Junior Mason Stuard, President of Hillsdale College Democrats and Progressives Club, wants to develop a more active conversation on Hillsdale College’s conservative campus.
He took lead of the student organization last fall after Josephine Burns, the previous and original president of the club, graduated in 2011.
“[Burns] was lamenting with me about whether or not the group would continue,” Stuard said. “It was her own brainchild.”
One night during his freshman year, Stuard joined members of the club in their community outreach project, sorting food at Trinity Lutheran Church’s “The King’s Kupboard.” Afterwards, he went to Johnny T’s for dessert and coffee with a couple of club members and their advisor, Spanish professor Carmen Wyatt-Hayes.
Stuard said that the evening encouraged him to invest more time and energy the club in hopes of preserving it.
Even so, the College Democrats and Progressives do not have a particularly large presence on campus. In previous years, there were more participants, but currently Stuard and his close friend, Junior Anne Peterson, are the lone members.
“It doesn’t need to do anything,” Stuard said, “but the fact that it exists allows those who are Republicans or staunch conservatives to stop and think why they believe what they believe.”
“Hillsdale College is about differences of opinion, but unity in those differences. Hillsdale College is about being able to sit down at the table and debate something civilly and walk away, not necessarily having changed your opinion, but being able to entertain the idea. That is the reason I came to Hillsdale College.”
Stuard, who was raised by his grandparents on 100 acres of land in Burghill, Ohio, always knew that he wanted to attend Hillsdale. His letter of acceptance was like a Christmas present, he said.
Stuard has participated in a theatre production every semester at Hillsdale besides last semester, what he calls his sabbatical semester. He also sings in the Hillsdale College concert choir and works at the Michael Alex Mossey Library.
This semester, however, will be more relaxed than others, and he hopes that will allow him to indulge in his favorite pastimes: walking through the Arboretum singing on the top of his lungs, and going to The Coffee Cup diner for Thursday lunches and talking with the chef, Prapai “Pai” Eshelman.
Stuard would like to do more with the College Democrats and Progressives club this semester and hopes that the Fairfield Society might sponsor a debate on a foreign or social policy issue between him and a member of the Classical Liberals Club or the College Republicans.
Max Kleber, president of the College Republicans, said that he and Stuard threw around ideas for a debate last semester, but nothing was ever scheduled. Kleber was excited he was able to collaborate with Stuard for Hillsdale’s first bi-partisan commemoration of September 11.
“I have always gotten the question about why [the September 11 commemoration] is a College Republican sponsored event,” said Kleber. “I was glad I was able to include Mason in the preparations this year. It is a day to remember what happened, and those who were killed that day. I am glad that we were able to be united in that.”
Stuard thought that last Tuesday’s September 11 commemoration was the best he had seen while he has been at Hillsdale.
“September 11th was a very, very tragic day,” Stuard said. “In the morning we were angry, in the evening we were glad the rest of us were still here, grieving for those that we lost. We were all Americans – it brought us together. And that’s what it did for our campus.”
Even though Stuard is the president of College Democrats and Progressives, he still possesses a strong conservative streak. He explained that he was raised a conservative and he still believes in the precepts: constitutionalism, freedom, rule of law, personal liberty, and limited government.
Ultimately, Stuard just wants an open and civil discussion.
“I know that [Stuard] feels like the Democrats need a voice. I don’t think he would really call himself a Democrat if you asked him,” Dr. George Angell said, a professor of theatre and speech who invited Stuard to live at his home for the year.
“He thinks, I believe, that those students and faculty on campus that are Democrat do need a voice. I don’t think he agrees with everything the Republicans have to say either, or anybody else.”
Stuard is even torn over the upcoming election.
“Mitt Romney is a New England country club Republican – he wants to guard his own money, but not necessarily spend everyone else’s,” Stuard said. “Maybe we had hopes for [the Obama presidency] when it happened, but it has turned out to be a disappointment in many ways. America needs a new face, but I’m not quite sure that Mitt Romney is that face.”