In the semester before an election that, for many, will be the first opportunity to vote, the varied political beliefs among Tufts students have become more deeply defined and more frequently discussed. On a campus already known for its political activism, young voters are demonstrating a particular passion for the direction their country will turn to in the future.
With so much at stake, student groups are implementing "Dorm Storms" and other tactics to motivate students to register to vote. Although the registration campaigns show no bias toward any one political faction and are focused solely on getting students out to the polls on Election Day, other on-campus groups are working to promote their own party.
Although the introduction of groups like the Socialist Alternative suggests that Tufts students tend to lean to the left side of the political spectrum, divisions do exist. The Tufts Republicans will be hosting a separate dorm canvassing, and there are separate conservative and liberal publications.
Division in politics is no surprise, though the passion that arises from these beliefs, opening students up to criticism, can be shocking.
Students differ in their views of the general response to opposing political beliefs on campus. "I feel the student body at Tufts is largely open and receptive to all points of view," said senior Anne Siarnacki, a political science major. "Generally, students at Tufts are more curious as to why I feel the way I do, and most students I talk to at length are surprised to find how much we even have in common."
Often students' various perspectives spark debate that serve to enlighten instead of to distance students. "People definitely give me a weird look when I say I am Republican, and it always leads into political debates," sophomore Anthony Dennis said. "Everyone has their views and I enjoy listening to them as well as supplying my own."
Not all students, however, feel welcome politically. Some members of the conservative student body have expressed dissatisfaction with the receptiveness their classmates express to their political views. "When I first came here, people on my floor stopped talking to me [when I said I was conservative]," junior Nicole Brusco said.
Some liberal students also remember their conservative hall mates being alienated for their beliefs. "We had one Republican on our floor last year, and he was eaten alive," sophomore Shanti Sattler said.
Despite the much larger population of liberal students, "people can definitely get along" by avoiding the subject of
politics completely, Brusco said.
"Mostly, in classes I keep my explicit political views to myself," Siarnacki said.
Like Siarnacki, some students avoid bringing up their views in class to escape discrimination. Other students, teaching assistants and professors have been outspoken regarding their beliefs, and have felt discriminated against as a result. "On a personal level people aren't shunning me about being conservative, but in English class I feel like the reading is geared towards bashing Bush," freshman Steve Constantino said.
Although the predominant political beliefs of Tufts students tend to be similar to those of the professors, some students complain that their professors have, on occasion, spoken as if no one in the class would have different views. Professors are not the only culprits, however.
"Many liberal students, when expressing their views, talk as if everyone agrees with them," senior Rick Dalyai said.
The absence of vocal diversity in political thought is no secret to Tufts students and faculty. "Sometimes discussions suffer from a lack of conservative viewpoints," said Professor Jeffrey Berry, who teaches American Politics courses.
This, in turn, can seem limiting to open discussion. "Picking a paper topic, you learn to pick non-controversial topics," junior and conservative Nick Boyd said.
In class discussions, some feel threatened by the idea of personal discrimination for merely indentifying with the minority. "I don't exactly hide [being conservative], but when it comes up, I try and remain neutral," Constantino said.
Professors say they do encourage a variety of views. "In terms of speaking out, if you're respectful, other students will be respectful of you," Berry said.
Professors themselves get generally good reviews from students. "While it would be beneficial if there was a more diverse and representative sample in professors at Tufts, my experience, particularly in the political science department, has been very rewarding," Dalyai said.
Other students agree that professors perform well, but "more often than
not it's a TA that will discriminate," Boyd said. "Usually, the professor will have the discretion to keep it out of class."
Liberal students do sympathize with the difficulties of being in the minority. "People tease [conservatives] for their defense of Bush," sophomore Caitlin Thompson said.
Due to the current political situation in the United States, discussion can become particularly heated, especially among international students. "This is such an international campus, some people have a completely different view of the United States and our actions," Sattler said. "People get touchy because it's their lives, not just the news."
Although the spectrum of opinions at Tufts is wide, students generally feel that they are able to participate. "I'd like to think that students could survive in a sea of liberals," Berry said.
At this point in the election year, though, getting along may not be as easy as it has been in the past. "People have intense feelings," Sattler said. "They're paying attention more.
