Collegian 8.23.2023

Princeton Review awards

Hillsdale with top rankings

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor

Hillsdale College received multiple top-five scores in the 2024 edition of the Princeton Review’s Best 389 Colleges, including second place for best college newspaper, friendliest students, most engaged in community service, and most religious. Other rankings include third most conservative students, fourth best counseling and student support services, fifth most loved by students, and tenth most engaging professors.

“We are grateful for the recognition of our efforts to provide an excellent liberal arts education,” Provost Christopher VanOrman said. “The sense of partnership between students, faculty members, and staff members is what makes Hillsdale College so successful.”

The list includes 15% of American universities. Close to 165,000 students answered an 85-question survey to create categorical rankings.

“These rankings are a confirmation that a college offering a liberal arts education focused on forming successful, virtuous students and citizens is a place where students can flourish,” VanOrman said.

The Hillsdale Collegian is ranked the second best student paper in the nation, reaching the best ranking in its history with the Princeton Review.

See Rankings A2

Incoming class boasts competitive admissions statistics

By Moira Gleason Assistant Editor

The yield rate, one of the highest in the country according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller, is the percentage of admitted students who choose to attend Hillsdale.

The 375 students who make up the class of 2027 come from 43 states and 10 countries. Though the class size is smaller than last year’s freshman class of 404 students, it is within the range the admissions department aimed for, Miller said.

“There is a high interest in students wanting to attend Hillsdale College,” Miller said. “I think we do stand out from a

lot of colleges across the country for the type of education that we give and the principles that we stand for. The yield rate has gone up significantly in the past five years. And so I think those reasons are attracting more and more students.”

Now ranked in the top 100 most competitive colleges in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hillsdale maintained high admissions standards this year with an average GPA of 3.95 and ACT score of 32 among freshmen. Admission to Hillsdale is about more than scores, Miller said. The college wants students who have pushed themselves in academics, but there are several other factors.

“We also want students who are going to be contributing members of the campus com-

munity, who are going to be involved leaders and serve the community,” Miller said. “We want them to be active and engaged. And then third, we want students who are conscientious citizens, who understand the Honor Code, and who will choose to abide by it and add to the culture that’s already been created by that, creating a really strong ethos for the place.”

The admissions department makes an effort to get to know each applicant and understand their fit for the college through the admissions interview, Miller said.

“I would say one of the things that we really think is important is getting to meet the students that apply,” Miller said. “The interview is an important part of the evaluation process when we have that available.”

Freshman Evelyn Freedman

said the application process for Hillsdale felt much more personal than applying to other schools and gave her the chance to get to know her admissions counselor and the campus culture.

“The interview really felt like chatting with somebody who had similar interests,” Freedman said. “I really felt like she had my best interests in mind.”

Freedman said after visiting campus, she realized Hillsdale would offer her the challenge she wanted through her classes, peers, and professors.

“Ultimately, I came here because I think I will be humbled here,” Freedman said.

Freshman Lillian Ferrell said she was attracted to Hillsdale because of the variety of programs and opportunities it offered.

“I felt like I didn’t have to

compromise on anything that I love doing and wanted in my college education,” Ferrell said.

“I wanted to be able to study music while doing journalism and English and still pursuing possibly a track or career path in law. Hillsdale was able to perfectly combine those all at once and also provide opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”

Though Hillsdale was not her first choice, Ferrell said she made the decision to attend after meeting Hillsdale students and professors on a statesmanship weekend in Washington, D.C., in February.

“I fell in love with the student body and what the school stood for when I really interacted one on one with them,” Ferrell said. “I feel like I learned a lot about myself throughout the admissions process and what matters to me in a school.”

College community honors Calli Townsend Newberry '21

By Elizabeth Troutman Editor-in-Chief

Hillsdale College plans to honor alumna Calli Townsend Newberry ’21 with memorials in an athletic department building and The Collegian office.

Newberry, 24, died June 6 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

She was a wife, mother, sports journalist, and runner. While at Hillsdale College, she participated in track and field and served as The Collegian’s sports editor. But above all,

her friends, professors, and coaches remember her for the vibrant love for Jesus she shared with everyone she encountered.

“I honestly don’t remember a conversation with her where faith didn’t come up,” Newberry’s track and field teammate

Arena Shelley ’20 said. “It was quite obvious that her faith was strong, and she was joyful and ready to share about it.”

Andrew Towne, former track and field head coach, said Newberry would encourage her loved ones to find hope in Jesus during difficult times.

“She would revert to God right away and speak to her faith and how we don't know why we have these hard times, but there’s always a plan, and we just have to lean on him and trust his plan,” he said.

During her time at Hillsdale, Newberry was an all-conference hurdler and 2019 G-MAC champion on the women’s track and field team, as well as an editorial staff member of The Collegian. She majored in sports management and minored in journalism.

Newberry led the track and field women’s Bible studies throughout her college career and wrote a devotional called “Semester Together” to help teen girls “find their purpose and confidence in God’s love.”

After graduating from Hillsdale, Newberry returned to her hometown in Michigan’s Thumb and married her high school sweetheart, Chance Newberry. She gave birth to Ellie Marge Newberry on Feb. 11, 2023. The 3-month-old was in the backseat of the car during the accident but sustained only minor, treatable injuries.

Newberry is survived by her husband, Chance; daughter, Ellie; parents, Jodi and Steve; and brothers, Curtis and Jake. A GoFundMe for Newberry’s family has so far raised around $69,000 of the $75,000 goal.

“It's tough to put into words how much she meant to me,” Jake Townsend, Newberry's younger brother, told The Times Herald. “She was not just my sister, she was a friend to me. I could talk to her about anything and she was always so supportive of me. She meant everything to me.”

Newberry’s faith animated every aspect of her life, said Carmel Richardson ’21, who was on The Collegian staff with

Newberry for three years. While many college students allow academics or extracurriculars to define them, Newberry’s faith was her defining characteristic, she said.

“Her faith was the most important thing in her life, and it was evident to everybody that she interacted with, and I think that’s really exemplary,” Richardson said.

Katie Hall, a former Athletes Intervarsity staff member who had weekly discipleship meetings with Newberry and remained close friends with her after she graduated, said Newberry’s love for God was central to everything she did.

“She shined his light so bright that it would light up every room she was in,” Hall said. “She had strong convictions that she was always bold enough to act on. She was passionate about everyone on her team coming to know Jesus which drove her involvement in and leadership with

Intervarsity.

Students celebrate the start of the fall semester at Welcome Party. e rik

Calli Townsend Newberry married her high school sweetheart Chance Newberry after graduating from Hillsdale College. Courte S y | ag Community r elief

Students and alumni produce new film about unsung conservative hero

Hillsdale delays construction on new classical education building

By Isaac Green News Editor

Construction of the new education building won’t begin until March, according to Rich Péwé, chief administrative officer of Hillsdale College.

College President Larry Arnn made the decision in June to delay construction of the Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Education to shorten the length of time the quad is under construction, according to Péwé. In addition to construction of the new building, the college has plans for extensions and remodels on Central Hall, Mossey Library, and the Grewcock Student Union.

“If we start the Spencer building in March and start the Central Hall, library, and Grewcock additions in July, that will only disrupt two academic years,” Péwé said.

there is a chance of it all starting in July. We have until May before that needs to be decided.”

The college held a groundbreaking ceremony last spring for the new classical education building, which will stand in front of the Dow Hotel and Conference Center and the old snack bar.

Junior Caitlin Filep said she was happy to see the quad untouched when she returned to Hillsdale this fall.

“To me, the quad is the heart of campus,” Filep said. “I cherish the quad more than almost any other space at the college, and I think it deserves to be protected.”

Daniel Coupland, dean of the Graduate School of Classical Education, said the building will play an important role in the college’s mission.

By Isaac Green nE ws Editor

Six students and recent alumni are racing to finish a new documentary about conservative direct-mail innovator Richard Viguerie.

“Funding Father: The Man Who Delivered Democracy to America’s Mailbox” will premiere Sept. 23 at the celebration of Viguerie’s 90th birthday. Guests will receive copies of the film, according to junior Lindsey Larkin, a member of the film-making crew. The film’s release on YouTube will follow the celebration.

Adjunct Professor of Documentary Journalism Buddy Moorehouse, who is supervising the project, said Viguerie is responsible for the popularization of reaching voters through the mailbox.

“He figured out before anyone how to go around the media and reach voters directly with conservative mailings,”

Rankings from A1

“We just built on what was already an excellent paper,” former editor-in-chief Maggie Hroncich ’23 said. “I was shocked at how many people I recognized in the Wall Street Journal's office because they had been to Hillsdale for lectures or as visiting Pulliam Fellows.”

Hroncich said her time at The Collegian prepared her for the professional world.

“I can't think of anything that quite compares to the adrenaline of working on deadline to produce a print paper every Wednesday,” Hroncich said. “It's a ton of fun hanging out with the rest of the staff while also knowing that we get to deliver local and campus news to readers at school, in town, and to the subscribers across the county.”

Student station WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM, led by General Manager Scot Bertram, earned twelfth best college radio station.

“Mr. Bertram has done an excellent job at establishing the program’s quality and reputation, and I can only see the station going even further up from here due to his work and the work of the students,” radio production director and junior Megan Pidcock said.

Moorehouse said. “That sort of behind-the-scenes work led to the election of Ronald Reagan as president, among other things.”

Viguerie and some of his friends visited Hillsdale last year and attended a showing of a student documentary on codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman, according to Moorehouse.

“They were extremely impressed with the quality of the film and the fact that it was produced by Hillsdale College students,” Moorehouse said.

Moorehouse said Viguerie’s friends contacted him a few weeks after the visit and hired a crew of his former students to produce the documentary.

Stefan Kleinhenz ’21 is leading the project, assisted by Christian Peck-Dimit ’23, seniors Maddy Welsh and Lauren Scott, and juniors Jack Cote and Larkin. All six have taken Moorehouse’s documentary filmmaking course.

Newberry from A1

Her teammates looked up to her as a role model, a friend, and an amazing example of how to live like Jesus did.”

Liam Bredberg ’21, who edited the sports section of The Collegian alongside Newberry for three years, said she was the most faithful and kind person he has ever met.

“Her faith defined her,” Bredberg said. “She was a follower of Christ, and she put God first in everything she ever did more than anyone I ever met.”

Shelley said Newberry was kind, genuine, humble, joyful, and a supportive teammate.

“She was a very beautiful runner and always such an encouraging teammate,” Shelley said.

Newberry was a happy person, a calming presence, and a loyal and thoughtful friend, according to Hall.

“But even with all these amazing attributes, she was so humble and selfless, constantly looking to the needs of others before her own,” Hall said.

“Calli was loved greatly by everyone who knew her and will be missed deeply.”

After graduating from Hillsdale, Newberry worked as a sportswriter for Blue Water Healthy Living, an online magazine based in Port Huron, from October 2020 to July

“It truly is an all-star documentary filmmaking team,” Moorehouse said. “The students have spent hundreds of hours doing research, collecting historical information and photos and most importantly, interviewing Richard Viguerie and the people who know his story best.”

Larkin said part of the group flew to Washington, D.C., over the summer to conduct interviews for the documentary.

“Our first day of interviews were held at the American Target Advertising office and at the Leadership Institute in Virginia, day two interviews occurred at the Washington, D.C., Hilton during the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference where Viguerie received an award, and day three interviews were held at Viguerie's farm in Virginia,” Larkin said.

Cote said this third day of interviews was a highlight of the filmmaking process for him.

2022. In August 2022, Newberry started her own website, The Sports Report, which covers local sports in the Port Huron area.

“It just doesn’t doesn't seem real because you had somebody that was literally doing, I think, exactly what God had for her, exactly where God wanted her,” Towne said. “To only do that to the age of 24, it just seems like an absolute travesty.”

Towne said he thinks Newberry would have defined herself, above all else, as a Christian.

“Certainly her life evolved, from daughter to wife and then mother, but I think she would define herself as a Christian first and foremost, no doubt,” he said.

Director of the Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller said Newberry was a diligent and responsible member of Collegian staff, and one of the

“My favorite highlight was visiting Richard Viguerie’s farm,” Cote said. “We were able to conduct more personal interviews and capture beautiful footage of the area. I was in charge of videography for the documentary. I was behind the camera for each interview and working to capture B-roll throughout our time, both on foot and in the air with my drone.”

Moorehouse said students should keep an eye out for a showing of the film on campus later this fall, which will include a panel discussion by the film makers.

“Every Hillsdale College student will want to see this film,” Moorehouse said. “It’s a fascinating look at a relatively unknown conservative icon — a truly inspirational story — and the fact that the entire film was made by current and former Hillsdale students makes it all the better.”

nicest students he has gotten to know on campus.

“As sports editor of The Collegian, she finished her pages well ahead of schedule,” Miller said. “When I visited the paper’s office on production nights, she often wasn’t there because she had completed her work earlier in the day.”

Newberry’s sports journalism talents could have taken her far from home, Miller said, but her love of rural Michigan inspired her to return to start a family and write about local sports.

“She was a deeply faithful Christian who wanted to share her love of Jesus with everybody she knew,” Miller said. “She did this by example, and she aspired to do more of it in the future with her writing. The only way to make any sense of her early death is to have Calli-levels of faith.”

According to Péwé, the college has a principle of waiting to start capital projects until most of the funding has been provided. To shorten the construction time, Arnn and the Board of Trustees may make an exception, he said.

“That is a big decision to make,” Péwé said. “We will need to complete all the architectural plans by November if

“The Graduate School of Classical Education seeks to realize the mission of the college by cultivating talented educators for America’s classical schools,” Coupland said. “Our graduate students are preparing to be the next generation of leaders in the growing classical education movement in this country. This new building will be the epicenter of that noble work.”

Radio station to host grand opening

By Carly Moran Assist A nt Editor

Hillsdale’s student radio station will host an open house for its new facility on Tuesday, welcoming the whole campus to see the expanded space.

The open house will showcase the new WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale studio on Aug. 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Stanton Foundation Center for American Classical Education, formerly known as the Mauck School.

The station has been operating in the Stanton Center since early August.

“I think that any student, freshman or otherwise, will be impressed by the new facility,” said Scot Bertram, general manager of WRFH. “Sure, it might make someone a little more likely to give radio and audio a try, given the technology now available in the studios. However, we’ve always had a core of dedicated students who work incredibly hard at creating top-notch content.”

The new location features a space approximately four times the size of the previous Knorr Student Center location. It includes three recording and broadcasting studios, a control room, and a meeting area.

“It was important that we designed the floorplan ourselves and had professional audio engineers on campus to install and set up our studios,” Bertram said. “This gives WRFH the ability to do more complex and professional-grade broadcasts.”

WRFH’s new headquarters feature a combination of new, upgraded, and original equipment, according to Bertram. A large amount of the new equipment was donated a few years ago by Fox News television host Laura Ingraham.

“I’m very excited about the controlled environment and the space that has been specifically designed for recording and editing audio,” senior pro-

ducer and junior Gavin Listro said. “I think it will really step up the quality and clarity of our production.”

The station airs original student shows and live sports broadcasts as well as college content and syndicated programs featuring Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager.

“We always need new students to get involved,” said Director of the Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller. “This is a great time of year to start.”

WRFH production director and junior Megan Pidcock said she hopes the studio will help establish a stronger radio team for the years to come.

“Though the studio is farther from campus, I’m hoping that having a dedicated space for people to come and prepare there without the distractions at the previous location can foster a more united group, which in turn will lead to more growth,” Pidcock said. “I hope the meeting room especially can lead to more crossover between people coming in and out.”

Until the move this summer, the Knorr Student Center has been the only location of the radio station since its founding year in 2016.

“It was bittersweet to watch the old station slowly emptied over the summer as I was this year’s summer radio intern, just because of the memories and laughs held there,” Pidcock said. “However, this is such an important next step in growing the station, and I’m very excited to see where and how it grows.”

The Princeton Review recently ranked WRFH as the twelfth best student radio station in the country. In addition, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters awarded Hillsdale with College Radio Station of the Year in 2023 and 2019.

Richard Viguerie poses at his farm in Virginia.

Courtesy | JaC k Cote

Calli Townsend Newberry holds her daughter Ellie Marge Newberry Courtesy | Newspe N dulum. C om

Liberal arts create American heroes Opinions

Editor-in-Chief | Elizabeth Troutman

Associate Editor | Logan Washburn

Senior Editor | Maddy Welsh

Design Editor | Alexandra Hall

Digital Editor | Elyse Apel

News Editor | Isaac Green

Opinions Editor | Claire Gaudet

City News Editor | Lauren Scott

Sports Editor | Olivia Pero

Culture Editor | Jillian Parks

Features Editor | Michael Bachmann

Science & Tech Editor | Olivia Hajicek

Social Media Manager | Cassandra DeVries

Circulation Managers | Sydney Green & Emma Verrigni

Ad Manager | Nathan Stanish

Assistant Editors | Moira Gleason | Carly Moran | Kamden Mulder | Thomas McKenna | Jane Kitchen | Linnea Shively | Michaela Estruth |

SK Sisk | Alex Deimel | Elizabeth Crawford

Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold

The

Give freshmen a chance

By Claire Gaudet

OpiniOns EditOr

Juniors and seniors know that August brings more changes than autumn leaves and new courses. Three months of stalking the class of 2020-something’s Instagram page always leads to this, year after year: a new freshman class.

There’s got to be a more constructive way of dealing with the unsightly sea of new faces than jeering and hazing — that’s only going to make the freshmen less receptive to becoming functioning members of Hillsdale’s society.

This is advice I wish I knew coming into each year of Hillsdale — advice which hopefully will make some upperclassmen less hateful and some freshmen less easy to hate.

Freshmen: you were the best and the brightest of your high schools. From academics to athletics to community service, you were probably killing it this time last year. Now, all of those accolades are in the past. A little humility will get you a long way in your first few weeks at Hillsdale. Really internalize the fact that some of our fifth-year seniors were acing AP exams while you were still figuring out who to take to your eighth grade dance — and better yet, now they can’t even remember which AP classes they took.

This goes hand-in-hand with figuring out who you are here at Hillsdale.

Life changes when you leave your parents, high school sweethearts, and friends since first grade back home in Ne-

By Jillian Parks

CulturE EditOr

Sometimes it can seem like everyone and their mother had an internship one summer following a Congressman, doing groundbreaking research, or shadowing a professional in their anticipated career field. If you didn’t do any of those things, we have something in common. But our summers were still worthwhile, or at least they had just as much potential to be.

“What should young people do with their lives today?” asked Kurt Vonnegut in a 1974 commencement address. “Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”

Vonnegut was a prolific novelist and short-story writer who provided a critical yet empathetic perspective on life after serving in World War II

braska. Take the time to really explore clubs, teams, and friendships before convincing yourself that what you’re doing now will last for the next four years. If all of us were still friends with the people we met in our first weeks on campus, this school would be a far worse place.

Sophomores: shut up. If any of you get mad at the freshmen, take a look in the mirror. You were there just three months ago. Wait until the spring semester, then we’ll talk.

Juniors: this is a brave, new, parent-less world, and freshmen are about to make all the same mistakes you did at that age. Consider the decisions you made freshman year that keep you up at night and muster up some compassion. You’re in the sweet spot of having two years left at school and being two years older than they are, making you some of the best candidates for this class’ role models.

Seniors: I get it, you’re probably feeling a little checked out. I know I am. It can feel pointless to get to know a single one of those little people hiding away in Simpson and McIntyre. But, in a year’s time, we won’t be able to make a single other “friend from college” for the rest of our lives, so why not make an effort? Who knows, in a couple of months, you might actually like some of the freshmen. Just try not to think about how old they make you feel.

Claire Gaudet is a senior studying Rhetoric and Media Studies and Journalism.

in close proximity to death and subsequently having to evaluate what is truly important. I read that quote while sitting in the library stressing over yet another move back home for the summer. I felt an immediate reassurance in my original summer plan to go home and work summer camps — a plan that had induced nothing but anxiety because it didn’t include the word “internship.”

The quote was a reminder that there are good things outside of a strict, resume-driven path encouraged by professors and career coaches. College students should not feel the pressure to take on an internship every summer, especially if they are actively living lives in the summer months that will allow them to become better, healthier, and more learned individuals.

To understand why it’s OK not to have an internship, it is important to define the mer-

By Maddy Welsh sEniOr EditOr

One year after Elizebeth Smith Friedman graduated from Hillsdale College, she got in the back of a limousine in Chicago with a strange man she had met just minutes before.

George Fabyan whisked her away to his private estate where he and dozens of eccentric intellectuals conducted scientific experiments and research projects that were often bizarre and sometimes futile. But it was here that Elizebeth, who had studied English literature at Hillsdale, learned codebreaking through a project attempting to find and decipher codes supposedly hidden within the works of Shakespeare.

She would soon become one of the greatest codebreakers the United States has ever seen — and would also prove there were no such codes in Shakespeare.

Friedman was like any other Hillsdale student in many ways — she wrote for The Collegian, performed in productions of Shakespeare, and went to parties. And then she went on to do what anyone with a liberal education is capable of: she became great. She became an innovator and a hero for her country.

Elizebeth’s story should

its of an internship in the first place. Internships allow students to get experience working in a particular field to test out what they might want to do after they graduate. They allow students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom to the real world, and they can help students to discern what they want from life and develop the necessary skills and connections.

But internships are not the only — or even the best — way to build these skills. These can come from a wide range of life experiences, not only found in an office space or on the job. Employers want experienced employees who are capable, confident, and convicted. These are skills that can sometimes be better developed by working in a restaurant during the summer than through an internship that someone feels forced into taking. A worthwhile summer can also have nothing to do overt-

be an example to liberal arts students of how such an education can launch a person to achieve great things. Friedman, born Aug. 26, 1892, turns 131 years old Saturday — her birthday provides an occasion to reflect on her life and how students can learn from the woman who is perhaps Hillsdale’s greatest graduate.

Elizebeth was a codebreaker, but she did not get a degree in cryptography — the field didn’t even have that name until her husband coined it — nor did she get a degree in mathematics. She got a degree in English literature from a liberal arts college. That means the end goal of her degree was not to get a job with the words on her diploma in the job description. The goal was to sharpen her mind and teach her how to think and to solve problems so she could do anything she wanted.

“We don’t make anybody into anything here. We help them grow. And she grew into a woman who could do anything with her mind,” college President Larry Arnn said in “Hillsdale Student, American Hero,” a documentary students made about Friedman last year.

She became a brilliant codebreaker because she sharpened her mind through

ly with career pursuits. Vonnegut lays it out clearly: the best, most noble pursuits often align more with relationships and people than resumes and professional goals.

I applied for three internships in the summer. All of them told me at varying levels of courtesy and kindness that I was too young. I took it as a sign that this summer I was supposed to do something different. Working summer camps and assistant directing the show for my community theater company fell into my lap.

Working with these kids, pouring myself into the community that shaped me, and collaborating with some of my greatest mentors will improve my ability to serve as a leader, act as a team player, and flourish as a person. Even more, I have seen the way young adults in a community theater company influence and encourage kids because I

studying the liberal arts. She didn’t need to study codebreaking to be great at it. She had already studied things that gave her the ability to do what codebreaking requires: recognizing patterns, understanding the mechanics of language, and applying logic to them.

John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program, discussed this in “Hillsdale Student, American Hero.”

“Everytime you look at a work of literature, whether it’s a poem by Robert Frost, or a novel by Jane Austen, or a play by William Shakespeare, you’re trying to break the code. You’re trying to understand, ‘what is this thing about? What are the symbols and the metaphors and the hidden meanings?’” Miller said. “Elizebeth Smith learned how to do this on the campus of Hillsdale by studying these works of literature, Shakespeare especially.”

The strange story of Elizebeth’s introduction to code breaking reveals something else about her that helped her become great: her courage and ambition. Fabyan took Elizebeth to his estate, named Riverbank Laboratories, which housed the intellectuals and scientists he had collected to work for him into which she gladly stepped.

was one of them.

Nevertheless, every time I told someone about my summer plans, I felt the need to apologize for it, explaining that I am well aware of how valuable my time is and fully convinced that this is the best use of it. Using the word “internship” in association with my summer plans seems to do all of the justifying and explaining. It’s an annoying truth, but it shouldn’t scare students into avoiding or rejecting the unique opportunities that come their way.

Internship is a pretentious word anyway. From the Latin “internus,” it means “internal” or a turning inward. It implies a kind of self-focus as opposed to the typical understanding of a job as a service and an external endeavor. Even aside from the implications of the etymology, an internship is just a fancy word for a temporary job. It’s an arrogant way some people distinguish

At Riverbank, they did everything from study insect genetics to create weapons for the United States military. All of it was to satiate the unending curiosity of Fabyan, whom Melissa Davis, an expert on Elizebeth Smith Friedman, said had more money than sense.

It was a strange place for a young woman a year out of college to find herself in — a college she attended despite her father’s disapproval. Strange people surrounded her and they did strange things.

But none of this got in the way of Elizebeth’s desire to do something unusual, something remarkable, with her life. Not only that, she wanted to do something that required constant use of her mind. She was willing to do things that were frightening to achieve this.

All Hillsdale students have the capacity to be great like Elizebeth Smith Friedman, but only if they work hard and apply what they learn. Study the liberal arts. Let them change you. Then go change the world like Elizebeth Smith Friedman did.

Maddy Welsh is a senior studying History and Journalism.

themselves from those that simply respond to questions about their summer plans with, “Oh, I’m working.” It’s not bad to intern during the summer. But going home to read books, returning to communities from high school or childhood, and working at ice cream shops are also worthy pursuits.

Cultivating an identity and a community that strives to foster enthusiasm, promote relationships, and, ultimately, eliminate loneliness through the means that are distinctive to each person ought to be recognized as the noble and daring work that it is. There are certainly bad ways to spend a summer, but there are so many more good ones than simply getting an internship.

Jillian Parks is a junior studying Rhetoric and Media Studies and Journalism.

Elizebeth Smith Friedman married William Friedman in May 1917. Courtesy | sCienCe History images

City News

Hillsdale Meijer set to open by early summer 2024

By Logan Washburn

Associate Editor

Meijer expects to open its Hillsdale store by early summer 2024.

“It’s something that a city of our size kind of drools over,” City of Hillsdale Zoning Administrator Alan Beeker said.

Construction is halfway complete and Meijer hopes to finish its outdoor work before winter, according to Meijer External Communications Manager Erin Cataldo, who said the store will open on time if weather does not delay the project.

The company usually announces store openings 60 days beforehand, Cataldo said. According to Beeker, Meijer is spending more than $20 million on the project.

Hillsdale City Manager David Mackie said the company will likely finish construction by March.

“From the city’s standpoint construction has been going very well,” Mackie said.

Mackie said the City of Hillsdale’s building department and the Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities have been working with Meijer on construction.

The city has been helping

Meijer install a 12-inch water main, relocate and connect power lines, and make adjustments to M-99, according to Beeker.

“Just the sheer amount of dirt that they have moved to make this happen is mind boggling,” Beeker said. “There was a very significant hill on the site and the hill has been completely removed.”

The city will prepare Meijer’s future entrance at the intersection of W. Carleton Road and W. Moore Road, Beeker said, by adding a stoplight, improving road alignment, and adding acceleration and deceleration

Hillsdale Hospital earns top healthcare workplace award

By Thomas McKenna

Assistant Editor

After receiving two awards for employee satisfaction in the past year, Hillsdale Hospital earned recognition as a top healthcare industry workplace earlier this summer.

Energage, a workplace analytics firm, listed Hillsdale Hospital as a “2023 Healthcare Top Workplace” nationwide. The industry award comes after the hospital earned state recognition as a top workplace in November and national recognition in February.

“Our work environment has been recognized statewide, nationally, and now nationally within our unique industry,” Jeremiah Hodshire, president and chief executive officer at Hillsdale Hospital, said in a press release. “During a time when healthcare faces unprecedented challenges recruiting and retaining team members, we are grateful to have such a dedicated, engaged team of professionals working to care for our patients.”

The awards are based on anonymous surveys asking workers about their satisfaction with employer appreciation, team collaboration, workplace training, and other factors, according to criteria listed on its website.

“It’s not a pay-to-play type of survey,” said Rachel Lott, chief communications officer at Hillsdale Hospital.

“It's truly just based on what our employees are sharing in that survey about their experience working here at Hillsdale Hospital, about the culture, about their level of engagement — that is what drives the results of these awards.” Hodshire said it was a

“significant achievement” for a rural hospital to be ranked as one of the top healthcare workplaces in the country.

“We are humbled to be counted among this prestigious group of healthcare employers,” Hodshire said.

The hospital received the awards as the healthcare industry continues to recover from a pandemic exodus of medical professionals from the workforce. More than

Despite a tight labor market, Lott said the hospital has been able to retain workers due to its “strong, people-focused” work culture. She said some traveling nurses have decided to stay and work at Hillsdale Hospital permanently.

“We've had at least a couple of cases where that has happened,” Lott said. “There’s a traveler and they decided, ‘Actually, I want to be a full-time part of this and a permanent part of this team,’ which I think speaks volumes.”

The hospital chose to confront the staffing shortage differently from many other hospitals and medical clinics during the pandemic, Lott said. Instead of advertising huge signing bonuses for new hires, she said the hospital offered retention bonuses to keep workers from leaving and help them feel appreciated.

lanes. Cataldo said the store will create 250 to 300 jobs. City officials hope the store will generate more economic activity, according to Mackie.

“Increased activity will provide Hillsdale and Hillsdale County residents with additional commercial options and increased tax revenue to enhance the community,” Mackie said. “Meijer has been a great corporate partner to work with.”

Beeker said he was cautiously optimistic about how such a large store would affect the community.

“It’s bright and shiny

and everyone wants to see it bright and shiny,” Beeker said. “It’s one of those things that make you kind of hold your breath.”

City of Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford said on Facebook he is excited for the new store.

“This project and the other new franchises going out there are such a big win for the Hillsdale community,” Stockford said.

Meijer bought 50 acres for the new store in Fayette Township near Bullhead Lake in 2017. The township signed an agreement with the city, giving the city authority over the property

and extending city services. The company got most of its reviews and permits by the end of 2022, according to Beeker.

The Meijer property was once home to a farm with a Mail Pouch Tobacco barn. The barn was deconstructed and removed in the spring. While there were initially no plans to preserve the historic Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement, Cataldo said the company was happy to preserve it with the help of the Hillsdale County Historical Society.

“We’ve had great support from the community,” Cataldo said.

The Local Eatery is for sale

By Lauren Scott City News Editor

The owners of The Local Eatery are trying to sell the restaurant.

“We never intended to own it our whole life,” owner Jason Walters said. “Actually we would have been content with owning the real estate and renting it out or leasing the space to a restaurant owner.”

anymore,” he said.

Junior Phoebe Vanheyningen said she is sad The Local Eatery is for sale because she loves the food.

“The Local Eatery is one of the cultural institutions that I go to after church,” she said. “I really hope it doesn't change the quality of the food.”

Walters said his grandparents owned the building when it was The Palace Cafe.

was a candy shop and faculty at Hillsdale College nicknamed it “the palace of sweets.” When it became a restaurant, The Palace Cafe was named after this original nickname.

Walters’ grandparents owned the building in the 1960s before his aunt and uncle bought it. He said there have been many owners in between the three generations.

333,000 healthcare workers left the workforce in 2021, according to healthcare analytics company Definitive Healthcare. As of this week, the Health Resources and Services Administration said the U.S. healthcare industry needs more than 17,000 additional primary care practitioners.

Lott said the industry was expecting a worker shortage leading up to 2020, but the pandemic brought on the shortage quicker than expected.

“COVID happened and it just basically sped up the clock and made that shortage come to fruition much faster than originally expected,” Lott said. “Now we are in a position where it’s difficult to hire employees, just like other healthcare entities are experiencing.”

“We did retention bonuses to recognize the people who were already here instead of handing a big fat check to somebody who just walked in off the street,” Lott said.

The hospital has since added referral bonuses to encourage workers to bring like-minded healthcare professionals to Hillsdale Hospital, according to Lott.

Senior Abigail Snyder said she appreciated the care she received at Hillsdale Hospital in February 2022 when she slipped on ice and broke her ankle while walking back from church.

“It was a Sunday afternoon, so I thought, ‘Maybe there won’t be a lot of people staffing there,’” Snyder said. “But within about three hours they had me in, triaged, had done the X-rays, I gave insurance information, paid, and was out the door. They had a very efficient and streamlined process.”

Walters is a thirdgeneration owner of the building on Howell Street in downtown Hillsdale and has operated the breakfast restaurant with his wife, Dena, for the past four years. He said there are no interested buyers yet and the restaurant will run as normal until it’s sold.

“The restaurant industry is hard and people don't want to work hard

“My grandfather came in every morning and made donuts and he set the donut display up in the front window,” he said.

Walter said his grandmother ran the restaurant but his grandfather would make donuts in the morning before he went to his mechanic job in the afternoon.

In the 1940s, the building

Walters said his favorite thing about owning The Local Eatery is getting to know and recognize people from the city and college.

Senior Justin Doughty said he is optimistic about the future of The Local Eatery.

“Maybe with the sale of the eatery they'll be able to get more people in there helping out and provide more customers with great food,” he said.

Construction crews work on Meijer’s new entrance off W. Carleton Road. Lauren Scott | Collegian

“Our work environment has been recognized statewide, nationally, and now nationally within our unique industry.”

Dena Walters works at The Local Eatery. Lauren Scott | Collegian

Helen Walters, Jason’s grandmother, worked at The Palace Cafe in 1972. Courtesy | Facebook

Charger

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Chug and run: Alumnus Mark Sprague wins beer mile

By Olivia Pero Sports Editor

A former all-conference runner became a champion chugger this summer, winning the open race at the 2023 Beer Mile World Classic in Chicago July 1.

Mark “Sparky” Sprague

’23 drank four beers and ran a 5:21-minute mile, beating 183 men and women in the overall open race and 24 men in his heat, despite being last leaving the starting line.

“My time would have been very competitive in the official race,” Sprague said. “I would have had one of the fastest times for the USA that day.”

Running a beer mile involves drinking a full beer before sprinting each of the four laps around a track.

The tab on Sprague’s beer can broke before he ran the first lap, so he was the last runner to leave the starting

line.

Sprague’s former teammate, senior Alex Mitchell, said he almost gave up on Sprague when the tab broke.

“He was a full 10 seconds behind the entire field, but he never lost hope,” Mitchell said.

In the last lap, Sprague passed the lead runner and won the race.

“It felt pretty good,” Sprague said. “It felt kind of silly too because I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’”

Sprague had run unofficial beer mile races before, with previous times of 6:10 and 5:44-minute miles.

“I was reached out to by a guy who saw my time before, and I got in contact with the guy who runs the USA beer mile team,” Sprague said. “He wanted me to come out to Chicago.” Sprague said Team USA told him where to buy the U.S. uniform so he could match the team.

“Him doing the beer mile was hilarious to me,” said junior Donnie McArdle, another former teammate of Sprague. “He’s not the fastest runner in the world, and he’s not the fastest drinker, but he’s a mack at doing the two together. He told me he’s gunning for a spot on the USA team at next year’s beer mile.”

Runners from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and six other countries also competed in the 2023 Beer Mile World Classic, which was the main event.

Open events, which had multiple heats, were run on the side of the world classic. Sprague ran in a heat for the open men’s and women’s one mile run.

Sprague said he trained for the beer mile by doing regular running and beer workouts.

“I would just do repeats and then chug some beers,” Sprague said.

According to Sprague, drinking beer and running does not bother him.

“You just feel a little heavier,” Sprague said. “You might have to burp a little bit more, but it doesn't bother me that much which is why I think I'm good at it.” Sprague ran the beer mile four days before he started medical school at Wayne State University in Detroit. He said his plan is to become a medical doctor.

“It was a good way to do something silly before four years of hard work,” Sprague said.

Currently, Sprague said he is training for marathons, and he will be running the Detroit Free Press Marathon in October.

“It's kind of hard to explain, but running is just a part of me,” Sprague said. “I feel worse when I don't run. I want to keep doing it for as long as I can.”

Chargers prepare for season with training camp

By Micah Hart Political Correspondent

After a 2022 season with a 5-6 win-loss record, the Hillsdale Chargers football team are set to play their first game of the season Sept. 2 at the University of Indianapolis.

The team arrived on campus Aug. 6 for a two week training camp.

Senior quarterback Garrit Aissen said training camp has been full of great weather and energy.

“The young guys especially did a really good job,” Aissen said. “Lots of young guys are ready to step up and show what they have.”

Junior linebacker Riley Tolsma said the team has been improving steadily.

The start of the team’s 11-game season is set to take place on the road,

with the Chargers as visitors for the first three games of the season.

The team will return to Hillsdale for its first home game, which is set to be played at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium Sept. 23 — homecoming weekend — when the Chargers are slated to take on the Findlay Oilers.

The Chargers will go head-to-head in nine games against G-MAC rivals.

Tolsma said he is not concerned about where the team stacks in rankings compared to the other teams.

“We don’t put too much stock into rankings,” Tolsma said. “Nothing is impossible.”

Aissen said college football can be different every season.

“College football is in-

teresting. Anyone can be really good one year or re-

head coach Keith Otterbein said the team is focused

the other,” Otterbein said.

Otterbein said com -

“A close-knit football team can take you through a lot of adversity,” Otterbein said.

According to Otterbein, the team has a strong offensive line, a defense that has been focused on tackling, and key players like seniors Michael Herzog and Michael Harding. Tolsma said he is eager to help the team do the best it can.

“I look forward to giving my best effort and giving our team the best chance to win,” Tolsma said.

Likewise, Aissen said he is looking forward to the season. “We can do good things this year,” Aissen said. “Every single Saturday is going to be a really good competition.”

ally bad,” Aissen said. As to looking forward,

on one game at a time. “No game is bigger than

munity is key to having a strong team.

Hillsdale pitcher Barnhart drafted by Orioles in 17th round

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

Chargers relief pitcher

Zane Barnhart became the highest baseball draft pick in Hillsdale College history this summer. He was selected following his junior year in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles as the 511th pick.

“Hearing my name called was the moment I had been looking forward to my entire life,” Barnhart said.

Following the draft, Barnhart began his minor league journey in the Florida Complex League, where he made his first appearance in an Orioles uniform last week.

Coming out of high school, Barnhart chose Hillsdale because it was the only Division II school to offer him a spot. His development as a baseball player accelerated during the summer he spent competing in the Alaska Baseball League following his sophomore year.

“Zane came back in the fall of 2022 as a lockedin pitcher,” Hillsdale head

coach Tom Vessella said.

“He wouldn’t give an inch to anyone and considered it a personal affront when a batter made contact with one of his pitches.”

The speed of his pitches began increasing over the course of his junior year, as did interest from MLB scouts.

“Every practice I was trying to do stuff with intent and not just go through the motions,” Barnhart said.

In February, the Boston Red Sox invited him to their pro day, and by the end of the 2023 season, multiple scouts regularly attended games where Barnhart appeared on the mound.

“I started receiving a number of phone calls and emails every week from scouts asking when Zane would be pitching,” Vessella said.

Barnhart finished his 2023 Hillsdale season with a 5-1 record in 20 appearances, recording 61 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. His six saves were the fourth most recorded by any pitcher in a single season in Charger history, and his 13 career saves are the

second most all-time by a Hillsdale pitcher.

Barnhart’s record and increase in velocity, however, was not just garnering attention from scouts. Divi-

transfer portal after his junior season and multiple schools reached out immediately.

West Virginia University ultimately won Barnhart over, and if not for the draft, he would have been a Mountaineer in the fall.

sion I schools began noticing him too.

Barnhart made the decision to enter the NCAA

“I was only in the transfer portal for about four weeks, but I had at least one call scheduled every day with schools interested in a transfer,” Barnhart said.

Barnhart was fielding these calls while competing in the MLB Draft League, an invitation-only collegiate summer league, where he pitched for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

In only 18 innings of work for the Scrappers, Barnhart managed 30 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA.

His time was often split between games for Mahoning Valley and various pre-draft workouts.

“I got to workout for teams like the Astros, Rangers, and Giants, and often I would drive back from these workouts just in time to pitch that night for the Scrappers,” Barnhart said.

In June 2023 amidst his busy schedule, Barnhart received a call from Willis Sports Agents, a faith-based sports agency in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“It was a pretty easy decision to have them represent me, and I was thankful to have their support throughout the draft process,” Barnhart said.

His draft experience concluded July 11 when Barnhart heard his name called in the 2023 MLB Draft, becoming the fourth Charger drafted in Hillsdale’s history.

“There were only twelve DII schools this year that had players drafted, so it’s huge for our program when we have draft picks,” Vessella said.

Barnhart is the second Charger selected in five years, joining Jake Hoover who was picked following his junior year in the 2019 draft, in the 28th round, by the Texas Rangers.

Barnhart is on pace to be called up to Maryland to join the Orioles’ low-A team, the Delmarva Shorebirds, sometime this fall.

“We couldn’t be happier or more proud of him and what he has accomplished so far,” Vessella said.

Football players do drills during training camp. Courtesy| Hillsdale College Athletic Department

The Orioles drafted Barnhart. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Sprague celebrates after winning the 2023 Beer Mile World Classic open race.

Courtesy| Elvis Marin Photography

Shotgun members face Olympic prospects

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale College shotgun team earned multiple medals at home and abroad this summer, with the competition already in full swing before classes begin.

Many of the athletes have had the opportunity to compete both at a collegiate and international level. The Scholastic Clay Target Program hosts competitions for students across the country, while USA Shooting in partnership with the International Shooting Sports Federation prepare athletes for the Olympic level.

The team entered its first summer tournament shortly after classes ended May 14 at the USA Shooting National Championships. The competition, hosted at Hillsdale’s John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Center, serves as the first of two Olympic trials for Paris 2024.

Senior Ida Brown shot the highest score of any Hillsdale athlete, 211/250, breaking enough targets to secure second place in the collegiate women’s category.

“I feel like I’m in a decent position to qualify for the Olympics,” Brown said. “It’s still very doable if I shoot the way I know I can. My goal is to shoot a few bunker matches throughout the year at some of the closer ranges. What has worked out really well for me so far is practicing outside of the team, getting a few extra four or five rounds per week on my own.”

In addition to Brown, junior Josh Corbin shot 235/250 targets, earning collegiate men’s gold. Sophomore Jor-

dan Sapp followed with a junior men’s silver medal for breaking 240/250 clays. Junior Sophia Bultema broke 175 targets, finishing second in paratrap.

Four Hillsdale students were selected to attend the ISSF Junior World Cup, bringing them abroad to Suhl,

it up to two. Then the World Championships is like the final showdown for all the juniors of the year. Historically, there's more competitors at the World Championships because it's just more of a prestigious award.”

Hillsdale’s shotgun team selected its Junior World Cup

team returned to Hillsdale the week of June 9 for the USA Shooting Junior Olympics National Championships. Sapp won gold in men’s skeet, while Bultema also earned gold in collegiate women’s trap. Corbin became the only current cross-discipline athlete to be selected for two

bles, with Brown following in second place. Junior Leif Andersen earned second in collegiate men’s trap doubles.

Five Hillsdale Chargers, including incoming freshmen Madeline Corbin and Ava Downs flew to Changwon, South Korea, to represent Team USA in the ISSF Junior

USA shooting junior team is by far the best in the world.”

With only a month’s rest, the Chargers began a new season Aug. 20 at the Guerini Grand Prix in Brighton, Michigan.

“I don't think any of our athletes competing at that level weren’t in high school doing the same thing already,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. “For the most part, they're pretty well attuned to the fast pace already.”

Corbin won third place in international sporting clays, as well as highest overall score in the super sporting clays competition. Brown followed with first place in the A- division of super sporting clays. Overall, the Hillsdale shotgun team earned 20 different awards.

This weekend, the team will compete at home at the Halter Center. The college is hosting the annual Chargers Classic, sponsored by the National Sporting Clays Association. The competition serves as a fundraiser for the team, with categories for sporting clays, five stand and super sporting. The event is open to the public with prizes available.

“Nothing for the fall makes me too nervous,” Brown said. “I don’t get nervous, unless it’s qualifying.”

Germany, June 1-9. Corbin and Sapp contributed toward USA Shooting’s gold medal in squad men's skeet.

“I would say throughout the world they’re starting to really give more opportunities to juniors,” assistant coach Caitlin Connor-Royer said.

“There’s at least one ISSF Junior World Cup per year, and I think they’re trying to get

and Championships teams based upon a combination of scores from USA Shooting Nationals and a junior selection event in Kerrville, Texas. Any successful student athlete can be a part of the team, so long as they are under the age of 21 before the start of the season.

Nearly one month after leaving campus, the shotgun

different USA Shooting teams after winning men’s trap junior olympic champion.

The Chargers flew home for the SCTP National Championships the week of July 12th at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio. The trap doubles team earned gold in the collegiate category. Senior Jessica Strasser won first in collegiate women’s trap dou-

World Championships from July 14-25. Madeline earned bronze in women’s skeet, while her brother Josh Corbin and Sapp contributed to a silver medal in men’s skeet.

“I think that the summer went really well for the team,” Connor-Royer said. “We have a very dominant Hillsdale College International Team, for sure. Just as a whole, the

With the second half of the Paris 2024 Olympic trials hosted next March, the Chargers have lots of tournaments ahead. This season’s team will be the largest in the college’s history, with 16 students, a record five of them being women.

Women's XC enters season with six new freshmen

By Sarah Katherine Sisk Assistant editor

The Hillsdale women’s cross country team will launch a promising season Sept. 1, when it travels to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to compete in the Diemer Classic hosted by Calvin University.

Six returning runners welcome six new freshmen to the team. Joining the Chargers for their first collegiate season are Anna Stirton of Alton, Illinois, Eleanor Clark of St. Charles, Illinois, Emilie Santoso of Portland, Oregon, Megan Roberts of Hillsdale, Michigan, Savannah Fraley of Mequon, Wisconsin, and Whitney Wilkinson of Quincy, Michigan.

Junior Kayla Loescher said she is excited to have new faces around.

“I think this will be the biggest challenge we face, as it makes us a pretty inexperienced team overall,” Loescher said. “It’s usually a pretty hard adjustment moving from high school to college running.”

Loescher said there are two teammates in particular who bring favorable odds to the team this season.

“Elizabeth Wamsley is definitely someone to be watching,” Loescher said. “She’s already a multiple-time All-American and looking stronger than ever. Vera Thompson too. She was injured last year but has been working her way back. She looks like she’ll have a solid season.”

Loescher said she suffered multiple injuries last year and looks forward to an injury-free return to running.

“I’m super excited to get back into racing after dealing with many injuries last winter and spring,” Loescher said.

Loescher said her biggest hope is that the team will go uninjured this season.

“Although we’re a bigger group than last year, we can’t afford to have several girls out for championship season,” Loescher said.

Loescher said the team is preparing for the season under the guidance of coach R.P. White, whose training philosophy influenced Loescher’s decision to attend Hillsdale College.

Senior Elizabeth Wamsley said the number of younger girls on the team provides many opportunities for growth and development.

“Having such a young team will be challenging, but also a great chance for the underclassmen to really make the team culture their own,” Wamsley said. “My goal for the season is to get the underclassmen to invest in their teammates and grow in their love of both the sport and their teammates.”

According to Wamsley, the 2023 G-MAC Championships will be the most exciting but most challenging meet.

“There’s a lot at stake since we’ll be competing against our conference rivals,” Wamsley said. “It’s a chance to prove ourselves and to showcase our team’s strength and tenacity.”

Josh Corbin (upper left), Jordan Sapp (upper right), and Madeline Corbin (lower left) pose at the ISSF Junior World Championships. Courtesy | Facebook

C U L T U R E

Theatre department welcomes interested students at annual picnic

By Michaela Estruth AssistAnt Editor

The Department of Theatre and Dance will host its annual picnic tonight.

This picnic will start at 5 p.m. in the Quilhot Black Box Theatre at the Sage Center for Performing Arts.

Anyone interested in the 2023-2024 Tower Players or Tower Dancers onstage or backstage should attend, Professor of Theatre James Brandon said. The picnic is the annual kickoff

for the department and leads into cold reading auditions, auditions without preparation beforehand, for the fall productions, Brandon said.

The dinner with pizza and sandwiches will last about an hour before auditions from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to Christopher Matsos, associate professor of theatre. Auditions are not required to attend the picnic but will cast for the two fall productions: an adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice,” directed by Matsos, and “Hamlet,” di-

rected by Brandon. “No need to be nervous about the process,” Matsos said. “It’s painless, and a great way to make new friends. All are welcome to sign up to audition, regardless of past experience.”

While auditions may seem like the main focus, Matsos said the picnic highlights other important aspects of the theater department, including information about the Tower Dancers, directed by Holly Hobbs, assistant professor of dance. Matsos said the design faculty will also

More than a score: Class of ’27 boasts fresh artistic interests

By Jillian Parks CulturE Editor

The Holy Trinity of orientation questions seems to be “What’s your major? Where are you from? How did you hear about Hillsdale?,” and every member of Hillsdale’s class of 2027 will have to answer them at least a couple times.

But more than just the sum of its offered majors, expansive geographic pull, or its most effective marketing strategies, many freshmen are already excited about the art, music, and conversation that makes Hillsdale what it is.

“Thinking I can make an artistic impact at Hillsdale seems a little naive, but I intend to jump in regardless,” freshman Aryn Tomasetti said. “Art and writing have been hobbies close at hand whenever free time comes my way, and if I can do something with those, I will.”

Some students have gathered their perspective on Hillsdale arts and culture through various visits to campus over the years, dreaming of ways to get involved because of the artistic contributions of students past and present.

“When I visited Hillsdale last year, I was really inspired by the art styles I saw. I think there is a lot of value in traditional pieces because they are the bedrock of the artistic world,” freshman Mikayla Casa said. “However, I like to expand those limits and find beauty in more contemporary pieces as well. I love finding new and unique ways to express myself and reflect the world around me.”

Music is a widely and excitedly anticipated art form among freshmen.

“In various visits to campus made over the years, I’ve always been struck by the beauty in any musical perfor-

mance I’ve attended whether it be Little Big Band concerts, the Chamber Choir, or other groups,” freshman Audrey Powell said. “Each time, I’m stuck with a sensation of wonder and awe at the talent and dedication present.”

Student-directed endeavors, such as student bands and Student Activity Board events, also sparked the interest of the newest class.

“I am so excited for the host of musical talent present at Hillsdale,” freshman Devin Houts said. “This semester I’m most excited to see Hillsdale bands like Diet of Worms play – which may have something to do with the fact my sister is in the band – at Welcome Party, as well as any other student bands that showcase themselves.”

Many freshmen from high school theater backgrounds said the upcoming season of performances encouraged them to continue their theatrical pursuits.

“I am most excited to experience theater at Hillsdale, especially since I’ve heard about what productions will be performed this next year,” Tomasetti said. “I’ve done theater since seventh grade, both backstage and onstage. I’m generally excited for all of the artistic opportunities to serve and create because making beautiful things for the glory of God is one of our highest callings and definitely one of my favorites.”

Some prospective patrons attended shows in past semesters that inspired them to stay interested.

“I am looking forward to seeing performances by the theater department,” freshman Nicholas Heide said. “I saw ‘Our Town’ when I visited campus and found it to be very impactful and moving.”

The influence goes both ways, with the incoming class offering a wide range of musi-

cal interest from Taylor Swift to The Arcadian Wild to Billie Holiday.

“I attended the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Los Angeles, and it was incredible,” freshman Lillian Ferrell said. “I’ve always been a huge Taylor Swift fan since I was little, and her set list brought me full circle as she revisited tracks that I remember singing back at her ‘Red’ tour when I was 8 years old.”

Many of Hillsdale’s incoming live music lovers are willing to make the trek to Detroit but need like-minded peers to join them. Hozier, Noah Kahan, and the Arctic Monkeys are popular bands that will stop in Detroit throughout the semester.

“I did make it to a Foo Fighters concert this summer and was able to meet them because a friend of mine knows them personally,” Casa said.

“As for a concert I do want to see, Playboi Carti’s entire Label is going on the ‘Antagonist’ tour and will be playing in Detroit this October. I want to go but I haven’t met anyone at Hillsdale yet and I have a feeling it will be hard to find someone who listens to new Carti as well as the four others he signed.”

Much of the new freshman class is simply excited about a new start and a new way of thinking about the things they already know and love.

“Coming in as a freshman, I want to surround myself with good influences in the college community, academics, and the arts,” freshman Cate McCartney said. “I’m excited to get involved in the performing arts at Hillsdale, particularly dance. I know a school like Hillsdale will encourage the production of art that points to a higher purpose and meaning.”

discuss work in the three professional design studios – lighting, scene shop, and costume shop, Matsos said.

“The Department of Theatre and Dance offers a large number of opportunities for students at all levels of interest and experience,” Matsos said. “Whether students are considering auditioning for a Tower Players production or dance concert, volunteering for backstage opportunities, or making new friends who love the arts, the theater picnic is the best

way to get started.”

Junior theater major Emily Griffith said she has attended the picnic the past two years and is looking forward to attending this year. Griffith said the event is a great way to meet fellow students and upperclassmen interested in the theater department.

“My very first week on campus, I went to the theater picnic and decided to sit beside a group of girls who looked like they knew what they were doing,” Griffith said. “The girl I

sat right next to, Brooklyn Little, ended up becoming one of my closest theater friends, has been my director, and even took me on as her little in the theater honorary.”

Professors and returning students alike are excited for the year ahead.

“We are eager to welcome back our returning students,” Matsos said, “but the picnic is also an invigorating chance to meet new students and launch the year with new friends.”

‘Barbenheimer’ blows up

By Linnea Shively AssistAnt Editor

As I handed my movie ticket to the collector at the theater, he took one look at my hot pink shirt and jokingly asked, “Here to see ‘Oppenheimer?’”

In anticipation of the release of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” on July 21, the hashtag “Barbenheimer” trended on social media throughout June and July, according to TIME. Excitement for the separate movies became intertwined as users created thematic outfits, schedules for their “Barbenheimer” day, and memes about the releases, TIME said.

While the comedic “Barbie” and thriller “Oppenheimer” were starkly different, fans planned double features. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, 200,000 people bought tickets to see both movies during opening weekend. TIME also reported the combined “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” release was the largest box-office showing since “Avengers End-Game” released in 2019. “Barbie” grossed $337 million and “Oppenheimer” grossed $174 million.

Senior Meredith Kottom originally planned to only watch “Oppenheimer,” but she attended a double feature after

a friend bought “Barbie” tickets a few days before the show.

“The roommates I lived with over the summer really wanted me to go with them,” Kottom said.

Kottom’s group started with “Barbie,” took a break for dinner, and then returned to the theater to watch “Oppenheimer.” The whole evening took close to six hours, she said.

“‘Oppenheimer’ was very heavy and a lot to contemplate, so I would definitely see the more light-hearted ‘Barbie’ before,” Kottom said. “At the end of ‘Barbie,’ it made me think about what it means to be a woman. It wasn’t as much of a transition over to ‘Oppenheimer’ because there were some deep themes in ‘Barbie.’ The ‘Barbie’ movie was a fun, pop culture movie and then ‘Oppenheimer’ was a historical drama, so the contrast was still really stark.”

Freshman Devin Houts said she fully embraced the “Barbenheimer” trend.

“Something about showing up to every theater or mall that was filled with people half decked out in pink, platforms, and sparkles and then half suits, fedoras, and briefcases was a great way to find a kind of community with strangers in our excitement over the same movies,” Houts said. “Both movies were controversial in various

respects, but I found myself appreciating the cinematography and score of Christopher Nolan’s film as well as the relatability and silliness of the Barbie movie.”

Freshman Abigail Stonestreet said she enjoyed the cinematographic effects of “Barbie,” but she said she had mixed feelings on the overall message.

“The aesthetics and production quality were fascinating, and made for a well-made movie,” Stonestreet said. “However, I struggled to find much moral value in the plot itself. I did not feel like it represented the equality we so desire and seek as a society, but instead, encouraged a war between the sexes. The main thought I left the movie with is that I would not want my 6-year-old brother to see a two-hour movie that tells him he is the problem with society because he is male.”

Freshman Nicholas Heide said he enjoyed the visual elements of “Oppenheimer.”

“The plot was engaging from beginning to end and the music and overall visuals were fantastic,” Heide said. “Although I am hesitant to believe that Oppenheimer was not in fact colluding with the communists, I thought that the movie did well portraying the opposing moral implications of the creation and use of the bomb.”

Professors’ Picks: Brent Cline, associate professor of English

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

Compiled by Alexandra Hall

dEsign Editor

“Find the River,” R.E.M.

“I’m probably just picking my favorite song from my favorite band here rather than what influenced me. The dual harmonies are beautiful, but I don’t think they changed me. And any song that mentions bergamot, ginger, and coriander is obviously a real toe-tapper, but it didn’t influence me. This is the song that, should it come on while I’m dying and my family gathers round to whisper sweet

words of love, I’ll shout, ‘Shut up, shut up! I can’t hear the music!’ Honorable mention to Beck’s ‘Lost Cause’ because that’s sort of my and the wife’s song.”

“Crime and Punishment,”

Fyodor Dostoevsky

“At the age of 18 in my grandmother’s house in Logan, West Virginia, I spent a Christmas weekend locked away devouring this book. It was like being presented with an entirely new language for which you unaccountably had some intuitive grasp of the grammar. My mother was irate because I wouldn’t

spend time with family, but I was not leaving that book for aunts and uncles to ask me why I was so skinny. If any good thing awaits me in the hereafter, then my parents get most of the credit, but so too does the path this book laid before me. Of course, that means if bad things await me, ‘Crime and Punishment’ has to take some blame. You too, mom.”

“A Thief in the Night”

“When I was a little kid, we moved several times. My parents would check out new churches, which meant

going to Sunday School classes filled with strangers. Still today, when I think of loneliness, it’s being in a new Sunday School class. At one church the teachers showed this 1970s movie about people left behind after the rapture. It scared me to death. Once my mom hid from me (why, mom?), and when I couldn’t find her, I collapsed into tears believing I had missed the rapture. She still tells this story and has always, always found it funny. That movie haunted me for years. Update: I have just returned from a Google search and can report it is available in its entirety on YouTube.”

Sophomore Elena Hedrick poses in front of ‘Barbie’ branding. COURTESY | Elena Hedrick

Senior Nikoleta Klikovac and junior Erika Mogelvang dress up in bright pink in anticipation of the movie. COURTESY | Nikoleta Klikovac

Cline (right) and his two college friends wreaking havoc. COURTESY | Brent Cline

Features

Tea, Churchill, and politics: interning in Parliament

By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter

“The next station is Westminster,” the automated voice of the London Underground announced. “Exit for the Palace of Westminster, and Houses of Parliament.”

I walked up the station’s stairs with three other Hillsdale College students, sophomore Porter Jihaad and juniors Jacob Fox and Vivian Turnbull. We left the station and stood facing the centuries-old facade of Westminster, throngs

of tourists, and the center of the United Kingdom’s government.

The gothic architecture and towering spires shocked me. Here was the descendant of the government of the Magna Carta. Here was the government that sent colonists to North America. And here was my first day of work.

My colleagues and I had arrived in London for 10week parliamentary internships arranged by the Margaret Thatcher Centre, a British nonprofit organization that

traditionally sponsors American students from The Citadel college to intern for members of Parliament. This summer was the first time the Centre sponsored Hillsdale students.

We went to the office for a meeting and orientation of Westminster and Portcullis House, the building across from Westminster that houses most Members of Parliament’s offices. The Right Honorable Sir Conor Burns, Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West, whom I interned for, met us there in his office. This

Constituencies in the United Kingdom each hold under 80,000 people, and 650 constituencies are represented in Parliament, although Members of Parliament don’t go to Westminster every day. Burns was regularly in his constituency of Bournemouth West from Wednesday evening until Sunday afternoon each week.

Burns would host “surgeries,” one-on-one meetings to address consistent complaints, and deliver surveys to thousands of constituents.

During my time working for Burns’, I noticed his connection to his constituency. He hand delivered surveys to each of his constituents and would take time to respond to all of them. He and his staff read every complaint about potholes, and every concern over rising taxes or illegal immigration from Afghanistan or Albania.

The people loved and appreciated Burns’ dedication. They volunteered to have him come and speak at their homes or to help him with his surveys. Turnbull said her favorite part of the internship was constituency work.

have dinner on the House of Commons terrace overlooking the River Thames and watching Prime Minister Questions from the gallery,” Jihaad said.

During Prime Minister Questions, the public can walk into the viewing gallery of Parliament and see a packed House of Commons, with members of the Conservative and Labour parties sitting on separate sides of the floor.

The clock strikes noon, and Members of Parliament who have reserved question times are able to ask their questions to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak, with his reputation, position, and potential weaknesses vulnerable, faces interrogation on every aspect of the government. He must be prepared for anything, ranging from questions about his “Stop the Boats” immigration campaign to jeers from members of his own party. Sunak has to defend his position to the awe — and entertainment — of everyone else.

Despite the aggression of Prime Minister Questions, I found the British government rarely debates social issues, which are at the forefront of American politics.

“I was surprised that the British view the intersection of social and political issues radically differently than we do,” Turnbull said. “For example, abortion isn’t really a political issue that’s ever talked about in the U.K., whereas most people in America have a pretty strong opinion one way or another.”

We also met some Hillsdale students studying in Oxford for a whirlwind trip to Paris, where I walked 57,872 steps in 34 hours. My pedometer told me that I walked more steps than ever before.

“We made the most of the free museums around London on the weekends,” Turnbull said. “We also did several weekend trips — my favorite was to Bath — and I got plugged in with a Bible study at a local church.”

While the Tube made transportation convenient, my favorite trip to Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s house in Chelsea, involved a bit more than a metro ride.

My father had one rule for me while in London. He said I could take a plane, a boat, a bus, a cab, a train, a trolley — anything that I wanted. But he did not want me to “drive a stick shift on the wrong side of the road.” So Turnbull and I arrived at Chartwell after two lines on the London Underground, one train ride on the National Rail Service, a 40-minute bus ride, and a twomile walk.

internship was my first time working for a government official, let alone one in another country, but Burns’ demeanor immediately set me at ease.

“No question is a stupid question,” he said.

A weight lifted off my shoulders, and I looked around his office. Pictures of Margaret Thatcher and poltical cartoons covered the walls. The only other staffer was Burns’ senior parliamentary assistant, a 21 year old who had worked for other members but started working for Burns on the same day we did.

Burns’ constituency, Bournemouth West, is a seaside town in Southern England.

“Most of the constituent work involved a lot of spreadsheets and data entry,” Turnbull said. “It might sound like a mundane task, but it’s neat to remember that these are real people and every email I enter or casework issue I flag means that someone’s life is touched, even in a small way. It is an honor to be a part of that communication.”

Fox said he liked having a first-person perspective on the United Kingdom’s legislative process.

“I enjoyed being able to spectate the legislative process in committee meetings in person,” Fox said.

Legislation aside, one of the most fascinating things about Parliament is the Prime Minister Questions, which happen once a week on Wednesdays.

“I enjoyed being able to

The British system also differs from the American government with its multi-party system, where parties cooperate under the general “conservative” or “labour” umbrellas.

“Coming from a country with such an entrenched two-party system, I was curious to see how the UK’s multi-party system functions,” Turnbull said. “The British system is quite different from ours, though my American Congress class with Dr. Postell gave me a great grasp on legislative basics.”

When not working in Parliament, we had the opportunity to travel around the United Kingdom and Europe. Jihaad went to Germany and Poland, while Turnbull and I took advantage of museums and historic sights in the United Kingdom, including nine military history museums in the space of 10 weeks.

The house, built in 1848, is on an estate that William-theWell built in 1382. Extensive gardens surround the estate including a well-kept rose garden, gifted to Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine, for their wedding anniversary in 1958. Inside is a vast collection of awards and documents.

The docents were excited to point out all the things from America, but my favorite artifact was a draft of Winston Churchill’s Volume III of “The World Crisis,” his historical account of World War I. I did a project on the volume this past spring, and spent about five minutes trying to think of everything that changed between the draft and the completed version.

My first day in Parliament was “happy chaos.” Amid thousands of surveys, briefings, and press releases, one thing changed. I am now slightly addicted to earl grey tea.

During her 10 weeks in London, Osborne visited many landmarks including Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the guards at Buckingham Palace.

Erin Osborne | Collegian