Liberals, moderates, and conservatives on campus all have something in common: political activism. They just go about it in different ways.
Of the three, liberals are the best represented on campus. Amnesty International, Guilford PRIDE, and the College Young Democrats club are available to liberals interested in political action.
Amnesty International sends student protesters to the School of Americas every year in addition to holding several discussions and forums with topics ranging from the death penalty to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Guilford PRIDE hosts the Coming Out Ball to increase gay, lesbian, and transgender visibility. It also sponsors RA training and the annual, National Day of Silence.
The College Young Democrats recently sponsored a protest of the Republican National Convention. Registering students to vote is their new focus.
Through dorm canvassing, tabling, and making telephone calls, the club tries to get as many students as possible to not only register, but also vote.
“For me, voting is a paramount issue. This is the most important election in the last forty years,” said president and sophomore Adam Waxman. “If record numbers of students vote in this election, and I think they will, that will get politicians attention. From there we need to start working to craft a unified agenda for young people.”
After the elections, the club will focus on coordinating with other college democrat clubs in order to make a unified agenda real.
While there are several liberal groups and clubs, moderates and conservatives have fewer options. Thus, political activism to them often means something very different from demonstrating.
Sophomore Nick Boylan is trying to start a moderates club because voting and protesting are only parts of the political activism equation.
“Bigger parts are discussions with other people about what you believe or supporting a candidate through money or by donating your time,” said Boylan.
He hopes a moderates club will help facilitate these discussions. “We want people to have an opinion, make it a good opinion, an informed opinion, and be able to defend it,” said Boylan.
Boylan thinks that a moderates club will stick around longer than the failed experiment that was the College Conservatives Club.
Junior David McDaniel, a former member of the conservatives club, also takes a different approach to political activism.
“I try to approach people and say I have an idea and I would like to share it with you because I think it works. If you agree with the idea, maybe you should look at these candidates or people who espouse these principles next time you go vote. I try to make (political activism) a much more personal thing,” said McDaniel.
Guilford College has a reputation for being a politically active campus. Members of all three mainstream political ideologies are trying to keep up the reputation.