As the plane engine began to whir, I laid my 700-page copy of “The Brothers Karamazov” on my lap and pressed my fingertips into the deep creases that always form on my forehead when I try to make sense of existential philosophy. The large, moon-faced man in the seat beside me took my action as a signal that I now wanted to engage in superfluous conversation.
I didn’t.
But in spite of my hesitance, this fellow passenger managed to find out where I came from, why I was flying, and that I study at Hillsdale College. He spent the rest of the flight lecturing me on Hillsdale’s critical role in the preservation of American conservatism. Staring blankly at the movement of his lips, I pondered such matters as whether or not my English professor would want me to remember the name “Skotoprigonyevsk” for the impending exam. My new friend lauded the college’s commitment to the Constitution and I smiled quietly in reply. After all, “Sko-to-pri-gon-yevsk” is fun to say.
I used to be surprised when I encountered people in my travels who had heard of Hillsdale College. These days, I find myself surprised if they have not, especially if they are over the age of 65. If only I could recall just how many times I have been introduced to people who assume that my Hillsdale education means that I am about to take Capitol Hill by storm and fix all of the problems with the American government. When these people find out I am only a humble English major, they usually raise their eyebrows in confusion and with just a hint of distaste. When did Hillsdale add majors that don’t belong to the politics department?
Perhaps that is a slight exaggeration. Still, the college hasn’t done much to discourage people from making these assumptions about its curriculum. The first thing that draws a viewer’s attention on the home-page of the Hillsdale website is a large image which oscillates between a typical campus landscape and a snapshot of economics professor Gary Wolfram. Beneath this photo is an ad for his online class, “Economics 101: The Principles of Free Market Economics.” If you click on this picture, you are taken to a page with a byline that reads, “If you’ve ever wanted to know just how the free market will save America’s economy, you NEED Hillsdale’s Economics 101 right away.” It’s no wonder that the public thinks the college does nothing but teach students how to save America. And while the college has offered online courses tied to Western and American Heritage, and intends to release an online course on literature in the spring, no mention is made of these on the site.
If Hillsdale College wants to grow in the consciousness of highschool seniors, it will have to be more honest about the interests of its student body. Admissions should monitor the website to make sure that potentially interested applicants see an intellectually well-rounded school. We the people outside of the politics department deserve a voice. There are 37 other concentrations of study, including biology, mathematics, and music. By turning the spotlight on the other unique and accomplished talent that Hillsdale offers, the college could better attract students like me, dragged to campus for a college visit only because of more politically-minded parents. I didn’t learn about the diversity of academic talent at the school until I physically set foot on Hillsdale property. In order to merit the attention of those who have not yet considered visiting campus, the college must foster its reputation in other niches of the intellectual and artistic community.
For example, while 2.7 million people currently subscribe to “Imprimis,” Hillsdale’s publication primarily dedicated to political conversation, the college only printed 700 copies of “The Tower Light,” its literary publication, in the fall of 2013. With some dedication and financial support, however, “The Tower Light” would become a wonderful tool for increasing awareness of Hillsdale College’s gifted literary students and faculty. Admissions could mail copies to prospectives or help the publication develop a readily available, online presence. And there is no reason why the biology or chemistry departments could not also publish their students’ research in a similar way. High school students interested in pursuing a degree in science should be able to see the high-quality work of Hillsdale seniors without having to walk into Strosacker.
Keeping these things in mind, Hillsdale College could attract serious students with a passion for a variety of disciplines and strengthen its overall public reputation as well. Until then, I can only dream of a day when I can hand in my resume without having to discuss my understanding of Thomas Jefferson’s views on the limitation of federal power.
