Why do studies show that college seniors are more liberal than college freshmen? Simply put, campus radicals dominate almost every college campus in America and create a hostile environment for conservatives and libertarians. Leftists claim to support diversity. But “safe spaces,” “trigger warnings,” and political correctness run amok show that liberals in higher education reject diversity of thought and freedom of speech. Conservatives rarely have an outlet for their beliefs. When students get news about their campus, the official student newspaper is often simply a tool for spreading leftist propaganda. Many university administrations blatantly censor conservative ideas and opinions. However, many conservatives and libertarians now fight back and stand up for free speech with newspapers of their own. Papers such as the Harvard Salient, the Notre Dame Irish Rover, and the University of Georgia Arch Conservative now shatter the leftist monopoly of campus debate with hard-hitting editorials and unique reports of liberal abuses. Here are two examples of how one paper fought back against liberals on campus and made national news. Last year, The Minnesota Republic at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities shined a spotlight on the student government's rejection of a campus-wide moment of silence for victims of the 9/11 attacks. Pausing for a moment of recognition to honor the victims would increase racism and Islamophobia on campus, the student government said. “The passing of this resolution might make a space that is unsafe for students on campus even more unsafe,” one student representative said. “Islamophobia and racism fueled through that are alive and well.” The representative went on rhetorically to ask, “when will we start having moments of silence for all of the times white folks have done something terrible?” The resolution that would have honored the 9/11 victims with a moment of recognition was defeated by a 36-23 margin. However, the staff of The Minnesota Republic didn't let go - they fought back and reported on the story. The Republic's story, which was re-published on the Leadership Institute's Campus Reform, gained national media attention and generated public outrage. The university's board of regents rejected the student government's “safe space” argument and announced the university would move forward with a moment of recognition for victims of 9/11 in future years. The Dartmouth Review, the conservative paper at the Dartmouth College, broke national news about liberal bias last November. On November 12, Black Lives Matter protesters stormed the college's library, chanted loudly, screamed curses, and intimidated students who were trying to study. The Dartmouth Review staff, which had recently received training at a Leadership Institute Student Publications Workshop, captured video of the protest and authored a story that exposed the protesters' vicious mob mentality. Both the video and the story went viral, receiving national coverage on Fox News and CNN. The video of the protest now has over one million views on YouTube. The Dartmouth Review was the first campus outlet to write about the intimidation many students experienced that night. Because of their journalistic efforts, the college's president promised that the school would investigate the protesters and vowed to “enforce appropriate sanctions.” Without the Review, the emboldened protesters would have continued their campaign of intimidation. Instead, they found themselves at the center of a national media firestorm, all because the Review took a stand. The Leadership Institute launched its Student Publication Workshop in 1983 to expose leftist bias and abuses just like these. Their purpose is to teach conservative students how to set up and run independent conservative campus publications of their own. This was the second type of training the Institute offered, and it is still going strong today. The papers this workshop produces are often the only strong conservative voice on college campuses dominated by liberals. On dozens of campuses across America, independent campus newspapers published by Leadership Institute graduates now give students a point of view they might otherwise never hear. When you create a conservative paper on your campus, you'll follow an illustrious group of trailblazers. Former staffers of conservative campus publications have gone on to become some of the movement's brightest stars. Luminaries such as documentarian Dinesh D'Souza, radio host Laura Ingraham, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal columnist Joseph Rago all began their careers with The Dartmouth Review, the flagship of the conservative campus publications. Ann Coulter was a founding member of the aforementioned Cornell Review. National Review Editor-in-Chief Rich Lowry cut his teeth as the editor of a conservative student newspaper at the University of Virginia. Bernadette Malone, a Leadership Institute graduate who became editor of the Manchester Union Leader editorial page, says that her campus conservative student newspaper changed her life. Bernadette realized she was a conservative by reading the Binghamton Review, the conservative newspaper at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She joined the staff of the paper, attended the Leadership Institute's Student Publications Workshop, became the paper's editor, and decided to pursue journalism as a career. Bernadette worked for several years as a political reporter for the late conservative columnist and TV commentator Robert Novak. That's the kind of impact working on a conservative student newspaper can have on your career. Like Bernadette, Amanda Carpenter will tell you that the Student Publications Workshop changed her life. Amanda served as Texas Senator Ted Cruz's Communications Director. You may have seen her during her primetime appearances on Fox News and CNN. Amanda attended LI's Student Publications Workshop while a student at Ball State University. She left the school, in her words, “with a domain name and ideas for 10 stories.” She began writing and publishing on her campus, and she never looked back. Since she graduated, Amanda has written for Human Events as a congressional correspondent, for Townhall as a national political reporter, and as a columnist for The Washington Times. This constellation of conservative stars provides great examples of how experience as a student journalist can lead to a career advancing conservative principles and providing balance to the national liberal news media. Young conservatives who set up and run independent conservative student newspapers learn what it's like to battle the liberals every day. They relish it. By starting your own student publication, you will gain skills to make you a valued member of any campaign or organization you join. Successful student editors learn immediate, valuable skills such as: how to write, edit, and design a regularly published, effective publication how to do investigative journalism how to recruit and train a motivated staff of like-minded students how to manage a budget how to fundraise and sell advertising Are you ready to start your career as a conservative student journalist today? The Leadership Institute will help you every step of the way. The first step is scheduling a Student Publications Workshop on your campus. Find a few dedicated, conservative friends and contact Emily Larsen, the Leadership Institute's Student Publications Coordinator, at ELarsen@leadershipinstitute.org. After your workshop, which will be held either in-person with a visit from a journalism professional or remotely online, the Leadership Institute will help you fund your first issue through the Balance in Media grant. That's right -- my Leadership Institute will grant you up to $750 to aid publication of your first issue. Well, what are you waiting for? Contact my Leadership Institute today and let us help you advance the conservative cause on your campus today. Fifty years of personal observation have proved to me that, even if conservative students leave journalism after graduation, those who publish their own campus papers tend to be much more successful in whatever career paths they take. P.S. It's time to stand up for free speech and hold universities accountable for their liberal biases and abuses. The choice is yours. Will you carve your path to success in the conservative movement with a publication of your own? Then contact Emily Larsen, Campus Reform's Student Publications Coordinator, at ELarsen@leadershipinstitute.org today.

Enjoy the 22Q with Gabriella Hoffman, conservative activist and Regional Field Coordinator at the Leadership Institute.The 22Q is an informal interview series with young conservatives, connected to LI, who are working in the public policy process. The 22 questions ask them to explain what they do, and how they see politics and the next generation of the conservative movement. Their opinions are their own, and are not endorsed by the Leadership Institute.--- Part 1: What I doHow I describe my job in 10 wordsWorking with students to advance conservatism on campus is rewardingMy day-to-day at work...in three sentencesChecking my email; updating our database with student contacts; reaching out to students via phone call, Facebook, or email; eating; talking with co-workers; researching and finding liberal bias.I couldn't do my job withoutSunny optimism. I try to be positive and happy all the time. Challenging the left can be daunting, so I try to make the best of things handed my way.Most important moment in my career (so far)Being mentioned on the Rush Limbaugh Show for an interview I did for FoxNews.com on January 11, 2013. He mentioned my thoughts about payroll tax expiration. I was in disbelief! My dad, a huge Rush fan, called me the moment he heard my name on the air. It was amazing.Unexpected skill that has helped me the mostI would say that multitasking has helped me the most. Juggling many things can be difficult at times, but it has proven to be beneficial in the work IThe best advice I have receivedMy dad once said, "In order to be equal, you have to be three times better than the rest." My parents taught me to work hard, to enjoy the fruits of my labor, and to be the best individual I could possibly be. Part 2: PoliticsThe biggest change I've seen already in politicsThe rise of political correctness and cultural Marxism. Too many people are easily offended and afraid to stand up for their beliefs out of fear of being ostracized. It's time to put bullies in their place.The element of working in politics that most surprised meWhat a small world conservative politics is. You meet people who know your friends or people who have some connection to you. It can be a curse or it can be a blessing.The most important issue many don't see yetThe threat of revisionist history. Whenever historical facts are twisted or misrepresented, people are taught to resent and equally despise this country. We cannot forget our past and allow lies to define our future.Where I think the movement will be in five yearsIf we continue to be conservative and push actual reforms, our movement will be successful. If we continue down this path of caving and moderation, we're doomed to be obsolete. There's already one leftist movement in America. We don't need another one.How I formed my political beliefsMy parents are Lithuanian immigrants who fled the Soviet Union. Therefore conservatism came naturally to me. Embracing collectivist or Marxist viewpoints was strictly forbidden in our house. Conservatism best encourages freedom and opportunity. Part 3: The next generationWhat I'd say to my 18-year-old selfI'd say that it's good that we kept our principles and didn't listen to detractors. Many people wanted me to fail, and I wouldn't let them have it. I tell my students and fellow conservative to never give up on their principles or change their views.Skill or experience I'd recommend students get nowSocial media. It's imperative for students to acquaint themselves with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and similar media.Three things I'd tell every young political junkie to readGod and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley, the Drudge Report, and Counter CulturedMy most useful class in collegePolitics of the Middle East. My professor was a founder of the Political Science Department at the University of California at San Diego. He was fair and gave an accurate account of the Arab-Israeli conflict.I learned a lot about the Middle East thanks to his class. I learned to help students battle anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on campus.Three future leaders from my generation1. Katie Pavlich, Townhall.com News Editor2. Ben Shapiro, author of Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans3. Ryan T. Anderson, Heritage Foundation Fellow and co-author of Why Marriage Matters Part 4: Me, personallyThe most fascinating figure in world historyWinston ChurchillMy heroes in fictionEdmund Dantes of Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo and Jay Gatsby of The Great GatsbyThe most inspiring art I've read, seen, or heard"Waterlilies" by French Impressionist painter Claude Monet. His countless paintings of waterlilies are captivating.I'd star in House of Cards or West Wing (choose one)House of CardsI can't get through my day withoutChatting it up with my coworkers. A healthy work environment is key to one's success at any job. A happy workplace makes for a happy employee!My connection to the Leadership InstituteI'm currently the Northeast Regional Field Coordinator. Prior to working at LI, I went to a Youth Leadership School in February 2010 and completed a TV training in summer 2012.>

“Abortion is the greatest human rights tragedy of our age,” Robert Colquhoun said. “Unborn children are incapable of defending themselves adequately, and therefore we must be a voice for the voiceless.” Thirty-year-old Robert Colquhoun is the campaign director for 40 Days For Life London. He also is the head of international outreach, for which he helps find supporters in new cities and countries across the globe who are interested and willing to start their own 40 days for life campaigns. “Currently we have 10 local campaigns in the UK and 19 countries around the world have run their own 40 days for life campaigns,” Robert said. “40 Days For Life is a locally organized community initiative encouraging Christians to pray and fast for an end to abortion. Since the campaign started, more than 7,500 lives have been saved from abortion, 32 abortion clinics have closed and 501 cities have participated in the campaign. We anticipate continuing to grow steadily around the world.” In 2004, there was an hour of prayer in College Station, Texas that activated the 40 Days For Life campaign that has now gone global with a presence in all 50 states and many countries. There are three parts to 40 Days for Life, Robert shared: fasting and prayer for an end to abortion; peaceful vigil to witness outside of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service; and Community outreach with positive and upbeat messages through media and advocacy. “A person is a person no matter how small! Modern technology is helping us to see and rejoice with pictures of children in the womb even from a very early stage of development,” Robert said. “The future of humanity passes by way of the family - we need to nourish, protect and cherish every human life.” “People can get involved in the pro-life movement, first by training themselves to know as much as possible about the cause and then finding local pro-life groups with which they can use their talents and abilities to make a difference. They can even get a 40 Days For Life campaign running in their city if there is not one already,” Robert shared. Part of getting trained is learning how to properly raise funds for the cause of your choice. So, Robert decided to enroll in the Leadership Institute's annual International School of Fundraising this past March. “I found the LI's International School of Fundraising extremely useful. It was fascinating to meet many people from around the world, and I have been thoroughly impressed by the quality of the publications and work from the Leadership Institute,” Robert shared. “I plan to use the knowledge and expertise I discovered at the school specifically for pro-life work in the UK. LI's training encouraged participants to consider donors more as collaborators with projects and to involve them as much with the organization as possible. I also discovered the importance of promptly thanking people for their gifts and being as professional and astute with personal relationships as possible.” He continued, “The Leadership Institute helps to train, equip and empower the conservative leaders of tomorrow.” So get trained today. Register online for an upcoming LI training near you here. Please congratulate and welcome Robert Colquhoun as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

If you're doing your job as a candidate or party leader, you're going out speaking with a lot of people you haven't met before. When they don't know much about you, it's human nature to make quick judgments based on what little information they do have.First time candidates, particularly for local office, often send signals that undermine credibility among potential supporters, costing them votes, volunteers, donations, or all three.People make decisions based on cues and signals, and initial impressions can have a lasting impact. Here are eight unforced errors you can easily avoid.Loner = loser. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce lunch? Showing up by yourself tells everyone you have no supporters in the room. Instead, arrive with a volunteer whose job it is to accompany you while you're chatting with people, helping in taking down notes for follow up, and carrying endorsement cards. When working a crowd and confronted with that weirdo who wants to chew your ear off about privatizing sidewalks, have your body man leading you, setting up the next person to talk to, and politely motioning you to the next person when he sees you're pinned down. Bonus: Let a member of the group you're speaking to know you're coming, and have him meet you at the door when you arrive and walk in together to show other members you have support already.Flag ties. Ronald Reagan was a great American patriot, and he didn't have to prove it by wearing a flag tie — a novelty that you should probably put up on eBay. Want to show your patriotism? Wear a small flag pin on your lapel. Cheap-o pens. “Ok, let me write your number down.” While you're writing, the person standing in front of you is looking straight at your hand. If it's holding a two year old Bic with the end chewed off, you don't look as impressive. Mont Blanc gets $450 for a pen not because it doesn't matter, but because it does. Yours doesn't have to break the bank, but a proper pen sends a subtle signal you have your act together. FREE OFFER! Business cards. Companies like Vista Print have nice offers for “free!” business cards using very generic templates that people like me who meet candidates a thousand times have seen – about a thousand times. While you're at it, have Vista put “I'm not taking this race seriously enough to invest in sending the right message to donors, volunteers, and stakeholders.” Spend a few bucks more on proper business cards that show you mean business.“I lost weight!” shirt collars. So you dropped 20 lbs walking all those precincts – fantastic! But if you don't trade in those collared shirts for ones that fit your new neck size, you're going to look like an anorexic or an addict, and your sloppy appearance will show in all those photos posted to Facebook.Bush or Clinton era shoes. Look down right now. If those shoes weren't purchased during the Obama Administration, take them off, put them in the closet, and wear them for gardening. When you're at events, it's surprising how often people are looking down. High end Hugo Boss isn't required, but they should be new and clean.Dark button-down shirts. If you're wearing a black button-down shirt, a tie and a blazer, congratulations, you look like a bouncer at a bar. Ditch the Sopranos look for now and go with a white or light blue shirt. Still have doubts? Turn on C-SPAN. See any elected officials with your bouncer costume? Exactly.Rookie@gmail.com. That's the message you're sending with your “I'm using this email address until I lose” Gmail or Yahoo account. For $10 at GoDaddy.com you can register your own private domain name, then sign up to have email to that address forwarded to your regular email address.For women candidates: no question about it, you have a tougher job than the boys when it comes to attire. The press pays more attention to what women leaders wear, just ask Hillary Clinton. Yet in most cases, the target audience consists of voters and stakeholders, and not the press, so don't worry about the writeup. Rule of thumb: middle of the road. Too flashy or too mannish and you'll turn people off. Not too much jewelry and definitely not too much perfume. If you hug someone and they can smell of your Chanel an hour later, it was too much. More food for thought in this New York Times story – The Fashion Conservatives.People are careful with where they invest their vote, their time, and their money. Switching from amateur to pro before you hit the field helps you maximize the return on every hour you're putting into your campaign. Ron Nehring is a volunteer faculty member for the Leadership Institute, where he speaks at LI campaign management schools and activists workshops all across the country. Under Ron's leadership as the former chairman of the Republican Party of California, they raised more $73 million, permanently retired over $4 million in debt, and instituted a wide array of management and financial reforms. He currently serves as a consultant and is the chairman emeritus of the California Republican Party. Read his full bio here.This “Expert Insights” article is a part of a regular series which delves into the mechanics of political technology. LI staff, faculty, graduates, and conservative friends are welcome to submit an article by contacting Lauren Day at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org>

Enjoy the 22Q with Francesca Chambers, Editor of Red Alert Politics. Red Alert is an online publication managed by young conservatives, produced for young conservatives from the parent company of The Weekly Standard and The Washington Examiner.The 22Q is an informal interview series with young conservatives, connected to LI, who are working in the public policy process. The 22 questions ask them to explain what they do, and how they see politics and the next generation of the conservative movement. Their opinions are their own, and are not endorsed by the Leadership Institute.--- Part 1: What I doHow I describe my job in 10 wordsBringing news to young Americans from a center-right perspective.My day-to-day at work...in three sentencesMost days I start work at 8am or 9am and don't finish work until 8pm or 9pm. A large portion of my day is spent looking for story ideas for Red Alert's reporters and helping them shape their articles. I love appearing on TV because it serves as a nice break from the monotony of sitting behind a desk all day.I couldn't do my job withoutTwitter. Twitter has erased the barrier, in many cases, between the “old guard” media outlets and newer, online-only publications like Red Alert, The Daily Caller, and Buzzfeed. Also, my amazing team of reporters.Most important moment in my career (so far)Launching Red Alert Politics. Being offered the opportunity to launch my own publication was a dream come true. I will always be grateful to my then-boss Bob Benz for plucking me out of obscurity and taking a chance on me.Unexpected skill that has helped me the mostThe ability to “see” news stories everywhere I go. My fiancé and I joke that it's a disease because we'll be out running errands and – wham! – I'll be struck with a unique idea. Then I rush home so I can get it down in writing before I lose sight of it. It's impossible to turn off.The best advice I have receivedIf you have a positive attitude and work hard, someone will notice you and offer you a job. Likewise, no job is too small when you're starting out. I wish I'd heeded that one more often. Part 2: PoliticsThe biggest change I've seen already in politicsTwitter has completely changed the way campaigns are managed and reported. Twitter is both a politician's best friend and worst enemy. Candidates who run their own Twitter accounts are more likeable because they seem more down-to-earth. But we all know the pitfalls of Twitter as well…The element of working in politics that most surprised meI hated working directly for candidates.The most important issue many don't see yetStudent loan debt. It really is the next bubble – and all of us who borrowed responsibly will be on the hook (through taxes) to pay back the federal loans of those who didn't.Where I think the movement will be in five yearsThe conservative movement is at a crossroads. Social and fiscal conservatives seem poised to split and head down totally different political paths, with many fiscal conservatives joining the ranks of the libertarian movement. The next presidential election will be a good measurement of where the movement truly stands.How I formed my political beliefsI grew up in Kansas. I was born a Republican. My parents weren't well off, and I had to work for everything I've ever had. I bought my first car. I paid my own way through college. That kind of life experience makes you really cringe at the idea of your hard-earned money involuntarily going to other people who aren't willing to work hard for what they have. Part 3: The next generationWhat I'd say to my 18-year-old selfDon't be so dramatic. Chin up; it will get better. You have your whole life ahead of you still.Attending an in-state school with low tuition is the best decision you will ever make.Don't let anyone else define you.Skill or experience I'd recommend students get nowLearn to write compelling editorials. If you want to work in government relations, public relations, campaigns, or on Capitol Hill, you need to be able to write decent opinion articles promoting your client, cause, or product.Three things I'd tell every young political junkie to readRed Alert Politics and its sister publications The Weekly Standard and The Washington Examiner, of course! Outside of my attempts at shameless self-promotion, you absolutely need to be reading POLITICO and the Huffington Post.My most useful class in collegeIn one of my mid-level journalism classes, they made us learn how to write press releases, shoot and edit video, copy edit, etc. – things that had nothing to do with print reporting. I hated the class, but now I'm appreciative. It was my ability to do those things that made me an asset.Three future leaders from my generationBethany Bowra, Brandon Kiser, and Shoshana Weissmann Part 4: Me, personallyThe most fascinating figure in world historyJesus. I know that sounds trite, but He really does fascinate me.My heroes in fictionDagny Taggert of Atlas Shrugged. The world could use more strong, conservative females like her. (I don't get a lot of time to read fiction anymore; read it while you still have time, kids!)The most inspiring art I've read, seen, or heardI'm a huge fan of Degas. When I own an original Degas dancer painting, I'll know I've made it.Earlier this year I went to see Starry Night and The Scream at the Museum of Modern Art. They really are the works of art they are said to be. Go see the exhibit if you get a chance.I'd star in House of Cards or West Wing (choose one)West Wing. I'd be the White House press secretary after C.J. becomes the Chief of Staff.I can't get through my day withoutChecking Twitter, even if it's just for a minute. I'm addicted. My now-fiance almost declined a second date with me because I looked at my phone once during the date. Now he's worse than me (and has more followers). I can only blame myself.My connection to the Leadership InstituteI worked for Campus Reform for the first half of 2011 and served as a new media faculty member. I'm a graduate of several trainings, including the television training – which I highly recommend.>

Why do studies show that college seniors are more liberal than college freshmen? Simply put, campus radicals dominate almost every college campus in America and create a hostile environment for conservatives and libertarians. Conservatives rarely have an outlet for their beliefs. When students get news about their campus, the official student newspaper is, more often than not, simply a tool for spreading leftist propaganda. However, many conservatives and libertarians now fight back with newspapers of their own. Papers such as the Harvard Salient, the Notre Dame Irish Rover, the University of Georgia Arch Conservative, and the California Patriot now shatter the leftist dominance of campus debate with hard-hitting editorials and unique reports of liberal abuses. Here are two examples of how one paper fought back against liberals on campus and made national news. The Michigan Review, the conservative paper at the University of Michigan, broke national news about liberal bias just this month. The university had planned to show American Sniper, the blockbuster war film that depicts the life of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, but they quietly withdrew the film after a petition tarred the film as “anti-Muslim,” “provocative,” and “unsafe.” The Michigan Review leaked the story to online conservative media outlets. The university reversed its position a few hours later, thanks to withering national criticism from online, broadcast, and print media of its absurd political correctness. When the university finally showed the film, many students turned out to watch. Earlier this year, the staff of the Cornell Review, fresh from training at a Leadership Institute Student Publications Workshop, captured video of a profane lecture on their campus by MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry. Harris-Perry, who was speaking at the university's Martin Luther King Commemorative Lecture, declared that she hoped Trayvon Martin “whooped the shit” out of George Zimmerman before he died. The rest of the lecture, which took place in a chapel, was just as shocking. She declared that Dr. Martin Luther King was “the one great voice, like Beyoncé,” and cracked jokes about the Tea Party and George W. Bush. Members of The Cornell Review attended the lecture and filmed Harris-Perry's outrageous remarks. After the Review published the video, the story quickly went viral and was featured in outlets such as the Leadership Institute's Campus Reform, Mediaite, and The Independent Journal Review. By that evening, the story was trending on Facebook, and the video had received tens of thousands of views. Without the Review, her remarks would have gone unnoticed, the latest entry in a long, silent list of outrages at that prestigious Ivy League school. Instead, Harris-Perry found herself in the center of a national media firestorm, all because the Review did solid journalism. Exposing examples of liberal bias and abuses like these is why the Leadership Institute launched its Student Publications Workshop in 1983. The aim: to teach conservative students how to set up and run independent conservative campus publications of their own. It was the second type of training the Institute offered and is still going strong today. The papers this workshop produces are often the only strong conservative voice on college campuses dominated by liberals. On at least 52 campuses across America, independent campus newspapers published by Leadership Institute graduates now give students a point of view they might otherwise never hear. When you found a conservative paper on your campus, you'll be following an illustrious group of trailblazers. Former staffers of conservative campus publications have gone on to become some of the movement's brightest stars. Luminaries such as documentarian Dinesh D'Souza, radio host Laura Ingraham, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal columnist Joseph Rago all began their careers with The Dartmouth Review at Dartmouth College, the flagship of the conservative campus publications. Ann Coulter was a founding member of the aforementioned Cornell Review. National Review Editor-in-Chief Rich Lowry cut his teeth as the editor of a conservative student newspaper at the University of Virginia. Bernadette Malone, a Leadership Institute graduate who became editor of the Manchester Leader editorial page, says that her campus conservative student newspaper changed her life. Bernadette realized she was a conservative by reading the Binghamton Review, the conservative newspaper at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She joined the staff of the paper, attended the Leadership Institute's Student Publications Workshop, became the paper's editor, and decided to pursue journalism as a career. Bernadette worked for several years as a political reporter for the late conservative columnist and TV commentator Bob Novak. That's the kind of impact working on a conservative student newspaper can have on your career. Like Bernadette, Amanda Carpenter, Texas Senator Ted Cruz's Communications Director, will tell you that the Student Publications Workshop changed her life. You may have seen Amanda during her primetime appearances on Fox News. Amanda was a student at Ball State University when she attended the workshop. She left the school, in her words, “with a domain name and ideas for 10 stories.” She began writing and publishing on her campus, and she never looked back. Since she graduated, Amanda has written for Human Events as a congressional correspondent, for Townhall as a national political reporter, and as a columnist for The Washington Times. This pantheon of conservative stars provides great examples of how experience as a student journalist can lead to a career advancing conservative principles and providing balance to the national liberal news media. Young conservatives who set up and run independent conservative student newspapers learn what it's like to battle the liberals every day. They relish it. By starting your own student publication, you will gain skills that will make you a valued member of any campaign or organization you join. Successful student editors learn on-the-spot, valuable skills such: how to write, edit, and design a regularly published, effective newspaper how to do investigative journalism how to recruit and train a motivated staff of like-minded students how to manage a budget how to sell advertising Are you ready to start your career as a conservative student journalist today? The Leadership Institute will help you every step of the way. The first step is scheduling a Student Publications Workshop on your campus. Find a few dedicated, conservative friends and contact Sterling Beard, the head of LI's Student Publications Department, at SBeard@leadershipinstitute.org. After your workshop, which will be held either in-person with visit from an expert member of LI's faculty or remotely over the Internet, the Leadership Institute will help you fund your first issue through our Balance in Media grant. That's right: My Leadership Institute will actually provide you with up to $750 to aid publication of your first issue. Well, what are you waiting for? Contact my Leadership Institute today and let us help you advance the conservative cause on your campus today. And one more thing: Fifty years of personal observation have proved to me that, even if they take a career path outside of journalism, conservative students who publish their own campus papers tend to be much more successful later in life.

Why waste another year, another day, another second working for something you have no passion for? For Meghan Gray, not a single moment is wasted. She's working within her “sweet spot,” as New York Times best-selling author Max Lucado coined for people who use their natural talents and motivation to find purpose and meaning in work. A May 2012 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with degrees in journalism and public relations, former Leadership Institute intern Meghan Gray, just 23, has landed her dream job: combining event planning with fundraising activities. She's the development commissioner at COR Strategies, an innovative political solutions company specializing in strategy, integrated marketing communications, technology, and operations. “Not many people are fortunate enough to land their dream job fresh out of college, so I consider myself very blessed,” Meghan shared with me. She applied for the position through LI's ConservativeJobs.com. “I attribute much of my success to the Leadership Institute and the opportunities that have presented themselves since attending my first training. In fact, it was through ConservativeJobs.com that I applied for my current position with COR Strategies,” she said. One of the most unique projects Meghan has worked on since her August 2012 hire was Entrepreneur's Eve, an annual event of 140-plus companies and 650 of Chicago's leading entrepreneurs and civic leaders “to lift a glass to the American dream in all of us,” Meghan shared. All proceeds went directly to the H Foundation for cancer research. “Attending an overwhelmingly liberal college in President Obama's backyard taught me that liberty is not guaranteed. It must be fought for and preserved with each generation,” Meghan said. And, she's fighting for liberty. Last year, Illinois Conservatives awarded Meghan as one of the “Top 30 under 30” for her commitment to Illinois politics through her expertise in development and campaigns. “I have been passionate about politics since sixth grade,” Meghan said, “and I am committed to turning Illinois red.” She's currently the events director for the Lake County Young Republicans club in the Chicago area. Meghan was on the Mitt Romney Advance Team in 2012, for which she helped organize rallies, events, and fundraisers across the nation for the presidential race and support Gov. Romney as well as travel with media and campaign surrogates. “I am incredibly honored to have been even a small part of such an amazing cause,” Meghan said in reference to the presidential campaign, “and consider this one of the most humbling and awe-inspiring experiences of my life.” Meghan first learned of the Leadership Institute from a friend and immediately registered for a Youth Leadership School in July 2011. Six months later, she started her internship in LI's Events department. She took more trainings at the Institute during her three months in Arlington, Virginia. “Through the various trainings I have attended with LI, I have learned how to write an effective campaign plan, develop a comprehensive public relations strategy, and organize a campaign staff and structure. Most importantly I've learned how to win elections,” Meghan said. “The Leadership Institute has equipped me with the tools and skill set necessary to make a difference in the conservative movement. I could not be more thankful for LI and the hard work of individuals like Morton Blackwell.” While interning for the Leadership Institute in the spring of 2012, Meghan volunteered for The LS Group, for which she assisted with events for Congressman Connie Mack and helped plan Ann Romney's private birthday celebration. Please congratulate Meghan Gray for landing her dream job and please welcome her as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Your online content is how many people judge you these days.I Google strangers all the time to find information about them. What used to be creepy is now the norm.Make sure your online brand shows others what you want them to see. Here are the bare necessities:- LinkedIn – get a profile, fill it with your expertise, and connect to as many friends and professional contacts as possible. It's not a very active site (read – you only have to do something with it when you change jobs or learn a new skill), but LinkedIn is the best way for people to browse your professional expertise and network.- Twitter – hey, I'm in new media. If you have a twitter account, post about what you're interested in, and also what you claim expertise in – and keep it up to date.- Facebook – it doesn't have to be public, but keep the public part of your profile at least semi-professional looking. Make sure your profile pic, cover photo, about you, and favorite quotes sections are things your boss could see – because she can.- Blog –use Wordpress or Tumblr to make your blog look nice for free. And remember – like everything else online, act like the world is judging you by your content – because it is.And side note – use a first and last name sort of email. The world looks down on supergirl@aol.com sending professional emails.So, go out there and show the world a better you – online.>

Enjoy the 22Q with Bonnie Kristian, Communications Director of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), the largest, most active, and fastest-growing pro-liberty organization on America's college campuses.The 22Q is an informal interview series with young conservatives, connected to LI, who are working in the public policy process. The 22 questions ask them to explain what they do, and how they see politics and the next generation of the conservative movement. Their opinions are their own, and are not endorsed by the Leadership Institute.--- Part 1: What I doHow I describe my job in 10 wordsWriting, editing, and adding GIFs to all of YAL's communicationsMy day-to-day at work...in three sentencesI write a lot of emails, reports, and activism guides for YAL members and donors. I manage a social media intern, a graphic designer, and a team of 250+ student bloggers. And I serve as human Google for coworkers' miscellaneous grammar questions.I couldn't do my job withoutThe internet. Obviously. When the internet goes down, I can do little to no work. Almost everything I do is online.Most important moment in my career (so far)This is hard. But I've got to go with getting an internship on Ron Paul's 2008 campaign. That was my first introduction to working in politics, and it opened doors which led to my positions first at the Leadership Institute and now at YAL.As a bonus, it's where I met my husband.Unexpected skill that has helped me the mostMicrosoft Paint! I'm mostly kidding, but it is helpful for quick (read: awful) mock-ups of what I'm trying to order from our graphic designer. He tells me my Paint works are fantastic, but I think this might be a lie.The best advice I have receivedPeople have half the attention span online that they have when consuming physical, printed information, so when writing online communications -- from emails to blog posts and everything in between -- always keep it short.Brevity is not just the soul of wit; it's also a major determining factor of whether your online audience is ignoring you. Part 2: PoliticsThe biggest change I've seen already in politicsSimple: the rise of the liberty movement. In 2007 Ron Paul was laughed at for his consistent support for small government at home and abroad. Now the Republican Party is increasingly willing to come our way.The CPAC 2013 straw poll results -- especially the questions about drones, foreign policy, and attendees' top priority in politics (not to mention the presidential picks) -- are very revealing of the change we are seeing in the GOP.The element of working in politics that most surprised meIt really is who you know. This is a cliche, I know, and probably something I should have expected, but the extent to which personal connections play a role in getting jobs, cooperating with other organizations, and succeeding in most aspects of working in politics can't be overestimated.The most important issue many don't see yetWar is just one more big government program. If we're going to be serious about limiting government, there can't be any more sacred cows.Defense is the primary purpose of government, of course, but having troops in more than three-fourths of countries around the world while maintaining multiple no-win wars is aggression, not defense -- and conservatives would (rightly) oppose any similarly out-of-control program here at home.Where I think the movement will be in five yearsThe conservative movement is heading slowly but surely in the direction of liberty -- and I think that's fantastic. It's clear that the enthusiasm among young conservatives is overwhelmingly on the libertarian end of the spectrum, and in five years I think the movement as a whole will be much more in line with where the youth are already going.How I formed my political beliefsI got interested in free-market economics in high school after reading Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. From there, it was a matter of figuring out where I stood on a larger range of issues, having already established a commitment to individual liberty and small government. I majored in political science, so I had plenty of opportunities to do that in college. Part 3: The next generationWhat I'd say to my 18-year-old selfDon't stop reading. All the studying to finish college early will be worth it.Don't be so quiet. People want to hear what you have to say.Don't get that perm. It will not turn out well.Skill or experience I'd recommend students get nowAbove all, learn to write well. It's an employer's market these days, and no one wants to hire a kid who can't write a coherent sentence. When I review intern applications, I place far more weight on writing ability than, for instance, the applicant's college major -- and everyone I know in a hiring position does the same.As a very close second: pick up some HTML, CSS, and more advanced coding skills if you have time. In any office setting, if you're the one who can troubleshoot the blog until tech looks at it, that's a good thing.Three things I'd tell every young political junkie to readLiberty Defined by Ron Paul. Even if you don't agree with everything he says, this quick overview of his ideas on 50 major issues of our day is perfect for those who want to systematically think through their own political convictions.Books and articles by people you disagree with -- especially if you're worried that doing so will make you change your mind. Insulating yourself from conflicting ideas puts you in danger of being more interested in feeling right than seeking truth.Nothing too serious on the weekends. Okay, so it doesn't have to be the weekend, but take a day off from politics from time to time. Read a novel. Watch TV. The country won't go to hell in a handbasket because you missed one news article.My most useful class in collegeLogic. No question about it. It's not like I'm making syllogisms on a daily basis, but in politics it never hurts to fine-tune your logic deficiency detection tools.Three future leaders from my generationRep. Justin Amash. One of the youngest members of Congress, Rep. Amash is smart, principled, transparent, and he personally runs a hilarious Twitter account.Jeff Frazee. Is it sucking up to list my boss? Probably. But Jeff is the founder of Young Americans for Liberty as well as our Executive Director, and YAL is the largest, most active, and fastest-growing liberty organization on America's college campuses. All this, and Jeff only just turned 30!Sen. Rand Paul. OK, so he's old enough to be my dad, but Rand Paul's pro-liberty ideas represent my generation -- and compared to members of the GOP establishment like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, he's young too. Part 4: Me, personallyThe most fascinating figure in world historyIt's a three-way tie among C.S. Lewis, Gladys Alyward, and Beyonce.My heroes in fictionSherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Peter Wimsey, Doctor Who (technically TV, yes, but not reality TV, so I'm going with it), Hercule Poirot, Father Brown -- are you noticing a trend? I read a lot of late 19th and 20th century British mystery novels.The most inspiring art I've read, seen, or heardThere's a band called Gungor, whose music is at once modern and liturgical. Their last three albums -- and particularly 2010's Beautiful Things -- are simply incredible in terms of musical skill, lyrical beauty, and ability to communicate theological truth. I say this as someone who is really terrible at appreciating music.I'd star in House of Cards or West Wing (choose one)I've never seen West Wing, so I guess House of Cards? But I think my role would be really short because I'd be too naive and get fired or something. I can't get through my day withoutHanging out with my guinea pig. Contrary to popular belief, guinea pigs can be pets for grown-ups!My connection to the Leadership InstituteMorton Blackwell, LI's president, hired me straight out of college and gave me my first "real" job, as he has done for so many young people who want to get their foot in the door of politics. I was able to move to the DC area and helped LI launch Campus Reform as its first dedicated staff member.My current organization, Young Americans for Liberty, rents office space from LI, so I haven't strayed too far.>

Early this year, Lauren Day sought out the responsibility of overseeing LI's role at the Conservative Political Action Conference 2013 -- no small task and one she did not have to assume. And was CPAC ever a success for the Institute. The trainings, job fair, and happy hour were all well-attended. The booth was stocked with eye-catching marketing materials and trained staff. Lauren worked tirelessly to promote LI's events at CPAC, supply training coordinators with needed materials, and -- behind the scenes -- negotiate the very best deals for LI with ACU staff. Many staff join me in remarking on how well run CPAC was this year. I suspect all will join me in commending Lauren's enthusiasm and dedication to the Institute. Naming her employee of the quarter today recognizes her work on CPAC, but also the dozens of good projects she has accomplished for LI -- often without credit or praise. Lauren is an invaluable part of LI's team, and I am pleased to name her employee of the quarter.

How do you make the “campaign hall of fame”? Well, let's take a look at Leadership Institute graduate Matt Hutson who was named one of the top 500 election influencers today by the publication Campaigns & Elections. “This award shows me that if someone consistently works hard and does it with guiding principles and moral clarity that an impact and a win can be achieved. At the end of the election, this is what matters,” Matt shared. So, placing into this distinguished category takes hard work and guiding principles for starters. It also takes some wins. And Matt has great victories deserving of the campaign hall of fame. His latest project was as campaign director for Protect Marriage Maine, for which in just three months he organized 40 satellite offices and, through polling, took a campaign trailing by 16 percent to closing that margin to 2 percent with a budget just one-twelfth the size of the opponents who had been campaigning for three years. Last year, Matt helped elect Roger Williams, from Austin, Texas, to U.S. Congress as his Get-Out-The-Vote Consultant in the final month of the campaign runoff. In those 30 days, Matt opened a new office, secured five new interns and multiple volunteers, and together they made more than 60,000 calls that pushed Roger Williams to victory on Election Day. Roger won by 58 percent and now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2011, Matt helped Lenar Whitney secure a spot in the Louisiana State House. “I took over all daily and GOTV operations in the final three weeks of the runoff campaign,” Matt shared. “With no staff to manage, I developed a volunteer base and directed an aggressive, targeted canvassing program resulting in a 59 percent victory!” Also in 2011, Matt helped Jeff Thompson win a state representative seat in Louisiana. “I took over all day-to-day and GOTV operations in the final 20 days of the campaign and directed an inexperienced staff of four to an election night victory of 57 percent, defeating an opponent who spent $200,000 of his own money.” He also successfully worked in 2011 as the Statewide Director of Operations for Gov. Bobby Jindal's reelection campaign, for which he oversaw all grassroots operations in the state. Matt managed more than 100 interns, the volunteer database, the yard sign identification and voter ID programs, and the GOTV strategy for 4.5 million residents. Matt worked in February 2011 to bring Jonathan Perry, a candidate running for Louisiana State Senate, from 10 percent behind his opponent to winning by 2 percent in just a mere 12 days. Boom! And in 2010, Matt worked as the GOTV Strategist to secure Tim Echols as Georgia's Public Service Commissioner. Matt implemented an aggressive grassroots operation that took Echol's campaign from “an expected second place finish to an election night victory in the four-way race by more than 7 percent,” Matt recalls. Not only are hard work, guiding principles, and winning elections ingredients for getting added to the campaign hall of fame, but so is a good team environment. Being a team player is the fourth attribute of highly successful campaigners. Matt says his wife also had a large role to play in this achievement. “In reality, the award [from Campaigns & Elections] should honor my wife as well,” Matt said. “We work together on most races and she is a constant source of strength and encouragement, coupled with incredible abilities in graphic design and photography.” Not to mention the many staff, interns, and volunteers Matt worked with over the years that played a critical role in bringing home so many victories. Winning takes a team of folks that work well together. Finally, highly effective campaigners are trained and continue to learn. Matt first learned of the Leadership Institute through a friend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived. She encouraged him to sign up for a Youth Leadership School coming to Oklahoma. Since then, Matt has taken 18 LI trainings from campaign management, public relations, campus elections, public speaking, direct mail, future candidate, international leadership training, and television training. He was also a field representative and an intern for the Leadership Institute. “I learned one can never stop learning. The moment you rest on your current knowledge, using the resources and strengths you have garnered to-date, is the moment someone else is getting better than you. Leadership Institute classes and resources allow you to continue expanding your knowledge and ability to be successful. I specifically would like to thank the LI grassroots division and Robert Arnakis, for allowing me to learn so much during my tenure at LI.” “Having learned so much during my tenure at LI, I understood the importance of maintaining relationships with fellow Leadership Institute graduates and staff,” Matt said. “Those relationships have proven helpful when needing advice or anything from fundraising to contacts. More importantly, these relationships have allowed me to give back to the people that invested in my growth.” When asked to share some advice, Matt said: “Simple: Go to the Leadership Institute and get involved. The longer you wait to apply yourself to learning, the quicker your opponent will beat you.” Register now for LI training. Don't let your opponent beat you. Please welcome Matt Hutson as a campaign all-star and as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Fundraising is not just about asking for money, but about developing relationships with people who share your vision and want to be your partners in bringing change to society. Your donors are not just a source of money -- like a bank machine -- but partners, so keep them informed about the progress you are making and let them know how their contributions are helping. These were a few of the main concepts in Morton Blackwell's opening speech at the sixth annual International School of Fundraising held at the beautiful Wellington College in Berkshire, England.Over four days, 108 people from 30 countries and four continents, met at Wellington College from March 26 to 30. Seventeen renowned experts in fundraising, from the US, Europe, and Latin America, delivered 35 lectures teaching vital skills necessary to succeed financially as a political leader or as an organizational entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurs learned how to:Build strong donor relationsDevelop fundraising strategiesPlan effective fundraising eventsUnderstand online fundraisingAdapt fundraising methods to their home countriesSpeakers included major players in the field such as Morton Blackwell, Bruce Eberle, Stephen Clouse, Rick Hendrix, Kevin Gentry, Justin Murff, Brian Davis, Katherine Eberle, Ron Nehring, and Alejandro Chafuen, and Silvio Dalla Valle from Italy, Mathias von Gersdorff from Germany, Tim Evans and Matthew Elliot from England, and Jose Antonio Ureta from France.While the day was packed with a lot of learning, after dinner, students congregated at the on-campus pub for networking and sharing stories. Students from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, United States, Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Romania, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Korea and Mongolia met at the pub.As we spoke to one another they learned how similar the social problems are around the world and how we all face the same obstacles in solving those problems. Students found it motivating to learn that they were not alone. Networks for knowledge-sharing and support developed.On the night of Friday, March 29, the International School of Fundraising concluded with a gala dinner lit by candlelight. At the dinner, Morton Blackwell and Miguel Moreno of the Leadership Institute and Benjamin Harris-Quinney of the Bow group presented the Global Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional work done by individuals around the world. This award is granted jointly by the Leadership Institute, the Bow Group, the World Congress of Families/ Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society, and The Institut de Formation Politique. The Global Leadership Award embodies a non-partisan network of leaders who aim to bring ideas to power and to give power to ideas by stimulating dialogue and discussion about critical international conservative issues.During his speech, Morton Blackwell said, “We recognize and honor the unfaltering dedication of some remarkable individuals, who through their consistent faith, solid professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the conservative cause are making an international impact” and that “this joint award seeks to encourage the best forms of international engagement to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.“Recipients of the Global Leadership Award are: Nic Conner, Donna Edmunds, Samuel Kasumu, Karolina Vidovic Kristo, Pauline Fynn, Jack Chubb, Mark Eastham, Adryana Boyne, Marie-Noël Julienne, Eric Martin, Simon Cossiez, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Sylva Ashimole, Juan Carlos Lazarte, Alexander Mooney, Lorenzo Montanari, Zeljko Zidaric, Amanda Sanchez, Luz Elena Delgado Flores, Ron Nehring, Oliver Cooper, Onyebuchi Monica Madiebo, Marco Respinti, Vanesa Anez, and Marcel Lazar.LI appreciates their contributions of time and talent to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders worldwide. It takes a special kind of person to be an activist. While most people might get angry and complain – these people decided to act. Not only did they see the problem, they found a solution. They acted.They are activists.Saturday, for those that left on later flights, was a day of sightseeing in London. From Big Ben to the London Eye, from Parliament to Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, thousands of pictures were taken with new friends. The overall goal of the training was not to feed delegates with a fish, but to teach them how to become extraordinary fishermen. The training that was provided is just the start. Betterment of the world comes from the work that activists do with the training. The world now has 108 newly empowered social entrepreneurs returning to their home countries, empowered, energized, and ready to make a difference! We wish each and every one of those activists the best of luck.>

Ronald Reagan was fond of quoting Senator Everett Dirkson, who often said, “You have to hold politician's feet to the fire because that is the only way they feel the heat and see the light.”Lobbying is not just a way of changing your public official's mind; lobbying is a way to remind them that this is your democracy and you are watching. Like any great disinfectant, when elected officials operate transparently and on-the-record, it keeps politics clean.Here are some basic tips for you to remember:1. Lobbying on its most basic level consists of a simple meeting with a legislator or other official. This should be approached like any other meeting with a busy professional. Set the appointment ahead of time and be prepared to deal with inflexibility. If possible, consider meeting in the legislator's home district. 2. If appropriate, record any meetings that you have with your official. When you request a commitment from your public official during your meeting, you want to have a record of their response. This way, you have what you need if the official strays away from the truth and you can repeat your request if it is not addressed while holding them accountable. 3. Watch your representatives closely and ensure they are held accountable. Gather information and constant feedback as it becomes available, and make sure that they are aware of the fact that you want to be kept in the loop of new developments.Remember that lobbying is a year-long gig and staying active in the process all 12 months yields the best results. Check with your activists; make sure they are communicating with their neighbors and their public officials and that the right messages are flowing in the proper directions.Learn more about grassroots lobbying during the Holding Elected Officials Accountable Workshop on April 10 and 11 or during the Grassroots Lobbying Webinar on April 10th. >

The Leadership Institute, in partnership with The Heritage Foundation and Faith & Freedom Coalition, launched today Issues that Unite: Latinos and Conservatism (ITU). Experts in education, and economic public policy as well as Hispanic media will teach at seven workshops to engage Latinos and activate conservatives.The series of workshops will be held in six states with large Hispanic communities. You can see them on LI's 2013 training calendar.“America's emerging face requires a shift in outreach efforts,” said Paulo Sibaja, Director of Coalitions at the Leadership Institute. “Conservatives failed to communicate our proven philosophy to Latinos effectively. That is why we have launched the first phase of a long term project to reach Hispanics. Through our efforts that merge policy and practical training, conservatives and Hispanics will lead the nation hand in hand.”“Opportunity is precisely what Hispanics are looking for when we consider what's desperately needed to return America to what so many of us came here looking for,” said Israel Ortega, Editor of Heritage Libertad at The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is the nation's most broadly supported public policy research institute, with hundreds of thousands of individual, foundation and corporate donors. “Hispanics consider family and family cohesiveness a valuable pillar of their community. Our shared faiths are as diverse as the community and the desire for freedom is evident in how we live our lives,” said Gary Marx, Executive Director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. The Faith & Freedom Coalition is a non-profit organization with an avowed commitment to educating, equipping, and mobilizing people of faith and like-minded individuals to be effective citizens.>

Remembering Judge Robert Bork: Conservative Legend and Leadership Institute DonorBy Morton BlackwellThe staff of the Leadership Institute honors generous donors who make the work of the Leadership Institute possible. We are saddened at the death of one of our long-time donors, conservative hero Robert Bork. The Leadership Institute received Judge Bork's final donation just one day before he died. My staff and I honor Judge Bork, a stalwart for judicial conservatism.Conservatives will remember Robert Bork as President Ronald Reagan's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. I attended his recent funeral.Along with other conservatives, I was thrilled when the president nominated Judge Bork. He graduated from the University of Chicago and was a professor at Yale Law School for over 15 years. This brilliant man, who served in the Marine Corps before and after obtaining his law degree, would be a boon to conservative principles and values on the Supreme Court.But it was not to be.Defender of the Constitution meets liberal onslaughtIt soon became clear that the liberals in office were going to stop his nomination. Joe Biden, then Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the charge against Judge Bork.Bork was criticized for stating that the Constitution should be interpreted as the framers originally intended. Rumors began to circulate that the Reagan administration might quietly ask Bork to request that his name be withdrawn.But Bork—and conservatives—wanted a vote, because conservatives had every intention of holding senators who voted against him accountable.During the nomination proceedings, I wrote a personal letter to Ronald Reagan, asking him to make sure the Senate voted on Bork's nomination. I thought it would be a terrible mistake for the Bork nomination to be withdrawn—there had to be a recorded vote for many good reasons.About a week later, I received a letter back from President Reagan. He assured me that he intended to keep the nomination active and force the Senate to vote on it.A liberal-controlled Senate rejected Judge Bork's nomination in a hotly-contested 58-42 vote.Bork: Friend of Reagan, Friend of MortonI was happy to receive that letter of assurance from the President, but I was by no means confident that he had actually seen the letter—it might have just been drafted in the Presidential Correspondence office.Some years later, a friend was researching at the Reagan library. There, he found my original letter to the President, the President's hand-written draft of a response to me, and a copy of the final letter which was typed word-for-word as Reagan had drafted it. It moved me to learn that President Reagan had personally penned his response to me.LI and Bork: mutual support of conservative principlesMy acquaintance with Robert Bork goes back to the 1970s, long before the Supreme Court nomination. While Robert Bork was a professor of law at Yale University and I was on the U.S. Senate staff, I brought his son Charles Bork to intern for me.After Bork's rejection by the Senate, Leadership Institute graduates led a 200-strong protest against liberal Republican Arlen Specter, who along with Senator Biden and Senator Ted Kennedy, opposed Bork's nomination.In 1995, a Leadership Institute graduate at the University of Oklahoma battled and outwitted liberal Professor Anita Hill (the one who lobbed allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas) to bring Bork to standing room-only lectures at that university.And since that year, Judge Bork has been a faithful donor to the Leadership Institute. But not only a donor, Bork also gave talks to gatherings of Leadership Institute donors.Robert Bork believed in the Leadership Institute's work of training conservative activists and students on college campuses throughout the nation.My staff and I thank him for his 17 years of sustained and loyal support. Our condolences go to the family and friends of the Honorable Robert Bork.>

“Leadership Institute graduates played key roles in my 2008 and 2012 campaigns,” former Rep. Ron Paul said last month. “The training these liberty activists received from the Leadership Institute is a major reason why the liberty movement has made such tremendous progress over the last five years. It is encouraging to see so many young people interested in advancing the cause of individual liberty and limited government taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the Leadership Institute.” Ron Paul's liberty movement has attracted unique people from varying backgrounds with a common bond not well known: many key staffers and activists are Leadership Institute graduates. In June 1998, a little- known congressman from Texas—Ron Paul—spoke at the Leadership Institute's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast. LI's President Morton Blackwell invited the congressman to speak nearly a decade before he and his 2007 rEVOLution gained national attention. Ron Paul's presidential runs in 2008 and 2012 ignited the grassroots movement now dubbed the “liberty movement,” which was largely built by LI graduates. John Tate, formerly LI's vice president of Membership is now president of Campaign for Liberty (C4L), a grassroots organization founded by Ron Paul after his 2008 presidential run. Under John's leadership, C4L led the successful effort to pass Ron Paul's Audit the Fed bill in the House of Representatives. In 2011, John took a leave of absence from C4L to serve as campaign manager for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign. John was instrumental in developing and executing the "delegate strategy” under which liberty activists joined the grassroots members and state leaders of the Republican Party. “I have been privileged to be associated with the Leadership Institute throughout my career in politics and grassroots activism,” John Tate said. “Anyone looking to learn how to effectively advance the cause of liberty should attend a Leadership Institute school." Many LI graduates have gone on to form their own organizations and hold influential political positions. Leadership Institute graduates lead Campaign for Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty, and the Coalition to Reduce Spending, just to name a few. These groups have thousands of supporters, activists, and staff who impact the course of public policy today. Chris Younce—an LI graduate, former intern, and former staff member – went on to make ballot access history in the 2012 election season. Chris successfully got Ron Paul on the ballot in all 50 states before any other campaign in 2012. “My political education at the Leadership Institute gave me more practical political knowledge than all of my college courses combined. LI schools gave me the tools I needed to perform at a high level for Dr. Paul in his campaign for president," Chris said. The Leadership Institute offers more than the nuts and bolts of how to become an effective activist. LI training through Morton Blackwell's principled leadership helps students understand the real nature of politics. Another former LI staffer Steve Bierfeldt said, "The Leadership Institute taught me the political tactics to win, and showed me a clear distinction between the moral people in politics and the amoral people in politics. As executive director on Ron Paul's campaign, I looked for staffers with high moral character as well as leadership traits and characteristics that were becoming of Ron Paul and also professionally representative of the liberty message. I am reminded of one of my favorite Laws of the Public Policy Process Morton Blackwell champions: Personnel is policy.” As for me, the current director of events at the Leadership Institute, I took a Youth Leadership School as a student activist and College Republican, but it wasn't until after getting fully involved with the Ron Paul campaign that I began to understand the size and scope of the Leadership Institute's effect on the conservative and liberty movements. While on the campaign trail, I talked to a lot of people – to put it mildly. Everywhere I went, from national headquarters, to Iowa and then New Hampshire, I met field staff, volunteers and high-level staffers who all had a Leadership Institute story to share. I have found that within the grassroots liberty movement, deep connections to LI are abundant and easy to spot. As a former Ron Paul staffer and liberty activist since 2007, I clearly see LI's long-standing impact on the public policy process. The Leadership Institute and Morton Blackwell continue to educate, train, and support graduates who have been instrumental to the modern-day grassroots liberty movement. All conservatives and lovers of liberty should take advantage of the training opportunities offered here at LI. Go here to register for a 2013 training. Please welcome John Tate, Chris Younce, and Steve Bierfeldt as LI's Graduates of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org. The next spotlight will be the week of April 15.

On a snowy Wednesday morning, the Leadership Institute welcomed Dr. George Nash, author of The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945, for LI's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast.Dr. Nash is an independent scholar, historian, and lecturer. He specializes in twentieth century American political and intellectual history, which includes the life of Herbert Hoover and the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Dr. Nash is also a senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.While sharing President Reagan's original vision for America, Dr. Nash reminisced, "Reagan could make his point sharply without offending people. His humor had an ecumenical quality.”He went on to explain how President Reagan feared that America's memory was slipping away. Dr. Nash described the challenges to Reagan's vision of American exceptionalism.President Reagan once said, “I am not a great man. I am a man of great ideals.” Dr. Nash implied that many who intend on running for office or are in office today should embrace a similar mindset.Jean Morrow, an intern in the development department atLI, said: “It was a sobering experience listening to Dr. Nash talk about President Reagan and how he cultivated the idea that America is exceptional.”Dr. George Nash closed with the notion that Reagan had a national narrative that still resonates today: “If he can rally the city on the Hill, why can't we?” Please join LI at April's Wake-Up Club Breakfast on April 3 to hear Gun Owners of America's Executive Director Larry Pratt. Sign up here. >

Twenty-nine year old Dale Kerns was recently appointed to the borough council in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, where he now gets the pleasure of serving his hometown neighbors and friends. “A typical workday as councilman involves going to meetings, dealing with town emergencies, helping in the office with clerical work, meeting with state legislators, and numerous other jobs,” Dale shared. “Most of all it involves, for me, sticking to your principles and campaign promises, all while fulfilling the needs of your constituents.” Once Councilwoman Suzane Blissick resigned, Dale's was appointed by Magisterial District Judge Phil Turner to fill the vacancy. Dale has volunteered to give his council stipend back to the borough with half going to the Recreation Department and the other half going to the volunteer Fire Department. “I started after high school in the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers Local 654, and completed a five year apprenticeship as a journeyman electrician. Then immediately I went to Widener University, where I expect to graduate with a bachelor's in professional studies and a minor in sociology in 2014.” Dale is vice chairman of Pennsylvania's Republican Liberty Caucus and active in local politics. With a heart for the less fortunate, Dale and his brothers—Kevin Kerns and Daniel Schmidt—started The Little Angels Foundation. “At the Little Angels Foundation (LAF) our mission is to help children in need—children with life-threatening illnesses,” Dale said. “I believe in giving back to the community through voluntary charity. I do not believe the government should be used to take people's money for charity. Starting a foundation such as LAF and donating my time helps those who are less fortunate and also helps others understand what true charity is and where it's designed to come from—the heart, not forced government.” Dale first learned of the Leadership Institute through Young Americans for Liberty's Executive Director Jeff Frazee, he shared. And in July 2011, he came to LI's week-long Campaign Management School. “Since my time at the Leadership Institute, I have had jobs working for candidates for U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and I have run successful campaigns for both delegates to the Republican National Convention and to local town councils,” Dale said. “LI taught me at the Campaign Management School how to correctly manage a campaign through the nuts and bolts! We were taught everything in one week that it takes most people a lifetime to learn. The most effective tools that you need in fundraising, petitioning, and all other aspects of campaign management are learned on the job, but without the Leadership Institute I would not have known where to correctly start.” “LI has given me the tools to be successful, and will give you the winning advantage that is not offered to many that have been in the game for a lifetime,” Dale said. Register now for one of LI's upcoming trainings. “I always tell people they need to see LI for themselves,” Dale said. “LI is like Santa's workshop; somehow all the ‘toys' are made in a short period of time. Those who think they know campaigning don't really know until they have been to the Leadership Institute.” “I loved my time at the Leadership Institute and look forward to coming back in the future. There is always more to learn!” Please welcome Dale Kerns as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

"I ran for the United States Senate in 2010, and I'm proud to represent Kentucky there today," Rand Paul said. "The political elites in both parties opposed me, and the 'experts' didn't give me much of a chance. But let me tell you about a 'secret weapon' I had... that 'secret weapon' is top notch volunteers and staff members trained by a remarkable group called the Leadership Institute. "The Institute's grassroots training has been called the best available anywhere in the country. And Institute graduates prove it to be true. "Leadership Institute training teaches conservative activists how to develop an effective campaign strategy for a candidate or strategic plan for an organization, and how to build a powerful grassroots organization, both for a campaign and for a citizens group, such as a local Tea Party. And much more. "If more conservative candidates have the same secret weapon I had -- top staff and key volunteers trained by the Leadership Institute -- you and I will see many more conservative victories in the future."

Kate Miller—a cheery-about-life, red-headed recent college graduate from Washington state—was an intern at the Leadership Institute a little more than two months ago. And, today marks her first day as a fulltime employee doing what she loves most: design! She is the associate designer at VOX Global, a public affairs and strategic communications DC firm with extensive government, political, private sector and nonprofit experience. “I could not be where I am now had I not been at the Leadership Institute,” Kate said. “LI was pivotal to my DC experience being so successful and joyful.” She first learned of her employer—VOX Global—while interning at LI this past fall. “I draw a direct correlation between my time at LI and my current position. At LI's Comprehensive Fundraising School, I went up to my current boss David Payne, an LI faculty member, and expressed how much I genuinely enjoyed his presentation,” Kate shared. “He and I stayed in contact, so when I found out VOX Global had a design internship, I jumped at the opportunity!” After just 1.5 months as an intern, VOX hired Kate on fulltime. “I never would have known about VOX had I not attended LI's fundraising training.” Get registered at next week's Comprehensive Fundraising Training, the same training Kate took a few months ago. As associate designer, Kate will be designing HTML emails, print documents, and web assets. “Basically, I make pretty things--and I love it! But in all seriousness, I am part of a team that strengthens the visual communication efforts of VOX Global's clients,” Kate said. “VOX Global is a unique place. I'm working with some of the best-of-the-best, learning how to communicate messages more effectively. One of my new projects involves some grassroots efforts with former Leadership Institute staff member John Dunagan.” This fall Kate worked in LI's Recruitment department where she assisted with marketing, communications, design, coalition building, and social media. “Being an LI intern was a great opportunity to build skills. Under the deft guidance of Lauren Day and Abby Alger, I planned and implemented the fall Capitol Hill Walk and live tweeted a lot of our trainings,” Kate said. “Those were two of my biggest ongoing projects, and I really enjoyed both.” She also was very helpful to LI's Development department in branding the Building Leadership newsletter, which goes out quarterly to LI donors, through a redesign of the publication. Kate has taken 18 trainings at the Leadership Institute from Public Relations School, Direct Mail School, TV workshops, Youth Leadership School, New Media Workshops, Civil Service Opportunity School, Conservative Career Workshop, and many others. “My favorite aspect of LI was definitely working with its wonderful staff. I had the privilege of working with many different people, and have been thrilled to stay in close contact as I've attended Leadership Institute events in the new year,” Kate shared. While a summer 2012 intern at The Heritage Foundation, Kate learned of the Leadership Institute. “Heritage only had great things to say about LI,” Kate said. “I applied for LI's intern program, took the Youth Leadership School, and turned down a job offer back home because I knew the Leadership Institute could help me pursue a career surrounding politics. Needless to say, I have not regretted the decision for a minute.” Prior to her internships at VOX Global, the Leadership Institute, and The Heritage Foundation – all in DC – Kate was a college student at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington where she majored in graphic design and public relations. During college, Kate was active on campus developing her design skills through campus jobs: graphic and web designer for Pacific Lutheran University's (PLU) School of Arts and Communication; production director of PLU's Impact Creative Solutions; and graphic design intern for PLU's University Communications. “LI is a place you'll get connected with, if you're smart,” Kate said. “The Leadership Institute has everything an aspiring (or thriving) conservative needs to be successful; LI gives you the tools to turn conservative thought into political action. LI schools teach skills, are great networking opportunities with peers, and might even land you a job with a faculty member!” We congratulate Kate Miller for her recent fulltime employment at VOX Global, and welcome her as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.