Congressman McGovern Attends Induction Ceremony
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The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Delta Lambda Chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society, hosted its annual induction ceremony on April 6, 2026. The event was organized by Executive Board Members and graduating seniors Hunter Proulx, Grace Thompson and Dylan Gratiano, facilitated by the Chapter’s faculty advisor, Professor Regine A. Spector. Dozens of political science majors were inducted into the Honors Society after Congressman Jim McGovern delivered an empowering speech to the next generation of political scientists and the faculty and administration in attendance, including Chancellor Javier Reyes, SBS Dean Karl Rethemeyer and Associate Deans Jen Lundquist and Lynn Phillips.
Pi Sigma Alpha is a national organization that offers outstanding political science majors opportunities for networking, leadership, and deeper political and academic involvement. Membership also provides students the chance to present their own research at the National Student Research Conference. The executive board at UMass Amherst regularly helps organize events related to local elections in Amherst, as well as campus political events.
The values of Pi Sigma Alpha were on full display at Monday’s event as students listened to Congressman McGovern’s inspiring remarks about his political journey, current work in Congress, and his advice to political science majors. He recounted his early political experiences working with Senator George McGovern and Representative Joe Moakley, before deciding to run himself for Congress and embody both the visionary as well as the results-oriented leadership commitments of his mentors.
After describing challenges he experiences today working in Congress, and the importance of the upcoming November elections, he encouraged the students in the audience to ‘just go for it,’ and invoked his former colleague John Lewis, urging them to ‘make good and necessary trouble,’ reminding them that there are worse things than losing, including not trying at all. He closed with the words of his history professor in college: “Remember the world will not get better on its own,” illuminating the importance of good people making good things happen and the crucial need for people to be engaged, push back, and change minds in order to save our democracy.
He took questions on a range of topics including what he wished Congress would address right now, to which he answered fighting food insecurity and getting money out of politics; how to combat rising housing prices and insecurity; the role of protest, dissent and resistance in the current political moment; the dominance of social media in contemporary campaigns; and the future of the Democratic party. The sense of community created during this conversation was palpable, leaving many attendees with a renewed commitment to political engagement, academic growth and the value of forging connections and having inspiring role models.