For all general inquiries or to start a YDS chapter, contact:
Erik Rosenberg, YDS National Organizer
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505
New York City, NY 10038
Phone: 212 727 8610 ext. 4
erik@dsausa.org

YDS Coordinating Committee, Chapters, and Organizing Committees. Scroll down to see if one is near you!

Click here to read more about how our elected leadership works and what each Coordinating Committee member is responsible for.

Name: Erik Rosenberg

Position: National Organizer

College: Wesleyan Univeristy

Email: erik@dsausa.org

My past political activism has centered primarily on peace. As a high school student at the Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel, I co-organized a conflict resolution committee that brought together Palestinians, Israelis, Israeli-Arabs, and Americans to discuss the conflict in the Holy Land. After graduating, I returned to the United States to attend Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut where I earned my B.A. in Government, graduating in 2008. Throughout college I continued my work as a peace activist. I co-founded Students for Ending the War in Iraq (SEWI) which I helped develop into one of the most prominent activist organizations on campus. I also connected SEWI with larger networks such as Connecticut Opposes the War (COW) and the Campus Anti-War Network (CAN). I have interned with Brooklyn For Peace (formerly Brooklyn Parents For Peace), United For Peace and Justice, and served on the Steering Committee of United For Peace and Justice.

Outside of the political realm I enjoy playing the guitar and the piano, gardening, squash, and yoga. I look forward to returning to New York, the city of my birth, to begin my work as Youth Organizer.

Name: Maria Svart

Position: Co-Chair

Chapter: New York City

Email: marisvart(at)gmail.com

My day job is union organizing, but I started out in a YDS chapter at the University of Chicago before getting involved in the CC as the Feminist Issues Coordinator, then Co-chair. At the UofC I studied the intersections of class, race, gender and sexuality throughout American history which explained a lot about my own life. I’m proud to be a socialist, I’m in it for the long haul, and I’m a true believer in Emma Goldman’s philosophy that “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution!”

Name: Chris Maisano

Position: Co-Chair

Chapter: New York City

Email: cgmaisano(at)yahoo.com

Chris Maisano is an activist and public librarian who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He studied Political Science and History at Rutgers University as an undergraduate, and recently received his Masters degree in Library Science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He has been a member of YDS for about 10 years, and has also worked as a union organizer and community organizer. He is an inveterate Yankees hater and sort of knows how to play the ukulele.

Name: Chris Hicks

Position: National Organizing Committee Facilitator

Chapter: Wichita State University

Email: chris.n.hicks(at)gmail.com

I have been active in politics for two and a half years now, with a special emphasis on labor, student debt and immigration. Over the past 2 years, I’ve organized closely around all three of these topics, showing students how they are effected by all of them. I’m also active in Student/Farmworker Alliance, Student Labor Action Project, and Campus Progress. My goal is to become a community/youth organizer once I graduate from college. From 2007-2008 I served as Corresponding Secretary for YDS nationally, and am currently the secretary for Wichita State Democratic Socialists.

Name: Tatiana Guerrero

Position: Corresponding Secretary

Chapter: William Paterson

Email: guerrero0988(at)hotmail.com

I am from Union, NJ and currently an undergraduate student at William Paterson University double majoring in political science and economics. I’ve been actively involved in raising awareness to our time’s social problems since highschool. Since the fall of 2007, I have been involved in bringing up our YDS chapter at WPU, and since, I have been its secretary. In my free time, I enjoy reading, exercising, discussing politics and philosophy, and spending time with my friends and family. I am also a first generation immigrant from Peru, due to this experience and thanks to my family, I have first hand knowledge of what it means to be an immigrant in this great country. I hope my experience can help open doors for others.

Name: Kat Brausch

Position: Feminist Issues Coordinator

Chapter: College of Wooster

Email: kcbrausch(at)gmail.com

Kat Brausch is a senior History and Art History double major at the College of Wooster, studying the ways art influences and shapes political movements by looking at the Black Panther Party and the art of Emory Douglas. She was president of the Wooster chapter of YDS for a year and a half, and is currently involved with a revival of the feminist group on her campus.

Name: Emahunn Campbell

Position: Anti-Racist Coordinator

School: University of Memphis

Email: rcmpbll2(at)memphis.edu

My name is Emahunn Raheem Ali Campbell and I am from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. I serve as the anti-racist coordinator for the Young Democratic Socialists. Currently, I am a graduate student in Literature at The University of Memphis with a concentration in African American Literature and Literary Theory. I work mostly with Leftist campus organizations around issues of race, culture, feminism, corporatism, and imperialism. In the past I have worked with the Black Student Union, STAND, and the Feminist Student Union. My primary aspiration is to earn my doctorate in Literature with a specialization in both Literary Theory and African American Literature. Keep fighting the good fight!

Name: Bhaskar Sunkara

Position: The Activist Editor

Organizing Committee: George Washington University

Email: bhaskar.sunkara(at)gmail.com

My name is Bhaskar Sunkara and I am the Activist Editor for the YDS. I am currently playing a role, along with others, in the forming of a YDS chapter at the George Washington University. I am currently pursuing a BA at that university majoring in both International Affairs and Political Science. My interests include Marxism, sociology and the New York Knicks. In my spare time I like to live it up in true, epicurean socialist fashion. I’ve been told I’m alright to talk to, so feel free to drop me a line at the email above and I’ll might just reply to you (if your lucky).

Name: Will Emmons

Position: Coalitions Coordinator

School: Brown University

Email: will.emmons(at)gmail.com

Will Emmons is a labor activist in Providence, RI, who is starting his third year at Brown University. He is a member of the Brown Student Labor Alliance and Brown Students for a Democratic Society. During the summer of 2007, he worked for SEIU Local 615 in Providence on a Justice For Janitors! campaign. He likes comic books and chill times. He is from Richmond, Kentucky.

Name: Lauren Cary

Position: At-large

Chapter: UVA-Wise

Email: laurennicolecary(at)hotmail.com

My name is Lauren Cary and I am an At-Large member of the Coordinating Commitee for YDS. Currently, I am a junior at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and I plan on attending medical school to pursue a career as a neurologist. I am the founder and president of The Feminist Student Union and STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition. I also am a Resident Advisor, Honor Court Alternate, Vice President of the Black Student Union, Student Ambassador, Orientation Leader and a Freshman Mentor. In my spare time I enjoy reading, activism, promoting awareness for cancer, genocide and socialism. The fight will continue until justice is served!

Name: Axel Chacon

Position: At-large

Chapter: Wichita State University

Email: aechacon(at)gmail.com

When I was four years old my family emigrated from Guatemala to the United States. I believe this helped me become more exposed to social and political issues, because I experienced first hand the life of working class immigrants. In 2007, I became a member of YDS at the Wichita State University chapter located in Kansas. Ever since then, I have continued to become more involved with this great organization.

Name: Andrew Porter

Position: At-large

Chapter: Wooster College

Email: andrewporter2009(at)gmail.com

This is my second term as a member at large of the coordinating committee. I am the co-founder and co-leader of the Wooster Democratic Socialists, which is the YDS chapter on the campus of Wooster. I am a political science major with a minor in economics. I am involved with many different campus organizations and hope that after graduation I am able to continue to organize around socialist principles.

Name: Heidi Cruz

Position: At-large

Chapter: Wichita State University

Email: hxcruz(at)wichita.edu

Heidi Cruz is originally from Los Angeles, California and is currently a sophomore at Wichita State University. In addition to working at Furr’s as a pie lady, she is also majoring in Art Education and minoring in French. She has been an active member of YDS since July 2008. In her free time she enjoys movie marathons and cooking family recipes.

Name: Christina Field

Position: At-large

Chapter: Michigan State University

Email: fieldch3(at)msu.edu

Christina Field has been a YDS member for over two years. She has served on the Michigan State YDS Coordinating Committee, Community Service Committee, and Education Committee. The chapter engages in wide range of internal and external activities: teach-ins on democratic socialism, public events regarding issue of student debt, race, and the housing crisis, and working with the Detroit Democratic Socialists of America local. In addition, the chapter also volunteers at the Rescue City Mission (a homeless shelter in nearby Lansing, MI) and with the My Brothers Keeper mentoring program in Detroit, as well as raising money for Habitat for Humanity.

CHAPTERS

University of Central Arkansas (Conway, AR)

Kenneth Grand kgrand3(at)gmail.com

Chachi Camara needmoreyerbamate(at)gmail.com

David Russell ddr06001(at)cub.uca.edu

Bowling Green State University-Firelands (Huron, OH)

Patrick Saunders p.saunders(at)ambt.net

Sophonina Miller mlsopho(at)bgnet.bgsu.edu

Wooster College (Wooster, OH)

Andrew Porter andrewporter2009(at)gmail.com

Kat Brausch kcbrausch(at)gmail.com

New York City YDS

Chris Maisano cgmaisano(at)yahoo.com

David Yap davidlyap(at)gmail.com

Maria Svart marisvart(at)gmail.com

Stuyvesant High School (New York, NY)

Ben Schneider bmungo525(at)earthlink.net

Alejandro Perez interae86(at)yahoo.com

Michigan State University (Lansing, MI)

Christina Field fieldch3(at)msu.edu

University of Virginia at Wise (Wise, VA)

Lauren Cary laurennicolecary(at)hotmail.com

Kemper Edwards kse8s(at)uvawise.edu

Wichita State University (Wichita, KS)

Axel Chacon aechacon(at)gmail.com

Beth Garton beth.garton(at)gmail.com

University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, CO)

Andrew Bowe Andrew.bowe(at)colorado.edu

Liz Swanson elizabeth.swanson(at)colorado.edu

William Paterson University (Wayne, NJ)

Mike McCabe mike362(at)optonline.net

Tati Guerrero guerrero0988(at)hotmail.com

Butler University (Indianapolis, IN)

Dakota Denzel Manuel dmanuel(at)butler.edu

Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, CA)

Hannah McGinty sxyballerina333(at)aol.com

Dexter Horthy guitardex(at)gmail.com

Redlands High School (Redlands, CA)

Moriah Saldana moriah.saldan(at)gmail.com

Joel Wacks dfungwacks(at)aol.com

ORGANIZING
COMMITTEES

Brown University (Providence, RI)

Will Emmons william_emmons(at)brown.edu

Sasha Link sasha_deutsch-link(at)brown.edu

Jesse Madnick jmadnick90(at)gmail.com

Metropolitan State College of Denver (Denver, CO)

M.J. Christensen aurariads(at)gmail.com

University of North Texas (Denton, TX)

Lee Fatheree lee.fatheree(at)gmail.com

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Damien Mathew damienmathrew(at)yahoo.com

Kansas Univeristy

Nick Hawthorne hawthornenick(at)gmail.com

Nick Mott nickm9595(at)gmail.com

University of California-Berkeley

Aris Grigoriadis thgrigoriadis(at)berkeley.edu/yds.cal(at)gmail.com

George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)

Bhaksar Sunkara bhaskar.sunkara(at)gmail.com

Perry Landman-Hopman perryh13(at)gwu.edu

Emily Sokolski sokolski(at)gwu.edu

Louisiana State Univeristy

Andrew Cheramie apcheramie(at)gmail.com

AFFILIATES

Student Progressive Alliance: The Meadows School (Las Vegas, NV)

Trace Cabot meadowsnewleft(at)yahoo.com

Anoke Ramsey Community College: College Democrats and Progressives

Stephan Peter stephan.peter(at)stribmail.com