Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
‘Twas the Year Before College
Among many people my age there is the expectation of pursuing a college education. Understandable, as college is supposed to improve career opportunities, monetary success, social status, and general edification. In some regards this holds true, however the cost of attending university to obtain these things has proven to be greater than the ever-increasing price tag.
My opinion is in no way indicative of a generation, or of the population of peers with whom I attended university.
Before I went to university, my father figure was nervous on my behalf. His apprehension lay, in part, in the fact that I was a young conservative woman seeking a humanities education in this day and age. I remember him telling me “Sophie, I’m worried about you! I don’t want you to become a wallflower when you go to college because people are so against your opinions.” I assured him that it probably wasn’t as bad as he’d heard. There was no way I would ever be afraid to express my opinions, especially in an academic environment devoted to learning. “It won’t be that way,” I kept telling him.
Alas, it was, in fact, that way.
Here are a few of the more outrageous moments from my first year at university:
- You’re inherently racist because you’re white.
- A speech about my father’s marriage (to a wonderful woman, I need not clarify) was heteronormative, and for the speech to be acceptable I needed to include evidence for same-sex parenting.
- I was a horrible person (yes, that bit is paraphrased) for not skipping class to go to a climate change rally.
The list of specific examples is short and does not include the sentiment of many classes, but one gets the gist: conservative opinions were generally unwanted. Now let’s acknowledge, of course, that one expects to run into strong, opinionated individuals with differing beliefs at university. I understood this and still do. But when a large majority of both the student body and the faculty seem unbothered by actively smothering opinions different than their own, I take issue. Conservatives were there, of course they were, but the few students who spoke up in class were riddled with emotional arguments from the evidently greater body of liberal students. “I feel” has replaced “I think” to a disturbing degree in modern collegiate vernacular. One can only fight against the proverbial tide so much before they no longer have the energy.
I am not someone who loudly screams my opinions. I have no intention of becoming the poster child for what’s wrong with modern collegiate academia. But after an entire year of ranting my frustrations to my friends and family, I think I am entitled to politely air my grievances. It turns out, dad was right. It really is that way. That polarized, emotional, Overton Window complying, virtue signaling, way. He was right, but he has wisely refrained from chirping “I told you so.”
Published in General
Great post!
Sad but all true. You sound like you’re able to bob and weave your way to your goal with smile and self confidence intact, knowing you’re in charge of choosing the path to the goal. You’ve got the people who count in your side. Good work!
Are there not good schools much less warped? Of course it’s the first 12 years we can change. Why aren’t we?
As a parent, I bit the tip of my tonque many times whenever my daughters found out I was right about something.
Good post!
Our oldest daughter, she’s a Sophie too!, just graduated but in biology. I’m afraid that some of that Leftist nonsense (mostly the eco-nonsense) has penetrated my baby’s noggin. She isn’t too adamant about it and we still discuss things openly, her boyfriend seems to have his head screwed on straight. She’s fortunately been able to see the Covid-19 thing for the overblown hot mess it’s proved to be from the beginning, so there’s hope. I’m making sure that she knows that same arrogant types that generated the useless Covid models are the same type that have generated the useless global waming models. I hope all you kids remember that.
Yes young Sophie, your Dad was right! Good luck to you.
I got this third hand, but apparently my Christian, home-schooled, excellent niece got scholarship after scholarship to any college she wanted. At UC(?) she attended the college’s a Bible study for which Bibles were prohibited. She went to Columbia for her PGs and came out a “Liberal Christian”. Apparently, her views were, through repetition, changed from individual responsibility to corporate responsibility.
Thank you kindly!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Well, rats.
A fine post, but depressing.
Good luck and hang in there!
Assigning attitudes and behavior based on race is the definition of racism. Game, set, match.
Why? You are giving a speech about a phenomenon. Are you required to mention evidence about things not in the subject of the speech? No wonder leftists can never shut up.
The models promulgated by the climate alarmists, when adjusted to explain the present, fail to reflect the past. The technical term for models which fail to reflect the past is “wrong.” The technical term for the predictive values of such models is “poop.”
Hi,
I graduated from college in 2003. became a conservative around 2015. My parents were already there in 2012. You are way ahead of me! As Margaret Thatcher said, “the facts of life are conservative.” I lucked out, somehow meeting a mature and kind guy from a rural family (not a spoiled urban hipster) and we have 3 beautiful kids, but leftism leads to pointless, immature underemployed, rudderless adult-children. I see it quite clearly when I see the “cool” people I hung out with in college and in my 20s. Leftism breeds cynicism about institutions and people.
listen to your dad. Ignore that leftist culture. One day they too will be 40 and they won’t all be Trevor Noah. It won’t be pretty.