This fall, students have reached outside the "Amherst Bubble" to join hands with five-college students and town citizens to march in Washington and to rally on the town common. They are the members of the Progressive Students' Alliance (PSA), a group dedicated to having a diverse body of opinions, and addresses any issues in which its members express interest.

"It basically started when Joe Rachiele ['05E] brought together a group of people he knew to talk about the idea of a progressive group on campus to pursue a few different projects," explained Tom Fritzsche '03.

"The main objective of the group is to provide students with a means to be active politically and progressively and to educate about the issues we feel are important," said Ali Carrasco '04E. "We'd rather people be educated and have an opinion-even if it's against our personal views-than not have an opinion at all."

Since its founding, the PSA has been active on and off campus in carrying out its goal to educate and inform. Thus far, the PSA's energy has been targeted towards the national question of war with Iraq.

The PSA encouraged students to contact members of Congress before the congressional war resolution vote.

Additionally, they held an anti-war rally in front of Valentine Hall on Nov. 12, and presented 800 anti-war petitions to Mass. Senator John Kerry. Members of the PSA attended the "Not in Our Name" rally on Oct. 6 in New York City, and marched at the "International ANSWER" rally in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 26. The PSA was also involved in the rally on Nov. 20 held on the town common.

The group has focused mostly on anti-war campaigning so far. However, "members of the group have interests in issues ranging from labor rights to a cleaner environment," said Fritzsche. "There is ... a need for a group on campus for students to get together and do something politically. Our education is incomplete if we limit our engagement with world issues to academic analysis only."