BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH KITZMANN
According to their Tigerlink page, the FHSU College Republicans is an organization committed to the open discussion of ideologies, but emphasizes those pertaining to conservative and libertarian values.
The group recently returned back to Hays from their yearly trip to Topeka for the annual Kansas GOP Convention, which took place this past weekend.
Alex Johnson, a Political Science student with a Pre-Law concentration and the current President/ Chair of FHSU College Republicans, gives an overview of how the event went.
“It (GOP Convention) was electric. Being able to attend an event of this magnitude is a huge opportunity for any college student, but especially for our members who all took the whole experience in,” he said. “We were able to network with officials and make connections with other student republicans from across the state.”
Johnson goes on to explain the purpose of the organization for the students of Fort Hays State University.
“The purpose of the FHSU College Republicans is to promote conservative values while providing accurate, factual information,” Johnson said. “We hone in on a few of these broad values by informing people of faith, family, and freedom. We always try to uphold the values and morals we believe in, and are always open to talk about them.”
He describes that bringing in speakers is a privilege that the FHSU College Republicans are proud to have.
“Whether our speaker events are with people running for office or people who lead political organizations, it is always very advantageous for our students to listen to them,” he said.
He gives one example in particular.
“It was really nice for the group to talk with State Rep. Barb Wasinger of the 111th Kansas House District,” Johnson said. “She informed us what was at stake during the 2022 midterm elections and it was enlightening to get her point of view on the topic.”
Sue Boldra, Instructor of Education within the Department of Teacher Education and the College Republicans of FHSU faculty advisor, details her role within the university and within the club.
“Through my position as an Instructor of Education, I aim to prepare students to become the best elementary and secondary teachers that they can be,” Boldra said. “This also carries over through my position as the College Republicans of FHSU faculty advisor, as I try to prepare those students to be the best version of themselves and to represent the Republican party respectfully.”
Johnson then touches on the importance of the subject matter of this particular club.
“Politics are around every corner. From the money in our pocket or bank accounts, to the food we buy at the grocery store or market, being politically sound is involved with knowing how the government operates and works,” he said.
Boldra builds off of Johnson’s statement with her own synopsis on the significance of Americans being politically aware of their surroundings.
“All people in the United States, no matter their current age or status, need to be aware of what is happening in our country and our world,” Boldra said. “We, as a nation, are needing citizens who are active and willing to participate in the democracy that the U.S. has the liberty to hold.”
Boldra continues by quoting a small section from the Preamble to the United States Constitution.
“The future of our country is in the hands of the citizenry. ‘We the people, in order to form a perfect Union…’ depends on knowledgeable citizens willing to serve their fellow man,” she said.
Boldra sticks with the theme of United States citizens being politically intelligent by emphasizing how crucially important it is that people vote.
“Every American should exercise their right to vote in whichever way they believe. However, they must be informed citizens in order to form their own opinions and decisions,” she said. “In relation to the club, our students are all rights-voting adults. Students, like anyone else, need to be aware of their history and their future place in America before heading into the polls.”
Johnson advocates his two cents worth on the crucial democratic practice of voting.
“As an adult, it is extremely important to register to vote, and then on voting day, to actually practice that privilege,” he said. “That is how we communicate with the officials in D.C. or at our state capitols about our wants and needs as citizens.”
Johnson stresses the importance of being involved in clubs, and, further, politically involved on campus as a student.
“What students need to understand is that we are the ones who change the future. We have all different kinds of skills and talents on campus that will soon go out into the real world and hopefully, make a difference,” he said. “It’s also important to be involved because there are some cases where the university’s activities prepare us for the real world.”
For more information on the annual Kansas GOP Convention you can visit their webpage at https://kansas.gop/ . For more on how to get involved for next year’s event and when the next FHSU College Republicans meeting will take place, please contact fhsurepublicans@gmail.com
For more general information on the College Republicans, you can visit their Tigerlink at https://tigerlink.fhsu.edu/organization/collegerepublicans .