Getting political

There are a number of ways to be politically active while you're at Chicago — from being involved in student organizations like the College Republicans and the Young Democratic Socialists to working on any one of the many political campaigns based in Chicago.

Fighting for a cause

Chicago students are always fighting for a cause, though their method of fighting is characteristically Chicago: activism on campus occasionally takes the form of public rallies or protests, but more often it takes the form of letter-writing campaigns, lectures, or debates. Mother Jones magazine placed Chicago seventh on its fall 2003 roundup of the top 10 activist campuses. For more information, visit socialjustice.uchicago.edu.

Intellectual pursuits

Academic interests don't have to end at the walls of the classroom. You can join one of the member groups of the Coalition of Academic Teams (CAT), which includes College Bowl, Debate Society, Mock Trial Team, Model UN Team, Policy Debate Team, and Chess Team. There are also a number of preprofessional organizations as well as groups in which students get together to discuss their academic interests.

Student involvement in planning and decision making

One way that students participate in the University is through service on many committees that advise University administrators, often providing insightful analysis and pragmatic feedback about proposed policies or programs. Among these are standing committees that form part of Student Government (SG). In addition, student advisory committees provide input to many administrative and academic departments on topics ranging from academic and disciplinary policies to student life issues like banking and dining. To learn how to get involved with a committee and who to contact with ideas, visit studentvoice.uchicago.edu.

Cultural organizations

Students with similar religious, cultural, or national backgrounds join one another in the numerous cultural organizations on campus. These organizations are diverse in their activities, organizing discussion series, cultural shows, dinners, group meetings, and University-wide forums for students to talk about and debate social, economic, and political issues.

Watch for events such as the Kent Lecture, the Chinese New Year's Celebration, forums on U.S. foreign policy, and the International Food Festival.

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