Hillsdale has attracted the attention of "The newspaper of Capitol Hill," Roll Call. The paper recently wrote an article about the Kirby Center, our new fangled constitutional-education-and-intern-housing-center on Capitol Hill. That article inspired one of our own, entitled "Political or Civic?" begging the question if Hillsdale focuses far too much on politics in general. Well, it's no secret –– it does, and rightly so.
It's the nature of our school. Its political frame is written into our mission statement. To say that Hillsdale College, a school which fervently worships Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln (perhaps a little less so on the last one) in one breath, isn't fundamentally conservative takes either a willful amount of ignorance or the ability to lie like a politician.
On campus, there's a cold war between libertarians and conservatives, and the handful of liberals that do exist (they're out there, really!) are either silent or forgotten.
So, yes, we are a political school, but we're also a school concerned with science, athletics, language, theology, economics and biology. For example, our biology program offers trips to study in Africa and the Caribbean. Our economic and business programs offers students tremendous experiences with internships and lunches with well-known CEOs. Our physics and chemistry programs have instruments you won't find at other colleges our size or larger.
So while politics may be the defining part of our college, it doesn't define it in its entirety. Our focus is unfairly aimed at our politics because, well, that's what riles people up and grabs attention. In fact, Hillsdale's politics is probably why you came here.
Most other universities on the Hill, such as the University of Ohio, can be found in a lobbyist office. David Bobb, director of the Kirby Center, said Hillsdale College isn't. And, yes, the center may turn out lobbyists, which is great for students who wish re-live Thank You for Smoking, but it isn't the center's focus. Constitutional enlightenment is.
That and providing Hillsdale students with unique opportunities. The Kirby Center is a great move for the college and establishes excellent connections for any students interested in working in Washington D.C. or in politics.
We like to complain a lot at Hillsdale –– how the economics of Saga is a less than stellar deal for students, how a potential theology requirement in the core could alter the spirit of individuality at school which prides itself on individualism and how all work and no play makes Jack a Hillsdale student.
There's nothing wrong with embracing Hillsdale's political nature, even if you don't agree with it. Rarely, if ever, do we stop to say "Hey, we have a pretty good set-up here." Well, as much as it pains me to say that we do, we do.
