Next SECS Meeting This Wednesday at 6:30! 🌱

Thank you to everyone who canvassed for the divestment referendum this past weekend! This is your friendly reminder that student election voting is live from noon this Tuesday, February 25th to noon on Thursday, February 27th. Head to one.illinois.edu to vote – be sure to make your voice heard! SECS has endorsed:

Gabi DalSanto and Anjali Kumar for ISC President and Vice President
Ariana Mizan for Student Trustee
Hunter Farnham, Rylee Graves, and Joey Dowling for ISC LAS Representative
Mia Anguiano for ISC ACES Representative

And of course, vote yes to divest on the referendum!

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

Fossil Free Addendum will be reaching out to state environmental organizations, planning an upcoming trip to Springfield, and continue legislator outreach.

Divestment Referendum will take advantage of the great weather to canvass during the voting period.

The Green Observer will publish sometime this week!

Media will continue weaving their plarn basket.

Education will plan a letter writing event for later in the semester.

Solidarity Gardens will be tidying the garden and planning for future projects!

Circular Fashion Expo will continue writing their speech and doing outreach for RSO tabling!

Join us this Wednesday, February 26th at 6:30 p.m. at the Channing Murray Foundation (1209 W. Oregon Street) for our next meeting.

🚨WAIT, THERE’S MORE!🚨

Come to Fossil Free Friday!

This Friday, from 2-3pm at the Channing Murray Foundation, come to Fossil Free Friday for outreach with Representative Carol Ammons and Senator Paul Faraci!

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.

Show up on Wednesday! Go green or go HOME!

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

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Job Opportunity with Fund for Public Interest

Are you looking for a summer job in the environmental, non-profit, or political sectors? Want to make a difference on urgent issues such as climate change, holding polluters accountable, and protecting endangered species? 

Fill out this interest form now to set up an interview and apply!

Fund for the Public Interest is seeking hard-working individuals with a passion for social change to fill citizen outreach and Field Manager positions across the country this summer. With offices in selected cities, we are hiring full-time staff, with leadership opportunities available, to work on issues like stopping plastic pollution and getting pesticides out of our food supply. Complete the form above to apply! Or find us at the Career Fair on February 27!

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 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]