By Mandy Plummer Once upon a time, there was a small, private, religious institution with many things going for it—interesting students, generous contributors and a big basketball arena. But while Lipscomb University appeared to be a haven of happy, wealthy, well-rounded, religious piety, things were not so sweet for everyone. Within the confines of the “non-denominational” moral walls, there was a tiny distribution of dissatisfied people who thought differently from their peers. And from that small cadre of courageous thinkers is emerging an unlikely campus organization, the Lipscomb Democrats. Some predict that “The Few, the Proud, the LU Democrats” (as their T-shirts claim) will be the next big thing on the Lipscomb campus. Founded as a refuge for liberal students during the Republican whirlwind of the 2004 presidential election, the LU Democrats mark the first significant campus counterpoint to the College Republicans. “We started it because people kept coming and asking me to get something together,” says founding member Mandy Spears. “And really, there was so much ‘in-your-face’ from the right wing, that we had to unite at that point.” The initial mass email invitation to join the LU Democrats began with the words “You are not alone!” and soon there were 20—then 50—professing young Democrats involved. “Which was pretty dang surprising for Lipscomb,” Spears says. “I thought for a while that I might be one of, like, two members.” As the election season progressed, the club set up voter registration centers on campus, organized drives to the polls and held weekly meetings. “It was such a small group, but we were so proud to see such a variety in the participation. We had representatives from all walks of life,” founding member Rebecca Smith says. When November saw a Republican victory, attendance slowed. “That probably just naturally follows the political cycle,” says Spears. “The main thing is that we are finally represented...and that is huge.” Both Spears and Smith see the founding of the group not just as a political forum for the minority voice, but also as the emergence of a new way of thinking on campus. “I think a lot of college students are asking questions, and the presence of like-minded alternative thinkers gives everyone more courage to bring up liberal and/or alternative answers,” Smith says, adding that the group does not seek to promote one party as much as just to encourage open-mindedness and establish a balance of thought. “Sometimes people need to be stirred with new ideas—to think about things like money, society and family in a different light—to know it’s OK to think for yourself and explore options you never knew about.” The conservative Christian university, which traditionally attracts a broad Republican student body, appears to be meeting the new group with an open mind. “The school is not posturing itself to be either Republican or Democrat, but rather stresses the importance of spiritual development instead,” Provost Craig Bledsoe says. “We are not in the business of telling students what to believe politically. Our founding father was strongly apolitical, and we strive to maintain that teaching.... There is no official discrimination.” The emergence of the group appears to be shaking the stereotype of the Lipscomb student. “The whole campus was sort of thrown for a loop and totally surprised that Christians were not always just Republican,” Smith says. It’s a change that some students find refreshing. “Suddenly ideas we never even thought about are popping up and getting discussed,” says Laura Spears, who is currently politically unaffiliated. “It helps to be able to talk about both sides, especially for those students who are undecided.” The larger and more established group of campus Republicans welcomes their friendly rivals and the resulting dialogue they are prompting. “It’s good to have an equal representation of opposing views on campus. That’s what makes a great debate,” says Daniel Culbreath, president of the LU College Republicans, a group of some 100 young conservatives. LU Democrat Lindsi Mayfield also hopes the movement will eventually encourage a larger view of Christianity. “I get frustrated about hateful insinuations concerning my faith in relation to my politics,” she says. “Being in the minority has taught me to choose my words wisely and not assume anything about other people’s beliefs. It is good for the majority to realize that as well.” Spears echoes her sentiments. “The hardest part of being a minority at Lipscomb is facing the phenomenal group-think mentality…. Many students blindly embrace ideals without having considered them on their own, then they belligerently defend them. I’m not asking for them to change, but at least be accepting of other opinions. I can’t even keep a bumper sticker on my car.” In fact, now that the door has been opened to new opinions and ideologies, other students hope even more diverse thinking will follow. LU Democrat Lisa Wasilko would like to someday see a Lipscomb Socialist club. About the idea, she replies, simply, “Oh, that would be so wonderful!” BWOC at Lipscomb: Kimberly Reed Meet Kimberly Reed, exuberant wellspring of literary genius, faithful advocate of social equality, fascinated mentor, English professor extraordinaire. Students take her course because she’s ridiculously interested in everything and equally excited about teaching it all, and everyone likes her because she’s hilarious and enchantingly vibrant. Reed technically teaches 19th and 20th century English literature, but occasionally invents classes like British Gothic Fiction, just for spice. She adores Italian cuisine and artsy films, but says her real passion is discovering people. From reading histories and biographies of famous people and places, to just chatting with her students, she has to know what makes them tick. As the daughter of a longtime Arkansas politician, Reed has been involved in politics for her entire life, and her favorite social cause is civil rights. A dedicated Democrat, she enjoys her position in the Lipscomb English department for its “openness to new ideas and acceptance of people as individuals.” In the next 10 years, she hopes to see Lipscomb more integrated within the Nashville community. “We need to get out of the bubble,” she says.
