Peace Action at Geneseo hosts Sun Day rally
Photo courtesy Managing Editor Regan Russell
One of the community members present at the rally was able to capture a photo of the majority of the crowd on his personal drone! This unique approach to taking photos ensures that no rules are violated, as typically photos are taken by attendees stepping into the street to gain a better angle.
This past Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 at 1:00pm, Peace Action at SUNY Geneseo hosted a rally on Main Street at the Veteran Memorial Park as a part of a nationally celebrated day of action called Sun Day. The day is centered around celebrating clean energy, specifically stating on their website, “The clean energy revolution is here. Solar, wind and batteries are the cheapest form of power on the planet, lowering costs, creating new jobs, and strengthening our communities. But some politicians and industries are trying to hold it back.”
Peace Action held protests in the past that celebrated the Earth and called for preventative measures against climate change. At their general meeting prior to the protest, executive board members and general members alike created signs to hold up at the rally to show their support and voice their individual messages.
These signs displayed messages such as, “There is no planet B” or “Protect your mother” with drawings of the Earth and peace signs. Making the signs allowed the members of Peace Action to express their own personal connection to clean energy and to the planet that we all call home.
Sun Day was co-founded by environmentalist Bill McKibben and Earth Day founder Denis Hayes. Together, they also created a unique logo for the national day, as they wanted something to look creative and not sterile. They encourage anyone to visit their website and draw their own sun, many of which they use in their logo and for advertising.
The Sun Day rally hosted by Peace Action at Geneseo brought approximately 40 people to Main Street and a series of speeches were read out by participants. All students were welcome to give a speech regardless of their relation to Peace Action, whether they were a current member or not.
The speeches were closed out with a message from one of the club’s co-presidents, Shae Schoeneman, which emphasized the importance of mental health in this present time. Her message focused on the abundance of negativity in the news, especially with the younger generations’ heavy usage of social media.
After the speeches concluded, students and community members were encouraged to stay and talk to one another, building meaningful connections with those around them. This is a great opportunity for Geneseo students to make local connections with those that are passionate about the same issues.
This national rally was an incredible example of celebrating the good things happening in the world, despite the abundance of worrisome things also happening. People often think that these celebrations are ignoring other issues, but their importance in boosting morale and recognizing the hard work that many individuals put in to make this positive change cannot be understated.
Peace Action models this in their weekly meetings, often discussing heavy issues that are affecting members personally. Each meeting also has a good news portion, which could be something simple such as the birth of an endangered animal or something quite large like a bill or law passing that will bring positive change.
Peace Action welcomes all Geneseo students to come to their weekly meetings and engage in peaceful discussion about any issue they find interesting or anything that coincides with what Peace Action stands for. For more information, visit the Peace Action New York State website and learn what is happening on the Geneseo campus website, as well as what is happening at colleges throughout the state.