This past week was a week of reflection and self-evaluation. We, as a class, went through what we did throughout the year, what we learned, what we wished we learned, and how we will act in the future. Personally, I came into this class with a relatively closed mindset. Being an environmental science minor, I obviously cared and was interested in environmental activism but in no world did I think I would become an activist.
Throughout the entire class we posed the question “Is this an example of activism?” on multiple occasions in reference to many actions. From the groups in Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey to Tim Dechristopher. The main message I took from these discussions is that being an activist does not have one singular definition. There are many ways to be an activist and anybody can make a difference, even us, as undergraduates at a university.
As I mentioned earlier, I never thought I would become an activist. I though being an activist entailed me starting my own non-profit or dedicating my entire life to saving natural habitats or something along those lines. While those are all certainly examples of activism, it doesn’t stop there. As a student, I intend to continue being an activist by leading by example. That means reusing, recycling, and spreading awareness. I was always aware of how my actions affected the environment and did my best to limit my impact, but never did I think about how much inspiring others can help. By changing the mindset of one person, you can change the world one person at a time. It’s like a huge domino effect, for every person you make aware and educate that’s one more person who is passing down the knowledge to another person. If there’s one thing that I would like to take away from this class it’s that you have to keep everything in perspective. Your actions do have an effect on others, whether that be good or bad and it’s important to keep that in mind. Thank you Professor Gould for making me not only a more educated environmental scientist, but an activist as well.
