When most students think of Nashville, country music or the Titans come to mind, not immigration. According to a survey from the State Department, since 2002 over 3,100 refugees have immigrated to Nashville. One fortunate outcome of the English-only initiative was that many Nashvilleans started considering the difficulties of newcomers to the city.

Let's be honest, Nashville is a metropolis, but not necessarily cosmopolitan. Walking down Second Avenue North, southern culture is prevalent. However, this does not mean that the city is not open to others. Toshiba and Nissan have branches just outside the city proper and walking around campus, it is obvious that while the southern culture predominates, there are other factors in the local gestalt.

However, just because students are becoming increasingly aware of the refugee situation does not mean we can coast. As first-year student Michael Arwood said, "These refugees, especially the newcomers, need all the help they can get." Speaking English is only one of many problems the newcomers face on a day-to-day basis. While many groups to help them face these sorts of challenges, including Students Taking Action Now: Darfur and Sudanese Community and Women's Service Center, the issue is too large for such a small group of people to handle.

Nashville's culture is changing, there's little doubt of that — things tend to change as clich?© as that sounds. However instead of reacting to the situation, students should become more proactive. Vanderbilt, as a member of the larger community, is partially responsible for the future of the city. If we do not attempt to welcome them, the outcome will be divisive and will serve no purpose for either party.