E-town Sunrise hosted a rally in Fountain Square on Saturday, November 16, aiming to raise awareness for climate change and other social issues and enjoy each other’s company. Partnered with Fossil Free Northwestern and Climate Action Evanston, the club focuses on activism in Evanston, aiming to rally students and make a difference in the surrounding settings.
“Post-election, we were feeling like we needed some kind of ripple, and we should use this [political] fuel towards [this issue] we are facing,” said Izzy Franconeri, a board member on E-Town Sunrise and Climate Action Evanston.
At the rally, students and adults alike wielded homemade signs, displaying words of protest targeted towards political topics such as the climate crisis,abortion rights and political issues. Though the weather was harsh, the ETHS student protesters created a warm and inviting environment alongside Northwestern activists. Both high school and college students took to the podium to share their thoughts on the pressing subjects.
“We have been working a lot with the Evanston Community through Climate Action Evanston, The City of Evanston, as well as E-Town Sunrise,” said Gracey Ninmer, a leading member of Fossil Free Northwestern. “It was exciting to see [our work] kind of come to fruition through this demonstration.”
Northwestern students have been campaigning for a fossil fuel-free campus since .the club was founded in 2012 Though guidelines have passed through the board, the rules that came with them have not been.
As for ETHS, a recent “Green New Deal” was passed with significant help from E-Town Sunrise, setting up a multi-year plan that will help ETHS move towards a greener future. The plan consists of guidelines directing ETHS to reach a fully green state by 2050 and looks to help students and staff be more environmentally aware.
The protest ended with singing and dancing from the group, satisfied with getting their message across to the community.
“This was a really great opportunity to get out into the public eye,” Franconeri said, “[and] we’re always open to new people!”
