The Dark Side of RSOs (And How to Make Them Better)
Authored by: SCDS
This article is part of the SCDS Fall 2023 Penn State Dis-Orientation Guide. View the full Guide here: https://medium.com/@scdsstatecollege/list/penn-state-disorientation-guide-fall-2023-7baaafbc9a79
A fictionalized story about Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) — i.e. officially registered “clubs,” “associations,” “caucuses,” “societies” — that you won’t find in Penn State’s advertising.
You are mad. Sweat runs down your back from the walk to your dorm from Old Main. You just met with the UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT, the highest UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR. She wanted to “dialogue” with you about the funding she cut from the racial and gender justice project that your RSO supported. Instead, she talked down to you and refused to budge. Why did she even invite you there? Why did she already know your name? Why did the Vice President tell you to not join the student protest movement against white supremacy? You realize something. RSOs are straight-jacketed by University Administrators’ rules and funding. RSOs are easily monitored. This is painful — University Administrators promote their own policies as “student ideas.” Administrators like the President punish or bribe students with resume boosts to gain “support.” Administrators use their power to control students through RSOs. This isn’t what the pamphlets and underpaid tour guides told you. You’re an RSO leader. You didn’t even realize this yourself before now.
This is not the end of the story.
This tale might reflect the reality of joining some social justice- or cultural identity-based RSOs today. But you can change this narrative. RSO policies, structures, and leaders are made — therefore, they can be unmade. Remade, even. Yes, you must join community organizations that aren’t formally linked to PSU if you want to make a real difference. But if you also join an RSO, fight to change it. Make it political. Break the rules to change the rules. Take away Administrators’ power over RSOs. Don’t elect selfish, careerist, easily-bribed individuals to RSO leadership. Transform your RSO to serve students, the community, the oppressed, the people.
