A new group called the Comet Conservatives is taking hold at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Dammy Busari of The Mercury reports.

Group takes over as primary conservative club on campus

Started as a way to unite conservatives regardless of party, the Comet Conservatives carry the torch laid by the previous College Republicans to negate political apathy and spread conservative ideals among students.

Political science graduate student Eric Hall started the club last spring because there was no conservative presence on campus, and he wanted to unite conservatives to participate in both local and national activism.

The club mostly focuses on Texas politics, but also delves into prevalent topics such as the economy. It serves as a way for students to debate key issues among fellow conservatives.

“We talk about different ideas in our meetings, and although not all of us agree on the same subjects, the most important thing is that we’re open to change,” Hall said.

Since the old Republican club had gone away, Hall said it would be a good idea to bring back a club that represented conservatives at UTD.

“It’s just a good fellowship between like-minded people,” he said.

The club is affiliated with the Young Conservatives of Texas and works with community conservative organizations such as the Golden Corridor Republican Women.

The GCRW has done a lot to get the club started and the club typically endorses whatever they endorse, Hall said.

Some activities the Comet Conservatives partake in include working polls on election days during the Texas primaries and working for the Texas Republican Convention.

“We already have a first year graduate student running a campaign for Dallas county Sherriff,” Hall said. “We do a lot of local activism, but we also want to give our members the chance to participate in the national scene.”

The club has brought in speakers including state representative Van Taylor and notable politician Matt Rinaldi to encourage young conservatives to join.

“We’re mostly about recruiting right now because we’re new and since it’s an election year, we’re trying to give everyone a chance to get involved,” Hall said.

The group is mostly involved in the primaries since there’s no Democratic challenge.

“The primaries are a big deal because they’re very competitive due to the fact that it’s a Republican vs. another Republican,” Hall said. “State races don’t have a lot of funding, so student help goes a long way.”

Aside from participating in local and national events, the Comet Conservatives also partake in school functions, including a debate with the College Democrats that occurred on Sept. 25.

Hall was contacted by the debate society to collaborate with the College Democrats as a way to influence students to be politically active.

“We agreed because it’s always great to get our conservative ideas out there,” Hall said. “Our generation’s different and there’s not as much difference between conservatives and liberals as there used to be, so it’s a great way to show that we’re not that far apart because in the end that’s what good government comes from: being able to work together.”