What began as a respectful debate between Beaux Rodrigue and Nicholls’ chapter of Turning Point USA quickly evolved into the idea of something more: a space for further debate, one that gave students on the other end of the political spectrum the equal opportunity to form a community.
“We had a great political debate with those guys. But after that I was like, there’s not really a space for leftist thought on campus,” said Rodrigue, a culinary arts senior. “So I asked around, and apparently they used to have the Democratic Socialists of America club, but that fell through a few semesters ago. It sounded like people were in need of some kind of [leftist] organization, and they were just kind of waiting on someone to do it.”
But that begged the question—who would do it?
“At the time I was finding information on the Black Panther Party and the civil rights movement, and trying to take inspiration from that. Leftists online were saying, ‘you’ve got to focus on your local community, on community-building.’ I took that as, look, it’s time for you to take the initiative,” Rodrigue said.
The Progressive Student Alliance’s Instagram began posting only days later, with Rodrigue serving as president.
While efforts to officially register the group on campus are ongoing, PSA began working in conjunction with Nicholls’ Civil Rights Club in October 2025, to support their growing list of endeavors. Among those include participating in volunteer and charity efforts in Thibodaux, promoting open debate and reinforcing a sense of political awareness on campus.
The group has hosted various online debates via Discord, with topics ranging from popular political commentators to renewable energy. These debates, which host PSA’s 29 members and any curious spectators, are open to any student regardless of political affiliation.
PSA seeks not only to promote the readings of popular leftist figures such as Karl Marx in terms of campus education, but also those of American civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.
When extending to the broader Thibodaux region, PSA’s goals aren’t centered solely on politics, but rather community-building. Fundraising will not be possible until the organization is officially registered with Nicholls, a process that can span multiple semesters, but visions for a future of charity are already being imagined.
“We’d love to work with local businesses or the local government to see what really needs to happen to affect the most lives. The main priority is definitely going to be elementary and middle school students, and even high school students,” Rodrigue said. “Not so much to introduce them to political concepts, but to make sure that they’re getting their breakfasts and lunches, and making sure that if we could take any load off of parents who are near their breaking point and help ease up the pressure on them, we could help double or triple the rates of school success.”
While PSA may not fully cement itself for semesters to come, the seed for a group welcoming of any like-minded student has already been sown. And, as Rodrigue hopes, those students will continue to help the organization find its footing on Nicholls’ campus long after his time.
“Someone said to me that they wanted me to make the club into an ideal version of itself in as much time as I had left on campus, because eventually we have to graduate, we have to walk away, and we have to leave it in a state that people can pick up. That’s definitely what we’re trying to do right now, we’re in a race against the clock,” Rodrigue said.
