By Nathaniel Nakon Denison students are all too familiar with the opening line of the school’s mission statement, “Our purpose is to inspire and educate our students to become autonomous thinkers, discerning moral agents and active citizens of a democratic society.” Although often mocked on campus, it carries a heavy message: a Denison education should…

By Oliver Gladfelter When I used to give tours of campus to prospective students and their families, the most I common question I got was “Why did you choose Denison?” As I would explain, it was the community – Denison students care about each other, look out for one another, and are always there when…

By Kaitlyn Elia Do you feel comfortable expressing your political beliefs on campus? Depending on whether you identify as a Democrat or Republican, your answer may vary. Overall, it appears that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike agree that everyone should feel comfortable expressing their political affiliations on campus. However, many students have noticed a severe…

By Nathaniel Nakon Following the recent shock that was the 2016 Presidential Election, numerous think pieces have attributed the surprise of Donald Trump’s victory to be a product of the liberal bubble that college educated individuals tend to live in.  Most college students spend eight months out of the year in a community largely filled…

By Oliver Gladfelter We know about 76% of campus voted for Clinton, 11.5% voted for Trump, and others split between Johnson, Stein, and opting out of voting. We also know that Denison students voted in record numbers, at over 93% of registered voters. But we can dig even deeper and look at exactly which students…

By Oliver Gladfelter We know how Denisonians voted in the 2016 presidential election, although there still remains plenty of questions about our voting patterns. This was a unique campaign, and, with two historically unpopular candidates, voter turnout was constantly a question. Would citizens’ lack of enthusiasm for the candidates lead to low turnout? Or would citizens…

By Paul A. Djupe November 8, 2016 hosted a stunning upset of the political order in the United States. Political novice Donald Trump ran a non-traditional campaign that was marked by relatively little organization, racked up the fewest newspaper endorsements in the modern era, had few elite surrogates echoing his message, and generally followed a script…

[This is part 2 of a 3 part series about minority status and democratic inclusion on campus] By Oliver Gladfelter With election season in full swing, campus is buzzing with conversation about politics, constant Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton references, and much more – everywhere you go, you are reminded of the election. The Denison…

By Abby Zofchak As we have all heard time and time again, Denison aims to create “autonomous thinkers and discerning moral agents” through the “interdisciplinary integration of many forms of knowledge.” Ultimately, Denison wants to prepare students to become conscientious leaders who put knowledge into motion for the betterment of their communities after they graduate….

­­By Nathaniel Nakon Colleges and professors across the United States are often accused of having a “left-leaning” bias, that is, subscribing to more liberal political beliefs.  That claim has been widely covered (such as here) and is often used to justify the claim that college turns students into liberal Democrats.  While the validity of this…

[This is part 1 of a 3 part series about minority status and democratic inclusion on campus] By Paul A. Djupe “Complaints are everywhere heard that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not by the rules of…