On March 2, Students for Environmental Action formally passed the Stop Private Jet Expansion resolution, marking a significant escalation in student-led activism regarding pressing environmental concerns. The resolution targets a proposed private jet hangar expansion at Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED) in Bedford, MA.

   Hanscom Field, owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, is New England’s largest general aviation airport and serves as a major hub for private jets, charter flights and corporate aviation. The proposed project would add 17 new hangars for private luxury jets, doubling its current private jet hangar capacity. Supporters of the expansion argue it would meet growing demand in the region’s corporate aviation sector. However, critics, including SEA and a growing statewide coalition, say the environmental costs far outweigh the benefits. 

    SEA, in collaboration with the Statewide Coalition to Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere, sent their petition to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, urging the state to reject Hanscom’s proposal. The petition draws details from the Draft Environmental Impact Report to explain how the expansion would drastically increase Massachusetts’ carbon footprint as the new facility would emit an estimated 150,000 tons of greenhouse gas pollution annually. Additionally, the facility would require the removal of 17.85 acres of trees, resulting in significant carbon sequestration and habitat losses. Environmental advocates argue that such an increase would greatly deter Massachusetts’ legally mandated climate goals.

    SEA concluded the petition to Governor Healey by stating “we have a responsibility to fight for a just and livable climate.” The group urges that “[jet hangar expansion is] a luxury our climate can’t afford” as the expansion of a private jet facility conveniences an elite few at the expense of the greater population vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis. The resolution also represents a greater shift in youth activism. While multiple student organizations and community groups across Massachusetts have participated in protests, rallies and letter-writing campaigns opposing the expansion, SEA at Brandeis is the first youth-led group in the state to adopt an official petition against private jet corporation growth.

      If Governor Healey acts on the petition and moves to halt Hanscom’s project, it would be a major victory for environmental activism. Such a decision would not only influence the future of Hanscom Field but could also set a precedent for how similar projects are evaluated in the context of climate policy. For student activists, it would reinforce the growing role of youth voices in shaping environmental decision-making at the state level.

     Additionally, the group began a petition during October 2024 demanding that the University reopen its Office of Sustainability. The Office was quietly closed during the summer of 2024. The petition, which has garnered nearly 1,000 signatures, states that “without [the Office of Sustainability], we are directionless, lacking sustainability policies, and lagging behind other universities in an issue where Brandeis, as a social justice institution, should be a leader.”

      Both of these initiatives coincided with SEA’s second annual die-in, held in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium on Sunday, April 19, in collaboration with the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts. In an April 19 interview with The Justice, Spike King ’27, vice president of activism for SEA and Justin Koizumi ’27, president of SEA, spoke regarding the group’s demands and initiatives. In a speech delivered by King, they described die-ins as “a form of street theatre which have been historically used to protest complicity with systems of normalized harm,” and pointed to the use of die-ins during the 1980s AIDS crisis. “We wanted to host a die-in to get a very visual representation of the harm that Brandeis is doing to its students [and] the larger community,” King said. 

      The die-in was held in conjunction with the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts. King and Koizumi mentioned that Natalie Sciallo, a Creative Arts events administrator for the School of Arts, Humanities and Culture, was instrumental in helping the collaboration come to fruition. Koizumi shared that last year, the organization reached out to the Festival of the Arts to collaborate. “This year was a little different because we wanted to make it more interactive as part of being performative art,” Koizumi said, touching on how both organizations share similar missions. 

      When asked about their demands of the University, King spoke about other issues that have concerned the student body in recent years, including the University’s policies regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement on campus, protections for international students and stronger free speech policies. As such, King’s speech also included reforms to Brandeis’ free speech policy, greater accessibility of the Board of Trustees, stronger protections for international students and students of color and protection from federal overreach, including cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

      Koizumi shared that approximately 20 people engaged with the die-in throughout the day. “It’s also about community building,” Koizumi shared. “As environmentalists we forget that it’s not just about individual actions but about community.” He also shared that he believes the effort will be “generational” and will continue in coming years. 

      To prepare for the event, the group “went through copious amounts of meetings,” and collaborated with specific individuals like Sciallo. When asked about the University’s reception to such demonstrations, King shared they “think there’s a lot of improvements that could be made to the policies that we have.” One of the organization’s demands includes that the Brandeis Board of Trustees make themselves more available for public comment. “We haven’t really heard anything from them,” King said.

Koizumi also shared that several students of color have not been able to support SEA’s work because they feel unsafe in light of the current political moment. On a national level, the Trump administration has been restricting free speech on college campuses, and have specifically targeted international students and students of color. Both King and Koizumi noted that several students had spoken to them personally about their hesitance to engage with SEA’s activism. “We can’t necessarily include them in what we’re doing because they just don’t feel safe,” Koizumi said, adding this was a result of both the federal administration and the University’s actions. As such, both stated they felt it was important to advocate for the inclusion of diverse student voices within the scope of environmental activism. “Ensuring that everyone has their voice heard within environmentalism is really important to us,” King said. 

      Ultimately, the group sees their environmental advocacy as heavily intertwined with other social justice efforts. As the group engages with both the University administration, local and statewide governments, they advocate for greater environmental protections in addition to pressing social justice issues, striving to make Brandeis a more inclusive, safe campus for all.”