Photo provided to The Quill by Sydney Hergan
By Victoria Durgin, Editor in Chief
Susquehanna’s campus will host a climate strike on Sept. 24 as part of an international day of action organized by activists.
The Susquehanna event, which will be open to all students, faculty, staff and the public, was organized by senior Sydney Hergan and junior Grant Rowe.
“We chose to strike at Susquehanna because, no matter how small or remote, everyone deserves to have their voice heard in the fight for a just climate future. The system has to change, now, and everyone’s voice matters,” said Hergan.
Sept. 24 is a global day of action as decided by Fridays for Future, an international organization which describes its mission as a “youth-led and -organised movement” started after climate activist Greta Thunberg began her school strike in 2018.
The group publishes advice and guidelines for individuals running their own initiatives, and Hergan and Rowe have used those guidelines in preparing for the event at Susquehanna.
Among that advice is a list of demands for world leaders, which make up the actionable items climate strike events should call for.
Those demands include cutting greenhouse gas emissions drastically, granting those displaced by environmental crises refugee status and the offering of funding to “implement anti-racist climate reparations, the cancellation of debts especially for damage caused by extreme weather events, and providing adaptation funds that serve the communities.”
Hergan said the strike signifies how scared some young adults are about climate change and the impact it will have on their future.
“To be honest, we’re striking because we’re scared for our futures. What is the point of getting a college degree if our planet is burning?”
Rowe shared a similar sentiment.
“It is undeniable that our future will one day be intertwined with climate change, from extreme weather to resource driven content. If we want action we, as a generation, must act,” Rowe said.
The two organized a poster making event for students on Sept. 16, and said they will also have posters and resources available at the event if an attendee wants one.
The strike will begin at 11:30am at Degenstein Fountain. Hergan said from there, attendees will walk down Kurtz Lane and past the Blough-Weis Library to ultimately end at Market Street. The event is expected to last until 1 p.m.
Attendees must wear masks at all times, regardless of vaccination status, and will not be allowed to engage in violence, littering or hatred, according to the event’s registration page.
All attendees are asked to register before the event in case of a potential COVID-19 case and so Hergan and Rowe have a rough estimate on how many people to expect. Registration QR codes will also be available at Degenstein Fountain for day-of registration.