Many were happily heading home, looking forward to break, prepping for the final few weeks of school. However, 16 Brandeis students were heading toward a very different experience before break at an event called Power Shift, at which they would learn, discuss and even-in some cases-get arrested.Power Shift is a national conference that took place from April 15 to 18 organized by Energy Action Coalition, a nonprofit organization of youth-led environmental and social justice groups working together to build the movement to fight climate change.

Roughly 10,000 students from across the nation came together in Washington, D.C. to discuss and take action on climate change and other environmental issues. The conference included trainings, workshops and well-known keynote speakers.

Four Brandeis students from the Justice League, a student organization devoted to social change and empowering student voices, attended along with 12 members from Students for Environmental Action.

"These past 2 years, I've really become more of an environmental activist, . and I thought [Power Shift] was perfect for me to learn more about climate change and to learn more about how to be involved," said Harrison Goldspiel '13, vice president of SEA and one of the students who attended the conference.

The opening night of the conference began with keynote speakers including former Vice President Al Gore and Green for All Co-founder Van Jones.

"Being able to hear Al Gore talk was amazing, . and the passion just rolling off of his tongue with every word, it was really an incredible experience," said Kate Alexander '12, executive director of the Justice League.

Other keynote speakers from the conference included Lisa Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator; Bill McKibben, leading climate activist; and Tim DeChristopher, a leading environmental activist who is currently facing up to 10 years in jail for taking non-violent action to protect land.

Dorian Williams '13, regional coordinator for SEA and the co-campaign coordinator for Students for a Just and Stable Future, said it was particularly interesting to hear Jackson, who represented the government and spoke about its environmental efforts.

"The general impression I'm getting is [that the government is] trying, . but it's not nearly enough. . There was a tone that we, the youth, have to really start pushing harder," Williams said.

"We're going to see huge shifts and real, real disasters," Williams said about the future of the environment.

"Not only do we need to take a stand, but considering the ramifications it can have on our entire social system, we really need to set the stage for staying with our brothers and sisters in other countries and our own country and building a movement that is going to continue to have a positive effect on this country even as things get really tough," she said.

Both Saturday and Sunday of the conference consisted of workshops, panels, trainings and breakout discussions. Dena Ayzikovich '13, the Brandeis Power Shift coordinator, said the attendees discussed "issues such as agriculture, how to initiate goals on campus, women in the sustainability world [and] how social justice relates to the environment."

Monday, the last day of the conference, was devoted to giving students time to put their training to use and to engage in direct action. While some lobbied with representatives and congressmen, others took direct action at the Department of the Interior, where Williams was arrested.

Williams has become passionate about the issue of climate change during her time at Brandeis and has come to understand "simple information about how devastating [climate change is] going to be."

She described how she learned that it takes just a 5-degree Celsius shift to start an ice age and that the Earth is already experiencing an almost 1-degree shift. "So the idea of us increasing something like that can be absolutely unimaginable. [This] might really quickly lead us to huge ramifications of food supply and water supply," she said.

Williams participated in direct non-violent action, which led to her arrest. Participants chose to rally at the DOI since it is responsible for resource and fossil fuel management domestically. They just gave permits for the first tar sands project in the U.S. in Wyoming, which involves extracting tar sands from the ground and could harm the environment.

Therefore, 75 people rushed the doors of the DOI, filled the lobby with singing and chanting, while a crowd of 500 others cheered for them outside the building.

The guards of the DOI called the police and warned the protestors repeatedly that they would face arrest. At each warning, more people trickled outside to join the cheering crowd. Eventually, 21 people remained-seven men and 14 women-ranging from students to adults, and including Williams.

"I didn't realize I was going to do it until I did it," Williams said. "There was a moment where I really decided to stay. ... A week before, I wouldn't really have thought of getting arrested, . but I guess a lot of the events at Power Shift, a lot of the conversations I had during those couple days before the event, really impacted my decision."

Williams commented that "it was a crazy moment [where] you're deciding, 'What are my personal values?' . I've never really been that much of an activist, . but [with] the state of how things are, I think it needs to be done. If I can't stand up about this, who's left?" she said.

"[What] the youth really need to think about now is what our future is worth and what everyone else's future is worth, . and that really drove me to say [that] I can afford to spend a couple hours in jail."

The police arrived, and after arresting one person and giving the others a chance to reconsider, proceeded to arrest all 21 of the protesters. Williams was handcuffed and brought to a room to get patted down. She described how she even had a nice conversation with one police officers.

"[One of the police officers] went to school in Berkeley in California, and he had a bunch of family who went there, and I think he was secretly very supportive. We were talking about activism inadvertently, and it was a really cool moment."

Williams was brought outside the back of the building, where the supporters were waiting. "They swarmed back there, . and they started cheering and were really supportive, and it was amazing," Williams recalled.

The 21 protesters were put into trucks and brought to the prison, where they stayed for 7 hours. Williams said they were brought to one of the nicer jails and were the only people in their section. "We just had the place to ourselves and literally just sang the whole time and talked and shared stories."

Williams will appear in court in Washington, D.C. on May 10 facing charges of a misdemeanor for unlawful entry. Rising Tides, climate activism organization, has assigned a lawyer to the case, to whom Williams plans on talking. Though she doesn't know the worst-case scenario, she believes those who were arrested will most likely be fined.

"I consider myself a fairly reasonable person, fairly rational, and I think people in my life know that about me. And to see someone you know who is not terribly out there start doing things that are a little unconventional sets a different tone that that's what's necessary, and I hope it inspires other people to think about what their role is in the [environmental] movement," Williams said.

"I'm hoping that [the] sit-in at the DOI will become a part of a series of youth-and not even just youth-everybody, standing up, and [I] hope the atmosphere starts changing," she said.

From trainings to networking, workshops to arrests, the Brandeisians who attended Power Shift have all each take something out of attending.

"Everyone came out with some good ideas, more knowledge [about] how to organize people and important things to create that change," Ayzikovich said.

"I think the best thing that it did was to empower the people who were there. . We're the ones who have the time and energy to fight this battle. Our children [and] grandchildren will see the effects. But if we act now, we can sustain life on earth," she said.