On Sunday, April 27th, I approached a table outside the Athenaeum with curiosity, and was greeted with a free bowl of homemade lentil noodle soup. I was immediately interested to know more, especially with the label of “Goucher Antifascists” on their table. The two students who were staffed there were Felix Bedin ‘26 and Eden Rovner ‘26, and they were happy to share both food and information with me.
I spoke to Eden, (he/they) who said that while he and Felix started the organizing effort for the group, that there are to be no hierarchical club structures in place. Rovner mentioned that aside from the two of them, both Dr. Nina Kasniunas and Dr. Bill Harder of the Political Science department are also planning to be involved.
“I work at the alumni house, so I’ve been going through, for alumni weekend, a lot of old yearbooks. Looking at how politically active students used to be, and looking at us now, and how we’re so detached, it genuinely made me sad–that we were a big college that fought for integration, we fought for women’s rights,” they said. “And now we’re just here. My main goal is to get the students organized so we can take action.”
Rovner mentioned that he is “very politically active” in the Baltimore area, and how he wanted to bring people into that same fold–volunteering, interpersonal and community-based advocacy, specifically making space for younger people and college students. “With the choice fatigue, it’s really difficult to get started.” He said that many college students may feel overwhelmed or feel unclear on where they can begin politically, and that an aim of the Goucher Antifascists is to provide people with direction and resources. Rovner cited transgender rights and immigrant rights as two focuses he is particularly passionate about.
Rovner credits Bedin with the naming of the group, and we discussed the decision to name the group in terms of its opposition (fascism, fascists) rather than a defined political ideology or loyalty. “It makes it more of an open space,” he explained. “I do also want this to be a place where leftist groups can meet other students who want to be involved in politics but are scared of saying ‘I’m a socialist,’” he provided as an example.
While the Goucher Antifascists is not officially registered as a campus group, there have been fliers on campus as well as the aforementioned tabling, and Rovner and Bedin have discussed plans for the coming semester.
“This semester, I just want to get the word out that this is a thing that is going to happen. Next semester, I want to have more official meetings.” He said. “There will be food, because I think that is important,” he noted, on the topic of homemade soup, “It’s so nice to have actual home-cooked food versus the mass-produced dining hall food.”
As a message to curious students or prospective members, Rover said the following: “Anyone who is stressed about the state of the world, scared, anxious, if you’re feeling hopeless, if you’re feeling overwhelmed–if you want to take any action, no matter how small, talk to me, talk to us. We’re here for you.”
By Samuel Rose ‘26
Featured Image Source: Samuel Rose
