On Monday night, Guest Writers Avianna Lin and Maggie Aufmuth attended the opening meeting for the Columbia Sunrise Movement in Q House. Climate justice and community building awaits!

Every Monday at 6 pm, the Sunrise Movement meets in the basement of Q House. This cozy space is home to comfortable couches, a stripper pole, and during this special hour, the Sunrise Movement. As one chapter of a national collective, the Columbia Sunrise Movement advocates for climate action and environmental justice on our campus. The meeting opened with a round of introductions and icebreakers. As we went around sharing our names, pronouns, and class years, the friendly and welcoming environment of this club was incredibly apparent. 

After opening with a land acknowledgement, the board members launched into a summary of their actions from the previous semester. These included several on campus actions, such as holding a large banner reading “Shafik: In, Fossil Fuels: Out” at Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s inauguration and posting a visual web display in the SIPA building highlighting the heavy monetary contributions to Columbia’s climate research that were funded by fossil fuels, especially research for the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP).  The group also conducted a meeting with Columbia administration to discuss the lack of transparency in the sustainable decision making processes on campus as well as hosted a successful teach-in about fossil fuels. All in all, the Sunrise Movement had a very busy semester of working toward a more sustainable and environmentally just campus last semester. 

The most interesting part of Sunrise for us is what they have planned for this semester! The club’s main initiative right now is Fossil Free Research, a movement to stop fossil fuel megacorporations from funding climate research on campus. A club leader recapped a protest held in SIPA last semester, where they “cut ties” between Columbia and fossil fuel companies using a pair of giant scissors. We personally had no idea that this was happening at our school, and we learned a lot just by being at their meeting for an hour. The E-Board of the group seemed extremely knowledgeable on this topic, and the vibes were super open to questioning and learning more. On the roster for this semester is more outreach and continued activism for this initiative, while also boosting general awareness for the club. They aim to accomplish this through tabling, writing another op-ed for Columbia Spectator, meeting again with administration, and possibly hosting another teach-in. We were really impressed with the work they are doing that is very specific to Columbia’s campus. They seem to differ from other environmental clubs, with one member stating, “We are less nice, and more fun.” 

Another important point mentioned in the meeting was that Sunrise recently joined CU Apartheid Divest. Their organization is pushing for a divestment in University funds from fossil fuels as well. In January of 2020, Columbia announced a formal policy of non-investment in fossil fuels, but the club leaders described Columbia’s implementation as suspicious. Their website is the best resource to learn about these initiatives as well as to read more Sunrise’s understanding of Columbia’s role in the current climate crisis. 

Sunrise is a great way for passionate students to band together towards lasting climate change. If this sounds anything at all like you, you’re sure to find a place in Sunrise! The club unites students from various undergraduate and graduate schools for their common cause: “Sunrise likes to get down and dirty.” The meeting winded down with jokes and an ask to see the giant scissors, which were then, of course, passed around. (They make a comedically loud sound when you cut something!) There is no application to join nor any specific commitments members must make to the club, although they have occasional “field trips” related to climate justice. Simply show up to the basement of Q House—someone will have the door propped open—every Monday at 6 pm. The best way to keep up with Sunrise and their future actions is their Instagram account or their website. You might even get to use the giant scissors.

Q House via Columbia Housing

Giant Scissors via Guest Writers