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SECS Meeting This Wednesday
Divestment teach-in, upcoming events, and a new SECS Talk!
SECS UIUC
March 30, 2026
SECS Meeting This Wednesday 6:30-7:30!
At the Channing Murray Foundation, 1209 W Oregon Street. Come learn about what SECS does and how you can get involved!
Keep track of everything SECS does on our calendar!
Here’s what we’re up to this week:
Action: Canvassing for the Earth Day Climate March.
Education: Working on Ecojustice Slides.
Garden: Cleaning YMCA bed & planting starts.
Green Observer: Celebration!
Media: Scrap-booking.
Policy: Introducing the bills for lobby day.
Community Hour
Before SECS meetings, from 6-6:30 in the Channing Murray Foundation, come hang out with us! We’re making paper butterfly garlands!
Green Observer is Live!
Show our contributors some love by accessing the digital edition, and support the publication and organization by pre-ordering a copy before April 1 @ 11:59pm
Divestment Teach-In
At the beginning of our Wednesday (4/1) meeting, the Action working group will be explaining what divestment is, its history on campus, and how you can get involved!
Pension Divestment Panel
We’ve been fighting for divestment of millions here at the U of I, and the Illinois system has billions invested. Anyone who gets a pension should know how that money is raised. Please invite any of professors or grad students you know to learn!
Lobby Day!
Prairie Rivers Network and partners are excited to announce that this spring, there are two chances to make your voice heard at the Capitol (and you can attend both)! If you haven't registered, please do so now and mark YES for the Urbana bus! We need a few more confirmations to lock the bus in for the April 8th date.
We are heading to Springfield on Wednesday, April 8, and Saturday, May 30, and we would love for you all to join us. This session, we have a real shot at passing bills this spring that address several challenges, including plastic waste, protecting Illinois wetlands from federal rollbacks, and the explosive growth of energy- and water-intensive data centers across the state.
If you don’t have experience with lobbying or want to know more about the bills, come to the policy working group this week and we’ll get you up to speed.
When: 10:30 am - 2:30 pm on April 8 AND May 30
Where: Illinois State Capitol, 401 S 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62701
Other Upcoming Events
April 6, 4pm: Attend a talk from Hưng Nguyễn, an assistant professor of Earth Science and Environmental Change at UIUC, about tree rings, the water cycle, and climate change
April 10: Abbott Power Plant Tour
New Episode of the SECS talk!
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Join the Discord
Discord is our primary method for members to communicate in SECS. Stay up to date with our projects, help plan our next steps, and get to know us at the link below.
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!
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Thank you all for reading this year! I will passing the secretary position onto Madeline early, as I have been pulling double duty as your policy coordinator as well. Other than this last note, this newsletter is all her, and it looks amazing already. I trust I am leaving the secretary role in good hands - Lincoln
And finally, my final song of the week which you will find at the bottom of the playlist I’ve linked of all my songs of the week this year:
Hi SECS! I’m so excited to start my position as secretary this week. Making the newsletter was fun and I’m looking forward to everything else that comes with the role! In case you don’t know me, I’m a sophomore English major with a minor in Political Science. I joined SECS this semester, and already it has become such an important part of my week. Outside of SECS, I’m the Vice President of the ASL and Deaf Culture Club, am on the board of the English Student Association, and play violin in the university’s Philharmonia Orchestra. |  Madeline Loyd (me) |
Contact Us!
President — Averhy Sanborn (she/her)
[email protected]
Vice President — Gabi DalSanto (she/they)
[email protected]
Treasurer — Lukas Phillips (he/him)
[email protected]
Secretary — Madeline Loyd (she/her)
[email protected]
Policy Coordinator — Lincoln Dean (he/him)
[email protected]
Action Coordinator — Grayson Hodson (he/him)
[email protected]
Education Coordinator — Julia Spainhour (she/her)
[email protected]
Media Officer — Natalie Reed (she/her)
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief of the Green Observer – Sophia Beem (she/her)
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Community Chair — Joya Weissman (she/her)
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Land Stewardship Coordinator — Bruce Beem (he/him)
[email protected]
Outreach Coordinator — Izzy Wilder (she/her)
[email protected]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer — Yesenia Adrianzen (she/her)
[email protected]