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MaryPIRG officially shifted from the recruitment phase to campaign work with our kickoff meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Benjamin Banneker room in the Stamp Student Union.

Each individual campaign presented to nearly 100 about what the campaigns will be working on throughout this semester. Megan Jenny, Chesapeake Climate Action Network campus organizer, and Rich Williams, U.S. PIRG Higher Education Advocate, both spoke to the assembled group.

David Bransfield, our chapter chair, said that the two offered distinct perspectives on how to get involved and achieve change. “Both are young people who know how to affect social change,” Bransfield said.

Jenny spoke about clean energy and climate issues, such as offshore wind energy measures, whereas Williams spoke about the strategy of pressuring Congress directly about making textbooks more affordable.

The meeting then had “break-out sessions,” with each of the campaigns speaking to attendees about more specific aspects of the campaigns.

Bransfield said that the meeting is a great way to explore different ways to help enact change. “You can make change happen from day one,” Bransfield said. “There are a hundred different ways you can get involved. Anything you can do to make an impact is effective.”

Jenny said that the meeting “went really well” and that she is “really looking forward to working with MaryPIRG students.”