I am he as you are she as you are me

Abigail S. Fisher

Senior columns are so cliché that I am almost embarrassed to be writing one. But since I was given the opportunity to waste a bunch of space in the newspaper, of course I could not refuse.

Before I started writing, I read a lot of senior columns and asked people what they would like to see a departing undergrad write. Almost everyone I spoke with said the same thing: “Oh it doesn’t matter; just don’t make it typical.”

Wow. What great advice. I’ve never written an opinion piece before in my life, and the only thing you tell me is to not make it “typical”?

I’m a visual person, and I am used to telling stories with pictures and photos and waving my hands around in the air, so this is going to be hugely challenging for me; however, there is something I do want to write about: humans.

For journalists, interacting and communicating with humans is the cornerstone of the profession. Photojournalism has taught me how to watch people. Anthropology taught me how to observe and analyze them.

In the past four years of dashing across campus to cover all sorts of stories, I have come to the conclusion that we, as humans, are all exactly the same.

Of course there are a few differences between us, such as culture or religion, but for the most part, we all behave in the same manner. However, those small details that are used to classify us are important because they make us one of the most distinct and unique species on the planet. Our complex system of communication is evidence enough.

I suppose one thing that might be inferred from this observation is for us to embrace those cultural details that make us individuals.

Humans must be able to understand and learn from each other in order to survive and advance as a species. The ignorance that is created when people refuse to work together or take a moment to see the world through someone else’s point of view astounds me.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not attempting to construct the idea that if we all hold hands together, all of our problems will be solved — they probably won’t, but a handshake has the potential to move mountains.

Being a college student has helped me realize a lot of things, one of those being how much I appreciate and yearn for variety among humans. As I depart Kent State, I can only hope that humanity will one day grasp the bigger picture and realize that we are all in this together.

We’re like a giant box of crayons and honestly, who doesn’t love opening a fresh pack of colors?

Abigail S. Fisher is a senior anthropology and photojournalism major and photo editor of the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].