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 |  Subject: Student Libertarian club tests SCC’s political boundaries  Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:33 pm | |
| It’s nearly 10 A.M. in the empty lobby of SCC’s student center building as a subtle wave of voices and clatter seep out of the cafeteria creating an ambient hum of calm noises – chairs shuffle, coffee machines simmer, and greetings are heard – all the sounds indicate a day just about to begin. As student refill on coffee and refreshments, Leanna De Shields is hard at work. As coordinator of SCC’s new chapter of the Young Adults for Liberty (YAL), she is beginning a day of tabling to raise awareness about the club and recruit new members.
“So far reactions have been positive,” she says as she places pens across the table. “people have been genuinely interested in the test.” One of the main strategies of drawing people to the tabling session is a 10-question quiz provoking people to consider their social and economic political beliefs to discover where they land on the political spectrum. Results are then displayed on a chart. To the surprise of many test takers the chart is mostly riddled with colored stickers under the “Libertarian” category.
“The whole point of the quiz is for people to realize that when they vote Republican or Democrat they are sacrificing certain issues to gain on others,” De Shields said. “Our whole idea is that individuals can vary so much that it’s not just left or right.” This idea coincides with the nationwide YAL’s greater political objectives. YAL describes itself as a non-partisan, pro-liberty group which claims that its mission is to “identify, educate, train, and mobilize youth activists.” Though it does not endorse any party candidates it is endorsed by the Libertarian-leaning previous Republican congressman Ron Paul.
In fact, YAL as an organization is a continuation of Students for Ron Paul (SFP) and is directed by John Frazee, who was National Youth Coordinator for Ron Paul’s 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee. Though the origins of YAL seem to be intertwined with an already established political perspective, the SCC chapter looks to create an open platform to discuss and debate all political ideas with all those interested.
“The SCC chapter is no different [than the nationwide organization],” said YAL member Brian Williams. “except that the issues and ideas we wish to promote and raise awareness of is based upon the concerns of our members and our fellow students. Our positions are the same as the overall organization, but our focus is dependent upon the political environment here at SCC…. We are non-partisan, but we have a common set of principles.”
Being that it is the only political club at SCC, perhaps YAL is filling a void. YAL is providing an outlet that will stimulate minds and fuel new ideas by allowing those who seek to get involved in politics to freely speak and be heard by a group with the same interests. And though it does have a Libertarian perspective this probably would not hamper the discourse of contrary ideas, after all, Libertarianism holds individual freedom to be the ultimate political pursuit.
As the morning progresses into afternoon, De Shields’s tabling efforts continue. The political spectrum chart is now overwhelmed by an array of colored stickers – most of them still residing in the Libertarian portion. Many quiz-takers are leaving with looks of genuine interest. “It’s good to see people leave with feelings of mutual understanding,” says YAL member Dimitri Dumont. “That’s really something rare when it comes to political conversation.”
http://www.solanotempest.net/opinion/2013/12/06/student-libertarian-club-tests-sccs-political-boundaries-20112/ |
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