GROWING UP:

We are the former leaders of the Dartmouth College Republicans, and we regret the impact of our actions and decisions on that organization and on the Dartmouth community. Let us make one thing perfectly clear: It was never our intention to hurt the organization that we worked so hard to build and grow. We recognize that recent events have brought scrutiny to the College Republicans, and we take any and all responsibility for the organization's failures during our tenure.

In today's political climate, it's easy to get carried away. Under our leadership, the College Republicans' public presence became purely oppositional, combatting the "radical left" and devoted to "owning the libs." When your only stance is to oppose that of others, you feel you have no meaningful choices but to escalate the rhetoric of political -- and interpersonal -- conflict. This compulsion leads to a vicious cycle of increasingly hostile and alienating provocations and interactions.

We have decided to break that cycle and sincerely ask the forgiveness of our colleagues and our campus. [...]

We hope that the College Republicans will now gain respect among the student body, maintain its independence from other organizations, hold fair and open elections each term, and wear its convictions on its sleeve. In any case, it must find new confidence by redefining itself. 

We can only hope that a more respectful and engaged College Republicans will now emerge. We wish the current leadership the best of luck.

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