Collegian 2.1.2024

Athletic department announces next class of hall of fame inductees

By Joshua Mistry Coll E gi A n rE port E r

The 2006 women’s volleyball team and four Charger alumni are among the new class of inductees to the Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sprinter Ian Redpath ’72, sprinter DeShawn Meadows ’95, football coach Steve Rentschler ’78, and football player Al Huge ’88 will be joining the hall of fame, according to an athletic department press release. Hillsdale will honor the new class in October.

The 2006 women’s volleyball team head coach, Chris Gravel, still coaches today. Gravel was the first coach to lead an undefeated team to a regular season conference title and a NCAA Tournament, said Director of Athletic Communications

James Gensterblum.

“The 2006 team is a history-making team in many ways, as the first team to win a conference title, host an NCAA DII Regional, and record an NCAA Tournament victory in the history of the volleyball program,” Gensterblum said. “They are still the only team in program history to go undefeated in the regular season, finishing a perfect 27-0.”

Megan Molenkamp, the current assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the women’s volleyball team, also played for the hall of fame team and gave credit to the amazing coaching staff for their success.

See HOF A8

Students hit the slopes at Bittersweet Ski Resort

Drummond lecturer speaks on Judaism and the West

By Anna Broussard CollEgiAn rEportEr

The relationship between Christianity and the Jewish tradition is vital to Western culture, Eric Cohen said during a lecture in Christ Chapel on “The Jewish Spirit of the West.”

“As go the Jews, so goes the West,” Cohen said in the semester’s first Drummond lecture.

Cohen is a renowned Jewish activist, founder and editor-at-large of the New Atlantis, and director of the Tikvah Fund.

“Now more than ever, we need to rekindle the spirit of liberty so that Jews and Christians together can save the West from sabotaging itself beyond repair,” he said.

As Western culture descends into despair and decadence, Cohen said the solution can be found in the Jewish conceptions of the family and nation state.

“The meaning of a family and nation, I believe, are some of the great remedies of our

modern disorders,” he said.

The significance of these concepts are inherent in the Christian tradition as well as the Jewish people, Cohen said.

“If our purpose as Jews is to bring these ideas to the world,” Cohen said, “your purpose as Christians is to ensure these ideas are victorious in history, and standing together we can renew our precious inheritance. It is your sacred task as American Christians ring the liberty bell loudly throughout the land.” Cohen said the mission of Hillsdale College is effective in communicating this task to the future generations.

“The meaning of reason, faith, politics taught as it should be,” he said. “It is here that our future leaders will be found and nurtured.”

Speakers in the Drummond Lecture Series address faith and learning. Previous speakers have included former vice president Mike Pence and former secretary of education Betsy DeVos.

“I thought the talk was especially interesting given Mr. Cohen’s Jewish background,” junior John Schaefer said. “Students spend a lot of time contemplating the Christo-Greco-Roman traditions, but Judaism does not typically take as prominent of a role.”

The lecture came at an appropriate time as the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel remains unresolved, Schaefer said.

“Given the current tensions in the Middle East and Israel’s place at the center of those conflicts, it seemed very timely to bring in a Jewish public policy thinker,” he said.

Touching on the Middle Eastern conflict and the startling rise of antisemitism, Cohen said the need for unity between Jews and Christians is imperative.

“The living Jewish nation of Israel has become the progressives’ favorite pariah,” he said, referencing the debate over the ownership of the land.

Yet the history of the Jewish people is full of hardships and the Jewish nation continues to survive these conflicts.

“The endurance of Jews throughout history is the best proof that God still providentially guides the human story,” he said. “In dark times the Jewish people should remind us that hope will never die.”

“The lecture was very informative from a prominent Jewish thinker who has studied western thought extensively,” junior Makayla Babcock said. “It is apparent that he works closely with some of the most important Christian intellectuals writing today.”

Cohen echoed that the hopefulness of the shared Western tradition embedded in both the Jewish nation and American Christians is pivotal in saving Western culture.

“I hope in a small way that this adds Jewish insight to your own culture and aids us in saving the West,” he said, “as it is indeed worth saving.”

Choir to perform Haydn’s ‘Requiem’ in Christ Chapel

By Caroline Kurt AssistAnt Editor

The Hillsdale College Chapel Choir will perform selections from Michael Haydn’s “Requiem” and other pieces from its repertoire in a concert Feb. 4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Christ Chapel.

The Choir will perform alongside a Baroque horn ensemble from Eastman School of Music in New York. Visiting professor of Music Michael Ruhling will direct both for the “Requiem.”

Chapel Choir originally planned to perform the “Requiem” last semester, according to junior Esdras Blackwell.

After the group visited Washington, D.C., they decided to postpone the piece to focus on their Christmas Lessons and Carols performance. Blackwell said he was disappointed at first, but is glad the choir had time to perfect the piece.

College expects nation’s highest percentage of math graduates in 2024

By Cassandra DeVries s o C i A l m E di A mA n Ag E r

The 2024 graduating class expects to have the largest percentage of math majors of any college or university in the country.

“This may seem curious, but we think it is good — also fun. Hillsdale College has become superb at teaching mathematics,” College President Larry P. Arnn said in an email.

The college anticipates 38 students, or 11.5% of the senior class, will graduate in May with degrees in applied mathematics or mathematics, according to Arnn. An additional 10.9% of students will graduate with math degrees in 2025. This should be enough to place Hillsdale first for percentage of math majors both years.

Previous contenders for the highest percentage of math majors in the last five years include Amherst College at 10.7%, Williams College at 10.4%, and Macalester College at 9.9%.

Arnn’s email was titled “Revenge of the Nerds.”

“About 10 years ago, we would get 15 or 16 math majors a year. I remember one year we got 18, and we were excited that it was so huge,” Associate Professor of Mathematics David Gaebler said. “In 10 years, the number of math majors has approximately doubled.”

Gaebler said many of the graduating math students majored in applied mathematics, a relatively new degree introduced nearly a decade ago.

“Much of the growth has been in the applied mathematics degree,” Gaebler said. “In this year’s graduating class, we have about three-quarters applied math and one quarter just math. That program didn’t even exist five or six years ago.”

Associate Professor of Mathematics Kevin Gerstle agreed the new programs are attracting more interest.

“I would rather it be good, and I trust Dr. McDonnell’s judgment,” Blackwell said.

Junior Elizabeth Patrick, a soprano in Chapel Choir, is one of several choir members to have a solo in the “Requiem.”

“It’s probably one of the favorite pieces that I’ve heard from our Chapel Choir repertoire,” Patrick said.

Michael Haydn, a composer esteemed by Mozart, wrote the “Requiem” in 1771, the same year his young daughter died. Set in C minor and performed in Latin, the piece is built upon its fugues, when two or more voices sing a theme at staggered intervals.

“There are these cool little tensions and releases,” Blackwell said. “I think if people listen to how the voices are lining up and what that’s creating, it’s really powerful.”

“We also have a new computer science minor, which is now in its third year at the college under John Seiffertt,” Gerstle said. “It is not directly tied to the math major, but I think it has helped attract a variety of students to the mathematics department, especially given the importance of AI and programming in the modern world.” Gaebler said he thought the number of double majors at Hillsdale College contributed to the trend.

“I think one thing that sets Hillsdale apart is the higher likelihood of students pairing math with something that seems very different,” Gaebler said. “We have students combine math with art, history, politics, philosophy, and English. So I think that’s part of what gives us a leg up in this particular metric.”

Students traveled to the ski hill last Saturday with the Student Activities Board. The $40 participation fee covered a lift ticket and rental equipment for the day. Sophomores Olyvia Oeverman, Jacob Beckwith, and Lucy Treene (left to right) stand next to the lift. Sydney Green | Colle G ian

Library replaces motorized shelves

By Catherine Maxwell Assist A nt Editor

Mossey Library replaced its motorized compact shelves on the basement floor, known as “Hell,” with manual, crank-powered shelves due to frequent malfunctions and safety concerns, according to Library Director Maurine McCourry.

The library contracted with Library Design of Ann Arbor, which began the project Jan. 22 and finished Jan. 29.

“The electronic components were just prone to failure,” McCourry said. “We’ve had greater and greater instances where we could not get the shelves open because the motors failed.”

The library installed the shelves in 2008. Mechanical failures began almost immediately, according to McCourry.

“In the past few years, it’s been harder and harder to get parts to replace them,” McCourry said. “In some cases, we couldn’t even get the replacement parts.”

The compact shelves store books on science, bibliography, and library science as well as back issues of periodicals and archival materials, according to Public Services Librarian George Allen.

While most of the failures prevented the shelves from opening, McCourry said there was one instance of the security feature failing to activate to stop the shelves.

“We had a student worker who was shelving books, and she couldn’t get it to stop,” McCourry said. “She almost got trapped in there.”

The student was unharmed, but the incident convinced the library to replace the shelves, according to McCourry.

“They just did not seem to be terribly safe anymore,” McCourry said. “We don’t know what happened, but it was enough to make us say, ‘We’ve got to replace these.’”

The mechanical issues prevented the library from providing books to patrons, Allen said.

“The manual shelves should be much more reliable

and much less prone to mechanical failure,” Allen said in an email.

Sophomore Anna Teply said she enjoys the compact shelves and that the cranks have not detracted from the experience.

“The crank works really easily,” she said. “They’re not heavy at all.”

She said she understands the library’s concerns about safety.

“You can stop more easily if you need to,” she said about the updated shelves,“and they’re simpler to use than the motorized system.”

The previous library director began considering replacing the shelves in 2015, according to McCourry.

“I don’t know how far he got in pursuing it with the administration, though,” she said in an email.

McCourry said she approached the administration last year, but it took time to approve the request because the money was not coming from the library budget.

According to Hillsdale College Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé, the money for the project came from a surplus fund.

“We approved that project late summer or early fall,” Péwé said.

Despite the project’s approval, circumstances prevented its completion until recently, according to McCourry.

“Getting materials proved difficult, and they were only able to start the work this month,” McCourry said.

The library considered replacing the shelves but decided it would be cheaper to remove the motors and replace them with hand cranks, according to McCourry.

McCourry said the cranks should improve the shelves’ functionality.

“It’s actually easier and quicker to open these now,” she said. “You can open a whole range of stacks just with a single crank. It’s super simple and a much better system.”

Blackwell

process of

the piece as one of many moving parts.

“It’s equally intense for each part,” Blackwell said. “No one has a weak part. Everyone has to know what they’re doing.”

Rather than dividing into parts and learning the piece separately, Blackwell said, the choir has been rehearsing as a whole.

GOAL program hosts blood drive competition

By Tayte Christensen

LLEG

The GOAL Community Health program hosted the Battle for the Benjamin blood drive competition on Monday, collecting 52 units of blood from 70 patients.

McIntyre Residence won the dorm competition and freshman Jonah Starr won the drawing for $100, said sophomore Hinson Peed, director of the GOAL Community Health Program.

Monday’s blood drive was a competition between campus dorms and Greek houses, according to Peed.

“First off, students had a chance to win a $100 bill,” Peed said. “Then there also was a dorm competition where all student donors and all volunteers could contribute their service or their donation to a dorm or Greek house. The dorm or Greek house with the most percentage based on the total number of people in their house will win a golden Benjamin Franklin statue.” Peed said the event was a success, and there was great turnout from students and community members.

“We definitely could have done a better job of decreasing the number of student deferrals and increasing the number of PowerRed donors, but overall it was a very successful drive,” Peed said.

PowerRed donations are in high demand from hospitals and help premature babies and cancer patients, according to Peed.

“With a PowerRed donation, the Red Cross will collect two concentrated units of red blood cells,” Peed said. “The donation process typically takes a little longer,

but donors have their plasma returned to them along with IV fluid.”

The PowerRed process allows donors to recover faster compared to a normal blood donation.

This week’s blood drive looked different than ones before because it took place in the Searle Center, Peed said.

“Although it was in the Searle Center, we normally try to have it in the union because that allows students to walk by and see what’s going on,” Peed said. “It raises awareness of the fact that we have them, and usually that helps with walk-in donors and walk-in volunteers.”

Junior Nathan Stanish said while the union makes it easy for students to walk-in and give blood, the Searle Center provides a more ideal environment for donors.

“The benefit of the Searle Center is that it brings more

of a peaceful atmosphere to the blood drive versus the student union where it’s all the hustle and bustle and it kind of feels chaotic,” he said.

Stanish said the Searle Center also makes the experience better for community members coming to campus to donate.

“I think Searle is a nicer place, especially for more like community members who are coming to campus for it,” he said. “This way, it’s easier to navigate, and they’ve probably been to the Searle Center before.”

Hillsdale’s Community Health GOAL Program has partnered with the American Red Cross for many years, Peed said.

“We’ve been partnering with the American Red Cross for at least four years now,” he said. “It was something that even when my predecessor was here, that partnership

was already here.”

Senior Chris Dick said he gave blood for the first time at Monday’s event after years of putting it off.

“I’ve always said that I’m going to donate blood,” Dick said. “It’s never been a great time for me and then I realized that there’s never a perfect time, so I should do it now. Then I looked at Hinson’s beautiful face and I said, ‘I can’t disappoint that.’”

After giving blood for the first time, Dick said he plans to do it again.

With the program planning another blood drive in April, Peed said he encourages students to sign up to donate. He said they can take steps to make the process easier, such as getting at least eight hours of sleep, drinking an extra eight ounces of water before donating, eating an iron-rich breakfast, and avoiding caffeine.

Classics room undergoes renovations

By Sophia Mandt CoLLEGiAn rEPortEr

The classics seminar room in Kendall Hall has a new look this semester.

Joseph Garnjobst, chairman and professor of classics, said the renovations in Kendall 232 were done in-house by Hillsdale College maintenance. Additions to the room include more bookshelves, a different projector angle, and a new whiteboard on the west wall, according to Garnjobst.

Math from A1

The trend of pairing math with other majors initially surprised Gaebler, he said.

Garnjobst said ITS helped move the projector 90 degrees to accommodate the new room layout.

Junior Maya Toman said she likes the new changes. “I think it’s good that we can have the professor at the head of the table now,” Toman said.

Toman said she also likes the added shelf space and thinks the renovations were a good decision considering how many classes are held in the classics room.

All the changes needed to be done between finals week last semester and the first day of classes this semester, according to Garnjobst.

Garnjobst said he hoped both the professors and the students would find they could see the board more easily.

“Half the class had to turn around to see what the professor was writing on the board, or only about six or eight people could see the board comfortably,” he said.

Garnjobst said the classics

room is a time capsule of the history of the department and the generosity of the friends of the college.

Junior Jonathan Rolfe said he likes the new whiteboard location.

“Now both sides of the table can see the board,” Rolfe said.

Freshman Michael Rupe said everyone he talked to thought the redesign of the classics room was beneficial and appreciated the neatness and organization.

learning across campus, according to Gaebler.

Blackwell encouraged students to support their peers in Chapel Choir. “If you have friends in the Chapel Choir, you should go,” Blackwell said. “You may as well go now, while you have time to afford it.”

Blackwell emphasized the accessibility of free high-caliber musical performances to Hillsdale students.

“This is four years of school in which I’m going to have access to things I might not have this ease of access to ever again,” Blackwell said. “At the very least, you have to take every opportunity to try to appreciate something, even if it’s not your thing.”

“It’s very polyphonic,” Blackwell said. “Each voice has substance, and you can tell when one is weak. It’s hard, because it’s not like normal choir stuff when you can make up notes.” Patrick said he hopes the concert will attract a variety of students. “Classical music doesn’t have to be your thing,” Patrick said. “Give it a shot, and find the melodies and intricacies of it.”

“I remember when I arrived here, I was kind of surprised that students would major in French or art but then also math, but it’s something that we see a lot of around here,” Gaebler said.

Sophomore Maryellen Petersen, a math major, said she thinks Hillsdale students might love math because of its theoretical side.

“Once you get past all the computational classes, all the classes after that are very theoretical,” Petersen said. “I actually think it’s very on brand for Hillsdale students since it’s so in the abstract.”

Arnn said understanding both nature and humans is vital to becoming an educated person.

“Math is a kind of language that can advance understanding of every kind. It is not the only way to know, but it is a fundamental way to know,” Arnn said.

Gerstle agreed, saying the principles learned in math contribute to the larger liberal arts foundation Hillsdale cultivates. “Coming out of high school, people expect math to be this extremely computational subject where we solve this equation for ‘x,’ or combine these really big numbers,” Gerstle said. “In truth, math is about so much more than that. It’s about finding patterns, looking for connections between different topics, and coming up with a logical way of thinking about the world.”

Historically, math has been a central part of the Western Tradition, Gaebler said. Gaebler said Plato thought geometry was preparation for philosophy, and Abraham Lincoln talked about using Euclid to help him sharpen his law skills.

“I think that same kind of ethos is prevalent here,” Gaebler said. “Students see the value, even in disciplines that aren’t directly connected.”

The skills and thinking patterns students develop through practicing mathematics will contribute to conversations and

“There’ll be more and more math-literate students in other disciplines,” Gaebler said. “I think teachers will see this literacy and capability in philosophy and history, which is a rich opportunity. We will have students in our classrooms who know a lot about math and can bring that to the conversation.”

Not only has the number of math majors increased, Gaebler said, the qualifications of the average math student have risen as well.

“It’s part of the rising caliber of students at Hillsdale,” Gaebler said. “Each freshman year has been smarter than the last with higher grades and higher high school achievements and more academic excellence. All these metrics keep going up, so we’re drawing from a stronger and stronger pool of students with stronger and stronger math backgrounds.” Gaebler said the department loves the increase in students. “We’re all very excited for them,” Gaebler said. “We’ve added more sections of advanced classes since we’re burst-

ing at the seams. We’re hoping to hire an eighth mathematician just to keep up with demand.”

While all respondents agreed on the wide application of math skills, Petersen also stressed the mutual understanding, unity, and fun of belonging to the math department.

“We all still have to sit there and struggle through problems and proofs, but we all love it,” Petersen said. “I’ve never seen any irritation between any of the professors. They all just crack jokes about each other, and one of the profs found a random cat outside and then let it loose in one of the other professors’ rooms while they taught and then shut the door.”

Petersen said the comradery extends to the students as well as the professors.

“There’s odd unity in the math department because everyone recognizes that once you’ve hit a certain point in the math classes, you’ve got to be pretty nerdy,” Petersen said. “We are all bonded by voluntarily struggling through these really hard classes because we love it.”

described the

rehearsing

Choir from A1

The new shelves on the third floor of the library are manual crank-powered shelves. Moira Gleason | Colle G ian

Students who participated in Monday’s blood drive were enterned into a drawing to win a $100 bill. Tay T e Chris T ensen | Colle G ian

Curate gears up for fifth annual Summit

By Michaela Estruth assistant editoR

Curate will host its fifth annual women’s summit this Saturday, according to Director of Student Programming Rachel Marinko ’20.

Curate was founded by Dean of Women Rebekah Dell and eCommerce Product Merchandiser Ashlyn Neveau, aiming to encourage and support women on campus, according to its website. Curate includes a blog, newsletter, and podcast. “Women supporting women,” the website says. “Women encouraging women. Women sharing with women. Women serving women.”

The Curate Summit seeks to encourage young women by providing a day of good conversation in good company, ac-

cording to Marinko. The summit also seeks to treat women who attend with various resources including books, gifts, and a free lunch. This year’s theme is “Wonder.”

“The Curate Summit is a day dedicated to building female community and mentorship on campus,” Marinko said. “It’s a way for women in the Hillsdale community to share their relevant life experiences with the female students.”

The first summit launched in January 2020. Curate speaker Caroline Greb ’20 attended Curate’s debut.

“I felt so pampered,” Greb said. “It’s been so fun to see it grow and continue over the years from that exciting inaugural summit.”

Greb will be speaking on the wonder of God’s beauty in

our modern world. She’ll also discuss beauty’s relevance and place in social media and leave time for questions from the audience, she said.

This year, Marinko said the summit will begin with Dell as the keynote speaker. In the 10 a.m. kickoff session, Dell will introduce the theme of “Wonder” before the following three breakout sessions, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.

New speakers include Academic Services Assistant Stephanie Maxwell, Senior Art Director Shanna Cote, and alumnae Carly Boerema ’23 and Greta Dornbirer ’22.

“The broad life stages of speakers and topics makes Curate so unique,” Greb said. “While we hopefully experience discipleship like this in our church bodies, it’s so

special to have an intentional intergenerational morning with such a diverse group and have such a variety of topics to choose from to think about more deeply.”

In addition to the speakers, students can look forward to the taco lunch, fun giveaways, and free copies of various C.S. Lewis books, Marinko said. Greb said she encourages women to set aside the Saturday for rest and encouragement.

“It’s so important to take time to ground yourself in truth and be reminded of your true focus,” Greb said. “I went because I knew that while I could glean all sorts of knowledge from my studies, real wisdom came from a life putting truth to practice — and I wanted more.”

Debate team takes second at University of Minnesota

By Emma Verrigni Collegian Repo R te R

Two members of the Hillsdale College Debate Team placed at their first tournament of the semester last weekend.

Sophomores Ben Brown and Patrick McDonald finished second overall in the tournament hosted by the University of Minnesota. Freshmen Alex Mooney and Ryan Rodell also competed at the varsity level. Junior varsity competitors included sophomore Malia Thibado and junior Mark den Hollander. Hillsdale College competed against groups from Arizona State University, Gonzaga University, Weber State University, Western Washington University, and the University of Oregon.

Both varsity teams progressed through five preliminary rounds. Brown and McDonald progressed to the final round with a record of four wins and one loss in the preliminary rounds, according to Mooney.

In the final round, Brown and McDonald competed against Western Washington University, earning one vote from a panel of three judges. McDonald said Brown performed especially well during his last speech, helping their team secure a close second place ranking.

“Competing in the final round was exhilarating,” McDonald said. “Though my rebuttal speech in that round was less than I would have liked it to have been, my partner, Ben Brown, still nearly won us the debate in his final speech. Ultimately, we lost the three-judge panel

by two votes to one, but the experience of participating in the showcase was still very much worthwhile.”

Brown and McDonald won first and second place respectively for speaker awards in the evidence and analysis categories, according to Mooney.

Mooney and Rodell finished with a record of two wins and three losses, according to Mooney.

The junior varsity team’s performance was impressive for their first tournament, Mooney said.

“The other teams that they’re facing had about two or three tournaments under their belts,” Mooney said. “They did really well and could hold their own in those matches, which is awesome.”

All of the teams debated nuclear policy, according to

McDonald.

“Many of our debates centered on the merits of an American declaration of ‘No First Use’ vis-à-vis our nuclear stockpile,” McDonald said. “Essentially, the adoption of this policy would declare to other countries that, though we would meet their nuclear attacks in kind, we will never again be the first nation to launch an offensive nuclear strike.”

Brown said his team competed well against teams that used an argument they were not prepared for, but that the opposition’s arguments were still well grounded.

“There were two rounds where we debated teams that were essentially running identity politics-based arguments,” Brown said. “I think we handled those rounds very

well. We won both of them, which I’m thankful for.” Rodell said the team had not prepared to counter arguments based on identity politics.

“We didn’t really have super fleshed out responses, but we were able to defeat them,” Rodell said. “We took down a really strong team, so we’re definitely proud of that.”

McDonald said the tournament helped him to grasp the more theoretical elements of debate and to get to know his teammates better.

“I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of the students that Hillsdale sent to Minnesota this past weekend,” McDonald said. “I am looking forward to more tournaments with the team.”

Students Federation discusses campus improvements

By Zachary Chen Collegian Repo R te R

Student representatives say campus improvements will be a major goal during the next two semesters after the first meeting of the 108th Student Federation last week.

The agenda of last week’s meeting consisted of the swearing-in of officers and new members as well as committee appointments, according to sophomore and Student Federation President Jacob Beckwith. The Student Federation is the organization in charge of dispensing funds to on-campus clubs, Beckwith said. According to the meeting minutes, the Federation meets every two weeks and consists of four officers, seven Greek representatives from fraternities and sororities, seven independent representatives, and one graduate school representative.

Beckwith said the campus improvements committee will be particularly active in the up-

coming semesters. “What things can we do around campus that everyone can benefit from?” Beckwith said. “One idea I had is improving and increasing green space around campus, because there are going to be all of these quad renovations so green space will be limited. So how can we utilize other green spaces on campus?”

Junior Jude Doer, the Student Federation treasurer and member of the rules committee, said he agrees with Beckwith. “We have excess funds this semester, which means there’s a lot of opportunity to have a really cool campus improvements project,” Doer said. Doer said students with campus improvement ideas should stop by the Student Federation tables in the union to give their thoughts.

“Make sure you keep your eye out for Student Federation tabling in the union,” Doer said. “At that table you will be able to

come up and submit your ideas for campus improvements and we will be taking those into heavy consideration.”

Freshman Zac Briley is a new representative from Niedfeldt. After having some experience with student government in high school, he said he wanted to serve in college by joining the Student Federation.

“I joined student fed basically because it’s a great opportunity to be able to serve your fellow students and something that’s able to help across a whole broad group of student organizations,” Briley said. “It allows you to make a really lasting impact to help benefit the student body.

Briley said he serves as chairman of the rules committee, which is in charge of the Student Federation’s constitution and bylaws, and he was a member of the finance committee, which initially vets and revises student budgetary needs for presentation to the whole federation.

College requires faculty to complete cybersecurity training

By Emma Verrigni Collegian RepoRteR

Hillsdale College required all faculty to complete cybersecurity training by Jan. 31, according to an email sent to staff by the Provost’s Office Jan. 8.

The online training consisted of two short videos followed by comprehension questions, according to Senior Director of Academic Technologies Heidi Bargerhuff.

“Regular education about cybersecurity risks is a major element of protection against cybercriminals,” Provost Christopher VanOrman said.

The training included information about how to avoid introducing malware into a network and how to create effective passwords, Associate Professor of Mathematics Kevin Gerstle said.

“I think any college and any major business is facing many cybersecurity threats, whether it be through bad actors trying to get ahold of our data, and either deleting it or holding it hostage or asking to pay them sums of money,” Gerstle said. “That’s happened to at least a couple

of other colleges I can think of.”

Various organizations face cybersecurity threats, and Hillsdale is no exception, according to Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services Jason Sherrill.

“Phishing emails that attempt to steal login credentials, which attackers often use to perform other types of attacks such as ransomware or unauthorized data access, is one of the most common threats targeting faculty, staff, and students,” Sherrill said. VanOrman took the course and said he believes it is beneficial for all faculty.

“Regular cybersecurity education decreases the college’s risk of becoming prey for cybercriminals,” VanOrman said. “The college’s cybersecurity insurance carrier factors in this education when determining the college’s insurance premiums.”

VanOrman said the college will continue to evolve as cybercriminals do.

“Everyone should expect additional cybersecurity education in the future,” VanOrman said.

Mock trial team places sixth at invitational tournament

By Zachary Chen Collegian RepoRteR

Hillsdale College Mock Trial team B placed sixth in the Indiana Hoosier Hoedown Invitational on Jan. 27-28 at Indiana State University.

The tournament was a useful opportunity to build team cohesion before regionals, according to sophomore and team B captain Ashley Poole.

“This is a new team, everyone’s just been put together,” Poole said. “We got to see how everyone works together and hear our content for the first time out loud against really reputable programs.”

Team B won five and a half ballots out of eight, finishing in sixth place and winning an honorable mention, according to Poole. The team lost to the University of Alabama with a score of 1.5-0.5, swept Case Western Reserve University Team A with 2-0, tied with Ohio State University with 1-1, and defeated Case Western Reserve University Team B with a score of 2-0.

Poole said she most enjoyed the third round of the tournament against Ohio State University.

“It was very dynamic. Their case had things that we weren’t expecting, and our case had things that they weren’t expecting,” Poole said.

excellent.

“She did great,” Tomasoski said. “She closed for both of our defenses. It was amazing.”

The tournament was also the last invitational for team C before it heads to regionals, according to freshman and team C captain Brennan Berryhill.

Team C lost to Wheaton College with a score of 1.5-0.5, lost to the University of Dayton and Case Western Reserve University Team A with 2-0, and won against the University of Minnesota 2-0, according to Berryhill.

Berryhill said the team had some mishaps and did not perform as well as they wanted to.

“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times with some procedural things, and I think if we just clean it up, just present ourselves well, then we’ll be a lot stronger going into it,” Berryhill said.

Berryhill said team C would practice to stay solid on the basics before regionals.

“I think going back to fundamentals like memorization to try to make sure our performance is good, polish up, just kind of do the basics,” Berryhill said. “I think we have a fighting chance next weekend if we do that.”

Berryhill said team C is working diligently and that he believes it can pay off in regionals.

Briley said one of the goals for the current Student Federation will be making sure the whole budget for the semester is used wisely. In the past, there has been a surplus of funds, according to Briley. “While a surplus could sound great, that means that there’s money that could be going out to the student body that’s not,” Briley said. “While we do want to be smart with our funds, we do want to ultimately make sure that any student group that needs money – as long as student fed still has money to give – receives it.”

Briley said students should be proactive in approaching the Student Federation with requests and ideas.

“If you are part of a club that needs more funding or if you’re looking into starting a club, absolutely go talk to your student fed representatives about that. We want to exist to support student life on campus,” Briley said. “Come to us. We want to help.”

Freshman Ty Tomasoski, who plays an expert witness for the B team, said he thought the fourth round against Case Western Team B was the most competitive.

“The one that felt the closest in round was against Case B, but we did get two ballots off of them. We swept them,” Tomasoski said. Tomasoski said competing at the tournament helped expose areas for the team to improve.

“I think the point of the spring invitational is to tell us what we need to work on before we go into the tournaments that actually matter,” Tomasoski said. “The teams we faced were good enough to exploit a lot of flaws in our material, and that’s going to really help us fix those vulnerabilities.”

According to Poole and Tomasoski, junior and team B captain Natalie LeBlanc won a 17-rank witness award. Tomasoski said LeBlanc’s performance in the tournament was

“I think all of us have shown a willingness to work this week and try to get ourselves ready,” Berryhill said. “I believe in my team, I believe that they can get themselves ready, I believe that we can succeed if we just put in the work this week. I have no idea how it will go, but I know if we take care of the things we can control, then it will go a lot better.”

While team C will be competing in regionals this next weekend, teams A and B will have Regionals at the end of February, according to Poole and Berryhill. Poole said team B will need to keep up its competitive spirit in practices during February.

“Our challenge will be maintaining that competitive drive and maintaining excellence in the next few weeks,” said Poole. “We will be hard at work getting ready to go, and definitely going full steam ahead so that we can make a good showing on the last weekend of February.”

The debate team traveled to the University of Minnesota for its first tournament of the semester.

Courtesy | Alex Mooney

Going to the theater makes movies better

By Lauren Bixler Collegian FreelanCer

Though Hillsdale’s theater may seem a little tucked away and under-hyped compared to some of the town’s other haunts, one could describe it as a leather bottle full of gold. With a variety of concession options, half-price tickets on Tuesdays, and reclining chairs, the theater offers fun experiences for the Hillsdale community and student body alike.

Movie theaters have gained a reputation as the epicenter of teenage dates and overpriced concessions, but there is a need for what the theater can provide us as we grow older. Not all movies nowadays are worth dedicating time to, but that’s no reason to swear off them completely. They can still be a way for people to connect and share meaningful experiences. The theater offers time to unplug from meaningless social media reels and replug into a different story.

Though some people say reading is the best way to unwind, it is not a social activity. And sometimes, you need a break from Aristotle — for example, a break consisting of laughing at the horrific storyline, themes, and innuendos in the new “Wonka” movie. That was my experience last weekend, and the shared trauma from watching the movie deep-

ened my friendship with others, while also fostering meaningful conversation about the weaponization of movies against Christians, wealthy businessmen, and the police.

For those who argue that theaters are pointless when you can inexpensively access movies from the comfort of your dorm, I understand. There is a time and place for that, but also a time and place for the theater. It is not always about the movie, but the experience. The delicious taste of fake butter in your popcorn, the 20 minutes of ads before the movie starts, and the mystery of when to time your bathroom breaks (unless you’re a camel). Don’t be so quick to write off these experiences that give the theater character. Also, attending the theater supports a local business fighting to compete with all-powerful streaming services. Going to the movies is a matter of principle, not just enjoyment. The movie theater has as much to offer you as you wish to take from it. Patronizing Hillsdale’s theater is inexpensive, supports the local economy, and is a fun way to share experiences with those you care about. Give it a try at least once while you are here. You might be surprised.

Lauren Bixler is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Devil’s Advocate with Claire Gaudet

America is too used to Tragedy and death

cut short by the radio alerts announcing the attack on Pearl Harbor. He, his friends, and his mother sat around his cake and cried.

In fact, every time he told that story, he cried.

I wish we could go back to the days before Americans were desensitized. I wish I could cry like my teacher could about any of today’s tragedies: school shootings, COVID-19 deaths, human trafficking. Any of them.

It’s the way parents sometimes tear up about 9/11 — the way my mom told me and my brothers about Sandy Hook.

It’s a sorrow bigger than yourself, and it’s largely unfelt anymore. I’m so nostalgic for this time so many of us never knew. It was beginning to

end by the time Gen Z started gaining consciousness.

Like many of my peers, I have been desensitized to the onslaught of school shootings and terror attacks in recent years. The recent Perry, Iowa, shooting was just a story I clicked past on my Snapchat discover page. Even abortion, something Hillsdale students on the whole really care about, has become blasé — a dinner party topic or a statistic to bolster a point in class.

How long have we been able to talk about dead Americans without blinking an eye?

Oftentimes, in fact, people go so far to resist feeling sad about things that work against them politically. Atrocities become “another school shooting for the libs to complain about.”

It’s so easy to post a graphic on your Instagram story and then push the problem back

under your mind’s rug. “Three injured, one dead. When will we finally limit the Second Amendment? Praying hands emoji.”

We don’t want to dwell on tragedies once the public advocacy box is ticked. That’s what Americans have come to value in recent years. But we should feel awful, especially in private.

Sending thoughts and prayers is a cliché but probably what we ought to be doing. Think about tragedy. Let it consume you for an hour or two. Pray, meditate, or whatever works. Get sad. Get angry.

Not only does real, emotive sorrow help build calluses for tragedy in our own lives, but it might help get back to a sort of national feeling, too.

I hope that our generation can stop being ruled by apathy and manage to muster as much

change as people keep talking about. I don’t think we should be waging Bush-ian wars 24/7, or inserting ourselves into potentional world wars, but yesterday’s America knew how to rally. Maybe we could feel that connected again, not due to some unprecedented tragedy, rather over normal ones.

The next time horror catches you off guard — and trends dictate that there will be a next time very soon — huddle around your own lunch table, with your own family, and try to cry. If enough people do it, it won’t be something we need to tell everyone about, it’ll just be understood. Wouldn’t being sad like that be nice?

Claire Gaudet is a senior studying rhetoric and journalism.

What’d Governor Ron do wrong?

By Jackson Casey Collegian FreelanCer

Although the lifts in his boots might have given him a couple of extra inches, Gov. Ron DeSantis still failed to keep his head above water in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

What went wrong? Many on the right once saw the governor of Florida as Donald Trump’s logical successor, and some saw him as a potential replacement in the case of Trump’s weakness. Plenty of conservative pundits pinned the blame for Republicans’ poor showings in the 2022 midterms on the former president. Many of them saw DeSantis as an opportunity to leave Trump’s legal battles and personal baggage by the wayside. For them, a DeSantis candidacy would allow the “policy without the personality” to guide the America First movement into the future.

A year ago, FiveThirtyEight’s Republican primary polling aggregate placed DeSantis only 10 points behind Trump’s lead. Conservatives saw him as a hero because of his measured pandemic response, aggressive opposition to the progressives’ diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda, and a general fearlessness to fight the culture war with legislation. His electoral successes in Florida also made him a

strong contender. DeSantis managed to build upon his razor-thin 2018 gubernatorial victory of just 0.4% in what was then a swing state, winning by a whopping 20 points against a former governor in 2022. Florida’s statewide shift to the right and the national media’s extensive coverage of DeSantis both seemed to indicate that his strategy might have had some potency in the national arena.

Unfortunately for DeSantis, his widespread appeal to Republicans as a presidential contender had dissipated since the midterms. By mid-May, when the governor formally announced his campaign, his polling had dropped to around 20%. This trend continued: he hovered just about 10% by the end of the summer, and those numbers failed to improve at all by the time of his campaign’s suspension. Trump, on the other hand, has increased his share of primary support to a whopping 70% as of late January.

The Iowa caucuses were DeSantis’ last hope of revitalizing his crusade for a “Great American Comeback.” Although he invested heavily in the state and made visits to all 99 counties, he failed to win a single one. Most importantly, his second-place finish put almost no distance between himself and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

That gave him nowhere else to prove his viability, especially given the subsequent New Hampshire primary’s abundance of independent and moderate voters who would be more likely to support a candidate like Haley.

The fact that Haley outlasted DeSantis, who fell from the clear runner-up to just another Trump challenger, tells much about voters’ loyalties in this primary. DeSantis’ focus on the culture war and active governance definitely enthused conservatives, but that was not enough to convince the Republican base to abandon Trump as a leader figure.

The former president has tethered a multitude of issues that our base cares most about — immigration and border security, protecting domestic industries, and putting American interests first on the world stage — to his name and movement. Candidates who attempt to challenge Trump within the same party dynamics he himself established are destined for defeat, regardless of how enthusiastic MAGA voters might seem about their previous accomplishments.

DeSantis’ casting of himself in Trump’s image additionally prevented him from presenting his candidacy in clear opposition to the former president. Throughout this primary,

Haley marketed her campaign as a clear alternative to the struggle between Trump and his many opponent-acolytes. She won the endorsements of key figures who share a disdain for the new order of the Republican party, such as fervent Trump critic Chris Christie and Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire. It’s no wonder that she and Trump are the only two left in the race.

While campaigning, DeSantis often asserted that “American decline is a choice.” He will not be the Republicans’ nominee to fight American decline because we have not yet settled our own disagreement regarding whether we wish to keep fighting it under the populist banner that Trump ushered into the party just a couple of election cycles ago. The blame for these ongoing disputes partly rests on Trump himself. His movement will exist in perpetuity as an ideological referendum for Republican voters so long as he lives as its spokesman, and perhaps for longer.

Until this era within the GOP comes to an end, no one will be able to win by proposing a compromise between the two sides of this debate.

Jackson Casey is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Letter to the editor: Manliness is more than muscle

By Catherine Kuiper ProFessor oF eduCation

The week before last, a review of Amazon’s series “Reacher” ran in these pages, written by Assistant Editor Caroline Kurt. I was struck, not at her enthusiasm for the show, but rather at her insistence on the way that the protagonist displays “real” masculinity. Kurt’s consistent claim is that true masculinity lies in resolute action, up to and including maiming and killing those who oppose you. Explaining why Reacher is “as masculine as they come,” she observes that “(f)or better or for worse, Reacher spends little time examining his

feelings or being ‘in touch’ with his emotions. Rather, he acts.”

As a devotee of 80s and 90s action movies, I appreciate Kurt’s desire for fastpaced, bombastic entertainment — I share it! I do wonder, though, if we want to identify “real” masculinity with thoughtless, under-examined activity. Such a move would further belie Kurt’s comment on toxic masculinity, as she humorously implies such a thing does not exist. Surely, we would not claim that it is wholesome to maximize your physical power without regard for your mind or soul? Doesn’t the abuse of strength to prey on the weak come about precise-

ly because the soul has not been formed to reflect on its own desires and examine what is worth loving and pursuing?

Augustine seems to think holiness requires a significant amount of introspection. Does this make his conversion and subsequent Christian life unmanly?

None of this is to deny the usefulness of gender as a lens for engagement with the media. Consider the movie “Predator.” Given the title character’s proclivities, which amount to a relentless desire to rip apart every opponent who confronts him in an unending quest for supremacy, we would on the “Reacher”

model consider the Predator a real man’s man. And yet to defeat this creature, Arnold Schwarzenegger does not smash his way to victory. He is compelled to use stratagem, prudence, and patience to rid the jungle of the Predator’s arguably toxic behavior.

The temptation to identify manliness with muscle and might is something the western tradition has grappled with since Homer and Plato. In general, though, I think we want to avoid ceding the point to Thrasymachus.

Catherine Kuiper is an assistant professor of education at Hillsdale College.

Hillsdale’s theater boasts reclining seats.

Courtesy | FaC ebook

A Professor’s Opinion

Compiled by Ameera Wilson

“What is your best advice for young couples at Hillsdale College?”

Christina Lamb Chakalova, Art Jason Peters, English

“My advice to young couples is to find someone who you know that you can build a life with, together. Everything my husband and I have achieved, we did as a team. This has been the glue that binds us together, along with faith and love for our children and families.”

“If the person you’re dating prefers soccer to basketball, get some help. Both of you.”

Buddy Moorehouse, Documentary

“The four years (or so) that you spend in college are going to be the most impactful and important four years of your life. Make the most of them and take advantage of every opportunity. Do fun things as a couple while still keeping your individual identity. And savor every minute of it, because you’ll be thinking back on these days for the rest of your life.”

Angelica Pytel, Biology

“Support each other with love and kindness. Never demean your partner to lift yourself up. And one of you should learn how to bake bread.”

Kelli

Kazmier, Chemistry

“One important thing is to figure out how to fight fairly. I assume this will look different for different couples, but everyone should feel like they are able to honestly communicate their feelings and needs. It isn’t always the case that every dispute can be totally resolved, but sometimes is it enough to be heard. Early on, it was important for us to conclude our fights with, ‘I love you more than this.’”

Brad Birzer History

“When you know, you most definitely know. There’s no hesitation, no questioning. You meet the right person, and you just know.”

Why Trump deserves to beat Haley in GOP primaries

By Olivia Pero Culture e ditor

Opponents of Donald Trump may say he’s been impeached twice, incited an insurrection, and has 91 criminal charges, but this list has every reason why he should be president again.

Many Americans couldn’t care less about the establishment’s attempts to sabotage Trump. But even more don’t care that former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley is still in the Republican primary race. Trump currently leads at 73.2% in the 2024 Republican primary polls while Haley sits at 16.6%, according to ABC News’ “FiveThirtyEight” website. Even in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, Trump is beating her in the polls as he leads at 65.8% compared to her 31.5%. Haley’s poll numbers are low despite open voting and the stream of dark money backing her.

While it’s typical for his opponents to criticize Trump about money, Haley is giving more reasons to watch her finances.

The super PAC backing Haley’s campaign raised $50.1 million during the latter half of 2023, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation. This amount beats the $46 million MAGA Inc., the primary super PAC supporting Trump’s campaign, raised.

Wealthy Democratic donors, like billionaire Reid Hoffman, have donated to Haley’s super PAC, and the CEOs of BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase supported Haley this fall, according to the New York Times. Any

is dangerous to the U.S., and her acceptance of donations from companies engaged in hazardous deals to the U.S. shows her values don’t lie with protecting the country but rather in boosting herself.

right? They can’t control a DeSantis, they can’t control a Vivek — so they don’t want them,” Rubin said.

According to DCNF, the never-Trump group Defending Democracy Together, supplied with liberal dark

relationships Haley has with major companies and Democrats is a sign of the disordered priorities she would have if becomes president.

Haley’s desire to prove her loyalty to the establishment

Robert Rubin, CEO and president of Rubin Wealth Advisors, put it well when he told DCNF on Nov. 23 that Haley is the ideal establishment person. “They can control her,

money, is supporting Haley’s campaign. Between Jan. 16 and 19, DDT spent $96,412 on advertisements, fliers, and phone calls for Haley before the New Hampshire Republican primary.

Don’t let the lockdowns

By Alexandra Hall d esign e ditor

I swear I can hear phantom Outlook inbox chimes when I’m in the shower. Maybe it’s because I manage six email inboxes. Between my remote job, school, my hobbies, and freelance creative projects, I have more emails than I do brain cells.

If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the past few years, you’re likely aware of Gen Z’s total aversion to the horrors of the “9 to 5” lifestyle. Whether it’s finance bros convincing you that you’re missing out on earning thousands of dollars through “passive income” or liberal commentators blaming all social qualms on capitalism, the cubicles are not calling anyone’s name these days.

Remote work — either purely remote or hybrid — is the answer Gen Z needs. Gen Z doesn’t hate work. It’s easy to dilute complex issues with modern work culture to dismissive snowflake statements, but really Gen Z is looking for work that is more conducive with their lifestyles.

The job I currently work now is a part-time remote gig for undergraduate students interested in the music industry. By the time I graduate, I will have over two years worth of concrete projects that I’ve worked on to add to my portfolio. I don’t live in Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville. Remote work enables me to have the same opportunities as my peers in those music hotspots or those going to school for

“Even if your neurotransmitter levels are pristine and all your needs are met, remote work offers workers a chance to build life outside of the Outlook inbox. ”

specialized music business degrees. Where there is an internet connection, there is a way. By and large, Gen Z is more

According to the Federal Election Commission, $51,300 of that total was set aside for New Hampshire, with DDT not having spent money since June 2021. A spokesperson for Haley’s campaign said, “This is an unaffiliated outside group that has nothing to do with our campaign.”

Despite the big push for Haley’s success in New Hampshire, Trump beat her by 36,104 votes, according to The New York Times.

Trump is the natural choice for the Republican presidential candidate. Haley may still be in the race for a while yet because of her willingness to be the establishment’s pet, but in the end Trump will be on the ballot for president.

Some may say it will be bad if Trump is the Republican presidential candidate because he comes with a lot of drama, but he really is the best option.

Trump is heavily persecuted because he was an outsider who screwed up the establishment’s familiar ways, but he showed Americans how a strong president should act, fulfilling his promised tax cuts, reforming the federal judiciary, establishing strict new immigration restrictions, withdrawing the U.S. from various international agreements, and toughening up on trade with China, according to the Pew Research Center.

Trump even became the first U.S. president to cross into North Korea, demonstrating the U.S.’ respectability and strength to the world. Now, the Republican primaries are underway, and voters should have confidence in supporting Trump because he has already shown Americans he stands for them and will make the U.S. free, safe, and successful.

As the former president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump said to Fox News, “Maybe you don’t like every tweet, maybe you don’t like his personality at times, but Trump kept us safe. He kept us strong. He made people prosperous.”

Olivia Pero is a junior studying politics and journalism.

ruin remote work

creative, more emotionally literate, and more likely to have boundaries when entering the workforce. Older generations pin the“participation trophy generation” stigma on us. But we grew up with workaholic parents. We endured the pandemic during formative social and academic years. We were forced to alter how we achieved our educations and our paychecks. As a result, we’re a more dynamic generation and an asset to the workforce when used properly.

In the years following 2020, many companies have elected to keep part of their employees fully remote or adapted to a hybrid schedule. This allows for a better work/ life balance, something Gen Z has been very vocal about

wanting in a career. The pandemic was a mortal reality check – a reminder that at any point, every societal structure we so dearly cling to can be shattered.

It’s no surprise we’re not jumping at the bit to spend the rest of our lives dedicated to corporate entities that couldn’t care if we live or die.

Considering that the country is still in the trenches of a national mental health crisis, remote work becomes more than a preference and more of a dire need for many. But even if your neurotransmitter levels are pristine and all your needs are met, remote work offers workers a chance to build life outside of the Outlook inbox.

Through remote work, I have a taste of what corporate life is like, how my bosses manage their levels of hybrid/

in-person demands, and what kinds of things I’ll be looking for when it’s time to move into a full-time role. My portfolio sees the benefits of my job, but so does my soul.

It’s important to leave the house… the lockdowns taught us that if we don’t touch grass every day, we’re going to lose it. But remote work is the key to increasing morale long term and aiding young people in the bridge to older adulthood. It’s an accessible, dynamic option we’ve seen work. But even with remote work, I still think the noise of water hitting the porcelain in the bathroom is my email.

Alexandra Hall is a junior studying rhetoric, biology, and journalism.

Pero brandishes a Trump flag on a horse in 2020. Olivia Per O | C O llegian

City News

Coldwater resident witnesses ABC’s ‘Golden Wedding’

After some investigation, Lori Hunt found the Golden Bachelor and asked for an invite

By Olivia Pero Culture Editor

Lori Hunt didn’t have an invitation to “The Golden Wedding,” but she still showed up and was warmly welcomed.

Hunt, the executive director of the Coldwater Chamber of Commerce is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the 71-year-old Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner is a former Indiana restaurant owner.

The first season of ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor,” a dating show for seniors, premiered Sept. 28. It concluded with “The Golden Wedding,” which aired live Jan. 4 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California.

Throughout “The Golden Bachelor,” Turner courted 22 women. He ultimately found love with 70-year-old Theresa Nist.

Hunt said she got to know Turner after doing some online investigations.

“I thought, ‘You know, he lives 45 minutes from me, and I’m sure at some point he’s going to go to a watch party with his friends at his hometown bar,’” Hunt said. “So I just put

two and two together, and he was there.”

After she met him at the bar, Hunt said she decided to help Turner start looking for people to buy his Indiana lake cottage. “He hasn’t sold it yet, but he’s getting it on the market to sell,” Hunt said.

According to Hunt, Turner and Nist plan to settle down in Charleston, North Carolina, or New Jersey where Nist is from.

Hunt said Turner is charming. “He’s pretty much like what you see on TV, except he’s even funnier,” Hunt said. “He’s got a real good sense of humor and jokes with people. He’s very humble about becoming what he has.”

Hunt said the Golden Wedding was amazing. “I went out to Palm Springs, and once again, I found out through searching the internet where it was going to be,” Hunt said. “They weren’t really announcing it because they didn’t want too many people at the hotel because they couldn’t shut down the hotel.”

Hunt said when she learned where the wedding would be,

she asked Turner if she could get an invitation, but he said invitations were limited so he could put her on a waiting list.

“But I thought, ‘I’m such a fan, I don’t even care if I really get into the wedding or if I’m just around these people. I’ll be happy enough.’ So I went out there,” Hunt said. “I’m sure I was the person who traveled the farthest without an invitation. The minute I walked into the hotel, I started seeing all the people I wanted to see like the golden bachelorettes.”

The 21 golden bachelorettes who competed for Turner’s love were the nicest people to talk to, Hunt said.

“They would sit down and talk to you for a half hour. They didn’t know you or have an agenda or anything,” Hunt said. “They didn’t act like they were anybody special either.”

Hunt said she also met people from “The Bachelor.”

“All the couples were very friendly, and they’d let you go up and get your picture taken with them, but I noticed the younger ones didn’t really want to engage with you much,” Hunt said. “The older girls were more gracious.”

Hunt said she follows a lot of previous couples from “The Bachelor” on Instagram.

“I never talked out loud about them — it’s my secret world,” Hunt said. “I love following the couples to see if they stay together and what their kids are like — it’s kind of weird.”

Hunt said she was rooting for Lesley to win all along and was initially disappointed when Turner picked Nist.

“I thought he made the wrong decision, but after watching them interact for four days while I was there, I now completely think he made the right decision,” Hunt said. “You can just tell they’re going to be a great couple, and that was encouraging for me.” Hunt said Turner was more animated than Nist on the show.

“I got the inside scoop from Gerry that the lights and cameras were intimidating to Theresa, so some of the edits just didn’t get her,” Hunt said. “But she’s a little bit more outgoing than she appears.” Hunt said her adrenaline was going the whole weekend because to her, everyone at the

hotel was a movie star.

“They were the people I wanted to meet,” Hunt said. “And I not only got to meet them, but I talked to them and asked them all these questions.”

Hunt said she encourages anybody who has a favorite TV star to take a chance and track them down.

“I didn’t have an invitation to go out there, and I made it happen for myself,” Hunt said. “Use the internet, interact, come down, be at the right place at the right time, and you can meet the people you want to meet.”

Hillsdale College sophomore Rachel Dunphey said she liked the idea of “The Golden Bachelor,” and the contestants were interesting to watch because they had a lot of life experience and stories.

“They weren’t insecure in who they were, and the dates were fun because they weren’t all this sexy, steamy stuff that can get a little weird to watch,” Dunphey said. “I didn’t enjoy watching old people kiss though.”

Senior Alexandra Gess said she enjoyed watching the series

because it was more wholesome than ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

“In general the seasons have been getting progressively more sexual and catty,” Gess said. “‘The Golden Bachelor’ was so much better because the women seemed to be confident in who they were.”

Dunphey said she thinks Turner chose the wrong woman.

“I think he should have ended up with either of the other last three contestants,” Dunphey said.

Gess agreed that Turner should have chosen someone else.

“Gerry definitely should have ended up with Faith instead of Theresa though,” she said. “I smell producer influence.”

Dunphey said the wedding looked chaotic when she watched it.

“I don’t think it was the best idea to give your 20 exes the microphone at your live wedding special for two hours,” Dunphey said, “but it made for some entertaining moments.”

Hoekstra to endorse Hillsdale GOP faction within weeks

By Thomas McKenna Sports Editor

A top candidate for Michigan GOP chairman told The Collegian he expects to recognize one of the dueling Hillsdale County Republican factions as the official party in the next three weeks.

“I’m pretty confident I know exactly where I’m going,” said Pete Hoekstra, former congressman and ambassador to the Netherlands who is vying to lead the state party. “But I want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s.” Hoekstra’s choice for chairman of the county party remains unknown, but his endorsement of either the America First Republican Party in Hillsdale or the newer alternate group, led by Brent Leininger, could sway the contest for control of the party.

He said Saturday morning he had not discussed the is -

sue with any Hillsdale County Republicans.

Before serving as Ambassador to the Netherlands under former president Donald Trump, Hoekstra represented Michigan’s second district in Congress for 18 years.

Trump endorsed Hoekstra for state chairman in a Truth Social post Friday night after a group of state party committee members voted Hoekstra in as chairman Jan. 6.

But Kristina Karamo, who has led the state party since last February, disputed that vote as “illegal” and “illegitimate,” according to CBS News. Karamo told the Detroit News Friday night the former president’s endorsement has changed “absolutely” nothing.

Lawyers for the Republican National Committee said Karamo was “properly removed,” according to The New York Times, but did not

appoint Hoekstra as party chair. The conflict is ongoing, and Hoekstra told The Collegian the RNC will make that decision in the next week.

The Hillsdale County Republican Party has split into two groups since August 2022, when an “America First” faction barred more than 61 Republican members from the county party’s convention.

The members barred from the meeting held an alternative convention in the parking lot, electing Brent Leininger as chairman, and were recognized by outgoing state GOP chair Ron Weiser. But the new state GOP chair Kristina Karamo listed the “America First” faction’s leaders, including David Mosby and Jon Smith, as the HCRP contacts on the state party’s website.

Earlier this month, a Lenawee County judge ordered

the party’s state committee, as well as Karamo, Mosby, Smith, and Josh Gritzmaker, to pay more than $25,000 in fines when he found them in contempt of court, according to MLive. The judge said state party leaders and members of the “America First” faction failed to follow a prior ruling that the “America First” members were not the leaders of the county party.

David Stone, acting chairman of the “America First” faction, said the judge is “usurping his authority.”

“The judge can’t decide who the politicians are,” Stone said. “For him to just assume jurisdiction, like he did in his ruling, is completely unconstitutional.”

Leininger, who identified himself as chair of the HCRP executive committee, said he does not anticipate conflict between the executive committee and Hoekstra.

“Pete Hoekstra is an individual who will have respect for the rule of law, as those of us in Hillsdale County have done,” Leininger said. Leininger said the executive committee will hold a county convention Feb. 15 and does not expect there will be a rival convention. The two factions held separate conventions last year.

Stone, the leader of the other faction, said his group would likely discuss Thursday evening whether to hold its own convention.

If Hoekstra chooses Leininger’s faction, Stone said, the America First faction can endorse candidates separately from the official Hillsdale County Republican Party. “We can use a great influence to decide who gets in office and who doesn’t get in office,” Stone said.

Stone said he is not concerned that endorsing candidates apart from the county party would advantage Democrats in elections.

“At that point, the gloves are off and you can endorse anybody,” Stone said.

Karamo led the Michigan GOP for almost eleven months, but lackluster fundraising has left the state party strapped for cash and deep in debt, according to the Detroit News. The state party had close to $35,000 in its bank accounts in August, and took out a $110,000 loan to pay actor Jim Caviezel to speak at its conference last year.

State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Coldwater, said Republicans should be focused on the November presidential election.

“Everybody needs to be focused on making sure we win back the White House this year,” Lindsey said.

Gerry and Theresa were married Jan. 4. Courtesy | FaC ebook

Hunt met many of the golden bachelorettes. Courtesy | Lori Hunt

Hunt snapped a selfie with the Golden Bachelor’s new wife, Theresa Nist. Courtesy | Lori Hunt

Hillsdale Brewing Company celebrates six years

By Joshua Mistry Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale Brewing Company celebrated its sixth anniversary on Jan. 20 with new drinks, giveaways, and live music.

The husband-and-wife team of Roy and Felicia Finch spent years making the old hotel on 25 Hillsdale St. into the Hillsdale Brewing Company. “We worked on this building for over two years to bring it back to life before opening,” Roy Finch said. “It had extensive damage from being old, neglected, and mostly abandoned for so many years. When we finally opened we had a huge amount of pride and excitement, and of course we were nervous wrecks.”

The brewery usually has close to a dozen beers on tap, plus in-house ciders and wines. It also offers games, a playhouse for kids, and axe throwing.

Since its opening, Hillsdale Brewing Company has provided a space for numerous community groups to meet and grow.

“Our beer garden has offered a space for the farmers market to function in the winter, and we also let the Hillsdale Rotary have its meetings there every Wednesday,” Roy Finch said. “We have had a lot of groups have meetings there, and fire departments have banquets there.”

The brewing company has also offered spaces for college faculty to work and socialize.

“I like the Hillsdale Brewing Company so much that I hold office hours there on Tuesday afternoons,” said John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program. “It’s a great way to meet students off campus.”

year or so, Dr. Ivan Pongracic and I try to meet there every Friday afternoon,” said Bradley Birzer, professor of history. “I’ve also gone with friends from out of town as well as Father David Reamsnyder, my parish priest.”

“I enjoy the beer, and I’m a member of the mug club, which means I have my own special mug”

Some professors meet regularly with each other and use the brewery as a location to introduce people to Hillsdale. “I’ve been going to the pub for several years. For the last

Roy Finch aims for the brewing company to be a welcoming environment for all ages to come together and spend time with others in the community.

“We would like the community to know that just because we are a brewery, it doesn’t mean we aren’t family-friendly,” Finch said, “In the beer garden we offer games, a playhouse, and lots of other activities for the kids so mom and dad can enjoy a nice dinner without the children getting restless. It has really brought a lot of families in.”

The brewing company offers an inviting experience while serving up quality beer and food, Finch said. “I enjoy the beer and I’m a member of the mug club, which means I have my own special mug,” Miller said. “The servers know to grab it when I walk in the door. This makes me feel like the character Norm from ‘Cheers,’ the old

TV sitcom.”

The brewing company also serves as a place for people from the town and the college to come together and interact.

“One of my favorite things about the brewing company is that it very much brings together town and gown,” Birzer said. “We’re all there to enjoy fine beer (well, really ales) and be one as a community.”

Roy Finch told The Collegian in 2016 that getting the business off the ground took hours of work beyond their traditional day jobs.

“What a wild ride it’s been,” he said. “We learned a lot at the beginning of our adventure and we’ll never forget it.”

Locals mothers start weekly ‘Mom Meet Up’ group

By Lauren Scott City News Editor

Moms can gather for community in Hillsdale every Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m.

“We basically drink coffee and sit around and chat,” said local mother and birth doula Janell Morse.

Morse started “Mom Meet Up” in October when she realized the need for a community of moms in Hillsdale.

“Some of my clients were asking for opportunities for moms to get together,” she said. “After I had my baby, I was like, ‘You know, I would love to be able to do that, too.’”

Morse said after talking with a few local moms on Facebook, they decided to meet every Friday at Hillsdale First Baptist Church. After a few moms said they could not meet on weekdays, Morse said the group started meeting on Saturdays too.

Christiana Stramaglia, a local mother of two who helped Morse start the group, said motherhood can feel isolating but it doesn’t have to.

“Especially in a community with so many young kids and moms, it’s so important to have a village and remem-

ber that we are going through this together,” she said. Stramaglia said Morse has

“Especially in a community with so many young kids and moms, it’s so important to have a village and remember that we are going through this together”

been more involved with the group lately as she is awaiting the arrival of her third baby, so it is harder to commit. It is good for mothers to talk about their struggles with one another, Morse said.

“Normally if somebody’s struggling with something, they’re not the only ones,” she said. “That’s what the group is for – to let them know they’re not alone.”

Morse said it is important for mothers to have a community despite their busy schedules.

“As a mom, if you are at home with your kids, and you’re stuck in your daily routine, sometimes it just gets really overwhelming,” she said. “So when we have a community, it lets us know we’re not alone.”

In addition to running “Mom Meet Up,” Morse started a “babywearing group” that meets the first Thursday of each month at 11 a.m.

“It’s still a moms group, but we have a small lending library for wraps, so you can try things to see if you like them before you invest a lot of money in something,” Morse said.

The group also helps ensure mothers are using wraps that fit them and they are using proper carrying techniques. Morse said she brings wraps so new mothers can try them on to see which ones they like best.

SCOOP: The Udder Side opens today for the season

Humane society mananger receives citizen award

By Malia Thibado Collegian Reporter

Jan Nageldinger received a Civilian Recognition Award

Jan. 17 for her long-term coordination with the sheriff’s office during animal cases. Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire presented the award.

Nageldinger, shelter manager of the Branch County Humane Society, was awarded for her work with the sheriff’s office coordinating emergency animal removals and placements.

“We’ve never given her recognition before,” Sgt. John Gates of the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office said. “It just seemed like a fitting time.”

In December, Nageldinger coordinated the rescue of a terrier who had fallen in a 15-foot deep tank. Gates nominated Nageldinger for the award after she helped respond to the incident. The two have an ongoing working relationship spanning the almost 15 years that Nageldinger has been in her position, according to Gates. Gates and the sheriff’s office

consult Nageldinger with cases involving neglected animals or emergency placements, while Nageldinger informs the department of potential instances of animal cruelty. She said she has even participated in seizure operations, at one point removing 24 beagles from one house.

Although Hodshire said he has had no personal contact with Nageldinger, he acknowledged her long-time collaboration and contribution to Hillsdale’s animal control.

“She goes above and beyond whenever we call her,” Hodshire said. “She is always there for us.”

The Civilian Recognition Award is the highest-possible reward available to private citizens in HIllsdale and is only given in special circumstances, according to Hodshire.

Gates estimated the department picks up 40-50 stray dogs per month through calls or drop-offs. “I probably talk to her at least once a week on something,” Gates said. “She often gets tips through her network, so she’ll give me a call or send me an email, then we do an in-

vestigation.”

Nageldinger began working as a shelter volunteer after 25 years at the Michigan Department of Corrections.

“When I came out, I was looking to improve things in the world, so I came out and started volunteering,” Nageldinger said.

After the previous shelter manager retired 15 years ago, Nageldinger said she took on the responsibility of managing the local shelter and the Hillsdale sheriff office with animal-related cases.

Nageldinger now coordinates animal welfare checks, rescues, medical treatments, and emergency placements for both stray and abused animals in Hillsdale in addition to her work in Branch County.

“I appreciate that Hillsdale has some of the kindest law enforcement officers over there,” Nageldinger said.

Nageldinger said she and her volunteers will hold a demonstration in Coldwater on Feb. 3 to raise awareness for stray dogs out in the cold weather.

Morse started the babywearing group that meets on the first Thursday of every month.

Courtesy | Janell Morse

Senior Caitie Dugan and Katie Ingham ’21 enjoy The Udder Side Courtesy | Instagra M

Sports

Men's Basketball

Chargers best Northwood, close month at 12-7

By Alex Deimel Assistant Editor

The Charger men’s basketball team improved to 12-7 on the year, besting Northwood University Timberwolves 92-75 at home Thursday, but dropping Saturday’s game to the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets 68-56.

Going into Thursday, the Timberwolves were 1-7 in G-MAC play, and 4-12 overall. Their record puts them at second-to-last in the G-MAC, just ahead of the Ohio Dominican Panthers.

Meanwhile, Cedarville sat at the top of the conference going into Saturday, and remained in the number one team with a 9-1 conference record after beating Hillsdale on Saturday, which remains seventh in the G-MAC.

The Chargers had one of their best offensive performances against the Timberwolves, shooting 54% from the field as a team.

Senior guard Charles Woodhams led the charge for Hillsdale on Thursday, making all eight of his shot attempts in the first half, including four 3-pointers. Woodhams finished with 22 points, which is the second most he has had in a game this season.

“Honestly I think the tone was set by the way our entire team played the first half,”

Men's Track and Field Hillsdale nabs event marks

By Joshua Mistry Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale men’s track and field teams earned two provisional qualifying marks at the home Wide Track Classic against Adrian College, Walsh University, and Siena Heights University Jan. 27.

Junior Ben Haas bettered his provisional qualifying mark in weight throw, finishing first in the weight throw with a mark of 20.47 meters, simultaneously improving his last performance and clinching him fifth in the nation. Junior Cass Dobrowolski earned his first Division II provisional qualifying mark in the high jump.

On the track, senior Alex Mitchell placed first with a personal best time of 8:33.83 in the 3000-meter run, a facility record. Sophomore Colsen Conway placed second in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.62, and senior Benu Meintjes placed first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.97.

"I was happy with the race that I ran, especially with how hard we have been training lately,” Mitchell said. “I'm confident it will all pay off come championship season."

Sophomore Seth Jankowski placed first in the 800-meter dash with a time of 1:56.53 and junior Isaac Doughty

“Everyone who I have met since graduating from Hillsdale knows that I believe that I played for the best coaches on earth,” Molenkamp said.

While members of the 2006 team won individual accolades, including Taryn Rudland, who won conference player of the year, the team focused on cohesive play, Molenkamp said.

placed third in the weight throw with a mark of 14.92 meters. Dobrowolski won the high jump with a mark of 2.05 meters and placed second in the long jump with 6.32 meters, a career best.

"This was our first home meet this year and as a team, we did quite well,” Doughty said. “We had many provisional marks across the field events and some great performances on the track.”

Sophomore Emil Schleu -

“It was nice to bounce back and have home turf advantage.”

ter placed second in the mile with a time of 4:38.49. He said the team was discouraged last week after the cancellation of the Hillsdale Winter Opener, but this meet provided a chance to get back to competing well. “It was nice to bounce back and have home turf advantage,” Schlueter said. “I know some of our guys did really well.”

“Our team walked into every match completely confident and completely dependent upon each other,” Molenkamp said. “There were teammates who received individual awards in 2006, and they were well-deserved, but we all followed coach’s instruction that the most success can be found in playing for the best for one’s team.”

Nominations for induction into the hall of fame go before the selection committee once per year, according to Gensterblum.

Woodhams said. “We are a much better team when we play at a faster pace and I was just fortunate enough to get some open shots as a result of that.”

Woodhams also had 10 rebounds and 3 assists, as well as a block and a steal. The senior finished 9-12 from the field, giving him his best field goal percentage mark of the

things that we have really improved on since the start of the year.”

Senior center Eric Radisevic and freshman guard Mikey McCollum contributed to the victory from the bench, scoring 13 and 7 points respectively.

Sophomore guard Ashton Janowski provided 13 points, and 3 steals as well.

“I think one of the key things was our confidence in our offense and our confidence in shooting the ball.”

season at 75%.

In addition to Woodhams, junior forward Joe Reuter had a heavy contribution to the Charger victory. Reuter finished the day with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and still leads Hillsdale in scoring with 15.8 points per game.

“I think one of the key things was our confidence in our offense and our confidence in shooting the ball,” Reuter said. “I think offensively we moved it really well and we were able to get open shots almost every time down the floor, and that’s one of the

“I thought we had a really good pace to our play offensively and I thought our guys guarded really well,” head coach Keven Bradley said.

Despite the loss to Cedarville, Reuter still had a heavy contribution to the Charger effort, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Reuter was the only Charger to put up double-digits in rebounding, and Janowski was the only other Charger to put up double-digit points with 12.

“Obviously a tough loss, but I think our second half

Women's Track and Field

Senior Sean Fagan placed first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.40. He said the team had a strong performance Saturday. “The team did very well this weekend,” Fagan said. “As to be expected in a January meet, there were no earth-shattering performances."

Fagan said the team was very encouraged by the support shown by the people who came out on Saturday.

“I was not the only one to notice it, but we had a lot of people show up to the meet, which was really cool to see,” Fagan said. “Having a packed house does have quite the same impact as it would in a football game, but it’s still very encouraging as a team to look up and see all of our classmates and friends in the bleachers and on the railings cheering us on.”

The Chargers will race next in the two-day Ashland Lightgiver Invite on February 2-3.

“I would summarize it as a very positive early season meet with lots of good performances but also lots of room to improve,” Fagan said.

“The 2006 team was a relatively recent nomination and I think it was expected they would get in quickly based on the historic nature of their accomplishments as a team, and that played out over the course of the committee meeting earlier this month,” Gensterblum said.

The overwhelming success of the team and players in 2006 made it an easy decision for the selection committee, Gensterblum said. “All these first-time accomplishments helped elevate the

defense and how we came out to start the game gave us the confidence that we can play and make runs against top scoring and really good teams,” Reuter said. “So I think that’s something we can take moving forward.”

Sophomore center C.J. Yarian, who has been the starting center for the Chargers for most of the season, had 8 rebounds and 2 points against Cedarville, along with 2 assists and a block. Yarian has averaged 5.6 rebounds per game this season.

The Chargers will begin the month of February with three road games. They will first travel to Ohio to face the Tiffin University Dragons on Thursday, February 1.

The Chargers are 1-0 against Tiffin this year, beating them at home 56-51 earlier this season.

After that, Hillsdale will face two conference rivals, starting with Walsh University on Feb. 8, and Lake Erie College on Feb. 10.

Chargers host first home meet

By Alex Mitchell Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale Chargers women’s track and field team returned to the Biermann Athletic Center for their first home meet of the 2024 indoor season.

Strong performances on both the track and in the field led to six event wins along with two NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks.

In the field, the team continued its dominance in the throws events.

In shot put, the Chargers took both first and second place, led by junior All-American Averi Parker with a throw of 13.58 meters. Her throw of 15.18 meters from an earlier meet currently ranks as the third furthest in the country this season. Parker also finished second in the weight throw amidst a Charger sweep of the top five scoring positions.

Senior thrower Katie Sayles, the school record holder and NCAA qualifier in the event, led the way with a throw of 18.65 meters moving up to eighth in the country.

The 60 meter hurdles got the momentum going for the Chargers on the track as all four competitors qualified through to the finals. Senior sprinter Shura Ermakov placed second to lead the Chargers with a time of 8.98 seconds, a

volleyball program at Hillsdale to a place it had never been before and set the stage for further success to come in the last decade and a half,” Gensterblum said. “For all these reasons, the committee felt the team was a worthy inductee.” The hall of fame will celebrate its

personal best. Ermakov enters 2024 as an All-American in the 400 meter hurdles and as the school record holder and NCAA provisional qualifier in the pentathlon, showing great range on the track and in the field.

This range was on display as she went on to win the 800 meter run, beating teammate junior Reese Dragovich down the homestretch to win by 3 hundredths of a second in a race that saw the Chargers take the top eight places.

Ermakov acknowledged that this range is unique, but is all aimed at excelling at her primary event, the 400-meter dash.

“Even though this was an unusual combination of events to compete in, I did it to prepare for my open 400-meter race next week at Ashland,” she said. “The 400 requires a good mix of speed and endurance which the 60-meter hurdles and the 800 gave me the chance to practice both.”

Senior Liz Wamsley returned to the track for her first race of the season coming off a cross-country season where she earned All-American honors, placing 11th overall. She won the 3,000-meter race in a time of 10:06, nearly a minute in front of second place. Wamsley said she was happy with her first performance of the season.

“It was nice to get a feel for pacing and running on the curves as it always takes me a race or two to get used to running on the indoor track again,” she said.

This opening race bodes well for Wamsley as she hopes to return to the indoor national championship meet, where she finished 7th overall in the 5,000m race.

“My goal for the season is to qualify for nationals in the 5k and hopefully set a school record,” Wamsley said.

Second-year head coach R.P. White said he was happy with the overall team performance.

“It was great to compete at home,” he said. “We had some great things happen on the track and in the field.”

Like Ermakov and Wamsley, White said he remains focused on the conference and national championship meets.

“The momentum keeps building as we enter February, where national championship marks are achieved,” White said.

The Chargers will travel to Ashland University next weekend to compete in the Jud Logan Light Giver Invitational where they will get the chance to see the track where the conference championship will be held and improve their conference and national rankings.

Junior forward Joe Reuter is averaging 15.8 points per game for Hillsdale this season. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Dual threat: Football players spend the spring on the track

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

Senior Drew Ransom is a free safety by fall and a sprinter by spring.

The Charger football player broke free from the field as he flew to a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash during Hillsdale’s first track meet this semester.

“It was unreal,” Ransom said. “I was definitely excited and proud but mostly just happy. It’s always great to win but the feeling of accomplishment was enough for me.”

Fellow senior, football player, track athlete, and housemate Owen Gardner was only 0.57 seconds behind him. “It was awesome,” Gardner said. “Especially for Drew working as hard as he did over the winter, it was great to see him succeed in his first meet.”

Gardner is in his third and final season running for the track team in addition to his

football duties. “I can tell you from being Owen’s roommate and friend that he has scheduled every moment of his life since sophomore year,” Ransom said. “You have to be sure you want to do it and very determined to excel in two sports.”

For Athletic Director John Tharp, watching Gardner and Ransom compete is a throwback to the past, when many great Hillsdale athletes were playing multiple sports.

“The difference now is that kids become specialized in a specific sport so early on that you don’t see dual-sport ath-

Sports Feature

letes as often,” Tharp said.” But I’ve always thought a football-track athlete is a natural fit, and so it’s awesome to watch these guys succeed.”

Gardner and Ransom have competed on both track and turf since high school, and have embraced the similarities across both the sports.

“Track is supplemental to football,” Gardner said. “Speed kills. If you can work on that in one season, it helps during the other season. Both great environments, just different feels.”

Gardner attended Cassopolis High School in southwest Michigan, and was part of a

graduating class of just 60 students.

“It was a very small school, which meant I was playing offense, defense, and special teams during football season, and running multiple events during track season,” Gardner said.

Ransom’s childhood was similarly built around the next game or meet on the schedule.

“My mom played soccer at Cincinnati, and my dad played football for Cincinnati and then was in the NFL with the Chiefs, Cardinals, and Jaguars,” Ransom said. “Also my sisters are currently playing soccer at DI schools, so I had a bunch of

really big athletic role models in my family.” Gardner and Ransom do agree though that switching between sports, especially at the collegiate level, can start to take a toll on everything else in their lives. “It’s doable, but there has to be a sense of reality in the back of your head that you can’t handle two sports at once long-term,” Ransom said. “The moment those sports start affecting things like your grades, you

have to re-think whether it’s worth it.”

Gardner added that playing two sports will inherently place different demands on your body.

“Take for example a running back who wants muscle mass, and a track runner who wants to be as strong as possible while still not weighing much,” Gardner said. “Switching back and forth will always wear you down a bit more physically.”

Yet the dual-sport athletes agreed that their football and track coaches work well together, and they feel blessed to be able to pursue two dreams at once.

“I was in the dining hall when Owen introduced me to the track coaches this past fall,” Ransom said. “They didn’t even ask about my times, they just wanted to know if I was serious about joining their family.”

Gardner and Ransom return to the track this Friday in Ohio for the Ashland Lightgiver Invite, as they continue to prepare for the conference championships in May.

Mitts and mullets: Club Hockey suits up for 2024 season

By Ameera Wilson Collegian Reporter

Sophomore Brady Birmingham is growing out a mullet for hockey season. He is vice president of the Hillsdale’s club hockey team, which is preparing for the 2024 season. The team donned new uniforms to play its season opener Jan. 31 in Jackson. Birmingham said they hope to play close to 7 games this year.

The team is young and mostly composed of underclassmen, including the president and vice president who are both sophomores. Although there are only sixteen players this season, Birmingham said that most seem like they will stick around.

Players last year came in and out of the team, but Birmingham said it seems like more of the team will stick around this year.

DaRoss said the club is always looking for new members because its small roster is a disadvantage against larger teams.

“This team has always been the underdog and kind of a rag-tag team,” sophomore club president Sean DaRoss said. “The most important thing is to

get people out there. If we can get enough people out there, then we won’t be so tired.”

“We always need more guys to play. We have enough to play, but having a few more would be great,” Birmingham said.

He noted this year’s team features many different skill levels as well.

“We have a whole range of skills. We have people who just started skating and we have people that have been playing most of their lives and just want to keep playing,” Birmingham said. “It keeps it interesting.”

Both Birmingham and DaRoss encourage students to consider playing.

“That’s kind of the fun of it. You’re just jumping out on the ice and having fun regardless of what skill level you are,” DaRoss said.

According to Birmingham, the difficulties make the sport more enjoyable.

“It’s a lot of fun. I would much rather be losing and competitive than super dominant,” Birmingham said. “And we are definitely competitive.”

Birmingham said the club gives a chance to have a good

time and the perfect environment to meet new friends and enjoy a great sport.

“It’s a very welcoming environment,” Birmingham said. “In my experience, there’s a stigma that hockey players can be very full of themselves, but it’s not like that at all. I went into the locker room last year not really knowing anyone, but I just started blending with everyone in the room. It’s a very welcoming environment and

you become very close to the people you’re playing with.” DaRoss said the club is a great way for students to meet people outside of their usual spheres.

“It’s through these alternative pathways that you can make new connections that you would not have made otherwise,” DaRoss said.

Both agreed that hockey is one of the best sports to play and to watch.

“You’re on skates on ice, you can’t beat that,” DaRoss said.

The rough nature of the game itself adds to its appeal, Birmingham said.

“I like the physicality, I think that is a staple of hockey,” Birmingham said.“In certain sports you can only be physical up to an extent, but in hockey there’s a bit more of a longer leash for hockey players and you're able to get a little cheap without getting too far. It al-

lows for an interesting aspect of the game.”

Hockey stands apart from other sports, Birmingham said, because of the team-focused nature of the game.

“I think it is one of the main sports that isn’t reliant on star power. You’re so dependent on everyone else on the ice,” Birmingham said. You need everyone clicking with each other and I think that’s what makes the sport so special.”

According to Birmingham, fans bring a lot of energy to the game.

“When people show up, a team is very connected to its fans. There’s no gap and the fans are very involved. The energy is fantastic. Fans are so close to the ice that they’re very involved in what’s going on,” Birmingham said.

DaRoss and Birmingham said they want to revive hockey culture at Hillsdale.

“Hillsdale is like that one bubble of Michigan that is not hockey centered,” DaRoss said.

Both Birmingham and DaRoss agreed that the bubble should be popped.

“It would be great to make Hillsdale a hockey town.” Birmingham said.

Charger chatter

Why should football players go to swing club?

Statistically speaking, football players that go to swing club have a 50% chance of starting at tight end in the Footbal Championship Subdivision national championship.

What do Hillsdale students get wrong about football?

They discredit the raw, selfless virtue displayed on the football field in favor of hollow, intellectual imitation of virtue.

How did being elected class officer compare to the teams biggest win?

It was nothing. The amount of hopes, dreams, blood, sweat, and tears that go into one play of even the worst loss far outweigh any sort of popularity contest.

Senior Drew Ransom plays cornerback. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Compiled by Michael Bachmann

The Hillsdale club hockey team last year. Courtesy | Brady Birmingham

Senior Owen Gardner runs Jan.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Sports

Football's new head coach prepares for fall

will lead the

By Emma Verrigni Collegian Reporter

For 25 years, Nate Shreffler ’93 coached the Hillsdale football team’s offensive line. He could have coached anywhere in the country, said former head coach Keith Otterbein ’79. But his love and passion for Hillsdale College has kept him coaching Charger football for a quarter-century.

After 22 years with Otterbein at the helm, Shreffler is stepping into a new role as Hillsdale football’s head coach.

Hillsdale Athletic Director

John Tharp said Shreffler’s passion for Hillsdale football has allowed for a seamless transition between coaches.

“It’s gone incredibly smooth,” Tharp said. “Coach Shreffler knows and loves Hillsdale, and understands what we want to get accomplished from an athletic standpoint. He’s been terrific.”

Tharp said Shreffler has the ideal qualities for a football coach at Hillsdale.

“He’s a Hillsdale man through and through,” Tharp said. “He understands the mission of the college, and is fully aware of the strong tradition of Charger football and the challenges ahead.”

Prior to coaching, Shreffler studied secondary education at Hillsdale College, where he played as an offensive guard and long snapper. Before coaching at Hillsdale, Shreffler said he coached football at University of St. Francis and Olivet College.

Shreffler said he learned a lot from working with previous coach Otterbein. “I consider him a close personal friend and an outstanding mentor,” Shreffler said. “I had a front row seat watching one of the best head coaches in the history of our sport do this job on a daily basis, and I was blessed to be a part of his staff for as long as I was.”

“This is more than just a job. I love Hillsdale College. This is my home.”

This semester, Shreffler said he is preparing the team for the upcoming season by incorporating weight lifting and agility training into players’ workout routines.

“The personality and character of Team 132 will continue to develop over the next several months,” Shreffler said. “Through the work we put in and the bonds that develop, I believe we will be a championship contender. Our players work extremely hard and Charger Nation will be proud of their efforts.”

Otterbein said Hillsdale College has successfully recruited players who prioritize choosing a school that is a good fit.

“One of the points that I always made to recruits and their parents was to really shrink

their list. We always emphasized getting the right fit academically, athletically, and socially in what they were looking for,” Otterbein said. “If they did a good job of shrinking their list, they were much more efficient and effective in selecting the right school. That's why I think our retention has been phenomenal.”

Shreffler said the transfer portal — a database that allows collegiate athletes to transfer between other universities of the NCAA — has allowed Hillsdale to gain students who value the type of education that the college offers.

“We’ve lost some guys to the portal but we’ve also gained some good ones too,” Shreffler said. “We do a great job of finding and recruiting players that want a Hillsdale education. They see the value and want to graduate from here.”

Shreffler said the rigor and high academic standards at Hillsdale attract the most well-rounded and motivated recruits.

“Through high standards, we attract the best of the best,” Shreffler said. “Recruiting student-athletes who are motivated

and driven, on and off the field, helps us maximize their potential in all areas of their lives. We have great student-athletes who understand the value of hard work, commitment, dedication, and accountability. It’s a great environment to be in.”

Senior offensive lineman and Nick Affholter said he appreciates how Hillsdale stresses the academic success of players. Affholter said simultaneous success in academics and athletics is possible with hard work.

“With time management it is doable, and with hard work, you can achieve a high level of success in both areas,” Affholter said. “The team also provides tutors and study tables for guys in need and stresses the importance of asking for help.”

Otterbein said the improvement of technology has placed more responsibility on players to be well-educated about the game, necessitating that players strike a healthy balance between academics and athletics.

“In my 45 years of coaching, technology has really changed the way that you coach, so we're teaching the game of football at a much deeper level,” Otterbein said. “There's much more understanding and much more information available to the players, so their knowledge of what's going on has grown a great deal— which puts a little bit more of a burden on them.”

Otterbein said that players must balance the intricacies of football with the rigorous academic standards at Hillsdale

College.

“The idea that strength rejoices in the challenge fits very well into being an intercollegiate athlete at Hillsdale College,” Otterbein said.

Otterbein said academic standards have raised since his time at Hillsdale— and players have improved alongside these standards.

Affholter’s twin brother Benjamin, a right guard for the football team, said playing football has positively impacted his academic experience.

“Anything good is going to require work and be hard. I like football because it teaches you

that truth. Thus, my education should be no different. It requires discipline and hard work to play a sport here at Hillsdale but it is so worth it to be at a place like this,” Affholter said. Shreffler said he is grateful to have the opportunity to coach football at Hillsdale.

“As an alumnus, I feel very blessed to be in the position I’m in,” Shreffler said. “This is more than just a job. I love Hillsdale College. This is my home – my wife, Jill, and I have raised our family here and we all bleed Charger blue. Leading this program is a dream come true and I’m excited for the future.”

Hillsdale takes down Cedarville, improves to 10-9

“For Cedarville, we knew we had to be ultra focused especially coming off of a loss, and we honed in a lot defensively, which is the reason we played so well against them.”

Hillsdale emerges from the weekend 10-9 overall, 6-5 in the G-MAC, and currently sits in eighth place in the G-MAC, a rank it must hold onto for a berth in the conference tournament.

The Chargers led the Northwood Timberwolves by as many as seven points in the first half and trailed by only four at the end of the third quarter.

Northwood upped the offensive pressure in the final quarter to pull away with a 10-0 run. Despite four points from junior guard Caitlin Splain late, the Chargers couldn’t recover.

“Down the stretch, we struggled to get the easy baskets that we were getting early on,” head coach Brianna Brennan said. “I think we got a little tight offensively and instead of making some of the easy passes and getting the ball movement we needed,

we were trying to force a lot.” Brennan said the team made mistakes in transition defense, allowing Northwood to get easy buckets.

“Even though we did it decently well at times, there were just too many lapses where we weren’t communicating enough and we weren’t sprinting back enough to get those early stops,” Brennan said.

The Chargers struggled on the glass, conceding 14 offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points to the Timberwolves.

Splain put up 16 points and grabbed six rebounds against Northwood, and Mills got her first double-double since her injury with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Lauren McDonald added eight points, and freshmen guard Annalise Pietrzyk and forward Savannah Smith both had strong nights off the bench with 10 points and eight points respectively.

Heading into the road win Saturday, Hillsdale was fighting with Cedarville for the eighth spot in the conference.

After a competitive first quarter, Hillsdale took control on both ends of the floor and established an eight-point halftime lead. Hillsdale outscored Cedarville 36-14 in the second and third quarters to further that lead, including a 17-0 run in the third quarter. “Unlike the Northwood game, we started this game very well,” Splain said. “Even though the game was close after the first quarter, our energy had been there from the start. Everyone was contributing and it carried with us to the end of the game.”

The Chargers grabbed 54 rebounds for Cedarville’s 30 and held the Yellowjackets to 29.3% from the floor and 19.2% 3-point shooting with only one made 3-point after the first quarter.

Hillsdale had a strong shooting night all around with almost the entire dressed roster adding points. Junior guard Kendall McCormick added 10 points, McDonald added 14 points and six rebounds, and Splain led the team again with 16 points.

“We have so many players capable of scoring,” Brennan said. “So when we share the ball, our offense looks really great” Mills and redshirt freshman forward Sydney Pnacek just missed a double-double each with nine points and 12 rebounds in the contest.

Brennan said Pnacek has been consistently playing well for the team.

“She was an absolute terror on the boards, which was so fun to see,” Brennan said. “She’s been putting in a lot of hard work to be able to do that.”

The Chargers will begin a three-game road stretch this week, facing current G-MAC second-place Ursuline College on Feb. 3.

Brennan said the team will emphasize defending in transition and sharing the ball offensively against Ursuline. “We’re excited to step into their gym and show them we’re a hot team,” Mills said. “We’ve been really progressing lately and we’re getting better at the right time.”

Nate Sheffler is in his first year as head coach. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Junior Caitlin Splain scored 16 points against Northwood. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

C U L T U R E

A day at the National Gallery of Art

What makes a museum trip great for the museum hater

By Jillian Parks DC Correspondent

I’ve gone to art museums with people who go because it’s something to do and people who go because they want to stare at one painting for 15 minutes.

I am neither of those kinds of people.

For a long time, I went to art museums because I knew I was supposed to like them. Museums house incredible feats of human ingenuity, patience, and empathy all under one roof. Who wouldn’t want

to spend an afternoon that way? Yet I failed to translate this idea into a reality. Art museums were boring. I don’t want them to be. I am supposed to be artsy and cultured, so you can bet that coming to Washington, D.C., through the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program this semester means I am going to figure it out. This weekend, I went to the National Gallery of Art for the first time and felt the fruit of my labor. It seems I’ve successfully gained a love for art. Granted, I still haven’t fig -

ured out why one painting can garner 15 minutes of focused attention, but the art made me feel something. Here are some of my reflections on why I was able to better engage this time around.

The National Gallery of Art creates a beautiful setting for its art to be showcased. It wasn’t the same room over and over again. A few atriums featured statues and greenery. Other rooms were decorated like the home of a very wealthy old woman: fireplaces, mirrors, dark wood, carved tables, as opposed to assembled from a box, if you get the picture. The halls weren’t just passageways; they were lined with busts and statues that made the entire gallery a continuous experience.

The weekend I went, the museum had an exhibit called “Seeing People,” which showcased Dorothea Lange’s photography from the Great Depression era. Her photograph of a work-and-weather-worn woman staring off into the distance is one of the most famous photographs of all time. Lange’s career encompassed much more than that, though. She visited Egypt, Ireland, Japanese Internment camps during World War II, California after the Dust Bowl caused a mass migration, and a litany of other areas, all with the purpose of truly seeing people.

Walking through the room hung with photographs of a stenographer with mend -

ed stockings, an 18-year-old mother with her baby in a tent, and a young Japanese girl saying the pledge of allegiance in an internment camp, it was clear the title of the exhibit paid fitting homage to her work. While I have cried in many places, I have never cried in a museum before. Once I crossed that line, there was no going back.

I left the exhibit and went on to cry at roughly a dozen different portraits of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This was not a full-on weep: more of a subtle movement to tears because everything I saw was beautiful and meaningful, a true testament to human talent and a creative Creator.

That is, until I made my way over to the modern art building on the east side of the gallery. At risk of sounding like a curmudgeonly conservative who hates new things, I will say my emotional experience was markedly different. My dominant feeling switched from wonderment and awe to confusion and sometimes anger. “Yellow standing Nana” by Niki de Saint Phalle genuinely made me mad. One piece was a map of the U.S. with different translations of the word “goodbye” on it, which, to me, just screams “fake deep Pinterest.” And honestly, at this rate, I may never be a fan of Jackson Pollock or Mark Rothko. That being said, at one point I did not even enjoy classical art. I was going to museums,

bored out of my mind, wandering rooms in search of the thing that might anchor me to this tradition in which everyone else proclaims they see themselves. I am glad modern art exists for the people who see it and feel something, that look at a Rothko and tear up like I did in the West building. I think we all deserve to feel that way, and I also think it’s our job to do what we can to find that in the places it doesn’t come naturally.

I still haven’t landed on a

clear-cut opinion on the degree of subjectivity within art and beauty. I do think that just because some old guy says something is beautiful doesn’t mean I have to agree. For every one of my fellow 21 year olds whose brains have been trained to love and appreciate the quicker, utilitarian, digital things, it’s worth pushing through the apathy until the human ingenuity, patience, and empathy all become irresistible.

By Alexandra Hall Design Editor

I have a cool mom. But even the coolest moms are not the ideal viewing partners for a film as sexually explicit and strange as Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn.”

We entered the movie theater thinking we were about to see an edgy college tale. We left with pale faces and an uncomfortable “birds and bees” discussion on the drive home.

Coming from “Promising Young Woman” creator Emerald Fennell, “Saltburn” is a fantastical thriller about an Oxford student, Oliver (Barry Keoghan), obsessed with his classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). When Oliver suffers a tragedy during exam season, Felix invites him to stay at his family’s estate for the summer. It is here where all lines of relationships and decency are blurred, and Oliver becomes increasingly entranced with Felix.

Thus ensues a summer of strangeness. Within the confines of the fortress-like estate, Felix’s family hosts lavish parties, deals with eccentric guests overstaying their welcome, and shows Oliver how the elite live.

Halfway through the summer, in an attempt to deepen their friendship, Felix surprises Oliver with a trip to his family home. It is there where the illusion of who Oliver has presented himself to be is shattered and the film takes a dark turn.

job of presenting each scene with equal amounts of beauty and debauchery. Guided by Swedish cinematographer Linus Sandgren, best known

of each frame, viewers see spilled alcohol, cigarette butts, and trash from past parties. The setting reflects the characters — vain, selfish people

as the rest of the family.

for “La La Land,” “Saltburn” is beautiful to look at.

Despite the film’s tone shift, Fennell does an outstanding

Felix’s family adorns rooms of the estate with artifacts like a museum. Yet at the bottom

obsessed with the next cheap thrill. Oliver, although presented initially as a bystander to this way of life, soon becomes equally as despicable

Voyeurism works its way into nearly every scene. Many shots feature characters with their backs turned so that viewers are peering over their shoulders into the plot. Oliver brings the viewer along not as a typical voyeur, but as one simultaneously as entrenched and separated from the plot as the characters themselves. The audience is the “other” just as much as Oliver is. Nothing is private and nothing is sacred in the world of “Saltburn.” Characters have sex on the lawn. People relay secrets to their subjects. Even in death, characters cannot escape the desires of their admirers. These scenes in which Fennel

exploits privacy are the main points of contention for viewers. In divorcing eroticism and boundaries — whether in the form of relationships, decency, or death — Fennell succeeds at making audiences brutally uncomfortable. Some critics argue she seeks too much to shock without giving viewers enough substance. But these graphic scenes show raw, twisted vice as it festers in the most unattractive places. The bodily fluids featured in the film symbolize the lust, greed, and delusion that runs as deep as the biological matter itself.

“Saltburn” stands out as a thrilling, artistic ode to degeneracy that seeks to tell a story without condoning it. The events may be fantastical, but the thematic concern of the corruption of beauty is as real as it has ever been. “Saltburn” is all of these things, but it is not the next selection for a family movie night.

Junior WHIP students Jillian Parks and Hannah Arends visited the National Gallery of Art last weekend. Jillian Parks | Collegian

Parks views Tanzio da Varallo’s oil painting “Saint Sebastian.”

Jillian Parks | Collegian

C U L T

Theatre students reach top levels of regional competition

By Maddy Welsh Senior Editor

Two Hillsdale theatre students advanced to the semifinals and above in multiple competitions at a regional theatre competition in January.

About a dozen Hillsdale students and faculty traveled to University of Michigan-Flint for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival which ran Jan. 9-13, according to Professor of Theatre James Brandon. Hillsdale students competed alongside students from schools in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The festival included various workshops and competitions covering areas from performance to playwriting to journalism.

“Students have an opportunity to compete against their peers from around the region, and then the festival itself, in addition to the performances and the competitions, offers workshops led by theatre faculty from throughout the region,” Brandon said. “So it’s sort of like a theatre festival and a professional conference and an audition all set up into one.”

Junior Emily Griffith competed in the musical theatre intensive and advanced to the final round — she was one of 18 students to advance to the final out of 100 competitors. She is, according to Brandon, the first Hillsdale student ever to advance to the finals in this competition.

Junior Kenda Showalter competed in the Irene Ryan acting competition and advanced to the semifinals. Showalter also placed second in the theatre journalism and advocacy competition. Griffith said she was surprised she advanced to the final round and that her success was due to the excellence of Hillsdale’s Theatre department. According to Griffith, most of her competitors in the musical theatre intensive were Bachelor of Fine Arts, or BFA, students who spend a lot more time on theatre than she does at Hillsdale.

“I’m a double major, I want to go to law school, and this is not what I do all the time, but it was great to know that the Hillsdale Theatre department prepared me enough that I could go head

to head with these people who have been doing music and theatre 24/7 — that says a lot about our faculty,” she said.

Brandon said the advanced competition at the festival makes it a great experience for the Hillsdale students who attend.

“Really, all those BFA students are doing is trade school,” he said. “They’re taking all acting classes, they’re not doing the liberal arts thing. We have graduate students that they’re competing against sometimes. So it’s nice, because it’s not a forgiving environment, so you kind of have to hone your energy.”

Griffith said she and all the students who advanced to the final round of the musical theatre intensive had individual sessions with Broadway professionals.

“I was able to be coached by a Broadway veteran and a woman who was on tour with the touring Broadway ‘Mean Girls’ company,” Griffith said.

Showalter advanced to the semifinal round of the Irene Ryan acting competition for her second year in a row. During winter break, she submitted a video recording of her performing two different monologues.

“They announced the first evening of the festival who was moving onto the semifinal. So from there, you perform one of your monologues and then a scene in person at the festival,” Showalter said.

Showalter said she was excited to have advanced in the competition again.

“I want to get any experience that I can performing, especially in a competitive environment, because I don’t get that anywhere else,” she said. “It’s a very different style — the selections you pick are very important and introducing yourself was also a big part of it. So it was just a lot of different things that I don’t usually do.”

Brandon said seeing Hillsdale students advance in this competition is typically a benchmark for the theatre faculty to determine whether the department is healthy.

“We feel like if things are going well, we ought to be able to get at least one or two people in the semifinal round,” he said. “After that, it’s kind of a crapshoot. Different judges have

different rubrics, I guess, is the best way to think about it.”

Chairman and Associate Professor of Theatre Christopher Matsos said he doesn’t always agree with the judging in the Irene Ryan acting competition.

“I was really proud of Kenda that she made it to the semifinals, but she every bit should have been one of the final contestants, as probably some of our other students should have,” he said. “But I’m biased.”

Showalter also competed in the theatre journalism and advocacy competition and placed second.

“I was able to be coached by a Broadway veteran and a woman who was on tour with the touring ‘Mean Girls’ company”

“They’re working on practical dramatic reviews and criticism, and so Kenda wrote a review of one of the shows at the festival,” Brandon said. “It’s really a workshop in training people how to write about the arts. With a newspaper or online, you’re dealing with a fairly sophisticated live event and write about it in a way that a normal person will be interested in reading. It’s the kind of event our kids tend to do pretty well in.”

Brandon said a great benefit of attending the festival is the opportunity to experience the wider world of theatre outside Hillsdale.

“We are in a bubble here at Hillsdale,” Brandon said. “We’re very different from most of these other schools, and so I think a lot of times a KCACTF gives them a more reasonable expectation of what the field looks like. Sometimes I laughingly call some of the speakers at KCACTF the anti-CCA — very much the other side of the spectrum, but I think that’s healthy.” Griffith agreed.

“It is always really good to get out into the theatre community and see art and talk to people that will challenge you because theatre so often reflects the current social and political climate,” Griffith said. “Going to KCACTF at a college campus like Flint as Hillsdale students meant that we were challenged in the type of art that we were presented with.”

Chairman and Associate Professor of Theatre Christopher Matsos said festivals like KCACTF are great opportunities to represent Hillsdale to others.

“I think that our students are just incredible individuals. I’ve never been prouder to be anywhere than I have been here,” he said. “I’ve taught in many other places and Hillsdale far exceeds all of them and that’s because of the quality and integrity of the students. To see that integrity played out in these various workshops and activities and competitions is really rewarding.”

Brandon said getting to watch performances put on by other colleges is a unique experience, too.

“It’s always fun to watch a good play, but you’re watching a good play in a room full of 1000 theatre students,” he said. “It’s the most electric audience you’ll have because they know what’s good and they know what goes into making it good and so the reactions are a lot of fun.”

The variety of workshops students can participate in is vast. Senior Chris Dick said he and senior Jack Leatherwood attended a puppeteering workshop where they learned to operate Bunraku puppetry, a Japanese style of puppet theatre.

“It was fun to direct some Bunraku puppetry,” Dick said.

Brandon said he’s looking forward to the festival next year.

“We often have students that show up and they go one year and they do well, but it is one of those things where you know, after you’ve been there once and you really understand the lay of the land, you could be much more competitive the following year,” he said. “So I’ll be eager — we had a lot of first time students go this year — I’d be eager to see how they perform next year at the festival.”

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

“Kathy’s Song” by Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

The older I get the more I love simplicity and need simplicity. This is a song where sincerity and simplicity carry all of the weight. It’s a beautiful, moving meditation. One of its themes is the limits of language, which is something I come back to again and again in my teaching, but it’s also just a heartfelt expression of longing.

The singer is Paul Simon and he’s missing a woman he’s separated from and meditating on her role in his life or the role that her love played. It describes a rainy day, and it’s nothing but a voice and a guitar. The sound of the guitar is like the sound of rain. You have this unified experience of longing expressed with great simplicity and beauty. That’s why I love it.

“Behind the Attic Wall” by Sylvia Cassedy (1983)

I read this as a young adult, and I reread it a couple years ago. It’s one of those books that has stuck with me throughout my life. It’s about an orphan girl, and there are elements of Goth, satire, and comedy. But most of all, it’s about how she matures and becomes stronger in her sense of herself through the life of the imagination. Everyone around her is trying to nourish her body and take care of her physical needs. That’s important, but it really makes you think about the relationship between the life of matter and the life of spirit and how important that life of spirit is. It’s a really impressive and moving book. It did what a great book does. It creates a whole world that wraps around you, envelops you, and captures your own imagination. It’s a book that really appeals to the reader’s imagination but also speaks about why we need imagination.

“Spirited Away” by Hayao Miyazaki (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, so he’s like the Japanese Walt Disney. It’s a quirky movie which I love. It’s about the life of the imagination. It’s about a girl who’s moving to a new town, and along the way, she has her parents stop for a break in the car. Her parents get sidetracked, and she gets swept away into this other world that is ruled by an evil witch — and at the center of this world is a bathhouse where vegetables come for spa treatment. The girl ends up working as a servant in this bath house for vegetables. She’s befriended by a boy who had a spell cast on him by the witch and he’s lost in this world too. Through their friendship, they help each other and save each other.

It’s about the redemptive power of love and friendship. It’s not romantic. It’s about how this little girl, with her courage and her willingness to help, can accomplish great things.

Lorraine Murphy celebrates her birthday as a girl. Courtesy | Lorraine Murphy

Senior Christ Dick learned how to use Bunraku puppetry. Courtesy | Chris Dick

Hillsdale theatre students attended the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival at the University of Michigan-Flint. Courtesy | Emily Griffith

FEATURES

Fraternity and equality: local Freemason lodge builds community

By Colman Rowan Collegian Reporter

Despite what the National Treasure movies say, the Freemasons do not control the government — at least not any more.

Hillsdale’s Freemason lodge, chartered in January of 1852, was among the first lodges established in Michigan and still operates today.

The Masons have two main focuses in their work,community and morality, said Senior Warden George Thomas.

“Masonry is to help a good man be a better man,” Thomas said. “And it’s like a lot of things in life, if you don’t put the effort in you’re not getting anything out of it. It helps guide you if you use the knowledge that you obtain.”

Thomas grew up outside Detroit where his father was a Mason and his mother was an Eastern Star member, an organization akin to the Masons but exclusively for women.

“I grew up in a Mason’s family,” Thomas said. “I don’t know why I joined exactly, it wasn’t that anything particularly drew me to it, I was just surrounded by it.”

Despite the moral formation, community aspect, rituals, symbolism, cultural heritage, and Christian prayers, Thomas said Masonry is not a religion.

“Masonry is based on faith, but it isn’t a church,” he said. “We don’t do church stuff. That’s the individual person’s choice. Masons are from every religion, Muslim, Jewish, everything.”

Bruce Casewell, the lodge’s Worshipful Master, said religion is not discussed in the lodge. Casewell is a former state senator and representa-

tive.

“There are two things we never talked about in the lodge: politics and religion,” Caswell said. “You don’t discuss them. How a man chooses to worship God is his business. It’s not our business. We are not a religion. All we ask is that when you join the lodge is one question, ‘do you believe in God?’ And if you believe in God, we’ll accept you. How you believe in what you believe is your business. No one else’s.”

Junior Phoebe Vanheyningen, whose family has a history with Masonry, said somebody cannot be both a Mason and a Christian.

“It’s reflective of life,” Thomas said. “In your youth, you’re young and learning; then in your middle age, you’re earning and building; and then in your old age you’ve mastered life and hopefully, you’ve learned something along the way.”

The lodge has a mural of these three steps painted in 1951 by a former Hillsdale College professor in a classical style. The painting depicts three steps with a person from each stage of life ascending the steps.

In addition to this mural, the same professor painted three more works, Thomas said.

“There are two things we never talk about in the lodge: politcs and religion. You don’t discuss them.”

“From my own research and what I know from my family, it is incompatible with Catholicism,” Vanheyningen said. “Any organization that tries to make a religion out of the self is incompatible.”

One of the important aspects of Masonry though is unity through equality. “Masonry is about your unity,” Thomas said. “If we’re all one, then there’s no difference between us. We don’t regard you by your worldly wealth. It’s about your internal structure, that’s what you’re measured and valued on.”

From that unity, the Masons are better able to begin moral formation through the three stages of life: Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.

“The next is King Solomon at lunchtime saying a prayer. The last one is the three officers of the lodge. Your Worshipful Master, your Senior and your Junior warden,” Thomas said.

The Worshipful Master is the name for the leader of the Masonic lodge.

Caswell explained that the fourth mural, depicting a woman reading with an angel holding a scythe behind her, represents our limited time on earth.

Caswell said the lodge raises money for scholarships and helping out their community members. For example, one man who lost his livelihood during the pandemic, was helped to get back on his feet

through financial support and brotherhood, Caswell said.

Casewell said the local lodge mostly governors itself with the rules Masons have always had in place.

“Pretty much you follow the state rules that are in place,” Caswell said, “but then you also have your own local bylaws and then you have to go from there. So there’s not a lot of top down direction.”

Caswell, who like Thomas is the son of a Mason and an Eastern Star, said despite the 110 members the lodge has, it has been harder to reach young people.

“I will say, it’s getting harder and harder, in any organization, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Masons, or you name it, to get young people to join,” Caswell said. “Young people don’t seem to be as socially oriented. I think they’re more computered. That kind of thing. It’s just a different world, and it’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different.”

Though the state of the Masons has changed today, perhaps not boasting men like George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, there are still 875,000 Masons in the United States.

Even without secret government control, they still try to make an impact in the community.

“Over the years, it’s really become a fraternal organization,” Thomas said. “The number one thing that we really try to do is help with the community.”

Students take to the skies

By Alexandra Comus Collegian Reporter

While most high schoolers are excited to get their driver’s licenses, some students have loftier goals.

Several Hillsdale students are taking to the skies, earning their pilot’s licenses or working toward it. For many, the process started young.

Junior Colby Langeler received his pilot’s license during his senior year of high school. He said flying planes runs in his family.

“My dad got his first, and he asked me if I wanted to get one. It didn’t really take much convincing,” Langeler said.

For senior Lauren Smyth, flying is also hereditary.

“My dad is a pilot, and his dad was a pilot,” she said.

Smyth’s family even has their own plane, which she learned to pilot.

“My dad is an air force test pilot, and now he works for United Airlines, so we own a Piper PA30 Twin Comanche, and I learned in that,” Smyth said. “I think I took my first flight when I was six months old.”

Smyth started learning how to fly at an early age too.

“I started taking flight lessons when I was 8, and I’ve been taking them ever since,” Smyth said.

Despite her head start, Smyth still hasn’t completed the license process. “You have to fly a certain number of hours. Depending on what type of certificate you want, they may vary,” Smyth said. “For instance, they may have to be cross-country or at night. You have to do a certain number of take-offs and landings, and then you have to complete a check-drive, where someone flies with you to make

sure you’re doing everything right.”

Some pilots in training go to flight school, but Langeler chose a different route.

“It was a relatively private matter. I had a certified flight instructor, and he ran me through the training,” Langeler said. “Half of our work was spent in the sky, just learning flight maneuvers and such. The other half was book work, and we just did that at the airport.”

Langeler said he doesn’t know where flying will take him, but he doesn’t plan to pursue it as a career.

“I just enjoy flying people and being in the air,” Langeler said.

Smyth is excited to take her first solo flight.

“The solo flight is usually a big ceremony. After that, you take a written test and an oral exam, and sometimes a medical exam,” Smyth said. “After that,

you can receive your license.”

Junior Graham Wesbury said he took his first flight when he was 11 and started taking lessons soon after.

“I didn’t play sports as a kid, so flying is what we spent time and money on,” Wesbury said. Wesbury said he used to aspire to be a commercial pilot but has abandoned the dream for something more lucrative

“When I was younger, I dreamed of flying commercially, but then I discovered there was more money in having your own business and flying your own plane,” Wesbury said. “Ultimately, I’d like to own my own business and my own plane,” Wesbury said.

Wesbury says flying is something rewarding, but not for everybody.

“Flying is an incredible hobby,” Wesbury said. ”But everything moves fast, so it’s not for the faint of heart.”

Sports teams draw foreign students

By Michaela Estruth & Sophia Mandt Assistant Editor & Collegian Freelancer

Students on Hillsdale’s campus represent 20 countries around the world, according to Hillsdale Admissions Counselor Ben Strickland. For many international students, sports brought them to campus.

Freshmen Henry Hammond and Daniel Warbuton and senior Jamahl Burke all come to Hillsdale to pursue their athletic careers. When Hammond came to Hillsdale from London, England, the American patriotism surprised him.

“Everyone loves their own country so much,” he said.

In addition to the patriotic spirit, Hammond said the political discussions and divisions were foreign to him. Everyone has their own opinion on every topic, he said.

“The massive importance of politics in this country is so prominent and everyone has a stance,” Hammond said. “That was a shock.”

Hammond said U.S. laws and policies were different from those back home. Being in a country in which gun laws are more lenient and gun ownership is common was strange, Hammond said.

“I don’t really think anywhere has the same culture as the U.S.. It’s very separated from European countries and Asian countries,” Hammon dsaid.

Hammond said U.S. citizens are bold and open with their views and ideas.

“People share more with me because they realize that I’m not from here.” Hammond said. “And then I get to learn what Americans see and what they think about England. I also get to experience the classic American things because they want me to experience them.”

In contrast, Burke, who is from Barbados, said Americans are more closed off and private than Barbadians.

“When I was here my freshman year, I would normally say good morning, good afternoon, good night. I noticed it wouldn’t always be reciprocated,” he said. “The people in Barbados are very laid back, and there’s never a rush to get anywhere. It’s always relaxed, and I miss that.”

Still, Burke said Hillsdale students were kind and inclusive in the community.

“I was happily and willingly accepted into this community,” Burke said. “Being an outsider was kind of weird at the beginning. You feel alone even though you have a lot of people to talk to. But everyone was very welcoming, and I really appreciate that.”

Upon coming to campus, Warburton joined the International Club as part of his Hillsdale community.

“It’s fun meeting people who have a similar story to me,” Warburton said. “I feel like all the international students here at Hillsdale have a similar perspective, and one that maybe American students don’t have.

So it’s cool being able to see people from different parts of the world and hear their story as well.”

Warburton said Americans’ love for country music is something he will never adopt.

“Everyone seems to love it but not me,” he said.

Burke said a strange cultural custom he adjusted to was the American dinner time. Americans eat much earlier, Burke said. And the food doesn’t compare.

“I’d always heard that American food was bland,” Burke said. “It’s not as bland as the internet made it sound, but it just doesn’t compare.”

While Burke thinks American food is bland, Warburton said even American coffee pales in comparison to Australian.

“The coffee is also a lot better back home to be honest,” Warburton said.

In Hillsdale, Hammond said he has been able to enjoy American classics because people introduce him to them. Hammond has also been able to share some of his own country’s classics and correct stereotypes. He said a common misconception about Londoners is that they all drink tea.If an American visited England, they would also be surprised by how it rains almost daily, Hammond said.

While Hammond has seen more sun since coming to America, Warburton has seen less. He said Australian weather is always sunny and warm. The seasons are also completely opposite. Mid-winter in Hillsdale is peak summer back home, Warburton said.

Burke said many Americans assume Barbadians live on the beach, but most people live inland, away from the ocean waves. In addition, Burke said Hillsdale students would find the size of his country surprising.

“The island is just under 14 kilometers across and 26 long,” he said.

Warburton said Americans would also be surprised by how small Australia’s population is compared to the US. Hammond said the non-tourist locations in London are more noteworthy and would create a grander experience.

“Try and find an English friend so that they can take you around to the better places”, he said.

FEATURES

Vince Benedetto: the man behind the mic

How a media mogul jumpstarted Hillsdale’s radio station, giving students a nationwide voice

By Isabella

When WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale first aired, Dolly Parton’s national anthem opened the inaugural broadcast.

Vince Benedetto, the president and CEO of Bold Gold Broadcast and Media Foundation, chose this opening. Benedetto helped to launch Hillsdale College’s radio station in 2015. He envisioned using the station for education and community engagement, hoping to develop Hillsdale radio beyond another collegiate broadcasting platform.

Radio is unique because of the intimate bond that forms as listeners tune in during dinner, at the gym, or on their daily commute, Benedetto said.

“The secret sauce of broadcast radio and the reason it holds up so well in today’s world is, one, it’s free, but, two, the best radio stations thrive because they capture the pulse of their community,” he said.

Benedetto said radio is the only medium that people are emotionally possessive about.

“You have not seen wrath until you take somebody’s radio station and flip the format,” he said.“There’s loyalty to a local radio station because it is companionship-oriented.”

After completing counterintelligence and counterterrorism work for the Air Force, Benedetto founded the broadcast company that eventually put him in a position to help Hillsdale College start its radio station.

“It was a big entrepreneurial move,” Benedetto said. “I recognized the importance of broadcast radio as a great spoken-word communications platform.”

Benedetto bought his first four radio stations when he was 29 years-old. In 2011, he purchased an FM station in Scranton, and converted it into a talk station featuring guests like Hugh Hewitt and Mark Levin.

That’s when Benedetto’s career intersected with Hillsdale. “I was very much aware of Hillsdale as a great liberal-arts school, but didn’t know much about it,” Benedetto said. “People would come up to me and say how much they loved the talk station and how a college advertising on it was offering online courses that changed their understanding of our country’s history.”

After the 2012 election, Benedetto decided to become more involved with the college.

“I thought maybe Americans just weren’t properly

informed about their history,” Benedetto said.

“It seemed like what they were learning was opening their thought processes. And so, I thought that it was probably good for me to get involved with organizations that were educating people.”

Benedetto contacted Hillsdale College and joined the President’s Club.

“I said, ‘Dr. Arnn, you should teach radio at the college. You use so much radio to reach people across the country and you are a household name in part because of the way you’ve used talk radio to educate people.’”

Benedetto offered to work with the Federal Communications Commission and to help the college obtain a low-power FM station.

Once he secured the FCC license, he committed fully to the project “I promised Dr. Arnn continued support,” he said. “My team at Bold Gold Media Group and I took on the task of bringing the station to life. We funded all the equipment, handled the engineering, and built the station.”

“We knew we needed more young people going into this medium.”

His team in Pennsylvania assembled the software, tested the transmitter, and prepared all the necessary equipment — from the right antenna to the essential cabling.

And on July 9, 2015 at 4:42 p.m., WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale was born. Benedetto’s discussions with Arnn also led to the establishment of a radio facility at the Kirby Center in Washington, D.C. later that year. “We knew we needed more young people going into this medium,” Benedetto said. “It’s a medium where free thinking ideas thrive because it’s rich for dialogue, debate, and discussion. It’s a persuasive medium and the one Winston Churchill used to rally the world to fight for freedom.”

While Benedetto’s efforts brought the station on air, the task of transforming it into a fully-operational college radio station fell to General Manager Scot Bertram. Before then, patriotic music filled the airtime since the station was required by license to broadcast.

“Once the college hired Scot, it was his job to take the patriotic music off and build it

into a legitimate broadcast operation and a college radio station,” Benedetto said. Bertram created a platform for students to talk, argue, and practice rhetoric.

“We wanted to give students the opportunity and freedom to create shows, features, and content that allowed them to talk about things that they were knowledgeable and passionate about,” Bertram said. “If you look around the country, there are not a lot of college radio stations that do what we do, if any.”

Senior Addison Longenecker has been invovled with the station since freshman year and said she has had the opportunity to work for several shows in various capacities, including editing, promotions, and running the board for sports.

“While radio may seem like it’s going out of style, working at the radio station has taught me just how important of a medium it is,” Longenecker said. “Whatever your future career plans are, I highly recommend getting involved in radio somehow. It made me a better writer, more effective communicator, and taught me just how important speech is.”

Under Bertram’s leadership, WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale quickly became an award-winning station, garnering both local and national recognition. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters has named it station of the year twice.

“I think it’s very important,” Bertram said. “They are there, so why not win them or why would we not try to? It’s important for students because. I don’t think students understand the number of people who are paying attention to the work they’re doing and how good they are.”

Hillsdale competes against universities as big as the University of Michigan, Michigan State, and the University of California, Berkeley in Michigan.

“Being recognized as among the best and occasionally winning is confirmation for us and hopefully encouragement to students that what they’re doing is noticed by others,” Bertram said.

Benedetto said he is proud of the radio’s success.

“It has really exceeded what we all hoped it could become,” Benedetto said. “The whole hope was that college would do on the broadcast side what it does in every other area — pursuing truth and giving people exposure to the highest things.”

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

What is the greatest game you have ever witnessed?

You are going to laugh at this, but I went to my first Red Wings game about three years ago, and I had such a good time. It was the first live, hockey event that I had been to, and I walked away with such an appreciation for their talent and skill. I don’t think TV does them justice. I’ve been back since and have had an equally wonderful time.

Which foreign country did you love visiting the most?

I’m in love with Greece. I love it for its history, culture, beauty, and the friendships I’ve made over the years. Also to stand on the spot where the apostles preached and to think about everything we think about here at Hillsdale — it’s the start in so many different ways.

What was your favorite win as a head coach?

There were two wins that stand out. The first was a Sweet 16 NCAA tournament game when I was coaching at Lawrence College. We were down 20 points in the second half to a school out of Texas and came back to win. The other great win, and

I’m blessed to say Hillsdale has had some really good ones, was beating Ferris State in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament — especially beating them the way we did because earlier that same season they beat the heck out of us on our home floor.

Where is your favorite place you have lived?

Appleton, Wisconsin. It has a rich sense of community and a great vibe. Can I use the word “vibe”?

With its restaurants, performing arts center, it had a little bit of everything, and yet still maintained that small town feel.

How did you meet your wife?

It was May, 1990, and I had just finished final exams at Beloit College in Wisconsin and was out to dinner with my parents to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. We had gone out to this sports restaurant, and my wife, who I did not know at the time, was our waitress and wore a referee shirt. I must admit, I kept looking at her the entire night. She eventually came up to me, and thank goodness she did because I don’t think I would have been courageous enough. I still joke that she is the only referee that I have ever truly loved.

What is the greatest team you have ever coached? You are going to get me in so much trouble, you know that? People have asked me this question for years, and I have said it is like picking a favorite child. I will say the 202122 Hillsdale men’s basketball team that won the Midwest region.

What is your biggest pet peeve as a parent?

Our entire house is one of competition, and there are always repercussions for losers. Part of that is we have banned the word “can’t.” I’m not a big believer in it. It’s a terrible word.

Hugh Hewitt, Larry Arnn, Vince Benedetto, and Matthew Spalding pose at Hillsdale’s in D.C’s studio dedication. Courtesy | Vince Benedetto

Hugh Hewitt broadcasts a show from the Kirby Center with Tom Cotton and Paul Ryan. Courtesy | Vince Benedetto

Helms Collegian Reporter Benedetto speaks at Hillsdale in D.C’s studio dedication in 2015. Courtesy | Vince Benedetto

Tharp coaching the men’s basketball team. Courtesy | Hillsdale College