Political Science Association: Breeding the Politically Conscious

It's that time of year again when the leaves begin to change color, and students at Texas A&M International University are getting settled into their course schedules. This is the time when many college students ask themselves if they could be doing anything more with their free time. The option: campus organizations, and for those interested in politics, the Political Science Association (PSA) just might be what students are looking for. The Bridge sat down with the president of the PSA, Jacqueline Verastigui, to find out more about the organization.

Verastigui joined the PSA when she was a freshman at TAMIU on the suggestion made by her political science professor, Dr. James A. Norris, who also serves as the organization's advisor. Now, four years later, she has become the president. Since the organization's president was accepted into an internship, "Obama for America," the active members voted on Verastigui as their new president. Although it's only been two weeks since her promotion, the experience has given Verastigui plenty of networking opportunities with other organizations on campus as well as in the surrounding community. She is trying to bring more awareness on campus about the PSA's goals so that students can be confident that this is an organization that will expand their knowledge about the political process.

There are currently eight members of the PSA, but students can drop by the meetings to get a feel of the organization on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at the student center room 225. However, there are two parts of this: the volunteer aspect and the actual members. The meetings are the "club" aspect of the association where students can get information and help organize events. Then, there is the actual Pi Sigma Alpha, which is an honor society. To obtain this honor, prospective members must meet certain criteria. To join the PSA, the requirement is that you be a student of TAMIU. If you wish to join the Pi Sigma Alpha honor society, you must have a certain amount of credits in political science. If students are interested in making this an official title for their resume, they can get informed about what classes to take as a political science major by contacting Dr. Norris, since the organization is open to new members.

Verastigui acknowledged that it's a small team that needs growth. The goal here is to strive for both quantity and quality members, as well as making sure current PSA members stay active so that come graduation time, they can have sufficient experience and developed a strong sense of professionalism.Verastigui urges that there are many benefits to joining. She stresses that students can't really understand politics if they're not active, and that being active can help them see "that in the textbook, it says one thing, but in real life this is how it plays out." It can also serve as an impressive resume slot, and show future employers that students have experience as "survey takers," and are knowledgeable in the logistics of organizations. It highlights the experience students have in "talking, acting, and writing more professionally,"  Verastigui said, and emphasizes the sense of  reliability that's been enforced. On top of this, she wants to be sure that this organization can demonstrate that students can play a significant role in the changes in TAMIU and Laredo.

On campus, the PSA is trying to raise awareness about the upcoming  local and national elections. Just recently, they organized a voter registration event along with the Student Government Association (SGA). Verastigui noted some of the responses of those who were asked to register; some would say "I don't care" or "I don't vote." Despite some not registering, the two organizations were able to register some students on campus. Voter registration was also conducted  at the annual AutMus Fest, which generated 20 newly registered voters. In total, the PSA registered 206 individuals to vote. In the future, the organization will bring political speakers to campus.

The organization is scheduled to do some volunteer work with the Rio Grande International Center (RGIC). According to the RGIC website, they "want to carry out projects and initiatives that will help protect our river and beautiful green spaces and improve our quality of life," and have done so with campaigns for plastic bag reduction, among others. By volunteering for the RGIC, the PSA plans to become more aware of ongoing efforts in the community. They also hope to get in contact with the new Webb County Green Party and set up an event at TAMIU. If you are interested in politics or are a political science major, Verastigui says, "you're going to learn that part of the political process is for you to be [...] in activities helping register students to vote, [...] helping your community, do[ing] volunteer hours," and that's what the PSA wants to help students achieve.

With the election season nearing, the main goal for the PSA is to help the university community understand politics better. Anyone can join the PSA. If politics is something you are passionate about or simply something you would like to learn a little more about, the PSA advocates that in order to make something better, you have to be active in the community. They encourage all students to join any organization on campus because it is the first step in getting involved in your community.

Students can find PSA flyers around campus. The organization holds their weekly meetings on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at the Student Center room 225. You can join the PSA on Facebook by searching for their page under TAMIU Political Science Association. You can also email President Jacqueline Verastigui at verastigui@dusty.tamiu.edu. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9th, and the public may contact Verastigui for information. Their next event on campus is the candidate chat with Webb County Sheriff Candidate Rick Flores this Oct. 12, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. at the Student Center room 226. If you want coverage of this event by The Bridge or are feeling strongly about politics, we encourage students to comment on the blog below.

(Michelle L. Muñoz and Michelle Rubio may be reached at michellemunoz@dusty.tamiu.eduand michellerubio@dusty,tamiu.edu)