The 2016 vice presidential debate brought many changes and additions to Longwood University, including Willett Hall’s new façade, as the site of the debate itself.
The university saw less obvious, or cosmetic, additions as well. One addition that formed a more permanent change to Longwood’s political sphere was the founding of the Longwood University Libertarians (LUL).
“The fact that we had the debates on campus gave us the opportunity to say that there was a portion of Longwood students, in addition to the rest of the country, who felt as though more than just the traditional old left and old right voices (were needed),” said LUL president and founder Kyle Dobry.
According to Dobry, campus protests staged during the vice presidential debate led to the “genesis” of the Longwood Libertarians. One protest occurred during the student viewing of the debate on Stubbs Lawn. The protesters stood silently at the back of the crowds watching the debate, holding signs to protest the debate committee’s exclusion of a Libertarian candidate.
Dobry said he organized these protests and explained how this was an example of the ways the debate and the 2016 election paved the way for more Libertarian interest on campus.
“There was definitely a void of a voice that wasn’t the old right or old left,” said Dobry. In turn, he said he saw a need for the organization. The two mainstream political parties have maintained active clubs on campus for years as the College Republicans of Longwood University and the College Democrats of Longwood University.
To simply describe the Libertarian party platform, Dobry said they were “fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”
“I have my rights and liberties,” said Dobry. “And as long as I don’t do anything to impede your rights and liberties, we should be okay.”
The club’s first meeting as a fully sanctioned Longwood student organization occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Prior to receiving the Student Government Association’s approval, Dobry said the meetings were more informal, centered on the debate and the election.
Moving forward, Dobry said the club aims to “work together as a unit to find ways to promote liberty on campus, (and) the freedoms of students both on and off campus.”
The club currently consists of eight members and hosts meetings every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Ruffner 108.
