Column: Don't fret about campus liberals
July 9, 2008
This fall semester, record-breaking numbers of freshmen will begin their college careers here at MU. Freshmen, it is to you that I speak in this article. As for the rest of you, feel free to listen in on our conversation.
As you were researching and picking your college destination earlier this year, I am sure at some point you were told college is a place where young, impressionable minds go to be indoctrinated with radically liberal views. You might be worried your professor will mock your traditional values or your conservative views. Well, stop your worrying.
If you happen to be excited about this upcoming indoctrination, I am sorry to burst your bubble, but it won’t be happening. The university community is one that accepts and embraces people of all cultures, backgrounds and political ideologies. In more than 100 hours of classes at MU, I have never once felt that someone else’s political views were being crammed down my throat. Sure, every organization has its fair share of liberals and conservatives, but in a statistics class, who cares about the professor’s political persuasion? My stat professor never mentioned it, and I never asked.
Regardless of the class or the topic, I have never once felt intimidated, I have never once felt like my voice didn’t matter or wasn’t valued. The lesson here is to speak up, to ask questions. You’ll never know how important your opinion is until you voice it.
Don’t be the one who never wants to be called on. Don’t be the one who sits low in that lecture hall desk, don’t be the one who never speaks up. Not every freshman will be back next year - it is the involved and engaged who will return. The disconnected ones, the ones who never speak up, they probably won’t be here next year.
Lastly, since I am supposed to be the resident conservative columnist here at The Maneater, I will take a few lines here to encourage my brethren. It is to you young conservatives that I say: you are in the right place.
I have found most students here to be cut from our same cloth. Most of the students that come here have parents who work very hard to save money and send their children to college — these families understand the devastating impact of high taxes and the undeniable worth of free enterprise.
Welcome to all of the new, hard-working and determined conservative students, I look forward to seeing all of you as we work together in this upcoming campaign cycle. To the liberal students who have taken the time to read this column, thanks. If you’re disgusted with us conservatives, just wait until you graduate, start making money and start paying taxes — we’ll be waiting to welcome you to our movement.
Next time I’ll be discussing Barack Obama’s “new politics” and the refreshing outlook he presents for our nation. What?
That’s right — don’t miss my upcoming column.
Marcus Bowen is the former vice president of Mizzou College Republicans and currently volunteers for the Missouri Republican Party.
This story has been changed to reflect the following correction.
Correction: The July 9 column "Don't fret about campus liberals" misidentified the author as working for the Missouri Republican Party. He only volunteers for the party. The Maneater regrets the error. (Added 4:38 p.m., August 16, 2008)
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