It’s a story all of us are so familiar with now. It was a little over two years ago, when spring was just around the corner, when schools were just getting out for spring break, when every news station was speaking about a virus outbreak in China. Little did we know then how that virus would become such a large part of our lives for the next couple of years.
But the story doesn’t end there. During the pandemic, we saw Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. and rampant vitriol coming from both ends of the political spectrum. These protests, meant to bring attention to the disproportionate amount of police violence black people in America face and to act as a call to action, brought out a lot of hate from so many people, many of whom were in powerful positions that dictated the system. It was terrifying.
But it still doesn’t end. We saw the climate change protests, a new president elected, the Capitol being raided, and dozens and dozens of other events that would be seen in works of fiction. Then, the tensions between Russia and Ukraine boiled over, leading to Russia’s invasion in late February.
So much was happening so fast. The last couple of years have felt like minutes and decades passing by simultaneously. It was hard to process the violence seen on TV, the hundreds of voices and signs that populated the cities, and the stories that friends and strangers have shared about their experiences. It was heart-wrenching.
It was also hard for me to idly sit and let the news pass me by. But how could I even help? I could be like the millions of people in the world that post an image to their Instagram story, in order to let their followers know that they are good people. But that isn’t nearly enough.
Then, I found over the last couple of months that writing has so much power behind it. I did an article for BU’s independent newspaper, The Daily Free Press, about the BU community’s thoughts around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. I talked to students whose family was in Ukraine and I talked to someone in the midst of the conflict, a whole ocean away. I think that that type of writing has a lot of impact.
Living through these historical events is scary and stressful. But, I would implore those who are like me and can’t sit still, to do something. Even if it’s small and won’t ripple throughout the world, there is always something that can be done.
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