Students On Campus | Photo by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
On Monday, Sept. 9, Left of Center debuted its club for the Fall 2024 semester with a Buffalo Chicken Dip Social. The event gave students the opportunity to learn more about the club and its plans for the school year.
Buffalo chicken dip
The club decided on buffalo chicken dip as the main food item for a variety of reasons. AJ Allen, a psychology major and President of Left of Center, talked about this.
“We chose to make buffalo chicken dip for the event because it's… something we haven't seen on campus before, and thus a great way to get people interested,” Allen said.
The strategy worked, with over forty students attending the event. It was such a success, in fact, that the club ran out of dip within twenty minutes. Allen had to leave the event to make another batch, which again ran out quickly.
With so many students interested in the event, Allen and the rest of Left of Center managed to share lots of information about the club and their upcoming plans for the semester.
Motivations of the club
According to their Engage profile, Left of Center’s goals are to increase political participation and raise awareness of progressive issues while serving the community. The club is primarily for left-leaning individuals, but all political beliefs are accepted.
In fact, Left of Center used to be called “College Democrats,” but was changed to be more inclusive to a wider range of political beliefs, especially those who may not identify as Democrats.
“Our mission statement is ‘Progress over Party,’ meaning that we prioritize social, economic and political progress over the widely accepted two party system. Anyone is welcome to join Left of Center, as long as they also prioritize progress and agree to be accepting and open to other perspectives,” Allen said.
Preston Holton, a political science major and the Public Relations Chair for Left of Center, recommends the club for any student interested in politics.
“Left of Center is a great opportunity for anyone with progressive values who wants to get politically involved at [WSU],” Holton said.
Upcoming events
On Sunday, Sept. 22, Left of Center is participating in a student day of action event. The event will see democratic students from WSU, University of Dayton and more.
Attendees will be able to meet Rose Lounsbury, a candidate for the Ohio State House of Representatives, while eating pizza and canvassing.
The club will also have bi-weekly meetings on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. starting on Sept. 19.
Even if you cannot attend all of the meetings, Abby Boyd, a communication major and Secretary of Left of Center, recommends you attend some.
“I think students should join, or at least attend a meeting or two. I think it’s incredibly important to be politically informed, so you’re able to make educated decisions when it comes time to vote, locally and federally,” Boyd said.
How to join the club and get involved
Students interested in joining Left of Center can visit them on Engage or Discord.
“We’re really excited to keep this energy up and get really involved in the campus community and beyond this semester,” Allen said.
Left of Center hopes to expand to allow students even more involvement in politics. Joining the club and staying informed on political topics is important, especially with the rapid approach of election season.
