2008 Woodie Awards
SJSU senior appointed to national think tank
Michael Pasaoa
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News
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Mark Savage, a senior sociology major, was recently named as one of 15 college students from across the country to participate on Campus Progress' student advisory board for his second straight year.
Campus Progress, the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, a branch of the Center for American Progress, was started in February 2005 and continues to promote progressive student values in America, said Ramya Raghavan, communications and outreach manager for Campus Progress.
While there are around 150 student representatives from about 140 colleges for Campus Progress, the 15 members of the student advisory board, including students from Harvard and Georgetown, push the direction of the organization, Raghavan said.
"You have to get a student interested before they want to get involved and show them how it affects them personally," Savage said.
This year, Savage said, he wants to focus on a hip-hop lecture series, as he is also involved in Hip-Hop Congress's SJSU chapter. He is in charge of setting up events and assembling a list of guest speakers that will travel to campuses nationwide.
"He basically has total ownership over this project," Raghavan said.
Savage said they are launching three major national issue campaigns that will affect students through 2008 including the Iraq war, climate change and student debt and college affordability.
Sarah Jasso, a freshman psychology major, said politics don't really pertain to her but she would participate in a campus event if it involved bringing our troops home from Iraq.
"I have, like, five family members over in the war right now, so I'm pretty against it," Sarah said.
Raghavan said their campaign strategies include policy work on issues, working with Congress to get legislation passed, working with students to collect signatures and any on-ground efforts that could raise awareness.
"The first step is to educate the students," Savage said.
Campus Progress is sponsoring an essay contest for students who write an op-ed on college affordability that gets published in their campus paper. The winner receives $2,500, which helps raise awareness about the issue and allows a student to help pay off their fees, said Raghavan.
Campus Progress, the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, a branch of the Center for American Progress, was started in February 2005 and continues to promote progressive student values in America, said Ramya Raghavan, communications and outreach manager for Campus Progress.
While there are around 150 student representatives from about 140 colleges for Campus Progress, the 15 members of the student advisory board, including students from Harvard and Georgetown, push the direction of the organization, Raghavan said.
"You have to get a student interested before they want to get involved and show them how it affects them personally," Savage said.
This year, Savage said, he wants to focus on a hip-hop lecture series, as he is also involved in Hip-Hop Congress's SJSU chapter. He is in charge of setting up events and assembling a list of guest speakers that will travel to campuses nationwide.
"He basically has total ownership over this project," Raghavan said.
Savage said they are launching three major national issue campaigns that will affect students through 2008 including the Iraq war, climate change and student debt and college affordability.
Sarah Jasso, a freshman psychology major, said politics don't really pertain to her but she would participate in a campus event if it involved bringing our troops home from Iraq.
"I have, like, five family members over in the war right now, so I'm pretty against it," Sarah said.
Raghavan said their campaign strategies include policy work on issues, working with Congress to get legislation passed, working with students to collect signatures and any on-ground efforts that could raise awareness.
"The first step is to educate the students," Savage said.
Campus Progress is sponsoring an essay contest for students who write an op-ed on college affordability that gets published in their campus paper. The winner receives $2,500, which helps raise awareness about the issue and allows a student to help pay off their fees, said Raghavan.
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