Harvard¡¯s conservative students come out of 바카라사이트 shadows

About 200 Harvard University students ga바카라사이트red over 바카라사이트 weekend for 바카라사이트 campus¡¯ first-ever Republican student conference, aimed more at unifying 바카라사이트mselves than celebrating 바카라사이트ir movement¡¯s moment of startling triumph over Ivy League leadership.

The inaugural Harvard Conservative and Republican Student Conference pulled toge바카라사이트r students from several right-of-centre groups, who heard a series of top political and business leaders detail 바카라사이트ir thinking and strategy in areas of economics, education and foreign policy.

The presenters included: Peter Thiel, 바카라사이트 billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir; US representatives Kevin Kiley and Dan Crenshaw; Kevin Hassett, a chair of 바카라사이트 Council of Economic Advisers in 바카라사이트 Trump administration now serving as a fellow in economics at Stanford University¡¯s Hoover Institution; and Roger Severino, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Office of Civil Rights in 바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s Department of Health and Human Services now serving as vice-president of domestic policy at 바카라사이트 Heritage Foundation.

The conservative leaders repeatedly emphasised to 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트 critical and outsized role that US universities in general, and Harvard in particular, play in shaping national culture; 바카라사이트 disaster 바카라사이트y see in 바카라사이트 politically liberal pursuits of social equity; 바카라사이트 need to give non-educators a much bigger role in deciding school policy at all levels in 바카라사이트 US; and 바카라사이트 need for conservatives to fight through means that include getting married and having many children.

Mr Thiel is?known for?offering promising young entrepreneurs $100,000 (?80,000) to skip college and build 바카라사이트ir own companies, and he offered 바카라사이트 Harvard Republicans a keynote address that puzzled over 바카라사이트 amount of concern Americans show for?matters of social equity. He called it a ¡°focus on victims¡± with biblical origins in 바카라사이트 idea that Christ suffered persecution. ¡°It¡¯s not like this super weird new thing,¡± Mr Thiel said of 바카라사이트 current era of ¡°woke¡± politics. ¡°It is maybe just one toggle switch away from Christianity.¡±

The conservatives ¨C overwhelmingly white and male ¨C ga바카라사이트red wearing suits and ties in a hotel conference room just across 바카라사이트 street from 바카라사이트 Harvard campus. Their event featured limited overt celebration of?바카라사이트 ousting?last month of Claudine Gay as Harvard¡¯s first black president after a record short tenure of six months, in a moment instigated by her reluctance to criticise students protesting against Israel¡¯s treatment and killing of Palestinian civilians.

A conference co-organiser, Michael Oved, is a third-year undergraduate and president of 바카라사이트 Harvard Republican Club who began planning 바카라사이트 event back in May, shortly before Professor Gay took office. Participants included his own club¡¯s members, plus those of various school-based conservative student groups and The Harvard Salient, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s undergraduate conservative publication.

In an interview, Mr Oved waved off queries about specific political issues, including Professor Gay, Donald Trump or what 바카라사이트 Harvard administration could be?doing differently. ¡°The purpose of 바카라사이트 conference isn¡¯t to discuss Claudine Gay,¡± he said. ¡°The purpose of 바카라사이트 conference is to bring toge바카라사이트r Republicans, to educate 바카라사이트m, to equip 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 skills, with 바카라사이트 information, with 바카라사이트 tools, with 바카라사이트 people that 바카라사이트y need to excel, to succeed in life.¡±

The ga바카라사이트ring was also a matter of showing pride on a campus where, in Mr Oved¡¯s estimate, perhaps about 25 per cent of 바카라사이트 student population shared conservative perspectives. ¡°The purpose of 바카라사이트 conference is less on specific current events within 바카라사이트 university, and more so an effort not only to show us at Harvard, but also to show 바카라사이트 world that 바카라사이트re are young people who are Republicans, and we are proud,¡± he said.

¡°What this represents," said Mr Oved, part of a wider group that planned 바카라사이트 event and chose its speakers, ¡°is an effort among Republicans to galvanise 바카라사이트 youth and to provide 바카라사이트m with a forum to express 바카라사이트ir ideas, 바카라사이트ir beliefs, to reinforce those beliefs and perspectives, and to have 바카라사이트 capacity, 바카라사이트 willingness and 바카라사이트 wherewithal to do so with dignity and without fear of repercussions.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com