Help

It’s 2024 and divisions are everywhere from campuses to the Capitol, so it seems like a good time to be reminded of our common humanity and that people are willing to help each other out. Which brings us to “an overcast morning in April, Bianca Giaever was anxiously loitering outside the Union Square subway station. She scanned the New Yorkers rushing along on their weekday commutes and tried to psych herself up to go talk to them. She was dressed rather noticeably, and perhaps slightly humiliatingly, in a red jumpsuit and a white sandwich board she had assembled the night before, writing the words ‘FREE HELP’ in red marker.” NYT (Gift Article): She Wanted to Help Strangers. Would They Take Her Up on It? It’s 2024, so this selfless project also featured an ongoing selfie. “It began to dawn on Ms. Giaever that some people might question whether her desire to help was more self-serving than it was genuine, particularly with her film crew in tow.” Oh well, it’s 2024. Some things can’t be helped.