SC4SJ faces dwindling interest

By Gina Belmonte

It is Tuesday evening, 7:30 p.m., and Annie Murphy-Hagan and Matt Smith sit in the Campus Ministry meeting room waiting for activism-hungry students to arrive. One member fills a seat among the twenty-something vacant chairs.

This low turnout is not unusual for Santa Clarans for Social Justice, which is suffering from lost interest amidst election season this quarter.

Numbers dropped significantly for SC4SJ the last election year, said Smith, a Campus Minister and director of SC4SJ.

"The challenge during an election year is that there is a lot of discussion about decision-making and activism through the electoral process," he said.

"You don't necessarily see the results of how you're voting right away. Everything is up to the candidates."

The SC4SJ agenda this quarter includes discussions focused on faithful citizenship and learning to vote from an informed perspective, said Murphy-Hagan, student coordinator of SC4SJ.

"I don't think having these discussions dissuaded people," said Murphy-Hagan. "The student body has become a lot more active social-justice-wise, and there are more groups now that will fit your special interest."

In the past, SC4SJ has put on events on a variety of issues. The boots that took over Alameda Mall to demonstrate the number of deaths in Iraq were SC4SJ's doing. They've slept in a mini refugee camp while limiting themselves to 1,000 calories a day to raise money for Darfur.

Smith said interest in activism hasn't declined, but people have joined other clubs on campus.

"I think the big point is that a lot of people are looking for concrete ways of being involved where they can see the difference they are making," said Smith. "And for that they're turning to other specific groups that offer concrete ways to get involved, like Santa Clara Community Action Program and Amnesty International."

Senior Becky Dieschbourg was a member of SC4SJ, but left them to join the more locally-based Labor Action Committee.

"I joined the Labor Action Committee which is both educational and active," she said. "Santa Clarans was a little bit broader and not everything is happening in San Jose."

SCCAP, which generally has large student participation, has seen an increase in volunteers.

There was a 100 percent increase in volunteers last week during the Saturday delivery of breakfast to Julian Street Inn, a homeless shelter in San Jose, said SCCAP Director Lindsey Dunn.

On the first Saturday of the year, 22 students woke up at 5:15 in the morning to participate.

"Not a lot of people are willing to get up that early. In the past years there were up to ten volunteers. And that's a big number," said Amanda Sobrepeña, director of the SCCAP homelessness department.

"The program coordinators are taking a lot more ownership, and they have increased numbers so they can take on so much more and, in turn, attract more members," said Dunn.

The Labor Action Committee is working closely with on-campus employees, especially Bon Appetit employees, said Dunn.

The Special Olympics program, traditionally a one-time event, is trying to recruit people to coach the teams participating in the Olympics so it's more than just a one time-commitment, said Sobrepeña, who coordinates this event in the spring.

There has also been a notable increase in the diversity of volunteers, and that helps bring in more volunteers as well, said Sobrepeña. "There's a lot of branching out, and it's really exciting."

Amnesty International, an organization coordinated by the law school, works to inform the community on human rights and campaign for international recognition of human rights.

Shannon DeNatale, president of Amnesty International, said she has seen an increase in membership this year.

Smith said that the waning membership of SC4SJ isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"There are various offerings that can satisfy people's social justice needs in concrete ways out there. There's the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, Arrupe Partnerships, immersion trips, DISCOVER groups," he said.

"People are out there doing stuff."

Contact Gina Belmonte at (408) 554-4546 or gbelmonte@scu.edu.