Pope Francis addressed the Congress of the United States on Thursday with a speech that strayed from advocating certain religious beliefs but focused on the need for activism and selflessness. The pope spoke of activists such as Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day; he used their activism as an example for Americans to follow. He stated, “the yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.”

The pope spoke of the “Golden Rule” in order to inspire the youth to partake in activism that could lead to a better and more equal future. University students should use the encouraging words of the pope to acknowledge the poverty around them and apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom into our very own Champaign community.

Dorothy Day, one the activists applauded by Pope Francis, was a student at the University. Day became a journalist for leftist publications and a fervent fighter for the poor. The students of the Champaign community can be activists and raise awareness for the less fortunate living so close to campus, similar to Day. We should start using the yardstick we have used for those who inspire us and those who have brought about positive changes to our country and start to measure our own work on this campus and Champaign County.

With the resources our University provides, this is very feasible. The Office of Volunteer Programs here on campus states that they encourage students to volunteer their time in order to do some work for the community. The program has much to offer for those willing to donate their time, yet out of the 44,087 students enrolled at the University, the program only has over 300 students registered to volunteer.

Of course there are other ways to do some work for the local community: The Champaign community has soup kitchens and other outreach programs. In fact, there are plenty of service and volunteering RSOs within our University available for students to join throughout the year. Especially with 21.6 percent of the Champaign county population living in poverty, the student body could further its outreach with strong activism to develop the same qualities of selflessness the pope addressed.

The bubble that surrounds campus can be eliminated if one is willing to step out of Green Street and observe the rest of the community. The pope argued that Dr. King, President Lincoln, and Day “were able by hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future.” The students of the University should be encouraged to participate in more than sports, academic clubs and work; students should be pushed to help the locals in order to better the community that surrounds this campus.

In a world revolving around selfies and Snapchats, it seems that this is the perfect time for someone with great influence, like Pope Francis, to remind young people of the need for selfless work. Pope Francis spoke of the poor and their need for hope and he addressed the unequal distribution of wealth in this country because he believes that there is work to be done.

He hoped to persuade young people to find a way to help those that are less fortunate and to become activists just like Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day.

The pope helped point out that the young activists in our history books were more similar to us than we think; they were ordinary people doing extraordinary things. With the bountiful resources the University provides and just the right amount of motivation, the students of Illinois have the power to similarly bring extraordinary change into our community.

Agueda is a senior in LAS.
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