Paul Mittermeier
Written by Imogen Kane
Paul Mittermeier, Student Federation’s Greek representative for the freshman class, first heard about Hillsdale College through his involvement with the Cincinnati Tea Party and the local liberty groups in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. As a high school junior, he was just beginning the college search but didn’t have a fixed idea of what he wanted in a school yet: “I kind of had an idea of a larger school in a city as my ideal vision, but at the same time, I was also dreading progressive academia and the dreaded idea of ‘indoctrination,’ so I wanted primarily a school that had a similarity of view in values.”
A brief visit to Hillsdale’s campus in the spring of 2012 made Paul realize that Hillsdale had something distinctive: a shared vision between the faculty, the students, and himself. He had heard that “something exceptional was going on at Hillsdale in that the liberal arts curriculum was different, that the aims of the institution were different, and that the values, not to say that everyone here is like minded, but the values that are generally espoused here correlated with [his] own values.” Talking with both staff and students reinforced his first impressions: “they were very accommodating and helpful and spoke strongly about my interests and concerns, really addressing those things that were heavy on my mind throughout the application process.” After applying to several colleges, Paul ended up following a strong gut feeling that he had about Hillsdale, ultimately basing his decision on the shared vision and values he felt with the school.
So far, the experience has been fantastic. Some classes have been especially interesting, such as American Progressivism and Liberalism with Dr. Kevin Slack, Poly-Econ with Dr. Gary Wolfram, and a foray into Intro to Firearms. Great Books, taught by Dr. Lorraine Eadie, has proved of particular interest. Paul has been surprised by how much he enjoys it, claiming, “I didn’t think I would actually be interested in The Iliad and The Odyssey. All these literary works – they’re generally not my cup of tea. But the passion which Dr. Eadie brings to the classroom is really evoking an interest in me, and I’m really enjoying that class.”
Becoming involved with Greek life on campus, too, was “the best decision” Paul says he’s made since starting college, and he looks forward to continued involvement, hoping eventually to take advantage of leadership opportunities within the fraternity.
Hillsdale offers a wide range of off-campus study programs as well, such as the Washington Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP), and a wide variety of summer internships, which he hopes to become more involved with next year.
When he first visited, Paul found campus to be a little intimidating, and he wasn’t entirely sold on it: “I was very turned off by the rural environment and a little scared about what I would do. I didn’t know we’d be studying so much, so I worried about having a lot of empty free time on my hands.” Paul is certainly not an isolated case. Many applicants, and current students for that matter, are discouraged by the apparent lack of anything to do on campus. Hillsdale, after all, is a semi-rural town of less than 10,000 people. However, speaking as someone who grew up in the vibrant city life, who had a dislike for rural environments, Paul has found that there are many ways to spend his (limited) free time; it just takes a little bit of proactivity to find them.
The hunt is exciting, though, and it ultimately creates the best memories – walking early in the morning to the Farmers’ Market to buy pumpkin bread from a sober Amish vendor, getting iced mochas on a stifling August day from Jilly Beans, or finding that the gas station sells the best shawarma in the vicinity (not that there’s much competition). Besides, there are lots of activities on campus with which to occupy your time. Paul has found that quite honestly there isn’t that much need or possibility for off-campus excursions once you factor in studying and the “myriad good opportunities with friends, social activities, and extracurricular activities on campus.” While he admits that the town looks a little frightening at first based on how rural it is, he also admits that you come to love it over time as you get to know it better.
It was a leap of faith that led Paul to Hillsdale, but it has “really exceeded [his] expectations,” and he looks ahead with great pleasure to the next three and a half years at Hillsdale.
Imogen Kane is a freshman at Hillsdale College, where she works as a student HOST and participates in an assortment of activities around campus. She is from Portland, Oregon, and has plans to major in Biology and minor in French. Imogen is a member of the Hillsdale College Honors Program.