Photo taken by Amir Safwan Zamri
This year's Sustainability Week took place from Monday, October 21 through Friday, October 25. SECS participated in lots of activities like the Sustainability Expo and Homecoming Parage, but check out our major events below!
Global Water Day Event with APO and Engineers Without Borders
Tuesday, October 22
In collaboration with Alpha Phi Omega (a national service fraternity) and Engineers Without Borders, we hosted a program to raise awareness on water quality and scarcity throughout the world. With a "Water Walk" to showcase the disparity of water distribution throughout the world and a water tasting booth to demonstrate how extraneous plastic water bottles are, this event is aimed to encourage everyone on campus to realize how precious our resources are and how wasteful we are with it. EWB also presented on their student designed sand filtration technology, which is currently being used in Guatemala.
Bike Fix-It Days with Bike Face
Wednesday, October 23 - Thursday, October 24
As a fun activity and fundraiser, SECS co-hosted Bike Fix-It Days on the Quad with another RSO, Bike Face. Promoting the clean and healthy method of transportation via bikes rather than cars, we gave people the opportunity to tune up their bikes for cheap in between classes and to learn how they can maintain their bikes on their own! Unfortunately, bad weather deterred some people from stopping and made it a little harder to work, but be on the look out for more fix-it days throughout the year!
Food Day
Thursday, October 24
Food Day is a national day of celebration and awareness for healthy, affordable, sustainable food. People all over the country hold various events and celebrate in different ways. This year, SECS held a community potluck dinner, inviting students, faculty, and local community members to bring homemade dishes or a $2 donation which benefited local farmers! People brought an awesome range of food, including vegetarian chili, pesto spaghetti squash, and apple goat cheese bruschetta!
Photo taken by Grace Kyung
While people ate, speakers (listed below) spoke on their stories and struggles with food justice and sustainability in the Champaign-Urbana community. It was an awesome night of great flavors, healthy food, and local bonding. Thanks to our amazing speakers for taking the time to come out and share your perspectives and knowledge!
Dawn Blackman, Randolph Street Community Garden
Diane Marlin, Urbana City Council & Lierman Neighborhood Community Garden
Lisa Bralts-Kelly, WILL "In My Backyard" Host & Former Director of Urbana Market at the Square
Emma Lincoln, Lucky Duck Farm
Becky Roach, UIUC Nutrition Professor & Champaign County Board Local Foods Committee
Photo taken by Grace Kyung
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Even though Sustainability Week is over, SECS has still got some huge events going down! Tonight, we are co-hosting with the School of Earth, Society, and Environment to show "Chasing Ice", a film about how climate change has affected glaciers and polar ice caps and one man's determination to share them with the world before they're gone. Following the film screening, there will also be a speaker panel and discussion on climate change science, policy, and social issues from University faculty and staff! For more information, check out the Facebook event here and invite your friends! Doors open TONIGHT at 6pm at the Lincoln Hall Theatre.
Beyond Coal also needs your help collecting petitions to get a vote put on the Student Senate Ballot! We need to collect 3000 signatures by the end of the week, but we're already half way there! To help us get a vote for university divestment from fossil fuel companies, be sure to pick up some petition sheets from Drew or Peter, or at our general meeting this Wednesday! And remember, if we do get our vote put on the ballot, vote YES to DIVEST on November 6 and 7!
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