Mount Activists Lead Climate Walkout
9/17/2019
Mount student activists will join individuals rallying across the globe on Friday, September 20, to demand action on climate change.
Organized by the College’s Millennium Fellowship scholars and sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA), the Climate Walkout will be held on the Great Lawn between 12:30 and 1:20 p.m. All are invited to join.
The College’s climate strike is one of many. Participants will join a series of similar demonstrations, calling on government officials to end to the age of fossil fuels. Globally, millions of people will walk out of their workplaces and homes to join young activists to protest the lack of action as part of the Global Climate Strike set for September 20-27.
“We are inspired by the youth and students who are striking for climate through education worldwide, including prominent colleges and universities across the United States,” said Jennifer Puac ’21 and Wantoe Wantoe ’22, co-directors of the Mount’s Millennium Fellowship program. “This walkout is the first of many events that will help us—and the Mount community—to fulfill the mission of the United Nations Academic Impact, an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the recognition of goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability, and conflict resolution.”
The Millennium Fellowship scholars have been working to encourage the Mount community to be global leaders and stand up in raising the alarm about the fate of the planet, which has been affected by extreme heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and floods, leaving a trail of devastation. Wildfires are lasting longer and spreading further, corals are dying, fisheries are being depleted, and the high level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is threatening the well-being of billions of people. Meanwhile, the disappearing Arctic sea ice shows that the changing weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere are a real threat to the future of the planet.
“In not addressing the climate emergency, lives of our younger and future generations are threatened by indecision and inaction,” continued Jennifer and Wantoe. “Therefore, the health and hopes of the next generations become less promising—but we’re committed to change.”
The College’s event will include statements by President Charles L. Flynn, Jr., Dean of the College Lynne Bongiovanni, representatives of the Sisters of Charity of New York, the Office of Campus Ministry, members of SGA, and the Mount’s Millennium Fellowship scholars.
The Millennium Fellows’ goal for the Campus Walkout is to inspire the College to be an educational institution of social responsibility, cultivating students to be professional societal leaders in their commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, both locally and globally. To continue the conversation, the student activists will plan a symposium in collaboration with various environmental advocacy and awareness clubs and organizations on campus, including Phins for Change, Model U.N., and the Environmental Club.
“We see the climate crisis as critical—it is imperative that we promote awareness, appropriate attitudes, and actions. And it needs to happen now.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.