Goshen College is only a small part of the city of Goshen and an even smaller part of Elkhart County. But with so many activities on campus, not to mention classes, we might often forget that there’s a dynamic community right off campus.

The college recently acknowledged this with the introduction of the domestic Study Service Term program, exploring multicultural Goshen. Other campus activities connect to our surrounding community too. Martin Luther King Jr. Day convocations and concerts bring people through the church-chapel’s doors who we don’t usually see Monday and Friday at 10 a.m. Some of my earliest memories of Goshen College were attending the Ethnic Fair, now Diversity Day, held at the Maple City Chapel, when I was five years old.

Within the last year, Elkhart County gained a sudden rush of national coverage, with President Obama’s visits both before and after his presidential win, MSNBC’s decision to report about the country’s recession from Elkhart and the recent grant to help the electric car industry.

This semester’s Record staff is beginning the year with an alert eye and ear to that community outside Goshen College’s campus.

On page three, you’ll now find a page completely dedicated to off-campus news and features. Issues of the The Record will also likely be distributed at a downtown location. Soon, you’ll also find web-only articles on The Record’s Web site, along with video footage accompanying articles.

Hopefully, this will help students learn more about the people and activities going on off-campus, while also connecting the Goshen populace to Goshen College happenings.