In Mr. Pipilo’s AP Literature class, I was assigned to read an excerpt from Martin Luther King’s Strength to Love to discuss in class. In my past classes, I have read his “I Have a Dream” speech and Letters from Birmingham, instructed him to analyze his point of view, pinpoint his choice of words, and ultimately synthesize his work into an essay for a grade. When I was told to simply read Strength to Love for an open conversation in class, I found myself connecting with the words for what they were: a philosophy for how to achieve a balance between trust and maintaining an inquisitive mind.

In class, 30 of my peers discussed how we can become strong-minded; we talked about what can become a differentiator between having concrete beliefs and being stubborn in your ways. We have a unique perspective on life right now: as seniors figuring out adulthood for ourselves in a society that floods our thoughts with the views and opinions of adults whom we have been trained to look up to, as students in a room of polarizing views—myself a Hindu, to my right an atheist friend, right behind me a Catholic student, and to my left a Muslim student.

Interestingly, we all came to a consensus that MLK’s view was one that we strive to have in our futures, no matter how hard circumstances may become. Our conversation wondered about what separates science from objective truths and how religion can become a saving grace or a vice for some. We gathered around how we can achieve the balance of the two, and how beliefs are not only centered on God, but also on the values of our society.

Whitman has, and always should be, a public, educational haven of conversation and open reflection. As our community represents all paths of socioeconomic and personal talents, we have a unique opportunity to use our voice in a way that brings unity and understanding, bearing strong perspectives of our own. King has taught us this, and I hope that the Wildcats honor that legacy.