by John Plecnik
June 22, 2004
While the vast majority of Dukies, Yalies, and Harvard men are notoriously liberal, the conservative minorities at america’s highest ivory towers are making themselves heard. The Duke Students For Bush shocked the world by donning "W" (Bush) T-shirts during Blue Devil basketball. Yale Law recently played host to Dr. Mike adams, famed conservative columnist and faculty member at UNC-Wilmington. Just last year, Brad Smith, a Harvard student, won the title of Chairman over the Massachusetts alliance of College Republicans. Clearly the terms elite and liberal are no longer synonymous.
However, this surge of conservative activism on elite campuses is merely the sign of a greater socio-political phenomenon. The students at most of our nation’s colleges and universities are becoming overwhelmingly conservative. Recent studies have shown higher support for Bush among collegiate scholars than in the general population. Much to the chagrin of our liberal professors, my generation has chosen to emulate Reagan, not Clinton.
To state the obvious, this ideological shift will change the face of politics. Harkening back to the 60s, Democrats and Socialists have depended upon legions of rebellious youth, eager to thwart the proverbial "man." Now, an entire generation of scholars sees liberal academia as the oppressive authority figure. Gone are the days where smug liberals could argue that educated individuals tend to vote Democrat. america’s students have selected "W" and the GOP.
The magnitude of this move is such that even the Marxist icebergs at Duke, Stanford, and the Ivy League have begun to melt. Conservative organizations are publishing newsletters, hosting speakers, and playing watchdog over their liberal administrations. a new era is beginning at america’s most prestigious programs, but that era is already here for a majority of universities.
although we have all heard about Berkeley’s affirmative action bake sale, few are aware of UNC-Greensboro’s morals week. Modern press and sensationalism tends to focus our attention on exceptions rather than the rule. Thus, the exploits of an elite conservative minority have overshadowed the accomplishments of the true conservative majority. While we may not always see conservatives from Big State U or Saint X College on television, they are the ones pulling our populace towards free markets and morality. They are the countless millions of potential voters who will grow to lead this nation.
although conservatives are oppressed by the liberal faculty nationwide, their peers do not outnumber them. Outside a few ridiculously high-ranked schools, conservatism has already won. While the struggle for parity in top programmes may make for entertaining news, Republicans and Libertarians should take heart in the great victory we already enjoy…when my generation starts to vote, the Democrats will be forced to mimic Zell Miller or move to Canada.
John Plecnik is a 20-year-old law student at Duke University and Executive Editor of The Devil’s advocate. as Policy advisor for the Duke Chapter, John authored the first-ever statewide platform for the North Carolina Federation of College Republicans.
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