For the first time, HC has three active political clubs: The Young Democrats, Young Republicans, and Young Third-Parties club. All have a shared goal of making sure everyone is included. This representation across the spectrum of political beliefs ensures that every student can find like-minded people.

“Honestly, I love it. I love that HC is a space where everyone is allowed, everyone is connected, and everyone feels valid or we hope to make it that sort of environment,” Young Democrats President Parker Hall said. “I know with Young Dems, I work very closely with the leaders of the Young Republicans and the Young Third Party, (which is a newly established club), and I just try to work with them to breach that divide because a lot of times you see that political divide of ‘Republicans this’, ‘Democrats this’, and you kind of forget about [the third parties] altogether. I don’t want it to be that way, I want everyone to feel like they have a voice and can get involved.”

Young Democrats President Parker Hall has a substantial focus on making sure everyone is accounted for and feels included at HC. Young Republicans President Beau Norton also shares the goal of making everyone feel included politically at HC.

“I intend on collaborating with the other political clubs at HC to be able to make a safe space for equal political representation,”  Young Republicans President Beau Norton said.

One way the presidents have tried to expand representation and understanding of different viewpoints from across the political spectrum is to have friendly debates between the three clubs. 

“One of the main things we [are] planning on doing [is having] debates with the Young Republicans and Young Democrats,” Young Third-Parties Co-President Christian Kelly said. “We were thinking [that] if we had a combination [of all three clubs] it would be more inclusive and a way to really get people into politics that aren’t of one of the two [main] parties, and bring in more representation than what [third-parties] have, even on the federal level.”

Young Democrats meets every Wednesday in Mr. Logsdon’s room. Young Republicans meets once a week on Tuesday afternoons in room 58. Starting October 4th, Young Third-Parties will meet every other Monday in room 22. Co-President Grayson Kemplin encourages everyone to come. While the Young Third-Parties club is here to support those parties, i.e. the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, Democratic Socialists of America, etcetera, you do not have to identify with one to join. 

“We’re interested in a little bit of debate to demonstrate the full bevy of political opinions,” Young Third-Parties Co-President Grayson Kemplin said, “but above all, we want to make people with non-conformist or non-traditional political opinions feel accepted and represented at HC.”