Our Plantet, Our Future: How a moment became a movement for HTHMA's Students for the Environment11/18/2020 Written by Maya Jimenez Edited by Eliana Meza-Ehlert It all started on August 20th, 2018 when fifteen-year-old Greta Thunberg walked out of her school and sat in front of the Swedish parliament with a sign that read "Strike for Climate." She continued this every Friday until students, parents, teachers, and other passionate individuals joined her. Eventually, her small act of defiance led to an organized campaign known as “Fridays for Future,” which encourages students around the world to walk out of school every Friday to raise awareness about climate change and advocate for environmental protection and environmental justice. Ms. Thunberg gained national attention due to the widespread support of this campaign and began speaking publicly at high profile events. She even spoke as a youth representative at the United Nations. A year after she first walked out, thousands of people, mostly youth, across the world would join her in protest against climate change. When Students For the Environment, High Tech High Media Art’s environmental club, were informed about the global strike for climate that would be taking place on September 20th, they immediately got to work. They designed posters, which spread like wildfire across social media and were posted all over the school. After the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) unanimously voted to support students, they sent emails to the directors of all seven High Tech High Point Loma schools (also known as “the village”) to inform students of their right to walkout. In the past, students had been punished for walking out in support of issues they fought for, and the SDUSD decision bolstered courage among those who weren’t sure if they wanted to participate in the march. In a matter of days, the word spread that the village was planning a climate walkout.
With Ms. Jimenez, Ms. Mitchell, and High Tech High Media Arts junior, Raha Rafie, leading the front, the students began to march. They flowed down the alley between High Tech Middle and High Tech High. Steady call-and-response chants like, our planet, our future, and this is what democracy looks like, reverberated from the front of the crowd to the very back. Signs were held up tall and proud, displaying an assortment of powerful messages. Some students used wit, other humor, others remained serious, but each student, in their own way, demanded change and accountability. They made their way once around the block, down the street, and back towards the front lawn. After a second loop around the block, most students returned to their classes with high spirits. Some, however, were not quite ready to return. Though concerned about the possible repercussions they would face, a significant group of students took the bus to City Hall to continue protesting. When they arrived at around 9:30 am, they found only a few lone protesters with signs standing in front of the City Administration building. But this didn’t deter them. They made their own march around the block, and as time went on, more students from across the county began to appear. Their small group grew into a much larger one that reverberated with fiery chants. People in the area were forced to take notice of the youth as they marched for their future. The mass gathered in front of the Civic Center, impassioned for what was to come. There they met with the Union of Service Workers (USW) and Todd Gloria, assembly member for San Diego’s 78th district, who was representing the USW. Mr. Gloria and leading members of the USW gave speeches, as did several students from high schools across San Diego. Several Students for the Environment members from our school made statements following the event. “In the future, knowing what we can do in such a short time is really inspiring. We can do a lot,” says Eliana Meza-Ehlert, leader of Students for the Environment. She says that this will hopefully catch the attention of lawmakers and politicians, but also people at school, and that it makes them think about what they can be doing to make a difference in personal ways as well. Junior Gary Goss says that it is important to recognize the capacity individuals have when they come together. “(We) can actually stand up to power and say something to the people in charge. It matters. A bunch of students can walk out and say ‘we don’t like this, please do something about it.’” Another member, sophomore Samantha Del-Rio adds, “I hope that students know that by walking out, the whole world is not going to be fixed. It’s also their responsibility to somehow help out.” We, the youth, have once again brought awareness to an issue facing our generation. We are the leaders of the future and the adults of the present will watch us rise. This is our Earth. This is our future. It is up to us to change it. Thank you to Caitlyn Abragan for photographing this event.
0 Comments
|
About the In The World pageAll blog posts focus on engaging environmental topics that discuss our impact on a global scale. The AuthorsEach blog post were written by different students at High Tech Media Arts. Click below to learn more about them. Archives |