Lawrence W. Reed, president of the Foundation for Economic Education gave the keynote during the Midwest Students for Freedom Conference at the University of Michigan.  Here’s part one of the speech, entitled, “My favorite president”:

Last year, SFE took a convoy of students from Michigan to the Students for Liberty International conference in New York City. This year the conference will be hosted in Wahsington, D.C.

Below you will find the email invite from our friends at SFL about the upcoming conference.

We’re looking into the possibility of doing another Michigan carpool to head down to the conference, so I encourage you to apply, and contact SFE if you’re accepted so we can figure out how many Michigan students are going.

——————————————————————————

Second Annual International SFL Conference

SFL is proud to announce that the Second Annual International SFL Conference will be held from February 20th-22nd, 2009, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The invitation is now available online, as well as a generic schedule (subject to change), FAQ, a conference flier that you can distribute to other students on your campus, and the online application. The 2008 Students for Liberty Conference conference drew 100 students from 42 schools and 2 countries to Columbia University and hear from speakers of such caliber as Keynotes David Boaz (Cato Institute), Randy Barnett (Georgetown Law), and Dr. Alan Charles Kors (University of Pennsylvania). It was from this inaugural conference that SFL was formed as a full-fledged organization, and this year’s conference will be even bigger and better than before!

While we are in the process of inviting/confirming speakers, we are extremely excited to announce the first Keynote Speaker of the 2009 International SFL Conference will be Yon Goicoechea, the recipient of the Cato Institute’s 2008 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty. Cato’s description of Mr. Goicoechea includes: “A 23-year-old law student, Mr. Goicoechea plays a pivotal role in organizing and voicing opposition to the erosion of human and civil rights in his country. In his commitment to a modern Venezuela, Goicoechea emphasizes tolerance and the human right to seek prosperity. Venezuela’s student movement emerged in May of 2007 in response to a government-ordered shutdown of the nation’s oldest private television station, RCTV. In the face of ongoing death threats and continual intimidation due to his prominent and vocal leadership, Mr. Goicoechea has been indispensible in organizing massive, peaceful student protest marches that have captured the world’s attention. By December of 2007, the student movement was credited with defeating a proposed constitutional reform that would have concentrated unprecedented political and economic power in the hands of the government.”

It’s important to note that there is an application process for students who wish to attend this conference. Due to space and financial restrictions, not all students will be accepted. Last year, we received 140 applications for 100 slots. It is important that you apply early to receive priority. As well, students who apply in 2008 will only pay a $25 registration fee, while students who apply in 2009 will have to pay a $50 registration fee, providing a fniancial incentive for you to apply early.

What: Second Annual Internationl SFL Conference
Where: George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
When: February 22nd-24th, 2008
Who: You
Applying: Apply now!

The 2008 Students for Freedom Conference just keeps getting better!

Saturday, November 8 at the University of Michigan we’re hosting the first Midwest regional conference to equip freedom loving students with the tools and expertise they need to successfully advance freedom on campus and beyond.  Panels of awesome speakers will cover tips for effective writing, speaking, blogging, video, political action, academic work, and much much more.  The conference is only $20, which includes lots of free stuff and three square meals.

The following speakers are confirmed for the event:

Keynote speaker:

Larry Reed, President, The Foundation for Economic Education.

Marketing and Communications panel:

John Tillman, The Illinois Policy Institute.

Gerry Nicholls, The Institute for Liberal Studies and The Democracy Institute, Canada

Michael Jahr, The Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Activistm and Strategy Panel:

Joe Lehman, The Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Leon Drolet, Michigan Taxpayers Alliance.

Professor Harry C. Veryser, Jr.,University of Detroit Mercy.

Nigel Ashford, The Institute for Humane Studies.

New Media Panel:

Jason Talley, Atlas Economic Research Center.

Leslie Graves, Lucy Burns Institute.

E.M. Zanotti, The Sam Adams Alliance.

Nick De Leeuw, RightMichigan.com.

Writing a good op-ed:

Tom Shull, The Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Register now while there’s still space!