Abundant lawn signs and packed arenas at political speeches exemplify Seattle’s strong political voice, but is that voice coming across as homogenously liberal? As a visiting representative for the Leadership Institute, Jeffrey Hubbard wants to make sure that conservatives at the UW are not afraid to vocalize their views amid an overwhelming liberal majority.

This quarter, the Institute, a national, conservative, non-partisan organization whose seminars and workshops train students in public policy and leadership, is sending field representatives to universities throughout the United States to embolden student activism on campuses. The goal is to start new conservative groups, support existing activists and develop projects, such as students newspapers, that might encourage participation.

According to the Leadership Institute’s Web site, more than 67,000 students have enrolled in the organization since its founding in 1979.

“There are a lot of ‘think tanks’ out there, but our goal is to be a ‘do tank,’” Hubbard said. “We want to go into schools and help inspire action.”

Hubbard is responsible for working with schools on the western side of the state. Unlike his colleague in Eastern Washington, he knows he has a much smaller conservative contingent to work with, and even less who are politically vocal.

“I want to open up dialogue, give conservatives a voice, make sure that the conservative platform is open for discussion,” Hubbard said. “Here at [the] UW we have a tree, but we could plant a forest.”

Hubbard has already started to learn about the UW and get acquainted with the student body. He describes this as the hunter-gatherer stage of his work.

As a starting point, he has contacted active students on campus such as the president of the UW College Republicans, Auggie Eck.

“We welcome it,” Eck said. “We try to hit on most conservative causes, but they could spur interest in certain topics, so students could start their own group where previously they wouldn’t have gotten involved at all.”

Like Hubbard, Eck recognizes the particularly difficult task of non-liberals in Seattle.

“The numbers are stacked against us,” Eck said. “At times it can be intimidating for conservative students to break out and advance their beliefs.”

One way in which conservatives miss out on resources is in funding. Every registered student group receives funding from the UW and student fees, but because there are so many more liberal groups, most resources get allocated toward some sort of liberal message.

In the coming months, students of all political leanings will be trying different methods to spark students’ interests. When asked about how Hubbard might best inspire involvement, Eck referenced the hype around the election.

“They should try to focus on hot-button issues because this election is getting people from both sides fired up,” Eck said. “In any other year, people might not be terribly politically active, but this year, of all years, they should.”

Hubbard also plans to use Facebook to tap into the UW’s current political student groups.

“The Leadership Institute is well-funded,” Hubbard said. “We have the resources to help students mobilize and organize and expand the conservative base.”

Reach reporter Annie Atherton at news@dailyuw.com.