6 minute read
YAF’s Breakthrough Campus Lectures Reach Millions
By Patrick X. Coyle, Vice President
The nation’s #1 requested campus speaker, Ben Shapiro, delivers a Young America’s Foundation lecture titled “Stop Begging to Be Coddled” at the University of Central Florida.
If young people want to change their campus culture, hosting a prominent conservative speaker is how they can make that change. Young America’s Foundation is the only organization that specializes in sending the biggest names in the Conservative Movement to colleges and high schools across the country. These lectures are often the only time students hear a conservative viewpoint during their time on campus.
Foundation speakers are on the front lines, pushing back against many of the politically correct efforts at our nation’s schools. This is why Time magazine noted that YAF’s campus lecture program is sponsoring hundreds of lectures by conservative leaders each year and that “these speeches have become the biggest event of the semester.” These events have also drawn recognition from the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and even the New York Times.
At Texas A&M University, 750 students and tens of thousands of online viewers hear Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles broadcast a live, YAF-sponsored episode of their Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast.
The Foundation was the first conservative youth organization to introduce the idea of using speakers with a national reputation as a means to ensure a large audience. These are speakers whom students, the local community, and even faculty members want to hear. Students want to hear from policymakers, celebrities, newsmakers, and renowned professors. The large audiences these speakers generate show campus communities that students are eager to hear conservative ideas. They give our cause a sense of excitement.
During the fall 2021 semester, YAF’s campus lecture program brought conservative ideas to millions of young people—many for the first time—in person and online.
For instance, over the course of six days, Young America’s Foundation reached thousands of students—at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M University, and The Catholic University of America (see page 36)—through three live broadcasts of Senator Ted Cruz and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles’ popular Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast. Made possible by YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series, the Foundation’s livestream of these events reached more than 400,000 additional viewers online.
During their tour, Senator Cruz and Knowles presented a conservative perspective on a range of important national (Continued on page 26)
Senator Cruz encourages followers on Twitter to attend his Verdict Live podcast recording at The Catholic University of America, part of YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series.
Steps to Host a Breakthrough YAF Lecture on Your Campus!
Visit YAF.org or call YAF at 1-800-USA-1776 to get started today. Young America’s Foundation’s dedicated team is ready to walk you through each step of the process.
#1 Learn How Your School’s
Bureaucracy Works #2 Select an Appropriate Speaker #3 Solicit Your School for Funds #4 Invite Your Speaker #5 Plan Your Event #6 Host Your Speaker #7 Maximize Your Impact
Through YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series, Daily Wire host Michael Knowles delivers an address titled “The Right to Tell the Truth” at the University of Miami to a packed room of students.
YAF Spokeswoman Kara Zupkus moderates a Young America’s Foundation event featuring National Review Editor Rich Lowry (left) and Congressman Chip Roy (right) at their alma mater, the University of Virginia.
(Continued from page 22) issues, including COVID-19 government mandates, gender-neutral restrooms, the Left’s attacks on Christopher Columbus, and the Biden administration’s failed border security policies.
YAF’s most-requested speaker, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro, made appearances at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida State University (FSU) through the Foundation’s Fred and Lynda Allen Lecture Series. At UCF, Shapiro addressed more than 1,000 students and community members—many of whom lined up more than five hours in advance to hear his speech. Similarly, he took the stage in front of 1,500 students at FSU, speaking on the topic, “How Wokeness is Destroying America.” These events combined to draw more than five million online views.
Vice President Mike Pence, YAF’s Ronald Reagan Presidential Scholar, kicked off his YAF campus lecture tour at the University of Iowa (see page 32) and Texas A&M University. Part of YAF’s Preserving American Liberty & Freedom Lecture Series, these events also drew thousands of students on campus and attracted national attention for the Vice President’s remarks on promoting American exceptionalism, preserving the Trump administration’s (Continued on page 30)
University of Miami students meet with Daily Wire host Michael Knowles (back row, fourth from left) following his lecture on campus.
YAF’s Fred and Lynda Allen Lecture Series brings commentator Ben Shapiro to speak to a standing-room-only audience of 1,500 students at Florida State University.
A Palm Beach Atlantic University student asks a question of economist Dr. Arthur Laffer following his campus speech, part of YAF’s Thomas W. Smith Foundation Lecture Series.
(Continued from page 26) policy successes, and the importance of abiding by the U.S. Constitution.
Additional YAF campus speakers this semester included Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21); Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, sponsored by the Robert & Patricia Herbold Lecture Series; economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, sponsored by the Thomas W. Smith Foundation Lecture Series; commentator Elisha Krauss; National Review Editor Rich Lowry; and many more.
The photo series depicted in these pages showcases a selection of the students, speakers, and campus audiences who helped to make YAF’s campus lecture program a success during the fall 2021 semester. These and other YAF campus lectures can be viewed in full length on the Foundation’s YouTube channel, YAFTV (YouTube.com/YAFTV).
Young America’s Foundation stands ready to assist young people across the country who wish to host a YAF speaker on their campus and make an immediate impact. Students should visit YAF.org or call YAF at 800-USA-1776 to speak with a Young America’s Foundation team member and get started today!
Become a Member of Young Americans for Freedom!
Whether you have been in a Young Americans for Freedom chapter for years, are just getting involved in one, or are new to the Conservative Movement, you can now become an official member of Young Americans for Freedom!
Students who are 13 and older and enrolled full-time in school are welcome to join YAF. Once you become a YAFer, you will receive:
• A welcome packet that includes a t-shirt and other YAF swag • Your own membership card • A free copy of 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative by Dr. Paul
Kengor • Opportunities to attend unique, members-only events at YAF conferences and retreats • First opportunities and discounts to register for key YAF conferences and other programs
This is to certify that William F. Buckley, Jr. is a member in good standing since 1960
Membership Number: 000001
YOUNG AMERICANS FOR FREEDOM
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Becoming a member is free and easy, and once you sign up you do not need to renew—ever! You will receive a confirmation email once we have reviewed your application, and, if approved, you will receive your very own membership card and welcome packet.
