This has been going on for at least a quarter century. In the late 1990s, at Rutgers University, I also experienced these "benefits" of being in the conservative minority. The issues were different back then, but I can remember getting an F on a "reaction" (read: opinion) paper in PoliSci because my opinion was too conservative. I was a …
This has been going on for at least a quarter century. In the late 1990s, at Rutgers University, I also experienced these "benefits" of being in the conservative minority. The issues were different back then, but I can remember getting an F on a "reaction" (read: opinion) paper in PoliSci because my opinion was too conservative. I was a straight-A student and wasn't about to let some liberal professor's bias ruin my GPA, so I escalated the matter. The dept head (also extremely liberal) was on the teacher's side, so I appealed to the dean. The end result was a "compromise": While the other students only had to write five of the six assigned papers (they could choose which one to skip), my F paper would count as my 'skip' and be dropped.
In other words, I had to write six papers while everyone else only had to write five. (My grades mysteriously improved after that, and I ended up with an A in the class.) I guess this aided in my development of thicker skin and resilience?
On the bright side, the dept head insulted me in the following manner: "Your paper reads like something written by William F. Buckley," she sneered. "Thank you!" I said, brightening considerably. I then proceeded to write a letter to Mr. Buckley about it, and he printed it in the next issue of National Review!
Went to a potted Ivy League school in 1950s. Same thing happened. But the Dean said, don't worry about it, feed the prof what he wants to hear and don't take anymore of his courses.
This has been going on for at least a quarter century. In the late 1990s, at Rutgers University, I also experienced these "benefits" of being in the conservative minority. The issues were different back then, but I can remember getting an F on a "reaction" (read: opinion) paper in PoliSci because my opinion was too conservative. I was a straight-A student and wasn't about to let some liberal professor's bias ruin my GPA, so I escalated the matter. The dept head (also extremely liberal) was on the teacher's side, so I appealed to the dean. The end result was a "compromise": While the other students only had to write five of the six assigned papers (they could choose which one to skip), my F paper would count as my 'skip' and be dropped.
In other words, I had to write six papers while everyone else only had to write five. (My grades mysteriously improved after that, and I ended up with an A in the class.) I guess this aided in my development of thicker skin and resilience?
On the bright side, the dept head insulted me in the following manner: "Your paper reads like something written by William F. Buckley," she sneered. "Thank you!" I said, brightening considerably. I then proceeded to write a letter to Mr. Buckley about it, and he printed it in the next issue of National Review!
Went to a potted Ivy League school in 1950s. Same thing happened. But the Dean said, don't worry about it, feed the prof what he wants to hear and don't take anymore of his courses.