What's not to like?
The commies can have UAB. AU and UA are for great Americans! Shoot, I'll even throw in a ROLL TIDE!
Posted on 09/01/2006 8:52:20 AM PDT by American Blood
Auburn and Samford universities are among the Top 20 schools where students are most likely to pray on a regular basis. Auburn, Samford and Alabama are among the Top 20 where students are most nostalgic for Ronald Reagan.
Those findings are part of the recently released "2007 Best 361 Colleges Rankings" compiled by The Princeton Review.
"I don't think there are many campuses more conservative than Auburn," said Kristy Cottrell, a student and chairwoman of the Auburn University College Republicans. "It is just understood that most everyone here is a Christian and a Republican."
In two days this week, Cottrell signed up 200 paying members of her organization. Her goal is to have more than 600 this school year. The organization's Facebook membership (an online networking site) has almost 3,000 members.
Religion is the foundation of Samford University, where praying is routine and some students question whether other beliefs are tolerated, according to the survey. The school made the Top 20 list in which students said alternative lifestyles were not an alternative at the campus.
"You would have to look at the makeup of the university. We are a small Christian university with a foundation of beliefs going back about 165 years," said Taylor Clement, president of the Student Government Association at Samford.
One by one Thursday, students filled the pews of Samford's Reid Chapel, talking with each other and waiting for one of the first chapel services of the school year. When the time came to pray, heads bowed and eyes closed.
"Samford lets it be known it is a very strong Christian university," Clement said. "Students who are in alternative lifestyles would not see Samford as a place where they would experience the best opportunity for growth. Samford is inclusive of all of these lifestyles; they are present on campus. But they are not the most active voices."
At Alabama, Bruce Barrett is the faculty advisor for College Republicans.
"My general observation at Alabama: I think the student body is more conservative than the faculty," he said. "I think that is probably typical throughout the South."
But both Barrett and Cottrell said apathy runs high.
Brandon Owens, 30, found the same thing at Auburn where he completed undergraduate studies and Alabama where he earned his master's in political science. He now works for the Alabama Democratic Party.
"Most people at the college level are not as politically involved," he said. "You probably had equal amounts of hard-core political types on both sides. It really wasn't that big of a deal."
Cliff McCollum, president of Auburn University College Democrats, had the opposite experience. He said he changed his major from political science to English because he could not tolerate the political atmosphere.
"I did not feel welcome with the students," he said. "They felt, `Oh God, he is opening his mouth. What is Ted Kennedy going to say today?'"
The Princeton Review sends representatives to colleges and universities to interview and survey students about issues including academics, politics, religion and partying, among other categories. The publication ranks information for 361 of those schools.
"We consider these colleges the best in the nation academically," says Princeton Review's Robert Franek, author of "The Best 361 Colleges."
The University of Alabama at Birmingham was not among the colleges included in the study. But it was in the 146 schools named Best Southeastern Colleges by The Princeton Review.
There was a stark difference between UAB's description and the descriptions of Samford, Auburn and Alabama.
Researchers said UAB is a "mecca of multiculturalism. Here you will find students of all ages, from all walks of life, all religions and all ethnic backgrounds. This diversity adds to the classroom and social experience by broadening the spectrum of discussion and expertise."
Funny...I knew an attorney who graduated from Samford some years ago...I got the feeling it was more of a party school, at least at the time he went. Or maybe it was just that HE liked to party and didn't want to hit the books. In any event, I don't think he learned a whole lot there, let alone have any particular political affiliation.
Besides, just because the student body is conservative, doesn't mean that the professors aren't all socialist terrorist-sympathizers... But then again, maybe it's one of the truly rare universities which actually are willing to hire a patriot or a conservative. (Lieberman, Giulaini, Koch, etc., do demonstrate that one can be liberal and patriotic.)
Their FEELINGS make him unwelcome? People should not be allowed to have certain feelings.....
Auburn is an Afirmative Action school with a huge bureaucracy to support minority outreach and in effect push anti-white hiring policies.
There is liberalism everywhere at the admin level and lots of foreign students and Mohammadans. But there are indeed lots of conservative students.
I graduated from Samford back in '70, and remember it as the conservative Christian oriented school that I believe it intended to be from its inception. Tolerant and compassionate-yes. Promoting alternate lifestyles-no.
What a difference there would be today if the majority of universities encouraged the same values that were instilled by my alma mater. GO BULLDOGS!
I graduated from The University of Alabama in Birmingham. "Multiculturalism, diversity, it all adds to the social experience." There is no social experience at UAB. There is no campus life at all. They try to create one but it falls flat. At the undergraduate level UAB is an urban school catering to that environment. It will take anyone. Grade point averages don't matter. One can just apply and register for any freshman level class. They will be let in, even on a special status. Just pass the class, and move on up. It creates a heck of a drop out rate the first several years. The failure rate at UAB in the undergraduate level is higher than most of the state schools. I did not enjoy my time there. That being said; it does have a great medical school, one of the best in the world, but that is at the graduate level. The people there seem too focused on studies to care about a campus life.
Oh by the way, "Fire Watson Brown."
You have not kept up, then. The standards have been raised, and in 2007, the scores to obtain enrollment on SAT and ACT will be in the stratosphere, relatively speaking (for 'Bama, that is).
ROLL TIDE!!
War Eagle bump.
All well and good, but it still doesn't mean I have to like Auburn's football team. HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!!!!! WOOF WOOF WOOF
Roll Tide!!! to you as well. It's going to be a special year for the Crimson Tide. I love the fact we're getting NO respect and are flying completely under the radar.
I know, I was upset that we are not in the top 25, but of course fat Phil's team (UofTN) is...can't wait for the season to start!
What's not to like?
The commies can have UAB. AU and UA are for great Americans! Shoot, I'll even throw in a ROLL TIDE!
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