I sincerely hope that the opinion piece titled “Illuminating a ‘deplorable’ perspective” (Nov. 18, 2016) does not represent the sentiment of conservative students at The College of Wooster.
Speaking for myself, I distinguish Wooster’s conservative students from the xenophobes, misogynists, racists, anti-Semites and homophobes who also voted for President-elect Trump and who do not in the least represent conservative values as I have grown to understand them.
Having said this, I have a difficult time sympathizing with the plight of our conservative students — who might very well be in the minority on this campus — when several, if not many, other Wooster students know first-hand what it truly means to endure systemic discrimination simply for being who they are.
If conservative students feel so out of place at Wooster for the political views that they hold (and that they can conveniently keep to themselves when it is advantageous to do so), I invite them to reflect for a moment on how some students might feel when they interact with people from the local community who do not welcome them simply on the basis of how they appear or how they speak.
As a Wooster faculty member, I welcome conservative students into my classroom, and I expect from them no less than what I expect from my liberal students: to embrace and actively cultivate Wooster’s Core Values as they struggle (and yes, they will struggle) to learn the material for my course.
I am disappointed in the article published on Nov. 18 because I would have liked to know more about what Wooster’s conservative students stand for and how our unique liberal arts model fits into their worldview and sense of identity.
If you are a conservative student and you feel that professors at Wooster dismiss your perspective on the basis of your political views, then let’s talk.
I invite you to approach me and other professors to start a conversation. But let us also agree that being challenged to examine our beliefs and to understand other perspectives in accordance with the College’s mission holds enormous value when done from a position of mutual respect, genuine openness, and a desire to gain knowledge. I look forward to hearing from you.
Brian Cope is an Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish. He can be reached for comment at BCope@wooster.edu