The National Rifle Association held it’s 2016 convention
in Louisville, Kentucky this past weekend | Thomas Novelly
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Members of the Hillsdale College faculty and staff attended the National Rifle Association’s 2016 Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, May 19-22 to advertise and educate attendees on the school’s constitutional mission.
Several students and parents held an informational booth signing up guests for Imprimis as well as informing high schoolers at the conference of Hillsdale’s programs. The small liberal arts college advertised at the convention alongside major gun manufacturers, including Gaston Glock, Smith & Wesson, and Winchester.
Director of Institutional Advancement (southern region) Mark Meares said Hillsdale has advertised at the NRA convention for several years now and that it has succeeded in reaching prospective students.
“We’ve been at the NRA convention for 10 years now, so people almost expect us to be here,” Meares said. “It’s been a good tradition and a fair recruiting tool. Prospective students ask about their specific interests and get a feel for what they want out of the college.”
Associate Professor of English Patricia Bart and Dean of the Graduate School of Statesmanship Ronald Pestritto also attended the conference and spent several hours discussing the Constitution and the liberal arts with passersby.
“I’ve always been committed to the Second Amendment,” Bart said. “We are in good company here at the convention. Attendees who deeply care about the Constitution stop by and are pleasantly surprised to hear about the mission of the college. I’m glad we’re keeping in touch with the public.”
(Below) Ronald Pestritto talks to attendees
about Hillsdale College | Thomas Novelly
Pestritto, an avid hunter involved in shooting sports, said the weekend was a chance to combine his passion for the school as well as the Second Amendment.
“I’m a lifelong member of the NRA, so the weekend was both business and pleasure,” Pestritto said. “Promoting the college is simultaneously business and pleasure, and seeing all of my favorite exhibitors and gun manufacturers is something I always look forward to.”
Several alumni and current students also worked at the booth and spent their time talking with guests about their college experiences. Mark Meares’ son — sophomore Rylan Meares, a member of the Hillsdale College shotgun team — said he was surprised that many of the guests with whom he spoke already knew about Hillsdale.
“This past year the shotgun team won the national championship for the third time in a row, and many people who stopped by acknowledged that,” Rylan Meares said. “Several high schoolers, who are going to be rising seniors, even stopped by and asked how they could join the team. It was a cool experience.”
Pestritto said Hillsdale and the NRA keep the Second Amendment alive in the public’s mind and explain its importance to a mass audience.
“The Second Amendment is so important not just for the right to bear arms and for self-defense, but, most importantly, it is the public’s constitutional right to resist tyranny,” Pestritto said. “The NRA and Hillsdale remind us of that.”
Hillsdale will continue its tradition of advertising the school at the NRA’s 2017 convention in Atlanta, Georgia, April 28-30.