On October 22 Colleges Nine, Ten, and Oakes teamed up to put on the Practical Activism Conference (PAC). Covering topics from Islamophobia to domestic violence to the marginalization of undocumented workers, PAC offered the opportunity for several hundred students worked together in groups and as a whole to break down these issues and create a more cohesive society. A highlight of the afternoon was College 10’s own Terisa Siagatonu, an award-winning spoken word poet.

Terisa received the Champion of Change Award from President Obama, as well as presented during the United Nation’s summit on climate change in Paris, France. While at UC Santa Cruz Terisa was heavily involved in tackling the issues of Pacific Islander/Indigenous rights, LGBTQIA rights, and gender-based violence. She has continued to confront these issues post-graduation as a community organizer and marriage/family therapist, as well as through spoken word which has accumulated millions of viewers online. The impact Terisa had at the Practical Activism Conference was palpable, as students clapped, hollered, snapped, and even cried as she tackled some of the more difficult issues of the day on stage.  PAC’s organizers did an outstanding job at bringing together current students and alumni while looking for answers to the world’s larger social issues.