Catherine Parnell

A Diversity of Thought and Opinion

One of the things I enjoy most about college is the opportunity to experience a diversity of thought and opinion. My friends range across the political spectrum from red to blue and every shade of purple in between. Everyone here comes from such vastly different backgrounds, and from that, I get a better chance to learn more about myself and the world around me.

I also learn from the people that come to speak on campus; Dartmouth brings in many speakers we get to listen and learn from, and it has been my goal this year to take advantage of this opportunity. Over the last week, in particular, I have gotten to listen to two noteworthy speakers from either side of the political spectrum: Dartmouth alums Kristen Gillibrand ’88 and Dinesh D’Souza ’83. Each talk was invariably different in topic and ideology, but after each talk I walked away, feeling as if I had gained some bit of wisdom or knowledge.

During D’Souza’s talk, he spoke of his opinion on the immigration debate and a rough overview of the essentials of conservatism. Gillibrand spoke of how she, as a woman of Dartmouth, got involved in politics and how she’s RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. Afterwards, there was a Q&A where she gave us some insight on the policies and ideas on her platform. And I got to shake her hand. How incredibly cool.

Kristen Gillibrand speaking to the crowd of Dartmouth students. Look at her. Such an inspiration.

All in all, I appreciate how Dartmouth embraces free speech and intellectual discourse. I am a firm believer in the importance of being exposed to a variety of viewpoints, whether that be politics or how one pronounces "both" (apparently some people from the Midwest think it’s "bolth"??). Either way, I still love that here at Dartmouth I am able to be exposed to so many different ideas.

On a side note, I am counting down the days until primary season when all the 2020 candidates come to campus and campaign for our vote in the New Hampshire primary. I can’t wait.