On October 24th, 2009, students from the central Florida area joined citizens of 181 nations to participate in the 350 Climate Day of Action. These students used their bodies to form a giant 350 (the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere in parts per million) on their campus, lending their voices to the message that climate change concerns us all.
This day of action was part of the wider Florida Power Shift 2009 an event seeking to spread awareness about the Green movement and empower young people to actively change the trajectory of our country’s (and Florida’s) climate policies. It was cosponsored by Campus Progress and the Energy Action Coalition, and was hosted by various activist groups, including I.D.E.A.S. and Eco-Advocates. During the weekend-long event, over 200 students and members of the local community came to participate in workshops (two of which were led by CP’s very own Paula-Raye O’Sullivan and Tommaso Boggia), heard from speakers, attended a free concert, listened to a group of veterans promoting “Operation Free,” and learned how to take action. The event also garnered some even garnered some localpress.
“This is a campaign to push legislators to do the responsible thing for our environment,” said Meghan Ryan, a freshman and organizer of Florida Power Shift ’09.
In his speech, retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Hector Samario of “Operation Free” had this to say about the call of duty to act: “We have broken the world by exhausting its resources, but the good news it that we can fix it by things like promoting mass transportation on campus and energy conservation.”
In the end, the conference was a huge accomplishment. It was full of positive energy that reiterated that youth involvement in the climate change debate can really make the difference.
Student Alice Pernezny summed up the spirit of the event best when she said, “If even one person walks away from Power Shift feeling like they want to do something about the environment, then the event was a success.”
It was in Iowa that legions of students and young people came out to support then-Senator Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. Nearly a year later, during the University of Iowa's homecoming parade on October 9th, students and members of the local community used the same kind of grassroots student activism to demonstrate their commitment to health care reform. Following the parade, students held a rally where they collected over 150 signatures for a petition. The actions were part of a week-long educational campaign on health care reform for U of I students and community members organized by University of Iowa Democrats.
Joining the U of I Democrats were the Johnson County Democrats, Congressman Dave Loebsack, and U.S. Senate candidates Bob Krause and Tom Fiegen, among many other activists and supporters of health care reform. The University of Iowa Democrats were pleased with the turnout, and consider the event a huge success. Check out some pictures from the event below!
Physical attacks on people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity will now be considered a federal crime after a provision was passed yesterday in the Senate by a vote of 68-29.
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act represents a huge victory for the LGBT community and everyone who supports justice and equality for all, and is named in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who was kidnapped and beaten to death in 1998, and James Byrd, Jr., an African-American man dragged to death in Texas that same year.
By broadening the definition of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity, the provision provides members of the LGBT community the same long-overdue federal protection as those who are victimized because of their race, religion, or national origin.
The provision, which was attached to the annual defense policy bill, is currently on its way to the President Obama’s desk, and he has expressed his firm commitment to signing the measure into law.
On the weekend of October 11th, Republican Mayor James Brainard told an excited crowd in Carmel, Indiana that climate change is not a conservative or liberal issue – it’s something that affects us all, making it something that we all must address.
In this spirit, Indiana Power Shift sought to spread awareness about the Green movement and empower young people to actively change the trajectory of our country’s (and Indiana’s) climate policies. The event, which was sponsored by Energy Action Coalition and Campus Progress, brought over 100 young people from surrounding Indiana campuses and towns together to help them make their voices heard on the issue of climate change. Over the weekend, students and locals participated in workshops (two of which led by CP’s very own Paula-Raye O’Sullivan and Tommaso Boggia), heard from speakers, attended a free concert, participated in a call-in to Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar about their involvement in climate reform, and learned how to take action. The event even garnered some local press attention.
“We have the biggest opportunity that any generation has ever had. . . We have the opportunity to completely transform our economy. We have the opportunity to build millions of pathways out of poverty through clean energy jobs. We have an opportunity to redefine America’s role in the world,” said Jessy Tolkan, the Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition.
Power Shift Indiana was just one of the many regional Power Shifts happening across the country in an effort to amplify the youth voice in the climate change conversation. These regional efforts help to bring a more local sensibility to the debate, reinforcing that this isn’t just an issue for Washington – it’s an issue for every citizen of our country.
Today, Campus Progress, along with the over 20 other youth organizations in the Y.I. Want Change coalition for health care reform, participated in a press conference on Capitol Hill with Speaker Pelosi and Representatives Van Hollen and Dahlkemper, during which they announced a major policy victory for young people that will be included in the final House health care reform bill: a provision allowing young Americans to stay on their parents’ insurance through the age of 26.
The press conference also marked the official unveiling of the Y.I. Want Change coalition’s health care policy priorities for young people. Prior to the press conference, young people from 30 states met with their Senators to share these priorities, assuring them that young people are engaged in the health care debate, and that we are passionate about ensuring quality, affordable coverage for all.
Check back soon for more photos, video, and details from the press conference and lobby day. In the meantime, you can read the full press release here, and the Speaker's remarks from today can be found here.
Finally, you can and take action today by visiting the Y.I. Want Change site where you can sign the Y.I. Care petition, find info on writing letters to the editor, contacting your representatives and Senators, and more!
*UPDATE: Here's a great slideshow of photos from the press conference, courtesy of Josh Landau/Young Invincibles:
On Saturday, September 26th at Florida International University, about 150 people came out to recognize the face of domestic abuse at a charity event hosted by the "Infamous and Fly" Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. Gamma Pi Chapter and Campus Progress. The event, the 4th annual “Art of Surviving Banquet,” managed to raise over $1,500 for the cause.
Guests, who included FIU students, those involved in Greek life, and members of the local community, were encouraged to write empowering messages on pieces of cloth that were then strung together. Over 40 pieces were contributed and subsequently donated to Safespace Foundation, a shelter and advocacy group dedicated to supporting and protecting the survivors and victims of domestic abuse.
During the banquet, speakers shared their stories of domestic abuse as well as startling statistics about domestic violence. One powerful speaker, Nadya Chapra, is a survivor of domestic abuse and a volunteer at Safespace. After telling her own personal story, she shared this thought: “There are always risks in freedom, but the only risk in capture is freedom.”
When the banquet ended, guests were encouraged to dance and enjoy themselves. As their school paper acknowledged, the eight sisters, who are currently members of Gamma Pi, did an excellent job of giving a voice to domestic abuse survivors in their community. Party City and Gourmet Chef on Tour, Inc. also lent a helping hand by donating food, decorations and supplies.
Alumni Lissette Medina summed up the spirit of the evening when she said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in helping others.”
On October 1, 2009, approximately 60 students in Greensboro, NC participated in a public “flash mob” as a way to raise awareness about the Ignite Greensboro [got two?] Project, a grassroots campaign to refurbish the International Civil Rights Museum. The “flash mob” consisted of students from different universities in the area coming together, freezing in place, and creating a living work of art.
As the group’s leader, Zim Ugochukwu, said, “Everyone was required to bring bookbags, notebooks, laptops, pencils, pens, textbooks, journals. They froze in positions that signified that they were learning from one another, teaching themselves or teaching one another.”
The campaign, which is being sponsored by Campus Progress, has received great attention in the media and the local community. Check out the great video about the flash mob below, and be sure to visit the Ignite Greensboro [got two?] Projectwebsite to learn more!
Today the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing on “Ensuring Economic Opportunities for Young Americans,” the goal of which was to address the rising unemployment among young people, and seek solutions to this crisis While the recession has encroached on the lives of many, young people have been hit especially hard: fewer than 52% of Americans age 16-24 have jobs and this past year saw more than 165,000 jobs lost per month.
At the hearing, two prominent advocates for youth education and employment opportunity provided testimony: Jane Oates, the assistant secretary for the Employment and Training Administration under the U.S. Department of Labor, and Matthew Segal, the founding executive director of the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE). Both Oates and Segal highlighted the importance of youth internship, apprenticeship, and job programs as a possible solution to the rise in unemployment, seen predominantly within disadvantaged communities. One startling statistic: the number of teens applying for summer jobs increased 110% since 1960. As one speaker put it, “internships are becoming a prerequisite rather than a distinction” for future employment.
One program discussed extensively was the Summer Employment Program (part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in February.) Oates and Segal argued that these summer jobs are crucial for young people, and that while, historically, work and education have competed with one another when they should be aligned with one another. They emphasized that these summer programs can bridge the interests and ambition of youth with their education, which is essential to creating an incentive for young people to pursue higher education. Other similar programs discussed were the Youth Build Program and the ConnectEd Program, which both serve as community mentorship programs and introduce job skills to youth across the nation.
Although this issue of unemployment deals directly with the Department of Labor, it was mentioned repeatedly that there needs to be an ongoing dialogue between the Department of Labor and the Department of Education in order to ensure long-term opportunity for young Americans.
Campus Progress is proud to announce the addition of three student publications to its growing network of alternative campus media. Beginning immediately, these publications will receive journalism training and funding in order to improve quality, distribution, and design.
These publications join a diverse group of more than 50 publications on 42 campuses in 20 states.
The Rearguard – The Rearguard is Portland State University’s 11-year-old, student-run alternative magazine. It serves as a voice for students in the hope of adding truth, parity and justice to the campus discourse. The Rearguard will continue to advocate for long-term, structural change both within the PSU community and abroad, by supporting a world free of sexism, classism, racism, and homophobia.
The Perspective – The College of New Jersey’s The Perspective will release its first issue this fall. It plans to provide investigative reporting and an unconventional look at political advocacy, social life, and progressive causes in an attempt to provoke unity amongst the TCNJ’s left. Its first issue will document the LGBT rights movement and provide students with ways to get involved.
Fringes – Vassar College’s Fringes will provide alternative Jewish narratives to students on their campus. This nonfiction, “Jewishly subversive” publication will explore controversial issues in an attempt to extend the limits of acceptable Jewish behavior both on campus and abroad, serving as a discursive space for the fringes of Jewish society.
Interested in seeing all the publications in our network? Click here.
Interested in joining or growing network and receiving a grant? Click here to view the application.
Senator Kennedy was for decades America’s most effective advocate for issues of central importance to young people. His leadership has been essential to the struggle to ensure quality schools, decent health care and nutrition, affordable college, and opportunities for public service. Campus Progress was fortunate to be able to work with Senator Kennedy, especially on the issue of reforming the student financial aid system. We were -- and we will continue to be -- inspired by his empathy, passion, wit, determination, and courage.
This New York Times story provides more information on Senator Kennedy’s legacy and his lifetime of service. You can also view the official statement of Center for American Progress President John Podesta, by clicking here.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor smiles as she listens to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first round of questioning in her confirmation process. July 14, 2009. (Photo courtesy Talk Radio News; Flickr: talkradionews)
On Thursday, August 6, 2009, after more than 2 months of grueling hearings and deliberations, the Senate finally confirmed Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th justice of the Supreme Court by a vote of 68-31. Sotomayor garnered the support of all the Democratic senators, as well as a handful of Republicans.
A Puerto Rican native of the Bronx, New York, Justice Sotomayor joins the ranks as the third female and the first ever Hispanic individual appointed to the position. Sotomayor will be occupying the spot on the Court created by the retirement of Justice David Souter last June.
Campus Progress welcomes Justice Sonia Sotomayor as a new voice on the Supreme Court and looks forward to seeing her in action on the bench this fall!
At most conferences, staring at your phone during a speech is considered rude. At Campus Progress’ 2009 National Conference, however, the ubiquitous presence of cell phones meant that thoughts and ideas inspired by the events of the Conference were being shared and processed through new media. Thanks to the #CPNC hashtag, Twitter in particular became an avenue for attendees to speak their mind on the Conference real-time. In the end, we counted over 1,300 tweets tagged with #CPNC.
So @CampusProgress thought it would only be right to recognize some of these outstanding tweeters in the form of…
Former Campus Progress Student Representative of the Year Gregory Cendana was named the new President of the United States Student Association (USSA) last week at the 62nd National Student Congress held in Boulder, Colorado.
Gregory, who graduated from UCLA last year with a degree in Sociology and Labor & Workplace Studies, was the 2008-2009 USSA Vice President and now serves as first openly elected queer Asian American President.
Check out his Presidential Nomination Speech here:
Campus Progress wishes Gregory all the best in his new position!
Earlier this year, YouTube and the Enough Project teamed up for a video contest to raise awareness about the link between our electronics products and the deadliest war in the world. Now it’s time to vote for your favorite! The creator of the winning video will be flown to Los Angeles, where the video will be screened at the first-ever human rights symposium during the Hollywood Film Festival.
The video contest is part of Enough’s RAISE Hope for Congo campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the crisis in the Congo and empower the women and girls who continue to be targets of horrific sexual violence in that country.
On Thursday, July 16 Campus Progress presented a behind-the-scenes peek at the green goings-on at our Nation’s Capitol.
The event began with a conversation between Tommaso Boggia, Campus Progress Advocacy Associate, and Alison Rogers, Green the Capitol Education and Outreach Coordinator, on the efforts used to make Capitol buildings more environmentally friendly.
Rogers discussed the challenges Green the Capitol has faced in implementing their green agenda, along with the project’s goals for the future. Hill interns in the audience also voiced concerns about their experiences dealing with water bottles in congressional meetings, recycling bin confusion and office lights being left on after-hours.
The discussion was followed by a tour of the House Cafeteria, the waste management system, and the Green the Capital offices. Highlights included a look at the compostable silverware being offered, as well as a peek at the “pulper” – a machine that condensed cafeteria trash into a substance that can only be compared to tuna fish.
The revealing event proved that the building with the most power to direct the country toward a more sustainable future is making efforts to become more sustainable within itself.
On Tuesday, July 21, Campus Progress hosted a frank discussion with Governor Howard Dean about the state of health care in this country and the many challenges that lie ahead in fixing a broken system. As Governor Dean argues in his new book “Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform,” the time is now to make our voices heard in this critical debate.
The discussion was moderated by Campus Progress Advocacy Associate Natasha Bowens with Governor Dean taking questions from the audience, as well as off the internet where the discussion was being live streamed.
Governor Dean touted his support of the Obama health care plan to a packed room and stressed that the inclusion of a public option was absolutely essential to the plan’s success.
Governor Dean also opined that conservative dissent seemed to be aimed at discrediting the Obama administration rather than criticizing the proposed plan. With that in mind, he urged Congress to push hard for a complete health care plan rather than compromise in the name of bipartisanship.
Miss a speaker’s joke because you were too busy Twittering?
It’s ok, we've got your back. Great multimedia memories are up for your viewing and listening pleasure. Click here to check them out! (Sorry, no bootleg copies of John Oliver...)
On Wednesday, Rep. George Miller (CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, introduced the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will eliminate wasteful subsidies to student loan companies and use the $87 billion in savings on a bold policy package to make college more affordable and accessible for low and middle income families.
Read an op-ed by Chairman Miller from Politico to learn more and check out Campus Progress' full statement below. Then visit Students Over Banks to learn how you can take action today!
Campus Progress Statement:
This morning, Rep. George Miller (CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, introduced the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will eliminate wasteful subsidies to student loan companies and use the $87 billion in savings on a bold policy package to make college more affordable and accessible for low and middle income families. The legislation closely follows a proposal by President Obama, despite fierce opposition from the student loan industry, and represents the largest ever investment in higher education.
Campus Progress has launched a new campaign Students Over Banks (studentsoverbanks.org) to support passage of this legislation. In addition to providing young people information about the proposals, the website offers profiles of some of the worst actors in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), ways to take action online, and the latest news on college affordability issues.
Last week, as part of the 2009 Campus Progress National Conference, Campus Progress also partnered with USPIRG and other groups to bring one hundred people to the Capitol to meet with lawmakers on this and other economic issues affecting young people. We believe that the choice is clear: We can either increase opportunities for young people and displaced workers and build the American workforce for a 21st century economy, or we can cater to special interests trying to hold on to wasteful federal subsidies. Campus Progress commends Chairman Miller and other lawmakers who are standing against special interests in order to expand educational opportunity.
The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act would:
Invest $40 billion to increase the maximum Pell grant award to $5,550 by 2010, and $6,900 by 2019. It will also pave the way to tie the maximum award level to inflation plus 1%.
Invest in community colleges and historically black colleges and universities, as well as efforts to improve college access and completion rates.
Strengthen the Perkins loan program to help students avoid risky private loans.
Simplify the FASFA.
Provide $10 billion in deficit reduction.
Originate all future loans through the Direct Loan program, which will create $87 billion in savings over ten years.
“We wouldn’t propose something we couldn’t pay for- we are going to pay for [health care reform].” Vice President Joe Biden
The Middle Class Task Force, an effort headed by Vice President Biden to assess new and existing policies to determine how they will affect the middle class, hosted a health care roundtable discussion today at the White House. The discussion focused on small businesses, entrepreneurs, and employees struggling with the rising costs of health care coverage. The Vice President and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius were joined by four everyday citizens that shared their stories of dealing with rising health care costs as small business owners or employees.
“Small businesses are like families,” said Biden, “they have to choose between reducing or eliminating coverage for their employees in order to grow their business.” Families have to make that same choice about insuring their loved ones. According to Biden, a family of four spends $7,000 on insurance every year due to high deductibles and co-pays for their health care plan.
The Vice President discussed the dire issue of rising health care costs and pointed out that several small business owners are not able to hire new employees due to the cost of insuring them. He claimed that over the last nine years premiums for employer provided health insurance has doubled, three times faster than wages are growing. Perry Gaskins, a small IT business owner, shared his story of having to rethink the full coverage he provides for his employees because his premiums, the cost of covering his staff, have increased by twenty percent in just three years.
The solution to control health care costs, Biden stated, is a health insurance exchange; a one-stop market place for individuals, small business owners, and families. This market place would not allow denial based on pre-existing conditions, would guarantee fair prices, decent benefits, and would have a public plan to ensure competition. Perry Gaskins also indicated that any kind of reform should include a focus on prevention and wellness for providers and employees. Another entrepreneur at the table, Mary Anne Murray, told us about one of her employees that delayed a cancer screening because it was $700. “Who has $700 to spend on a screening,” asked Mary Anne. If our health care benefits covered prevention treatment it would save Americans money and it would keep employers from having to force their employees to pay out of pocket for treatments they need. Employers could also take part in prevention and wellness directly.
“We should work on the front end to educate our employees on healthy eating and lifestyle habits in order to save money on the back end when paying for their care when they get sick,” said Gaskins.
Secretary Sebelius indicated that the legislation in Congress includes wellness and prevention components. Seblelius touched on the health statistics of our country and expressed her concern with the United States spending more than most developed countries on health care, yet one third of our population is obese, and children today are predicted to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This is not healthy and the state of our health care system is crippling our economy, especially our middle class.
Campus Progress supports a strong health care reform bill that includes a public option. In attending this event today, we spoke on behalf of young people to let the Vice President know that while we many of us may not be business owners, we are losing health coverage upon graduation and are struggling with the outrageous rise in health care costs. Biden firmly stands for health care reform and assures us that it will be passed by August and it will be paid for.
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