College Libs, Closet Righties

You hear it all the time: “College campuses are so liberal.” And in many cases, they are.

But just below the surface, there are some inherently conservative values housed in these institutions of higher learning.

While progressives might value inclusion and the “everyone gets a medal” mentality, competition thrives on college campuses. Depending on the university, different programs or fields of study resemble raw, Darwinian dens of capitalism. At the University of Virginia, where I am a student, this is true for the McIntire School of Commerce.

Admission to the business school is one of the most coveted prizes on campus. Those who make it into — and successfully complete — the program go on to work on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley. Far from encouraging students to work for the government, many dream of becoming a part of the demonized 1 percent. Due to their diligence and hard work, these students eventually reap the benefits that four great years of valuable competitive practice beget before entering the real world.

Many self-proclaiming liberal students find themselves jumping gleefully into astonishing contradictions.

Similarly, Greek life at UVA fraternities is highly competitive. Rush Week is filled with evaluation, selection, division. Rushees are vetted both mentally and physically to prove they belong to the prestigious positions of fraternity brother or sorority sister. But it’s not just Greek life that’s selective and divisive. Extracurricular clubs, from the campus tour guides to the a capella groups, hold extensive and trying competitions for prospective members to prove they belong. This is decidedly free-market competition.

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Many self-proclaiming liberal students find themselves jumping gleefully into astonishing contradictions. UVA has the peculiar event known as Foxfield Races. It’s a horse race that attempts to recreate the antebellum gallantry of Old Virginia. While Foxfield is particular to UVA, events like it take place on campuses across the country. There is drinking and smoking cigars, watching (or drinking and smoking cigars while) horses gallop around a Virginia field, dressing up as if you were a model out of a Lily Pulitzer or Ralph Lauren catalog, and more. Progressive or conservative, minority or white, male or female, rich or poor, all come out to emulate a more traditional, sophisticated — and, dare we say it, conservative time.

Despite the reality of decidedly bureaucratic elements on many college campuses, schools pride themselves on fostering a culture of self-governance. At UVA, a policy instituted by Thomas Jefferson himself is the Honor Code. A student shall not lie, cheat, or steal. If found guilty by a jury of his peers, the convicted is expelled from school. This is, again, inherently constitutionalist small government.

For the many who do, the glories of competition, wealth creation, and selectivity are all in encouraged, especially at Mr. Jefferson’s University.

Of course, not all students participate in extracurricular activities, want to attend the most competitive or rigorous school, or adhere to an honor code while emulating the finer things in life. But for the many who do, the glories of competition, wealth creation, and selectivity are all encouraged, especially at Mr. Jefferson’s University. Whether liberal students accept it or not, they benefit from the rigors and learning opportunities that conservative traditions offer.

Self-styled progressives at UVA may find themselves to be more like the Virginian founder himself than they would have ever guessed.

John Hernandez is a junior at the University of Virginia. This piece is part of a CampusZette series exploring the culture, oddities, and experiences of students on college campuses through their eyes.