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April 2002 Student meets Daily Show Correspondent with ties to the Hill By Nick Beazley Although the introduction of FOX News into Hampden-Sydney’s local programming has allowed those with a conservative view to receive news with a conservative slant, I still wonder whether there might be other places that I can get my news and still satisfy my craving for conservatism. I am not just talking about news that gives a blind endorsement to the Republican Party. Instead, I want to be able to see stories about people who are so driven by the word of God that they are petitioning the Catholic Church to establish a Patron Saint for handguns. I want to see a patriotic report from the Super Bowl that lets me feel good about America’s war in Afghanistan while at the same time giving me a reason to accept the Patriots as the new NFL Champions. I want to see the much needed report that looks into these so-called "Girls, Gone Wild" videos and explains how one might go about making a girl "go wild." My only concern is that there is not a journalist who is brave enough to tackle the tough issues and report on news that Hampden-Sydney men would understand and with which they would be able to identify. Luckily for Hampden-Sydney students like myself, a man has been found who is willing to tackle the hard issues that concern this intriguing conservative community. This man who is willing to report the news the way that Hampden-Sydney men want it, this diamond in the rough, is none other than Stephen Colbert, a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Now it may seem strange that Stephen Colbert would have such a vested interest in the issues concerning Hampden-Sydney men, but a little known fact is that Stephen Colbert actually attended Hampden-Sydney College from 1982 to 1984 before transferring to Northwestern University in Chicago. The native South Carolinian was not the hardest worker in high school and, to use Colbert’s own words, was the type of guy who "tested high and scored low." Colbert still showed potential in high school when he became the Negative Debate champion for all of South Carolina. All hope was not lost, and college was still on the horizon. The decision to attend college was a challenging one. Colbert was not sure where he wanted to go, but he had come to the conclusion that he needed to go to a college that would straighten him out and make him work hard. Hearing Colbert’s thoughts on the right college, a friend mentioned Hampden-Sydney College to Colbert, thinking that it might be a good fit. After looking at what life on the Hill had to offer him, Colbert decided to enroll in the fall of 1982. He immediately realized that the academic workload of Hampden-Sydney was intense. Colbert soon learned that his high school days of coasting were over and that the hard work was beginning. According to Colbert, it was the small class size, the challenging professors, and the competitive nature of Hampden-Sydney that taught him how to apply himself, and for two years he learned how to think critically and apply himself in ways he never thought possible. Despite enjoying his two years at Hampden-Sydney, he decided to transfer to Northwestern in Chicago after his sophomore year to pursue his love for acting. Talking to Colbert was enlightening because, although he left Hampden-Sydney eighteen years ago, the two years he spent within these gates clearly had a huge impact on him. When I mentioned the Honor Code to him he immediately recited it back to me, word for word, faster than most Hampden-Sydney students could read it, and proceeded to brag that he used to be able to say the whole thing in Latin. However, it is not just the Honor Code that has stuck with Colbert. He got a huge kick out of talking about his former professors like Dr. Laine and Dr. Arieti, describing how both would behave in class. At times I forgot that I was talking to a man that left Hampden-Sydney and instead found myself talking to Colbert as I would any alumnus tailgating at a football game. Aware of Colbert’s passion for this College, I also recognize that although Hampden-Sydney was not able to offer Colbert the acting classes he wanted, the College was able to offer him an education and work ethic that would allow him to pursue his ultimate goals. I guess Anita Garland is right when she says you can do anything with a Hampden-Sydney education. See original link at http://www.hsc.edu/news/articles/colbert.html
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