The College Progressives Club is a coalition of SRU students that aims to bring progressive activism to campus. They organize ceremonies and protests, host educational panels and do community work to achieve this goal.
“[The group] is all about creating opportunities for students to get involved,” club president and sophomore Eric Gondella said.
“I always give this example,” Gondella said. “I was talking to a professor about the Roe v. Wade decision and they told me that, though they say this coming from a mile away, their students had no idea. We want to be the people who make sure they have an idea.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 6:30-8 p.m., the club is having a panel discussion about the future of reproductive rights in America. The conversation will feature philosophy professor Katherine Cooklin and psychology professor Emily Keener. It will take place in the Student Center ballroom.
The club was originally created in 2017 with the title Young Progressives Club but has since rebranded.
“It formed as a more progressive alternative for students who didn’t quite fit into the Republican and Democrat clubs on campus at the time,” Gondella said. However, due to inactivity, members decided it was time to rebrand.
“We wanted it to be more hands-on this time,” he said.
On Monday, Oct. 11, College Progressives invited the president of First Nations, an indigenous-led campus organization, to facilitate a discussion about environmental justice and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The same week, they sponsored voter registration tables around campus.
Throughout the course of the academic year, they plan to hold many educational events and volunteer opportunities.
“Working to improve our community is the most important thing we can do as college activists,” Gondella said.
