By Jonathan McJunkin

The MacGOP became active again on campus last semester after a two-year period of dormancy. This semester, the club has big plans to make an impact on campus.Political diversity has been a concern for many students over the years.

“Last spring there was a panel of about 40 graduating seniors and alumni about the experience at Macalester,” said College president Brian Rosenberg, “and almost all of them-many of whom I’m sure would describe themselves as liberal democrats-said that they wished there were more conservative thought on campus.”

Macalester’s liberal reputation is no secret. The college is currently ranked as the eighth most liberal school in the country by The Princeton Review. “Among the many kinds of diversity that are beneficial is diversity of politics, ideals, and views,” said Rosenberg. “One of the roles of a college is as a sounding-board for ideas. If a whole perspective is missing, students aren’t being prepared.”

When asked about the MacGOP specifically, Rosenberg commented on the importance of a forum for views not in the majority on campus. “It’s been a push from student government this year-more thoughtful, civil discourse between both sides than the usual on campus.”

Macalester College Student Government [MCSG] President Owen Truesdell ’11 laid out the nature and motivation of this push in his speech at convocation last September.

“Macalester prides itself on training global citizens who can go out into the world and make it a better place,” Truesdell said in his address. “But the world that my fellow students, and I will soon be entering is a divided and partisan place. If we can’t learn to work with those with different views, we can’t possibly hope to be the agents of change that we aspire to be.”

MCSG has supported the MacGOP as part of this effort to increase political diversity on campus. “I think an active MacGOP could bring up new ideas and challenge the assumptions on this campus,” said Truesdell. “As long as things stay civil and the level of discourse raises, not lowers, it will be good for campus.”

MCSG’s support for the MacGOP is very important for the organization. “[MCSG] allows us to continue to exist because of the political diversity,” said club president Nolberto Zumbia ’14, “but we’re still existent on paper. It’s just the membership where we lack. There was a charter; it’s just outdated.”

The club charter has not been formally presented to MCSG for approval. However, this is planned for later this semester, and MCSG has already funded MacGOP in support for Campus Camp Wellstone, a non-partisan political action seminar. “I’m on student government,” said Zumbia, “and there’s an acknowledgement that I’m the person in charge of the MacGOP.”

It isn’t unusual for student organizations to exist without a charter, explained Truesdell. “[Charters expiring] is something that happens to a lot of organizations. They’re started by motivated people who graduate, for example.”

Zumbia became President of the MacGOP early last semester. Along with Daniel Surman ’14 and Samuel Brier ’13, he formed a three-member executive committee for the organization. MacGOP currently has around five members, though a significant number signed up for the mailing list at last Saturday’s student involvement fair.

The MacGOP doesn’t have any set agenda or policy. Like other campus political groups, it’s a group for people who share some level of ideological common ground, and members need not support the entire Republican platform.

“We try to abide by a new movement in the party called Common Sense conservatism,” said Zumbia, “which realizes that moral or ambiguous aspirations are probably not the right approach. We should look towards tangible, fiscal solutions-we should have to goals of smaller government and less government spending.”

Further elaborating the group’s focus, Surman said, “We tend to be more financially focused as a club than socially focused. There’s no bar to those who aren’t as socially conservative, who are pro-choice or for gay marriage.”

“In our meetings we’re open to all ideas-really we’d like to appeal to moderates,” said Zumbia,

The current political climate at Macalester is a source of frustration for the executives of the MacGOP, who see a lack of both knowledge and awareness of conservative viewpoints on campus.

“Coming from a very conservative and rural area, the majority of people were Republican and really not well educated about liberal views,” said Zumbia, “and I feel that things are ironically the same here, expect instead of conservatives it’s liberals. I feel that the majority of liberals aren’t as well educated [about conservatives] as they could be and are somewhat biased.”

“The debate on campus seems to assume that conservatives are a fringe group-we’re looking to change that,” added Brier. “It’s a frustrating attitude at Mac, even professors make jokes about the Tea Party and other conservative movements. They have the right, but it takes away some legitimacy by ignoring one side of the debate.”

“Several people have told me that they feel ignored on campus as conservatives,” added Surman. “It’s not Daily Kos by any means, though, most people are willing to hear other views when they do hear them.”

One of the main goals of the MacGOP in changing the political climate at Macalester is raising awareness of conservatives and their views at Macalester. As Brier said to one student at Saturday’s involvement fair, “the important thing is that the students see the sign.”

A way MacGOP has already raised the profile of conservatives on campus is through several opinion pieces to the MacWeekly last semester, on topics such as Republican minorities and the student activity fee referendum. Brier is the author of four of these pieces.

“People have said my articles were inflammatory-well yeah, that was the goal,” said Brier. “I wanted people to notice. You have to have awareness of the other side before you can have real debate.”

To Mac Republicans thinking of voicing their opinions publically, Brier had this to say: “Stop hiding, stand up for what you believe in.” Brier was also emphatically for submitting under one’s name.

“If you’re not willing to put your name on something, you probably shouldn’t say it.”

The MacGOP’s plans for this semester include regular meetings. “There would be a lot of discussion,” said Surman, “we want to see what ideas you can contribute.” There are also plans for showcases of conservative-minded community events, such as political action and speakers in the Twin Cities.

On February 24th, MacGOP, in conjunction with the MacDems and Build a Better Mac will bring conservative political thinker Reihan Salam to campus. Salam, a contributor to the National Review, will discuss civility in politics, the role of colleges in political discourse, and the nature of the conservative movement.

Surman will also travel to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC on February 10-11 with the Minnesota College Republicans, representing MacGOP. Speakers at the event include Presidential nomination prospects Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.

Despite these plans and ideas, the time for the first open meeting is not yet set. “Anyone of any political affiliation or no affiliation is welcome at our meetings, and we are by no means hostile to new ideas in general,” said Zumbia. “Keep your eyes open for a kickoff meeting.”

agenda or policy. Like other campus political groups, it’s a group for people who share some level of ideological common ground, and members need not support the entire Republican platform.

“We try to abide by a new movement in the party called Common Sense conservatism,” said Zumbia, “which realizes that moral or ambiguous aspirations are probably not the right approach. We should look towards tangible, fiscal solutions-we should have two goals of smaller government and less government spending.
“

Further elaborating the group’s focus, Surman said, “We tend to be more financially focused as a club than socially focused. There’s no bar to those who aren’t as socially conservative, who are pro-choice or for gay marriage.”

“In our meetings we’re open to all ideas-really we’d like to appeal to moderates,” said Zumbia,

The current political climate at Macalester is a source of frustration for the executives of the MacGOP, who see a lack of both knowledge and awareness of conservative viewpoints on campus.

“Coming from a very conservative and rural area, the majority of people were Republican and really not well educated about liberal views,” said Zumbia, “and I feel that things are ironically the same here, except instead of conservatives it’s liberals. I feel that the majority of liberals aren’t as well educated [about conservatives] as they could be and are somewhat biased.”

“The debate on campus seems to assume that conservatives are a fringe group-we’re looking to change that,” added Brier. “It’s a frustrating attitude at Mac, even professors make jokes about the Tea Party and other conservative movements. They have the right, but it takes away some legitimacy by ignoring one side of the debate.”

“Several people have told me that they feel ignored on campus as conservatives,” added Surman. “It’s not Daily Kos by any means, though, most people are willing to hear other views when they do hear them.”

One of the main goals of the MacGOP in changing the political climate at Macalester is raising awareness of conservatives and their views at Macalester. As Brier said to one student at Saturday’s involvement fair, “the important thing is that the students see the sign.”

A way MacGOP has already raised the profile of conservatives on campus is through several opinion pieces to the MacWeekly last semester, on topics such as Republican minorities and the student activity fee referendum. Brier is the author of four of these pieces.

“People have said my articles were inflammatory-well yeah, that was the goal,” said Brier. “I wanted people to notice. You have to have awareness of the other side before you can have real debate.”

To Mac Republicans thinking of voicing their opinions publically, Brier had this to say: “Stop hiding, stand up for what you believe in.” Brier was also emphatically for submitting under one’s name.

“If you’re not willing to put your name on something, you probably shouldn’t say it.”

The MacGOP’s plans for this semester include regular meetings. “There would be a lot of discussion,” said Surman, “we want to see what ideas you can contribute.” There are also plans for showcases of conservative-minded community events, such as political action and speakers in the Twin Cities.

On Feb. 24, MacGOP, in conjunction with the MacDems and Build a Better Mac will bring conservative political thinker Reihan Salam to campus. Salam, a contributor to the National Review, will discuss civility in politics, the role of colleges in political discourse, and the nature of the conservative movement.

Surman will also travel to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C. on Feb. 10-11 with the Minnesota College Republicans, representing MacGOP. Speakers at the event include Presidential nomination prospects Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.

Despite these plans and ideas, the time for the first open meeting is not yet set. “Anyone of any political affiliation or no affiliation is welcome at our meetings, and we are by no means hostile to new ideas in general,” said Zumbia. “Keep your eyes open for a kickoff meeting.