Many students were excited last week when the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board approved plans for an Urban Outfitters store set to hit downtown Ithaca this summer. The store is part of a larger plan meant to bring more people to downtown Ithaca. Hopefully, however, the trip to a new chain store will not mark students’ first visits downtown. As residents of Ithaca, Cornellians have the responsibility to be active in the community around them, rather than merely shop in it.

The new Urban Outfitters store is a piece of the three-part Cayuga Green plan. In addition to the Urban Outfitters, the ongoing plan includes adding stores, parking garages, condominiums, apartments, a multiscreen cinema and a walkway around Six Mile Creek to the area near the Commons. The plan is geared to attract both students and tourists downtown and to improve Ithaca’s reputation.

But shopping shouldn’t be the only reason for students to venture farther than Collegetown. Cornellians are bright and talented, and some of their efforts should be focused on becoming familiar with and getting involved in the community around them. Greater involvement by students in the city could also help to foster a more understanding relationship between students and permanent residents.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in and give back to the Ithaca community, both through the University and individually. Students can attend local government meetings, such as those of the Common Council. There is also a wide range of volunteer options — the area is home to hundreds of organizations that could use additional manpower, ranging from soup kitchens to youth mentorship programs to conservation groups.

Students must remember that for the years they attend Cornell, they are also members of the Ithaca community. It is not enough to study and party in the bubble that is Cornell and Collegetown. For a meaningful Cornell experience, students must venture out into the city to fully appreciate all that Ithaca has to offer. Students should make an effort to give back to the community of which they are a part.

Cornellians should check out the new Urban Outfitters next fall, but they should make sure it is just one of the stops on their trip downtown.