Campus Activists Going High-Tech By Adam Hurter
News Editor

Click below to go to WesUnity web page:
www.wesleyan.edu/wesunity

 Different student organizations on campus will now be able to better communicate with each other through a new web site created by members of WesUnity, a student group dedicated to serving as a liason between activist groups on campus.

 In addition, the site will have connections to groups at other universities and will operate a listserve, allowing any activist to send out an email message to all group leaders.

 According to WesUnity founder Roger Smith ’01, the web page, located at www.wesleyan.edu/wesunity will ensure that event times do not conflict and will allow groups to work together more frequently. 

 “There are areas where environmentalism and racism cross over and where workers’ rights and environmentalism cross over,” Smith said.

 Smith said he thinks that activism at the University has become very unorganized and that activist leaders don’t communicate well with each other. He added that he thinks strong communication between groups can help all parties.

 “I think there are times when groups can work together,” agreed Nina Haiman ’99, a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition (USLAC) . “It’s strength in numbers.”

 “If we team up, who knows what’s going to be done,” Smith said. “These groups not only share their member base, but they also share their support base. It’s exponential.”

 Smith said he also intends to invite less political groups, such as Student of Color Organizations, to participate.

  In addition to mobilizing groups on campus, the WesUnity web page also aims to connect Wesleyan activists to those at other Universities, especially Connecticut College and Yale, Smith said.
 “We have these little events that go on in isolation,” said E3 member Sara Norr ’02. “We’d be more effective if we could work with other groups and the community. I’m pretty sold on the idea [of WesUnity].”

 Individual groups are also finding the virtue of being on the web in an increasingly technological world. 

 USLAC also has a new web site, www.wesleyan.edu/uslac, and E3 and the Wesleyan Democrats are close to having sites completed.

 “Hopefully, our site will be up by the end of the week,” said Phil Gentry ’02 a member of the Wesleyan Democrats (Wes Dems).

 According to Gentry, Wes Dems hope to use their web site to publicize the group, as a means of contact, to list upcoming events, for voting registration and for general communication.
 Gentry said he is also happy to know that his group will also be able to use the Wesunity page for the last purpose.

 Many campus activists said that one of their long-term goals is the establishment of a Campus Leadership Center, a building or part of a building dedicated to activist groups. 

 A group of students submitted a proposal concerning a Center to the Administration last year.
 “We put together a solid proposal,” said Brian Edwards-Tierkert ’00. “But we haven’t gotten a response yet.”

 According to Smith, if the Leadership Center were to become a reality, Wesunity would not longer be needed to facilitate group interaction.

 “That’s the eventual goal. I want Wesunity to disappear,” Smith said.

  Meanwhile, Smith said he shouldn’t be the only one controlling so much of the movement. 

 “I have all this information at my fingertips. I know what groups are doing what. But it’s wasted information right now,” Smith said. “Wesunity’s role is to put the information out there. We could have a real powerful movement.”