An education at H-SC is much more than your major.
We asked Chris to reflect on his time at Hampden-Sydney. His thoughts are below, edited for length and clarity.
A Hampden-Sydney man
is educated, honorable, respectful, and provides for the betterment of himself and those around him. Hampden-Sydney is not the only place to learn these basic truths, but it is the best place to learn them.
The Hampden-Sydney community
While any college allows young people to live and grow independently, Hampden-Sydney has prepared me for life by teaching me the value of community and family. As a small college, everyone seems to know each other. I really appreciate that feeling of community on campus, which taught me to treat others—and myself—with respect.
The Wilson Center
I spent quite a bit of time at the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest, from meetings with my advisor, to classes, to College Republicans meetings. I believe that the Wilson Center, in instilling the values of duty and honor in the young men who pass through, is a truly fitting testament to its namesake, Lieutenant General Sam Wilson.
Advice for freshman
Work hard and make memories. The Hampden-Sydney experience can be divided into two parts: academic and social. First, you need to make sure that you work hard, get good grades, and make the right connections for your future. One thing I can vouch for, if you slack off it will come back to bite you. Second, you need to make friends and memories. Now that I've graduated, I look back on my four years on the Hill with great fondness; the friends that I've made, the experiences I've had, and the knowledge I've acquired will stay with me forever.
H-SC traditions
The Rhetoric Proficiency Exam, walking under the bell tower before graduation, and signing the Honor Code are all integral to the Hampden-Sydney experience, but my favorite tradition is attending football games.
If politicians could learn one thing from Hampden-Sydney men it would be
Respect. At H-SC we have our fair share of debates and disagreements, and while the impact is not as far-reaching as those in the various state or national legislatures, the fact that we begin each conversation with respect for one another is a universally applicable solution to hyper-partisan quibbling. If one goes into a discussion with a predisposition, they will be hard-pressed to achieve any sort of meaningful progress.
In 2017 Chris garnered national media attention for a New York Times op-ed on civility, titled Seersucker and Civility, that he co-authored with the chairman of the H-SC Young Democrats.