Imagine this scene: mobs of students crowding the streets of Washington, D.C., the crowd alive with energy after leaving a concert headlined by The Roots. The rush of people sweep down the street, all with one goal in mind: saving the world.


On Sat., Feb. 28, thousands of student activists flooded the streets of D.C., crowding sidewalks and braving frigid temperatures in order to stand up for what they believe in. These students gathered to support environmental change by attending PowerShift 2009, a gathering demanding radical change in environmental legislation.

“PowerShift was amazingly successful in the way that it got thousands of students to lobby their representatives from across the country and it empowered thousands of members of the climate movement,” said environmental student leader, senior Gabe Schwartzman.

Among the nearly 12,000 environmentalists who stormed Washington that day were many WJ students who are unwaveringly dedicated to the cause of environmental change. These students go unrecognized for their progressive and positive actions. Everyone involved is standing up for his or her beliefs, acting courageously to forward their ambitions by getting involved in programs like PowerShift. And the most impressive part? They are actually having a profound impact on the world we live in.

“Looking down at the crowd of thousands in the convention center was awe-inspiring,” said sophomore Sara Peterson in reflection of the PowerShift event.

Events such as PowerShift only make up a part of the largely student-run environmental change movement. There are numerous organizations and committees across the county that organize meetings, rallies, marches, protests and many more events on a regular basis.

“Being part of the climate movement has been extremely rewarding,” said junior Sandy Stibitz. “It gives you a real sense of being a part of a community that’s working together, and it feels good knowing that I’m doing all I can to move our country toward a better future. It’s very empowering.”

These students’ efforts are going largely unnoticed by the rest of the student body, except when one is asked to sign up for an e-mail list or petition.

“I think most of the student body misclassifies it as ‘hippie’ activity,” said Schwartzman. “They make a lot of assumptions, and in truth, it’s not hippie activity. The Roots were at PowerShift. These events are in response to real crises. This environmental threat is real and everyone needs to do their part to help preserve our future.”

Now with the relatively small percentage of students currently involved in the climate movement and the significant impact they are having, imagine what would happen if more and more students began to get involved? The effects could be profound.

Apart from taking steps toward controlling one’s carbon footprint by recycling and conserving energy, it’s not clear how one can take steps to becoming a part of the broader, organized world of environmental activism.

“Joining [Montgomery County Student Environmental Activists] MCSEA is the best way to get involved,” said Schwartzman. “It’s the most connected to the national movement of all the student environmental groups in the region.”