Refugees and their plight are a heavy topic being discussed in the news and by this political administration. It can be easy, unfortunately, for some to stop seeing refugees as living, breathing, people and to only see them as a hot-button topic to debate.

However, this is not the case. Refugees are humans too. What they face daily and have to go through is not just something you read about in news articles or see on TV. They have children, parents, brothers, sisters—and they deserve our compassion.

This is why events such as “Walk a Mile in a Refugee’s Shoes” are so beneficial. At the event, organized by Students for Peace and Justice, students experienced a simulation of what it would be like to live as a refugee, alternating between six different stations, including a “border,” “shelter,” “education,” “food” and “water” station, which showed what it would be like to flee their home countries.

Simulations like these are valuable for the information they give students. Of course, it will never give a full picture of the true horrors refugees face. Unless someone has actually been a refugee, they will never know.

However, these simulations still give a glimpse into what it is like for refugees, and students can still learn from them.

One student quoted in The Daily Eastern News said it is “mind-boggling” the conditions refugees live in.

Another said “when you walk a mile in a refugee’s shoes, you start to understand what they’re feeling.”

“Living in an area with no space is an experience you don’t want to go through,” he said. “I’m blessed to live in the United States, but I feel for refugees in other countries.”

This is a great start. Hopefully, the compassion these students found will turn into action, and everyone involved in the simulation will be inspired to perhaps volunteer to help refugees in some capacity.

For now, the fact that they were able to open their minds a bit and experience life outside of what happens at Eastern is a step in the right direction.