Student Government Association introduced a bill Wednesday that would recognize a chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at Wichita State.

YDSA is the youth and student section of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which was founded in 1982 by American author and activist Michael Harrington.

Alex Tackett, president of the current unrecognized YDSA club, spoke during the meeting.

“The goal of the organization is to help educate and organize young students on campus who like to participate in the democratization of all things, be it society, the economy, the government,” Tackett said.

According to the YDSA website, chapters at universities, colleges, and high schools “fight for the immediate needs of workers and students while building our capacity to fight for more radical and structural changes.”

Tackett said one specific activity the goal has in mind is to campaign for James Thompson, the Democratic candidate for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District. Thompson shares some broad political ideals with the DSA, including medicare-for-all and lowering the cost of a college education.

The bill, authored by RSO Student Assistant Amanda Coon, was one of three bills read at the meeting related to recognizing student organizations. The other two bills were for WSU Math Club and Wichita State Animation Reel Coalition.

“With the new media arts program that has come together, there’s a lot of students that are interested in learning animation and all of its applicable fields,” said Alec Lang, standing president for the Wichita State Animation Coalition. “What we wanted to do is bring the community together for these media arts students, and not just for them, but for the people that maybe don’t have that major.”

If recognized as a student organization, Lang said that the group hopes to develop workshops for students related to animation as well as community-wide events.

Each of the three bills recommend recognizing student organizations after they complete the recognition process laid out in SGA bylaws and the RSO Handbook, and upon recommendation of the assistant director of student involvement.

The Student Senate is scheduled to vote on the three bills at its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 in the RSC second floor’s Santa Fe room.

In other business:

– Returning Adult Senator Eugene Potts was appointed to the Budget and Finance Committee.

– The annual Campus Safety Walk will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11. Students will join WSU police to survey campus for spots that may be unsafe, especially at night.
– SGA is still seeking applicants for the Election Commission and the Student Supreme Court.