MIDDLEBURY — The Divest Middlebury group will host a number of events late this week aimed at furthering their goal of getting Middlebury College officials to withdraw the institution’s investments from businesses that contribute to climate change.
On Thursday at Dana Auditorium Divest Middlebury will host the panel titled “Fossil Free Action and Divestment at Middlebury and Beyond” from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
This panel will answer questions on climate change divestment at Middlebury College and at other institutions. Organizers promise enlightening insight from Bill McKibben, environmental activist and Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury; Jeannie Bartlett, Middlebury alumna and former member of Sunday Night Environmental Group, or SNEG; Alyssa Lee, campus programs manager at Better Future Project; and current Middlebury student and SNEG Co-Manager Gabe Desmond.
Moderated by Environmental Sciences Professor Dan Suarez, the panel hopes to arm the Middlebury community with knowledge about divestment in order to optimize action from the board of trustees this J-Term.
The public is also invited to join Divest Middlebury Friday for an open mic storytelling event in Mead Chapel where students, faculty and community members will speak about the personal impact of climate change and share why divestment matters to them. Anyone who is interested in taking part will begin by writing personal letters about the impact of climate change and thanking the board for their work on this issue; this is from 1-2 p.m.
At 2 p.m. people will hear from several student and community speakers at Mead Chapel and then open the mic to anyone who wishes to read a letter. The event will culminate in a parade down to Old Chapel, where they will deliver the message to the board of trustees as they decide how to act on the question of college divestment.