Report from the 2012 Summer Convening in Gettysburg
Update by: Ben Safran, Haverford College ’13
This weekend we were welcomed by Gettysburg College Allies, a PSEC affiliate, to the campus of Gettysburg College in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Among the most important locations in the United States Civil War, our mission to Gettysburg was one of political action for enhancing the civil rights of all.
We are thankful to the Gettysburg College community for welcoming us to their school, from Allies, all the way to president of the college Janet Morgan Riggs, who we had the opportunity to meet on Saturday. We also congratulate Gettysburg College this year on the newly renovated Allies house, an open and affirming space for the queer and allied community, and appointing their first LGBTQ coordinator on staff.
The conference was one of the most productive in PSEC’s history, and arguably the most efficient. In less than twenty-four hours, the Coordinating Committee discussed, drafted, revised, and approved 12 resolutions which will provide for PSEC to empower youth across Pennsylvania to take an active role in working for the introduction of the Pennsylvania Safe-Schools Act (aka the PASS Act).
Direct actions that will result from the conference include a Youth Action Conference in Pittsburgh, regular advocacy trainings in Harrisburg throughout September, and action days throughout the fall for our dozens of member organizations.
It is also exciting to note that each and every one of the resolutions passed this weekend with the unanimous consent of the Coordinating Committee, a diverse group of students across Pennsylvania with various backgrounds, opinions, and ideas. When we collaborate across different mindsets and different geographic regions, we can make things happen; whether in Gettysburg or in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh or State College!
In addition to the creation and passage of the 12 resolutions; the summer convening also included a discussion on privilege, creation of a letter and a video to send to various state legislators, and the election of new PSEC subcommittee members and interim-Regional Coordinators from across the state.