Poli-Sci Is Easy

In an ideal world, college would be about nothing but drinking,
“experimenting” with recreational drugs, and getting laid. Sadly,
college is also where tomorrow’s leaders are supposed to learn the
skills to keep this crazy world from falling apart, which is why
campuses have any number of political groups and causes that can give
fresh-scrubbed moppets hands-on experience—experience with
in-fighting, redundant bureaucracy, colossal disappointments, and
occasional small victories. Of course, they’re also great places to
meet some hottie activists. (Most of these groups can be found at PSU,
because [1] it’s the biggest school around, and [2] Portland’s other
schools are enormously unorganized.)

PSU College Democrats

Portland State may be one of the few campuses in the country where
the College Democrats group is too conservative for the student body.
And that may be why their website has gone belly up. Email democrat@pdx.edu for more info.

PSU College Republicans

God bless the PSU College Republicans for holding onto beliefs that
the rest of the country—and, obviously, 99.999 percent of their
classmates—have ditched. They’re still crowing about the pro-Bush
counter-protest they held downtown after the 2004 election! More info
and laughs: gop.pdx.edu

International Socialist Organization

Now this is what I’m talking about! Dreads, Bob Marley posters,
Sí se puede, spending your trust fund on a
trip to Caracas to organize factory workers, quoting Karl Marx, No
Blood for Oil, being unemployed but chanting for workers to unite, etc.
Recommended if you like Manu Chao. P.S. This is where the cute girls
are. More info: pdxiso@yahoo.com.

NARAL PSU Students for Choice

Obviously, reproductive choices and information are vital in
college—unless there’s something horribly wrong with you, you’re
never going to get as much action as you will during these four years.
The PSU student chapter of NARAL is dedicated to fighting for students’
reproductive rights—because college life should be pregnant with
possibilities, not unwanted fetuses. Email choice@groups.pdx.edu.

OSPIRG

The Oregon Student Public Interest research Group does a lot of
things: Fights to lower the costs of textbooks, limit global warming,
end poverty, protect consumers, etc. But what they do best is stand on
campus and guilt you into signing up for their campaigns. Solid
training for a life in politics. Hit ospirgstudents.org for info.

Students for a Democratic Society

That’s right—those hellraisers from the 1960s are back, and
they can be found on both the Reed and Lewis & Clark campuses. Not
surprisingly, they’re taking on the Iraq War this time around, via all
manner of protests. But if you want to get in contact with them?
Apparently, they’ll find you. A lack of any central leadership means
the group is democratic above all else, but it also makes it extremely
difficult to get a single answer out of them. Hit studentsforademocraticsociety.org for more.

Queers and Allies

Not surprisingly, PSU’s Queers and Allies club looks like one of the
most fun organizations on campus, what with trips to the beach and the
fabulous Queer Prom. It’s housed in the Queer Resource Center, which is
described as an “inclusive safe space.” Take that, College Republicans!
Hit qa.groups.pdx.edu for
more.