What a joy it has been to be a conservative at the University of Wisconsin and, for the past year, being able to bring some much-needed right-wing ideology to the voice of The Badger Herald Editorial Board and the pages of the Opinion section.
When I told my family I would be attending UW as a freshman back in 2007, they all placed bets on how long it would take me to become, as my uncle calls it, a tree-hugging, tofu-farting, granola-eating liberal. While I assured them my political beliefs would not be swayed, they all shook their heads in disbelief.
Although I had originally intended to join the College Republicans as a freshman, I was drawn to The Badger Herald. The professional, high-quality journalism that forms the foundation of the paper persuaded me choose the Herald over its competitor – as well as the meager paycheck that accompanied my hard work. I started as a city reporter and eventually worked my way up to the head of the news department.
As a part of the news department, I was never able to express my personal feelings or political beliefs. This was particularly difficult when I was state editor during the 2008 presidential elections. I kept my mouth shut and pushed any opinions I had to the back of my head so I could remain unbiased in my reporting and news articles.
When I graduated from UW in 2010, I was accepted to UW Law School and saw this as an opportunity to remain with The Badger Herald while also being able to finally express my opinion. I was almost hired as opinion editor, but decided to focus on my first year of law school instead.
However, the itch to vocalize my minority, often marginalized opinions, got the better of me and I eventually accepted the position of editorial board chair for the 2011-12 academic year.
As chair of the editorial board, I was able to bring a conservative voice to the board that is not often heard at the paper. This prompted honest, intellectual debate on fundamental issues such as affirmative action, abortion and individual rights. Though I was often in the minority, I am proud to say the board was, more often than not, able to come to a middle-of-the-road consensus based on rational thinking rather than pure politics.
At the beginning of the year, I said, “This city needs to know how all its students think, not just those who think alike,” and I made sure to do that throughout the year in my bi-weekly columns. Though I was often chided by the vocal, left-leaning majority, I also received a surprising amount of positive comments, applauding – and sometimes flirting with – me because of my conservative beliefs.
My time at The Badger Herald should be a lesson to all UW students: Conservatives have a place on this campus. Whether it is writing columns for either student newspaper or supporting political candidates, students should not be afraid to vocalize their beliefs even if they are part of the minority culture on campus.
Also, those with differing beliefs can make great allies and even better friends. Although the rest of the board did not always agree with me, we were always able to come to a consensus through compromise and genuine respect for each other. I will never forget those individuals, who have shaped my life in a permanent and positive way.
I met my future husband and some of my best friends at the Herald. I now bid the paper adieu to leave room for the future liberals, conservatives and moderates who will shape the pages of this great publication for years and years to come.
Alex Brousseau ([email protected]) is a second year law student.
