SLP: UNT Beyond Coal Campaign

For the end of the semester, service earning project I chose to analyze my evolvement with the University of North Texas Chapter of the Sierra Student Coalition's Campuses Beyond Coal Campaign. I began volunteering with the campaign at the beginning of the 2010 Fall semester - my Freshman semester at UNT. I have worked continuously with the campaign as the Media coordinator and have recently been appointed to the secretary position for the overall campaign. While I may have learned more about the ways in which campaigns interact with the media, I have also learned a great deal about grassroots / environmental movements and the way in which they operate such as recruitment, spreading the message / educating the general public, and pushing for change in higher offices.

Cronon debates the effects of such movements on the state of the environment as a whole. He tells of how Henry David Thoreau speaks on nature as being true and refreshing and very much needed for the common man. While Cronon states the obvious paradox presented by nature - that nature represents all things contrary to man and that upon man's entering into nature, nature can no longer exist in its ideal image. While this may be true based on modern large scale statistics. I believe environmental groups to hold the solution to this problem of separation. When people (environmentalists) push for respect of nature, sustainability, and the end of degradation and actually accomplish this then man will be on the same plain as nature, and thus able to interact with nature in a way that does not "kill" nature.

For my service learning project, I helpedout with the Beyond Coal Campaign at a tabling event. We were set up near the University Union. All volunteers helped in several different ways. Some people held signs and tried to get the attention of passers by, others gathered signatures on petitions and photo petitions, and some helped give out free snowcones! These events help to bring everyone involved closer together and ensure that the campaign stays strong. They also serve as extremely important ways to spread our message, raise support, and affect change in our community.

*Photo from the tabling event.

During mid-semester this past semester we help a larger event as part of a more humorous national movement. UNT Beyond coalers were chosen along with several other colleges to have an on campus march in their underwear. The underwear was donated by Pact - an organic underwear company. While spending the day in nothing but the bare minimum, volunteers gathered petitons, educated students, and marched around the campus in order to push for a clean energy UNT. The march ended in UNT's President Rawlins' office. As head of media, I filmed several parts of the event, the footage was later used by Pact in an Earth Day commercial. I've inserted the video below for your enjoyment.

In all, I love working with the Beyond Coal Campaign and wouldn't change anything about it! Except for how we get our electricity. Anyone interested in helping out with the campaign should feel free to contact me or come out to one of our weekly meetings - Sundays at 3:00pm at Art 6 Coffeehouse.