Politics at Yale

Community2605
Mon, 04 Jan 2016 15:45:50 +0000

@ShawnLooch and @martinezrulez - My son just finished his first semester at Yale. He leans to the right politically, socially, theologically. Some of the more conservative people in our world tried to convince him that he was choosing to attend school in Babylon and that his ideology would be under fire all the time. He has not found it so at all.

Some of his closest friends at the moment are those he has met through the Yale Political Union - basically a debate club. He did not see himself participating in debate when he matriculated but THEY found HIM through a survey that he filled out over the summer and it has made him many friends. His ideology evidently lined up well with the ideology of one of the seven YPU parties. A couple of weeks into school, a “whip” (don’t ask me) contacted him for a lunch meeting. The rest is history.

As for religion, my son discovered that there were many Christian organizations he could belong to and churches he could attend. Just a day or so into freshman orientation, he called me with, “Mom. I know what campus job I want…singing in the church choir.” Evidently it’s a paid gig to sing in the choir for University Church. He loves it and the church service - it is high church and ecumenical, but there’s a rock band church down the street if that’s what you’re into. He’s recently been named a deacon at his church.

DS reflects that he has experienced NO hostility toward Christian beliefs at Yale - just apathy, which can be disheartening at times. But…

… there are several Christian fellowships on campus. DS signed up for mailings from one in particular that seemed like a good match, but their mid-week service lined up with an evening class that my son was in. The leader contacted him after a few weeks, saying he saw his name on their list serve, but hadn’t met him yet - could he help him get connected? DS was put into a small group that has a weekly Bible study that he can, and does, attend. I appreciated the personal attention.

In areas of both politics and religion, this truth applies: The Ivys are working very hard at diversity and the best news of that is that anyone will be able to find “their people” if they try. I will also note that my son can articulate an answer that is true to his sometimes controversial thinking but also respectful to others. It would be unusual for differently believing people to feel defensive while talking to him. He’s bad at plenty of things, but reasoned discourse is one of his strengths. I believe this affects the experience he is having and different kinds of right-leaning Christians would have different experiences.