

Avery Kaak ’29 can be reached at avery_kaak@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.