At Syracuse University, one can become the center of debates simply by saying, “I’m voting for Mitt Romney,” and for anyone who’s brave enough to make this statement — this is a plug — the first step is joining College Republicans at Syracuse University on Facebook.

Republican or not, this Facebook group is for anyone who believes, in the words of Milton Friedman, “that there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.”

When Richard Nixon was president, causing mischief was protesting the Vietnam War. Nowadays, dissent is making a statement like Friedman’s, and mischief is turning televisions in dorm lounges to channel 39 when no one is around. That channel is Fox News.

In the scope of a college campus, to be a true rebel is to be a Republican. Many young voters choose liberal candidates and increasingly identify as Democrats, according to a study by Rock the Vote and The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.

In short, being Republican is a mark of notoriety — exposing others to Fox News’ alternative take is considered mischievous, and there exists an illustration to show that the real rebels are on the right.

Back in February, Karl Rove spoke at SU. He is a Republican strategist. George W. Bush dubbed Rove “the Architect,” because Rove managed Bush’s presidential campaigns.

More recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke on campus. The reason that Republicans are the rebels becomes clear when contrasting the enthusiasm of those who came to see Rove with those who came to see Clinton, and the messages of Rove’s protestors with the messages of Clinton’s.

When Rove came to campus, few knew about it. There was little hype. On the other hand, with Clinton’s appearance in Hendricks Chapel, there was an eight-person-wide column of people waiting in line to see her, wrapping around the Quad and stretching all the way to College Place.

So, seeing Rove was like going to an “underground” event, and seeing Clinton could be called “mainstream.”

In terms of protesters, Rove brought out the typical left-wing groups. Protesters included our own College Democrats, the Syracuse Peace Council and local labor unions. At one point, the crowd of protesters chanted “Karl Rove, you can’t hide, we’re charging you with genocide,” according to The NewsHouse.

Clinton drew protesters as well. Amazingly, though, she also brought out left-wing protesters. They went after Clinton for not being left-wing enough. One SU student said “Hillary Clinton is essentially a war hawk and a war criminal,” according to The Daily Orange.

Accusing every SU guest speaker of war crimes must get boring, following the crowds to the mainstream speakers must get tiring, and holding left-wing protests against left-wing speakers must get tedious.

To escape boredom, tiredness and tediousness, people do not need to turn Republican — it suffices to ask Republicans why they believe what they believe. But, to be rebels, becoming Republican is the only way.

Michael Stikkel is a junior computer engineering major. His column appears online weekly. He can be reached at mcstikke@syr.edu.

Published on August 29, 2012 at 12:30 am