Has anyone ever told you that you are ‘too conservative?’ For anyone who is an outspoken campus conservative, you can relate when I say that it is not always easy. It can seem as if socializing is a difficult road to navigate, walking on eggshells around our peers. Sometimes where we stay quiet due to fear of grade changing for having the ‘wrong opinion.’ My journey in overcoming such a label was quite an eye-opening one.

How, then, do we react when someone labels us as too conservative ? To these divisive name-callers, we not only possess that wrong opinion, but being public about them makes it apparently more extreme. Opposition from the Left is one thing, but what I never will get used to, however, is how alienating other conservatives can be.

In my experience recently, there have been a couple of students who have given me this label. Perhaps it is because I question the campus Women’s Center by bringing in a speaker to voice a differing perspective on feminism. Maybe it is because I wear my ‘Reagan Bush ‘84’ shirt while using my laptop covered in a huge Trump sticker. I did not know that wanting to ‘advance freedom’ was controversial. Was I doing something wrong?

Can someone be too passionate about what they love? Why would you only want to be half-passionate or half-excited about something? If that is the case, clearly you are chasing the wrong dream.

Being opinionated can be a good thing. At least, that is what I always thought. Knowing where I stand on certain issues and having my opinion solidified is empowering. I love challenging my beliefs in unique ways, as more opposition makes them stronger. What I have come to learn and accept is that being this bold and straightforward is not the way to win the popularity contest in college. At least at my school, the comfort major is ‘I’m still figuring it out.’ In this way alone, anyone with a set plan and established set of values can really disrupt the status quo. Make that set of values to include societally unpopular ones and it is a recipe for being extremely noticeable.

Word carries fast and reputations are hard to shake. The negatives are obvious to point out about this, but I discovered a greater part of myself through the positives. Once I realized for myself that my success as an outspoken conservative was not measured by social status, but actual progress made, I instantly became a more optimistic person. No one else controls your happiness. When labels get you down, which is something I struggle with on campus, sometimes what you have to do is isolate yourself in your room and watch Ben Shapiro videos. It is only right and just.

By overcoming certain circumstances, I found my way into the conservative movement, but not without doubt. I almost transferred to a huge state school, with expectations that a huge student body would ‘hide’ the setbacks. However, thanks to the supportive women of the movement, I was encouraged to stay at my school. After all, my passions led me there for a reason. Of course, what example would I be setting if I did not follow through with making a difference for the conservative opinion on campus? That would be giving up the fight and that is not what we, strong-willed conservatives are known for.

The label of ‘too conservative’ is a compliment. It means other people see what our movement is doing. They recognize we are making an impact with an unpopular opinion. Once the initial discomfort of being unapologetically frank is over, you break free into a world of empowerment and fulfillment. Other students take things at face value, so it is important to show them true conservative values, in a positive, encouraging way.

Calling attention to real, traditional conservative values is seemingly what these name-callers do not want. Call them ‘haters’ if you will, but reactionaries fuel the fire. It is truly a great double standard.

Kelly H CONTRIBUTOR