Members of the College Democrats at UC Irvine (CDUCI) gathered in Rowland Hall 108 for Jackbox trivia games and free pizza.
Pablo Diaz, fourth-year chemical engineering student and member at large, directed the games at the front of the classroom. For Diaz, CDUCI became a space for him to take action.
“I’ve always been just like keeping my eyes on politics and the news and whatnot,” Diaz told New University. “But I think recently, especially with current events, it got to a point where just, like, reading and watching and informing myself wasn’t enough for me, and I felt that I had to get out and actually do stuff. So I think this club is one way to go out and mobilize and create change.”
CDUCI Co-President Nolan Vega Pritchett said that the club’s main initiative is to help students navigate and get involved with national and local politics.
“Our big thing is grassroots organizing and mobilization,” Pritchett told New University. “This is just getting people involved where they can, whether it’s internships or other opportunities, volunteering, a way to get people into the door of the democratic world. I think that we’re a great step to do that.”
Resources like voter guides, internships, networking opportunities, notice boards and rides to conventions and protests are offered to members. General meetings are held at 7 p.m. every Thursday at locations announced on their Instagram.
According to Co-President Frank Granda, CDUCI entered a rebuilding phase after going dormant around the election season due to leadership inactivity. Granda and some friends decided that they needed a change.
“We started rebuilding the board, establishing all contacts,” Granda told New University. “And it’s been a major success. Our first meeting, we got ourselves like, at least, I believe like 20, 30 people, you know, we even got like the president of the California Young Dems to at least show up, and it’s been going on with momentum ever since.”
On April 17, CDUCI prefaced an informational slide deck that included a membership form for student conventions to become registered under California Young Democrats. Pritchett also reminded attendees about upcoming fundraisers with Orange County Young Democrats (OCYD) and a beach day with other Young Democrat chapters throughout Orange County.
Davis Garcia, CDUCI engagement director, said that the club seeks to revitalize the energy and campus culture that once existed at UCI, partly by connecting with other young college democrats.
“We actually have been reaching out to a lot of other democratic chapters here in Orange County,” Garcia told New University. “On top of that, we’re in collaboration right now with UCR and UCLA College Dem chapters, on kind of a Democratic Fair that we’re trying to plan out. Just to give our students more of a voice.”
Garcia said that the club prioritizes speakers related to current events by specifically involving the local community. Speakers have included Democratic candidates running for the Irvine City Council, professors and local activists.
On March 6, CDUCI invited Chris Kluwe, an ex-NFL punter known for his work in social activism and advocacy. The public forum came weeks after Kluwe was arrested on Feb. 18 at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting for protesting the city’s decision to display a plaque at the city library featuring an acrostic of MAGA.
Alongside answering questions on political activism, Kluwe spoke about how there is no issue with expressing your voice, which Garcia said was quite powerful.
“Given the fact that he was one of the people that actually stood up for a lot of people in Huntington Beach, and that gave us inspiration and that’s kind of what I want to show young students here at UCI that, oh here we’re connected with like you know all these social activists in the community and we want to bring them to you so you know how to get socially active,” Garcia said.
While CDUCI invites speakers like Kluwe to their meetings, they also host events, many of which are held outside campus with the local community. With the support of OCYD, the club attends larger events such as Bernie Sanders and AOC’s Fighting Oligarchy Tour in LA.
The club also endorses local political candidates, who Pritchett said are selected via a CDUCI board vote.
Although still in the process of rebuilding, CDUCI has had local campuses, such as Irvine Valley College, reach out to them for advice on rebuilding their own College Democrats Clubs, Granda said.
“We actually have been helping them out because we want to at least increase youth participation and representation, not just here on campus, but all across Orange County,” Granda said.
As for UCI students, Garcia said they should start by getting involved with local politics.
“The start is literally making change in your local government, holding your representatives accountable,” Garcia said. “And when I say politics, I don’t mean Democrat or Republican, I actually just mean getting straight to legislative decisions that will improve the communities that people live in. And that’s kind of what I really hope that this club can actually do for students here at UCI.”
CDUCI is open to students of all political affiliations and does not require membership fees.
Students for Socialism at UCI was unavailable for comment.
Students can read about the College Republicans at UCI here.
Zoë Chang is a Features Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at zoeac@uci.edu.