In the past, Albion College students who wanted to get involved politically may have joined the Albion College Democrats or Albion College Republicans, both on-campus student organizations. Now, there is a third option: the Albion College Pirates.
According to the BBC, the Pirate Party, founded in Sweden in 2006, advocates for “digital rights,” including copyright reform and privacy protection. Charlotte sophomore James Coney, president and “captain” of the Pirates, said he started the club because he “felt like (he) could be doing more politically.”
“I was trying to think of different ways I could participate,” Coney said. “The one that popped into my head was, ‘Well, why not third parties?’”
According to Eddie Visco, staff advisor of the Pirates, he agreed to advise the club after he met with Coney and “talked about what his values and ideas are for this organization.”
“I want to be more supportive of the students that want to take initiative and start different clubs,” Visco said. “Especially clubs that talk about different political topics.”
Grand Blanc senior John Reno, treasurer and “quartermaster” of the Pirates, said he joined the club because he “enjoys the policies they are advocating for,” adding that there is a “need for more nuanced political groups” on campus.
“We need to have more than just the Albion Democrats and the Albion Republicans,” Reno said. “Ultimately, it paints a very bipartisan image to issues that shouldn’t be.”
According to Coney, the Pirate Party’s values include “internet privacy and online security,” which are ideas that “really connect with the demographics” at Albion.
“Young people especially are much more interested in those things,” Coney said. “I think a lot of the issues that the Pirate Party talks about are only becoming more relevant as the days go by.”
According to Reno, the Pirates’ main goal is to “grow.”
“Expansion is important for any club that wants to exist, but especially on a small campus like this,” Reno said. “You need to be out there, you need to have members, you need to have participants.”
Reno added that the Pirates are a “budding group that is coming onto campus” and are “in an environment where it is hard to bring in a new club.”
Visco said recruiting for new clubs is “tough, especially in the second half of the spring semester.”
“I’m sure they’ll have a larger presence next fall, especially during Brit Bash,” Visco said. “I know (Coney) has put up flyers and talked to members of other organizations to garner some interest.”
According to Coney, his involvement in Albion College’s Student Senate, as well as in other organizations, gave him “the experience to pull (the Pirates) together.”
“I thought, ‘Why not do some grassroots organizing?’” Coney said. “So I just sort of ran with it. I’m still trying my best to get things off the ground.”
For Coney, “getting more people engaged” is only the start. Another goal the club has is “to raise awareness” for several “issues,” Coney said.
“I think a lot of them are things people sort of take as givens,” Coney said. “Patents are a big one, especially nowadays.”
A patent is a legal proclamation giving one the right to secure a product for a number of years, preventing others from producing or selling it. According to Coney, patents can be a “big issue,” especially when “we’re talking about things like medicine.”
“EpiPens and insulin are both extraordinarily expensive because their patents have been monopolized by the companies that own them,” Coney said. “We’re just sort of taking these things as givens when really, it doesn’t need to be that way.”
Reno said Coney “wants to stand for these kinds of consumer rights and digital rights,” which is part of “what kind of drew (him) in” to the Pirates.
“We need to have more of these clubs on campus,” Reno said.
According to Coney, the Pirates can “fill the gap” left by other on-campus political clubs by “being an organization that is year-round.”
“We’re here every year, even if there’s no candidates to talk about, even if there’s no elections,” Coney said. “These policy issues don’t ever go away; they’re still things worth fighting for and worth talking about.”
John Reno was employed by the Pleiad in 2023.
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