Walk anywhere on Hillsdale College’s campus, and you will find students upon students with their noses buried in books. While everyone loves to complain about the vast amounts of reading assigned within Hillsdale’s rigorous core curriculum, the reading that students do outside of their normal coursework is not publicized nearly as often.
Recently, two campus book clubs have formed to enrich students’ educations with material that is not commonly covered in a classroom setting. One, led by seniors Devin Creed and David Roach, focuses on American intellectual conservatism. Assistant Professor of Economics Michael Clark leads the other, which encourages students to study how work and economics tie into Christianity.
The first of the two book discussion groups is a branch of a new campus club called The Symposium, which finds its roots in the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. ISI aims to train young leaders through its various conferences and through the funds they provide groups like The Symposium to use toward student book discussions.
“We want to educate the campus about the side of American conservatism that we don’t really hear about and don’t really see here,” Creed said.
This semester, Creed, Roach, and about 15 other students are working their way through Robert Nisbet’s “The Quest for Community,” meeting once a week to discuss a chapter of the book. Though the location of the discussion varies, meetings take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoons and have been entirely student-led so far.
“The Quest for Community” primarily focuses on humans’ inherent need for a sense of community and the harmful effects of turning to government to satisfy that need. The book is published by ISI, enabling the institute to provide free copies of the text for student discussions at schools like Hillsdale.
Student Federation officially approved The Symposium just weeks ago, and its faculty advisor is Assistant Professor of History Matthew Gaetano. At the end of the book group, there will be a more formal dinner with a guest speaker to give closing remarks.
Clark’s book club also found its roots in a national group. After attending a conference for The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics this summer, Clark knew he wanted to start a similar discussion on Hillsdale’s campus.
The group has four total meetings at various locations this semester, and Clark will recognize outstanding participants at the end of the year. With funds provided by IFWE, Clark is able to provide food at meetings and copies of Hugh Whelchel’s “How Then Should We Work” for the students.
The book focuses on how one’s work life can tie into the betterment of the community through basic economic principles and personal faith.
“It’s not really an ‘edgy’ interpretation — our focus is really a basic message of ‘you matter, service matters, your work can matter towards a greater cause. You don’t have to view it, no matter what it is, as pointless,’” Clark said.
Kadeem Noray, a senior triple-major in physics, economics, and math, is one of the 15 students accepted into the program.
“It’s insightful to hear thoughts of non-econ majors on economic topics — it is all too easy to become very narrowed in one field and miss out on the perspectives of those outside the field,” Noray said.
Clark is hopeful that the book discussion will encourage students to spread the studied material within the community of Hillsdale and beyond. During the last meeting, he will discuss possible plans of action and ask how the students think they can apply the message to their own lives.
Though both of the book clubs are new to campus, they are already making great progress in opening discussions among students in areas of study that might not show up on their class schedules.
