The Collegiate Society of America (CSAmerica) is a student-run, non-partisan debate and political awareness organization for college students that is dedicated to furthering college students’ awareness and involvement in the democratic process. Founded in November, 2005, CSAmerica is a program of The Collegiate Society Foundation (CSF), a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization. CSAmerica strives to do this through debate and discussion of the important political issues facing our country today. CSAmerica features participant friendly debates during which anyone can ask questions and express their viewpoints and ideas. CSAmerica debate focuses on ideas, rather than rhetoric. Through efforts to improve civic education and voter participation among college students, CSAmerica aims to heighten political awareness among young people across the country in order to end political apathy on college campuses. The Collegiate Society is run by students who have a passion for the goals and purpose of the program. CSAmerica believes that by creating an engaging, exciting, and inviting atmosphere for the discussion of important issues that they can get more college students involved both in the organization and in the American democratic process. CSAmerica attracts leaders, creates new ones, and motivates more students to become involved in our democracy, bolstering both self-confidence and public speaking skills. The mission of CSAmerica is embodied in the CSAmerica slogan — Advancing Democracy, Fostering Leadership.
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Three fundamental principles of CSAmerica
1) Idea-Oriented and Participation-Friendly Debate
2) Civic Education and Voter Participation
3) Political Awareness for College Students
About CSAmerica Chapters
CSAmerica chpaters will be started at colleges and universities around the country at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. Chapters are at the core of the CSAmerica program. All around the United States, students at colleges and universities are starting and joining CSAmerica Chapters, making the CSAmerica program one of the fasting growing collegiate clubs in the country. This is because CSAmerica brings student leaders with the common passions of debate, politics, and a desire to get more college student engaged in our democratic process together. At many schools, CSAmerica is the only nonpartisan political and open debate club. There are many political clubs on college campuses across the country, but nearly all of them have some sort of political leaning. Likewise, there are debate societies and teams at almost every college, but their debate is usually limited to experienced debaters who know the various technical aspects of competitive debate. CSAmerica is a forum where students can come and debate pertinent issues in a friendly atmosphere in which they are not limited by their previous debating experience. Also, since CSAmerica is a nonpartisan organization, students argue for either side of a given issue. This is one of a few collegiate arenas for college students to argue and defend their views, since most political clubs only represent one side of an issue. CSAmerica chapters work to improve civic education, voter participation, and overall political awareness on their college campus. College students are significantly impacted by politics, but most students know very little about politics or the role it plays in their everyday lives. In President Lincoln’s words, the United States has a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” and CSAmerica chapters strive to educate their peers about our democratic system.
CSAmerica Regions
Colleges and University chapters of CSAmerica are divided into four geographic regions. Chapters belong to the Northeast, the Southern, the Midwest, or the Western regions. Every year, each region elects a governor and lieutenant governor to run the region and they appoint a cabinent to help them run the region. Northeast Region: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Connecticut Southern Region: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Midwest Region: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska Western Region: Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada
CSAmerica Conventions
Conventions are the highlight of the CSAmerica program. CSAmerica's goal is to eventually have two conventions for each of the four regions per academic year. At these region-wide overnight conventions, students engage in debate and discourse, listen to leading speakers, and learn about the important issues facing our country in a friendly and energetic atmosphere. At these conventions, CSAmerica national projects to increase voter participation and fight political apathy are established and planned. CSAmerica conventions connect student leaders from different schools, creating lasting friendships, providing a great opportunity for networking, and an atmosphere to learn and debate. The first CSAmerica National Convention occurred in Washington, DC February 9-11, 2007. The Second Convention occurred in November, 2007. CSAmerica's third national convention will occur from February 29-March 2, 2008.
