Invasion of Privacy: The faces behind the Peace Action Geneseo executive board

Photo courtesy of Managing Editor Regan Russell

This past week, The Lamron sat down with the executive board members of Peace Action Geneseo (PAG) to find out behind-the-scenes information and see how different each member was despite being part of the same club. 

First up was one of the club’s co-presidents, senior psychology major and human resources minor Abigail Persons. Outside of PAG, she works for the Department of Student Life and is the co-president of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She has been involved with the club since her freshman year, and shared that “[PAG] gave me a voice where I didn’t think I would ever have one. I never really thought I would be involved in activism, but here I’m able to. It’s just been a great sense of belonging.” 

She spoke on how activism looks different for everyone. For those still unsure if PAG is for them, she said “...just come! Doesn’t matter if it's in the middle of the semester. Just come to a meeting and kind of see what we’re talking about,” reaffirming PAG’s open and welcoming atmosphere.

Next up was PAG’s other co-president, Sarah Schoeneman, a junior history and philosophy double major. Outside the club, Sarah serves as secretary of the Philosophy Club. Regarding Peace Action, Sarah has found that the group has “connected me with a lot of people who share my views, but also opened me to being more open to hearing views I don’t agree with, and taking those with more grace and understanding, and just overall seeing other people’s perspective a lot easier.” 

She explained how impactful her participation in the International Women’s Day March on Mar. 8, 2025 was for her, as it was “my first instance of being put into a true organizing role in terms of actually leading and being on the bullhorn, and that was the first time I had ever had to lead in that way and be vocal in that way, and was kind of confrontational in the way that I was being active.”

For those interested in getting involved with Peace Action beyond the roundtable discussions the club organizes, she recommends coming to one of the club’s community engagement or volunteering events, especially if they are interested in engaging with something less confrontational than one of the group’s protests. But, in the words of Sarah, if you are willing to “put yourself out there… try out a protest.”

Next we talked with PAG’s Secretary, Kathleen Mahoney, who is a junior sociomedical sciences major with a double minor in biology and human development. Beyond Peace Action, she is a general member of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on campus. As explained by Kathleen, her time in Peace Action has allowed her to develop “more confidence in using my voice” through the leadership roles she has taken on in the club and their events, such as PAG’s recent food drive on Nov. 7 and 15. Her time in the club has also kept her more informed on current issues and events.

Kathleen also explained, regarding both Peace Action and activism more generally, that “activism doesn’t have to be something very scary.” It can take many forms, including staying informed on current events and donating to a food drive, concluding that “...there’s a lot of different ways for you to express your activism.”

She recommends those interested in joining Peace Action to try attending one of the club’s weekly meetings, explaining that “[a] lot of our weekly meetings are just relaxed discussions, very low stakes, and we offer, like a range of different activism opportunities.”

All executive board members could agree on one thing: one of the most impactful events we have hosted so far was in the spring when PAG hosted a “Hands off!” protest on Mar. 8, 2025. The protest brought an impressive crowd of attendees, which for many of the executive board members was their first time taking on a leadership role and helping to orchestrate a protest. 

Public relations chair Regan Russell had some thoughts to add, saying “Having been involved with PAG in various ways since my freshman year, the club has had a large impact on my time here at Geneseo. As a senior English literature and communication double major, I have filled my time with various clubs and organizations.” She stated that PAG has brought her a new sense of community and strength, challenging her to expand her knowledge of the world and to continuously educate oneself, even on issues that do not directly pertain to college students. 

To learn more about PAG, email peace@geneseo.edu or reach out via Instagram @peaceactiongeneseo. We hope to see you soon!