Summer classes have begun and it’s time to get the ball rollin’. If you haven’t already, please make sure to support us and get the latest updates by liking the EC Facebook , the New Forest VT Facebook , AND THIS IS THEIR NEW PAGE Sustainability at VT Facebook!!! Also, be sure to follow us on twitter if you haven’t already @TheECVT , @EcoHokies .

In other news, the Sustainable Food Corps is hard at work on the Smithfield Garden. This past Sunday, we planted plenty of summer vegetables [tomatoes, squash, eggplants, peppers, melons AND MORE]! If you would like to contribute to this effort, please contact Laina Schneider at LainaS5@VT.edu or Alex Darr at AlexNDarr@Gmail.com. This is a really awesome opportunity!!!

Keep it classy, Virginia Tech

Back to Stadium Woods – the official Comedy Central tumblr blog has already churned out a quick two-liner about our efforts with more to come on the show (a LOT more, we hope)! If you haven’t seen the video the EC (credit to Chris Risch) has made yet, it’s spreading FAST – 34,000 views in under three days kind of fast – and we want to keep the momentum going strong.

Good luck to those who still have exams and remember to keep it going, keep it going, keep it going full steam. We like our organic, free-trade coffee with raw sugar and organic, gluten-free cream.

Just kidding.

But really, though.

The Stadium Woods rally was a success! Thank you all for coming and supporting the effort BUT the struggle is not over yet, so please don’t forget about the issue as the summer approaches!!!

If you’re free over this summer and are looking for something to get involved in, please consider STEP 2012! The STEP (Student Training for Environmental Protection) summer program is designed to give students the skills they need to become effective environmental advocates. It is a week-long course facilitated by some of the best youth organizers in the U.S. and during the week, participants will learn how to create or extend strong and successful groups that will be able to run effective environmental campaigns on their campuses or in their communities.

The EC would like to wish everyone the best of luck with exams and, if we don’t see you before then, a fantastic summer! Keep it real, Virginia Tech!

As we are all aware, the Stadium Woods issue here at Virginia Tech has become increasingly apparent among students, faculty, staff, and Blacksburg community members. We do acknowledge and respect the work that the University is doing in resolving this question. As concerned students, we feel that we must extend our knowledge and this concern to as many people as possible. Over the past few months, we have held rallies, passed out information, and informed students and community members about our concerns using various forms of media, including local news. As the issue begins to gain more momentum, so does our commitment to spreading awareness of the importance of careful critical thinking in decision making to preserve those things that benefit and are valued by many.

It is our goal to be very professional and positive to VT athletics, supporters of the Stadium Woods and other community viewpoints throughout the event this Tuesday. The main message of our event is to stress the necessity of the administrative decision makers to critically and carefully think about preserving those things that benefit and are valued by many. We have learned from Virginia Tech’s own classes the necessity of calculated, careful critical thinking to avoid ignorant and foolish outcomes, as also expressed by John Muir in the following quote, “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.” It is also our purpose to highlight the importance of preserving those things that make us Hokies, which includes the Stadium Woods, football and perhaps most importantly, community.

The effort to invite the Colbert Report to Virginia Tech on May 1 is simply another endeavor in a chain of actions meant to bring attention to this critical issue. The decision of where to build the athletic facility will reflect largely on how Virginia Tech values learning by choosing whether or not to uphold the very values and concepts taught in the courses here. These facts, we hope, will be more broadly understood after the event Tuesday.

As with articles in the Roanoke Times and the Washington Post, it is our hope that the reach of the Colbert Report will allow us to involve even more of the Hokie Nation and its stakeholders in this discussion. We acknowledge, however, the inherently satirical nature of the coverage the Colbert Report is likely to report. Despite this, we believe that this kind of media attention will be able to reach Virginia Tech students in a way otherwise impossible. Our intentions, of course, are not to shine a bad light on the University, but rather, to put a bigger spotlight on the essential consideration of all values that should be the basis of this decision.

We appreciate your continued commitment to support the Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech and we are looking forward to inventing our future together.

Respectfully,

The Environmental Coalition

Meet us at 4:00 on May 1 behind the Washington Street tennis courts on the Virginia Tech campus. The ceremony will last about 45 minutes. For the latest details, please see the corresponding Facebook event: Virginia Tech on the Colbert Report!

Angie is speaking for OES internship (office of energy and sustainability)! (5 minutes)

Evan will be giving a brief overview of the EC’s one more BIG action before the semester ends to SAVE THE STADIUM WOODS. And then briefing about the CAMPING TRIP THIS WEEKEND. DON’T MISS IT.

ELECTIONS: Alex and Rial will be running elections: 

Election meeting normally run about 20 minutes overtime and is super exciting – so get pumped to VOTE. It might be the most important meeting of the semester because we are selecting the people to take our club further into 2012-2013!

If you’re running for a position expect to talk for about a minute about why you want + would do well in your elected position. You can run for more than one position – but it is recommended to pick your top choice.

We will be voting to split the positions of secretary/historian and recruitment/fundraising, before elections start.  

We will vote anonymously for each position after the candidates speak. To participate in voting you must be an official EC member listed on the website. If you’re not – comment below with the project groups you’ve participated in or events attended.

Happy Earth Day EC. We did a great job at the Stadium Woods Rally: 

See you Tuesday,

Love EC

If you pick just one way to celebrate earth day today put on some warm clothes and rain boots and come to the GLC stage for the Stadium Woods Rally today at 1:00p.m. – Hear some awesome speakers and help save these trees that were our age durning the American Revolution!

The media will be there and these trees need your help. There is not an issue more important to Hokies, Virginia Tech, or closer to home. 

See you there.

Love,

The Environmental Coalition. 

Clear your schedule  - and come to as many events possible throughout the week.

Check the schedule at: www.vtearthweek.com

Next week we are ELECTING OFFICERS FOR 2012-2013! If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend for any position go to this survey! Positions available - President, Vice President, Secretary, Recruitment/Fundraising Chair, Treasurer, Marketing, SGA Representative, Coalition Representative, Webmaster, Earth Week Coordinator!

Important things to do:

Promote the Earth Week Website to your roommates, friends, and CLASSES… It’s never too late to do a Class rap.

Field Day is Tuesday, come out to the drill field to play, all day! 10am – 5pm. No Hokie Left Inside! See vtearthweek.com for a more complete list.

We will be sending out an email each day to remind you of the day’s schedule!

Thank for all you do,

The Environmental Coalition at VT