Announcing: Radical Rush Week

Students for a Democratic Society is putting together a Radical Rush Week: a week of fun, consciousness raising, action and empowerment to get our peers, faculty, and staff involved in social change and to build a more engaged campus community. College Park Students for a Democratic Society in partnership with other organizations will hold a week of events including media, discussion, performance, and parties to draw the campus together and foster social consciousness and political participation.

September 14-20 in College Park, we are going to work hard to bring together many different parts of the University community to have an incredible week of fun and social engagement. Events planned include a free picnic, a teach-in answering the question, "Who owns this University?", an awesome punk show, dance parties, a RAD poetry slam and more.

One of the best parts of Radical Rush is that it seeks participation from and cooperation between all of the organizations that foster student activism on this campus. This week is about two things, empowering our peers and building our movement. More specifically, Radical Rush is trying to

• expose and involved new and returning students to alternative political ideas and activities
• show (by doing) that being socially conscious is fun
• build coalitions between students, student organizations, and faculty
• educate and raise awareness about important issues in our community
• empower students to use their education towards social change

This wouldn't be the first Radical Rush to happen in College Park. Back in 2003 a group of student activists put on a three-day rush with a a series of workshops, a concert, and a sleep-in on McKeldin Mall. According to the organizers, however, it seems that too few people ending up doing too much work and instead of taking time to do real outreach were swamped coordinating events.

Similarly named events occur at many campuses around the country. Often, however, the Radical Rush is more a glorified tabling session with lefty students groups in attendance. This Fall, SDS hopes to put on an event analogous to a the Greek Rush (minus the forced binge drinking, psychological and physical torture, and enforced sameness, of course) in terms of the opportunity to quickly get seriously involved in campus organizations.

College Park SDS is dedicated to making this week super-rad and would love your help. Shoot me an email if you or your group wants to join us by co-sponsoring an event. Sigma Delta Sigma 4ever!!!!