This group of students believes government should stay out of peoples’ lives. They think elected officials should be fiscally responsible. They are against the U.S. occupation of Iraq and nation-building in general. But most of all, they want to give NIU students another option, the opportunity to hear another voice.

The NIU College Libertarian Chapter aims to become the only third-party organization recognized by the Student Association. They will apply for SA-recognition next semester after recruiting loyal members.

“This past primary season, Congressman Ron Paul really opened a door for a new voice to be heard besides Democrats and Republicans,” said Chris Gilson, the chapter’s founder and a graduate geography major. Rep. Paul, (Lib.-Tex.) ran for president as a Libertarian in 1988 and generated excitement in the movement when he ran for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination professing libertarian values.

“His anti-war message really took off with young people,” Gilson said. “Over the past eight years, people have opened their eyes to how the two-party system is failing us. We plan on becoming an alternate voice; to let students know there’s an alternate voice to those parties and organizations.”

The Libertarian Party, founded in 1971, believes in, above all, small government, low taxes and individual freedoms. In the Nov. 4 general election, Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr received just over 500,000 votes, or 0.4 percent of the total popular vote. 2006 Gallup and Pew polls found that 9 percent of Americans identify themselves ideologically as libertarians.

“If you’re less reliant on government, you’re going to be more free,” said Paul LaLonde, a member of the chapter and graduate public administration major. “That’s not to say there should be no government involvement, just not as much as there is today.”

LaLonde said students want something new, something fresh and many have found that in the Libertarian Party.

“I’m sick of people saying they’re ‘choosing the lesser of two evils,'” he said, “Choosing evil is still evil.”

Informing NIU students that other options are out there will be top priority for the organization.

“Not many people are very educated about third parties,” said Allyson VanCamp, a junior political science major and NIU College Libertarians member. “Making sure people know third parties exist and what they stand for is really important.”