Despite not being recognized as an official club yet, the Cal State Long Beach chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America branch held its first spring semester meeting in the Faculty Office 4 building. Over 20 people were present for the meeting, a huge increase in attendance compared to the 10 students at the club’s first meeting back in December.
The meeting served as an introductory into the background of democratic socialism and the history of the parent organization, the Democratic Socialists of America. The event also featured an election for the group’s general body.
Ana Leon, a junior economics major and founding member discussed the background of socialism and some of the positives that come with the social economic system including policies and addressing social issues.
“The endgame of [democratic] socialism as opposed to capitalism is just a happier society,” Leon said. “[A system] where basic needs are met including healthcare, housing, education and where people aren’t divided up.”
Another founding member, Andrew Mandujano, a senior business major, transitioned the conversation into the role the clubs expects to play in the future of the school and events for the semester.
“We have identified some efforts we’d like to pursue,” Mandujano said. “[They] include a College for All proposition, which places a state tax on properties $3.5 million or over. We just need to collect signatures and mobilize on that.”
Near the end of the event, the club-elected members for the steering committee and lined up issues they plan to address during the semester which included: financial transparency, university labor support, student housing and fighting tuition increases.
The seven-member body consists of two tiers: the steering committee and the subcommittee. The steering committee includes two co-chairs and a treasurer, while the subcommittee is made up of four at-larges.
“The subcommittee is mainly where the work gets done,” Jordan Doering, a senior mechanical engineering major said. “[Subcommittee members] are in charge of taking on specific issues we decide to address.”
The group will continue to meet weekly but since they have yet to be recognized as an official club on campus there is no set location to host the club.