Every Hillsdale student is a fundie, according to a presentation for Citizens for Self-Government Oct. 28 by freshman Isaiah Sasser.

“Not all fundies are created equal,” Sasser said. “The fundie spectrum is an axis of sorts, and various social behaviors, life experiences, and personal background details contribute to one’s fundiness or contemporariness on the axis.”

Sasser spoke on the definition of a fundie, what its traits are, and whether Hillsdale students fit the definition. Sasser held a Q&A after the roughly 15-minute presentation in Lane 233.

Fundie, a term students at the presentation associated with everything from Hillsdating to wearing suits on Saturdays, has no formal definition according to Sasser, who gave one in his presentation.

“A fundie is someone who places a strong conservative emphasis on tradition and heritage within their personal value system,” Sasser said. “The degree to which they emphasize tradition defines their fundiness.”

This emphasis on tradition defines the common root of all the traits typically associated with fundiness, from theological debate to social awkwardness, according to Sasser.

“The term fundie is derived from a shortening of ‘fundamentalist,’” Sasser said. “However, I believe there is more to fundiness in the Hillsdale sense than mere fundamentalism. Emphasizing tradition leads to all the little idiosyncrasies that set fundies apart.”

According to Sasser, defining traits of fundiness include consumption of traditional media, strict adherence to a conservative moral code, a lack of social skills, and an affinity for Aristotle.

Sasser said everyone at Hillsdale College is by definition a fundie to some degree.

“What institution of learning places more emphasis on tradition than Hillsdale College?” Sasser said. “If you attend this college, presumably you agree, to some extent, with its noble intention of pursuing the good, the true, and the beautiful, and by sharing in that quest, you are a fundie.”

Sasser added that, despite the negative connotations typically attached to the term fundie, it’s a neutral characteristic with both positive and negative connotations.

“The best elements of fundies are their social conservatism and appreciation of the good, the true, and the beautiful,” Sasser said. “Fundies are prudes, but I think our society could use more prudes.”

According to Sasser, the negative characteristics of fundies are excessive close-mindedness or intolerance of new or different ideas, a decayed social life caused by echo chambers, and cuddling on the Knorr Student Union couches.

Sasser said that all of these traits are commonly associated with homeschooling for good reason.

“The standard definition of fundie will usually include a reference to homeschooling,” Sasser said. “However, any sort of insular, classical leaning educational environment is likely to produce someone further to the fundie side of the spectrum. When in environments like homeschool and classical academies, any latent fundiness in a person is fostered, rather than tested through the fires of a public school environment.”

Sasser referenced 2024 alumnusTruman Kjo’s video “What is a Fundie?” produced with the Hillsdale Film and Production club in 2022 in his presentation.

“He was met with wildly different responses from students who he asked to define the term,” Sasser said. “One response in particular stood above the rest: ‘I know it when I see it,’ a reference to Potter Stewart’s 1964 definition of pornography.”

According to CSG co-president sophomore Noah Abrudeanu, this ambiguity surrounding the concept of fundie is what inspired the club to host the presentation.

“What we like to do is talk about things that the student body thinks is interesting or has fun talking about while still providing a substantive take on it,” Abrudeanu said. 

Freshman Kaelan Young said the presentation brought clarity to an important question.

“I think this is a presentation that needed to happen,” Young said. “The Hillsdale fundie is quite the elusive term. I think he got to the core of the issue, which is tradition that overreaches into every category of life.”