A Diplomatic Conversation with the Political Science Society
Written by Natasha Fernandes
Thumbnail and Header Photo by Chantal Gravelle
Whether we like it or not, politics and our day to day life are inseparable. Everything that we do in life has a political influence surrounding it; when we see politics as something distant, we tend to forget how personal it is in reality. The Political Science Society has been revived at Saint Mary’s University after being dormant since 2018. I had the opportunity to meet with the Co-Presidents of the Political Science Society, Chantal Gravelle and Jacob Carey Paradis, to talk about the vision for the society and future collaborations. The concept for their society is to share the relevance of politics and create an environment for curiosity and discourse. As Chantal said:
Chantal Gravelle, Co-President of the Political Science Society. Photo by Chantal Gravelle.
“I think people do not realize that everything we do in life is very political. Even down to the food that we eat, how we view things, and how we interact in our daily lives. People must be aware of it, and that would be our first step as a Society.”
Chantal and Jacob started working together as executives for the Model United Nations Society for the 2019-2020 term. After their experience as leaders there, they decided to further their journey by reviving the Political Science Society.
The 2021 revival of the Political Science Society is relatively new, and the Co-Presidents are looking to secure collaborations with the Debate Society and the incoming Model UN Society. They are also looking forward to expanding their executive team and are actively recruiting for the positions of Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. As Jacob elaborated:
“If anybody has any special skills that they are confident in, for instance, if they are excellent in making posters and that is all they want to do, then so be it. We want to be as inclusive and flexible as possible.”
Jacob and Chantal are also Co-Presidents for the Philosophy Society. They wanted to create the Philosophy Society with the same principles as the Political Science Society. They wanted to make a safe space for students to learn, study, and broaden their campus life experiences together. I was curious to know how they have managed to balance being an executive for two new societies while also handling their academics. To this, Chantal said,
“I am someone who loves to be busy and productive. It took a few tries in my third year with Model UN to get it right and balance things out, and I have managed to find a way that works best to keep me organized. I have also been working full-time this year, so I am a full-time student, worker, and help out with two societies, and I love every moment of it.”
Learning from their diverse experience with societies at SMU, I was curious to know about how the Co-Presidents have grown from dabbling with different societies on campus. To this, Chantal replied,
“Through my experience with different societies, I have interacted with so many talented individuals and developed many critical thinking skills. Even just public speaking skills, which I think is crucial for just being an adult and connecting with people. It helped me a lot with self-confidence and enabled me to respect myself and other people around me. Every member of the society has become my lifelong friend. These are my people. So by being involved, you create a place where you develop friendships and have a good support system too.”
Jacob Carey Paradis, Co-President of the Political Science Society. Photo by Jacob Paradis.
A part of university life is about communicating, networking, and maintaining friendships that will last for a lifetime. The Political Science Society wants to create a space for students to explore their curiosity, meet like-minded individuals, and engage in a casual debate once in a while. They want students to feel relaxed after a stressful class and share their academic burdens with their peers by doing assignments together. Although the society has just recently been formed, they are already setting up study groups, on-campus events, visiting speakers, and mentoring sessions in the coming weeks. As Jacob said,
“My big focus is to keep everyone engaged. Because I know society meetings can be pretty boring sometimes. So I will keep practicing my observational skills to be aware of the members’ morale and the dynamic I should maintain moving forward. So you see, our society does not have a specific structure; we want everyone to keep collaborating so we can all learn together and from each other.”
Ever since SMU went from ‘virtual’ to a ‘hybrid' setting, students have felt it is tough to step out of their homes and interact with peers. So, starting this semester, let us make it a challenge to get involved in at least one society on campus. Maybe the Political Science Society sounded like the perfect place for you. If so, you can contact the society by email (smusapoliticalsciencesociety@gmail.com) and join as a member or even apply for one of the founding executive positions. Likewise, If you find the Philosophy Society to align better with your interests, you can contact them by email (smusaphilosophysociety@gmail.com). I wish both societies a prosperous term filled with curiosity, debate, and engagement!
P.S: If you are a member or an executive of a campus society at Saint Mary’s and would like to feature in the SMU Journal, you can email me at fernnash15@gmail.com. I want to know more about your experience with societies here at SMU, so please reach out!