The Appeal of the Campus Right
College campuses today have a reputation for being hostile to right-leaning students. As a recent graduate who became a conservative in college, I can’t say I entirely agree.
Yes, we’re outnumbered, and yes, our ideas often get disregarded. Being a conservative might be socially disadvantageous. But if you want to know where the real political energy is on campuses, it’s on the right.
The recent killing of Charlie Kirk, and the flood of interest in his organization, Turning Point USA, has drawn attention to college students’ appetite for conservative ideas.
the celebration of debate, of a marketplace of ideas—is what first appealed to me about the right.
I was not particularly inspired by Kirk in my personal ideological transformation as a student at Stanford University; Turning Point didn’t have much of a presence on campus while I was there.
Author's summary: Conservative ideas attract students.