The division between Republicans on campus appears to have come to an end.
The College Republicans failed to re-register as a club this year, which has effectively dissolved the partition between the College Republicans and the College Republicans U-Chapter.
Leaders of the College Republicans U-Chapter said the rivalry that stood between factions of U Republicans in the past has been noticeably absent this year. Enrollment in the U-Chapter has also risen substantially, leading some to believe that members of the former College Republicans were absorbed into the U-chapter.
"The other group just died out," said Yana Jurovitzki, president of the U-Chapter. "I'm not sure whether the rise (in participation) came from the other chapter dying out or from new recruiting strategies...but I hope the members from the other faction came to the right side."
Tomi Carr, of the Associated Students of the University of Utah, said it looks as though the College Republicans have died out and agrees that the old members probably joined the U-Chapter Republicans.
The division originally started back in 2003 when the National Committee for College Republicans wanted to establish a more active chapter at the U, said Danielle Fowles, executive director for the Utah Federation of College Republicans.
The College Republicans, who had been established at the U for several years, weren't active enough, so Tom Robins, chairman of the Federation of Utah College Republicans, replaced then-President David Busby.
Busby formed his own group, College Republicans, separate from the new group, College Republicans U-Chapter, and the division was created.
Fowles, who was president of the U-Chapter last year, said she tried to work with the other group, but it was unwilling to unite the two groups.
The division was further entrenched during a protest against gay marriage in which Busby staged a counter-protest in favor of gay marriage.
Fowles said that Busby had no backing from his group and staged the protest alone.
"To my understanding, it was the decision of David Busby solely. Nobody else wanted anything to do with it," Fowles said of the incident.
Busby and fellow College Republicans leader Travis Higgins have both graduated and could not be reached for comment. Fowles and Jurovitzki said the division was silly because the other group never really had a strong membership or played an active role on campus, but they are nonetheless glad their group can move forward.
d.gardiner@chronicle.utah.edu
