Being a conservative on campus is tough. Your views are often put down or mocked. You are the minority when it comes to opinion and thought. Instead of others making a concerted effort to be inclusive, they often lash out in hate. It often seems as though the campus infrastructure is set up in a way to support liberal values and liberal students — leaving few resources for conservative students.

When I stepped up to lead a conservative club at my college, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Naively, I thought I could host a round table discussion on immigration without our event posters being torn down and our meeting being overrun by loud, boisterous protesters. I was quickly shown how ugly leftist campus activists can be. I had a choice to make. Either I had to close up shop, or step up my game. I chose the latter.

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Being an effective activist requires having the right tools and know-how to get things done. I took it upon myself to learn how to win. I reached out to national conservative groups for training and materials. By far, my favorite tool I’ve used to fight the Left on campus is Young Americans for Freedom’s newest venture, the Campus Free Speech Box.

The Campus Free Speech box has all the materials a conservative student needs to fight for their First Amendment rights on liberal campuses. It includes T-shirts, stickers, posters, pocket Constitutions, and instructions. The theme? “I support free speech, not political correctness.” With my Free Speech Box, I was able to spend countless hours advocating for the First Amendment, intellectual discussion, and the marketplace of ideas.

While some may refer to conservatives as the “vast right-wing conspiracy,” I’ve found that this ideological group on the Right has much more of an interest in helping students like myself succeed through empowerment and encouragement — not a handout, and not simply telling us what to do.

[lz_infobox]This piece is part of a CampusZette series exploring the culture, oddities, and experiences of students on college campuses through their eyes.[/lz_infobox]

Not only did these tools give me the access to information I wouldn’t hear in the classroom, it also gave me the confidence to defend my ideas. I am thankful for my Free Speech Box and know that the many sent around the country will help students like me succeed in exercising our First Amendment rights.

Elizabeth Catterson is a senior at Central Washington University.