Joe Wilson. Trey Gowdy. Robert Gates. Jon Huntsman. Jeb Bush. Rand Paul.
What do all these names have in common? They’re all prominent Republicans, and all have spoken to students at USC in the recent past.
The visit of Bill Press, a vocal Democrat, to campus got us thinking — what is the balance of Democratic and Republican speakers on campus? It seems to be a red-tinted calendar of guests.
While the unbalanced lineup reflects the political make-up of our state, it offers students a one-sided view of the issues and ideas our leaders grapple with and the system they operate in. College is meant as a time to broaden horizons and universities have a long tradition of offering students speakers that can give them a different perspective.
That’s not to say USC is a Democrat-free zone. After all, Joe Biden gave a commencement address here last year. But overall individuals, organizations and the university as a whole must make a broader effort to bring diverse voices and opinions to USC.
There is a reason why politicians and political figures are frequent guests at USC — political engagement of students is vitally important, regardless of party affiliation. Just because a student isn’t deeply involved or interested in politics doesn’t mean they can’t listen to and learn from these speakers.
We don’t want to discourage Republicans from coming to campus. We welcome any guest whose goal is to inform and spark a conversation. We just ask that a few more invites go out to Democrats, Libertarians or anyone else that can provide a perspective on the political process.