By Leah Veldhuisen ’19
Recently, refugees entering the United States have been in the spotlight; national dialogue on the issue inspired the CC Refugee Alliance to collaborate with the CC Democrats to host a week of social action.
This week, Feb. 27 to March 3, students set up a phone bank in Worner Campus Center to make it easy for members of the campus community to contact elected officials to express opinions about refugees and immigration policy. The station will provide participants with all they need to call members of Congress, including phone numbers, scripts, and information for individuals who have never called a politician before.
Nicole Tan ’17, co-leader of the CC Refugee Alliance, says the group’s goal is to “act as a hub for ongoing CC engagement with refugee advocacy, creating a collaborative space for students, faculty, and staff.” Similarly, Sachin Mathur ’17 of the CC Democrats says the group is restructuring itself to be a “start-up for citizenship for CC students,” which is why they’re collaborating with CCRA to promote student involvement.
Tan says she hopes that the table in Worner will “inform participants of current policy and provide them with tools for civic engagement.” She also thinks that the experience will help students learn to become involved on any topic they’re passionate about. Tan says policies on refugees are important, and that “there are no easy answers for how to respond to the current administration’s policies,” but also that staying informed on all issues is essential.
