Conservatives Bask in Protest

The Columbia University College Republicans took advantage of Sunday's heat and threw a party with a message: global warming is still a debate, and the University has taken sides.

Besides kicking off their year with a social event-a small crowd of people played Frisbee, snacked, and chatted under beach umbrellas for three hours-the College Republicans sought to draw attention to the University Chaplain's use of student funds to screen former Vice President Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth, which calls for action on global warming.

"We would really like an open debate, not one coming from a politician as the final word," said College Republicans President Chris Kulawik, CC '08 and a Spectator columnist. "We're upset that the administration takes it on themselves to say that's the beliefs of the students."

Since the Oklahoma University College Republicans chapter gave out snow cones to celebrate "Global Cooling Day" in May, the College Republican National Committee has promoted similar events across the country as a way to draw attention to global warming skeptics.

For Columbia's Republicans, Sunday also marked the beginning of an effort to raise its visibility on campus, which Kulawik said will take the form of big-name speakers, to be announced, and weekly public events focusing on the issues of Islamic terrorism, immigration, and family values.

"Since Chris has taken over, there's been a movement just to get people out there," said College Republicans Public Affairs Director Julie Joohee Chung, CC '09.

Although the club will likely not be taking organized campaign trips to help with competitive races this election season, Kulawik noted that some members have expressed interest in traveling out of state to canvass for Senator Joeseph Lieberman, D-Conn. and Thomas Kean Jr., R-N.J.

Also present at the event were two campus organizers from the Campus Leadership Program, a division of the Leadership Institute, a nonprofit group devoted to recruiting and training conservative leaders on college campuses. Although the Leadership Program doesn't provide monetary support, field organizers offer advice and logistical support to conservative groups.

"This is a campus dominated by the ideals of the left and their agenda," said Leadership Program organizer Adam Writer. "A lot of them [campus conservatives] don't know what to do, because there's so much intimidation from the left."