• Home
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Log In

This Week

Weekly news, emails, and group-running articles for student leaders. Check in every week for new postings!

Subscribe to receive "This Week" emails in your inbox here.  Leaders and members of affiliate groups, off-campus supporters, and other are welcome!

This Week: School Start, CFI Hires, Recover From Religion

Share/Save
 

School Start

This week is the first week of classes for most of you. Make sure you take advantage of all of our services to keep your groups going strong.  In particular, you should be tabling like mad this week - it's probably the  most effective way to publicize your group to your peers. Fill out our tabling supplies form and we'll be happy to send those out. Also look at our activity packet for awareness tabling.

CFI Hires

Two positions are open from the Center For Inquiry office headquarters in Amherst, New York. Beyond their Web Developer position, which has yet to have a deadline, there is a new Campus Organizer position. The campus organizer will assist in the implementation of CFI's campus outreach initiative, working in coordination with other outreach department staff and CFI branch leaders. The deadline to apply for the campus organizer position is August 27th at 5:00 PM (EST).

To apply, send a résumé, writing sample, and a cover letter [email protected]. For more information about this position, visit the CFI website or contact Campus Outreach Coordinator Debbie Goddard at [email protected] or call (716) 636-4869 ext. 421.

As always, check out our jobs page for more information about jobs in the secular movement.

Recover From Religion

After seeing a level of interest we've completed a new activity packet for those de-converting from a religion with help from Recovering from Religion. You can read more below.

The transition to secularism can be a difficult one in many ways. Recovering from Religion is an organization that brings together people who have been through (and are going through) similar hardships on the road to non-theism. Student groups often include members who are either still closeted with their non-theism or are dealing actively with coming out to their families; which makes them ideal hosts for Recovering from Religion meetings.

Read More...

Group Photo of the Week

Members from Atheists Community of Bellevue College pose in the spotlight.

Send us your photos!
New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Let us know!
SSA Leaderspace
Get ready for our Affiliation Renewal Extravaganza in October! October will be here before you know it but until then feel free to email us about any changes in your group's leadership, contact info or status.

Missed the SSA's Annual Conference? Didn't get to see all the talks? We're constantly posting new videos to our YouTube Channel so you can check them out! This video comes from Jessica Ahlquist, who talks about the secular movement and her personal experiences in it.

Featured Service
Tabling Supplies
Learn More


Featured Speaker
Phil Ferguson
Learn More
Phil is an investment advisor representative. He is a longtime supporter of the secular movement and a member of the SSA Board of Directors. He can speak on homeopathy, skeptic investing and the bible according to legos among other topics.

Tags: 

This Week: Free Student Memberships, Speaker Tours, and Checking In

Share/Save

Free Student Membership

Did you know that the SSA offers free memberships to students? It's different than being a member of a group that's affiliated with us (which is, of course, awesome). Being a free student member gives you a freaking membership card with your name printed on it-- oh, and discounts to our annual conference and eligibility for Leadership Travel Aid (aka free money for you to go to cool secular events).

If you aren't a Free Student Member (FSM, ha ha) already, you should fix that right now by signing up here! And once you've done that, you should email that link to all of your group members so they can become FSMs as well.

Speaker Tours

Two members of our Speakers Bureau are touring around the US currently. Edward Falzon wrote the satirical book "Being Gay is Disgusting" and is able to talk or debate any topic relating to religion, morality, and sometimes evolution. He will be visiting all 50 states, plus six Canadian provinces until February of 2013.

Shelley Segal is an Australian singer-songwriter who performed at the Reason Rally in March. She will be travelling around the US until April of 2013, so see if she's available in your area!

Checking In With Campus Organizers

The school year is rapidly approaching! With new classes, moving in to the dorms, and other various back-to-school issues, running a group can seem extra daunting! Don't worry, the campus organizers have got your back.

If you have any idea for something to do this year (or worse, no ideas!), but aren't sure how to start it-- send us an email or give us a call! Our campus organizers all have experience and knowledge in running groups and activities, and can certainly help get you started. Sometimes the first step is the hardest, and we can get you going so you can have an extra-successful year!

 

Photo of the Week

Having fun with lightsabers at our conference- who said conferences aren't any fun?

Send us your photos!
New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Let us know!
SSA Leaderspace
Are you a gamer? Join secular students all over the world in our Steam Community Group!
 
 

Featured Speaker
Abby Hafer
As a professor of Anatomy & Physiology, Abby Hafer quickly realized the "Intelligent Design" argument was political, not scientific. With this figured out, she realized that what we need is political-style arguments in defense of evolution. Her presentation "Unintelligent Design" contains bulletproof science, but is short, easy to understand, easy to repeat, and makes the opposition look bad.
Learn More

 

Tags: 

This Week: Light the Night fundraising, Alumni Program, Alexander Aan Petition

Share/Save

Light the Night Fundraising

LLS

Has your group created a Light the Night team yet? It's easy and a great charity effort-- not to mention, all the money your team raises will be matched by the Stiefel Family. The Light the Night effort is year long, so it isn't too late to sign up and create your own team or join an existing team. If you create a team, don't forget to incorporate FBB and SSA in your team name. And let us know, too! We are proud of our 25 Light the Night teams representing secular students across the US-- can we make it 50 teams?

If your LTN team is raising money, you will get free food! LLS and Resturant.com are teaming up to provide groups free meals at various dining locations. If your group raised $250 or more betweenJuly 1st and August 31st, you will receive a free coupon code. More details here!

Alumni Membership!

Did you know the SSA now has an Alumni program? If you know of any recent graduates from your group, let them know they can stay involved with the SSA!

Alexander Aan Petition

 Alexander Aan is an Indonesian national who posted on his Facebook page that he doubted the existence of god. He was mobbed and put into jail for doing so. A WhiteHouse.gov Petition has been started, calling on the President to make a statement denouncing the actions of the Indonesian government in regards to jailing Aan. You can sign the petition here. Share it with your group members and hopefully we can reach the goal of 25,000 signatures.

 

Group Photo of the Week

The SSA at University of Central Florida took some time to do a 'running' photo shoot for us. They held still long enough to send us this photo!

Send us your photos!
New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Let us know!
SSA Leaderspace


Missed the SSA's Annual Conference? Didn't get to see all the talks? We're constantly posting new videos to our 
YouTube Channel so you can check them out! The latest video comes from Margarette Shegog, who led an impromptu discussion on diversity in groups.

Featured Speaker
Richard Carrier
Richard Carrier is a professional historian, published philosopher, and prominent defender of the American freethought movement. Dr. Carrier has appeared across the country and on national television defending sound historical methods and the ethical worldview of secular naturalism.
Learn More

Tags: 

This Week: Back to School Planning, Light the Night Fundraising, 2013 Scholarships

Share/Save

Back to School Planning

There is about a month left until our high school and semester students go back to school. Be prepared! Make sure you reserve rooms, order tabling supplies and business cards and sign up and participate in for your campus' activity fair. We have all kinds of pretty and eye catching material to use at our design exchange that will attract new members to your group. If necessary, reregister your student organization at your school's student life department (or other relevant office) and get all the necessary student officer training requirements done for your group.

Rein in the new school year with our new multi-speaker event funding. This funding process makes it easier for your group to get funding and provides access to greater funding if needed. Instructions and ideas on running such an event can be found here. If you have any questions about multi-speaker funding, feel free to email Nick at [email protected].

Light the Night Fundraising

We are proud of our 24 Light the Night teams representing secular students across the US! The Light the Night effort is year long however, it is still not too late to sign up and create your own team or join an existing team. If you create a team, don't forget to incorporate FBB and SSA in your team name. And finally let us know!

If your LTN team is raising money, they will get free food! LLS and resturant.com are teaming up to provide groups free meals at various dining locations. If your group raised $250 or more between July 1st and August 31st, you will receive a free coupon code. More details here!

Getting these goodies should be no problem for University of Chicago Secular Student Alliance as they have raised over $566 as of today. Congratulations on your contribution to helping fight cancer, guys! And a big thanks to all our affiliates who created teams!

2013 Scholarships

AA

The Secular Student Alliance does not endorse the National Atheist Party

The National Atheist Party has four new scholarships for secular students: two for high school students and two for college students. They are all valued at $1,000. To be eligible students must be pursuing an education in research/applied sciences or demonstrate secular activism. The submission deadline for college students is November 1st 2012 and the deadline for high school students is March 1st 2013. For more information check out the NAP scholarships page.

American Atheists has an Annual Founder's Scholarship. If you have demonstrated a record for activism in atheism this scholarship is available to you. The scholarship is $2,000 for first place and $1,000 for the runner up. The Founder's scholarship is open to students currently enrolled in a university and to high school seniors who will be attending college next year. To apply, you must email AJ Johnson and ask for an application or you may call them at (908) 276-7300. The deadline for this scholarship is January 31st 2013. For more information go to AA's scholarship page. For more info on scholarships for secular students in general keep an eye out for our scholarships page.

 

Group Photo of the Week

The Buffalo State Freethinkers crew pose for their 2011-2012 year portrait.

Send us your photos!
 
New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Let us know!
SSA Leaderspace

Missed the SSA's Annual Conference? Didn't get to see all the talks? We're constantly posting new videos to our YouTube Channel so you can check them out! The latest video comes from David Fitzgerald speaking on atheist world domination.

Featured Service
Email & Web Forwards
Learn More


Featured Speaker
Andrew Seidel
An attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He also frequently writes for FFRF's blog and is a photographer. Andrew can speak on the Christian Nation myth, how to find a job in Freethought and the Ten Commandments.
Learn More

Tags: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - This Week
Facebook! Twitter! YouTube!
Powered by Drupal