W'S College Strength (Approval at 61% Among College Students)

RealClearPolitics.com ^ | 10/23/03 | Tom Bevan

[.cnI redruM]

It proves they are smarter than their professors.

[RightWhale]

Conservatism is very popular here. True, many of the profs are Liberals, but they have been fairly quiet about their Liberalism the past few years, and dead silent since WTC911. Even Philosophy students seem fairly Conservative. Music majors, of course, continue to be total Liberals, so if you are Conservative and want to play with the orchestra, better keep your mouth shut.

[NYC Republican]

Absolutely, still, I was surprised by this as well... I read somewhere (earlier today) that his approvals at Dartmouth are 22%. I know it's lib, but that's REALLY low.

[CatoRenasci]

Where are you? Oberlin?

[RightWhale]

Univ of Alaska

[CatoRenasci]

Consider, Dartmouth used to be one of the most, if not the most, conservative of the ivies. However, most of the students come from affluent urban and suburban Northeastern families (and alumni around the country). These are the areas that used to be WASP and Republican, but are increasingly ethnically mixed and liberal. The young investment bankers who were in college in the '70s and '80s and are now successful, tend to be liberal and Democratic: they did real well under Clinton, are too young to remember the Carter years or the Reagan boom.

[RightWhale]

Freeman Dyson is Dartmouth, I believe, but while he is definitely a social radical, I don't know if he is Conservative or Liberal or if he cares about politics.

[.cnI redruM]

I imagine he has poor numbers at Cornell and Hahvad as well....

[CatoRenasci]

My daughters are both musicians. String players especially, for some reason, tend to be lefties, as do woodwinds to a slightly lesser extent. Brass players tend to be relatively conservative, I'm not sure why. Especially at the professional level. Phil Smith, principal trumpet in the New York Philharmonic, is a committed (some would say fundamentalist) Christian, as are a number of other top brass players I know. Curious.

[Toidylop]

Glickman "I have to admit I was a bit shocked..."

Shocked!!! They're only shocked at their inept leftist indoctrination... ya know.

[RightWhale]

String players especially, for some reason, tend to be lefties

I am the only lefty in my chamber orchestra, but Conservative, the rest are right-handed and Liberal. We don't discuss politics at all, or much of anything outside of music.

[CatoRenasci]

OK, smarty, I should have said leftist....

Why would you ever discuss anything except music with the other members of your chamber orchestra? (Although I do remembers some intimate discussions with female flute players (no jokes about 'one time at band camp') and violinists) Are you a string player, a beater or a blower?

[RightWhale]

Stringbass. Thumpa thumpa thumpa. Sometimes some odd screechings using various bowing techniques.

[CatoRenasci]

Well, there you have it...... I should have warned you I'm a tuba player....

Walking bass lines are fun....

[RightWhale]

5/8" tubes, 4 rotating valves, laquered brass? Always wanted one, darned pricey, though.

[Cronos]

you can just hear cnn say: ONLY 61%.......

[CatoRenasci]

Well, I have a few tubas, a euphonium, a sousaphone and a helicon. Some laquer, some silver plated. All piston valves, though except the rotary 5th valve on my F tuba. Bores range from .687" to .734" though some old big rotary horns go up to almost .900".

And, yes, they are pricey. Compared to basses, though? I have cello playing friends with bows worth more than any of my tubas, and cellos worth more than I paid for my house. And the violinists........ at Manhattan School of Music, where my kids are in the prep division, the kid who won the Concerto competition last year was playing on a (his father or grandfather's) Guarnarius. So, I don't complain when a tuba costs $15,000 anymore (but I don't buy one at that price, either).

[RightWhale]

The bow is often more expensive than the instrument and then one might wonder if the bow itself is the true instrument. One of our cellists recently returned from Outside with an ancient $8000 cello, and it does sound good, no doubt about it, but she still uses her old bow. Stringbasses start under $2000, which is why I play that rather than tuba. And my $100 genuine pernambuco wood colored fiberglass bow. The strings cost $200, and they're not bad, but cellists won't touch that brand.

[CatoRenasci]

You should be able to get a very good, playable, 4 valve King 2341 in BBb for under $2,000. A good mouthpiece would be another $50-100 depending on brand. Check out e-bay.