From: inertia13@frontier.com [mailto:inertia13@frontier.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 1:10 PM
Subject: Opportunity for student involvement - Green Observer Magazine

Dear Professors and Esteemed Others, 

Good afternoon! Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Olivia Harris, and I am a junior studying Agricultural and Environmental Communications here at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

I am writing to you today to share an opportunity for your students. The Green Observer Magazine, a student-run environmental publication affiliated with the University YMCA, is searching for students passionate about environmental issues who want to improve their writing, public relations, or advocacy skills. The Green Observer is published by students for students. The mission of the Green Observer is two-fold: 1) To inform students of campus environmental news so that they may better participate in research or advocacy, and 2) To provide students with a platform to practice reporting, writing, editing, drawing, advertising, social media management, design, and journalistic advocacy in a real newsroom environment.  

This semester, we are reaching out the University faculty to help us spread the word about our publication. We rely on your dedication to augment students' classroom learning by encouraging participation beyond classroom experience. 

There are many ways you can partner with the Green Observer to further our missions. First, simply read us. The Green Observer is published twice a semester in print (at new stands around campus) and on our website . We'd love to hear your feedback - constructive criticism and stories ideas are always welcome. Second, refer us to your students. You know who your brightest stars are in the classroom, ask them if they've thought about environmental writing. We welcome hard news stories, features, issue stories, opinion columns, poetry, or blog posts about research. Anything goes as long as it is focused on a local environmental issue or highlights events and research on campus. Did you just assign a paper or creative writing assignment? See if anyone would like to submit it for publishing. I first heard about the Green Observer from an atmospheric science professor my freshman year, and the rest is history. 

Because of the size and diversity this campus, we cannot hope to contact all the students who may be interested in the magazine on our own. Thank you for your assistance in making the Green Observer a successful organization. As one last favor, please forward this email to your colleagues who work with students who would be interested in the Green Observer. No email list is complete, and I don't want anyone to be left out.

Please email me with any and all questions you may have about the Green Observer's mission, goals, stories, publishing opportunities, or ways you and your students can be involved in spreading the "green" word. Please also share my name and contact information with any students who wish to learn more about working with us. 

Sincerely,

Olivia Harris

Green Observer Writer and Treasurer

Email: oharris2@illinois.edu

Phone: 309-706-9381

***Visit the Green Observer on Facebook or at our website.