Attendees of the first University of Richmond College Democrats Gala filled The Cave nearly to capacity for a night of networking, meeting politicians and listening to speeches on Saturday, March 1.
Scheduled speakers included Richmond Mayor Danny Avula, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, and Virginia Delegate Mike Jones. Jones was unable to make it. College Democrat executives Sophie Christianson and Hays Stritikus also gave speeches.
Avula thanked the students for being present and politically active, calling their interest encouraging.
“When I was in college, [local politics] was the furthest thing from my mind,” Avula said. “To see this room full of people who are looking for ways to plug in, it’s really encouraging.”
Attendees included UR and Virginia Commonwealth University students, members of both UR College Democrats and Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats, as well as local community members.
Avula emphasized the importance of getting young adults involved after his speech. He said young people are the place where movements start, sharing his optimism for the change this generation could bring.
“Young people are where movements start, right,” Avula said. “I think the power of young people and the energy that they bring [to policy], to really define agendas for communities, they need to be educated and they need to be plugged in to be able to do that.”
A shared emphasis among the speakers was continuing action even after Democrats lost the 2024 presidential election.
“We look at what’s happening in the world, we should all be compelled to [ask] what can we do? How do we lean in? How do we get more involved, in the political arena, in the policy arena, and in the community arena?” Avula said. “The energy that is created by events like this [is] sharpening our focus on justice issues and how we actually care for human beings.”
McClellan, a Democratic U.S. representative for Virginia’s 4th congressional district, shared stories that audibly resonated with the crowd, many nodding with approval. These included her experiences as a student at UR and in College Democrats, and being Virginia's first black Congresswoman. She also shared some advice she said she was compelled to give being a professor’s daughter on a college campus.
“Do not be afraid to fail, and I know that on a college campus, with your parents here, you probably don’t want me to say that. But failure is okay,” McClellan said. This lesson was something McClellan learned from her failed 2021 gubernatorial campaign, when she lost to Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic Primary.
She also addressed the re-election of President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, something all the speakers touched on, at least briefly.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
“This time, what is happening in Washington is not just a fight for the soul of our nation, as President Biden would say, it’s a fight for the future of our American republic,” she said.
College Democrats President Sophie Christianson and Vice President Quinton Jones managed the Gala, and both previously worked on Avula’s mayoral campaign. Christianson credits her experience with Avula and involvement in the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats as crucial to inviting speakers to UR. Still, Christianson said there was a lot of uncertainty in organizing the event.
“Honestly a lot of it was throwing a dart with my eyes closed and hoping that it worked out. I’m glad that it did, it was a lot of prep— about 2 months, 3 months of prep,” Christianson said.
Christianson said it was great to see the high turnout, and was confident that the Gala was a place where people feel free to express their views, regardless of their political leanings.
“I think it’s great that many people are willing to be politically active,” Christianson said. “I think that at Richmond especially we have a less politically active campus than for example VCU, and a lot of Virginia schools in general.”
Christianson, a first-year student, was elected President of the UR College Democrats in December. She called the Gala a “kickoff,” showing the College Democrats activity and said they had more events in the works.
Many attendants had been at previous events hosted by the College Democrats or other organizations. Junior Tiger Peng described the gala as a rare “opportunity” to hear the speaker’s thoughts.
“I’m definitely most excited to hear from Jennifer McClellan and the Richmond City Mayor. This is definitely not an opportunity that just comes along, to hear directly from these people,” Peng said.
Peng, like most people at the event, recognized the opportunity to connect with other politically engaged students. He also said that politics is rarely an issue at campus events and whether you are a Democrat or a Republican should never get in the way of constructive dialogue.
VCU student Jesse Powers shared her gratitude for having the freedom for political discussion. Despite her personal thoughts on the American political landscape, she remains hopeful for productive discourse leading to change.
“I’m very glad that we’re able to have this kind of independence. My dad grew up in England, and you know the history there,” she said. “Despite everything that’s going on, I am glad that I’m able to grow up in America. No matter what, we’re able to talk about [politics], and we’re able to be in this space.”
Contact city & state writer Thomas Ham at thomas.ham@richmond.edu
Support independent student media
You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.
Donate Now
