Manifesto, by Daniel "Noel" Noel, class of 2020

Prior to starting the environmental studies program (enst) at HSU I was a musician and studying music at my community college. After being a music major for two years and learning from friends about their experiences as music majors in 4 year colleges I knew in my heart it wasn’t for me. When I read the description for the enst program something happened.

“Do you love the natural world but also love thinking about culture, people, politics, media, economics, history, literature, art, and identity? Do you want to save the planet and also make the world a more equitable place for all its inhabitants? Do you want to develop a wide range of skills to address the world’s most pressing environmental and social dilemmas?” Yes, Yes and Yes. “Consider an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies degree at HSU…Environmental studies provides students with tools for understanding the complex relationships between human communities and both “natural” and built environments. (2018-2019 HSU catalog). At the time I didn’t fully understand why this description was so appealing to me and how strongly the goals of this major align with who I am.

I've spent the last three semesters at HSU reimagining my understanding of the world, embracing how I truly feel and learning how to create possibilities to empower change and connections in the communities I’m part of, in the world and within myself. Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Marie Brown (AMB) helped me understand concepts I was studying and connect them to feelings I was having about the world. Here are some of the ways these principles apply to my life.

Knowing that Change is Constant. Nothing is permanent. That you are changed by and change everything you interact with. You have the power to shape the world however small you are in it. Change holds an element of hope for me because oppressive systems colonialism and capitalism are also susceptible to change.

Fractals teach us that even small change has large impacts, that patterns repeat themselves and permeate throughout scales, that making a positive impact on a local scale can make waves globally. Recognizing patterns in our everyday life and connecting them to global patterns can help us understand why certain patterns exist and permeate. Fractals hold the ability to manifest patterns of empowerment on a local scale and design patterns to bring about global change.

I’ve come to understand the importance of Interdependence and Decentralization from theory based discussion and real life experiences. The concept of mutual aid embodies the power of community  interdependence and decentralization. Like finding strength in actions of solidarity, reciprocity and love for each other. Making efforts to decentralize from a state that uses violence and oppression to maintain power and societal structures. Collective power and power within instead of power over others. I joined the recently sprouted Humboldt Mutual Aid group and I jumped at the chance to attend meetings and  help coordinate our first skill share In community. I’ve remained involved with weekly meetings and an accountability process group that sprouted from a skill share event.

I won’t go into all the lessons that Emergent Strategy has taught me but after reading the book I do consider myself an agent of change. I seek creative ways to support the people around me. I study to understand the way social, political, economic and cultural energies shape the world we know. I want to foster interdependence in my communities and foster a collective strength that will allow us to replace systems of oppression with systems of healing, solidarity and respecting earth.

As important as understanding the world is understanding your place in the world. Understand and admit your differences, privileges, biases, fears, and shortcomings. So that you can be truthful to yourself and others. So that you can respect others and hope they respect you. Understand yourself and the realities of inequality and injustice in this world so that we can rid ourselves and our societies of racism, colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, all the other isms that seek to divide and exploit us and this Earth. So that we can replace them with systems of solidarity, reciprocity, healing, justice and dare I say, pleasure.

Manifesto, by Joel Denney, class of 2020

Manifesto, by Taylor Conrad, class of 2020

I believe I have the passions and skills to create change through human connection and visual design. I envision a future that has inclusive education that critically analyzes history to create real solutions to problems we have created. I don’t think our current education system is doing us and our planet justice and I want to have a part in changing it. I am passionate about children and the hope they carry. I want to do my part in arming them with the critical perspectives we learn about in ENST that I believe they’ll need to continue this shift to a sustainable future. We need to not only teach accurate history of humanity but also what we must learn from the past to have a brighter future. I desire a world in which children are educated about more than a standardized curriculum and can gain a real understanding of our world regardless of their backgrounds. 

I am passionate about visual communication and I have to come learn how powerful and effective it can be. I want to further my education into visual communication so I can have all the skills I need to be able to communicate the messages I think are most important. I want to visually communicate the crucial connection between humans and our environment. I want to stress the importance of the sciences and the humanities coming together but also just the fact that we need to unite as a species if we want to stick around on this planet. My next steps are to complete my study of graphic design and visual communication. This is a crucial next step for me because although I already am producing content, I want to sharpen my skills and study the rules of design to be able to effectively communicate my messages. 

Through my time at HSU I have experienced the importance of knowing your positionality and privileges. This is something I was never taught in all my 12 years of school previously and it’s quite possibly one of the most impactful areas of study I have been exposed to. I want to continue to share with my peers and the children that I work with how each of us sees the world differently and acknowledging why we have that perspective can be so powerful. Another next step I want to take may happen through my service learning project (fingers crossed) or to seek out the opportunity in another avenue. 

I will make my first real attempt at visually communicating these messages to children. I envision myself exploring how to translate these often heavy ideas and topics into something digestible for children. I want to spark creativity and thought through my work. I will need to look into how others have done this and take inspiration to my own ideas to create something that can impact our youth. I also want to take these ideas, passions and ideas and spread them among my peers through conversations with active listening and empathy. It hasn’t been easy for me to realize all the ways I benefit from the oppression of other humans, animals and exploitation of the environment but it has forever changed the way I see the world and value this awareness so greatly. I will do my part to foster hope but also create inspiration and education on what actions are going to make the necessary changes.

Manifesto, by Alejandra Ureno, class of 2020

Social Change Manifesto

Emergent Strategy has helped remind me of the beauty that actually comes within the struggle. A gentle reminder that in life, there are different ways to respond to challenges and change, and the way that one chooses to adapt to the unexpected has great influence over the course of those events.

May this manifesto help remind me of these important core principles and serve as a personal guideline towards coming to peace with the obstacles I might face throughout the journey.

Change is Constant.

Inevitably, change will always occur throughout life – on all levels, in every aspect, realized, or not.

How Will You Choose to Cope with These Changes? Will You Allow Them to Intimidate Your Potential? Will You Let the Fear of Uncertainty Overshadow the Potential for Success and Undiscovered Blessings?

Adaptation: the process of changing to fit some purpose or situation.

Intention: the thing that you plan to do or achieve: an aim or a purpose.

“How we live and grow and stay purposeful in the face of constant change actually does determine both the quality of our lives, and the impact that we can have when we move into action together.”

It is not unusual to respond to change with feelings of fear or stress. Often this is because we aren’t clear or committed about our dream or destination, so instead of moving towards anything in particular, we are in nonstop reaction… We will adapt to that change or we will become irrelevant.

As an individual, developing your capacity for adaptation can mean assessing your default reactions to change, and whether those reactions create a space for opportunity, possibility, and continuing to move towards your vision.

Transformation does not happen in a linear way.

Growth is nonlinear – if we release the framework of failure, we can realize that we are in interative cycles.

Although we might pervasively associate growth as constant and linear, it does not always occur as such. Like a rollercoaster, life is full of ups and downs, and those downs are not to be correlated to failure. It is important to remember that the downs in our lives are sometimes the experiences that shape us into stronger, better abled, and resilient individuals from which to learn from our past mistakes from.

Sometimes a down is what catapults us forward at a higher speed.

Do not be discouraged when you feel as though your progression is not occurring in a constant, straight line.

Resilience: How We Recover and Transform

The ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens; the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

You can choose to allow negative experiences and emotions to overshadow the other aspects of our life, or we can choose to draw from our negative emotions and experiences, channeling that energy towards something positive.

Your ability to not only adapt, but bounce back with an armor made of steel – to successfully recover from any negative emotions or obstacles, and transform oneself into the idealized version of oneself.

Do not be discouraged or knocked-down by barriers in life, unexpected challenges, or unforeseen ‘failures.’ Instead, remember that you are strong, capable, and completely capable of bouncing back – with a vengeance!

Creating More Opportunities: How We Move Towards Life

To cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

“We have to collaborate on the process of dreaming and envisioning and implementing that world,”

Remove yourself from the framework of fear and hesitation; Remember that life is truly what you decide to make of it – thoughts, perceptions, actions, and energy all shape your reality and the forces that enable you to make decisions in life.

Once you realize your true potential, skills, and likeliness to be successful, you are abler to identify an opportunity and make it yours. Rid yourself of insecurities, fear of failure, and reluctance. Embrace your achievements and the aspects of yourself that have elevated those wins, envisioning a version of yourself that has shaped and claimed her own successes and is proud.

This activity has been a wonderful reminder of the fact that I already have all of the tools I need to be successful. Everything I am looking for, I have the ability to give myself if I am courageous and focused enough. I cannot allow momentary challenges and failures to get in the way of my future success. Emergent Strategy has been a beautiful reminder that as human beings, we all share similar fears and tribulations. It is our way of managing the stressors in life that really shape the paths our lives take.

To be an agent of change in the world means to lead by example – to be an individual that lives their life in the manner in which they expect will bring them their desired results. To be accepting of the things that happen to them, able to successfully adapt in times of tribulations, to spread love and positivity, and to help others realize their own potential and contributions.

I would hope to be the kind of change agent that is resilient in the face of adversity, and can learn to be optimistic while looking for the positive in every situation. I want to be sure of who I am and where I want to go – helping others realize their abilities to do the same for themselves and an anchor of support for others.

My hope is that throughout my journey towards the next steps in my life I will be able to look back at this manifesto and know that I am perfectly set up for success. If I decide to tap into every aspect of myself that embraces these core principles, the challenges I encounter will not weigh so heavily on my life. The trajectory of my life will be strongly determined by my ability to adapt, create, transform, and remain resilient, and for that I am very hopeful.  

Manifesto, by Gabrielle Smith, class of 2020

Follow the Call

A confident agent- I want to be one who is willing to have their mind changed at any moment and be authentic in each decision I make. Coming into my mid-early twenties, I am beginning to shape many choices on my own without the overbearing mother that is institutionalized schooling. Being that I have been apart of a school system and schedule since I was three years old, the coming of grand change couldn’t feel more ripe. Between my arrival to Humboldt County in 2016, and now with merely eighty days left until graduation in Spring 2020, I know I have grown more into myself than my conscious being has ever confessed before. 

This spring, I am graduating with an Environmental Studies degree with two minors in Music and Appropriate Technology (AT). My passion for music erupted in freshman year at HSU as my friend recommended I enroll in Afro-Cuban Percussion class. Four years later, I am completing my music minor with the experience of World Percussion Samba, Introduction to Percussion, Introduction to Strings, and a year and a half of Private Fiddle Lessons, and plenty of drum circles and open mics under my belt. Becoming a music minor was the best thing I could have brought into my college experience as an Environmental Studies student because it taught me how to embody rhythm and melody in ways I had ever explored- never knew I needed. Irish fiddle became its own branch in my musical tree of love. A place where I could reach into my roots and feel connected to the celtic people who grew out of the little island that looks like a gummy bear; fiddling brought me satisfaction through an unknown longing for heritage and music. 

Likewise, my study of Appropriate Technology deserves a great deal of gratitude, for its sponitunity came just as quickly as my sudden passion for music. From harvesting and selling for the local farmers market to building rainwater catchment systems on campus, I was taught that AT meant using the right materials, techniques, and conversations when creating small scale and locally friendly projects. Today, I have made choices that have brought me to chair a committee on campus called Earth Week Every Week. Through my years of experience in social and environmental direct activism in Humboldt, I have found myself sitting as this years Associated Student’s Environmental Sustainability Officer. I am proud of my work so far, but somehow feel a different calling in my life. With a profound amount of gratitude for the numerous scholarly articles about environmental justice and politics; endless small group conversations about heavy social-science topics; and a powerful community of people who want to show action in the time of climate resilience- my time for a new way of life feels as though it could not come sooner. I have learned what I needed from HSU, will teach those who have not learned, and will open myself up to signs of opportunity that spark a true sense of longing within my ever-changing self.

I have emerged into these positions through natural callings and talents. Too, I have been trained that these are the steps that are logical for creating a successful future, but I believe there are other options-I am called to other things. Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown has taught me to follow my heart and move towards collections of people who agree with my beliefs. Within my life experiences in Humboldt County, I have also unveiled my love for caretaking for people and the land. I have worked as a caregiver for supporting living agencies throughout my time in Humboldt and feel like I am giving back to the world in the right way. With a younger brother who has Autism and a cousin with Cerebral Palsy, I was taught that it simply made sense that we take care of one another. So I look to further my caretaking as college comes to an end, though I feel more of a calling towards teaching now-a-days. I long to spend time with children, and am inspired to begin teaching as a substitute teacher for disabled children at the local special education school, Glen Paul. 

My calling for gardening has also blossomed through my interactions in Humboldt. “What you pay attention to, grows.” claims Brown, and so I choose to grow food. With the decline in food quality through our primary food system, communities must embrace the farming techniques that we so regretfully left behind in the coming of the industrial revolution. For me, gardening began with planting flowers with my mama as a child, and has flooded into my life like a river breaking through a shrewd dam. I have moved every year for the four years I have been here at HSU, and I have never stopped planting and harvesting food along the way. In my time, I have worked with plants such as: strawberries, black berries, plums, many culinary and medicinal herbs, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas, beans, flowers, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, garlic, tomatoes, and more plants I cannot think of right now. Through my intuitive use of combining seed, water and soil, I began gardening. With the knowledge of my peers and teachers, I have grown into a farmer. In my life, I want to help grow a farm and call it home. I look to intern and work at local farms for the short future, and am curious about farming opportunities around the world that may lead to this sort of family farm dream.

I have traveled all around the country. I was born in Florida and quickly moved to Louisiana, Alabama and Colorado. From there, we moved to Georgia, South Carolina, and California. My dad was in the military so I was used to change and making friends. After several years in San Diego, I decided it was time I step out on my own and prepare for college, so I took a ten day solo road trip up the coast of California. You could say I am used to moving, but I would rather phrase it as a love for travel. I have huge dreams to travel before I even begin to think about my life career. Unlike my mom, aunties, and granny, I chose not to get pregnant and married before age twenty, and therefore am called to a different life path than creating a family in my early twenties. I want to create myself first, and that very well means seeing the world and the cultures which grew from this Earth. Specifically, I want to physically connect with my Irish roots. Granny and Papa immigrated from Ireland in the 1950’s to find work in the U.S., and after their passing several years back, I have come to realize the value of my unknown Irish heritage. The Gaelic they spoke, the foods they prepared, all of the things that makes me Irish by blood was not honored by my child self as I realize as a woman, and now know that my chances for cultural revitalization lay in the hands of my fifty cousins across the globe. 

With dreams as big as mine, I know Ireland will find me one day, I just hope I find the courage and luck to get there sooner than later. I have plans alright, may they be a short visit to the motherlands of Ireland, or a lifetime of global exploration through the Chakras of Earth, my heart longs to meet the world outside of U.S. customs and borders, for the human experience seems too beautiful to ignore our strongest callings.