Dean of Students David Tuttle hosted a conversation with students yesterday, discussing what it means to be a conservative student on Trinity campus.
Among the 16 students who participated the discussion titled “Being Right: Living – and Living with – the Conservative Viewpoint on the Trinity Campus,” only two identified themselves as being conservative. The majority of the participants identified themselves as liberals.
One student told the room that he came to the discussion because he was “tired of his echo chamber.” Another student said that although she had a “very strong opinions about things,” she still wanted to “hear what the other side had to say.”
“Nobody’s on Trial,” said Tuttle. “My aim is to pursue robust, enthusiastic, civil discussion.”
The two self-identified conservative students discussed their political values, and answered the other students questions, such as, “Do you believe Donald Trump is a conservative?”, to which they answered "no," and “Do you feel the Republican Party represents your beliefs?”
The two students also shared their personal stories about living on a campus that they felt was not always the friendliest toward people who identify with conservatism. These stories included accounts of students breaking down in tears because they felt like they couldn’t come out as conservatives for fear of being ostracized by their community.
Following the meeting, Manfred Wendt, a junior and member of “Young Conservatives of Texas,” said the conversation went pretty well. “I was excited about it. Nobody lost their temper.” He agreed that such face to face meetings between people of different political views were important. “As a general rule, I never argue with people on Facebook. Arguing against someone on the internet is almost always a waste of time,” he said.
Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, also agreed that the meeting went well. “We need more civil discussions.”
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