Watching “A Vision of Students Today” was a reality check. As GRS students, most of us are cognizant of our place in the greater scheme of things and the impacts that our decisions have on people, places and creatures that we don’t have to face on a day-to-day basis. And yet, watching this I could relate to almost every single one of the statements the students were holding up.

Sometimes, it feels impossible to break free from my complicity. It’s so easy to grab that coffee in the take away mug, the cheap hoodie that was probably made by a kid in a sweatshop or indulge in that sweet fruit that was flown from the other side of the globe. I am so used to the comforts of privilege in our technologically connected, academically educated, consumer society. Almost everything I could ever want is right at my fingertips. Sometimes, I get frustrated and down on myself for not being stronger about making the right decisions. There is no doubt that we all need to do our best to be part of the push for a more socially just, economically sound and economically equitable world, however, we can’t beat ourselves up for succumbing to the indulgences that break our morally righteous ideals. Being cognizant is the first step. Being a part of the change is the next. I think by talking about these issues that we, as socially aware students grapple with, we can take comfort that we are not alone in being frustrated with our own complicity.