50 ways promotes political activism

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Senior SaraJane McDonald speaks at Lexington Women’s Rights Rally

Ashlynne Mullis, Secondary Editor

50 Ways Rockbridge, a politically-motivated group that formed in January 2017, has already made waves in the local community. This group was formed by concerned Rockbridge County citizens in reaction to the new presidential administration that has recently taken office.

Nine local activists head the group, which already has about 200 members. At their initial meeting in January, these members were split into 11 sub-committees. Each of these sub-committees focuses on a specific area of political policy, such as education, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Washington & Lee University professor Ellen Mayock is one of the board members that leads 50 Ways, and she hopes that the group will continue to have positive effects on the Rockbridge community.

“We have done major work on healthcare, immigrant rights, gerrymandering, LGBTQIA+ and women’s rights, and First Amendment rights,” said Mayock. “We are pleased to have people of all ages in the group, and we are working to increase representation of all areas of our community.”

RCHS juniors Lulu West and Emma Worth, along with senior SaraJane McDonald, have become active in 50 Ways Rockbridge.

“I’ve gained a lot of political awareness,” said McDonald. “I used to talk about things that I didn’t really know about, but now I actually have the desire to research topics and learn all that I can.”

McDonald was one of the organizers of the Lexington Women’s Rights Rally, which took place on March 3. Additionally, she has been involved with reaching out to the community to inspire more people to become politically active.

“Bridget Kelly-Dearing and I put together a slideshow presentation about how to put together a rally or a protest,” said McDonald.

While 50 Ways Rockbridge is typically a left-leaning group, one of their goals is to foster bipartisan cooperation.

“We have a group specifically to reach out to people with different views…. A big part of [50 Ways] is collaboration,” McDonald said.

50 Ways Rockbridge is a great way for young people who cannot yet vote to take an active role in politics.

“It’s really difficult feeling like you can’t really do anything to make a difference in our political situation,” said West. “So, being involved with 50 Ways allows you to feel like you’re doing something, even though you can’t vote.”

If any RCHS students are looking to become involved with 50 Ways Rockbridge, they can contact one of the board members listed on their website, https://50waysrockbridge.wordpress.com/.