A famous scene from the 1978 film “Animal House” shows a groggy and defeated Bluto (John Belushi) lying on the battered carpet of his Delta Fraternity living room. Staring wide- eyed into space in a moment of sheer existential angst, he laments, “Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well have joined the f—— Peace Corps.”
As a rule of thumb, one should never expect keen mental discern- ment from the mouth of a fraternity brother on the morning after a party – or any morning for that matter. In this unusual case, however, we learn two lessons from poor Bluto. First, our college years are finite, whether they be the traditional four or the, how shall we say it, “leisurely” seven. Second, our college years can be spent wisely or foolishly.
So let’s talk about Hillsdale Col- lege. You’re here. Congratulations. There are a few things you need to know.
College is at once a serious and strange business. It is serious because it exists to fashion uncivi- lized human beings into excellent human beings, and there is no higher purpose than this in political society. It is strange because its “modus operandi,” contemplation, stands in direct opposition to the way of the world, the way of action. By enroll- ing at Hillsdale College, regardless of your future ambitions, you are entering into a sacred space. For four years, your vocation is the pursuit of wisdom.
The key to succeeding at Hills- dale College is to cultivate wonder and curiosity for liberal learning from the starting blocks. This means
treating each class, reading assign- ment, written work, and examina- tion like everything depends on it. It means waking early every morning and reserving two to three hours of quiet solitude for serious study. It means eating well, sleeping deeply, exercising often, cultivating virtuous friendships, and limiting distractions. Finally, it means understanding the college in the way that the college understands itself. I recommend the following short essay to get the ball rolling: Leo Strauss, What is Liberal Education? in “Liberalism: Ancient and Modern.”
If you embrace this spirit and acquire these habits, the rest will follow. First and foremost, you will succeed in class. That is to say, you will earn high grades. There is a myth among Hillsdale College stu-
dents that you must reject. The myth says that freshmen at the college work hard but inevitably acquire a low GPA because the classes are impossible. This is false.
Be utterly determined to earn As your first semester. In the sciences and languages, memorize the in- formation and concepts cold. In the humanities, ask delving questions of yourself and of the authors, notice the perplexing tensions between what your economics professor says and what your philosophy professor says, and seek out upperclassmen for counsel on writing. High achieve- ment your freshman year, however arduous, makes high achievement the following years natural. A love of learning is a good in itself; but in college, it corresponds with honor from your teachers and peers and
an impressive transcript. Both are necessary to achieving great things when you graduate.
Finally: a word for the girls and the boys.
Freshman girls, make the boys earn your time. What value can a freshman boy offer you? None. I would revise the sentence of Jean-Paul Sartre that “Hell is other people” to say that “Hell is freshmen college boys.” Don’t worry, after English with Dr. Smith and Western Heritage with Dr. Birzer, the boys resemble something akin to rational animals.
Freshman boys, find a charitable girl to take you shopping and show you presentable clothes to wear. Buy the clothes. Take a shower. Then, keep your mouth shut for your entire first semester, with two exceptions: to raise occasional points in class, and at social gatherings, where you should ask thoughtful questions of the girls and compliment their style and interests when prudence dictates.
Students of “Animal House” will remember that our friend Bluto jetti- sons his misery to deliver a stunning battle cry to his fraternity brothers. Like Hal in Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” he longs for honor and ultimately immortality. So should you.
As your Hillsdale College career takes off, I encourage you to adopt Bluto’s spiritedness (though perhaps not his drinking habits) and thus leave you with his climatic words:
“Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts? This could be the greatest time of our lives … Let’s go!!!”
Trevor Shunk, a Hillsdale College alumnus, studies political philosophy at the Claremont Graduate Univer- sity in southern California.
