Davina: My Political Engagement and What Keeps Me Going

By Davina Srioudom

Coming to Berkeley, I always knew there would be more opportunities for me to be involved in politics that aligned with my own personal values, in stark contrast to my very conservative, traditional hometown. My political story begins with a City Council meeting where I lobbied the Mayor and Councilmembers in support of more affordable housing. Immediately afterwards, I had felt so incredibly empowered and shocked, as I didn’t realize how effortless, yet impactful a one minute public comment could be. Later that night, those feelings once again intensified as the Council unanimously voted to approve the housing projects. 

Since then, I’ve cultivated a massive passion for local politics, and the opportunity to advocate for the needs of my community. I’ve learned that these policies could really go either way in benefitting the experience of students during their time at Cal, or taking away from it completely. Through my involvement in local advocacy I’ve realized that this is what I want to continue pursuing in my future, not only because of the pure entertainment value from NIMBYs, but also because of all the different individuals and stories I’ve come across through these encounters. I’ve had the opportunity to serve on local city commissions, have coffee chats with local elected officials and hone in on building close ties with fellow community members, who share the same drive in addressing the local issues our communities face every day. I’ve learned a lot and met so many people who I may have never have crossed paths with otherwise, and it’s been amazing seeing how much we can accomplish together when we communicate and coordinate our efforts towards our goals.

But, not everyone has the time to attend these meetings. For instance, families who are caught up with work and looking after their children and students who are balancing school and working multiple jobs to pay the ridiculously high cost of rent, don’t have the time in their busy lives to be at Council meetings. Thus, I’ve always felt that, as someone with these opportunities at hand, it’s my responsibility to speak up on behalf of our communities and individuals who aren’t able to be as politically engaged as they’d hope to because of their commitments.