The sun rises for another semester on the Hill: Sunrise McDaniel’s Fall semester plans

Voula Papakonstantinou at Sunrise McDaniel's Count Every Vote action outside the Westminster Community Library in Fall 2020 (Molly Sherman / McDaniel Free Press)

Sunrise McDaniel is preparing for an action-packed school year! Our organization, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, is dedicated to increasing sustainability initiatives across campus and creating nationwide climate action. We plan on working with the ambitions of the McDaniel community and McDaniel’s new president, Julia Jasken, PhD., to promote greater environmental stewardship on campus and in the community. 

This year, we will be collaborating more with student organizations across campus: joining Green Life to recognize our intertwinement with the natural world and taking action to employ a composting initiative and policies on campus; the Progressive Student Union to tackle environmental justice issues and human rights violations; and many others, to uplift their goals and experiences with the inherently intersectional climate revolution. 

In the past, Sunrise McDaniel has participated in and organized protests in downtown Westminster, Frederick, Baltimore, Harrisburg, PA and Washington, D.C. Additionally, the group has been involved in national and state lobbying efforts, phone banking and writing to voters during election cycles, registering students to vote on campus, and providing poll support. We will continue in these more widespread pursuits alongside our commitment to making a stronger community of ‘Greener’ Terrors. 

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the climate crisis and in search of a hopeful group, interested in taking action in local or national politics, or inspired by sustainability practices and the change you can make, join Sunrise McDaniel. Our movement’s motto is give what you can, so no contribution you make is too small to make a big impact! We meet weekly in Hill Hall 015 at 7 p.m. and you can follow @SunriseMcDaniel on Instagram and Twitter. Contact Molly Sherman (mes018) or Kylie Baker (kab032) for more information. 

Note from the editor: Kylie Baker and Molly Sherman are hub coordinators at Sunrise Movement McDaniel College.