Politically, Oberlin has always prided itself on its reputation as a “progressive,” “liberal” or “open-minded” institution. However, some students have come to believe that this atmosphere is simply a façade, concealing a political environment smothered by orthodoxy, groupthink and the pressure to conform.

In order to illuminate some of the extant though less publicized political worldviews on campus, two Oberlin students who refuse to be targeted by the often cut-and-dried classifications that abound in American political discourse spoke with the Review. 

Both claimed that political diversity at Oberlin is limited by an implicit tendency to use terms such as “conservative,” “liberal,” “Democrat” and “Republican” in order to validate preexisting societal norms.

Curtis Ferguson, a senior, is indignant when at presuppositions that his identification with the Republican Party entails a conservative political viewpoint.

Ferguson sees the Republican Party’s past as the more sympathetic political body vis-à-vis civil rights issues as a deciding factor in his party affiliation. Furthermore, the Republican Party appeals to him because it is more organized and forthright about its beliefs.

“Would you rather that someone called you a faggot to your face or that they just think it in their head?” he asked. 

Insisting that the affirmation of states’ rights, a large military, and an otherwise small government is the hallmark of the conservative “label” in America, Ferguson opines that the normally accepted antithesis of “conservative,” the term “liberal,” can actually signify any belief pattern that does not conform to those interests.  He, for instance, considers himself a very liberal (or progressive) Republican.

It seems to Curtis Ferguson that the Democratic Party is “wishy-washy.”  He derides Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as both “unclear” and “unstable.”

More importantly, Ferguson’s membership in the Republican party is a way for him to wield influence in a party typically closed to those who identify as gay and African American, as he does. 

“It’s a way of making a difference in a place where I’m not supposed to be,” he said.

Sophomore Matthew Kaplan also believes that the typical vocabulary of American politics – and Oberlin politics in particular – is insufficient.

“American politics is far more complex than a simple dichotomy of liberals and conservatives,” he said. “Our society is very narrow in that we see just blue states and red states. Liberals and Conservatives. You are Pro-Bush or Pro-Kerry.”

The general consensus among Oberlin’s students, staff and appraisers in the college guide industry is that the school boasts a “liberal” environment. 

“Oberlin is progressive, not liberal,” he said. “Oberlin at times is very conservative in its liberalism. We have very [few] resources for students of differing political opinion. Does Oberlin boast conservative faculty members to challenge the common viewpoints of the majority of the student body?”

Both Ferguson and Kaplan report that, as of now, the Oberlin College Republican Club is inactive.  Ferguson adds that he doesn’t believe that the club will return from its period of remission any time soon nor thinks that there is any need for it to do so.

Perhaps Republican students at Oberlin do not have the resources to run an effective club. Kaplan’s frustration over the lack of political diversity at the school is clear. 

He asks that students “imagine the political discourse and dialogue Oberlin could have if our campus actually attempted to create an environment where students of all political opinions could speak, challenge and educate each other.”

Ferguson and Kaplan do, however, offer markedly different advice for incoming students interested in Republican or conservative activism.

Ferguson suggests that politics are a “racist, sexist system” and that OC Republicans, Democrats and “everyone else” should recognize this and become more socially and civically engaged in those issues that make them passionate.

Kaplan’s advice for incoming conservative or Republican first-year flows from a different vein. “Get involved,” he suggests. “Ask questions. Challenge your views and those of your peers. Listen carefully and register to vote!”