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I attended the Seattle Protest, tagging along with a friend that was involved in ILWU5. At that point in my life, I was just beginning to awaken to the wide world of politics (particularly those outside of my immediate sphere; Oregon, the US, etc.) Being in Seattle, watching what started as a peaceful protest rapidly devolve (I think both sides played a role in that) truly pushed me into the realization that things were not as they seemed.

Up until that point, I was content to accept news and history essentially at face value. Being on the receiving end of tear gas canisters while walking away from the protest made me realize that there was a whole undercover world that I felt I should be aware of.

Because I wasn't as aware of where things stood before, I can't speak with understanding about how things changed outside of my own experience. Now, ten years later, I am at PSU as an MBA candidate, and I can say with authority that my understanding of the world was drastically shaped by my experience in Seattle. In the end, I would even say that it led me to business school: I believe that it is incumbent upon the world of business to use all the capitalist power that exists to work for the good of the planet. I also believe that this isn't the prevailing understanding in business, but especially given the meltdown in the past couple of years, that is open to discussion. Developing my business acumen will enable me to work in the growing ranks of businesses that are working with groups like B-Corp., Ceres, Climate Savers, even Umpqua Bank that are working to build into business operations attention to social and environmental needs, no longer passing that off as “externalities.”

To me, Seattle was a learning experience; I learned that the world was not what I had thought. And eventually, that understanding led me to take steps to make positive change.

I hope I can catch the show tomorrow!

Best,
Nate Young

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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