The University of Idaho’s political field ranges greatly on campus, making an incredibly diverse yet often confusing atmosphere.
The University of Idaho’s political field ranges greatly on campus, making an incredibly diverse yet often confusing atmosphere.
Moscow is an oddity in more ways than one. It’s an unusually small college town, especially for a state school. It’s tightly located to another state and major college campus. But what stands out the most is it’s political standing—being a small blue dot in a bright red state.
Notably, UI is located in one of the few blue Idaho counties and the second most liberal Idaho city. This is most likely a result of being so close to another two college campuses and it’s location on the border. However, one may find that growing up in Moscow or attending University of Idaho creates a very strange, yet unique political spectrum.
UI stands out for this factor, grouping thousands of students of all ages and backgrounds together. Despite bringing in hundreds of students from out of state and abroad, a large group comes from small Idaho towns, bringing in a viewpoint wildly different than those from Idaho’s cities.
Due to the election and the tumultuous year we’ve experienced, this multitude of differing opinions can often cause friction. Although classes have been online this semester, political differences are often very clearly arising through discussion posts, break out rooms, and work situations. As I am currently living in a sorority with fifty other people, these differences have shown through especially in the last few weeks, sometimes making certain topics or discussions difficult, or taboo. Many people choose to not talk about it, finding it uncomfortable, especially in living situations.
Politics have become more apparent than ever in the past year, even in campus life, as multiple tables for Pro-Life or Turning Point USA conflict with Pro-Choice and Democratic events. Despite all of our differences, UI students have managed to be thoughtful of one another. The political discourse among peers has been consistently cordial, for that, I’m extremely grateful.
Coming to University of Idaho as an out-of-state student, I was greatly surprised and relieved to find such a welcoming and open-minded campus.
I applaud the University of Idaho for being accommodating towards all it’s members, allowing both faculty and students to grow and learn from each other.
Dani Moore can be reached at [email protected]