WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Truman and Claire Like People: Michael Bachmann

Episode Date: January 28, 2024

In this episode, we talk with Michael Bachmann, Vice President of the Senior Class and Collegian Features Editor, about being a senior, politics on campus, and his infamous beef with MaryAnn Powers.

I'm Truman and I'm Claire and we like people. We wanted to make this show to illuminate parts of campus and talk to our friends and some friends that we don't have yet. And today, the person we like is Michael Bachman. Michael Bachman is the vice president of the senior class officer board and the features editor for the Hillsdale Collegian. I think that I would consider Michael to be something of a public figure on Hillsdale's campus. So we thought that he would be a great first guest to have on our show. Michael, do you consider yourself a public figure? I definitely say that I'm a public figure, but I do think my fame has dwindled over the years.

I don't know if the freshman and sophomore really know who I am, but that doesn't bother me too much. Well, today we're going to change that. So don't you worry? I'm sure there's a lot of them listening. Yeah, because they also know me and Truman. Can you tell us a little bit about what it's like being the vice president of the senior class office and maybe who you're favorite person that you serve with is? Is there any specifics that you want to know?

Like, Insider Scoop or just... Well, I mean, I know we were just talking about freshman and sophomores, but if we want to orient this towards seniors a bit more, what should we be excited for this semester that the board is coming up with? Well, I'm not going to, you know, spill any secrets here. But I think we're going to have more events similar to trivia night coming up, Events that perhaps are off campus, events that perhaps have free alcohol at them, events that are perhaps focused around a single activity in the same way that trivia was.

Would you say that trivia night was a success? Yeah, I think it was good. The people in the back were a bit angry. It was a hostile environment because they couldn't really hear or see the TV. and it took forever to get their margs. But other than that, I think it was a success. I think people really liked it. Yeah, I had to wait way too long for my marg.

And still a little testy about that. But I forgive you. Overall, it was a great event. And I'm looking forward to more of what you guys have in store. Yeah, you guys killed that. Thanks. A question that I personally have is some listeners might remember that I also ran for student class.

Yes, I remember that, yeah. And I'm wondering if you think working with Joseph Prez is better than what working with me would have looked like. Well, I'm just always a bit wary to have a female in presidential power. So I think... And that's one of your drawbacks with Joseph. Exactly, yes. No, it's been super good to work with Joseph. We're good friends and housemates, actually.

Our house is the current seat of power for the government. But also it would have been very fun to work with Claire, who's another colleague of mine. And then I could have lived in Harbor. Yes. You know, on a similar question, you know, you said you're a public figure and like the freshman sophomores don't really know who you are. I was just sitting in Saga today. And this weekend is the, what should you call it with like the Scholars Weekend?

You got all their prospective students, and I realized. None of them know that I'm homecoming king. Michael, do you think that you should have been homecoming king? No. Why not? I just, I don't think I should have been. I would have looked really awkward and weird standing up on the field like that. But Truman looked courageous.

Yes, and strong and virulent. Yeah. It's on the door to his room in Harbor, actually. It was yodeled about a lot. You're the features editor of the Collegian, Michael. Who would you say would be the worst feature, the worst person to do a feature on on campus and why? And also the best.

Also speaking of journalism, you're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Well, I can think of the best person. I think Dr. NOM would be a super fun person to do a profile on. He's really, really funny. Loki, one of the funniest professors. and also he told us the story of his conception one time in class. And I just think that would be super funny to write a feature on the least interesting person to write a feature on.

Honestly, probably most have came with this. Yeah, that's valid. Not that many people here are that interesting. Well, maybe like freshman number five would be like my least favorite person to interview. I think you're right. There's a lot of NPCs in the freshman and sophomore classes just because, because they don't really know who they are yet. Yeah.

I think there's a lot of NPCs in every grade. That's true. I think we all kind of become more NPC-like during the course of the four years. My theory is that we all become, as we continue on at Hillsdale, we all become parodies of ourselves. Yeah. And for some people, that means becoming even more NPC. But I think becoming a parody is innately becoming more of an NPC, even if, you're doing like crazy things in the parody of yourself because it's still so unbelievable that you're essentially an MPC.

Yeah, I would agree with that. So Michael, you said that your fame is dwindling. Why do you think that is? I just don't really put myself out there as much. Yeah, I'm always just on the grind, you know. I'm boy bossing. at all times. Actually just bossing because bosses are men so I don't know why I said that. But yeah, I'm just super busy with school and work and friendship so I don't have time. This is Truman and Claire like people, the show where we create a digital footprint that will get Michael Bachman fired 20 years from now.

Yeah. Just 20? I would say, I don't think that enough people are going to listen to the show and it'll be uncovered in a bit. thing. Fair enough. Maybe 20 days. Yeah, maybe 20 days. Speaking of getting Michael Bachman canceled, I'm sure that when we asked you on the show, you knew that we were going to talk about this. It's like the Michael Bachman event that's happened on campus. What happened between you and Mary Ann Powers that caused you to punch her in the face in Saga sophomore year? Oh, that incident? Yeah, that incident. A date that will live in infamy, if you will.

October 10th, 2021. So, as many people know, I'm a spinach forester in Saga. I always get the little cups and I, like, the coffee cups that you can walk out of Saga with. And I stuff it with spinach because I love not only the taste of spinach, I also love the mouth feel of spinach. It's exquisite mouth feel, I will say. It's like, it hatches texture, which is weird because it's like a little leaf. But anyway, so I was going to do my spinach foraging at the salad bar. And Marianne Powers was grabbing the last handful of spinach for her salad to eat in Saga.

And I asked her nicely because she took a giant bowl. It was ridiculous. And I asked her nicely if she could put some spinach back for me. And she said no. and then things start to escalate And then I punched her in the face You don't want to see you want to go without his spinach No

No It's like my Snickers You know I'm not me when I'm hungry Well I'm really glad we got that cleared up Because you know Marianne's been spending a different story for years now What's she been saying?

She's been saying that you called her All sorts of slurs I mean I might have during The spinach Yeah But I don't think I started it But we're fine now

You guys got past it. That's good. I don't know. You have to ask her. Two rubber figures. Yeah. Michael, what do you think is the weirdest Hillsdale interaction you've ever had? I know we were just talking about how Hillsdale's made up of a bunch of NPCs. But surely there's got to be a couple of just really off the wall interactions you've had with people during your four years here. I remember when my sister went here before I was a senior in high school and I had already accepted my application or my spot here.

and everything. And my sister sent me a picture of a student in the library with a Jedi cape and a lightsaber. And most importantly, in red, she circled his pockets because he had Clementines falling out of his pockets in the library. And she also circled his finger because he had a wedding ring. And that was crazy to me. And that was kind of my first encounter with how weird Hillsdale is, but also beautiful because here's this freak that got married. Yeah. And presumably he met her while he was at Hillsdale. So that was a weird pre-Hillsdale, a weird experience of Hillsville before I got here.

I actually, we wrote this question yesterday. I saw someone in AJ's wearing a cape, and that is what inspired me to write this question, funnily enough. Well, there's a lot of people that wear kids. Yeah. She was rocking it. I will say that much. Was it like a long floor length cape or more of like a Hobbit Shire cape?

A Hobbit Shire cape. Great question. Michael, you said your sister went here. Do you consider yourself a Nepo baby? Not really because I'm smarter and hotter than my sister. Are you willing to go on the record with a statement? No, no, I'm not. My sister's actually my favorite person and she's so graceful and gorgeous.

and sophisticated and just all around lovely. Yeah. But I did score higher on the SAT team. Just so everyone knows. And that's why I got it. We're clearing this up now. Michael is not a nepo baby. Elizabeth is actually a reverse nepo baby.

They knew how good Michael would be. Exactly. How do you think this college has humbled you? I think coming here from high school, a lot of us were at the top of our class, whatever. involved in a lot of things. And then I got here and I was kind of mid in terms of like intellect. The main thing that really has humbled me is everyone here is so musical. Like everyone plays an instrument and can sing and I can't do that. And I always feel so untalented. But I'm really

grateful for that like having been humbled in that way. Yeah. I mean, Michael, we're the only two people in Harbor that have no musical ability whatsoever. Yeah. So I definitely feel that. Yeah. And it's hard. It's hard. Now's actually, I mean, if you'd like to, you can sing a little ditty and prove the haters wrong and prove that you are musical. That's up to you. I'd just like to give you that option. I'll pass. Okay. Speaking of Harbor, who do you say is your favorite housemate? Probably, well, at the moment, no one's doing their dishes. And I spent two hours deep

cleaning the kitchen on Thursday. So I'm kind of mad at everyone. Would you say that you hate Truman? No. Truma's definitely on the upper end of, he's like upper ranking of the people that I like in the house. Yeah. What about former housemates? Since they're not the ones currently piling up dishes in the kitchen, do you have any comments on them or which one of them is your favorite? Probably Ethan. He's my roommate. We're good friends. We talked to similarly a public figure, I would say on campus, Joey's Bolstra yesterday. Yeah, he's a former roommate of mine freshman year.

He was giving us some questions to ask you. They'll come up later. But he had some good ideas specifically about cigarettes. And, you know, your thoughts on those. Yeah. Like them. Love them. Addicted to them.

I'd say like. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think I was actually just talking to someone about this at Lodge last night or a group of people. But I think our society has become somehow more prudish, but also more sinful than ever. And in public, everyone's expected to be rather perfect. And in a weird way, like, we issue sex and like Gen Z doesn't have sex and blah, blah, blah. But in private, everyone is, you know, addicted to porn or smoking marijuana or doing whatever other drugs and weird stuff they do. And I think cigarettes are

really good and drinks like martinis are really good, like the three martini lunch, because it provides an outlet for public vice that isn't too detrimental and is also social and forces people to actually engage with reality instead of just living this weird, isolated life in private. So I think cigarettes are really good for that reason, and I think we need to bring back harmless public vice. Yeah. If you're sinning with other people, at least you have friends and you're contributing to a community. Yeah. No, I unironically think that that's correct.

I agree as well. And like, cigarettes are not that. They're bad for your health, but it's not as, it's not, you know, marijuana is like, messes with your mind and like pornography is just bad for you spiritually and emotionally. So for all the kids out there listening to our show, Michael, Bachman, just to get you on the record, you would say just say no to non-nicotine drugs. Yes. And also say no to nicotine drugs. If you feel like you are secure in your virtue and you're engaged with reality fully and you don't need that sort of public advice. Great guy.

You know, last year, I was told that I would be a terrible trip sitter, a friend of of mine did a ranking of everyone in the room at the time and I was second to last. Yeah, I agree with that. It might be right. It's the weirdest insult that I've ever had outside of when the guy who was drilling my bowling ball said that I have the least flexible thumb he's ever seen. The guy that was what you're bowling? Drilling, like he was drilling holes for the bowling ball. And so he had to like measure my hands and he said that I had the least flexible thumb he had ever seen.

Wait, can you flex your thumb? Wow. Go with like this. For the people who can't see it at home, Truman actually can't move his thumb. Ask him in both. Never seen anything like it. Speaking of things that you should watch and or listen to, you're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale on 101.7 FM, Truman and Claire like people. So, Michael, another thing I wanted to ask about was your opinions on politics on campus.

I'm sure you have several takes, which you don't need to get into on the air. But, you know, especially since we're an election year, what's your opinion on just overall the student body and professors on campus and their political takes in recent months? Well, I'm voting for Trump. I'm just going to put that out there. I think that a lot of people on this campus could be exposed to the real world a bit more, and that would have a good impact on their political judgment, I think. I think a lot of times the people from the coasts just kind of get the real world more, and we're engaging more with, like, you know, critical race theory and, like, all this, like, crazy gender stuff.

So we're, on one hand, we know more about it, but we're also less afraid of it because we're interacting with it more. But we also realize that like you need to like have Hutzpah and like politics is dirty and you need a fight. And I think a lot of people get trapped in the bubble and want to make everything like nice and virtuous and intellectual and forget the politics is a dirty game. And you need to play dirty. So we're going to move into a segment, Michael now, that it's just kind of a quick rapid-fire response to some questions that we have for you. Number one, what do you think,

where would you find the best coffee in Hillsdale? I like rough draft, yeah. Would you vote for Joe Biden or Nikki Haley? I'd probably abstain. Interesting, okay. If you had to pick two dorms that would come together and be co-ed together, like, for example, like Simpson and Newt dorm.

They were in one dorm together. No, that would, I would kill myself if that happened. Which two would you pick? Probably, oh gosh, the girls' dorms lack personality, I feel like. I feel like olds in Needfeld would be really wholesome and cute, yeah. What would it take to get you to eat a saga burger? Oh, that's a great question. At this point, probably nothing because I just want to, you know, I have a semester left to uphold the record, so why break it now?

Would you rather know how you'll die or when you'll die? Probably how. Bus. I'm like Regina George. Yeah. What do you think you most deserve to be bullied about? Probably the way I speak. Mm-hmm.

Who's your favorite couple on campus? Oh, gosh. There's so many wonderful couples. Claire is currently glaring at me to say Claire and Jacob, but I'm not going to say that. My favorite couple, I just saw Charlie and Sophia at Rough Draft, and that was very wholesome, so I'll go with them. Why do you hate Jacob Carson? I don't. Okay.

I love bassoon players, or oboeuvre. players. Jacob plays the trombone for the record. Same thing. Who's your favorite fundy on campus? I'm trying to think of like a super, super duper fundy person. Because I think we use the term too

loosely. I love fundies. Just all. What is the worst grade you've gotten at Hillsdale and what class? In the class? Yeah. Well, I was thinking more like the class as a whole. Like end of the semester, A B plus.

No, no shot. Yeah. That's the worst grade you've gotten? Yeah, I'm a scholar. I hate you, Michael. I got two B pluses. One in Jacksonian, America, with Dr. Smith, and one in great books with Baby Whalen. Truman and I both gotten three Cs at Hillsdale College, if anyone's wondering.

Wow, you guys must be stupid. I think I am. That's why I'm a journalism minor. It's a struggle. Good point, yeah. Actually, Michael, we were wondering, do you? you have any parting advice for our audience and Hillsdale students in general? Yeah, I think, I mean, I already touched on this a bit, but I think don't be afraid to leave the bubble.

The world's a wonderful, beautiful, crazy, chaotic, evil, but good place. And there's no need to be scared of it. And go live your life. Engage with reality, sin a little bit, pray a little bit. Yeah. Michael, who should we have on the show next? I think Leo Bikirk would be super funny to have on the show next. He's kind of more esoteric, but also very public at the same time and really funny. All right. Well, this has been Michael Bachman on Truman and Claire like people. Claire, on a scale of 1 to 42 in honor of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhackers Guide to the Galaxy, how much do we like Michael?

I would say I personally, in this interview, liked Michael a 38. But in knowing Michael, I would say a 40. Okay. And I think that in this interview, I'd give him like a 36, but knowing him 41. Oh, thanks, guys. But knowing him a 16. I'd say I'd give you both in the range of like 35 to 40 for the interview. I think it was, you know what, just 40 for both of you.

Great people, lots of fun. Thanks, Michael. I appreciate that, Michael. Thank you so much. We love you, Michael. I love you. Well, I don't know if we loved Michael, but we sure did like him. And we're going to like someone next week, so tune in.

To Truman and Claire like people on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.