Holding the Largest Conservative Event in Campus History

By Catriona Fee, Chairwoman, The Catholic University of America YAF

Bringing the biggest names in the Conservative Movement to campus is truly a once-ina-lifetime experience for any YAF student. That is why my Young Americans for Freedom chapter at The Catholic University of America (CUA) was honored to host Verdict with Ted Cruz, the popular podcast featuring Senator Ted Cruz and Daily Wire commentator Michael Knowles, on our campus.

Founded in 2019 to promote conservative ideas on campus, our YAF chapter grew from 15 students meeting in a dorm room to a group of bold activists who hosted the largest conservative event in CUA history—all in just two years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated roadblocks from our university.

These obstacles began long before our Verdict Live with Ted Cruz event, as our club was denied approval by our Office of Campus Activities not once, not twice, but three times before being officially recognized in 2020.

CUA is a relatively small campus located in Washington, D.C., with just more than 3,000 undergraduates. One of the greatest difficulties with growing our YAF chapter has been the apathy of our student body. Many students on campus are practicing Catholics who are fairly conservative in their values. Most would describe themselves as pro-life. However, getting these students motivated to participate in activism or attend YAF meetings is a different story.

When Young America’s Foundation announced the opportunity for YAF chapters nationwide to apply to host Verdict Live with Ted Cruz—a live broadcast of the podcast—we thought the odds of CUA YAF being chosen to

Catriona Fee, chairwoman of The Catholic University of America YAF chapter, introduces YAF’s Verdict with Ted Cruz event on stage.

Young America’s Foundation’s Verdict Live with Ted Cruz campus tour is the first-ever program of its kind, bringing a live recording of the popular video podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, to student audiences nationwide. Immediately following its launch in 2020, Verdict with Ted Cruz shot up the charts to become the #1 podcast in the nation. Featuring Senator Ted Cruz and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, the podcast provides the next generation of leaders with an insider perspective on the key debates taking place in America, including COVID-19 government mandates, Critical Race Theory in the classroom, and reckless government spending, among others. Sponsored by YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series, Verdict Live with Ted Cruz has appeared thus far at The Catholic University of America, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Texas A&M University, with more campuses to come. ———————————————— To learn more about Verdict Live with Ted Cruz, please visit YAF.org/ VerdictLive or call 800-USA-1776.

During their podcast episode, (from left) Michael Knowles, Liz Wheeler, and Senator Ted Cruz participte in a lively discussion about the most pressing national issues.

A standing-room-only audience of The Catholic University of America students attend YAF’s event, part of the Logan Family Lecture Series.

host such a prominent event were small.

Nevertheless, we submitted an application and, a month later, learned that CUA YAF had been selected to be one of only three YAF chapters nationwide to host the event. This prompted us to organize an all-handson-deck effort to plan a successful program. Limited venues at CUA and the logistics of hosting such a prominent event on a small campus made planning challenging, but we pulled off a memorable evening with the invaluable support of Young America’s Foundation.

Between the hard work of our chapter members to publicize the event and the popularity of Senator Cruz and Michael Knowles, word of the event spread quickly.

Our efforts paid off, as the line to enter our event, held in the student center, spanned the length of the building and wrapped through the first floor. More than 500 students filled every seat in the venue, and thousands more watched the livestream online. In fact, ours was the largest conservative event in the history of our university, which was founded in 1887.

The opportunity to bring Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles, along with surprise guests Governor Scott Walker, Young America’s Foundation’s president,

Attendees line up to enter the student center well in advance of the Verdict Live with Ted Cruz event, part of YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series, at The Catholic University of America.

The Catholic University of America YAF Chairwoman Catriona Fee (second from right) meets backstage with Liz Wheeler, Michael Knowles, and Senator Ted Cruz.

and podcast host Liz Wheeler—who joined a portion of the event on stage— was the highlight of my six years of involvement with YAF.

During the podcast, Senator Cruz, Knowles, and Wheeler had a lively discussion and question-and-answer session about the dangerous COVID-19 government mandates, failed border policies of the Biden administration, and much more.

Our YAF chapter found that hosting a prominent event changes everything. Verdict Live with Ted Cruz allowed us to reach hundreds of CUA students who were previously unfamiliar with YAF. Many of those who attended our event would normally spend their time on other activities. Yet, in this case, they were motivated to hear about conservative ideas—because they admired Senator Cruz, were familiar with Knowles, or all of their friends were going to the event.

The feeling of seeing the largest venue at CUA filled with my peers listening to Senator Cruz, Knowles, and Wheeler present a conservative perspective on stage truly made all of our chapter’s efforts worth it.

I am grateful to the Young America’s Foundation staff, the executive board and members of our YAF chapter, and particularly the Logan family, whose generous support of Young America’s Foundation made this memorable experience possible.

— CATRIONA FEE

Winter 2021 Volume 42 • Number 3

National Headquarters 11480 Commerce Park Drive Sixth Floor Reston, Virginia 20191 800-USA-1776

NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID HERNDON, VA PERMIT NO 6551

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Shawna Weber, chairwoman of the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at the College of Lake County, leads her club in organizing YAF’s 9/11: Never Forget Project memorial on campus. In 2021, YAF student activists at more than 200 schools nationwide commemorated the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks by planting 2,977 American flags, each representing an individual murdered by radical Islamists on that tragic day.