I came to Gettysburg College with the political views of my parents on my shoulders. Growing up in a strict, conservative household, my childhood was a lot of Fox News and not a lot of exposure to what other people believed, how other individuals thought. Dinner table talk never fostered debate around a certain topic in the news, never allowed me to “see the other side.” I didn’t fully comprehend the importance of politics and of discussion in general until I was introduced to a student body with different opinions and contrasting ways of understanding. Watching the news with my parents was the same every single evening: reports on shootings, fires, the current political scandal, the weather forecast, and a 45-second clip of something happy (like newborn kittens or available coupons for back-to-school shopping). It never provided any substance. Sure, it’s important to inform people of what’s going on in their town and the neighboring areas, but it always failed to resonate as a 5-minute account—too brief, too fleeting, and too temporary—that I would forget about it as soon as the next story was broadcasted. I also didn’t fully acknowledge the absurdity behind that last, “happy” skit: 59 minutes of depressing news and then they make us watch something meaninglessly cute.
I was conditioned to think that gay marriage was wrong because it was “unnatural,” that abortion should be illegal “because you’re taking a life,” that gun control was more effective when “people had the right to bear arms” with less restrictions, that I would “never get a job as an English major,” and that “liberals were tree-hugging, weed-smoking crazies.” I did a complete “360 degrees politically,” as my mom not-so-happily admitted. It didn’t take me long to realize that most of what I was taught was blind to anything that challenged my parents’ view of the world, and it also didn’t take me long to notice that I alone didn’t have a personal assessment of the world, one which I could call my own. It wasn’t until college that I finally began to critique, to question, to analyze, and to think—for myself.
One of the stereotypes of a liberal arts education is that it teaches students to be liberal. Even though this statement is far from the truth, the kind of education Gettysburg College provides opened my eyes to the opposite of what my parents preached. I became not only more open-minded, but also more aware of how politics affects each aspect of our lives, how societal problems often boil down to human issues and to the obstacles of everyday life. I was able to put aside what I heard from Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity or The Five and attend open, campus discussions on race, religion, and diversity, where I captured an honest snapshot of what the world outside of college truly looks like. Although it may seem as though I prove that stereotype right, I’ve never been so thankful to have such a supportive community that wants me to get involved and do great work and develop fresh, new ideas to contribute to the people around me.
So, to the new first-year students, a little piece of advice: don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t be afraid of change. Your next four years here will be full of new experiences. Take advantage.
I don’t even recognize the girl who came into college exactly one year ago. I changed a lot. But I kept a handful of conservative views along the way ;)