
Updated Jan. 22 at 4:25 p.m. EST.
Ray Epstein’s college career has been characterized by activism. In her sophomore year, she refounded Student Activists Against Sexual Assault at Temple, a club that had gone dormant for four years before she arrived on campus.
“When I imagined college, I imagined activism and advocacy work,” said Epstein, a senior English and communication and social influence major. “I envisioned that would be something waiting for me, but it wasn’t at Temple. And so, I thought, if we had one in the past, why not restart it?”
During her junior year as SAASA’s president, Epstein coordinated a grant with Uber and It’s On Us, SAASA’s parent organization, to get students hundreds of thousands of dollars in free ride shares to increase safety. Now, as president of Temple’s Student Government, she continues working to improve campus life for students.
Epstein’s efforts reflect a broader wave of activism at Temple during 2024, where students and faculty made their voices heard by tackling a variety of issues.
From fighting for improved labor conditions and campus safety to advocating for international human rights, Temple’s activist community held a number of on-campus protests and demonstrations, hoping to drive meaningful conversations and change on campus and beyond.
Students quickly migrated to SAASA after it was revived in 2022. The organization grew to around 300 members in its first year and boasts 500 students involved today. SAASA consistently hosts events to empower individuals to share their stories. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, club members encouraged the Temple community to wear purple in support of survivors on Oct. 25.
The Temple Association of University Professionals launched a campaign in August 2023 to secure a fairer union contract for faculty and staff. The union reached an agreement with Temple in October 2024 after 14 months of negotiations. TAUP president Jeffrey Doshna stressed the importance of solidarity and the right to organize.
“I think that every worker deserves the right to organize and advocate for better working conditions at Temple,” Doshna told The Temple News in December 2024. “We will support all workers that want to do that.”
Through its campaign, the union successfully negotiated for wage increases, expanded benefits and greater job security for part-time faculty and librarians. However, an improved sick leave policy – one of TAUP’s main goals – was not included. Union leaders have stated their intention to revisit the issue in future discussions on a broader platform.
Activism at Temple has also extended to global issues during the past year, with students rallying to raise awareness about international crises like the Israel-Hamas War. Among the most visible efforts on campus in recent months has been the work of Students for Justice in Palestine, who have organized protests, vigils and educational events in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
SJP marched from Main Campus to City Hall in April, advocating for Palestinian liberation and demanding Temple take action through financial divestment. They also protested at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign at The Liacouras Center in October 2024. Rishi Arun, a former member of SJP, urged attendees to rethink their vote, critical of Harris’ policies on the Israel-Hamas war.
“You don’t have to vote,” Arun told The Temple News in October 2024. “You don’t have to participate in this f—ed up system. There are things you can do that don’t involve voting for genocide. You can still organize, you can still build mass movements that aren’t directly involved in funding genocide.”
SJP’s demonstrations have sparked debate across campus, drawing both support and criticism from students, faculty and community members. The group was placed on interim suspension after an altercation with police at a career fair for the College of Engineering in September 2024. While many students commend SJP for shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, others argue the group’s methods – like protests during university events – can be polarizing and divisive.
The efforts of groups like SAASA, TAUP and SJP reflect a new generation of students willing to raise their voices and demand change. Many students are finding new and innovative approaches to activism, Epstein said.
“I think when you first get involved in advocacy work as a person of this generation, your instinct is to be adversarial,” Epstein said. “The first step isn’t necessarily to turn against the person that you think is perpetuating an issue. The first step is to confront them, give them the opportunity to respond and work with you to change and solve it.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified Rishi Arun as the former president of Students for Justice in Palestine. It has since been corrected.
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