Students started a chapter of Young Americans for Liberty this semester in an effort to raise political awareness and encourage a higher level of political activity on campus.
Young Americans for Liberty is a national organization that is not affiliated with a particular party, according to club vice president and freshman political science major Danielle Hart. The club holds libertarian values and believes that the government should guarantee citizens their freedoms and rights, according to Wayne Stevenson, executive director of YAL and freshman journalism major. The club plans on holding various events throughout the year that will generate conversation and awareness on campus.
“Our purpose is to try and get Biola students more politically aware, especially of the world and how our generation will make the world better,” said Ben Gonzales, club president and junior communication disorders major.
INCREASING POLITICAL AWARENESS AND ACTIVISM
The club aims to inform students of current events and create conversation regarding politics on campus, according to Gonzales.
“We want to make sure that students at Biola are comfortable with expressing their viewpoints,” Hart said. “We want to create a place where students can go talk about politics and become more aware.”
The club meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in Rood 52. During club meetings, members discuss political issues that interest students, and encourage students to be politically active and involved with charities in the community. Other goals include contributing to changing government politics and bringing students together as a whole, Gonzales said.
The club currently has eight members and does not receive funding from Associated Students. Even though it is affiliated with libertarian views, it welcomes various political views.
Stevenson stresses the importance for student involvement in politics on campus.
“A lot of people say ‘politics don’t interest me.’ Politics relates to everything that you do,” Stevenson said. “As Christians going to Biola, we have an obligation to at least defend religious liberty. No matter what’s going on, there’s going to be some way it affects you.”
POLITICAL EVENTS AND SPEAKERS
Young Americans for Liberty will hold various events throughout the year, including serving the homeless, political writing, public speaking, community service, political activism and political protests, Gonzales said. The club plans to host meetings eligible for chapel credit with speakers addressing political topics and sparking awareness.
Additionally, the club will help students with voter registration, Hart said. YAL will have a table in front of the caf to inform students about current events during Constitution Week Sept. 17-23.
Senior political science major and Biola Republicans president Zurich Lewis said the level of political awareness on campus is lacking, due to many students’ focus on religion. Lewis said political events will raise levels of political awareness and activism among students.
“I think it’s definitely a good idea to host different perspectives of the political spectrum, whether they be Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Natural Law, whatever party,” Lewis said. “I’m glad to see that we do have political activism from others. I’m a bit anxious to see what they’ll be doing.”
Sophomore bio-chemistry major David Kennedy felt there is some political awareness on campus, but not enough, and felt the events YAL will provide are something the campus needs.
“The level of political awareness is drummed down, it’s just not prevalent enough which I think we need to do a good job of having more of each party represented”
Senior nursing major Sarah Kim said that political awareness on campus lacks because politics often serve as a source of tension.
“I feel like the whole Christian political topic together is really hard to understand for some people,” Kim said. “There are a lot of different views. It’s hard to have one side to that. I feel like at Biola we’re a whole, so bringing up a political topic might split that.”
