Pennsylvania Progressive Summit attracts students

Several student leaders from Pitt had a chance to network this weekend with the progressive… Several student leaders from Pitt had a chance to network this weekend with the progressive politicians and thinkers of Allegheny County.

That opportunity came at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, an annual event that drew more than 300 people to the Sheraton Station Square Hotel on Saturday. Pitt students numbered among those who attended a slew of workshops that addressed controversial topics like Marcellus Shale drilling, gun violence, Pennsylvania’s 2011 budget and marriage equality, among others.

The speakers included Reverend Jesse Jackson; Pitt’s Director of the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities Conrad Dan Volz; and State Sen. Daylin Leach.

Student Government Board allocated $405 for three members of Pitt College Democrats to attend the summit. Only President Matthew DiFiore and Political Action Director Benjamin Robinson went, so $270 was spent.

DiFiore said they attended to gather information and campaign strategies, as well as to get contact information for a joint panel discussion that they plan to hold with the Republicans of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society.

Robinson said he looked forward to the Allegheny County caucus — a party meeting to select candidates or to decide on policy — that also occurred during the summit. He said he planned to get a contact list together to ease the transition for the next director.

“The caucuses are our lifeline,” he said.

The workshops featured more than just local politicians. Environmental concerns also had their moment during the summit.

Volz led a panel on Marcellus Shale drilling. He and his research team created a blogsite — fractracker.org — that allows citizens to learn about and share their gas drilling experiences to regulate drilling companies

“These are no longer potential public health impacts. These impacts are happening today. They are happening now, and they are documented,” Volz said.

During his talk, Volz addressed the degradation of water supply and added costs to clean contaminated water, along with air pollution and dying agriculture.

Controversial topics continued into the second session of panels.

Pitt junior Tricia Dougherty sat in the crowd as Leach spoke on marriage equality — what he labeled the civil rights battle of this generation.

Dougherty, the regional chair of Student Network Across Pennsylvania, came to the conference to get the group’s name out and support fellow member Jason Goodman of the University of Pennsylvania, who won the “Young Progressive Award” at the closing of the day’s events.

Leach introduced the marriage equality bill in 2009. The Pennsylvania Senate has yet to vote on the bill, but it would legalize same-sex marriage and recognize same-sex marriage performed in other states.

When Leach spoke in support of the bill, he mentioned Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal for eight years. He said the only change in demographics once it was legalized was a lower divorce rate.

Leach also addressed arguments he faced when pushing the bill.

“I usually get a variation of ‘My God doesn’t like that,” Leach said. “My main argument is ‘My God does.’ No one should be able to use the power of the State to force those views on those who do not share them. I’m Jewish. I don’t eat ham. I don’t pass legislation so others can’t eat ham.”

In response to a question in the crowd on when same-sex marriage will pass, he said it is inevitable, but ultimately the Supreme Court’s decision.

The day ended with a dinner and “Music for Change,” featuring performances by Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X and Pittsburgh band Boca Chica.