UNC Student Congress Stifles Republican Voices | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Chapel Hill, N.C.     Last night, the UNC Student Congress voted to affirm the finance committee's cut of the UNC College Republican's funding for the fall semester. UNC College Republicans received $3,090 - a 75% cut from last year's funding.

    The group needed funding to bring two speakers to campus - Katie Pavlich, a New York Times best selling author, Fox News contributor, and editor of townhall.com; and Ann McElhinny the co-producer of the movie FrackNation.

    Members of UNC Student Congress against fully funding the College Republican's request argued there was simply not enough money in the budget to fully fund their request. However, as reported by The Daily Tarheel today, "Brittany Best, chairwoman of the finance committee, said the total amount of money Student Congress had for fall appropriations was $134,000. She said there is $90,717 left to distribute."

    Prior to the student congress meeting last night, College Republicans met at the Pit and marched to the meeting. There, members of UNC College Republicans spoke asking Congress to fully fund their request to bring these two conservative speakers to campus. Also in attendance was NCFCR Chairman, Nate Pencook who advocated for the UNC College Republicans to be fully funded. "I really came to encourage you on two magic words: intellectual diversity," said Pencook.

    Last year, UNC College Republicans hosted a successful John Stossel and Howard Dean debate where over 600 people were in attendance.

    "It just seems ridiculous to us. We wanted to encourage dialogue - we wanted to encourage a marketplace of ideas," said Peter McClelland, UNC College Republicans Chairman.

    Other groups such as Siren Womyn Empowerment Magazine and "UNControllables" - an anarchist group received more funding from Student Congress.

    "I am extremely disappointed by the UNC Student Congress' decision last night to stifle the voices of conservative ideas on campus. We are starting to see a trend statewide where College Republicans throughout North Carolina are facing blatant liberal bias on their campuses," said Pencook.

Contact:

   Valerie Procopio
     ncfederationofcrs@gmail.com

    North Carolina Federation of College Republicans

    1506 Hillsborough Street
    Raleigh, NC 27605