After Donald Trump took both the popular and electoral vote in November, young voters are anticipating what is to come next. During the president-elect’s first term as 45th president, the country saw the suspension and reversal of several environmental policies.

In response to the Trump administration’s environmental legislation, students across the nation have begun to speak out. Environmental activist group Sunset Movement called for a mass walk-out of high school and college students, with 30 schools participating just one day after the election.

Inspired by the movement, First-Year Annika Sevig brought the idea of Sunset Movement’s protests to Augustana’s Sierra Club and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), who hosted their own campus wide protest in the quad on Friday, Dec. 6. 

“This event is happening in a reaction to what’s been going on in our world with climate change… And also in response to the election and how our government is not adequately addressing the needs of climate change,” Sevig said.

Protestors talked to passersbys in the quad, offering info sheets and discussion about the earth’s predicted “six years left.” Junior and Sierra Club President Emerson Lehman said this term serves as a countdown for the amount of time left to improve the earth’s climate. 

“The name six years left comes from a study that came out from climate scientists and scientists all over the world saying that basically in six years we will reach a point of no return, and then there’s going to be a rapid spiraling of events,” Lehman said.

As this presidential election was the first for much of Augustana’s campus to vote in, YDSA President and senior Brooke Brincks said hosting campus wide protests helps raise awareness for issues affecting young people. 

“I’m just hoping to have more information out for students,” Brincks said. “I feel like a lot of people are unaware about the seriousness of climate change and the lack of time, and also just how large of a part our government plays in this.”