PVCC Hosts Positive Action Conference

Students listened attentively as Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds and Virginia Delegates Rob Bell and Steve Landes discussed the importance of local and state government to students’ lives. The speakers were a part of PVCC’s first Positive Action Conference (PAC), designed to expose students to local issues and to inspire civic and political engagement at the local level.

The conference featured numerous speakers and panels, each addressing different aspects of local government. Topics included privacy and policing, LGBT rights, women in politics, and race and class divisions.

“I learned a lot of things I’ll apply to my views about different political topics,” said Grayson Katzenbach. She especially enjoyed the Privacy and Policing Panel because it presented contrasting viewpoints on a relevant topic. “We got to hear opinions for and against the use of security cameras…and we got to hear it from experts,” she said.

“I liked [the conference],” said Logan Means. “Especially the [panels] I could really relate to, I loved.” She attended the LGBT Panel, in which she learned about some of the issues facing the LGBT community. “I didn’t know you could be kicked out of a restaurant for being gay,” she said.

The conference began Friday night with a catered dinner and speakers and continued through Saturday afternoon. Breakfast and lunch were catered by Panera and Harvest Bread Company, and each meal featured speakers, with topic-specific panels in between.

“My goal for this conference is to show PVCC students that politics can be an approachable subject and that anyone can get involved,” said Elena Muraca, a member of the Student Planning Committee.

Almost all of the speakers insisted that local and state elections significantly impact students’ daily lives. Because voter turnout for these elections is relatively low, Senator Deeds explained, each voter has a prominent voice in determining the outcomes.

Erika Garrett admitted that this was new information for her. “I knew voting was a good thing, but I didn’t know what a big impact it had,” she said. Means agreed: “I knew the presidential votes matter, but I didn’t know the smaller votes were so important.”

Asked how the conference went overall, Student Intern Daniel Berti said, “I think it went really well. The speakers and panelists were incredible; they did a really good job. It’s been really inspiring.”

Professor Connie Jorgensen, the event’s faculty sponsor, agreed: “The conference was great!” she said. She hopes that PVCC can host another conference in the future; ideally, one that can accommodate a larger number of students (registration was limited to 100 students this year). “It’s such a great opportunity to hear from local and state experts,” she said over email.

She and Muraca insist that the conference supports an important cause. “I believe that politics has the ability to create community through people coming together to improve the lives of their fellow citizens, and this is precisely what the PAC promotes,” said Muraca.