Next SECS Meeting This Wednesday at 6:30! 🌱

Thank you to everyone who came out to our bake sale on Friday and to our third annual prom on Saturday! We had a wonderful time seeing everyone dressed for the silver screen.

Take a look at what our wonderful working groups have on the docket this week:

Fossil Free Addendum will continue HB1155 outreach and start planning our semesterly trip to Springfield.

Divestment Referendum will be preparing quarter sheets for upcoming canvassing efforts ahead of the election.

The final edits of drafts for the Green Observer will be in by Wednesday, so watch out for those!

Media is continuing their plarn project and will begin weaving and crocheting a basket!

Education is finishing their Society for Minority Students in History teach-in.

Solidarity Gardens will keep working on their plant list.

Circular Fashion Expo will send outreach emails to RSOs and start planning sustainable fashion workshops!

Join us this Wednesday, February 19th at 6:30 p.m. at the Channing Murray Foundation (1209 W. Oregon Street) for our next meeting.

🚨WAIT, THERE’S MORE!🚨

We’re on the Ballot!

The Illinois Student Council voted to approve the divestment referendum, so it will appear on the ballot during this year’s voting period, February 25-27th! Vote YES to divest!

Join the Canvassing GroupMe!

We are looking for volunteers to canvass for the divestment referendum. Fill out this interest form to get an invite to the GroupMe, where you will receive the most updated canvassing and tabling information!

Come to Book Club!

SECS is proud to announce our first ever book club! We’re currently reading Parable for the Sower and meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is Thursday, February 27th at the Women’s Resource Center at 6:30. We are unable to offer free copies of the book at this time, but encourage anyone interested to check it out from a local library.

Sign the Petition to Support Divestment!

Join your fellow students in your support for the University divesting from fossil fuels here.

Come to Fossil Free Friday!

This Friday, from 2-3pm at the Channing Murray Foundation, come to Fossil Free Friday for a canvassing training day!

Show up on Wednesday! Go green or go HOME!

Have something to submit to the newsletter? Fill out this form.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Paid Summer Restoration Technician Opportunities with the Nature Conservancy

Apply here for a paid summer restoration technician across multiple locations in Illinois with the Nature Conservancy.

Attend the One-Day Engagement by Design Symposium!

Engagement by Design: Cultivating University-Community Partnerships in the Built Environment, is a one-day symposium on Friday, February 28, 2025, from 8:30am to 5:00pm at Channing Murray. This event will bring together faculty, staff, students, community members, and community partners to explore creative frameworks for ethical, community-engaged design in architecture and landscape architecture. Through keynote talks, breakout sessions, and discussion workshops, we will reflect on existing models of university-community partnerships and envision new directions for meaningful collaboration!

Come to Illini Lights Out!

Sign up to help turn off lights in campus buildings and save energy on February 21 here!

Help birds stop dying!

The UIUC Bird Strike group is made up of some awesome students who are looking to reduce bird deaths caused by window collisions. Go here for more information or if you’re interested in volunteering!

Join the Climate Grief Group

Feeling the weight of climate change? You're not alone. Many of us are struggling with grief, anxiety, and a sense of loss as we watch our planet change. The Climate Grief Group is a safe, supportive space where we can talk openly about our climate-related emotions and learn how to cope together. We'll explore our feelings, build resilience, and find ways to turn that grief into positive action. Let's connect, heal, and support each other as we work towards a more just and sustainable future. This group meets virtually on Tuesdays between September 24th and October 29th at 1pm and is led by a licensed, climate-aware therapist. Pay what you can. Register here.

Visit TORIIS and take action

TORIIS.earth is an organization that makes transparent the University of Illinois Systems investments and visualizes this data through an environmental lens. Throughout TORIIS, you can explore in depth the University of Illinois Systems’ investments, understand the scope and impact of its investments in the fossil fuel industry, and take action by signing the open letter requesting fossil fuel divestment from the University of Illinois.

Listen to the SECS talk
Listen here to our sustainability-focused podcast, the SECS talk! The most recent episode’s guest is Lina Avalos, a student at UIUC and an environmental justice advocate from the Southeast side of Chicago.

If you’ve read this far, consider clicking here for the song of the week.

Contact Us!
President — Rudy LaFave (he/him)
[email protected]
Vice President — Claire Sullivan (she/her)
[email protected]
Treasurer — Averhy Sanborn (she/her)
[email protected]
Secretary — Julia San Miguel (she/her)
[email protected]
Action Co-Coordinator — Trey McCallister (he/him)
[email protected]
Action Co-Coordinator — Gabi DalSanto (she/they)
[email protected]
Media Officer — Natalie Reed (she/her)
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief of the Green Observer – Michael Gergeni (he/him)
[email protected]
Community Chair — Joya Weissman (she/her)
[email protected]
Land Management Chair — Liam Henry (he/him)
[email protected]
Outreach Coordinator — Izzy Wilder (she/her)
[email protected]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer — Fatima Naveed (she/her)
[email protected]