The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Brandon Iwamoto A giant inflatable donkey was brought to the Plaza Thursday by the CSU Young Democrats as part of a political event.

Patched with duct tape and faded to a putrid orange, a massive inflatable ass loomed over the plaza Thursday.

The donkey, owned by the Larimer County Democrats who loaned the dummy to CSU Young Democrats for their first event of the year, has seen better days.

"The Republicans are going to be jealous," said Young Democrats secretary Joshua Covington. "They're going to want a giant elephant."

The Lory Student Center Plaza was full of progressive student organizations Thursday as CSU College Republicans rallied for U.S. troops, Marine Corps recruited, soldiers spoke in favor of military efforts in the Middle East and local politicians advocated their campaigns.

President Brendan Durkin and Rep. Byron Moore of the CSU Young Democrats drove to Wellington Wednesday to pick up the monster beast of burden from a farm where the Larimer County Democrats keep the blow-up statue.

"This is kind of like our coming out party - we're coming out and saying that we're still relevant," said Joshua Covington, Young Democrats secretary.

The Republican's campaigned for student support for the U.S. military presence in Iraq, calling students over loudspeaker to write letters that they will send to the troops. The effort calls attention to Veteran's Day, which is on Sunday.

Bobby Carson, editor in chief of the Ram Republic, a monthly right-wing newsletter that comes out today, said many troops in Iraq are affiliated with CSU and there is great need for CSU support.

The College Republicans will continue their event today as they celebrate the release of the second issue of the Ram Republic. This month's issue includes a special Veteran's Day section with articles by troops, including Brian Ivers, a Fort Collins police officer who served three tours in Iraq with the National Guard and spoke at Thursday's event.

Ivers asked students to appreciate military sacrifice during Veteran's Day.

"George Patton once wrote that he did not mourn the fact that soldiers had died in combat; instead, he thanked God that those soldiers had lived so that they could protect the freedoms that we all enjoy," Ivers said.

Continued...

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