Students deserve respect from Columbia

USC should form committee to strengthen impact on local issues Even after nearly two years, I'm still getting used to Columbia. Like many Southern cities, it has its charm, but it also has its dangers. To really know a city, it's necessary to see both of its faces. I know many students who don't make this effort. After all, many have only stopped here temporarily. We study, graduate, (hopefully) leave for fast-paced and well-rewarded futures. In a few years, our impressions of Columbia will be a haze of dinners in the Vista, nights in Five Points and rallies at the Statehouse. Students need to realize they have much more invested in Columbia than a couple of years and a few good nights. For many, this city becomes a surrogate home and for many more an actual community we hesitate to leave. It's up to us to respect that.