On Monday morning, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud will receive a special delivery.

Students will deliver handwritten letters to the chancellor’s office in Crouse-Hinds Hall in support of a movement to convince universities to divest from, or take investments out of, fossil fuels.

Emma Edwards, a junior geography and policy studies major and member of Divest Syracuse University and State University of New York College of Environmental Science Forestry, said the group of students began collecting letters this semester and has about 100 letters total.

Before delivering the letters, members of Divest SU and ESF will hold a rally on Monday at 9 a.m. in front of Hendricks Chapel to raise awareness and create excitement for divestment and the beginning of Earth Week events.

“We needed a significant way to deliver these letters that would have an impact,” Edwards said. “We thought the rally on Monday would be a good way to combine delivering the letters, getting people excited about divestment and about Earth Day and Earth Week.”

Edwards said people who do not know much about divestment can learn more at the rally. She added that the group has made efforts to set up a meeting time with the chancellor to drop off the letters so they wouldn’t be arriving at an inconvenient time. However, the group never heard anything in response.

“That’ll be an interesting element to the day to see what happens with that,” Edwards said.

Edwards said Divest SU and ESF members have been collecting petition signatures since 2012. They have close to 1,000 signatures, she said, and will deliver them to the chancellor’s office, as well.

Students will also bring resolutions in favor of divestment passed by the Student Association and the University Senate, said Ben Kuebrich, a graduate student who will speak at the rally Monday morning. The group is bringing the letters and resolutions to the chancellor’s office in hopes that he’ll support the movement.

“The two representative bodies of the university both passed the resolutions in support of fossil fuel divestment,” Kuebrich said. “The decision is really in (the chancellor’s) and the Board of Trustees’ hands to make it happen.”

Kuebrich said the rally will last about 30 minutes before attendees march from Hendricks to Syverud’s office. Kuebrich will speak about the divestment campaign and movement, and so will at least one faculty member and multiple undergraduate students, he said.

Edwards said the rally is a good way for students to find out more and get involved with the divestment campaign, adding that the letters and petition signatures show that students truly support the movement.

Said Edwards: “Rallies are fun to watch or partake in, and also really important for us as a campaign. And the rally and the letters are strong demonstrations of student support.”

Published on April 21, 2014 at 12:34 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27