Young Democratic Socialists of America returns to The Bluff | Campus News

Following an eventful series of elections in November, one that saw the passing of California’s Proposition 50 and notable wins for previously discounted candidates, such as New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, students have kept the ball rolling with political action at LMU. In the coming spring semester, Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) is making its return to The Bluff.

YDSA was founded in 1982 alongside the broader organization Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and surged in numbers following a rejuvenation in 2016. An LMU chapter of YDSA was previously active on social media between 2020 and 2022.

The new YDSA chapter became a registered student organization on Nov. 21, but is holding off on organizing meetings and its executive board until spring arrives. For the latter half of the fall semester, organizers at the movement have been working to communicate their message, promote their social media and gauge interest from fellow students.

Matthew Smith, journalism, international relations and history triple major and former Loyolan staffer, has been the driving force for YDSA at LMU. Smith first got the motivation to spearhead this new chapter back in October.

“There’s a candidate named Faizah Malik running for city council in our district … [she’s] running to represent the west side [of LA] which includes LMU,” said Smith. “I got in contact with her campaign … and then one of them threw out the idea of like, ‘We’d love to have a YDSA chapter on [LMU’s] campus.’”

Malik, who is running for Los Angeles’ District 11 City Council, came to campus on Nov. 18 for a teach-in hosted by the DSA Los Angeles chapter to discuss DSA and the state of LA politics. Organization members have noted Malik’s campaign as one of the main focuses of DSA in LA at the moment.

“Eventually, in February, we’re going to start doing field work, where we [will] go door-to-door in [Council District 11] and let people know about [Malik’s] policies, campaign and everything,” said Clinton Carl, senior writing instructor and faculty advisor of LMU’s YDSA chapter. “One of the things we’re really trying to do right now is build a really strong volunteer base.”

DSA hopes to knock on the door of every single household in District 11, according to Carl, who serves as co-chair for DSA’s working group to elect Malik. Similar goals have been mentioned for YDSA organizers on The Bluff.

Smith highlighted “action” and “education” as the two main pillars of what he hopes to achieve with YDSA: “Connecting with [Malik’s] campaign was a spark, but it was a spark because it was a practical things where I could say ‘LMU students, if you’re interested in making a change, you can make a change right here with your own district,’” said Smith. Aside from the “action” component, “having a place where people can hear from each other and learn from each other” was noted as a crucial goal for Smith.

The chapter has already received interest from fellow students, some willing to take on leadership roles. One of those students, Michael McArthur, screenwriting major, discussed enthusiasm from the campus community.

“I think students have been relatively desperate for a YDSA chapter on campus and the movement is likely going to keep growing with its founding,” said McArthur in an email to the Loyolan. “Many of us are feeling more or less fed up with the inaction of Democrats and want to take things into [our] own hands in the face of the [Make America Great Again] movement.”

In the backdrop of one of the country’s most expensive cities, YDSA looks to advocate for those in need through its organizing. For those involved with YDSA, democratic socialism transcends two-party politics, venturing into a working-class movement that aims to provide for basic needs of all.

“I think that democratic socialism is just the working class being able to democratically control the things that they need to survive and thrive,” stated Carl, who teaches in the core curriculum and philosophy at LMU. Carl’s sentiment was echoed by some students involved with YDSA.

“There are people who are concerned about this. And if you’re not concerned about it now, you probably will be concerned about it once you graduate,” said Smith. “[We] can’t be functioning members of society if all [we’re] doing is worrying about money … How are you going to be happy?”

YDSA plans to “give new, democratic-socialist candidates the chance to win elections locally and nationally,” through the power of a new chapter, according to McArthur. Leaders for the upcoming YDSA chapter have been clear about their goals for the upcoming semester, which can be found on their Instagram account.

“If people choose to align fully with our cause, that’s what would make me the happiest. But if people use YDSA as just a place to hear about ideas that, maybe, are different from their own, then I’d also be happy,” said Smith. “[YDSA] is a community where anyone, regardless of … political ideology can come learn about not just democratic socialism in America, but the state of the U.S. as a whole.”

Interested students have been encouraged to follow the chapter’s Instagram and fill out the interest form for next semester. Speaking on the importance of YDSA, Carl emphasized the value of having a chapter in Westchester.

“[YDSA] prepares [students] to be in a world where they’re not going to be lonely, miserable and poor under capitalism … but where they’re building a community that is not subject to, [or] that is less subject to, the whims of some billionaire,” said Carl.