Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), previously known as the College Democrats of America, is a campus organization with the goal of bringing activists together and raising awareness regarding issues concerning social, economic and political policies while trying to make a change on and off campus.
Mason Smith, a junior political science major and the president and founder of the YDSA, wanted to make college democrats on campus an organization that students had accessibility to and remind students of their power. During the spring 2023 semester, members of the organization went to National Workers’ Day, where various members met with people who brought up Young Democratic Socialists of America and what they stand for. With further research, the members of the organization found that this name resonated with their viewpoints and goals more than their original name.
“Being able to change the mindset that many students have that the issues they’re experiencing would be seen as complaining,” said YDSA vice president Catherine Carvalho, a senior criminal justice student, is a motivation to have organizations who want to help them feel seen and represented.
The organization hopes to get students to sign a petition that will get students two mental health days, one per semester. Students only have so many absent days that they can use so this movement will create the change that many students would like to see. The petition will be going around on September 13 during National Suicide Prevention Week in the Bartels tabling. It is “something that the university can have to help students on a larger scale and especially with their mental health,” said Anabelle Davis, a senior criminal justice major and YDSA treasurer.
Despite this name change, they’ll still be trying to accomplish the goals that were set into place last semester and they hope to get more students involved with activism and politics. In the duration that this organization has been active, they have tried to communicate that they are here to help and listen to students. One of their main goals is to enforce that if students see something and don’t like it, they’ll use their voice; in other words “see something, say something.”
If you are interested in this organization and its stride to wake up to a better world, they hold weekly meetings on Fridays at 7 p.m. in room 301 of Ghering Hall. These meetings hold the intention of speaking on things that are occurring and how to go about it. If by any chance this sparks your interest or if you find yourself free on a Friday night, go to one of the meetings because it’s always refreshing to stay active.
