I am transferring out of Oxy for several reasons, one being the lack of political diversity. During the Black Lives Matter protests on campus last fall (which turned aggressive, maybe partly due to the LA activists brought onto campus by Oxy students promoting the protest), students that were not participating in the sit in, march to the President’s house, or march to the Alumni Center were verbally abused -myself included. Because Oxy is so small, it is very apparent when a student chooses to not participate in political protests or other similar events on campus. Students will most definitely be called out for their lack of participation, and the far left liberals on campus were quick to assign labels to those who did not participate (to non-participating students of color, too) during the fall protests.
The liberal students at Oxy, the vast majority of the student population, are of the mindset that liberal = right and open minded. I consider myself a liberal, but I do not refuse to associate with conservatives and love having open minded conversations with people who have different beliefs and opinions than I do. However, when I try to do this at Oxy, I have been called names and labelled several times by many people -including who I thought were close friends.
Oxy is left leaning, and the majority of students I have come across are mean liberals. If you are liberal-minded, have a strong disdain for conservatives, and wish to be surrounded by people who think exactly the same as you do, Oxy is the place for you. However, for students who do not necessarily want to be surrounded by like-minded people 24/7 for the sake of expanding horizons/engaging in civil conversations/remain open minded to all beliefs, Oxy will not be the best fit for you.
I have recently been touring other colleges as I make my transfer decision, and am extremely happy to find that “every other campus” is not like Oxy. I look forward to continuing my studies at another institution that, among other things, has a well-balanced politically diverse student body that is not so hostile towards differing beliefs.