UW students petition to shut down YAF, punish leaders
Anthony Gockowski Contributing Editor/Investigative Reporter @AGockowski on Dec 16, 2016 at 12:25 PM EDT
Students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison are petitioning their school's administration to revoke a conservative club's charter and put its leaders "through intensive diversity training."
The petitioners are upset that YAF invited Ben Shapiro to speak on campus, accusing the group of "making campus a hostile environment."
Students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison are demanding that their school's administration put members of a conservative club "through intensive diversity training."
An online petition being circulated by the school's "Student Coalition for Progress" condemns the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter on campus for hosting Ben Shapiro, whom they claim has "used his following and nationally syndicated media presence to deny the realities of systematic and institutional violence against Black and Brown people, sexual assault survivors, Muslims, LGBTQIA+ people, people with low income[s], people with differing abilities, undocumented immigrants, and anyone that [sic] is systematically targeted along identity lines."
"Members of YAF have...made feel unsafe prominent members of student government."
[RELATED: Drake student gov rejects conservative club for 'harmful' views]
The petition goes on to blame YAF for "making campus a hostile environment by attempting to out and misgender LGBTQIA+ students," claiming that some members have even "individually confronted" and thus "made feel unsafe prominent members of student government."
Accordingly, the petition demands that YAF's charter be "revoked," as well as asking for subsequent punishments for each of the "involved students" who could potentially be forced to undergo "intensive diversity training."
[RELATED: Michigan college drops math requirement, consider diversity course instead]
To strengthen its case against YAF, the petition offers the account of one minority student who attended Shapiro's apparently controversial lecture.
"I just watched Shapiro's lecture, and as an international minority student, seeing familiar faces of classmates in the cheering crowd, I felt betrayed, unwelcome, and regretting my choice of university and ever coming to the U.S.," the anonymous student recalled in horror.
[RELATED: College rejects conservative group for holding anti-communist views]
While the petition acknowledges that YAF has generally "not been a threat to the greater campus community" in the past, when the group merely "brought in speakers that [sic] espoused unsavory viewpoints and promoted conservatism," that apparently all "changed during the Fall 2016 semester" with Shapiro's appearance.
The petition, which has a target of just 100 signatures, still needed another 28 supporters at press time to trigger delivery to the UW administration.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski
Anthony Gockowski | Contributing Editor/Investigative Reporter
Anthony Gockowski is the Contributing Editor and an Investigative Reporter for Campus Reform. He previously worked for The Daily Caller, Intercollegiate Review, The Catholic Spirit, and The College Fix. In 2015, he was named a fellow for the Student Free Press Association. His reporting is regularly featured on Drudge Report, Fox News, National Review, and more.
20 Articles by Anthony Gockowski
Conservative paper pressured into suspending publication
An underground conservative newspaper at Taylor University was pressured into temporarily suspending publication for striking "fear in some students."
Anthony Gockowski Mar 21, 2018 - 1:16 PM EDT
University admin forced out over affiliation with gun-maker
A university administrator was recently pressured into resigning because she would not relinquish her spot on the board of a top gun manufacturer.
Anthony Gockowski Mar 14, 2018 - 12:29 PM EDT
UMN president condemns 'harmful' BDS referendum
UMN President Eric Kaler roundly condemned the BDS movement after the student body passed a referendum calling for divestment from Israel.
College urges profs to facilitate gun control walkout
Palm Beach State College recently urged faculty members to participate in an upcoming walkout to demand stricter gun control legislation.
Anthony Gockowski Mar 06, 2018 - 11:50 AM EDT
Brown course claims 'whitelash' led to Trump's election
Brown University will offer a course on the "whitelash" that supposedly caused President Trump's election as part of a program for high-schoolers.
Anthony Gockowski and Toni Airaksinen Mar 02, 2018 - 3:11 PM EDT
Five arrests after protests at UW Patriot Prayer rally
Five people were arrested Saturday at the University of Washington after protesters confronted a group of right-leaning demonstrators on campus.
Campus Reform Staff Feb 11, 2018 - 7:01 PM EDT
New Mexico considers forcing students to apply for college
Two New Mexico state lawmakers want to force high school students to apply for college unless they can document an alternative post-graduation plan.
Anthony Gockowski Feb 05, 2018 - 4:37 PM EDT
DOJ backs conservative students in lawsuit against Berkeley
The DOJ is stepping in to defend a group of conservative students who are suing UC-Berkeley for preventing them from bringing speakers to campus.
Anthony Gockowski Jan 26, 2018 - 9:19 AM EDT
Cuomo plans to extend NY free tuition program to 'Dreamers'
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently revealed his FY 2019 budget proposal, which would extend the state's free tuition program to illegal immigrant students.
Anthony Gockowski Jan 25, 2018 - 4:17 PM EDT
Penn State profs warn of 'racial bias' in Google Arts app
Some Penn State professors are worried that the portrait-matching feature of the Google Arts and Culture App "might have a racial bias."
Anthony Gockowski Jan 25, 2018 - 12:47 PM EDT
University makes staffers take 'cultural humility' training
Emory University is now requiring its entire Campus Life staff to undergo "several" mandatory trainings on "cultural humility and social justice."
UMN students shell out $35M per year in mandatory fees
The UMN system rakes in roughly $35 million per year from mandatory student fees, but one state lawmaker wants to make the fees optional.
Anthony Gockowski Jan 24, 2018 - 11:15 AM EDT
CA politics sends college rocketry team's hopes up in flames
California politics may prevent the Citrus College rocketry club from attending NASA's annual Student Launch Competition in Alabama.
Student activist Brooke Paz tops list of Higher Ed Heroes
Pro-life activist and College Republicans leader Brooke Paz took first place in the voting for Campus Reform's inaugural Higher Ed Heroes competition.
Campus Reform Staff Jan 17, 2018 - 12:03 PM EDT
Shapiro snags second place in 2017 Higher Ed Heroes awards
Ben Shapiro has earned second place in Campus Reform's 2017 Higher Ed Heroes awards for his work promoting free speech on campus.
Campus Reform Staff Jan 16, 2018 - 11:43 AM EDT
Troy Worden takes third-place among 2017's Higher Ed Heroes
Former Berkeley College Republicans President Tory Worden took third place in Campus Reform's 2017 Higher Ed Heroes competition.
UNC-Charlotte, Planned Parenthood sponsor new 'Sex Week'
UNC-Charlotte will soon host its first-ever Sex Week, featuring events such as "f*** like your life depends on it" and "cookies and condoms."
Tucker Carlson takes #4 spot among 2017's Higher Ed Heroes
Campus Reform's readers have chosen popular Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson as one of the top five Higher Ed Heroes of 2017.
Records show prof who 'diagnosed' Trump lacks CT license
The Yale psych professor who has repeatedly diagnosed President Trump with a "mental impairment" appears to lack a valid license in Connecticut.
Facebook awards USC students for 'bias-busting' app
Facebook awarded four USC students third prize in a recent competition for developing an app intended to combat gender bias in the workplace.