It was, ironically, at the left-wing bastion of Cornell University that I was launched into conservative writing and activism. Although the general effect of academia's leftist leanings is to move students toward the left, it does have the opposite effect on a few others, including yours truly.

And here is why. A couple of months ago I received a Cornell alumni email that included the two following stories:

1-Mannix is new vice provost for equity and inclusion

The vice provost for equity and inclusion is a one-year appointment that serves as a transition from the former position of vice provost for diversity and faculty development to the future vice provost for diversity and chief diversity officer at Cornell.

You seriously can't make this stuff up. Apparently you need a "vice provost for equity and inclusion" in order to have a "vice provost for diversity and chief diversity officer." No word yet on what a "vice provost diversity and chief diversity officer" even is or why it is needed.

Former Vice Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development Robert L. Harris has returned to the faculty to resume his duties as professor of Africana studies.

This is an interesting tidbit only because Harris and I publicly butted heads in the campus newspaper back when I was a student. He wrote that I needed to take a math class because I can't count or something, which looked wonderful when alumni saw that a university official was picking on a 20-year old student. But in all fairness, I had written that his job was essentially to highlight racial friction, that his salary was a waste of money, and that he was one of the ten worst elements of Cornell.

2-Cornell faculty identify climate change as world's most pressing problem, study finds

Here are the 10 most important crises in the world, according to Cornell professors:

• Climate change and its effects on ecosystems
• Corporations have too much influence in governing
• Lack of long-term perspective in political, environmental and social actions
• Humans are unsustainably exploiting the environment
• Maintaining the health of the planet
• Lack of global responsibility on the part of corporations, governments and individuals
• Global poverty and its effects
• Inequitable distribution of wealth among people
• Unsuitable growth in energy use
• Shortage of potable and clean water

Ummm... How about terrorism? Islamic radicalism? Nuclear proliferation? Protectionism? Socialism? Religious oppression? Rampant faithlessness?

Wow.

Here are some more "problems" if you feel the need to get into academics' heads.

So these are the people who are in charge of your sons and daughters for four entire years. And you're shocked by the youth vote in the recent election?

If anything, we're lucky we haven't completely collapsed on ourselves... yet.