Hello! My name is Felicity, and I have been one of your Student Green Office Projects’ Officers. I have just completed my second year of LLB Law with International Relations; and I have cried many times trying to write this blog – out of sadness that my role is ending, but out of happiness for everything I have achieved (if you’d like to see my growth in action, please read my first blog)! 

I have learned that practicing law traditionally is not the only avenue that I can pursue. I love the idea of research, and will probably pursue a PhD eventually; not having everything planned out is a beautiful part of life! One of many lessons I have learned during my time with the SGO. I have been through a lot this year, through being involved in tricky religious groups, losing friendships at university and outside of it, but the SGO remained my constant support network. My diagnosis of Mixed Anxiety and Depressive Disorder and becoming more self-aware allowed me to shed some of the things that I thought I was proud of, including my ‘maximalism’. 

I wasn’t a maximalist. I was scared of letting go. I still love a trinket, and I love self-care, but doing both in moderation and being conscious of what I’m purchasing and why I am purchasing it has been amazing for my mental health and my physical space; I’d like to apply this method to this blog, to be conscious of what I have achieved and why I did it, in order to let go and to assess where I am going now. 

Enraged Environmentalist & Dunce Cap Creator

When I was in secondary school, and that video of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nose hit the internet, and for a long time after, people would yell ‘save the turtles’ at me whenever I passed them, because of how much of a fuss I made about it online. I would post about environmental issues, I would relate a topic back to them: I was a nuisance, I was furious. I lost that for a while – People would tell me it wasn’t appealing, that it was annoying and they saw my anger but not why I was angry. I remember getting into an argument with one of my sixth form teachers about how lawns were terrible for the environment, which inspired one of my first blogs. Turns out I was right (I love being right), about being angry and about being loud (I love being angry and loud). We should be furious at what is being done to our one and only home. I started being really angry and loud again, and this time I was met with support. I was welcomed by the Students’ Union as the Environmental Officer, where I yelled about plant-based catering (What’s this? A petition?), commuting students, and everything in between. 

I yelled about the ‘Zero Waste’ label, and I yelled about Fireworks. I yelled about Glue and Candles, about Cultural Appropriation and Carbon Offsetting. I had an entire cross-platform, month long yell about consumerism – about anthropocentrism, philanthrocapitalism, fast fashion, food consumption, films about overconsumption; through the ‘Wellness inc.’ Project – created a new method of project delivery, and am still left with enough anger to continue yelling about all of these things! I will never stop yelling now that I have found my voice again. 

The Joys of Justice 

Just as I have found my (yelling) voice again, I have experienced so much love from the SGO, which I will never stop sharing. I knew this relatively early on, during our Reverse Haul and Love Letters Project, learning more about everyone and supporting them in their own projects – such as Maddie’s allergy friendly mission. I joined the SGO to make new friends, to learn, teach and share the joys of environmentalism, and I have achieved this! From participating in Carbon Literacy Training, becoming a Force of Nature Programme Participant, becoming part of the Wilder Kent Committee at CCCU, sitting on a student panel at the recent CCCBeU panel (and embarrassing Maddie by talking about how lovely she is), the Wellness Inc. and Transit Talks vol. 1 pop-ups, to the up-and-coming Wellness Inc Event, Climate Café and Transit Talks vol. 2 event – whatever this looks like; I have shared the joys, fears and love that comes from being in these spaces. I have met so many wonderful people in this role, such as Jack Swan – a previous SGO and current mystical figure to look up to, and Adriana – whose kindness and laughter makes me feel seen. 

This is my why – why learn? How could I know these hardworking and beautiful people if I didn’t? How could I tell my past self to hold on, if she didn’t know about this community? 

Recognition is Nice, Remembering is Nicer 

Bethany nominated me for the Unitemps ‘Heroes Award’, and I won! I also won the Super Student Award at the CCSU Celebrates Awards! It’s nice to be recognised for my work through these awards, and I am grateful for these achievements, I’d like people to remember what I have done, even if it only touched them in a small way. I’m okay being ‘that girl sits in touchdown screaming about food’, because it means that you’ve remembered my mission and taken some of it with you; challenging or affirming your own beliefs – and that’s what I set out to do! 

My time at the SGO has been filled with resource making, trackers and how-to guides, zines, mood boards and goal trackers – resources to answer tough questions about sex and travelling, taking action and make life easier for the planet and the people! 

Flic(k)ing Forward 

This is a great place to talk about what else I would like to do, in this role and independently, at CCCU and beyond! I need to further solidify my voice in the community – CCCU and further; amplifying small actions of local people and campaigning for greater change to slow the climate crisis. I need to become more political, as sustainability is political! I want to create a safe space to contact our local representatives, yell and make some change – I hope that students can be at the forefront of this change, and I hope I see you there. 

Thank you so much to Bethany, John and Everyone from Fg11 for empowering me to make a change, thank you to my fellow SGO members for being so kind and teaching me new things! And thank you, for learning and growing with me! I can’t wait to live in the world that we have started to create. 

❤️🌱 

By Felicity Lindo, SGO Projects Officer