No Summits for Me

The Herald reports on our first meeting of the semester. The article is fine except for the word summit, which makes it sound like we're meeting with foreign diplomats.

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CR plans speakers, summits for 2nd semester
Kamry Bowman

The Western Michigan University College Republicans reconvened to prepare for the upcoming semester Jan. 9.

While laughing about the music rehearsal overheard next door, Vice-Chairman Matt Moss previewed the group's planned events in Chairman Megan Buwalda's absence. These events included speaking events from the Chair of the Michigan Taxpayer's Alliance, Leon Drolet, and musician-turned-activist Ted Nugent.

The group had two political summits on their schedule. The first, Defending the American Dream, was put on by the Americans for Prosperity organization, and took place this Saturday in Livonia, Mich. The free-market oriented Americans for Prosperity procured major conservative speakers, including Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain, and ABC's John Stossel, "a long-time friend of ours," joked Moss. The group sponsored a speech by Stossel last semester.

The second summit the College Republicans are attending will be put on by the Michigan Federation of College Republicans, and draws College Republican chapters from all over the state.

"All the big schools will be there," Moss said, "and we want to make sure Western is represented."

Then the College Republicans got down to business. First on the agenda was the Michigan Presidential Primaries and members were alerted to chances for viewing or volunteering for candidates, including John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. Some members made their support for specific candidates known.

The College Republican's faculty advisor, Arthur White, then addressed the meeting. He mentioned a recent controversy at the University of Delaware, describing a situation in which "white students were told that they were all racist, because they were white, which seems racist to me." He asked for the help of the College Republicans in avoiding similar situations at WMU.

Before the meeting ended, the College Republicans discussed debate strategy for their upcoming debate with the College Democrats over the Iraq War, which will take place Jan. 29.