Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
Vol. 142 Issue 7 - October 11, 2018
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Hillsdale’s religious demographics unusual for Christian school, survey shows By | Brooke Conrad Features Editor A recent Collegian survey found that Hillsdale College has an unusual mix of religious affiliations, and that the majority of students underestimate the number of Protestants and overestimate the number of Catholics on campus. Protestants make up 58.7 percent of the student body and Catholics 26.1 percent, according to the poll. The Collegian received a total of 185 responses, which is about 12 percent of the student body, after publishing an online link last month. After the top two results on religious demographics, 8.1 percent of respondents said they are “not religious,” and another 7.1 percent claimed “other religious affiliation.” Several faculty and staff members at the college, as well as scholars from outside Hillsdale, said the college’s mixed religious demographics are unusual, as many other Christian colleges are either vastly Protestant or vastly Catholic. They and many students concluded that the large representation of both traditions on Hillsdale’s campus fosters healthy and vibrant discourse about the Christian faith. College Chaplain Adam Rick, who also serves as rector at Holy Trinity Anglican
Parish, said that compared with other schools like Patrick Henry College, which is largely Protestant, and Franciscan University of Steubenville, which is largely Catholic, the religious demographics at Hillsdale are somewhat unique. “The institution didn’t re-emphasize its commitments to Christianity until more recently, and so that might have created this interesting sort of demographic spread across multiple traditions that you don’t see at other schools that are founded to be Catholic or reformed or whatever,” he said, adding that Hillsdale is “certainly unique” with regard to the high level of devotion among both Protestants and Catholics on campus. Survey respondents underestimated the percentage of Protestants and overestimated the percentage of Catholics on campus. When asked what percent of the Hillsdale College student body they think is Protestant, the majority of respondents, 63, said they think 46 to 55 percent of the student body is Protestant, and another 55 respondents said they think 36 to 45 percent of the student body is Protestant. In estimating the percentage of Catholic students, 65 respondents selected the 36 to 45 percent range, and another 56 selected the 46 to 55 percent range.
Adam Laats, professor of education and history at Binghamton University in New York and author of “Fundamentalist U,” a study of the history of conservative evangelical colleges and universities in the 20th century, pointed out that many interdenominational evangelical schools tend to be fastidious about theological commitments, but are less unified than Hillsdale in terms of political conservatism. “Hillsdale is one of the few places that is very loud and proud about its conservatism, and though it historically was Protestant, that’s not as heavy an emphasis as it is at other schools like, for example, Calvin College, a reformed school,” Laats told The Collegian. “I don’t mean Hillsdale’s not serious about its religious commitments — I don’t mean that at all. It’s a sort of cultural conservative package that certainly does include important and serious religious ideas, but those religious ideas are part of a package — all different types of conservatism wrapped up into a sort of very unified cultural kind of conservatism. Hillsdale certainly is and has been a Christian school.” Laats also said even though the college was founded by Free Will Baptists, he’s not surprised Hillsdale also has
Kavanaugh hires Hillsdale grad according to the New York Times, and as chief counsel to Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. “She has a good record here and in law school,” said Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn in an email, noting that Lacy clerked for Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. O’Scannlain “admired her work very much,” Arnn said. “She has gained credit wherever she goes.” Ryan Mauldin ’07, a close friend of Lacy, said no one who has followed Lacy’s career is surprised that she got the clerkship. “She’s worked extremely hard,” Mauldin said. “She’s
lic, as are Graphic created by Morgan Channels | Collegian nominational categories and about 81 another 18 percent fell into percent of freshmen at Notre the Catholic category. Patrick Dame, 96 percent of students Henry College reports that at Thomas Aquinas College, 100 percent of students affirm and 97 percent of students its statement of faith, and the at Franciscan University in top five religious groups are Steubenville. non-denominational, followed A Grove City College by Baptist, Presbyterian, Asreport found that out of the sembly of God, and Lutheran. students who responded, Christian Smith, professor 79 percent identified with a of sociology and director of Protestant denomination or the Center for the Study of as non-denominational and 6 percent identified as Catholic. Religion and Society at the Additionally, a Church Repre- University of Notre Dame, agreed that many other Chrissentation survey of 2018 entian college student bodies rollees at Hope College found that 63 percent of enrollees See Religion A3 fell into various Protestant de-
By | Madeline Peltzer Collegian Reporter By a 50-48 majority, the U.S. Senate voted on Saturday to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, a Yale Law School graduate and a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judge of 12 years, to the Supreme Court of the United States. Kavanaugh was sworn in that evening and has already assumed his place on the bench. He is President Donald Trump’s second appointee to the Court. Kavanaugh’s approval was fraught with controversy. Over the course of his confirmation hearings, three women brought forth allegations of sexual misconduct from Kavanaugh’s high school and college years, throwing his confirmation, character, and career into question. The accusations prompted Kavanaugh to share his side of the story during an interview with Fox News, an unprecedented move for a judicial appointee. Testimonies before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee from Kavanaugh’s primary accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and Kavanaugh himself were televised nationally. The saga culminated in an FBI investigation into the claims, which proved to be a deciding factor for several senators.
As the hearings unfolded, Professor of History Brad Birzer said he doubted the Senate would confirm Kavanaugh. “After I watched Ford testify, I thought he was done,” he said. “And then when he testified, I thought he saved it. He did a great job in his defense that Thursday afternoon. If you can’t be angry about having your reputation demolished, then you can’t be angry about anything. That’s the most personal thing there is. His anger was totally justified.” The allegations follow the rise of the #MeToo movement, which has spotlighted sexual abuse and called out prominent figures for inappropriate conduct. Deon Claiborne, a lecturer of sociology, said that while the hearings sparked drama, they also helped to continue drawing attention to an issue embedded in American culture. “If this nomination process points to anything, it’s the need to have real, honest conversations about sexual assault in this country because it happens and it’s underreported,” she said. “Whether it’s framed as the #MeToo movement or just a groundswell of women who want justice for the harassment and assault that
Professor perspective: Faculty respond to SCOTUS confirmation
Megan Lacy ’07 and Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn at the Alan P. Kirby Jr. Center in Washington, D.C., 2013. External Affairs | Courtesy
By | Nicole Ault Editor-in-Chief Newly-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh took office this week with the first all-female team of clerks — and Hillsdale alumna Megan Lacy ’07 is one of them. “Justice Kavanaugh has made a wise choice,” said Ryan Walsh, the chief deputy solicitor general for the state of Wisconsin, a 2009 Hillsdale graduate and a friend of Lacy. Lacy stepped into the position from a prestigious career in law, following her graduation from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010. Before Kavanaugh hired her, she worked with the White House counsel on Kavanaugh’s nomination,
a large number of Catholics, based on the past several decades of America’s political history. “It makes perfect sense because, since the ’50s, there’s been this closer and closer connection between conservative Catholics and conservative evangelicals,” he said. “And then in the ’70s it really took off with the pro-life movement, politically.” Statistics from various other Christian schools show less-mixed religious demographics than those at Hillsdale. A University of Dallas survey found that 80 percent of its freshmen are Catho-
well prepared and eminently qualified.” As a student, Lacy was “brilliant,” Arnn said. “She is also fine person in mind and character,” he said. “She is delightful to know. She has that mixture of assertiveness and humility that is impressive and breeds trust.” Friends of Lacy who knew her at Hillsdale said she had a rare combination of talent and humility. “Megan has always been friendly and loyal and humble and hardworking, and also pretty much correct about everything,” said Jason Gehrke ’07, recalling a time when he wished he’d heeded Lacy’s advice about a
See Lacy A3
they face in this country, that’s a force to be reckoned with.” On the other hand, Lecturer of History Dedra Birzer warned that the Kavanaugh hearings highlight the pitfalls of #MeToo. She said the “believe all women” mantra disregards due process, which is something that particularly concerns her as a mother of boys. She added that women have a unique role in defending the reputation and character of the men in their lives. “The anti-Kavanaugh bloc asks, ‘What if Ford was your daughter?’’ Dedra Birzer said. “But the other side of that is, ‘What if Kavanaugh is your son? Or your husband? Or your dad?’ Imagine you’re watching those testimonies and seeing the pain in his face. The left said from the beginning they’d do whatever it takes to take him down and they did. They let no strand of decency get in their way.” With a generation of Supreme Court rulings at stake, contention was inevitable. The tensions quickly gave way to an outcry across the media and internet, violent protests, and even death threats to Kavanaugh, Ford, and senators. Assistant Professor of Politics Adam Carrington said the sheer nastiness of the ordeal
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Hillsdale celebrates Kirk’s legacy 100 years later By | Kaylee McGhee Opinions Editor “Every single thing Russell touched became magical,” Annette Kirk said of her husband, the late historian and conservative thinker, Russell Kirk. In a tribute to Russell Kirk’s long-lasting influence on both conservatism and Hillsdale College, Annette visited Hillsdale and spoke there on Wednesday, along with Alan Cornett, a long-time friend of the Kirks; Professor of History Brad Birzer, who holds the Russell Kirk Department Chair; and prominent author and scholar Gleaves Whitney. Since his passing, Annette has carried on her husband’s Follow @HDaleCollegian
work, becoming a spokesperson for his thoughts and writings and passing them on to the next generation through the Russell Kirk Center. Even before she met Russell, Annette said she was involved in politics. She was one of the “Goldwater Girls” and followed former President Ronald Reagan’s presidency closely. After marrying Russell, Annette said she “cleared the desk for him so he could do his work.” Cornett said Annette handled the logistics, scheduling lectures at various universities and contacting publishers — all while raising four daughters. “Annette is just as interesting as her husband,” Birzer said. “Her legacy is equally as
strong.” Annette Kirk said that Russell never expected to become the face of a new kind of conservatism. When he wrote “The Conservative Mind,” he did not expect it to do well because “there wasn’t a conservative presence, let alone a mind.” Regardless, he submitted it to his publisher and noted that the book was his “contribution to the endeavor to conserve the intellectual and spiritual” facets of conservative thought. “He gave the movement its name, its identity, its genealogy,” Annette said, recalling a New York Times review of the best-selling book. She said that what made Russell’s movement different
than others at the time, was its literary and historical tradition. Unlike the political and economic conservative ideas centered in policy, Russell Kirk was concerned with culture, but not in regards to social questions. Rather than focusing on political gain, Russell Kirk was concerned with the permanent things. He was often called sentimental, Annette said, but he believed a “world without love is hollow.” This, more than anything, set Russell apart, she said. “No matter how people felt about conservatives, they all liked Russell,” she said. Birzer said this dedication to “living what they professed” struck him the most: “His ex-
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ample of living the Christian life will be most remembered.” Even now, Annette said she wants to “keep Russell above the fray.” Russell Kirk defined conservatism as a “disposition and a way of being, not an ideology, ” Annette said. This distinguishes him from other conservative thinkers, and Cornett said it will make him more important in the days to come. “With the rise of Trump, there will be a lot of reevaluation,” Cornett said. “And I think they’ll go back to Kirk.” Russell Kirk is renowned for his work in fiction, as well as in history and philosophy. His short stories are just as important and influential as
“The Conservative Mind,” Birzer said. These works allowed Russell Kirk to “let his imagination loose,” which Birzer said is the “ultimate manifestation of conservatism, outside charity.” Imagination is the expression of the individual human person and storytelling is the only way human beings can truly understand permanent truths, Birzer said. “Kirk isn’t just a conservative, he’s an imaginative conservative. And that’s different,” Birzer said. “And Kirk would never want anyone to be a Kirkian. There’s no such thing as a Kirkian. There’s only you and who you are as an individual.” Look for The Hillsdale Collegian