A Conservative Mind In A Liberal Think-pool | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

A Conservative Mind In A Liberal Think-pool

What it is like to be conservative in college.

11
A Conservative Mind In A Liberal Think-pool
Feelgrafix

Colleges are not particularly known for their conservative professors, republican students, or their right-wing administrators. Actually, it is often times exactly the opposite. Most top tier colleges in America right now tend to lean at least moderately left, if not far left. Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University, is one of the only well known university presidents who leans to the right in political terms. While colleges are mostly filled with liberal people, that doesn’t stop the next generation of conservatives from getting their education. Myself, I got lucky. My school is a place with barely 3,000 students, and the professors, at least so far, never let their own political bias show or affect grading. I, of course, have met people that completely disagree with me politically, but, most of the time, me and that person have been able to have a discussion and walk away as friends, or at least with no animosity between us. Unfortunately, this is not always the experience that conservatives my age have at their respective institutes.

Conservatives are often looked at as the ugly ducklings by their liberal peers on college campuses. Some university administrators share in this view of young conservatives. As was the case recently at University of California-Irvine. The UC Irvine College Republicans recently hosted an event featuring conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Milo is a gay conservative and is popular among college aged conservatives due largely to his nation wide campus tour. Milo gave a talk at UC Irvine on his views about feminism and political correctness among other things, and in turn the college republicans club was suspended because of this talk. The club was eventually reinstated due to the backlash that was received from its donors and students. In this situation, free speech prevailed and the UC Irvine college republicans lived to see another day, but the threat of being shut down based on political opinions is still hanging over the heads of other republican groups on college campuses nationwide.

As the saying goes, “If you’re not a liberal in your twenties you have no heart, if you’re not a conservative in your thirties you have no brain.” Whether this statement is true or not is a completely different debate, but I think the reason that this saying was coined in the first place can say a lot about the world we live in. Kids are taught from the second they get into school that feelings matter most, and that if someone is offended by something that was said, that makes what was said inherently wrong. Somehow, I and many others skipped this part of life and developed a set of values based on freedom and liberty for all. Conservatives get a bad wrap. We are not all “anti-gay”, or “anti-woman” as we are made out to be. Conservative means just that. We aim to conserve a society and a system that has worked in the past, and we fight to conserve the constitution and the values that this great country was founded on.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

427
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

264
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

199193
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20263
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments