Rice: the embodiment of conservatism

By Anthony Lauriella     11/4/10 7:00pm

It should be evident that Rice is, simply put, awesome. We routinely win quality of life awards; every Owl knows that, if there is paradise on Earth, then it surely lies within the hedges. It is harder, though, to find out what exactly sets ?Rice apart.Plenty of other schools have great education opportunities and professors, and many others have intelligent student bodies. The answer might surprise some, but I firmly believe what separates Rice from the nation's other institutions is a tried and true ?conservative philosophy.

While I am sure that I have elicited angry and incredulous gasps among my more liberal readers, I ask you to hear me out. First, consider the college system: While many universities have a strong central administration, Rice puts the majority of the power into the colleges themselves. Colleges deal with everything from judicial affairs to party planning. Because the college unit is relatively small, the governing bodies are close to the people and can tailor policies that fit particular niches of people. Imagine for a moment how terrible it would be if every decision came from the Student Association and that every college would have to enact the exact same policies. What works for Sid does not necessarily work for Hanszen. Increased central power would limit the options and freedom of Rice students.

Furthermore, having smaller, more local governments allows more students to be involved with the decisions that affect our lives. This is the conservative ideal. Instead of ceding all power to a central power, conservatives believe that the more local the government, the better. Of course, there are things that the federal government needs to and should do, and the Rice administration has an important place on our campus. However, it does not interfere in affairs that the colleges can ?manage better.

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Another great conservative ideal is seen in how the university deals with student safety. A college campus has inherent dangers, especially on the weekends, as some students lose the meaning of moderation. Rice deals with the problem in a very admirable manner by allowing students to take care of other students and making sure that asking for help for a friend will not result in punitive measures. This is far more attractive then the alternative of a strong police presence and draconian measures toward alcohol. This attitude is another example of how the ideal of small and limited central power manifests itself at Rice.

It also brings up a common misconception about conservatism. Many liberals challenge conservatives for being callous and indifferent toward disadvantaged people because of their opposition to government programs designed to help the poor. Conservatives aren't opposed to helping people; we believe that helping people on a local and smaller level is far more effective. Generous Americans giving to charity and the causes they care about is far more effective then the government taking their money and imposing sweeping, large and bureaucratic programs across the Union.

If the ideas discussed here interest or appeal to you, I suggest that you learn and discuss more. Every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in HUMA 117, the Rice Conservative Forum meets and discusses issues through the conservative ideology. This is not a "Republican" or "Democrat" club; it is a way of thinking about the world that puts freedom and choice first. And if you can't find time to come to our meetings, just remember the next time one of your friends asks: Conservatism is what makes Rice great. Well, that and the Sunday omelets.

Anthony Lauriello is a Wiess College sophomore.

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