News

Statement from the 185th President of the Yale Political Union, Savan Parikh:

I am honored to serve as your President for the Fall Term of 2026. For over ninety years, the Union has served as a home for civic discourse, intellectual rigor, and genuine camaraderie. Though I join every generation in history by claiming the exceptionality of the present, the mission of the Union is especially important today, in an era rife with political rancor and distrust in higher education. I hope you will all join me in what is shaping up to be a rich semester of debate ahead.

Left to right: Oleg Laskov ‘26, William Barbee ‘26, Abigail Carpenter ‘26, Richie George ‘27 (Past Speaker of the YPU), Leo Greenberg ‘26 (Past President of the YPU), Brennan Columbia-Walsh (Past President of the YPU), Rich Segal ‘88 (Past President of the YPU).

YPU MEETS WITH The YALE ADMINISTRATION

Yale President Maurie McInnis and Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis met with YPU leaders in March to discuss our role in campus political life.

President McInnis has previously mentioned Yale’s “long tradition we have of encouraging open debate from… the Yale Political Union” in the past, in light of ongoing debates over the role of higher education in America.

YPU SECURES 53 Wall St. AS Our Home

In recognition of YPU’s significance to Yale student life, the Yale administration officially recognized the auditorium of 53 Wall St as the Hall of the Yale Political Union.

“It is fitting that the Yale Political Union, a longtime home for intellectual growth for generations of Yalies, has found a home of its own. The debating hall at 53 Wall St. is not just a room for debating, but a physical locus for the Union's vibrant discourse and a launchpad for its future development.”

— Kai-Shan Kwek-Rupp ‘28, Speaker of the Union, Fall 2026

YPU VISITS LAS VEGAS

Over spring break in 2026, senior members and leaders of the Yale Political Union visited the Yale Club of Las Vegas. There, they held a debate on immigration and national identity, and modeled YPU-style civil discourse and debate to Yale alumni and friends.

“Our Spring meeting with President McInnis and Dean Lewis was a chance for us to articulate all that the Union does to encourage public speaking and build an environment of real ideological exchange. They were responsive to our ideas for how Yale can become a place where people are less afraid to disagree with one another, and have the confidence of their own convictions.”

— Leo Greenberg ‘26, President of YPU, Spring 2025