Some complaints have come into the paper that there is not enough voice given to conservatives on campus. I would agree that this is true, but it is not the fault of the BG News. I myself have tried to cover two stories this year involving the input of the College Republicans, but they do not get back with me.

I spoke with a guy that was in the group last year, and he told me that the reason why the club is such a recluse this year is because no one actually wanted to lead the College Republicans. The president of the club took the position this year not because he wanted to but because no one else would step up and take the job.

The club did not make an appearance at Campus Fest and has only had one meeting so far. This frustrates me especially because I was a part of the group last year, and I liked being in it. I don’t usually share that I was a member of the group because in the past, after their initial shock, people would ask, “Oh, so does that mean you’re a Neo-Nazi?” No. I am not some right-winged radical. I don’t assume that others who don’t have the same views as me are some hippie liberals, so please give me the same courtesy. That comment and others like it are one of many reasons why the Republican group is on the decline here. Some who consider themselves to be more liberal have preconceived notions about conservatives and never want to hear what they have to say. After a while, it just gets easier to be quiet and not speak up against the Democratic majority on campus because of fear for being thought of as being racist or close-minded.

Another reason why the club is on the decline is that they have done it to themselves. After the presidential election, meetings turned into a place where all people did was complain about Democrats. We didn’t talk about what plans we hoped Donald Trump would follow through on or how it felt to get a win even though, for an overwhelming majority of us, he wasn’t our first choice for the Republican candidate. The meetings had no structure and instead of building upon the election results to talk about progress in the country under a Republican Senate and president, we fizzled out. That November election was the group’s chance to capitalize their presence on campus and bring more like-minded people into the club. Instead, it is the Campus Democrats who seem to be going strong.

So, if the conservatives on campus want to come out of hiding and share their opinions or want stories about them in the paper, just talk to us. There is a place for Republicans to be heard on this liberal campus.