Collegian 11.30.2023

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Vol. 147 Issue 13 – November 30, 2023

Snow fell in Hillsdale Sunday, Nov. 26, as students returned to campus after Thanksgiving break.

Erik TEder | Collegian

New Kappa Alpha Psi chapter to form on campus

By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter Hillsdale College’s department of economics, business, and accounting hopes to start a chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi business fraternity by the end of the spring semester.

“Business is the way that free people take care of themselves and others,” Department Chair and Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele said. “It’s central to our system of self-government.”

The fraternity will be connected to the national Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and seeks to involve students of all majors in business. In order to be a chapter of the fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi will have a minimum of 40 members.

“A lot of people come here for a more traditional liberal arts education,” Assistant Professor of Business Doug Johnson said. “After they leave

Hillsdale, they may want to go in a different direction, and we want to provide an opportunity for those people to have some experience in business.”

Steele said for students who are non-business majors, the fraternity will help with their resumes and allow them to gain experience.

“We have really capable people across all majors,” Steele said. “What a business fraternity can do for them is help them get a foot in the door.”

It has been more than 10 years since Hillsdale College has had a general business club.

The previous club, Students in Free Enterprise, was active in the 2000s.

“Students in Free Enterprise changed the name to Enactus, because some of the international chapters didn’t like the phrase ‘free enterprise,’” Steele said. “We now have an accounting club, but it’s very specialized.

Praxis is our economics club,

Mark Simon visits campus, speaks on Jimmy Lai’s plight

Mark Simon spoke to the Alexander Hamilton Society during his visit to campus.

Courtesy | facebook

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor As Jimmy Lai spent his 1,197th day in prison on Nov. 20, his “right-hand man” Mark Simon told Hillsdale faculty why the Hong Kong dissident refused to escape the country before his arrest.

“Somebody said to him, ‘Jimmy, why won’t you leave?’”

Simon said. “He said, ‘I don’t want my kids to think that for 25 years I drove this thing, pushed this thing along and then all of a sudden, when times get tough, I leave thousands of people in jail.’ He said, ‘I’ve had a good life.’”

Before his August 2020 arrest, the pro-democracy activist and media tycoon was pub-

lisher of Apple Daily, a Hong Kong newspaper shut down by Beijing in 2021. Simon was one of his top advisers and a senior executive at Apple Daily.

“It’s a blur because this person would be picked up and that person would be questioned,” Simon said. “Three or four hundred cops at least came out to Apple Daily. Jimmy was arrested and paraded around the newsroom in handcuffs.”

Simon met with faculty in a private luncheon in the Dow Hotel and Conference Center, sat down with College President Larry Arnn, and spoke to students at the Alexander Hamilton Society.

See Simon A2

but this would also tie Hillsdale to a national organization.”

Hillsdale College also has a business honorary, although students are not admitted to the honorary until they are about to graduate.

“The professional fraternity is a developmental activity over the course of your time at Hillsdale College,” Johnson said.

The new fraternity will host speakers and provide networking opportunities, and students will have the opportunity to participate in business case competitions.

“In case competitions, students go and compete with other students to solve business problems,” Steele said. “It provides a great experience in problem solving, professional presentations, and connecting with each other.”

Case competitions also allow Hillsdale students to get recognition in the professional world.

“This provides an opportunity for the students, but also exposes people to what Hillsdale has to offer,” Johnson said.

“It enhances the reputation of our students.”

Steele said students may also do some pro bono work.

“We’ll likely be doing some pro bono work in terms of consulting, either for friends of the college or for people here in Hillsdale County,” Steele said.

Johnson said the fraternity will meet the desires of the students and enhance the reputation of Hillsdale College’s business students.

“What the fraternity ultimately becomes will be determined by the students,” Johnson said. “It’s the students’ organization.”

Sophomore and marketing major Summerlin Williams said she sees the fraternity as an opportunity to gain experience for a variety of the fields that she is interested in.

“I came to Hillsdale interested in business, but not sure that I wanted to go into business so this is a great way to see the opportunities in the field,” Williams said. “Having opportunities that will help foster my abilities in business will help me either know how to run my own practice as an ophthalmologist, or be able to completely own and produce my own music and transactions.”

Junior and president of Hillsdale College’s American Marketing Association chapter Carlie Steele said she hopes that Kappa Alpha Psi and the American Marketing Association can work together to enhance the abilities of business students.

“It’s important for business students not to get pigeonholed into their specific focus,” Steele said. “I think that this will help to round them out, and bring together all of the people in the department and help them to learn about business.”

Metz builds connections with Chick-fil-A

By Tayte Christensen Collegian Reporter Hillsdale students may soon eat “Mor Chikin” as Hillsdale College Dining Services works toward bringing Chick-fil-A to campus.

Metz Executive Chef Adam Harvey said the dining service’s goal could mean a physical building on campus in the future.

“We just want to establish relationships with Chickfil-A,” he said. “Eventually, we want them on campus in some capacity, whether that be an established building or not.”

As a company, Metz International’s standing relationship with Chick-fil-A allows it to bring the restaurant’s food to college campuses across the country, said general manager of Hillsdale College Dining Services Jeffery Cassell.

“Metz International has a relationship with Chickfil-A,” he said. “That relationship looks different depending on the college. On some campuses, we run Chick-fil-A Express.”

While having a brickand-mortar restaurant on Hillsdale’s campus is not an option quite yet, Cassell said Metz will continue to build a relationship with Chick-fil-A.

“Chick-fil-A’s values really align with that of Metz and of the college,” Cassell said. “That is something that is really important to us because if we are going to partner with a company, we want to make sure that we hold similar values and are working to promote the same things.”

Chick-fil-A has made frequent appearances this semester in the Knorr Family Dining Room, said Tammy Cole, Metz operations manager.

“These Chick-fil-A nights have been happening about every two weeks,” Cole said. “We heard from students that they wanted more options for dining. And at Metz, we wanted to bring in something innovative for students to enjoy.”

The next Chick-fil-A night in the dining hall will take place on reading day, Dec. 6, at dinner.

Getting these hundreds of Chick-fil-A sandwiches to campus takes some logistical planning, Cole said.

“We place an order with Chick-fil-A, and they do two deliveries – one at about 5 p.m. and another at around 7 p.m.,” she said. “There are about 400 sandwiches in each order, so a total of about 800 sandwiches every time.”

Outside the dining hall, Cole said Chick-fil-A has made

appearances at various campus sporting events.

“It’s been popular,” she said.

“We’ve done it in that way in part to get a crowd to come support Hillsdale athletics, and it’s been effective.”

Cassell said ultimately, Metz wants to do what it can to best serve Hillsdale students.

“It’s all about what Metz can bring to the table,” he said. “We as Metz want to enhance our offerings on campus.”

If Metz is able to bring Chick-fil-A to campus in a more permanent way, Cassell said he hopes it would provide students with a feeling of home.

“It was brought to my attention that only 17% of Hillsdale’s student population is from Michigan, and Chick-fil-A is hard to find in Michigan,” he said. “That means that all other students are from places where Chick-fil-A has more of a presence. For these students, Chick-fil-A is like a taste of home, and we want to be able to bring that to them as much as we can.”

Cassell said the Chick-fil-A nights in the dining hall will continue despite the cost of the events.

“It’s not cheap,” he said. “My debit card hurts twice a month now. But we’ve heard good student feedback, and we are going to continue this.”

Hillsdale expands charter school network

By Elyse Apel Digital Editor This year, the Hillsdale K-12 Education program has expanded the schools in its network to 106.

As more American K-12 students switch to public charter schools every year, the program continues to grow, said Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 Education.

“We are growing every day due to an overwhelming amount of interest in quality K-12 education and the work of Hillsdale College,” O’Toole said. “We get calls and emails nearly every day with the same encouraging request ‘I want to start a classical school in my community, can you help?’ We answer this question with a resounding yes.”

The K-12 Education program partners, at no cost, with charter schools around the nation to bring a classical education curriculum to students and training for teachers and school leaders.

College President Larry Arnn said it is important to remember that schools are local and should be controlled locally.

“The overarching thing wrong with most things the government does is centralization. The national government cannot be good at controlling everything.

Local things are better locally controlled,” Arnn said.

“Schools are very much local in their nature. Chief authority in them should be in the schools, where the teachers and the parents are gathered with children.”

Charter schools and the K-12 Education program helps students achieve a deeper education, Arnn said.

“Everybody there has responsibility for something they have a keen interest in achieving,” Arnn said.

See Charter A2

A2 November 30, 2023

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Mock trial teams split to finish fall season

By Zachary Chen Collegian Freelancer Scary Decisis and De Novo Member, two of Hillsdale College’s three mock trial teams, finished with winning records for the fall after competing in their last tournaments of the semester the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Scary Decisis finished second overall at the Soda City Trials in South Carolina with a record of 7-1, according to sophomore Ashley Poole. It faced off against four teams: University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Georgia Tech University, and University of Virginia.

Poole said the tournament was a good opportunity to compete with teams from other parts of the country.

“It was really fun because it had the best teams of the South in it. We’re up north, obviously, and it’s good to get a feel for how different regions have different styles of mock trial,” Poole said.

Two Scary Decisis members, seniors Konrad Verbaarschott and Abigail Davis, also earned individual awards, according to junior Nathan Emslie. Verbaarschott was the only competitor in the tournament to earn an outstanding witness award for both prosecution and defense.

According to Poole, the tournament was the team’s best performance this semester.

“Everyone being at the peak of their argumentation and then having amazing competitors – it was just a great weekend all around to end the season on,” Poole said.

According to freshman Miriam Ahern, De Novo member, competed in the Badger the Witness Invitational tournament at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, taking on Washington University, Univer-

Simon from A1 Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella ’91, who accompanied Simon during his visit to campus, said there was “no better place” than Hillsdale to tell Lai’s story.

“It was a very frank discussion of Mr. Lai’s storybook journey from mainland China as a young man to the oncefree shores of Hong Kong,” Cella said, “and how he prospered and was drawn into the cause of freedom and human rights, beginning with the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.”

Simon said he wanted to visit Hillsdale both because he was curious about the college and interested in sparking a discussion on the classical view of human rights.

“Is there an opportunity at a place like Hillsdale to have a discussion on human rights based on a deeper understanding of morality?” Simon said.

“Based on the type of curriculum and the type of education that comes to people from Hillsdale.”

Gary Wolfram, chair of the economics and business department, said Simon’s visit was “a feather in the college’s cap.”

“Jimmy Lai is a symbol of the battle between a system of individual liberty and market capitalism and communism,” Wolfram said. “It was interesting to hear about Hong Kong

sity of Minnesota, and two Macalester College teams.

De Novo Member finished the tournament with a score of 7-5.

“We were apparently half a ballot away from placing,” Ahern said. “We had great competition, too – we got to go up against some really good teams.”

According to Ahern, the tournament was a great learning experience against excellent competition.

“Overall, it went really well,” Ahern said. “We had definitely learned a lot, and because we were so far along in the season, we had our material memorized, so we were just able to have fun with it.”

Jon Hovance, a freshman De Novo Member, said the team rose to the challenge of better competition in this tournament.

“This was definitely our best tournament, performance-wise,” Hovance said. “We hit teams that were much better than we’d seen before, and we held up against them.”

According to Hovance, De Novo Member’s captains, junior Natalie LeBlanc and senior Justin Lee, performed well individually in the tournament. LeBlanc won a witness award and Lee won both a witness award and an attorney award.

According to Hovance, the last tournament of the fall season was bittersweet.

“We were all sad that this was our last tournament together – the teams will change up for the spring season,” Hovance said. “We’ve definitely grown a lot together.”

Looking forward to next semester, Poole said that the teams are eager to compete in the spring.

“This is a great way to see where we’re at for the spring season,” Poole said. “We’ll be going to regionals in early and late February, and we’re very excited to represent Hillsdale next semester.” and Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment from someone who is directly involved and who knows him personally.”

Apple Daily was heavily critical of Beijing and the Chinese Communist Party.

Simon said he and Lai had physical confrontations with the CCP and Triads, a Chinese transnational organized crime syndicate.

When Lai was facing a murder threat in Taiwan, Simon said he slept with a baseball bat in a van for two nights where Lai was staying.

“We showed up and there were two security guards there who were older than my father,” Simon said. “Taiwan, fortunately, is a baseball place, so myself and another guy got baseball bats and slept outside of his house for two nights at different times just to make sure.”

Lai is currently awaiting a December trial on national security charges that could keep him in prison for the rest of his life.

Simon said he expects Lai will be found guilty, but says there is a “50-50 chance” the trial will be postponed, as it has been before.

“The reason why they’ll kick it is because it’d be a 75-day trial,” Simon said. “If you’re the Chinese and Hong Kong government, do you want the spotlight on you for 75 days, or would you rather just kick it?”

How to: Advertise with The Collegian

To advertise in The Collegian, please contact Nathan Stanish at nstanish@hillsdale.edu.

Tower Dancers to perform in fall concert

By Isaac Green News Editor The Hillsdale College Tower Dancers will perform original works featuring ballet, contemporary, and modern dance styles at their fifth annual fall concert Dec. 3 in Markel Auditorium. Student performers choreographed the entire concert for the second year in a row.

“Like all other visual arts, dance is an encounter with beauty, an ideal that is very important to Hillsdale students,” senior choreographer and dancer Lucy Fernandes said.

Junior Tower Dancers Laura Luke and Hannah Tully will direct the excerpts from Act II of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” according to a Hillsdale College press release.

The student dance company, which has grown to 25 members this semester, is collaborating with professors in the theater and dance departments for the performance, according to Fernandes.

“We have to coordinate everything from press releases and social media to blocking on the stage and lighting cues,” Fernandes said.

The concert will allow the performers to express their creativity and grow in understanding of the art, according to Fernandes.

“They are not just executing movements and being told what to do, but instead, they are in charge of every aspect of the performance: the dance’s lighting, costuming, music,” Fernandes said.

Campus Rec hosts first pickleball tournament

By Eleanor Whitaker Collegian Reporter Juniors Jadon Camero and Alex Thomas won Campus Rec’s first-ever pickleball tournament Nov. 15 at the George C. Roche Sports Complex. Their prize was a jar of pickles.

“Pickleball is growing. It must be popular with how many people showed up with their own paddles and clearly have been playing a lot,” said Campus Rec events team lead and sophomore Ethan Bock.

The single-elimination tournament bracket included 17 teams of two players.

“Neither one of us had played in a little while, so we were slightly worried,” Camero said. “But we decided we’re just gonna have fun. If we win, we win, and even if we don’t, it’s still pickleball.”

Camero and Thomas said they gained experience with pickleball by spending their college vacations playing with friends.

“The best people to play with are anywhere from 50 to 65,” Camero said. “Playing against them and having them absolutely beat up on you when you start makes you want to get better much quicker.”

Camero said he thinks the fast pace of the game makes it appealing to college students.

“It was a surprise how many people showed up, but I think that is because the game is so quick,” Camero said. “You’re going to get through three or four games pretty quick.”

Students were not the only participants in the tournament.

Nathan Schlueter, professor of philosophy and religion, advanced to the second round with his teammate, freshman Joseph Brecount.

“I’ve always resisted playing pickleball because it looked like just old people played it,” Schlueter said.

Sophomore Peter Kazarian and junior Clay Havens (left to right) competed in the pickleball tournament Nov. 15.

Kyle Johns | Campus REc

Charter from A1 “Our charter school effort helps to make this possible. The college has a deep knowledge of all the subjects taught in school.

We make that available to the charter schools. They take it and use it to build great schools for the people they know and love.”

O’Toole said she sees the unique nature of charter schools as a benefit for all communities.

“Hillsdale classical public charter schools are unique in that they make an excellent education accessible to all students,” O’Toole said. “Because the schools are started based on community interest, they are located in a wide variety of demographics. Some are quite rural, others in the middle of cities. Some serve a low income population, others do not. Some schools have a higher need for special education teachers, others do not. We emphasize the community because these schools thrive when they are integrated in their local communities.”

Charter schools are enroll-

ing more and more of America’s public school students every year.

According to a report from the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, during the 2020-21 school year, charter schools enrolled 7.5% of all public school students. This was up from 6.8% in the 2019-20 school year.

O’Toole said the increase is very positive.

“For a number of reasons, the classical education movement has accelerated in the past few years,” she said. “It has been wonderful to see the overwhelming interest in returning to a tried and true way of educating human beings in intellectual and moral virtue.”

Currently, the Hillsdale K-12 Education program has 23 member schools, 14 candidate member schools, and 69 curriculum schools across 33 states.

O’Toole said member schools work very closely with K-12 Education.

“We have a very close relationship with our member schools, typically working with

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them from their inception,” she said.

Candidate member schools are in the process of becoming member schools, while Curriculum Schools hold a license to use K-12 Education’s K-12 Program Guide.

“Whether the individual is inspired by our curricular recommendations or their group goes on to found a member school, we hope this sets them on a path toward a deeper understanding of classical education and themselves,” O’Toole said.

K-12 Education recently began a School Leader Fellowship program to help fill the nationwide need for school leaders.

“The most essential element as a school looks to open is hiring the right school leader, and the necessary personality traits, experience, and educational background vary depending on the founding group, the local area, state requirements, etc. We have a thorough vetting process for these individuals, but the demand simply

“But I have a brother-in-law who put a court in his driveway a couple of years ago. He wanted to get everyone playing, and I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. It was super fun, and we got very competitive.”

Schlueter played pickleball with a group of students a few times before the tournament and said he admired the skill level of the other competitors.

“We were overmatched a lot more than we thought we were going to be,” Schlueter said. “When we play with this group of students, we usually do pretty well. But that group of students at the tournament was clearly a step above where we were.”

As a brand-new event, the pickleball tournament is part of Campus Rec’s renewed efforts to be involved on campus, according to Bock.

Bock said Campus Rec will likely hold this event again.

“There were some people that I know have never played pickleball before,” Bock said.

“And then there were other people that showed up with their own paddles who have a lot of experience. It was a nice mix.” outweighs the supply,” O’Toole said. “This fellowship is new, but has already proven successful with Isaac Johnson, our first fellow, accepting a dean’s position at Cincinnati Classical Academy.”

The fellowship provides an individual the opportunity to work in a Hillsdale-associated school, shadow a headmaster through the school year, participate in leadership training, and work closely with the K-12 Education office.

O’Toole said K-12 Education is thrilled to offer a classical education to students around the country.

“The reach of classical schools goes far beyond the students – into conversations at the dinner table, the way they carry themselves doing extra curricular activities and sports, and more,” O’Toole said. “Students in these classical charter schools are shaping their character, who they are as people, and we are thrilled that anyone can participate in this form of education.”

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A3 Helluva deal: College raises $50,000 after auctioning off a date with Dr. Strasburg See C2

Quiz: Are you a good enough liar to be a student ambassador?

See C2

Unexpected: Freshman friend group falls apart at end of first semester See C6

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Seniors’ honeymoon baby born just four months after wedding

By Angel Backer Opinions Czar Newlywed seniors Edgar and Margaret Jones had a very special surprise for family and friends earlier than anyone expected.

“Miracle baby” Chastity Jones was born Nov. 27, 2023 — only four months after her parents’ Grand Canyon wedding and honeymoon.

“We are so happy to announce the birth of our

sweet miracle baby, Chastity,” Margaret said in an Instagram post. “Our love was so intense that, in just four months of pregnancy, Chastity developed at unparalleled rates. Help us welcome our healthy, 7 lb 8 ounce girl into the world!”

Some students doubt the validity of the couple’s claims, saying Margaret was probably pregnant before the wedding took place.

“Those two are always

all over each other in the library,” junior Paul D. Anderson said. “I think the baby was obviously conceived before marriage.”

“I had baby bio with those two and they never really seemed to understand the reproduction section of class,” senior Angela Core said.

“Whenever the professor said things like ‘ovary’ or ‘testes,’ they’d both plug their ears and yell ‘yucky.’”

The Jones family refuted

these claims in a series of Instagram stories after the birth.

“Over the course of eight months, we waited patiently to express our love to one another within the confines of marriage,” @ejonesfatherof1 wrote. “Five months of dating and three months of wedding planning is a long time to wait for one another, but we did. My father is a pastor, and so I know how important this stuff is.”

The curious claim has

sparked the interest of several biology professors on campus, who have been studying the baby and the mother.

“That was definitely a shotgun wedding,” Dr. Barry Obvious said. “It’s insane that they’re going about it this way. No one would care if she was pregnant before the wedding.”

Margaret has made a series of vlogs since the birth under the Youtube handle @miraclemommy21.

“I don’t think there are enough Christian mommy influencers out there,” Margaret said. “I really think filming Chastity’s every move will help her and I bond — and, with any luck, we might even get on Dr. Phil.”

While the questions about Chastity’s conception remain unanswered, one thing’s for sure: she looks cute as a button in her Saga high chair.

College comes clean on endowment Next week in

By Pillian Jarks Financial Reporter

hard it is to get students to agree upon something like this — it makes perfect sense to just divide it amongst the student body.”

That’s exactly what the college decided to do. With roughly 1,500 students to account for, the college has pledged $600,000 per person.

“I marched into Moeggenberg’s office and said ‘If

think this is an obvious next step for the college.

“On the surface, sure — the college was already paying for me to go here,” Brysun Grateful said. “I won’t have to graduate with debt. People I’d never met were pledging tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships so that I was more free to focus on enjoying my young adulthood. But get-

Hillsdale College decided to divide its $900 million endowment among its students following the revelation that it’s just a big sum of money in a vault below Central Hall.

The discovery happened when a group of sophomores broke into the restricted tunnels connecting the Strosacker Science Building and Central Hall.

“We knew we had to break into this one room,” sophomore Rich Boy said.

“The door was metal and had a big spinning gear like from a bank. It said “Endowment” in big red letters. We opened it and found this huge swimming pool full of money.”

Since the pool was uncovered, the college has been forced to acquiesce to increasing scholarship money for its students.

“This was the easiest One artist’s rendition of the college’s endowment. way to get the students Claire Gaudet | Collegian to shut up about ‘seeing more endowment money,’” college employee Ann you really think about it, ting the $600,000 lump sum Oyed said. “I’m so sick and with that much money, I truis more fun.” tired of hearing these kids ly don’t understand why we Some of the more philansay they need more money.” aren’t seeing more benefits,’” thropic students plan to do“I don’t think it was ever Dime said. “To be fair, I don’t nate their funds to building a unreasonable of students to really know what the money Chipotle in the old snack bar, ask for some of the endowwas going to before this, but securing Yung Gravy to play ment money,” senior Nickel I know my ideas for it are at CHP, building a seasonal N. Dime said. “I was student definitely more fun, more ice skating rink in the quad body president of my 12-perawesome, and more cool.” for the winter months, and son high school. I know how Many students said they investing in a big chocolate

volcano that erupts in Saga every hour.

Some administrators are not excited about the recent development.

“The endowment doesn’t work like that,” disgruntled administrator Erin Petersyn said. “It’s specific money set for specific projects and funds. A lot of it is already invested or pledged to certain departments and meant to sustain more classes than just the one that is currently here.

This is the least financially sound decision the college has made since they got Buzz Lightyear as commencement speaker.”

For now, students seem satisfied with the college’s response to the discovery.

“I’m not trying to complain, sound ungrateful, or assume that there aren’t dozens of salaried adults devoted to allotting that money appropriately,” senior Penny Pincher said. “I’m just happy we’ve started doing something epic and cool with all this money that’s just lying around.”

Mock rock choreographer to coach Charger football

By Steven K. Smith Football/Dance Enthusiast The search for Coach Otterbein’s replacement is over, as the college opted to hire the brains behind Hillsdale’s latest mock rock winner, Joey McMann, to coach the team in the upcoming season.

“The college feels Charger football will benefit from a fresh perspective on football and its training regimen, and we are excited to welcome McMann to the team,” the college said in its press release.

McMann, who proved instrumental in clinching the Simpson’s 2023 Homecoming win, plans to go back to the drawing board on football plays.

“Turning this program around will require a lot of energy and a lot of footwork

but the fundamentals will remain the same,” McMann said.

“When you think about dancing and football, at first all you think they have in common is really tight pants.

But, at their heart, they’re both about camaraderie, effort, and big motions,” McMann continued. “In the past, our football team has been too much chest and not enough hips. We won’t be back until we can throw it back with the best of them.”

Some members of the football team were hesitant to accept McMann’s methods.

“He’s really unorthodox, and the workload is a little much,” linebacker Matt Homes said. “We’ve had to double our training, and half of it is twerking. I don’t know how to feel about the twerking.”

Quarterback Darin Dodg-

ers agreed, adding that he misses elements of the old program.

“Sometimes I wish we’d go back to running it down the middle,” Dodgers said. “We’re good at running it down the middle.”

Tight end Bob Growski, though, said that the methods don’t matter so long as he reaches his goals.

“Honestly, I don’t care how he coaches,” Growski said.

“Simpson wins homecoming almost every year, and I’d like to win a game almost every year, too.”

McMann, while acknowledging the criticism, emphasized his winning background.

“I’m coming from a program with nine championships in the last 15 years,” McMann said. “This year, Simpson won against a particularly competitive field

that included the cross country team, somehow.”

Assistant coach Billy Check defended McMann.

“The guys may not like it, but football’s an evolving sport,” Check said. “Maybe it’s time we brought the change, and if that change means twerk, then we’ll twerk.”

When asked what fans can expect from football games this season, McMann was optimistic.

“I think you’ll see a lot of energy on the field, a lot of quick feet, and a lot of backflips,” McMann said. “We’re following in the footsteps of the best: Tom Brady, Troy Bolton, Shakira, all the greats.

And we’re doing it to music, too. Wouldn’t be a practice without a little white girl pop.”

The Collision:

- Andrew Tate named 2025 commencement speaker - SAB event has record-breaking 12 sober attendees - 25 students taken down by Hillsdale Police in raw milk sting operation - Fraternity man hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, dropped for being a lightweight - Politics department beats out philosophy for ‘Most Annoying Students’ award - Agronomic study finds Broadlawn soil is 60% Pinot Grigio - Student deletes Tiktok, now addicted to Instagram reels - Documentary Filmmaking class announces new film: ‘Falsely Accused: The Joe Bruneau Story’ - CampusNet crashes as 500 students attempt to post their Spotify wrapped - Student featured on Jimmy Fallon show for yo-yoing - Simpson resident breaks world record for consecutive days without showering - Chargers offer Ohio State coach Ryan Day job as third base coach - Registered Splex offender found hiding inside Charlie Charger suit

- Male students delete Instagram accounts at record rates due to influx of sorority rush graphics

City News A4 November 30, 2023

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Bruneau faces charges after wife was ‘in fear for her life’ Hillsdale College Security warned faculty, staff, and students of Bruneau last month

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter Joseph Robert Bruneau, banned from campus by Hillsdale College Security, now faces two additional charges of larceny and resisting an officer following his Oct. 12 arrest for domestic violence.

The original police report for his domestic violence charge states Bruneau’s wife showed up to the sheriff ’s office prior to his arrest with “a large bruise on the left side of her chin/jawline area” and told an officer she is “in fear for her life,” according to the report.

College security sent an email on Oct. 9 to faculty, staff, and students warning them to call 911 if approached

by Bruneau. If Bruneau returns to campus, he will be trespassing, according to college security.

When Michigan State Police arrested Bruneau on the morning of Oct. 12, an additional larceny charge was in place concerning an incident that took place at Hillsdale College on Oct. 2.

According to a document obtained by The Collegian, a 13-year-old boy was in Howard Music Hall “sitting on a bench outside of his music instructor’s office waiting for his lesson when he noticed a

man sitting across from him.”

The man was Bruneau, who talked to the boy about how he had found a phone left on a bench with a driver’s license and an ID card in its case. Bruneau told the boy he “was going to take the phone with him so it didn’t fall into the wrong hands,” according to the document.

A Hillsdale student reported to campus security the following day that his phone disappeared after he left it on a bench in Howard during a lesson.

The same document includes a transcript of an interview that took place in the jail, where Bruneau claimed “he was intending to give [the phone] back to the owner” but it was “not in Michigan.”

Bruneau’s court date for the domestic violence charge is set for Feb. 7, 2024, while no date has been set for the larceny charge.

In 2018, Bruneau sued the City of Hillsdale and several officers with the Hillsdale Police Department.

“Bruneau alleges that on Sept. 4, 2014, the Defendants repeatedly tasered him while he was being treated at the Hillsdale Community Health Center… even though he was restrained, with his wrists and ankles strapped securely to the gurney,” read documents

Joeseph Bruneau is banned from campus.

Courtesy | JoeBruneau.com

obtained by The Collegian.

A district judge dismissed the case because the alleged events took place four years

prior to the filing of any charges.

Also in 2018, Bruneau filed a lawsuit accusing his former

school, Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, of discrimination concerning his alleged disability status.

Aquinas expelled him in 1990 and had also issued a “no trespass” order against him in February 2016 after an incident on campus.

In its response to the lawsuit, the school said Bruneau “interrupted a class in progress” and “engaged in harassing, disruptive, erratic, and intimidating conduct toward several students.”

After security personnel asked Bruneau to leave campus, Bruneau “pulled a rock out of his bag and indicated it was a weapon.”

Bruneau also “pulled out a razor and was dry shaving his face in front of the officers, made sexually suggestive and intimidating remarks to the officers, and started taking off clothes.”

The Grand Rapids Police Department arrived at the scene and arrested Bruneau for criminal trespass. They also conducted a search of Bruneau’s bags, which were found to contain “women’s underwear, sexual toys, and bondage paraphernalia.”

As part of the lawsuit, the defense team representing Aquinas College found four past criminal convictions: “a 2001 conviction for felony

assault of a police officer in Ohio; a 2000 guilty plea and conviction for criminal sexual conduct fourth degree; a 2014 guilty plea and conviction for disturbing the peace; and the 2016 guilty plea and conviction for trespass.”

Bruneau alleges that the criminal sexual conduct charge in 2000 arose from “spanking a man and telling him to get back to work,” and not an act of violence.

The defense also found an additional charge for “malicious destruction of property” after Bruneau “drove a vehicle through the window of a Honda dealership and smashed property with a baseball bat,” according to the lawsuit. The jury in that case found the plaintiff not guilty “because he was insane at the time.”

A review of Bruneau’s medical records also found assault charges in Canada. A hospital record from Jan. 24, 2020 states he admitted to “head-butting a constable” in an attempt to avoid paying a fare for public transportation and also “got into an altercation with someone after confronting them about bringing their bike on the public transportation.”

County’s drunk-driving penalties match state average

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor Drivers in Hillsdale County arrested for drunk driving are about as likely to face a lesser “operating while visibly impaired” charge, as with a harsher “operating while intoxicated” charge, according to state data.

But that’s not true everywhere in Michigan.

A Bridge Michigan analysis of Michigan State Police data reveals penalties for drunk driving differ drastically depending on the county in which they are charged. In Plymouth, a Detroit suburb in Wayne County, more than 90% of the 858 total drinking-related convictions last year were for the lesser charge.

In Grand Rapids, more than 70% of the 334 total drinking-related convictions were for the harsher one.

Close to 49% of the 83 drinking-related convictions

in Hillsdale County were for the lesser charge, while about 46% were for the heavier penalty, according to the 2022 data. The distribution matches the state average 50-50 split of “impaired” and “intoxicated” convictions.

“The penalties are slightly different,” Hillsdale County Prosecutor Neal Brady said. “But from a practical standpoint that doesn’t matter because the penalty range is broad enough that impaired driving falls within what could happen on a drunk-driving case as well. In other words, they’re not really given that much of a break.”

The “impaired” charge includes a 90-day license restriction, four driving points, and a fine. The “intoxicated” charge includes a 30-day license suspension and a 150day restriction, two more points, as well as potential for a heavier fine.

Nearly half of motorists

arrested for drunk driving received a plea deal, according to Bridge Michigan.

Branch County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Stempien said prosecutors generally decide if the driver faces the more or less severe charge in a plea agreement.

“As for the actual plea agreement, whether or not we reduce the charge from the OWI to the ‘impaired’ — that’s always within the discretion of the prosecutor,” Stempien said. “The judge can’t really reduce the charge without our approval or our offer.”

Neighboring Branch County shows a split in convictions similar to Hillsdale, with 52 percent of the 132 convictions for the more severe “intoxicated” charge and 42 percent for the lesser offense.

Harsher penalties are more common in the western part of the state. State Sen. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe, who rep-

resents Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe counties, said this may be due to differing religious and cultural attitudes toward drinking.

“It’s a whole different culture out there,” Bellino said.

“The Dutch Reformed religion shuns alcohol. So the west side of the state is a little different from the east side.

The culture is different. The politics are different. We tend to be a little more liberal on the east side and give people more chances.”

Stempien said the disparity may be due to sobriety courts in the urban areas that offer lighter penalties.

“My best guess, with the difference between our county and others, is many of the larger counties will have drunk-driving courts or OWI courts,” Stempien said. “Oftentimes, if you’re going to go into that sort of a diversionary court process or probation, they typically would just have

them plea as charged and enter that process.”

The main difference between the two crimes is license sanctions, he said.

“Oftentimes in sobriety courts, the defendant is allowed to keep his driving privileges, eliminating the main discrepancy in the two statutes,” Stempien said.

Branch County, he said, does not have a sobriety court.

Brady said there is “no quantifiable deterrent effect” between one charge or the other.

“People who have drunk alcohol and get into a car to drive do not consider the relative differences between being convicted of impaired driving versus drunk driving and which they may likely be convicted of based upon the county,” Brady said.

More than 26,700 drivers were charged with drunk driving in Michigan last year, according to Bridge Michigan.

Bellino said he went to rehab for alcoholism 40 years ago and still attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“When I was 25 I got sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Bellino said. “My father was going to fire me for my job. I was engaged to get married and knew it was not going to last if I kept drinking and drugging.”

Bellino in 2021 sponsored a bipartisan bill to allow onetime OWI offenders who met certain conditions to wipe their first offense from their record five years after probation ends. The law was passed and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“I try to help as many people get sober as I can,” Bellino said. “That’s my goal in life. It’s not to be a senator. It wasn’t to be a representative.

It is my main thing in life that God has asked me to do.”

McCourtie Park to host open house on Saturday

By Cassandra DeVries Collegian Reporter Somerset Township will host a Holiday Open House in their newly renovated Rathskeller, an old underground speakeasy in McCourtie Park, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sharon Grech, Somerset Township treasurer, said the Parks and Recreation Board for Somerset Township will provide hot chocolate and coffee, and guests may purchase food from the Burnt Honey Food Truck. Attendees will also enjoy music, a bonfire, and s’mores, and Santa Claus will be available for pictures.

“We’ve got great volunteers helping who already started decorating it for Christmas,” Grech said.

William Herbert Lee McCourtie built the Rathskeller on 42 acres in the early 1900s, including six underground garages with two chimneys and underground tunnels. The open house will be held in the garages.

Grech said Guests are encouraged to donate to Toys for Tots, and donors will be entered into drawings for various prizes for each toy.

Local businesses, including Somerset Hardware, BTS Party store, and Maverick’s Pizza, do-

nated items for baskets as prize drawings.

“There’ll be a spot for monetary donations for upkeep too, but the open house is mostly just to raise awareness for the Rathskeller,” Grech said.

The Rathskeller will be available to rent in 2024 for showers, parties, and smaller weddings.

After the American Rescue Plan, which funds the renovation of old buildings, allotted each township funds to revitalize buildings, the Parks and Recreation Board started working on the Rathskeller in March 2023 and finished the following October.

“We were always hoping to be able to do something with that building because if we did nothing, it was going to just rot away,” Grech said. “When we got the funds, we knew we wanted to preserve it.”

McCourtie graduated from high school in Jackson and attended the University of Michigan Law School.

“He went to Texas and made his money in oil and gas.

And then he came back home and bought the place and built a house here, and under the house, he had two tunnels,” said Terrie Reister, a resident expert on the Rathskeller.

A tunnel ran underground to a smaller barn to the north, and a separate tunnel ended in the woods.

“I’m thinking he had it down there as an escape tunnel,” Reister said.

McCourtie hosted several famous men.

“Al Capone went to the Rathskeller a lot back in the day because McCourties had a bar in the barns. Henry Ford played cards here too,” Reister said.

Reister said the six underground garages have threeinch thick, bulletproof doors.

McCourties disguised the two chimneys to look like trees.

In addition to hosting notorious outlaws, McCourtie provided for the people in Somerset Township.

“After you lived in Somerset Township for ten years, McCourtie would pay all your taxes and hospitalization bills,” Reister said. “He was very generous.”

The Rathskeller Holiday Open House will allow visitors to explore McCourtie Park and its architecture while socializing and enjoying refreshments.

“It’s really neat and beautiful in the garages,” Reister said.

“The party is going to be wonderful. It’s going to be such a blast.”

A5 November 30, 2023

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Sports Rugby

Hillsdale wins Midwest league championship

By Luke Waters Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale club rugby team finished its season 7-1 after the team won the Men's National Collegiate Rugby Midwest Small College Championship 62-12 Nov. 18.

Amidst anticipation for the upcoming challenge, uncertainties persisted regarding player availability which would be especially crucial as the team faced the undefeated Winona State University.

"There were still a lot of questions about who would be available for selection, what our squad was, and how our team was going to perform," senior team captain and tighthead prop Noah Parlee said.

Upon arrival in St. Louis, the squad was accommodated in a comfortable hotel, cour-

tesy of the National Collegiate Rugby League.

"We were really excited,” said freshman scrum-half Noah Marl “We had all just driven seven hours on a team bus. We were the underdogs, ready to beat a team that was undefeated and hailed from Minnesota, sounding like Vikings playing rugby. Many of us felt a mix of nerves and excitement."

Marl said the team’s main strategy was to get the ball out wide and run around the large opponents.

“Our wings and centers, including Kellen Pollock and Luke Burmeister, were significantly faster, allowing us to dominate," Marl said.

Junior hooker Brendan Henzel said junior head coach Rob Brandau told the team to put up 50 points on Winona

which sounded daunting.

“This was our first time in the league,” Henzel said. “We expected to get beaten."

However, Hillsdale's first run set a powerful pace, resulting in several early tries by freshman left-winger Luke Burmeister, senior loosehead prop Ben Hinrichs, and sophomore full-back Judah Newsom, and sophomore right-winger Kellan Pollack.

"About halfway through the first quarter, they just stepped it up somehow,” Henzel said. “They kept hitting us so hard, non stop. They had us within five yards of our touchdown line for almost 10 minutes."

Despite the intense pressure, sophomore fly-half Elijah Pangrazio was finally able to strip the ball from a defender.

“We needed to force something to make a big stop,” Parlee said. “He got a turnover, really took the wind out of their sails, and then we were able to capitalize on that.”

Parlee said Hills dale worked harder than the opponents.

“At the end of the day, we dominated and wore them down in 80 minutes," Parlee said. “The team's relentless efforts paid off, culminating in a decisive victory against the formidable opponent.”

Following the game, the National Collegiate Rugby Small College Commissioner recommended Pollock for All Stars.

Parlee said after celebrating the win with ice cream, the team discovered someone had robbed their bus.

"Someone's backpack was up in the front where they didn't leave it, and as we took a closer look, we realized everything was gone," Parlee said. “The door malfunctioned and didn’t close properly. As a result, someone was able to break in and steal thousands of dollars in electronics… and bagpipes.”

Parlee said sophomore open-side flanker Israel Meyers’ bagpipes were stolen, which he plays before each game.

"We sat in the parking lot for a while filing police reports, trying to get a log of what was taken,” Marl said.

“It was a 12-hour traveling session from the end of the game to getting back to Hillsdale, including the robbery.”

Parlee said the college was supportive of the team.

"The college is going to be helping us out significantly,” Parlee said. “Chief and director of Campus Recreation and club sports Ryan Perkins have been very helpful, as well as the college legal team."

Henzel said on the trip down to St. Louis, Chief wanted to stop for Popeyes.

“He came out and announced they were closing and giving out free chicken, so the whole team — about 20 dudes — got free chicken,” Henzel said. “That was a Godsend."

Overall, Henzel said everyone on the team played their best games.

"That's what we needed to win the game," Henzel said.

Academy Boys XC

Hillsdale Academy boys cross-country team wins state meet

By Alexandra Comus Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale Academy boys cross-country team won the division four MHSAA state championship.

Hillsdale scored 129 points, taking a 70-point-lead over the second place team.

The academy’s athletic director Nathan Neveau ’19 said the boys team was very strong this year.

They were already favored to win the meet due to the foundation of success they had in every meet leading up to state, according to Neveau.

“It’s probably the best team we’ve ever had,” Neveau said.

“Throughout the year, they consistently showed their quality as a team in the invitationals they were running.”

Neveau said teamwork was crucial for the team’s success.

“One of the things that made us really successful was

pack running,” Neveau said.

“We had three kids up front, and they were our lead pack.

Each of them was an all-state finisher. Then we had our other group of four behind them, and all of them are really strong runners.”

Head coach Michael Nikkila ’05 said the team’s success comes from a host of factors, including both the team morale and the school’s ethos.

“Part of it is likely the culture we present as a school

— that good things are often difficult,” Nikkila said.

Nikkila said the morale comes from the social support of the team, coupled with the individual athletes’ dedication.

“The athletes themselves have been able to find a love for the sport, which I’m really happy about,” Nikkila said.

Senior Thomas Holm, the team’s top runner, took fourth place in the meet with a time of 16:18.6 minutes. Holm said

the team entered the season with high expectations because of the high placements of the runners they had, even though the team was not senior-heavy.

“We did the same thing we did all season, and it was enough to win,” Holm said.

Holm said the team’s camaraderie was the key to maintaining the level of effort needed to train consistently.

“A lot of people don’t think of cross-country as a team

sport, but going on runs with each other for a solid half hour a day with nothing to do but talk really fosters a community aspect, and I love it,” Holm said.

Holm said this community made them dedicated, both on everyday runs and during meets.

“The coach said there was something in us that wouldn’t lose,” Holm said.

Charger chatter Madeline Corbin, Shotgun What has been the most

Compiled by Evalyn Homoelle

If money wasn't an object,

unexpected part about

what would your dream

Hillsdale for you?

career be?

All the positive reactions

Working for a big game

I’ve gotten when I’ve said

outfitter and some sort

I’m on the shotgun team. I

of wildlife research cen-

guess that's not to be un-

ter somewhere out West.

expected here, but it was

If you could add any stat-

nice not needing to worry

ue to the Liberty Walk,

about saying I shoot a gun

who would it be?

for fun.

If you had to spend an entire

John Wayne. I really like

day in one level of the library,

most of his movies, and

which would it be?

I think he represents a

I'd probably end up in Pur-

strong American man.

gatory. I get too distracted

Where's the coolest place

up top, but I'm not quiet and

you traveled with the

serious enough to go to Hell.

shotgun team?

Do you have any hidden

The World Shooting and

talents or fun facts?

Recreational Complex in

I can whistle with an acorn

Sparta, Illinois. I’d always

top, but it’s not really too

heard of people going

hidden because I like to

there for competitions

make noise so anytime I

when I was growing up, so

see an acorn I’ll pick it up and whistle.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

it was pretty cool to actually be there myself.

Charger

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A6 November 30, 2023

Womens XC

Wamsley takes 11th in national cross-country championship

Senior Liz Wamsley placed 11th at the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

By Cassandra DeVries Social Media Manager After finishing first at the NCAA DII Midwest Region Championships, senior Liz Wamsley finished in 11th place in the women's cross-country NCAA DII Championships Nov. 18, in Joplin, Missouri.

Wamsley earned All-American honors for the second

time in cross-country career and her fourth time as a Hillsdale athlete with a time of 20:11.9 minutes, nearly a minute faster than her national time the previous year.

“The goal was to improve on last year's cross-country performance, so it's really exciting to do that and know that it wasn't a fluke the first time,” Wamsley said.

Wamsley recorded the highest national placement for a female cross-country runner at Hillsdale since 2017.

“I was glad to be able to do that for my coach and the program, just to prove that it’s such a good program,” Wamsley said.

Wamsley flew to Joplin shortly before her race.

“It's good to just kind of like get a little bit of distance

from school and everything like that before competing,” Wamsley said.

Wamsley ran the track to familiarize herself with the hills and turns the day before the meet.

“It was a lot hillier than I expected,” Wamsley said.

“There were a lot of turns and switchbacks.”

Since the Chargers practice on backroads and in

Hayden Park, Wamsley said she thought the hills gave her an edge.

“If you know how to run hills, that can be advantageous since many people haven't trained on hills,” Wamsley said. “You can really use the downhills to build momentum by leaning into them without even trying to speed up.”

Wamsley said she used the hills to close the gap between herself and several of her opponents.

“We started off the release very, very fast, so I got a little bit buried at the beginning and had to work my way up pretty quickly,” Wamsley said.

Wamsley made her way to the front of the pack where she said she enjoyed running with some of the nation’s fastest competitors.

“When I caught up to the front pack, I thought it was really cool to be running with that group and holding my own,” Wamsley said.

Freshman cross-country runner Savannah Fraley drove down with sophomore runner Anna Roberts to watch Wamsley compete.

“We drove down right away Friday morning, watched the race on Saturday, and then drove back right after the race,” Fraley said. “It was definitely a lot of driving, but definitely worth it.”

Fraley said she would do the drive again to watch Wamsley compete, given the opportunity.

“She's obviously in an all-American range, which is insane in itself, and she ran a really good race,” Fraley said.

“So we're all pretty proud of her, and it was really cool to watch her.”

Fraley said she did not want Wamsley to run her last cross country race alone.

“She’d still have coach, but it’s really nice to have your teammates with you,” Fraley said.

After the race, Wamsley said she had a cup of coffee and a steak dinner and went to bed happy.

“Running from Hillsdale has been an amazing experience,” Wamsley said.

“I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

Wamsley said she was incredibly grateful for her teammates and will miss competing alongside them.

“I've met some of the best people here. Some of my closest friends are on this team and have influenced me so much — even just outside of running,” Wamsley said. “It's sad to end it, but I'm excited to see the next group of girls on the team continue and get the same experience.”

Women's Basketball

Mills hits career milestone, Chargers split games over the break

By Moira Gleason Assistant Editor Senior forward Sydney Mills became the third player in Hillsdale College women’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 rebounds for her career on the way to a 76-63 road victory over Quincy University Nov. 17.

“Sydney Mills will go down as one of the best players to play here at Hillsdale, and she almost does it effortlessly because she just chooses to show up,” head coach Brianna Brennan said. “She has the best attitude, she has the best effort, she brings energy non-stop.”

With wins against Lake Superior State University and Roosevelt University, as well as losses to McKendree College and Saginaw Valley State

University, Hillsdale will head into conference play 3-4 overall.

Mills led the team to an offensive victory over Quincy with a 31-point, 15-rebound double-double in a performance that took her to second all-time in career rebounds.

“I honestly didn’t know when I got it, but after, my team was very celebratory toward me, and it was really awesome to be there with the team and feel that emotion,” Mills said. “Ever since I was little, my parents always told me, ‘You may not always be able to score in a game, but you can always hustle.’

So that’s where rebounding comes in for me. It’s just a thing that you can always control and always hustle and go get it.”

In addition to her record rebounding, Mills went 5-for5 from beyond the arc and 10for-14 from the floor to finish just three points short of her career high in scoring.

The next day, the Chargers fell 75-66 to McKendree University on the road despite a run in the fourth quarter that cut a 20-point deficit to five with less than a minute to play.

“We came out super stagnant, and so they outscored us 28-12 in that first quarter, and we battled the rest of the way,” Brennan said. “We just didn’t have enough steam to close the gap completely.”

Four Chargers scored in the double digits in the contest, with junior point guard Lauren McDonald leading the team with 17 points and Mills

adding another double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

McDonald has led scoring in four games this season after taking over as starting point guard for Grace Touchette ’23.

“She’s a player that can literally do it all,” Brennan said.

“She can fill any stat column on any given night, and for her to be adjusting to playing that point guard spot but then also to be able to help Syd Mills on the board and pull down some rebounds for us has provided so much.”

The Chargers bounced back to dominate Lake Superior State University 77-53 at home with a strong performance on both ends of the court, outscoring Lake Superior 50-22 in the paint and holding them to 34.4% shoot-

ing from the floor.

“When we played Quincy, we shot the lights out,” Brennan said. “However, we won’t always be able to rely on our 3-point shooting. So then when we look at a game like Lake State where we shot well but not anything crazy, it just shows us that we’re capable of scoring at a high level from the outside but then also pounding it inside and finishing at the rim too.”

Brennan said the team is hoping to put those two aspects together in a balanced offense headed into the next few games.

The Chargers pushed past Roosevelt 63-52 on the road before falling 55-45 to Saginaw Valley State at home Nov. 28.

The Chargers will enter conference play this weekend, facing Ohio Dominican University in the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena Dec. 2.

“Going into conference play, it’s a lot more focus on scouting reports, making sure we get the plays that are happening, and just continuing to work together,” assistant coach Abbey Bartoszewicz said. “We’re not going to win successfully if one person’s scoring the whole time. We need to spread it around.

Most of our wins have come off of when we have four people in double digits or we have some serious defensive plays, shutting down big players.”

Opinion

Bo Nix deserves the 2023 Heisman Trophy

By Alex Deimel Assistant Editor After three mediocre seasons as quarterback for the Auburn University Tigers, Bo Chapman Nix decided to enter the transfer portal.

Two years later, as a fifthyear senior, Nix has led the University of Oregon Ducks to an 11-1 season, in which they will play for the PAC-12 conference title this Friday, Dec. 1. He has also proved himself worthy of the prestigious Heisman Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player in college football each year.

Nix, who is currently favored by BetMGM to win the Heisman this year, has had his best year yet in his final college football season.

The Pinson, Alabama, native

threw for 3,906 passing yards this season, second only to former Oregon quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota for the single-season passing yards record. Nix is also second in single-season passing touchdowns at Oregon with 37, right behind Mariota in that statistic as well.

Nix's season has not only broken records at Oregon, but it has shown him to be the best player in college football this year. His 3,906 passing yards leads all NCAA DI quarterbacks, and he only trails in passing touchdowns to Louisiana State University’s Jayden Daniels. Nix’s 78.8% completion rating also leads the NCAA this year. According to ESPN, Nix leads all PAC-12 quarterbacks in just about any passing statistic this

year, outplaying this season’s earlier Heisman frontrunner Caleb Williams of the University of Southern California.

with losses to the Florida State Seminoles, and SEC rivals the University of Alabama and Ole Miss. Meanwhile, Or-

Bo Nix led the NCAA in passing yards this season.

Courtesy | Oregon Live

Although there are a few passing categories in which Daniels has been dominant this year, the LSU Tigers have only gone 9-3 this season,

egon’s only loss this season came against the third-ranked University of Washington Huskies, who they would play against in the PAC-12 Cham-

pionship, losing on a missed field goal to end the game.

Nix, however, was flawless, completing 33 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns.

Unlike LSU, Oregon has dominated its other conference rivals this season. Last Saturday, Nov. 25, the Ducks defeated their biggest rival, the No. 16 Oregon State University Beavers, in the game formerly referred to as the “Civil War.” Nix again completed 33 passes for over 300 passing yards with two touchdowns in a 31-6 rout of the Beavers. Nix was also stellar in victories over the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears, USC Trojans, and Utah Utes, all of whom were ranked in the AP Poll at one point this season.

Nix has also had his stellar season without a single senior

wide receiver. Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson, who were respectively Oregon’s leading receivers this season, are both in their third season of college football. Franklin has led the PAC-12 in receiving yards with 1,349, and receiving touchdowns with 14 during the regular season.

An 11-1 season, a chance for a conference title, and being the leading passer in NCAA DI football this season, is all anyone should need to know that Bo Nix has earned the 2023 Heisman Trophy.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

November 30, 2023 A7

F E AT U R E S

QUICK HITS: Kirstin Kiledal

By Quinn Delamater Collegian Reporter In this Quick Hits, Professor of Rhetoric and Media Kirstin Kiledal talks astronomy, coffee, and her engagement.

Where is your favorite place to travel to and why?

My favorite place to travel to is Norway because it means family. It becomes filled with a richness that’s indescribable.

It means warmth and love, as well as the ruggedness of its nature. It’s beauty and memories to treasure, and the life that we share with our whole extended family. It’s a bit of an adventure, too.

of being a faculty member is a different one. You don’t live in the dorms and you don’t become a part of student life in the same way. It feels a little obscured because the things you were part of may still exist but look different from when you were a student, while others may be oddly the same.

One of the strangest things is becoming a colleague with some of your former professors and mentors.

What is your favorite kind of tea?

I wouldn’t say a favorite kind, but my most consistent choice is some kind of Earl Grey.

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about the Rhetoric and Media department?

I wish that they understood the potential for themselves regardless of their discipline or their major — that we have courses that would expand their knowledge whether they are scientists or mathematicians or a humanities major.

What was it like being a student at Hillsdale and then coming back to teach here?

Different. You may remember the student worldview of your time, but the worldview

Who has been the most successful convocation speaker in your opinion and why?

The Chief Astronomer for the Vatican, Guy J. Consolmagno, SJ. He spoke to us and unit-

ed us and touched everyone with his intellect and soul. He spoke about wonder and curiosity and what makes us human and spoke about how the liberal arts, including the sciences are what makes us human. Dr. David Whalen’s last convocation speech would be my second favorite.

What is your favorite Bible story or passage?

One of my very favorites is the story of Esther because it shows her doing the work that she’s called to do but in a feminine way.

What are your hobbies?

Baking and cooking, reading, and gardening.

What is the best meal to cook?

Thanksgiving.

What holiday do you enjoy celebrating most?

Any one when my family is together. But if I had to choose one in particular, Christmas.

It’s full of hope and it’s always new.

If you could teach any other class at Hillsdale outside of the rhetoric department, what would it be and why?

I would love to teach Human Genetics and Bioethical Decision Making. I have a love for the wonder and curiosity of science.

What famous person would you pick to have dinner with?

Clarence Thomas.

How do you balance being a wife, mother, and professor?

One day at a time.

What is your favorite local coffee?

The coffee my husband roasts every morning with his espresso machine.

What was getting engaged in Paris like?

Unexpected and amazing because it was in a quiet space by a lake, and afterward we walked by the ChampsÉlysées and picked out our rings. It was very special and will never be forgotten.

Kiledal said her favorite part about teaching at Hillsdale is celebrating special moments, large or small, in her students’ lives.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College

Honoring a legend

Bailey ’87 was born and raised in Hillsdale.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College

Seniors pass down the legacy of the former best burger joint in Hillsdale

By Elizabeth Troutman Editor-in-chief

Hillsdale alumna runs local boutique

By Sydney Green Circulation Manager When Patti Bailey graduated from Hillsdale College in 1987, she had every intention of leaving the small town immediately.

“I was born and raised in Hillsdale and thought that as soon as I graduated I would blow out of here,” Bailey said.

“But I saw this small boutique and thought I’d buy it instead of starting from the ground up with a new store, and here I am.”

Bailey is the wife of former mayor Greg Bailey and owns Maggie Anne’s Shoppe, a boutique located in downtown Hillsdale at 50 N. Howell St. The store offers a wide selection of souvenirs, jewelry, and clothing items. Brighton, Vera Bradley, Tribal, Polish Stoneware, Fireside Coffee, and Naked Bee are just a few of her top vendors.

“Our age demographic is usually 35 and up, but we do get college students in here as well,” Bailey said. “We have a little bit of everything, and I like how this variety also tends to bring in a variety of customers.”

Bailey said clothing is the backbone of her business, and this year, she has seen a surge in the popularity of outerwear.

Bailey has owned the store

since 1995 and said she still enjoys every moment of it, especially traveling to different locations to collect merchandise.

“A big part of my job is also to visit vendors at different shows, and I have loved traveling across the country to do that,” Bailey said. “You’ll start to see these trends, and then you’ll just pick and choose the

“This is just such a supportive area with loyal customers.

What more can I ask for?” best ones that you think will sell in the store. When they finally come in, you hope it will all make sense.”

Amy Braxmaier has worked at the store for nine years and said she admires Bailey’s eye for fashion and how she displays the merchandise.

“Patti is great with merchandising. I’ve been lucky enough to go with her to places like Chicago and Atlanta to see the

different vendors,” Braxmaier said. “She just does a wonderful job with knowing just what she wants and how she puts things together.”

When there are more customers on Fridays, Bailey said the store offers wine or cocktails to make a more relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Employee Joanna Wiseley ’76, who previously served as director of career services at the college, said Bailey’s creative displays also amaze her.

“I guess what amazes me the most is how good Patti is about putting outfits together, and I’ve learned a lot from her on how to do this,” Wiseley said. “I love every aspect of the job here. I don’t even mind sweeping the floors.”

Braxmaier said the employees’ kindness makes the experience for customers.

“The personal touch that we have here really sets us apart,” Braxmaier said. “We know our customers. When people come in, we are on a first name basis.

Even after 27 years of owning the boutique, Bailey said she is glad she stayed in Hillsdale and is grateful for the support she has received.

“This is just such a supportive area with loyal customers,” Bailey said. “It’s just been so much fun with a great staff.

What more can I ask for?”

Senior Claire Hipkins made countless trips to Burgers Unlocked as a freshman, filling an entire punch card by the end of the year. She decided to wait until sophomore year to redeem her choice of free burger — a cheeseburger with bacon — but to her dismay, the restaurant had closed over the summer.

In memory of Burgers Unlocked, which closed the summer of 2021, the completed punch card adorns the wall of her off-campus house.

“There's definitely a dramatic irony in it because I never used it to get a free burger,” she said. “My whole freshman year built up for a moment that never happened.”

Hipkins said she plans to pass down the punch card to her freshman sister, Nola Hipkins, in order to keep the legacy of Burgers Unlocked alive.

As the last class of Hillsdale students to have experienced delicious burgers and fries for affordable prices, many seniors like Hipkins hope the memory of Burgers Unlocked will live on in the Hillsdale student body.

Burgers Unlocked was located north of campus on Hillsdale Street.

Senior Emma Widmer also prizes a now-void, half-completed Burgers Unlocked punch card.

“I want people to know this is an antique of Hillsdale students of the past,” Widmer said.

Senior Dean Ballantyne said his favorite part of BU was its closeness to campus and affordable menu.

“I miss walking over there to eat at a moment's notice,” Ballantyne said. “Its close proximity to campus made it a very unique option compared to other restaurants at Hillsdale.”

He said the most fun part of eating at Burgers Unlocked was the spontaneous trips.

“I have always been a Finish Line guy, but no restaurant will be able to fill the burger void that was created when BU closed,” he said.

But Ballantyne has hope that underclassmen can carry on Burgers Unlocked’s memory, even though they never experienced $3.25, 100% beef burgers with salty, crispy fries for themselves.

“Future generations can preserve the legacy by hitting up friends and deciding to walk to places to grab a meal,” Ballantyne said.

Senior Marlow Canady said she fondly remembers spurof-the-moment Burgers Unlocked picnics with friends on

the lawn of Barber House on sunny spring days.

“I loved that it was very affordable, and it was a great opportunity to hang out with your friends because you couldn’t really sit inside, and so we were creative and had some nice picnic memories,” she said.

Canady recommends underclassmen demonstrate their gratitude to the formative effect Burgers Unlocked had on their senior peers.

“I think every time they drive past, they should say a little prayer and salute to pay some respects,” Canady said.

When Burgers Unlocked closed, Canady set her sights on finding Hillsdale’s best remaining burger, even if it would never measure up to BU’s high bar.

“We settled on a classic, inexpensive burger at Udder Side,” Canady said. “It’s pretty good, but it's not the same — not the same at all.”

Though she never redeemed her burger, Hipkins believed she achieved something greater through the loss.

“I will never forget the good memories, and the friends I made along the way,” Hipkins said.

“Rest in peace, Burgers Unlocked,” Canady added. “We love you.”

C U L T U R E

A8 www.hillsdalecollegian.

November 30, 2023

The women of Benzing Residence puts up decorations before Thanksgiving Break.

Courtesy | Ruthie Chinery

The most wonderful time of the year: Students navigate holidays, finals

By Tayte Christensen Collegian Reporter

Amid the stress of hell week and finals, students are finding ways to spread Christmas cheer before leaving for break.

From dorm decorating to off-campus parties, the opportunities to celebrate Christmas are endless and students should take advantage of them, junior Bella Dix said.

“You come to school and make new friends, but we’re only here for seven days of December,” she said. “That gives you a good reason to celebrate Christmas a little bit early.”

In this spirit, the women of Benzing Residence decorated the dorm early in November.

“Typically it’s a rule that there is no Christmas until after Thanksgiving,” junior and Benzing House Director Ruthie Chinery said. “Which is sad at school because then it’s only a week.”

After debating if it was too early, the dorm decided to host a decorating party on Nov. 6.

“We as a resident assistant team at first thought about putting them up before Halloween, but decided that was too early,” Chinery said. “So we waited until the week after.”

Now, the halls of Benzing are decked with paper snowflakes and Christmas trees.

Even the lobby piano and the Audrey Hepburn canvas are wrapped in festive paper.

“A little Christmas every day keeps the seasonal depression away,” Chinery said.

Lucia Wilson, a junior resident of Benzing, has been a driving force behind the dorm’s Christmas spirit because of her love for Christmas.

“Christmas is such a great opportunity to come together,” she said. “Benzing has really good dorm culture and I knew I wanted to celebrate Christmas with these girls.”

It started with a Christmas movie during fall break and has turned into one Christmas movie a week.

“My rule is no classic movies until Christmas proper,” Wilson said. “Hallmark and such can be watched as early as October, but none of the classics until later. According

Christmas tree stands in the student union.

Jillian Parks | Collegian

to Wilson, there are three things every student should do to celebrate Christmas.

“Everyone’s room should have something Christmas in it,” Wilson said. “At least one group movie night is necessary, to add the fellowship element. And if it can be managed, cookies must be made.”

As far as tradition goes, Wilson admires old traditions but also wants to build new ones.

“I love how so many people have structured traditions that really can’t be contained,” she said. “But I think the best Christmas events and traditions are sporadic and spontaneous.”

Despite this, Wilson said she and her sister, sophomore Ameera, try to keep her family traditions going even at school.

“I do try to recreate a lot of my family traditions here at school,” Wilson said. “I’m always asking ‘Now that my mom’s not here to do it, how can I recreate these traditions for everyone?’ So I feel like that responsibility falls on me.”

Associate Professor of Theology Jordan Wales said he and his family have many Christmas traditions, most of which occur during the Advent season.

“We decorate our tree on Christmas Eve, which is when we begin listening to carols for the first time also,” he said.

“But on the first Sunday of Advent, we bless the Advent

wreath; so from early December there begins a kind of pilgrimage toward Christmas.”

For Wales and his family, that journey is marked daily until Christmas day.

“Every day, we move carved wooden lambs – one for each member of the family – along bookshelves and tables until, on Christmas Eve, they reach the manger,” he said. “Beginning with the children, each of us shares some moment of the day through which we felt Jesus drawing us close.”

Dix also said creating new traditions with friends can be a joyful part of the Christmas season, especially at school.

“This year, we decided that we’re going to have a Christmas party,” she said. “Which is a new thing, because in years past, there’s been no space or vibe in the dorm for that.”

Now that Dix lives off campus and has other friends who also do, she has found the freedom to host a larger gathering.

“We’re going to cook together, have a good meal, and watch ‘White Christmas,’” she said. “Christmas is just a good excuse to get together with everyone.”

Freshman Isaiah Joiner also plans to host a Christmas party with friends, but he will wait until after the break, in order to prolong Christmas festivities.

“After Christmas is this time of lingering, where it’s still a snowy season, but technically Christmas is

over,” he said. “I want to have something to look forward to in these times, to combat the dreariness.”

Both Dix and Wilson said Christmas is a special time of the year to show love to those around you, especially during the season of finals.

“Obviously, you want to show people you love that you love them all the time,” she said. “But Christmas is such a good reason to do that.”

While some worry that commercialization has a negative effect on Christmas and its traditions, Wales said the true meaning of Christmas can never be lost.

“The meaning of Christmas can’t really be lost because if you take Christ out of Christmas, you still have the human heart’s restlessness, awakened toward love by generosity,” Wales said. “Commercialization wouldn’t work unless human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, retained within them some instinct of self-giving. Commercialization isn’t great but it shows us something.”

Wales said that Christmas time is also a good time to show kindness to one another, especially in the days leading up to break.

“Bring each other a cup of hot chocolate,” Wales said.

“Unexpected acts of kindness do help in this period.”

Showing love to fellow students is not only enjoyable, but it is an efficient use of a study break, Wilson said.

“Given the two weeks we have, you need something with joy and something with gratitude to give your brain a break,” she said. “So use this time to spread that joy and be grateful even though there’s so much going on. Don’t break yourself.”

The Christmas season has so much to offer, and students should not let the opportunity to be with friends and to be grateful pass them by, Dix said.

“Open your heart,” Dix said. “This season is such a great reason to be joyful about all the good things in your life. Obviously, the greatest of which is Christ being born, but it’s such a nice reason to be grateful for everything.”

Country music needs a reset

By Logan Washburn Associate Editor Country music needs to change. At least, that’s what Waylon Jennings told the world.

“Lord it’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar, where do we take it from here? Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars, it’s been the same way for years.

We need a change,” Jennings sings in his 1975 song “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?” Hank Williams Sr., one of the first country stars who rose to prominence in the late 1940s, had a profound influence on Jennings. When Jennings sought fame in Nashville, he found Williams’ style – though traditional and somewhat stilted – to come from a more real place than mass-produced music. So when he reached fame, he called to bring country music back to its roots.

“Ten years on the road, makin’ one-night stands, speeding my young life away,” Jennings sings. “Tell me one more time just so I’ll understand, are you sure Hank done it this way? Did old Hank really do it this way?”

Jennings made it his mission to defy corporate Nashville’s artificial effect on country music. He, Williams’ son Hank Williams Jr., and Willie Nelson worked to popularize genuine music with a new, gritty genre: “outlaw country.”

“For us, ‘outlaw’ meant standing up for your rights, your own way of doing things,” Jennings said in his autobiography, according to PBS. “It felt like a different music, and outlaw was as good a description as any.”

Jennings and Williams Jr. sang “The Conversation” in 1979, in memory of the senior Williams and his fading legacy of challenging professional music culture.

“Back then they called him crazy, nowadays they call him a saint,” Jennings and Williams Jr. sang. “They fired him from the Opry, and that caused his greatest pain.”

Williams Jr. further memorialized his father in the 1979 song “Family Tradition,” saying while the two developed different styles, corporate country music burdened them with similar struggles.

“Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition,” Williams Jr. sings. “They get on me and want to know Hank, why do you drink?

Hank, why do you roll smoke? Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?

Over and over, everybody makes my prediction. If I get stoned, I’m just carrying on an old family tradition.”

While corporate country music at the time may have been associated with conservative values, it drove artists to addiction behind closed doors.

“Country music and amphetamines had a long and running relationship,” country artist Marty Stuart said to The Rolling Stone. “They swapped pills like it was M&Ms and nobody thought anything.”

Jennings and Nelson would join Johnny Cash – Jennings’ Nashville roommate – and Kris Kristofferson to form “The Highwaymen,” aiming to popularize real music through outlaw country. The group recorded three albums from 1985 to 1995, including its perhaps most well-known 1985 song “Highwayman.”

This recalled a fading outlaw culture with the promise it would never go extinct – echoing the artists’ intent for country music.

“They buried me in that gray tomb that knows no sound, but I am still around,” the group sings. “I’ll always be around.”

While Jennings and this group left a profound mark on the industry, the influence of mass-produced music continued to pose an issue, prompting mainstream artists George Strait and Alan Jackson to perform “Murder on Music Row” in 1999. The song blamed country music’s demise on “the almighty dollar and lust for worldwide fame” which “slowly killed tradition.”

But one station near my hometown in rural Oregon still holds out, where through the static, Jennings still sings.

“Somebody told me when I came to Nashville, ‘Son you finally got it made. Old Hank made it here, and we’re all sure that you will.’ But I don’t think Hank done it this way.

No, I don’t think Hank done it this way.”

Professors’ Picks: Dwight Lindley, associate professor of English

From the minds of Hillsdale’s professors: the song, book, and movie everyone ought to know

Dwight Lindley and his wife Emma in the Pantheon in Rome in 2003.

Courtesy | Dwight Lindley

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys - 1966

“Septology” by Jon Fosse 2022

“Here, The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson presents not just a feel-good, puppy-love pop song, but an expression of the most elemental human desire.

The whole composition, marvelously complex in its orchestration, and yet strikingly short and simple, begs for a love that is endless, infinite, and yet mediated in a finite, particular way. It is a miracle of songwriting, a microcosm of a whole life’s yearning.”

“Why would you want to read a three-volume novel written in a single, stream-of-consciousness sentence? As unlikely as it sounds, the novel is marvelously successful in its goal of communicating a single man’s interior life, composed of present tense experience, memories of his deceased wife, mystical prayer, musings on his vocation as a painter, and imagined

vignettes from the lives of his friends. Fosse, our most recent Nobel laureate, weaves all these strands together in a beautiful work of ‘mystical realism.’ The work unfolds in contemporary rural Norway, but its true setting is the human heart.”

“Magnolia” - 1999

Woolf in withholding easy answers to the questions it raises: what chance do we have escaping, or at least dealing with, the traumas of the past? What will it take to hear the hard truths about others’ lives, and our own?

What kind of solution can be offered in the face of the generational iniquities of the world? The multiple side-byside plotlines of ‘Magnolia’ weave together into a single, embodied response.”

“Anderson’s film is Dickensian in the rich intermingling of its multiple plots, and yet it follows the modernist path Compiled by Colman Rowan Collegian Reporter of T.S. Eliot and Virginia