In a recent column on Ricochet, a website of conservative commentary, an anonymous author (identified only as “Western Chauvinist”) attacked The Collegian’s opinions section for not being conservative enough. The piece — titled “Where are Hillsdale’s Touted Conservative Students?” — argues that The Collegian published too many left-leaning columns in its Sept. 12 issue.
“I would guess Hillsdale’s conservative students are busy studying and excelling in faith, athletics, music, and the visual arts. But, the one place they’re missing is The Collegian newspaper opinion pages,” the author writes, perhaps implying that our more liberal or libertarian students aren’t engaged in these studies, which is, of course, ridiculous.
Hillsdale College is dedicated to training students in virtue and self-government. Far from forcing students to tout a party line, this pursuit looks more like civil and open dialogue, which The Collegian’s opinion page seeks to exemplify and encourage.
Should you walk into most classrooms on this campus, you won’t find professors indoctrinating students in right-wing politics. Instead, they will be training students to think for themselves. If that leads them to conservatism, great. Our opinions section models this pursuit of truth. But sometimes, actual Democrats contribute.
The Collegian gives students from all different political views the chance to voice their opinions in a printed format each week.
The editorial staff of The Collegian works hard to include a variety of social, political, and religious views from our students. We do not shut down opinions solely on the basis of the beliefs they promote. Moreover, we never promote a piece solely because of said beliefs.
If we can’t get behind this notion of open discussion, we’ve missed the point of what Hillsdale’s liberal-arts education means.
Finally, Collegian writers aren’t afraid of attaching their names to their convictions — something we can’t say for the author of the Ricochet column.