Pi Sigma Alpha is a political science honors society that was founded at the University of Texas in 1920. According to the American Political Science Association website, there are more than 740 chapters of Pi Sigma Alpha located on college and university campuses nationwide.

Now, CMU can be added to the list as students helped form the new chapter this semester. Undergraduate and graduate students alike are welcome to join. Westland graduate student Darby Hollis, a Student Government Association vice presidential candidate, is a member of the group and is excited to see where it goes in the future.

“I would like to see us start with some events,” Hollis said. “I know it’s going to be hard because we’re kind of reorganizing and starting. But I think (we should get) some fundraisers, events established, maybe brand them with the Pi Sigma Alpha name.”

DeWitt graduate student Elizabeth Aldrich said the organization does not have a philanthropic angle, but they do have a focus on raising political awareness.

“Raising political awareness is something (people) can use to make sure their preferences are voiced to the public officials, which is also something people don’t think they can do,” Aldrich said. “They don’t think their vote matters, and that’s not true.”

Northville Township senior Grayson Smith said the honors society does not want to take a stance on political topics.

“(The society wants to) start putting out more political awareness, more informing people of the issues,” Smith said. “Not necessarily taking a stand, it’s one way or the other, but acting as a knowledgeable source and moderator to kind of promote discussion, deliberation among the student body, because that is something that is rapidly disappearing–not just on this campus, but in America.”

Smith said today’s conversations between the average people don’t go beyond the simple questions.

“I hate the fact that I can’t ask some people what they feel about what’s going on now with equality,” Smith said. “… You can’t ask those people, because you’re scared they’ll say something you disagree with and at that point, contention. You can’t ask them why they feel that way, because that’s just how they feel and they have reasons to support it. And I think it’s just really frustrating.”

Smith said when he asks people why they feel a certain way about political subjects, he’ll often get shouted at or people will ignore him. With this organization, people will be able to ask complex, tough questions in a respectable manner.

“I think this organization will be able to teach people that you can’t just say, ‘I feel like X,' without giving Y and Z,” Smith said.

Smith said the organization hopes to have events similar to townhouse meetings where students can get together and talk about topics from different angles.

“I think we could put on programs where kids come and they can hash it out in a moderate situation, in which we start with the first hour informing them of the issues, giving them a couple of key topic points, and, from there we let them go, maybe like a townhouse meeting,” Smith said.

Within the next five years, Hollis said she hopes that Pi Sigma Alpha can gain a wide reputation at CMU and that more students “get involved in the political aspects on campus to let them know they do have a voice.”