This year the C of C College Republicans are fighting to bring everyone together through bipartisanship on campus.
President Katie Moske and Vice President Austin Ruedrich are striving to gain more members and achieve a number of goals for this year.
“The College Republicans restarted about three or four years ago. Last year we had about 15 to 20 members and this year 52 people showed up for the first meeting,” says Moske.
Membership has remained steady at around 50 students.
“We have so much diversity within our group,” Moske said. 
The club is open to anyone and meets weekly for a discussion session on current political topics and guest speakers frequently stop by.  This year’s speakers have included Mike Seekings and Yvonne Evans, who are both running for the Charleston City Council, and Neil Collins who is running for the S.C. House of Representatives.
“We welcome all points of view,” Moske said. “It is important to hear from actual politicians.”
Although weekly meetings are an important part of the club, this year’s two main projects include a campaign trip to Virginia at the end of October and a community service event with the College’s other political clubs.
For the first time, the club is getting involved in politics outside of South Carolina.
“We are sending a group of about 10 students to Virginia to help out with Bob McDonald’s campaign for governor,” Ruedrich said. “It is a great way for members to get involved.”
The trip is a nationwide event for College Republicans. Students will gather in Va. to help with public relations for the McDonald campaign.
The club is also planning a large community service project with the other political clubs on campus.
 “The only way to get things done is through bipartisanship,” Moske said.
The political clubs are planning to partner with MUSC to have a “Take the Politics out of Healthcare” debate.
“We thought that everyone is so divided on the issue of healthcare right now, so we are going to come together to help the people who are the true victims in this debate: the sick,” Moske said. “Everyone is on board and we think it will be a great project.”
The details for the community service event have not been finalized, but everyone is working together in a step toward bipartisanship on campus. 
Moske and Ruedrich are also working on making the club’s name known on campus and hoping to eliminate stereotypes about the Republican Party.  Moske and Ruedrich each joined the club because of their own political interests and involvement. They want everyone to feel welcome in their organization.
“There is a lot of excitement this year,” said Moske.
For more information, visit the club’s Facebook group, “The College of Charleston College Republicans.”  They meet Thursdays at 7 p.m. in Stern Center Room 201.