Young America’s Foundation congratulates the University of Virginia Young Americans for Freedom (UVA YAF) chapter on being selected as the December Chapter of Distinction.
Despite shameful actions from the intolerant Left on campus, UVA YAF excelled while boldly promoting conservative ideas as the Fall semester ended. From participating in Young America’s Foundation’s flagship initiative, Freedom Week, and tearing down a Berlin Wall display expressing the failures of communism, to leading a bold fight against the UVA student government’s insane leftist resolutions–the conservative activist group serves as a gleaming example of what others who wish to advance conservative ideas at their schools should strive to mirror.
Most notably, UVA YAF’s work to push back against their student government’s attempts to censure professors and silence conservative speech sent shockwaves through their campus. When YAF member and student council member Nick Cabrera spoke out against these tyrannical efforts in a student government meeting, Nick and the YAF chapter found themselves the target of threats and attempts from their peers to publicly shame them. Fortunately, YAF stood firm in their principles and persisted for freedom.
Because UVA YAF refused to apologize for their stance and instead continued to speak out and denounce the student government’s decision, the last student government meeting of the year saw a record turnout of around 200 students. Many of those in attendance contacted UVA YAF following the meeting to join the chapter.
This followed UVA YAF’s alleged “controversial” participation in Freedom Week, an event that is usually widely accepted by all as it celebrates the triumph of freedom over communism and socialism. The Left at UVA, however, found offense in YAF’s audacity to continue organizing pro-American events. Ignoring the disgruntled leftists, most students at UVA took pride in seeing their peers organize to celebrate such honorable events as Veteran’s Day and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
“I think our events were successful because of the YAF activists who were willing to exercise their courage and stand up for their values in the face of social risks and ostracization. It is the quality of your message and its dissemination that matters. Passion, collaboration, and thoughtful planning led to incredible successes for our chapter” described UVA YAF Chairman Victoria Spiotto. “There was no shortage of positive feedback: our membership and student interest surely increased. What’s more, the blatant mistreatment from other students caught the eye of the administration, who demonstrated to us that they do not support cyberbullying nor the suppression of any speech.”
The following members of UVA YAF were also instrumental in the chapter’s success:
