Posts in "YAL National"

YAL's Events at ISFLC 2012

Bonnie Kristian — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:27:03 +0000

If you'll be at the 2012 International Students for Liberty Conference, we want you to be at YAL's events! So here's the line-up:

Friday, February 17

Party with YAL and Microsoft!

Yeah, you read that right. Microsoft is throwing YAL a party on Friday night at their swanky new DC headquarters!

A small sampling of the party features include:

100" touch screens TVs, outfitted with XBox Connect.
Open bar
Lots of food
And -- the main attraction -- 200+ other liberty activists!

If you're attending ISFLC, you're invited to join us, but make sure you show up early as space is limited! Doors open at 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 18

YAL Breakout Sessions

So, I Hear You Are a Libertarian? Who Gives a Sh*t?
Speaker: Jeff Frazee, YAL Executive Director
10 a.m. - 10.45 a.m., Latrobe Room
Mass Communications and Social Networks
Speaker: Bonnie Kristian, YAL Director of Communications
11.15 a.m. to 12 p.m., Latrobe Room
Work for the Revolution: How to Get a Job
Speaker: Jeff Frazee, YAL Executive Director
1.30 p.m. - 2.15 p.m., Latrobe Room
Messaging for Liberty
Speaker: Christopher Doss, Leadership Institute Grassroots Instructor
2.24 p.m. - 3.30 p.m., Latrobe Room
Starting a Liberty Group
Speaker: Edward King, YAL Operations Director
4 p.m. - 4.45 p.m., Latrobe Room
Special Guest Speaker & YAL's Keynote Address: Congressman Justin Amash
5.15 p.m. - 6 p.m., Latrobe Room

Sunday, February 19

YAL Breakout Sessions

Messaging for Liberty
Speaker: Christopher Doss, Leadership Institute Grassroots Instructor
10 a.m. - 10.45 a.m., Latrobe Room
So, I Hear You Are a Libertarian? Who Gives a Sh*t?
Speaker: Jeff Frazee, YAL Executive Director
11 a.m. - 11.45 a.m., Latrobe Room

YAL at IUPUI to host Civil Liberties College Tour Stop

jamesmaier93 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:07:28 +0000

Young Americans for Liberty at IUPUI will be hosting one of the stops on the YAL Civil Liberties College Tour on Tuesday February 7th!

At the current moment, an event of this nature is certainly necessary, as every day, we are seeing our rights whittled away by a government that has stepped far outside of its constitutional and legal constraints. Legislation such as the PATRIOT Act and the NDAA have roused people awake to the threats we face and even have become seminal issues for Republican presidential candidates.

All of these developments have come about as a result of wars, and as Randolph Bourne's thesis suggests, war is the health of the state. Wars, like the ones the US government is conducting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia are the health of the state because many accept the certain steps taken in effort to make us "safer," when in reality, our rights and privacy are violated.

Many do not know this, but as a result of NDAA, anyone of us can be indefinitely detained with no charge. Yet, many accept this. Those who warn of it are painted as traitors and terrorist sympathizers, by those who do not understand the laws of this country and their natural rights.

National End Crony Capitalism Day Feb. 14th

Joseph Brown — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:57:41 +0000

Kelly Jemison has a post over at Students for Liberty promoting national crony capitalism day, a great event to do on campus before wrapping up our Spring recruitment drive contest, which ends Feb. 17th--your chapter can win cash prizes and we will provide you with free resources and activism kits! Crony capitalism day, is set for February 14th (Valentine's Day), and will expose the love between big business and big government. Tabling kits are provided free of charge, just apply through this survey. Each tabling kit includes:

1 tabling banner (2′ by 6′) – to draw attention to the event
1 event execution information sheet
1 sample press release
100 stickers with the attached image
100 Valentines – with a cronyism definition on one side and illustration on the opposite side
120 Dum Dum lollipops – to be attached to the Valentines (for a candy gram effect)

Get Trained to Take Action

Bonnie Kristian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:58:43 +0000

If you want to run for office yourself, or work on a principled, liberty campaign, or just become a more effective activist, you need to be trained. Fortunately, our partners at American Majority and the Leadership Institute have exactly the training you need.

Upcoming Leadership Institute Trainings

Jan. 27	Television Workshop, Introduction to Techniques	Arlington, VA
Jan. 27	Television Workshop, On-camera	Arlington, VA
Jan. 28	Grassroots Activist School	Bozeman, MT
Jan. 28	Grassroots Activist School	Freehold, NJ
Jan. 28	Travel-Campaign Management School	Rock Island, IL
Jan. 30	Campaign Management School	Arlington, VA
Feb. 01	Advanced New Media Workshop: Campaigns	Arlington, VA
Feb. 01	Powerful Public Relations	Online
Feb. 04	Youth Leadership School	Newark, OH
Feb. 09	CPAC - How to Raise Money...the Easy Way	Washington, DC
Feb. 09	Getting Your Message Heard	Washington, DC
Feb. 09	CPAC - Landing a Conservative Job: The Hill and Beyond	Washington, DC
Feb. 10	CPAC - Public Speaking Workshop	Washington, DC
Feb. 10	CPAC - Video Activism: Tips of the Trade	Washington, DC
Feb. 11	Grassroots Activist School	Sheboygan, WI
Feb. 11	CPAC 2012 Job and Internship Fair	Washington, DC
Feb. 11	CPAC - GOTV: Creating a Winning Ground Game	Washington, DC
Feb. 17	Television Workshop, On-camera	Arlington, VA
Feb. 21	Public Speaking Workshop, Advanced	Arlington, VA
Feb. 25	Youth Leadership School	Des Moines, IA
Feb. 25	Youth Leadership School	Pensacola, FL
Feb. 25	Travel-Future Candidate School	Jonesboro, AR
Feb. 27	Comprehensive Online Activist School	Arlington, VA

View the full LI training schedule here.

Upcoming American Majority Trainings

Jan. 25	Activist Training School	Yuma, AZ
Feb. 9	Candidate Training School	Norman, OK
Feb. 11	Activist Training School	Charleston, SC
Feb. 11	Candidate and Activist School	Middletown, DE
Feb. 18	Campaign Training School	St. Paul, MN
Feb. 18	Candidate and Activist School	Bell County, TX
Feb. 25	Campaign Training School	Cleveland, TN
Mar. 3	Activist Training School	DuPage, IL

Click here to learn more about AM's training options and request a training in your area.

Chapter Glue: How to Keep Your Group Together

Josh Jackson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:27:54 +0000

The beginning of a new semester is the perfect time to be thinking about how to grow and expand your YAL chapter. Maybe you turn out a big crowd of people to a information meeting or a semester kick-off rally, but will they come back? Are they still there at the end of the semester? This is the ultimate test of your effectiveness as a student organization, and here's what you need to remember.

The Idea: Community

Think about the most successfully organized groups you know. These may be churches, veterans groups, or college fraternities, for example. The common thread that sustains the existence of these groups is that they create an environment which not only enables the purpose of the group, but ultimately fosters social interaction. In other words, people want a place they can make friends and hang out! It's half the reason you went to college to begin with.

Understanding "community" is vital to the success of your group. It encourages the creativity that occurs when people are comfortable around each other and sharpens ideas on philosophy and rhetorical skills. People build bonds with each other, find other common interests, become friends, and eventually begin to interact outside of the group. I love logging into Facebook and seeing people who are members of my YAL group asking each other which professors to take for a certain class, who wants to meet up for pizza, or where the best trails to go hiking are located. These people will continue to show up for YAL events, if only just to see their friends who they made there! I'm sure they love liberty too.

New Semester, New Leadership, New Regional Map

Mikayla Hall — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:59:16 +0000

Starting this Spring Semester, there are some changes in YAL's field program. Missouri is moving from the Midwest Region to the South Central Region, and Colorado is moving from South Central to the Northwest. The above map illustrates the new regions.

Additionally, we're welcomg two new Regional Directors -- Sam Swedberg for the Midwest and Eric Sharp for the Mid-Atlantic -- and twenty-two new State Chairs.

To see in which region your chapter falls and your local leadership team, check out Regional Resources.

Coming to CPAC?

Bonnie Kristian — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:32:51 +0000

Are you ready to head to CPAC 2012 this February 9-11? If not, there's no time to lose to make your plans and secure your spot at the conference.

Student passes are available for just $35 and will get you full access to the regular conference sessions for all three days. For those without a student ID or a little extra cash to splurge on VIP events, more expensive options are available starting at $75.

Click here to register today. The registration deadline is 5.00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 3, 2012. If you wait to register onsite, you may not get a ticket.

Once you've got your ticket, you'll need a place to stay. YAL has put together a list of safe, inexpensive housing options which have rooms available during the weekend of CPAC:

Best Western Rosslyn: $89 to $109 per night; Orange Line adjacent -- Rosslyn station.

A Christmas Song from YAL

Bonnie Kristian — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:24:58 +0000

Merry Christmas from your friends at

Young Americans for Liberty!

To the tune of "Let It Snow"

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But in YAL's office it’s delightful,
And as the year draws to a close,
Help YAL grow! Help YAL grow! Help YAL grow!

Yes, this year was quite successful,
We hope your holidays are restful,
Come New Years we’ll be rarin’ to go,
And make YAL grow! Make YAL grow! Make YAL grow!

Campaign activists trained by the score,
And next year we’ll train day and night!
Though the feds adore spending and war,
Still we will fight for our rights!

We’re heading toward Election Day,
Let’s give statists cause for dismay!
If you love liberty so,
Help YAL grow! Help YAL grow! Help YAL grow!

If you want to help YAL grow into the New Year, then please help us with an end of the year tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, or even $250 or more!

Here at YAL, we've had a wonderful third year as an organization -- by far our most successful year to date. Thanks to your support, YAL has grown to become the largest, most active, and fastest-growing liberty organization on America's college campuses.

From all of us at Young Americans for Liberty, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

For liberty,

Civil Liberties College Tour

Bonnie Kristian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:10:25 +0000

Today YAL is pleased to announce a February campus tour with three civil liberties experts, titled "The War on Terrorism, Civil Liberties, and the Constitution."

This one-of-a-kind college tour brings together Glenn Greenwald (a liberal), Bruce Fein (a conservative), and Jacob Hornberger (a libertarian) to discuss the greatest threats to our constitutional republic and individual rights.

The tour will be moderated by YAL's own Jack Hunter, and hosted by YAL chapters in conjunction with The Future Freedom Foundation. Here's the schedule:

Monday, February 6: Columbia University in New York City, NY
Tuesday, February 7: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in Indianapolis, IN
Wednesday, February 8: Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN
Thursday, February 9: Ohio State in Columbus, OH
The details for one final tour stop are still being worked out -- stay tuned for an update!

Make plans today to attend a tour stop near you, and spread the news about this important event far and wide today!

Learn more at www.YALiberty.org/tour.

Find Your Spring Internship Here

Bonnie Kristian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:37:45 +0000

Looking for a spring internship? Look no further than this list!

Bruce Fein is looking for two to three interns IMMEDIATELY. Candidates should be in the DC area and be interested issues of constitutional law, separation of powers, and civil liberties legislation. To apply, contact Mark Potkewitz at mark@thelichfieldgroup.com or 314-814-6275 as soon as possible.
Looking for a free ticket to CPAC? ProEnglish is looking for two temporary paid interns during the week of CPAC 2012. The interns will each receive one pass to all three days of CPAC and a stipend for the week. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to suzannebibby@proenglish.org with the subject line "CPAC 2012 Intern."
Antiwar.com is looking for a spring college intern. 5-10 hours per week. Duties include proofreading. Submit writing sample and cover letter to akeaton@antiwar.com by December 19th.

Happy Birthday to YAL!

Bonnie Kristian — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:23:53 +0000

This month marks YAL's third birthday, and thanks to your hard work and support, Young Americans for Liberty has become the largest, most active, and fastest-growing liberty youth organization in the country in three short years!

As we head into our fourth year -- and this historic election season -- our fight for liberty will only advance.

Head over to YAL's Facebook page or tweet with hashtag #YAL to share your birthday wishes or stories about the influence YAL has had in your life these past three years!

P.S. Yes, that is an eagle eating a cake.

Indiana YAL State Convention, Fall 2011

jamesmaier93 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:51:51 +0000

On December 3, 2011, a group of over thirty student activists came to IUPUI for the Fall 2011 Young Americans for Liberty State Convention.

They came to network with each other and see the speakers that were invited to the event, among them constitutional expert and 2012 Indiana Senate Candidate Andrew Horning, former Ohio State Senator Derrick Seaver, and former Survivor contender and 2012 Indiana gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham.

Andrew Horning’s speech that many of the group had seen before was refreshing nonetheless, and touched on the concept of liberty. Horning also discussed how Hoosier and American voters can have their state and federal constitutions; all they have to do is vote for candidates who understand and will abide by the rules within those documents. Horning made the case that laws should be “few enough to know, simple enough to understand, and pure enough to follow.”

Join the Fight against the NDAA

Bonnie Kristian — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:28:11 +0000

If you haven't kept up with the dangerous details of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), here's an update from YAL's Jack Hunter in the Daily Caller:

Commenting on the controversial Section 1031 of the National Defense Authorization Act — which many contend gives the federal government new powers to arrest American citizens without charge — [Senator Lindsey] Graham made clear this week that “1031, the statement of authority to detain, does apply to American citizens and it designates the world as the battlefield, including the homeland.”
The entire world is now a “battlefield”? “Including the homeland”?
There have been serious constitutional questions raised recently concerning whether our federal government should be able to arrest or assassinate American citizens overseas without charge or trial. This new and largely uncharted legal territory has been troublesome. But arresting or assassinating American citizens here in the United States without trial? Rounding up and holding American citizens indefinitely without charge? What country is this?

The charge agains the NDAA has been led by Senator Rand Paul, who -- though unsuccessful in stopping the bill's passage in the Senate -- was able to remove an amendment which would have allowed indefinite detention of enemy combatants acquited of crimes in court. He did so by requiring a recorded vote rather than a voice vote, which caused a number of senators to switch their positions for fear of constituent backlash.

When the bill finally passed, only seven senators voted against it. That's your cue to take action.

Click here to see how your senators voted. Click here to find your representatives' contact information. And click here to download a petition to collect signatures against the NDAA on your campus before it's too late.

File Attachments
Petition_to_Defeat_the_NDAA.doc	106 KB

Conservatism’s Future: Young Americans for Liberty

ndyer123 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:32:23 +0000

Our new Director of Outreach, Jack Hunter, wrote a fantastic article highlighting the growth and success of our organization, as well as the parallels of our movement with the Goldwater movement of 1960s. It is truly a must-read (or a must-see)!

Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is the United States’s premiere conservative and libertarian youth activist organization, with 26,000 members in 286 campus chapters nationwide. Patterned after earlier, once-dominant groups like Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) — which organized and rallied much of the grassroots muscle behind Goldwater’s campaigns — YAL initially grew out of “Students for Ron Paul.” Since its founding three years ago, YAL has exploded to become the largest conservative youth activist organization in the country. In fact, its size is unrivaled.

Read the article here: The Daily Caller.

YAL in the News

Bonnie Kristian — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:35:48 +0000

YAL chapters and members are showing up in the news all over the place for their activism and participation in electoral politics! Here's a sampling of recent news coverage:

The University of Illinois student newspaper devoted a full article to an upcoming event from Illinois' YAL chapter. The event is called "Flex Your Rights," and YAL member Evan Gragg explained it is meant “to help individuals understand that they have rights (and) not to let government infringe on them.” Read the full article here.
YAL at the University of New Hampshire made the news with a counter-protest for capitalism in response to an Occupy Wall Street event at their school. Read the report here.
Libertarian financial strategist Peter Schiff spoke at UCLA, where YAL chapter president Deepak Sahni "said he respected Schiff’s theories because Schiff had accurately predicted both the dot-com bubble burst and the 2007 recession." Read more here.
YAL at the University of North Texas made the local paper for hosting a Students for Liberty regional conference on their campus. Read the story here.
Quinnipiac YAL cosponsored an event with a death row survivor to foster discussion on the death penalty. Read the full report here.