In February, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute released a study that assessed how well American college graduates understand crucial components of American civics, even things that would be asked on a citizenship test. The results from the survey surprisingly show that college actually fails to sufficiently produce civic knowledge in college graduates. Yet, for some strange reason I find it pretty hard to easily accept that. What I don’t find hard to believe is that the study also shows that college can actually influence students’ opinions to lean toward the liberal end of the spectrum.

MSU is the eighth largest university in the nation, so you can imagine how many different opinions we have running around Grand River Avenue. During college, there are many experiences and conversations a person could be exposed to and influenced by. That is, if they actually allow themselves to be influenced. Professors, students, suitemates, friends, sorority sisters and even the books you read in class all will exhibit different ideas you have the choice to support or ignore. I think that — if anything — college is one of the greatest opportunities in a person’s life to open up one’s mind to various levels of thinking that aren’t as easily accessible during high school.

With that being said, I don’t find it relatively shocking when colleges are considered more liberal than conservative, especially considering that the majority of college professors are known to be more liberal. There are students who come into college with headstrong opinions on specific issues and might not be influenced by the political standpoints a professor might communicate to his or her students. As long as you are informed beforehand, I doubt that a professor will actually “turn you liberal” or “turn you conservative.” Although I do believe that it will open up one’s mind to thinking in a new way never considered before, I do not think it necessarily will be drastically changing.

However, even during college there are impressionable students without much knowledge, opinions or interest about political views. The more impressionable and uninformed a student might be, the greater possibility that he or she might easily be swayed toward one way of thinking based on the views of professors and students in class. Yet, where is the line drawn between impressionable and open-minded? Knowing your facts.

People then may start to wonder, “Do we stop spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to educate the youth of America because a study shows that some students don’t know the three branches of government, all while leaning left?” Hopefully not, considering a college education is far more valuable today than ever before. The goal is to think for yourself and believe what you think is right for you, and not what your professors or friends think is right for you.

Although it shouldn’t, the media sometimes can display some biased undertones and can exploit viewer’s emotions pitting side against side with the political partisan-obsessed culture we have today. A higher education obviously will introduce students to a more diverse range of beliefs, which can allow for educated debates and bouncing ideas off of one another in many different environments. A good example of an environment would include class, where equality for all people most definitely is promoted, if not preferred by the “liberal teachers.” I cannot find any negatives in that, but I’m sure that there are people who could manage to come up with some.

Especially in college, we should not divide ourselves by a political party. There will always be students willing to open their minds to new opinions and beliefs, and those who keep their minds closed and unexposed to horizon-broadening experiences. If the only thing you take away from college is an open mind and then consequently being defined as liberal, then I don’t consider that the worst thing that can happen after graduating and entering the
real world.

Cristina Toscano is a State News guest columnist and journalism sophmore. Reach her at toscanoc@msu.edu.