“Hey, do you want to pie a Republican?” shouted Alec Sapolin to onlookers outside the EMU amphitheater.

Some students paused, others asked questions and more watched as members of the University of Oregon College Republicans club received a face full of whipped cream or real pie on Thursday afternoon.

The goal of the “Pie a Republican” event, said club president, Quinn Milionis, was both to raise funds for the club and to bring awareness to the number of Republicans on campus. The club aims to bring more Republican speakers to campus in the upcoming year, Milionis said.

He added that he wants people to know that Republicans are not all serious and don’t have bad intentions. “This is a good way to raise money and poke fun at ourselves,” he said.

By the end of the hour-long event, club leaders said more than  a dozen people participated and the club exceeded fundraising goals. The club was selling pie to eat for $1 per slice. For throwing, a whipped cream pie was $3, but people were given the option to throw a real pie for $6.  

According to Milionis, College Republicans is the largest political group on campus. The club has roughly 50 consistent members, he said.

Members of College Republicans recognize that they are somewhat a minority in the university setting, they said.
 “It’s not a lie to think Republicans have a bad image, especially on campus,” said Brooke Everard, a sophomore and a member of the club. Everard was wearing a shirt that said, “I’m pro-gun,” which sparked debate about gun control and school shootings among passersby.

Sapolin, a sophomore member of College Republicans, agreed, saying, “It’s a little bit tougher,” to be a Republican on campus. He added, however, that the club is like a close-knit family of like-minded people.

The club meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Straub 252.