Meags McGinty (first-year, Politics)

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Students at Oxy have opinions about everything. One opinion I have heard buzzing around campus is that students are apathetic and don’t take action to evoke change. Yes, we have discussions and editorials, and I am glad that we are vocal, but we just aren’t strategic. One program addressing that issue was the GrassRoots Organizing Weekend (GROW) which taught students how to be organizers and how to fight for justice on campus and in the community. I attended GROW and wanted to share some points about organizing for all of the passionate students out there looking for a way to make change.

1. Identify an issue. Problems are huge, deep, enduring, and easy to complain about. But finding a specific, winnable issue and working towards a specified solution is much more worthy of your time and effort.

2. Use your power! As students who pay tuition, room and board, and fees, we have influence on campus. You can make changes by appealing to administrators or the ASOC General Assembly, voting, running for an office, or disrupting the day-to-day business on campus. Note: don’t take actions that are more extreme than the issue you are trying to solve.

3. Plan a campaign. Create real goals, tactics by which to realize those goals, and targets or people in positions of power to make your changes. It is much easier to plan with a small group of passionate people. Also, there are organizations like the one that hosted GROW, the United States Student Association (USSA), that can help in this process. Create a timeline, and stick to it. GROW was an amazing experience.

I strongly suggest bringing the program back and attending! More importantly, if you care about an issue on campus, seriously work to change it! If not now, then when? If not you, then who?

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