“It’s a stressful feeling, like you cannot do anything, but really there are so many things you can do to help anybody going through fear,” sophomore Mayra Biga, whose family immigrated from Mexico City and Michoacán, Mexico, said. As Americans, we constantly see ongoing conflicts online, but the impact of them extend far beyond borders.
As of recently, there are over 114 global armed conflicts. Many assume that just because the conflict is far away, it doesn’t affect them, but for most, it hits them hardest. Knowing you cannot help your people or family living through war, is an indescribable feeling many Hinsdale South Students go through. “Due to living in America, no one is really realizing what’s happening,” freshman Layan Qaddoura, who originates from Gaza and Safad, Palestine, said. Qaddoura also states that because no one is spreading awareness of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, it “takes my mind away from school” and is “really affecting my family and me.”
Along with the fear of your loved ones and country being hurt or destroyed, it can also make one feel out of place. A senior girl who immigrated from Damascus, Syria states that the Syrian War made her feel “out of place because I didn’t have a community that had experienced the same issues” when she first moved here. There are many students at our school who don’t realize what people have gone through to be where they are today. Biga said it well, “issues in Mexico are becoming more normalized that people don’t want to do anything about them.” This is the same case for countries all over the world. The best thing students can do here at Hinsdale South, is to make someone feel comfortable. You don’t need to help resolve all their issues, but don’t add more stress to someone’s life.
Even if ongoing conflicts don’t affect people directly, students here spend their time advocating for or helping their people. Sophomore Maksym Vitruk, whose family immigrated from Ternopil, Ukraine, said his family sends “money, supplies, and cars to affected Ukrainians.” Many students said they continue to protest, fundraise, and send money to help their people.
Whether it’s sending supplies, feeling misplaced, or living in fear, the impact of global conflict on students is prominent at Hinsdale South. Providing comfort and support is crucial to creating a stress-free environment for students who may need time off.
