Chapter Twenty-One - On TheBrink: Of Gen-Z Angst

Outspoken UAlbany students talk with Prof. Rosemary Armao about the mess Boomers have left them in politics, racial equality,  health, and climate control and about what they intend to do to change the world. This is a chapter full of smarts, passion and hope. Ethan Pausel is a Long Island native and a sophomore in biology at UAlbany. He hopes to be working soon on innovations in biomechanical engineering, organoid synthesis, and prosthetics. He holds twin passions for science and for interpersonal connections based on shared knowledge and journalism. This is from Ethan: “I often wonder why there are so many problems my peers and I face in the world today—conflict, class struggle, climate change, bigotry—and I think it can all stem from a failure of good information. Information is the most valuable resource when it comes to changing the world, yet it can so easily be warped into a malignant harbinger of disorder, fear, and hate…We must cultivate an environment of rich, valuable information that can…prepare everyone for the future—whatever it may look like. I hope my peers and I can build a world that learns from its mistakes and provides for its future. A future people can see themselves living in.” Nayeka Edmond is a junior at UAlbany  from Brooklyn. She is double majoring in criminal justice and journalism along with a minor in  legal philosophy. She also works in the New York Attorney General’s office and hopes to continue in that line of work cracking down on white collar crime.  Law school is in her future but at the moment she’s busy running for Student Body President.