Next SECS Meeting This Wednesday at 6:30! 🌱

Thank you to everyone who canvassed for the referendum and voted in the student elections last week! The referendum to divest from fossil fuels passed with a whopping 72.94% of the vote.

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

Fossil Free Addendum will figure out a date for our semesterly Springfield trip and debrief recent meetings with administrators.

Action will debrief their last several months of hard work!

The Green Observer is not meeting this week, but Michael will be available for questions regarding the next issue.

Media will continue weaving their plarn basket.

Education will craft a template for our upcoming letter writing event.

Circular Fashion Expo will continue working on the speech and checking in with RSO responses about tabling.

Stick around after the meeting for environmental trivia, with a prize at the end! Come with a group of 3 or make one there.

Join us this Wednesday, March 5th at 6:30 p.m. at the Channing Murray Foundation (1209 W. Oregon Street) for our next meeting.

🚨WAIT, THERE’S MORE!🚨

Fossil Free Friday!

This Friday, from 2-3pm at the Channing Murray Foundation, come to Fossil Free Friday to advance the divestment movement!

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, March 13th 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.

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.

Come to Illini Lights Out!

Sign up to help turn off lights in campus buildings and save energy on March 28th 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]