Le Provocateur

Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: News Stories

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.

Continued...

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