The Hillsdale Collegian 2.3.22 by The Hillsdale Collegian

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Vol. 145 Issue 17 - February 3, 2022

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College buys land in California, plans educational center

By Tess Owens Collegian Reporter

poulos family, who are prHillsdale College plans to build an educational center in California following its purchase of nearly 1,200 acres of property in Placer County in December, according to Hillsdale Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. “This will help Hillsdale further radiate its curriculum in the state of California and across the country,” Péwé said. “Overall, this land

afforded to Hillsdale College in California greatly furthers Hillsdale College’s interests and longstanding mission.” The site is not a satellite campus, but is rather intended to be another center dedicated to spreading the college’s mission, similar to the Blake Center in Connecticut, according to Provost Chris VanOrman. Van Orman said Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn has wanted to start the project for a while. “Dr. Arnn wants to start up an educational center,” Van Orman said. “He’s talked

in the past about being a nuclear reactor, and we want to radiate everything that we do. Part of the agreement was to have a more permanent facility in the future. Now, initially the idea is to educate people who are interested in the mission of the college.” The college plans to sell portions of the property, which is near Sacramento, to raise funds for the center, as well as for other operations of the college. “The funds would be allocated for a diverse range of needs, not just specifically

for the development of the center,” General Counsel Bob Norton said. According to Norton, a 13-acre parcel may serve as the site of the multi-use educational center, while the remainder of the property will be sold and developed. “The center is years in the making,” Norton said. “It is still a loose vision. For now, we are focusing on the land that we can sell for development.” Arnn and his office spearheaded the project, but Norton, along with Vice

Snow falls on campus. Megan Williams | Collegian

President of Business Development Doug Banbury, Vice President of Finance Pat Flannery, and Chief of Staff Mike Harner also contributed to the project. According to Norton, the college was first approached about four years ago by the University Development Foundation’s chairman, Kyriakos Tsakopoulos, who flew out to Hillsdale. The foundation is attached to the Tsakopoulos family, who are prominent land developers of the Sacramento area. UDF searched for a college to

partner with for some time, and found a potential match in Hillsdale. “It was a wintery, snowy day sometime before Christmas, and Mr. Tsakopoulos came out and offered the site,” Norton said. “He also brought a beautifully calligraphed copy of the college’s charter, which now hangs in Broadlawn. At the time we thought, ‘This is crazy!’” This meeting was followed by more of UDF’s board members’ visiting Hillsdale,

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'Preservers of timeless wisdom': Hundreds gather for CCA on the Inklings By Michaela Estruth Collegian Reporter

Academy for Science and Freedom hosts first event with health care expert Scott Atlas By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor The Academy for Science and Freedom held its first event in a series of public lectures on Jan. 24, 2022 at which academy fellow and senior fellow in health care policy at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University Scott Atlas spoke on media misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. The academy is dedicated to the pursuit of truth in the sciences, according to Jay Battacharya, a fellow at the academy and professor of medicine at Stanford University. The majority of the public lectures will be held at the Hillsdale in D.C. campus. Battacharya, Atlas, President of Hillsdale College Larry Arnn, and Director at the Brownstone Institute and Professor Emeritus of Med-

icine at Harvard University Martin Kulldorff founded the academy in December 2021. “The pandemic is not what our academy is about but it has exposed profound problems in our society,” Atlas said. “They probably existed beforehand, but came to the fore in frightening colors we still see today in the management of this healthcare crisis.” In his presentation, Atlas emphasized the importance of data when it comes to finding the truth about the pandemic. He said the media, especially social media, overlook data when spreading information about COVID-19. “We absolutely must live in a country where facts matter, and we are seeing an overt denial of facts here,” Atlas said. He presented data about infection rates, deaths,

Michael Ward speaks on C.S. Lewis' "Abolition of Man" on Sunday. Courtesy | Jack Cote

and the negative effects of lockdowns, particularly on children and low-income communities. Though the academy’s efforts are not purely aimed at exposing media inaccuracies about COVID-19, it was founded as a response to the effects of the pandemic on Americans, according to Battacharya. “The three academy fellows and President Arnn collaborated throughout the pandemic to assess the data and make prudential decisions,” Battacharya said in an email. “The Academy for Science and Freedom emerged as a result of their collaboration and the need to educate as widely as possible about the proper ends and conduct of scientific inquiry.” Dean of the Natural Sciences and Associate Professor of Chemistry Matthew

Young said the work of the academy on encouraging truth in science is essential to the practice of science. “A healthy scientific culture is one in which discourse based on evidence is enthusiastically pursued rather than retreated from due to fear of censorship,” Young said. Battacharya said the media’s use of COVID-19 as a political tool is antithetical to the true purpose of science. “I hope that the work of this project helps restore the norm of free discussion of ideas within science and restore science to its proper place within society as a source of knowledge and technologies that better the lives of people, rather than as a partisan political tool,” Battacharya said.

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Students, faculty, visitors, and friends of the college packed Plaster Auditorium for the long-anticipated Center for Constructive Alternatives on “The Inklings.” More than 750 guests and 257 students registered for this series, according to CCA student assistant and sophomore Annaliese Oeverman. External Affairs Program Manager Markie Repp said the CCA is a repeat of the 2005 CCA on the Inklings. Lectures began at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30 in Plaster Auditorium and concluded at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, with the faculty roundtable. Presentations included overall discussions of the Inklings, their specific works, themes of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien’s writings, and a dramatic presentation of “An Evening with C.S. Lewis.” Professor of Historyat Hillsdale College Brad J. Birzer, who opened the lecture series, praised the Inklings as bards of the modern age. “A bard is at the center of a community, culture, and civilization,” Birzer said. “He is the bridge and intermediary between God and His worshippers.” Birzer outlined the history of the Inklings. The Inklings were an informal literary discussion group associated with J. R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis who met twice a week from 1931 to 1949. They critiqued and praised one another’s works, encouraged each other in various endeavors, and strengthened the bonds of friendship, Birzer said. Birzer regards the friendship between the men in the group as one of the greatest of the 20th century. “True friendship is exclu-

sive and non-political,” Birzer said. “It is the highest level of non-individuality and necessary in a community.” Birzer spoke on the immense influence of Lewis and Tolkien. He compared them to other famous men, writers, philosophers, or prophets who lived at the end of their time and sought to preserve virtue and wisdom – Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Dante. “C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were preservers of timeless wisdom for ages to come,” Birzer said. Birzer said Lewis and Tolkien lived during the end of the Modern Age and wrote as bards to defend the best of western civilization. “Only through story can one understand himself, inherit rewards, and pass these on to future generations,” Birzer said. Author at Word on Fire Institute Holly Ordway spoke on “Tolkien and the Christian Imagination.” “Reason is the organ of truth,” Ordway said. “Imagination is the organ of meaning. It shapes the way we understand and engage with the world.” Ordway said Tolkien understood the culture in which he lived and wrote as a critic of the modern era. Ordway discussed Tolkien’s unique approach of subtle religious aspects in contrast to Lewis’ overt presence of theological elements in his literature. “The religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism,” Tolkien wrote in his Letter of 1953. Ordway advocated for current writers to engage with the culture without consuming its poison.

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Q&A: Michael Ward, C.S. Lewis scholar By Hannah Cote Culture Editor Hillsdale’s newest Visiting Fellow traveled nearly 4,000 miles from Oxford, England to Hillsdale last weekend. Michael Ward, senior research fellow at Oxford University, a Catholic priest, and a C.S. Lewis scholar, spoke at CCA III: The Inklings on Sunday, Jan. 30 about his most recent book, “After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’ ‘Abolition of Man.’”

When did you first read “The Chronicles of Narnia?” Well I’m not sure. “The Chronicles of Narnia” were read to me by my parents before I ever read them to myself. One of my earliest memories is my two brothers and I jumping into our parents bed on a Sunday morning and my mom reading a chapter or two of the latest Narnia. book And we would all get up and have breakfast

and go off to church. It was quite a routine for us.

What’s the real order of “The Chronicles of Narnia?”

Which character in “The Chronicles of Narnia” would you say you’re most like? Which character do you like the most?

The real reading order for first time readers is undoubtedly, unquestionably, starting with “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” not “The Magician’s Nephew.” The really key thing is not to start out with your first exposure to Narnia being “The Magician’s Nephew.”

I’m tempted to be frivolous and say the Bulgy Bears who suck their paws. And who am I most like? Well, probably Digory Kirke, as I am a professor.

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February 3, 2022

California from A1 who were all committed to making Sacramento a leading center of education, according to Péwé. As discussions of a land donation in Placer County intensified, Pewe said “Hillsdale became more familiar with its citizens and local officials, who have always been friendly, accommodating, and supportive.” Péwé also noted the location’s appeal. “Placer County was a great location because Sacramento is the capital, while on its own California would be the fifth largest economy in the world,” he said. “Placer is the fastest growing area in California and the college has a great deal of support for its mission in California, especially in the Sacramento area.” Despite the local support,

Academy from A1 Though the academy has only held one public event to date, Battacharya said he looks forward to what comes next. “Right now, we are still organizing the work of the center,” Battacharya said. “Practically, this work involves preparing for a series of public lectures over the coming months and organizing conferences where scientific leaders will lend their perspectives on topics related to the reform of science.”

Ward from A1 It’s not the first book and there’s no way it can be understood as the first book. I wish the publishers would stop misleading the reading public by putting a number “1” on “The Magician’s Nephew.” It should be illegal. There’s no way it should be read first. What is C.S. Lewis’s most underrated book? “Miracles.” It’s quite difficult, and people get a bit bogged down. In fact, that’s what happened on my first read. It’s the only book that I did not complete on the first attempt. The opening half is quite outgoing. It’s also underrated because it’s immensely rich and full of good stuff. It’s quite a serious work. Not quite like “Mere Christianity” or even “Reflections on the Psalms” or “The Screwtape Letters,” which all have a sort of populist or popular edge to them. “Miracles” is quite meaty, but I think that’s really, really good. The second half is outstandingly good. You had a small part in “The World Is Not Enough,” the James Bond movie. How did that happen? I started out my career, if you want to call it that, as a film extra. I was in the film “Shadowlands” when it was made in 1993 in Oxford. This agency rang me up every four to six months to be an extra. So I did five days here or there for several years in lots of interesting films, including Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet” and episodes of “Inspector Morse.” Then one day they rang me up and said ‘Do you want to be in the James Bond film?’ And obviously, I said yes, thinking I would just be involved in a crowd scene, like you normally are, except I was not in a crowd scene. I was in a scene with three other people, including James Bond himself. Probably the reason they cast me in James Bond was because I was bald and wore spectacles. My baldness served me well in the James Bond movie. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

reaching an agreement with the foundation and county was not a quick process according to Norton, taking multiple months of careful review and communication. “It took a few years of traveling back and forth, communicating with various people, reviewing the land and resolving some legal issues involving the property before we could be sure that this was something Dr. Arnn really wanted to do,” Norton said. The college is excited to work with such a supportive community and see what it can offer Placer County, Péwé said. “Dr. Arnn wants to reach as many people as possible,” VanOrman said. “If there’s a way that we could help educate them and make them better citizens of the world, then that’s a worthwhile endeavor.”

Young said he is also looking forward to seeing what the academy will accomplish. “Science provides a way to discover the truth about the way things actually are,” he said. “It has given us tremendous insights into what the universe is and how it works. I hope the academy will spark thoughtful academic dialogue about the proper functioning of the scientific process.”

Well, when I was 5 I wanted to be a pet shop owner, like many kids who liked animals. But as early as I had a serious notion, it had been writing and I suppose being a priest. What is one of the biggest misconceptions of Oxford? The biggest misconception of Oxford is probably that everyone there is a genius. There are every year in each cohort one or two geniuses, extraordinary people. But the rest of us could easily be replaced by a number of students at any other university. Some people think it’s for posh people, and that’s a misconception, too. I remember my first week of Oxford. I went to the college chapel and the priest there was preaching, and he said that exact thing: “One or two of you are geniuses, and the rest of us are all very normal, it’s largely by luck that we’re here.” It was very humbling and realistic. What are your career goals? My goal is to continue writing. My latest book is “After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’ ‘Abolition of Man.’” It was published last year. I’m also working on a book about C.S. Lewis as an evangelist, and a book of film reviews, which will be called “Popcorn with the Pope.” It would be nice to branch out into fiction and drama, not just nonfiction. I suppose that’s at least a goal or hope. Another hope or a dream is that I would like to get around all 50 states. I’m up to nearly 40, and only have about 10 or 12 left, including Alaska, the two Dakotas, Maine, Vermont, New Mexico, and Arizona. What’s your continuing role at Hillsdale? I’ll be back to teach a short class in March, and then September. And now that I’m a Visiting Fellow I’ll be coming once a year. It will largely be the same course every year. I was told just today that 55 students applied to be in the course in March, and only 15 can take it. But if I come every year, hopefully everyone that wants to can take it.

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Sophomore Ingrid Dornbirer, senior Greta Dornbirer, and sophomore Mary McGovern (left to right) pose at the Curate summit on Saturday. Courtesy | Ingrid Dornbirer

Third-annual Curate Summit encourages community amongst women on campus By Elizabeth Troutman Assistant Editor More than 170 women heard talks on topics like dating, creativity, and women’s health at the third Curate Women’s Conference Summit on Jan. 29 in the Searle Center. “I loved all the moments when the women were together in the same place – registration, lunch, opening and closing sessions,” Student Activities Program Assistant Riley Arlinghaus said. “It was so rewarding to see their joy and excitement to connect with the speakers.” Women received “swag bags” to fill with handmade greeting cards, scrunchies, stickers, and notebooks upon arrival at Curate at 9 a.m. They enjoyed Checker Records coffee and breakfast pastries. Then, women gathered for the Kick Off where Dean of Women Rebecca Dell said a prayer to send off attendees to a variety of break-out sessions. For lunch, attendees ate Handmade sandwiches and interacted with the speakers before attending two more break-out sessions. Ten of the break-out session speakers returned from previous years, while four were new to the Curate Summit. “We’ve noticed attendees are more likely to pick speakers they know, so we tried to strike a balance of returning speakers and new faces,” Arlinghaus said. Admissions Director of Field Recruitment and

speaker Jenny Pridgeon led a break-out session called “Friends: So Much More Than a ’90s Sitcom.” “From my break-out session on friendship, I hope the participants were given helpful tools to know the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships, how to celebrate friendships that are ending as being beautiful in their time, and given tools to prioritize friendships that both sides want to continue even through life’s changes,” Pridgeon said. Pridgeon said the Curate summit is important because it prepares women to be who they hope to become. “This season of life will not last forever,” Pridgeon said. “Goals you set now, or habits you begin to establish during these four years, can have a lasting effect on the rest of your life.” She said Curate provides women with crucial mentorship opportunities. “Sometimes you just need one person in your life who is a little bit further along in life who typifies the kind of person you admire to encourage you to carry on through challenging or discouraging times,” she said. “Curate is a chance to see those sorts of people.” Pridgeon said it is encouraging for students to see their peers seeking the same things they value. Jen Lutz, manager of Penny’s Coffee, shared some relationship wisdom she said all women should know in her talk “Dating Truths.” She said she would have loved an

event like Curate as a young woman. “In my opinion, mentorship is an important key to personal growth,” Lutz said. “And anytime women gather to learn, listen, and glean information from other women who are a little farther down the road, it’s beneficial. As a middle-aged woman, I wanted to sit in on these talks — what a treasure trove of wisdom these speakers are.” Lutz said she hopes women who attended her break-out session learned “you always marry the wrong person,” an idea she gleaned from pastor Tim Keller’s book “The Meaning of Marriage.” “When you begin with that premise, then dating doesn’t have to be terrifying,” she said. “It’s not a marriage proposal or a marriage vow. You’re going out with someone to get to know them, assess their character, and see if they’re a good match. If it progresses into engagement and marriage — wonderful, but you will still have a lot of work ahead because you’re marrying a human being — warts and all.” The day ended with a Mini Maker’s Market featuring local female artisans, including several students. Arlinghaus said the market provided women with the opportunity to “hang out and support small businesses and artisans.” “It was fun to end the day with a casual way to mingle and shop for cute things,” Residence Life Coordinator Rachel Marinko said.

Marinko and Arlinghaus, co-organizers of Curate 2022, said they hope attendees will maintain relationships with speakers they resonated with. “We hope the connections made between speakers and students continue after the summit,” Arlinghaus said. “Our goal is not just to have one good event but to provide mentors and resources to the women of campus. I hope ladies reach out to the speakers that impacted them with follow-up questions or a quick thank-you note.” Hillsdale is blessed to have so many good mentors interested in investing in students, Arlinghaus said. Sophomore Marlow Canady said she has enjoyed attending Curate during her two years at Hillsdale. She said she particularly enjoyed social psychologist Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster’s breakout session entitled, “Faith, Emotional Intelligence, and The Superwoman Syndrome.” “Dr. Zimmerman-Oster’s talk was very insightful and I learned so much about emotional intelligence and servant leadership,” Canady said. “It is an incredible blessing to see the women of campus brought together in community.” Marinko said this year’s Curate Summit showed her how “remarkable” the Hillsdale community is. “The fact that all these women with very busy lives took time to come support our college students is unique and so special,” she said.

mother at age 9, his rejection of God and later conversion, and his eventual love for his wife Joy Davidman, whom he also lost before his own death. Instead of focusing on what he had lost, he reflected on what God gave him. Payne quoted Davidman’s last words to Lewis. “Jack, you have made me very happy,” Davidman said. Sophomore Dean Ballantyne said he hoped to ignite this love for Lewis in his own life by attending the CCA. “I have wanted to begin reading C.S. Lewis for a while now,” Ballantyne said, “so I am taking the CCA in hopes that it will give me a good foundation of understanding and an appreciation for how special his writing really is.” Sophomore Addy Long-

necker said her favorite part of the CCA was learning about the deep friendship of Lewis and Tolkien. “I knew they were friends, but I have come to know what the friendship truly meant to them,” Longnecker said. “It was a bond they valued above almost anything else in their lives.” At the Faculty Roundtables concluding the CCA, Professor of Philosophy and Religion Nathan Schlueter said this CCA has been one of the greatest at Hillsdale College. “This has really been all around one of the highest quality CCAs we’ve ever had,” Schlueter said. “I think it was fabulous.”

Attendees had a choice of stickers and flyers to place in their swag bags. Courtesy | Rachel Marinko

CCA from A1 She said writers ought to understand the deep emptiness within the human heart and search for good to answer this longing in their literature. Other speakers included Professor of English at Wheaton College Michael Drout and Chair of Religious Studies at Thorneloe University Jason Lepojarvi. Drout discussed Tolkien’s interaction with old English works such as “Beowulf ” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Lepojarvi warned the audience against “the personal opinion fallacy” which puts fiction before the biography of the authors. Senior Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford Michael Ward, in “C.S.

Lewis The Abolition of Man: Philosophy or Theology?” agreed with Lepojarvi that Lewis intentionally grounded his works in underlying, yet ambiguous principles. Ward said Lewis’ main point in “Abolition of Man” was that the belief in the unifying principle of objective value underlies all religion. Only after understanding Lewis’ intention can readers draw parallels to other themes in literature or even “The Bible,” Ward said. In the final session of the CCA, actor David Payne performed “An Evening with C.S. Lewis.” Through his C.S. Lewis impersonation, Payne shared Lewis’ life as a child, young adult, and eventually old man. He recalled Lewis’ hard childhood, the loss of his

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Student Federation swears in new members, to consider crypto club By Elyse Hawkins Opinions Editor The Student Federation swore in new members and conducted elections for committees in its first meeting of the year on Jan. 27. Federation president and junior Thomas MacPhee said he is optimistic for the coming year. “I am very confident that it is going to be a very good federation,” MacPhee said. The amount in the federation’s discretionary budget has yet to be determined, according to treasurer and junior Regina Gravrok. The federation also decided to

forgo the election of a sergeant-at-arms until a later time. Residence Life Coordinator Rachel Marinko will serve as staff adviser to the federation. New member and sophomore Emma De Nooy said she is thankful to be a part of the federation. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve campus, especially on the finance committee,” De Nooy said. “I think my fellow representatives will make it a very good experience.” Federation vice president and junior Anthony Iatropoulos said he is looking forward to another year of

serving the student body as a representative. “The Student Federation is going to serve the student body this year by enacting ideas that reflect all Hillsdale students’ interests,” Iatropoulos said. “I see a very effective team and a lot of great ideas that will come to action.” In the upcoming meeting, the federation will consider the provisional status of the Yoga Club. It will also consider the addition of a cryptocurrency club to the roster of official campus clubs. The next Student Federation meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Formal Lounge.

Students participate in SAB's Murder Mystery on Wednesday. Courtesy | SAB

GOAL program to expand hospital volunteering opportunities By Aubrey Gulick Assistant Editor Hillsdale pre-med students may soon have additional opportunities to volunteer as phlebotomists at Hillsdale Hospital through GOAL’s new Hospital Volunteering program. The GOAL program, run by junior McKenna Good, will train students to work in Hillsdale Hospital’s outpatient department drawing blood. “They needed students to be trained in phlebotomy for a couple of weeks, and then to be employed at the hospital,” Good said. “So that’s kind of what we’re doing right now: getting training set up.” Hillsdale College and the hospital are working together to provide this opportunity to students interested in pursuing medicine after college. “I’ve shadowed doctors, so I’ve been in the hospital setting before, and I’ve seen patients and those kinds of things,” senior Mark Miller said. “But this is a good first experience to actually work in a hospital. Also, I don’t like needles; I’m hoping this will get me acclimated to that.” Miller said he heard about the program from Associate Dean of Men Jeffrey “Chief ” Rogers, who encouraged him to fill out an application on the hospital’s website. “We got over 20 students that responded that they were interested in doing the week, a few weeks of training, and then becoming employed,” Good said. The Hospital Volunteer program lost many opportunities due to COVID-19 regulations and is now seeking to rebuild the program, according to Good. “Short staffing was a big

thing,” Good said. “That’s why I want to get students in there. But the difficult part was that, with the restrictions on COVID-19, they didn’t want a lot of outsiders in the hospital when they weren’t needed.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program had as many as 40 students involved and volunteering at the hospital during the semester. During the fall semester of 2021, only 10 students were able to volunteer. “They weren’t letting as many students in, I thought that now that we had COVID-19, we had a vaccine, and society was getting back to normal, especially at Hillsdale, we would be able to offer more opportunities,” Good said. “I was surprised that, in the fall, there weren’t a lot of positions that students were able to get into.” Due to the pandemic, hospitals across the nation are facing staffing shortages, and many hospital staff members have struggled. “After the COVID-19 years, I worked in the healthcare field in Ann Arbor, so I had kind of seen how bad it was with short staffing and whatnot, I wanted to see how we could get back in and help,” Good said. A hospital vaccine mandate also went into effect Dec. 5, 2021, and has affected staffing shortages across the nation, although it has not deterred student volunteers, Good said. “I was fearful of losing a couple of the students that had already been there because they did such a great job, they’re very motivated and always dependable,” Good said. “I was glad that they all came back.” Good revived the Hospital

Volunteer program in the spring of 2021, hoping to bolster morale among nurses and to provide students with opportunities to volunteer at the hospital. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to be in a leadership position to serve the community, especially healthcare, because, after the COVID-19 fiasco, it was nice to give back to them and to help them out,” she said. Good has put on college events, including writing letters of thanks to nurses working at the hospital, and providing coffee and trick-ortreat baskets for them. “My hospital coordinator there said that there were a couple of nurses who cried when they got the letters just because they don’t always get the appreciation that they deserve,” she said. The program favors junior and senior volunteers in hopes of providing them with experience before graduation. “I got involved because I thought it would be a really good opportunity to see that side of the healthcare world,” junior Mark Sprague said. “I’ve worked in nursing homes and shadowed at clinics, but never really in a hospital.” Good said she hopes to extend the program and get more students involved at the hospital through opportunities like phlebotomy, as well as in the emergency room and lab. “I just want to give back to them and help out, especially in our little Hillsdale community where we don’t get the big health care system assistance that other hospitals do; we need the extra help in serving our little community,” Good said.

Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Statemanship Ronald Pestritto speaks on the 2022 midterm elections. Olivia Hajicek | Collegian

Midterm elections hopeful for Republicans, panel says By Olivia Hajicek Collegian Reporter Though agreeing the upcoming midterm elections look hopeful for Republicans, a panel of politics professors cautioned against optimism on Feb. 1 as a part of the Center for Constructive Alternatives. Associate Professor of Politics Kevin Portteus argued Republicans face major hurdles in spite of increasing displeasure toward Democrats, while Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship Ronald Pestritto argued even electoral victories might not secure the policy gains Republicans seek. “It’s extremely important to start having these discussions, because Republicans have really got to get focused,” CCA attendee Kathy Gremer said. “We’re relying on the fact that people are disgusted with the current administration and that they’re switching parties, and we’re kind of figuring we can just skate. We can’t just skate.” Republicans must offer an alternative to the democratic policies on immigration, the economy, infrastructure, foreign policy, Portteus said. “On critical issues — the issues that Trump identified, ran on, and won with — there’s generally very little distance between the Republican establishment and Democrats,” Portteus said, “and Trump has not changed that.”

Portteus said conservatives tend to turn on their elected officials when they find out they’re not perfect. “The left knows this, and they manipulate it,” Portteus said. “Why do you think every Republican who becomes a threat gets tripped up in a sex scandal? Because the left knows that a critical mass of conservative voters will get a bad taste in their mouth and say, ‘Oh, I could never vote for that guy.’” Portteus said the biggest hurdle Republicans must overcome is potential voter fraud. “The Democrats could simply steal another election,” he said. Portteus advocated for federal election reforms such as ending early voting, mail-in voting, and same-day registration. Pestritto raised the question of whether elections and electoral victories even matter in the context of the modern administrative state. “Will it matter if we win?” he asked. “We have an administrative state that governs us. In fact, we’re by and large not governed in this country at either the state level or the federal level by elected officials anymore,” Pestritto said. “For most of us the rules we live under, the enforcement of those rules, these things are made and done by bureaucrats who don’t run for office and don’t change from one election to the next.”

Pestritto said in some cases the administrative state gets its way even in the face of legislative disapproval. “Legislatures don’t do a lot,” Pestritto said, “and often when they do vote on things, those votes are disregarded.” Pestritto gave the example of the bailouts of the financial industry and auto manufacturers after the 2008 economic downturn. “Those are policies that were debated in Congress and voted down,” he said. In order to make elections meaningful again, Pestritto said, we must address two issues: federalism and delegation. If the government continues to violate the principles of federalism, the validity of state elections will suffer, according to Pestritto. “State elections will continue to be meaningless if the federal government is allowed to continue to exercise blanket control over the state police power, regulation of safety, health, and morals,” Pestritto said. Pestritto said delegation is an issue as well, especially at the federal level. “We have to worry about Congress simply giving away its authority to agencies, writing laws so vaguely, so broadly,” he said. “Agencies can simply find some indirect justification in some vague law.”

Sophmore Curtis Herbert and junior Ethan Tong (left to right) participate in the mock trial team's first virtual tournament last weekend. Courtesy | Evalyn Homoelle

Mock Trial team moves online By Linnea Shively Collegian Freelancer Hillsdale’s Mock Trial Team competed in their first virtual tournament of the spring semester last weekend. The American Mock Trial Association announced on Jan. 15 that all-regional tournaments would be held in an online format due to COVID-19 precautions. In the fall semester, AMTA left the decision up to individual schools based on local mandates. After making the decision to move online for the spring semester, AMTA voted to hold virtual tournaments in the same three-hour format as in-person tournaments. Hillsdale’s 1299 and 1300 competed at a tournament hosted by Eastern Michigan University, with 1299 taking fifth place. The 1298 team placed second at Indiana University. Next weekend, the 1300 team will compete in regionals. Captain and junior Ethan Tong said the online format has some advantages. “When we were in person, everyone was wearing masks so you couldn’t see anything

above the nose,” Tong said. “Whereas when we’re online, since we’re in our own room, nobody cares if we wear masks or not. We can show our variety of facial expressions and people will get to see us being more passionate or being more serious and that kind of stuff.” Freshman Natalie LeBlanc said she enjoys the online tournaments more than in-person. “It enables me to feel calmer about going because it’s not as stressful as having the prosecutor right in your face,” LeBlanc said. “Although it’s less personable, it’s easier to feel more calm and collected. It helps me have better answers, especially as a witness.” Both Tong and LeBlanc said a disadvantage to the online format is that it is easier to become distracted if it is not their portion of the trial. Despite remaining on campus, the mock trial team planned team events to replicate the social aspect of travel tournaments, according to Tong and LeBlanc. “We’re still going to get food catered to us and go out to eat and stuff like that,” LeBlanc said. “The fun aspects are still here, and I get to sleep in my

own bed.” On Sunday mornings while traveling, the mock trial team holds “mock trial church.” Before the busyness of the tournament, the tradition is a good way to start the day, according to Tong. “We’ll all meet together and sing some songs and read some Scripture,” Tong said. “That also helps build a community even though we’re all in our separate dorms.” According to a Jan. 15 update to its website, AMTA will release an update about future tournaments on or before Feb. 14. AMTA “remains hopeful” that the Opening Round Championship Series and nationals will be held in person. Tong and LeBlanc said they look forward to returning to in-person tournaments. “Being in the courtroom forces you in ways that online tournaments can’t because you have to be prepared for what it feels like to have a lawyer, a judge right there and an opposing team next to you,” LeBlanc said. “It’s more intimidating, but it makes you better.”

A4 February 3, 2022

Opinions

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Metaverse mayhem the Rohingya people. The lawsuit alleges that FaceAfter years of toying book’s lack of intervention with society and all its is what led to the perseusers, Mark Zuckerberg cution and genocide of a has revealed his most socommunity in Myanmar in phisticated fantasy yet: the 2016-2017. Metaverse. What would Zuckerberg’s clutch have been a Black Mirror on modern society damepisode five years ago has ages the fabric of reality become our reality. and what it means to be Our social media-satu- human. Virtual reality has rated society is the teaser crept its way into mainfor Zuckerberg’s fantasy. stream culture through But instead of boomerangs various video games for and status updates, we’ll years now, but passivesoon have faux sunsets ly accepting an entirely and virtual living rooms. separate Sims-on-steroids The Metaverse will be an reality is a problem. As almost entirely immersive celebrities begin to buy experience featuring virinto virtual real estate and tual reality and augmented NFTs enter our vernacular, reality. It will allow users it is important to recognize to do almost everything the larger forces at play they can in real life within here. the confines of the virtual Succumbing to the space. The Metaverse is the allure of the Metaverse perfect representation for will represent more than a how Zuckerberg so keenly morbidly depressed society focuses on anything and obsessed with escapism. everything except the well- It will be a collective being of his user base. relinquishing of the last Whether it is whisshreds of our freedom of tleblower Frances Haugen conscience. Give a man a or the Wall Street Journal’s metaverse, and he’ll surely “Facebook Files,” every play god. passing week reveals more We’ve discussed the information about Faceperils of virtual reality for book’s involvement in the years. Now, the Metaverse private lives of users and is knocking at our door global issues. Last year, and the time has finalcompany documents rely come in which we are vealed that Facebook had faced with the moral diburied research showing lemma of the 21st century. how toxic Instagram is for Is real life all that great? Or young people, specifically will shadows on the cave young women. In Decem- wall become so sophistiber, Rohingya refugees cated, we forget that they brought a class-action are not real? lawsuit against Meta, Facebook’s rebranded company Alexandra Hall is a sophoname for its disregarding more studying biology. of misinformation against

This week, our campus hosted its third Center for Constructive Alternatives series of the school year. Students often complain and view the event negatively, specifically regarding topics, attendees, and the Q&A portion of each talk. We should change our perspective and learn to appreciate all that CCAs offer. These lecture series bring world-class speakers to our campus. Students can attend

the speeches free of charge and learn from the greatest minds alive on topics relevant to the classes we take. Recent topics included the Inklings, the Liberal Arts and education today, American generals, Mises, Hayek, and the Austrian School. These complement our religion, education, history, and economics courses. Once we graduate, we will miss the intellectual

conversations we have on campus. We will seek out lectures and talks like those at CCAs. HIgh-level, academic conferences are expensive to travel to and attend. This one is a five-minute walk from our dorms and houses. Many supporters of the college make sacrifices to attend. The Plaster Auditorium and Searle Center overflow with attendees grateful to be at the conference.

They take off work, travel long distances, and spend money on housing — all to hear what CCA scholars have to say. It won’t be long until we’re in their shoes, seeking out quality lectures to learn about the topics and truths we’re immersed in at Hillsdale. Attend a few lectures at the next CCA, and appreciate the opportunity that’s right in your backyard.

Biden’s Supreme Court pick will determine midterm elections

By Alexandra Hall

Bryer’s retirement has left a vacuum for the Democratic Party. Courtesy | Wikipedia

By Charlie Birt

the Senate and the nomination of a moderate. This would allow for a smoother, less contentious approach to the matter. Such a nomination would be palatable to independents and moderates, and satisfactory to the liberals that compose the majority of Biden’s base. It would run the risk of demoralizing his progressive flank, which for the past several months has been lobbying Breyer to retire to ensure an adequately left-wing successor. The likelier alternative is the nomination of a progressive. This will have a greater effect on midterm elections. While it would satisfy the leftist desire for an icon in a radical ideologue to step into the breach and continue the legacy of the late Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it would come at the cost of electoral support of independents and the wrath of conservative voters come midterms. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., knows the ground well and is undoubtedly planning a war of attrition for any nominee

The balance of power in Washington, D.C., shifted with the announcement last week of Associate Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement. The impending confirmation hearing for his replacement will determine a new balance between Republicans and Democrats. Although recent historical precedent may predict a brewing political battle, particularly when the Senate is 50-50, reality is a stark contrast to partisan assumptions. Whether the process takes weeks, months, or years, is of no consequence, as the filling of Breyer’s seat by the Biden administration is inevitable. Yet, how the seat is filled is itself the more decisive issue. Ron Klain, President Joseph Biden’s chief of staff, reportedly told Senate Democrats of the retirement in a bid to provide them adequate time to prepare statements. This led to the announcement being leaked, forcing Breyer’s hand and angering him in the process. Biden is now presented with two potential paths. The first route is through

his faction deems too extreme. Any blatantly belligerent candidate for the opening would need at a minimum, the support of Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., or Kyrsten Sinema, D-A.Z., who will shrink from the service of their party if the flak becomes too great. Both face an uphill fight for reelection in 2024, and both would be unable to withstand the concentrated fire of Republicans. Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly, Raphael Warnock, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Maggie Hassan would also endanger themselves and their reelections if they towed the party line for an extremist. Sensing this, McConnell already issued a statement urging Biden to govern from the middle. The Republican Caucus is only bolstered in resolve, as Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-A.K., a consistent swing vote, will be unable to make a major concession, as she faces a significant Republican primary challenge in 2022. Sen. Susan Collins, R-M.E., has hardened on Biden as of late, making it improbable that she will vote to confirm

any candidate that is not the embodiment of moderacy. This unsurprisingly leaves Sen. Mitt Romney, R-U.T., as a swing vote, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has returned to form with political cold feet. Biden and the Democratic Party have one viable option to fill the Supreme Court vacancy if they wish to minimize their losses in the anticipated electoral bloodbath of the midterms: the nomination of a moderate. This withdrawal from progressive policy will anger his aforementioned left flank, but it may save their hopes of avoiding a rout into a lame-duck presidency. The decisions Biden will make in the coming days will weigh heavily upon the fate of his legacy. After all, heavy lies the head that wears the crown. However, heavier still is the weight of this nomination and of the question whether or not this will be enough to tip the scales. Charlie Birt is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Christianity’s teachings on gender are under attack in Canada By Ashley Kaitz Under the guise of banning “conversion therapy,” Christian sexual ethics just became illegal in Canada– and similar laws are coming to the United States. Conversion therapy is a widely discredited and outdated practice that attempts to “cure” people of homosexuality via behavioral therapies like electric shock treatment. Almost nobody in the West uses this technique anymore. So why are anti-conversion therapy laws now taking effect across Western countries like Canada, Germany, France, and even parts of the United States? Clearly, banning archaic conversion therapy practices isn’t the true goal. According to the Daily Wire, the Canadian law, enacted on Jan. 7 and titled “C-4,” now defines conversion therapy as “any counseling or

advising against transgender or nonbinary identity or non-heterosexual sexuality — even if the young person or adult requests it.” Notably, no mention is made of conversion therapy in the other direction: counseling young people to adopt non-heterosexual sexuality is, presumably, still legal in Canada. The ban on so-called “conversion therapy” is not restricted to psychologists’ offices, however. The law states that “conversion therapy means a practice, treatment or service designed to (a) change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual [...]” and so on. The words “treatment” and “service” seem vaguely medical, but what qualifies as a “practice?” According to sources interviewed by The Hill, it could mean anything – including a pastor preaching from the pulpit. C-4 explicitly bans “any counseling that advocates for the Christian standard that sex is reserved for one man and

Canada is passing laws regarding conversion therapy. Courtesy | Flickr

one woman within marriage,” the Daily Wire reported. So not only is advising against homosexuality banned – advising saving sex for marriage, a core teaching of not only Christianity but all Abrahamic religions, is banned too. And the law doesn’t stop there. It even potentially criminalizes “any instruction confirming that human beings are created as wholly male or female from birth.” Both Canadian and Amer-

ican pastors have a lot to say about this. Canadian pastor James Coates, interviewed by Megan Basham of the Morning Wire, said that C-4 “criminalize[s] evangelism.” According to American pastor John MacArthur, “They’re not after the psychologists, they’re after the church.” Josh Buice, a pastor from Georgia also interviewed by the Daily Wire, said that while our culture doesn’t normalize cer-

tain sins, like drunkenness, “the culture is doing the opposite when it comes to sexual sin… We live in a postmodern society that claims that what’s wrong for one generation may actually be right and acceptable to another generation.” The controversial law was rushed through the Canadian parliament, according to the New York Times. Ted Falk, a Conservative member who voted on the law, said that there wasn’t enough time for him to raise an objection during the voting process. “What was repeatedly requested by many of those making submissions, was the government’s guarantee — included in the legislation itself — that conversations with a religious leader, counselor, or parent continued to be protected and possible,” he said. “Sadly, these requests were not considered.” C-4 will crack down on any violations of the law with up

to five years in prison. While Americans might feel protected against similar laws being passed here, due to our more extensive protections for religious freedom, LGBT activist groups are pushing for states to create similar laws – and the Democratic Party officially adopted banning “conversion therapy” as a part of its platform last August. With multiple Western nations, and some U.S. states, considering, drafting, and passing laws like C-4, Christians and members of all faiths must keep their eyes on these proposals. Even Indiana and Michigan introduced similar laws last year. Hearing and speaking God’s word must remain, as it has always been, a protected activity for all who wish to do so. Ashley Kaitz is a senior studying politics and journalism.

Opinions

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February 3, 2022 A5

Much ado about printing By Nick Treglia If there’s one thing I love, it’s wasting my time, which is why I just adore the library’s new printing policy. For those of you who don’t know, the process of printing at the library has, like my grandma, developed a new wrinkle. Card scanners have been installed on all library printers, and, at first glance, the process seems easy enough. All print jobs are held in a queue and must be released one at a time. To do this, you take your ID and swipe right if you want to print, or swipe left if you think she’s ugly as sin. The new system has been in place for a few weeks now, and in my humble opinion, it’s a

disgrace. A calamitous catastrophe of near cataclysmic consequence. The fatal flaw of the new scanners is an unreliable WiFi connection. Since the system cannot validate student IDs promptly (or at all, sometimes), large queues develop in and around the printers. People spend upwards of half an hour just waiting to print. Forrest Gump could read “War and Peace” before you got your paper printed. Something must be done. Now, just to be clear, I would never advocate for the student body to boycott the library until they return to the old printing system. If I was, I would tell you that there are free printers in the basement of Lane Hall and Dow Sci-

ence. But I’m not telling you that. The library says this new procedure was added to help eliminate paper waste. Great! As an avid conservationist, I don’t think it goes far enough. We as a student body should rally around this noble cause and eliminate the next biggest waste of paper on campus: Mossey Library! Those books could be put to much better use, like leveling desks in Dow Science. What this problem needs is an application of that same American grit and determination that tamed a continent, put a man on the moon, and invented obesity. Some tryhard once said that adversity creates opportunity, you just need to find

it. And find it I have. Gentlemen, I propose we use the extra time spent waiting around the printer to pick up girls. To aid in this noble venture, I have written some of the rootinest, tootinest, printer-themed pickup lines money can buy. Which you can! To claim your printer pickup line, please write to Bob at 123 Hillsdale Street, Lagos, Nigeria. Send the cost of return mailing along with $14.99 in unmarked non-sequential bills. I’m so confident in these pickup lines I guarantee the next thing you’ll print is a marriage license. Nick Treglia is a junior studying history and applied math.

We need independent redistricting commissions By Luke Spangler Popular elections are a cornerstone of the American republic. Yet these can be neither free nor fair if the outcomes are predetermined by the partisans and politicians who draw the maps. The time has come to remedy this anti-democratic redistricting process by establishing independent redistricting commissions. Following the census every 10 years, the Constitution mandates the reapportionment of House of Representative seats. Each state is then charged with designing new districts that are reflective of population changes. This is called redistricting. Control over this process is regularly abused for partisan and personal reasons—a tactic known as gerrymandering. Illinois Democrats, for example, have become infamous for their “pizzamanders” whereby they stretch small slices of Chicago into suburban and rural areas in order to maximize their seat count. Some gerrymandered districts disguise themselves with boxy shapes which hide that they are connecting far-flung communities. Indiana’s new map is an especially skilled example of these “prettymanders.” There, Republicans used rectangular shapes to carve the Democratic-trending Indianapolis suburbs into three separate, predominantly rural districts. Often gerrymanders are not meant to benefit a particular party, but to secure the reelection of incumbents. “Incumbentmanders” are the most common type of this nefarious process. One particularly notorious example is Califor-

nia’s map from the 2000s. State lawmakers drew a map that protected sitting representatives to such an extraordinary degree that only three lost a primary or reelection across all 53 districts during the entire decade. In the past, gerrymandering had two remedies. First, voters often showed a greater willingness to elect from either party. But today, increasing political polarization enables political parties to be bolder when crafting lines for selfish purposes. Elections from the past decade demonstrate this. According to the U.S. House of Representatives, the number of elections decided by less than 10% has decreased every cycle since 2010, with the exception of 2018. Second, up until 2019, extreme gerrymanders could be thrown out in federal court. However, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts do not possess the power to invalidate political gerrymanders. State courts are still a potential remedy for this problem, but since their ideologies are usually identical to the lawmakers who created the gerrymanders, they are also not inclined to invalidate them. In Oregon, the legislative assembly drew a map splitting the city of Portland–which would fit nicely into one district–three ways in order to maximize Democratic victories. Oregon law explicitly prohibits maps drawn “for the purpose of favoring a political party” or that split “communities of common interest.” Nevertheless, the Oregon Supreme Court let this map stand anyway. In light of all this, it’s time

to take redistricting authority away from the politicians and place it in a bipartisan body called the Independent Redistricting Commission. A total of 13 states have adopted IRCs for congressional maps in some form since Washington state did so in 1982. And while IRCs come in many variations, they have achieved the goals of keeping communities whole, promoting competition when practicable, and forging bipartisanship. According to the Cook Political Report, 25% of IRCdrawn districts will be competitive in 2022, compared with only 14% of those drawn by state legislatures. Michigan is a perfect example of this. Its IRC produced a map where five out of the 13 districts could be won by either party. It also united the city of Lansing and its metropolitan area into a single district for the first time since the 1960s. Not all commissions have been equally successful—some have even failed to pass a map at all—but many, like Michigan, accomplished the intent and spirit of the democratic reform. Among these, the most successful IRCs possess three common qualities: First, IRCs must have independent members. Of every commission composed exclusively of partisans this cycle, all but one failed to produce a congressional map. Arizona’s commission included a centrist independent which forced the Democrats and Republicans to moderate their proposals and genuinely negotiate with each other in order to attract the support of the independent. Next, IRCs must have com-

plete political independence. In New Mexico, for instance, because the legislature retained final approval over plans submitted by the commission, lawmakers flatly ignored its proposals, instead of enacting an extreme gerrymander of their own. Finally, commissions must be small. In order to keep IRCs accountable, there needs to be a high level of transparency, which means conducting all mapmaking, negotiating, and deliberating in public. As anyone with experience working in a group can intuit, the largest commissions found it nearly impossible to carry out all functions as a whole group, resulting in dealmaking and negotiating behind closed doors. One frequent objection to IRCs is that they are undemocratic because they are not directly responsible to the voters. To address this, commissioners should be appointed by elected officials of both parties. Regardless, the strict demands of most IRCs for geographic, ethnic, and political diversity among their members ensure that all interests receive a voice. With the 2020 redistricting cycle nearly behind us, it’s time that all states adopt an IRC suited to the desires and needs of their own people. It has proven to be the only way our country will have fair and competitive districts nationwide that will allow the people to choose their representatives and not the other way around. Luke Spangler is a sophomore studying economics.

The new printing system has caused many problems. Sean Callaghan | Collegian

Boycott the Olympics By Victoria Wagner “Faster, higher, stronger…together” is the motto and driving force behind every Olympian and every country they represent. The Olympics has always been an event that allows countries to send their best athletes to compete on the world stage. For the host country, it is a source of international prestige and honor. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, more than three billion people tuned in to watch the games. More than 200 countries sent their preeminent athletes to compete for gold medals. This year, the United States should have boycotted the Olympics. Boycotting the Olympics has previously signified times of great tension and conflict between host and visiting countries. In 1980, the United States boycotted and did not send athletes to the Olympics held in Moscow due to tensions during the Cold War. Four years later, several countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics, which were held in the United States, for similar reasons. This year, the 2022 Olympics are being held in Beijing, China. In the months leading up to the event, many have raised the question: Should the United States send its athletes to compete in Beijing? Recently, China has been under fire from many countries, including the United States, for civil rights violations and causing geopolitical strife. It has been reported that China has an estimated 1.8 million religious and ethnic minorities–the ma-

jority of which are Uyghur Muslims–in concentration camps, or, as they call them, “vocational education and training centers.” This is considered to be the largest arbitrary detention of minorities since World War II. Although China consistently denies allegations of human rights violations, many in the international intelligence community back up these claims with satellite footage and thousands of reports of individuals and families disappearing with no trace. As if concentration camps were not enough, tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated exponentially over the last several weeks. This past week, the U.S. sent two carrier strike groups to the South China Sea in response to China penetrating the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone. On January 27, the U.S. ambassador to China warned Taiwan if they attempted to claim independence over China, it would pull the U.S. into the conflict as a Taiwanese ally. Given this, why are we not boycotting the Beijing Olympics this year? In December, the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 games, yet we are still sending our athletes to compete. No impact is made with just a verbal censure. Instead, the US should withdraw from the Olympics before they begin on February 4, and call for other countries to follow suit. How can the United States, let alone the world, come “together” under these circumstances?

Victoria Wagner is a sophomore studying politics.

Masks are about the political agenda of control By Hannah Arends On Jan. 14, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s basketball team beat the University of Michigan 6853. In compliance with NCAA guidelines, the players were maskless. Meanwhile, Illinois high school basketball players are required to wear masks during games. The indoor sports mask mandate for high schools in Illinois has been in place since Aug. 4, 2021, when Gov. Jay Pritzker announced masks will be required for all indoor athletic events regardless of vaccination status. Michigan high school basketball players have no mask requirements this season. The Michigan High School Athletic Association encourages teams to abide by local mask requirements but does not force athletes and officials to wear them while participating. Michigan understands the importance of allowing athletes to breathe freely. As an Illinois resident, I think that Illinois

residents deserve the same. Freedom, science, and common sense do not fit with Pritzker’s authoritarian agenda. Rather than worrying about the negative health effects caused by masks, Pritzker wants to continue the perception that his policies help control the spread of COVID-19 in Illinois. Given recent scientific studies and anecdotal evidence, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s own statements, masks do little to nothing to control COVID-19. Thus, one is left asking what exactly the governor of Illinois is hoping to do by forcing citizens to wear masks, even, and especially, when they are playing sports. From a health perspective, Illinois residents are experiencing the harmful effects of Pritzker’s executive order. Information has been available regarding the physical harm of wearing masks for the majority of the now two-year COVID-19 “emergency.” In April 2021, German researchers published a meta-analysis

of 65 studies assessing the adverse physical health effects of mask-wearing. Physical harms include, but are not limited to, mask-induced exhaustion syndrome, headaches, increased risk of respiratory infection, acne, and shortness of breath. These are only some of the shortterm physical risks. The long-term risks for people who have been wearing masks for extended periods of time are yet to be known. Not only are mask wearers at risk of physical harm, but masks were also shown to cause psychological and cognitive harm as well. A separate study also conducted in Germany of more than 25,000 school-aged children found that almost 70% of children experienced irritability, less happiness, reluctance to go to

school, and the development of new fears from wearing masks. Academically, students had difficulty concentrating and impaired learning. Other studies have also evaluated the negative impact on IQ and communication skills of children due to mask-wearing. Weighing the known harms against the minimal benefit of wearing masks, a rational person would never conclude that mandatory masking is in the best interest of all residents across an entire state. Universally requiring a medical intervention across an entire population is usually not a sound medical practice. Americans should be informed of the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of mask-wearing as well as

“The long-term risks for people who have been wearing masks for extended periods of time are yet to be known.”

the risks associated with it. Once informed, they should have the right to choose if they want to wear a mask. Instead, Pritzker–and other government authorities–have taken away the rights and freedoms of citizens to make decisions about their daily lives. Adults who would not choose to wear masks in public settings concede to the tyranny in an attempt to avoid conflict with fellow citizens. Causing more harm than benefit, including a greater divide among people, mandatory mask-wearing is nothing more than forced speech as it has become a symbol of virtue signaling and compliance. In public places throughout Illinois, compliance with mask-wearing is high. Indoor venues continue to be filled with people wearing at least one, if not two, masks. Very few citizens in heavily populated counties appear to defy Pritzker’s executive order. This high-level compliance shows Pritzker that he is successfully coercing Illinois residents to relinquish their constitution-

ally protected rights. Without input through their vote or the passage of laws, citizens are unknowingly signaling to their governor that he can continue to issue executive orders and mandate choices about their lives. Forcing residents to cover their faces when they are in public places is only the beginning of the control that Pritzker seeks to take over Illinoisans, as his COVID-19 executive orders include other aspects of control like vaccine requirements for healthcare workers, school personnel, and employees of institutions of higher education. A majority of states in the country do not have governor-dictated mask mandates. Pritzker’s mask mandate is unconstitutional, unscientific, and irrational, and it shows he would rather follow his own political agenda of maintaining control instead of science.

Hannah Arends is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A6 February 3, 2022

City News

Hillsdale police cars on patrol. Courtesy | Facebook Facebook

Police increase campus patrols after series of threats at local schools By Michaela Estruth Collegian Freelancer

Local police are increasing safety measures and patrols at schools due to a rising number of threats, according to the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office. Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire said Hillsdale county schools reported a total of seven threats since the start of the 2021 school year. Incidents occurred in Jonesville and Reading schools. Police officers

found and stopped the students before any had the opportunity to act on the threats. There was no connection among the cases, according to Hodshire, and schools immediately responded to the threats. “The schools were very concerned, and, of course, the parents were concerned for their children’s safety.” Hodshire said, “The schools did a great job getting law enforcement involved right away.” The Jonesville City Police department responded to the

threats in Jonesville. Michigan State Police and the sheriff’s office responded to the remaining threats. In one specific case in Hillsdale High School, a student wrote a threatening message on the wall of a boy’s bathroom, according to Mayor Adam Stockford. “The threat was not acted upon, but there was swift action from the school and a just as swift reaction and investigation in the Hillsdale City Police Department,” Stockford said. Due to these threats, local

schools have increased caution and introduced several safety measures. Hodshire said he dispatches deputies to Camden-Frontier, Waldron, Will Carleton Academy, North Adams-Jerome and Pittsford due to their lack of law-enforcement presence. “We are definitely there in the mornings, and I encourage our deputies to stop by any of these schools if in the area,” Hodshire said. Police hope to raise awareness among students about the seriousness of this

matter and the importance of safety, according to Hodshire. “I would like to get one of my deputies into the schools and speak to the students about the severity of these threats and the possible punishment they would incur,” Hodshire said. “This is not a ‘JOKE’ this is a serious threat that we as law enforcement take seriously.” Stockford said he also hopes to expand safety awareness and measures in the city. “At the city level, we’re looking at options to deal

with the rise in school violence over the past few decades,” Stockford said. “Our police department is well trained in this aspect, very community-oriented and active in the field, and well-equipped to handle situations such as these, but we can always do better, and that’s the attitude that makes Hillsdale City Police Department the best in Michigan.” Hillsdale Community Schools could not be reached for immediate comment.

Local businesses close due to ‘safety concerns’ during winter snowstorm

By Lauren Scott Circulation Manager

Several businesses in Hillsdale have decided to close or change their hours due to the snow storm that started on Feb. 2. John Spiteri, owner of Checker Records coffee, described how they are dealing with the situation. “We are playing it by ear and closing early today,”

Spiteri said on Wednesday. “We will see what it is like tomorrow.” Checker Records closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, rather than their usual time of 6 p.m., according to an employee, and they plan to continue operating unless something changes. Hannah Allen, an employee at Fieldhouse Vet Care, described how the snow storm is affecting the business.

“The business also made the decision because of safety concerns.” “Fieldhouse Vet Care decided to close the clinic on Feb. 2 on Tuesday afternoon,” Allen said.

They made this decision due to the many cancellations they received on Tuesday, Feb. 1, according to Allen. The business also made the decision because of safety concerns for employees’ commutes. “Many of our employees live in the surrounding communities,” Allen said. Nikoleta Klikovac, a barista at Rough Draft coffee, explained that the cafe has

closed for safety reasons. The business hopes to reopen soon, she explained. “Rough Draft decided to close at 2 p.m. today and for the entirety of the day tomorrow due to the snow and the safety of our customers and employees,” Klikovac said. “We hope to reopen on Friday.” Handmade, a local sandwich shop, closed early at 3 p.m. on Wednesday

due to the snow storm, according to the business’ voicemail. Handmade may also be closed on Thursday, Feb. 3, depending on the progression of the storm and its effects, the voicemail said. The shop will soon find out when they can reopen, and encouraged callers to stay safe.

City News

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February 3, 2022 A7

‘The biggest land sale in our city’s history’: City sells 180 acres in Industrial Park

By Megan Williams Assistant Editor

The City of Hillsdale announced the sale of 180 acres in the Hillsdale Manufacturing and Technology park to private developers, said Mayor Adam Stockford. Commonwealth Development is purchasing 30 acres of this land and is in the preliminary planning stages for the property. Rick Jenkins, general manager at Stoll Construction, said Stoll is working with Commonwealth Development to discuss purposes for the land, but will likely build a housing development. Rolling Meadow Farms, LLC plans to purchase the other 150 acres of the property. According to Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford, Rolling Meadow Farms is continuing to lease the property for agricultural use until they establish permanent plans for the land. Hillsdale-based real estate agent Christie Plemmons worked with both the city and the two buyers to negotiate the

terms of the sale. The City of Hillsdale hired both Christie Plemmons Realty and her husband, Mike Plemmons’ company–Michigan Whitetail Properties–to sell the 180 acres to private developers.

“We have doubled the tax revenue in our industrial park.” “The city contacted us earlier in the fall,” Plemmons said. “They notified us a while later that they had chosen us to be the listing agents.” The Plemmons said they focused most of their advertising online using drone footage and other media to get the property listing in front of as many people as possible. Both buyers contacted Plemmons and began negotiations, according to Plemmons.

Describing how beneficial these new developments– specifically Rolling Meadows Farm’s 130 acres–will be for the local community, Plemmons expressed her excitement for these new developments to begin. “They plan to purchase the land and then take some time to get to know Hillsdale as a community and identify what the best use of the property is for Hillsdale,” Plemmons said. Plemmons said she believes Rolling Meadow Farms is invested in maintaining the integrity of the city and benefiting the local population. Plemmons said she is confident that this investment can help Hillsdale grow. Stockford also said he is excited for the land deal and emphasized the importance of putting land into the hands of private developers. “This was the biggest land sale in our city’s history,” Stockford said. “We’ve been trying to sell industrial lots since we’ve owned them. Government isn’t and shouldn’t be in real estate speculation. It rarely works out well.”

Stockford said one of his goals as mayor is to divest the city’s unnecessary responsibilities, like caring for and maintaining huge plots of land, in order to focus on the basics of government. When the City of Hillsdale owns land, the people’s taxes are paying to maintain it instead of being used to improve roads and other necessities, according to Stockford. “We’ve got our city parks, which are for the enjoyment of all, and our government buildings,” Stockford said. “But outside of that, I’d really like to continue to focus on putting more of our land into private hands.” Stockford explained that public land sales create a competitive private market among existing businesses. These sales allow the local government to invest more money into the city services and keep the community moving forward. “With this single deal, we have doubled the tax revenue in our industrial park,” Stockford said. “We’ve got bright days ahead.”

The city is in the process of selling industrial park land to private developers. Collegian | Nic Rowan

Local health agencies distribute Training center for first responders thousands of masks to community By Logan Washburn City News Editor Local health agencies recently began distributing thousands of masks to the Hillsdale community, according to a BranchHillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency press release. The BHSJ health agency and the Area Agency on Aging began distributing KN95 masks Feb. 1, according to AAA Director Laura Sutter. Local health agency offices will distribute masks to anyone who requests them, according to the BHSJ health agency website. Residents in the City of Hillsdale can find masks at the BHSJ health agency, located at 20 Care Drive, Sutter said. The BHSJ health agency announced on its website that it will provide one box of 10 masks per person, while supplies last. “We have limited quantities, so we want to spread it to as many folks as we can,” Sutter said. According to Sutter, the KN95 mask offers

higher protection against contracting COVID-19 than cloth face masks. “KN95 masks offer up to five days if they’re gently used,” Sutter said. “We’re just trying to get them out to everyone that finds a need for the extra protection that KN95 masks offer.”

“We’re just trying to get them out to everyone that finds a need.” The AAA is contributing 2,000 masks for distribution in Hillsdale County, according to Sutter. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services gave 10,000 masks to the AAA, Sutter said, and 20,000 masks to the BHSJ health agency. “As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to surge in our communities, getting

Upcoming in the city:

vaccinated and boosted, as well as wearing a well-fitting mask over your mouth and nose in indoor public settings or crowds is crucial to protect yourself and others from COVID-19,” BHSJ Public Health Officer Rebecca Burns said in a statement on the agency’s website. The MDHHS gave masks to these agencies as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign, according to the BHSJ health agency’s website. “Masks are available through MDHHS offices, local health departments, Area Agency on Aging offices, Community Action Agencies, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Programs of AllInclusive Care for the Elderly,” according to Michigan.gov. “Some agencies will further distribute the masks to local partners such as homeless shelters.” The local AAA has contributed masks to several community organizations, according to Sutter. “Community

organizations could even request them,” Sutter said. “We’ve given a couple to our county buildings, schools, the fitness centers.” The local Area Agency on Aging is part of the BHSJ health agency. According to Sutter, the groups often collaborate. “We work with them on a number of different projects to support people with disabilities and older adults,” Sutter said. While the Area Agency on Aging only serves Branch and St. Joseph counties, according to Sutter, they provided masks to Hillsdale as part of their partnership with the BHSJ health agency. “We thought it would be easiest and most collaborative to provide one of the boxes of masks that we received to the Hillsdale county office so that they could hand them out more easily,” Sutter said. Sutter explained the agency’s goal. “Let’s work together to get these masks to anybody that may want them,” Sutter said.

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and military to open in Hillsdale County An artist’s rendering of the training center. Courtesy | TheLabTrainingCenter.com

By Olivia Hajicek Collegian Reporter Construction is underway on a private training facility in Jefferson Township for law enforcement, first responders, and the military. Monica Hall, the operations administrator for The Lab Training Center, said The Lab hopes to invite police departments from across the country to train at the facility. She said they also hope to provide training to federal agencies and the military, especially the reserves and national guard.

“Everybody has been amazing to work with.” Hall said she hopes people will be attracted to The Lab when they see what services it has to offer. “We’re offering really good training and really good facilities for a really reasonable rate,” Hall said. Hall said the project is privately funded by a group of investors. Courses offered at the Lab will include active threat response, VIP protection, and progressive tactical training, which “gives officers different

ways to train and think about the threatening situations they face on a daily basis,” Hall said in an email. The facility will include long-range shooting ranges and sniper towers, Hall said, enabling officers to practice shooting from farther away and from different heights. Hall said the team at the Lab knew they wanted to build their facility in Michigan. “We were searching for land for quite a while,” she said, “and when we saw a listing for the plot of land that was being advertised, a couple of the guys went and looked at it.” The facility will be located on about 105 acres about 20 minutes southeast of downtown Hillsdale, Hall said in an email. According to Hall, one of the reasons they chose the location in Jefferson Township was because they would not need special permitting for their facility, unlike other locations. “It really all fell into place that way,” Hall said. Hall said Jefferson Township officials have been “super helpful” when team members have come with questions, while local businesses welcomed the Lab by offering their services. “Everybody has been amazing to work with,” Hall said. “People have been super welcoming.”

A8 February 3, 2022

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Sports Swimming

Swim finishes regular season, prepares for conference meet By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor Charger swim faced their most difficult competition of the season this past weekend at an invitational meet hosted by Butler University. Three of the five teams competing at the meet were Division I teams, but Hillsdale swimmers held their own and pulled out some impressive performances. “This past weekend was a hard meet but it gave us the opportunity to race some good competition and see where we stand going into conferences,” freshman Megan Clifford said. Hillsdale placed eighth and tenth in the 200 yard medley relay, coming in at 1:51.53 and 1:52.40 respectively. In the 1650 yard freestyle, junior Sarah Clark finished fifth (18:34.95) and senior Anna Clark finished ninth 19:06.15. Four Charger swimmers finished in the 200 yard freestyle. Sophomore Caroline Holmes was fifth (1:57.07), junior Leah Tunney was a close sixth (1:57.44), sophomore Sarah Pataniczek finished twelfth (2:00.23), and freshman Elise Mason came in fourteenth (2:00.99). Senior Carissa Henderson just out-touched teammate freshman Lily Golladay in the 100 yard backstroke. They finished thirteenth (1:02.00) and fourteenth (1:02.92), respectively. The 100 yard breaststroke had even closer margins.

Freshman Emma Dickhudt came eleventh with a 1:10.66 and junior Hannah Douthitt came twelfth at 1:10.67. Freshman Joanna Burnham also came seventeenth with a 1:13.93. Clifford had an impressive second place finish in the 200 yard butterfly (2:07.78), which she will swim again at conference. Senior Anna Clark finished eighth (2:19.66), junior Anika Fassett was ninth (2:20.95), and sophomore Phoebe Johnston came in tenth (2:25.68). Hillsdale’s top sprinter, junior Marie Taylor, finished seventh in the 50 yard freestyle at 24.70. Seniors Henderson, Becca Briskey, and Taylor Boyle, also competed in the 50, finishing thirteenth (25.80), seventeenth (26.26), and twenty-second (26.79), respectively. The 100 yard freestyle saw Golladay, Clifford, Taylor, and junior Sydney Slepian in ninth (55.12), tenth (55.33), twelfth (55.78), and eighteenth (58.03). Holmes finished fourth in the 200 yard backstroke at 2:10.47. Junior Leah Tunney was 10th (2:14.00), sophomore Amy Mills was 13th (2:18.08), and Henderson was 14th (2:18.31). Pataniczek swam an impressive 5:22.72 in the 500 yard freestyle which earned her third place. Mills and Fassett came seventh (5:41.48) and eighth (5:44.72). Pataniczek also finished 12th in the 100 yard butterfly (1:01.28), followed closely by

Anna Clark in 14th (1:01.96). Senior Stefanie Walker came in 16th (1:03.00). “The team as a whole did really well. This time of the season can be really hard. It’s the last difficult stretch before taper and we are all really tired,” Pataniczek said. “I was pretty happy with how the races went mentally too, which is important as we are now moving into the conference championship in a few weeks. The team has about two weeks to rest and prepare for the conference championships which begin Feb. 16 and run through Feb. 19. “It’s taper time – rest, recovery, and most of all, mindset work,” Head Coach Kurt Kirner said. “We’re looking to be the best mentally prepared team going into the championships. Findlay is as strong as we are on paper due to the lack of depth from other teams in the conference. It should be quite a battle. Championships are 1% perspiration and 99% inspiration.” The athletes are looking forward to the end of the season as well. “I am so excited to experience the environment that swimming in a college championship brings, especially since we are in the running for conference champions,” Clifford said. “There will be a lot of fast swimming and time drops coming from the team at conferences, and I am so excited to see all our hard work pay off.”

Men's Track and Field

Men’s T&F wins Wide Track Invite, takes third at Wide Track Classic By Christian Peck-Dimit Sports Editor The Hillsdale College men’s track and field team hosted two meets last weekend, winning the Wide Track Invite on Friday, and taking third at the Wide Track Classic on Saturday against a nearly doubled field of teams. The Chargers scored 96 points on Friday, beating out five other teams. The only team within 60 points of their score was Sienna Heights with 88. On Saturday, four other teams were added to the mix, including Cornerstone and Bethel, who took first and second respectively with 79 and 61.5 points. Hillsdale took third with 47 points. “We really focus on the month of January as a way to prepare ourselves for championship season, which we’re easing up on right now,” Head Coach Andrew Towne said. “Our focal point is making sure that we’re preparing and executing the way we want to even though in terms of our physical readiness, it surely won’t be where it is during championship season.” On Friday, Hillsdale won five of the nine track events, including sophomore Benu Meintjes and freshman Jamahl Burke taking first and

second in the 400 meter dash. Five Chargers finished in the top six places in the mile run, led by senior Mark Miller, who beat out Academy of Art sophomore Hudson Lockette by 0.03 seconds in a dramatic win. Freshman Sean Fagan won the 60 meter hurdles while sophomore Sean Hoeft won the 800 meter run, each posting personal best in their events. Hoeft also joined senior Jack Shelley and freshmen Ross Kuhm and Preston Fagerlin to win the 4x400 meter relay. Junior Ben Raffin won pole vault for the Chargers, as he continues to perform well after a slow start to the season. “Ben’s a multiple time all-American for us,” Towne said. “The year hadn’t started out exactly the way he wanted, but he’s starting to show some really good progress now, so I was really happy with him.” Towne said the team intentionally scheduled meets for two days in a row to better prepare them for later in the season. “When you get to the championship meets, they’re two-day meets, and so what we like to do is about a month out, try to replicate that, certainly we prepare for that in our training, but

doing it in a competitive setting,” Towne said. “We want to get to the championship meets and be familiar with what that feels like, to bounce back on a second day and have to execute again, maybe you feel good, maybe you don’t, but the task is still at hand.” On Saturday, Hillsdale again won the 4x400, as Meintjes and Burke joined freshman Maliq Brock and junior Ian Calvert. After taking second in long jump on Friday, sophomore Josh Nichols grabbed a win in triple jump with a new personal best while Raffin notched a season best in pole vault to take second place. “I felt pretty good on Saturday,” Nichols said. “I wasn’t super happy with my jump because it’s a college PR and not a lifetime PR, but I’m glad I’m at least moving in the right direction.” On Saturday, the team will be traveling to the Jud Logan Invite in Ashland. “Splitting up the team is something we looked at doing at the beginning of the year, in a normal year, we probably would, with COVID everybody’s a little different so everybody’s going to be at Ashland.” Towne said.

Sports Opinion The 2022 Winter Olympics are set to start on February 4. Courtesy | Wikipedia

Remove shootouts from Olympic hockey By Rachel Kookogey Associate Editor

When national ice hockey teams compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics, which team recieves the only gold medal for the team sport could be determined by an individual skills competition between one skater and one goalie. There has to be a better way to determine a championship team on the world stage. The International Olympic Committee should remove shootouts from the elimination rounds of ice hockey games. As of now, Olympic competitions hold to International Ice Hockey Federation overtime rules, which have 10 minutes of 4-on-4 sudden death hockey in the qualification, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds before resorting to a five-round shootout to break a tie if necessary. Now, they at least seem to recognize that a gold-medal game deserves better, because the finals don’t turn into a shootout until after the 4-on-4 has gone for 20 minutes with nobody scoring. Even still, elimination games should never be determined by a shootout. The goal of the Olympics is to champion the country with the best team in the world. A shootout does not determine which team is best. In four out of the seven times a National Hockey League team has finished a season with a shootout win percentage of 1.000,

Basketball from A10 “I thought we really punched ODU and Cedarville in the mouth to start the game, which is definitely huge for us going forward,” Cartier said. “Something we can improve on is stepping on their throats in the second half. I thought we did a good job with Cedarville but we let them creep around, so keeping our foot on the gas is important.” Cartier finished with a game high 21 points and a team high eight rebounds, with Gohlke not far behind at 17 points on nine shots. Three other Chargers chipped in double-digit scoring efforts of their own, with senior Austen Yarian, junior

that team didn’t even make the playoffs. The 2016-2017 Detroit Red Wings were one of these teams. They finished the season with a 9-0 shootout record, but that contributed to a total of only 33 wins in 82 games. On the three occasions that teams with a perfect season record in shootouts did make the playoffs, none of those teams made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Two of them didn’t even make it past the first round. The National Hockey League uses these skaterversus-the-goalie shot contests as a tiebreaker during the regular season if neither team has scored after five minutes of threeon-three overtime. This is an acceptable way to limit the length of games and keep teams from wearing themselves out in long overtimes over six months of play. The odds of winning a shootout also tend to even out over the course of an 82game season. For example, the 2013-2014 Washington Capitals currently hold the record for taking part in the most shootouts in one season: 21. They won 10 and lost 11. But the NHL doesn’t use shootouts in the playoffs because there’s no way to even out the playing field later when you’re in a winner-takes-all situation. The Winter Olympics should follow suit for their elimination-round hockey games, or at least in the medal rounds. In the NHL playoffs,

overtime just continues the 20-minute periods of five-on-five play until one team scores. This is the optimal way for the best team of players — not individual athletes — to win a championship. It tests the defense, scoring depth, and endurance of the team, to say nothing of the fact that it’s exciting for spectators to watch bonus rounds of highstakes hockey. The shootout format focuses only on the abilities of the goalie in net and the skaters chosen that night. Unlike the rest of hockey, it’s not a team sport. It’s solely based on individual skill. The international system even emphasizes the shootout as an individual competition by allowing a team to reuse the same forward for multiple shot attempts. While the NHL limits each player to one shot each in order to include more of the team, the international format allows a mediocre team to squeak into overtime and then win by riding on the back of one forward’s ability on a breakaway. In the 2014 Sochi Olympics, USA defeated Russia by using T.J. Oshie, one of the best shootout performers in the NHL during that time, for six of the team’s eight shootout attempts. A big team achievement should be rewarded to the team that works together, not one that just relies on their best scorers and a lot of luck. Hockey isn’t a game of stars like basketball. Don’t reward a team for one man’s success.

Cole Nau, and freshman Joe Reuter combining for 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting. Yarian and Nau each added a game-high five assists while Reuter grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. Junior Kyle Goessler added five assists of his own to help the Chargers hit 20 team assists. “I was really pleased with Saturday’s efforts with regard not only to the assists but to taking care of the basketball, down the stretch we were turning the ball over a bit too much,” Tharp said. “But our guys are willing to pass the basketball, we know how important that is for our program, it’s our own way of attacking the rim by making an extra pass or seeing below. We’re not the best team off the bounce but when we make that extra pass and post feed, that just makes us super

dangerous on the offensive end.” The team has only one game this week, in Findlay against the Oilers on Saturday. The Chargers lost by 17 to Findlay at home in their meeting earlier this season. “Last game it was a totally different environment, it was a home game and obviously you want to play well at home, but it was over winter break so there weren’t a lot of people there,” Gohlke said. “It’s gonna be a crazy game at Findlay, their fans are always out there making it a fun atmosphere and also we know the conference implications of the game as well, it’s not like we wanted to lose the first one, but there’s a bigger sense of urgency for this one.”

A9 February 3, 2022

Women's Tennis

Sports

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Women's Basketball

The women's tennis team hopes to qualify for the NCAA Championship this season. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

Chargers ready for intense spring season By Tracy Wilson Features Editor The Hillsdale College women’s tennis team hopes its first match of the spring semester will be a big hit. The home match against Purdue Northwest will take place on Sunday Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. The Chargers have won three straight G-MAC Championships dating back to 2018, with the season in 2020 cut short due to COVID-19. Junior Canela Luna said she thinks although the team has a good chance of winning against Purdue Northwest, she and her teammates still need to put their best foot forward. “We’ve played them every year that I’ve been at Hillsdale,” Luna said. “We normally win, but it’s still a good match and good competition. You don’t want to be overly confident because they’re still a good team and we still have to be in the right mindset. We just have to put our whole heart out there and fight for every point.” Head Coach Nikki Walbright said she’s excited for the team to get back in the swing of competing. “I think I’m just looking forward to watching them play matches,” Walbright said. “We have a really tough schedule this season, and we’ve really been preparing for that. I’m just excited to see the girls back on the court.” According to Walbright, competition is getting more challenging as the other teams become more skilled. “The teams in our conference have improved and the teams in our region have improved,” Walbright said. Each player has her own individual talents and strengths that she brings to the team, Walbright said. “Our team is extremely

competitive with each other,” Walbright said. “Everyone really is excelling at the level that they are and I’m excited to watch everybody.” One player was unable to compete in the fall due to technical issues with her transfer to Hillsdale, but will be starting this semester, Luna said. “She’s a really good player,” Luna said. “She didn’t get to play so we didn’t get to figure out the doubles teams. We probably will have to switch up a couple of times and figure out which combination works the best.” Before games, Luna said, the players will get in the zone by doing ladders and listening to music together. “My goal going into the match is to just be willing to work on things and stay out on the court for the longest time– even if things aren’t going my way, just try to figure out a way,” Luna said. Senior Sophia Spinazze said the team’s goals for the season as a whole include winning conferences and qualifying for the NCAA championship. Although the spring semester is more intense than the fall, Sophia said, she and her teammates have had a serious mindset about their performance since they initially got on campus. “We just expect that it comes down to how hard we work at every practice,” Spinazze said. Spinazze said as a senior, she values the ways in which she mentors younger players on the team. “College tennis is different than any tournaments or things that you’ve done before,” Spinazze said. “We show them how matches go and how we cheer for each other or how we act at practice.”

Carly Callahan pulls up for a jumper on her way to an 11-point game against Cedarville. Courtesy | Summer Fields

Women's basketball splits pair of games, stays fourth in the G-MAC By Claire Gaudet Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale College women’s basketball team split last week’s games with a win against the Ohio Dominican University Panthers and a loss to the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets, keeping a half a game lead over the Yellow Jackets in the G-MAC. The Chargers hold the fourth spot in the G-MAC, moving to an 11-8 overall and a 8-5 in the conference, only one game behind Kentucky Wesleyan College at 9-4 in G-MAC play. The Chargers beat the Panthers 64-42. Despite the game being away, some Chargers felt at home on the Columbus court. “We have two freshmen from Columbus, both were very excited to play at home,” Head Coach Charlie Averkamp said. “Carly Callahan and Caitlin Splain both played up to their potential there. Both them and Lauren Daffenberg made great shots in the first half.” Freshman forward Carly Callahan came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting for the Chargers. She was followed closely by fellow freshman guard Caitlin Splain with 12 including a game-high four made threes.

“Carly and Caitlin came into the game ready to go,” senior guard Lauren Daffenburg said. “They made some great threes, had some drives. They showed that anybody on any day can just step up and take it.” Senior guard Grace Touchette led the starters in points with 17, and junior forward Sydney Mills collected a season high of 18 rebounds. “That game was just a total battle,” Touchette said. “We didn't come out as strong as we normally do, but our bench came in and our freshman gave us a lot of help in the first half. That was a really good team win.” Other players helped secure the win in ways the box scores cannot reflect, including freshman guard Peighton Nelson and junior forward Maverick Delp. “Peighton is always guarding the other team's best players, which takes a lot of hustle and energy,” Touchette said. “Mav came in and gave a ton of energy by getting offensive rebounds. She always has that spark for us.” Two days later, the Chargers lost a tough game to the Yellow Jackets, 71-65. After going down as many as nine points in the first half, the Chargers battled back

to tie the game in the third quarter. The rest of the game was tense, resulting in 16 lead changes by the time it was over. Grace Touchette led the Chargers with 21 points and seven rebounds, 16 of her points came in the second half, with eight in each of the final frames. “Grace did a really nice job of really leading us back into it,” Averkamp said. “She showed that she's the type of kid who wants the ball at the end of games.” Touchette’s final layup brought the Chargers score to 63, tieing the game with less than a minute to go. In the last 50 seconds, Cedarville hit a three and shot five of six from the foul line to grab the win. “Our starts haven't been as strong as we would wish, and when we don't start as strong, we play the rest of the game a little in our heads,” Daffenburg said. “We’re focusing on getting right into the game and working the people on the bench. This one was just kind of a story of constantly coming back but never really beating that hump.” Other players agreed that the start of the game is what threw the Chargers, despite their fight in the ending minutes.

“We came out a little flat again,” Touchette said. “I think that Cedarville’s girls hit a couple of shots that they don't normally hit. That rattled us a little bit. We all have those days. Cedarville had a lot of energy and hustle, they were on the floor every play the ball was loose.” While the Chargers offensive strength showed toward the game’s closing, the defensive players did their best to keep the Yellow Jackets best players in at bay for most of the game. “Everyone just gives so much in games like that,” Touchette said. “Even though it might not show up on the box score, Arianna and Peighton were always guarding their best players. That takes a lot of communication and hustle on their part.” Despite the loss, the Chargers still hold footing over the Yellow Jackets in the G-MAC rankings. “Credit to them, they made some shots when we didn't,” Averkamp said. “Ultimately, basketball can just be a really hit or miss game.” The Chargers’ game against Findlay University scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 2 was postponed due to the winter storm. The Chargers will travel to Findlay on Saturday, Feb. 5.

CHARGER CHATTER Sarah Hackman

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher solely for the fact that I could have a pet in my classroom.

Sarah Hackman is a senior psychology and financial management major on the tennis team from Island Lake, IL. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

What's one exotic animal you'd love to have as a pet?

If I could have any exotic pet it would be a koala, assuming it was friendly.

Do you have any hidden talents?

My secret talent would be baking, I've loved to bake from a young age and that love has just grown as I've gotten older.

What type of drink describes your perosnality?

I'd say lemonade describes my personality becasue I'm sweet and love summer.

Compiled by Hannah Cote

A10 February 3, 2022

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Charger Sports

Women's Track and Field

Women's T&F wins pair of home meets

By Katherine Miller Collegian Reporter

Between Friday and Saturday the Hillsdale College women’s track team won 15 events in the Wide Track Invite and the Wide Track Classic and placed in the 60-meter hurdles, 800-meter run, and the 200-meter dash. On Friday, the Chargers started with freshman Reagan Dahlquist placing first in the high jump reaching a height of 1.64 meters. Hillsdale’s freshmen dominated in the pole vaulting event, placing first through fifth with freshman Morgan Iverson in first, followed by fellow freshman Katie Clifford in second, Kaylee Jackson and Isabella Socha tying for third, and Grace Chen in fifth. Iverson vaulted a height of 3.69 meters, Clifford 3.54 meters, Jackson, Socha, and Chen 3.09 meters. In the long jump, sophomore Emily Gerdin took first jumping a distance of 5.04 meters. Head Coach Andrew Towne said he feels the

preparation for the season has gone well and that he is excited for the season and to defend the conference title. “I feel like we have a really talented group,” Towne said. “Dahlquist made her first provisional mark and Nikita Maines did well, these are flashes of what's to come.” Towne said the team’s strengths are that there is a lot of talent and depth but the team is still young. The women also controlled the weight throw earning first through sixth place. Maines took first, throwing a distance of 18.20 meters and was followed by freshman Katie Sayles, freshman Juliet Brenard, sophomore Katie Weldy, freshman Eden Little, and freshman Mackenzie Morrison. In the shot put event Maines took first again throwing a distance of 14.88 meters and was followed by freshman Averi Parker in second with a distance of 13.92 meters. In the 5000 meter run, the Chargers took first and second with freshman Kayla Loescher in first, running

a time of 19:24.26 minutes. Loescher was followed by freshman Brynn Edison with a time of 19:54.25. Edison said that this was her first time running a 5k on the indoor track and that she usually runs the 5k or 6k for cross country. “I’m really happy with my performance in the 5k,” Edison said. “I PRed by over 30 seconds and it was a great start for the indoor track season.” Edison also said that she would like to PR in the 5k again and is looking forward to running on a bigger track so she can run longer events. In the 60 meter hurdles, freshman Grace Gottwalt took second with a time of 9.19 minutes and freshman Louisa Klaserner took third with a time of 9.23 minutes. Following the 60 meter hurdles, Hillsdale sophomore Gwynne Riley placed first in the one mile run making a time of 5:05.19 minutes. Close behind Riley, sophomore Meg Scheske earned third with a time of 5:08.38 minutes.

Sophomore Dakota Stamm and freshman Josee Behling teamed up to take first and second in the 400 meter dash. Stamm ran a time of 58.10 seconds and Behling, a time of 1:00.20 minutes. In the 800 meter run freshman Reese Dragovich took third running a time of 2:18.41 minutes. Freshman Isabella Guitierrez took third in the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.64 seconds. Next, Hillsdale took first in the 4x400 meter relay with Scheske, Riley, and sophomore Kaitlyn Rust, along with freshman Vera Thompson running a time of 4:11.73 minutes. On Saturday, Hillsdale’s women's track team started early with pole vaulting, high jump and weight throw as the other competitors for the day warmed up. Continuing to dominate the event, Dahlquist took first again in the high jump making a distance of 1.67 meters. Dahlquist said she was excited about winning both meets and that they were her first wins at the collegiate

Patrick Cartier averages a G-MAC-best 22.3 points per game while shooting a G-MAC-best 62.9% from the field. Courtesy | Summer Fields

level. “I’m looking forward to competing and having fun with my teammates,” Dahlquist said. “We practice together everyday, so seeing everyone improve and perform well is exciting.” Dahlquist also said that she hopes to continue to improve and is now looking to reach a personal best of 1.71 meters. In the pole vaulting event, Clifford finished first vaulting a height of 3.69 meters. In the triple jump, Gerdin placed first jumping a distance of 11.32 meters. Maines took first in the shot put event throwing a distance of 14.61 meters. Following Maines, Parker took second throwing a distance of 13.60 meters. In the weight throwing event Maines took first again throwing a distance of 18.26 meters followed by Sayles in second, finishing with a distance of 17.39 meters. Weldy finished third throwing a distance of 16.38 meters and was followed by freshman Juliet Bernard who threw a distance of 15.96 meters.

Freshman Louisa Klaserner took third again in the 60 meter hurdles with a finishing time of 9.18 seconds. Then, in the 4x400 meter relay Hillsdale took first and second with both teams being led by freshmen. In first, Stamm, freshmen Shura Ermakov, Dragovich, and Nicole Marshall had a time of 3:58.54 minutes in the finals. In second, freshmen Behling, Isabella Guitierrez, Louisa Klaserner, and sophomore Judith Allison finished with a time of 4:04.49 minutes. The team will compete next on Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5 in the Meyo Invite against the University of Notre Dame, the Akron Invite against the University of Akron, and the Jud Logan Open against Ashland University. “Our team is very competitive against every team we race against,” Edison said. “One of our goals this season is to send as many athletes to nationals as possible.”

Men's Tennis Brennan Cimpeanu went undefeated during his freshman season. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

Men's tennis prepares to follow up historic season By Julian Burchard Collegian Freelancer

Men's Basketball

Chargers push win streak to five games By Christian Peck-Dimit Sports Editor The Hillsdale College men’s basketball team used big games from juniors Patrick Cartier and Jack Gohlke to win both of its games last week, extending its win streak to five games and moving into second place in the G-MAC. After taking home a win against the Ohio Dominican University Panthers in Ohio, 76-59, the Chargers came home and beat the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets, 85-71, to push their overall record to 15-4 with an in-conference record of 10-3. During the week, Gohlke shot 10-of-15 from three, pushing his three-point percentage up to a conference-best 45.8%. Cartier averaged 23 points per game, continuing a stellar season in which he holds the conference lead in both points per game and shooting percent-

age. With the wins, the team passed Walsh University to take second place in the conference. The Chargers remain just a half game behind Malone University in first place as well as a half game from fourth place. “Going to Ohio Dominican has always just been a battle for us over the years and we played really well, Jack Gohlke hit a lot of big shots for us,” Head Coach John Tharp said. “Against a very talented Cedarville team on Saturday, it was a great first half of basketball that we played. I’m very pleased with what they did last week and we know we’ve got a lot of battles coming up that are incredibly important games.” Against Ohio Dominican, the team got up big early, taking a 19-point lead into the halftime locker room. The Chargers were playing well on both ends of the floor, shooting over 64%

from both the field and three while holding the Panthers to under 29% shooting in both departments. Despite the Panthers outscoring Hillsdale in the second half, the score never got within 10 as the Chargers continued to roll. Gohlke and Cartier each dropped 25 points as they combined to shoot 17-of-25 from the field. Cartier added 11 rebounds and five assists while Gohlke knocked down seven of his 10 three-point shots. “I’ve got the easy job of getting to shoot and hopefully making my shots,” Gohlke said. “The team overall has done a really good job of screening really well and getting each other open these past couple of weeks and that all starts with Pat drawing two defenders every time he catches the ball.” The team continued to play well on both sides of the ball in its game against Cedar-

ville. The Chargers held the Yellow Jackets to 16 first-half points, forcing them to shoot 21.2% from the field, and 0-of-10 from three. “We just focused a lot on defending their ball screens and stuff like that, because that’s such a big part of their offense, trying to get their guards one-on-one with a lot of space on the floor,” Gohlke said. “We focused on trying to cut down their spacing and we knew they were a good shooting team but we thought the most important thing was not leaving our guards out on islands while they were guarding the ball.” While Cedarville made runs throughout the second half, the Chargers never let them cut the differential under 10 points as they rolled to their fifth straight win.

See Basketball A8

The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team is looking to build on the best season in program history. Last season, the Chargers won the G-MAC and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in team history. The team was led by sophomore Brennan Cimpeanu, who won the ITA Midwest Regional singles tournament, as well as reaching the quarterfinals of the ITA Cup, ending the season ranked 7th in NCAA Division II singles. The doubles team of Cimpeanu and sophomore Sean Barstow were ranked 14th nationally after finishing second at the ITA Midwest Regional, adding two players to the national ranking, the first time any Hillsdale tennis player has been nationally ranked. Barstow went 14-4 in singles and 11-10 in doubles in his first year with the team. “Repeating as conference champions should be doable, but not a given,” junior Tyler Conrad said. Conrad went 12-8 as the No. 1 singles player in only his second year playing for the college. Not only will a G-MAC championship be difficult to replicate, but Head Coach Kieth Turner said this season may bring some new challenges of its own, in the form

of a more difficult schedule. “I've put together the toughest schedule we've ever had,” Turner said. Players cited Davenport and Lewis as especially noteworthy matchups. Davenport represents a particular challenge because they excel in doubles matches, which was a weakness for the Chargers last season. “If you’re going to come to any of our games, come to the Davenport game,” Cimpeanu said. Cimpeanu said he hopes to play with more consistency this year. “I’d like to maybe be Player of the Year with God’s help,” Cimpeanu said. “And I want to be the teammate my team needs me to be. We need to be there for each other, especially with our dwindling numbers.” Turner said staying healthy in the face of COVID-19 and injuries is another hurdle for the team. Players recalled how the team won the conference last season in spite of injuries and illness. “We are in a very similar position as last year as far as needing to stay healthy,” Turner said. “We were able to do that last year. Hopefully that continues this spring.” The Chargers take on Lawrence Technological University on Friday, Feb. 4 in Southfield, MI, before taking on Lewis University on Sunday, Feb. 6 in Plainfield, IL.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

February 3, 2022 B1

Culture

Professor of history Bradley Birzer spoke at The Inklings CCA. Jack Cote | CCA Office

Podcast reveals ‘magical world’ of The Inklings By Alydia Ullman Collegian Freelancer If The Inklings CCA sparked a desire to learn more about the British literary geniuses of the twentieth century, look to The Marion E. Wade Center’s podcast. The Wade Center, part of Wheaton College, is a research hub, a reading library, and a museum dedicated to seven British Christian authors: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, G. K. Chesterton, Owen Barfield, and Charles William. The center’s abundant resources draw in curious minds who seek to interact with living literature and grow in their faith. The co-directors of The Wade Center, David C. Downing, a C.S. Lewis scholar, and Crystal Downing, a Sayers devotee, host the bi-weekly podcast, which can be found on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play Music.

ical, and religious aspects of the author’s works;scholars around the world join in the discussions as special guests. Whether you’re walking

K N I O R

E WEE

on the treadmill or winding down for the day, take the opportunity to alleviate your

“The episodes range in depth and breadth, covering the literary, philosophical, historical, and religious aspects of the author’s works.”

The episodes range in depth and breadth, covering the literary, philosophical, histor-

LAVENDER LONDON FOG (HOT) By Isaac Green Collegian freelancer The London Fog has been and always will be one of my favorite hot beverages. This specific rendition, courtesy of Rough Draft, is even more magnificent with the incorporation of the lavender. The first few sips include the light sweet foam from the steamed milk that rests on top, and the airy bubbles make it feel like the liquid is floating in your mouth. The slight orange hint from the bergamot oil in the Early Gray tea brightens the experience, and while this drink is incredible in its original form, the addition of the Lavender accents the smooth taste of the already creamy beverage. It is the perfect selection for anyone who loves to relax with a hot drink.

mind from the intensity of our academic lives at Hillsdale and relax with discussion over the Chronicles of Narnia, or be inspired by a George

MacDonald story that you’ve never heard before and now must check out at the library. The Wade Center Podcast became my life-line during the lock-down of my senior year of high school. Episodes like “Romance at the Wade: C. S. Lewis, Romanticism, Sehnsucht, and the Wade Authors” and “Mysticism & C. S. Lewis: Venturing into the Region of Awe” unlocked intellectual adventures. An episode about Lewis’s faith journey led me to his autobiography “Surprised by Joy,” MacDonald’s “Phantastes,” Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy,” and metaphysical poetry in one fell swoop. If you can make it to Wheaton, you can poke your head into Lewis’s personal wardrobe at The Wade Center museum. But while here at Hillsdale, listen to its podcast and it will bring you into a deeper understanding of the magical world of Britain’s most imaginative minds.

C.S. Lewis scholar Michael Ward spoke at The Inklings CCA. Jack Cote | CCA Office

Guest violinist reunites with professor in faculty recital By Nathan Stanish Collegian Freelancer Edward Maki-Schramm and Chris McCourry met more than 25 years ago at the University of Michigan. Last Friday, they relived the old days and brought an audience Mussorgsky’s celebrated “Pictures at an Exhibition.” In the faculty recital, McCourry, director of jazz ensembles, collaborated with Brad Blackham, director of keyboard studies, Emily Douglass, artist-teacher of voice, and guest organist Maki-Schramm to present a program of operatic, romantic, baroque, and modern music. This performance marked McCourry’s 20th recital since joining the Hillsdale music department, and was one of many shared with Blackham in their 15 years together at the college. McCourry and Blackham opened the recital with a piano and trumpet duet, showcasing McCourry’s skill on the B flat and Piccolo trumpet as he switched between the two throughout the piece. Douglass, a seasoned soprano with years of experience in vocal performance, demonstrated her extensive range and graceful technique in two operatic works, the first with McCourry on the trumpet, and the second with

Blackham on the piano. Marie-Therese Romanos, a Hillsdale college junior who attended the concert and a student of Douglass, particularly appreciated Douglass’ tone and presentation. “I loved the joy, especial-

The second half of the performance featured Maki-Schramm in a 40-minute suite performing alongside McCourry. “When I was a master’s student at the University of Michigan, I worked for his

“Maki-Schramm made full use of the versatility and the majesty of the organ, as he distinguished each piece from the last with a variety of unique stop combinations.” ly of the combination with the trumpet and her voice. The trumpet gave it a lot of vibrance and she matched it with her voice, which was beautiful. I know as a singer it’s really hard to get into character vocally, and she really succeeded. Not only could you tell on her face, but in her voice you could hear she matched the liveliness of the trumpet.”

wife at the music library,” Maki-Schramm said. McCourry and Maki-Schramm would go on to perform together at hundreds of funerals, weddings, and other events before McCourry joined the Hillsdale faculty. This concert featured the first time Maki-Schramm has performed “Pictures at an Exhibition.” The piece was originally composed for piano

but later arranged for orchestra and then as a trumpet and organ duet. “I took it piece by piece,” Maki-Schramm. “And then before even putting the pieces together, I would drill the hard sections and then try to weave it into the rest of the piece.” He praised the acoustic of the chapel and the chapel organ, despite the natural limitations of a duet compared to an orchestra. “It’s not meant for a transcription of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ this is meant for an orchestra, right, so the organ is a poor substitute,” Maki-Schramm said. Maki-Schramm made full use of the versatility and the majesty of the organ, as he distinguished each piece from the last with a variety of unique stop combinations. “I really enjoyed the rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition. I’ve heard it with an orchestra before and I was really impressed with how well the organist was able to mimic the sound of the orchestra. I thought he did an awesome job and I really appreciated his work,” freshman Brian Knewtson said. McCourry added another layer of versatility to “Pictures at an Exhibition” by assembling a collection of brass instruments and accessories to use throughout the piece.

Th Co

C U L T U R E B2 February 3, 2022

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Collegian Critique

‘Cheer’ returns confidently amid overwhelming fame By Megan Williams Assistant Editor The Netflix docu-series “Cheer” was a smash hit. Avid viewers of the show have anxiously awaited the arrival of season two since the moment we watched the Navarro Community College cheer team win their 14th national championship, and this nine episode collection did not disappoint. A combination of the bleakness of quarantining in 2020 and our culture’s weird obsession with niche documentaries catapulted the lives—and the town of Corsicana, Texas—into immediate fame. Season two zoned in on the effects of instant popularity. The first few episodes show the glory of going on Ellen, filming commercials, and traveling around the world to promote the cheerleaders’ organization. Yet, when they get behind closed doors, the stoic but lovable coach Monica Aldama and her cheerleaders admit the overwhelming, terrifying nature of everyone knowing your name. With the popularity of apps like TikTok and the increased viewership of Netflix original series, this personal dive into the reality of quick and immediate notoriety came at the

perfect time. Whether it was from creating a new dance or raising exotic tigers, everyone can name someone who was thrown into the limelight. Giving viewers a glimpse of how fame strains your relationships, increases your stressors, and overruns your life provides a much needed reality check. Just like he didn’t shy away from consequences of fame, director Greg Whiteley refused to walk on eggshells when addressing former Navarro cheerleader Jerry Harris, the fan-favorite from season one, who faces seven charges relating to child pornography and sexual exploitation. Not only did “Cheer” show the inner-turmoil of Harris’s best friends and teammates, producers also interviewed the prosecuting attorney, two victims, and their mother. Just like their fame, Harris’s arrest left the Navarro squad in shock and rattled their confidence. That’s where the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals come in. The rivals of Navarro, TVCC resides 20 miles down the road in Athens, Texas, and hasn’t won a national championship since 2016. TVCC refuses to refer to themselves as an underdog; however, Netflix began a notso-subtle redemption arc.

While season one solely focused on the back stories regarding the Navarro squad, season two created emotional bonds between the audience and the members of TVCC. Establishing a connection with both teams, viewers were left conflicted when it came time for the national championship; everyone loves an underdog story, but we’ve been rooting for Navarro since day one. Providing these behindthe-scenes details, the producers immersed the audience even further into the world of competitive cheer. We were given more technical details about the choreography of routines, the ins and outs of the point systems, and a deeper understanding of cheerleader’s obsession with their sport. Season one of “Cheer” dipped the audience’s toes into the world of competitive cheerleading, giving us a taste of the high stakes and physical demands the sport requires. But where season one left us guessing about the impacts of fame, the electric rivalry, and the balancing of relationships, season two picked up the slack. The docu-series was raw, engaging, and a true treat for its dedicated fan base.

The second season of “Cheer” came out last month. Courtesy | Twitter

Rex Orange County teases new album with single By Alexandra Hall Collegian Reporter On Jan. 26, Rex Orange County announced his fourth studio album “Who Cares?” set to be released on March 11th. The artist, Alex O’Connor, posted the album cover on his Instagram and sent a wave through the internet. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a new release from Rex Orange County, whose last formal studio album, “Pony,” was released in 2019. Alongside the album release announcement, O’Connor released his first single in three years, “KEEP IT UP.” Instead of a 70mm projector quality style of life he references in “Pony,” the music video for this new single is shot in early 2000’s camcorder

style. The music video features O’Connor in Amsterdam and illuminates his chronic attitude of optimism with a side of melancholy. After the UK singer was discovered by Tyler the Creator, he joined Tyler on his 2017 album “Flower Boy.” The album has since become a staple in Tyler the Creator’s discography and launched O’Connor into stardom. He then released “Apricot Princess,” a ten-song album that formally introduced listeners to O’Connor’s now-signature nasally voice and sweet lyricism. O’Connor is well received among his large fanbase because his work is largely unproblematic. His older works possess a charming sense of naivete and youthfulness.

“Pony,” was a bit of a letdown in regards to growth. O’Con-

quality. The highlight of “Pony”

girlfriend. The song references a 70mm projector, offering to

Alex O’Connor just released his latest single, “KEEP IT UP.” Courtesy | Twitter

nor’s songwriting felt juvenile and lacking in any sense of growth outside of production

is “Pluto Projector,” which explores O’Connor’s past relationship with his long-term

show his partner everything he can. Since then, O’Connor has allegedly split with his

girlfriend and fans have been waiting to see what his future work holds. “KEEP IT UP” is an homage to self-love. The single balances a sense of depression and the world and circumstances that surround the artist with simple choruses that remind him to keep going. The chorus rings out, “You’re only holding out for what you want / You no longer owe the strangers.” “KEEP IT UP” teases at an album that is far more advanced and mature than O’Connor’s past releases. Whether it stems from heartbreak, a world in ruins, or a forever changing industry, “Who Cares?” holds an immense amount of promise for the young artist.

In brief: Students audition for Festival of Student Works, to perform in spring By Elyse Hawkins Opinions Editor The theater department saw many non-theater students audition for roles in the Festival of Student Works, as it hopes to encourage more of the campus to participate in theater at Hillsdale.

Over 30 students participated in an open audition for roles in five student-directed, one-act plays. The plays feature a variety of shows, from drama to comedy. Sophomore Juliana Undseth said that, while she participated in one major theater production at Hillsdale,

she decided to audition for the festival to stay involved with theater. “I love to act and I have loved doing theater my whole life,” Undseth said. “I am excited to hopefully get to work with one of the student directors while being a part of a production that will be a

slightly smaller time commitment.” Christopher Matsos is an assistant professor of theater and the faculty advisor for the festival. “There’s a long and wonderful tradition of students presenting works here at Hillsdale,” Matsos said.

He said he is also looking forward to the opportunity to work with the student directors as they have the opportunity to head up the productions. “I’m really thrilled because this is going to be my first time overseeing the festival and I can’t wait to see what the

students do,” Matsos said. The Festival of Student Works will be presented Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m., as well as Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Hillsdale in D.C.

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Mollie Hemingway named editor-in -chief of The Federalist By Haley Strack D.C. Editor

Hillsdale in D.C. professor Mollie Hemingway is now the editor-in-chief of the D.C.based conservative publication The Federalist. “I’m so pleased with the journalistic courage shown by The Federalist since our founding in 2013, and am looking forward to assuming a role that gives me more ability to shape news coverage at a time when the broader journalistic establishment is failing readers on all manner of issues,” Hemingway said. The mother of two is a senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale, a regular Fox News contributor, and is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: “Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections” and “Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court.” She co-founded The Federalist in 2013 and has more than two decades of journalistic experience in Washington, D.C. This is her fourth year teaching at Hillsdale’s Kirby Center. The professor and her husband, Mark Hemingway, were Eugene C. Pulliam Distinguished Fellows in Journalism on Hillsdale’s main campus in 2016. “I’m also thrilled that this additional experience will be brought to bear in the WHIP classroom in D.C., where I get to share some of what I’ve learned with new groups of students each semester,” Hemingway said. Every semester, Hemingway teaches a course for WHIP students on modern narrative in journalism. Past students have helped the professor on research projects for both of her books. Journalism minor and junior WHIP student Maggie Hroncich interned at The Federalist last summer. “I think Professor Hemingway will do a great job as editor-in-chief,” she said. “I was lucky to work for her and have her as my mentor at the Federalist — she is one of the most level-headed, intelligent people I have ever met and I learned a lot working under her.” Hroncich added that she was excited to see her professor step into the new role. “As a student in her WHIP class, we’re already learning the tricks of the trade from her as a respected journalist — now we can hear her perspectives as an editor-in-chief, too,” Hroncich said. The Federalist is an online publication whose motto is “be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray.” The magazine covers culture, politics, and religion through a conservative lens. Two Hillsdale graduates, Joy Pullmann ’09 and John Daniel Davidson ’04, work alongside Hemingway as executive editor and senior editor, respectively. “Mollie is one of the few journalists in America who deeply understand the corruption and duplicity of corporate media, and is willing to question their narratives and push back. She’s been doing it for quite a while now, with great success,” said Davidson, who has worked at The Federalist since 2016. “It’s incredibly important for college students, especially those aspiring to be professional journalists, to understand how corporate media work, and how conservatives can fight back. I can think of no one better than Mollie to impart that knowledge.”

More than 100 Hillsdale students attended the March for Life this year. Cal McNellie | Collegian

Students march for life in Washington, D.C. By Cal McNellie Collegian Reporter In what could be the last March for Life before the Supreme Court issues a new ruling on abortion, more 100 Hillsdale students marched through Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21. Students joined thousands of activist groups, schools, and political organizations in the 49th Annual March for Life. The march is held annually on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe V. Wade decision that codified abortion as a constitutional right. “The most heartening idea is that we might not have to do this many more times,” said the president of

Hillsdale College for Life and senior Hannah Stinnet. “I like coming here but I would love it so much more if we didn’t have to.” Stinnet led the Charger caravan to the Capitol. This was Stinnet’s third year at the march and her first year as president of the club. Hillsdale marchers filled more than two busses, carrying on the long tradition of the college’s participation in the march. Stinnet said many of the marchers were motivated by advances in science that have allowed for a greater understanding of the earliest stages of human life. “We know that the unborn, from the moment of conception, are a distinct living being,” she said. “They have their own DNA and that given the

right environment, they will flourish just like any person would. Science is undeniably on the side of life.” The march began at 12 p.m. on the National Mall and included a rally with many prominent voices in the prolife movement, including multiple congressmen and senators. Students then marched to the Supreme Court. Marcher and sophomore Ben Henrichs echoed Stinnet’s sentiments. “This is one of the biggest issues in society today,” he said. Henrichs found out about the March for Life trip just hours before the busses were set to depart from Hillsdale. Henrichs dropped everything and made the arrangements

to join. He said history would be on the side of people who support the cause. “People will look back and say, ‘Who let abortion happen?’ And I don’t want to be one of those people,” he said. WHIP student and junior Maggie Hronrich works for the Heritage Foundation’s publication, The Daily Signal. Hronrich attended her first march this year as a reporter. “It was my first time going to the march and it was fascinating to see from the media side,” she said. “One thing that surprised me was how many groups of ‘Democrats for Life,’ secular pro-life groups, atheists for life, etc. there were.” Hronrich said the diversity in political opinion strengthened the marcher’s pro-life

Students Josh Barker, Hunter Law, Andrew Davidson, and Joe Coleman in front of the U.S. Capitol. Josh Barker | Collegian

Interns present for historic senate vote By Haley Strack D.C. Editor As the U.S. Senate voted last month to keep the filibuster, two Hillsdale students watched in person. Juniors Josh Evan Barker and Andrew Davidson work for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Committee on Foreign Relations, respectively. Both have clearance badges to enter senate buildings — and both were deeply interested in the vote, which took place Jan. 5. “This was about preserving that idea that the Senate is more distant from the passions of the people — those momentary fleeting passions that the ‘Federalist Papers’ talk about,” Barker said. “That’s why we have the Senate as it is, that’s

why the terms are six years, not every year. That’s why they’re not all elected at the same time.” The filibuster is a senate procedure used to prevent action and encourage deliberation on legislation. The 200-year-old tradition requires a 60-vote margin to accept or reject a measure — and no party has held a 60-member supermajority in decades. If Democrats, who sought to abolish the filibuster, succeeded, they could pass contested legislation with a simple majority. As Senate interns, Barker and Davidson have closely followed the debate. “The vote on the filibuster was very historic,” Barker said. “It would have resulted in a short-term win for the Democrats if they had taken it away,

but it’s in the Democrats’ best interest long term to preserve the ability of the minority party to block whatever the majority party is trying to do.” Barker works under Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, one of the two Democrats who swung the vote toward Republicans. He said that Democrats, who face becoming the Senate minority party after midterm elections in November, might soon rely on the filibuster. “There’s a red tidal wave coming in November,” he said. “President Joe Biden is unpopular, Vice President Kamala Harris is unpopular, Republicans are almost certainly going to take the house, and they’ll probably take back the Senate as well. So I’m surprised that Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was really trying this so hard because he’s probably

going to need the filibuster in the near future.” The students had class on Jan. 5, but both were monitoring C-SPAN to see when the vote would be cast — which wasn’t until around 10:30 pm. After class ended, the pair rushed to the Senate gallery and witnessed a rare gathering of all 100 senators. “There were 20 or so senators milling around the floor when we got there, and the chamber of our legislative body was right there,” Davidson said. “It was incredible. I got chills. And then we proceeded to get super cynical as they all gave incredibly evasive speeches about democracy. The room filled up, and eventually all 100 senators were right in front of us.” Barker and Davidson watched as Sens. Schumer,

opinions. “I think the march is often stereotyped as a conservative Christian event — which there are plenty of those groups — but it was nice to see representation from all sides of the political and religious spectrums,” she said. Hronrich published an article Friday titled “61 of the Best Signs From March for Life.” Her personal favorite was a sign depicting a humpback whale that said “Save the Baby Humans.” This year’s march may be the last before the Supreme Court issues a decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively ending federal jurisdiction of abortion limitations. Sinema, Mitch McConnell, Marsha Blackburn, and more spoke about the filibuster. Barker said the senators knew the end vote would ultimately favor keeping the filibuster — but that Democrats used the loss tactfully. “When November comes around, and Democrats lose, they can say, ‘Oh, it’s because you still need a voter ID to vote, look at all this white supremacy,’” Barker said. “That’s pretty savvy. The Voter Freedom Act was doomed to fail but is a great tool in terms of optics for the Democratic Party in the elections — as an excuse for losing elections.” Davidson agreed that Democrats were accepting an impending red wave and added that election integrity should be a reason to keep the filibuster. “Huge governmental decisions shouldn’t be made without bipartisan support, because they literally only represent half the country,” Davidson said. “Decisions that affect all of us should be made by all of us.” Barker said his favorite part of the night was when McConnell delivered a fiery floor speech. “The night culminated with a speech by McConnell and the most interesting thing about that speech was that he acted like one of the old-style Senate party leaders. He didn’t face the Senate president, he turned around and faced the other Republican senators as if motivating them to act,” Barker said. “And of course, he spoke on the value of upholding the filibuster the strength of the minority party, regardless of whether that minority party is Republican or Democrat.”

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February 03, 2022 B4

How a mandate-defying restaurant became a Hillsdale hotspot By Haley Strack D.C. Editor

WHIP student Maggie Hroncich is a coffee fanatic. Maggie Hroncich | Collegian

A capitol hill intern’s guide to coffee

By Maggie Hronrich Collegian Reporter

Washington, D.C. can be overwhelming. The looming monuments, mass public transportation, and museums are hard to navigate — but luckily, the city has coffee shops on almost every corner. If you’re considering going on WHIP or visiting the city, coffee is the perfect way to fuel your trip. After living and interning in D.C. last summer and as a current WHIP student, I’ve had plenty of time to find the best, most convenient local cafes. Here are some of my favorites. Junction Bistro, Bar, and Bakery Junction, a short two blocks away, is the closest coffee shop to Hillsdale’s student housing in D.C. On top of their excellent coffee and pastries, they offer affordable dinners to students: such as halfpriced burgers on Mondays and a special Taco Tuesday deal. Junction’s mission is “supporting local farms, made by hand, with love, never cutting corners,” according to its website. The high-quality mission is reflected in its food: some of the freshest croissants, richest coffees, and warmest breads I’ve ever had are from Junction. It also is a newer coffee shop and offers a clean, comfortable atmosphere that is equally well suited to studying during the day or going out for a nice dinner at night. Ebenezers Coffeehouse Ebenezers Coffeehouse is a unique spin on coffee because it’s owned by National Com-

munity Church, and all of its profits go toward community outreach efforts. Its motto is “coffee with a cause,” and the shop places a huge emphasis on fair trade and organic coffees. The cafe also serves a variety of breakfast options, from flaky croissants to breakfast bowls. As a plus, they sell Christian books and have lots of available seating for an afternoon of studying or meeting with friends. Buffalo and Bergen A 3 minute walk from the Hillsdale campus, Buffalo and Bergen offers a taste of New York in D.C. In addition to some of the freshest bagels in the area, the shop offers latkes and knishes. They open a couple of hours earlier than Junction, so it’s the perfect stop for early risers. Jacob’s Coffeehouse Jacob’s Coffeehouse, a convenient 5 minute walk away from the Hillsdale housing, has a cute and classy indoor atmosphere but only offers togo items. While their coffee is some of the best I’ve ever tasted, the downside is that you must wear finger gloves while signing the touchscreen to pay — they’re very COVID-conscious. Cafe Bliss Cafe Bliss, also a short walk from the Hillsdale house and Kirby Center, offers a modest, but cozy, atmosphere. Their coffee is far less expensive than many places in the area, and a bagel sandwich costs less than $4. For interns like myself, it’s an appealing and cost-effective spot to grab a decent meal before heading off to work and class.

When I moved to Washington, D.C., I had one goal: Find a “Cheers”-esque local bar and establish myself as a regular. Instead, I found a burger joint. With its muted exterior and small dining room, the Big Board as a restaurant is unlike showy, modern D.C. bars. The place doesn’t boast vegan options or the latest specialty pink cocktail — its menu keeps to eight burger options, a few salads, craft beers, and sometimes on football Sundays, specialty nachos. The restaurant also differs from other D.C. hotspots in a more glaring way: It’s the only place that was shut down for defying the city’s indoor vaccine mandate. Washington, D.C.,’s indoor vaccine mandate requires all District restaurants to check

and verify patron’s COVID-19 vaccine papers and identification. The mandate is the latest hurdle to D.C. small businesses who are desperately trying to recover from the past two years of restrictions and lockdowns. After ten visits in my first two weeks, I had achieved my lifelong dream of being a “regular.” I knew the owners by name, they knew how to cook my favorite burger, they even knew that my co-regular Marleigh Kerr required a special side of malt vinegar that can only be fetched from their large vat of vinegar in the basement. But on Tuesday, Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser stole my happy place — and the livelihoods of the men who operate it. Eric posted a tweet when the mandate went into effect on Jan. 15 that said, “As always, all are welcome.” After

JM Fellow Emily Jashinsky used to be a spokeswoman for Young America’s Foundation. Courtesy | YAF

Since starting my internship in Washington, D.C. last month, I’ve learned how much the average workplace absolutely depends on clear and communicative emailing. Whether you’re planning a semester in D.C. or being employed after graduation (I highly recommend both of these ideas), you’ll need to know how to send professional emails. Here are my suggestions:

1. Keep it classy. Some professors don’t see email formality as the endall-be-all (or telos for you classically-trained folks) of student-professor communication, and they sometimes opt out of greetings, closings, signatures, or even subject lines. That’s OK — they earned their degrees. As students, we may feel tempted to reflect their relaxed attitudes. In the workplace, however, always include these features. Likewise, keep font types and other stylistic qualities consistent and conservative.

dined on burgers Tuesday before the health department shut down the establishment. Hopefully the Big Board won’t suffer long. For the last 13 years, the Big Board has welcomed everybody — regardless of political ideology, race, religion, or medical status. And if Eric had his way, they still would be. If you’re able, donate to the Big Board’s GoFundMe, which you can find on Google. The small fund will cover property costs and salaries until the restaurant is allowed to open again. At the very least, take a trip to the Big Board if you’re ever in D.C. — if it reopens. We need more people who are willing to stand up for liberty and stand against D.C.’s draconian mandates, even when it costs them everything. Hillsdale should stand by Eric’s example.

kind of thing that would get me out of bed in the morning. What should journalists always carry? A recording device.

James Madison fellow Quick Hits: Emily Jashinsky By Maggie Hroncich Collegian Reporter Emily Jashinsky is a James Madison Fellow at Hillsdale’s Washington, D.C., campus. She is also the culture editor at The Federalist and director of the National Journalism Center. The Madison Fellowship is a 10-month long program for professionals who seek to deepen their education and restore the ideals of the founding. *The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Why did you become a Madison Fellow? I felt I had missed a big chunk of “the canon” in my secular education. I went to public school, K-12, and I went to a very liberal secular private school for college. What I appreciate about the fellowship is that it points you in the right direction with postmodern thought, which I had plenty of contact with, in college at a very liberal school. But wasn’t taught it in

a constructive way. So, while I’m very intimately familiar with those texts, reading them in the context of a Hillsdale fellowship is a different experience and I think it is also very constructive. I wanted to augment the secular education I’d gotten with one that fills in the gaps – I paid a lot of money at a private school to have those gaps. Why did you go into journalism? I like writing. I like working through my own thoughts in writing to get to the truth and to get to the best argument. For me, the best way that I can contribute to the good of the country. And as a Christian, it’s the way that I think I’m best suited to contribute to my faith and to my purpose, because I do enjoy writing and I am very motivated to think through the morality of these immediate and difficult questions. So that’s what pulled me to it. Being a kid in Wisconsin, I was super animated by the cultural divisions that are fomented by corporate America

A WHIP-ster’s How-To: professional emailing By Joe Coleman Collegian Reporter

heightened media attention, D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration threatened the restaurant, fined it $2,000, and ultimately revoked its liquor license for resisting the mandate. When the establishment continued serving food and soft drinks, D.C.’s health department shut it down completely, according to signage city officials posted on the restaurant’s windows. Bowser responded by saying that she “needs [the restaurant] to follow regulations.” The Big Board opened a little more than a decade ago. Its co-owner Eric Flannery started the restaurant with his brothers in honor of their late father, a single father who was a Navy Admiral of 38 years. The boys’ favorite meal was “the Admiral’s burger.” National outlets are now covering the Big Board’s story. Congressmen and senators

Of course, each individual can and should tailor an email to express their own personality, though forgetting to adhere to standard email conventions reflects poorly on your ability to communicate. Most bosses won’t assume that your empty subject line and lack of punctuation demonstrates your quirky minimalist lifestyle; rather, they’ll conclude you don’t care. Follow the rulebook and keep it professional. 2. The shorter, the better. “Brevity is the soul of wit” Polonius says in William

Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” as he endlessly chatters to the King and Queen of Denmark. When it comes to professional email composition, imitate Polonius in word rather than deed. Don’t sacrifice proper grammar and spelling for the sake of a compact message, like “The Office” character Kevin Malone ( “why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?”). Rather, trim excessive adjectives and figurative language. No boss or supervisor expecting to receive a quick, informative memo hopes to find Mil-

and legacy media. That was something I started putting my finger on very crudely in high school, and didn’t really understand until I read Charles Murray’s “Coming Apart” — but that that was really animating for me and journalism just seemed like the right fit as a vehicle to help solve that problem of elite disdain for ordinary Americans. If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be? I think I would probably be in the conservative movement somehow. Just because that’s what has always been animating for me. I don’t know what that would look like. My first job out of college wasn’t a journalism job. It was as the spokeswoman at Young America’s Foundation, so maybe I would still be in that position. But I think I would still be here in Washington, D.C., working for the conservative cause in some capacity. Whether it’s in the ideological battle, the political battle, I need to be a part of this in some way because it’s what really motivates me and it’s the ton-tier prose in its place. This isn’t a Great Books paper, and there is no minimum word count. Be brief. 3. Proofread. The email is drafted. It’s formal, it’s brief, and it gets the point across. The send button may tempt you — but resist. An email is not finished until it has been proofread. This step is both critical and simple. In fact, I have great news: you don’t even have to do this part yourself! Ask your roommate, your lab partner, your girlfriend (Whitley residents need not refer to the third suggestion), or anyone else. By leaving an email unedited, you risk confusing your contact with incorrect information. At the very least, a clumsy typo could expose you as fair fodder to office ridicule. Avoid that by proofreading.

Who has been your favorite person to interview? Oh, that’s the easiest question in the world: [feminist social critic and professor] Camille Paglia. I had the opportunity to sit down with her for about an hour a couple of years ago. It is the highlight of my career. It was the most incredible whirlwind of a conversation I could have ever conceived of; that is, the amount of knowledge that was just sort of dropped into my head by Paglia. What advice do you have for Hillsdale students who are thinking about studying or living in D.C.? My best piece of practical advice is to buy noise-canceling headphones. They make living in a city so much easier, especially when you’re young and have roommates or live in noisier areas. But my last practical piece of advice is just to really be mindful about being a good person. And it sounds hackneyed and cliched, but it’s very easy to get morally lost here and to get lost in the rush to advance your career or to advance your social standing. D.C. has a disproportionate focus on both of those goals. And the goal of being decent and contributing to the common good suffers when you prioritize those two goals. So, it’s absolutely essential to be mindful and grounded in the goal of being a good person. Being a bad person here can help you in the short term — you can leap over other people and stab people in the back, but in the long term, it absolutely doesn’t help in the conservative movement, because it’s a very small community. And Washington, D.C., is very small. So apart from being the right thing to do, being a good person will ultimately help you in your career and in the long run too. 4. Timing is key. Send your emails at the right time. In a professional environment, your coworkers will expect timely responses, and a needlessly late response suggests that you don’t respect their time. On a similar note, if you’re sending an email after hours, avoid doing so during the middle of the night. No one likes to be woken up by an Outlook notification at 1 a.m.. Instead, schedule the email to send at a reasonable hour. Like Thanos, emails are inevitable. In the workplace, your peers will expect you to know all the dos and don’ts. Hopefully, this guide elucidates some of the customs of email etiquette. For further info, check out our friends in Career Services. If you need practice, my address is jcoleman@ hillsdale.edu. Let’s take on the world of emailing like pros.

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QUICK HITS: Kevin Gerstle By Isaac Green Collegian Reporter Kevin Gerstle is an assistant professor of mathematics. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Do you have any obscure talents? One hobby I have that I like to think I’m pretty good at is speed running video games, but I also do an impersonation of Gollum from “Lord of the Rings.” What are some of the coolest things you have ever done? Traveling to China. It was an extremely interesting trip that really exposed me to different cultures, and I got to do things like walking on the Great Wall. If you could cast the lead role in a movie about your life, who would you want it to be? Johnny Depp because I think he would do a hilariously quirky job of it. Do you have any favorite memories from school? One of my favorite times in college was when we started up a club that watched “Mystery Science Theater 3000” every week which is this little show from the 90s that’s based around watching and making fun of old cheesy movies. Some of my best times in college were just doing that each Friday—watching old films and making fun of them incessantly. What are some terms you would generally use to describe yourself? Quirky, definitely. I’d say

I strive to be humorous as well. I love to make jokes and such in class. And then finally, I’d say light hearted. Do you play any instruments? Yes, I’ve played the piano for about 18 years. I’m a little bit out of practice, but I still like to pull out my keyboard every now and again at home, and it’s a good way to destress after a long day. What was your least favorite subject during school? Ironically, considering I just said I love taking piano lessons, probably my music classes that I had to take— mainly because those were so general and something that took me a long time to really get into. It wasn’t really until I started taking individual lessons that I started to enjoy it. Do you prefer to fly or drive on long trips? I would say fly for anything that’s more than seven hours or so—that’s about my limit for how far I’m willing to drive without getting too antsy about it. What is a simple thing that brings you happiness? I would say going for a walk in the middle of the day, just getting outside and stretching my legs. What are your top 3 favorite books? “Charm School” by Nelson DeMille, “Children of Time” by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. What technological breakthrough are you hoping for in the near future?

February 3, 2022 B5

Hillsdale’s Hidden Hobbies: Jack Duffy Junior shares all about kimchi, a traditional Korean dish

By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor Jack Duffy is a junior at Hillsdale College. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kevin Gerstle once travelled to Guilin, China. courtesy | Kevin Gerstle

Something I know I would personally really like is self-driving cars, which I know is sort of already a thing, but I would love it if it were more universally implemented and something I could actually use in my daily life as opposed to just hearing about all the tests that they’re doing. Do you speak any foreign languages? I’ve learned Chinese and French. I would say I’m fairly rusty at both of those, but I can still say a few things. What is your favorite

Kevin Gerstle goes kayaking. courtesy | Kevin Gerstle

class to teach? Abstract algebra because it’s the area of math that I’ve done research in in the past. I did my dissertation in it, and I think that it’s a really fun subject for exploring patterns. It combines some properties of geometry with algebra, and so it’s a lot of fun piecing together proofs and puzzles. When did you know that you wanted to teach? I was a TA in Chinese when I was in undergrad, and I really enjoyed getting to do that. I think by my junior or senior year of undergrad, I suspected I wanted to become a math professor. What is something that motivates you? Ice cream in general. If I had to pick a favorite flavor, though, I’d probably say cookies n’ cream or mint chocolate chip. What is some of the best advice you have ever received? Don’t be afraid to say no to things, because something that I’ve always struggled with is trying to maintain a proper balance of not stretching myself too thin like most Hillsdale students. There comes a time when you’re already overbooked, and you’ve already got too much going on, and I would say don’t be shy about saying no.

Laugh Attack: Student Shenanigans

How did you learn how to make kimchi? A couple years ago, a friend gave me a book called ‘Wild Fermentation’ by a man called Sandor Ellix Catz. It includes fermentations from all manner of cultures. There are some really strange African, American, German, and Korean ones. You name it, it’s in there. What is kimchi? Kimchi is a sour, Korean pickle. It is similar to sauerkraut but has different spices. What is the kimchi making process? First of all, you have to get your ingredients, which definitely includes cabbage and then whatever other vegetables you can get. It doesn’t really matter what vegetables you use—carrots, turnips, radishes, onion, garlic — you name it. You chop it all up and really the important thing is to create the ideal environment for the growth of this strain of bacteria called lactobacillus. What is lactobacillus? Basically lactobacillus is this fermentation bacteria that will eat all the sugar from the vegetables depending on how long you leave it. It will produce this kind of sour vinegar flavor as well as carbon dioxide. Kimchi is typically carbonated. The way to create the environment for this strain of bacteria is with salt. It’s really as simple as salting vegetables so that the water content is drawn out of them. You put them in a jar so that the brine covers the vegetables entirely, which prevents surface mold from growing. In that salty brine, this bacteria will start growing and kill out any other bacteria that could grow. Then it’s gonna do its thing—eat sugar and

create carbon dioxide. Can you change the flavor depending on how long you ferment it for? So you’ll get a culture in there within a day maybe. Traditionally, Koreans would dig holes and stick their croque of kimchi in the hole to keep the rate of fermentation down, so it will last longer. At a certain point it gets a bit too acrid. One of the joys of kimchi is tasting it at different stages, especially if you make a big batch you have the luxury of eating it throughout a long period of time. Is there any other way to change the flavor besides fermentation? The different vegetables you put in. And I suppose the most important thing that makes it kimchi as opposed to sauerkraut is the inclusion of some sort of red pepper. I use gochujang which you can buy at Kroger. Gochujang is a fermented soy bean and red pepper paste. So you throw that in. I like to throw fish sauce in as well. You can even throw in raw shrimp or scallops — that sort of thing. You can change how much garlic you have or how much ginger you throw in. There are a multitude of ways to manipulate flavors. What is the best way to eat kimchi? Typically I make kimchi fried rice with it, which is as simple as making rice by throwing some eggs and onions in it and then some kimchi. It’s delicious. But it’s also really good on its own. Do you ferment anything else? I make sauerkraut. I make cheese when I have the ingredients. I’ve made yogurts and hard ciders. Where does kimchi rank among your favorite toppings? When I have it, I eat it as often as I can. It is a staple of the Korean diet. I think the statistic is that Koreans will eat a quarter pound of kimchi a day.

A.M.O.G.U.S. supsends, too ‘sus’ for saga By Jillian Parks Collegian Freelancer Hillsdale’s American Men of God Society U.S. (A.M.O.G.U.S.) chapter officially disbanded on Feb. 1 after a roughly three-month experiment in self-government. The club’s name is a joke based on the hit online game “Among Us,” in which crewmates complete tasks on a spaceship while trying to uncover the identity of the “Impostor,” a role secretly assigned to one player at the beginning of the game. Any player acting suspicious, or “sus,” as it’s said in the game, risks being voted out. The society was initially formed in pursuit of acquiring what is referred to colloquially as the “track table” in Knorr Family Dining Hall. Every Monday during the lunch hour a small laminated card reading “The A.M.O.G.U.S

Society” sat atop the coveted location. “It’s an ideal location because we have the food really close to the table, but it’s not so close to the door that you get all the cold air when it’s open,” sophomore Shura Ermakov said. “It’s also one of the larger seating areas.” The society had an initiation process and a leadership board. During the ceremony, new members placed their hands on the salt shaker and said the lengthy oath borrowed from Reddit. “There is a swearing in thing you have to do,” junior and former member Judith Allison said. “I don’t really know what it is. I didn’t do it. I didn’t need to swear in. I was just like, ‘I am now part of this.’” According to former chancellor of the club freshman Donny McArdle, some of the various leadership positions included

“the Mystical Prince,” held by freshman Mark Sprague, and “Chief Ponderer of Orbs,” a position held by freshman Alex Mitchell. “Alex Mitchell is the one who ponders orbs,” McArdle said. “Micah VanderKooi — I forget his official title — something about finances. Those are probably the key players at the moment.” “The A.M.O.G.U.S Society isn’t an organization formed for a particular purpose or activity,” McArdle said. “It’s different for each of our members. It’s very specific to what each person wants to get out of it. And one of the main goals of the group is just to really focus on that.” The chapter contemplated big plans of international expansion before disbanding. A.M.O.G.S.A (South Africa chapter), A.M.O.G.B.A, (Barbados chapter) and A.M.O.G.U.K. (British chapter) were some

of the names discussed. The acronym was also malleable in terms of the “M,” since not all members were men. “Sometimes we refer to the females as ‘The A.W.O.G.U.S Society,’ so it’s really not exclusive,” Ermakov said. “Some females like myself have even been given positions in the society. I’m technically a spokesperson now.” While the A.M.O.G.U.S Society has finished its tasks for the last time, they will always be among us. McArdle sent an exclusive statement regarding their termination. “The A.M.O.G.U.S. Society was exposed as fraudulent and, therefore, exiled to northern Albania where there are no salt shakers for initiation rituals,” McArdle said. “A.M.O.G.U.S. was sus. We vented and have been voted out; gone but never forgotten.”

Jack Duffy makes kimchi over fried rice. courtesy | Jack Duffy

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February 3, 2022 B6

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Nickaylah Sampson (right) poses with fellow cadet Hannah Ball at West Point Academy. Courtesy | Nickaylah Sampson

Hillsdale gives new shot to cadet who refused vaccine ‘Draconian, unlawful vaccine’ pushes former cadet to leave West Point, transfer to Hillsdale By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor “When a dog has been abused and brought to shelter but they are still scared — that’s how I feel.” For sophomore Nickaylah Sampson, life at Hillsdale College is a stark contrast from her experience at West Point , where she was put in the “dirty platoon” and forced to share a bathroom and living quarters with 30 men during summer training. Her only means of privacy was a tarp hanging from the ceiling. The daughter of a military officer, Sampson enrolled at West Point ready to protect her country and follow in her father’s footsteps. Upon arriving at West Point, however, she faced name-calling, discrimination, and oppresion — all for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. “My solution was just to leave the army,” Sampson said. “As a Christian, the Bible says expose evil and take no part in it. I could never compromise my morals for a vaccine.” When concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine began to circulate among cadets in the spring of 2021, West Point assured them that no unvaccinated cadet would be negatively impacted by their vaccine status. “It was shocking how

quickly people turned on us,” said Hannah McDonald, a former cadet who also separated from West Point due to the vaccine. As summer training began, unvaccinated cadets were immediately set apart from their classmates. They were forced to wear masks both indoors and outdoors and called “crazy” and “science deniers” by their commanding officers. “During the summer they actually started to treat us

“Everything was about feelings. But this is not summer camp — it’s the army.” poorly,” Sampson said. “Cadets would point and laugh at us for wearing masks. We were put in our own platoon, and we got in trouble for not wearing our masks while sitting next to each other. We were all written up.” West Point also violated the unvaccinated cadets’ medical privacy, according to McDonald. “When they created the

Nickaylah Sampson and Hannah McDonald pose in uniform. courtesy | Nickaylah Sampson

spreadsheet for our summer platoon, they had accidentally released it to our class, so all of our classmates knew our vaccination status,” McDonald said. “When we brought this up to our officers, they told us that HIPAA is not the be all and end all.” According to Sampson and McDonald, they faced a myriad of other punitive measures. Unvaccinated cadets were forced to attend a “re-education brief,” and denied off-campus access. Sampson said she was eventually kicked off the women’s crew team because her coach claimed it was unethical for her to continue coaching an unvaccinated cadet. “It was clear that there was a lack of care for science and for logic,” McDonald said. “It led me to believe that it was all about coerciveness and not about health.” Although the vaccine mandate was what eventually led Sampson and McDonald to leave West Point, both said they were also dissatisfied with the Academy’s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusivity. According to Sampson, required reading in freshman English and psychology classes focused on racism, and the Academy hosted a “stand down day” dedicated to racism. “Everything was about feelings,” Sampson said. “But this is not summer camp — it’s the army.” On Sept. 27, 2021, tensions finally came to a head. West Point’s 35 unvaccinated cadets were brought to a briefing room and informed by their brigade tactical officer that the Academy had instituted a vaccine mandate. The cadets were told that they would not be allowed to leave the room without signing a document acknowledging that they were disobeying direct orders. While they were told that they would be allowed to seek legal counsel, no lawyers or judge advocate generals were present at the time. “We were essentially told in the most dystopian, draconian way that the legality of this order is not to be questioned. This is an order from the secretary of defense. You have no right to question it,” Sampson said. Still, McDonald did. “I explained that West Point did not have the FDA-approved Pfizer Comir-

naty vaccine. It was not in mass distribution. Everything that we had was Emergency Use Authorization-approved. You cannot force a soldier to take something that is only EUA-approved.” McDonald said she was told she was correct but that “the small legal distinction didn’t matter.” Cadets were ultimately given the option to receive the vaccine, to apply for religious or medical exemption, or to separate from the Academy. Sampson resigned from West Point in October with an honorable discharge. Of the unvaccinated cadets, 10 chose to get the vaccine while the rest, barring Sampson, applied for exemptions. Since then, all medical and religious exemptions have been denied according to Samposn and McDonald. McDonald applied for a religious exemption but withdrew from the Academy before her appeal was processed. “I read the writing on the wall and realized that it was going nowhere,” McDonald said. “I was deeply disappointed in the institution because I had been so eager to serve and to lay my life down for others, and that’s not what they wanted from me. It was all about a political game.” Although Sampson’s friends and family supported her decision to leave West Point, she said that she still felt lost in the aftermath. “I was forced out of the only life I knew,” Sampson said. “I didn’t know what to do. I had no job, no friends, no school.” According to Sampson, it was the grace of God and Hillsdale’s Chief of Staff Mike Harner who led her to the college. “He read about me and Hannah in a Gateway Pundit article and asked the author of the article for our information,” Sampson said. “He emailed us and told us that we were more than welcome to apply to Hillsdale.” Harner, a retired naval officer, said he believes the unvaccinated cadets were treated differently by West Point. “I understand what it is to make a commitment, and I understand what direct orders are, but West Point put a process in place to appeal those things and then they didn’t allow those appeals to occur,” Harner said. “They had this religious appeal process, but

Nickaylah Sampson left West Point Academy in October 2021. courtesy | Nickaylah Sampson

they did not approve any. Why have the process in place if you are going to do that?” Since arriving at Hillsdale, Sampson said the welcoming community has been “like an answer to a prayer.” “The amount of freedom I

“It was clear that there was a lack of care for science and for logic. It led me to believe that it was all about coerciveness and not about health.”

suddenly have is unnerving,” Sampson said. “But God is slowly bringing me out of that by helping me meet new people.” Sampson, who plans to major in math with a minor in classical education, says she has been amazed by the quality of the education. “I have already learned

more about the country in one week of Constitution class than I have in a year and a half at West Point,” Sampson said. “This is the most patriotic, God-honoring place that I have ever experienced.” McDonald, who deferred her acceptance for personal reasons, hopes to matriculate in the fall. “Hillsdale seems like it emphasizes a lot of things that were missing from what I was originally looking for in West Point,” McDonald said. “It felt like there was such a spirit of thankfulness within the students at Hillsdale. They were thankful for the opportunity they had to learn there and they were thankful for America.” Although Sampson said her experience has left her disillusioned with the military and doubtful of America’s ability to defend itself, it has also been a time of growth. “I realized that my passion lies elsewhere,” Sampson said. “Originally I was going to do air defense artillery, which is typically revered as a good job, but I find that my passion lies in education—in raising kids to love God and to inspire others to seek Christ through education–basically in doing what Hillsdale is doing.”