We are a generation known for being entitled, narcissistic and lazy- to name a few. We are collectively stereotyped with a surge of Instagram selfies, disconnect from the “real world,” and constantly updated Facebook profiles. We are the first people to come of age in the 21st century and the older generations criticize us left and right for our responses to the world we were inevitably born into. With its dizzying rate of demographic, cultural and technological change, we have been forced to devise new ways of pursuing it. Call us what you want, but we are not a new species- we have just evolved to adapt to our environment, in all ways. We are an elusive bunch, a group unable to label into a single category. We are the most diverse generation to come, in many aspects, but although assorted, we are one: we are the Millennials, we are optimistic and we are the future.
Last February, tragedy struck Chapel Hill, N.C. Three Muslim-American students were killed in their home near campus. Deah Shaddy Barakat was a second-year student in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, was a North Carolina State University graduate, planning to attend UNC-Chapel Hill (School of Dentistry) in the fall. Her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, was a current student at NCSU.
Chapel Hill police arrested their neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, after he shot the three students dead in a single attack. An initial investigation indicated that Hicks was motivated by an ongoing dispute over parking. The FBI later opened an inquiry into the incident to determine whether the slayings violated federal hate crime laws or other federal laws, reported CNN.
Over a thousand students, faculty and members of the community gathered for a vigil in Chapel Hill to remember and commend the three young students who were senselessly killed near campus. In wake of such tragedy, even the most intense college rivalries were set aside to commemorate Deah, Yusor and Razan. “It brought the community together around an issue we previously hadn’t discussed. It opened our eyes to the things that exist in the world that we thought would never happen here,” said UNC-Chapel Hill student government secretary, Paige Waltz. “It was a big rallying event for the Carolina community.”
Vigils were additionally held in New York, Washington D.C., New Jersey, California, Texas, Michigan, Florida, throughout North Carolina and across the nation. Facebook groups and other social media platforms were used to keep track of ongoing events.
It is nearly eight months later and the effects of that fatal February day are still present. We have grieved, mourned and celebrated the lives we have lost, but our optimism has carried us into new directions. “Everyone set aside their differences and began to work to spread love, kindness, and understanding,” said UNC-Chapel Hill student body president, Houston Summers. “I do think most are more accepting of others and tend to put petty differences aside more easily.”
Chapel Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is building a house in Raleigh to honor the three students. The project demonstrates how working together can help bridge racial, religious, and other divides. Additionally, students in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, with the support of the Dental Foundation of North Carolina, have established a new day of service, Deah Day, which will be celebrated annually in honor of Deah and Yusor. In remembrance of their selfless lifestyle, students will conduct community service work across the triangle area. To some, Deah, Yusor and Razan were daughters, sons, family and friends- but to others, they were simply victims, identities tragically circulated over media platforms. Some only new their names or recognized their faces, but despite not having the privilege to know them personally, we all experienced the loss of three amazing individuals from our Carolina community. Despite our many differences, we come together as one.
What young people experience- what they are exposed to from the others, as well as their own behavior and attitude- is critical to their character development. As the most racially, ethnically and sexually diverse generation, we have been fortunate enough to grow up in progressive conditions, ultimately making us tolerable of change. Unlike our elders, what would have previously been recalled abnormal has transformed into the status quo. When asked what came to mind with the word ‘Millennial,’ Waltz replied, “People that are tech savvy and constantly connected with each other and what is happening in the world.” Our abundance and accessibility to technology has granted us a right of passage to the events that are occurring everywhere. With this, we have the benefits of learning and witnessing cultures and societies different from our own. We are no longer sheltered beings, but rather citizens with minds and opinions that are have broadened in response to the availability of information at our fingertips. And while we are criticized for our overuse of technology, it is that very thing that gives us the privilege of knowledge and awareness. Within minutes and hours of the Chapel Hill shooting, tweets, Facebook posts and newscasts went viral. People not only across campus but also across the globe were made aware of the violence that occurred in North Carolina. And whether or not you commemorated the lives we lost, you were at least made aware- and awareness is the very thing that has transformed our generation into what it is.
Some of this generation’s most redeeming qualities lie in our acceptance, diversity, and unwavering optimism. We see the world with an open mind- accepting diversity in gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We are gifted with an ardor for inner social conscience and global awareness- even if that means we use our iPhones for access. The real measure of a generation’s strength and resilience is how they meet and overcome the challenges of their age. When faced with adversity, we realize that collectively, our capabilities are immeasurable. It’s the promise of human perceptiveness. It’s the promise of our generation, the future, the Millennials.
Even though our generation has some unfavorable traits, we pride ourselves in our sense of communalism. We don’t hold self-promotion on a pedestal, but rather highly value its opposite, empathy- an open minded and heavy-hearted connection toward others. “I don’t want to think of our generation as fundamentally different than any other generation- our ability to love, communicate, share, tolerate, etcetera, is as strong if not stronger that any previous generation. And, theirs is likely as strong as our own. In my mind, the only thing that really changes are the ways in which we show love and compassion— those qualities seem pretty enduring,” concluded Summers.
In the end, after tragedies like this, we have an overall concern for our collective wellbeing. We are a generation to celebrate and we are a future to look forward to. They can call us what they want, but to be called a Millennial, in my opinion, is something to be proud of.
In loving memory of Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.
