Last Thursday, approximately 70 students joined the members of Students for Environmental Action for its first "sleep out" event of the year, spending the night in tents on the Great Lawn in an effort to promote the Act to Create a Repower Massachusetts Emergency Task Force, a proposed legislative act that would create a task force to make Massachusetts run on 100- percent clean electricity by 2020. Approximately 19 students spent the night sleeping in five tents. Students for a Just and Stable Future, one of SEA's campaign groups as well as a member of the statewide SJSF organization, planned the event.

According to its website, SJSF is a student-led, volunteer network that is working towards creating solutions to the climate crisis. The Brandeis SJSF group, which works under the umbrella of SEA, is also a member of the SJSF organization's Metro West chapter.

SJSF Campus Coordinator Dorian Williams '13 said that sleep outs are a "go-to tactic" for SJSF. In an interview with the Justice, she explained the purpose of the sleep out, saying, "We refuse to sleep in dorms and houses that are powered by dirty electricity."

During the sleep out, the improvisational comedy group TBA performed a series of improv games, and the performances were interspersed with what they called "words from our sponsors."

These sponsors included representatives from on-campus clubs like NaturaLiving and the Pakistani Relief Group. Members of the Pakistani Relief Group sold bracelets at the event, with all funds benefiting victims of the floods that have devastated Pakistan since July.

Members of the Real Food club also tabled at the event and encouraged students to sign a petition asking the school to convert to cage-free eggs.

In an interview with the Justice, SEA Webmaster Coleman Mahler '13 explained that members of SEA and SJSF hope to incorporate more collaboration with other like-minded Brandeis associations into their work this year.

Later during the night, Executive Staffperson of Students for a Just and Stable Future Craig Altemose addressed the participating students, telling them, "If you care about anything in the world, this [stopping climate change] is your fight." He also mentioned some of the weather disasters of the past year, from the Pakistani flood to the heat wave in Russia over the summer.

While he noted that certain specific weather events cannot be directly linked to climate change, he also presented his opinion that if the world's energy consumption patterns continue in their current direction, natural disasters and catastrophes could occur with increased frequency.

This event was SJSF's third sleep out on campus, following two that were held last year. According to Williams, the group has tried to grow and improve from its past sleep out efforts; by including more activities, speakers and performers during the night, the group hoped to make more of an "event," drawing in students who might not otherwise be interested in or aware of environmental issues.

In an interview with the Justice, Jenny Lau '14 said she attended the event, explaining she decided to try the sleep out after hearing about it through an e-mail and fliers.

"I liked that different student clubs, like the Pakistani Relief group, came out to support this event, instead of just the environmental groups."

When asked if she would attend another sleep out, Lau replied, "I would definitely come again due to the enthusiasm of the organizer.