Beyond Coal ralliers chanted that no more coal is their goal at the Alma Mater on Friday.

Members of the Beyond Coal campaign, an initiative of the registered student organization Students for Environmental Concerns, encouraged the University to cut all investments in coal industry-related companies.

While the University has contended that it does not directly invest in such companies, members of the campaign like Katie Mimnaugh, graduate student in NRES, are concerned about indirect investments as monetary donations to the University’s endowment fund that are private.

“The whole University system has $2.6 billion in its endowment, and we do not know how much of that is feeding the filthy machine that is destroying the lives of our neighbors and friends,” Mimnaugh said.

Donald Kojich, vice president for marketing and communications, said he could confirm that there are no direct investments in the industry.

“At the present time, we do not hold direct stock in coal,” said Donald Kojich, vice president for marketing and communications. “That’s not to say that we won’t in the future. There’s no policy in place that disallows direct investment in companies that support fossil fuels.”

This policy is what the Beyond Coal members, along with the Illinois Student Senate, are advocating for this year.

Last Wednesday, the Illinois Student Senate passed a resolution that encouraged the University to create that policy. Tyler Rotche, Beyond Coal president and sophomore in LAS, said the next step is to introduce this at the Board of Trustees meeting in January, so all three University of Illinois campuses could be in compliance. So far, Hampshire College and Unity College have achieved the goal of getting their schools to divest in coal.

“Saying we don’t directly own stock in coal is almost like saying I’ve never killed anyone, but I’ve hired hitmen to do it for me,” said Clark Bullard, retired professor in Mechanical Science and Engineering, who spoke at Friday’s rally.

At the rally, a crowd of people holding bright yellow Beyond Coal signs stood in the rain as Bullard encouraged them to confront the University about its interpretation of fiduciary responsibility.

“We all know that it’s more than an economic issue. It’s a serious moral issue,” Bullard said. “The University is going to make this an issue of money. Your job is going to be to force them to defend publicly the morality of aiding and abetting the coal industry’s crimes against nature and crimes against future generations.”

Brian Perbix, grassroots organizer for the Prairie Rivers Network, talked about some of the dangerous repercussions of using coal.

“All coal mines in one form or another — whether it’s mountain top removal in Applachia or strip mining here in Illinois — it pollutes our clean water resources,” Perbix said.

After the rally, members of the Beyond Coal campaign hoisted a cardboard construction of smoke stacks on to the Alma Mater’s empty platform where it was left to make a statement.

“We want to show the message that we’re willing to do what it takes to show this is what the students want,” said Felicia Speranske, secretary for Students for Environmental Concerns and junior in NRES, as she looked at the smoke stacks.

Claire can be reached at [email protected].