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| Two NYU students receive fellowship for their activismTwo NYU students receive fellowship for their activismElizabeth Johnstone 3/21/07 Some students think they're being politically active when they recycle a Vitamin Water bottle. But Gallatin sophomores Angela Zhu and Kelly Vallon know that's not enough. Zhu and Vallon were recognized for their political activism last month by being named fellows with Young People For (YP4), a college-oriented branch of the People for the American Way Foundation. Both organizations are nonprofit think tanks that promote progressive advocacy. For Zhu, motivation to be politically active lies in economic justice - she believes that wealth is a critical shaper of social norms. "Poor people make me sad," Zhu said, tongue-in-cheek. "Generally speaking though, I'm much more interested in international relations than domestic politics, so in that regard, I root for developing countries who have it much worse than we do." Vallon, however, doesn't have a pet issue, and her work with the institution reflects that. "We do a lot of stuff within New York City," Vallon said. "If it's an NYU policy, then we push really hard to get it implemented. It's more to get people started thinking about the issues." Zhu and Vallon are co-presidents of NYU's chapter of the Roosevelt Institution, a partner organization of YP4 that encourages college students nationwide to generate solutions for problems in government and public policy. The organization also fosters connections between students and leaders or organizations so that these ideas can become realities. "It's really intense training in how to do whatever you want to do in the progressive movement," Vallon said. "You apply, and they look at what you've done and what they believe your potential is for doing things in the future." Meanwhile, Zhu said, a new generation of progressive leaders is receiving valuable training. "It's certainly a good gateway into political networks and resources that students wouldn't otherwise have access to," Zhu said. Being YP4 fellows can only increase Zhu's and Vallon's chances of bringing their voices into the public sphere, and that's what they intend to do. "I figured the best way to do stuff was to do things like YP4," Vallon said. Current Roosevelt Institution initiatives include childcare policy reform for Manhattan, greener transportation, women's rights and U.N. policy. Click here to read the article from The Washington Square News' website. |
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