On Feb. 5’s club meeting, Mia Fayez guided a multi-topic meeting which centered on the Trump administration. The subjects ranged from tariff wars, Middle East policy, and the administration’s plans for a Gaza strip takeover. The Israel-Hamas ceasefire was also brought up.
“You don’t get that in a classroom. I would not say that any professor would suppress your opinion,” Mia Fayez, the club’s secretary, said. “It’s just that we don’t force you to address a specific topic. You can take any topic and run with it.”
Montclair State’s Political Science club offers spirited discussions about public affairs without dashing people’s spirits. The 75-minute sessions center on informative conversations about domestic and international politics. Participants are invited to express and exchange opinions in a respectful setting.
A student watches a discussion at the Political Science Club meeting.
Ava Firmani | The Montclarion Photo credit: Ava Firmani
The club has been in its third incarnation since 2020, following a COVID-19 pandemic interruption and a failed revival attempt.
Mohamed Fayez, a senior political science major and president of the club, said the organization brings people together for a beneficial experience.
“[The Political Science Club’s purpose is] to foster a greater sense of unity in the [Political Science] Department, and on campus in general,” Mohamed Fayez said. “[We also] inform people in politics and we’ve been working to get people appointments on campaigns.”
Mohamed Fayez said the club’s campaign work initiative is “very early on” in development, with a nonpartisan intent.
“It’s not a major feature. Our main thing is informing the campus and getting political science students involved and informed about events.”
Mohamed Fayez said the Political Science Club offers a pleasant platform for people to speak their minds. He said he thinks college students face circumstances that hamper candid dialogue.
“I think people, especially college students, end up in this sort of blank, and there is a lot of browbeating in these classrooms,” Mohamed Fayez said about inflexible mindsets.
Mohamed Fayez said at club meetings that disrespectful demeanor during discussions is quickly dealt with. He said Mia Fayez, as secretary, moderates the exchanges and watches out for derogatory discourse. Mohamed Fayez said the secretary will, if necessary, immediately pause the meeting to call out unacceptable behavior.
Mia Fayez, a junior double majoring in jurisprudence and political science, shared her thoughts about the Political Science Club. She seconded her brother Mohamed Fayez’s assessment about the club’s open-minded nature. She said the group offers a “comfortable space to express your opinions, regardless of where you are on the political spectrum.”
Mia Fayez also said the organization is not just a place for airing perspectives.
“More than that, it’s a way to learn. A lot of the students we have here are not political science majors. They’ve never taken a political science class, but they hear about political events and they don’t know what’s happening,” Mia Fayez said.
Mia Fayez leads a discussion at the Political Science Club meeting.
Ava Firmani | The Montclarion Photo credit: Ava Firmani
Mia Fayez described a hypothetical scenario highlighting the club’s knowledge-providing ability on prominent issues.
“They have an opinion, for example, ‘I’m pro-Israel or pro-Palestine’ without understanding the political parts of it,” Mia Fayez said.
Fayez said the club’s exploration of views “educates them with objective research, and it allows them to hear alternative opinions without being insulted, without being judged, without it becoming a screaming match.”
Sophia Guzman Cintron, the clun’s treasurer, is a junior double-majoring in policy studies and political science. She characterized the group as “a really great space” to gain knowledge on domestic and international affairs as well as learn relevant insights from one’s peers.
“I think that it’s a really great space for communication and collaboration,” Cintron said. “I really enjoy hearing people’s perspectives on topics that I might not be so informed about, or they offer perspective that I haven’t considered on a topic that I am informed on.”
Cintron said the organization strives for unfettered verbalization of people’s stances on political subjects.
“I think we very commonly have people with different ideas, and we encourage that really. We really want people to bring their own unique perspective, even if it doesn’t align with ours, or with other people in the club. We really want it to be a space for you, for people as students, to feel like they can share their true and honest opinion, and share that with our membership and the world.”
Students look on at the Political Science Club meeting. Ava Firmani | The Montclarion Photo credit: Ava Firmani
Cintron said the organization offers a less confined discussion venue than university classrooms. She said, in college courses, the source material or the professor may deter uninhibited comments. She said she believes the club fosters a fair field for feedback.
“Because we are all peers, I think that makes us on a more equal level, and so we give each other respect and we allow for open communication.”
The Political Science Club is sponsoring several upcoming events. On Feb. 26, the club will be hosting “From Campus to Career.” This seminar will feature a panel delving into political science career-starting strategies. In addition, the club is working on two other endeavors: a Student Government Association candidate forum in March and an April movie night.
The club meets Wednesdays at 2 p.m. in Dickson Hall Room 272 during the academic year.
