By Gabriella Barthe
Editor-In-Chief
UMass Dartmouth’s Sunrise SouthCoast hub on campus has announced this week that the organization is planning another protest on campus. In an email to student leaders, Sunrise asked organizations and students to join their efforts on February 28, with a focus on the power of voting.
Coming off their fall semester strike on September 20 to convince Chancellor Johnson to sign a carbon commitment to create transparency within the university on their path to zero carbon emissions by 2030, with a 300-student turnout, the organization is confident their protest will be a success.
The goal of the vote-centered strike is not to stop people from voting but rather the opposite. Efforts are being made to help disenfranchised students become more aware of the candidates Sunrise is endorsing and to “push voter education in our community” as stated in their email.
Of course, the topic of voting connects to their overall message on the Climate Crisis to which the organization has focused on thus far. Your votes can affect the way these issues are handled by the United States Government after all.
If you wish to get involved with their voting movement, Sunrise is searching for artists and active students who are passionate about the subject to take a more hands-on approach to the effort. Sunrise SouthCoast meets on campus on Thursdays in LARTS 117 from 4-5 PM. You can also feel free to reach out via email sunriseumassd@gmail.com, or on Instagram @sunrisesouthcoast.
Otherwise, the Voting Strike will take place in Campus Center near the Commuter Café at noon on February 28, and the organization intends to protest again as part of their national movement on Earth Day with more information to be shared in the future.