The International Socialist Organization at SF State held their first meeting of the semester to get new students involved with their cause.

The ISO — most famously known around campus for selling "The Socialist Worker," their dollar newspaper usually accompanied by a question about a hot-button political issue — is a nation wide collective of branches that organize protests and recruit like-minded people to support their struggle against capitalism.

Filled primarily with new freshman and transfers, the ISO spent the majority of the hour-long meeting entitled "Why you should be a Socialist," trying to get students involved in their cause.

"Selling newspapers and magazines worked in the 19th century," said David Dunas, 18, a literature major, speaking of his reservations on the organization. "I want to know what else to do."

The ISO is a volunteer-run group and is not an official club on campus. At the meeting, after a twenty minute speech demonizing the greedy nature of the current administration and the corporate-run society, a forty minute discussion period ensued where students were encouraged to ask questions and give comments though most participants fell into political rants with high emotions and little resolve.

Some new students did come to the rally with conviction and a passion to support. Beth Kilpatrick, 25, an electrical engineering major followed the ISO call fearing our government would take action against her for associating with anti-capitalist socialists.

"My worry is that my husband is an immigrant and I almost didn't come…because I thought something might happen like him getting deported," said Kilpatrick, "But, then I thought, now I have to go, it goes against everything this country stands for."

A large part of the organization consists of study groups where students get together to learn about Marxism and other Socalist political theorists and theories.

"This organization puts a priority on political education," said Jeffrey Boyette, 22, a graduate from the cinema department who has been with the ISO for four years.

The Bay Area Rapid Response Network is an effort being pushed by the organization. The network is a collective of names and phone numbers contacted in case of anti-immigrant raids, deportations and other happenings to bring people to protest such events when they occur.

"There are over 200 names and phone numbers in our bank and the movement just started," said ISO member Amy Burnett, 26, who a child and adolescent development major.

This Fall semester the ISO hopes to increase their group as well as rally with another political group, Students Against War, in front of United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, to protest the war in Iraq on Sept. 19.