By Liliana Shadlow · Staff Writer
Despite previous disagreements with the college, reporter and Daily Wire podcaster Megan Basham applauded Grove City College for holding to its conservative ideals in The Institute for Faith & Freedom’s lecture Sept. 17.
Although some may know Basham for her outspoken critiques of the college’s inclusion of “woke” curriculum, courses and choice of chapel speakers in 2021, Basham’s public reception seemed positive.
“I almost am sheepish about how welcomed I’ve been,” Basham said in a post-lecture interview, repeating that she felt “so welcomed” during her time on campus for the event.
Basham went on to say how pleased she was with Grove City’s adherence to conservative, Christian principles, stating that she couldn’t say the same for many other institutions. Basham said, “I have known stories where nothing happened, there was no prescription and there was just denial (of issues within the school).”
For Basham, it seems like the college is now on the right path as a Christian institution. In Basham’s words, “Bravo, Grove City!”
Attendee Brae Sadler, a senior economics major and The Institute for Faith & Freedom fellow, also wanted to congratulate the college for the night’s lecture, feeling her appearance on campus marked growth.
Sadler emphasized the importance of freedom of thought and openness to disagreement, saying, “It is important to gain outside perspectives, including ones who are critical of us, so that we as an institution can reflect on that.”
Sophomore design and innovation student Eli Wick agreed and mentioned how the decision to bring Basham to campus spoke well for Grove City.
“This is a great opportunity for Megan as a conservative journalist to reevaluate her opinion on Grove City as a college,” Wick said.
Basham herself brought up this point during her talk, which briefly touched on the past controversy.
“What I really thought was this is proof of how fair-minded, and forgiving and supportive of free speech Grove City College must be,” Basham said on being invited to speak on campus.
While much of the student and faculty debate before her arrival seemed to indicate that Basham would focus on past controversies with Grove City in her lecture, it instead was centered around the role of higher education in protecting Christianity in society.
“Christians are the last walls standing in the way of the fundamental transformation of the United States that the secular left has so long sought,” Basham said.
Basham’s lecture focused on how liberal ideologies find their way into Christian organizations. She used real-life examples from her journalism work to show how good, Christian organizations could go down the wrong path with just one or two wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“Progressives will hollow out your trusted institutions and wear them like a skin suit,” Basham said.
Basham also gave listeners a glimpse of her personal testimony. She discussed how reading classical literature in college, much of which is about Christian beliefs and principles, transformed her life and led to her rededication to Christianity.
The lecture wrapped up with an audience Q&A, during which Basham recommended books, offered advice for current college students and encouraged attendees to focus on God’s sovereignty over world events and political disputes.
Away from the bright lights of the Rathburn Great Room, most of the couple dozen students in attendance seemed sympathetic to Basham’s message.
“We need to leave room for Christian worldview and Christian morals in (classical) works, and not just scrape those works down to the stories or the plot or the characters,” Junior political science major Mallory Campbell said. “I really loved her focus on that.”
Several students and faculty — who asked to stay anonymous — questioned the motivation behind inviting her to speak and saw Basham as “divisive” and “disrespectful,” responsible for creating an unfavorable national spotlight and falsely representing the college.
Bill Stanton, a senior studying computer science, said that while he knew of the past controversy surrounding Basham, he still felt the college inviting her to speak on campus was a good move.
“It’s very important to bring in people who might have different views and to hear what they have to say,” Stanton said. “I thought tonight was really positive; she said a lot of really great things about our school.”
