2022 LSU Gumbo - Book - Page 105
LSU’s share of conservative-minded students is
much higher than other universities, but the political
divide on campus doesn’t fit into the traditional
Democrat-Republican divide, as a large percentage
of students identify as independents, democratic
socialists and libertarians, a new college survey finds.
In the latest college free speech rankings, the
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a
civil liberties organization, surveyed students at 154
universities on how they identify politically.
The results for LSU:
by providing a safe space for students to freely express
their opinions.
“We are always very disheartened whenever we see
political polarization spreading on campus,” Randall
said. “People just point fingers at each other, insult
each other and basically they just feel like the other
side has bad intent going after them.”
Randall, who leans conservative, said he’s changed
his mind on many issues after engaging with students
with differing opinions and that TCP is a perfect outlet
for opportunities like this.
Engineering junior Colin Raby is the executive
Party Affiliation
chairman of the club, and is passionate about the
Democrat: 38%
mission. He wanted to be part of a cause that fostered
Republican: 34%
civil discourse instead of promoting a competitive
Independent or other: 29%
atmosphere concerned about winning.
“As long as people are learning things that maybe
Ideology
they hadn’t considered and hearing other people’s
Liberal: 43%
point of views, I think that’s a win for everyone
Conservative: 30%
involved,” Raby said.
Moderate: 10%
Raby said the Feminists in Action protest last
Other: 10%
month was an example of an important issue students
came together on despite political beliefs. He believes
For students who didn’t identify as liberal,
it’s an important issue, especially to the students of
conservative or moderate, 69% identified as Democratic LSU, and noticed it brought both sides together.
Socialist, 23% as Libertarian and 7% as other.
“I know people that are kind of on the right side of
LSU’s share of conservative students is significantly the aisle and people on the left side of the aisle that
higher than the national average. Nationally, 55%
were both there protesting the same thing: We need to
of college students identify as Democrat, 21%
be safe on our campus,’” Raby said.
Conservative and 31% as independent or other.
Ben Smith, a history senior and former chair of the
The survey also tracked which political and social
Louisiana College Republicans, said that LSU needs
issues students found most challenging to discuss
to do a better job at fostering more open political
on campus. LSU students identified abortion, racial
discussion, specifically among the humanities and
inequality, sexual assault, the George Floyd protests,
social sciences.
transgender issues and gun control as the most difficult
“I think having greater ideological diversity in the
subjects.
humanities department will turn us into a top research
From free speech alley protests to anti-mask
school for the humanities, which I think is equally
marches, some students feel campus is becoming more important as being a top research school for STEM,”
politically polarized.
Smith said. “It can place LSU above our peers and
Political communication senior Bryant Randall is
it can turn us into a Mecca for political debate and
co-president for Tigers for Civilized Politics, a student- political discussion.”
led club on campus that aims to defeat polarization
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