Collegian 2.16.2023

Men’s Basketball: Charger men’s basketball is currently ranked first in its conference.

Courtesy | Summer Fields

Q&A: President’s Ball King and Queen

By Quinn Delamater Collegian Freelancer

Hillsdale College seniors

Eleanor Hansen and Colton

Duncan were crowned President’s Ball king and queen at the Student Activities Board’s event this past weekend. Hansen is a biochemistry major from San Diego, California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What has your overall experience been at Hillsdale so far?

It’s been wonderful, looking back as a senior I’m very grateful for how I have had four years of consistent growth with friends and faculty. It’s a real privilege to be here.

What are your favorite memories from your time at Hillsdale?

I look back most fondly on my time in the Collegiate Scholars program and unique opportunities to travel. I went on a trip to Greece once.

What do you hope to accomplish after Hillsdale?

To be happy and to love and serve God, whatever that looks like. I plan on going to medical school.

What has been your favorite class?

Am I allowed to answer “all of my chemistry classes?” The chemistry faculty is simply wonderful. But if I had to pick only one course, it would be microbiology. I loved the material.

What have you learned from friends and professors?

How important it is to come alongside. My professors and friends alike have met me where I am at, offering graciousness and support no matter the challenge.

I didn’t have a lot of good friends before I came here, so learning how to have real friendships and being willing to change and grow with other people has been one of the greatest gifts of Hillsdale.

Who have your mentors on campus been?

Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Kiledal, and Dr. Maas come to mind immediately. For their aca-

demic support but mostly for their kindness and wisdom.

How do you feel about being chosen as queen and what does that mean to you?

It was a great surprise but a tremendous honor. To be recognized with so many amazing men and women who have shaped my time on campus means a lot to me. I never felt that I was prepared for the character formation or even academic culture of the college, so it felt like being told “no, you do belong here, and as much as you have chosen Hillsdale we too have chosen you.” That was a very kind thing.

How has Hillsdale prepared you for what you’re setting out to do next in life?

My education here has shaped how I understand human beings and my experiences of friendship. As I pursue a path in medicine, the understanding of people as mind, body, and soul that Hillsdale has instilled will shape everything I do, not just as a doctor but also in and for my family and church. I am so grateful for this place.

Duncan is a double major in classics and international business studies from Cincinnati, Ohio.

What has your overall experience been at Hillsdale so far?

It’s been really wonderful. It’s been a place of great friendship and really strong community; the community focused on the mission of the college has made it that. We’re all sharpening each other toward the same goals.

What are your favorite memories from your time at Hillsdale?

My time with the Niedfeldt guys. A lot of our experiences at homecoming, like winning Mock Rock for the first time in Niedfeldt history last year. We had a massive party in the lobby and so many people came, that the building was basically shaking. It was the most crowded I’d ever seen the dorm.

School Threats: Schools in the Hillsdale area have recieved threats lately, leading to shutdowns.

Courtesy | Corey Murray

College offers for-credit online learning for high school students

By Josh Newhook Digital Editor

Hillsdale has enrolled 66 high school students in online courses for college credit this semester in a test program that eventually could become widely available to high school students everywhere.

The venture seeks to fulfill the college’s mission to provide a Hillsdale education to anyone who’s “willing and able” in a time when a lot of students are willing, but might not be able to be admitted, according to Director of Online Learning Kyle Murnen.

“There aren’t a lot of schools like Hillsdale. If you want to study the things we study here, it can be hard to find them,” Murnen said. “We are taking some students that would otherwise be unable to receive the education.”

The three-credit classes for the test group cost $300 per student, and include two sections on American government and two sections on American history, according to Associate Director of Admissions Matt Sauer.

The American government sections are live on Zoom and led by graduate students Joey Barretta and Stephen Goniprow. The history courses include a recorded component featuring Professors of History Wilfred McClay and Brad Birzer available on Canvas. The group also offers

group Zoom meetings with Assistant Professors of History Miles Smith IV and Jason Gehrke.

“The hope was to cut down on the need to do live instruction three days a week,” Sauer said. “But this is a test, so we’re figuring out if that’s actually going to save them some time or if it’s the same amount of work.”

Students can use the courses as elective credits at Hillsdale or to satisfy graduation requirements at other schools, similar to with Advanced Placement classes. The courses, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, do not satisfy core requirements at Hillsdale, nor are they meant to replace Hillsdale’s dual-enrollment program, which currently allows high school students within a 25-mile radius of campus to take courses in person, according to Murnen.

Sauer said juniors and seniors from any school environment across the country and internationally can apply. The application includes an essay and requires a GPA of 3.4 or higher.

Sauer said the COVID-19 pandemic began the idea of online for-credit classes for high school students.

“Not that we prefer online teaching, but if we could offer some of the core classes to people who are still in high school, they can transfer where they go while exposing

them to our faculty and to our way of teaching,” Sauer said. “The dream is to do online learning but to make it as Hillsdalian as possible.”

Sauer sent an email last October to Hillsdale students who were homeschooled, asking them to spread the word about the online courses to other homeschooled students.

“Our goal was to get 60 students, and we have 66,” Sauer said. “We have two sections of each class, so we had to increase the capacity for the government course from 15 to 18 students each.”

McClay and Birzer recorded 28 lectures for the recorded section of the history class covering Christopher Columbus through the American Civil War and Reconstruction last August and September, according to Birzer. In addition, they have recorded 26 of 28 lectures for the second course in the series, covering America’s Gilded Age through the present.

“Even though the Hillsdale College American Heritage course is a one-semester course, we made it a two-semester course online,” Birzer said.

“It’s more typical at colleges to offer two semesters of American history – so we followed that pattern rather than Hillsdale’s.”

See Online A2

Physics Students: Three physics students traveled to a conference to present a collaborative research project.

See B4

Courtesy | Stephanie Lauback

Security increases patrols after MSU shooting

By Logan Washburn City News Editor Hillsdale College

Security took extra safety measures Monday night as a man killed three students and wounded five others during a shooting spree at Michigan State University.

“We increased our presence and monitored the situation by listening to the radio traffic in real time, as well as monitored the briefings that were given from the incident command on scene in Lansing,” said Associate Director of Security and Emergency Management Joe Kellam.

Sophomore Michaela Estruth, an RA in Olds Residence, said she was sitting desk with her friend and saw a notification that there had been a shooting at MSU.

“Five minutes later, a security car pulled up in front of Olds,” Estruth said. “They never do that unless we’ve called them.”

See Shooting A7

Political strategist Richard Viguerie receives Freedom Leadership award at CCA III

By Maggie Hroncich Editor-In-Chief

Direct-mail pioneer Richard Viguerie received the college’s highest honor, the Freedom Leadership award, from College President Larry Arnn on Feb. 5.

The award, which Arnn bestowed during the Center for Constructive Alternatives on Classical Greece and Rome, recognized the 89-year-old Viguerie for his work as a strategist who helped raise money for conservative causes by making appeals through the mail.

In his speech, Arnn referenced William F. Buckley Jr., who previously won the Freedom Leadership award, and Abraham Lincoln.

“We have a history with both of those men, and Richard Viguerie takes from both of those men in the making of this career,” Arnn said. “And so, on behalf of this great college, I am honored to give the Freedom Leadership award to Richard Viguerie.”

According to Viguerie’s firm, American Target Advertising, he has mailed an estimated 4.6 billion letters in his life. His mailing efforts are known for reshaping American politics, including contributing to the presidential election of Ronald Reagan.

Arnn said Viguerie’s work, inspired largely by his sincere beliefs, has helped shape public sentiment.

“He’s an extremely faithful man,” Arnn said. “He believes in the power of his cause and he believes in the good of the

American people. And I think that those two faiths are going to be responsible for rescuing our country, which must be done, by the way.”

Viguerie, who began working on Hillsdale’s national marketing with Arnn 2o years ago, said he was humbled to receive the award.

“To receive the Freedom Leadership Award and have my name appear alongside Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Vaclav Havel, Bill Buckley Jr., Jeane Kirkpatrick, Charlton Heston, and Justice Clarence Thomas is something of dreams,” Viguerie said in his acceptance speech.

Viguerie said most major institutions in America today, including Big Tech, Hollywood, the nonprofit community, and unions, are hostile to traditional values and freedom.

“In the 1960s through the 1990s, there was a cultural war raging, but most conservatives were not aware of it, and we lost the cultural war,” Viguerie said. “Today, it’s important to recognize we’re in a spiritual civil war that the Left has launched against Western Civilization, America, our Constitution, traditional Judeo-Christian moral values and much else we value and hold dear.”

Viguerie told audience members they should respond by praying, getting engaged, and stepping up to lead.

“Don’t wait for instructions from Dr. Arnn, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson, or your favorite congressman,”

Viguerie said. “Pick yourself to lead.”

Viguerie said conservatives should use alternative media, blog, become political candidates, start or help nonprofits, and volunteer their professional expertise to win the “spiritual civil war” against progressives.

“Because the leadership of all major forms of communication/news are censoring conservative news and information, each of us needs to rise to the occasion and become modern-day Paul Reveres,” Viguerie said.

Viguerie spends over 60 hours a week working on fighting the “spiritual civil war raging in America,” according to Kathleen Patten, CEO and President of American Target Advertising. Patten said his direct mail donor list has raised billions for conservative causes, political campaigns, and nonprofits.

“His nickname ‘the funding father of the conservative movement’ is well-earned,” Patten said.

Vice President for External Affairs Doug Jeffrey said Viguerie’s patriotism has both helped college and the country as a whole.

“We owe Richard a lot for helping the college make millions of new friends,” Jeffrey said. “But we owe him much more for his example of enduring faithfulness and of relentless love of country and tireless service to it.” Viguerie has helped spread the college’s values to a wider audience, according to Vice President of Marketing Bill Gray. “At Hillsdale, we teach, and we learn about the highest and best things. And we do this in a spirit of partnership—which is why I am so grateful to Richard for teaching me and others about marketing and fundraising while helping expand the reach and influence of the college,” Gray said.

“I’ve known him for 11 years now, and I take him seriously when he says that the best is yet to come, for him and for our country.”

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Seniors Colton Duncan and Eleanor Hansen were named President’s Ball king and queen. Courtesy | Student Activities Board

Richard Viguerie recieved the Freedom Leadership Award from College President Larry Arnn. Jack Cote | Collegian

Hillsdale’s first accounting professor dies at 94

By Linnea Shively Assistant Editor

Hillsdale’s first professor of accounting, Febes T. Facey, died Jan. 30 at age 94 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to a public Facebook post by her son Eddie Facey on Jan. 28, Febes entered hospice care after the discovery of a mass on her pancreas.

“As she processed her situation, it’s probably not surprising to anyone who knows her that she could look up to me from her bed and say ‘be happy for me,’” Eddie Facey said in the post. “As far as I can see, she is completely at peace, being kept comfortable, and is able to share love, memories, and acknowledgement of what she gave to so many, particularly her children, and the impact it had on her sphere of influence.”

Facey’s generosity stood out to all who knew her, according to Susan Sweeney, neighbor and fellow Saint Anthony Catholic Church member. Sweeny said Facey always had a gift for her in her purse. Facey’s autobiography, “In Search of a Pearl of Great Price,” reflected on hosting Thanksgiving. Each year, she bought the biggest turkey she could find and invited students to her home to celebrate. At Halloween, she filled her living room with toys, candy, and apples. According to Sweeney, all kids left her home with bags full of treats.

Facey taught at Hillsdale College for 21 years, from 1973-1994, alongside her husband, the late Edward Facey, a professor of economics.

Originally hired as an Associate Professor of Finance, Marketing and Investments, Facey pushed for the addition of an accounting major. Budget constraints at the time meant the college was unable to hire another professor. According to her autobiography, Facey offered to teach one to two accounting classes on top of her regular courses without extra compensation. Facey also taught through the sum-

mer to ensure her students would finish the accounting major on time.

Facey’s care for her future students inspired visits to Detroit’s “Big Eight” accounting firms. According to her autobiography, many firms originally overlooked an accounting program from a liberal arts college. Facey convinced hiring managers to interview her students with a persuasive presentation of her teaching methods and a gift of Empire apples. According to her autobiography, “from that year on, her students were

According to her autobiography, Facey’s students remember the Chinese axioms she shared during class from her time living in China. The best remembered phrase was “teach a man to fish and he will have food on his plate for the rest of his life,” according to Facey’s biography.

Former student Treasa Bullock-Sylvester ’89 remembered Facey’s dedication to both her family and career.

Q&A: Dominic Green

versity of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines. While she originally intended to pursue medical school because of the need for doctors during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, working a job prevented her from taking the required day classes. Instead, she explored another interest, business, in evening classes. She graduated magna cum laude in 1954 at the top of her class.

By Cassandra DeVries Collegian Freelancer

always employed.”

Even after her retirement, Facey’s influence remained with Hillsdale faculty, according to Michael Sweeney, professor emeritus of accounting. Sweeney met Facey after he began teaching accounting at Hillsdale in 1996. Facey became a mentor to Sweeney through their drives to Cleveland to visit Facey’s husband, who was battling cancer.

“She was always willing to give advice if asked, but made it clear that the program was now in my hands,” Sweeney said.

According to Sweeney, the professional network Facey built up in her time as a professor greatly benefited the accounting department. Outside Sweeney’s old office in Lane Hall, a plaque is dedicated to Facey from former students.

“We were waiting for class to start, and she came up to us girls and talked to us about teaching,” Bullock-Sylvester said. “She told us that if you want to have a family and you want to still have a career, teaching is the way to go. If you love accounting, you can be an accounting teacher, math teacher, there’s just so much out there but really consider teaching. Those were her passions.”

Facey emphasized hard work and a passion for learning in her classroom, according to Bullock-Sylvester.

“What I took from her class is that you excel at what you love,” Sylvester said. “She taught me that passion. After failing a test, she asked, ‘do you like accounting?’ and I said, ‘yes, I love accounting.’ And she said, ‘well, going forward, you’ll figure it out.’”

Facey was born in the Philippines discovered her love for accounting at the Uni-

After the University of San Carlos, Facey received her MBA from Stanford University in 1957. In her 200 person class, she was one of two women. In 1960, Facey began studying at New York University for a Ph.D.

At NYU, Facey took a class from Ludwig von Mises, the father of Austrian Economics. Facey recalls fond memories of high tea with other students at the Mises’s household in her autobiography. The Faceys stayed in touch with the Mises family after graduation and occasionally returned to their house for a visit.

After earning her Ph.D., Facey taught at St. John’s University in New York City while her husband finished his dissertation. At a dinner party, the couple met then-College President George Roche. Because of a shared interest in free market economics, Edward accepted a position teaching economics at Hillsdale College on the condition that Febes would also be given a teaching post. Febes proceeded to teach at Hillsdale from 1973 to 1994, when she received emerita status.

Facey arrived early to Mass at Saint Anthony every Sunday to pray the rosary and sit in the same spot; her favorite place was an individual pew in the fourth row.

“She was devout, capital every letter,” Susan Sweeney said. “Her ministry was prayer.”

Facey’s memorial service will be held on Saturday in Las Vegas, where she moved in 2011 and her son currently resides.

Olds Residence hosts Puppies and Pancakes

By Sydney Green Collegian Freelancer

The energy of two puppies and the smell of pancakes filled the Grewcock Student Union on Tuesday evening.

To raise money for the Humane Society, the women of Olds Residents held its annual “Puppies and Pancakes” event on Valentine’s Day in the Student Union. Students gathered to play with the excited puppies and eat warm pancakes for $3 each, or $5 for both.

Olds Resident Assistant and sophomore Sophia Rome said this is a cherished event of hers and highly anticipated by the RA team.

“We have been really excited about this all year. It is really fun and is one of my favorite events of the year,” Rome said. “It is a great way show the Olds culture and get the whole campus involved.”

Birzer said that he, McClay, and Murnen designed the course and chose topics, keeping the American Heritage reader as a background and touchstone for the project.

“This is something new for the college, and we thought constantly about establishing the best precedents for other courses that might be attempted in the future,” McClay said.

McClay said he and Birzer wanted to project the charm and intimacy of Hillsdale College, despite the fact that the online medium can be hostile to both of those things.

“One of the ways we did

About 75 to 80 students came, according to Olds’ House Director Rachel Marinko. At the end of the night, Olds raised nearly $300 for the Humane Society, Marinko said.

Freshman Ella Shaw said she was glad she came.

“It was really great to be able to step away from studying and have a fun date with the puppies.”

The two puppies brought much laughter and many smiles to students’ faces.

Freshman Jonathan Williams said he also liked spending his time with puppies. “It was such a good way to spend Valentine’s day with friends and supporting charity”Williams said. “It was a great event and I had a great time.”

that was to feature dialogues between the two of us periodically,” McClay said. “It is a great way to show high school students that history is full of debates and differing perspectives, and is much more lively and interesting than the cut-anddried version that too often is presented to them.”

Birzer praised the video marketing team.

“The camera crew was simply fantastic,” Birzer said. “They made Bill and me feel really comfortable in front of the camera.”

Sauer said the program’s online elements are going better than anticipated overall.

“The professors seem to

think the students are doing well,” Sauer said. “We’re really hopeful that we’ll be able to continue the test in the fall with another section of American history, and see where it goes from there.”

Applications for the fall 2023 test group will begin this spring, Sauer said. The college will use an internal application again, though it is also reaching out to some Christian schools that expressed interest.

“We’re hoping that people who took American history will take part two, though we don’t have enough of a class offering to make everyone repeat customers,” Sauer said.

He reiterated that Hills-

Dominic Green is Hillsdale’s spring 2023 Eugene C. Pulliam Visiting Fellow in Journalism. He writes for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Examiner among other publications in the United States and the United Kingdom. He is the editor of the U.S. edition of The Spectator and the commissioning editor of The Critic. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

How do you write?

I start everything by writing with pen and paper, or pencil. I very rarely go straight to the computer. I often sketch a plan out in pen and paper as well. I think the best thing you can do as a writer is have minimal interaction with electronic devices. Pencil and paper, and I also use a typewriter. It’s most valuable tool of all when it comes to saying things efficiently, and a lot of journalism is about efficiency, and compressing the maximum amount of information and ideas into a very small amount of space. Even if it’s on a web page, you’ve still got a set number of words. The typewriter is your friend, and you can get one super cheap online.

How did you become a journalist?

Well, like most journalists, it chose me, in a sense. I worked professionally as a musician for many years, then became a freelance writer, picked up a doctorate on the way, taught a bit at colleges, then returned to writing freelance full time. I didn’t entirely deliberately set out to become a journalist. I know many people do. They tend to be found on the staff side and in the full-time editorial staff. The freelancers very often are a mixed bag. To me, journalism is a kind of writing, and a writer is a person who writes more than one kind of writing by necessity, but also by inclination.

How do you choose your topics?

I choose most of what I

From Pres Ball A1

What do you hope to accomplish after Hillsdale?

Hoping to do some post graduate studies, I would like to go into education. I’m good at organizational things and building community, and I enjoy mentorship rules. I would like my future to be a blend of politics, academics, and education.

What do you hope your Hillsdale legacy will be?

In general, I hope that when my friends remember me, they will think of how deeply God loves them and wills their good. I have been treated so generously by my friends and mentors, and hope that they have experienced the same from me.

write, and it’s always been this way. This wasn’t because I thought it was a cunning strategy, although I later realized it was efficient timewise. It was simply because I thought that’s how things were done. I was a musician, and if you want a gig as a musician, you go to the place and say, “Can we come and play here, please?” So I came up with ideas, and I sent them to an editor and said, “Can I write this for you, please?” I always recommend that writers do this because you write best about the things you know, about things you care about. You have to have some personal or intellectual or emotional investment in it, and then you’ll usually write something interesting.

How will the media change in coming years?

I think editing will go out of house. I think that’ll happen in book publishing as well. Indeed, this is how the 18th century worked: by subscription. You came up with an idea for a book. You found a patron. You got a subscription list. They each gave you a couple of pounds. You wrote the book, and that was you were paid that way rather than in royalties, out of a share of the sales. I think if you look at the quality of 18th century letters, it’s not a bad thing at all. So I am optimistic about the future of journalism.

Do you think the media is becoming more polarized?

We’re a little bit misled because the early Cold War period saw a very high degree of consensus politically about the American way being much better than the communist way. There was less to argue about, politically. In a way, the norm in American history is that there’s at least two sides, and everyone has violently different views . So, you could say that the digital shift has restored something which journalists from an earlier age would have recognized about how the news is made in America, which is with lots of opinions.

and that was a really exciting experience.

What have you learned from friends and professors?

So much. I’ve learned to rely on others. I learned from Dr. Bart how to do research. I learned from Nick Macaluso how to run a dorm. I learned from Michael Hoggatt how to make the most out of life. And I learned how to grow a sick beard from Dr. Young.

Who have your mentors on campus been?

dale does not want to rush into expanding this program too quickly.

“You run the risk of it becoming so large that it’s severely diminished in its impact and its dimension,” he said. “We want to go slow and steady to make sure we are proud to put Hillsdale’s name on it.”

Murnen said the program has been successful so far.

“We’ve proved we can do it,” he said. “In the fall, we want to refine the processes, and see what we learn and if it is a beneficial thing for the students.”

Particularly, my legacy rests in the men of Niedfeldt. Students speak of the “Golden Age of Niedfeldt” which began five years ago. This is only the start. I hope people will remember how, from humble beginnings, the strong leadership of several Head RAs and House Directors has forged a tight-knit, masculine community focused on the highest things. I hope they remember me as someone who carried the torch passed on to me by Hillsdale legend Nick Macaluso, and as someone who in turn handed that torch to Ryan Perkins, who will do great things next year.

What has been your favorite class?

I think my favorite class has been Western Heritage with Dr. Gaetano. It was really that class that opened my mind to what we are trying to accomplish here at Hillsdale

Brock Lutz has been a big mentor to me, as well as Colin Brown in the President’s Office, who has been a great friend and support and has helped open up a lot of doors for me. Father David from St. Anthony’s has also had a massive impact on me. And, Dr. Wales has helped me a lot both personally and with my academic prospects.

How do you feel about being chosen as king and what does that mean to you?

Being crowned monarch is exhilarating. You feel the power coursing through your veins, but that delight is short lived when you realize that many envy the crown and will go to any length to seize it from you. After the first night I had trouble sleeping and I’m looking for a successor.

How has Hillsdale prepared you for what you’re setting out to do next in life?

Hillsdale has taught me how to be humble, how to stay curious, how to seek out opportunities, and most importantly, the importance of having good friends and forming good friendships.

Febes Facey was the first accounting professor at Hillsdale.

Courtesy | Roche Family

Sophomore Sophia Rome cuddles Paul the puppy at Tuesday’s event. Sydney Green | Collegian

Student Fed grants clubs funding

By Elyse Apel Opinions Editor

The Student Federation considered three club funding proposals, swore in two new representatives, and granted two clubs probationary club status at its Feb. 9 meeting.

The Powerlifting Club asked the federation to provide funding for equipment necessary for the club to participate in training and competitions.

The club requested $6,190 to cover various club costs, which the federation fully funded.

“The Hillsdale College Powerlifting Club is oriented toward the development of the body outside of the classroom,” said junior Sophie Pfaff, president of the club.

SAB to host annual ski trip this weekend

By Victoria Wagner Collegian Reporter

The Student Activities Board plans to bring over 100 students to the Bittersweet Ski Resort in Kalamazoo for its seventh year on Feb. 18.

“My friends and I have a tradition of going every year and it’s just a blast,” junior Faith Roys said. “We all have a ton of fun and it’s always a great day out on the slopes together.”

Sophomore SAB creative team member Phoebe Van-

Heyningen said interest in the trip increased this year.

“The google form filled up in record time, so it has proven itself to be a well loved event,” VanHeyningen said.

According to SAB, the $50 cost includes equipment rentals, lift tickets, and transportation, making it much more affordable than if students were to go on their own.

“I love snowboarding and I don’t get the opportunity to do it otherwise because of the cost,” Roys said. “SAB makes it possible to go.”

Students who attend have different dining options available, and the resort has a shop to buy gear and goodies, VanHeyningen said.

“My personal favorite part of Bittersweet is crowding around the giant fireplace in the rustic Lodge when you get in from the cold,” VanHeyningen said “It’s just a great way to get out of Hillsdale and take a break from homework.”

The trip is by sign up only and currently has a waiting list.

First ever Simpson Bazaar to take place this Friday

By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor

The hallways of Simpson Residence will resemble the streets of Jerusalem at the Simpson Bazaar this Friday, Feb. 17, from 3-5 p.m.

“Simpson Bazaar is an event that simulates a market where bartering physical goods is the method of exchange instead of money,” junior Michael Hoggatt said. “The bazaar aims to transport you outside of your typical American grocery or supermarket to where the bustle of shoppers and heckling of vendors is the norm. Enter through Simpson’s front doors, and a concierge will escort you to the marketplace.”

Anyone is welcome and can bring any items they may want to barter.

“Everyone who wants a break and has any sort of

item they are willing to part with should come,” sophomore Nolan Nohr said.

“More interesting equals more valuable. One person’s trash may be another person’s treasure.”

Simpson will transform into a Middle Eastern environment, modeled after Hoggatt’s experience in Israel this past winter break.

“This January, I had the privilege to visit Israel, where I saw markets in Jerusalem and Jaffa that inspired the close-quarters, haggling atmosphere that Simpson is attempting to recreate,” Hoggatt said. “It was a blast to shop there and I wanted to share the experience back home.”

Not only will the shopping atmosphere fill the halls of Simpson, but the middle eastern decor and food will invite even the most hesitant to enter, Hoggat said.

“There will be a tea room, middle eastern cuisine, and decór to match,” Hoggatt said. “Items worth trading include: clothing, shoes, art, glassware, nerf guns, cool food, and anything your mind and house may hold. Vendors are going to drive a hard bargain, so throwaway items may not strike a deal.”

Prince Ali may also make an appearance, according to sophomore Justus Hume.

The men of Simpson are excited to bring this new event to campus and hope all feel welcome and enjoy it, freshman Nathan Rastovac said.

“The bazaar will be immersive with Simpson guys bringing the atmosphere of a real bazaar to the dorm,” Rastovac said. “Come to trade or enjoy the fun environment with food, music, and other festivities.”

Evensong to occur weekly

By Moira Gleason Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College Choral Scholars program will now have weekly Choral Evensong services in Christ Chapel on Sundays at 6 p.m.

According to Timothy McDonnell, associate professor of music and choral scholars program director, Evensong services have been a goal of the Choral Scholars program since its inception and the planning of Christ Chapel.

“The idea of weekly Evensong was first articulated to me by Dr. Arnn during my job interview,” McDonnell said. “In envisioning the life of the college chapel, he reflected on his experience while in Oxford, where he was inspired by the beauty, reverence, and prayerfulness of Evensong at Magdalen College’s chapel. It occurred to him that the service’s accessible, but firmly Christian form, would serve a broad cross section of our students, and that in the midst of study and cultivating friendships, Evensong could be a still, quiet place to pray, reflect, and be inspired.”

According to McDonnell, Evensong is the sung evening service of prayer established by the Church of England in the 16th century and draws from the Catholic monastic tradi-

tion of Vespers and Compline, parts of the daily cycle of prayer known as the Divine Office.

“At the heart of this ancient tradition of Christian prayer is the praying of psalms, the ancient prayer book of the Church in which we hear the voice of Christ speaking to us under his various titles as Redeemer,” McDonnell said. “In the course of history, the use of choral music in Evensong has become one of its hallmarks, and the service is widely recognized for its beautiful language and musical heritage. In addition to the choral elements, the congregation joins in the singing of hymns.”

Evensong will be offered by the choral scholars program, a subset of chapel choir established last fall in which students rehearse together five days per week with an emphasis on sacred music and a higher level of choral training.

Freshman Josie Nolen said she and the members of choral scholars are excited to sing as a group independent from chapel choir starting this semester.

“Last semester, we focused a lot on building the program,” Nolen said. “We were in tutorials twice a week, and we had our own rehearsals outside of chapel choir where we were working on ensemble techniques, vocal skills, the

The club also requested funding for compensation for its members that obtain United States Powerlifting Association memberships, which allows them to compete in official competitions.

“The ultimate mission of our club is to assist members at a high level of competition by making preparation, training, and cost as affordable as possible, as well as promote the general fitness of the student body,” Pfaff said.

While club members are paying for many of the personal costs of travel or equipment to participate in a meet in April, the federation funded requests for different training and competition equipment and T-shirts.

In the future, Pfaff said the club hopes that fundraising and sponsorship will help cover the costs of competing.

The federation also voted to fund the Film and Production Club’s request of around $1,800 to buy new equipment.

While the finance committee of the federation initially recommended only partially funding the club’s request, after debating among federation members, the federation eventually voted to fully fund the club’s request of more than $1,800.

“I’d like to get top-line equipment which would further improve our capabilities moving forward both for highlighting campus culture with our films and also potentially producing films for other clubs,” said junior Truman Kjos, president of the club.

“The Film and Production Club has needed some equipment additions for a while now, and the funding we got will be a huge help,” Kjos said. “I’m really excited to see what the club makes this semester.”

Mu Alpha requested and received $170 to put on a dance party and charity fundraiser for a whale conservation charity.

The money will cover snacks, decorations, and prizes for the “Rave the Whales” event, which will be held in the Old Snack Bar on Feb. 18 from 10 p.m.-1 a.m.

The Martial Arts Club was granted probationary club status.

“We are applying for club status to be able to be a more efficient part of campus life and be able to provide the opportunities that we have to all of campus,” junior Victoria Kelly said. “Being an official club, it’s easier for us to have actual safety rules so that people who are involved have to sign a waiver and have to adhere to safety rules.”

As a club with probationary status, the Martial Arts Club will return to the student federation in a year to be reevaluated and considered for full

club status.

The club currently has seven or eight members that regularly meet to practice, but they expect it to grow since gaining official probationary club status.

“We also have a growing focus on the campus of people interested in practicing martial arts at a higher level,” Kelly said.

The Historical European Martial Arts Club was also granted probationary club status by the federation.

“European Martial Arts is a little bit different from general martial arts, because it involves more protective equipment,” said junior Matthew Tully. “It’s the study of historical facts and the application of those in physical competitions.”

Tully said the group hopes to begin attending local exhibition matches to compete.

“The most important thing is making sure that members of the club are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe,” Tully said. By being granted probationary status, the club hopes to grow and gain new members, Tully said.

Sophomore Samuel Swisher and junior Juliana Undseth joined the federation after being elected by the student body last semester and were officially sworn in as federation representatives at the meeting.

According to the federation treasurer and junior Emma De Nooy, the federation still has more than $44,000 on hand to spend this semester.

The next Student Federation meeting is at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the Formal Lounge and is open to the student body.

GOAL to hold blood drive in union

By Christina Lewis Collegian Freelancer

GOAL’s Community Health Program will be hosting a blood drive in the Grewcock Student Union on Monday, Feb. 20.

The American Red Cross will host the event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Students can sign-up at the GOAL community health program booth in the student union.

Hinson Peed, freshman and co-coordinator of the blood drive, said trained Red Cross workers will ensure the blood donor is healthy before drawing any blood. All blood donors will undergo a brief physical that will include taking blood pressure and checking iron levels.

“It is very important to know that the donor is healthy. It’s not just about the person receiving the blood. It’s also

about the person giving blood,” said Peed.

Beth Potwardowski, senior and GOAL Community Health Program leader, said last semester more than 50 people donated blood. Their goal for this semester is to have 90 people donate blood.

Students can watch the High School Musical movies as they donate blood.

Students are encouraged to wait an extra 10-15 minutes after they donate blood to eat snacks and drinks that are provided to help increase blood sugar levels.

Potwardowski said that for those who are nervous to give blood, it is a good idea to do it with a friend. For those who are unable to donate blood because of health conditions but would still like to contribute, volunteers are needed to help run the event as well.

“There’s a lot of ways that we need help, such as helping out

with checking in donors, and then also running the event itself,” Potwardowski said. “We need a lot of volunteers to make this possible and any help we can get is tremendously appreciated.”

Peed encourages people to educate themselves on blood donation eligibility requirements. Students should also make sure they eat iron-rich foods before donating their blood and stay hydrated. For donors who are scared of needles, the Red Cross workers will work hard to make sure that the process is as comfortable as possible.

“Just be upfront about that with the Red Cross workers and they will make every accommodation possible to make sure that your blood donation is comfortable, and that you are able to make the biggest impact that you possibly can,” Peed said.

mechanics of singing, and the philosophy of singing. I’m really proud of us that we were able to take things that we learned from last year, and we’re starting to put it into practice and make beautiful music together.”

Junior and choral scholars member Adam Lindauer said he has found Evensong to be a place of respite and prayer.

“I often tell people that the choral scholars program is my favorite thing that I do here,” Lindauer said. “Every rehearsal is a respite from my busy day, and being immersed in singing sacred music is very prayerful for me. I both hope and expect Sunday Evensong to become a beloved tradition and pillar of our campus community. No matter where we go to church on Sunday, this is a place where we can all worship together.”

McDonnell said he hopes that Evensong will benefit the college by emphasizing the place of Christ and worship at the center of our campus community.

“The campus spends its days pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful, the ultimate convergence of which is found in God,” McDonnell said. “The choral service in the Chapel is very much a concrete expression of this endeavor.”

Debate team wins first tournament

By Elizabeth Crawford Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale College’s debate team opened the season winning the top three competition spots and walking away with the sweepstakes award at its most recent tournament.

On Feb. 4, the team attended a virtual National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament hosted by Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.

Debate Coach and Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Public Address Blake Faulkner said he views the team’s wins as a good start to the season and preparation for nationals.

“The granddaddy award, the one we really care about above everything else, is what we call the sweepstakes,” Faulkner said. “That is a team award, demonstrating which school overall has the most wins across the board, and we won that.”

Team Manager and senior Frank Vitale, the secondary

coaching authority for the team, was also pleased with the members’ performance at the tournament.

“Overall, it was the most success we’ve seen in a while, which was very exciting,” Vitale said.

Vitale and his younger brother Luca, a transfer student this semester, also competed in the tournament, taking the second spot in the overall competition.

“We have always had this thing — some siblings may understand — where we always have almost a way to read each other’s minds when we are doing something together,” Frank Vitale said. “So being able to do that and understand immediately what the other was trying to say was super helpful in this tournament.”

Junior Emma Sanders won the overall speaker award, which often serves as a tie-breaker between teams, according to Faulkner.

Sophomore Vivian Turnbull, who finished fourth place in the speaker awards, said the judges determine the

speaker winners on in-round eloquence.

Faulkner attributed the success of the team, especially with the changes in rules for this tournament, to both the skills of the students and the quality of a Hillsdale education.

“This tournament accepted all of the national organizations rules, but added some more,” Faulkner said. “They cut out cross-examination, the use of the internet, and prepping with anyone else except your teammate.”

Despite these difficulties, both Faulkner and Vitale were pleased with the team’s success at the competition and are excited for the future.

“Given our historical success at nationals, I am hopeful that the team will continue to perform well,” Vitale said. “Nationals tournaments have been some of my favorite memories at Hillsdale, and I am so excited that some of the students will have the opportunity to experience what those tournaments are like.”

Junior Annaliese Oeverman, sophomore Jack Cote, juniors Dean Ballantyne, Christine Madigan, Luke Hollister, and Mary Clare Hamilton went on the SAB skit trip last year. Jack Cote | Collegian

Opinions

Online : www.hillsdalecollegian.com

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The Collegian Weekly

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

Go for a walk, even in the cold

It can be tempting to spend little time outside in the cold as we wait for warmer weather to roll around.

Of course on those rare days that peak above 40 degrees you might leave the table in AJ’s to stroll around campus or chat on the quad.

But when temperatures consistently hover around freezing, it can be difficult to build up the willpower to step outside.

None of this changes

the importance of physical activity though, especially for students.

With a never-ending flow of assignments due and obligations to fulfill, we are all stressed, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to counter that stress. Just ask your physical wellness professor.

Using indoor facilities is a great option, but for those who worry about the time commitment of heading to the sports complex every

day, a simple walk or jog outside is more appealing.

Don’t let the weather discourage you.

Being outside lets you breathe the fresh air, which calms your body and refocuses your mind, and there are plenty of ways to make a walk in the cold more attractive.

Bring an extra layer of clothing up the hill in the morning or buy an umbrella. Grab a coffee or a tea before you go to keep yourself

warm as you walk.

And if you need someone to talk to on your daily stroll, find a friend who is willing to brave the cold with you. You’ll focus more on the company than your discomfort.

It’s a matter of discipline and you likely have more freedom right now to form healthy habits than you will when you move on from Hillsdale.

Don’t be a stay-at-home girlfriend, be a wife instead

By Isabella Helms

While the stay-at-home girlfriend trend on TikTok may appeal to a culture with lofty romantic ideals, this lifestyle falls short of objective reality. Today, young women who are choosing to quit their jobs and move in with their boyfriends have taken to the internet to showcase their glamorous lives of leisure and unemployment.

The more likes and comments the stay-at-homegirlfriend trend receives on TikTok, the less aware the younger generation will be of its many obvious problems.

Famous TikTok influencer

Kendel Kay clarified the role of a stay-at-home girlfriend in one of her videos saying, “For those of you who don’t know what a stay-at-home girlfriend is, it’s a housewife in training.”

The real issue with this recent cultural phenomenon, however, has nothing to do

with Kay’s decision to stay at home, and everything to do with the fact that she is a girlfriend who has taken on wifely responsibilities without any promise of marital commitment.

A day in the life of a stay-at-home girlfriend often looks like this: Draw the blinds and make the bed, journal, complete an extensive skincare routine, prepare breakfast and coffee for two, clean the house, run errands, go to a hot yoga class, online shop, cook dinner, and watch a movie before bed.

Despite receiving accusations of laziness and gold digging, Kay’s videos continue to rack up millions of views as her lifestyle appeals to an American audience dreaming of being wealthy enough to stay at home. According to a recent Buzzfeed article, some have even mocked Kay’s morning routine for being shockingly similar to serial killer Patrick Batemen’s from

“American

Psycho.”

The majority of hateful comments that Kay receives come from fourth-wave feminists who view stay-athome girlfriends as victims of toxic masculinity. They fear that by romanticizing a very anti-feminist life, Kay is normalizing more quiet forms of abuse and misogyny.

Kay’s mantra of “self care, slow living, and feminine energy” is just as offensive to feminists as it is to those who dream of doing nothing for a living.

Not only is the stay-athome girlfriend fully reliant on her boyfriend to provide for her, but she has also put herself in a situation where he can leave her whenever he wants because he has not unified with her in marriage. And yet, the boyfriend in this scenario is in an equally terrible predicament himself: he must work tirelessly to support a woman who has not committed to be his wife.

Both the stay-at-home girlfriend and the workaholic boyfriend have entered into a utilitarian relationship destined for heartbreak and dissolution.

Political commentator and Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh discussed this trend on his show, saying: “they are playing house with a lot more on the line.”

Walsh said couples that live this way are setting themselves up for a breakup that will feel and look like a divorce because of the martial importance of a shared bank account, home, bed, etc.

While Kay may have convinced herself and her viewers of the “benefits” of being a stay-at-home girlfriend, there is ultimately no alternative to marriage. No relationship can replace a life-long commitment that makes promises, signifies the maturity of mutual love, and solidifies the importance of marriage in the minds of the

Hillsdale should be cautious about offering accredited online classes

By Tracy Wilson

When the pandemic brought my freshman year at Hillsdale to a halt, students received an email stating the importance of education taking place in the classroom, not on a computer.

“It is worth saying a word about why the college is the way it is, and not an online college,” College President Larry Arnn wrote. “At least since Plato’s Academy, people have come together in small groups to learn in friendship. The best kind of learning requires direct conversation, also intensity of concentration, also friendship amounting to love.”

That’s why it was so great that Hillsdale held in-person classes in the fall semester of 2020, at a time when many other colleges and universities were fully online or offering a hybrid education.

This semester, Hillsdale College is testing two online courses for college credit. The pilot courses are currently offered only to high school students, who may then use them either as elective credits if they later attend Hillsdale, or as college credits if they attend another institution.

Although this program seems like a well-intentioned effort to make Hillsdale classes available to a broader audience, the truth is that an online course will never compare to the in-person Hillsdale experience. If this testing period is successful, Hillsdale should not let the online program grow too large.

Part of what makes a Hillsdale education unique

is the small, close-knit student body. Hillsdale also has a low faculty-to-student ratio, which allows professors to get to know their students.

Online education can’t replicate this personal quality; even though the online high school students can communicate through virtual lectures, online students don’t have access to everything that makes a Hillsdale student’s educational experience well-rounded. The online high school students don’t get the same experiences that a local dual-enrollment student would have: the culture of campus and the local community; the peer pressure to perform well, and above all, the chance to form personal relationships with classmates and professors.

When the pandemic forced us off campus and online in the spring of 2020, our professors made great efforts to deliver a

high-quality education with Zoom classes, video lectures, and podcasts. But we all know the truth: it wasn’t nearly as good as being together. During my Zoom classes, I felt disconnected from my peers, unmotivated, and overall unengaged in the material.

According to Director of online learning Kyle Murnen, the college is not aiming to provide the full Hillsdale experience through these for-credit online classes, but rather a bite-sized version that is more accessible to those who may not be able to attend Hillsdale.

“These courses are based on the recognition that only a few people are able to pursue a complete Hillsdale education here on campus,” Murnen said. “The goal of this program is to provide some key parts of a Hillsdale education to a wider group of people — especially those who may need to go elsewhere for their college

degree.”

It is laudable that the college wants to offer a piece of Hillsdale to a wider group of people — something that it already does through the existing online courses, which are not accredited. Yet Hillsdale always has valued the quality of its education over the quantity of students receiving it, and that should remain true, even as it explores opportunities in online learning.

The college should keep the accredited online courses limited. Professors’ priority should ultimately be students on the actual campus. We can’t do it all: if part of what makes Hillsdale so special is the small, in-person community, we will never be able to replicate the Hillsdale experience by diluting it and offering it to a broader audience online.

While offering online classes for high school students will make Hillsdale’s curriculum available to more people, it will never compensate for the other core parts of a Hillsdale education. Rather than caving to the growing demand for online education, Hillsdale should go against the current and preserve the idea that the best education is offline.

Tracy Wilson is a senior studying English and journalism and classical education. She is the design editor at the Collegian.

couple.

The temporary happiness that an unmarried couple might experience when they first move in together is incompatible with the joy of spouses who have devoted themselves to one another and exchanged vows of habitual self-giving love.

In his 1994 “Letter to Families,” Pope John Paul II defined the sacrificial nature of love and the ability of marriage to satisfy our earthly desire for intimacy.

“Only the one who is able to be demanding with himself in the name of love can also demand love from others. Love is demanding. It makes demands in all human situations,” he wrote. “Nowadays people need to rediscover this demanding love, for it is the truly firm foundation of the family, a foundation able to “endure all things.”

As more couples settle for low-commitment relationships, they cheapen the value

of their love and reduce one another to objects used for pleasure. Without an objective common good which they are both pursuing, they will mistake pleasure as the greatest good and use each other as means to securing their end goals of pleasure.

Pope John Paul II lays out his argument for spousal love in his book “Love and Responsibility:” “Love in human relationships is not something ready-made. It begins as a principle or idea which people must somehow live up to in their behavior.”

If stay-at-home girlfriend videos continue to trend on TikTok, it will result in a generation of girlfriends who aspire to stay at home and never commit to becoming wives and homemakers.

Isabella Helms is a sophomore studying English and journalism.

Letter to the Editor:

Oppressive regimes perform the best choral music

By Evan Anthopoulos and T. J. Montgomery

Dear Editor,

I couldn’t help but be struck by the irony that some of the world’s best choirs come from countries that are commonly perceived as being tone-deaf when it comes to individual rights and freedoms. Yes, I’m talking about those communist countries, where the collective is king and the government calls the tune.

But despite the oppressive regime, or perhaps because of it, these countries seem to have produced some of the most impressive and awe-inspiring choirs around.

From the Red Army Choir of Russia to the Korean People’s Army State Merited Chorus and Symphony Orchestra of North Korea, they have captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences worldwide, even if their governments haven’t.

So what makes these communist countries so good at choral music? Well, some might say it’s because they invest heavily in music education. In countries like Cuba and China, for example, children are taught music as part of their standard curriculum. Perhaps it’s because they believe in the collective effort, and choirs are the perfect embodiment of that idea. Or maybe it’s simply because they have a rich

cultural history that values choral singing.

On the other hand, maybe it’s because in capitalist countries, the only music education children receive is being told to “download the latest hits from Spotify.” Or maybe it’s because in capitalist societies, the only collective effort people seem to care about is the bottom line.

Some might even say that communist choirs have struck a chord with the masses. Others might argue that their harmonious sounds are the perfect antidote to the dissonance of capitalist societies.

In any case, it’s hard to deny the quality of these communist choirs. And while we may not agree with their politics, we can at least appreciate their music. In fact, we might even say that they are a shining example of how, sometimes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

So the next time someone asks you why communist countries have the best choirs, just tell them it’s because they don’t have to worry about copyright infringement or paying royalties. Or better yet, just smile, nod, and enjoy the music.

Evan Anthopoulos is a junior studying applied mathematics and T. J. Montgomery is a junior studying history.

Hillsdale just began testing online classes for high schoolers. Courtesy | Flickr

The Marriage Pact would destroy Hillsdale culture

By Micah Hart Valentine’s

Day happened earlier this week, and that girl you’ve Hillsdated for a year is not going to wait forever for you to ask her out. Maybe you’re afraid. Maybe you just don’t have proper communication skills.

Stop legalizing recreational marijuana

By Therese Boudreaux

One of the idiocies of modern policy is the belief that legalizing a certain crime will eliminate that crime. The legalization of recreational marijuana is one of these social experiments that has utterly failed and needs to cease.

Contrary to the popular belief that marijuana acts as a harmless relaxant that produces a “mellow” high, the recreational marijuana products sold today contain much larger amounts of the hallucinogenic chemical THC than in the past, boosting the strength, addictiveness, and hazardous effects of the drug. According to reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, the American Chemical Society, the Journal of Neuroscience, and many others, cannabis has caused depression, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia, cognitive impairment, memory loss, severe lung damage, risky and suicidal behaviors, heart attacks and strokes, and even cancer.

But with easily accessible marijuana supported by strong public advertising—as seen in Ann Arbor billboards touting “Happiness: Next Exit,” “Don’t leave without saying high,” or “Let’s go to your place, we’ll bring the weed”— people who otherwise would have stayed away from the substance are actively encouraged to try it.

A 2021 panel study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that “marijuana use among young adults reached the highest level ever recorded” since data became available in 1988, with the most significant jump

occurring within the past 10 years.

There is growing evidence that using marijuana neurologically predisposes the user to opioids and other drug abuse–in other words, that marijuana is a “gateway drug.”

A study conducted by the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences tracked cannabis users for over 25 years, and found that out of the 1,265 participants, “Regular or heavy cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of using other illicit drugs, abusing or becoming dependent upon other illicit drugs, and using a wider variety of other illicit drugs.”

Supporters of cannabis legalization argued that it would crowd out the black market, thus making the product “safer” and restricting access to minors. Instead of causing the marijuana black market to go out of business however, legalizing recreational marijuana has in fact caused the black market to grow. This is because government regulations and taxes on the production and sale of legal marijuana jack up the prices for a product that customers can buy cheaper at illegal dispensaries. And in a marijuana-tolerant environment, the risk of arrest and imprisonment for this offense is much lower.

Chris Hawkins, commander of the Michigan State Police, stated in 2021 that “Many operators we take enforcement action on go right back to their illegal activities because of the leniencies of penalties.” He also said he has seen an increase in illegal activi-

ty—including the sale of the drug to minors—since a state ballot initiative legalized recreational marijuana use in Michigan in 2018.

Currently, 21 states have legalized recreational marijuana.

The Wall Street Journal recently covered this growing problem in Oklahoma and California, where many marijuana producers don’t even bother to register legally or comply with regulatory standards because it’s difficult for police to immediately know whether a weed farm is licensed.

The worst part about this exploding black market is that more young people (who have been told that weed is “safe” and “natural”) have access to this drug. Unsurprisingly, there has been a massive increase in marijuana use and poisoning in adolescents, causing chronic vomiting, psychosis, hospitalization, and sometimes death.

The National Poison Data System found a 245% increase in pediatric misuse of cannabis from 2000 to 2020, with the largest increase occurring from 2017 to 2020, when marijuana legalization took off nationally.

As a last resort, cannabis advocates will often point to the lack of concrete evidence that marijuana legalization leads to an increase in violent crimes, and should therefore be considered safe.

This claim is extremely questionable. Since crime rate fluctuations rely on a number of different factors, it is incredibly difficult to determine how much cannabis legalization

Parents should not track their kids

By Moira Gleason

Tracking apps such as Life360 allow parents to keep tabs on their children’s location at any time. Life360 offers updates when someone leaves the house, gets home from school, or gets into a car.

Other apps such as Find

My Friends allow users to share and track the location of their contacts.

While this seems like a valuable tool for keeping kids safe, location tracking can have a negative impact on family relationships. When parents track the location of their kids through their phones, they undermine any mutual trust with their child.

A 2018 Pew Research poll found that 16% of parents track their children’s location on their phones.

According to the Life360 website, the app currently has more than 200 million downloads worldwide and more than 42 million members.

The common practice of location tracking shows a fundamental weakness in parent-child relationships that won’t be fixed by any digital accountability system.

When parents make the decision to give their child a phone, they should be able to trust that the child is old enough to make responsible choices and communicate his location to his parents. Tracking the kid on his phone is ineffective for safety and sends the message that the parents do not trust him. This can trigger animosity from the child, who will likely resent what he sees as constant spying. The only reason that parents should feel the need to track their kids is if they have proven that they can’t be trusted. Even so, kids can easily turn off their location or leave their phones at a friend’s house if they don’t want their parents to have their location. Even if they keep sharing their location, there is no guarantee that the fear of their parents’ watchful eye will keep them from engaging in dangerous behavior. If the kid is going to engage in dangerous or criminal behavior, Life360 probably won’t stop him.

If the parents don’t have a reason to mistrust their child, then mutual

parent and child is healthier and more effective for safety purposes than digital tracking.

Tracking is one-sided and requires no cooperation on the part of the child. A more effective approach would be for the child to text or call his parents occasionally, letting them know where he is and who he’s with. This active communication would require cooperation on the part of the child, who has to make a conscious decision to touch base with his parents. It would also teach the child voluntary accountability.

Parents should be involved in their kid’s life to the point that they know what he’s doing on any given day but don’t feel the need to keep tabs on him. Ultimately, parents cannot save their kids from their choices. At some point, kids have to take responsibility for their own actions and learn from their own mistakes. It’s part of growing up and becoming a responsible adult.

Moira Gleason is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

has directly influenced crime rates. On top of this, states have an interest in the economic revenue that the cannabis industry makes and would rather turn a blind eye to the negative effects.

But in reality, compelling evidence exists linking cannabis to crime-causing tendencies.

An Australian study published by the National Library of Medicine in 2010 observed that “Serious aggression is associated with regular cannabis use and also reduced behavioural inhibition.”

The results of a 2017 Canadian study published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry journal “suggest a unidirectional association between cannabis use and violence.” In other words, it’s not that already violent people are the ones using cannabis, it’s cannabis that makes people violent.

But whatever the case may be on crime trends, is violent civil disorder really the only consideration for public safety levels now? Is the bar for legalizing a psychotic drug really so low that we’ll justify legalizing it recreationally because “the murder rate hasn’t seen any major spikes”?

It’s time to recognize that recreational marijuana legalization is a failed experiment. Although it is unfortunately too late to feasibly re-ban marijuana in states that have already legalized the drug, the least America can do is learn from Michigan and other drug-friendly states and stop the spread of this insanity.

Therese Boudreaux is a junior studying politics and journalism.

Some schools are switching to the Marriage Pact to help students find love. The Marriage Pact isn’t a terrible idea for most of the big schools using it, but it is not right for Hillsdale College. Hillsdale’s culture is much more traditional than schools such as the University of Michigan and Notre Dame.

Two Stanford University students came up with the idea in 2017 as part of an economics class project.

The Marriage Pact starts with a survey. Participants fill it out and then an algorithm matches individuals to each other. Unlike most dating apps, the Marriage Pact does not use pictures. Hillsdale could become a partner school and participate in this project. But given the culture at Hillsdale, it seems like a dangerous road to travel down.

According to the Marriage Pact website, “The questionnaire asks about some sensitive things. Here’s why: the idea behind the Marriage Pact is to find your best backup plan—that person you could marry if you’re both 30 and still single.”

Because of this, the questionnaire focuses on four types of questions: contact information, demographics, values, and meta (your thoughts on the actual questions given to you). This is part of the main event; however, as the website points out, feedback or other questions might be asked before being matched with their partner.

One of the questions, as reported by the online newspaper “Insider,” is “Is there such a thing as unconditional love.” Another is, “Do I have free will?”

In addition to the general Marriage Pact, the company is now set to release two new options: Soulmate Radar and

Checkmate. According to the company website, the soulmate radar will tell a student when a person walking by could be a person’s potential soulmate.. Checkmate will “Check your long-term compatibility score with anyone.” Hillsdale College has a unique dating community. This pact may lead to more drama than healthy relationships, especially given the high stakes of getting married by the time one graduates.

And yes, relationships should be built on value questions. The Marriage Pact asks the right questions; however, as stated, Hillsdale does not need to partake. Bigger universities can do the experiment well because if you are matched and don’t like the person, you will most likely barely ever see them. At a small school like Hillsdale, you are bound to see that person.

While the Pact is meant for finding someone if you are 30 and alone, it would be better to be alone than just attempt to marry someone because an algorithm says the two would make a great match. There is so much more to relationships than just a few questions. While you don’t have to marry the person matched to you, it creates a certain atmosphere in which a relationship doesn’t come about naturally.

Nowadays, the pressure on getting married right away is waning, but it still exists. An experiment like this, mixed with the traditional values that several students at Hillsdale espouse would create an undue angst that students don’t need more of.

The Pact does ask some deep questions that can probably provide for the framework of a solid relationship. But there are better options than the Marriage Pact to find true love.

Instead of just waiting for an algorithm to tell you who to date, just go ask that girl you have been hillsdating out.

Micah Hart is a sophomore studying politics and journalism. He is circulation manager at the Collegian.

It is best for parents to track their kids

By Megan Williams

It was 2 a.m. and I had just crashed my car at the bottom of a hill off on side of the freeway. I was lucky enough to find my phone, conscious enough to call my dad, but too hysterical to explain my exact location. Groggy after waking from a deep sleep, my dad muttered that he would just track my phone. My parents found me, helped me get my belongings from my car, and took me home within 30 minutes.

It was all because they were able to track my whereabouts.

Apple released the Find My Friends app in 2011, allowing individuals to share their locations with other Apple users for an hour, for the day, or indefinitely. This tool quickly became a way for parents to keep tabs on their children; with the touch of a button, their precise location could be revealed and followed.

As children begin to grow up, spend the night with friends, learn how to drive, and begin exerting their independence, it is necessary to establish parameters and accountability to prevent them from

harming themselves and others.

With a car comes almost an unlimited amount of freedom. You don’t have to rely on your parents or siblings to drop you off at the movies, you can grab dinner with your friends whenever you desire, and go shopping at Target whenever you need new clothes. Yet this freedom also gives you the opportunities to go to that party without your family knowing, hide alcohol and other paraphernalia from your parents, and stay out until 2 a.m. on a Friday night simply because you can.

When I began driving, all of these opportunities became a reality. I could lie to my parents about where I was going, I could hangout with people that I knew were bad influences, and I had the chance to leave that sleepover and attend the houseparty instead. So why didn’t I do this in high school? Because there was always the chance that my mom would look at my location and know where I really was. Sharing my location with my parents kept me accountable and discouraged me from engaging in destructive and

dangerous behaviors.

It’s easy to see these applications as draconian and something that stops the necessary progression as children learning how to handle their newfound freedom, but that’s overly dramatic, and everything needs to be used in moderation. Sure, lots of parents abuse this information and stalk their children, which is unhealthy. But the nature of parents having access to their child’s location simply makes sense from a safety perspective.

Most teenagers will admit they participated in things they shouldn’t have when they were in high school, and even if you promise you didn’t, there are inevitable dangers that come with teenagers growing up and driving. God forbid you get in a car accident, you get hurt, or you end up in an unsafe location, but in case it does, it’s simply safer for your parents to be able to find you in case of an emergency.

Megan Williams is a senior studying rhetoric and public address and journalism. She is an editor at the Collegian.

21 states have legalized recreational marijuana. Courtesy | Flickr

City News

Homeless Task Force holds inaugural meeting, reviews homelessness in the city

By Aubrey Gulick Senior Reporter

The City of Hillsdale’s Homeless Task Force met for the first time on Feb. 14 for a briefing on local homelessness.

“We have a lot of individuals coming together from different walks of life around the city who have different lived experiences,” said Stephanie Myers, chair of the task force. “Although they come from various walks of life, all of them are passionate about this, and I think, putting all our heads together, we can make some progress.”

Stephanie Myers will chair the task force, and Josiah Lippincott will serve as its secretary. The Community Action Agency also briefed the task force on the funding the Hillsdale community

receives, including its uses and limitations.

“We also got a good scope of how some of the published numbers for our population are developed, how they come up with those numbers, and what the different definitions mean,” Myers said.

Homelessness became part of the public conversation recently due to the problem’s recent visibility, according to Mayor Adam Stockford.

“The information that I get comes mostly from residents who are concerned about people on the trail encampments,” he said. “I’ve also seen a few encampments with my own eyes.”

Stockford, who was heavily involved in appointing members to the Homeless Task Force, said he prioritized individuals from the community.

“I really wanted the committee to be made up of at least 50% of just Hillsdale residents – people that have a vested interest in the community. I didn’t want it to be completely dominated by agency representatives,” Stockford said. “Some people reached out to me and wanted to be appointed; I reached out to other people I thought would be an asset on the committee.”

According to County Commissioner Brad Benzing, a newly appointed task force member, the data shows the homeless in Hillsdale are mostly local.

“The data from the Community Action Agency shows that these are not people from elsewhere. They are people with local roots,” Benzing said. “I believe that out of the 80 homeless

American Legion hosts Baw Beese chili cookoff

people, only one of them self-identified as having come from out of our area.”

Despite increased visibility, Stuchell said the data shows homelessness in Hillsdale has not increased.

“Michigan’s trend is a downward trend if you look at it over five years, and in Hillsdale, the trend is pretty flat,” he said.

Benzing, who has worked as an advanced paramedic in Jackson for more than six years, compared Hillsdale’s homelessness to what he has seen there.

“We don’t find them sleeping on the green in front of the courthouse or on the sidewalks in downtown Hillsdale. Usually, they’re choosing to isolate a little bit away from those spaces,” he said. Stuchell is concerned that

homeless encampments in parks and on trails could pose a public safety issue.

“I’ve seen this, where a mother with two little children will go into the park, and they’ll see who’s in there, and they’ll come right back,” Stuchell said. “You’ll see them; they’re camped there, and people want to go for a bike ride or a walk. That’s an unsafe condition.”

Stockford said the committee’s role is currently ambiguous but that it will fill an advisory capacity.

“I’m hoping with all the extraordinary people on it, maybe they can come up with some ideas that the council can use, that the police department can use, and maybe some things that these agencies can commandeer as well,” he said.

Benzing, however, said

it is essential to recognize that homelessness can be a lifestyle choice.

“There are people that make choices that might be different than ours, and we need to be accepting of those choices, but we also need not tolerate things that interfere with our own choices, our behaviors,” Benzing said.

“The idea that we have people living in public parks, I don’t think that’s necessarily tolerable since we are creating conflicts there.”

Stuchell said he thinks the city should balance safety with helping the homeless.

“I believe that every 8-year-old kid in this town should get on his little bike and ride wherever he wants,” Stuchell said. “But how do we do that and at the same time provide a place where people without shelter can go?”

Local leaders predict campaign issues ahead of 2024 elections

By Emma Verrigini Collegian Reporter

Local leaders are expecting a wide range of issues to drive the 2024 general election, including economic policy, energy policy, and education.

President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address suggested the key issues of the Democratic Party will likely be economic, according to City Council Member Gary Wolfram, a professor of economics at the college.

Mandatory spending programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will likely play key roles in each candidate’s platform, Wolfram said.

many Americans do not consider the unintended consequences of government intervention, he said. A successful Republican candidate will counter the Democratic platform of economic intervention, Wolfram said.

Wolfram said the divide in the Republican Party between politicians who support former President Donald Trump and those who oppose him could weaken the GOP candidate's chances of winning, but Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ platform may reconcile the two sides.

Hillsdale County Commissioner Mark Wiley said green energy policy will likely be an issue of contention.

By Olivia Hajicek

Assistant Editor

Hillsdale’s American Legion Riders Post hosted its second annual chili cookoff on Feb. 11. Returning champion Tanya “Joe” Walling won first place from the judges, while Post Commander Chris Parks won the “People’s Choice” award.

Leading up to the official judging in the afternoon, visitors could try the chili and buy tickets to cast votes for their favorites. Whoever got the most tickets would receive the “People’s Choice” award. Last year, Parks and Walling were the only two contestants.

“I came in second in both categories, that’s why she has both trophies right over there,” Parks said, motioning across the tent.

Walling displayed her trophies from last year’s contest on the wooden picnic table where she was working.

“It’s my award-winning chili,” Walling said. “I have won five awards with this chili.”

Parks was glad to win first in at least one category.

“After last year, it just being me and Joe, and she won both of them, it’s pretty satisfying,” he said.

This year, there was more competition.

Jerry Moistner, who served in the Army and is now the kitchen manager at the post, won second place from the judges with his

grandma’s chili recipe.

“I had a good time,” Moistner said. “It was a lot of fun.”

At another station, brothers Corban and Aldon Craddock teamed up to make white chicken chili.

Their mother, Jennie Post, said it was actually her recipe. “I think he did it better than I did,” she said, laughing. “Don’t tell him that though, because he’ll get a big head.”

The brothers won second place in the “People’s Choice” category.

“My middle son and my youngest son did it together, and I think that my favorite part of it was that they worked together,” Post said.

“They bought all of the groceries themselves for it. They really wanted to win.”

Post, whose husband served in the Marine Corps and National Guard, volunteers at the post twice a week. She said wants the community to know that the post is open to them.

“They think this is a private club, like you have to be a member to come here. That is not the case,” she said. “They can come for fish fry on Friday or steak fry on Saturday.”

At another station, Candida McCoy, who was a medic in the Air Force, said she came up with her own “Red Hot Chili” recipe and makes it for her family all the time.

“This is my first year ever being in a chili competition,

but I’m going to start entering in them all,” she said.

McCoy’s chili came in third in both categories.

“I’ll take third for my first time out of the gate,” she said.

The ice on Lake Baw Beese was too thin for the planned ice fishing seminar, but McCoy’s fifth-grade son Armando Torres stood on the shore and broke chunks off the edge, throwing them like frisbees and watching them shatter on the lake.

A band called Pomegranate Whiskey performed live music later that evening. Post said the band was a good fit because it offered something for everyone.

Some contestants, including the two winners, already plan to come back next year.

“I feel like I kind of have to be, whether I’m the post commander or not,” Parks said. “I won, I’ve got to defend it, right?”

Walling said it feels great to take home at least one of the trophies for the second year in a row.

“It just tells me again that I make really, really good chili,” Walling said. She said she hopes for even more competition next year.

“We had five people. Hopefully next year we’ll have more,” Walling said. “Let’s just get this thing bigger and bigger every year, every year.”

“The issue in 2024 will be the conflict between running trillion dollar deficits and increasing national debt and dealing with mandatory programs like Social Security,” Wolfram said. “You can’t balance the past budget unless you do something about Social Security.”

Biden’s policies may include a federal minimum wage increase and capping drug prices, Wolfram said. Wolfram thinks

“It’s a mixed bag. Some people love the idea of it, and there are people that hate it,” Wiley said.

According to Wiley, some types of green energy, such as solar energy may not even be feasible, since many places, including Hillsdale County, receive limited sunlight.

Wiley also noted green energy policy raises ethical questions, such as whether agricultural land should be used for solar panels,

a policy that could affect Hillsdale County residents. “Private property owners cannot be told what to do with their property,” Wiley said.

Both Wiley and Hillsdale City Council Member Will Morrisey said foreign relations, especially those with Russia, Ukraine, and China, will also inform future candidates’ platforms. According to Morrisey, issues surrounding education will also play a large role in the upcoming elections, especially decline in student success and “wokeness” in curriculum. Wiley said immigration and visa policy will also play a role in the presidential race.

Seasonal visa laws will particularly impact the Hillsdale area because they determine the number of visa-holding immigrants allowed to work in the United States, according to Wiley.

“Too many immigrants are getting social security, healthcare, or both,” Wiley said.

All leaders agreed it is too soon to tell for certain who will run, and what exact issues will be at the forefront of the 2024 presidential race.

Tiki Sam’s hosts Valentine’s Day pizza-making class

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale couples traveled to a Horton pizzeria called Tiki Sam’s Monday night for its first Pizza Date Night.

Freshman Olyvia Oeverman said her boyfriend dragged her along, but by the end of the night she was glad she went.

“From the first moment we walked in I could not stop smiling,” Oeverman said. “From the warm welcome, to the charcuterie board and custom pizzas, it felt like we had been invited over to a friend’s house for dinner.”

A ticket included admission for two, custom aprons bearing the couple’s names, and two pizzas the couple would make during the lesson.

Attendees also received a behind-the-scenes view

of how the unique pizzas on the Tiki Sam’s menu are made, including their “Dilly Pie” and “Honey Love” specials.

When Sam Durocher started Tiki Sam’s, he operated the business out of his truck before moving into the current location just outside of Jackson last June.

“Pizza truly saved my life,” Durocher said. “I had worked for far too long in the IT business, and people would only ever call me when there was a problem. Now I get to do what I love.”

The Valentine’s class was one of the many ways Durocher has attempted to reach the community, and the first time slot sold out so fast that he added two additional classes later in the day.

“I’m not doing these for the money,” Durocher said. “I’m doing them because I want others to love making

pizza as much as I do.”

Durocher also said Tiki Sam’s pizza boxes are designed to be used as bibs, and the box features a QR code leading to a Spotify playlist inspired by classic tunes played in pizza trucks.

Customization has been a defining trait of the small business, and Durocher credits his wife with all the artwork featured on the walls of the small shop. Going forward, Durocher said he hopes to bring his food truck to more events in the area, including the college’s White and Blue Weekend this spring.

“My secret to success has really been my family,” Durocher said. “I have my wife, kids, siblings, and nieces and nephews all working with me. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them.”

Chris Parks (left) won the People’s Choice award, and Tanya “Joe” Walling (right) was the Judges’ Choice Winner. Olivia Hajicek | Collegian

North Adams-Jerome schools enter lockdown

City plans Winterfest after weather cancels New Year’s Eve Bash

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor

Ice skating, horse and carriage rides, and giant painted penguins will all be featured at the City of Hillsdale’s Feb. 25 Winterfest celebration.

makeshift ice rink.

“In Hillsdale, there isn’t an ice skating rink available to folks,” Fry said. “So being able to bring a portable one in and provide those skates to people gives folks a chance to experiment something you might not get to do very often in Hillsdale.”

By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor

The North Adams-Jerome middle school and high school went into lockdown on Feb. 14 after staff reported three bullets on the sidewalk in front of the schools.

The middle and high school buildings entered “hard lockdowns” around 11 a.m. after the bullets were found, according to a press release from Interim Superintendent Dan Shadik. A “hard lockdown” requires schools to shut down due to an on-campus threat. Police responded at the same time.

“Law enforcement swept through every room in the district as well as all lockers and personal belongings,” Shadik said in the press release. “No threat was made to the district and no weapons were found on campus.”

When staff and students at Reading High School received threats earlier this month, the police investigation led to the Feb. 4 arrest of an 18-year-old student.

Reading Police Chief Eric Stolberg said a student heard and reported the threat to a

Michigan State

Shooting from A1

The suspect, 43-year-old Anthony McRae, killed two victims in MSU’s Berkey Hall and one in the Union, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After nearly four hours of searching, police officers confronted McRae, who then shot and killed himself.

“I knew we had to barricade the door. I knew we had to get away from the windows,” said MSU freshman Lottie Moorehouse, daughter of Hillsdale’s Adjunct Instructor of Documentary Filmmaking Buddy Moorehouse. “It’s heartbreaking to me that we’re all, still as teenagers, so well versed on what to do when there’s a shooting.”

Lottie Moorehouse was sitting in her friend’s room in Abbot Hall when her friend got a text saying there had been a shooting in the union. Soon after, the school sent students an email saying to “run, hide, fight” because there had been a shooting in Berkey Hall, between the union and Abbot Hall.

“What’s going through my mind is, ‘Oh my goodness, two locations that are getting progressively closer to me,” Moorehouse said.

Police received calls that the suspect had started shooting in Berkey Hall around 8:15 p.m., according to a press release. The suspect then moved into the union, according to the Detroit Free Press. But Moorehouse didn’t know that.

Moorehouse said she brought her roommate to her friend’s room, where they reached out to their parents and started listening to the police scanner. They stayed there all night until it was safe.

teacher. Reading Community Schools superintendent Martin DuBois then contacted Stolberg about the threat on Feb. 4.

Sgt. Rob Cooley of the Reading City Police Department investigated the case, and his findings led police to arrest the student who made the threat.

and within the county.”

Jonesville Community Schools went into lockdown on Feb. 1 after a student called in a threat to get out of school. After an investigation, police arrested the student.

Erik Weatherwax, the district’s superintendent, said it was only a matter of time until the community would be affected due to the rate of school threats.

Jonesville Community Schools has an Emergency Operations Plan that lists the protocol for different emergencies, according to Weatherwax.

said. “Students need to understand that what they say and do matters. An ‘innocent’ post or side comment involving the threat of violence will no longer be brushed to the side. Every threat is taken seriously.”

It’s important for teachers and staff to have a good relationship with the students and notice changes in behavior, Weatherwax said.

“You have to know your kids and this is a job that falls to everyone from our bus drivers to our teachers to our custodians,” Weatherwax said.

The event will take place at Hillsdale High School, and all its activities will be free of charge. Hot chocolate and coffee will also be free, but food and soda will cost money, according to Tammy Regner, president of Elks Lodge 1575. The lodge will provide food and refreshments for the event.

“We’ll be serving up the hotdogs for $1,” Regner said. “The proceeds from the sale of the hot dogs will actually be going to the veteran’s home in Battle Creek.”

The event was announced after the annual New Year’s Eve Bash was canceled due to weather, according to Sam Fry, economic development coordinator for the City of Hillsdale.

“The case is still technically open to the prosecutor's office,” Stolberg said. “I really can't go too much into detail. Even though the student has been arrested, he has not been found guilty.”

Stolberg said he heard many “SWAT-ing” calls to school districts last week.

“It does seem that when we get one threat, we get multiple,” Stolberg said.

“Through the last year and a half, we’ve had a handful within the Reading schools

“Each incident is unique,” Weatherwax said. “These can vary in how the threat was made, when it was made, and where it was made. One incident might require you to be proactive, whereas another you have to be reactive and deal with it immediately.”

Jonesville Community Schools strives to be flexible and quick with its response, Weatherwax said. Jonesville uses threat assessments for students who pose a concern.

“We stress to our students, ‘If you see something, say something,’” Weatherwax

According to Weatherwax, Jonesville Community Schools underwent a recent security assessment, which offered recommendations for improvement.

“We also had threat assessment and critical incident response training back in December,” Weatherwax said. “We also have a good relationship with local law enforcement, who have been very supportive.”

Reading Community Schools did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.

“It’s pretty much going to feature the same events and activities that we had planned for the New Year's Eve Bash,” Fry said. Regner said the event will feature multiple depictions of penguins, though no live ones.

“Quite a few years ago, the city purchased a lightup penguin,” Regner said. “We also have strolling costume penguins that will be meeting and greeting all the kids and families. Another cool thing we’ll have is a seven-foot-high painting of a penguin. Photo opportunities will be available – there will be penguins everywhere.”

Fry said the event will provide skates for the

Event sponsors include Hillsdale Hospital, Hillsdale Community Foundation, and Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness.

Christie Campbell, executive director of CAPA, said this is the first year her organization has sponsored the event.

“Our hope is that by sponsoring this event more people learn about our organization,” Campbell said. “No one likes to talk about child abuse and neglect, but it is unfortunately here in Hillsdale County.”

Kelly LoPresto, a city official who helped plan the event, said this is the first time the winter event will be held indoors.

“In the previous years, it’s always been hosted outside with a place for people to go inside to warm up,” LoPresto said. “But this year we canceled due to weather and this event is going to be indoors. I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the future, so we’ll see how it goes.”

“I think that it’s something we should have never had to go through,”

Lottie Moorehouse said. “We've met a few people here in East Lansing that went to Oxford High School, and it breaks my heart knowing that they’ve gone through this twice now.”

The police and school seemed to handle the situation well, Buddy Moorehouse said.

“It looked like every single police officer in Michigan was there,” he said. “I was very impressed with the way the school handled it and with the way the police handled it. They were transparent, they were very urgent, and they communicated with everything.”

“The very first thing we heard is, ‘Shots fired in Snyder-Phillips,’ which is the building that's 300 to 400 feet away from me,’” Moorehouse said. “We freaked out at that point. We barricaded the door, shut off all the lights, and crowded in a corner, all crying – that was the worst part of the night.”

Buddy Moorehouse said he kept in touch with Lottie by text to avoid causing any noise.

“We didn’t want to call her, because we didn’t want her to have to talk in the room,” he said. “They wanted everyone to keep quiet and lights out.”

Listening to the police scanner was confusing, Lottie Moorehouse said, as police were responding to many calls across campus.

“It was just straight chaos. I was just frantically texting people back letting them know that I was still okay,” Moorehouse said. “There was so much misinformation at one point. We heard there

were explosives, we heard them calling it a terrorist attack.”

All night, police responded to reports of shots fired across campus, reports of multiple shooters, suspicious vehicles, and bomb threats, according to the police scanner. Police concluded McRae was the only suspect.

Kellam said Hillsdale students should download the Alertus and Rave Guardian apps, as the college will use them to communicate with students if a threat comes to campus. Students using Alertus should select the user name “Hillsdale College” and use the access code “hilcol.” Kellam also said to use the “run, hide, fight” method in case of a shooting, and classrooms contain Nightlock door stops.

Police released a photograph of McRae around 11:20 p.m., according to a press release. A caller saw the photo and reported his location, leading officers

to him around 11:35 p.m. in Lansing.

Officers confronted McRae around 11:50 p.m. at Lake Lansing Road and North Larch Street, according to the police scanner. He shot himself, and officers called paramedics to the scene. They found McRae had no pulse, and around 12 a.m. officers found guns and ammunition in his backpack.

Police are unsure of McRae’s motive, according to the Detroit Free Press. He was sentenced to prison in November 2019 for possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and was released in May 2021, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

MSU lifted its shelterin-place order around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Buddy Moorehouse then drove to campus, where he picked up Lottie and her friends at 1 a.m.

“It was relieving for sure,” Lottie Moorehouse said. “It’s

just so sad because I was able to hug my parents, and I couldn't help but think about those who aren’t going to be able to hug their parents.”

Buddy Moorehouse said he and his wife had been keeping in touch with the families of Lottie’s friends. He picked up his daughter and her friends as soon as it was safe.

“The best hug I’ve ever given my daughter was when she came out of her dorm,” he said. “What my daughter went through and what we went through was obviously terrifying, but it can’t touch what those families are experiencing, so all of my prayers are with them.”

The students who died in the attack were juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner, and sophomore Brian Fraser, according to a press release. The victims were all from Michigan. Fraser and Anderson were from Grosse Pointe, and Verner was from Clawson.

Hillsdale Professor of Music James Holleman, MSU ’89, said he first heard about the shooting from a friend.

“At the time I heard of it, it was still an active shooting. When you know it’s going on now, it’s real,” he said. “It was right within the vicinity of the music school – Berkey Hall, and the union is right across from the music school.”

Holleman said he saw college friends checking in with each other online, making sure their kids were safe.

“When I turn on my news feed, one of the thoughts in the back of my head is, ‘Where was the shooting today?’ Are we actually choosing to live like this?” he said. “To be up the road, and to be at your alma mater – the only thing closer would have been right here.”

Kellam said to call 911 in a shooting, and if students see anything suspicious, to call security at 517-3981522.

“It does seem that when we get one threat, we get multiple.”

Sheriff’s deputies patrolled North Adams-Jerome schools after staff reported bullets on the sidewalk Tuesday. Courtesy | Corey Murray Police

“There will be penguins everywhere.”

Shotgun

Hillsdale shooting sports brings home five medals from tournament

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor

All five Hillsdale competitors in the USA Shooting Tucson Selection Tournament won medals last weekend, allowing the team to move onto the junior selection match in Kerrville, Texas. The meet was the first of multiple tournaments to determine who will be going to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

The tournament ran Feb. 3-8 at the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club, where windy weather added a challenge for the competitors.

“Wind affects everyone equally and we are not afraid to practice in adverse conditions, so hopefully they are handling it well,” coach Jordan Hintz said during the tournament.

In the trap competition, senior Ida Brown won gold

Women's Track

in collegiate women’s and sophomore Sophia Bultema won gold in paralympic women’s. As for skeet, junior Josh Corbin won collegiate men’s silver, sophomore Kyle Fleck won collegiate men’s bronze, and freshman Jordan Sapp won junior men’s silver. Both events, trap and skeet, featured 250 match targets. The tournament was sponsored by Hillsdale College, alongside Spandau, the NRA Foundation, and Team White Flyer.

“Our junior men’s skeet team here at Hillsdale College is very dominant within the USA Shooting competitions,” Caitlin Royer, the competition manager for the Hillsdale College shotgun team, said. “The Tucson selection was a great warmup for them before competing in the Junior Selection match coming up in Kerrville, Texas, in March. Josh Corbin,

Jordan Sapp, and Kyle Fleck have an amazing opportunity to make the Junior World Cup and World Championship team in Kerrville.”

Trap was equally successful this February, with both Brown and Bultema moving onto Kerrville as well.

“Ida Brown shot a very consistent match in Tucson where she made the Open Women’s Final and is sitting in a great position to make the Open World Championship Team,” Royer said. Corbin said it’s about a mix of individual and team success.

“My goal is to see Hillsdale on top of the podium,” Corbin said. “But in order to have a good team score, you have to have good individual scores.”

Despite winning silver in his division, Corbin said he felt he could have done better.

“I didn’t really perform to

my full capability,” Corbin said.

Royer said she has had to learn how to ignore her own inner critic to better assist her athletes.

“I think that we as athletes are our biggest critics for sure,” Royer said. “I do think that each one of the athletes should find one thing that they’re proud of from that match, because I think that they all did exceptional. I would beat myself up so much more before being a coach, and it would take a long time for me to get out of the hole that I dug for myself. Now I feel like I have to show up and be prepared for the team as well.”

The next leg of the USA Shooting qualification tournaments, the General Selection Matches, will be held in Kerrville, Texas, March 10-19.

Throw team holds onto No.1 spot, Chargers maintain No.3 in region

By Tracy Wilson Design Editor

For the third week in a row, Hillsdale’s women’s weight throw team is ranked first nationally in NCAA Division II. Hillsdale’s women’s track and field team is still ranked third overall in the NCAA DII Midwest region.

This weekend, the Chargers split up and competed in two different meets. The distance runners and jumpers competed at Grand Valley State University, while the throwers and sprinters competed at Tiffin University.

The women’s distance medley relay team, which ran at GVSU on Feb. 11, took second place with a time of 11:36. The team includes juniors Gwynne

Riley and Meg Scheske, and sophomores Shura Ermakov and Reese Dragovich.

Scheske said the DMR team improved their time.

“We bettered our mark by five seconds, and we hopefully secured our spot to nationals in March,” Scheske said. “This will be mine, Gwynne, and Reese’s, all of our first time at indoor nationals. We didn’t make it last year in the DMR and so we came back guns blazing this season, really trying to make it in the DMR.”

Scheske said her performance during the DMR surprised her.

“I was surprised by how strong I felt during my race,” Scheske said. “A lot of times the 1600 meter goes by really quick and very tiring. I just felt very in control

the whole time. I was also surprised by how much of a lead on all but one of the teams that my teammates had made.”

Junior Louisa Klaserner, who competed at Tiffin on Feb. 11, took second in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.07 seconds.

“I’m a 60 meter hurdler during the indoor season and it’s kind of funny, but I feel like whenever I run a good race it feels very effortless and I don’t really even remember the race itself,” Klaserner said. “So this weekend felt like my races were very effortless. There was a point during the quick race when I could hear my dad cheering for me in the stands and that was very encouraging to hear during my nine second race.”

Other standout athletes from this weekend include freshman Lucy Minning, who took second in the 60m; sophomore Averi Parker, who took first in women’s shot put; and junior Katie Weldy, who took second in women’s weight throw.

Klaserner said the track and field team is looking forward to conferences.

“We call the weeks leading up to the championship ‘conference season,’ which always gets everyone excited,” Klaserner said. “I think we know exactly what we need to do next week and it seems like everyone’s starting to hit some really awesome marks to put us in a good spot in the G-MAC.”

Women's Tennis Chargers fall to weekend opponents, Luna named G-MAC POTW

By Isabella Helms Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale women’s tennis team narrowly lost 5-2 to Ferris State and 4-3 to Lewis University this weekend.

On Feb. 10, senior Sarah Hackman and junior Melanie Zampardo kicked off the match against the Ferris State Bulldogs with a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles. Senior Canela Luna was awarded with G-MAC Player of the Week honors. Defending their home

Men’s Track

By Alex Deimel Collegian Reporter

The Charger men’s track team traveled to Grand Valley State and Tiffin last weekend to compete in preparation for the G-MAC indoor conference championships on Feb. 24.

Hillsdale sent split squads to the Grand Valley State Big Meet and the Tiffin Open.

The GVSU Big Meet was led by junior Alex Mitchell, who ran another personal best in the 3000m dash at 8:26.09.

Sophomore Richie Johnston and sophomore Ross Kuhn both ran personal bests in the mile race. Johnston had a time of 4:15.04, and Kuhn was right behind him at 4:15.10.

“My performance and my teammates’ performances this past weekend are giving us a lot of confidence going into the championship season,” Johnston said. “Coach White has told us a lot that February is the time where we will be able to reap the

court after a defeat at No. 2 doubles, Luna and freshman Megan Hackman triumphed 6-1 at No. 3 doubles.

Luna said she has already seen growth this season in the team as well as herself.

“For me personally, my return of serve has improved with each match we’ve played,” Luna said. “For the team, we are more supportive and cheering each other on more at each game.”

Zampardo claimed the first singles points at the No. 2 spot, winning 7-3

in a second-set tiebreak. However, despite her efforts, she eventually fell short 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Securing 6-2 and 7-5 wins over the Bulldogs at No. 3 singles, Luna remained undefeated throughout the entirety of the match.

“For one, when I am on the court I can always feel tons of support from my teammates, on the courts around me, and the whole rest of the team off court,” Zampardo said. “I think doubles on Saturday against Ferris was a highlight be-

Men’s Tennis

rewards of our training, and that’s what’s happening in our case.”

Haas scored another personal best in the weight throw at 20.16m, keeping him at ninth in the provisional mark for the indoor National Championship meet. The sophomore also threw 15.36m in the shot put event, earning eighth place.

“I’m happy with the personal bests,” Haas said. “But I’ve got my eyes set on the conference and national meets.”

Freshman Colsen Conway and sophomore Dagur Einarsson took top spots in the 60m hurdles. Conway took third with a time of 8.60 while Einarsson took seventh with a time of 7.06.

Hillsdale will host a tuneup meet at home Feb. 18 before the G-MAC championships Feb. 24. Following the conference championships, the Chargers will travel to Virginia Beach for the NCAA DII championships on March 10-11.

cause we stepped up and got the doubles point against a high-level team.”

Sophomore Libby McGivern came up short in her No. 4 singles match, losing a third-set tiebreak with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (3) score. Like McGivern, Megan was unable to fight off the Bulldogs at No. 6 singles and barely lost in a tight 7-5, 6-4 match.

The next day, the Chargers took on the Lewis Flyers at the Biermann Center on Feb. 11.

McGivern and senior Ellie Chawner fell short in a

8-6 match at No. 2 doubles, and Luna and Megan also lost in a 6-4 defeat at No. 3 doubles.

The Chargers needed to win four singles matches to defeat the Flyers and started to turn the tide of the match with three successful performances from Zampardo, Luna, and Chawner.

Zampardo won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles, Luna won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, and Chawner triumphed 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot, earning Hillsdale’s third singles victory.

However, the Chargers were unable to take the fourth match.

“I think both matches did not go the way we wanted, results wise, but I think there were a lot of great things that came from the match,” Luna said. “Each time we see improvement in one way or another.”

The Chargers are 3-1 this season and will compete against Purdue Northwest on Feb. 18. and Michigan Tech on Feb. 19.

Chargers split competitions, Barstow earns honors

By Emily Schutte Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale men’s tennis team lost 7-0 in its competition against Ferris State Friday, Feb. 10, but bounced back the next day, taking home a 6-1 victory over Lewis University.

This moves the Chargers’ duals record to 4-1, keeping them on track for the NCAA tournament.

“We kind of came back from our very first loss of the season and were like ‘we came to play, let’s try to win as many as we can from now on,’” junior Brennan Cimpaneau said. “We were definitely motivated by that loss.”

Coming into the match Ferris State was ranked 24th nationally.

“We knew going into that match that we were not the favorites, that we were considered the underdogs,” Conrad said. “We were hoping to have it be a bit closer than 7-0, of course, but it is what it is. But that loss didn’t disturb us too much.”

Conrad said he was more concerned with the game against Lewis.

“The really important one was against Louis,” Conrad said. “If we would have lost that, it would have been devastating for our chances of making the NCAA tournament.”

The Chargers lost all of their Friday doubles matches against Ferris. No. 1 doubles junior Sean Barstow and Cimpeanu lost 3-6; No. 2 doubles senior Brian Hackman and freshman Nik Wastcoat lost 4-5; and No. 3 doubles Conrad and junior Daniel Gilbert lost 3-6.

“Saturday was a tough loss to Ferris State,” Hackman said. “They came in with a top 25 team and they proved why they rank that high. We had a lot of very close matches. But in the end, we weren’t able to pull any of them out, and we lost 7-0.”

For singles, No. 1 Cimpeanu lost his first set 4-6, won his second set 6-3, but lost the tiebreak game 10-5. No. 2 Hackman lost 4-6, 1-6, and No. 4 Conrad lost 1-6, 5-7.

“It was a guy that I had played last year and didn’t get to finish my match with, and he came out, and credit to him, he played very, very

well,” Conrad said. “I almost managed to come back in the second set, but fell short a little bit in a very competitive match.”

No. 5 Barstow won his first set 6-4, lost the second 3-6, and fell short of a victory in a final set going 11-9. Gilbert lost 1-6, 4-6 in his match.

Gilbert said his loss only encourages him to do better in later games.

“It just motivates me really, and it’s nice in college cause you lose with a team,” Gilbert said. “It’s not just all on you. Especially when you have a match the next day, you just gotta move on real fast and focus on the next day.”

Saturday’s matches ended more positively. The Chargers won the doubles point with two match victories. Cimpeanu and Barstow won 9-7 while Hackman and Wastcoat won 7-5. However, Conrad and Gilbert were unable to pull a win, losing 3-6.

Five of the six singles matches were victories for the Chargers, but Cimpeanu fell short in his match losing 4-6 in two sets.

“When the team relies on you as the No. 1 singles, you want to always win,” Cimpeanu said. “I was an All-American last year, and in a way, it’s not pressure but you feel like you have to perform for the team. Thankfully, the team was behind me at all times. I can’t play well every day, and that’s just really how I view that match. He played well, and you learn from your loss.”

The Chargers head to their first away match against Purdue Northwest in Park Forest, Illinois, Feb. 18 before traveling home again to play Michigan Tech Feb. 19.

Hackman said the team is preparing to play on smoother courts in Park Forest. “We have those doubles adjustments to make, but as far as our singles, we’re very confident, especially now that we have a loss under our belt,” Hackman said. “I think that was very valuable and we’re ready for our next challenge, and we’re very ready and very confident that we can win matches this weekend.”

Averi Parker is a member of the No. 1 nationally ranked Hillsdale women’s throw team. Courtesy | r egan Monnin

Senior Ida Brown and sophomore Sophia Bultema both won gold in Tucson.

Courtesy | Caitlin r oyer

Softball

Charger softball goes 1-for-4 in Tusculum Round Robin

By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale softball team came away with a 10-2 win over the Tusculum Pioneers and three losses after playing the Pioneers and the Lees-McRae Bobcats in the non-conference Tusculum Round Robin, Feb. 10-11.

In the Chargers’ sole win against the Pioneers, junior pitcher Erin Kapteyn struck out two opponents and only walked one batter in seven innings.

“The competition was competitive as both teams we played were solid in offense and defense,” freshman utility player Taylor Lewis said.

Despite sophomore pitcher Joni Russell pitching a seven inning shutout in the first game, the team lost 2-1 to the Pioneers. In the second and fourth games, the team lost to the Bobcats, 8-2 and 5-3 respectively. Head coach Kyle Gross said the other teams’ pitching was really good, and the Chargers faced their aces each day.

“Our record coming away is not what we hoped for going down, but we did play well,” Gross said. The team’s hitting came alive the second day, Gross said, as Lewis, sophomore infielder Ashley Strick, and junior catcher McKenna Eichholz each hit home runs.

The pitching staff was outstanding at times, but consistency is something to work on, Gross said.

“We are going to do some individual pitching sessions and work on some of the things that we need to develop to be more effective this season,” Gross said.

Kapteyn said it’s too early to determine how well the team will do this season.

“We have the talent and skill to be the top team in the G-MAC and go far in the postseason tournament, but how we do that is going to be based on our attitude and how we all come together as a team,” Kapteyn said.

Kapteyn said she is proud of the freshmen this

weekend.

“We’re a very young team with not a lot of experience, and they all stepped up to the challenge,” Kapteyn said. “The transition from high school to DII college softball is difficult, and they made it look easy. I’m very excited to see how much they grow as people and as players as the season continues”

The playing conditions in Tennessee were warmer than Michigan, around 4550 degrees, with some wind, Lewis said.

The team will travel down South again to Columbus, Georgia, for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic Feb. 24-26.

Women’s Basketball Golf

Hillsdale starts spring at 11th, aims to qualify for regionals

By Thomas McKenna

Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale men’s golf team will start the spring ranked 11th in the G-MAC and needs to move up one spot to qualify for regional competition.

“We just need to play our game and stay in the moment at each tournament,” head coach Mike Thompson said. “It’s easy to look ahead but each day we are focused on getting better and going to play the best golf we possibly can.”

The Chargers’ fall season began with a runner-up finish at the Malone-Glenmoor Invitational in Canton, Ohio, but finished mid-pack or lower in most tournaments later in the fall.

Seniors Darragh

Monaghan and Drew Gandy snagged multiple top three individual finishes throughout the fall.

“We got off to a great start in the fall, and we were wishing we had done better towards the end,” Gandy said. “We have a lot to prove this season, and we can’t wait to get out there.”

Gandy said he’s confident the team can qualify.

“Absolutely we believe we can make it to Regionals,” Gandy said. “After falling short last season, the

Chargers split games over the weekend

By Moira Gleason Collegian Reporter

hunger to make it this year is there.”

Max Burns, the only non-transfer freshman on the team, said Gandy is encouraging the players to practice even on their off days.

“We have a bit more motivation now,” Burns said. “That’s mainly up to our fifth-year Drew Gandy. We all want to do well, but also this is his last season and he’s made it pretty clear he wants to do well.”

The Chargers are slated to play five more tournaments before the G-MAC championships in late April.

Thompson said the team is focused on how it plays on the field.

“There is a lot of golf left and we will be playing against a lot of teams where we can get valuable headto-head victories,” Thompson said. “If we play the way we are capable of playing, then I am confident everything will work itself out.”

The Chargers will travel to Dade City, Florida for the Saint Leo Invitational Feb. 20-21.

“We have been working hard on the parts of our game where we struggled in the fall,” Thompson said.

“We are only focusing on staying in the moment in Florida.”

Despite a second half rally and a strong offensive performance from seniors Grace Touchette and Sydney Mills, the Hillsdale women’s basketball team came up short against the Walsh Cavaliers in an 85-79 loss Thursday night. Two days later, the Chargers surged ahead of the visiting Lake Erie Storm in the second quarter to come out with a 6759 win on Senior Day. Hillsdale improved to 15-12 overall and 8-9 in the G-MAC with the win and now sits in a three-way tie with Walsh and Ursuline for sixth place in the G-MAC. With three games left, Hillsdale must finish no worse than eighth place to secure a spot in the G-MAC tournament for the first time since the 20182019 season.

Mills walked away with a double-double in each game over the weekend for a performance which earned her G-MAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second time this season.

After a delayed start against Walsh, the Chargers fell behind in the first half and trailed 45-38 at the half. Thanks to strong shooting from Touchette and sophomore Caitlin Splain, Hillsdale rallied in the third quarter to outscore Walsh 25-15 and took the lead by three points entering the fourth quarter.

A cold shooting streak from the Chargers and a

strong performance from Walsh guards Morgan McMillen and Lexie Scarton allowed the Cavaliers to come back in the final three minutes and outscore Hillsdale 9-1 to take the win.

“In the first half, we struggled with getting our hands

in the contest. Junior Dani Salenbein went 3-for-3 from deep and finished with 11 points.

The Chargers took the court by storm on Saturday, topping Lake Erie 67-59 in what was likely the final home game for six seniors

responded with two buckets which put Hillsdale ahead by six points at the end of the third quarter. A 5-0 run in the fourth quarter followed by a 3-pointer from Mills with 2:09 on the clock secured the victory for the Chargers.

“Lake Erie plays pretty up tempo defensively so we really worked on cutting and finishing around the rim,” head coach Charlie Averkamp said. “And I thought our zone defense helped us in the second half because Lake Erie really came back in that third quarter. But for us, perseverance is key in February basketball, and I think the game on Saturday hopefully propels us as we go into the stretch run here.”

With 21 points and 15 rebounds, Mills led both categories for the Chargers on Saturday in her tenth double-double of the season. Splain added 12 points off the bench, and Touchette chipped in 11 points.

up on shooters,” Touchette said. “They have two graduate students and a fifth year player so a lot of experience on their team. They just hit shots, and some of them are really tough. It’s a matter of putting the ball in the basket and they did late in the game.”

Touchette led shooting with 19 points for the Chargers. Mills added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds

on the team: Macy Berglund, Maverick Delp, Courtney Krol, Kennedy Pratt, Arianna Sysum, and Grace Touchette.

Hillsdale surged ahead in the second quarter, holding the Storm to 26.7% shooting from the floor and heading into the half with a 16-point lead. Lake Erie made an attempt at a comeback in the third quarter, cutting Hillsdale’s lead to two points. Mills

The Chargers look ahead to three final games on the road to finish out the regular season. On Thursday, they will face G-MAC fourth place Malone before challenging No. 1 ranked Ashland on Saturday.

“One game at a time is the biggest thing,” assistant coach Brianna Brennan said. “So our focus right now is Malone. We were in it with them, even had the lead a little bit and just watched it dwindle the first time so we’re excited to get another shot at them and continue to tighten up our defense.”

CHarger Chatter

J oe H

Do you have any baseball superstitions?

When you walk up to the plate you’re not supposed to step on the foul lines. It’s a baseball sin but I have to do it once a game. I probably started when I accidentally did it and then hit a bomb. I was like, ‘Oh shoot, I gotta do that again.’

What are your post-grad plans?

I’m planning on commissioning in the U.S. Marine Corps and I’m going to try and be a pilot in the Marines. I’ve got a long road ahead

What would you want your last meal on earth to be?

Probably chicken parmesan, it’s got everything: the spaghetti, the chicken, the cheese. All the facets are covered.

C ompiled by H anna H C ote

but that’s the plan.

If you could choose anyone to perform at the super bowl halftime show, who would it be?

I like The Beatles. that would be a sweet one even though I know it wouldn’t be possible anymore. But I love the Beatles.

Sophomore Joni Russell pitched a seven inning shutout against the Tusculum Pioneers. Courtesy | James Gensterblum

Senior Sydney Mills scored 21 points in the Chargers’ Saturday mathcup with Lake Erie. Courtesy | s ummer fields

C harger S port S

Baseball

Chargers win three game series against Davenport

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale baseball team defeated the Davenport Panthers, one of two teams ranked No. 1 in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll, in their series this weekend.

The final scores were 5-4, 2-5, and 13-8 with the Chargers batting in 20 total runs and recording two home runs. “It was an awesome weekend,” senior pitcher Drew Olssen said. “Going into the third game tied one-to-one, our offense came alive and we were able to stay with it. I don’t think they were expecting that from us again.”

In game one, senior pitcher Will Gifford held the Panthers back for six innings with six strikeouts and three walks, giving up only three hits and one run. Junior outfielder Lewis Beals also hit a two-run home run, and junior closing pitcher Zane Barnhart secured the first win after throwing three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.

“Will Gifford bounced back from his first start with a wonderful performance on the mound to help the tone in game one,” head coach Tom Vessella said. “This series showed our potential as a team. Good teams find ways to win and compete at

all costs, and we did that this weekend.”

In game two, senior starting pitcher Tommy MacLean pitched five innings with six strikeouts and one walk, giving up four hits and one earned run. However, Davenport pulled ahead in the seventh inning and won the game.

“I was able to flip my curveball over first strike whenever I wanted, which felt good, and then mix in a fastball,” MacLean said. “This team is one of the teams you can’t really overpower with a fastball, so I really had to rely on my curveball, changeup, and I mean, all three pitches had to mix pretty well.”

In game three, the Chargers scored four runs in the fifth inning, and dominated the game from there, partly due to the efforts of junior pitcher Paul Brophy and Barnhart. Davenport did not record a single run in the final three innings.

“Especially in game three, everything sort of came together,” Olssen said. “A couple of big moments in game three were from our designated hitter. Will Shannon got a home run, so he brought us back and that sort of sparked everything from there. Davenport was still in it. The energy was still there for them. And then our shortstop, Aidan Brewer, hit

a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, and you could tell their emotions were sort of downhill from there.”

Olssen also said that he appreciates the support of the team parents.

“Our parents, all the supporting cast around us travel so well,” Olssen said. “There are the same amount of spectators, parents, family, friends that go to these games that go to our home besides the student body. They give up a lot of time and effort to be able to come watch us play and support us. Shout out to them for that.”

The Chargers will play

Wayne State University Feb. 25 and 26 in Knoxville, Tennessee, taking this upcoming weekend off.

“They’re a good team,” MacLean said. “They have a lot of returning graduate students who have an extra year of eligibility that are playing. They’re all like 24. They’ll be pretty good. But you know, we played them in a midweek game last year. We ended up beating them. So that’s a good sign for going into this next weekend against them. I think we’ll be just fine if we just play clean baseball, have confidence, and know that we’re good enough to win.”

Basketball Hillsdale takes conference lead, Kalthoff earns G-MAC Award

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate Editor

The Hillsdale men’s basketball team grabbed sole control of the G-MAC with crucial wins over conference foes and standout performances from its seniors.

The Chargers celebrated their six graduating seniors as they took down the Walsh Cavaliers and the Lake Erie Storm in their final two home games of the regular season. Now, with three games left before the start of the postseason, Hillsdale holds a one-game lead over Walsh and Ashland, who the team faces on Saturday.

“This group throughout the year has stepped up, they’ve responded,” head coach John Tharp said. “They have a workmen-like mentality; they don’t get too high, they don’t get too low, and I’m proud of that.”

Fifth-year senior Peter Kalthoff recorded the fifth and sixth double-doubles of his season over the weekend, earning his third G-MAC Player of the Week Award of the year.

“The most important thing is we got the two wins,” Kalthoff said. “I don’t always know what their criteria is, but I don’t really care about it, or about the award at this point, because it’s not doing much for me or for anybody else to think about it or get wrapped up in it, but it is a sign of us winning

Swim

and doing things right.”

The weekend’s play was defined by balanced scoring and elite defense. Every Charger starter scored at least nine points in back-to-back games for the first time this season, with three different players scoring at least 17 points across the two games.

“It’s hard to guard, when you have guys who have played together for four years now, we know where each other are on the court, how to play off each other and how to screen off each other,” senior guard Cole Nau said. “It’s definitely hard to guard because you can’t just focus on one person.”

Going into the team’s Thursday matchup, the Chargers were tied with Walsh for the top spot in the G-MAC, with huge conference tournament implications on the line.

Hillsdale got off to a fast start, shooting 50% from three through the first 20 minutes, and took a 15-point lead into halftime. The Chargers flexed the nation’s No. 8 scoring defense throughout the game, holding Walsh one point shy of its season-low in scoring.

“I thought we were elite defensively on Thursday, I’ve just seen the film and I thought we were just so locked in, and really did not give anything up easy” Tharp said. “I thought just as a whole, as a team, we were elite defensively, which at

this time of year is huge.”

Kalthoff put up game-highs in points and rebounds, with 17 and 11 respectively, as the Chargers knocked Walsh down to second place in the G-MAC, while also securing the tiebreaker over their conference foe.

“We’ve been really good in some big games, and we’ve also been poor in a couple big games this year,” Nau said. “I just look at the guys that we have that have played a lot of minutes, we’ve got guys that have all played in the Elite Eight, so having that experience is huge just for having a level of comfort, togetherness, and positivity.”

Prior to tipoff of Saturday’s game, the team honored its six graduating seniors, Noah Applegate, Kyle Goessler, Jack Gohlke, Jacob Ngobi, Kalthoff, and Nau. More than 1,000 fans filled Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena to watch the six play in their final home regular season game.

“Those guys are incredible kids, I think they’ve represented Hillsdale College and Hillsdale College basketball with such great passion, and they’ve done it right in the classroom,” Tharp said. “From a basketball program standpoint, they’ve been to the Elite Eight, Sweet Sixteen, conference championships, those guys deserve a lot of credit and praise, and

the year they’re having right now, those guys have just been incredible.”

Hillsdale avenged the first loss of its season in its first matchup with the storm by shooting 60% from three and pulling away in the second half for a 79-64 win. Every starter shot at or above 50% from the field and scored at least 11 points.

Tharp systematically subbed each senior either in or out during the game’s final minute, ensuring each received a standing ovation.

“I got a text message from Patrick Cartier, he texted the guys in our class just telling us to take a moment and reflect,” Kalthoff said. “I did for a little bit at the end of the game and was actually surprised with some of the emotions that were hitting me.”

The Chargers will now head on a three-game road trip to finish their regular season, starting with Malone and Ashland, on Thursday and Saturday respectively.

“Part of it is, particularly from the Ashland game, we didn’t do some things very well,” Tharp said. “So there’s just some things we need to clean up from a defensive perspective. We’ve got to make some adjustments with our ball-screen defense probably.”

Chargers place second in G-MAC championships, Kirner earns coaching honor

By Maddy Welsh News Editor

Charger swim closed out the 2022-2023 regular season with a second place finish at the G-MAC-MEC Championship meet.

“Our team knew we were up against a quality opponent in Findlay, however that did not affect the impact we had on the meet,” head coach Kurt Kirner said. “Several times I had meet officials and parents from other teams take note as to how competitive and gracious our athletes were in the way they performed.”

Kirner also won G-MAC coach of the year for the fifth season in a row.

“My fifth consecutive coach of the year award is

more a reflection of our team’s character that has been built than of anything I do,” he said. “It is a testament to the quality of athletes we have and the pride we exhibit.”

The championship meet ran Feb. 7-10 in Canton, Ohio. Last week The Collegian reported the team closed the first day of competition in second place behind conference rival Findlay University.

Sophomore Elise Mason became the conference champion in the 1000 yard freestyle for the second year in a row, achieving a lifetime best time in the event as well as an NCAA B cut time.

Senior Marie Taylor also took home a title for the Chargers in the 50 yard freestyle for the second time, hitting the NCAA B cut time.

The rest of the meet saw more conference titles, personal and team best times, and NCAA cuts.

In the 100 yard butterfly, sophomore Megan Clifford finished second with a time of 56.18. This was a personal best time and also broke a 14-year-old Hillsdale College record set by Linda Onkowski in 2009.

In the 400 yard individual medley race, sophomore Joanna Burnham won with a time of 4:30.55 – a personal best, an NCAA B cut, and the second fastest swim in Hillsdale’s history.

Junior Caroline Holmes swam the 200 yard freestyle in 1:53.98 for a second place finish. This was also a personal best time and put her in the top 5 of Hillsdale swim-

mers in the event. The 400 yard medley relay saw the Chargers in first by just 32 hundredths of a second, beating out Findlay which had been seeded first going into the event. Holmes, Burnham, Clifford, and Taylor worked together for a final time of 3:51.02.

Mason earned her second conference title of the year after a commanding win in the 500 yard freestyle. She finished in 5:03.07, more than 8 seconds faster than the Findlay athlete in second place.

On the final day of the meet, Mason finished her clean sweep of conference titles in the three distance freestyle events after placing first in the 1650 yard freestyle (17:17.65). This was another

B cut time for the sophomore.

“I was very happy with how my races turned out,” Mason said. “My goal was to do my best and drop my time as much as possible. I think that it was a good opportunity to swim those distance races again before nationals.”

This meet was the last swimming competition for most of the class of 2023.

“This was a legendary senior class with 8 graduates who all played major roles over the four years and three conference titles,” Kirner said. “The last night was bittersweet as tears flowed and excitement prevailed in their final efforts capping off what for most will be their careers.”

Hillsdale finished second overall with 1,589 points to

first place Findlay’s 1,889.5. “I am so proud of the team and proud to be a Charger,” Mason said. “It was very different from last year as we weren’t as close to beating Findlay. That being said, everyone had such a positive attitude and really did their very best despite the circumstance. It really shows the strong character of the girls on the team and how much effort they are willing to put in.”

Four swimmers – Mason, Clifford, Taylor, and Burnham – earned NCAA B cut times during the season which gives them all chances to qualify for the NCAA DII championships taking place March 8 through March 11 in Indianapolis.

Peter Kalthoff earned his third G-MAC Player of the Week Award of the season over the weekend. Courtesy | s ummer Fields

Culture

The best of the Met: President’s Ball Fashion Edition

Josefina Cuddeback Collegian Freelancer

New York Fashion Week.

The Met Gala. President’s Ball. These events seem to have everything in common (think lavish outfits, notable attendees), and almost nothing differentiating them except location. But from the red carpets of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the art-deco carpets of the Searle Center, the name of the game is the same: eye-catching statement pieces with a story. As is natural with events of this import, press members flock to observe and critique the looks of the evening, and make a final statement about who can claim the title “best dressed.” But what makes someone best dressed? Doesn’t best just imply the most good? What is the Good? If we knew what the Good was, Hillsdale would lose its advertising niche and enrollment would

plummet. Given the ambiguity of the term, we instead opted to highlight several unique takes on “good” attire for the evening.

The Glam Gown Freshman Cassandra DeVries turned heads in a strapless, floor length black gown, complete with sequins and long gloves. When asked about the inspiration for the gown, DeVries did not disappoint with the backstory. “I broke up with my boyfriend for 12 hours”. She immediately sought out the Kalamazoo boutiques, and purchased the revenge dress in the 12 hours before it became clear that her boyfriend, another Hillsdale attendee, didn’t know they had broken up and the whole thing was a misunderstanding. A happy misunderstanding, as DeVries kept the dress and looked stunning when the two attended the event together this past Saturday.

The Twist on the Timeless Junior Amy Mills also turned out for the event in a floor length number, but incorporated an off-the-shoulder fur stole, reminiscent of 20th century Hollywood and stars such as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. She kept

it fresh with bright colors, opting for a bold red. Though a junior, Mills had never attended President’s Ball until this weekend, and she did not disappoint for her debut. And her stylist? Macy’s and Amazon. Take notes kids, killer fashion need not kill your wallet as well.

New music Friday: Donny McArdle

By Alexandra Hall Science & Tech Editor

To Donny McArdle, love is a choice. Well, partially.

Sophomore Donald (Donny) McArdle’s single “Love” will be released tomorrow, just a few days after Valentine’s Day. Unlike one of the most controversial holidays of the year, McArdle’s track is absent of any cheap clichès.

“Love is a daily break/ from all of our confusion we find inside ourselves/ Living every moment for each other every day,” McArdle sings.

Although simplistic at first glance, “Love” evolves into a track that explores the idea of love as a choice. What’s more romantic than that?

“To an extent— I don’t think this is true in all cases— love is a choice,” McArdle said. “I think of my grandparents and my parents and how they fight and disagree. At any point, they could’ve said it wasn’t worth it and stepped away. There has to be some choice aspect to it. Like every day thinking ‘I’m choosing to be in this.’”

Recorded in campus bedrooms and home basements with equipment whose user manuals were triumphed by YouTube tutorials, “Love” is a true DIY project– just like love itself. Although he tries to

stray away from over-philosophizing in his songwriting, this track is a little different than his past releases.

“I’m not really thinking of how everything is sounding until I’ve started to record it,” McArdle said. “Most of the time, I just have the basic rhythm and bare bones, then I add my lyrics or melody. I was thinking about the idea of choice and love, maybe not necessarily consciously.”

Long-time Beatles fan and Billy Joel enthusiast, McArdle’s influences are noticeable on the first listen. The choral elements and layered instrumentation might portray the illusion of a full band, but it’s just McArdle.

Last September, McArdle released his album “Chasing Lightning,” which was the culmination of an album lost to the pandemic and a few defeats in the distribution department. Since he’s a newbie to the music world and does everything from songwriting to production by himself, McArdle didn’t know the best way to go about releasing music.

“When I switched online distributors, I had to resubmit everything and it’s just been processing since June,” McArdle said. “I can’t cancel it. Someone told me about Bandcamp and that’s what I’m

moving forward with right now.”

Bandcamp, a music distribution platform founded in 2007, is most music snobs’ favorite place to buy music. Not only does the artist control how they price their music (users can stream for free and then opt into purchasing the releases), but they can also sell merchandise and link other social media content to the page.

“A lot of the stuff I’ve read says that you can put everything at $0 and people will still give money, which I think is kind of bizarre,” McArdle said. “I think the people who are going to Bandcamp are the type of people who want to support the person and pay for their work. I think that’s very cool.”

On McArdle’s Bandcamp page, you can find releases dating back to 2020. He has priced his singles at $1 and his full-length album at $7. Even though his music is available on most other streaming platforms, “Love” will be out on Bandcamp for a week before being released through other services.

McArdle clearly isn’t in this for the money. The music costs far more to produce than he’ll earn from royalties, even on platforms as democratic as Bandcamp. But much like what his single asserts, life is about the choices we make— whether that’s who we love, how we create, or what platform we release our music on.

Rickroll & Romance: SAI valentines

By Olivia Haijeck Assistant Editor

The Sigma Alpha Iota women’s music fraternity brought back its singing valentines this year, giving students the opportunity to fill campus with romance, friendship, and practical jokes.

“For the price of $3, you can essentially hire the SAI girls to sing over the phone to somebody that you send a singing valentine to,” said sophomore Phoebe VanHeynigen, a member of SAI. Students could choose one of six songs: “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Never Gonna Give You Up,” “My Heart Will Go On,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,”

and “Thank You for Being a Friend.”

Sophomore Emily Griffith, a member of SAI, said Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity for busy college students to slow down and show those around them how much they care.

“We actually have a married couple on campus where the wife bought the husband a singing valentine,” she said, “and then the husband came over and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to buy her a singing valentine,’ and he has no idea that she’s already bought one for him.”

SAI sold 79 valentines altogether, according to VanHeynigen, with “Never Gonna Give You Up” topping the list at 34. Griffith said the

fraternity raised more than $100 off of that song alone. Many students often chose to send it as a joke to people who weren’t expecting it, an internet meme known as “Rickrolling” after the singer Rick Astley.

“We also have people who have gone in together to Rickroll a single person, so there are a few people that are going to be getting three or four Rickrolls, and we have people who have bought a ton,” Griffith said. “Someone bought 11 songs, most of them being ‘Never Gonna Give You Up.’”

Sophomore Nathan Malawey said he Rickrolled Music Professor James Holleman and sent ‘My Heart Will Go On’ to a friend in his fraternity as a joke.

The Sustainable Chic As Head Student Ambassador, Junior Luke Hollister is no stranger to dressing for the job. He can, apparently, also dress for the event of the winter– but more impressive than his suave ensemble was its origin. Incentivized to meet the fashion bar set by his equally well-dressed friend group, Hollister caved to positive peer-pressure and set out for the equivalent of a Hillsdale boutique, i.e. Hillsdale Thrift. While the price tags at this establishment are generally more palatable, Hollister still struggled to pull the trigger on any purchase given his college-student finances. He knew he had found the sport coat when he saw the $6.99 pricetag marked at half-off. Not only was his coat a sustainable choice, it was also a financial win.

“You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen: Hillsdale Thrift,” Hollister said. “This is not a joke. This is

not a story. This is reality.”

It’s no wonder that students were so prepared for President’s Ball as far as wardrobe. While most fashion devotees try to predict the signature looks for that year’s event, sophomore Kamden Mulder was ahead of the curve. She herself did not disappoint, going for a fresh cosmopolitan feel in a shag-inspired, pastel pink tunic dress. But when sharing her stylist’s name, Mulder admitted that her mother, the real fashionista of the family, found the dress.

“Basically she’s more stylish than I am and my inspiration for life,” Mulder said.

With Prez Ball 2023 in the rearview, Hillsdale can take a valuable lesson from the weekend: no one actually knows what the Good is, so if you do it with enough flair and confidence, almost anything goes.

Sauk wins awards

By Elyse Apel Opinions Editor

The Sauk Theatre recently announced it won two 2022 BroadwayWorld Michigan Awards while placing as runner-up for 10 other awards.

“Trinity Bird received Best Direction of a Play for ‘Desert Song.’ Mike Sutton received Best Supporting Performing in a Play for his performance in ‘Anne of Green Gables,’” said a statement from the Sauk.

Every community theater in Michigan is eligible to participate in the awards, though nominations are done by the public.

“The Sauk had quite a few nominations,” said Trinity Bird, executive director of the Sauk. “We had over 20 nominations and we won two of them and we were runners up in 10.”

Any show from October 1, 2021, to the end of September 2022 had the opportunity to be nominated.

“There’s no actual award given, it’s just sort of a fun way for community theaters and the theater community to come together,” Bird said.

The Sauk was first nominated for the BroadwayWorld Michigan Awards in 2017 and won a record number of 21 awards in the 2021 competition. “A lot of that is because we continued to do programs through COVID-19,” Bird said. “I think some of our unique programming also helped propel us.”

“The singing valentines are cool because it gives people an opportunity to show someone that you care about them on Valentine’s Day without that sort of romantic context,” Malawey said. “It’s just a lighthearted, fun thing that you can send someone to put a smile on their face, and it’s in the spirit of the holiday without having too many heavy implications behind it.”

Griffith said singing valentines mean a lot to people who share SAI’s passion for music.

“We are devoted to cultivating a love of music,” she said, “This is just another way to do that for us and to do it for the rest of campus.”

Trinity has been involved with the Sauk for 25 years. He won the Best Direction of a Play award, which he said meant a lot to him because of the uniqueness of the play.

“It was a very special play for us. Every summer we do a program called Plays in Development, where we pick these usually three or four

brand new plays that are still sort of in the process of being written,” Bird said.

The Sauk then brings playwrights of those plays to Jonesville and they spend a week doing a workshop in partnership with the Sauk.

“Desert Song” was one of those plays brought in in 2021,” Bird said. “The play was received so well and we liked it so much that we then did a production in September of 2022.”

Bird said as one of the few community theaters in the area that produce new plays, it is very exciting for the whole team to have that recognized.

“To be acknowledged for a brand new play is very exciting,” he said.

Mike Sutton also won an award for his performance as Matthew Cuthbert in ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ which was put on over a year ago by the Sauk.

“Everybody that had anything to do with that play should have gotten an award,” Sutton said. “Ron Boyle, the director of ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ was terrific and everything about it was really just a terrific production. These community directors do a lot. Boyle directed it, he built a set, he arranged for the costumes. Just overall did a wonderful job.”

Sutton first performed in a play at the Sauk in the 1970s, but then returned in the 1990s after a long hiatus.

“I’ve been here for 25 years and to see him get love and win that award is really special,” Bird said of Sutton.

Both Sutton and Bird said they are thrilled for the Sauk to receive recognition from the community for its work.

“The vote is all from the public and we’re competing with the big theaters,” Bird said, “So just to be on the list is very exciting every year.”

Donny McArdle sings on the quad. Courtesy | Donny McArdle Senior Reporter

The Sauk performers win awards. Courtesy | the Sauk

Students wear glamorous outfits for President’s Ball. Josefina Cuddeback | Collegian

Walking down the red carpet, students exhibit their sense of style. Courtesy | SAB

Netflix show gives viewer control

By Megan Pidcock Collegian Freelancer

A click, a burst of colors, and the appropriate title of “Kaleidoscope” flashes on screen. Some episodes may start with a jaunty tune, others silence, but all are centered around a heist: a team of eight are going to try to rob $7 billion in bonds from three wealthy tycoons.

“Kaleidoscope” is Netflix’s most recent foray into interactive, non-linear storytelling. According to the introductory episode, “Black,” the series’ episodes can be watched in any order (excluding the finale, “White,” which must come last). With eight episodes total, and the stipulation that “White” remains the finale, there are 5,040 different ways to watch it. Without that stipulation, there are over 40,000 ways to watch it. Each episode is categorized by a color and a time frame in relation to the climax of the story, the heist itself. This is not the first time Netflix has experimented with alternative forms of storytelling. In 2018, it released the hit interactive “Black Mirror” episode, “Bandersnatch.”

In that case, the viewer got to make choices as the episode went along, resulting in multiple different storylines and endings.

The show creators made a good choice by making the show about a heist. A group of con artists and criminals trying to steal a ridiculously large sum of money while, at the same time, dealing with each individual’s complex motives inherently invites tension

and suspense. The nonlinear style of the show works well with the heist concept, ensuring the viewer appropriately reacts to twists or betrayals regardless of when they see any given episode. “White” remains a solid ending to the show, even if some of the twists are predictable.

Ray Vernon, who also goes by the alias Leo Pap, serves as the central narrator and protagonist. Of the ensemble cast, having him be the narrator added to the show. His smooth voice and ability to get emotion across through a voiceover are reminiscent of Morgan Freeman in “Shawshank Redemption,” and his backstory, motivations, and connections with the rest of the cast heighten the stakes well.

There were some low points in the show, however. “Pink,” set six months after the heist, felt disjointed in relation to the rest of the show. The odd moments of humor within what was perhaps the bloodiest episode felt off, and after the shock of finding out what happens after it all goes down, it felt like something was missing.

Additionally, some key characters were underdeveloped, and though the show did a good job of making sure the viewer knew who everyone was, information felt repetitive at times. Though the nonlinear narrative made the show interesting, it also held the show back in many ways, as creators had to use time to lay down exposition that the viewer may not need.

The biggest thing the show excelled in was the

Artist Q&A: AJ Palubinskas

music and score. Different tracks were used to convey setting, character, and storyline, all without being heavy-handed. Anytime there was music, the show was enhanced, and it made the silences all the more impactful. With anything from the classic rock song “Sympathy for the Devil” to the soul song “Bottom Line,” there was not a bad choice of music throughout the whole show. It’s one of the things that makes “Kaleidoscope” more than just a gimmick, and made all the difference in the viewing experience. While “Pink” was the low point, “Violet” was the high. Set 26 years before the heist, it contains the backstory of both the main protagonist and antagonist. Its emotional highs and lows leave the viewer breathless, and its stakes and affects make the rest of the show so much better once it’s watched.

Overall, “Kaleidoscope” is worth at least one watch, and perhaps another if you’re unsatisfied with the first viewing order. Despite some bad writing and too much exposition, the show is an entertaining and wild ride, with enough twists to keep you on your feet. If nothing else, the score and soundtrack make this a good choice to put on in the background. If you don’t want to watch the show in Netflix’s given order, many say a chronological viewing leads to good results. Here is yet another recommended order to watch: Green, Yellow, Blue, Violet, Orange, Red, Pink, White.

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate Editor

play about teenagers and going through the teenage years. It’s called “13: The Musical” and the lead for it is a guy named Evan Goldman. I would love to play that role, but I’m not 13 anymore, so it’s a little difficult. Outside of that there’s a play called “The Book of Mormon” that I would absolutely love to play the lead for as well. That is a much more challenging thing to do, because it requires tap dancing and singing outside of my range. So I can’t do either of those things, but I can dream.

What’s your favorite role you’ve performed in?

built the sets that we use to perform and that’s gotten me a lot of technical construction experience. ]So the dream is to simply be able to act and live off of that, but the assumption is I’m going to be building things in order to make money to sustain acting. And then hopefully, it can just be acting at some point.

If you had to act in one play for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What led you to become a theatre major?

I started doing theater when I was around 10 years old. It was community theater. Just something I did during the summer. I didn’t think too much of it, but then in eighth grade one of the artistic directors at the theater called me without me having done anything and said, “Hey, do you want to go to callbacks for a real show that we’re doing?” I said, “Yes.” And then it spiraled from there.

Past that, I did theater all throughout high school, then college came around and I spent a year at University of Arizona. I did not get into their BFA in acting program. And so then a series of events led me to Hillsdale and I love it here and theater seems to be a thing that I’m okay at. So I just kept doing it.

What’s your dream role?

Let’s see, so that first play that I mentioned that I got into in eighth grade, I can’t exactly do it anymore, because it’s a

When we did “Henry V” here last year, I was Henry and also Captain Fluellen. I doubled both of those roles because Henry was played by eight people, I think. I was one, and that was definitely a favorite of mine. Also, in 10th grade I performed in a production of “Les Miserables” at that same community theater, and I was only an ensemble member, but it meant that I got to play about six or seven different characters throughout the course of the show.

What’s your favorite production to watch?

“The Book of Mormon.”, But I also saw, at the Arizona State University Gammage Theatre, a production of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” To characterize the entire play, when you get the program, the title goes off the end of the program, so it’s like everything about it is wrong. It was really fun.

What are your plans for after graduation?

Acting maybe, hopefully. I currently work in the scene shop at the theater where I

If I could also play any of the roles in the show, then probably “Shrek the Musical.” I think it’s underrated. I think it’s a wonderful show that, even though it is based on the movie and everyone knows the plot of “Shrek,” it still has a compelling story and the characters are deep, even though it’s a musical comedy and everyone really only sees the laughs in it. I think it still has a bunch of meaning behind it.

When I say favorite memory from your time in theater, what comes to mind?

I know exactly what comes to mind. When I was 13 or 14, I was in a summer camp production of “The Snow Queen” at my local community, and I was the prince of summer. Me and my acne-ridden face was supposed to be a very handsome figure, and I had all these fairies around me that are supposed to be just fawning over me. And at one point I say “I’m leaving now” and the fairies all rushed over and grab a part of my body and say “no, don’t go,” and one of them comes up behind me and grabs my waist, and she grabbed my waist and slipped and she pulled my pants down, I got pantsed on stage.

Four students win chance to perform in front of school

By Malia Thibado Collegian Freelanc er

On Feb. 6, Hillsdale’s annual Concerto/Aria

Competition hosted 25 talented students who displayed their mastery of their chosen musical instrument– 16 instrumentalists and nine vocalists.

Professors of Music

James Holleman and Melissa Knecht began this competition as a way to display the talents of senior students involved in music on campus and to give them experience playing and singing with a symphony orchestra. The program has since morphed into an audition-style competition open to sophomores and upperclassmen, with the prize being a performance

with the Hillsdale College Symphony Orchestra. This year, four students were selected to perform their pieces with the orchestra at a later date.

Violinist Bank Bodorand vocalist Brianna Lachbrecht will be featured in the May 12 orchestra concert. Harpist Magdalena Shaltanis and alto saxophonist Lydia Magyar will perform in the fall.

Bank Bodor, a sophomore studying applied mathematics, has played viola since grade schoolThis is his first year participating in Hillsdale’s competition, but he previously received an honorable mention in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concerto competition, and participated in Stars of Tomorrow during high school.

“I didn’t enter the competition with the intention to win, and when I do it next year, I will not be doing it for the competition but for the experience,” Bodor said.

He added that he was excited to play “Rhapsody of Folk Songs” by Tibor Serly this spring and to share the rich history of Hungarian folk music in an orchestral setting. Bodor’s motivation for playing the viola is the most rewarding part of his life, all of which is done for God’s glory.

Brianna Lambrecht transferred to Hillsdale her sophomore year. This year marks her second time participating in and winning this competition.

“I went in with no expectations my junior year,” Lambrecht said. “This year,

because there are so many other talented students, I wanted to push myself to do something more complicated. It was monumental for me because I overcame both a fear of mine and sickness.”

Prior to the competition, Lambrecht was afraid she would not be able to compete due to a fever and sore throat. The day of, she sang both her pieces with the ambition of a clean performance with no mistakes. Lambrecht was especially concerned for her aria, “Ah! Je veux Vivre,” from “Romeo and Juliet” with its faster tempo.

Magdalena Shaltanis has played harp for more than six years. She became fascinated when her grandmother started playing, inheriting her love of music. Shaltanis’s

history includes winning the Dallas Harp Society competition as well as auditioning for the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, though COVID restrictions prevented productive participation.

Shaltanis said that she tried to practice for an hour per day to prepare for the competition. She anticipates playing Gabriel Pierne’s “Concertstuck, op. 39” this fall because of the rarity of harp concertos and the sheer joy of playing such a challenging piece.

Lydia Magyar started playing alto saxophone in fifth grade. She came to the college as an accomplished saxophonist, having been a part of the North American Saxophone Association and multiple local and state bands. Magyar is a

junior who has played with Hillsdale’s jazz band and Jazz combo. This year was her second time participating in the concerto/ aria competition. She was enthusiastic to play a classical saxophone concerto because, as she put it, “Saxophones are often associated with jazz music. I do enjoy jazz music, too, but people tend to be very surprised when they think of saxophones and classical music together.”

“Each artist performed at a high level and represented their studio professors, our music department, and Hillsdale College with excellence and grace,” Holleman said. “I’m looking forward to working with each of the selected students in rehearsals and performance with our orchestra.”

White Lotus captivates viewers for second season

By Meghan Schultz Features Editor

The most interesting thing about HBO’s “The White Lotus” was its ability to transform relaxing TV downtime into 50 minutes of stressful, nail-biting cringing — and still bring a viewer back next week for more. The eccentric theme song will set anyone’s teeth on edge, and after multiple episodes of little action and many inflammatory personalities slowly reaching a boiling point, the finale had a full season of anxiety-inducing social interactions weighing on it. Since the show began by informing the audience that multiple people would die, each scene tried to convince you, “Surely, this person is the one who’s

going to die — surely, this person is the one who’s going to snap and kill someone.”

But the finale took a spin on the victim-attacker mindset. In the final twenty minutes, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) attempts to defend herself, sobbing as she shoots and kills three men. In her subsequent escape attempt, she falls off the edge of the yacht, knocks her head on the getaway boat, and accidentally adds herself to the death tally.

It was hilarious at first — chilling in the next moment, as the music quieted and Coolidge’s bumbling character murdered her creepy pseudo-captors — and then perfectly humorous and bitterly sad when she toppled off the yacht instead of taking the stairs that swaited only a few

steps away. Before men could do her wrong, she turned on them. Yet still, she didn’t win.

Back on the beach, Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Ethan (Will Sharpe) talk about their spouses’ suspicious behavior. Ethan brings his concerns to Daphne, confiding in her that he worries something happened between Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and Cameron (Theo James) back at the hotel.

A hundred thoughts cross Daphne’s face, shifting from surprise, sadness, resignation, and landing back at her typically breezy, softly smiling expression. She processes the information and draws her conclusion in a moment — strongly implying this isn’t the first time she’s com-

partmentalized this kind of information.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” she tells Ethan.

She explains to him that he should do what he has to do to make himself feel better. Without ever explicitly addressing what both characters are implying, the camera watches them walk off together. The viewer never gets to find out what happened between them, if anything did, but Daphne’s easy-going nature doesn’t falter again. She plays her cheating husband at his own game, evidently without his knowledge, and gets to keep maintaining what she likes about her life with him. To fly in the face of his wrongdoings, she does what she pleases. Yet still,

Daphne doesn’t truly win.

“The White Lotus” works because of its ability to subvert the viewer’s expectations. Tanya gets the best of her hosts but cries as she does, her genuine and horrifying fear for her life overshadowing the glory of her victory. Not only that, but her untimely death-by-clumsiness means her conniving husband will still inherit her great fortune. His mercenaries hardly had to do a thing: she delivered it into his hands.

Daphne doesn’t cry or seek revenge when she hears her husband has likely been unfaithful. As quickly as her emotions fly up, she tethers them back to the ground. She mimics his behavior in a manner that removes any moral superiority she might

have held over Cameron before. At the end of the show, Harper and Ethan are happily entwined at the airport — the mirror image of Cameron and Daphne at the start. The shiny, smiling couple has reproduced, generously adding their toxic behavioral patterns to Harper and Ethan’s already highly dysfunctional relationship. That’s one thing “The White Lotus” does so well and likely will continue to in the coming seasons. Those dead bodies offscreen in the first episode? It won’t just be the anticipation of the victim that keeps you watching — it’ll be the manner of demise and all the relationships and people that come together and fall apart in the meantime, dancing to an intensely chaotic melody.

AJ Palubinskas thrusts his sword. Courtesy | AJ Palubinskas

Science & Technology

Dialing up the past: Hillsdale donor reflects on career

By Alexandra Hall Science & Tech Edtior

When Ronald Reagan launched air strikes against Libya in 1986, he used a cellular phone system invented by Adam Rosenberg and his colleagues. The unsecured connection faltered and failed the commander in chief since it relied on FM waves that could be tapped into by anyone.

“We were forgiven, we got the system to work,” Rosenberg said in his talk on Feb.13. “We had this privacy system and all of the standard technology doesn’t work on a channel that’s constantly changing. They really don’t like it when that signal gets interrupted for a second.”

In “The Early Days of Cellular Technology,” Rosenberg spoke to students and professors about his time and work at Bell Telephone

Laboratories, now known as Bell Labs, and beyond. Rosenberg received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and completed his graduate work at Stanford University in the field of operations research.

While the average citizen may not be relying on their phones to order air strikes, the result of the technological evolution of cell phones proves to be an integral part of our daily lives.

“I don’t know how many of you have watched an old television show like ‘Columbo’ or ‘Mannix,’” Rosenberg said. “But there’s a phone. And it rings. And you don’t know who is at the other end.”

In 1947, Rosenberg joined a team of engineers at Bell Telephone Laboratories who built a model of mobile telephone service. They were working with car

phones, the closest thing to mobile phones at the time. Instead of using antennas that limited the number of frequencies able to be used in specific locations, the team divided the terrain of interest into hexagonal

said. “The problem was that this was fundamentally different than a static telephone system. A call had sets of wires and switches that did not change. Nobody had to worry about whether a call moved.”

The regions, called cells, resembled a honeycomb structure when mapped out. When someone was driving and moved between these cells, the frequency would be handed off from one cell to another through channels. Rosenberg was responsible for developing this system which was used for 15 years. He even wrote a program called Autogrow in 1982, which helped evolve the model by adding midpoints between the pre-existing cells.

regions. These regions would each have a radio tower at their center.

“This is as far as they got with the model,” Rosenberg

“The fundamentals of a telephone call had to be redefined,” Rosenberg said. “Radio setup, handles, roaming, and quality standards were all new and different and scary. I was on this trip–not quite the engineer, but the passenger. I worked with amazing people with different skills and a common mission. It was a wonderful thing.”

Senior mathematics major Anthony Iatropoulos noted that the hexagonal grid maps aren’t anything like the digital networks used today.

“I thought it was interesting how the qualities of each mathematical obstacle presented to Dr. Rosenberg arose from and shifted naturally in response to the technological limitations at the time he was working in

Compiled by Maddy Welsh News Edtior

What was your research project?

My research was on stream ecology— I was specifically continuing the work that a couple of other graduates had done where they were testing the relative abundance and the other physical composition of streams within three different types of habitats. There’s a creek called Fairbanks Creek, which is pretty popular for research because it’s one of the only undisturbed streams in Michigan. So all the data that’s collected there sets a good baseline. What I specifically did was a wide variety of sampling methods,

the telephone industry,” Iatropoulos said. “ The changes are cool to see and I’m grateful for his contributions to cellular network technology, because I really enjoy being able to stream Spotify during my hikes in the mountains.”

Freshman Valerie Check was also interested in the business side of Rosenberg’s talk.

“It was interesting to hear about how the cell phone company dealt with needing different sized cells to service all of their customers,” Check said. “They designed maps that could continue to be altered as their demand grew,.”

The analog model was far from perfect. Cell phones saw many phases over the following decades, mostly

Research Spotlight: Beth Potwardowski

just figuring out what factors could impact the abundance of five different feeding groups. My results were similar to data from previous years I’d seen, so it’s pretty encouraging.

What is the practical application of your research?

I think it can apply to evaluating the water quality in Michigan. Typically healthy streams will have a specific relative abundance of those five insect feeding groups, so if you notice that one group is completely gone, or that the relative abundances are slightly different, that leaves an indicator that there’s other environmental pressures affecting those organisms. I think that that definitely

is worth monitoring for conservation efforts and also just to maintain water quality as well. That’s a big deal in Michigan.

You were studying bugs. Did you work with Dr. Houghton?

I’d actually worked for him as a research assistant, the previous summer, on the research project that I ended up taking over. That was incredibly helpful just because it helped me learn a lot of the techniques and processes that I’d have to use. He was awesome as a research adviser and mentor. He really is in his element up there at the bio station. We had a great time.

What was it like presenting your research?

I presented it first over the summer at the Michigan Entomological Society Conference and that was fun. It was a little stressful because I decided to do it at the last minute and I was still in the process of collecting data. I’d be collecting data on Monday that I was trying to analyze and fit together into a presentation for Thursday.

I got some good feedback for ways to modify it and especially to work on explaining some of the more conceptually dense ideas within the project in a more nuanced way to the average Hillsdale student.

What’s next for you?

I’m actually going to podiatry school, which is very different from the work that I was doing over the

summer. I’m very grateful for the research process because I initially thought about maybe doing that type of career path, but I think through the research experience, I realized that while I do really enjoy the outdoors, and I have great respect and appreciation for it, it’s something that I would rather enjoy as a hobby rather than as a professional career.

Dr. Hamilton pitched the idea of podiatry, so I ended up shadowing one over fall break a couple of times. It just really clicked for me. It was something I can really see myself doing for several decades of my life. I also know that a lot of the lessons I learned, especially with patience, persistence, and leaning on your deeper support, will be very helpful to anything that I do in the future.

How do you think your experience in the Hillsdale science department has prepared you for your future?

The science instruction here is very personalized and there’s a lot of encouragement and mentorship from advisers as well.

Even though I didn’t decide to do the sciences until I was halfway through my Hillsdale education, after working in the bio station for a summer I think that kind of sealed the deal for me that I wanted to do biology.

I was initially worried that I wouldn’t be able to get everything done or that I wouldn’t graduate on time,

but it was great to have a lot of professors who just kind of could help me through the adjustments and figuring out also how to do more independent work. I think sciences are definitely a lot more self-guided and you have to really understand and master the concepts yourself. In a way you have to teach yourself what you’re doing, which is very different from doing your readings and writing papers.

Why should non-science majors at Hillsdale care about science?

Science isn’t this scary thing that people should be afraid of, especially if you’re just a regular person going through the liberal arts at

seeing their largest transformation in the digital era. Questions of privacy, the mechanics of dialing, and the impending promise of Wi-Fi rose to the surface as the technologies developed. Rosenberg’s career was defined by discovering and helping evolve technologies now used in most people’s everyday life. Without his contributions, we may still have cell phones the size of bricks.

“I’m pretty proud of my work,” Rosenberg said. “I did nothing to deserve it whatsoever. I mean, I’d like to think I’ve earned it since then, but I just got lucky. Sometimes being lucky is enough to get things going.”

Hillsdale. You still have to take the baby science classes. Hopefully, doing these kinds of interviews in The Collegian will help people realize that science is very special but is also a very different way of being able to understand and appreciate the world.

It is incredible now just to see things in everyday life and know the workings behind them. It definitely gives me a greater appreciation of God and everything that he orchestrated to make our world and our lives possible. That’s something I definitely would not have without a lot of this scientific understanding.

From car phones to cell phones, Adam Rosenberg made major contributions to modern technology.

“The

fundamentals of a telephone call had to be redefined,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg and his colleagues helped develop cell phone technology in the ‘80s. Courtesy | Adam Rosenberg

Rosenberg visited the AT&T museum and called his cell phone from a pay phone.

Courtesy | Adam Rosenberg

Beth did her research at the G.H. Gordon Biological Station (left) and on campus (right).

Courtesy | Beth Potwardowski

Three physics students earn honorable mention award at national research conference

For their research in magnetic actualization, students traveled to present their findings.

By Eleanor Whitaker Collegian Freelancer

Three Hillsdale students won an honorable mention for their research in biophysics at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Argonne National Laboratory on Jan. 21.

Sophomore Abigail

(Abby) Gilreath and seniors

Linnea Larson and Khadija Hamisi presented their research, titled “Characterization of Magnetic Actuation of Biological Systems.”

Alongside junior Avery Buchanan and sophomore

Kayla Loescher, the group spent the past summer and fall semesters gathering and analyzing data.

The conference was an opportunity for several colleges to meet and encourage undergraduate women to continue their studies in physics through talks, networking events, and research presentations.

Larson will be presenting this research again later this month in a biophysics conference in California.

According to Assistant Professor of Physics Stephanie Lauback, the project investigated how magnetic beads, which are microns in diameter, react to changes in magnetic fields.

“My students are trying to figure out how these beads respond to magnetic fields, and to do that they apply known magnetic fields and look to see how the beads respond to that,” Lauback said.

The beads are commonly used in medicine, because they can tag cancer cells in blood samples, Lauback

How American chips ended up at Chinese nuclear weapon facility

By Josh Hypes Political Correspondent

A new report found that American semiconductor chips are fueling China’s nuclear war machine.

For decades, American semiconductor chips flowed freely into China’s top nuclear weapons institute by dodging United States export regulations meant to halt such purchases, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The report found that in the past two years the staterun China Academy of Engineering and Physics, which the U.S. restricted access to advanced U.S. technology since 1997, purchased highly-advanced semiconductor chips more than a dozen times. Many of these chips were acquired through resellers in China.

Chinese Communist Party’s policy of military-civilian fusion, which eliminates the barriers between its civilian and commercial research and its military and defense sectors, according to the U.S. Department of State. This policy underscores Beijing’s ambition to make the People’s Liberation Army the most technologically advanced military in the world.

Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele said it is extremely difficult to enforce these types of export controls given the globalized nature of the international economy.

collection.

explained.

The project considered a question that has not been studied before. Two properties that describe the motion of a magnetic bead, the permanent and induced moment, have never been studied at the same time at lower magnetic fields.

“No research paper has been published that studied these two behaviors at lower

Gilreath enjoyed this hands-on part of the research.

“I really liked the experience of working in a lab especially over the summer,” Gilreath said. “It was like a nine-to-five job, you know everyday coming in what experiment you are going to run and what you’re looking for, but there’s always things that pop up, and you have to adapt and improvise.”

Lauback is impressed with how much her students learned over this process.

“I enjoy seeing my students grow from, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ to, ‘Well, let me give you an idea on how to do this right,’” Lauback said.

During the conference, the three students impressed the judges with their explanations and rigorous research.

“One judge,” Hamisi said, “looked at me and asked, ‘Are you a graduate student?’, I said, ‘No, I’m an undergraduate.’ That was probably the moment he decided to give us the award.”

The chips, which were primarily used for data and algorithmic analysis, were used in personal computers and data centers, the Wall Street Journal reported. Many of the chips were bought by the academy’s laboratory studying computational fluid dynamics, a field that includes the modeling of nuclear explosions.

Jordan Scott, a Hillsdale College senior studying history, said China has benefited from its close economic ties to the United States.

“It’s no secret China has used U.S. technology for its own development for a long time, but semiconductor and computer chip theft or reselling seems like a particular problem,” Scott said. “Chips and superconductors are the hardware that enables technology like nuclear weapons, supercomputers, or even spy satellites to function.”

Scott said it’s not surprising that China is using industrial espionage and American semiconductors to power its military modernization.

fields and higher fields, so that’s what we’re trying to find out,” Hamisi said.

In order to analyze these properties, the students designed nanoscale rods out of DNA that attached to the beads and excited the beads with magnetic fields at various strengths. The DNA rod allowed them to see the orientation of the bead under a microscope.

The experimental process involved plenty of pipetting, video analysis, and data

Senior Thesis Presentations

SSC200

Feb. 16 & 23 12 p.m.

Presenters:

Gwynne Riley

Isaac Ritzer

Jeff Landis

Ceara Kerwin

But to Hamisi, the conference experience was even more valuable than the award itself.

“It was really nice meeting different international women STEM students and talking to them about the challenges we all face and the things we’re studying,” Hamisi said. “It was really heartwarming, I felt like I was going to cry. I felt like I belonged.”

“China has made it clear they don’t have scruples about stealing such technology, which often seems to take the form of espionage, especially at leading U.S. research universities or companies,” Scott said. “It seems even existing legal restrictions are easy to get around in the secondhand or resale market. However, I don’t find that surprising given the extent of China and U.S. economic ties.”

The latest debacle underlines the challenge U.S. regulators face when attempting to combat the

“When I buy a car from Honda, the design and transmission might be from Japan, but its parts come from all around the world, and then it’s finally assembled in Tennessee,” Steele explained. “All this to say, it’s extremely difficult to disentangle the global economy.”

Steele said America’s existing export control regime focuses on a principle of trying to penalize violators.

“The way that sanctions are supposed to work is that if you violate them, then you are subject to retaliation in trade policy,” Steele said.

Export controls are the most common form of retaliation according to the State Department. The Department of Commerce maintains a list of governments, corporations, and individuals restricted from acquiring items that could be used for nuclear, biological, or military purposes. Individuals on the list must apply for a license in order to purchase these items.

In 2019, the United States began taking a tougher stance against Chinese acquisition of dual civilian and military uses of technology after sanctioning the telecommunications giant Huawei, the news outlet Reuters reported. These sanctions blocked Huawei from getting its hands on certain types of chips it needed to expand its 5-G wireless systems. It also prohibited U.S. companies from exporting their chips or components made with U.S. intellectual property to Huawei.

Nevertheless, in 2020, the Commerce Department was still granting millions of dollars in licenses to Huawei in its attempt to acquire chips for its auto-component business, according to a Reuters report. A Center for Security and Emerging Technology study found that in 24 procurement contracts used by Chinese military and defense

Upcoming Events in STEM

Starlab (Astronomy Club)

Feb. 24 4 p.m.

The Astronomy Club will host an inflatable planetarium show for a Cub Scout group in Pioneer, OH. Contact Dr. Dolch (tdolch@hillsdale.edu)

contractors for artificial intelligence related-systems, all chip components were designed by U.S. companies.

In 2021, Phytium Technology, a Chinese company, used American software to assist the People’s Liberation Army in developing its hypersonic missile technology, the Washington Post reported.

As the Chinese military often hides behind civilian and commercial procurement contracts, it is difficult for the Commerce Department’s enforcement agency, the Bureau of Industry and Security, to provide adequate enforcement without additional funding, a Center for Strategic International Studies report found.

As China finds more ways around U.S. export controls, new regulatory changes have helped make enforcement easier.

On Oct. 7 of last year, the Commerce Department announced a slate of new restrictions on the Chinese acquisition of American semiconductor chips, according to Reuters. These restrictions essentially cut China off from the export of tools, know-how, and specific supporting technologies relating to semiconductor chips.

During a speech around the same time, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called the new restrictions a “small yard, high fence” in which the United States will gatekeep critical technologies from falling into the hands of geopolitical competitors like China or Russia.

“Chokepoints for foundational technologies have to be inside that yard, and the fence has to be high—because our strategic competitors should not be able to exploit American and allied technologies to undermine American and allied security,” Sullivan said.

Steele said using export controls to protect intellectual property rights and national security can be necessary when they are threatened.

“So if you are sacrificing defense for economic gain, you have to ask yourself which one is more important in any particular instance,” Steele said. “You have to realize that if you make that exception, it’s a cost.”

Phlunch (physics faculty & student social)

Knorr Family Dining Hall Thursdays 12 p.m.

This week’s topics: Lasers and the Search for Life, Ripples in Icicles, Did Leonardo da Vinci figure out gravity before Galileo?

If you have events you’d like included, please reach out to science and tech editor Alexandra Hall (ahall@hillsdale.edu).

“It was really nice meeting different international women STEM students and talking to them about the challenges we all face and the things we’re studying. ”

Three students and their advisor, Stephanie Lauback, presented their research in January.

Courtesy | Stephanie Lauback

FEATURES

By Josefina Cuddeback Collegian Freelancer

America boasts something far more important than the Constitution and upward mobility. That’s right. The Super Bowl.

The sporting event draws viewers beyond the regular football fans, anywhere from reprobates who don’t know a touchdown from a goal to poor college students without cable who had to Google, “How to to pirate the Superbowl.” Families divide, blows may be exchanged, the halftime star’s music is suddenly palatable, and gluttony isn’t a sin—only on Superbowl Sunday.

But this weekend, Americans consumed more than just their body weight in buffalo chicken dip. Mega-companies annually capitalize on the opportunity for tripled viewing potential to promote their product. Thus, Superbowl commercials.

A 30-second slot of advertising went for $7 million this year, with some companies spending between $10-15 million after factoring in produc-

tion and celebrity appearance costs. Marketing strategists spent big and took risks, all to make headlines as the best ad on Monday morning. The result was lavish, eye-catching, and sometimes wacky commercials.

Bud Light: Casting a celebrity is a tried and true tactic for advertisers. Bud Light played it safe by recruiting “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller.

The light-hearted ad portrayed Teller and his wife, Keleigh, dancing to the hold music on a customer service line while enjoying a Bud Light. Sans Teller, the ad was bland. But with Teller, it was a win.

I predict that the Bud Light-drinking demographic will shift from almost entirely blue collar boys to the female fans who watch

the “Top Gun” beach scene several times a month. However, because of said scene, we all know Miles can dance better than that, so that’s a mark against the commercial. Customer service hold music, no matter the setting, is a universally cursed sound and earns the ad a second loss tally. In the end, I give it a 8/10. I missed the Bud Knight.

Dunkin’: This fresh and informal take on an ad had me dreaming about the next time I’m in the Dunkin’ drive-thru.

(Keep dreaming, Hillsdalians.)

In the dream, Ben Affleck hands me a Caramel Swirl Macchiato. Maybe I should start petitioning for a Dunkin’ location in Hillsdale — there might be more reasons to than we realized.

And before any Starbucks fans come for me: Dunkin is good enough so that we may have a taste of civilization, but not so good that we’ll plunge ourselves into even more debt. Last time I checked, it’s only student loans that they want to forgive. But I digress. Back to

the ad: Good work, Dunkin’, you had me missing home. 6/10.

“He Gets Us”: This year we got two controversial and saccharine ads promoting an under-televised figure: Jesus. Images of cancer-patient children and conflict-laden communities did a tap-dance on viewers’ emotions, leaving even Christian viewers confused as to whether they were pleased or jarred by the message. This ad met disapproval on all sides. Members of the left condemned it for the organization’s anti-abortion and anti-homosexual values. But figures on the right like Charlie Kirk asserted that the ads “pander to liberals.” Regardless, it certainly caught attention and successfully dominated a variety of internet spaces. 5/10.

From Bud Lite dance parties to Dunkin’ drive-thrus 1

T-Mobile: I think all of us were scratching our heads watching John

Travolta ad-lib his Grease hit “Summer Nights” — not only because the rendition was mildly horrid, but also because he sang the praises of one of the most decrepit mobile carriers in the nation. The addition of the guys from “Scrubs” only heightened confusion. Nice, T-Mobile! The only time I’d use your service is to call Verizon for a quote. Not even Danny Zuko could make this company attractive. 3/10.

Ranging from minute-long visual feasts to religious statements, this SuperBowl contained several commercial winners and losers. Yet none were particularly ground-breaking, and all were relatively unspectacular. Super Bowl viewers will remember last year’s famous “Alexa loses her voice” commercial from Amazon. Apple used the platform in 1984 to announce its groundbreaking Macintosh computer. With such cultural pedigree, I had hoped this year’s Super Bowl advertisements would cook up something original. Guess I’ll just have to wait until next year.

In case you missed last weekend’s ad breaks, here’s a ranking of the most fun, controversial, and ‘mildly horrid’ Super Bowl commercials Dunkin’

Why politics?: Q&A with Kevin Slack

By Elyse Apel Opinions Editor

higher education?

300 pages.

Associate Professor

of Politics Kevin Slack answers questions on his time at Hillsdale, the difficulties in writing a book, and his take on ChatGPT.

What did you study in undergrad?

I did my undergraduate degree at Indiana University South Bend. I was a history major and a political science minor. I didn’t go straight through though. I worked at factories in between semesters or dropped out a couple of times. Once I worked from January to August in metal and copper fittings plants before resuming classes in the fall.

Why did you decide to pursue political philosophy?

When I graduated, I had no idea what to do. I had a buddy who was working as a house mover, and he said, “Why don’t you come to join us?” I did that for a year and I decided I wanted to do something where I could use my mind more and work in sub-zero temperatures less. I remembered that I really liked a political theory class, and so I applied to a bunch of universities for graduate school. I got into the University of California Davis. I was in the Ph.D. program and I had a professor who said I wasn’t going to be able to get a good education in theory there because it was a quantitative program. He told me to apply to the University of Dallas, so I took a year’s leave of absence and went there, like so many other professors here at Hillsdale.

How did you end up in

The year I got my Ph.D. was the year of the housing market crash, and I had only applied to teach at one school. It was a junior college in California, and I didn’t think I was gonna get it. Because of that, I moved to South Bend, hoping to get on the fire department there. But then I got the one job I applied for, so I moved out to California.

What do you consider to be your area of expertise within political philosophy?

I think, properly speaking, when we talk about expertise, it’s a field where you know all the secondary literature. For example, my first book was on Benjamin Franklin. Even in the intro to that book, I had to be able to distinguish my own ideas and respond to all the other scholars in the field. I would say the other area that I’ve spent a lot of time on is the 1960s. I have a book that I’ve been working on for a long time about that, but I don’t have it out yet. So, overall I would say American Political Thought is, generally, my realm of expertise.

As the author of two books and with others in the works, can you talk about the book-writing process?

When I first started writing my latest book, I had started trying to write a popular book and realized I was just not capable of it. The way I write tends to be dense, and I’m sure it’s not very exciting because I include way too many facts. Every time I tried to write a general description of a period in American history, I was never satisfied. I wrote a book that was supposed to be just 90 pages and it ended up becoming

What are your favorite or least favorite things about Hillsdale students?

This is going to sound cringe, but I can’t think of anything I dislike about Hillsdale students. What I really love about Hillsdale students is that they’re smart, but, more importantly, they’re decent. And that’s not something you take for granted at most universities.

What do you think of ChatGPT and how has it affected your classroom?

I’m not terribly worried about it. If you were to tell ChatGPT to write the kinds of papers that are written here at Hillsdale, I’m not sure that it would be able to write about the details of a political philosophy text in such a way as to be thoughtful and correct.

Why is politics important and why should we study it?

As Aristotle says, man is the political animal. Or as James Madison says, what is government but the greatest study of human nature? So, on the one hand, politics is the most important thing. I think that’s because politics always touches on the most important questions, the things that are more important than life itself. For example, the state can order you to go fight and die to defend a certain way of life. On the other hand, politics is the least important thing. It doesn’t answer questions about the best way of life. There are questions in science and philosophy that deal with immutable truths. I think the great defense of politics is that it is necessary to access those deeper truths.

How would you describe your teaching style in the classroom?

I’ve never been what I would call a natural teacher. Some of that is probably my background. It’s changed from when I first started teaching and I thought that I had to know everything. I used to teach history and I would prepare even if I had taught the class 10 or 15 times. But class prep in itself is no punishment. It’s moved by a genuine curiosity because I love this subject material. We at Hillsdale are really blessed to be able to do what we do and I never want to take that for granted. I always live in the realization that someday I may be working at Walmart or tiling floors. While I don’t think that’s going to happen, I just don’t want to take the job for granted. It’s a real blessing.

House for Rent for 2023-2024

January 19, 2023

The following house is for rent for the 2022-2023 school year:

171 West Street – This is a three bedroom, one bath Victorian that is two blocks from Campus. It has a living room, den, eat-in-kitchen, and an unfinished basement available for storage that is equipped with a washer and dryer. The rent is $450 per student per month based upon three student occupants. A fourth student may be added at a reduced rate if desired. Available August 1, 2023

If you are interested please call Berry LeCompte at:

850 736-8421(home); 847 381-2514 (office) 847 809-4843 (cell phone –preferred), 847 809-4829 (cell phone) or email at cblecompte@aol.com

A newly-engaged Kevin Slack poses with his future wife, Ruth.

Courtesy | Kevin Slack

FEATURES

Quick Hits with Maria Servold

What’s a simple thing that brings you joy? “Watching my three girls play together without fighting.”

By Elyse Apel Opinions Editor

In this quick hits interview, Assistant Director of the Dow Journalism Program Maria Servold talks raising daughters, fighting the pleather jacket trend, and getting engaged at Garden Party.

What books are you reading right now?

I’m reading one for a book club called “So Young, Brave, and Handsome” by Leif Enger. I’m also working my way through “The Religious Potential of the Child” for the catechesis I teach. I am thinking about starting “Anne of the Island” because I’m very slowly working my way through the “Anne of Green Gables” series.

movie is “Amadeus.” When I need a pick-me-up, I watch “The Paper” and I really liked the movie “Arrival,” which is about an alien encounter. It just has a lot to say about life and the importance of life.

Beach or Mountains? I should say mountains because I’m from Colorado, but beach.

What is one of the best memories you and your husband share?

When he proposed to me at Garden Party my senior year.

What is your favorite memory from your time as a student at Hillsdale?

That’s really hard. I would say I have the most fond memories from random adventures

Bell or watching movies with my friends or any of the late nights in the Collegian office.

Do you have a favorite adventure from your time at Hillsdale?

When they were building the Student Union, my best friend and I found a way into the tunnels under campus from the construction site. It was just an open door, so we wandered around in the tunnels and then ended up in the basement of Delp. So, I can confirm that the tunnels are not that exciting. They’re most ly just for mechanical pipes.

What do you think is the best place to study on cam pus?

The tables in purgatory that look over the hill because you

At one of my baby showers, a professor’s wife told me not to compare myself to other moms. And to remember the phrase “not my circus, not my monkeys.”

Do you have a hobby?

I cross stitch and embroider, which I discovered that I love a couple years ago. It took me years to find a hobby that I could stick with and not give up on after several weeks. I’ve now been embroidering and cross-stitching for several years, and I even won an award for embroidery at the

St. Joan of Arc.

What is one trend from your childhood that you wish would come back?

The really brightly colored neon windbreaker jackets. They were useful and cool.

What is one trend you hope never comes back?

Pleather jackets.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs, because they love you back.

Is Mulan a Disney princess?

she is the lead female character in a Disney movie.

If you were not a journalism professor, what would you be doing?

Besides being a reporter, I really enjoyed my psychology classes at Hillsdale, so maybe something with psychology or ‘just’ a mom.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Pretty much anywhere I can relax and my kids are entertained.

Playing your way through ‘the fog of war’

By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter

When his command of a Napoleonic French troop attacked an entire flank of the Prussian army, junior Liam Moffat found himself completely blind-sided.

Moffat was playing Kriegsspiel, a war game that simulates the role of a commander in combat, as part of Hillsdale College’s new war game club, run by juniors Carter McNish and Moffat.

“Political games like Risk are strategy games, but what we play are operational games,” Moffat said. “You play a general or commander and fight other commanders and generals.”

The club runs two different war games: Hex Encounter and Kriegsspiel.

Kriegsspiel was invented in the 1800s by a Prussian general to train commanders for combat. Since then, it has been used by military and naval colleges across the world, according to McNish.

“I’ve seen war games fought on land and sea, and I’ve even seen someone try to recreate what a dogfight would be like on a board,” McNish said. “Admiral Nimitz in World War II said that nothing came as a surprise to him because he already used war games for all possible scenarios.”

Players are unaware of the full map of the game in a Kriegsspiel, and an umpire declares the results of each action to the characters.

“Kriegsspiel is more a simulation of actual combat than a war game,” Moffat said. “The whole point is that it’s a double blind fog of war. As the player, you don’t know where your enemy pieces are unless your pieces can see them, and you don’t know exactly where some of your pieces are, if you can’t see them.”

Dispatches and reports from troops can be delayed because of distance from the commander.

“You have the same kind of knowledge that a real general would have where you can’t see everything and things will take you completely by surprise,” McNish said. “It builds a level of paranoia because you can never see what’s actually behind the fog.”

Kriegsspiel also produces unreliable results that test player’s flexibility.

“One of my friends plays Kriegsspiels and his favorite line is, ‘You can command, not control,’” McNish said. “You can tell someone to do something, but it might not happen in the way you want it to.”

Players also learn the challenges of commanding troops in combat through the game.

“I remember in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there was a Russian column that did nothing for an hour,” Moffat said. “That was a reallife Kriegsspiel moment. You forget where your units are. You forget that you actually command a unit and can tell it to go somewhere. Units can receive your orders and go in the opposite direction.”

McNish and Moffat began playing Kriegsspiel over the summer and joined the International Kriegsspiel Society. McNish ran a Kriegsspiel over the summer based on the first day of the D-Day invasion.

In Hex Encounters, players see the entire board and

move troops across a board made up of hexagons.

“Both the players have perfect knowledge of their own team and of the enemy,” McNish said. “It’s like chess with a bit more nuance.”

Hex Encounters provides information about historical battle practices, different elements on the board, and available weapons, which differ according to the era and terrain of the game’s setting.

“The players are given little tokens representing regiments or divisions depending on the scale of the game,” Moffat said. “Those will have movement speed, damage, value, and defense abilities. Also, if you’re on a hill or in a river or forest, the terrain will affect you.”

McNish started the club upon the recommendation of Edward Gutiérrez, director of the Center for Military History and Grand Strategy.

“The club is a superb addition to Hillsdale’s study and

investigation into war and strategy,” Gutiérrez said.

The club plans to host six or seven games a semester and has already played one Kriegsspiel in January. McNish and Moffat hope to collaborate with the Center for Military History and Grand Strategy.

“There is a class right now that Dr. Gutiérrez is teaching on World War II, and I would like to run a war game based on something during World War II this semester,” McNish said. “It would help to bridge the gap between what you read in a book and history.”

McNish believes that war games will allow students to better understand military strategy rather than just political negotiation.

“Russia invaded Ukraine,” McNish said. “Warfare is clearly still on the table. So even if you never plan on going into the military, playing war games helps you get an understanding of what that’s like.”

“Both players have perfect knowledge of their own team and of the enemy. It’s like chess with a bit more nuance.”

Maria Servold smiles with her three daughters, Evelyn, Regina, and Lizzie. Maria Servold | Collegian

The new student-organized war games club focuses on operational games that recreate battles on land, sea, and in midair

Some of Maria Servold’s fondest college memories come from working at the Collegian. Maria Servold | Collegian