Elite universities have in recent years taken to choosing students in part based on their commitment to political activism. It’s a big “plus factor” when applying to a top college if you declare that you’re gung-ho for racial equity, achieving net-zero emissions, seeing Hamas victorious, and so on. Of course, this only cuts one way — in favor of leftists.

In today’s Martin Center article, Sophia Damian talks with the head of College Republicans at Duke, Zander Pitrus.

Here’s a slice:

Before school even started, in my freshman year, there were these people in my dorm who stalked my social media and saw that I was following Trump. This circulated somehow around the entire dorm, and people started coming up to me and just laying out the words “homophobe,” “sexist,” “racist,” “xenophobe.” And that’s all they did, not seeking to understand why I believe what I believe in, not trying to understand me as a person and the fact that my beliefs are more nuanced than just “being a Republican.” These people on Duke’s campus don’t believe that conservatives are able to express themselves or that there’s any validity in their expression, and that’s so wrong.

He also makes the vital point that what Duke does for all the lefties is to confirm and validate their beliefs. No wonder they resort to intimidation and violence so readily; they are never challenged to come up with valid arguments in favor of their positions.

How pathetic that Duke and many other top schools have become conformity colleges rather than institutions that teach knowledge, skills, and critical thinking.