What is the Social Justice Club?
By: Andrea Drac
Issue date: 10/19/09 Section: News
Many people have seen the fliers all over campus advertising the Social Justice Club. It is your typical flier; it has links to their group pages on Facebook and Myspace, an email address to contact them, and a bit of info as to who they are as well as the date for the next meeting. However the question remains: what is the Social Justice Club and what does it do?
The Social Justice Club has been a campus club since 2002. It is a student organization that promotes anti-racism, anti-imperialism and pro-working class. They also touch on issues of poverty, sexism, and police brutality on local, national and even international levels.
"The purpose of the Social Justice Club is getting working class people of our community, whether they be students or not, to educate themselves against forces of oppression and inequality, and to unite and become active in the struggle for social justice," said current SJC president Joel Novak.
The Social Justice Club doesn't just benefit the campus community, but the local community and the nation as a whole.
"SJC benefits the campus and community by providing information about both current and past political struggles, local and global, holding fundraisers and clothing drives for those in need, providing tutoring for young students in Gary, and volunteering for natural disaster clean-up, such as post-Katrina in New Orleans, and the floods this past autumn in Northwest Indiana," said Novak.
The SJC has done many events to benefit people in the local community, such as back-to-school car washes and concerts to benefit sick or injured people to help pay for their medical bills. This year is no exception.
"Some of our next big events are a bus trip to commemorate the 150th anniversary of John Brown's anti-slavery revolt in Harper's Ferry, Virginia this upcoming weekend; a carpool trip to visit Starved Rock State Park next Sunday, October 24; and on Saturday, November 14, we will be hosting a benefit concert in Calumet Falls to help cover the medical bills of a 10-year-old boy from Gary who was horrifically set on fire by some older teenagers back in June," said Novak.
Members of the Social Justice Club feel that they are making a difference everywhere.
"I can tell you that I enjoy being a member of SJC because it allows me to engage in the type of political activism that truly affects people's lives," said former SJC president and current active SJC member Michael Hernandez. "Whether it's protesting against imperialist war in downtown Chicago, aiding forgotten flood victims in Gary or collecting canned goods for local food pantries, SJC provides an opportunity for one to learn about the injustices of the world and act to reverse them in our communities."
The Social Justice Club has been a campus club since 2002. It is a student organization that promotes anti-racism, anti-imperialism and pro-working class. They also touch on issues of poverty, sexism, and police brutality on local, national and even international levels.
"The purpose of the Social Justice Club is getting working class people of our community, whether they be students or not, to educate themselves against forces of oppression and inequality, and to unite and become active in the struggle for social justice," said current SJC president Joel Novak.
The Social Justice Club doesn't just benefit the campus community, but the local community and the nation as a whole.
"SJC benefits the campus and community by providing information about both current and past political struggles, local and global, holding fundraisers and clothing drives for those in need, providing tutoring for young students in Gary, and volunteering for natural disaster clean-up, such as post-Katrina in New Orleans, and the floods this past autumn in Northwest Indiana," said Novak.
The SJC has done many events to benefit people in the local community, such as back-to-school car washes and concerts to benefit sick or injured people to help pay for their medical bills. This year is no exception.
"Some of our next big events are a bus trip to commemorate the 150th anniversary of John Brown's anti-slavery revolt in Harper's Ferry, Virginia this upcoming weekend; a carpool trip to visit Starved Rock State Park next Sunday, October 24; and on Saturday, November 14, we will be hosting a benefit concert in Calumet Falls to help cover the medical bills of a 10-year-old boy from Gary who was horrifically set on fire by some older teenagers back in June," said Novak.
Members of the Social Justice Club feel that they are making a difference everywhere.
"I can tell you that I enjoy being a member of SJC because it allows me to engage in the type of political activism that truly affects people's lives," said former SJC president and current active SJC member Michael Hernandez. "Whether it's protesting against imperialist war in downtown Chicago, aiding forgotten flood victims in Gary or collecting canned goods for local food pantries, SJC provides an opportunity for one to learn about the injustices of the world and act to reverse them in our communities."
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