Global Tragedies Shape Students’ Perspectives
In the past week, tragedies struck all corners of the world: the bombings in Beirut, Lebanon and most recently, the attacks in Paris, France. Hundreds perished, but these individuals will not be forgotten.
Community members apprehensively waited to find out if their own family and friends had been afflicted, and with good reason: Nohemi Gonzalez, an American senior at California State University Long Beach who was studying abroad in France, lost her life in the attack. Somehow, this tragedy, though thousands of miles away, felt so close to home.
The most evident outlet for support has been on social media, from our Facebook feeds featuring profile pictures decorated with the French flag to the trending hashtag #prayersforparis on both Twitter and Instagram in solidarity after the attacks. The outpouring of sympathy for the citizens of France mirrors reactions to the families of past tragedies, for this is not the first time in our lives that an atrocity this grave has transpired, and unfortunately, it will not be the last.
However, our transition into adulthood has broadened our perspectives: no matter how foreign or distant an event, they affect each of us in a very different, yet personal way. The impact of the French catastrophe gives us an opportunity to reflect on the value of family and to greater appreciate the privileges of life that too many have lost. We are all at different stages of our lives, and that will surely influence how we perceive and cope with catastrophes. However, it is important to realize that as we mature, we will be forced to deal with issues, big and small, personal and impersonal.
In the past year, our campus has been dealt losses that affected each and every one of us. It is here and now, when we are at a low that we learn to appreciate our highs and build ourselves to be stronger than before.
The process will be arduous as we found out after 9/11, but we know that recovery is possible. Our hearts go out to the people of Beirut and Paris as they recover from the attacks; we hope that they remain united in the wake of such major tragedies.
