In a culture that is increasing in political awareness and education, the discussion and sharing of diverse ideas is vital.

The Political Union club was created in order to provide a space for such discussion.

Bringing together people of diverse political orientations, the Political Union club hosts events and offers intellectually diverse platforms for any and all interested in a given topic to voice their opinion.

The president of the club, Luke Harrison, said that,“the goal of Political Union first and foremost is to get students from all walks of life engaged in the political process.”

Harrison said that it is important to educate people on current events because they will affect us all in some way. To help keep people educated, the Political Union hosts one to two events each quarter addressing a current issue.

The Political Union covers a wide range of current event and political topics, recently co-hosting a lecture on Frederick Douglass, and planning to host an open discussion in November of the results and repercussions of Seattle’s overturned “Amazon Tax,” which according to “The Week” is a tax on large companies — like Amazon, Starbucks and Alaska Airlines — and would charge a, “$275-per-employee tax on big companies in the city, in order to raise about $48 million annually for homeless services.”

While it is a given that discussing politics openly while opposing or differing views are present may be daunting, the Political Union and Harrison strive to maintain balance and openness in hearing opinions from all perspectives.

The Political Union places a heavy emphasis on balance and diversity in their discussions, composing their leadership of all different sides of the political spectrums.

“As such, our leadership team represents all parts of the political spectrum,” noted Harrison. “Center-right, center-left, libertarian, socialist, liberal and conservative. We are really conscious about that balance in order to safeguard open discourse.”

The Political Union promises to maintain a safe space of equal representation.

“Maintaining balance is of paramount importance to the club. We hope to be a space of open and productive dialogue,” Harrison said.

The Political Union’s club constitution reiterates this goal for balance. The club “aims to achieve and provide a safe atmosphere for spirited political discussion while simultaneously adhering to the standard of behavior expected of all students at Seattle Pacific.”

With balance as a goal and fairness as a principle, students of all walks of life, creeds, political and social orientations will feel welcome at the discussions and events held by the Political Union club.

Any students interested in joining the Political Union club can do so via Orgsync online.
Political Union club Orgsync:
https://orgsync.com/146529/chapter
Information and quotes on the Seattle “Amazon Tax” were found at:
http://theweek.com/articles/774994/seattles-amazon-tax