Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul will kick off the national Youth for Ron Paul movement in the Union Theater today at 4:30 p.m.
Paul’s speech will be free and open to the public, though a ticket is required to attend. Tickets are available in Free Speech Plaza and will also be available at the door before the event. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Kyle Aycock, political science and communication studies senior and president of the University’s chapter of Youth for Ron Paul, said he’s been doing all he can to prepare for the event.
“Some of the biggest crowds Ron Paul gets are at college campuses,” he said.
Aycock founded the University’s Youth for Ron Paul organization after Paul declared his candidacy in March and has seen an impressive turnout since, he said.
Paul has “found a foothold in our generation,” he said.
Greg Huete, ISDS senior and events coordinator of Youth for Ron Paul, is optimistic about the event and its prospective impact on the student body.
“We want the students to hear [our] message,” he said.
Paul’s decision to speak at the University was a conscious one, Huete said.
“Everybody knows the University’s name,” Huete said.
The campus engagement is part of a larger campaign Paul is undertaking, and the latest poll numbers show how successful his efforts have been.
Paul won the California straw poll on Saturday with 45 percent of the vote. Paul also topped the New Hampshire Young Republicans Straw Poll in late August by a large margin, again with 45 percent of the vote.
 
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Contact Clayton Crockett at [email protected]