Dennis Prager, a nationally syndicated radio host and co-founder of PragerU, a conservative media company, was hosted by Oxford Sessions on Oct. 12 at The Jefferson.
In an era of increasing political polarization, many see college campuses as intellectual battlegrounds for political and cultural thought. The event, which highlighted Prager’s unique perspectives on world affairs, was met with a receptive audience that included like-minded university students and Oxonians alike.
“I thought it was informative,” Eli Keel, a freshman political science major, said. “I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I would definitely come again. I learned some things from this, there are things I’ll go and research more.”
Another student, though familiar with Prager, was still captivated by the media-giant’s in-person commentary.
“Mainly, it was so fascinating to hear someone so influential in person,” Jeffrey Jordan, a sophomore public policy leadership major, said. “I’ve seen him on my phone and on videos and now that’s him, he’s here.”
In a response to a student question about how conservatives on college campuses should handle classrooms and professors who disagree politically, Dennis posed another question.
“There will always be a reason to hide what you believe, but if you compromise what you believe for a grade, when will you stop compromising?” Prager asked.
Prager thanked students for attending the event. In an interview with The Daily Mississippian, he shared why he believes PragerU to be an important resource for UM students.
“Any student who believes in intellectual honesty — which is a great, great value — needs to be aware of all sides — of all respectable sides — to any issue so that even if one is certain that they are right, it’s critical to be aware of the best arguments of the other side,” Prager said. “We present that at PragerU.”
UM Associate Professor of Sociology James Thomas is currently the only UM instructor on the “professor watchlist” published by Turning Point USA, another conservative organization with which Prager is affiliated. According to the organization’s website, Thomas was placed on the list in 2018 for his tweets regarding Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife being “heckled” outside of a restaurant. Thomas’s tweet claimed “these people don’t deserve your civility.”
Thomas encouraged students to be wary of messages coming from the organization.
“For our students, I would just encourage them to think about the relationship between substance and form. The substance of PragerU videos is pretty thin, often inaccurate, and very clearly partisan,” Thomas said. “The form includes eye-catching graphics and other elements meant to draw a viewer in.
Thomas also stressed that students should consume those messages with academic discipline.
“Part of what we all teach at the university — regardless of area — is academic discipline. Academic discipline includes knowing how to evaluate information critically (and) understanding how information is used for political purposes,” he said. “Hopefully, students and others in the audience used some academic discipline while listening to Prager speak.”
Nancy Buck Frohn, an Oxford local active in Ole Miss College Republicans Club, kicked off the night with an account of what conservatism means to her, reminiscing on how God changed her life and how she hopes students today remember three core principles: God, family and country.
These principles were a consistent theme throughout much of the conversation between Prager and moderator Ben Fergusen. The two led a discussion that encompassed many of the fundamental issues Prager believes face America today, tying them back to the Bible, which Prager referred to as “the single greatest source of wisdom.”
In a discussion about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Prager alluded to the idea of freedom being a value, not a human instinct. He then reaffirmed his stance in solidarity with Israel in the conflict, calling the actions of the Hamas terrorist group “sick and despicable,” comments that were met with applause from the audience.
Another key moment in the event occurred in a discussion about the state of the Republican party in which Prager referred to former President Donald Trump as “the best since Lincoln.” However, Prager clarified that he had “no allegiance to the man” and would ultimately support whoever could win in the 2024 presidential election against incumbent President Joe Biden.
The event was organized by Oxford Sessions. According to their website, the group’s goal is to inform and inspire audiences.
“The Oxford Sessions is dedicated to bringing world-class speakers and writers to our community – and fill an intellectual and philosophical void that our public educational institutions, our local media and our local bookstores either don’t want to fill or don’t care to fill,” the website says.
Event organizers expressed an interest in hosting other prominent conservative speakers like Ben Shapiro in the future.
“It was an interesting event. It was exciting to see a bunch of young people come to a big conservative event like this and I’m glad they made it available to students,” Trey Jones, a junior hospitality management major, said.
