By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor Despite growing up in the volatile world of foster care, Tori Hope Peterson ‘18 beat the odds — she explains how she did it in her new book, “Fostered: One Woman’s Powerful Story of Finding Faith and Family through Foster Care.” “It’s my story,” said Peters en, whose memoir was pub lished Aug. 30. “It's that story of coming from a really hard place of trauma and fear to an unlikely success, an unlikely joy and happiness, and find ing the Lord. All these things were unlikely, but because of the church and because of people, it was made possible. I hope that when people read the book they are encouraged to be professional lovers of people above all else.” Petersen said she first considered becoming a writer after receiving positive feed back on a travel blog she kept while on a mission trip in Ethiopia in 2015. After years of sharing her testimony on social media, Petersen decid ed to write a memoir. “Social media can be gone tomorrow,” Petersen said. “I wanted something that so lidified in a tangible way the message that I was trying to communicate.”Petersenbegan writing “Fostered” and sending pro posals to literary agents three years ago. She was rejected more than 50 times, including by Wolgemuth & Associates, a Colorado-based agency, which currently represents her.“It can be hard to sell a project from a first-time author and someone who is not well known,” said Austin Wilson, Petersen’s agent at Wolgemuth & Associates. “Tori didn’t have much of a platform initially. She only had a small Instagram follow ing at the Petersen,time.”however, was de termined to get her memoir published with or without an agent.On Nov. 17, 2020, B&H Publishing, a branch of LifeWay Christian Resourc es, reached out to her with a book deal. Wolgemuth & Associates took her on as a client a few weeks later. “She is a go-getter. She is going to do whatever it takes to make things happen,” Wilson said. “She has done an excellent job hitting deadlines and pulling together a great manuscript. Her virtual plat form has grown significantly since she initially pitched to us.”Petersen first entered the foster care system when she was 3 due to her moth er’s mental illness. She was reunited with her mother be fore reentering the system as a 12 year old. Petersen lived in 12 different homes during her time in foster care. “The overarching feeling was that I didn’t belong,” Petersen said. “Most foster homes were typical homes that were taking in kids. I do think they were trying to take care of us, but it was still hard to live through. You always know that you are not fully a part of the family.” It wasn’t until Petersen found Christ that she felt a sense of belonging. “I have always felt very lost in my identity,” Peters en said. “And then I was welcomed into the church and my church's slogan is ‘A family for the broken’— and that's just how I felt. I wanted a family so bad, but also felt like I was so broken and no one wanted me. For them to have this message made me realize this is where I belong.” For a long time, howev er, Petersen said she was an atheist.
I said, “Yes, absolutely.” And she said, “You don't want to think about it?” I said, “No, I want to clerk for Justice Alito.” She was joking, of course, be cause she knew that this was maybe one of the best phone calls that I would ever receive. West: When I had my interview with him, I was ob viously nervous. The justices work very closely with their clerks, so they really need to make sure that a clerk is going to fit in with the other clerks and with the justice.
A2 See Q&A A2 See SAI A2 See Tori A2 See B2 for a review of "Fostered" A thunderstorm ripped through Hillsdale on Monday afternoon, damaging trees in the area. Jack Cote | Collegian
Q&A: Former SCOTUS clerks Elliot Gaiser '12 and Garrett West '15
Petersen wrote "Fostered," which was published on Wednesday. Courtesy | Tori Petersen
Absolutely. I don't often use what I learned in philosophy directly, but the point of philosophy is not to use what you learned. I do think that the training in philosophy is helpful in law because you have to read hard texts, try to understand them, make rigorously logical arguments from them, and then write clearly about those arguments. That's very good training for the practice of law.What was it like to get a job offer from Alito? Gaiser: I'll never forget the phone call I got one morning as I was enjoying some coffee and reading the Bible with my wife. The Supreme Court was on the caller ID. I answered, and it was Justice Alito’s judicial assistant. She starts up, “Justice Alito wanted to apologize that he couldn't call you personally right now, but he would like you to clerk for him this coming year. Would you be willing to serve as his law clerk?” There were several seconds where I was trying to say yes as quickly as possible.
The college spent $100,000 on fitness equip ment for four of its dorms this summer in addition to opening a new facility called the Founders Gym. “We were doing F3: faith, friendship, and fel lowship,” Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers said. “We just added one more F: fitness.”During the previous school year, some students noted the lack of facility space in the George Roche Sports Complex when sports teams were using it, Rogers“Oursaidkids wanted to work out, but the gyms were jammed up,” Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said. “But now the barriers have beenSomeremoved.”otherobstacles to fitness included time lim itations, lack of knowledge, and lack of confidence, Petersen said. This led the deans to consider adding gyms in the dorms. "We talked with our RAs about ways to encour age fitness that are fun but engaging,” he said. “If you go lifting, you get account ability and intensity. It works on a lot of different levels.”The deans also formed a committee of students to help with the project, including sophomore Matthew Karten, Galloway Residence’s fitness leader. Karten said Rogers men tioned the opportunity to him over the summer. He and other student leaders received training on operating the fitness equipment and brain stormed about how to market the new facilities. “My job is to inspire a community around fit ness,” Karten said. See Gyms
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Elliot Gaiser ’12 and Gar rett West ’15 completed oneyear clerkships for Associate Justice Samuel Alito in July. They returned to campus to speak to the Hillsdale College Federalist Society last week. Gaiser graduated from Hillsdale with a double major in political economy and speech studies. During his time at Hillsdale, Gaiser was the Opinions editor of the Collegian. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 2016. Gaiser has clerked for Judge Edith H. Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Judge Neomi Rao on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Alito during the October 2021 term. West majored in philoso phy at Hillsdale and graduat ed from Yale Law School in 2018. He has clerked for Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Thomas Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Alito during the October 2021 term. Did your major at Hillsdale serve you well? Gaiser: Every component of my Hillsdale education has been helpful to me both in law school, in the practice of law, and in serving as a law clerk. With a political econo my major, you take classes in history, economics, and poli tics — all of those disciplines are relevant to the practice of law. With rhetoric and public address, Aristotle describes rhetoric as the art of discov ering every available means of persuasion in a given situa tion, and a good lawyer will do West:that.
West: Justice Alito is a fan tastic boss, a very kind man, and a brilliant jurist. He's hu mane; he's kind; he's generous with his clerks and his staff. A lot of people don't know this, but he’s really funny. It was an honor to work for him. Did you always know that you wanted to clerk on the Supreme Court one day? Gaiser: Getting to clerk at the Supreme Court, in some respects, is like getting struck by lightning. There are many people who are qualified for the job who never get a shot at getting to clerk. I had hoped that I would get to clerk for the Supreme Court when I started law school but that feels like hoping you get to win the gold medal in your Olympic sport when you start track and field in high school. So it's immensely humbling.
Tori Petersen '18 shares experiences in foster care in her new memoir 'Fostered'
I wondered, “Is he going to like me? I don't know.” Going in, I psyched myself up by thinking, “The worst that can happen is a great man, Justice Alito, is going to spend 30 to 45 minutes of his time talking to me, and I'm going to soak that up while I get the chance.” And he offered the job to me at the end of the interview.WasJustice Alito a good boss?Gaiser: I’m sad that I won't see Justice Alito as often as I did when I was his law clerk because he’s a wonderful person to talk to. I don't think I ever quite got over how cool it was to step into his office and say, “Hello justice, how are you?” and then talk about the case that was going to be argued the next day. He's a learned and scholarly man. As stressful as it sometimes is to be a law clerk, he did every thing in his power to make the experience of the law clerks as good as possible. Go ing back and forth with him about a case, about a piece of writing, about how he was thinking through a given legal issue, is an experience that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.
By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor
By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor Sigma Alpha Iota is back from the brink of death. The women’s music fraternity has had a home at Hillsdale since 1925. Last semester, members of SAI told the Collegian the chapter planned to disband due to low membership and difficulty recruiting. SAI alumnae found the Collegian story and were shocked by the chapter’s imminent shutdown. Alumnae started writing letters to administrators at the college and to the fraternity’s national chap ter. They raised funds and started mentoring current members.SeniorMikela St. John, the president of SAI, said there are currently four active members of the chap ter, including herself. “We didn’t have the manpower to make it work,” she said. “Then, the very last week or two of the semester, we had a whole bunch of alumnae show up to our chapter meeting with a signed letter.” St. John said she and the other members had not been aware there was a network of active alumnae who would be willing to help, and multiple alumnae said they were unaware the chapter was struggling.
“We had to evaluate and ask, ‘Even with their support, can we make it work?’” St. John said. “We decided it was worth trying.”Maggen Dixon ’05 was a member of SAI her junior and senior years of college. She and other alumnae have been working to create an SAI alumnae database to connect with current members for information on leadership, recruitment, and fundraising.
By Josh Newhook Digital Editor
To find out more about how to contribute to The Collegian through writing, photography, or videography, please contact Maggie Hroncich at mhroncich@hillsdale.edu 2022
Tori from A1 Q&A from A1 Alumna Claire McNally '22 wins fellowship to fund her graduate studies at Cornell University
Claire McNally ’22 received a fellowship from Phi Kappa Phi that is only awarded to 54 students entering graduate school eachThroughyear. the fellowship, McNally received a $8,500 scholarship to fund her graduate education at Cor nell University, where she is studying genetics, genom ics, and fromMcNallydevelopment.graduatedHillsdaleinMay
really matter that much, but as a clerk you feel like they matter because the cases are a big deal. All of that makes it a very difficult job, but it wouldn't be a great experi ence if it weren’t difficult. What are you doing now that you finished your clerk ship?Gaiser: I interviewed at a couple of different law firms, and I accepted a position at a law firm in Columbus, Ohio. West: I worked at a law firm before I clerked for Jus tice Alito. I will be returning to that law firm in D.C.
SAI even before she joined. “It was because of the friendships that I struck up in other quarters with the SAI women that I remem bered how much I loved music,” she said. “I started taking piano lessons again. They encouraged me to take voice because I really enjoyed singing. My last two years at Hillsdale were so much richer and better for having joined.” Dixon was a member of Hillsdale’s Alpha Xi Delta chapter, a sorority that deactivated in 2004. They voted to deactivate while Dixon was a member, and she said her experience as one of the last members of AXD inspired her to give support to SAI as it works to rebuild.“Iwastalking about what SAI had been and then assuring them that they had the support Alpha Xi Delta didn’t,” she said. “The alumnae are here, and we want to be here. We would find ways to help from wherever we are.”
Claire McNally poses in front of a statue of Ezra Cornell, co-founder of Cornell University.
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West: I knew that I wanted to clerk for a judge on a court of appeals because some Hillsdale graduates had come back to teach a one-credit class after they had just fin ished clerking. I thought, “That seems like a cool job.” Maybe in the back of my mind I hoped that I could clerk for a justice. I don't think I knew what it entailed, but I do think that it was in the back of my mind as a possibility–one that I didn't really think would ever materialize.Whatwill you remember most about working as a Supreme Court clerk? Gaiser: You get to hear some of the most important cases argued. You get to be a fly on the wall to the Supreme Court justices. You get to talk to your justice about the issues in these cases and you get to hear how they are analyzing a given case. That's just exceptional and rare legal training. Also, the Supreme Court receives about 10,000 individual filings in a given year. As one of four clerks for a justice, you're responsible for roughly a quarter of the 10,000 individual filings that get filed. These are compli cated, important cases that sometimes affect hundreds of millions of people. Over the course of the year, more times than I can count, I was laying in bed at 2:30 in the morning thinking, “Oh man. Do I need to add a paragraph to my rec ommendation about this oth er issue that no one's really brought up, but I can't get out of my mind?” And the next morning you come in at 7:30, sitting at your desk trying to type the paragraph out while drinking your second cup of coffee for that morning. You do that for one year and then it's done. It's almost like, “Did that really happen?” and you think, “Yeah, I remember everyWest:detail.”What makes the job unpleasant is exactly what makes the job so good. That is, it's a demanding job in terms of the amount of time you have to dedicate to it, the amount of difficult cogni tive work that you have to do, and the pressure. Clerks’ recommendations don't
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What advice would you give to students who might be interested in trying to become a Supreme Court clerk? Gaiser: Work very hard in your classes at Hillsdale. It's such a rare opportunity to get eight semesters with the minds who teach cours es here. Really enjoy that because it turns out that enjoying that fully is the best preparation you can have for law school and a legal career. West: Do the reading now and do the reading in law school.
“I am really excited to read Tori Hope Peterson’s book and learn about her experi ences in the foster care sys tem,” Hillsdale junior Claire Hipkins said. “I am sure it will grow her readers’ com passion for foster children.” “Fostered” is set to be a hit, Wilson said. It was so popu lar in pre-release that B&H Publishing extended pre-or der availability to Canada and Australia. The memoir has had so many pre-orders that it is expected to be tempo rarily out-of-stock upon its release.“Ithink the timing with Roe v. Wade has something to do with its success,” Wilson said. “The pro-life conver sation is front and center on people’s minds and people are looking for stories coming out of foster care. Tori really answers some of the difficult questions that people have regarding this conversation.”
By Quinn Delamater Collegian Freelancer
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2022 with a 3.92 GPA. She was a biochemistry major and a member of the women’s cross country team and the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi, a college level aca demic honor society with members across the United States. Through the biology department, McNally stud ied Jack-in-the-pulpit flow ers, presented on polyploid plants, and surveyed spatial population genetics. At Cornell, McNally will partake in an eightweek course rotation before picking the lab she will spend the next five to six years researching in to earn her Ph.D. She said her end goal is to give back to the educational community that inspired her to become a professor.WhileMcNally initially looked into attending a large college or university with extensive research pro grams for her undergrad uate degree, McNally said Hillsdale was an opportuni ty she “couldn’t turn down.” McNally said she would love to be a professor and even return to Hillsdale. The professors at Hillsdale are unique because they mentor their students and set a standard for them ac ademically and personally, McNally“Somethingsaid. really special about the professors at Hillsdale is their work and life balance,” McNally said. Hillsdale made McNally well-rounded, she said. “I learned so much from my humanities and core classes too,” she said. “And I really enjoyed my philoso phy of education class with Dr.McNallyDiener.” said Christo pher Heckel, associate pro fessor of biology, influenced her Hillsdale experience. Heckel first met McNally when she worked in the conservation genetics lab at Hillsdale. They worked together on a summer research project and an independent study on poly ploid“Claireplants.has so many great qualities and is an excellent thinker, but I think what impressed me the most was her positive attitude,” Heckel said. “In her work, she faced plenty of obsta cles, but she never got down and solved problems with enthusiasm.”Courtney Meyet, asso ciate professor of chemis try, said she got to know McNally while serving as her research advisor and organic chemistry teacher. Meyet advised McNally for internships, graduate school applications, and her senior thesis.“Iam beyond proud. Claire has truly earned this honor,” Meyet said. “She has dedicated the time, but she also has the desire and passion for her field.” McNally said her Hills dale education prepared her for her journey at Cornell. “I’m so grateful for my time at Hillsdale and how it’s prepared me, and I will definitely come back to visit,” McNally said.
A2 September 1,
“It has been very suc cessful so Benzing,far.”Olds, and McIntrye received gyms with squat racks. Dorms with higher ceilings like Galloway received a power rack, which includes a bench, rack, and a pull-up bar.Karten said he has seen a lot of people use the dorm gym so far. “I’ve had people pull me aside and ask for help,” he said.Head resident assistant of Whitley Residence and senior Lewis DeGoffau said the new dorm weight rooms have been a valu able“Theaddition.menof Whitley have enjoyed working out as a way to bond as men, as well as to break up study sessions with phys ical exertion,” DeGoffau said.In addition to new dorm facilities, Founders Gym, located in the Stan ton Foundation Center for American Classical Ed ucation, formerly Mauck Elementary School, will be open to all students, staff, andThefaculty.facility houses sets of weights and medicine balls, and workout ma chines include Rogue Echo and Concept2 stationary training bikes, along with rowing machines, accord ing to “It’sRogers.supernice equip ment,” Karten said. “It’s quality and going to last a longWhiletime.”the facility is currently open weekdays from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., Karten said there will be a formal grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 24. The event will fea ture food trucks catered by Metz Culinary Man agement, a nutritionist, and instructors from the college’s physical wellness dynamics courses to help teach students how to use theKartenequipment.saidthe fitness initiative group is also planning ways to keep students returning to the gym.“We will hand out punch cards,” Karten said. “If you come back to the gym 10 times, you get a customized blender bottle. We’ll also hand out magnets with the gym’s hours.”The“Charger Fit” blender bottle will feature a George Washington graphic.Thecollege will offer clubs and classes at the facility outside the gym’s normal hours, Karten said.Classes include a one-credit wrestling course led by Rogers, which will take place on Thursdays starting on Sept. 29, and a jiujitsu course that begins on Oct. 1. To coincide with these changes on campus, the deans have altered their Man Up! freshman event, Rogers said. This year, freshmen men will endure fitness challenges on campus, including learn ing how to wrestle with Rogers at the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center and an obstacle course at Hayden Park, followed by a pigMcIntyreroast. RA and mem ber of the fitness initiative group, sophomore Joanna Leckband, said she hopes that by adding equipment to dorms and setting up the Founders Gym, students and faculty are encouraged to keep their bodies and minds healthy. “The fitness push on campus supports every thing we’re doing here,” Leckband said. “Taking care of our bodies allows us to use our minds for the tasks set before us.”
She could not understand how a loving God could allow the evil that she experienced in some of her foster homes. “I was very mad at God,” Petersen said. “I didn’t under stand how this God could be so loving and good, but my foster parents abused their kids behind closed doors. I didn't want anything to do with God because of that.” Petersen said she was fortunate to have Christians in her life who encouraged her to build a relationship with Christ, but that it was one woman at her church–To nya—who truly transformed her“Shelife. started a small group at her house for girls who had come from hard places,” Pe tersen said. “One time during a small group, I asked her why we weren’t studying the Bible. She said that sometimes you don't just have to tell peo ple about Jesus, but you have to show them Jesus.” Petersen said her high school track coach also supported her and helped to pave the way for her athletic career at Hillsdale. According to Petersen, foster youth have only a 3% chance of earning a bachelor's degree. “He was like the father figure that I always wanted,” Petersen said. “He mentored me and that year I became a four time state champion in track-and-field.”Petersensaid her memoir is a testament to the role that friends and mentors have played in her life. “I get the honor for this story, but it is really the story of a lot of people in the church who loved me well — someone who grew up on the margins, someone who grew up in foster care,” Petersen said. “People said that I was a bad kid and there was a church that said we are going to love her anyway, pour into her, and encourage her.” Since marrying her hus band in 2018, Peterson has become a foster, adoptive, and biological mother. She and her husband also do kinship care for Petersen’s younger sister, whom she was sepa rated from in the foster care system.“It'svery important to me and my husband that we raise our kids to be inclusive,” Petersen said. “We really want our children to have com passion for people and we want to be a family that really doesn't have any prerequisites on what family necessarily is.” In addition to her per sonal experience, “Fostered” includes Peterson’s reflections on the foster care system and reforms she thinks could fix it. “Tori provides a really helpful critique of the system and how it works,” Wilson said. “I think it's gonna be a really helpful book for foster parents and for those who work closely with foster youth who are trying to change the system in helpful ways." One of the greatest chal lenges facing foster children is the case files they receive upon entering the foster care system, according to Petersen. These files include the worst things that a child has done as well as the worst things that have happened to them. Due to the large volume of paperwork civil servants must process, and the input of birth parents who often suffer from mental illness and addiction, these files can contain inac curacies and exaggerations, Peterson said. “We know that first im pressions are really import ant,” Petersen said. “When foster youth come into a home, they have to dig them selves out of a 70-foot hole because of their files. And kids are so malleable; the way that we view them is going to greatly affect the way they viewHillsdalethemselves.”students said they connect with Hope as a Hillsdale alumna and want to read her book.
Gym from A1 Hillsdale SAI alum na Victoria Matsos ’02, a lecturer in theater and dance, now serves as the SAI’s faculty adviser. She hosted a recruitment event in her home last week and will continue to advise the current members as they rebuild the chapter. Another alumna who is reviving the chapter is Cate Bryan ’06, who was president of SAI while at Hillsdale. When she learned about the chapter’s intention to deactivate, she talked to college President Larry Arnn about preserv ing“Weit. had ences.richedwhichtraditionSAIthemusicianship,”traditionandtocurrentconversationsexcellentaboutthesituationandwayshelpSAIstayoncampusmaintainits100-yearofencouragingshesaid.Withthesupportofalumnaenetwork,hopestokeepitslongaliveatHillsdale,alumnaesaidentheircollegeexperiDixonsaidsheloved
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SAI from A1 Sophomore Athanasius Ghering dumbell bench presses 40 pounds at the gym. Jack Cote | Collegian
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Courtesy | Claire McNally
Library intern designs Civil War exhibit
A new Civil War exhibit designed by sophomore Na talie Spaudling as part of her summer internship with the Mossey Library is on display in Campbell Lecture Hall located in the Dow Hotel and Confer enceTheCenter.exhibit, “Chapter 85: Civil War and Civil Life," is designed to resemble a chapter from a history textbook. It explores the correspondence between Asher LaFleur, a Hillsdale student who fought in Michigan’s Fourth Regi ment, and his fiance Lauraette Hadley, herself a Hillsdale graduate. The exhibit also in cludes letters from Simon and Cornelius Hadley, Lauraette’s brothers and Union soldiers. “I’ve been working with the Hadley-LaFleur archives for over half a year now, process ing it as a student worker,” Spaudling said. “When I got offered an internship here, my first choice was to continue working with the collection that I’ve been working with.” Spaulding said she want ed to make the collection available, so students can understand what real people were thinking during the Civil War. She also said she hopes the letters will illuminate how individuals contribute to larger events.“Iwas amazed at how personal the letters were. Lau reate’s heartbreak at Lincoln’s assasination was palpable,” junior Emily Jones said. “They are real people, not just histori cal Thefigures.”letters reveal that the three soldiers believed they were fighting for liberty and a just cause, according to Spaulding.“Atthetime there were people who wanted to come to a compromise—to not end slavery completely but just end the war,” Spaulding said. “Asher was in favor of this for a time. He was tired of fighting. Lauraette responded that if we stop now, slavery continues, all that has happened so far will have been for nought. Asher writes back, ‘You are right, this is what we are fighting for, and we can’t give up.’”
Three radio students placed as finalists for national awards
By Michaela Estruth assistant editor
By Emma Verrigni Collegian Freelancer
Women introduced to Hillsdale fitness options At Sun Up, Rise Up
Former SCOTUS clerks address prospective lawyers
By Cassandra DeVries Collegian Freelancer
Archivist and Special Col lections Librarian Lori Curtis, who offered Spaulding the internship, said she is proud of the“Natalieexhibit. is wonderful,” Curtis said. “She’s a quick learner, always pleasant, and just a great addition to the archives and special collections department.”Curtissaid the display was entirely Spaulding’s vision and that her involvement was lim ited to answering Spaulding’s questions and helping with “archival“Theresleuthing.”isoneletter that we are both convinced that Asher wrote the wrong year on,” Curtis said. “How the letter is written and how he is address ing Laurette would have to be before they are married, but if you look at the date, it would have been after they were mar ried. We had to look for events mentioned in the letter and see if we could date it that way.” Curtis said she and Spauld ing came to the conclusion the letter had been written a year earlier than it was dated, a note that is included in the exhibit display.Spaulding is working on a second exhibit about the SS Hillsdale Victory, a cargo ship that served in the Philippines and Okinawa during the last year of World War II. It is set to open in early September in Campbell Lecture Hall. Because the new exhibits will be displayed in the Dow Hotel and Conference Center, away from the path of most students, Curtis said she hopes students will make the effort to view them. “I hope the exhibits inspire students to get engaged with archives and stories,” Curtis said. “To peak their curiosity and get them to dive into our archival collection here.”
By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor
Following Young’s lecture, students dispersed into various groups for tours of the gyms as well as overviews of what times the gyms are open and when fitness classes occur. Many attendees expressed their appreciation of the tour. “I wanted to get into work ing out again, especially since I’m in college now. It was just nice to see around the facility and overcome the barrier of not knowing what to do,” freshman Abi Laiming recalled. Senior Sierra Dilworth agreed.“Sun-Up, Rise Up would have been really helpful to have when I was a freshman,” Dilworth commented. “I was never sure which facilities athletes were using and which ones I was allowed to use."
Three Hillsdale students placed as radio finalists for the national College Broadcasters Inc. Awards on Aug. 26. “For CBI, this matches the highest number of finalists the station ever has had,” said Scot Bertram, General Manager at WRFH 101.7 FM. Finalists, Rachel Kookogey ‘22, senior Josh Barker, and sophomore Lauren Smith placed in the top four in the country in their respective categories.Kookogey, who now works for the college as the Associate Coordinator of Media Relations & Communications placed twice in Best Sports Reporting with two different episodes of her show “Sports Story Time.” Barker is a finalist for Best Hard News Reporting with his show “The Policy Corner: Michigan Voting Laws.” Smith is a finalist for Best Newscast or Sportscast for her show “Lauren Smyth News.”WRFH 101.7 FM enters Michigan and nationwide radio competitions yearly including the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, Bertram said.“We hold our programming to a high standard and that means many of our shows, features, and newscasts, as well as our sports coverage, consis tently compares well against the best offerings from schools across the country,” Bertram said. “Everyone involved should be proud and eager to see how entries will be judged by an external audience. It’s re warding to know the hard work is recognized by others.” With two episodes in the final four of Best Sports Reporting, Kookogey has a 50% chance to win an award, Bertram“Sportssaid.Story Time was a three-minute feature that played on air between longer shows,” Kookogey said. “On each episode I would tell a crazy story from hockey history with added sound effects and music to make it colorful and comedic.”Kookogey said she was sur prised to hear she placed twice as a finalist because she did not know Bertram had entered her work.“Iwas honored Scot nomi nated me and happy to be able to represent the college once more in that capacity,” Kook ogeyNotsaid.including these place ments, Kookogey has received three national and three Michigan college radio awards for a variety of her work during her time with the college station. She said she loves radio work but also appreciates the recognition from those outside Hillsdale.“It’scool to be recognized for the time in the studio, and Scot was always super encouraging and helpful in the process," Kookogey said. Barker, who is the station’s program director this year, said he was honored to place as a finalist.According to Barker, “The Policy Corner,” breaks down a bill “being considered by Congress or the Michigan state legislature” and offers support or criticism.“Entering for these awards helps ensure that the school and the station receive appro priate credit for all the hard work and success,” Barker said. “I’m thrilled to be the program director at the station this year and am incredibly proud of the work of our radio students.” “Lauren Smyth News” is a weekly newscast that covers national, local, and sports news with an ending weather report. She said she was surprised to be listed as a finalist and almost didn’t watch the livestream. “I'm honored to be cho sen as a finalist on behalf of WRFH,” Smith said. “I hope this recognition encourages more people to tune into the radioSmithstation.”said the day she recorded her episode for sub mission, she was suffering from a painful sinus infection that affected her voice. “My main goal that day was to avoid sniffling into the microphone,” Smith said. “It goes to show that there are no bad days when it comes to cre ative work, but some projects turn out differently than you intended.”
Academic Services hosts sophomore panel offering advicespiritual,academic,andsocialtofreshmen
By Thomas McKenna Collegian Freelancer Hillsdale students interest ed in law should “really, really, really” do their reading home work, said Garrett West ‘15 at a Q&A forum hosted by the Hillsdale College Federalist Society on Thursday, Aug. 25. “Learn how to read, and read well,” West said. “Hills dale is excellent preparation for both the study and the practice of law.” West joined Elliot Gaiser ‘12 to speak to attendees about their experiences as U.S. Supreme Court clerks for Associate Justice Samuel Alito. They described the debates surrounding constitutional law and offered advice to Hillsdale students interested in law Thecareers.twoformer clerks visited campus to teach a oneweek, one-credit Constitu tional Interpretation course. Professor of Philosophy and Religion and Federal ist Society adviser Nathan Schlueter moderated the Q&A. Aided by questions from Schlueter, Gaiser and West explained their paths from Hillsdale College to the Supreme Court. West majored in philosophy at Hillsdale and graduated from Yale Law School in 2018. Gaiser majored in political economy and attended The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law for one year before transferring to the University of Chicago to complete his law degree. Both worked for various law firms and clerked for federal judges before clerk ing for DuringAlito.their year-long clerkships, Gaiser and West worked closely with Associate Justice Samuel Alito, con ducting research and advising the justice on cases that came before the high court. “We sat there. We were there,” Gaiser said. “We watched the process. We were flies on the wall in the court room. We heard about how the votes of the court came down and saw how the opin ions came together. We got to see them through to the point where they were published and became the law of the case and the law of the land.” Gaiser and West described an environment of collegi ality inside the high court, even among colleagues who disagreed on contentious legal issues. After a long day of work, clerks in different offices would be willing to put aside differences and enjoy each other’s company. “One thing that the clerks do is they have happy hour every Thursday,” West said. “Each chamber takes a week to buy dinner and drinks for the other clerks. It’s a good opportunity to unwind a little bit with people who you don’t always agree with.” Many student questions followed a common theme that developed throughout the night’s discussion: declining trust in American institutions. “I think really the answer is just follow the law,” Gais er said. “The laws we have are pretty good. They are an inheritance, and we should cherish it. The way you do that is that you abide by it. In instances where justice isn’t done, it’s usually because the law was broken. It's not because justice and the law are on opposite sides.” Gaiser said he remains optimistic about America’s legal institutions. He assured students it is still possible to affect change in the current political and legal systems. “There are many people who never thought certain decisions would come down in their lifetime,” Gaiser said. “The little ladies who prayed for the end of segregation probably never thought that Brown v. Board of Education would happen. I think there are many people who never thought they would see the day of some other decisions. So you don’t know what your life might hold and what good things might be part of that.” Schlueter, who taught both panelists while they were at Hillsdale, said he was pleased with the event. “I think the event was a success,” Schlueter said. “Great turnout and great feed back from the students. First year students especially got to see firsthand what a Hillsdale education can do, not just for career advancement but for the whole person — for intellectual development and moralProfessorintegrity.”ofEconom ics and Public Policy Gary Wolfram, who taught Gaiser at Hillsdale, said he was happy to see how far one of his for mer students has advanced in his“Itcareer.just makes you glad that maybe you had something to do with that,” Wolfram said. “Our graduates go well beyond what otherwise might be Duringexpected.”the talk, West ad vised students interested in a career in law to work diligent ly in their Freshmanclasses.Noah LoBue said he found the lecture help ful as a student interested in a law“Beingcareer.a freshman, I’m right out of high school,” LoBue said. “I feel like right now I know nothing. It’s really cool to see what I could possibly be in the future, going from point A to point B. There’s going to be a lot of hard work, but they make it look like it’s possible."
Tess Censoni confirmed the tour dispelled her fears regard ing the availability of facilities, equipment, and classes. “It’s definitely intimidating knowing you are going to work out somewhere and not know everyone there, so it's really nice to have an introduction,” Censoni said. After the tour, women re ceived free instruction in their choice of yoga, cycling, self defense, pilates, or powerlifting.
“Definitely focus on building relationships with your profes sors and take meaningful steps toward that,” Jagoda said. He recommended that stu dents attend office hours to get to know their professors out side of the classroom setting. Other freshmen were cu rious how they could write a strong first essay. The panel ists agreed there is no way to ensure a good grade on every essay — sometimes you have to learn from “Sometimesfailure.you're going to have to throw it out,” Hollister said. “You write your first body paragraph, you throw it out and startSimplyover.”listening to panelistsfessors,prothesaid, is one of the best ways to do well at
tionlooksheEdenwillthatthosethoseyoumistakes,do“AndHunsbedtoutareHillsdale.“Theyreallylookingforyou,”said.thenifyoumakethoseanddomakeFsorDsorCs,ishowyoulearn.”FreshmanRyansaidlearnedtotoeducaasameans of character development. “One of the speakers said that you need to think about what kind of person you want to be when you graduate: the kind of person the world needs in general,” Ryan said. “The education I am getting right now is Freshmanvaluable.”Zoe McAlister said she realized balance was a critical part of life at Hillsdale. “My main takeaway from the panel is that life at Hillsdale should consist of balance and that academic achievement is reliant on spiritual, social, and mental health,” McAlister said.
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed liberal arts could be broken into two parts, music and gymnastics, Young explained in his lecture. They viewed music as the compi lation of academic interests, while gymnastics included the pursuit of all athletic endeav ors. Both were essential to cultivating virtue, especially courage.“Ittakes courage to stand across the ring from anoth er human being and wrestle them,” Young said. “It takes courage to deadlift 300 pounds because the first thing you’re thinking is that this will snap mySeptemberspine.”
socialspiritual“Yourandandmental health affect your “So,Estruthacademicsuccess,”said.havefun.”
Academic Services hosted a panel in Simpson Residence on Monday for freshmen to receive academic, social and spiritual advice from sophomores. Student Director of Academ ic Services Luke Hollister asked sophomores Robert Brandau, Michaela Estruth, Audrey Hunsbedt, and Josiah Jagoda questions relating to difficulties and joys of freshman year. “Your spiritual and social and mental health affect your academic success,” Estruth said. “So, have fun. Give yourself a break. Go play volleyball, play soccer, go on a walk, go get cof fee, said.self,”overGod'spouringjustpeopletalkingrecommenddefinitelystability.onedrecommendtruthhealth,socialbreaks.”thing.someTakeBesidesEsalsofocusingspiritual“ItoandreallywordyourEstruthJagodasuggested taking ad vantage of the free counseling sessions offered on campus. “I went a few times just to really make sure I was good,” JagodaPanelistssaid. also shared some of their favorite memories from freshman year. Brandau recalled last year’s mock rock dance competition when Simpson residents mourned over placing fourth but en couraged one another and celebrated together afterward. Estruth remembered bonding with friends in her dorm over brownies and ice cream during examSomeseason.freshmen said they were concerned about how to interact with professors.
Volunteers distributed protein packs, water, hats, and mugs as the students dispersed.
Word of mouth remains the most effective method of communicating according to sophomore Tatum Linde, and the program hopes to see a spike in gym users as attendees of the class spread the word to theirLindefriends.said the Athletic Department will soon launch a new website which will include detailed information regarding the classes, times, and activities happening at Hillsdale gyms.
1, 2022 A3www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Female students learned about the benefits of physi cal fitness and the wellness classes offered by the college at an event hosted on Saturday morning by Sun-Up, Rise-Up, a new program designed for women's fitness. The event began with a lec ture from Assistant Professor of Classics Carl Young on the physical and mental benefits of strength training: higher bone density, increased muscle mass, and easier birth recovery. His lecture also included lessons in virtues.“So why is strength training good for your soul?” Young asked. “For the Greeks and Romans, virtue wasn’t just something you read about in a book. It was something you went out and practiced. You have to find opportunities to challenge yourself and cultivate virtues through activities.” To educate students about the availability of such activities on campus, Christopher Netley, lecturer in sports studies and Carl Young, assistant professor of classics, collaborated with the deans on event.
Garrett West, Professor of Philosophy and Reli gion Nathan Schlueter, and Elliot Gaiser (left-toright) discussed clerking for the Supreme Court. Erik Teder | Collegian
Olivia Hajicek is a junior studying politics and jour nalism.
Editor-in-Chief | Maggie Hroncich Associate Editor | Christian Peck-Dimit Design Editor | Tracy Wilson Digital Editor | Josh Newhook News Editor | Elizabeth Troutman Opinions Editor | Elyse Apel City News Editor | Logan Washburn Sports Editor | Claire Gaudet Culture Editor | Megan Williams Features Editor | Meghan Schultz Social Media Manager | Jillian Parks Circulation Managers | Linnea Shively | Micah Hart Ad Manager | Carly Moran Staff Photographer | Jack Cote Assistant Editors | Michael Bachmann | Michaela Estruth | Lauren Scott | Evalyn Homoelle | Tess Owen | Olivia Pero | Isaac Green | Ally Hall | Maddy Welsh Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold Online : www.hillsdalecollegian.com(517)607-2415 The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Letters should be 600 words or less and include your name and number. Send submissions to the Opinions Editor at ehawkins@hillsdale.edu before Saturday at 3 p.m. Disclaimer: All opinions on this page are student opinions and do not always represent the opinions of the Hillsdale College Administration. www.hillsdalecollegian.comA4 September 1, 2022 Opinions
When Tudor Dixon won the Republican nomination to challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, she did so in a field of candidates cut in half after the state’s handling of alleged fraud deprived primary voters of some of their top choices.FiveRepublican candi dates failed to qualify for the ballot after the Bureau of Elections removed thousands of unverified but allegedly fraudulent signatures from their nominating petitions. Since the candidates had no opportunity to collect addi tional signatures, this spelled death for their campaigns. If Michiganders don’t want fraudsters picking their fu ture candidates, they need to fix their laws. To qualify for the prima ry ballot, a gubernatorial candidate must submit a nominating petition with at least 15,000 valid signatures of Michigan voters. Petition circulators — sometimes contracted, sometimes vol unteers — collect signatures on sheets, which the candi date gives to the Bureau of Elections.Thebureau looks over each signature for obvious problems. Unless a whole sheet is invalid — for exam ple, if the circulator did not sign to certify it — suspect signatures can only be dis carded after they are com pared to the Qualified Voter File, a statewide database of information on registered voters.Inthe recent Republican primary, the bureau discard ed tens of thousands of signa tures from allegedly fraud ulent circulators without checking them against the QVF. Five Republican guber natorial candidates ended up below the 15,000-signature threshold, and the bureau recommended the Board of Canvassers not certify them to the ballot. It was past the deadline to submit signatures when the candidates were informed they failed to qualify and only a few days before the gianTheBrowntoBrown,Michaelcandidate,ers.oftocouldwherehearingtheyappealtheBoardCanvassOnechosewithdraw.toldCollehe“wasnot going to be associated with any fraud,” although he believed the signatures collected for his campaign were valid. The other four appealed to the Board of MichaelCanvassers.MarkeyJr. told The Collegian he appealed not just for his campaign but for “election integrity and process.” He said the Bureau’s procedure leaves campaigns, especially grassroots cam paigns, vulnerable to sabo tage.The appeals failed, and the board upheld the bureau’s recommendation 2-2. It was argued at the hearing that candidates were responsible for verifying signatures they turned in, which would mean checking the signer’s name, registration status, address, city or township, zip code, and signature. All but the sig nature can be checked against publicly accessible portions of the JonathanQVF. Brater, the direc tor of the Bureau of Elec tions, said during the hearing that candidates can ask a local maintain…beQVFnaturevoter’simagethe“AlthoughaffidavitsaidHeregistration.ontheofficeclerk’stoseesignaturevoter’slaterinanthat,digitalofthesiginthecannotdisclosedclerks
A lot of students at Hills dale can’t seem to fathom the possibility that they might be wrong.Who has not been this way from time to time? In tellectual overconfidence is a side effect of being a fallen human being in academia. But it seems all too com mon at Hillsdale, where the pursuit of truth is an explicit goal of the college. After all, if we are pursuing some thing, that implies we do not have it yet, or at least not as much as we would like. At first glance, overcon fidence seems to be due to overly dogmatic thinking. Yet there is nothing intrin sically wrong with holding certain beliefs to be absolute ly true.Inhis autobiography, G.K. Chesterton says, “The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” One needs an intellec tual starting point. Once one finds a solid starting point, one ought to cling to it and only abandon it if something demonstrably better is dis covered. Absolute skepticism is too intellectually taxing to be a way of life, and even the most hard-boiled skeptic is dogmatic about one thing: that nothing is as it seems. It seems, then, that the problem is not dogma. The problem lies in a lack of charity and humility in in tellectual discourse. Humans are often wrong. Even if a given belief of ours is true, our justifications for it may be misinformed. So too, we may have erroneous ideas about what others believe. They may simply express the same beliefs in different terms, disagree with us be cause they know things that we do not, or hold different core andunderstand,wemocklanguage,flammatorywithopinionsdishhabituallydebate,intelligentalonestanding,underofreachwillButvalues.weneverapointmutualletoneofifweoutourinwhatdonottalkdown to those we disagree with under the guise of “tough love.” When we do this, we are no better than the political pundits and social media personali ties we often criticize. This behavior will only impress those who are like-minded. When we are rude about our beliefs to becauseHillsdaletotruth.pursuittheawayourselvesothersItathesewhoweothers,giveallholdbeliefsbadname.willdrag–and–fromactualofIchosecometoI
By Ryan Bagley
Ryan Bagley is a junior studing philosophy.
other records that include voter signatures which can be disclosed, including voter registration forms…” Attorney Eric Doster argued at the hearing that clerks’ offices do not allow candidates to see signatures. Calls to 41 local clerks’ offices suggest Doster was at least partly correct. Five offices said they would not allow a candidate to see the signature on the registration. Two of these said they could check the signature them selves, but not one office said they would show the signa ture to the candidate. Six said they did not know or would need to check first. Others were unavailable or referred the question to another office or official.Evenif candidates could obtain the information, it would be an enormous task. Verifying the signatures would have meant finding out which of the more than 1,000 local clerks’ offices in Michigan had each signer’s voter registration, asking those offices for the registra tion record for each signer, and comparing each person’s signature on the petition to their signature on their registration. Even checking a fraction of the signatures this way could be a significant undertaking.Makingthe signatures in the QVF public record would solve the problem, but it would also be a forg er’s dream. A more realistic solution is to give the candi dates a reasonable window of time after the bureau checks the signatures to make up the difference if signatures are found to be invalid. This would leave signa ture verification to an entity with full access to the QVF while keeping the burden on candidates to submit enough valid signatures. It would also drastically reduce the ability of signature collecting companies to cheat candi dates out of a place on the ballot and Michiganders out of their choices.
A new toxic trend in politics is deifying any and all celebrities who annoy people in the opposite po litical party. But as much as Elon Musk is the enemy of the right wing’s enemy, he’s no friend to conservatives. Musk became the latest beneficiary of this weird calculus earlier this year when he offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion. He promised to change the platform’s moderation policies and promote free speech. infallingingtivesforvision.topersonwould440world,mediaMusklegaldeal.billionlawsuitsishlowrealizingbackMuskattention.enjoyedtheircheered,Conservativesliberalsgnashedteeth,andMuskanewburstofFast-forwardtonow,andisalreadytryingtooutofthedeal,afterhecouldnotfolthroughonhisoutlandpromises.Muskfacesashefightsthe$1feeforbreakingtheButsettingasidethecontroversies,whatifhadsucceeded?Oneofthelargestsocialplatformsinthewithanestimatedmillionmonthlyusers,belongtoasinglewhoopenlyhopedchangepolicytosuithisHowisthatavictoryfreespeech?Conservashouldnotbecelebratasocialmediacompanytotherichestmantheworld.Theyshould question exactly how much influence a billionaire wields in today’s world. If a prominent left-wing figure like George Soros had proposed to buy out a major social media company for the purpose of changing the policies to suit his idea of free speech, the right would be outraged. The left might be outraged too, just seeing how much power money can buy in the age of the internet. But because Musk trolled the left enough to get on their bad side, he has become a hero to conserva tivesThiseverywhere.isthesame Elon Musk who helped kickstart the modern infatuation with electric cars, convinc ing millions of shareholders that Teslas are the future of environmental consci entiousness. He’s the same Elon Musk who currently faces allegations of sexual misconduct from a flight attendant, and the same Elon Musk who allegedly committed adultery, notably with Amber Heard as she was separating from Johnny Depp.Musk is no hero. He’s only another frighteningly powerful billionaire who influences the world how he likes to get what he wants. Conservatives should not celebrate him. Nathan Stanish is a sophomore studying the liberal arts and journalism.
Elon Musk is not a hero
wanted to be intellectually and spiritually challenged. I wanted to be surrounded by others who equally valued this pursuit, but who came from different points of view. When I came here, I was dismayed at how many students, especially fel low Catholics, “circled the wagons,” ridiculing other denominations, liberals, and even those of their own kind who did not live up to their idiosyncratic standards. They seemed to relish being harsh about everything from theology to anime, and that made me uncomfortable. Even if you think you are right, you have no right to be obnoxious about it. The point of a liberal arts education is to achieve a well-ordered soul by pursu ing truth from a variety of perspectives. When we stake our personalities on proudly dishing out our opinions, we work against that goal. In making flat caricatures of others, we think and act two-dimensionally our selves. We cut ourselves off from true learning if we see education as a means of gathering ammunition and fellow truth-seekers as enemies. It is acceptable to hold controversial opinions if you have arrived at them with thoughtful conviction, but not if the point is merely to beThere’simpressive.asaying among writers: “Murder your dar lings.” It means that if one is especially proud of writing a particular turn of phrase, it is probably overwrought trash. One should swallow their pride and delete it. If we applied that rule to our opinions and dialed back any that were designed to be im pressive or “edgy,” we would probably be much more rea sonable and pleasant people.
Five Republican candidates in the Michigan gubernatorial primary race were cut from the election.
Courtesy | Fli C kr It is time to murder your hot takes
More should be done to preserve election integrity
“The point of a liberal fromorderedachieveeducationartsistoawell-soulbypursuingtruthavarietyofperspectives.”
By Nathan Stanish
By Olivia Hajicek
“In the ofdescardedRepublicanrecentprimary,thebureautensthousandsofsignatures”
Many students are now finding alternatives to standing in line for Metz. elyse Apel
I starved to death in the noon lunch line
When Venmo entered the scene in 2009, it offered a newfound convenience to situations that were former ly more quartersmeraremembermemberforroundingestohavebetteristhebetialtotomost,”thanunderstandChristiansgenerosityopportunitiesbringwalletsomeonepensesStarbucks.fortionhowever,Ansomeone’sandainvenmoingcommodateoutlongtoInalreadythinghelpresentmentfortransactions.haveusedalwayscertainlyandrelationshipsmentVenmo’scumbersome.missionstateis“tochangepeople’swithmoneyeachother,”andithasdonethat–butnotinagoodway.Whattobeactsofkindnessturnedintofinancial“CanyouVenmomegas?”generatessimilartobeingtoldtomyparentswithsomeasachildthatIwasplanningondoing.thewaythatpeopleusedpoolmoneyforgasonatriporsomeonegoingoftheirwaytoacsomeoneelse,forgas,especiallythiseconomy,canbeverythoughtfulgestureacknowledgementoftimeandmoney.increaseingasprices,isnotaninvitatoasksomeonetopaytheirpartofthetriptoEvensomelargerexsuchascoveringwhoforgottheirathomeordidn’tenoughcasharetoexerciseandkindness.especiallyshouldthatlifeismorearacetoacquire“theandshouldbeslowVenmorequestandquickofferassistance.Ofcourse,thereispotenforagenerouspersontotakenadvantageof,butsolutiontothatproblemnotVenmo.Itistochoosefriendswhoalreadytheemotionalmaturityrecognizeiftheirpracticareexploitative.ThecurrentculturesurVenmoisharmfultwomainreasons.Firstofall,peoplerekindness.Ivividlyacounseloratmusicaltheatersumcampgivingmetwotobuyfruitsnacks
Steele responds to GOP infighting
“The aexpectationsmodernofcollegedegreeforevenbasicjobseffectivelyrequiresyoungadultsenteringtheworkforcetogointodebt.”
Letter to the Editor:
By Jillian Parks
The Republican National Committee referred to the bill as “Biden’s bailout for the wealthy.” This auda cious bill helps those who least need the money while doing nothing to prevent the debt from reoccurring. Loan discouragesforgivenessstudents and their families from saving and planning for a college education and penalizes those who do. Biden’s bill leaves many financially responsible families facing the realization that years of planning and hard work were unnecessary.
Biden’s student loan forgiveness will increase the cost of college
Biden’s student loan forgiveness preserves the American dream
By Nick Treglia
when I was nine. In recent years, my sister and I broke down our suffocating yet sisterly animosity mainly through a silent under standing that we just pay for things for each other when the opportunity arises. The friends I spend copious amounts of time with carry the mantra “it all evens out eventually” because cataloging every single Taco Bell trip on Venmo is simply embarrassing at this point. Each instance, and all the other instances not named, have contributed to a far less anxious and far more generous view of money and friendship as a whole. When the “oh my gosh, thank you so much!” becomes more and more of a formality, gratitude will still play a part in how relationships are seen and how the topic of money is approached.Thesecond reason why I write with such conviction is that these ideas lead to a culture that emphasizes being indebted over simple favors. I never paid back those quarters, I don’t keep a record of how much I’ve spent on my sister, and my friend refused my attempt to Venmo her back for Texas Roadhouse. Those instances sit in my memory and often propel me to do the same if I see an oppor tunity to pay it forward. When accounts are fully settled and equalized, the cycleVenmostops.in itself has the potential to be a force for generosity. It can also perpetuate a spirit of taking and self-sufficiency to an unhealthy and lonely ex treme. It is good to rely on other people for things. It is also good to be someone that people characterize as reliable. Celebrate chances to be considerate over urges to be self-seeking. Everyone will be far better off. Jillian Parks is a sopho more studying rhetoric and public address and journal ism. She is the social media manager for the Collegian.
Courtesy |
Patton Harmon is a junior studying history.
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Be a generous person: Don’t Venmo request
By Cassandra DeVries
I do not believe it is possible to overstate the amount of time I have spent in the noon lunch line. Just yesterday, I was in line long enough to watch an entire Hillsdale romance run its course. The pair met by the library and were engaged by the time they got downstairs. I hear he proposed with an onion ring.Sure, the line may have been long in previous years, but I have never seen it double back so many times. Like Al Roker’s old belt, it goes round and round. What would oth erwise be a mere incon venience is aggravated by the summer temperature. Take the blazing noon heat from the outside, throw in an excess of body heat plus the cramped student union, and you’ve got a swelter ing nightmare. It’s not just Clint Eastwood who has stood “In the Line of Fire.” Frankly, the entire thing is a disgrace from top to bot tom. Not even Al-Qaeda would take credit for this act of terror. A good bit of this con gestion can be blamed on the new card scanners used to pay for your meal at the door. The problem with these new scanners is that like upperclassmen, they usually don’t read. This forces you to swipe sev eral times, holding up the line in the process. Only the athletic department is happy with this situation. These scanners make the new logo just the second worst decision this year. I think it’s painfully clear to even the most casual ob server that the dining hall has got more issues than “Sports Illustrated.” We don’t need any more jokes, we need solutions–which I of course have. First, I propose that the student body find new places to eat to help take pressure off the dining hall. If you’re look ing for meat entrees, I’d vis it the politics and science departments–I hear they have beef. If you’re looking for a snack, try Chi-O. I know what you’re saying. These solutions can only do so much to solve the problem, and will prob ably have a negligible effect. That may be true, but I’m here to tell you that there is hope. Metz has the power to fix the noon lunch line overnight. All they must do is hire one man. And that man is Hunter Biden. I hear he knows something about making lines disap pear. Nick Treglia is a senior studying history.
By Charles Steele
The Aug. 24 Collegian article on the division in the local Republican Party was somewhat hard to follow; this is andTrump-ishversionisaclarificationdivide,peoplelocalluted.detailsunderstandablecompletelybecausetheareratherconvoI’mnotengagedinpoliticsbutIdoknowonbothsidesofthisandcanoffersomewithouttakingside.Thebroad-brushstorythatthisisakintoalocalofthesplitbetweenRepublicansCheney-ishRepubli cans. More precisely, there are two factions, the first made up of local Con stitutional conservatives who are primarily focused on fighting government overreach and progres sive/left assaults on lib erty. The second faction tends to be the older GOP establishment “chamber of commerce” wing, more interested in partyisdifferentment.forpublic-privatedevelopingpartnershipsboostinglocaldevelopThesearetwoveryvisionsofwhatimportantandwhattheshouldbepromoting.Thisdividehasledto infighting and the proce dural issues the Collegian article addressed. Since this is a small town-rural setting probably there are also personal issues of which I’m not aware, but I suspect one side sees itself as grassroots and perhaps a bit rough around the edges, and the other feels more elite and perhaps a bit en titled to be in charge. Re gardless, it is unfortunate that this is happening. It’s a particularly bad time for infighting. We are seeing at various levels of govern ment the weaponization of public health, law enforce ment, and finance and accounting (through ESG) in the service of authoritar ian political agendas. This is extremely dangerous, and everyone (including Democrats!) should be opposing these trends at all levels but particularly the local grass roots level, rath er than fighting internal battles. My fear, though, is that this divide is not resolvable, because of the competing visions. I hope I am wrong. Charles Steele is an associate professor of eco nomics at Hillsdale College.
September 1, 2022 A5
Opinions
Since 1980, college tuition has skyrocketed, rising twice as fast as inflation. In a misguided attempt to correct this trend, President Joe Biden announced a student loan forgiveness plan. This move ignores the root causes of student debt, instead leading to an increase in the cost of higher education. On Aug. 24, those with federal student loans qualify for $10,000 in loan forgiveness if they earn less than $125,000, and will see canceled debts of up to $20,000 if they formerly received Pell Grants. This unprec edented and sweeping legislation affects the majority of the 40 million Americans with student debt, and 8 million could receive immediate relief, as the government already possesses their income data. Biden extended the pandemic pause on feder al student loan payments until the end of the year. He also forgave all unpaid monthly interest for these loans to prevent student debt from growing even if students ceased making payments.This plan will cost taxpayers $300 billion over the next 10 years, ac cording to a new study by Penn Wharton, yet econo mists estimate that stu dent debt (presently $1.4 trillion) will return to its current level in four years. Biden’s loan forgiveness plan only helps students who applied for federal aid before July 1, 2022. Rather than encouraging more Americans to pursue degrees, the bill assists current college students and those with degrees. According to the Federal Reserve of New York, all but 2% of college graduates secure employment, beg ging the question of why Biden targeted this already employed and educated group to be the recipients of wealth redistribution.
Biden’s bill neglects all those without a college education and all resource ful college graduates who already paid for their college education. Instead of finding themselves a step ahead, hard-working Americans are $10,000 to $20,000 behind, or worse: entitled and dependent on the government for contin ualAsbailouts.Americans face ris ing prices and already in flated tuition costs, Biden’s plan encourages colleges to raise tuition still higher since students will be less concerned with procuring debts. Canceling student loans invites a dangerous cycle of increasing tuition costs because of potential loan cancellation and the subsequent need for more loan cancellations to cover the rising Biden’stuition.desireto de crease American student loans is admirable, but instead of addressing the root cause of runaway tuition costs, he is pouring oil on an already raging fire. As college tuition rises, Americans will have Biden’s capricious student loan forgiveness to thank.
Cassandra DeVries is a freshman studying the liberal arts. By Patton Harmon President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan has been controversial since before it was officially announced. In 2020, Biden ran on a platform promising significantly more than the $10,000 of forgiveness that was announced on Aug. 24, initially promising to forgive all student loan debt for those students whose income was under $125,000 per year. This was supported by up to 63% of Americans, according to a Pew Research poll conducted in 2021. According to the George town Public Policy Institute, 65% of all jobs required at least some post-secondary education in 2020. In 1973, only 28% of jobs required post-secondary education. A college degree in the present day is roughly equivalent to a high school degree in 1973, in terms of job oppor tunities.Themodern expectation of a college degree for even basic jobs effectively requires young adults entering the workforce to go into debt for upwards of a decade, on average, before being able to get a professional white-col lar job and make significant money. This exacerbates pre-existing issues with the economy, resulting in a growing segment of the pop ulation struggling to meet the basic cost of living, and encourages poor financial management by teaching young adults that going into heavy debt is normal and biasedfrompreventofweofAmericaedtifydegree,andarework,tonecessary.Onecounterargumentthisisthatsomeareasofsuchasthetrades,almostalwaysavailabledonotrequireacollegebutthatdoesnotjusaneffectivelywealth-gatwhitecollarworkforce.claimstobealandequalopportunity,andifaretoprovidethat,65%jobscan’tbepay-to-play.Clearly,inordertotheentiresystembecomingblatantlytowardsthosefrom wealthy families, we as a society must either lower the requirements for a large range of jobs, or include college as basic education under the public school system. Forcing business es to change their hiring requirements is blatant government overreach and nearly impossible in a practical sense. A high school education has always been provid ed free of charge in the form of the public school system, and folding public college in with public high school does not signifi cantly expand the power of the federal government, while helping those people who care to improve their station in life, even if they come from nothing.
Biden’s loan forgive ness program gives an opportunity for some of those who are less well-off to achieve the American dream that we speak of so often at Hillsdale, through hard work and study, rather than handicapping them right at the beginning of their professional careers. This program is a trial step toward including college as optional free education in America, and as such, it should be supported.
Butcher challenges Stockford in mayor’s race
A6 September 1, 2022 Vintage Ohio
Sam Fry, marketing and tri-statepassengersclassourthissaid.aforexcitedUtilities,HillsdalecoordinatorcommunicationsfortheBoardofPublicsaidHillsdalewastobethedestinationthetrains.“Webelieveourcityhaslottooffervisitors,”Fry“We’rethankfulforopportunitytosharerichhistoryandfirst-amenitieswithrailfromthegreaterarea.”
listen to the community and bridge divisions on the city council. Butcher said her volunteer experience doing administrative work for local groups is one of her key Butcherassets.said she had changed drastically over the years since her conviction of felony retail fraud in 2016, emphasizing her involvement in the community and her recovery from drug addiction to opiates. She said she has been clean for six and a half years. “Ten years ago I thought I wouldn’t be able to walk by the time I was 40,” Butcher said. “But now, I am proof that people can make a recovery. I guess the people who have never made mistakes in their life, shouldn't vote for me." Butcher contested the city’s endorsement of special tax assessment districts, where residents pay an additional amount in taxes for road improvements. The policy has stalled meaningful progress on side streets in assessmentneighborhoods,low-incomeshesaid.“Ithinkthatspecialtaxdistrictsare
By Josh Hypes in politicaldifferentiateButchernewathatcouncillastaStockfordmoreandfromstartedfourfourmayor.targetsestablishmentpolicereconstruction,city’sSchooltheOrganizationAmericancommissionerservedhomenonpartisantheirHillsdalethewastheBeforeincumbent2017,asthosetheirinvestmentandsavingimprovingtopagreeNovember.Whilethecandidatesonmanyoftheirpriorities,includingtheroads,taxpayerdollars,increasingbusinessinHillsdale,meanstoachievegoalsdiffer.StockfordhasservedHillsdale’smayorsincewhenhedefeatedScottSessions.that,heservedoncityzoningboardandelectedtoserveoncitycouncilin2013.voterswillelectmayorthrougharace.Butcherisastay-at-motherandhasasassistantregionaloftheYouthSoccerandheadofHillsdalePreparatoryparentcouncil.Stockfordtoutedtheprogressonroadgrowthinandfirefunding,andofgrowthduringhistimeas“Iwasoncitycouncilforyearsandduringthoseyears,we'vereallytochangedirectionswhereweweregoingwestartedtoputalotfocusonstreets,”said.“Wehirednewcitymanager.ThoseyearsIwasoncityandtheearlyyearsIwasmayor,wesawtransitiontocompletelyleadershipinthecity.”Duringhercampaign,hassoughttoherselfasaoutsiderwhowill
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disgusting, to be honest, because you're saying that I already have money to afford an extra $5,000 in taxes to get my road fixed,” Butcher said. “We need to get back to where we used to be a very united city and I feel like we are very divided now.” Butcher said she wasn’t familiar with the particulars of the council’s budget but argued that the council should explore alternative revenue means, such as exploring grants to alleviate the burden faced by taxpayers.“Icanlook up and find grants available to us, in five minutes, and they are not just for roads but also sidewalks and bike paths,” Butcher said. “If we don’t use them, another city will.” Stockford said the city council has sought creative solutions to fund road construction by applying for grants, doubling the pilot payment made by the Board of Public Utilities, hiring a city engineer, and using special assessment districts. Hillsdale voters approved a street improvement levy in May“A2020.lotof people don't realize that how we fixed
“Many vibrant businesses downtown want to work together.” City of Hillsdale plans downtown social district
Mead, Garden, and Vine streets was through a public safety grant, not an infrastructure grant,” Stockford said. “We made the argument that the streets were in such bad condition that it was a safetyBothhazard.”candidates agree on the need to continue to bring in new businesses. Stockford said he hopes to continue delighted.”handledThewithtowerecouncilbusinessesthemselves.howtonaturalStockfordanythebusinesses.propertythewhilepost-pandemicHillsdale’srecovery,Butcherstressesthatcityshouldnotwaivetaxesonnew“IthinkthiscityhandledpandemicbestoutofcityinMichigan,”said.“Avirusisathingandit’sgoingbeuptoeachindividualtodecidetoprotectWehadlocalheretellingthehowthankfultheywedidn’tforcethemclosedowntocomplythegovernor’sorders.evidenceshowsusweitwell,andI’m
CorrespondentPolitical Hillsdale city voters will decide between incumbent Republican Adam Stockford and challenger Rondee Butcher for mayor
The Tri-State Scenic Steam Excursion made Saturday and Sunday stops in downtown Hillsdale. Elyse Apel Collegian Rondee Butcher (left) will face Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford (right) in the November election. | Twitter
“Our city has a lot to offer visitors.”
By Elyse Apel Opinions Editor Two 28partneredandtheRailroadCompany,Northeasternweekend.Scenicastimeinpassengersteam-poweredtrainsarrivedHillsdaleforthefirstinmorethan70yearspartoftheTri-StateSteamExcursionlastTheIndianaRailroadtheFortWayneHistoricalSociety,LittleRiverRailroad,thecityofHillsdaleonAug.27andtowelcomepassengersto downtown Hillsdale. “The inaugural run of the Tri-State Scenic to Hillsdale went very well and we got to open an experience to thousands of new visitors to Hillsdale,” said Andrew Hershman, Indiana seemembersHillsdale.withandexcursionsalesRailroadNortheasternmarketingandemployee.Theround-trip,all-daydepartedfromreturnedtoEdon,Ohioathree-hourlayoverinManycommunityturnedouttothetrains.Thecity of Hillsdale coordinated with local businesses to serve train passengers, and ridesadditionalRiverlayovers,openattraction.SundaySaturdayopenMarketCountyThethehelpedvolunteersorganizeevent.HillsdaleFarmerswasbothandasanItisnormallyonlyonSaturdays.DuringtheHillsdaletheLittleRailroadoperated25-minutetrainoutofdowntown Hillsdale for local residents and excursion passengers. “We are pleased to have good partners to bring such an event to eventswellOct.forwardandcommunityourlooktothe1trip,asasfutureandtrips in the upcoming years,” Hershman said. The trips sold out in less than three weeks, leading the Indiana Northeastern Railroad to add a third Hillsdale trip on Oct. 1., which sold out in less than five“We’redays. no stranger to hosting popular events, but it’s incredibly gratifying to be able to bring the magic of vintage railroading to our own backyard like this on a consistent basis,” Kelly Lynch, vice president of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, said. “We are providing the community with a new and exciting attraction, bringing in tourists and visitors from around the country, and sharing a unique piece of our shared culture and history and magic.”
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By Alexandra Comus Collegian Freelancer The city of Hillsdale is planning a social district, in which the city could loosen rules to allow patrons of bars and pubs to consume alcohol outside.CityManager David Mackie said officials will discuss specific details about the district, where it would be, and what it would firstbeginning“Weaccomplish.arestillinthestages,sotheorderofbusinessis to find out what it would look like,” Mackie said. “A major part of this would be to see how it has suchsocialestablishedalreadythatcommunitiesimpactedhavedistricts,asLudington and Tecumseh.”Officials must also set foundational services for the district to comply with state law, according to Mackie.“Additional trash services and other things have to be in place for the state to review,” Mackie said.Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford said he is optimistic about this district’s potential positive effect on local businesses and the city’s economy. “It is a good sign that so many vibrant businesses downtown want to work together,” Stockford said. “Though the businesses which are taking initiative are competitors, they are interdependent.”Cityofficialshope the competition between businesses turns into mutually KlikovacusHillsdalethebeofsaidbaristaaccordingacontainerpublic,restaurantsbetweeninterdependentandothercompetitorsbusinessesinStockfordspecificprovidedlaw.accordanceinbecommunity,opportunitiesitweekends,town,sensedowntownmissionrelationships.beneficialThecommunity-basedofbusinessescanbringaofrenewaltoasmallespeciallyontheMackiesaid.StockfordsaidwhileopensupmanyformoretherewillspecificrequirementsthecommonsareainwithMichigan“Thiscanhelptoenliventhedowntownenvironment,becauseitallowsthecustomersofpubsandbarstowalkoutofanestablishmentwithanalcoholicbeverage,thattheyusecontainers,”said.“This,turn,willhelplocalthatareofeachtoworktogether,itfostersamoreambiancedistinctiveandbreweries.”Tocarryalcoholinonemustuseawiththelogoofbusinessinthedistrict,toStockford.JuniorandRoughDraftNikoletaKlikovacshesupportstheideaasocialdistrict.“Ithinkthiswouldgreatforchangingsocialdynamicofandbringingintothemodernage,”said. trains visit Hillsdale
Alumni open new family wellness center
Rep. Fink proposes bill to ban sanctuary cities
September 1, 2022 A7
By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor
11 -SundaySept.The7thAnnual Patriot’s Day Fly-In will take place at the Hillsdale Municipal Airport from 7am2pm. The event features helicopter and airplane rides, military aircraft display, Warbirds airshow, and more.
27 Aug. - A 34-year-old Reading man was arrested for failing to pay child support, two counts of possessing a dangerous weapon, and possession of methamphetamine. For the first count a $12,662 cash bond was not posted, and for the second count a $45,000 bond with 10% was not -posted.A33-year-old Reading man was arrested on a felony warrant for attempting to steal a vehicle. 10% of a $3,000 bond was allowed but not posted.
The Patillo family bought and renovated The Stadium Roller Rink, now ‘The Well’ (left). The facility features basketball courts (above).
- A 36-year-old Osseo man was arrested for eavesdropping. 10% of a $2,500 bond was allowed but not posted.
- A 36-year-old Hillsdale man was arrested for carrying an unlicensed concealed weapon, restraining order and probation violations, and attempted assault on a police officer. No bond was allowed.
- A 42-year-old Pittsford man was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for carelessly discharging firearms. 10% of a $2,000 bond was posted.
A new family recreation center called The Well will open on Oct. 1 in Hillsdale. Formerly the Hillsdale Stadium Roller Rink, the Carleton Road facility will undergo a dailydownpracticesallfamilieswellnessmental,facilitywebsite,office,bar,workoutandfacilityaccordingthanfamilyphysicalcenter,itsaid.aalumnus2010totransformation,completeaccordingfinancialadvisorandHillsdaleCollegeMatthewPatillo.“MywifeandIpurchasedrollerskatingrink,”Patillo“Wearerepurposingintoamultiplexfitnessrecreationcenter,therapyclinic,andcafe.”Thebuildingspansmore20,000squarefeet,toPatillo.Thewillhousebasketballtenniscourts,adultareas,asmoothieandafamilydoctor’sPatillosaid.AccordingtoTheWell’sthismulti-purposeaddressesphysical,spiritual,andsocialandisopentoandindividualsofages.“Preventativehealthcanbebrokenintofoursimpleapproaches:howwe move, what we eat, how we rest, and how we heal,” the website reads. “Our team of fitness trainers and wellness practitioners will help you enjoy the lasting advantages of customized packages and selected programs as a multi-purpose facility.” Patillo and his wife have four children and wanted a place to bring the whole family.“There’s not very many opportunities available for organized physical activity in the community,” Patillo said. “We knew many families wanted services like that, so we wanted to create a place we could go as adults that our kids can go to.”
CITY:UPCOMINGINTHE
9 -FridaySept.BeginningSept. 9, the Hillsdale College Halter Shooting Sports Center will host Family Archery Nights every Friday from 4-6pm until October 28. For a $50 season pass, families receive bow and arrows and moreevents.hillsdale.eduinstruction.beginningVisitforinformation.
“I really see the sanctuary city movement as undermining our structure.”constitutional
CRIME REPORT: The Collegian has compiled a selection of arrests from the City of Hillsdale and Hillsdale County in the past week.
A severe thunderstorm Monday damaged houses and caused widespread power outages. Maria Servold Collegian
30 Aug.
andMozart,worksHall,inconcertpresentGrossmanviolinist-WednesdaySept.SpecialguestHalwillaviolinat8p.m.ConradRecitalperformingbyDvorak,Larsonothers.
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“With the change, East Lansing Police Department would not cooperate with ICE [the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], nor would they serve warrants with ICE,” the commission said in meeting documents.Finksaid Lansing’s proposal is “disrespectful to the other entities in the state that are going to follow the law.”Fink’s proposed legislation would affect citizens across the“Thestate.enforcement of immigration laws generally has impacts everywhere,” FinkWhilesaid.the bill has not yet come to the house floor for a vote, Fink said it is unlikely that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would sign the bill into law. With very few days of legislation left this term, Fink said he is not optimistic about the bill reaching the floor but is not giving up on making Michigan free of sanctuary“There’scities.always next term and I might just have to reintroduce,” Fink said.
25 Aug.
By Victoria Wagner Collegian Freelancer Michigan would ban cities from refusing to cooperate with national agencies over the enforcement of immigration laws, under legislation proposed this summer by state Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale. House Bill 6276, which Fink proposed in June, would prevent local governments from declaring themselves “sanctuary cities” for illegal immigrants, and fine them up to $7,500 for violations. “I really see the sanctuary city movement as undermining our constitutional structure,” FinkThesaid.East Lansing Human Rights Commission recommended to the city council on June 13 that East Lansing be named a sanctuary city. Five years ago, East Lansing decided against becoming a sanctuary city due to a Trump-era policy that would pull federal funding from the city, which is home to Michigan State University.
Sources: City of Hillsdale Police Department, Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office
- A 42-year-old Hillsdale man was arrested for larceny from a building and a parole violation. No bond was allowed.
10 -SaturdaySept.The6thAnnual Stillwell Ford Car Show will take place from 9am2pm. The free-entry event features awards, food vendors, and a raffle benefiting the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society.
“The Well is going to be a great option for people to improve their health year round.”
Hillsdale Chargers Medical Director Kam Mueller will be the practicing physician at The Well’s family clinic. He opened Genesis Health and Performance in October 2021.“Genesis Health and Performance is a multi specialty clinic that has more of a holistic and natural approach to medicine,” Mueller said. “We believe that the body is fully capable of healing itself using what God has given each of us and by what can be found in nature.”Mueller, also a 2010 Hillsdale otherwiseof“I’myeartoaHillsdale.toMuellermanipulativecare,care,specializesalumnus,inorthopedicadultprimaryandosteopathictherapy.saidheisexcitedoffertheseservicesto“TheWellisgoingtobegreatoptionforpeopleimprovetheirhealthround,”Muellersaid,gladtobeapartsomethingthatisn’tavailablewithin a 50-mile radius of Hillsdale.” Patillo and his wife, Kellee, began renovations about a year ago and are excited to open the facility to the community, Patillo said. The Well will offer youth leagues and childcare, and Patillo said he is looking for anyone interested in helping. “We’re running various youth leagues and it would be great to have volunteers to help build up these kids through the respective sports,” Patillo said. “We also have childcare there, and it would be great to have a list of people who would be interested in serving.”
Courtesy | Matthew Patillo
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- The Grand Rapids Ballet, the only professional ballet company in Michigan, returns to Hillsdale for a performance at 7:30 pm. Ticket reservations are required and can be made at boxoffice@hillsdale.edu.
Women's Tennis Tennis from A10
That’s what we need to do.” Official team practices started Tuesday, but fifthyear senior Drew Gandy was already organizing unofficial practice sessions with his teammates leading up to this week.“We’ve been going in small groups that just actual ly go practice, whether that's hit balls or practice short game putting,” Gandy said. “That's definitely a little dif
"I would expect us to qualify for regionals and hopefully make a run at qualifying for nationals" this year as he gets to know the team members better.“Anew beginning might be our theme for the sea son,” Fraboulet said. “Coach Walbright has done a tre mendous job in the past few years growing this team to where it is today and I hope I can bring something new to the team to bring us to even greater success.” The team will play at Sag inaw Valley on Sept. 18, to kick off its fall season. “This season, I am most looking forward to growing together as a team and truly becoming an unstoppable force together all the way through GMACs,” sopho more Courtney Rittel said. “I could not have asked for a better group of girls and I am so excited to compete with them again this year.” Rittel has great faith in how far the team’s comrad ery and support will take them this season. “Our greatest strength going into the fall will prob ably be the incredible team comradery that we have and the incredible support that we all share for each other,” Rittel said. “Tennis is a very mentally straining sport as you may have to be on the court for hours on your own trying to take down your opponent, yet that burden is made much lighter when you know you have a team behind you that believes in you and is supporting you every step of the way.” Returning to teammates who have improved on their skills over the summer is something Rittel looks for ward to every season. “As much as the summer was a wonderful time for the girls to improve and develop new skills,” Rittel said, “it has been fantastic to be back together, reconnect with the team, and to see how all of their hard work over the summer has paid off, as all of our hard work will not only strengthen our own games, but also help push the team as a whole to improve and play even better tennis.”According to Fraboulet, the team’s bond and expe rience will be their most valuable asset.
each and
a deep
possible" Women's XC
By Tracy Wilson D e sign eD itor Though making up a smaller team this year, the runners on the Hillsdale women’s cross country team are preparing to charge at this season’s competition, accord ing to junior Meg Scheske. “This is the smallest team that we’ve had, at least in my four years here, and I’ve been really encouraged by the intensity and the desire of every single girl on the team to contribute and to do her part and to really succeed this year despite our limited numbers,” Scheske said. “The fighter mentality is definitely a thing.”According to head coach R.P. White, the team has one new addition: freshman Kaitlyn Rust, an academic senior who is beginning her first collegiate season of cross country after running for the track and field team for four years.Looking ahead to the upcoming season, White said some of his primary strate gies will include looking at elevation and course maps. “As far as the racing strat egy, that’s dependent on our environment,” White said. “Consistency is key.” He said he’s planning on discouraging the team from running with race-like inten sity during practices. “We’re going to work appropriately and not go as hard as you can every single practice,” White said.” Sophomore Liz Wamsley said one of her personal goals for the season is to run a 6k race in under 21 minutes. “Usually, because each course is so different, it’s hard to compare times from one course to the other. General ly, I’d like to break 21 minutes in the 6k. I got close to it last fall.”The race she said she is most looking forward to is the Louisville Cross Country Classic in Louisville, Ken tucky.“I’m really looking for ward to running the Louis ville course because it sounds flat and fast,” Wamsley said. Wamsley said the team usually works together to set goals at the beginning of each season.“Normally we get togeth er at the beginning of each season and make a list of concrete goals, but we haven’t done that yet,” Wamsley said. “Typically one of our bigger goals would be qualifying for nationals and representing the school there. Another one has to do with culture and community.”Oneofthe primary reasons the team is delaying goal-setting is that this year is a festival year. “The NCAA started to do only in DII a fall festival where they try to have multi ple national championships at the same venue,” White said. The fall festival takes place in December, pushing back the team’s normal schedule by an additional two weeks. Scheske said because the runners are waiting to set goals, they plan to take a more relaxed approach with the first meet. “It’s a real race, but we’re treating it as a practice race. We’re getting reacquainted with what it’s like to race again,” Scheske said. “We’re not expecting anything crazy because we’re turning around and racing somewhat soon again.” cross country team on our team has ever been an runner, but every one of us has seeded belief that it is starts
“We currently have 11 players on the roster but only two freshmen so most of the girls already know each other from last season,” Fraboulet said. “I think that the great bond those players have will be a great strength for us this Frabouletyear.”spoke highly of the seniors and the integral part they play on the team. “We have a lot of seniors that have been successful in the past,” Fraboulet said. “I believe that they will help the team tremendously this year.”
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begins first of three fall invitationals "Nobody
After finishing 19th at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships last fall, the Hillsdale men’s cross country team is getting ready to finish the 2022 sea son on an even higher note.
The Chargers begin their season at the Comet Open on Thursday, Sept. 1, hosted by Olivet College Comets. Following that meet is the Calvin Knight Invite on Saturday, Sept.10, and the Lansing Invitational on Fri day, Sept. 30. The Chargers will run another three meets in Oc tober, including the Lucian Rose Invite in Kenosha, Wisconsin, all in preparation for GMAC Championships in Findlay, Ohio on Novem ber 5th.
Chargers aim to beat pre-season ranking
Men's
According to Vanderkooi, his teammates are excited and motivated to accom plish their long term goal of reaching nationals this year.
ferent. That's something that wasn't a part of old teams that I've been on.” Gandy sees this departure from the past an attempt to avoid the slow start to last year’s season. When asked about the sessions, Gandy did not want to take credit for bringing the team out to the course for extra practice. “I just think we have a lot of really motivated guys on the team,” Gandy said. “If someone’s behind guid ing the motivation, maybe it’s me. But I don’t think it would be happening if guys weren’t motivated and want ed to play and get better.” Maxwell Burns is the only freshman on the team this year. Even before official practices, Burns said his transition onto the team has been seamless so far. Burns is looking to learn from the more experienced players on the“They'veteam. all been su per helpful,” Burns said. “They've all let me know that if I need support in balanc ing golf — because golf is going to take up a lot of my time — they are there to help me, which has been superThompsonnice.” said he has high expectations for the upcoming sea son.“I would expect us to qualify for regionals and hopefully make a run at qualifying for nationals,” Thompson said. “Which is ultimately what I want this program to do. That’s kind of my expectation every year and I think they're really starting to buy into that. I think they're excited.” The team competes in Canton, Ohio, for the Glenmoor Fall Classic September 12-13. Glen nmoor will be quickly followed by the Doc Spragg Invitational in Findlay, Ohio. “I think they're ready, especially after last fall.” Thompson said. “I think they're ready to come out guns blazing.”
Juniorseason.”Alex
Last year was a disap pointing one for the Hills dale Men’s Golf team — but, a new start, along with some new blood, is bringing hope for this season. The team was ofwithedsaid.ThompsontheselvesoflasttothiskeyninggroundsaysThompsonings.RegionIIinisyear,regionals.toyear,formancewithfrustrateditsperlastfailingqualifyforThisHillsdalerankedtenththeNCAAMidwestrankCoachhittingtherunwillbeatosuccessyear.“Wegotoffaslowstartfall–kindputourbehindeight-ball,”“Weendoffthefallacoupleprettygoodfinishes
season with smallest team in years 2022-2023 golf team members. Courtesy | Summer Fields A8 September 1, 2022
Women's Cross CountryMen's Cross Country
and started playing some better golf in the spring. We were just kind of playing catch-up the entire Thompsonyear.”is optimistic about how last year’s per formance will affect this coming season. “I think it will affect us in a good way,” Thompson said. “All of the best teams in the country are playing a full summer schedule. They’re seamlessly transitioning right from the spring to their summer tournaments, play ing a full schedule, staying sharp competitively, and coming right back to school in the fall ready to roll.
Golf By Thomas McKenna Collegian freelan C er
By Alex Deimel Collegian f reelan C er
Freshmen Seth Jankows ki, Mark Masaka, Nathaniel Osborne, and Emil Schluet er replace three graduated seniors. . “We are very excited to start,” Coach R.P. White said. “The returners have worked very hard this summer, run ning more miles than ever before. The leadership from our upperclassmen paired with some young talent makes for an exciting start to our Mitchell is optimistic about how his teammates have improved during the offseason. “I think every team I've ever been on has said 'this is our year' or 'we're full of potential,'” Mitchell said. “This year feels different. Nobody on our team has ever been an all-conference or all-region runner, but each and every one of us has a deep seeded belief that it is possible.”Junior Micah Vanderkooi is also excited for his third season on the team. “The team is looking very strong, especially with the returners having put in a good summer of training,” Vanderkooi said. “We have the best environment on a team that I have been a part of.”
all-confer ence or all-region
The women’s tennis team is eager to kick off this season and ready for all that Fraboulet has in store for them.“We have a lot of very strong players that will help us succeed, but our bond as a team and our dedication will ultimately get us the wins,” Formentin said. “We are a very close team that leans on each other in the difficult times and lifts each other up in the good. All of us want what is best for each other and work hard to meet our goals.”
By Isaac Green Assist A nt s ports Editor
Sydney Slepian
That one match was against tournament hosts, the Rockhurst Hawks. During the match the Chargers were able to stave off a sweep by recuperating from a 2-0 set deficit, but ultimately lost in the final set giving Rockhurst the 3-1 victory.“Our battle against Rock hurst was tough, and we are still working out some kinks,” senior Audrey Riley said. “Although winning three out of four sounds great, we have such a desire as a team to be the best of the best, so we are working even harder this week at practice in order to improve ourSaturday'splay.”
match against the Missouri Western State Griffons also tested the team's grit. Dropping the first two sets against the Griffons, the Chargers were forced into a tough spot but ultimately clinched a hard fought third set 28-26. The team proceeded to win the next two sets 25-13 and 15-8 to win the match 3-2. “I thought the team did well working together this weekend,” Gravel said. “There was a lot of commu nication between players on the court and on the bench, which is really encouraging to see as a coach.” The Chargers now pre pare to face a slate of oppo nents at home during the 2022 Charger Invitational in matches on Thursday, Friday, and “ObviouslySaturday.westill have some kinks to work out,” Gravel said, “but with a tough slate of opponents this weekend we will have another opportunity to put the work they did during preseason to the test.”
C ompiled by H enry l ennington
Tennis from A10 tournament against mul tiple Division II teams from across the Midwest in an individual tournament. “This is the event that Brennan actually won last year,” Turner said. “It’s the national qualifying event. So when Brian won, which was an amazing feat last year, and Brian and Shawn made the finals, it was an absolute ly amazing accomplishment.” The team will then play Indiana Tech at home on Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Mary Jane Delp Tennis Courts and finish out the season at the GMAC invitational at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, during the weekend of Sept. 30 and Oct.“The1. fall season is a lot more ticeahourssincetheofThisdualseasonConradindividual-based,”said.“Thespringismadeupofentirelymatchesbetweenteams.year,weonlyhaveonethoseinthefall,andthat’sfirstonethatwe’vehadI'vebeenhere.”Theteampracticestwoadayforfivedaysweekwithliftingpractwiceaweek,running through October. After October, due to NCAA re strictions, the team’s practice time will be cut down to a maximum of eight hours a week.“Our season is so long and so involved with so much strain on your body and your shoulders that we don’t mind that shortened time period,” Turner said. “After a few months here, they can use the break and get ready for the spring.” Coach Turner anticipates a much stronger season than last year, and described last season as “the worst season we’ve had since our first year that we started the program” due to injuries and team dynamics.“We’regonna improve on our conference win-loss record because we were not focused enough during conference competition last year,” junior Daniel Gil bert said. “Come out to our matches. We’re entertaining, I swear.” is a senior on the swim team from Sussex County, NJ.
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Atheletic Department Sydney
Chargers volleyball goes 3-1 in season opener
www.hillsdalecollegian.com Sports
I'm excited for senior day. It's our last home meet but we only have one home meet this year. Our senior day is in October around homecoming. So plug that in! One thing I am really excited for, that I look forward to every year, is our conference meet at GMAC. They announce all the youindividually,seniorstheseniorslineupatthesideofthepoolandgetyournameandyourpictureonthescoreboard.
VolleyballMen'sTennis
Over the weekend Soph omore Alli Wiese reached a career milestone in digs as the Hillsdale Volleyball team secured 3 wins in its season opener.TheChargers competed at the Rockhurst Invitational in Kansas City, Missouri split ting two matches on Friday, Aug. 26 before finishing with a pair of wins on Saturday, Aug.Wiese27. put her name in the record books alongside 11 other Chargers, becoming the 12th player in program history to surpass 1,000 digs with just under three years of eligibility remaining. “Alli is consistently one of the hardest workers in the gym and this milestone really just came as a result of that,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “Her dedication to her team and to this sport are showcased day in and day out and this team is very lucky to have a leader like her. Not only does she con sistently come through for the team in her performance, she also provides energy and encouragement to the people around her, causing them to inadvertently get better as she does the same.” Due to her impressive performance, Wiese was named G-MAC North Divi sion Defensive Player of the Week while another Charger, senior Karoline Shelton, re ceived the award for G-MAC North Division Offensive Player of the Week. Shelton finished the weekend with 56 Enteringkills. the season with a new roster, Gravel worked with several different lineups during the two days of com petition.“Weplayed a lot of differ ent lineups and we thought the players did well with focusing on their primary responsibilities no matter which position they were playing,” Gravel said. Sophomore Maizie Brown echoed this emphasizingsentiment,thebuy-in and work ethic that has helped the team take difficult situa tions and find success in the middle of “Althoughthem.there were players who started that don't usually start, and play ers playing positions they weren’t the most comfortable in, everyone bought in and tried their best,” Brown said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it’ll come with time, and as a team we know that.” According to Gravel, adding variety to the lineup will build a team with an exceptional ability to keep opponents“Somethingguessing.wewill con tinue to work on is becoming less predictable; mixing up our offense more and giving it a new look each set,” Grav el said. “That will help keep the other teams on their toes and hopefully allow us to score some points against theirAfterdefenses.”several successful seasons, including last year's trip to the Elite Eight, the Chargers expected oppo nents to present their best competition at the invite. “We knew going into the tournament that we had a target on our backs and that teams were going to play their best against us and that's what we saw,” Gravel said. “We were able to grind out three wins against some tough opponents, but one match got away from us.”
Courtesy Hillsdale College slepian
Alli Wiese in December 2021 at Ferris State.
Charger Chatter
Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department September 1, 2022 A9
What are your Whichevents?eventisyourfavorite? What excitedtraditionsseniorareyoufor? If you had to be a animal,gilledwhichonewouldyoupick? What favoriteisyourpartaboutHillsdale? Sometimes I feel like I’m the sprint100eventsbecausewildcardteamthethatIdochangeeveryseason,butIalwaysdobackand200back.Thosearemymainevents.ThenI’lldoIM,freestyle,andbackstroke.I’vealwayslovedthe100back.
This is a hard one because I think most peo ple would be a dolphin or a shark but I don’t want to be basic. I won’t give an answer, that’s my answer. I really like how driv en everyone is. Actu ally this is for you too, because you're a freshman. When I got to Hillsdale campus for the first time, I saw the “It's the peo ple” sign. I was like, “Yeah, it's the people everywhere.” There are people every where — that's uni versal. After meeting my friends on the team and in my class es, it genuinely is just a really great group of driven peo ple who are there to support each other.
By Jillian Parks So C ial media manager
"Hillsdale the Horse” at the 1969 homecoming game. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department "The Four Oarsmen" rowing team whose success catalyzed the adoption of blue and white.
Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department Tennis A8
After accepting three new freshmen this year, the Hillsdale College Men’s Tennis team will begin its fall season with a Charger Invitational the weekend of Sept.“One9. of the biggest things is we have a new group of three freshmen coming in, who are all great players and great people,” senior Tyler Conrad said. “We’re having weekly team dinners, and just trying to be closer together. As a team, being more of a unit is great to see. There’s a lot more of a team emphasis on practices, and everyone needs to get on the same page at all times.” The team will hit the ground running in Septem ber with three weekends of tournaments and one dual match. The team's two day invitational will bring in five teams from the region to the Charger homecourt. “The thing about the invitational is that it's the week before ITA, so it’s a great warm-up event, and it’s a great opportunity for me to see the freshman play” Coach Keith Turner said. The following weekend, the team will travel to the University of Indianapolis for the fall regional See Tennis A9
A10 September 1, 2022 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
By Isabella Helms Collegian freelan C er The Hillsdale women’s tennis team is preparing for their first match of the sea son under new head coach, LiamFormerFraboulet.head coach, Nicole Walbright, transi tioned from her position on the tennis team to take on new roles as the Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. “I have been the Women’s tennis coach since the 2011 season when the program was revived and have loved every moment of my experi ence,” Walbright said. Walbright is confident in the players’ growth for this coming season and believes they are more than prepared to face this season’s challeng es. Junior Helana Formentin said she is looking forward to working with Fraboulet. “Although the transition may be difficult at first, I think coach Liam will be very good for the program and will develop us into bet ter tennis players,” Formen tin said. “I am personally excited to see my growth as a player with the instruction of a new toaboutFrabouletcoach.”isoptimistictheseasonandhopesachievesomethingspecial
C harger S port S
headWomen'stennisstartsseasonwithnewcoach See
By Erik Teder Collegian freelanCer
This year’s Charger Athletics rebrand celebrates not only the discovery of horse teeth, but also over 100 years of patch worked Hillsdale sports history. Throughout a storied past, Hillsdale has enlisted religious references, live animals, and 80s athleisure style in contributing to its athletic identity. Anna Julia Bassols, Hope Schlosser, and Moira Schmitt, under the direction of History Professor Dr. David Stew art, conducted a summer of research into the history of the Charger brand and logo, culmi nating in a display currently on view in the lobby of the Roche Sports“WhatComplex.welearned doing this project in tandem with athletics and marketing is that we love Charger history,” Bassols said. “The respect we have for the old logos and the Chargers people played under is incredible.” Many early Hillsdale athletic teams competed in crimson and gold, according to Bassols. Team names included “The Hilltoppers,” “The Baptist Boys,” and the “Blue and Whites.” In 1882, the Hillsdale rowing team, dressed in blue and white, performed so well at the Amater Rowing World Cham pionship that the college’s other sports adopted these colors. The palette was officially standard ized by the college in 1914. By the 1930s, college ath letics dropped other names and teams unofficially dubbed themselves “The Dales.” Hillsdale athletics remained “The Dales” until the 1960s with the exception of 19481949, when Hillsdale students voted to temporarily rename themselves “The Bearcats.” “It only lasted one year, and there was no change in mascot or colors,” Schlosser said. “It left almost no mark, but it was still an interesting little twist in our history.”Thelightning bolt, a long-standing element of Hills dale’s athletic identity, was first worn by coaching staff as early as the 1930s. In 1962, football coach Frank “Muddy” Watersthe namesake for the Chargers’ football stadium - added light ning bolts to football helmets, cementing the graphic element in Hillsdale tradition. In 1968, Hillsdale’s Alumni Association and Athletic De partment proposed that the col lege adopt the name “Chargers” for its athletic teams. Students voted strongly in favor of the change. The Chargers were officially born in May of 1968. When a new Coat of Arms was unveiled for the College’s 125th anniversary in 1969, it featured a rearing horse at the top. To celebrate the new identity, the college featured a live horse, named “Hillsdale the Horse,” at its 1969 homecoming. The homecoming game also fea tured a new fight song, “Charge On.”Over the next few decades, Hillsdale athletics had a clear name and a rough color palette, but coaches were left on their own to design team uniforms, logos, and branding. This led to several variations of Charger designs and differing shades of blue.This variety was intensified in the 1980s with Florence Grif fith Joyner’s appearance in the Olympics, popularizing athletic wear as an expression of per sonal style. Chargers followed suit, and different designs soon proliferated further. “It led to some really beau tiful variety,” Schlosser said. “However, there wasn’t really one set identity to the school.” In 2008, the College sought to unify its identity by creating a standardized Charger logo for use across sports. Despite the redesign, however, different athletic wear companies offered different colors of blue, so dif ferent colors and logos were still in use across sports. By 2018, the Hillsdale Ad ministration recognized that a major rebrand was necessary. That task fell to Hillsdale alu mus Bryan Springer, Creative Director at the College. To begin the process, Spring er collaborated with staff from across departments, scanned hundreds of archived photos, and spoke with researchers to gather a full picture of the history of Hillsdale’s athletic identity. Several alumni also worked on the project, ensuring that it properly encapsulated the historic Charger identity. Springer also wanted the new Charger brand to reflect Hillsdale’s“Athleticsreputation.areapart of our school,” Springer said. “It’s not everything, but it’s very import ant and it should have a brand identity on par with what we’re known for decades-oldtookSpringeracademically.”andhisteamspecialcaretobringtraditionsinto the new logo while making it a co hesive mark. For example, the much-loved lightning bolt can be found in the horse’s mane, and the full-body variation of the horse echoes the rearing version on the College’s coat of arms.Springer also wanted to con vey a horse that would visually communicate the tenacity and strength of Hillsdale athletics. “It’s irritated,” Springer said. “It’s ready to go. I don’t want to say it’s angry, but it’s ready for battle. It’s gritting its teeth and its nostrils are flared. It’s a seri ous, tenacious mark that I think is appropriate for our athletics and our Accordingathletes.”toSpringer, feed back on the rebrand has been positive. Springer also noted that he stands by the decision to include barred teeth on the new“Imaginelogo. a mark that doesn’t spur any reaction,” he said. “That’s a failure. If people are feeling particular ways, whether they love it or hate it, that’s good to me. If someone really hates it, that means it’s communicating something.”
tennisMen's to invitationwithseasonopenhome
More than a century of Charger logos
By Alexandra Hall Assistant Editor
Hillsdale farmers market cultivates community
By Kamden Mulder Collegian Freelancer
“freshto“AccordingBillboardMagazine,“HoldMeCloser”isatake”onJohn’s1982hit“TinyDancer.”Althoughit’snew,thesongsoundsrottenattimes.” Every Saturday, downtown Hillsdale welcomes local artisans and farmers at the Hillsdale County Farmers Market Kamden Mulder | Collegian Every Saturday, downtown Hillsdale welcomes local artisans and farmers at the Hillsdale County Farmers Market | Collegian
By Claire Gaudet & Elizabeth Troutman Collegian Editors
You’d think after her 13-year-long
hitsamples“SuperreleasemassivelyTakerapalwaysagenrejustittheationsthatspice.matchesbringsreverencelycollaborationhappybeingpremisebythis.waterseemsfull-lengthwithWatt.ningproducedandmaterial.soundshodgeepisode.riencingencecoos,Spears’cheapbelovedsoundsit’s“Tinytake”MeboardpublicherfornatedBritneymightEltoniswouldmessageconservatorship,suffocatingthelastBritneySpearswanttoputout“HoldMeCloser.”ButJohn’sproximitybetheexception.Spearshasdomiheadlinesonceagainherfirstreleasesinceprivatelifebecameaplayground.AccordingtoBillMagazine,“HoldCloser”isa“freshonJohn’s1982hitDancer.”Althoughsurelynew,thesongrottenattimes.“TinyDancer”isasongmixedwithaclubbeat.Alongsideoccasional“baby”thelisteningexperiislikethatofexpea“BlackMirror”It’safuturisticpodgeofautotunedwithverylittlenewItsoundsbusyshallow,despitebeingbyaward-winproducerAndrewInsteadofcomingoutanoriginalsongoraalbum,SpearstobetestingthewithprojectslikeInatweetsentoutJohn,heexplainstheofthereleasetocreatea“fun,summertrack.”Thisisobjectivehumorous,butwhatandspunkJohntothetable,SpearswithvibranceandIt’sacollaborationspansmultiplegenerandgenres.Ithasallmovingpartstomakesomethingspecial.It’snotverygood.Thesegenerationalandhybridshaveseenriserecentlyandhavebeenatrendintheandhip-hopscene.forinstancethepopularnewestfromNickiMinaj,FreakyGirl,”whichRickJames’1981“SuperFreak.”
Although “Super Freak” doesn’t necessarily hold the sweeter themes of “Tiny Dancer,” it still has a signature chorus that most people know. Earlier this year, Jack Harlow released his single “First Class,” which sampled Fergie’s 2005 song “Glamorous.” Fergie, Rick James, and Elton John are not in the same realm, talent-wise, but they’re pop icons known for signature songs. Spears is known for her nasly, infantilized voice. She’s an icon of the late ’90s and early 2000s, enchanting the world with hits like “Toxic” and per haps her most famous, “... Baby One More Time.” Her infamous 1999 Rolling Stone cover fea ture came on the heels of her debut album by the same name. On it, Spears is sprawled out in her underwear with a Teletubby stuffed animal and a phone. She’s gazing upward at the camera with her eyes heavily lined and her mouth slightly parted, begging readers to turn the page.The writer of her fea ture, Steven Daly, shapes his piece around Spears’ seductive qualities and the rise of “teen culture” in the nation. She was the ultimate hybrid of hotness and sweetness. She was America’s temptress. She was also Spears’17.mistreatment in the music industry has come to light over the past few years due to public awareness of her conserva torship and the 2021 New York Times’ documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” Public opinion on Spears sways every few years, but as more details of her life come to life, she’s garner ing a softer spot with the American public. Spears has been a case study in the infantilization of women and culture’s obsession with girlishness. She’s endured heinous treatment from her closest relatives alongside public humiliation. Outside of the conservatorship, in a new marriage, and back into music, the world is probably about to see a lot more Spears. But whether or not they want the adult version of her is the bigger question. Is her naive per sona“Holdruined?Me Closer” is just another club beat. It’s like ly meant to be consumed after a few-too-may-what evers and in the folds of sweaty strangers. If you’re not into electronic music or remixes of classic songs, you’re not going to like this. But if this ever came on during a night out, I probably wouldn’t bat an eye.Spears’ current life makes this release feel both weird and also wel come. It is banal and lack luster, but perhaps after decades of being America’s pop pawn, it’s a welcome reprieve.
www.hillsdalecollegian.com September 1, 2022 B1 Culture
When you want to get ice cream with your friends, do so without agreeing to write an article about it Otherwise,together.you’ll be too tempted to make the whole piece about the antics that happened along the way, and not the ice cream at all.We pulled into Udder Side around 8:45 on a Monday night. It was 15 minutes to close, and was still as busy as we’d ever seen it. UndermenhearspotweonitsqualitysomethinghighhotchocolateymosticethreeourfunanditbothoflovedmallowParksthetheeasystyletriple-parfaitchocolate.mentedfectlybutterandwasportionsoft-serve.chocolateCounty’sHillsdalefudge,cream,cups,peanutincludedfork,DirtyorderedWethePitchwhichbutterwhippedhotandfinestThesizegenerous,thepeanutpercompletheThemadeittoenjoytoppingsthroughoutentirecup.SophomoreJillianorderedamarshmilkshake.Shethefluffysweetnessherdessert,thoughauthorsconcludedtastedlikepuresugar,consequentlymadeofher.UdderSidewasfavoritedessertoftheweatebecauseourcreammixturewasthepackedwithgood,treats,andthefudgewasparticularlyquality.But,UdderSidehasmorethanicecreamtooffercustomers—acherrytop,ifyouwill.Oncepulledintoourparkingtodigin,wecouldthecrowdsoffreshandfamiliesoutside.theglowofthe street lights and fluores cent signage, there were people just like us making an outing of grabbing ice cream.It’sopen late, and it’s got the space to truly host its customers. This, even more than the ice cream itself, is what makes Udder Side a consistent favorite among students and Hills daliansLater,alike.atConeys and Swirls in Hillsdale,downtownweordered the delicious Mad Chocolate Cyclone. It consisted of a mixture of soft-serve, delectable hot fudge, and a perfect quantity of ore os. The menu promised brownies would be includ ed, though we could not tasteParksthem.ordered a vanilla soft-serve dipped in cot ton-candy flavored syrup, which she enjoyed until unexpectedly throwing most of her cone on the pavement. It had become “too vanilla,” and she couldn’t eat anymore. Even though Parks didn’t enjoy her treat in its entirety, the bulldog we met in line certainly might have. Coneys and Swirls closes at 8 on weeknights, forcing us to continue our ice cream expedition two nights in a row. Although, this ended up being worth it. The ice cream was good, the atmosphere was light, and its once-inconvenient closing policies allowed us to enjoy an intensely beautiful sunset. At Vanity, which, despite recently being re named Overflowing Cups and Cones, is still listed as “Vanity” on Google, we enjoyed a Dirt Sundae, a mixture of chocolate soft-serve, frozen gummy worms, and a light dusting of crumbled oreos. The ice cream was fine, too many gummy worms for our liking, but the service and location were unparalleled. The ice cream boy gave Parks a ingtriptheandnonethelesswasgesture,tedlywashumanity.denyingonandbeingaboutheardcharge.bone,pungenttoppedsoft-serveSundae,DogvanillawithadogfreeofHehadusjokingParksourdog,joinedinthefunofherItanadmitweirdbuthilariouscoloredrestofourtotown.OverflowCupsand Cones, like Vanity which came before it, is located in the far right bay of an old car wash. Twinkle lights hung down from the otherwise bare aluminum ceiling and tapped on the car roof as we drove in. Its location doesn’t provide the same the-malt-jointcool-cats-at-energy that Udder Side does, but it is a truly unique spot. We would have loved to say something about Milkster, but it was closed both times we tried to go. Moreover, we learned later that we didn’t go to the right Biggby Coffee which houses Milkster. So, if you end up in the Jonesville Biggby, let us know how their ice cream is.
Oops, Britney did it again
Hillsdale: family, tradi tion, and opportunity. Not only are these words the motto for the city of Hills dale, but they also capture the essence of an experience at the Hillsdale County Farmers Market. The crisp fall air, homemade artisan products, and familiar faces make a morning at the mar ket feel like home. The Hillsdale Farmers Market runs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Satur day, May through October. Located in the Hillsdale County Courthouse parking lot, the market boasts a mul titude of different vendors selling baked goods, fresh produce, flowers, and home decorHillsdaleitems.College senior Meghan McKeogh shops exclusively for her grocer ies at the market. “I’ve been shopping here since I was a sophomore,” said McK eogh. “I didn’t realize the assortment of food here was enough to put together food for an entire week.” McKeogh said her favorite vendor is McElroy Farms, a family farm who sells their grass-fed beef at the market. The farm maintains high standards for both their grazing processes and envi ronmental footprint, which in turn produces high-quality and high-nutrient beef for theFoodcommunity.isn’tthe only thing you can purchase at the farmers market. Judy Czarnecki, a Hillsdale local, sells her hand-crocheted and knitted items at her booth ti tled Things Homemade. Judy explains that her favorite part of working and shopping at the market is socializing with people in the community. “Get down here,” Czarnecki said. “We get to see a lot of people we haven’t seen for a while and it gives a lot of our local farmers a venue to bring in their items.” When asked what advice she would give to people who are considering becoming vendors, Czarnecki explained the simple application pro cess to join the market. New vendors are welcome to apply and are not required to pay for a spot at the market. Selling and purchasing products at the market has become a family affair. Liz Wells, from Wells Sugar brush, explained that she began selling her maple syrup at the market because she was inspired by her daughters who sell their own products.“Myhusband began selling maple syrup in the mid 70s and passed that down to his kids and my daughter, Audrey, who makes all of the confections here,” said Wells. Her favorite part of the market is being able to spend Saturday mornings with her twoWhiledaughters.somany local Hills dalians take advantage of the market for family bonding time, it also provides stu dents and faculty from the college the opportunity to explore downtown Hillsdale and engage with the commu nity beyond the college. Margaret Braman, who works in the Hillsdale Col lege Admissions department, and her husband Michael, have been coming to the market for over a decade. A trip downtown to shop local artisan goods has become a staple in their weekend routine.“I’mjust really happy the farmers market is here because it’s an opportunity, more than anything, to come see people you know, and then a sense of community for local growers to have opportunities to sell their vegetables,” said Braman. Even during the hustle and bustle of modern-day living, the market lends itself to be a weekly opportunity for culti vating theirWhilerelationships.everyonehasfavoritevendorat the market, shoppers were quick to share what their dream product would be. The Bramans came to an agree ment on cinnamon rolls, a morning breakfast treat, while McKeogh would love banana bread with chocolate chips or watermelon. No matter what new products spark the com munity’s attention, or what products they hope to see in the future, the Hillsdale Farmers Market continues to be a place of refuge and fellowship for the people of Hillsdale county. From 9:00 a.m. to1:00 p.m. in the Hillsdale County Court house parking lot, it feels
Scooping through Hillsdale
Faith, family, foster care: a tale of resilience
The performance will be held on Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Markel Auditorium Tickets must be reserved in advance boxoffice@hillsdale.edu.at
Their first production of the season, the Tower Play ers present “Translations,” a lyrical play set in Ireland. A story of star-crossed lovers, an Irish peasant girl and British soldier fall in during the British army’s campaign to replace native Gaelic names with English in 1833.
Opening on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m., “Translations” will run until its matinee perfor mance on Oct. 2 at 2 pm. Tickets can be reserved in advance boxoffice@hillsdale.edu.at
Fine art events coming to campus in September
Graphic design exhibit is open to the public | Courtesy | Hillsdale College
The Hillsdale College Art department presents “De sign Musings,” an exhibit by faculty member Brian Shaw. Understanding the relation ships between color, typog raphy, shapes, and personal details, Shaw highlights his expertise with graphic de sign fundamentals.
The Grand Rapids Ballet company performs | Courtesy | Hillsdale College Tower Players perform in last fall | Courtesy | Hillsdale College
By Evalyn Homoelle Assistant Editor
correct agenda and attempt to redefine feminine vir tue.To set the stage, “Persua sion’s” leading lady Anne Elliot is in her late twenties and unmarried, making her a confirmed spinster and the subject of derision from her vain, unfeeling family. She was once in love with a charming young sailor, but he was without rank or for tune and thus an impracti cal choice. Anne was forced to give him up and wait for a more advantageous match, but she’s been pining for him for the last eight years. But her spendthrift father’s misfortune turned out to be Anne’s greatest blessing, as it forced her and her long lost lover Cap tain Frederick Wentworth backThetogether.mostalarming part of this film was Dako ta Johnson’s portrayal of Anne Elliot. Johnson’s Anne almost immediate ly breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience while making direct eye contact with the camera. It feels awkward and unnat ural rather than intriguing the audience and giving a glimpse into Anne’s most introspective moments. She’s constantly winking, smirking, and rolling her eyes at the audience, while inserting modern day terms and phrases. “Wentworth and I are strangers. Worse than strangers,” she says. “ We’re exes.” Later she says of another suitor, “he’s a 10. I never trust a 10.” This insertion of moder nity negates the very reason our culture obsesses over period dramas: to escape our harsh reality of con fused gender roles in love and marriage. This film scoffs at ridiculous men who spend all their mon ey, are obsessed with their outward appearances, and “mansplain” the women around them. But, while Anne rejects her need for romance or Wentworth, she simultaneously blames him for not fighting for her affection and for running away from his feelings. The paradox that is Netflix’s Anne highlights the many contradictions of the mod ern-day feminist agenda. Junior Alexandra Gess expressed disappointment with the film and said that Netflix’s adaptation is un surprisingly a failure. “I think Netflix’s adapta tion of ‘Persuasion sucked the proverbial beauty, spirit, and life out of a masterful and beloved story in an effort to update a timeless classic,” she said. “It was a tactless, lackluster, and rather lousy attempt to make a Period piece more palatable to the postmodern 21stWhatcentury.”isperhaps most concerning is that “Per suasion” follows in the footsteps of the 1999 “Mansfield Park” rendi tion by transforming the leading lady into someone completely unrecognizable from the original text. The quiet, mature, introspective, dignified, selfless Anne of Austen’s original work becomes a haughty, emo tional, sarcastic, self-cen tered character in Netflix’s adaptation. Instead of lov ingly serving those around her and coping with her grief in a private, dignified manner, Johnson’s Anne is a borderline alcoholic who pouts around and entertains herself through mock ing her ridiculous family. Similarly, “Mansfield Park” transformed Austen’s quiet, humble heroine Fanny Price into a confident, boister ous, sarcasticandpersonalityrealcificallyofbeodofacceptancegirlboss.social-justice-warriorInanagebeggingfortheandglorificationdiversity,whydoallperidramaheroineshavetothesame?Whyareeachthesecharacters,spewrittentoreflectwomenwithdifferenttypes,flaws,dreams,morphedintofeministswho couldn’t care less about the virtues and privileges of femininity, family, and tradition?Recent renditions of be loved Austen tales such as the 2020 version of “Emma” or the retelling of “Lady Susan” through the Amazon original series “Love and Friendship” show that intri cate, meaningful text can be transposed for our mod ern-day society without cutting corners, injecting painfully obvious doses of 21st century life, or com pletely changing the main characters and the overall message of the story. While ‘Persuasion’ is admittedly a difficult text to fully capture on film, as much of the tension be tween Anne and Wentworth is unspoken and relies heavily on past interac tions unwritten by Austen, Netflix’s adaptation doesn’t even try to recreate the slow burn and suspense of their love story. Unlike the book, Anne and Wentworth appear to easily fall for oth er characters without any thought for their apparently deep connection, and al though the audience can tell that they’ll eventually fall back in love, the ultimate resolution feels stunted and rushed. It’s questionable whether the Anne in the film truly loves Wentworth after telling her friend, “I would’ve been a far happier woman in keeping him than I have been in giving him up.”This Anne is absorbed in her own happiness rather than loving and admiring the noble, loyal charac ter of Wentworth. Anne’s unhappiness ultimately feels cheap, like nursing a pet wound out of bore dom, rather than the true remorse and despair that Austen’s Anne so stringent ly portrays in the novel. The only likable aspects of this film are, like Bridg erton, the costumes and the scenery. Anne’s sister Mary provides some comic relief from the monotony through her adoption of ridiculous modern-day quips and slogans.“The thing is, I’m an empath,” she knowingly explains to Anne. “What I’ve realized is I need to fall in love with myself first and then I can truly love those around me. ” Inserting modern-day humor and ideals into a period dra ma will of course warrant laughter, because it’s simply ridiculous. Thus, the only funny parts of “Persuasion” are cheaply thrown in by producers, and are a poor substitute for the subtle, witty social satire Jane Aus ten is remembered for. Reception of “Persua sion” has largely been negative, with only a 32% positive Rotten Tomatoes score from professional film critics and reviews. We can only hope that Hollywood stops ruining timeless clas sics and producing content that will leave young wom en and girls with a distorted image of femininity. So, if you think you can handle an awkward, con fusing, infuriatingly pre dictable film, watch “Per suasion.” But hopefully, I’ve persuaded you not to.
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 2, from 7 to 9 p.m.The exhibit is open to the public from Aug. 24 through Oct. 2.
Netflix’s “Persuasion” is a bad, boring, cringe-worthy film. Contrary to Austen’s signature writing style, the film isn’t witty, clever, or inspiring, although like sev eral of the film’s characters, it desperately tries to be. In line with the cur rent trend of modernizing period dramas, “Per suasion” unsuccessfully follows woodasanddeserveneedtranscendthemesmasterpiecesAusten’sBridgertonstartingsubstanceless,culture.19thrightcorrectnesssoundtrack,sic-disguised-as-classicalEnglishformula:“Bridgerton’s”aestheticvisuals,accents,apop-muandpoliticaldesignedtothewrongsofearlycenturycustomsandButunlikethemodern-daymaterialofthebooks,Janeworksareliterarywithuniversalandlessonsthattimeanddonotmodernization.Theyrespectanddignity,shouldn’tbepassedoffcheapmaterialforHollytotoutitspolitically
When Tori Hope Peter son ’18 was a child in the foster care system, she had no voice. Now she helps voiceless foster youth raise their own. In her debut book, “Fos tered,” Petersen recounts the story of her life from her earliest memories with her mentally ill, addict mother to her current day experiences as a wife, mother, foster youth advocate, and follower of Christ. A compelling and beautiful memoir, “Fos tered” should be placed at the top of everyone’s book list.She covers touchy topics with a tuoustheadulthood.childhoodofpainfulauthor’sPetersenchapter.enceconnectslawcatedofFromfreeChrist-centeredrefreshinglyoutlookfrompartisandivides.discussingthevaluealllifetohercomplirelationshipwithenforcement,PetersenwiththeaudiasquicklyasthefirstThestoryishard—writesinthenotethatitwastorevisitmanyhermemoriesfromandyoungShecomparesexperiencetoatumulocean.“Thisstoryhasforced me to wade into deep waters,” she writes. “I do not hang out where it is shallow, but sometimes I’ve needed to swim back to shore to catch my breath from the winds and waves that have come as a result of being born into this life. Thankfully, through out this story, a Life guard found me, and with Him I’ve come to appreciate the depths of the ocean and the storm.” With this analogy, she crystalizes the main point of the story: her grateful ness to God, not only despite her suffering, but because of his presence throughout it. The winds and waves in Petersen’s life began before she was even born. She was conceived out of rape and was deliv ered into the world while her mother was in custody, handcuffed to a hospital bed. From then on she faced heart breaking challenges with seemingly little respite. Throughout her child hood, her mother battled drug addiction and mental illness, with a revolving door of male partners, few of whom treated Petersen well.Petersen’s background shaped her bold dedication to love for God, others, and self. The people that loved her when she felt worthless introduced her to God and showed her she is bigger than the terrible things that have happened to her.She entered the foster care system for the first time at age four after her mother was arrested on drug charges. It was the first of 12 foster homes she would stay at in her life, flitting between them and her mother’s turbulent home. In both she faced mental, physical, and sexu al abuse.Asateenager, she con tinued to face trials, but she discovered two things: a love for God, and a love for running track. The for mer gave her comfort and the latter gave her freedom and control. It also helped her attend Hillsdale Col lege at no cost. Unlike most foster care survivor stories, Petersen is able to give a nuanced view of the foster care system because she lived on both sides of it. Feeling aban doned by casework ers and mistreated by the state as a child, it wasn’t until she be came a foster parent that Petersen under stood how casework ers are overloaded with responsibilities. The work is exhaust ing and can keep them from having the energy to do what called them to social work in the firstHerplace.trials did not end at Hillsdale — she continued to struggle with ro mance, sex, friendship, and mental health. But she grew, too, and writes that she is grate ful for her experience at the college. In her senior year, she started dating her now husband, whose love for her sweetened her college years and gave her something she had always longed for: the knowledge that she is worthy of being loved.Petersen discusses the taboo on talking about mental health and med ication, especially in the Christian world, where she struggled with the idea that taking medication to manage anxiety signified a lack of faith in God’s power to heal. “In 2020, I finally accepted that my mind is fleshly—meaning, it is fallen,” Petersen writes. “It needs help to move back toward health and whole ness just like any other fallen part of our existence as humans.”Insimilar fashion, she talks about her relation ships with money, food, health, gratitude, sex, race, faith, and more. The com mon thread is her trust in God above all else. With her memoir selling out in three dif ferent countries, Petersen is sharing her story of redemption with the whole world. On her website, she explains how she wants to use her exposure to create spaces for those like her to share their own experi ences.“Iam not a voice for the voiceless. I aim to offer op portunity for the voiceless to raise their voices.”
“Contrary to Austen’s signature writing style, the film isn’t witty, clever, or inspiring, although like several of the film’s characters, it desperately tries to be.”
The Grand Rapids Ballet returns to Hillsdale College. The only professional ballet company in the state, they show the highest level of ex cellence in dance theatre and education. Come experience the classical and contempo rary choreography, and tal ent of these local ballerinas.
Culture www.hillsdalecollegian.comB2 September 1, 2022
“I am half agony, half hope.” These bittersweet words are perhaps the most memorable from Jane Austen’s last novel “Persua sion.” Unfortunately, the new Netflix adaptation of “Persuasion” is all agony and no hope. As an Austen purist, this movie was outraging. It’s historically inaccurate and wildly different from Austen’s most mature and introspective novel. But, even for viewers who have never picked up a Jane Austen novel, it’s just as dis appointing and forgettable.
Netflix’s adaption of ‘Persuasion’ is all agony and no hope
By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor
Hillsdale College alumna Tori Hope Petersen poses with her newly released novel, “Fostered.” Courtesy | Tori Hope Petersen
My five year old had been declaring for months that he didn’t love anybody in his household – he only liked them because I think some body teased him about loving people or implied it was exclusively romantic. He gave that business up and decided that maybe the people in his family must be right about what love is. He whispered in my ear, “I love you Daddy. I love you so much that I want to live forever so that I can live forever with you. What is one trend from the ’90s you think should come back? Action figures. Afford ably-priced, high quality physical toys for children that play on the imagination.
“Seeing my daughter transi tion from being in the nursery to sitting in the church with us was a wonderful thing to wit ness there,” Murphy said. “I will miss the growth of relation ships that have evolved over the time that we were there.”
QUICK HITS: Jordan Wales
Rachel Schroder also visited the Lincoln Memorial on June 24.
In
Campus
Within minutes of the Supreme Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade, sopho more Rachel Schroder stood on the steps of the Court in Washington, D.C. “We have waited for this decision for almost 50 years,” said the Hillsdale College for Life board member. “I went to my hotel room, changed, and went straight to the Su preme Court. Everyone was jumping up and down and screaming and crying out of joy.”Schroder has been involved in the pro-life movement since she was 13, exploring both the legal and political side of the move ment. She testified in Texas’s state legislature before the Senate and House Commit tees on the Human Life Pro tection Act and on a bill that restricts chemical abortion in Texas.While Schroder considers June 24, the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, to be “the most exciting day of her life,” she also believes the battle is far from over. “It doesn’t mean our fight is over. We need to make sure that abortion is not only illegal, but also unthinkable,” Schroder said. Three days before learning the gender of her unborn child, junior Sabrina Nar done heard about the court’s decision.“Lastsemester, I was preg nant and going to protests, and I could talk to people about my experience,” Nar done said. “I am young, I was unmarried, and I’m literally going to have a baby during the semester. I am one of the key hypotheticals that the pro-choice side talks about.” Before Nardone became the Hillsdale College For Life President, she studied her be liefs in abortion more closely during the 2016 election cycle. Before that time, she was opposed to the pro-life movement.“Abortion was present ed to me as something that women do, and men want to control,” Nardone said. Nardone reconsidered her stance after deciding science supports the pro-life posi tion. Now she’s committed to defending her cause. “From there, I decided that I should begin advocat ing for human life,” Nardone said. “It became my sole focus.”Inher first two years of college, she participated in the Klusendorf Fellowship, a pro-life apologetics program through Protect Life Mich igan.Nardone and the Hills dale College For Life Club are planning to increase their outreach programs in Michigan itself, as the power to legislate on abortion has been returned to the states. “The state of Michigan has proposed a amendmentconstitutionalballotinitiative to legalize abortion, so we’re going to do a lot of door knocking and go off campus more,” Nardone said. “The overturning of Roe v. Wade is the first Sophomorestep.”and Klus endorf Fellowship member Michayla Henes first got in volved in the pro-life move ment in her freshman year at Hillsdale College. “I was raised in a prolife family, but they weren’t really involved in the prolife movement,” Henes said. “I joined the pro-life club here on campus, and went to every single meeting.” Henes then joined the Klusendorf Fellowship, and participated in the Susan B. Anthony List Weekend in the Spring semester, which is a non-profit pro-life organiza tion.Henes first learned of the overturn of Roe v. Wade through Instagram. “The announcement was exciting and good, but there is a lot more left to go,” HenesHenessaid.believes that the pro-life movement is just beginning to take root. “The overturn of Roe v. Wade is great, but it’s not as big as people think it is,” Henes said. “It’s a turning point, but we’ve just started the turn. We need to keep going, or else we’ll go back to where we were previously.”
Henes sees herself increas ing local outreach opportuni ties, and continuing to edu cate people about abortion.
Courtesy | Rachel Schroder
By Tracy Wilson Design Editor Associate professor of theol ogy Jordan Wales talks tabasco sauce, love, and dry cleaning. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Professors Jordan Wales and Miles Smith participate in “Faculty Revue.”
Who is your confirma tion saint? Nicodemus. There was a period when I did not feel comfortable being publicly Christian. I wanted to under stand Christianity and God better and I felt that I didn’t. I really liked Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night and questioned him. What is one piece of common knowledge you learned way too late in life? It was not until I was 27 years old that I learned that dress shirts cannot be dried in the dryer without shrinking. In the ’90s, dress shirts were gigantic. It was like wearing a parachute. If I dried my dress shirts in the dryer and they shrank, that meant they were only one and a half sizes too big. In the mid-2000s, dress shirts began to fit closer to the body. That’s when I realized I had been shrinking the sleeves of the dress shirts. What is one thing you used to believe that you have since changed your mind about? I used to believe that the quickest route to becoming friends with someone was by telling them all of my deepest secrets. I have since learned that people need room to assimilate those things. It’s not that you have to wait for self-disclosure, but self-dis closure must be progressive rather than all at once.
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“I assume that I’ll be do ing more outreaches, because we need to talk to people, show people life in the womb, and get them to vote,” Henes said. “Now change can
Kunkel’s wife, Karen Kunkel, mentored Kerr during her time attending the church and became a significant figure in Kerr’s spiritual and personal growth.“She became just a huge impact on my life at Hillsdale,” Kerr said. “Last year, one of her sons got married, and they moved back to town, and his wife also became just a huge part of the church and my life here.”For Aaleyah Welman, a sophomore, the church’s inti mate size was comforting. “Coming to Hillsdale was overwhelming as a freshman with the number of people,” Welman said. “I was looking for the smallest community of people with whom I could connect and live life, and they came alongside me.” Its small congregation enabled students to dive into a group of spirit-filled individ uals.“My best memories of the church are the Bible studies,” sophomore Matthew Tully said. He regrets that he has to find a new church in Hillsdale. “I don’t like the process of church shopping, I guess,” Tully said. “I like having a place that’s sort of reliable, and it felt like a reliable place. It sort of just dis appeared, but I do understand why they had to do it.” Murphy and Kunkel agreed the church had to close, but that doesn’t mean they won’t miss“There’sit. still some sadness left in dealing with change and transition,” Murphy said. “But for the sake of the congregation and others, I think we’ve made the right decision in the end.”
Courtesy | Jordan Wales the wake of Roe v. Wade pro-life leaders share their reactions and how they plan to move forward
If you were stranded on a desert island, other than the Bible, which three books would you like to have with you? Howard Pyle’s book “The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur.” That was my favorite book when I was a little boy. Bernard’s commentary on the Song of Songs, and the “Summa Theologiae.” What is something funny or sweet one of your kids has said to you?
‘I’ll miss the relationships’: Community Bible Church ends its time in Hillsdale
www.hillsdalecollegian.com September 1, 2022 B3Features
What is one fun memory you have from college? One night, my lab part ner and I worked late in the engineering lab until 2 a.m. I had just purchased some cap guns because there was a dance at our college and the invitation to the dance had to be very elaborate. I was in charge of setting up my roommate with a date and I concocted some sort of James Bond scenario in which he had to come in and “gun down” a lot of people who were holding the wom an hostage. So, when my lab partner and I came out of the lab at two in the morning, we ran around in the equivalent of Central Hall having a huge cap gun fight in the stair wells. It was thunderously loud. There were dormitories on the upper floors for wom en who wanted a quieter life. They did not have a quiet life that night.
By Christina Grattan Collegian Freelancer
Do you like any strange food combinations? Chipotle pepper tabasco sauce on top of ginger snaps. Do you have any hidden hobbies or talents? I used to be a pretty pro ficient designer of computer game maps. What is one fictional town you would like to live in for a day? Camelot.
Jeff Kunkel started the church in 2010, serving as the lead pastor while still working in upper management else where. Murphy later joined him as a teaching elder and co-pastor.Aftersome time, it became too difficult for Kunkel to balance a full-time career and family life on top of his volun teer work at the church. In May 2022, he retired. “It was determined that the best option for the people of Community Bible was to join other local churches,” he said. Senior Marleigh Kerr had attended since her freshman year and even continued to occasionally attend remotely while she studied in Washing ton D.C. She learned about the closing while living on Hills dale’s campus near Capitol Hill. “It was just emotional for me to have to deal with the fact that they were now closing, and I wasn’t going to be able to go back to my senior year,” Kerr said.
By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter
After more than ten years of providing a home away from home for students, Community Bible Church closed its doors in the spring. In its lifetime, the church saw many students come and go. Former co-pastor and pro fessor of mathematics David Murphy saw his children grow up at Community Bible.
’13 said he could always look forward to lively discussions during mealtimes at Saga.“Something that I loved about the dining hall was the intra-tradition debates that we had,” Timmis said. “I grew up presbyterian, and I remember arguing with a non-denom inational friend on whether baptism and the Lord’s Supper did anything. He was pretty adamant that they did not. He is now a Roman Catholic theology professor — not that I convinced him.” While mealtimes often include philosophical and theological debate, students also use them to unwind. “Our dinners usually in volve a good deal of swearing, perhaps some foul humor, and then a kernel of meaningful remarks at the very end when we are like, ‘Guys, we have to stop making jokes, we have to take this seriously,’” said senior SamTimmisSchaefer.said one of his favorite memories from Saga was when a group of Donny brook Catholics entered the dining hall with a Vatican flag on Reformation Day. “In response, St. Paul’s stu dents go over to the piano and start pounding and singing as loud as they can ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God.’ You’ve got this flag waving on one side and ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God’ on the other side,” Timmis said. “Father Dave was eating at a table and got up and started singing with them.” While students often lament Saga as the epicenter of hillsdating on campus, it has also been the birthplace of romance. Maier said rushing to Saga breakfast before it closed was how she befriended her husband.“Ihad an 8 a.m. bio lab first thing my sophomore year. It was supposed to be a two-hour lab, but we would hurry up and try to get it done by 9 o’clock so we could run and sneak into Saga before it closed,” Maier said. “That was one of the ways I became friends with my now hus band — he was one of my lab partners.”Junior Maya Goode, who transferred to Hillsdale from Fairfield University last spring, said she immediately felt a sense of communityelse.”anywhereneversaid.sors,”otherhimameandmybumpedanyone.didn’tselfSagadaySaga.walkinguponinto“ThefirstIwenttobymybecauseIknowIintoprofessor,heinvitedtositattablewithandsomeprofesGoode“Itwouldhappen
“The attitude that I have had to work on really as a faith leader on campus is just supporting my friends in whatever helps them love Jesus more,” Johnston said. The Anglican St. Fel lowship will continue their lecture calendar, as well as adding a new tradition of celebrating feast and saints Millersophomoreencouragedthroughoutdaystheyear.Thefellowship’sregularprayermeetingslargelyMicahtofurtherde velop his spiritual life. “Prayer has been one of the most stabilizing influences on my life last year,” Miller said. “I attribute a lot of my emo tional and spiritual stability to a constant discipline of being in prayer and God’s word.” Catholic Society found its yearly theme within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s call for a eucharistic revival. “Mone nobiscum Dominum,” reads the society’s motto for the academic year. “Remain with us Lord,” Catholic Society President Noah Hoonhout translated. With more fresh men sign-ups at the source than any year before, Hoonhout and his executive board plan to seek out opportunities to incorporate and encourage new members. Representa tives from Catholic Society will now act as connections for each dorm on campus, reaching out and providing information to students with in that “Thesedorm.people will really be on the ground and have ears to help form small groups within the larger Catholic Society,” Hoonhout said. Speakers Erika Bachiochi, a leading pro-life scholar from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Dr. Angela Franks, professor of theology at St. John’s Seminary, will join the society’s roster of speakers for this semester. As college chaplain, Adam Rick offers a valuable per spective that reflects his hope for an ecumenical, faithful presence on said.myChristianformation,“Discipleship,campus.Christiantherhythmsofdiscipline,that’sbreadandbutter,”Rick“Mybiggestmissionis to make Christ present among our students on our campus and to make him known and adored.”
rickEnglishProfessorAssistantupgoingwhothemajoritynotdinnertowouldraresomealtimesshorteritwasthatyougolunchorandseetheofpeopleweretoeatthehill.”VisitingofPatTimmis
On the saga of Saga
The Saga of the ’90s was a different experience from the modern Saga, Maier said. “One of the greatest things that you have to understand is that there was a hot food line that usually had one or two op tions. Then if you were lucky, the coldcut line was opened so you could make yourself a sandwich,” Maier said. “If you didn’t like what was in the hot food line and didn’t want to make yourself a sandwich, then you had cereal — that wasMaierit.” described the food during her college experience as “mediocre at best,” although she was fond of the crispy chimichangas. Food is only a secondary quality of Saga, however, and Maier said the dining hall has always been a place for fellowship. “Saga was very much a place for community, espe cially lunches because a lot of the Greek houses would come and eat up the hill,” Maier said. “We also had
September 1, 2022 B4www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Juniors Orlagh O’Donohue, Lily Maciejewski, and Mary Ruth Oster give a thumbs-up to Catholic Society’s recent welcome bonfire.
By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor
Goode said she was struck by Saga’s welcoming environ ment. At Fairfield, she was used to a large dining hall with small tables and chairs and white “abstract” furniture. Saga’s round tables, wooden furniture, and fireplace were a welcomed change. “At Fairfield you wouldn’t go and sit at some random table and everyone was really spaced out,” Goode said. “At saga you can just sit down. It’s a more welcoming space.” Goode did say she misses the food at Fairfield. Upon arriving at Hillsdale, she spent most of her time in lunch lines waiting for turkey burgers and salads.“Atsome point, I was concerned about my health,” Goode said. “I started to visu alize how many turkey burgers I had eaten in the past four months, and I was getting a littleSincenervous.”theconstruction of Knorr Dining Hall in 2008 and the three food service compa nies that have managed it, it has largely remained the same. “That’s probably the most deja-vu place on campus,” Timmis said. “I’ve eaten there since I’ve been back, and I hav en’t noticed a difference.” Timmis said he doubts students will stop calling the dining hall Saga despite new management.SeniorNoah Hoonhout disagrees. He said it is time for Saga to change its name as it is a symbol of the old regime. “We are going to try to call it The Met,” said Hoonhout. “It sounds more classy.” Despite Hoonhout’s efforts to break with tradition, the dining hall will likely remain known as Saga. “It just has this ring to it,” Maier said. “It’s so much easier to call it Saga than it was to call it Bon Appetit, and it’s gonna take people forever to figure out Metz. Old habits die hard.”
Student-run religious clubs talk growth, ecumenism, and prayer
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Students line up for dinner in Saga, catered by Metz. Jack Cote | Collegian
By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor After a summer of prayer ful preparation, Hillsdale’s student-led religious orga nizations set out into a new academic year with a task of biblical proportions: helping overstressed students learn to flourish thingstogetheroftheof8campus.amorningcommitmentsfreshmandooffreshman.withencouragingremembersSeniorspiritually.AnnaGjerdeupperclassmenhertoengageLutheranSocietyasaNowaspresidentthesociety,shestrivestothesameforthecurrentclass.Thegroupdefinesitscorebyitsdailyandeveningprayer,stapleofLutheranlifeonStudentsgatherata.m.toprayacollectionsongsandScripture.Inevening,aregulargroupabout30studentscomestoclosetheday.“That’soneofthebiggestthatgroundsourcom munity and keeps us together by living day by day in prayer with each other,” Gjerde said. “During your most busy weeks, your happiest weeks, your saddest weeks, no matter what your life is looking like there’s always that constant community and that constant com fort.” In Sep tember, the society will offer a weekend retreat in Indiana at Camp LutherHaven. Students will travel there to hear from speakers and have a chance to combine spiritual and social activities.“Iamblessed to see how relationships go beyond denominational ties,” Gjerde said. “How there’s so much more joy and pleasure in being able to be fellow Chris tians who uplift each other and support each other and can talk about all the things we’re doing for our respective clubs.”Likewise, the Anglican Student Fellow ship meets for daily morning and InstainedwithChapelinsmalldayprayereveninginthechapel,aspaceChristlinedcolorfulglass.oneimage, the archangel Michael stands tall, foot crushing the head of the devil.Senior Warden of the Anglican Fellowship Griffin Johnston said these morning and evening prayer sessions will take attendants through the entire Bible in a year.
Across generations of Hillsdale students, one dining hall nickname remains the same
Despite the decade since Saga Inc. last catered at Hillsdale College, calling Knorr Dining Hall anything but “Saga” still regularly gets freshmen eye-rolled right out of aThebooth.tradition of fondly call ing the dining hall “Saga” dates back to the late 90s. “We called it Saga as well,” Director of Academic Services Christy Maier ’98 said. “It was technically Marriott, which was our food service provider, but we called it Saga.” According to Chief Admin istrative Officer Rich Pewe, Saga managed the dining hall before and after Marriot.
Courtesy | Rosemary Surdyke