A Better World When We Reconnect

By Isaac, 8-12 watch

TW: school shootings

It’s not often that anyone is able to completely disconnect from the fast-paced demands of society. Even in the middle of the ocean, without having seen a single piece of land in days, we are still able to consistently engage with the internet (for at least 3 GB per day) and access Canvas lectures, social media posts, and Sporcle quizzes.

Sunny view off the boat leaving American Samoa (left) vs. rain after crossing the Equator (right)

However, because there is that strict data limit on the ship, this has been largely a time of disengagement with the regular demands of our lives for many of us. Due to the pressure of life on the boat, there is little time and less desire to think about life on land. We have become engrossed in the daily routine of science by now: CTD cast, net tow, transit, meal, watch, quick nap, repeat. That leaves little time to think about how things are going away from our little enclosed ecosystem.

It's an odd feeling being so disconnected from the globalized information cycle that has become so accepted due to the influence of the internet. It’s a feeling that’s certainly a bit freeing: with the opportunity to focus solely on currents rather than current events, it allows us to commit to gaining valuable science and shipboard experience, as well as create strong bonds within our cohort. But it’s also a scary feeling, as so much could be passing us by while we are isolated from the world. TikTok trends, pop culture moments, major political events, and more will have passed from the public consciousness by the time we return, and we will be left to catch up to everyone else on our own.

And yet, some news breaks through. I heard from a fellow student on the cruise that there had been a school shooting in Iowa today, and they sadly, but resignedly remarked “First one of 2024!” Sadly, that’s not even true, as there was already another shooting at a Virgina high school on January 3rd. What’s even more disheartening is that I would not be surprised if the tragedy has fallen out of the public consciousness by the time we return from sea.

For me though, I remember these events all too well.

I remember in 2014, when students were shot and killed at a school that my mom had worked at. I remember the realization of how close a tragedy can come to every family because child deaths are seemingly treated as less valuable than gun rights in America.

I remember in 2016, when Sen. Chris Murphy, whose state of Connecticut was the site of the Sandy Hook Shooting, filibustered the Senate floor for almost 15 hours following the Pulse Nightclub shooting, demanding action on gun rights. I remember the aftermath of his efforts, in which every single proposal the Senate voted on failed, and nothing about our grim reality changed.

I remember thinking about the dystopic unfairness inherent in the normalization of school shootings by my peers, because we have accepted that the cost of being a student in America is living with the risk of being shot dead in your classroom, and we have accepted that people will not care enough to protect us anyways. I remember how this sentiment was proven in the year after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, as gun access had actually been expanded in the state and State Rep. Jarvis Johnson was told to stop bringing up gun control or he would be barred from speaking at all.

My memory of these things is apparently much sharper than Congress’s.

We live in a time when even an immediately impactful tragedy such as this may be quickly forgotten, because the rate of tragedies is so fast and the rate of change is so slow. People will likely become inundated in other work or other tragedies, before any change is achieved, and fractured communities will be left to pick up the pieces. In this case, those fractured communities are always the youth and their families, which is especially important as shootings are not the only issue that are targeting the youth’s futures.

Both school shootings and climate change are issues which our generation has not needed to be awakened to. We live every day knowing in the back of our minds our existence is threatened by these dangers. We are aware that the current rate of change is too slow, and that our power is limited, despite the fact that we are the ones who are most impacted.

But this raises a critical question:

If we continue to let the immediately impactful tragedies pass from our minds without securing progress in their aftermath, how can we hope to take proactive measures against the long-term anthropogenic threats the planet faces?

When we make it back from our time aboard the ship, I hope there is already a dedicated sense of urgency to create a safer future. I hope that we can reconnect to a world that is willing to commit to addressing existential issues, allowing us to continue pursuing our passions through experiences like this cruise, without fearing for the future. If there is not, I hope that my peers and I can drive that progress forward and force the people in power to take action to protect our livelihoods.