Echo events inspire student body

Amanda Albright
March 1, 2010
Filed under Student Life

The latter half of February is the quintessential dead period as third quarter drags on and spring break remains merely a glint in the future. But rather than surrendering to the lackluster winter season, we should take a moment and let our days be brightened by all the communities waiting to envelop us in warmth.

                The earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12 was tragic in so many ways, as it led to not only death but also the weakening of the already weak infrastructure in that country. Yet the outpouring of support from around the world, and from the students of East Meck specifically, has provided a reminder of what is best about humanity. It seems that emotions never cease to be stirred by the cry of our human brothers and sisters, wherever they live.

At the end of January, Mayor Anthony Foxx visited the school and told his story of growing up off of Beatties Ford Road, his advice resonated with all those students who are all too familiar with the area. Foxx proceeded to remind us of the potential of the city of Charlotte, which he hopes to develop during his term over the next two years and beyond.

                On February 4, the Echo Foundation brought Holocaust survivor Susan Cernyak-Spatz and her daughter Jackie to the school. Cernyak-Spatz responded to questions about her time spent in a concentration camp, and Jackie chimed in with her own reflections from a different perspective. After, students engaged in discussion groups with one another on combating indifference and intolerance. Such conversations remind us that high schoolers know the importance of the historic assertion, “Never again,” inspired by such atrocities as the Holocaust.

                From one perspective, the message inherent in all of these situations could be seen as gloomy. And yes, it is undeniably true that human suffering is a condition of life; we will always have to endure the winter. But it is just as true that humanity is capable of tremendous rebuilding and compassion, and that winter is always followed by spring.