by Philip Zoutendam, '10

Wisps of cirrus cloud stretch across an otherwise pristine sky on this bright Saturday morning. A handful of College staff and instructors, lounging in the shade of an open-air shelter, await the arrival of guests for the day’s shooting festival at the Hillsdale College Firearms Education Facility. The event marks the first time the new shooting range has been opened to the student body and community at large; by the afternoon’s end, around 100 students, staff, and Hillsdale citizens will visit (and use) the facility. The first shuttles from campus, kicking up dust on the gravel drive, arrive nearly half an hour later than the 11:00 start time. But the day has a decidedly relaxed atmosphere, and the festival soon begins without any significant grumbling. Devon Harris, a decorated shotgunner and ambassador for Federal Ammunition, opens the festivities with an impressive demonstration on one of the American Trap ranges—25 clay targets, 25 shots, 25 orange ceramic explosions. Though he modestly attributes half of his success to “good luck,” no one believes him. As Harris concludes his exhibition by explaining the fundamentals of his sport—which, surprisingly have nothing to do with luck—the audience listens attentively, for their turn comes next: all the guests are invited, regardless of experience, to test their own skill on any of the four trap ranges. For the next few hours, sharp cracks, sometimes followed by “oohs” and “aahs,” resound across the sloping, still-green fields.

These festivities, held on September 19, 2009, were the highlight of Hillsdale’s celebration of Constitution Day, and they manifest the purpose and potential of the College’s newest facility. Purchased in the spring of 2006, the 77-acre range exists, as the name declares, to educate students and community members in one of their fundamental rights. Though it certainly is rare for a college to own and operate a shooting range, the facility makes perfect sense at Hillsdale. By teaching and promoting the exercise of Second Amendment rights, the range simply extends and enhances the instruction that occurs in the College’s other academic facilities.

The range first became operational during the spring 2009 semester, when a “Basic Shotgun” course was offered through the Physical Education Department. Though classes met on Saturday morning—a sacred time for sleep-deprived students—the course quickly became (and still remains) the single most popular offering on campus, and instructors were forced to open another section of the class to accommodate student interest. After an introductory session of classroom instruction, class members make the five-mile drive to the range each Saturday to practice and refine what they’ve learned. The course requires no equipment or experience, nor is there any fee; the College provides everything from guns to shells to rubber orange earplugs. Thus, the classes typically include both novices and veteran shooters excited by the opportunity, in the words of instructor Barry Leosh, to “make noise and break targets” completely gratis.

This fall, in addition to the College-sponsored shotgun class, Hillsdale has opened a new avenue for participation in shooting sports. A trap shooting club has been founded and is progressing toward full official status under the new Club Sports program. For a nominal fee, any student can join the club and take advantage of additional operating hours at the range on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoons. Although currently focused on widening its membership and establishing a permanent infrastructure and constitution, the club eventually will serve as the base for a competitive shooting program as well. As early as next spring, the College hopes to enter individuals and teams in collegiate trap shooting meets; club membership will remain open to any interested in the sport simply as a hobby, but it will also provide an outlet for those who wish to pursue it at a more advanced level. Tim Wells, the director of Hillsdale’s Club Sports initiative, acknowledged that the club will draw two different kinds of members, and he emphasized that “both are welcome.”

As the facilities grow and develop, competitive shooting at Hillsdale will also expand. The College hopes to begin construction on several Sporting Clay stands and positions this fall, and rifle and pistol ranges for precision competition should be completed by June 2010. The Sporting Clay facilities will overlay the American Trap ranges, which will “allow the College to compete and to train while maximizing our space,” according to Rich Péwé, Vice President for Administration. Though other new initiatives have been put on hold due to the crippled economy, funding for these additions to the firearms facility remains robust. Péwé attributes this to the unique position of Hillsdale College regarding the Constitution. “I’m pretty confident [in our shooting program] because we’re one of the few schools that talks about the Constitution . . . and we’re not limiting talk to just the Second Amendment.” This commitment to first principles has forged important and productive relationships across the nation. “We’re getting to know a whole industry. They’ve been under attack for a long time, and mostly it’s the higher-education crowd that’s been after them, [but] we’re an advocate for that whole industry.” Thus the Constitution is intimately connected with both the foundation and the future of the Firearms Education Facility. The facility truly earns its name as an instrument of education.