Student politics move right

College students are leaning more to the right side of the political spectrum, a new Harvard University study shows. Of the nine million students currently attending college in the U.S., 31 percent say they identify themselves as Republicans, 27 percent say they are Democrats and the remaining 38 percent are independent or unaffiliated. The study was conducted in regards to the 2004 presidential elections.\nBut members of the IU community disagree over whether there is a similar trend occurring at IU.\nThe IU administration and faculty have been known to lean left with their political views, political group leaders at IU say, while lately, students have more Republican involvement.\nHowever, the judgment may be cloudy in determining whether IU students are more liberal or conservative because there is no concrete information that reveals IU students' political affiliations. \nPolitical science professor Edward Carmines said he believes college campuses lean heavily to the left.\n"Social and cultural issues take a more liberal view, while economically, it's mixed toward the middle," Carmines said. \nHe said the media has played a large role in the liberalization of college campuses in the past two decades. \n"(Liberal students) have been exposed to various types of media and Internet more than their parents have," Carmines said.\nHowever, members of the College Republicans, IU's chapter of College Republican National Committee, have different views of IU's political scene. \n"IU has become more conservative," said Angel Rivera, president of IUCR. "We've seen a huge growth in membership. Our membership has more than tripled in the past four years."\nEven though the College Republicans have their own organization, members are spreading their views to other places on campus. \n"I think one effect (of increased involvement) is (student) Republicans are getting involved in leadership positions in other organizations on campus," said Katie McCauley, vice president for the CRs.\nRivera agrees, but said there is still a mix of other strong political views. \n"(The growth of Republican views) is great for the University," he said.\nDaniel O'Neill, the political vice president of the IU College Democrats, said he also thinks there is a variety of political expression throughout campus. \n"Students in the dorms tend to be more liberal, and students in greek houses tend to be more conservative," O'Neill said.\nAs Carmines explained, there is a mix of both left and right outlooks, but there are also students who don't have strong political opinions at all.\n"There's lots of apathy that students on this campus display," Carmines said.\nBut while the study shows there are more Republicans than Democrats on college campuses, it is not to say that liberal views are completely out of the picture. \n"I really believe that the Democratic Party is the best choice for students, but it's tough to say what the future of IU's political lean will be," O'Neill said. "There's a completely new student body every four years -- it depends on who comes in and what their pre-existing views are."\nLike the study shows about campuses, Rivera said he thinks conservative views will continue to grow among all groups.\n"The U.S. is becoming more proud, more religious and more conservative," he said. "I think that this is happening here on campus, too."\n-- Contact staff writer Stacie Vasko svasko@indiana.edu.