Feeling the Heat

Just as the weather started to warm up for spring, Hopkins Energy Action Team (HEAT) held a rally in order to call on students to take action to push the administration to endorse a responsible energy policy which calls for carbon neutrality on campus by 2015. (Well, that was a mouthful.)

My good friend Julia (whose post many of you may have read on my blog a few weeks ago) is an extremely active member of HEAT and did a great deal to help organize the event, so I felt obligated to go. It turned out much better than I had expected. It was an awesome sunny day, 75 degrees, and students were out on the beach for hours before the event began just to enjoy the weather. There were also students spinning fire, which was pretty awesome.

So first my job was to model the HEAT T-shirts that were being sold, but then I was quickly coerced into serving food, etc. It was definitely a lot of fun. The weather was great, and I was made an honorary heat member for the day, and I heard a great speech on global warming and the importance of taking action by climate activist and author Mike Tidwell.

After the speech and the event, students were encouraged to write letters to the administration, and I was shocked at the response. Hundreds of students gathered around the table to write, and it made me realize that I go to a school where students are not only aware of issues, but where they actually care. The event was a huge success, and showed that Hopkins students are active, and hopefully set an example that will be followed by other universities around the country.

The event was only a few hours on one day, but it profoundly changed the way I view Hopkins students and the university as a whole. It certainly was a great experience, and I am glad that I was able to be a part of it.

Comments

[laura]

Yay Heat!!!

[Admissions_Daniel]

This HEAT group is well-organized and puts on some great events. The leadership should be applauded and I am glad that their movement is "catching fire." (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)