The University of Richmond College Republicans chapter is returning to campus two years after being suspended for misappropriating its SOBAC funds to purchase alcohol.
Some feel it’s been a long time coming. Senior Political Science major Maya Marino has led the charge in getting College Republicans back on campus.
“I’m a senior, and I feel like since freshman year for me […] it’s gotten like a lot more liberal here […] in my political science classes, I am very outnumbered,” she said.
Political science professor Monti Datta, who will be the group’s faculty advisor, sees the return as a chance to promote political discussion on campus.
“Ours is a time when political discourse in our community (both on campus and off campus) is more important than ever. My big concern is that so many of us today get our information online. But we know that many online communities have essentially become echo chambers where diverse points of view are minimized, if outright demonized,” Datta wrote in an email to The Collegian.
The UR College Republicans have been inactive since the fall of 2022, when they were suspended that October for violating the Registered Student Organization guidelines of purchasing alcohol with organization funds, according to the UR RSO Conduct Report.
Recently, the formerly inactive Instagram account for the chapter has been posting again. In a post from Aug. 28, the chapter announced that it plans to try and reestablish itself “as an official student org,” asking students to fill out an interest form.
A post on Sept. 9 outlines upcoming planned events, both on and off campus, including a presidential debate watch party and an Election Night event. One of the events, “Call Night,” was described as a chance to make a difference in the election and help Republicans win.
However, these events have been facing issues getting off the ground since the chapter has yet to be recognized by the Center for Student Involvement as an official student-led organization, Marino said.
“It’s just been hard to like spread the word right now because […] we’re not sure if putting up fliers will get us in trouble,” she said.
The university has guidelines for new organizations that grant them full status after operating for two consecutive semesters.
Marino said that the school needs to be more transparent about whether the group could advertise before being officially recognized again, and that the process overall could have been faster.
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“We’re looking forward to reviving our longstanding tradition of the College Dems vs. College Republicans debate to continue engaging in thoughtful political discourse,” wrote senior Ashton Bear, chair of the College Democrats.
After the 2024 Election, UR is buzzing with political activity and curiosity. For now, as the UR College Republicans begin to reestablish themselves, their future standing and success as an organization remains uncertain.
Contact writer Grayson Dossett at grayson.dossett@richmond.edu.
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