Today’s issue of the University of Georgia’s student newspaper, Red & Black, has an article in it which was a pleasant surprise. I’ve said this week since being in Athens that this is a very liberal town. That’s certainly not to say there aren’t conservative believers here though. I have proof.

This is from today’s paper:

For those who think the University campus is too liberal-leaning, a new student organization can help expand knowledge of ideology.

Several students have started a conservative book club called “Up from Liberalism,” named after the first book being read.

The book, written by William F. Buckley, is sparking the groups’ discussion of conservatism.

I love this concept. I absolutely love it. I’ll admit that I have a bit of a problem with the operations of many universities and their apparent attempts to indoctrinate students. The tenure system found at many of these colleges pretty much guarantees that professors cannot be fired, which means they can teach whatever they want, whenever they want. So when you have a political activist turned college professor lecturing and grading our students without risk of losing his/her job, you have a recipe for indoctrination.

I have personally observed a fairly consistent trend among college students. You’ll have those who will spend most of their college experience socializing and partying. Others, who are there to learn and get the best grades possible, go into it with a desire to become educated. Many cling to every word of their professors in attempt to enhance their own intellectual status. What I have noticed is that many who fall into this category will simply regurgitate most of what their professors tell them without giving it much thought.

This would not be a huge issue if it were not for the fact that most of these professors are liberal. In 2000, 84 percent of college professors voted for Al Gore while 9 percent voted for Bush. There’s no wonder why my cousin, a UGA student, was made to read An Inconvenient Truth. These professors promote the liberal philosophy and do it in the most alluring way they know how. Even to the point where some students feel pressured into agreeing with them.

I’ve certainly seen it here in Athens, though not in the classrooms. They won’t let me in the classrooms (I tried). I’ve walked the downtown sidewalks here and seen your typical college kid wearing a tweed jacket over a “Join the Fight Against Global Warming” t-shirt while sipping a Starbucks drink, being sure to show off his “Obama 2008″ button. You can sense that certain desperation to be contemporary and appear to be an intelligent free-thinker.

I realize that not every student in this liberal condition was indoctrinated. I’m sure some came to school already in this sad state. Either way, there’s no denying that these folks seem to be the overwhelming majority. So to come across a group of students who truly have dared to “think outside the box” and announce their own conservative beliefs is just fanastic.

Gunn said the group is starting with the same idea to “cover the underrepresented conservative side on campus.”

Although several members of the group are active College Republicans, he said many members of the group “heard different students across campus express the desire to see more avenues to get involved and learn about conservativism. Some aren’t politically active but are interested in learning about different ideologies and discussions.”

Kristin Bernhard, vice chair of the group, said it gives her a way to examine the writing of the conservative movement.

“For me it’s really important that what I believe is backed up by as much reading and research as possible. It gives a ‘why’ to explain when I say I’m conservative.”

Just fantastic. If I had more time here in Athens, I’d love to sit in on one of their meetings.

Read the full story here.