Passion or an Excuse?

By SARAH ALKHAFAJI '20

Our school doesn’t shy away from opportunities of activism, as last spring’s protests demonstrated. Around campus, we have freedom to partake in activities we are passionate about, and even work to change these issues. Active on-campus groups such as the Community Engagement Office, the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development, Ms. Geyling-Moore’s half course Activism for Justice in the Digital World, and even The Milton Paper all demonstrate the passion that many Milton students have for interacting with the community around them. But how far does our realm of concern stretch? Students often speak of the “Milton Bubble” complex—how we as Milton students often fall blind to the seemingly universal issues of oppression that millions of civilians face just outside the walls of our bubble. The issue regarding the “Milton Bubble” raises a question: do Milton students care enough to learn about the issues that don’t affect them, and are they willing to do what it takes to make a difference regarding that issue?

Take April’s gun-control walkout, for example. The Forward Looking Liberal Action Group, or FLLAG, wanted to organize a demonstration in response to the current issue with gun violence across America. After meeting with the administration, the club polled the Milton community, asking whether to organize an on-campus protest, an off-campus protest, or an educational program. All three options involved taking away from class time, which served to highlight the students’ passion and acknowledgment for those who have lost their lives in school shootings. In the end, the students elected to perform an on-campus demonstration, so the club hosted a schoolwide sit-in which was reminiscent of last year’s protests; from third to seventh period, students by listening to student speeches and reading flyers about gun-violence statistics.

Despite the passion students expressed through discussions in FLLAG and by having Milton join the National Association for Students Against Gun Violence (NASAGV), some teachers and students believed the rally cheapened last spring’s protests.

When it came to down to the decisiding of the form of the demonstration, an off-campus protest would have been more public and made more of an impression on the broader Boston community. An educational demonstration would have a greater impact on the younger members of our community and had the potential of making a difference in people’s thoughts about the issue of gun-control. Outside of the possibility of spreading a message to other schools or communities, the on-campus demonstration did little to make a true difference. If Milton students really wanted to do something about the issue of gun control, they would have chosen the format for the demonstration which would have had actually had an impact on the community outside of Milton. Instead, students chose the option that involved the least commitment, while still involved missing classes. Some teachers heard about the protests out of context—they still required their students to attend classes.

The incomplete participation in this protest supports the idea that Milton students show interest in student activism when it is convenient for them. The difference between the two protests is that the students who led the ones last spring had felt personally affected by the issue at hand, and felt that it impacted the community as a whole.

When it came down to really getting involved, many of the same people that participated in the walkout seemed to back down. A small group of Milton students, led by Deanna Tarraza ‘20 and Isa Stern ‘20, planned to do something about the issue by visiting the state house after school on several Wednesday afternoons, but they were joined by a group of maybe six at most. Students seem to participate more actively in a movement that involves missing classes than one that would have to take a few hours of their free time.

I am all for the belief that education can solve most problems. However, some could argue that, as humans, it is our nature to truly care only about the issues that affect us personally. If Milton students are educated about the issues that don’t have an affect on them, such as those taught in Ms. Geyling-Moore’s class, and then are introduced to the people affected, they may start to care.

When it comes to social justice, more students need to lead by example. Simply learning about the logistics of the problem is not enough. Students need to see adults and peers doing something about the issue before they can feel confident that individual voices and actions matter, and only then will students desire to make a difference in their communities.