I think the Adjunct is right about how people view college students as basically unmolded clay, even through students have agency. For example, I am a college student. I read some articles about the litigation explosion, some with a conservative slant(too much litigation hurts corporations,etc), however, just because I read it doesn't mean I believe it. For example, I thought 'personal responsibility? but don't companies have responsibilities too?' And this ability is not limited to liberals- I'm sure conservative college students can do this too, just because your political beliefs differ from mine doesn't make your brain atrophy.

Sure, they might not be able to paint swaztikas all over the walls(sure, sane conservatives wouldn't want to engage in hate speech anyway, but there are dumbasses in every group) , and might have to defend their views instead of having people just blandly accept them, but wouldn't that just make them smarter? If they had to explain just why they think minorities are inferior, or that the US should not have liberty and justice for gays, wouldn't that just refine their arguments? Sometimes I read stuff I know I'll disagree with just so I can be more broadminded(usually the more sane conservatives, I'm not going to sit and read newsmax just so I can be balanced for fuck's sake), and it hasn't hurt me any, so what's the fuss?

Of course, I'm a little less worried about liberal students. Whatever he/she hears from the university, there's always the opposing mainstream(only white male protestants need apply) culture. However, it's really really easy to think that only white male protestants are important if you're one and everyone treats the concerns of white male protestants as central to life, and the claims of anyone else as only so much whining, especially if your only source is TV. The written word often offers up antidotes, but are they taking them?