National Executive Committee

Peter Moody -- National Secretary

   Peter Moody is the current national secretary of the Young People's Socialist League. He calls Madison, New Jersey his home, but goes to school at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He's 19, and has considered himself a socialist for over five years after he became opposed to the blind patriotism and nationalism that re-swept the country after September 11th. He joined YPSL about two and a half years ago, and was national chair from July 2005 to June 2007. In addition to YPSL, Peter is also a member of the Socialist Party USA, an "official sympathiser" in Solidarity, and co-chair of Students for Social Justice at Lafayette College.

Matt Andrews -- Treasurer

Joey Eichler -- Torch Editor

   My name is Joey Eichler and I was born on the 28th of November, 1987, in Orlando, Florida. I moved a lot with my family when I was young, and saw us all endure some very unsavory conditions due to the trends of politics and society, though I obviously didn't realize that until later. I happened on to socialism as an idea completely on accident in the beginning of my senior year in high school. Avoiding paying attention in the morning as I usually did, I was flipping threw my american history book and came across a list of third parties that had existed in the US. I noticed that one called the Socialist Party was actually still in existance, so I decided to check it out. That day, during lunch, three important things happened. I first realized that I was, completely and totally a democratic socialist, second, I joined the Socialist Party USA and the Young People's Socialist League, and third, I began my career in spreading the good word of socialism. For me, socialism was a salvation in an otherwise painfully bleak looking social atmosphere. After all this time, and with all my other problems with capitalist society aside, the one that continues to piss me off the most is that someone could be as old as I was and not know anything about socialism. That's why I have taken the approach to it that I have. I am currently the editor of The Torch and the Chair of the Greater Hamilton County Local of the SPUSA in Chattanooga, TN. I have avoided going to college or holding a job as a form of protest against subconscious capitalist mind engineering.

Ed McCorkindale

   Ed has been a member of YPSL since 2006, and has been on the NEC almost as long. While his mother lives in Ware (MA) and his father lives in Wilbraham (MA), he considers his home to be Amherst (MA) where he attends the University of Massachusetts. In his 4th year, he is majoring in Natural Resource Studies and minoring in Political Science, Environmental Science, and Resource Economics. He also joined the Socialist Party USA in 2006 after taking an online political orientation quiz (which told him that he was a “Socialist”) and attending a reading of Eugene V. Debs’ Canton Ohio Speech by the SP. His particular interests are the environment/ecosocialism, union organizing, and socialized healthcare. In his spare time he enjoys drinking, sex, singing, watching Roseanne on television, the company of friends, and going barefoot.

Shirley Diaz

   Shirley Diaz lives in Carson City, NV and is going to attend the University of Nevada, Reno next year majoring in political science and international realtions. She is 17 years old, and became a socialist when she was 15 during the elections because she took a test to see if she was a republican or a democrat and it turns out she wasn't even a capitalist! She has been a member of the YPSL ever since. She had a local chapter at her high school and she plans to make a new one next year at UNR. She has visited 10 countries speaks 2 1/2 languages. She hopes to have a good year as a member of the NEC and help come up with new projects and solutions that will benefit our fight against capitalism!

Jay Cassano