As the Spring semester comes to an end, I can’t help but think about the year I have had with NJPIRG. We have been able to achieve a lot this year through our campaign to Get The Lead Out of Newark. We were able to get over one hundred photo petitions from students to increase visibility and awareness around this crisis, we have had numerous meetings with key campus administrators, and we are currently working on comprising a comprehensive report on the lead water crisis.
This semester also marked the launch of the JBJ Soul Kitchen on campus, as well as the new Pantry RUN – and we were a part of the Zero Hunger Task Force working to help our campus get grant funding through the Hunger-Free Campus Act!
This year, Rutgers has made strides on environmental initiatives – not only has President Barchi expressed his desire to implement a Climate Action Plan, but our campaign aimed at transitioning Rutgers – Newark to becoming Zero Waste is well on its way!
This next school year is an incredibly important one for increasing civic engagement on campus and making sure that the youth voice is heard, especially with the presidential election coming up in November. Even though we are all facing difficult times with the current pandemic, I am excited to face this new year with our new leadership and I am positive that we will be able to achieve incredible social change!