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History of the Students for a Democratic Society
The group created a constitution for the newly created Virginia Chapter that was drafted on November 6,1969. It included a statement of purpose to further discussion on aspects of a participatory democracy that should be part of the university community. Members included anyone who shared the commitment of the organization to democracy. They also stated that they were civil to those who disagreed with their values but were clear about their opposition to nondemocratic bodies. The governing body was called the executive committee, made up of three members that were elected by the group as a whole. Elections were held in May, and the Executive Committee chose a chairman who would represent the chapter nationally. Everything about the group was very democratic, from the elections to choosing when meetings were held. The constitution listed some policies referring to removal of executive committee members, and there was a note for any situations that were not addressed to refer to Robert's Rules of Order. The group had a strong history of activism in the late 60s in response to the Vietnam War, especially America's involvement.

SDS Activism in Response to the Vietnam War
The organization frequently wrote letters to the community expressing their discontent with America's involvement in the Vietnam War. One letter was extremely accusatory and called for students at the University of Virginia to take a stand against the war, and to prevent future wars. It also included an announcement for a vigil for peace. Another open letter called out the Dow Chemical Corporation for the production of napalm, a chemical used in Vietnam that had the power to burn and kill people. The SDS says in this letter that it is their responsibility to speak out and separate themselves from these "horrors". In the opinion of the SDS, the company hid behind their patriotic claims in order to cover up the criminality of the use of napalm.

Another major point of discontent for SDS was regarding the 1968 elections of Nixon, Humphrey, and Wallace. The students claimed that this election was heavily influenced by the money interests in the country, and neglected the true democratic decision making process. Claims in the letter were also made that the Paris Climate Agreement was intended to conceal aggressive military actions in Vietnam. The students conclude the letter with several demands such as democracy, peace, freedom, and an end to racism.

Another point of activism from SDS was support of the Catonsville Nine. On May 17, 1968, a group of nine men and women in Maryland took 378 draft files and burned them in an act to stop the drafting for the Vietnam War. The motives of the Catonsville Nine aligned with the pro-democratic views of the SDS group. They called for support of these men and women who were going to be prosecuted.

In addition to writing letters to the community, SDS also held several gatherings during the time of the Vietnam War. For example, they held a vigil for peace in front of Alderman Library. Alderman library is a large central area on grounds, showing that the group intended to have a substantial audience.