Campus Conservatives Face Opposition: A Story of Ideological Struggle at Gettysburg College
In a recent incident at Gettysburg College, a private institution in Pennsylvania, a student was caught on camera tearing down promotional flyers for an event hosted by the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), a conservative campus group. This confrontation highlights the ongoing tensions between political ideologies on college campuses across America. Tyler Seeman, the chairman of Gettysburg College’s YAF chapter, explained that this was not an isolated incident but rather a recurring pattern of behavior that his group faces every semester when organizing events. The particular incident in question occurred in the days leading up to a November 20th event featuring conservative author and speaker Vince Ellison, when a YAF member caught and filmed a student in the act of removing the group’s advertisement flyers.
The video of the confrontation reveals an uncomfortable but telling exchange between the YAF member and the student removing the flyers. When approached and asked if they were “having fun,” the student briefly affirmed before falling silent when informed that their actions violated college policy. The exchange continued with the YAF member escorting the student out of the building after a brief conversation about additional flyers that remained posted elsewhere. This interaction represents a microcosm of the larger cultural and political divisions that often manifest on college campuses, where free expression and ideological differences collide in ways that sometimes result in attempts to silence opposing viewpoints rather than engage with them.
According to Seeman, this type of opposition is commonplace for his organization, which he describes as “the only conservative 501(c)(3) on campus that actually hosts campus lectures.” He believes that some students find their perspectives and those of their invited speakers threatening to their own worldviews, leading to these attempts to limit the visibility of YAF’s events. The frustration expressed by Seeman extends beyond the actions of individual students to what he characterizes as an “apathetic” institutional response. While the college has occasionally sent emails condemning such behavior, Seeman claims that administrators have at other times declined to address the actions of those who target YAF’s promotional materials, creating an environment where such incidents continue to occur.
Gettysburg College, through spokesperson Jamie White, has affirmed that removing properly posted flyers violates the institution’s community standards, and students who engage in such behavior are subject to sanctions. White emphasized that federal privacy laws prevent the college from discussing specific student cases but suggested it would be “highly unusual” for such actions not to result in disciplinary measures. This response highlights the delicate balance that educational institutions must strike between protecting free expression for all campus groups while also respecting privacy concerns and due process for students accused of misconduct. The college’s stated commitment to upholding community standards suggests an official position that supports the right of all recognized student organizations to advertise their events, regardless of political affiliation.
The experience of Gettysburg College’s YAF chapter mirrors similar incidents faced by conservative groups on campuses nationwide. Just a month earlier at the University of Iowa, a YAF chapter was targeted when a student named Justin Calhoon allegedly flipped their information table, resulting in charges including disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and harassment. Calhoon was later accused of a similar action against a Turning Point USA table, suggesting a pattern of behavior directed at conservative campus organizations. These incidents reflect broader concerns about the state of political discourse and tolerance for diverse viewpoints within higher education, where the ideal of open intellectual exchange sometimes clashes with strong emotional reactions to opposing political perspectives.
Rather than responding with hostility, Seeman offers a constructive alternative to those who disagree with YAF’s viewpoints: “Instead of tearing down flyers, show up to our events and ask questions, because we want to have that dialogue.” This invitation to engagement rather than suppression represents an approach to campus discourse that emphasizes the educational value of confronting different ideas and perspectives. Seeman suggests that having more people “thinking about these issues and talking about these issues” is preferable to attempts at silencing speech, highlighting a commitment to the fundamental academic values of open inquiry and intellectual exchange. In an increasingly polarized political environment, this call for dialogue rather than destruction offers a path toward the kind of substantive debate that educational institutions are designed to foster, even—perhaps especially—when those conversations involve deeply held and conflicting beliefs.
