Comments on: BYU-Idaho decides to dissolve student political groups

By: BYU-Idaho College Democrats-in-Exile | Faith-Promoting Rumor

BYU-Idaho College Democrats-in-Exile | Faith-Promoting Rumor — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:56:29 +0000

[...] For the first time in four years, I am not an employee of Brigham Young University-Idaho. This post, despite being about the political clubs at BYU-Idaho, is not a political post, but instead a post about BYU-Idaho. For the first time, I feel that I can freely discuss this situation. It was discussed last year both at A Soft Answer and at Millennial Star. [...]

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:47:14 +0000

I talk of my ideological journey at this post (originally at FPR and now at my own blog):

http://approachingjustice.wordpress.com/2006/10/18/my-ideological-journey/

Geoff, I appreciate my interactions with you and others here at M*.

By: Geoff B

Geoff B — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:38:21 +0000

Chris, it’s interesting to see you and I took opposite political journeys. I was a leftist during my college days (early 1980s) and gradually became more conservative in the 1990s. I voted for Clinton both times. The 2000 election was literally a coin flip for me because I perceived both Gore and Bush as moderates. It was not until after 9/11 and the advent of gay marriage that I became a conservative. Interesting to see somebody whose opinions I respect take an opposite path.

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:24:23 +0000

Ivan,

I was a College Republican at Ricks as well (Aug 94 to April 95 and then Jan 98 to Aug 98). I was vice-president after my mission. Long story.

Sure, these clubs are not always the ideal of political discourse, but what better place to learn about this that at a university.

By: Ivan Wolfe

Ivan Wolfe — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:41:29 +0000

Before my mission, I was in the College Republicans at Ricks. I even participated in a debate between the College Repubs and the Dems (they settled on me because Dan Quayle was going to be in Idaho Falls that same time, and I was one of the only two members not going – there’s even a picture of me at the debate in some old Ricks College newspaper, the Scroll).

However, I have to say that the College Republicans helped drive me out of the party. I even tried the College Democrats, just to see, but found them just as off-putting. Rabid partisan sniping (which was all either club – at the time – seemed interested in doing) is not something I enjoy.

So while I vote and try to be somewhat politically involved, College groups soured me on both political parties.

By: Geoff B.

Geoff B. — Sat, 23 May 2009 04:00:44 +0000

Tod, in addition to being a self-promotion, your comment is completely off-topic. You get one warning: future comments like this will be deleted.

By: Tod Robbins

Tod Robbins — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:33:30 +0000

Um… I meant to start out by saying:

“I haven’t attended BYU-Idaho…”

By: Tod Robbins

Tod Robbins — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:32:55 +0000

I have attended BYU-Idaho, but having lived in neighborhoods in Provo that were so Repub… Hawkish that when I put up a Quaker “War Is Not The Answer” sign in my yard, it would disappear. My garbage once, taken by a landlord, etc. Hey, that’s my personal property!

PS—Anyone in Utah County that wants a sign can contact me for a sign. They are free, but a donation is definitely welcome. Email me at:

todd d robbins at gmail dot com

(Sorry, not meaning to capitalize in the traditional sense, on my affiliation)

By: Brandt

Brandt — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:59:29 +0000

Like Chris H., I was heavily involved in the College Dems before I graduated in April. Here’s my take on it.

1. Shame on BYU-Idaho. Like Geoff said, political apathy among students is not only a problem, it’s getting worse with every passing generation. However, BYU-Idaho has an even worse problem than political apathy: Political one-liners. Many will watch the news or listen to the radio, gleam one point out of an entire complex issue, then bring that to any discussion (among friends or in classes) as their source of knowledge. President Obama’s birth certificate was one that made me want to claw my eyes out.

2. While the College Repubs vastly outweigh the College Dems, this speaks more to the administration than it does the associations. Again, both BYU and BYU Hawaii have political groups. Yet in my years of schooling at BYU-Idaho, nobody within the administration wanted any sort of controversy or conflict, as if it was a bad thing. Could you imagine if the Second Continental Congress had no conflict when it came to signing the Declaration of Independence?

3. I am a politically moderate leaning individual, and made a conscious choice to be a part of the College Democrats because of the overwhelming Republican influence in Rexburg, especially at BYU-Idaho. There needed to be a healthy exchange of ideas, especially for those who leaned left. I am very dissapointed in the administration for dissolving those groups.

4. BYU-Idaho isn’t a bad school. I loved all my years there. But decisions like this from the current administration (because this isn’t the first) make me wonder what effect it will have on future admissions…

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:43:24 +0000

Mark,

I think you may be right (as weird as that sounds). I think that an off campus Democrat society of some sort, involving faculty and students, would be fun.