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New Report Sheds Light on the Yale Corporation’s Politics
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New Report Sheds Light on the Yale Corporation’s Politics

The Buckley Institute published a report yesterday which reveals that 13 out of 15 trustees of the Yale Corporation are registered Democrats and trustees have donated 50 times as much to Democrat candidates than to Republicans. The Schwarzman Center at Yale University. (Credit: Owen Tilman) Emily AkbarCampus Reporting Editor, The Buckley Beacon On February 5th, the Buckley Institute published a report on the political affiliations of the Yale Corporation, the supreme governing body of the university. The report found that 13 out of 15 trustees on the Corporation are registered Democrats, with the other two being unaffiliated.  It also found that Yale trustees have donated 50 times as much to Democrat candidates as they have to Republican candidates. More than $...
Former Education Secretary Defends Beleaguered Department at the YPU
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Former Education Secretary Defends Beleaguered Department at the YPU

Miguel Cardona justified the Department of Education’s existence by characterizing it as a civil rights agency. Miguel Cardona speaks at the YPU on Feb. 3. (Credit: Michelle Zheng) Michelle ZhengManaging Editor, The Buckley Beacon On the evening of February 3, the Yale Political Union hosted the 12th Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona. He argued in the affirmative for the proposition: Resolved: Save the Department of Education.   The Department of Education’s existence has been called into question under the Trump administration, with the president signing an executive order directing the current Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, to dismantle the department with the eventual goal of closing it. The administration has reportedly disrupted over $12 billion o...
Curtis Sliwa Delights the Yale Student Body at YPU
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Curtis Sliwa Delights the Yale Student Body at YPU

The former 2025 NYC mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels urged the audience to challenge authority. Sliwa makes his opening remarks at the YPU. (Credit: Emily Akbar) Emily Akbar Campus Reporting Editor, The Buckley Beacon On Tuesday night, the Yale Political Union hosted Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and the recent Republican nominee for the New York City Mayoral Election. Sliwa argued in favor of the resolution “Act Before the State.”  Known for his iconic red beret, Sliwa’s look originates from the uniform of the Guardian Angels— a nonprofit organization he founded in 1979 that consists of volunteers dedicated to crime prevention. In recent years, Sliwa was a radio show host on WABC-AM, a NYC-based radio station. In the 2025 NYC mayoral race, Sliw...
Top International Law Professors Discuss the Future of Venezuela at Yale
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Top International Law Professors Discuss the Future of Venezuela at Yale

At a YLS event last Tuesday, Daniela Urosa and José Ignacio Hernández discussed the possibility and potential challenges of a democratic transition in Venezuela. Professor José Ignacio Hernández addresses the audience. (Credit: Jason Cao) Jason CaoStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon Last Tuesday, the Latin American Series at Yale Law School hosted a lecture by law professors Daniela Urosa and José Ignacio Hernández titled, “Venezuela: What Next?” The lecture discussed the challenges that Venezuela faces in the wake of recent U.S. intervention and the potential for Venezuela to transition to a democratic form of governance. Urosa is a professor at the Boston College Law School and the Founding Director of the Boston College Law International Human Rights Practicum. Hernández is a non-residen...
Top Democratic Socialist Argues for ‘Economic Democracy’ at First YPU Debate
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Top Democratic Socialist Argues for ‘Economic Democracy’ at First YPU Debate

Bhaskar Sunkara, a democratic socialist political writer, advocated for expanding democracy in unconventional places at the first Yale Political Union debate of the semester last Tuesday. Sunkara at the Yale Political Union (Credit: Sygne Stole) Lucas MillerStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon On Tuesday, January 20, democratic socialist and president of The Nation Bhaskar Sunkara visited the Yale Political Union (YPU) to debate the resolution “Everyone Should Govern.” Sunkara, 36, is the founding editor of Jacobin, a magazine which describes itself as “a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture,” according to a statement on its website. He is also the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Po...
Students Host Left-Wing Streamer “Destiny” for Debate On Campus
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Students Host Left-Wing Streamer “Destiny” for Debate On Campus

Steven “Destiny” Bonnell was challenged on his past remarks that made light of violence against conservatives, including Charlie Kirk. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Destiny debates a Yale student on December 3, 2025. (Credit: Destiny via YouTube) Lucas MillerStaff Writer, The Buckley BeaconOn Wednesday, Steven “Destiny” Bonnell, a popular and controversial political commentator and YouTube streamer, visited Yale at the invitation of Yale Effe...
Top Marxian Economist Speaks at YPU’s Final Debate of Semester
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Top Marxian Economist Speaks at YPU’s Final Debate of Semester

Amid generational shifts toward socialism in the United States, Dr. Richard Wolff emphasized the need to study up on Marx’s economic and historical theories. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Dr. Richard Wolff on stage at the Yale Political Union on December 2, 2025. (Credit: Raleigh Adams) Raleigh AdamsOriginal Reporting Editor, The Buckley BeaconOn Tuesday, the Yale Political Union (YPU) concluded its fall 2025 programming with a visit by Dr. Richard Wolff, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a renowned expert on Marxian economics. Wolff was invited to speak on the resolution, “Resolved...
Representative Spaces
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Representative Spaces

Great Elm and formative settings. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Great Elm as it stands today. (Credit: Cameron Smith) Isaac ObermanStaff Writer and Crossword Editor, The Buckley BeaconFew would disagree that William F. Buckley Jr.’s meteoric rise in the conservative movement was entirely self-propelled. Behind the maestro of the 20th-century Republican Party is the force of the Buckley family, from WFB Sr.’s oil business helping to f...
Top Vatican Official Hosted by Yale’s Catholic Chapel 
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Top Vatican Official Hosted by Yale’s Catholic Chapel 

Sister Raffaella Petrini, the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican City State, discussed her trailblazing career and leadership lessons at St. Thomas More Chapel last Sunday. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Sister Raffaella Petrini at the St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel on November 16. (Credit: Nina Melendez) Oscar Miñoso-RendónStaff Writer, The Buckley BeaconOn Sunday, November 16, Sister Raffaella Petrini FSE, the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican City State, addressed a packed crowd at St. Thomas More Catholic Center at Yale—offering her reflections on leadership, complementarity, and solidarity to students and parishioners. During her talk, Petrini drew heavily from her experience as P...
Exclusive Interview with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Foreign Policy, Mamdani, and Education in Florida
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Exclusive Interview with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Foreign Policy, Mamdani, and Education in Florida

The two-term Florida governor distinguished “strong defense” from “military adventurism,” and unpacked key policies from his own gubernatorial tenure. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers the keynote speech at the Buckley Institute’s annual conference on November 14. (Credit: Buckley Institute/Bill Morgan Media) Owen TilmanEditor-in-Chief, The Buckley BeaconLast week, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (YC ‘01) delivered the keynote address at the Buckley Institute’s fifteenth annual conference. In his speech, DeSantis reflected on his gubernatorial record, and empha...