Students are working to organize a new climate change activist group on campus.
Nathan May, music theater junior, and Maya Ferrer-Toolsie, acting senior, are working to create a chapter of the Sunrise Movement at OCU.
Sunrise Movement is a youth-based group centered around climate change policy and activism. The group incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2017 and gained national attention when a group of activists occupied Nancy Pelosi’s office and demanded climate action. May said the group aims to fight climate change and create jobs in the process, as well as seeking environmental and economic justice.
The group works to unseat candidates and politicians who deny climate change, talk to elected officials about climate change and fight for communities who are affected by the climate crisis.
May said Sunrise Movement came from unrest in environmental communities.
“People realized there are a lot of politicians out there spreading misinformation and denying the existence of climate change,” he said. “The politicians had no real plan to address it the way that science says is necessary.”
May said he first began working with Sunrise Movement in Dallas during quarantine after attending an online educational camp.
“I have been aware of Sunrise Movement for a while because environmentalism and climate change are important to me,” he said. “I had a great time with them, and I felt like I was making a difference.”
May said he noticed Oklahoma City does not prioritize climate justice and that energy companies are hurting the environment.
“In Oklahoma City, there’s no Sunrise hub. There’s a real lack of organization in Oklahoma around environmental justice, but there’s a dire need for it,” May said.
May said the group is working to become an official group on campus, but currently they are organizing with a small group chat system. He said he hopes to meet with the national organization and figure out how to start the group by next semester.
Jo Muscarella, acting junior, said they heard about Sunrise Movement in Dallas during the Black Lives Matter protests.
Muscarella said they began finding a passion for activism in college.
“Since coming to college, I’ve been growing more and more aware of activism. The protests over the summer was the first time that I realized this was a serious thing that I needed to commit myself to,” Muscarella said.
Muscarella said they are enthusiastic about having a group at OCU because it creates a space for students to put their activist energy. They said it is essential for students to have a place to turn energy into change.
“It’s important for students to be involved in activism,” they said. “It’s important to not just ‘talk the talk’ but ‘walk the walk’ and actually do something with all of that energy.”
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