They call us “diversity university”

The University recently reminded students of its interpretation of non-profit 501(c)(3) status and what it means for political candidates coming to campus. The policy prohibits student groups from inviting political candidates to campus unless all other candidates for the position are also invited and allotted equal time. Wesleyan’s policy represents one method for maintaining non-profit status, while Yale and Middlesex have adopted other, more-flexible plans.

Still, Wesleyan’s policy is not oppressive. It is important to have diversity of political opinion on campus, especially on a campus as predominantly liberal as ours. Ultimately, students need to decide whether it is more important to open up the campus to political diversity or simply get the desired candidate to campus.

The issue seems to be less with equal inventions for major candidates than those on the fringe. But the views and speeches of major candidates can be heard just about anywhere, while candidates from the smaller parties would bring new perspectives on issues to campus, whether liberal or conservative. Why should a candidate from a smaller party be seen as less valuable and less interesting than others?

And just because you invite all the candidates doesn’t mean that they’ll all show up. At the same time, the simple fact that everyone was invited shouldn’t stop anyone from coming. Members of groups like WesDems are critical of the University’s interpretation of the law because they fear that the politicians they really want to speak on campus will choose not to come because equal time would be given to the candidate’s opponents. Hopefully this will not be the case, but if it is, it says something about these politicians and their levels of respect for opponents.

If groups really want a certain candidate to speak, they will find a way to do it. Having a candidate speak somewhere on Main Street, for instance, is one alternative. It has been done in the past, although it requires a bit more work. Another alternative is to have groups, like the WesDems and the Wesleyan College Republicans, work together in a bipartisan manner to bring various candidates to campus.

Having some candidates who are not liberal Democrats come to speak on campus takes us out of the Wesleyan bubble a bit. And, for a University that prides itself on diversity, having some politically diverse dialogue should be viewed as a positive change.