The ultimate battle for Yale's political galaxy

Whether you're a Rush Limbaugh fan or a revolutionary, there's a place on Yale's political spectrum.

LIZ OLINER/YH The Student Labor Action Coalittion painted their faces white to protest the backlash against affirmative action at a rally on Bienecke Plaza.

Think the U.S. government is too intrusive? Or do you think that it doesn't do enough to help its citizens? Whether you are a radical liberal, a diehard conservative, or a staunch monarchist, there are plenty of arenas in which you can broadcast your political ideology. The many debate, political, and social action organizations at Yale give students ample opportunities to discuss issues with prominent political speakers, to protest, or to help run campaigns.

Many students get their first taste of political debate with the Yale Political Union (YPU). Though political debate is still the YPU's main activity, most students are drawn to the organization because it offers a chance to hear and ask questions of prominent political activists and leaders. A year ago, the YPU was struggling to regain its former prominence as the quality of its speakers declined. The spring '99 semester, however, saw a YPU resurgence; its floor entertained guests such as Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), JE '66, speaking on Kosovo; former Yale President Benno Schmidt, TC'63, LAW '66, and even actor and gun-control activist Charlton Heston Speakers came to the YPU floor to speak on topics such as, "Resolved: That the media and the marketplace should police the media," or"The United Nations should be revitalized."

All YPU members are affiliated with one of six smaller debate organizations: the Liberal Party, the Progressive Party, the Independent Party, the Tory Party, the Conservative Party, and the Party of the Right. The members of these parties also hold their own debates, which range from the philosophical to the silly--the Conservatives have debated, "Resolved: Great minds do think alike," while the Progressives have considered,"Resolved: It's not the sex, it's the lies." Through the years, the antics of the member parties have added levity and humor to YPU meetings. Kerry recalled that the liberal party once debated, "Resolved: Cow shit is paydirt for a manure speculator." The Party of the Right and the Pro-gressives are also known to bring ample amounts of port and Bass Ale, respectively, to both guest and student events.

In January of 1998, the Yale College Student Union (YCSU), founded by former YPU members Marc Lindemann, SY '98, and Matthew Rothman, BR '00, arrived on the scene as an answer to the YPU's failure to bring prominent speakers to campus. Unlike the YPU, the YCSU aims to function more like a lecture series, not a debate forum, and its meetings are free and open to the public; the YPU charges a membership fee. Current Chairman Ben Trachtenberg, ES '01, has strengthened the YCSU's presence on campus by recruiting such famous guests as former director of the CIA James Woolsey, LAW '68, and political cartoonist Garry Trudeau, DC '70.

The Yale College Democrats (YCD) and Yale College Republicans (YCR) both throw their members into the real-world political fray right away. YCD, the larger of the two groups, describes itself as "an undergraduate organization that works with the College Democrats of America (an affiliate of the Democratic National Committee) and the Connecticut Democratic Party to promote the ideals and the candidates of the Democratic Party in local, state, and national politics." YCD also hosts an annual New England conference for college Democrats. YCR, though smaller than YCD, also has an active campus presence. The group met with presidential candidate Bob Dole during his campaign and journeyed to Hartford to watch him debate. Furthermore, YCR volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

In addition to these organizations, Yale is home to the Conservative Forum, the Yale Black Political Forum and the Women's Center. Each has its own agenda and brings its own speakers. Yale also has a strong activist community, boasting groups like the Student Labor Action Coalition, which supported Yale workers during the 1996 dining hall strike, and Students Against Sweatshops, which campaigned this year to stop Yale apparel from being made in sweatshops.

So whether you want to register voters or just listen to Charlton Heston talk about guns, Yale can satisfy your political hunger.

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