Another Student Reflects on Student Leadership Day

On Thursday, March 22nd, I was chosen to go on the student leadership field trip at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. At the museum, I made many friends and I learned a lot of things that would help transform the future! This day was meant for young students that will be leaders when they grow up to transform the future and change the world to make it a better place to be and live. This day was a very inspirational day for me, as I learned about the past of many survivors and their stories. This day was very emotional for me because I realized how different my life is compared to how the lives of these people were. I feel as if many people take their lives for granted, when all of us are very lucky to live in the conditions that we live in today. We live in a safe environment; have access to good education, clean water and food to drink, and most importantly, a roof over our heads and a place that we can call home. Many of these survivors of the Holocaust and other wars did not have access to these things that we have today. The rights of these people were taken away, and they did not know when they would be able to have electricity or water.  Most importantly, though, they did not have a place to call home or family and friends to see every day. These survivors worried each and every day if they would be able to see their families after they came home from work, and they wondered if this would end. No one should ever have to live a life with just wonders. No one should have to live with anxiety of what will happen next; it just isn't fair.

This day has great value to my life so far. This day has really impacted me so much. It has brought me an even clearer view as to what people have to live through and do in order to survive. Up until now, I have known a decent amount as to what is going on in the world, but this day clearly showed me how little I truly knew. After spending time with the survivors and learning their stories, this day had become very emotional to me. Questions pop into my head all the time. Why does this happen? How can people be so cruel? What is wrong with the world? This world that people have come into is not only about love, but there is also a lot of hatred in the world that needs to stop. From hearing these stories I know that something needed to be stopped. The stuff that these survivors have gone through should not have to happen to anyone ever again. This day made me realize that these survivors would do anything to be and live the way that I do today.

The world can change.  All of us together need to change. War, genocide and bullying really are NOT the answer. The past needs to be learned so that the future can be transformed. These kinds of genocides, war, bullying and mass murders need to end! This world was certainly not made for people to come into and kill each other off. If people would just stop bullying each other, this might be the thing that will transform the future. Genocides, wars and mass murders really do begin with bullying. If bullying didn't exist, hatred wouldn't rise and reach to the maximum point of genocide.

This day has a high value of importance in my life, and it was definitely an inspirational day. People need to be taught what happened in the past, and we need to be able to transform the future. We should never forget what happened. I want to help and change the future; I won't be a bystander! I will not stand by and let things like war and genocide happen around the world! Everybody needs to learn to be an upstander! Genocides and bullying can be stopped if people speak out! EVERYONE'S VOICE SHOULD BE HEARD. THE DECISION IS YOURS! WILL YOU BE A BYSTANDER AND WATCH THINGS GET WORSE? OR DO YOU WANT TO HELP? BE AN UPSTANDER AND REALLY TRANSFORM THE FUTURE, IT'S YOUR LIFE.

Trisha