GREEN UP (environmental): The ranking environmental group on campus, Green Up has taken trips to D.C. to protest the Keystone XL pipeline and run several campaigns including the current "Bottle Free SMC" campaign to get bottled water off campus. It hosts many educational and fun events, such as the massive Earth Fest, Harvest Fest, and lectures/panels with prominent speakers.
COMMON GROUND (LGBT): Whether you were involved in a GSA/QSA group before college or not, CG is the best kind of club. A family within the SMC community, CG educates and promotes equality on campus and in the larger national community. Recently, Common Ground has had speakers and events on campus, such as LZ Granderson's visit. It successfully increased gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, and plans to make other major changes in the near future.
STUDENT LABOR ACTION MOVEMENT: Labor rights are what matter to the tight, active group. Recent programs brought on by SLAM have included trips to Occupy in NYC and regular coffee hours with work staff on campus. Because of the recent union drive with the SMC crews, SLAM plans to become further involved on the labor rights of those working on campus.
HOLY SHIfT: An independent, alternative magazine created by and for students, HS is the publication on campus designed specifically for those who want to write about social justice and their passions. This being it's inaugural year, HS has had three issues of all-student submissions of articles and artwork. Students make up the entire editorial staff, and HS does not discriminate based on belief systems, so whatever you care about is important to Holy Shift.
STUDENT GLOBAL AIDS CAMPAIGN: An active and outspoken group on campus, SGAC fights for world health rights as past of a national movement of colleges. AIDS marches, meetings with senators, and trips to conferences are typical. Recent focuses have included the Financial Transaction Tax, funding for PEPFAR, and access to basic health care for the world's people.
PEACE & JUSTICE: Established as a partner with the campus Peace & Justice Center, P&J covers many different issues, mostly relating to human rights. This past year the group has involved itself in a variety of local, national, and international campaigns, such as the anti-death penalty movement of Troy Davis and the ethical issues surrounding chocolate production and endangered ecosystems.
FOOD JUSTICE: A recent addition to the social justice clubs on campus, Food Justice was started as a way to steer environmental action more toward food ethics in particular. St. Mike's just became one of the only Fair Trade colleges in the country primarily because of work done by Food Justice. They plan to advance Fair Trade work as the expand to ethical food production issues.
FIX IT WITH FIVE: Every year, $5 is taken from the tuition of each student and pooled in a fund for non-profits to apply for. The $10,000 grant is applied for by dozens of local organizations, at which point the FIWF group chooses the top three. These three are put to a popular vote in the general campus community.
DEMOCRACY MATTERS: A group with chapters all over the country. Students take on issues of American national politics. Recent campaigns have focused primarily on corporate personhood, money in politics, and the citizens united supreme court ruling.
DIVERSITY COALITION: Existing under the wing of the Multicultural Student Affairs office, Diversity Coalition promotes open dialogues and education surrounding all people. Focal points include gender, race, ethnicity, and religion. But of course, they don't discriminate, so feel comfortable bringing any diversity to meetings!
MLK SOCIETY: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Society hopes to further the goals and ideals of the late MLK through education, lectures, programming, and community.
DEAR HILLARY: A campaign with roots in Saint Michael's, the Dear Hillary campaign for the Congo aims to bring peace to the central African country. Since its beginning with a postcard campaign to secretary of state Hilary Clinton, the group has spread across the country and beyond. They focus primarily on conflict resolution, human rights, and conflict resources. Recently, DH helped establish a UN ambassador to the Congo, which was followed by a visit to the school by the dignitary. Because the Burlington area has many immigrants and refugees from countries such as the Congo, there is a strong connection within the community to crises in Africa.
MOVE: No one calls it the Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts, but that's what it stands for. This is a do-good potpourri. If you want to do some direct volunteer help, this is the place to do it! I've personally worked with homeless animals, making/serving meals to the homeless, helping to run fundraisers at a school, and gone on an Extended Service trip to Kanab Utah. There are so many more options, from after school programs to cooking for hungry families to hanging out with refugees from all over the world. Really, there is no shortage of opportunities with MOVE.
ALSO:
Feel free to ask for help if you would like to contact the leaders of any of these groups! If you leave a comment below, I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you leave an email address, I can contact you directly, but otherwise I will just post the answer.
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