WEB EXCLUSIVE Students discussed the qualities of being a leader, specifically empathy and kindness, after watching two videos on the topic during assembly.

The first video titled “Empathy” gave stories of patients and family members in a hospital while prompting watchers to imagine standing in others’ shoes.

“It made me tear up a little because you often do not know what people are going through,” senior Abby Anderson said. “It reminded me to always treat others with kindness.”

School counselor Annie Egan who led the assembly said she has shown this video in the past to begin important discussions.

“While the video is playing, it is hard to think about anything else,” Egan said. “It is almost impossible to not watch it.”

History teacher Sarah Garlinghouse then read a poem by Mary Oliver before showing the video “50/50,” which discussed women in political positions from ancient Egypt to the most recent elections across the globe.

“The video felt very timely, especially after we have been talking about so many agents of change from celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights last week,” Egan said. “I could show the video every day because the message it tells is so important. It is really about lifting others up with us.”

Egan then asked students in the audience questions about the video including why it is sometimes hard to have empathy.

“What really stuck with me from the assembly is how it never hurts to be kind to someone,” Anderson said. “If women are going to rise up in political situations, we cannot be tearing each other down.”