Ashley Winder and Kirsten Schutz partcipate in a class discussion at the Young People For conference in Washington D.C. Jan. 11-15. (Ashley Winder)

While most students were preparing for classes to begin, moving back into their dorms or rushing for a Greek organization, sophomores Ashley Winder, Kirsten Schutz and freshman Astrud Villareal were taking classes in Washington, D.C., to learn how to address critical issues facing the world today and how to effect positive social change.Winder, Schutz and Villareal attended the Third Annual National Summit for Progressive Leaders Jan. 11-15 after being accepted as fellows for the Young People For initiative, launched by the People For the American Way foundation in 2004 to build a long-term national network for young people involved in the progressive movement. The movement focuses on effecting positive change on issues of concern such as civil rights, the environment and women’s rights.”The progressive movement is so important because it balances and brings in other sides of the issue and allows us to define our own values,” Schutz said. “The progressive movement is about defining our own values and finding out what’s important to us rather than letting someone else define our future.”Winder believes the progressive movement is particularly important now because of the current state of the world.”The world is in a lot of turmoil,” Winder said. “Global warming, current weather speaks enough about that, people being killed and starving in Darfur – so many issues need to be addressed. This country was established on a basis of freedom, and as citizens we need to promote freedom of others and help each other out.”Winder, Schutz and Villareal were nominated by junior Ben Wells, who was a fellow for YP4 last year and selected from a pool of more than 1000 nominations to represent SMU at the conference, which hosted 180 students from all over the country. Winder is secretary of the progressive organization Students for a Better Society and Schutz is president of Amnesty International.”When I got accepted there was no question I had to go,” Schutz said. “I had to take this opportunity. People for the American Way is well known for its success and influence in the progressive movement. And I just wanted to be around young people with same drive for positive change.”At the YP4 summit, accepted fellows met with leaders such as legislators and individuals associated with various think tanks and take classes to learn how to build a network with other young progressives across the country.”The conference was an opportunity to network with each other and get allies from all over the country, learn how to do an interview, how to do a press release and even how to shake hands,” Winder said.The summit served as a kick-off for the yearlong fellowship program. Fellows took classes designed to help them in the social justice work they will perform throughout of the year. According to the YP4 website, classes were instructed by established leaders and taught students how to analyze power dynamics, develop key strategies and build strategic alliances to effect positive social change.”The most interesting thing I learned sounds like the most boring,” Schutz said. “But I learned strategic planning for developing a long-lasting plan, and how to really make an impact and how to sustain it.” This strategic planning, according to Schutz, involves identifying three areas of a problem: the obvious effects of the problem that people see every day and infrastructural reasons such as class difference, public policy, and the historical and social roots of a problem. “It’s all about breaking down issue and understanding where it all comes from,” Schutz said.While the progressive movement nationwide is swiftly picking up speed, Schutz and Winder have the added challenge of addressing a student body that has a vocal conservative presence. “The biggest issue is getting past preconceived notions,” Schutz said. “The term liberal is a dirty word today. People think it means weak and unpatriotic when really, progressive means being patriotic and loving your country and the real values it was founded on. America was founded on freedom of speech, religion and expression and these are the things that the progressive movement is defending.” Schutz believes that the “tornado of language” generated by various political commentators contribute to the preconceived notion that prevent conservatives and liberals from seeing what they have in common.”We have to get past notions to come together as people who care about the community whether we are conservatives, liberals, moderates or apathetic,” Schutz said. “We all care about community.”Winder believes the conference has helped her to become a better speaker, and that the skills she learned at the conference will enable her to reach people of different political beliefs more effectively.”I think that it’s still going to be hard because our campus has a reputation of the majority of students being of a conservative mindset,” Winder said. “But they trained us so that I’m more confident now that I can address these issues in a more informative and accessible way.”Schutz said that attending the conference has generated a new excitement to actively make change.”I came out of the conference with an intellectual high,” Schutz said. “I felt more empowered than ever to make positive change on campus. I know have the resources and a deeper passion to actually take on issues in the Dallas community that have been ignored for so long.”According to Winder, over the year fellows develop a “blueprint for social justice,” a plan to address a critical issue that you are passionate about. Schutz first plan will reach out to the Dallas school district.”I’m a human rights activist and I want to get human rights curriculum into public schools,” Schutz said. For those who are interested in getting involved in the progressive movement, Schutz says the first step is to read about the issues.”Go to a progressive online blog, go to a Web site or a bookstore that sells alternative media and start educating yourself on issues,” Schutz said. “If you’re politically aware and educated on the issues, join the local groups on campus and a national group that works on a national issue. SBS, SPARC, Amnesty International – tons of national progressive groups need your support.”