I had forgotten to study the previous night for my biology test. It was a subject where I had progressively witnessed my grade fall, and I simply couldn’t afford a bad grade on this test. Realizing that reciting the vocabulary words needed for this test would not suffice during lunchtime, I made an extra effort to get to the classroom five minutes earlier.
It was then that I got a call from my friend. I didn’t notice the vibration in my right pocket the first time, but after three missed calls, I figured it was important. It seemed that an unexpected menstrual period came. She had stained herself. The bell had rung, and my friend was locked in a stall across campus, asking if I had a sweater so she could walk to the nurse’s office. That was my most recently reminiscent act of compassion. While I was able to get her my sweater in a timely manner, I had no time to study for our quiz, and neither did I have a shield from the invigorating breeze of the air conditioner that hit my back during fourth period. Though, of course, it has not been my only act.
When compassion is absent, the void is inevitably filled by harm and indifference. We see this play out on both global and national scales. Conflicts and crises around the world, as well as fear within our own communities, reflect what happens when people lose the ability to see humanity in others. These are not just political issues, they are humanitarian ones, sustained by indifference that allows suffering to continue. A society that lacks compassion becomes one where harm is normalized and the vulnerable are treated as disposable. Without the active practice of empathy, we risk becoming complicit in unjust systems that prioritize comfort over the courage to protect the wellbeing of others.
This understanding of compassion as a response to indifference was what motivated me to join InnerCity Struggle’s United Students program. Through this program, I have committed myself to serving and empowering my community, working alongside peers who share a passion for justice and equity. Whether it is phonebanking, providing guidance and resources during student-led walkouts, or making sure students know about and can access the resources InnerCity Struggle offers, United Students has allowed me to both gain and foster support that reaches the students it’s meant for. By advocating for my community in a space close to home and school, I, along with my peers, are working to establish a communal space where knowledge and support are not privileges, but rights, ensuring that no one is left to face their struggles and defeats alone.
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