As I was sitting in the library last Friday afternoon holding a copy of my senior paper, it finally hit me – I am graduating. It was then that I began to think about what I have learned in the last four years at Luther. My career for the past four years has been a student activist. Alyssa Erickson (‘03) gave a top ten list of things she had learned from her days at Luther at her lecture on grassroots activism for Peace Week this year. She has inspired me to make my own list of things I have learned.
#1. Work across lines. Have you ever tried to organize an event and then have little to no people show up for it? I have. It sucks. The best way to make sure that you have an audience is to work with another organization(s) and join creative forces. This way, you’ll be targeting many different crowds at the same time, which will hopefully increase your numbers at any event, thereby spreading your message faster.
#2. Stay positive and hopeful. This is very important. No one wants to work with someone who is grumpy and negative all of the time. People are more likely to want to help out if they have a sense that something good will come out of that work, and that can’t happen if you push them away with negativity.
#3. Don’t over involve yourself. I am guilty of doing this. It is hard to find a balance between your homework and activism. As long as you are satisfied with the work that you do, then don’t worry. But if, at the end of the day, you’re freaking out about all of the responsibilities you have, and not having enough time or energy to get everything done, perhaps you should consider decreasing the level of responsibility you are taking on.
#4. Take a break. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. You will be of no good to anyone if you are having panic attacks or getting little to no sleep each night. This does not mean you are a quitter or are giving up. It just means that you need to take a break every once in a while to maintain your passion as well as your energy.
#5. Learn to say, “No.” This is the one thing that I still have much trouble doing. There are many things that need to change and oftentimes, it is easy to think that you are the only one who is working for that change. But, you’re not. Change takes time and it takes many people. Besides, if you say no, perhaps you will have opened the door for someone else to become involved.
These are just a few things I have learned, but they are the ones that will stay with me for a long time. I encourage you all to become involved in whatever you are passionate about. Don’t worry if you’ve never been a part of anything before. Just know that your presence and participation is needed and appreciated.
If you are graduating with me, don’t think that you can’t be involved in the communities you are moving into. There are plenty of non-profit organizations and other social justice groups that need your help – whether it comes in the form of becoming a member of something or just attending their events. There’s a lot of work to do, so get to it.
Meghan Karels
Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2005
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
A Few People Can Make A Huge Difference - Grassroots Style
Student activists, a.k.a. peaceniks or hippies, are all over the place. You know who they are and when to avoid them when they sit at tables outside the CAF trying to sell you buttons, t-shirts, and even cookies. What you may not know, however, is the great work that they actually do on campus. There are so many organizations that make real differences - grassroots style.
The League of Pissed Off Voters organized a voter registration drive and voter bloc campaign this past fall. They were part of a larger national movement that was focused on getting marginalized people (women, youth, and people of color) to vote in this year’s presidential election. There were over one 100 people on the League’s list-serve, but none of the group’s success could have been achieved if it weren’t for the loyal eight to twelve students who spent their time organize. Although George W. Bush beat John Kerry by 2% nationally, Winneshiek County went blue by nearly thirty votes because of the work that the League accomplished. A few people can make a huge difference – even if the end result is not desired.
Ever wonder how to attract more people to be involved in your organization? PRIDE (People for Rights, Inclusion, and Diversity of Expression) has managed to increase its membership tenfold. At the beginning of the year there were over 80 people that came to the first meeting. The meetings not only average around 20 members weekly, but they manage to organize two themed weeks every year that are geared towards educating the greater campus community on LGBT concerns that affect us all. This past weekend, PRIDE sent a group of 22 people (roughly 1% of the Luther population) to the fifth annual Midwestern Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally College Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota. PRIDE leaders and members also presented two workshops at the conference that were geared towards helping other groups reorganize their leadership structure as well as increasing the effectiveness of organizations on small, religious, liberal arts campuses. A few people can make a huge difference – on and off campus.
In January of 2003, a handful of Luther students involved in SDAC (Student Diversity Action Coalition) had a vision of collaborating with others to create an entire week dedicated to peace. “Peace.” The idea was simple, but its purpose would go far and beyond the ordinary themed week. Each year, it has progressed in to something larger than it was before. Peace Week proves is an example of the power and ability of grassroots organizing. A few people can make a huge difference – and that difference can be sustainable.
Student organizing happens on colleges and universities world wide. But what exactly motivates students to become involved or not? These are the kinds of questions group leaders and members ask. However, they are questions we should all be asking ourselves. I’ve noticed that involvement in activism fluctuates like a rollercoaster. The greater the sense of urgency there is about an issue, the larger the turnout. There is a lot of work that needs to be done at Luther, in our communities and the rest of the world. This work is not meant to be left up to solely those in positions of power. A few people really can make a huge difference if they organize around an idea that people can be passionate about.
The League of Pissed Off Voters organized a voter registration drive and voter bloc campaign this past fall. They were part of a larger national movement that was focused on getting marginalized people (women, youth, and people of color) to vote in this year’s presidential election. There were over one 100 people on the League’s list-serve, but none of the group’s success could have been achieved if it weren’t for the loyal eight to twelve students who spent their time organize. Although George W. Bush beat John Kerry by 2% nationally, Winneshiek County went blue by nearly thirty votes because of the work that the League accomplished. A few people can make a huge difference – even if the end result is not desired.
Ever wonder how to attract more people to be involved in your organization? PRIDE (People for Rights, Inclusion, and Diversity of Expression) has managed to increase its membership tenfold. At the beginning of the year there were over 80 people that came to the first meeting. The meetings not only average around 20 members weekly, but they manage to organize two themed weeks every year that are geared towards educating the greater campus community on LGBT concerns that affect us all. This past weekend, PRIDE sent a group of 22 people (roughly 1% of the Luther population) to the fifth annual Midwestern Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally College Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota. PRIDE leaders and members also presented two workshops at the conference that were geared towards helping other groups reorganize their leadership structure as well as increasing the effectiveness of organizations on small, religious, liberal arts campuses. A few people can make a huge difference – on and off campus.
In January of 2003, a handful of Luther students involved in SDAC (Student Diversity Action Coalition) had a vision of collaborating with others to create an entire week dedicated to peace. “Peace.” The idea was simple, but its purpose would go far and beyond the ordinary themed week. Each year, it has progressed in to something larger than it was before. Peace Week proves is an example of the power and ability of grassroots organizing. A few people can make a huge difference – and that difference can be sustainable.
Student organizing happens on colleges and universities world wide. But what exactly motivates students to become involved or not? These are the kinds of questions group leaders and members ask. However, they are questions we should all be asking ourselves. I’ve noticed that involvement in activism fluctuates like a rollercoaster. The greater the sense of urgency there is about an issue, the larger the turnout. There is a lot of work that needs to be done at Luther, in our communities and the rest of the world. This work is not meant to be left up to solely those in positions of power. A few people really can make a huge difference if they organize around an idea that people can be passionate about.
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