The Orbis

Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: News/Features

Corey Ponder, Emani Davis and DeAngelo Harris receive the Campus Progress Chapter of the Year Award from Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) at the CP Student Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer

A new outlet for progressive activism is emerging on campus, providing students with opportunities to engage in the discussion on affirmative action, student debt and the Iraq war.

Campus Progress' Vanderbilt chapter, led by its president DeAngelo Harris, plans to tackle an ambitious agenda of issues in the upcoming year. According to Harris, the organization aims to "engage the youth generation to get active and make decisions about the future regarding social equality, financial stability and public safety." Only in its second year, the chapter has already gained national recognition, but it remains to be seen whether the organization will significantly impact the political landscape of the Vanderbilt community.

Chances are, you have recently seen the C.P. chapter advertising on the Wall or through Facebook, the result of an extensive campaign by Harris and other members of the executive board to increase awareness of their organization. Though relatively unknown on campus last year, the chapter impressed its parent organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. and won the Campus Progress Chapter of the Year award.

Harris attributes this success to the variety of programs that the chapter managed last year, ranging from panel discussions featuring Iraq War veterans to a local campaign against a discriminatory telecommunications bill.

The national C.P. association, part of the Washington think tank Center for American Progress, was founded in February 2005, and Vanderbilt was one of only six universities nationwide to have chapters for the 2006-07 school year. The D.C. headquarters states it is very interested in "developing chapters on campuses that lack a strong progressive community and/or are generally apathetic in nature," which arguably applies to Vanderbilt. Though C.P. is nonpartisan, it is evident that most of its projects identify as liberal or Progressive ventures. For example, the chapter will host a panel discussion on the importance of affirmative action policies on Sept. 10.

To propel student activism, Harris believes in employing a two-pronged system. "We need to spread the word about important issues, and then do something productive about it," he said. C.P. plans to invite speakers on campus, host screenings of documentaries, and encourage students to talk to the local legislature on behalf of progressive issues. "We're serious about taking a stand on issues that matter to students," Harris emphasizes.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools