“I think Objectivist campus clubs can be tremendously valuable. The essay contests sponsored by ARI do a great job of exposing students to Rand during high school. However, the clubs can help to rekindle the interest of the new college student, who has now left home and is—perhaps for the first time in his life—free to think about his own way of looking at the world. Students who either did not go straight to college after high school, or who had difficult upbringings, stood to gain the most from this reminder of Rand's existence. I know that was true in my case.”

Group discussion and study

Participating in a campus club will enrich your study of Objectivism in ways isolated study cannot. Studying in a group atmosphere will allow you to listen to other students who will bring in examples, propose questions and suggest ideas you may not have thought of; a club will provide motivation to improve your understanding and encouragement to participate in discussions; other members will encourage you to concretize and integrate your ideas, which will keep you from passively reading essays or falling prey to rationalism; and you will have the opportunity to communicate and discuss Objectivism with students who are interested about Ayn Rand and the ideas in her novels.

Social opportunity

The culture of your campus is likely made up of students and faculty who are unfamiliar or hostile towards the practicality of ideas and rational valuing. By participating in a campus club, you will meet and interact with likeminded students in a friendly setting. These potential club members often make great candidates for you to form friendships with because they share a common chosen value with you: interest in Objectivism. In fact, social outings to museums, restaurants, movies and the like become a staple for many campus clubs.

Promoting Objectivism on campus

If you value the spread of Objectivism, you should act on it. Campus clubs can not only provide what is too often an oasis of rational thought, but can seek out others who share these values, and present Objectivism to those unfamiliar with Ayn Rand and her ideas. By getting involved in club fairs, talking to other interested students, and hosting speaking events with Objectivist intellectuals, you are bringing Ayn Rand to campus in a real and positive way.

Free access to unique resources

The Ayn Rand Institutes houses an extensive inventory of resources designed to help campus clubs in their study and promotion of Objectivism. Clubs are provided with pamphlets to distribute to other curious students, and videos, essays and books to organize meetings around. Clubs also have exclusive access to our Campus Club Library, which includes audio lectures, recorded campus club talks, and essays by Ayn Rand.

Interaction with Objectivist intellectuals

Your club will have the opportunity to discuss Ayn Rand’s ideas with Objectivist intellectuals. This is your chance to learn more about a topic of your choice with an expert. You will have the chance to do so in person by hosting a live speaking event on your campus, and/or remotely through an Ask the Intellectual session.