Spiderman is my favorite superhero. Everyone knows that he got his spider-powers from a radioactive spider. Most people do not know that he first decided to use his new powers to go into show business. While auditioning, he let an escaping thief go by, saying that the thief was not his problem. That same thief later killed the uncle who had raised him from infancy. Horrified by his failure to act when he had the chance, Peter Parker realized that with great power comes great responsibility, and he became a superhero.

On Feb. 5, I participated in a forum on the crisis in Argentina. I was deeply moved by the student interest but more so by the suffering expressed by the Argentinean students. More than one student came to tears describing the suffering back home. I was reminded of the Caribbean Students Association forum on “Life and Debt” featuring a video describing the hardships in Jamaica. Crushing poverty, economic instability, high unemployment, and extreme inequality are problems that are common to many developing countries, but are especially acute in these two countries today. The response of the Caribbean students paralleled that of the Argentine students. The passion was visible and powerful.

These experiences remind me of what a great place Macalester College is to work and learn. Less than 1 percent of the world’s population ever even gets to college, and, given its size, far fewer ever get to Macalester. A college education is a great privilege and it is often hard to decide how to best put it to use. Perhaps students who feel passionately about the suffering they see back home have an advantage in that decision.

When musing about vocation, my father always said “Do what you love; follow your passion.” Perhaps your passion about crises back home signals a call to leadership. Both the Caribbean and Argentine students described how their leaders, both international and domestic, had failed them.

I think you can do better. You can make the most of your opportunity to be at Macalester by learning all you can about the political, historical, and economic complexities relevant to crises back home.

Find better, more creative solutions than the status quo. Then make them a better reality. It is possible. Perhaps it is your calling. Peter Parker realized his calling after it was too late to save his uncle. Perhaps by realizing today that with great power comes great responsibility you can use your education to alleviate suffering back home tomorrow.