Vol. 3 No. 2
Fall, 1981
Orientation I I I : A r m i n g Students F o r T h e W a r of Ideas S h e w a s t i r e d of s i t t i n g i n h e r classr o o m simply listening to another r a d i c a l professor snidely r i d i c u l i n g the U n i t e d States before a n a u d i e n c e of snickering students. T h a t was w h y one c o l l e g e s t u d e n t a t t e n d e d Y o u n g America's Foundation's Orientation seminar. T h i s is w h a t a j u n i o r s t u d e n t f r o m New Y o r k t o l d t h e faculty a n d students a t t h i s year's s e m i n a r d u r i n g one of t h e g e n e r a l discussions. S h e h a d p u t the problem in more colorful terms t h a n m o s t of t h e o t h e r s t u d e n t s , b u t h e r s t o r y w a s no different f r o m t h e rest. E a c h year t h o u s a n d s of p a t r i o t i c A m e r i c a n students endure a b i t t e r e x p e r i e n c e w h i l e t r y i n g t o secure t h e i r c o l l e g e degrees. T h e y s t u d y a n d t r y t o l e a r n i n a s e t t i n g t h a t is h o s t i l e t o t h e i r m o s t deeply h e l d beliefs —beliefs t h e i r p a r e n t s h a d for years t r i e d t o i n still in t h e m .
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This August the Foundation cond u c t e d its t h i r d set of a n n u a l o r i e n t a t i o n s e m i n a r s ; t h e c e n t e r p i e c e of its counter-offensive a g a i n s t l i b e r a l a n d radical indoctrination on campus. The Foundation accepted more t h a n n i n e t y students f r o m e i g h t y c a m p u s e s a n d t h i r t y e i g h t states t o p a r t i c i p a t e . S t u d e n t s c a m e f r o m as far a w a y as California, Oklahoma, Washington State, Wisconsin a n d F l o r i d a — a clear
S t u d e n t s f r o m the e c o n o m i c s a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l relations seminars w e r e special guests at a W h i t e H o u s e c e r e m o n y . T h e students r e c e i v e d special briefings by R e a g a n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n officials.
i n d i c a t i o n t h a t students a l l over t h e country feel a need for s u c h p r o g r a m s . T h e o r i e n t a t i o n s e m i n a r s seek t o f i n d g o o d students w h o w i l l be acad e m i c leaders a n d i n s t r u c t t h e m i n subjects t h e y w i l l s t u d y i n s c h o o l . M o s t decent A m e r i c a n students enter college w i t h strong loyalty to their c o u n t r y a n d a deeply h e l d belief i n its principles. B u t they usually have never been t a u g h t h o w t o defend t h o s e beliefs w i t h facts a n d a r g u m e n t s . M o s t i m p o r t a n t l y , t h e y h a v e never been p r e p a r e d for t h e k i n d of r h e t o r i c a l and p h i l o s o p h i c attacks o n our system w i t h w h i c h college r a d i c a l s w i l l c o n front t h e m . T h i s year's o r i e n t a t i o n s consisted of t h r e e 6-day s e m i n a r s : one o n i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e l a t i o n s , one o n A m e r i c a n h i s t o r y , a n d one o n free m a r k e t eco-
n o m i c s . T h e y were h e l d over a t w o w e e k p e r i o d i n late J u l y a n d early A u g u s t at M a r y m o u n t C o l l e g e i n A r lington, Virginia. The international relations segment was directed by D r . A l a n Sabrosky, t h e D i r e c t o r a n d Vice-President of t h e Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia a n d Professorial Lecturer i n G o v e r n m e n t at G e o r g e t o w n U n i v e r s i t y . D r . S a b r o s k y was assisted by D r . S a m u e l F r a n c i s , legislative assistant for f o r e i g n p o l i c y t o S e n a t o r J o h n East ( R - N C ) , R o b e r t S c h a d l e r , t h e p u b l i c a t i o n s d i r e c t o r for t h e I n t e r c o l l e g i a t e Studies I n s t i t u t e , a n d P a u l K o c h w h o has t a u g h t p o l i t i c s a n d history at C o l u m b i a U n i o n College and Georgetown University. The economics segment was d i continued on page 6