University of Virginia Library

Contrast: rsu — yaf

By Stefan Lopatkiewicz
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Two student organizations have
emerged early in this young
academic session as the focal
centers for radical student activity
and as the vanguards of the cold
war of the radicals at the
University. In the extreme right
corner we have the revivified Young
Americans for Freedom, while in
the left there is the Radical Student
Union.

But, while these two
organizations have appeared with
increasing frequency as
news makers, it may be asked what
exactly do they stand for and seek?

"To educate for liberty and to
act for its preservation," is how
John Kwapisz, chairman of the
University YAF's describes the
ideology of his organization, while
the preface of the constitution of
the RSU calls for the creation of "a
University which both offers a
relevant education and serves the
people." Yet it seems that both
these assertions of aims require
more defined explanation.

In defining his use of the word
liberty, Mr. Kwapisz said that it
involves a "philosophy of individual
freedom balanced by a limited
government of just laws operating
under a free-market economy
within a moral framework of
individual responsibility and action
toward one's fellow men."

The purpose of the YAF
organization itself, he explained, is
basically "to promote a libertarian
philosophy with which to challenge
the new left."

Asked how this philosophy
applied at the University, Mr.
Kwapisz said that it is one which
rejects racism, condemns the draft,
and calls for coeducation without
quota at the University. He added
that the YAF's may take a stand
calling for the legalization of
marijuana.

The University's chapter of the
national YAF organization was
officially established last April as a
successor to the Students for a Free
Society, an organization advocating
essentially the same philosophy.
"The only difference is we've
changed the name and have become
active," Mr. Kwapisz remarked.

The SFS boasted a total
membership of "less than 10
people" throughout last year, but
the current YAF group has an
official following five times that
number and hopes to double its
membership by the end of this
month. The organization is
planning to launch a membership
drive which will bring the number
of card-carrying YAF's on the
Grounds to 150 by the end of this
session. The long-range goals for the
organization, according to Mr.
Kwapisz, is for a membership of
250.

"We have new blood coming in,
new capabilities," Mr. Kwapisz
stated. "People who are
experienced from high school YAF
work and from that at other
universities." Much of the
organization's support comes from
first-year men, most of whom, says
Mr. Kwapisz, are from the northern
east coast of the country.

The YAF chairman admitted
that "several faculty members"
have expressed an interest in the
organization, but declined to give
their names, saying only that
individuals in the biology and
economics departments are
concerned.

The national Young Americans
for Freedom organization was
founded in Sharon, Connecticut in
1960 largely from the inspiration of
William Buckley, who has served on
its national advisory board since.
The original orientation of the
organization, according to Mr.
Kwapisz, was "anti-Communist and
anti-statism," and its first few years
have been devoted largely to
educating the public on basic
"libertarian conservatism."

"We cannot be equated to either
classical liberalism or orthodox
conservatism," Mr. Kwapisz
asserted.

There currently exist about a
dozen chapters of the organization
in the Virginia Chapter, which was
founded last year, and Mr. Kwapisz
says it is hoped there will be 20 by
the end of the year.

While YAF itself is an
essentially national organization
continued, "the philosophy it's
promoting is valid in international
terms." He pointed to the existence
of the World Youth Crusade for
Freedom, which was "actually
started" by subscribers and to