As journalists, we’re taught to be objective. We’re not supposed to affiliate ourselves with any political parties and we’re not supposed to take a stand on political issues.

But it’s time for me to come clean.

I have political ideologies, but I don’t let them hinder my ability to make objective decisions and it doesn’t influence or bias my job at The Oakland Post. In fact, my ideas are often challenged by some of my staff members.

Though we all have strong feelings about both parties, we don’t let our personal views alter the news we report.

Oakland University should follow suit.

The school is supposed to be a non-partisan university. But in the last year, we have had the political national spotlight shine on us twice — once when we hosted the Republican Presidential Debate last November and on Monday, when GOP Vice Presidential Nominee Paul Ryan came to campus for a rally.

There was also a visit from one of five of Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign buses on Sept. 12.

Not to mention John McCain’s Town Hall Meeting in 2008 and former Republican President George Bush’s visit in July 2002.

But Oakland is not taking a side, right?

Those five events make it seem like they are.

The last time a nationally-known presidential Democrat was on campus was eight years ago, when Al Gore’s former wife Mary Elizabeth Gore  made a stop with musician Melissa Etheridge and Sen. Debbie Stabenow. The group hosted a free concert for the general public and students.

Since then, the Democratic Party has had scarce visibility on Oakland’s campus, with no future visits scheduled at the moment.

While I agree Oakland deserves the attention it’s receiving from the publicity of the event, I feel the university is selling itself out.

I realize Oakland County is a prominently Republican community. However, Oakland is a public institution that is supposed to be a place for open dialogue and diverse ideas.

There’s nothing diverse in this situation.

Instead of just accepting a business transaction (the Mitt Romney campaign paid for the rental of the O’rena and contacted Oakland about setting up the event), the university should focus on being balanced. University officials should also learn to utilize the word “no.”

For most students, this is the first time we’re able to vote in a presidential election. And not all of us are going to vote for the GOP.

Sure, the publicity is a nice touch, and Oakland deserves the national attention. But just like journalists need to be objective, Oakland needs to be open to all sides, especially at such a critical time.