Maybe you’ve seen Dylan munching on food in the art gallery. Maybe you’ve bumped into him at an anti-war rally or at a meeting for women’s rights. Maybe you’ve noticed him gracefully piece together a banner or a poster; watched him draw on his sketch pad or take pictures. Or maybe, just maybe, he has wiped a tear or two from your face on a lonely day.
If you haven’t experienced any of these things with Dylan, consider yourself unlucky. Why? Because Dylan Seo is the ideal spokesperson for friendship, wisdom, and compassion. Always ready to lend a helping hand and a listening ear, Dylan is a diamond in the rough.
I met Dylan last year at a Socialist Alternative meeting. He sat in the corner and listened patiently as peers and friends argued about the disappointing return of Bush into office. Donning a t-shirt that read “Poverty,” a funky head of hair, a cute smile, and a banner that read “Another World is Possible,” I noticed him immediately. With the heart and vigor of a humanitarian and the hip, profound intellect of fiery youth, Dylan’s personality, if not his advocacy for social justice, drew me in.
I like to think of Dylan as a modern day Socrates: always concerned with learning and exposing the truth, yet humble and kind. “Education is power,” Dylan said to me once. “It enables us to live more deeply and make the world less transparent. The power of questions. The mystery is usually better than the answer.”
Despite the apathy we associate with most young people, Dylan travels on an intense spiritual and political path. This duality of politics and spirituality can be seen in Dylan’s choice of study at UMB: political science and art.
When asked what motivates him, Dylan thoughtfully answered, “Ordinary people make changes, not superheroes. That’s what drives me.” But what Dylan doesn’t know is that there is nothing ordinary about him.
What makes Dylan different from most people is that he firmly believes we, as individuals, have the ability to remedy the troubles of humankind. “Development comes at will,” said Dylan. Perhaps that’s why he plays such a major role in organizing for the Socialist Alternative. Whatever the task may be, if it’s for justice, he’s ready to support the group. He actively combats what he views as the treacheries of capitalism by building up a labor party, while spreading knowledge and awareness everywhere he goes.
“What makes me upset is exploitation: when people’s lives are constrained and even prevented for no purpose but someone else’s gain,” Dylan lamented. “Thus, I strive to find ways to help people who are struggling to survive. I want them to really live [not just get by]. I love life; and, in order for me to truly live, we all must truly live.” So, if you ever have the opportunity to meet this young, avid fighter for social justice, artist, and philanthropist, thank him. It’s people like Dylan Seo that make life a little better for the rest of us.