“We Need to Make a Change”

November 18, 2024 1 min read

Sophia Damian
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

Excerpt: Duke College Republicans (DCR), founded in 1965, was an active organization on the Durham campus for 55 years before its sudden dissolution during the 2020 election season. After four years of dormancy, the group was revived on October 14, 2024, by junior Zander Pitrus. Amidst challenges posed by administrators and disgruntled student Democrats, Duke College Republicans seeks to facilitate civil discourse on campus by creating a community of like-minded and differently minded students, bringing in political speakers and pushing back against campus censorship.  

A week before the 2024 presidential election, the Martin Center spoke to Pitrus, now DCR president, to get his perspective on the organization and his experiences as a Republican on Duke’s campus.

Click here for link to full article

Leave a comment


Also in National Free Speech News & Commentary

What Does ‘Heterodoxy’ Mean During Trump 2.0?

July 07, 2025 1 min read

Cathy Young
The Bulwark

Excerpt: Last month's annual conference of the Heterodox Academy, a group founded ten years ago by psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt to support intellectual diversity in academia, had to confront a cultural and political landscape drastically changed from previous years. “HxA,” as the group styles itself, is known for taking on threats to academic freedom and intellectual openness from the progressive (or, if you will, “woke”) left. But this is 2025, not 2015. Not only is Donald Trump in the White House again, but his second administration is waging an aggressive attack on the universities in a crusade against academic “wokeness.” 

Read More
Harvard Staff Warn International Students of Airport Searches, Social Media Screening

July 05, 2025 1 min read

Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava
Harvard Crimson 

Excerpt: At an information session with more than 500 attendees, Harvard staff told international students to expect tight screening at Boston Logan International Airport and keep a careful handle on their internet presence, which could be vetted for pro-Palestine posts.

Read More
A dive into the Board of Visitors’ political donations

July 04, 2025 1 min read

Grace Little
Cavalier Daily

Excerpt: The Board of Visitors will soon begin the process of selecting an interim president and conducting a national search for a new president in the wake of former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation which came under pressure from the Department of Justice. As the Board searches for a new president, viewpoint diversity is likely to be a topic on their mind. 

Read More