by Ali Senior
Boston, MA
Hello, people of the planet! My name is Ali and I am currently an animation student at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. My journey into socialism started long before I realized what I was looking for.
I grew up in a relatively financially-stable, working-class home on Cape Cod. It’s a vacation area, so prices are pretty high to make money off of tourism, but a lot of the people living there year-round struggle to keep up with those prices.
Moving away for college and gaining more independence led me to contemplate my responsibility to help the planet. I thought the best way to do that was by using more sustainable products. But the more I looked into this, the more I realized I couldn’t afford to live the sustainable life I thought I had the responsibility to live.
The more I continued my education, the more involved I got with activism. A group of fellow students and I became aware of the school flatlining all department budgets. With the student body steadily growing in most programs, this is effectively a budget cut. I used to think this was something that couldn’t be helped. “The school doesn’t have the money!”
The more research we did led me to realize how much of a lie that statement was. Half of the school’s money comes from students, and the student population is growing. Where is that money going? A friend introduced me to the Independent Socialist Group (ISG). We discussed the situation at the school and ISG helped us establish the MassArt Student Union. The union has been working to hold the school accountable since then.
In both of these instances I’ve noticed these companies and institutions absolving themselves of responsibility. They are burdening the working class with financial responsibility. I firmly believe organizing unions, including student unions, can be a step towards socialism; a democratically-controlled, planned economy to benefit everyone.
Independent Socialist Group 