The Roosevelt Institution
By Christina Graff
3/30/06
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of profiles about student organizations.
To many students residing in Athens, the political mayhem of Washington may seem foreign. Policies concerning stem cell research or the situation in the Middle East just aren’t as pressing to some students as the tests they face in class.
Students of the Roosevelt Institution hope to change that attitude and bring the nation’s issues a little bit closer to home.
The Roosevelt Institution is a national student-run organization that took root on campus in the fall. The organization, called Roosevelt@UGA, investigates and analyzes federal plans and issues, and then strives to create or improve policies in the ways its members see fit, said Deep Shaw, the policy director for the organization.
“We simply want to contribute to developing the best policies possible — no matter what the particular issue may be,” said Shaw, a sophomore from Duluth.
At a typical Roosevelt meeting, dozens of students discuss the policy papers they have spent from six weeks to a year putting together. Topics revolve around five ideas, or “centers:” human rights, domestic policy, international and regional studies, health policy and environment and international trade and security, Shaw said.
Many of the members agree that, through their research and possible publication opportunities, their ideas may actually reach those in charge.
Policy papers written by members are under review for publication in issues of the Journal for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and the quarterly for the Center for International Trade and Security. Also, eight members’ proposals already have been accepted to the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities symposium in April, Shaw said.
“You think that only gentlemen in Washington, D.C., can make a difference, but that isn’t true,” said Balaji Narain, the organization’s director of technology and a sophomore from Macon.
Through research and discussion, groups members said their points of view on issues expand and change, and the students agreed that connections made through the organization are invaluable.
In addition to the learning experience, students can travel.
Freshman Lindsay Looft and sophomore Kevin Chang attended a conference at the University of North Carolina to discuss their paper on emergency preparedness, an issue crucial after Hurricane Katrina.
Chang, from Lawrenceville, and Looft, from Marietta, met with other college students from across the nation working on similar policy papers to gain new ideas and receive criticism.
Although the ideas and processes involved with the organization may seem complex, no background knowledge is necessary, Shaw said.
“Whether they have experience or not, we collectively find a way to facilitate critical thinking about an issue and then producing policy on it,” he said.
Roosevelt has members from many colleges on campus, Shaw said.
Looft, a biology major, said with Roosevelt@UGA students have “people from all majors working together towards a common goal.”
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