Sargent strives to raise awareness of social injustice

When Assumption senior Jackie Sargent speaks about an issue she is passionate about, it comes from the heart. The Spencer, Massachusetts native and co-leader of Students Advocating Change (SAC) was on a Campus Ministry/SAC sponsored Spare Change retreat in the spring of 2005 that made her realize that she wanted to get more involved on campus. Specifically, Sargent found SAC, a group of Assumption students she says is focused on bringing awareness and taking action against social injustice both in the Worcester area and a more global stage: "I remember being told about it by my RA, and after the retreat and going to a few meetings I remember saying to myself 'wow, this is something I want to be part of.'"

According to Sargent, SAC strives to raise awareness of social justice issues, in Worcester and around the world: "we're trying to get Assumption students aware of social justice issues, how they affect us and why they affect us as a Catholic institution." Sargent's volunteer and social advocacy work isn't a hobby, or something she does on the side. It is a lifestyle for her, right down to her wardrobe which she attempts to keep exclusively sweat free: "There's a whole list of stores I won't shop at," Sargent said, "I will never step foot inside of a Target."

Founded in the fall of 2004, SAC has held many thought-provoking and awareness-raising programs over the last few years. Just last spring the group held its second Sweatshop Awareness Week on campus, sponsored a teach-in and also co-sponsors the Spare Change retreat each year.

Along with those programs, SAC has been an integral part in the formation of the Consortium of United Students, a collected group of college students from the various Worcester Consortium colleges who wish to combat social injustice. The Consortium, or "cous-cous", as the 21 year-old and other members lovingly refer to it, was formed just last year. With members from Assumption, WPI, Clark and Worcester State, Cous-cous is formed from students from all walks of life and offers perspectives from many of the different schools in the Worcester Consortium.

Sargent credits that 2005 Spare Change retreat as what really got her going as far as getting involved with SAC, something she will remember for the rest of her life, "After the retreat, I went to a few meetings and kept coming back, eventually they asked if I wanted to help lead it, and here I am today," Sargent said.

While always being somewhat interested in social justice advocacy, Sargent confesses that it wasn't until college when she began to actually do something about it: "it was something that I had never scratched the surface of; I didn't realize that I cared so much until the retreat and learning more about it. I recycled when I could, I volunteered when I could but I was never that active,"she said.

Growing up in Spencer and attending David Proudy High School, the Psychology major and triple minor never could have imagined the kind of turns her life would make just a few years later.

Each month, SAC holds letter-writing campaigns, encouraging students to write letters to a number of politicians and other people of power in an attempt to influence change in not only the Worcester community but also the world around them. In year's past they have written letters to President Bush concerning prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe concerning displaced persons.

Most recently, the group sent 75 letters to the manager of the local Shaw's supermarket on Gold Star Boulevard. asking him to consider using more free-trade products in his store. This is just one example of the hard work and dedication the group has done for the Worcester area. SAC hopes that their letters will force the hand of Shaw's upper management, and allow for these changes. While they haven't received word from Shaw's yet, Sargent would prefer the response not just to come on paper, "we want the response to be in action," she said, "but we'd love a letter from them, or 75."

Each Spare Change retreat follows a slightly different theme. This past year, the retreat focused on homelessness and the plan for next year's involves poverty and privilege. Other plans for this year include another Sweat-Free Week next spring, as well as a number of speakers and programs during the year.

Ultimately, one of the group's main goals would be to make all Assumption College clothing sweat-free. Sargent describes that while it is an uphill battle, she would like to see the workers who make Assumption's clothing to receive fare wages for their work. As part of last year's Sweat-Free Week, free-trade and sweat-free vendors came to campus to sell their goods.

When asked why students should get involved with advocacy groups like SAC, Sargent remarked "It's easy to distance yourself, we're at Assumption College which is in an affluent neighborhood, its easy to say that all of this doesn't matter." What groups like SAC and Cous-cous try to relate to students is that even though sweatshop labor may be thousands of miles away, it still is reflected in products we buy and clothes we wear right here in Worcester. Also, there are problems such as poverty and hunger in the Worcester area that go unnoticed by many Worcester residents. Sargent and SAC realize that it might be easier for students to turn away from social injustice problems even here in Worcester, but the group stresses that the problems won't just go away if we turn a blind eye to them.

Although Sargent's passion for her causes is a labor of love, her tireless work does not go unnoticed by her peers. Christine Thurber, a junior and fellow SAC member, calls Jackie "amazing. She is really passionate about the things she cares about," she said. Thurber joined SAC last fall, and calls the group "a great opportunity." Junior Micaela Mirabassi, another SAC member, calls Sarget "totally dedicated and really enthusiastic," adding, "she's the heart of the group."