Matt Griffin
Staff Writer
In October, students founded a new campus Republican Club. Sporting a roster today of close to 40 members, this club has a few concerns for the University of La Verne.
One concern is the fact that the club has difficulty getting funds and access when trying to hold events on campus.
“It is very hard to get a for sure answer from the University,” club co-founder Melissa Castillo said, during a Rock painting event on Monday evening, which was attended by only four of the club’s members. “It seems that every other club doesn’t have a problem.”
Senior co-founder Amber Topoleski told the Campus Times that any money the club members spend comes out of their own pockets.
“No one sees us as a competitor,” said history major Art Barrales, who feels that the majority of the teachers spout liberal ideology, making it hard for conservatives to receive respect.
Junior economics major Justin Weber wanted the La Verne student body to understand that “You don’t have to agree with us but there is another side to the story.”
Despite these concerns, the club feels they are doing very well. With elections coming up at the end of the year, the club remains optimistic about how they are being viewed. After holding a barbeque last weekend, they are planning for guest speakers to come and enlighten them on the new issues of politics.
After May’s commencement, both Castillo and Topoleski are planning on going to grad school.
Castillo hopes to use the tools and experiences from this club in her career. She hopes to become involved with the “behind the scenes” of politics.
Topoleski on the other hand will travel abroad for international studies.
Matt Griffin can be reached at mgriffin@ulv.edu.
