Student organization will hold politics boot camp next month

An Ohio State organization will host a two-day conservative boot camp next month.

The Young Americans for Liberty are hosting the event which is nicknamed, "the boot camp of politics," according to the campus reform Web site.

Dave Grabaskas, president of OSU's YAL and state coordinator, said the event is open to anyone of any age.

The OSU chapter, almost a year old, brings speakers to campus and trains young kids to run for office, Grabaskas said.

The group formed last year from students who attended an event for Ron Paul.

The goal of YAL is "to train, educate and mobilize youth activists committed to ‘winning on principle,'" according to the YAL Web site.

The camp will be presented in a conservative-libertarian mindset, Grabaskas said.

"It will help anyone by seeing how politics work," he said.

YAL has 10 chapters in Ohio, all of which have been invited to the boot camp.

The Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization, is in charge of the event which teaches students how to build an effective student organization, develop a public relations strategy and launch a successful career in politics.

According to the campus reform Web site, "The Leadership Institute has launched more successful political careers than any other leadership institute training program."

Similar events run by the Leadership Institute have taught students "dirty tricks" politicians use, such as specific people wearing stickers at question and answer sessions that signify the candidate should call on them, Grabaskas said.

He said this event will help students who don't know how to run a campaign, get things on a ballot, gain media attention or build an organization.

The event will be March 6 and 7 in Scott Lab. Students can sign up until the beginning of March at leadershipinstitute.org. The cost is $30 and includes training, materials and lodging, if needed.