Shoubhik, second from right, with Congressman Keith Ellison is the leader of Represent Twin Cities, a chapter started at the University of Minnesota.On the issue
I’m a first-generation American, born and raised in Minnesota. My parents immigrated here from Bengal. In Bengali culture, everyone is politically involved and people have a lot of ideas. So, I was brought up in an environment where people often argued about how to change the world for the better.
Now, as an electrical engineer, I tend to think in terms of efficiency, and I asked myself, “what’s the most effective means to make change?”
Ultimately, I decided that corruption is the fundamental problem blocking progress in America. The majority of people know about it, and they’re tired of our gridlocked Congress.
Joining the movement
I signed up with RepresentUs a while ago and even spoke with an organizer, but I was too busy with my studies. Then, this past summer I watched the film Milk. I loved the camaraderie portrayed in the film, and how people came together to create meaningful change in their community. It reminded me of my upbringing and reminded me that all it takes is a community with strong bonds for a movement to grow.
“RepresentUs gave me a reason to make a difference in peoples’ lives one at a time. That, in and of itself, is amazing. I realized that all I had to do was start talking to people about the campaign.”
— Shoubhik Sinha
Becoming a leader
The first two days it was like, “what am I doing here!?” It was awkward. But when I asked people, “Do you want to help fight government corruption?” I could see it click in most peoples’ heads.
Once I had my feet under me, I reached out to my friends to help me get our chapter started. Registering as a student group on campus was easy at UMN. We just had to get 5 people together and fill out an application.
When we recruit supporters, I love to ask,
“What do you want your legacy to be? You have your life. What are you going to do with it?”
I want to have an impact in peoples’ lives, so that’s what motivates me. Students are often looking to do something meaningful, so if you can give them something to do that’s fun and has an impact factor, then you’re going to see participation.
Building a RepresentUs Chapter
I found it was even easier to engage people who are already motivated politically and active with other student groups. And it didn’t matter if it was the College Democrats or Republicans, this issue connects across the board. So, we tracked down all the major political groups on campus and reached out.
“It makes things fun and less intimidating when you can get people to laugh right away.”
— Shoubhik Sinha
It worked! Our Chapter is thriving and we’re having a great time. We start every meeting with this amazing, 3-minute TED Talk.
We work to figure out what people are good at: writing emails, social media, etc. Figuring out roles and holding brainstorming sessions, gets everyone involved quickly and makes sure that everyone has the chance to share their ideas.
Advice for other Volunteers
It’s easy to get scared because the problem is so big, but the truth is that everything you do makes a difference. If you can propel yourself off of your little victories, then you can make a big difference. People in the group have told me, “Hey, thanks for putting this together because now I feel like I’m a part of something meaningful.”
Want to follow Shoubhik’s lead and start a RepresentUs Chapter at your school? Sign up here to join the Anti-Corruption Student Challenge.