Commentary

Recent Developments in the Student Liberty Movement

There were two noteworthy announcements in the student liberty movement yesterday.

First, Students For Liberty (SFL) announced finalists for the 2010-11 Students For Liberty Awards. (See more on SFL here.) These awards were established by SFL in 2009 to recognize exceptional students and student groups advocating for liberty on campus.

There are few commonalities between the finalists. In fact, their accomplishments reveal the passion and diversity found amongst students, ranging from their work in TSA procedures and criminal justice, to health care reform and tax policy. Voting is being conducted online and award-winners will be announced at the 4th Annual International Students For Liberty Conference next month.

Second, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) announced a new initiative called Year of Youth. (See more on YAL here.) Year of Youth’s goal is to “identify, train and mobilize thousands of youth activists for a massive wave of youth campaigns across America in 2012.” It is unclear what kind of impact this initiative is going to have in 2012, but regardless it will be interesting to follow.

For more of Reason’s coverage of the student liberty movement, see this interview between reason.tv‘s Tim Cavanaugh and Michelle Fields, an undergraduate at Pepperdine University and SFL’s Los Angeles Campus Coordinator.

Harris Kenny is a research assistant at Reason Foundation