With a goal of fostering social change through community service initiatives, the Goldman Society aims to promote the understanding of political theory and tangibly apply it to everyday situations.
Natasha Kiriluk, the organization's president and a senior studying political science, history and economics, said the Goldman Society's goal is to get students involved and teach them how to civically and politically engage with ASU and Tempe communities.
Kiriluk also said a lack of organizations on campus performing community service motivated its founders to start the club.
"We felt like a lot of progressive organizations on campus aren't very service-focused, not a lot of actually going into the community and organizing," Kiriluk said. "We just wanted to make up for that."
The organization was formed in Fall 2025. Its name is derived from Emma Goldman, who was an early 20th-century political activist, according to PBS.
Vice President Emma Wymore, a senior studying economics, political science and global justice, said she helped start the club to build a space for students to be involved in the community and understand the context behind current political issues.
The Goldman Society has organized donation drives for items like feminine hygiene products, books, food and clothing. At a Feb. 17 meeting, the group made red "know your rights" cards in several languages to educate people on their liberties when encountering immigration enforcement officers.
"Little things like this, like getting together with your friends and making red cards, distributing free period products to students, collecting books to give to those who are in jail, they are small parts of a bigger picture, a bigger solution," Wymore said.
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The club focuses on contextualizing the issues its community service addresses by putting its progressive values into practice, Wymore said. It wants the University community to better understand the implications of social issues.
"Students being able to afford what to eat or choosing between their next meal or buying a tampon, or students feeling (unsafe) to go to class because they're afraid of the immigration consequences, all these things are major," Wymore said.
Anusha Rahman, the director of marketing and a senior studying economics and political science, said the Goldman Society hopes to foster an open and inclusive environment where students have the opportunity to engage in community service projects.
The club also works to have a welcoming and understanding message, as other organizations "can come off strong," Rahman said.
However, the Goldman Societyu still does a lot of networking with pre-existing organizations, Rahman said.
"We reach out to other ASU organizations that aren't just economic theory-based or political theory-based," Rahman said. "We want to create a collaborative environment with other ASU organizations and that's what's so important to us as a club."
Rahman said the distribution of know your rights cards allows the organization to create change in the local community.
"It starts super small, and then it grows," Rahman said. "You can't expect change to come all at once."
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Christal Costello, a junior studying marketing and the director of marketing for Devils in the Bedroom, participates in the club's activities. Costello said the Goldman Society's inclusive atmosphere and service-driven mission turns its members' ideas into action and palpable results.
"You're able to bring people in with those like-minded ideas and then drive that into actual action that is able to make that positive change that a lot of people are looking for, but don't necessarily know how to," Costell said. "This is a great way to be a catalyst for that change."
Kiriluk said the club extends participation to all University students and urged those who have service project ideas or social advocacy interests to attend the meetings.
"If there's something in your community that you think needs to be fixed, you think needs action, we are here to support you in order to do that," Kiriluk said. "No matter how small, no matter how big, we just want to do something tangible with what we have."
Edited by Carsten Oyer, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at ksmitten@asu.edu.
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