3.19.15 Hillsdale Collegian by The Hillsdale Collegian

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Vol. 138 Issue 19 - 19 March 2015

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

ends on the national podium Micah Meadowcroft Arts Editor

said.

tle bit of time afterwards and put

The back of the Withrow house at 25 Rippon, where the kitchen fire started. (Morgan Delp/Collegian)

College rallies around employee

meters.

in teamwork. -

Morgan Delp Editor-in-Chief

dows.

earned

See Track A7

J u -

able to respond in about two

(Courtesy of NCAA)

No charges filed in Ransom shooting Macaela Bennett City News Editor -

James Momenee often went into -

Q&A: Kevin Williamson, roving correspondent Kevin D. Williamson is the roving correspondent for National Review. At Hillsdale, he is teaching a course as the Dow Journalism Program’s spring

What did you learn from starting your own newspaper, The Bulletin? I learned to not start a newspaper. It was -

Why did you reply with that?

(Courtesy of Cato Institute)

you tweeted in response to a question asking if doctors who perform abortions should be killed and if women who abort

See Q&A A2

INSIDE Emily Oren wins 3K

Wearing the Ivy Crown

SAB hosted St. Patrick’s Day themed bowling at Hillsdale Lanes. Students even enjoyed green beer. (Elena Creed/Collegian)

Airport Advisory Committee member resigns amid council dispute

‘Once-in-a-lifetime’

A Hillsdale UFO In 1966, dozens of witnesses B1

(Courtesy of the DIA)

(Courtesy of Dawn Oren)

News........................................A1 Opinions..................................A4 City News................................A6 Sports......................................A7 Arts..........................................B1 Features....................................B3

Republicans in 2016 A5

NEWS

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A2 19 March 2015

WHIP visits the Pentagon, remembers 9/11 Vivian Hughbanks D.C. Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lights shone serenely through the early evening darkness, illuminating benches in the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as a group of nine students crowded up to colossal building. Looking out on Arlington, Virginia, Career Services Executive Director Michael MurWHIP at the Pentagon: Senior Bailey Arlinghaus, Executive Director of Career Services Michael Murray, junior Christy Allen, junior Randy Keefe, junior Daniel Sunne, junior Vivian Hughbanks, senior Rossteen Salehzadeh, junior Bri Hearn, and sophomore Emily DePangher. (Courtesy of Vivian Hughbanks)

American Airlines Flight 77, erately crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Dressed in a tan Marine utility uniform, Murray held an enlarged photograph of the burning wreckage.

courtyard and memorial chapel, in the photo. So as you can see, we’re standing not too far from the point of impact.” Murray served for seven years in active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, and deployed to Iraq in 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now in the Marine Reserves, he works duties. Students of the Washington Hillsdale Internship Program visited the Pentagon for a tour with Murray last Thursday evening. Instead of walking quickly with a guide through crowded hallways as tourists would, Murray led the group through corhistory after hours. The group walked a circuit through the building, visiting the

Secretary of the Navy. They also perused exhibits about the military’s involvement in disaster relief and U.S. presidents who served as military commanders, among others. While in the halls of the Defense Intelligence Agency, students got to see a gold-plated AK-47 that once belonged to Saddam Hussein. The gun is displayed alongside a set of Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards, developed by U.S. military to help troops identify members of Hussein’s government during the invasion of Iraq. Students said standing in an tacks was, without a doubt, the most moving experience.

commandant of the United States Marine Corps — for whom Murray now works when at the Pentagon. On the morning of the attack, Hogue was in the suite, but ing near the suite door, he was thrown approximately 15 feet from the impact of the plane. Since most students were younger than 10 years old in 2001, the trip allowed them to see the impact of the attacks in a new and valuable way. “Seeing the intricacies of the 9/11 memorial with the lights and the chapel gave a wonderful perspective of the effect the attack had on the Pentagon,” sophomore Emily DePangher said. “And how quickly the military rebuilt and revitalized.”

D. Hogue, the counsel for the

Hearing from the professors’ younger selves Andrew Egger Assistant Editor Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lee Cole ’04 captivated an enthusiastic audience in Lane 125 yesterday afternoon with a letter written to his freshman self. Cole’s lecture was the most recent entry of Academic Services’ new “Letters to my Undergraduate Self” series, in which Hillsdale professors turn back the clock to relate what they wish they had known when they began college. Professor of Psychology Collin Barnes kicked off the series on Feb. 18, and Visiting Assistant Professor of History Miles Smith IV followed suit on March 2. Distinguished Visiting Professor of History Samuel Negus will share his thoughts at the end of March, and Assistant Professor of Physics Paul Hosmer will speak in mid-April. The lecture series is the brain-

child of senior MacKenzie McGrath, student director of Academic Services. “My years at Hillsdale have conversations I’ve had with my professors outside of class,” McGrath said in an email. “Their wisdom and support has been an irreplaceable part of my life here. In dreaming up this series, I wanted to pose a question that could offer to a wider audience some of the same sorts of wisdom that I have received one-onone from my professors.” The question McGrath posed: Knowing what you know now, what advice do you wish you had gotten before your freshman year of college? The question was intentionally broad, and the professors who have spoken have taken it in unique directions. Cole, for example, mentioned the appropriateness of his previous relative lack of knowledge.

“If anything, I’m pretty certain that I’m actually happy that I didn’t know then all that I know now,” Cole said. “Not because I was once blissfully ignorant whereas now I’ve become worldweary and cynical, but because I simply wasn’t ready to know everything that I know now and so not knowing those things was okay, was even appropriate.” During his lecture, Smith discussed his gradual intellectual awakening, his conversion to Christianity, and his migration from Southern student to Northern professor. “You probably think it’s tragic single and living in small town in Michigan, sharing a house with a Lutheran dude from Riga,” Smith said to his undergraduate self. But this trajectory wasn’t tragic at all, he said: Beginning in his junior year, he became a devout Christian. Smith said that the experience

of preparing for the lecture gave him new insights about his own past. “I thought about things I hadn’t thought about in eight or nine years,” Smith said. “You do that you conjure up memories of your undergraduate experience that you’d kind of forgotten about.” McGrath said that she has been happy with the lectures so far. “Our speakers have been gracious enough to take the time to delve into their past and present selves,” she said. “While I certainly hope that it is proving to be a valuable exercise for its own sake, my greater hope is that their doing so contributes to fostering the kind of conversation, the kind of community that helps us see ourselves and the world around Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lee Cole presents his us through each other’s eyes.” letter to his undergraduate self. (Elena Creed/Collegian)

Bookstore bag contest opens

Kids with guns: Bart to speak on gun culture Stacey Egger Collegian Freelancer

Associate Professor of English Patricia Bart will give a lecture in the Heritage Room on Friday at 4:30 p.m., entitled “Guns N’ Younguns: Growing up in gun culture.” Bart will discuss the position of guns in modern culture, as well as her perspective on what gun culture really is, or should be. “We need to refound American culture as a whole,” Bart said. “And ‘gun culture’ is a part of what we need to refound.” Bart has a lifetime of familiarity with guns, particularly in her childhood. Her talk will include stories of experiences in her youth such as “shooting squirrels and making stew,” which will provide both shape to her discussion and, almost certainly, great entertainment to her audience.

Natalie DeMacedo News Editor

“I’m going to reminisce,” she said. Bart said that these kinds of experiences are part of what she considers good gun culture, but there is much more to it. The more central parts of her discussion, however, she is saving for Friday. Although there may be a comparatively large number of Hillsdale students who are familiar with guns, Bart suggested that the majority of the students have lives. These students, she said, will be “surprised at the true nature of gun culture, and they need to be surprised by it.” She encourages those who have grown up around guns to attend as well and “lend support.” American culture’s variety of opinions on guns have spawned a vast and confusing contemporary dialogue.

As one of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, the pastor at Countryside Bible Church Bob Snyder gave a talk titled “Why St. Patrick of Ireland?” (Elena Creed/Collegian)

The bright yellow bollards are gone for now Sarah Chavey Collegian Reporter Unnoticed by almost everyone but the few who protested against them, the yellow bollards previously installed to prevent cars from driving on campus have been removed. Director of Campus Security and Emergency Management William Whorley said the removal is due to some potential construction plans as well as some severely needed repairs for damages caused by snow removal and other equipment. “If we raise all the money that we need for the chapel, the chapel will go where the bollards were,” Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers said. “This is all a work in progress, but construction projApart from exciting a few students and an alumnus, the change most likely will not affect students on campus. “They spent money to install them and nobody noticed. It was like they didn’t even exist — people kept driving up there anyway. And then they got rid of them, and no one really noticed — people

drive up there anyway,” sophomore Kate Patrick said. While the money spent on their installment now may seem like a waste, Whorley said they may attempt to repair and re-install the bollards, if construction plans do not interfere. The maintenance crew provides free removal and re-installation of the bollards. These re-installation plans may upset some. “There has been no greater enemy to the defense of liberty and the education of young people in the liberal arts than the bollards at Hillsdale College. It warms my heart to know that those impediments to freedom have been removed,” alumnus Casey Harper ’14 said. Both Harper and Patrick said they believe the bollards detract from the beauty of the campus. “There’s something cool about learning about beautiful things in a beautiful place, and rusty make it more beautiful,” Harper more beautiful now. With this small of a campus, every little bit counts.” “That’s probably the only advantage of their removal, that the campus looks better,” Patrick said.

Whorley, on the other hand, said he found the bollards a good option for campus. “Others options didn’t look décor of the campus,” Whorley said. Other options such as gates, chains, and cables impede the walkways. The color, however, was not entirely intended for decoration, but also to make the bollards more apparent. Immediately after their installment, security received some complaints about students tripping over them. “It’s a great big yellow thing. Unless your eyes are closed or you’re asleep, I don’t know how you could miss it,” Whorley responded to those complaints. Patrick felt differently. “I’ve tripped on them before, because there’s all this ice, and then snow. You don’t see them, and then you trip over them,” Patrick said. Though the bollards are now gone, Rogers and Whorley are not worried about the safety of students as they were before. “Security is vigilant about making sure that when cars do come on campus, they’re watching the speed. Everyone is cognizant of right-of-way to pedestrians,” Rogers said.

Q&A From A1

it, but, of course, they wrote it as though I believe that. I’ve said if we’re going to have capital punishment, we should use hanging antiseptic things like lethal injections. The state should be forthright about violence. Let’s be honest about this sort of thing. Unlike most people, I’ve actually seen someone shortly after they were hanged. It was a lynching in India. If you change the order of things, it might look like I argued that when it’s not actually what I believe. On numerous occasions, you have expressed that you do not vote. As a journalist who writes on political issues, why don’t you vote? I think that as things currently stand, operational politics are, at a certain level, dishonorable. There’s a lot of good people

Until March 27, the Hillsdale College Bookstore is accepting submissions for their spring break photo contest. Before spring break, the bookstore encouraged students to pick up a plastic bag, take it with them wherever they were headed, and snap a picture with it. In order to enter the contest, students must submit the picture with their name, the location the photo was taken, and the names of any people in the photo. Angie Berry, trade book coordinator, said they did the same thing in 2008. It went very well, so she wanted to bring it back. submitted a photo, but Berry said other students have come in asking about how to enter and she expects more pictures soon. doing good things, but it’s not something I want to be involved in directly. More broadly, the premise of politics as such is coercion. It’s using the state to force people into doing things you want them to do. I have some questions on the legitimacy of government as it stands. I’ve written a lot about abortion, and what that says on the relationship between the individual and the state. I happen to be born to an unmarried, 15-year-old girl a trimester before Roe was decided. If abortion had been legal, I probably would not be here. I’m not really sure a government that doesn’t recognize my right to life and to exist is something I want to participate in directly. Voting is a small part of how things get changed. I do what I think is the humane thing to do, which is to argue with people, change their minds. I’m not a complete anarchist, but I would much rather work through persuasion than

One student has a picture with the bag while skydiving. Another shows the bag on the beach surrounded by warm sand and a towel. The grand prize is a $50 bookstore gift card, while the second and third place winners will receive me.u stereophonic earphones, according to the conBerry added that Barbara Bushey, department chairman of art, Cindy Hoard, science division secretary, and John Somerville, associate professor of English, will judge the contest entries on March 31. Until then, students can see the pictures hanging in the bookstore window. “Just enjoy it. This is fun,” Berry said. “I’m just glad I don’t have to judge it. That would be very hard.”

using the state to force people to do the things I want them to. What is your interest in teaching here at Hillsdale? I like teaching when I get the chance. It’s just not something I can do because of my travel schedule. It’s fun to talk to students who are interested in what I do. I always like being at Hillsdale. Hillsdale is like a monastery. Henri Nouwen, Catholic priest, spent some time at a monastery in upstate New York. When he went into the monastery, he thought it was a place people went to escape the “real world.” After he’d been there, he realized the monastery was the real world, and everywhere else was the place you went to escape it. Hillsdale has a reputation for being cloistered, but this is the real world, developing your life, mind, ideas, relationships, the spiritual aspect of your life. That’s a lot more real. -Compiled by Breana Noble

NEWS

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A3 19 March 2015

Admissions extends application deadline Breana Noble Collegian Reporter

The debate team spent their spring break competing at nationals, and placed well throughout the tournament. (Courtesy of Keyona Shabazz)

Debate Team goes to Nationals Jessie Fox Collegian Reporter

Over spring break, 22 Hillsdale students competed in a national speech and debate tournament hosted at Ohio University. Hillsdale has a comprehensive debate program, so students competed across multiple genres of speech as well as multiple formats of debate. dividual Team Sweepstakes and second in Debate Sweepstakes. In Combined Sweepa tie for seventh place. Matthew Warner, assistant director of debate and forensics, said the competition was tournament was cancelled due to a snowstorm that closed Ohio University’s campus. Due to the cancellation, the remaining three days included four days’ worth of competition. Debate coach Matthew Doggett said the team “succeeded in the unexpected” as the students handled unforeseen pressures very well. “I thought everyone who

competed in debate did something excellent,” Doggett said. “The whole team had to survive a snowstorm and a change to the tournament schedule that put far more pressure on the debaters to do well in fewer rounds.” Judges gave students scores ranging from “Good” to “Excellent” to “Superior” for each event. “The team did exceptionally. There were over 80 schools competing, and most individual events had over 100 entries,” Warner said. “Aside from a handful of novice competitors, every Hillsdale student earned at least a Good award in a majority of their events.” Doggett gave credit to the students who competed in both individual events and debate events. “What they did was amazing because they all had two debating events plus several individual events, so they were speaking at 8 in the morning until 8 or 9 o’clock at night,” Doggett said. Senior Ian Fury gave more than 30 speeches in eight different categories over the course of the tournament and earned Excellent scores in vir-

tually every event. Fury said he was most proud of his After Dinner Speech in which he aimed to persuade his audience through humor about the discrimination against conservatives in the competitive speaking circuit. “I am most proud of this speech because my teammate and I rewrote most of my jokes in the days leading up to the tournament. We rewrote some of the jokes as late as 11 the night before I gave the speech,” Fury said. Fury won two out of three rounds with this speech.

The debate team “succeeded in the unexpected,” as students handled unforseen pressures very well. Other key performers in individual events included seniors Brandon Butz and Anna Wunderlich, sophomores Erin Graham and Keyona Shabazz, and freshman Mary Blender-

mann. Senior Taylor Wessel and junior Graham Deese placed second in JV Parliamentary Debate. Junior Alex Eaton and freshman Allie Howell placed in Novice Lincoln-Douglas debate. The two partnered to receive an Excellent score in Novice Parliamentary debate. Freshmen Rachel Behr and Adrienne Carrier partnered to receive an Excellent score in Public Forum debate and placed ninth. competing in Public Forum debate, but she has been partnering with Behr since the girls were in high school. “We have really good experience that way, we knew how each other would function, and we could kind of bounce back and forth off of each other,” Carrier said. “It was an open event so there were seniors competing, not just Novice and JV — so we were really excited about how we placed.”

Admissions has extended this year’s application deadline for incoming freshmen from Feb. 15 to April 15 because of additional merit scholarship donations. Also, a new Frederick Douglass Fund for need-based aid has slightly altered the focus of the admissions counselors. According to Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting John Papciak, there is additional merit money left over, as well as a few donations, from the alloted funds for the incoming class’s scholarship fund. “We are fortunate to raise some additional scholarship funds due to the generous support by some of our donors which has enabled the college to provide some additional scholarships,” Vice President for Institutional Advancement John Cervini said. “The cost of educating a student per year is $56,000 at Hillsdale so every student to receive a scholarship is made possible by our supporters.” While not uncommon for Hillsdale to accept applications past extension on the website and is promoting it through its communications and call team. “It’s something we’re just being more open about,” Papciak said. “In the past, we would extend it, but maybe wouldn’t have told the applicant pool. It’s less ambiguous this year. We have more contact with our prospective students and parents, and more clear-cut, this-is-the-date applications for the sake of any confusion.” Papciak said the general pool of extending the application deadline, it makes the process more competitive. “We award based on strength of application,” he said. While the April 15 deadline is close to the May 1 deposit cutoff date, counselors will continue

looking at applications as they arrive, and letters will be submitted soon after the extension. The extended deadline will not alter the size of the incoming class. With a goal of about 380 students, the college hopes to retain its student-to-faculty ratio as well as not exceed on-campus living facilities. “Our small classes allow students to relate to their professors and have personal relationships,” Papciak said. “We’re a small, private liberal arts college. Small is important to us.” The remaining money is to be used for next year’s freshmen only, each class having its own endowment, according to Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg. On the need-based front, the Frederick Douglass Fund, which started last year, is supplementing other scholarships for students in need, according to Moeggenberg. donation already,” Moeggenberg said. “It gives preference to highneed students. This program, I’m excited about it, because it gives us an opportunity to look at students who, from an affordability point of view, wouldn’t be able to look at Hillsdale. This is something our admissions counselors will be looking at, even a particular area of the country or schools, and targeting students who deserve a chance, who have worked hard and don’t have the chance to realize a dream of a Hillsdale education.” Having access to scholarships, both need-based and merit-based, contributes to the classes and allows a greater variety of students to attend the school. “We are able to evaluate more right now, which is a cool thing,” Papciak said. “We are able to add to our class, not in a number way, but in looking at the different types of applications, the different types of people who apply. It allows for more individuals to apply. It’s always good for our students and our classes for people to come in and have people represent different ideas.”

Ivy-crowned seniors win Corona Classica

ski, there is also overlap between these and the important questions that Hillsdale naturally asks. Koperski has also presented papers at conferences and has published a book review in the Eta Sigma Phi publication. He said that he is honored to be mentioned alongside Benjamins and Ferguson for the award. “To be mentioned in the same sentence with two people that I have taken a lot of classes with meant a lot to me,

Emma Vinton Assistant Editor

The classical studies crowned three seniors with Classica, an award which outstanding senior who is

department the Corona honors an continuing

Benjamins, LaRae Ferguson, and Andrew Koperski received the award at the Honors Assembly in February. Associate Professor of Classical Studies Joseph Garnjobst said because they had three very strong candidates, it was necessary to give the award to three seniors. “They’ve gone to national conferences and presented some of their scholarship, at least two apiece,” Garnjobst said. “That is a feather in everyone’s cap.” All three of the awardees have quite different stories about how they came to the classics. Benjamins, a history and Latin maLatin before coming to Hillsdale. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to major. “The department was fantastic and the classes were tremendous, and so I was hooked straightaway,” he said. Benjamins, who said his passion

Senior Joshua Benjamins.

Students will soon have another chance to take advantage of the warm spring weather by kayaking on Baw Beese Lake. Campus Health and Recreation will be purchasing three kayaks and three paddleboards for student use, using money from Student Federation. On set days, the Student Directors of Campus Health and Recreation, juniors Rachael Hille and Jeff Meyers, will take the kayaks and paddleboards down to the lake. Students can show up at any point during the advertised time to use the boats. “We’re trying to make this as convenient as possible for students,” Director of Student Activities Anthony Manno said. The advertised times will start next fall, but if the warm weather continues to hold, there’s a possibility they will begin this semester. Campus Health and Recreation has been discussing the

(Courtesy of Caroline Green)

(Courtesy of Ferguson)

is for late antiquity and early Christian theology, especially Augustine, has presented papers at a number of conferences, including Eta Sigma Phi conferences. He has won prizes in various national translation conferences in both Latin and Greek, and is currently co-translating a 16th-century Latin text which is set to be published next year. Garnjobst called Benjamins Hillsdale’s “most decorated champion.” Ferguson is both a Greek and Latin major. She began Greek freshman year, and picked up Latin afterwards. She

said the department is strong in classical Greek, but her interest is in Koine Greek also. “They just have this really infectious enthusiasm that is really great and is probably one of the biggest factors in my decision to go with the classics department,” she said. “It took me a long time, as Dr. Garnjobst will testify, to actually decide to be a Greek and Latin major.” Ferguson is also a two-time national champion in Greek translation. “My favorite thing to do is to compare language apostle Paul uses with

Fed to purchase kayaks and paddleboards for SAB Katie Beemer Collegian Reporter

Senior Andrew Koperski.

Senior LaRae Ferguson.

(Courtesy of Benjamins)

idea of getting the boats since last September. “The whole idea came from needing something else to do in Hillsdale, something for students to get out and have more community and really utilize Lake Baw Beese,” Hille said. When Campus Health and Recreation came up with the idea to purchase the boats, they hoped this could be another activity that students participated in. “That was our hope for this other way to have something for students to do,” Hille said. “So often, people are like: ‘Well, it’s Hillsdale.’ We don’t always have a lot to do or a lot of options around here. So, why not take something that we do have and give so many more ways to use it, like how beautiful Lake Baw Beese is. So, our hope is to bring more community and events for students to have fun and do something a little different than they’re used to.” Campus Health and Recre-

ation’s goal is to reach out to students through activities. “This is the whole point of our organization, to get kids out to be active and be outside and whatnot,” Meyers said. Meyers has put a tremendous amount of research into picking kayaks and paddleboards that will serve student use and last for years to come. “They’re not super fancy ones. They’re a couple of kayaks from REI, just their standard,” Meyers said. “Not the lowest level, but like second level up. The standard paddle boards we got are also recreational style. Everything we got had very good reviews.” All students who participate are sure to have a fun time. “They’re just a lot of fun,” Meyers said. “It’s a good exercise because you can get exercise from paddling with them, but it’s also a lot of fun to just lake.”

language of classical Greek authors, especially in regards to moral questions,” she said. Koperski is a Latin and history major who took Latin from an early age. By the end of high school, he had taken a lot of Latin and Greek, and so his competency and interest in the languages prompted him to continue at Hillsdale. Koperski said that he particularly enjoys studying Virgil. “He’s a very good poet in that he likes to ask very tough questions, questions that I think every society needs to ask itself,” he said. According to Koper-

than anything else,” he said. All three are deciding on graduate schools after graduation. Garnjobst, who crowns the victors with ivy garlands at graduation, said he used to scrounge around the houses of friends and colleagues for ivy before he began growing it. “I took the name corona, crown, seriously, and now it’s become a thing,” he said. “I didn’t know there is a large street value for crowns, but apparently there is.” The three awardees all expressed their excitement to receive the homemade crowns. Garnjobst, who in the past has only needed to weave one crown, now worries that the winter will hinder ivy growth. “Now I have to come up with a substantial amount of ivy,” he said.

Mossey goes mad in March Sarah Albers Assistant Editor Mossey Madness has begun. The event is loosely based on the annual frenzy of NCAA March Madness. Instead of college basketball teams, some of the greatest authors and thinkers in the Western tradition will vie for the winning bracket. Milton, Dostoevsky, Churchill, Aristotle, and many others are pitted against one another in the tournament brackets, to be assisted in their battle for supremacy by the votes of Hillsdale students, faculty, and staff. Voting began Monday. Participants will need to visit the library homepage regularly in order to check brackets and vote. The grand prize winner and a friend will, at the end of the contest, be awarded a tour of Hillsdale’s infamous tunnel system with Director of Campus Security and Emergency Management Bill Whorley. The runner-up will receive a $20 gift card, redeemable at A.J.’s Café and Jitters Coffee Cart. Third place gets a $10 gift card. Library Director Dan Knoch

has submitted a bracket — indeed, he’s already begun voting. But when asked to reveal his predicted victor, Knoch refused, then laughed. “I don’t know,” Knoch said. “Should I give that away?” Public Service Librarian Brenna Wade was more forthcoming with her own predictions. self just for fun,” Wade said. “I had the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ bracket, with ‘Paradise Lost’ winning.” A love of books is widely shared at Hillsdale. The contest is an opportunity to reach out to campus in an unconventional way. Technical Service Librarian LeAnne Rumler hopes the contest will bring students together over the books in the brackets. “I hope that it reaches students,” she said. “It’s fun to have a little bit of friendly competition.” When voting, students will have to factor in not only personal preferences, but the literary worth of the books in the brackets. Wade said she experienced

own tournament predictions. “Narnia is very dear to my heart,” Wade said. “But I felt that ‘Paradise Lost’ was a tad more literary. But the voting process will probably end up being very personal.” Knoch went a step further, taking into account the student following behind Associate Professor of English Justin Jackson. “The Brothers Karamazov” and “Notes from Underground,” two beloved works of Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, are headto-head in an early bracket. Jackson has endorsed “The Brothers Karamazov” in the past. He in his evaluation, Dostoevsky’s “best” work, though by a narrow margin. “I was trying to put myself into the mindset of the students,” Knoch said. “Dr. Jackson has spoken on it and I know that he campus.” In the end, only one esteemed title and author may emerge the victor. “May the best book win,” Wade said.

OPINION 19 March 2015 A4

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Politics matters wherever you are

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the oPinion of the collegian editorial staff The latest political scandal involves Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock using federal and campaign money for lavish personal expenses. He resigned Tuesday, and even those outside his district should care. Amidst the daily reports of Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lying about her private email use and Oregon Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber resigning over his it is easy to roll your eyes and attribute it to the sliminess of politics. But this is not enough. -

Netanyahu’s address to Congress was not intended as an insult or as a backhanded maneuver, but rather a passionate But this year, the conference was conducted in a different way. There was a palpable sense of discomfort. Many attendees, speakers, and delegates of the AIPAC Policy Conference were worried about both the White House response to their conference and the address their beloved Netanyahu would deliver. And let me tell you, it But people were also uncomfortable with the fact that Netanyahu had essentially undermined the institution of the American president by agreeing to speak before Congress without alerting President Obama’s administration. The current situation in Israel leaves much to be desired as terrorist Iran grows closer everyday to the possibility of becoming a nuclear force. Iran is closing in and encroaching on the Israeli people’s liberties through its support for random bombings, public terrorist threats against Israel via Twitter, etc. But if Iran becomes a nuclear power, America’s safety is also threatened. Iran could destroy the democratic Israel, completely destabilize the oil-producing Middle East, and possibly use their nuclear weapons against America. Netanyahu’s address to Congress was not intended as an insult or as a backhanded maneuver, but rather a passionate attempt to shed light on some major Israeli issues. At the end of March, American legislators need to decide whether to impose further sanctions on Iran, ratify a concrete agreement with Iran regarding nuclear activity, or to take military action against Iran. Iran’s intentions are unknown, which prompts a desire for safeguards that may prevent the building of a nuclear weapon. The question on the minds of American legislators is where to draw the line as the Obama administration negotiates with an enemy of peace. The U.S.-Israeli relationship has never been stronger and it has been carefully constructed through a bipartisan coalition. A majority of the American public supports Israel and trade between the two countries is steadily increasing. Congress will hopefully act

Valerie Copan Student Columnist I had never been fully cognizant of what was happening in the church according to the liturgical calendar. My mom tells me our little, evangelical church was good about at least remarking on the special holy days or seasons coming up. Maybe I simply wasn’t paying attention. Or maybe nothing ever stuck,

knows community members will notice if the new city manlarge or a project is bid out too high — because every dollar ing toward road improvements. These citizens care what happens at the local level. If politicians are ever to stop using their political authority unjustly, those of us being governed have to show we care, too.

celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Many are aware of the magnitude and drama of this time, but how often do we give it any more thought than we would the weather? Søren Kierkegaard states that Christ’s whole life on earth was intended solely to have followers and to make mere admirers impossible. “Christ came into the world with the purpose of saving, not instructing it. At the same time — as is implied in his saving work — he came to be the pattern, to leave footprints for the person who would join him, who would become a follower.” Indeed, Lent (literally “springtime”) is meant to cut to the heart of our complacency; it is a time when, “out of the darkness of sin’s winter, a repentant, empowered people emerges.” He was tested, and if we are serious about who He is, we will follow suit. Valerie Copan is a senior studying Spanish and art.

STOP WITH THE ‘SWOLFIES’ You should exercise for your health, not to indulge your vanity Morgan Delp Editor-in-Chief Scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, pictures of pre-made meals and girls in sports bras staring into smudged gym mirrors litter my feed. Captions brag about how far so-and-so has come, how easy it is to prepare the entire week’s meals ahead of time, and how with a strong enough mindset, I, too, can persevere and look like this aspiring body-builder. Oddly enough, I rarely feel encouragement from or admiration for these posts. Mostly, I feel sad. It’s upsetting how many obsess over living a strictly-controlled lifestyle, and it’s even worse how often people feel the need to share with everyone else on the Internet. Not only is this a vain misplacement of our priorities, but it’s also unhealthy. cial media, and am especially Instagramobsessed. Am I a victim to vanity in some of my posts? Yes. Should I spend more time studying, reading important things, and interacting with real people than I do on social media? Yes. But I love seeing and posting pictures of beautiful scenery, friends and family together, beautiful vacation spots, funny or inspirational quotes, adorable pups, and the occasional donut. It is fun to connect with those you don’t see every day, and world.

demic so wrong is the culture it promotes, and the consequences it causes. The half-naked gym pics, by men and women alike, are distasteful, attention-seeking, and inappropriate. They lead to bikini and even undergarment pictures, which are now considered normal for Instagram, a perceived “private”

The Uses of a Liberal Arts Education

became a nation in 1948, America has stood by Israel in support. Netanyahu’s address to Congress was like a student asking a friendly student for help against a bully in their class. It wasn’t going around the teacher’s head, rather just asking for help directly from the friendly student who helped them out before. I’m certainly hoping that Congress acts favorably toward Israel. I am hoping to work the AIPAC Conference again next year so I can awkwardly interact with political

by Forester Gwendolyn Hodge is a sophomore studying politics and theater.

legislation. It starts much closer

because I never knew what these those agonizing forty days. days actually were; as far as I can But then, in my own life Easremember, these were not devel- ter usually snuck up on me, and I oped within my church in a way would lament the fact that I had that had any staying power. (Is been so detached and hadn’t takthe pastor off the hook if I was en much time to think on this seajust vaguely ‘informed’?) son and its implications. Coming Lent was one such season home from St. Paul’s Church on that was announced, followed by an Ash remarked, Wednesday “that was service, but the last time Many are aware of the we’ll sing not touched magnitude and drama of an ‘Alleluia’ on again. I always con- this time, but how often until Eassidered Lent do we give it any more ter.” How irrelevant striking that thought than we would was to realanyhow. E v e r y - the weather? ize! Along one knew those lines, Lent was last year I a ritual all sent another the nominal friend into Catholics took part in, using it a frenzy over the fact that I had as a means to jumpstart a diet been listening to the Easter secthey had been intending to get tion of Handel’s “Messiah” beon anyway; Lent was just the fore Easter. How dare I? Last added impetus. Lent was a time year, I brushed off her outburst when people begrudgingly gave with an exasperated sigh, but this up something, and being driven year? I’ve never so strongly seen not by joy but by pride and legal- the beauty in this time of waiting ism, dragged themselves through and fasting and preparing for the

Gwendolyn Hodge Special to the Collegian

jokes she was telling to be funny or appropriate. Or when Ben Sasse asked me if I’d ever been to Nebraska and I told him that, while I had not physically been there, I certainly felt like I had been since half of my college seems to be from there. Luckily, there were no catastrophically embarrassing moments like one of my past years when I spoke Spanish to Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. (I’ve only ever taken French, by the way.) Antics aside, working this conference these past few years has opened up my eyes to the U.S.-Israel relationship and also given me a passion for foreign relations.

have to listen to all of President -

to home. Irate citizens attend most Hillsdale City Council meetings, fuming about the condi-

It’s not just for finally getting started on your diet

Stand with Israel

my inner Hillsdale politics fan girl. For example, Michelle Bachmann came up to me and asked for a badge credential and an escort. I asked to see her ID, said nothing for a good 30 seconds, and then told her that I liked her eye shadow before scurrying behind my boss to wait for her badge to print. I met Bill Kristol and almost asked him why he left Fox News. And there was that time when Donna Brazile asked me to escort her to a room

apathy toward politicians allows their underhanded behavior to continue undetected. Just as a child is less likely to nab a cookie from the cookie jar when his mom is in the kitchen, politicians adjust their actions when they know constituents are paying attention. Whether we vote or not, all politicians make decisions that impact our lives. Simply shrugging our shoulders and claim-

change that. Our core curriculum teaches that being human means participating in the polis. Politics is a huge part of almost all of the core classes. Western Heritage students, moreover, read Aristotle, who argues that man is a naturally political being. To curb breaches of power and deception, we must assume our rightful roles as political

How I learned to take Lent seriously

The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Letters should be 450 words or less and include your name and number. Send submissions to jbutler@hillsdale.edu before Sunday at 6 p.m.

Considering that a majority of Hillsdale students are interested in current events and politics, if not majoring or minoring in politics, it’s probably safe to assume that most students are familiar with the United States’ relationship with Israel. I know I am familiar with it, but then again, this is also my fourth year working as an intern for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. And

eryone under their governance, not just those interested in politics majors to be outraged.

McClatchey

social media feed. As the old saying goes, everything on the Internet is fair game. Beside the issues of immodesty and downright annoyance, the entire mindset of working out and living a healthy lifestyle has been warped. Everyone with an Instagram trainer and nutritionist, and it is dangerous.

It’s upsetting how many obsess over living a strictly-controlled lifestyle, and it’s even worse how often people feel the need to share with everyone else on the Internet. People think that by rapidly losing weight — whether by over-exercising, under-eating, or both — and then posting pictures, they are mentoring others, who all have different body types and situations. They perceive the actual health risks they are undergoing and endorsing. Instead of receiving professional consultation to lose weight or bulk up, people fall for supplement companies that troll their pages and take drastic weight-loss measures. Instead of exercising and eating right for the sake of feeling happy and less-stressed, and for maintaining a healthy body, people take things to the extreme — working out for hours for that perfect gym photo and for Before, we were the Supersized nation. Statistics show that obesity is still a huge prob-

lem, as two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, according to the Food Research and Action Center. But now, we have a new problem: The gym rat disease. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “91 percent of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 22 percent dieted ‘often’ or ‘always.’ 86 percent report onset of eating disorder by age 20; 43 percent report onset between ages of 16 and 20.” Eating disorders are a real problem on our campus as well, and I blame partly the social media culture for this statistic. Let’s exercise not only to maintain a to feel good, to take a break from school, to have fun with friends, and to enjoy time to ourselves — away from our social media accounts. Let’s eat healthy meals because it’s important to put good things in our body. It’s vital to feeling alert, to preventing sickness, means something different for everyone. It’s rewarding to realize that you can now run three miles instead of one, that you can now beat your friend in racquetball, and that you feel stronger. These should be our rewards, not 20 comments of ogglement promoting more natural, positively-driven, less-vain, healthy lifestyles, maybe we can decrease the attitude of eating and over-exercising disorders that plague our campus and our nation. them. Morgan Delp, a member of the tennis team, is a senior studying history and journalism.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Our campus needs a bar

Nathan Brand Special to the Collegian Walking into a bar earlier this semester, I was pleasantly surwith their spouses. As they got up to leave Broad Street Downtown Market and Tavern later that night, I walked over to shake hands and say “hello” in an attempt to be polite. Following a bit of small talk, I asked the administrators if they would join us in singing This brief encounter never would have happened on campus. jokes. I connected with college staff in a way that campus does not normally facilitate. So how can the college foster this sort of community? The school needs to open on-campus bar. It would bring students and faculty together, promote healthy alcohol consumption, and promote community on campus. Imagine Dr. Arnn asking you “What is the good?” over a glass of scotch. I will forget about Monday’s biology lecture, but I won’t foralongside college administrators. The college obviously does not want to encourage alcohol consumption, but college students will drink alcohol for as long as the earth keeps spinning. So the next best alternative is advocating for moderate and responsible alcohol consumption and activities, all while promoting community on-campus. For all the fun of jazz night at the Underground or karaoke night most students, and often times someone is required to drive. Re-

moving the need of a car eliminates one of the major risks associated with drinking. If a bar is located on campus, the risk of DUIs and the dangers Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates more than 3.3 million students between the ages 18 and 24 drive under t h e away takes the possibility of anyone getting behind the wheel of a car inebriated away as well.

It would bring students and faculty together, promote healthy alcohol consumption, and promote community on campus. Imagine Dr. Arnn asking you “What is the good?” over a glass of scotch. would be the college’s ability to monitor student alcohol consumption. The college would be more careful than a local bar at making sure not to over-serve a student. Also, sitting down the bar from a professor or an administrator provides a bit of positive social pressure to moderate one’s drinking. Schools from Berkley to Georgetown have on-campus bars, and school-run pubs are very common in the United Kingdom. a temporary manner in the past. In 1997, a Delta Sigma Phi representative to Student Federation proposed to start a committee

GOP won’t win with Rand Paul His principles are admirable, but too easily caricatured Zoe Harness Special to the Collegian The Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) annually convenes a hyper-charged conclave of right leaning (and in my view, rightthinking) activists. This gathering culminates with the announcement of CPAC’s straw poll winner. It is no surprise that Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, an idealist candidate proposing sweeping changes, ignites CPAC since approximately half the attendees are college students. The question is, after eight years out of the White bring Republicans back to the presidency in 2016? Sadly, despite my great personal admiration for Paul, he has zero chance of winning the nomination, much less the presidency. While Paul’s ideas are fundamentally correct and aligned with A m e r i c a ’s Constitution and Founding principles, he is not a viable candidate. Rather, he is the perfect straw man. Paul’s stark positions make him an easily lampoon-able, cartoon-able, almost writes itself. Specific and principled, Paul’s positions are effortlessly misconstrued as extreme and dangerous. Paul is to the left vard-professing, “you-didn’t-buildthat”-originating Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is to the right — stereotypically laughable. Paul favors completely abolishing the IRS, the Departments of EducaDevelopment, and Commerce and hundreds of associated agencies. A full list of these “must-go” agencies appeared on March 2, 2010, on dailypaul.com, a pro-Paul website. As far as the military, Paul wants minimal budget cuts but is adverse to “boots on the ground” in all but the direst circumstances; centrists in both parties therefore consider his foreign policy position isolationist. While the intellectual merit of Paul’s views, both domestic and international, certainly deserves fair consideration, such fairness is not the purpose of the overwhelmingly liberal media. Just as Paul’s propositions are red meat to a CPAC crowd clad in “Big Government Sucks” t-shirts, they are alarming anathema to the left (press included). Paul’s media interactions have fuadmonished her to “be more objecbrief sampling of Paul’s other press coverage over the years: A May 2010 Gawker article entitled “Rand Paul is Even Crazier Than his Racist and Pro-BP Gaffes

A5 19 March 2015

Suggest,” depicts Paul as “the political-contender version of the mouthbreathing conspiracy theorist with missing teeth and a torn plastic bag full of photocopies.” The reference to BP is when Paul said Obama’s comments about BP after the gulf spill were “un-American.” Paul is further described in “his tinfoil hat,” talking [and his] bizarre and utterly unfounded conspiracy theory about a devilish highway connecting Mexico City and Toronto.” This highway, in Paul’s words, is “aimed at supplanting the sovereign United States with a multiA 2010 Wall Street Journal article said Paul nearly self-destructed during his comments “about the constitutionality of the 1964 Civil Rights treme and, to some point, racist.” “Paul is a hard-money fanatic who wants to abolish the Federal Reserve’s role in using money policy to stabilize the economy. That’s the joke,” observed Jonathan Chait in 2013. In Jan. 2015, Paul told the ald Leader that “Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts. Join the club. Who doesn’t get up Rand Paul/Wikimedia Commons a little anxious for work every day and their back hurts? Everybody over 40 has a back pain.” With just these few examples, Paul is branded as pro-oil, conspiracy obsessed, anti-Civil Rights, radical on monetary policy, and against disabled people. The supporting inminutes of any Google search. The press will eagerly incorporate cines, his anti-bureaucracy extremism, and his recent signature on the Iran letter (another potential pie-inapproval). The cherry on top is Senator Paul’s political pedigree; he runs the presidential media gauntlet saddled with his father’s almost ‘wing-nut’ reputation on his back. Texas Republican and former Congressman Ron Paul ran for the GOP nomination twice, (also once as the Libertarian nominee), and proposed even more radical solutions than Paul the younger does son” is a much easier concept for a TV-entranced, public school-indoctrinated, intellectually lazy public to embrace than honestly considering Rand Paul’s proposals. The sad fact is that the proletariat prefers bread and circuses. And it hurts Rand Paul. Republicans must look elsewhere if they 2016. Zoe Harness is a freshman studying speech.

tasked with opening a beer stand located outside of the student In 2009, Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell, who at the ger Bar” to campus. For one night, SAB converted Curtiss Dining on campus.” Currently, alcohol is now served at SAB events like karaoke night and Centralhallapalooza. The College also already offers a course on the making of beer. If the college teaches it, it might as well serve it. Along with that, the bar could give entrepreneurship, marketing, and business students an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice. Along with the academics of serving alcohol, an on-campus bar can provide for hands-on vocational training for students interested in bartending. The location of the bar is very important to its success and the to be as central as possible. Ideally, the college should convert the under-used formal lounge in the Grewcock Student Union into a bar. Or make some minor renovations to the Old Snack Bar and make it a permanent “Charger Bar.” of having an on-campus bar, as it would bring students together from all corners of campus life, similar to the dining hall. Rather than student-professor tea, students and faculty could mingle over a glass of wine or a cold beer.

Nathan Brand is a senior studying economics.

Scott Walker could win for Republicans Arielle Mueller Special to the Collegian What do Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Scott Walker have in common? They all changed America. And they didn’t need a college degree to do it. On Feb. 12, Democratic ard Dean deemed GOP frontthe presidency because he dropped out of college. “The issue is, how well educated is BC’s “Morning Joe.” “I worry about people being president of the United States not knowing much about the world and not knowing much about science.” The current Republican governor of Wisconsin attended Marquette University for four years but jumped at a job opportunity his senior year, trading his chance for a

Scott Walker/Wikimedia Commons

credits short of earning his B.A. in Political Science. Presidents aren’t required to have a college degree. But one. It’s about time we had another. If Walker’s smart, he may turn this missing credential into an advantage. The Constitution simply states that to be president, one must be a natural-born citizen and 35 years old. Arguing ing as Publius — held experience and virtue as the most What Walker lacks by not holding a diploma, he makes up for with real-world experience, good character, practical knowledge, skills, and proven track record to be a strong contender should he be chosen as the 2016 GOP nominee. Publius would endorse Walker. Walker launched his political career just after leaving After four re-elections, he spent the next eight years cutting spending as Milwaukee County Executive. After reforming a corrupt county government, Walker became Wisconsin’s educational reforms.

hard work and determination matter. Walker is not too different from most Americans either. According to the Census Bureau, only 31.7 percent play these stats to his advantage; he already has. We say we want our politicians to be “just like us.” We like the idea of a president who rolls up his sleeves and eats a half-slab of ribs — an average Joe ary). But the credentials of recent American presidents show the contrary to be true. Experience tells us that the American people want a president who is extraordinary while seeming just ordinary enough. They are hardly like us. Just look at the other ary Clinton has degrees

Jindal graduated from Brown and Oxford. Scott Walker stands out among this clan of educational overachievers. entry-level ticket to economic and political success, as well as an indicator of worth. The America that once prided itself on real-world experience and common sense now depends on the credentials of a slip of paper. Walker must continue to prove his credibility in other lack of a degree to his advantage by relating to the majorpresident didn’t come from an elite class of Ivy Leaguers. In addition to appealing to the average voter, his experience makes him a strong competitor among his peers. Since 1990, Walker has run in 11 political races — not to mention a recall election in 2012 — and has won all but one. If he can articulate a clear agenda, he can turn his dropout status into an asset as he races for the presidency. Publius was right that experience and character are the best presidential prerequisites. When choosing the next that matter, not just paper credentials.

Arielle Mueller is a senior studying history.

All you need is love? Jonathan Walker Special to the Collegian What if Caleb Bowers (“Our culture is sexually broken,” March 5, 2015) were to describe, in conlove,” how a wife should treat her husband? It would look like this: “Sex becomes a gift to [her] spouse because [she] express[es] [her] sexual needs. [She has] removed [her] needs and act[s] on [his] alone.” Such a woman would be unconcerned with her physical and emotional needs, and devote herself utterly to her husband’s sexual pleasure. She would be the “Fifty Shades of Grey” protagonist, except married and even more submissive. But Bowers points to that franchise’s popularity — in particular, the movie’s release for Valentine’s Day — as a sign that “our culture has a disordered conception of the relationship between love and sexuality.” What gives?

Bowers’ piece is reminiscent of Edward Sri’s lecture on “Biblical principles for relationships” last spring. Sri called love “total tions of the Theology of the Body on campus boil down to this: In marriage, seek not your own good, but only someone else’s. Why? Bowers sets up a dichotomy whereby the alone can be justly concerned with his own good as well as someone else’s. Indeed, there is in marriage a common good in procreation, the mutual support of spouses, and, yes, even in shared sexual pleasure. If a man truly wanted to deny his needs and devote himself wholly to another’s, then he should marry the

supportive mate, and serve for life someone who would otherwise be that he is precisely the opposite of the sort of man who actually appeals

women say “would make a good husband”… for someone else. The across as desperate and servile, and

sertiveness, traits that help to signal that he can be a capable protector and provider. To encourage people not to seek sexual pleasure in marriage is particularly naïve, especially when compared to the hardheadedness of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 where he acknowledges that most people want sexual pleasure, and thus he encourages them to have it in marriage. As a great writer once remarked, “There is no necessary opposition between sensuality and chastity; every good marriage, every love affair, that comes from the heart is beyond this opposition.” Jonathan Walker is a third-year doctoral candidate at the Van Andel Graduate School for Statesmanship.

CITY NEWS

A6 19 March 2015

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Alternaprint opens April 1

Hillsdale natives return from Chicago to re-locate business Madeleine Jepsen Collegian Freelancer

Alternarint, a combined custom screen printing and comic book store, will open on April 1. Located on North Howell Street, the screen printing and custom shirt-design business will take over the storefront formerly occupied by Threads, between The Hunt Club and Jilly Beans Coffee House. Andrew and Catie Gibbs, Alternaprint owners and Hillsdale natives, moved back to the area in September, and have been running their eco-friendly printing business since October. Alternaprint was formerly located near Chicago, Illinois. The Gibbses look forward to running the store in the less stressful, small-town atmosphere of Hillsdale, where their decreased workload will leave more time for detail-oriented projects. “In Chicago, we had to be fast. People are faster there, it’s just a different way of life, so we got used to turning things around quick,” Andrew Gibbs said. “Here, it’s a lot slower, more laid back, but I can’t sit on a job for too long — it drives me nuts now. So people here like it because we’re quick.” Since the business’s re-location to downtown, the Gibbses decided to take advantage of the venue’s space by expanding the business into a combined printing and comic book shop. “We decided to move it here, and bring something new into the area,” Catie Gibbs said. “It’s a lot different from every other shop here,” Andrew Gibbs added. “Hopefully that stands out.” The inspiration for adding a comic book inventory to their screen printing business came from experiences while living in Chicago. Comic book fan Andrew Gibbs noted that the city contained many comic book stores. “In Chicago, it was huge; there was a comic book shop everywhere,” Andrew Gibbs said. “Every little suburb, every neighborhood had a comic book shop. Moving back here, the nearest one was like an hour away.” Perceiving the potential demand for comic books in Hillsdale, the couple decided to pursue the business concept. They plan to carry a wide variety of comics to suit a range of customers’ interests.

Kate Patrick Assistant Editor Jeff Buchhop quit the Airport Advisory Committee Monday, because he said he is unable to do his job when council fails to consult the committee on airport matters. He was responding to the Hillsdale City Council’s Mon-

Alternaprint owners Andrew and Catie Gibbs prepare for the combined printing, comic book, and children’s toy store’s opening on April 1. The couple used to run a screen printing business in Chicago and decided to re-locate the shop to North Howell Street. (Madeleine Jepsen/Collegian)

The store already has more than 100 comic book titles and will carry issues from several months back so customers can catch up on a series. Readers will be able to custom order

will complement each other. The storefront inventory will draw in potential screen printing customers, as well as more comic book fans. They hope to begin hosting community-ori-

“Being art people, we didn’t want to go and buy shelves and stuff like that, we wanted to put our touch on everything.” —Andrew Gibbs

comic books not carried instore, too. The couple expects that the comic book inventory and children’s toys and art supplies will also add to the artistic, community-oriented ambience they desire for the shop. “Screen printing and Tshirts are cool and artistic, and that’s our main business, but no one’s going to come hang out in a t-shirt screen printing shop,” Andrew Gibbs said. The couple anticipates that the two facets of their business

ented events soon after opening. The couple is hard at work preparing the storefront for the grand opening on April 1. In addition to adding colorful paint to brighten the walls, they built shelving units to display the comics. “Being art people, we didn’t want to go and buy shelves and stuff like that, we wanted to put our touch on everything, so everything in here we’ve built,” Andrew Gibbs said. Jane Steward, owner of

Smith’s Flowers and former head of the Hillsdale Business Association, said Alternaprint my. “Anytime that there’s a new business that comes in town, anytime there’s a new store, that’s going to be viable for our community,” Steward said. Based on her work with Alternaprint, Steward predicts a favorable future for the business. “I had them print some sweatshirts for us, and they did exactly what they said they were going to do,” Steward said. “Just knowing there’s another really great shop in town that has good customer service and can follow through makes our town all the better.” Bill Lundberg, Hayden Park Fitness/Recreation Director and Assistant Professor of Sports Studies, also has high hopes for the business. Lundberg worked with Alternaprint this fall when he ordered shirts for the Wild Bill 5K during Hillsdale College’s homecoming week. “I think they’re an ideal business for that kind of thing,” Lundberg said. “It’s exciting to see people that are young and enthusiastic and ready to serve and help in the community.”

Former teacher cooks up culinary arts club Morgan Sweeney Senior Reporter Nancy Dunlop stood in front of a group of high school stusteps of making the “Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookie.” “Once you’re done, then you say a prayer and hope that you did everything right,” Dunlop said. “But you will do everything right because you’re good listeners.” After school on Wednesdays, the students gather in room 113 at Hillsdale High School for the culinary arts club Dunlop started last fall. Dunlop taught home economics classes at Hillsdale High School and Davis Middle School for 31 years before the high school was forced to cut her department in 2010 due to a lack of funding. Dunlop retired, but her desire to teach remained. Retirement opened her eyes to how much she loved teaching when former students called her to say how much she meant to them. “You never realize the impact you have on the kids until they come back to you or open up to you,” Dunlop said. “I feel I can still have that impact — socially, emotionally, intellectually, preparing them for the real world — even now. It’s very rewarding for me to know that I can impact young adults.” Students in the club say they enjoy learning new skills from Dunlop. “I love it. There’s so much to do, and you learn so much,” high school junior Tiffany Nowak said. “And the stuff that we cook just comes out amazing. She’s a great teacher.” Freshman Selena Jimenez shared similar sentiments. “It’s my favorite activity at school,” Jimenez said. The idea for the group began a year after Dunlop retired when she started an after-school sewing club at the high school.

Airport advisory committee member resigns

Local culinary club teacher Nancy Dunlop gives baking advice to Hillsdale High School juniors Tiffany Nowak and Alexandria Gomez as assistant Jan Knapp looks on. (Madeleine Jepsen/Collegian)

Once a week, she walked by the large kitchens that were once her classroom — kitchens that had been remodeled only six tions — and mourn their disuse. “Last summer, I had a brainstorm, and I said, ‘Start a culinary arts club. Use those kitchens. Find the kids,’” she said. After receiving the go-ahead from the school’s administration, Dunlop began collecting donations and advertising for the club. Her church friends donated dish towels and kitchen utensils, and her brother, who works for Pioneer Sugar, donated all of the sugar the club uses. Next, to spread the word about its new club, the school gave daily announcements using its public address system, and the high school’s business class created a brochure advertising it. For funding, Dunlop went to the Hillsdale County Com-

munity Foundation, from which kitchens with supplies. Once she found 10 students to participate, she worked with them to secure a youth grant from the foundation. “It was really good for them. They had to really sit down and think,” Dunlop said. “I’d take notes, type it out, and bring it back to them. We had to have a leader, and they all had to sign it. So we ended up getting both grants.” The club met during the lunch period from October through December. After the students’ winter break, it began meeting after school on Wednesdays for 30 minutes. For a few weeks, the students worked on perfecting the 5-inch round cookie — hopefully the club’s source of revenue, once the grant money dries up. To keep the club on track, Dunlop sought advice from her long-time mentor, former Hill-

sdale High School principal, Doug Willer. He suggested that the club make items the business students could sell in the school’s coffee shop, The Study Cup, like the 5-inch cookies. While Dunlop regrets that home economics, which includes basic cooking and sewing classes, courses on home planning and architecture, and early childhood development, has been cut from the Michigan high school curriculum, she’s glad to be back in the classroom. “This is a dream come true for me to be able to have this privilege to be back in this gorgeous facility that the community has paid for,” Dunlop said.

contracts to begin construction on a taxiway at the Hillsdale City Airport without consulting the AAC. “I decided it was time to remove myself from the situation,” Buchhop said. “City council and the airport manager and the committee have to be on the same page. Advising the council is what the group is supposed to do, so if the council isn’t going to give us information about things we’re supposed to advise them on, we can’t do our job.” The committee’s purpose is “appropriately and timely advising the City Council on airport matters” and “making recommendations to the Hillsdale City Council concerning policies and programs to be put in place or continued in place at the Hillsdale City Airport,” according to the committee’s resolution. Buchhop emphasized he does not oppose the new taxiway project, but he disagrees with the council approving the contract without the airport committee reviewing it. “ T h e r e seems to be a self-imposed deadline,” Buchhop told the Collegian. “The council set up this advisory board and told us what to do and how to do it, and now they won’t let us do it.” Acting City Manager Doug Terry said he believes the project will port and city, — Jeff but he conceded council should have consulted the Airport Advisory Committee prior to approving the construction contract. “Sometimes decisions have to be made in the best interest of the city,” Terry said. “It was my call to move this project ahead. If there’s any fault to be laid here, it’s with me. We do have an engineering contract — we are ready to proceed.” Buchhop added he is concerned that the city may not be complying with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines in order to receive a $1.4 million federal grant, which will be awarded to the city once council approves all three contracts for the taxiway project. Buchhop declined to comment on further details of these concerns. Airport manager James Scheibner said he believes the city is complying with FAA guidelines. He added the contract between the city of Hillsdale and Hoffman Brothers Inc. Excavating Contractors of Battle Creek, Michigan, had to be approved as soon as possible because “if it gets pushed back to the next start date, then the contractors will go to another contract and another project and our project will end up costing more money, and that’s what we want to avoid.” “We can’t afford any delays in this contract process,” Scheibner told council during public comment Monday. “The state puts pressure on us to move as quickly as possible. They’re not going to send us the next project until this one is approved.” In a March 11 email to Terry, Scheibner explained that “any delay will push the project start date to early fall construction, which brings in too many variables that could cost us.” Terry said the taxiway project had just received grant money from the Michigan Aeronautics Commission under the Michigan Department of Transportation, but in order

to secure the funds, the city had to approve the construction contract as soon as possible. Planning and Development project manager for MDOT’s Hopper told Terry in a Feb. 26 email that the city of Hillsdale “could wait until May 13 … if the city needs more time” to make a decision about starting the taxiway project and securing the state funds. Terry told the Collegian if the city waited until May to make a decision about the project, then it would have to bid again for contractors. According to Scheibner’s March 11 email to Terry, Hoffman Brothers is one of the best airport contractors in the state, and was the lowest bidder for the taxiway project. After Scheibner addressed the council, AAC member Jeff King reprimanded council for acting without consulting the committee. “What just happened was out of order,” King said. “Last month, I expressed concern that a contract was not exposed to the Airport Advisory Committee. This time, we were told there wasn’t time to see it. Both times I call foul. We can’t make recommendations if we haven’t seen it.” The council did not consult the committee when transferring ownership of a hangar lease at the Feb. 16 meeting. The committee should have been consulted on both occasions, because that’s the committee’s job, King said. “We’re not your enemy,” King said at the March 16 meeting. “Our resolution is clear to advise city council on airport matters. Part of our role is to help transmit information to the citizens so they can understand it. I volunteered to make positive changes in the community. I don’t enjoy reprimanding council.” Councilperson Adam Stockford told Buchhop the committee — which was formed in November 2014 — that he believes the council will improve its communication with the committee about airport matters in the future. “Any time a new committee pops up, there are going to be some growing pains,” Stockford

“Advising the

council is what the group is supposed to do, so if the council isn’t going to give us information about things we’re supposed to advise them on, we can’t do our job.”

get this all under control. I don’t want you to get too impatient as we’re getting our feet wet. The city manager knows we expect full transparency between the committee and city staff. I know all of us on the council support the committee.” Terry apologized to the committee for failing to consult them on the contract, again citing the interests of the city as the reason for his decision. “I can’t extend my apologies enough,” Terry said. “The decision had to be made, and I made that decision, especially when there are millions of dollars at stake.” Councilperson Bruce Sharp shared King’s concern about council transparency. “There’s always a sense of urgency here,” Sharp said, describing council’s process of approving or rejecting motions. “We always want to rush something through.” In other business, Director of Public Services Keith Richard informed the council of a $375,000 state grant to reconstruct State Street and install a sidewalk along State Street to Lewis Emery Park. Council also approved redeB-2 to allow multiple tenant housing and districts B-1 and B-3 to allow housing and multiple tenant housing — which opens up more off-campus student housing for Hillsdale College. Lastly, councilperson Brian Watkins called for a Public Safety Committee meeting “as soon as possible” to discuss complaints about public burnings in Hillsdale County.

SPORTS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A7 19 March 2015

Pistol Pete to leave the Charger family

BOX SCORES

Sam Scorzo Sports Editor

coach drill jump shot after jump shot.

college, agreed. -

he was there for us. He was al-

Baseball at Maryville (Mo.) L, 10-7 W, 15-2 W, 11-7 L, 4-3 vs. Alderson-Broaddus L, 4-2 L, 3-1 at Trevecca Nazarene L, 8-1 L, 14-5 L, 11-1 W, 5-4 at Lourdes L, 4-3

Softball vs. Southern Ind. W, 2-0 vs. Quincy L, 9-5 vs. Indiana (Pa.) L, 5-3 vs. Minn. St. Mankato W, 7-6 vs. West Va. Wesleyan L, 6-2 vs. Dominican (N.Y.) W, 6-5 L, 8-5 vs. Northern St. L, 3-2 vs. East Stroudsburg W, 9-1 vs. Marian (Ind.) L, 7-2 vs. Southern Conn. St. W, 4-1 vs. Concordia-St. Paul W, 5-4

MARCH MADNESS PREDICTIONS

Nathanael Meadowcroft Assistant Editor cially began Tuesday with two play-in games, the maddening part of March Madness begins today as the round of 64 tips off and college basketball fans watch their brackets slowly crumble after each upset. Three professors, two basketball players, and one basketball coach try to predict who will cut down the nets on April 6 in Indianapolis.

thusiasts.

of the team as a whole that he -

Kyle Cooper

GOLF TEAM TEES UP FOR SPRING SEASON Laura Williamson Collegian Reporter

had the stimulator which is a -

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Arizona, Virginia vs. Duke Champion: Kentucky

there were some highlights to -

Teams from all across the

to come together. There are just

said.

10th out of 16 teams. Fellow ther.

was perfect air temperature, mid

Dr. Justin Jackson

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Oklahoma vs. Iowa State Champion: Kentucky

for the golf team. It was also the -

SofTball

From A8

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We tried a lot of differ-

Brian McCauley:

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Virginia vs. Iowa State Champion: Kentucky

Junior Ainsley Ellison at bat in a game over spring break in Florida. (Photo Courtesy of Michelle Ellison)

Track

Dr. Samuel Webster:

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Arizona, Villanova vs. Iowa State Champion: Villanova -

From A1 -

Zach Miller: showed their mettle.

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Arizona, Virginia vs. Duke Champion: Kentucky

Schipper reached 5.05 me-

ship.

Dr. samuel Negus

Final Four: Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Villanova vs. Iowa State Champion: Villanova -

19 March 2015

Charger Sports

(Photo Courtesy of Dawn Oren)

Baseball goes 3-7 over spring break EMILY OREN SHATTERS RECORD Stevan Bennett Collegian Freelancer

Bailey Pritchett Spotlight Editor

Juniors Emily Oren and Kristina Galat running the 3K at the NCAA Division II nationals. (Photo Courtesy of NCAA) Winning the Distance Medley Relay at nationals wasn’t enough knew, ‘Well, I can’t do worse for junior Emily Oren. She was than that,’” she said. “I look back determined to win one more and think, ‘Well, that was embarrace— and beat a Division II re- rassing.’ But I needed to get dead cord while doing it. last. It kept me humble.” Last weekend, Oren led the Head coach Andrew Towne women’s track team to a second agreed that learning from failure - is invaluable in running. sion II national championships. “The reason we’re successOn Friday night, Oren ran the ful is because we failed at some last 1600 meter leg of the Dis- point,” he said. “It would be nice tance Medley Relay that resulted to learn those lessons without failing, but that rarely happens.” only two seconds short of a naThe Charger win last weektional record. The next day, Oren end led the track team to its best ran the fastest 3K since 1985, beating the national record time tory. Towne acclaims its healthy by 14 seconds with her time of development to recruiting good 9:16. Her teammate junior Krisrather than solely seeking good behind her, also beating the na- runners. tional record along with the third “I’ve always said we’re going to be a quality program rather Although Oren has received than the quantity programs seen ample praise for her performance at D-I schools,” he said. “Em last weekend, she never shies came in with a good bit of talent away from crediting her own vic- and was one of our focal points tories to her friend and teammate junior Kristina Galat. In the mid- because she came for Hillsdale’s dle of the 3K on Saturday, Oren’s academics, not just its track protiredness began to discourage gram.” her from running her race. In Oren’s younger sister sophothat moment, she saw Galat pull more Molly Oren originally away from the group. Knowing agreed to run at Belmont Uniher teammate ran the longer 5K versity in Tennessee, but she the night before, Oren sped up to transferred to Hillsdale after Galat and found a second wind. bleak summer training. The sis“I could not have won the 3K ters are good friends and plan to without Kristina,” Oren said. run marathons together after they “When I run with her it feels just graduate. like a work out.” “It’s interesting how Emily Oren ran a different kind of has gotten so much faster while having different coaches,” Molly last place in both of her events. said. “She’s not running for her Without these failures, however, coaches. She’s running for God Oren doesn’t think she would and because it’s fun. And even have been able to run as success- though situations change, she fully as she did last weekend. can crank out two national cham“Losing at that same track pionships.”

The Hillsdale Chargers baseball team traveled over 1,400 miles over spring break in order to play 10 games against the Maryville University Saints, Alderson-Broaddus University Battlers, and Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans. The Chargers split a four game series with Maryville, dropped two to Alderson-Broaddus, and took one of four from Trevecca to end the trip with a record of 3-7. After a short break the Chargers traveled to Lourdes University last night where they fell to the Gray Wolves, bringing Hillsdale’s overall record to 4-11. “The numbers didn’t come out how we had hoped,” said head coach Eric Thiesen, “but it was good to get out and see some real quality competition.” The Chargers started off the trip with a loss to the Saints last Saturday afternoon. The game started sour as the Chargers gave nings, and a late Charger rally fell short. Hillsdale’s offense exploded in the second game against Maryville with 15 runs as the Chargers beat the Saints 15-2. Four of the Chargers’ runs came on home runs by juniors Luke Ortell and Tad Sobieszczanski. Senior Shane Armstrong pitched well, giving up only one earned run over six innings on 9 hits. Four extra inning runs gave game against Maryville on Sunday. The late Charger runs were driven in on a pair of singles by junior Chris McDonald and ju-

nior Connor Bartlett. The Saints edged out the Chargers 4-3 in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. McDonald threw all six innings, giving up four runs, all earned, on nine hits. Due to cancellations against Lemoyne-Owen and Union, the Chargers headed down to Nashville, where they dropped three of four against Alderson-Broaddus University. game 4-2 despite allowing no earned runs in the contest. Hillsdale junior Lucas Hamelink gave up eight hits over six innings, but three Hillsdale errors allowed the Battlers to plate the four runs needed to win the game. Sunday’s second game was close as well, but the Chargers

fell to the Battlers 3-1. The game was a pitching duel between Armstrong and Battler sophomore Randy Dobnak, but Dobnak’s gained an edge by avoiding walks, while Armstrong

“We have to stop giving up free 90s,” Armstrong said. “The team that gives up fewer free bases usually wins the game. The Chargers played doubleheaders against Trevecca Nazarene on both Friday and Saturof the series, but winning the Trojan senior Michael Purcell threw a gem in game one, holding the Chargers to one run on four hits over seven innings as the Chargers fell 8-1. Despite playing a game free

Friday’s second game 14-5. Even in the loss many Hillsdale players looked good at the plate. Sophomore Ethan Wiskur went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored on the game. Bartlett went 2-for-3 and scored a run. header 11-1 to Trevecca Nazarene. Hillsdale had no answer to Trevecca sophomore Bryan Smith who hurled six innings hits and eight strikeouts.

lowed the Chargers to stop a six game skid as they defeated Trevecca 5-4. “It was a big win. Especially considering the game before it,” said Thiesen. “Bouncing back says a lot about character.” The win came on the back of Hillsdale freshman Phil Carey up one run, which was unearned, The game ended just after 1 a.m., and the team says that the week, are taking a toll on the team. “We’re exhausted. A lot of guys are banged up,” said Bartlett. “We’ve got some injuries we need to nurse before conference, so we’re taking it easy in practice today.” ference play the Chargers lost to the Lourdes Gray Wolves 4-3.

Junior Chris McDonald slides into third base at a home game last year. (Photo Courtesy of Jenny Bals)

uted heavily to a three-run third inning for Lourdes. The team opens up GLIAC play this weekend when they travel to Malone for a four game set.

SOFTBALL DOWN BUT NEVER OUT IN FLORIDA Morgan Delp Editor-in-Chief

Head softball coach Joe Abraham said his team needed to play 10 games to reach “where they need to be.” With 14 games out of the way, the Hillsdale Softball team is ready to play two toptier NAIA challengers Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Chargers will face Davenport University (16-3) and then Cornerstone University (9-3), both will be the team’s last games before conference play starts. While going 6-6 last week in Clermont, Florida, Hillsdale improved its batting and became accustomed to outdoor play. The Chargers racked up three wins

where they trailed by three runs late in the game. Abraham said the Chargers did not face a weak team the entire trip. “As the week went on, the communication and energy we

ner on second base. The Chargers

Hillsdale came back from a 4-1

weren’t able to score. “At the bottom of the eighth, they got a bunt single to put run-

from junior Sarah Klopfer and a

improved,” senior Jessica Day said in an email. In addition to serving Southern Indiana (15-1) its only loss on the season with a 2-0 win on March 7, one of the Chargers’ most thrilling victories came March 9 in the form of an international tiebreaker against D-II powerhouse Minnesota State, Mankato. After trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, the Chargers came back to tie it in the seventh. In international tiebreakers, both teams begin the eighth inning with a run-

another pop up, and then a strikeout,” Abraham said. “Then we got three runs in the top of the ninth and they got two in the bottom of the ninth, with the winning run on base. So this was a big win because they’re really good.” The trip ended with two wins from the Chargers on Saturday. Southern Connecticut State, in which freshman standout pitcher Danielle Stiene gave up no earned runs and struck out nine batters. In the second game,

Brittany Mahan tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Solid defense put the Chargers in position to put sophomore Bekah Kastning on base and eventually score in the seventh. “We came back and got the win in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Everyone was so focused and really supportive,” Mahan said in an email. “There were a lot of great hits in that game.” The top hitters of the week were junior Sarah Grunert (.413, going 19 for 46), Kastning (.395,

See SOFTBALL A7

Charger Chatter: COACH TOWNE

Andrew Towne is the head coach of men’s and women’s cross-country, indoor track and -

How long have you been at Hillsdale and how did you get

here? I came to Hillsdale in the fall of ’99 as a student. I’m from just down the road in Pittsford, which is about 20 minutes from here. I had no intention of being here at all. My momma tricked me into a visit. My momma is a small but feisty Polish lady, so we went on the visit. Hillsdale was totally different than anything I had ever thought it was. You know from being around here, sometimes the town thinks differently about what’s actually going on here. Their perception can be different than what’s actually happening and I was no different. I loved it here. I was years. I will say that I am probably not on the same level as a coach as I was as an athlete. I always joke with our kids, I don’t know that I should have been at the GLIAC meet at all just because I wasn’t that great of an athlete, but I loved my ex-

perience here. I went away for a year after graduation. I was engaged and my wife was working in Kalamazoo. So once we got married we went to live there for a year. But, I really wanted to be back and be involved. I was part time for a year and a half, which was awesome, and was really hard because I had to work another job to be able to do the things I wanted to trackwise. I ended up here for four years total. I had some really great things happen. I got an opportunity at Miami Ohio to be an assistant coach down there, and it was Division I and I was curious about that, so I made the really tough decision to go there. We were down there for two years. Some things went really well down there, so I had a lot of opportunities, one of which was Hillsdale. And it wasn’t one I expected at all. I had actually just come back from another interview at a Division I school

for a head coaching position, and I got a call from Hillsdale. chance to come back to Hillsdale, but we felt like this was what God had for us. What’s a favorite moment with the current team? mind with current kids are what we did in Louisville with women’s cross-country and what we did this past weekend in Birmingham, just the collection of started coaching we weren’t very good, and we were starting to get some kids to the NCAA championships, I remember looking at these other teams and they had this entourage of people, because so many kids I had my one 400 meter guy and the one 400 meter girl and that’s

all we had as a program. So to go to cross-country as a full team, to go to the indoor national championships with athletes, and alternates, and coaches, we had 22 people, that was neat, to me, to be the kind of program that I thought we could be but we weren’t when I started, to experience that with those kids that was really neat. What’s something about you that people wouldn’t expect, maybe a hobby? With cross, indoor, and outdoor, track occupies a giant part of my life. The one I always throw out in recruiting sometimes and with our kids, they think they know me, I’ll always say to them, “If you had a guess at to, what would you say?” and I was a math guy here and I’m a numbers guy and they never have a guess and sometimes

someone will try and be funny and they’ll throw out an ’80s band like I’m old, but probably my favorite group, of all time, even to this day, is Weezer. I don’t know that I’ve had a kid that wasn’t surprised to hear that. But, I don’t have a ton of hobbies. Track is kind of my hobby. I love to spend time with my son and my wife, we have a little boy about to be 6-yearold. He goes to the kindergarten at the Academy. To have a little son that is, to everyone who has ever met him, 90 to 95 percent exactly like his dad, it gives you a chance to watch your childhood from a different perspective. I like to spend a lot of time with him. croft

B1 19 March 2015

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

(Meg Prom/Collegian)

Hillsdale grad combines art and business David Lippert ’90 showing his work in the Sage Morgan Delp Editor-in-Chief David Lippert ’90 has removed belly fat from Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. Digitally, that is. “You’d be surprised how actors really look,” Lippert said. “I’ve done tattoo removal, and my sticking out, it’s edited out. Nothing is real.” The Hillsdale grad and psychology major has worked in design since leaving Hillsdale. ever, “Design Beyond Boundaries,” opens in the Sage Center for the Arts’ Daughtrey Gallery. The exhibit will emphasize the entrepreneurial nature of Lippert’s career, debunking the myth that art students can’t go onto successful careers, especially in business. “It was a natural for us to celebrate how he has utilized the broad experiences of his Hills-

dale liberal arts background to propel success in the business sphere,” Professor of Art Sam Knecht said. Lippert’s exhibit will highlight different categories of his work. There will be traditional oil paintings, which Lippert is borrowing on loan from private owners, and which contain a mix between realism and expressionism. Photography will be included, along with illustrations, many of which are for children’s books. “In painting he thought big, doing large abstract canvasses full of dynamic sweep and vibrant color,” Knecht said in an email. “For Dave, confronting a big canvas on his easel was like a general guiding a campaign as well as the troops slogging it out pictures he dared to do the unconventional, to look at a subject in a fresh, attention-grabbing way. The department still has a number of his undergraduate photos in copies in our archives.” “Design Beyond Boundaries”

will display much of Lippert’s work in product development. “A prominent piece of the exhibit is a documentary,” Lippert said. “It’s a piece on how you design a product from concept to delivery. I shot it for in Vietnam. A lot of the footage was from a factory, doing sampling with the owners and people there, and covering all the other aspects.” L i p pert’s start gan right

out of college, where he graduated as a psychology major with many art credits. He worked on shows like “The Wonder Years,” “Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs,” and “Roseanne,” w h e r e he met his wife. He also worked in pre-production for the 1995 hit “The S h a w shank Redemption.” “I segued into visual effects,” Lippert said. “At that time, computers were David Lippert ’90 not desk(Photo courtesy of David Lippert via davtops. CGI idlippert.com) was just

becoming popular, and commerI worked for a boutique in postproduction. Now with Adobe and desktop computers you can do a lot with that. The business has changed.” Lippert and his wife realized they didn’t want to raise their family in Los Angeles, so they moved back to Lippert’s home state, Michigan, where Lippert took over his family’s business of marketing and sales. “It was quite an adjustment period, culturally,” he said. Lippert innovated and improved the company, including adding in-house photography to its repertoire. Four years ago, Lippert moved all production to Vietnam. “I would say that my experience at Hillsdale and the entertainment industry prepared me for the product development work I’m currently involved in,” Lippert said. According to Lippert’s website, davidlippert.com, Lippert has done a wide range of promo-

tional work, and specialized in bag design for those who work in their vehicles. While Lippert still continues with personal art, that is not his primary source of income. “Product development is driven by commercial needs, not out of artistic inspiration. The customer drives me,” he said. Junior Meg Prom is very excited about Lippert’s exhibit. She, like Lippert before her, is studying psychology and art. “I want to end up doing graphic design of some sort, be it editorial design, illustrative design, commercial design, or marketing design,” she said. “It’s cool to see he’s branched out and been creative in a lot of different ways. It gives me hope for my future.” Lippert endorses real-life experiences as the best form of education. “You can’t get everything from a book; you have to experience life, have adventure, take risks,” he said. “I’ve had so many failures in my life, but all you remember are the successes.”

‘A once-in-a-lifetime exhibit’ Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo united again at Detroit Institute of Arts Evan Carter Web Editor Less than six months after art to help pay down city debt, the Detroit Institute of Arts has opened a major exhibit on Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The exhibit, which opened on Sunday and will show through July, took DIA Adjunct Curator of Contemporary Art Mark Rosenthal three years to put together, using original to-scale mural sketches by Rivera already at the DIA along with around 50 drawings and paintings on loan from private and public collections in the United States and Mexico. Since the sketches of the Rivera Murals on display in the exhibit are so fragile, this is the

in its hometown.” “The popularity is going to be through the roof,” said volunteer docent Harriet Brown. The exhibit follows Rivera and Kahlo’s year in Detroit, during which Rivera designed and painted the DIA’s now famous “American Industry Murals.” Although a banner year for Rivera, this time was potentially even more important for Kahlo, who

publically displayed in 30 years. Lisa Rezin, Director of Group Reservations at the DIA, called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibit. “When a museum has a major work of art, like having the Ri- Frida Kahlo vera Murals — and I’m (Photo courtesy of the DIA) talking any museum — there’s a feeling that they want to celebrate it, they had a failed pregnancy while siwant to bring attention to it,” multaneously coming into her Rosenthal said. “People come own as an artist. Although Rivera was the from all over the world to see it, but it becomes taken for granted more acclaimed of the two art-

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ists during their time in Detroit, in many ways Kahlo is attracting more attention in the exhibit. “Frida will be the star; she’s always the star because of her personality,” Rosenthal said. Before coming to Detroit, one art critic called Kahlo a “dabbler,” but after the year in Detroit Kahlo began gaining fame apart from her husband. Even today, Kahlo’s work is popular. portion of the exhibit focuses on (Photo courtesy of DIA) Rivera and Diego Rivera Kahlo’s lives before coming to Detroit. This part of the exhibit includes a painting by Rivera called “Emillio Zapato,” which comes from a mural Rivera created before painting his March 21 murals at the DIA. Al4th Annual Liberal Arts Jazz Festival though the “American Featured Concert: The Hillcats with Industry Murals” are the Festival Guest Artists Rivera’s most famous Markel Auditorium murals, he painted nu8 p.m. merous others. Besides the Hillcats, performances and The section also has clinics will take place throughout the art by Kahlo. Her paintday in the Sage Center for the Arts and ing “Frida Kahlo and Diego RiHoward Music Building by various vera” is noteworthy: in this work, College Jazz Ensembles. Kahlo seems very small next to her husband, who holds promiMarch 21 – April 3 nently displayed painting tools. Design Beyond Boundaries: David Lip In this painting Kahlo makes pert the artistic choice of showing Daughtrey Gallery her husband as an artist and not David Lippert ’80, president of showing herself as one too. AutoExec, Inc., exhibits an array of The next portion of the exhibit personal and commercial work ranging covers Rivera and Kahlo’s time from photography and illustration to in Detroit. product design and beyond. This section includes the original to-scale sketches of the mural panels that Rivera referenced when creating his frescos. Some sketches didn’t make it into the mural, such as one featuring manufacturing and beets (Michigan’s original industries, according to Rivera) that was replaced

Things

by a painting of a baby after Kahlo’s failed pregnancy. Rosenthal called the sketches the cornerstone of the exhibit. The next portion of the exhibit focuses on Rivera and Kahlo’s lives after they left Detroit. In this section of the exhibit, the emphasis is more on Kahlo’s growth as an artist. A number of Kahlo’s paintings are distraught and cover traumatic subjects. Her painting “A Few Small Nips,” for example, depicts a naked women covered in bleeding wounds. But Kahlo’s growth

as an artist is also depicted in her painting “Double-Portrait of Diego and I,” in which she shows herself to be one with Rivera instead of small and separate as she had in her earlier painting. Although the exhibit is unique to Detroit, people around the art world in the United States and Mexico are taking notice of the exhibit. cant the exhibition is, particularly in Mexico where many of the works came from, among the knew that the Detroit year was extraordinary and they realized that nobody had ever focused on it,” Rosenthal said. Not only has an exhibit like this never been done before at another institution, but since Rivera’s murals and the accompanying to-scale sketches of the murals can’t travel, the exhibit couldn’t happen at any other art musuem.

See DIA Rivera B2

To do and see This week March 21 David Lippert: Artist’s Reception Daughtrey Gallery 2-4 p.m. March 22 Hillsdale Arts Chorale St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 2251 W Bacon Road 3 p.m. The Hillsdale Arts Chorale’s a capella concert, entitled “Flower of Beauty,” will feature compositions with texts drawn from the love poems of the great poets.

(Compiled by Andrew Egger)

ARTS 19 March 2015 B2

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‘House of Cards’ season 3: Cheap melodrama

IN FOCUS (Photo courtesy of Tom Novelly)

Tom Novelly

The beauty of brunch and the serenity of that old piano Sundays are beautifully ritualistic at Hillsdale College. After waking up early, dressing in their nicest clothes and partaking in worship, students meander over for brunch at the Knorr Dining Room. As you walk to your seat with a huge plate of food, you can hear snippets of conversation at each passing table, all remarkably similar. The mealtime discussion is focused on looming papers, massive required readings, or a busy extracurricular schedule that is just a sunset away. Yet everyone is calm. I’ve Then I realized it has something to do with that old piano in the corner. I have never been a fervent lover of classical music. As a child I never played an instrument, and the music in my house was a mixture of Sinatra, country, and classic rock. Classical music was something I had never appreciated until I came to Hillsdale College. I remember as a freshman sitting down in the dining hall dreading the massive amount of work that I had procrastinated on, and feeling overwhelmingly hopeless. Then in the background, I heard a cover of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story” playing on that old piano. I couldn’t hold back my smile. My mood changed immediately. I started bobbing along to the tune as I ate my breakfast, knowing that the work would get done and that it was all going to be okay. The music at brunch became a weekly solace for me. The accompaniment of covers from movies and classical scores from famous composers really helped me set a happy tone for a long workday ahead. The music birthed more than just a lifting up the spirit and motivation for the mounds of Western Heritage reading, it piqued my curiosity. As I was studying throughout the week, I found myself listening to various classical playlists on the internet to focus, and to relax. The playlists containing famous pieces from the greats such as Beethoven, Bach, and Haydn along with movie scores, and covers made the work manageable. What started off as a casual musing has since become a habit.

I am by no means an expert in this genre of music, I don’t know about the amazing formulations of harmonies and notes that it took to make it, but I appreciate it regardless. I am amazed that a piece sculpted by man can uplift emotion and soothe the soul in an almost spiritual way. The morning music has been a part of Hillsdale College brunch since the fall of 1988, when the CEO of Saga, Tim Morrison, brought it as a tradition from another college he had worked at. That same year they began hiring students as players, giving students of various playing styles the opportunity to practice and perform in a peaceful environment. The hired student performers play every Sunday brunch at the college except for Easter and Mother’s Day when they are not on campus. The realization that my fellow classmate is playing those peaceful tunes during brunch also adds to my solace. The student playing that cover of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” that lifted me up as a freshman was also my freshman neighbor in Simpson. As I sat there worrying about my assignments and how I would adapt to college, I realized that he is going through the same things as me. However, while I was eating brunch, he was banging away at the keys with a smile and was playing music to make us all feel better.I am brought to peace at the sight of a student, going through the same academic rigor as all of us, playing music for the comfort of everyone. So this Sunday, as you go through that familiar routine and worried about all the hurdles that the week will throw at you, take a minute and pause. Listen to the music, nod along, and let it lift you up. Perhaps when you walk out of the dining hall with more comfort in taking on those huge assignments, you can walk over to your familiar classmate at that old piano and put a dollar in their tip jar, for making your day just a little brighter.

It won’t be a wedding, but the women of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity will have “something old, something new” for campus at their spring concert 8 p.m. on March 27 in McNamara Rehearsal Hall. The women will perform popular and traditional songs with members of men’s music fraternities Phi Mu Alpha and Mu Alpha. Acts will range from solo renditions and duets to a last act sung by every member of SAI and arranged by junior Faith Liu, who is serving as program director, or songmistress, for the concert. “The idea is to juxtapose more classic works with new material,” Liu said. “For instance, taking a pop song and turning it into a string quartet, or taking an old song and covering it in a new way.” Popular artists featured include Fleet Foxes, Kelly Clarkson, Pat Benatar, and Evanescence, alongside classical, traditional, and original compositions. The concert’s theme changes

every year. Liu says that the theme is chosen to encompass a wide variety of acts while keeping the audience interested. “We try to pay tribute to our dignity as musicians while staying really fun,” she said. ‘I’ve always been interested by the continuity and diversity within the musical tradition.” SAI’s faculty adviser, Assistant Professor of Music Renée Clark, teaches music history, and Liu says that her ability to combine classical and modern forms of music in her classes was an inspiration in planning the concert. Each number will be conceived by a member of SAI, but they often collaborate with other student musicians. Many numbers will be performed by large groups with diverse instrumentation. Mu Alphans senior Addison Stumpf and junior Walker Mulley will be co-master of ceremonies. “That in itself will be a riot!” Liu said. “I’m really excited about it and it’s going to be a fantastic concert and all the acts are wonderful,” Stumpf said. “Everyone should come.”

DIA RIveRA From B1 The reaction to the exhibit has been very positive in the media. Rosenthal described local media coverage as “tremendous.” Additionally, the exhibit has been covered nationally in publications like the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

The “House of Cards” has fallen. Spoiler alert: season three is boring. The brilliant and thrilling plot twists that earned this Netflix political drama so much fame since its release in February 2013 are gone. Much of the show’s popularity hinged on its its ability to highlight the extent of Frank Underwood’s ill-intentioned, conniving, and manipulative nature yet simultaneously make you hope he gets what he wants — a classic case of rooting for the bad guy. As he rises from his position as the U.S. House of Representatives majority whip to President two seasons, audiences are enthralled by how he controls so many moving parts at once as he climbs the White House ladder. Season three leaves previously dazzled viewers disappointed. of character inconsistencies. Lost were the terribly beautiful moments of political intrigue, only to be replaced by second-rate

The DIA’s Exhibit “Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit” will remain open until July 12. More information on musuem times and ticket information is available at dia.org.

character drama and even worse relationship drama,” senior Andy Reuss said. “Perhaps the greatest sin of all was that the season was boring. Any surprise came from disgust for the unnecessary sexuality rather than genuine astonishment at a plot twist. Unfortunately, ‘House of Cards’ fell prey to the bane of modern entertainment: cheap melodrama.” Plot developments hooked captivating them with how complex yet methodical was Frank Underwood’s rise to the government’s helm. Even when everything appeared to be in shambles, he guided the ship past every obstacle. And the show’s writers carefully chose when to reveal his hand at every turn. This season, however, it seems that Underwood is more often surprised by plot developments than viewers are. The only aspect he seems to still have a handle on is who is sleeping with whom. But even that is unusually boring, because the answer is the same every time: the person with whom the character should least be having sex with. three dashes hopes of it matching the quality of one and two. While

season two begins with Underwood killing one of the show’s main characters by pushing her in front of a moving metro train, three struggles to get rolling as we watch Underwood urinate on his father’s grave and former chief-of-staff, Doug Stamper, obsess over the absence of Rachel Posner and struggle with a nagging alcohol problem after a lifethreatening injury. If season three cut down Doug’s airtime by half, it would already by better. Another character disapUnderwood. From her immature insistence on receiving the job of United Nations ambassador despite the Senate’s rejection of her appointment, to her refusal to attend the Iowa victory party, she lets viewers down. What previously made her character so magnetic was her ability to be just as rational and shrewd as her husband. Ironically, now that she begins her ascension to power, she decreases in respectability and strength — the very traits she seeks. “It’s sad that the last show ends and you think Hillary Clinton may actually be better than Claire,” senior Bailey Pritchett said. “At least Hilary was effec-

tive; Claire was an awful UN ambassador.” The underlying problem of season three is its reliance on appealing to viewers’ lust for sex of calculated schemes. For example, season one’s major conbetween budding political journalist Zoe Barnes and Frank Underwood. It was an ideal blend of sex and sensibility. Now, viewers watch chiefof-staff Remy Danton passively desire former lover and newlymarried presidential candidate Jackie Sharp. A scene where he speeding and not having idenheartstrings when he tells Sharp the situation highlighted a void in his life, but it fails. His feelings seem forced, and he vacillates so long about how to improve his life that viewers get tired of watching him (and just about every other character, too.) As Claire walks out the White House door to end the season, so do many of the show’s loyal viewers, who are just as disgusted with what Frank’s “House of Cards” has become.

My spring break on Vicodin and Tarantino Landon Peterson Special to the Collegian #SB2K15 — that’s right, Spring Break, baby! Cancun? PCB? The Bahamas? Wherever you went, I am sure it was great. I mean, these are the times when memories are made, right? The beach, friends, no worries for an entire week: it all makes for what can only be an unforgettable time… Well, I certainly had an unforgettable week as well. Unfortunately for me, it was a week I would probably rather forget. Four wisdom teeth extracted on Tuesday, swelling cheeks, and a limited supply of Vicodin all made for a week of ice packs (bags of frozen peas strapped to my face), time in bed, and a bunch of movies. In commemoration of this experience, I decided to review three of the many movies that I watched over break: “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Jackie Brown.” An astute observer would recog-

Tom Novelly is a sophomore from Nashville, Tennessee, ma- Tarantino. In chronological orjoring in politics and minoring in brief reviews. Bear in mind that journalism.

SAI bringing new and old Chris McCaffery Student Columnist

Macaela Bennett City News Editor

pain medication, and note that, in true Hillsdale fashion, I atenjoyed each of these movies tremendously, all of which are currently available for your viewing necessary: I highly suggest you go watch the movies in light of what I have to say. Just don’t watch them with your mother. “Reservoir Dogs”: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen In Tarantino’s directorial de-

but he tackles an age-old question: is there honor among thieves? More importantly, he asks hard questions about human relationships, justice, and the interaction of human codes of morality. He does this through rich and witty dialogue, incisive character development and a high-strung plot that leaves as many questions as it answers. For you asking questions and “Reservoir Dogs” left me asking great questions. High Points: Classic Tarantino dialogue. The nuanced jargon of the thieves proves both entertaining and essential as Tarantino raises forceful moral dilemmas through profanity-riddled quips and nervous thievery lingo. The characters are developed wonderfully, as each seems to offer a notion of relationship and a moral code. The interaction of these codes of morality

had only minor qualms regarding some of the acting. Conclusion: and I would have to agree with the consensus. “Reservoir Dogs” deals with a lot, asks hard questions and leaves the viewer shaking his or her head with a slightly disgusted smile. Grade: A“Pulp Fiction”: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis The disjointed narrative of “Pulp Fiction,” even more extreme than that of Tarantino’s way. It seems at times circular, while at other times completely

haphazard, leaving the viewer to wonder which way is up by fect. Although “Pulp Fiction” is an eclectic blend of dark humor, violence, profanity and real human struggle, I was able to see beyond the grotesque violence to something of fragmented substance. High Points: In addition to tantalizing dialogue, Tarantino’s screenplay is once again structurally ingenious. Bizarrely, after a bunch of (Vicodin-aided) consideration, it became clear to me how the script tells us something, whisks us somewhere else, skips around and doubles back gether. Travolta, Jackson and the rest of the Tarantino stalwart create the perfectly mixed barrage of 70’s LA, 50’s noir and modern fragmentary dilemma, producing cutting-edge even to this day. Conclusion: A couple of important notes. First, I need to watch this movie again to draw out more of the many nuances in dialogue, imagery, themes, etc., all of which are very much in play in creating a moral thrust to be left considering. Second, critiquing of all time was a more intimidating task than I originally considered. Finally, “Pulp Fiction” has phenomenal entertainment value, well worth your time if you can sit through it. I took marks for off for so many Jungian interpretations and the fact that it took me quite a while to write this saynothing review. Grade: B+/B “Jackie Brown”: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro parts notably from the violence of his prior two hits. In “Jackie Brown,” the dialogue takes cen-

ter stage. As you might expect, it is both riddled with profanity and ironically literate, with the characters communicating in hilarious back and forth gabs of anything and everything. The central dilemma that faces Jackie Brown in her attempts to escape her own form of poverty, but she is portrayed in a neo-noir manner, highlighting her cool intelligence and sex appeal. Along with the hilarious prattle of Jackson and De Niro and the strangely astute bail-bondsmen portrayed by Forster, the characters are played to a T. High Points: One critic says Jackson’s Ordelle Robbie has “murder in his eyes and funk poetry on his lips,” which does his character a tremendous amount of justice. He is pure entertainment. While posing some important questions regarding the stasis of moral life and man’s ability to rationalize any sort of action, the movie entertains to the very end. Conclusion: Many mistake the slow moving and relatively linear narrative in Jackie Brown for a departure from classic Tarantino screenplay, I think not. It delivers an incredibly entertaining tale of misfortune and moral ambiguity that pulls the viewer in many directions at the same time. could have been hit harder and more comprehensively and the story would carry more weight. Grade: B There you have it, my take on I really did enjoy each of these and don’t like them, watch them again with bags of frozen peas strapped to your face after having taken a couple of Vicodin! Landon Peterson is a senior studying English from Willmar, Minnesota.

Hillsdale hosts liberal arts jazz festival Kelsey Drapkin Senior Reporter The fourth annual Liberal Arts Jazz Festival will be held at Hillsdale College on Saturday, March 21, in McNamara Recital Hall and Markel Auditorium. Jazz combinations and master-class-style clinics will occur throughout the day featuring students from Hillsdale College, Albion College, Olivet College, local high schools, and a performance from the faculty jazz ensemble, the Hillcats. The jazz festival began four years ago as an opportunity for students in smaller schools to gain performance experience. “We were going to jazz festivals at bigger schools like the University of Michigan, but there was a different attitude towards music,” Professor of Music Chris McCourry, the head of the developing jazz program at Hillsdale, said in a previous interview with

the Collegian. “For students at Hillsdale, jazz is incorporated into their life of studying. So we came up with the festival idea, and it has really been working well.” Junior Gianna Marchese, a vocalist for the Hillsdale College big band, echoed McCourry’s liberal arts festival. “These kids are liberal arts kids,” Marchese said. “It’s not just ‘I went to school for jazz, and that’s how I’m going to be performing it.’ It’s more our speed. It’s really cool to have a setting where we liberal arts kids can be in a performance area because the people who perform jazz in college don’t get to perform that often, so having more and more opportunities to be performing is a really good thing.” This festival provides students with an unique opportunity not only to perform, but also to be critiqued by jazz professionals including trumpeter Vince DiMartino, trombonist

Chris Smith, and vocalist Sunny Wilkinson, artist in residence at Hillsdale. Wilkinson has been performing jazz for over 40 years and is known around the world for her wide range of skills. Wilkinson has enjoyed working with Hillsdale students, assisting the growth of the jazz program at Hillsdale. “Every student brings something different to the table,” Wilkinson said. “Their enthusiasm when they see how creative this art form is and how in their own way they can build into it and deepen their own experience in music and life in general.” Wilkinson said she is excited about working on the festival again this year, having assisted with it the past two years. She said she enjoys both performing with groups and working with students. “I am a twofold sort of gal,” Wilkinson explained. “I love performing with the faculty group. They’re all wonderful musicians

and lovely people, so making music with them is a delight. But I have to say that my new great passion is working with the students. ... There’s a really talented group of very bright students at Hillsdale, and I just have a great time turning them on to the nuances and the subtleties of jazz music.” Marchese said that students have the opportunity to experience these nuances and subtleties through listening to other bands performing. She also said that a lot of learning in jazz comes through listening. “You just get to listen to other bands perform, and the biggest part of jazz is listening to other things because that’s how you learn,” Marchese said. “You borrow and trade, and that’s just how jazz develops.” All performances and clinics throughout the day are open to the public beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding with the Hillcats at 8 p.m.

Spotlight

B3 19 March 2015

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Cole’s Blocks: 300 and counting

gram and Facebook now, and I’ve partnered with my grandpa and my mom.” He has also taken himself out of the production aspect of the business, his grandfather and mother taking over those operations. Benzing was happy to be

Kelsey Drapkin Senior Reporter

Junior Cole Benzing stumbled upon a business idea. last summer that is proving to be extremely successful. Benzing’s grandfather started a business about three years ago creating wooden templates for electric guitars, sending them off to companies like Gibson and Fender. Benzing helped his grandfather with the marketing aspect of the business. “I noticed that there was a lot of scrap because he just doesn’t use all of it and the standards are pretty high for these tem-

Benzing has sold approximately 300 blocks through word of mouth. plates,” Benzing explained. “I was looking online and stumbled upon these cutting boards. It’s easy to do, and I can use the scraps to do it.” Professor of Marketing Susan King became familiar with Benzing’s idea after he took the ‘How to Start and Manage a Small Business’ seminar last semester. “Due to the extreme scrutiny in the selection of wood used to produce the guitar bodies, are not used,” King explained. “In an effort to re-purpose this wood, Cole began using it in the production of the boards. By manufacturing green, handmade, and organic products, this product has the ability to appeal

What started as wood scraps developed into a business for junior Cole Benzing, who makes hand-crafted cutting boards. (Photo courtesy of Cole Benzing) market.” decided to start a company of his own selling recycled, allnatural, organic, handmade cutting boards almost on a whim. With the time and resources at his disposal for very little cost, he took a “why not” attitude and went for it. “We have two cornerstone principles: a commitment to being unique and a dedication to providing value to our customers,” Benzing’s website explains. “We believe uniqueness cultivates a culture that promotes progress and diversity. That’s why every board is hand-stamped and individually numbered.” The unique nature of the boards is evident in each one produced. “The artistry of the boards is what appealed to me personally,” King said. “The fact that he uses food-grade mineral oil and ish the boards adds to its charm.

Due to the unique nature of this product, I have encouraged Cole to seriously consider expanding this business following graduation.” Benzing has sold approximately 300 blocks through word of mouth and placement in local boutiques. Sass in Adrian, MI, features only Michigan-made goods. Benzing said placement in the store increased the knowledge in his community about his business and sparked support for his product. “The community has been very receptive, very helpful,” Benzing said. “They offer a lot of feedback.” When Benzing returned to school after winter break, he began focusing more on the marketing aspect of the business. “Over Christmas break, I kind of hit a stand still,” Benzing explained. “But ever since I’ve been back at Hillsdale, I’ve started a website, I’m on Insta-

Looking forward, Benzing doesn’t expect to continue intense work with the business after he graduates. He is passing the reigns to his grandfather and mother to do with the business what they want. The team is currently looking to expand production and get placement in bigger-named stores like Williams-Sonoma and Field and Stream. They need to work out details of production and supply before they get into a bigger market. “It’s kind of hard to keep up with demand because there’s not very many of us working on it,” Benzing said. “Right now, they’re trying to build up and inventory, create some connections with different stores, and see if they can keep up with demand.” Overall, Benzing is very worked out. Initially looking to make a little extra money on the side to help defray miscellaneous college costs, Benzing has created a viable business that has great potential. “I had the resources; I had the time during the summer,” Benzing said. “I’ve been pouring a lot more time into it, and it’s been really rewarding. I wanted to do something on my own. I don’t have anything to lose. For the amount of work I’ve put into it, it’s been very successful. I’d say there’s a lot more room for growth.”

UFO From B4 clusion: 87 eyewitnesses were mistaken, and had seen only “swamp gas.” Skepticism of this explanation, as well as others offered, emerged immediately and remains to this day. “It was my considerate opinion that Dr. Hynek had his mind made up as to what he ever reached the City of Hillsdale,” Van Horn said in a May 26, 1966 Collegian article. “I also observed that his main line of questioning was relative only to that Gas Theory.” Kohn also said that subsequent testing of the arb revealed high levels of radiation, boron, and destruction of microscopic plant and animal life. Evans also remains skeptical of both the swamp gas explanation. “Dr. Hynek came to Hillsdale and I think he just wanted to get rid of us,” she said. “Hynek was pressured to play it down. Makes you wonder if there’s some kind of cover-up.” She also doubts it was a prank. “Some people said it could have been frat guys pulling a prank,” Evans said. “But they were way too busy drinking to do something like that. “It was a UFO. I’m convinced to this day that’s what it was.” -

cial explanation. “I don’t believe it had anything to do with swamp gas. This was just slow, huge. Swamp gas would never be bright. It was like looking into 20 spotlights,” Hess said. “They’ll never convince me it was swamp gas. I just truly felt it was a UFO. I have no knowledge as to what it was, no speculation as to what it could have been.” Even Hynek himself would come to downplay his explanation, according to subsequent reports in Project Blue Book. “I emphasize,” he said, “I cannot prove in a court of law that these are the full explanations of these sightings.” But the impact was much greater on a personal level for those who saw the UFO “It was the most unusual thing that happened to me in college. And it was very interesting,” Evans, who hadn’t even considered the possibility of UFOs being real before seeing one herself, said. “I didn’t realize how unusual it was or interesting until much later. You grow up and look back and say, ‘holy moly, did that really happen? The incident has also stuck with Hess, despite the intervening years. “It’s just one of those things you never forget even as your memory fails,” he said.

Sunny Wilkinson, and all that jazz Madeleine Jepsen Collegian Reporter Jazz vocalists and piano accompaniment echo through the Howard Music Building as artist in residence Sunny Wilkinson instructs students in the master class. Wilkinson, who started her relationship with Hillsdale College three years ago, gives voice lessons for vocalists involved in jazz combos, and also instructs monthly master classes. The master class provides a setting for musical formation in which several singers present prepared pieces in front of Wilkinson, who instructs them in front of a small audience. Wilkinson’s relationship with music dates back to her childhood. As a young girl, she was cians in her family. “My family was very musical,” Wilkinson said. “My daddy was a Methodist minister and my mom was the choir director. We always sang, in home and at church together, so there was a lot of music going on when I grew up.” Her love of music led her to train under various vocal teachers and pursue a degree in choral education at Arizona State University, shortly before she

voice study.” Sophomore Amelia Stieren, who sang in the last master class, described the process as helpful for both the vocalists and the audience.

As a Grammy nominated artist, Wilkinson has released four solo records.

Grammy nominee and artist in residence Sunny Wilkinson periodically teaches a vocal jazz master class. (Photo Courtesy of Sunny Wilkinson) began her career as a performing artist and vocal teacher. “I was driven by passion and talent, and I did have some talent, but I was mostly driven by just the love of it and the passion of it. There was nothing else for me to do, really.” Wilkinson said. As a Grammy-nominated

artist, Wilkinson has released four solo records, as well as performed in many guest-artist appearances. She also sings at various events, most recently with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and at a concert at Texas Tech University. For Wilkinson, managing a busy schedule as both a per-

former and a teacher is well worth it. “I love the process of developing the vocal instrument itself,” she said. “The most beautiful thing about the process is the discovery that the students themselves go through, that they can have a journey of selfdiscovery through the pursuit of

“The singer sings, and then Sunny goes through and breaks down the song and gives tips. Everybody watches, so even if you’re not singing, you still learn a lot because you learn from the other person,” Stieren said. Her students, such as freshman Giannina Imperial, describe Wilkinson’s teaching style as slightly unusual, but very effective. “It’s very hands-on. First she’ll listen to you sing, then she’ll ask you to do sort of unorthodox things. She’ll maybe ask you to gussy up against a door to feel free, or put your hands on her stomach to feel how she breathes,” Imperial said. “She makes it so that even

if you are not totally into the singing lingo, she explains it so that you can feel what’s going on in your head and in your throat. It’s really helpful.” In addition to her work at Hillsdale College, Wilkinson also serves as an artist in residence at University of Michigan, and taught voice lessons when she lived in Los Angeles. Wilkinson tries to improve her students vocal abilities to allow them to truly engage in the music. “I go in and roll up my sleeves. Initially, I am a diagnostician. In other words, I want to hear the person sing for with that instrument,” Wilkinson said. “Then, my journey is to balance the voice, but my true philosophy and goal is the pursuit of freedom in the voice. We want to be free to sing the ideas that we have for the rest of our life.” Wilkinson thoroughly enjoys her work with the students and faculty. “I think the music faculty at Hillsdale College is superb in their skills and their collegiality,” Wilkinson said. “It is an absolute joy to be involved with them, really, and I enjoy every aspect of it.”

BLACK&WHITECHIC KAT TORRES, SOPHOMORE Describe your fashion sense.

What is your most embarrassing item of clothing?

What is your biggest fashion pet peeve?

What is your favorite item of clothing?

Who inspires your wardrobe? Hailey Morgan/Collegian

B4 19 March 2015

Spotlight www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Tastes of Life: From restaurant to shelter Josh Paladino Collegian Reporter

In 1966, Hillsdale had its own close encounter Jack Butler Opinions Editor The night of Monday, March 21, 1966 was pretty typical for the McIntyre Hall residents— until the UFO appeared. At about 10:30 p.m., according to an eyewitness account written by Gidget Kohn three days later, dozens of girls and other witnesses — 87 total — began to watch an “intense silver-white light.” The event was later described in Project

“It’s one of those things that runs your hair up on the back of your head just thinking about it.” Blue Book, the United States Air Force’s decades-long investigation of UFO sightings nationwide as “football-shaped.” The room of Josephine Evans ’69 had one of the best views of the object; many girls crowded into it to watch. “We suddenly spotted what appeared to be this strange light in the arb,” Evans said. “It was odd the way the lights were, but it was also weird the way [the UFO] traveled.” “There was a glow around it and the lights appeared to be pulsating,” Kohn’s account added. “The glow was gone and there were three lights which were yellow-white…then the middle light turned red and

A newspaper clipping from the 1966 sighting. then the one on the left. [We] watched for about 10 minutes and then the object seemed to move up and then to the right and left very slightly.” As the object appeared to move closer to the dorm, the girls decided to call Hillsdale Civil Defense Director Buck Van Horn. As the girls, trapped in the dorm by curfew, along with dorm moms and Van Horn, kept watching the object, it continued to behave bizarrely, moving of varying colors, intensities, and sequences. “It is not really necessary to describe all the movements,” say that it moved like nothing earthly and Mr. Van Horn was seeing it too.” Meanwhile, around the

same time, Harold Hess, then a a midnight to 8 p.m. shift with his partner, Jerry Wise, checking lots on Carlton Road, near where today the CVS pharmacy stands. But something quickly caught their eyes, even though Hess said it was about a mile away. “Then, over by the college, we saw a real brilliant light in the sky at a low altitude,” Hess said. “You couldn’t look at it, it was so bright.” Hess and Wise drove over to the arboretum, where they discovered the mysterious unsource of the blinding light. “It wasn’t a chopper. There was no humming. I took my weapon out. Jerry told me to put it back,” Hess said. “‘Whatever it is, I don’t think it’ll bother it

one bit what you’ve got at your side,’ Jerry told me.” Then, Hess said, the light split, and went in two different directions. The action had physical effects on the object’s surroundings. “We got into our patrol car and we couldn’t transmit. We just got static,” Hess said. “It’s one of those things that runs your hair up on the back of your head just thinking about it.” After that, the lights disappeared from close view. Some of the girls continued to watch the night sky almost longingly as it faded off into the east. “We continued to watch for our friend, for in a sense it had become our friend, and a few minutes later we were rewarded by a strange new light on the horizon that hadn’t been there before—a bluish whitish greenish light,” Kohn wrote. But at about 5:10 a.m., the object That was only the beginning of the saga of the Hillsdale UFO. Several nearby areas — such as Ann Arbor and Dexter — reported sightings around the same time, making the Hillsdale UFO part of a national story. So Dr. Allen J. Hynek, consultant to Project Blue Book and professor at Northwestern University, came to Hillsdale to investigate. But after interviewing many key eyewitnesses, including Evans, Hess, and Van Horn, he reached a simple con-

See UFO, B3

Although Tastes of Life went out of business due to the minimum wage increase last year, the Life Challenge ministry has repurposed the building as a new women’s shelter. Life Challenge, an addiction rehabilitation center in Hillsdale, provides a spiritual, social, and professional foundation for program residents to reenter into society. Unlike state programs, Life Challenge is a Christian organization. The shelter opened in late February and has the capacity for eleven women and their children. Pastor Jason Mekelburg of College Baptist Church supports Life Challenge by speaking at its chapel service and inviting recovering addicts in the program to share their testimony at College Baptist. “It gives us a faith based option for addictions recovery. There are other state programs, but one that is Scripture based, as a pastor, I am happy to be able to recommend.” Janine Livernois, the women’s director for Life Challenge, addressed the unique perspective this organization takes on drug rehabilitation. “We understand that these are individuals, and we understand that we can’t force religious beliefs on anybody, but we present the opportunity for them to change and we believe in the power of God,” she said. Life Challenge allows these individuals time to grow in faith and fully recover. Whereas state programs are 30 to 90 days long, Life Challenge has a different approach. “It’s an individual growth, not even being able to put a timeline on it,” Livernois said. The rehabilitation lasts 12 months and in some cases residents are invited and even encouraged to stay longer if necessary. In one case, Dan, a graduate

of the program, was invited to “He’s paying rent for a room and we’re helping him so he can get his GED when he’s completely done with us,” said Men’s Director Tim Ritchey. Life Challenge does not throw its graduates back into society empty handed. The workers are dedicated to equipping these men with valuable skills to get them back into the workforce. Many of the men coming into Life Challenge have many skills. They have knowledge in valuable trades and Life Challenge gives them the opportunity to use that knowledge. “We’ve got people who are sales reps, construction, mechanical, maintenance,” Ritchey said. The trials these residents have gone through are unbearable. “I know I’d still be using, I don’t know if I’d be dead or not because I was to a point in my life where I had lost a lot of trust, a lot of friends, a lot of relationships and I didn’t know how I was going to gain that I’d failed everyone and failed myself. I tried ending my life, and it didn’t work, and it was at that moment I knew in my heart that God had something else for me.” Livernois lost her husband 16 years ago. After that traumatic event she came to know Christ and for the next 15 years she opened up her home to women who needed help in the community. Perrysburg, Ohio for 15 years before his family left him and his career slipped away because of drugs and alcohol. He came to Life Challenge in 2013 and one year to the day later he became the men’s director. His life is evidence of the effectiveness and determination of this organization. “It’s been a blessing,” David said. “God brought me here for a reason.”