Collegian 4.13.2023

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Tharp named athletic director

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate Editor

Former men’s basketball head coach John Tharp was appointed Hillsdale College Director of Athletics on Tuesday.

Tharp had been in his position with the basketball team since 2007, and will replace Don Brubacher, who has served as director of athletics since 2008.

Tharp said he is excited for the opportunity and thankful for College President Larry Arnn and the selection committee’s trust.

“It was one of those things where I love Hillsdale College, I love Dr. Arnn, I love what this place stands for,” Tharp said. “It was an opportunity to lead in a different way, to play a different role in serving our college, serving our coaches, and serving all of our student athletes.”

Brubacher announced in November he would be retiring at the end of the school year. He will leave a 15-year legacy where, according to Arnn, he set a high standard for the department.

“He is transparent, thorough, high-minded,” Arnn said. “He has been an excellent counselor constantly on athletics, and on every big question the college faces. He will be greatly missed. I personally have learned a great deal from him. I will be grateful to him abidingly.”

DeSantis calls for educational independence

"We're standing with parents and we're standing with students," he said last week on campus

By Maddy Welsh News Editor

Conservative leaders need to do more than just play defense against the left — especially in education — said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a speech at Hillsdale’s Searle Center last week.

“We've drawn a line in the sand and said that parents in Florida have a right to send their kids to school without having a teacher telling their kids that they can change their gender or that they can pick different pronouns,” he said. “Gender ideology should not be taught in our K-12 schools.

And I don't care if Disney feels otherwise — we're going to make sure we're standing with parents and we're standing with students.”

DeSantis, a Republican who won re-election in November, spoke on campus at “An Evening with Special Guest Ron DeSantis” last Thursday, April

6. His speech was followed by a Q&A session with College President Larry Arnn.

“I’ve known him a while, and I’ve followed him well because we do charter schools in Florida. We do them in several states and, not meaning any invidious distinctions, Florida is the best,” Arnn said. “They know what they’re doing. When you work with them, they keep their word, they make things happen. I finally noticed that — you don’t expect that from government these days — and I began to pay more attention to Florida, and then I found our speaker.”

The governor said he has used his position to fight for the interests of his constituents and to set an example for other conservative leaders.

“There's some Republicans that think their job is to cut taxes and not do anything else. That is not how we conceive of our job,” DeSantis said. He called Florida “the freest state in the United States” and said achieving that status has

required a combination of limiting government intervention in private lives as well as fighting against the active infiltration of leftist ideas in public institutions.

“I think in modern times we've seen the left get into so many different arteries of our society,” DeSantis said. “So yes, you have to limit government and its involvement with you, but you also have to contest the left and all these other institutions. So when I say ‘the Free State of Florida,’ I mean not only limited government but I also mean I have a responsibility to protect my citizens from having the pathologies of the left imposed upon them by all these other institutions in our society.”

Though he frequently faces fire from the media for his policies concerning education and other issues, he said he doesn’t let it get to him.

Campus grieves John Owen Habib, 21

By Lauren Scott Assistant Editor

When Khalil Habib’s 21-year-old son fell into a coma after a rock climbing accident in Morocco two weeks ago, students, staff, and faculty reached out to support the family with text messages, emails, and prayers — and many contributed to a GoFundMe account that raised more than $230,000 for medical expenses.

John Owen Habib died April 11 following a catastrophic fall on April 1, according to the GoFundMe account organized by his

Deans roll out new housing system

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

A new software will help students select housing and meal plans for next school year and include features such as the ability to form roommate groups and to browse individual rooms.

StarRez, which will roll out on Tuesday, April 18, will allow students to have more control over their living situations, freeing administrators to focus on student needs and relations, Dean of Women Rebekah Dell said.

“This was an area in which we thought we could streamline the process,” Dell said. “We can automate, and we can create some efficiencies, so that we can really keep

our eyes focused on student support at every level in the experience. We started looking for software back in 2019, and StarRez pretty quickly came to the top of the pile because of the scope of what they can handle as well as the variety of features and high customization.”

According to Dell, students will have access to on-campus housing choice priority based on their high school graduation year and number of credits. There will be hour blocks of time for each credit group to go into StarRez and select their room choices, either picking a single for themselves or selecting living accommodations on behalf of

See Housing A2

brother, Jordan Habib. He was at Akdital Hospital in Tangier.

“He was far greater than I could ever be,” Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib, John Owen’s father, said. “If this pain is the price of having had him as a child, I would pay it again just to hold him one last time.” College President Larry Arnn said he met John Owen once when he was visiting campus.

“Many people at Hillsdale found him to be attractive, talented, and engaging,” Arnn said. “He was a star student and a star young man. It is a great loss.”

When John Owen was still in the hospital, Arnn said the college was planning to help bring him home to the states.

“We were helping them to arrange a special flight with medical care to get John Owen back to America,” Arnn said. “It looked like it was going to be able to be organized.”

After John Owen’s accident, the Habib family flew to Morocco to be with him in the hospital.

“We all spent every day upon our arrival in Morocco by his bedside, holding his hands and praying over him,” Khalil said. “We were talking to him even though he was in

a coma and playing his favorite music and messages from his friends around the world.”

He said his wife, Cressida Habib, and his son, Jordan, were by John Owen’s side supporting him the entire time.

“They were best friends,” Khalil said.

Adam Carrington, associate professor of politics, said the outpouring love and worry for the Habib family is a testament of how Khalil has touched so many lives at Hillsdale.

“He is a deeply devoted husband and father,” Carrington said. “He makes time and does so much for his

family.”

Dan O’Toole, lecturer in politics, said he will teach Habib's Classical Political Philosophy course and Professor of History Paul Rahe will teach his Roman Political Thought graduate level course. Recent Ph.D. graduate Joey Barretta will teach his section of U.S. Constitution.

Carrington said everyone on campus should remember to pray for the Habib family and be prepared to welcome Khalil back when the time comes.

Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority hosted an Easter egg hunt for children of faculty and staff Wednesday. Jack Cote | Collegian

DeSantis said the left has a foothold in many public institutions.

Jack Cote | Collegian

SAB to host CHP Showdown Students to premiere documentary April 19

By Linnea Shively

Assistant Editor

Several student bands will compete to open for DWLLRS at Centralhallapalloza during the Student Activities Board’s CHP Showdown on Friday, April 14 from 8 p.m. to midnight.

“The point of the event is definitely to showcase student bands, and give the students the chance to vote on who they want to see at CHP,” sophomore and SAB member Josiah Jagoda said. “The students will vote on their favorite bands, and the top three bands will all play at CHP.”

According to Jagoda, the theme of the night is Apres Ski, with a strongly encouraged whiteout dress code. SAB will provide tokens for students to vote on their favorite band of the night.

“CHP showdown is one of the most hype events of the year,” Jagoda said. “The bands know that a big prize is on the line, so the competition is at its peak and the bands go all out. You simply cannot miss Showdown.”

Eight bands will be competing at CHP Showdown, including campus favorites and new groups, Jagoda said.

“The band line-up for the night is looking extraordinary,” he said. “All the most popular bands are playing as well as some awesome newcomers.”

Last year, a group of now sophomore boys formed

Schizmatics to compete at CHP Showdown, according to sophomore and band member Gavin Listro. They had the opportunity to open for Arlie at 2022’s CHP.

“It was kind of crazy that we won because we didn't have an expectation of winning,” Listro said. "We were hoping just to get third place. When we woke up, we're like, ‘Oh, wow, we won.’ Opening for a band that has a career was kind of surreal.”

This year, Schizmatics is back at the competition with a “hype” setlist, according to Listro.

“The main goal when we were picking the songs was to make sure that we kept the energy up throughout the setlist,” Listro said. “We're trying to keep incorporating the funk elements that we had before and keep an upbeat tempo.”

Listro said students should come support other campus bands at a fun event.

“I think live music is kind of the lifeblood of campus in a way. I think every event is better with live music,” Listro said. “If you want to see a band play their best come to CHP showdown because everything's on the line. They're going to prepare the most they can, and they're going to be the best they are that night because that's when it's all on the line. So if you haven't seen these bands play before, I think this would be the event to come to to get to see what it's all about.”

By Isaac Green Sports Editor

Eight students will tell the story of Hillsdale’s legal battle for freedom from federal regulation under Title IX in a new documentary at 7 p.m. on April 19 in Plaster Auditorium.

“The Price of Independence” is the final project for a documentary filmmaking class taught by Buddy Moorehouse, adjunct instructor of journalism. Moorehouse said he chose the topic as the focus of this semester's documentary because it plays such a big role in what Hillsdale is as a school.

“Everybody here knows that Hillsdale is free, that we are independent, that we don't take any federal aid,” Moorehouse said. “But almost nobody knows how it

Tharp from A1

The search for a replacement for Brubacher consisted of more than 100 applicants, 15 of whom were closely vetted, according to Sports Information Director James Gensterblum. Arnn said he made the final decision about the candidates, and called Tharp a splendid man who brings head and heart to the position.

Arnn said Tharp’s enthusiasm and energy showed his ambition for the college and made him stand out among the candidates.

“He wants those programs to contribute to the mission of the college in every way,” Arnn said.

Tharp finishes his career coaching at the college level with 501 wins. He holds the program record for wins as a head coach at both Hillsdale and his previous head-coaching position, Lawrence University.

Housing from A1

Dell said the dean's office suggests picking a roommate captain who has the highest number of Hillsdale credits out of the group. That way, even a sophomore who wants to live with a junior still gets the junior's status for selecting rooms. Once people are a part of a group, any member of the group can register during the group leader’s allotted time. Individual students will also be able to use the new system to search for possible roommate pairings. Students will fill out a roommate questionnaire, and the program will show each student’s compatible matches based on the criteria, such as sleeping preferences and personal interests expressed in the survey.

“I’m excited because the new system is going to make sure everyone is on the same page, and has the group apply as a unit, rather than having to worry about requesting

roommates with the potential of not getting paired together,” sophomore Carlie Steele said. “Groups will no longer deal with the stress of making sure every roommate fills out their forms the right way.”

StarRez will also allow students to shop for their future dorm room or house by enabling students to see pictures of each room, dimensions of that exact room, and a list of furniture in the room. Each building will also have a list of special features and accommodations.

“For us at McIntyre, it doesn’t immediately concern the incoming freshmen; they will still be paired with their roommates by hand,” said Joanna Leckband, sophomore and head resident assistant of McIntyre next year. “Eventually, freshmen will get to see their own rooms before coming. This will be super helpful for them, but for now it’s a great way for us to connect with them over the summer

before they arrive.”

RAs will also be able to check residents in and out of their dorms through the StarRez mobile app, digitizing the previously analog process of taking note of room condition and damages.

“As far as checking them in, move-in is a big day at McIntyre, regardless,” Leckband said. “I think the new software will make communication easier within RA teams on move-in day, eliminating an extra step in the process.”

Greek students living in Greek houses, resident assistants, and those students that wish to renew their current living situation will be placed in their beds first. From there, Dell said the system will update as the credit groups select their houses, showing only the rooms and houses that are available for living.

“I think the challenge is going to be that it is going to require students to be very proactive for their own hous-

happened.”

Sophomore Anna Russell, a scriptwriter for the documentary, said the film will help viewers understand the price the college is willing to pay for its principles.

“I think that's really important for people who support Hillsdale to know, I think it's important for the students who are here to know, and it really gives us the ability to defend what the college is about,” Russell said.

In preparing to produce the project, students took on roles as writers, interviewers, directors, videographers, and researchers. One of the most important steps in the filmmaking process was a team trip to the east coast March 23-25, according to Moorehouse.

Under a $10,000 donation from Tom and Bon -

Under Tharp, the team made five of its eight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and took home three conference titles. In two of his last three years coaching the Chargers, they made their first NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearances in program history. He was named National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Regional Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 season, and G-MAC Coach of the Year twice, for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

“My legacy are the guys that played for me,” Tharp said. “More than any one win, any season, or any championship, are the 16 years of players at Hillsdale College that have been such a big part of my life and will always be a big part of my life.”

Gensterblum said he likes the decision, and although there wouldn’t have been any opposition to an external hire, the college and its teams are

ing experience and selection,” Dell said. “This process will really allow students to take ownership, to say ‘Is this available? What kind of roommate groups do we want to put together?’ If you don't get in that first hour, that’s OK. You may not get your first choice, but you'll still be able to see what's available and select from there.”

All students need to fill out the StarRez form, even if just to inform the system that they are living off campus, going on WHIP or studying abroad. The site will also allow students to register for their desired meal plan and be able to make changes as late as August.

Students can expect an email within the week from the email studenthousing@ hillsdale.edu with a link to StarRez and instructions on what to fill out.

nie Cobb, the entire class traveled to Washington D.C. to collect film and interview

John Facciola, a retired U.S. magistrate judge and adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University, who argued Hillsdale’s case in the courts.

“It went through the system — first through the district court and then the Court of Appeals, and then Supreme Court,” Moorehouse said. “One of the main attorneys who worked on Hillsdale's case is this guy named John Facciola who was in his 30’s back then.”

The documentary crew also interviewed some Hillsdale students currently studying in D.C., according to Moorehouse.

“They interviewed a couple of them about their perspective, having gone to Hillsdale and being current students at Hillsdale, about

unique and special.

“John Tharp is someone who has shown in 16 years that he understands this place,” Gensterblum said. “He understands how to win and have success at this place, while living up to the ideals, goals, and mission that are espoused here. It does mean a lot to have someone in that position who knows what it’s like to run a program at Hillsdale and everything that entails.”

During Brubacher’s tenure leading the department, each of the college’s 14 athletic teams either won a conference title or made it to an NCAA tournament or final. The college won 45 total conference titles, and produced 182 NCAA Division II all-Americans, according to an athletic department press release.

“I think that’s one of his biggest legacies, is that he’s run a program where our biggest teams are obviously successful, but everybody had the support to push to

what it means to them that it's a totally independent school,” Moorehouse said.

The other main objective of the trip was to collect footage.

“Our goal was to interview, to research, and to collect what we call B-roll, which is just shots of the city that we can play in the background of narration or in the background of the interviews,” Russell said.

According to Russell, students should consider taking the documentary filmmaking course in future semesters even if they would not normally take journalism courses.

“I'm a psychology and philosophy major, but I took it because it looked fun and it's so worth it,” Russell said.

excellence,” Gensterblum said. “The expectations were high, the support was high, and the ambition was high in everything, that’s a testament to him and what he was able to do.”

Brubacher will hold the position through June, according to an athletic department press release, at which point Tharp will assume the position. Tharp said the process reminded him of how many people across campus care about students, both in the athletic department and across campus.

“I’ve been emotional because the basketball program’s meant so much to me,” Tharp said. “These players and these kids have meant so much to me. I look at it as a blessing that I’ve had a chance to do that here for 16 years, and I look at it as another blessing that I have a chance to try and fill some pretty big shoes in Coach Brubacher and to lead differently.”

“You can’t let media criticism prevent you from doing the right thing,” he said.

Arnn said he thinks DeSantis has a grasp on what it means to be a leader under the constitution. In a historical sense, he said, governmental power needs to make and enforce laws, but common people also need to have a way to control the people in charge.

“The greatest instrument for doing that, in history, is the constitution of the United States and it is disappearing,” Arnn said. “It means that we live in a time when we may see despotism, we are seeing despotism among us. We see people carrying

guns — using the force to which they are entrusted — for partisan purposes. What are we going to do about that? Because, you know, this greatest experiment in equality and liberty, it's in peril right now as if it were 1850. Our speaker understands all that.”

DeSantis said navigating the framework of the constitution is an important job of an executive.

“It's a responsibility, but it's one in Florida that we welcome,” DeSantis said.

“It's a responsibility that we believe we have no other choice but to meet. We affirm the basic creed of our country: that our rights do not come from government, but they come from the hand of Almighty God.”

Taking a constitutional

approach to government is rare these days, he said.

“I think we need a revival of true American constitutional principles, which you really need the restoration of accountability over these agencies and over the administrative state,” DeSantis said.

Senior Madison Pyhel, a resident of Florida, attended the talk and said she was impressed with what the governor had to say.

“It was such an awesome opportunity to attend the DeSantis talk and hear about all of the incredible things he has been doing for our state,” Pyhel said.

Sophomore Amanda Dover said she has enjoyed being in Khalil’s Classical Political Philosophy class this semester.

“I will greatly miss Dr. Habib’s presence and teaching for the remainder of the semester,” Dover said.

O’Toole said John Owen was optimistic, adventurous, and bold. He thought all of Khalil’s best qualities could be seen through his son.

“He was very smart, generous, and full of life,” O’Toole said. “He made the most of the limited time he had.”

John Owen attended Brown University and was studying Chinese, philosophy, and economics. Through his studies at Brown he learned to speak fluent Man-

darin. He had a passion for music and was a self-taught guitarist, according to the GoFundMe.

“John Owen was joy and curiosity personified. He celebrated his friends, challenged, and encouraged them to be better people; to dare more, to try harder, and to treat themselves and others with grace and respect,” read the GoFundMe account.

He often expressed the desire to start a fund or foundation to help others have access to the many opportunities he had at Brown.

The GoFundMe account says people can continue to donate to help realize John Owen’s goal.

Khalil said he and his family are extremely grateful to the Brown community for the support they have received

from them.

Khalil started teaching at Hillsdale in 2018, and previously taught at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and Boston University. He earned his B.A. from the University of Maine in 1996, his M.A. from the University of Toronto in 1997, and his Ph.D. from Boston University in 2005. His academic writings have involved everything from the French philosopher Montesquieu to Shakespeare’s “King John.”

“We are grateful to the entire Hillsdale community,” Khalil said. “We never felt alone or unsupported. Hillsdale is truly one family, and we will never forget the extraordinary love and support we received from our friends and colleagues at the college.”

DeSantis from A1

Habib from A1

Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib, Cressida Habib, and John Owen Habib, left to right. Courtesy | GoFundMe

Sophomores Owen Gerth and John Schaefer of Schizmatics performed at CHP Showdown last year. Courtesy | Student Activities Board

Niedfelt Residence to host 'Hillsdale Hot Ones' Saturday

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

The Resident Assistants of Niedfeldt dormitory will host “Hillsdale Hot Ones” this Saturday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m. in Plaster Auditorium.

“The event is almost exactly as seen on the YouTube show with Sean Evans,” said junior and Niedfeldt RA John Ritchey. “Basically, we have three guests who will each take a turn being asked questions as they progress through six increasingly hot chicken wings.”

Niedfeldt first hosted the event last year.

"The new RAs put on an event for the dorm each year under the direction of the current RA team to gain experience,” Ritchey said.

A Hillsdale Hot Ones was the idea they came up with, and head Niedfeldt RA Colton Duncan said over 100 people packed into the Old Snack Bar for the inaugural event.

“This year, we knew we needed to upscale the space,” Duncan said. “We added a third round to the event as well.”

The show that serves as inspiration for the event has featured celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal, Ed Sheeran, and Gordon Ramsay, among others.

Fellow Niedfelt RA Harrison Layman said their resident

Academy for Science and Freedom hosts talk

on 'broken science'

By Alexandra Hall Science and Tech Editor

‘master of spice’ John Ritchey will interview Dean of Men Aaron Petersen in one round, Assistant Professor of German Jeffrey Hertel for round two, and finally Associate Professor of Theology Jordan Wales and Hillsdale Academy Teacher Katherine Wales for a third round.

Layman said the questions will become deeper and more personal as the wings get hotter.

“The RAs have done some pretty serious digging on the interviewees so the questions should be exciting,” Layman said.

The event will require a $3 entry fee to support the Helping Hands Pregnancy Center in Hillsdale.

“We were looking to choose a local charity, and we love the idea of contributing to the pro-life movement,” Ritchey said. “We admire the work that Helping Hands Pregnancy Center does for new and expecting mothers.”

Layman said students should come regardless of whether or not they were there last year.

“Saturday night at 7 p.m. is going to be two hours of a ton of fun. We have a bigger stage, more sauces, and new guests,” Layman said. “You have no idea the blast that we have in store for you.”

Professor appointed to board of NRA

By Catherine Maxwell Collegian Reporter

Professor of History David

Raney was elected to a threeyear term on the board of the National Rifle Association and will be sworn in on Saturday, April 15, with duties beginning the following Monday.

Raney has taught at Hillsdale for almost thirty years and has written extensively about firearms and the Second Amendment.

“I began teaching at Hillsdale in 2005,” Raney said. “In 2013, the college awarded me an endowed chair — the John Anthony Halter Chair in American History, the Constitution, and the Second Amendment.”

Raney has also lectured on the Second Amendment for various Hillsdale summer programs.

“I lecture every summer for the firearms/Second Amendment-themed ‘Liberty & Learning Youth Conference,’ sponsored by the Admissions office,” he said. “I also speak for the Institutional Advancement office’s ‘Ladies for Liberty’ and ‘Couples for Liberty’ programs each summer.”

At a young age, Raney became involved with the NRA.

“I decided to join at the ripe old age of 14,” he said. “I scraped together money from a paper route that I had.”

Raney said he became a lifetime member in college and a benefactor member — the highest tier — in the 1990s.

As a board member, Raney said he will have the opportunity to serve on at least one of various committees ranging from legislative policy to college programs.

“Before I was elected to the board, I was asked to serve on the Collegiate Programs Committee which deals with shooting programs and college competitions,” Raney said.

Raney said he would like to remain on that committee but would also like to explore the popular legislative policy committee.

“Everyone wants to be on that one,” he said. “Some nationally known politicians are members of that committee, and they know a thing or two about legislation. It's a hard committee to break into.”

Raney said he appreciates

There’s a lot of broken science, according to former CrossFit founder and Broken Science Initiative founder Greg Glassman. On April 11 Hillsdale’s Academy for Science and Freedom hosted a two-speaker event in collaboration with the initiative.

In 2022, Emily Kaplan and Glassman founded The Broken Science Initiative. According to the initiative’s website, it seeks to “call attention to the current state of modern science” which they describe as “broken,” “void of validation,” and has a “deductivist approach” which “stimulates results that cannot be replicated.”

Glassman founded and owned CrossFit, Inc. — a branded fitness regimen that involves high intensity movement — until 2020. The company is affiliated with about 13,000 gyms in 158 countries, and its worth has been estimated to be about $4 billion, according to an article from BBC News in June 2020. Glassman stepped down and sold Crossfit after he received backlash for various tweets and comments about the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

Glassman began his speech saying the core values of science have shifted.

“I don’t think science is broken, but I think there’s a lot of broken science,” Glassman said. “Typically when you see that, you can find some kind of regulatory capture and a government agency — people are no longer in the business of providing remedies but of persuading the gatekeepers.”

“You might look at a penny and say, is the 50/50 of the coin toss or the one in six of a dice, is that baked into the object?” Glassman said. “Or is that a reflection of our minds? We know it’s not an easy thing to learn, but we do know that probability is an objective measure of your level of knowledge.”

The Broken Science Initiative collaborator William M. Briggs spoke after Glassman. Briggs was a former professor at Cornell Medical School, a statistician at DoubleClick—an internet advertising company, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, and an electronic cryptologist with the U.S. Air Force.

Briggs agreed with Glassman’s critique of science having similar problems, referring to his point about replication as a “replication crisis.”

“Doing science is easy,” Briggs said. “Creating models is easy. Positing theories is easy. It’s really easy to do this, and that’s part of our problem right there. We’ve gotten so good at this that we’re doing too much of it.”

Citing “Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time,” an article published by Nature this January, Briggs discussed “disruptive science” and how revenue in every field from physics to psychology had plummeted since 1960.

ionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn toward darkness.”

The invite-only occasion garnered the attention of many professors in Hillsdale’s STEM departments including Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry Matthew Young, who received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Northwestern University in 2007.

“I was disappointed that the speakers did not focus more on constructive ideas for how to improve science,” Young said. “Science has been incredibly successful at understanding the natural world and providing the basis for a wide variety of life-improving technologies, so the claim that science is broken carries a high burden of proof. I was not convinced, but the more interesting question to me is what are the specific ideas for improving the way that science works?”

Some students attended the event, including senior biology major Sydney Slepian, who expressed frustration with the speakers.

Investment club creates new site

By Emma Verrigni Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College Investment Club introduced a new website to boost the club’s recognition, provide members quick access to the club’s portfolio, and increase outreach to potential members.

The club released the new website on March 9.

According to its website, the investment club manages a portfolio of U.S. equities and specializes in five different market sectors. Club meetings are dedicated to discussing different investment opportunities.

Features of the club’s new website include member biographies, a “join” tab for interested students, and a new password–protected portal only accessible to club members. The site also provides basic information about the investment club, links to the club’s Instagram and LinkedIn pages, and a new “contact us” feature.

both the history and the purpose of the NRA.

“It's the oldest nationwide civil rights organization in the country,” he said. “It was founded in 1871 by Union veterans and was primarily oriented toward improving marksmanship skills on the part of the citizenry.”

During the second half of the 20th century, the NRA began to focus more on protecting Second Amendment rights, according to Raney.

“The NRA has the name recognition and the ability to mobilize resources to defeat these serious challenges to the right to bear arms,” Raney said.

Students said they are excited to have a Hillsdale professor on the NRA board.

“He really understands the history of the right to bear arms in America and cares a lot about protecting that right in alignment with the Constitution and the Founders' ideals,” said Hannah Tully, a freshman in Raney’s American Heritage class.

Another freshman from Raney’s American Heritage class, Porter Jihaad, said Raney’s knowledge of the Constitution prepared him for the board position.

“Dr. Raney's passion and vast knowledge of the American Constitution and early American history make him, in my view, more than qualified for the job,” Jihaad said.

Students outside Raney’s classes said they are excited as well.

“It shows how our faculty overall are very supportive of originalist interpretations of the constitution,” said Anna Teply, a freshman who has become involved with the college’s shooting center.

Raney encourages students who are passionate about the Second Amendment to consider becoming involved with the NRA..

“You have to protect the means by which you secure that right to life, and that means is the ability to possess and to carry firearms for your own self defense,” he said. “It's my hope that students would appreciate that, and I would encourage them to seek out additional information about the association.”

After detailing some of the challenges he faced with media and regulatory bodies while running CrossFit, Glassman said faulty definitions are the fundamental issues with “modern science.” He gave his own definitions of terms like hypothesis and law, while mapping out four factors of how science is supposed to work. These factors, all of which he also described, are observation, measurement, prediction, and validation. Glassman also said probability is a crucial idea that has been debated since the Tower of Babel.

“So it’s impossible to look across the science that we’re seeing out there and think that all of it or even most of it is any good or of any real use,” Briggs said. “There’s a tremendous problem out there. And there’s no symmetry. Even if half of science is right and half the science is wrong, the half that’s wrong takes much more energy and effort to combat the battle, especially because science is now run by the bureaucracy.”

Briggs also quoted Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet.

“The case against science is straightforward. Much of the scientific literature, perhaps half may be simply untrue. Afflicted by small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fash -

“The main theme I got from the talk was to encourage skepticism of science in an audience that was already skeptical,” Slepian said. “They spoke about the flaw of confirmation bias in research, yet here they were doing the exact same thing in only searching for and explaining studies that show some inaccuracies in science and experiments rather than exploring the benefits and great strides seen in scientific research.”

Junior Victoria Kelly expressed similar sentiments.

“After everything we’ve seen especially over the last few years with COVID, I think there is a discussion that should be had and I’m interested in seeing what, if anything, the initiative grows into,” Kelly said. “That said, I don’t necessarily think last night was helpful. I walked away confused about why I should think the speaker was an expert on the topic of science, and I don’t think his message could convince anyone who didn’t already agree with him.”

Film club hosts Super Bowl ad competition

By Josh Newhook Digital Editor

The Film and Production Club hosted a Super Bowl advertisement contest for dorms and clubs to display their merits last week.

Junior and Club President Truman Kjos said the club, which had put on a film contest some years ago, wanted to get dorms and clubs involved in a new contest.

“We said ‘Super Bowl ad’ to give a feel to it so that people didn’t think they had to make an actual advertisement,” Kjos said. “We wanted it to be a fun contest.”

Each advertisement could be about any theme promoting the club or dorm but had to fill 60 seconds: long enough to develop a story, but short enough not to be intimidating, Kjos said. The prize at stake was a $75 Handmade gift card for first place, $50 for second, and $25 for third. There were six submissions in total: two from clubs and four from dorms and housing groups.

Junior and Resident Assistant Andrew Feiger helped with Simpson Residence’s ad after hearing about it from a dorm mate.

“Little did I know what that meant,” Feiger said. “He texted me asking how fast

I could throw on the white suit, which is a dorm relic passed down to me from Andy Walker. I threw it on, and we started filming!”

Feiger said the best part was the fun of throwing it together.

“Benching in a suit was also certainly a highlight,” he said.

Senior Rachel Warren, head RA of New Dorm, said her dorm takes Homecoming competitions pretty seriously, and that it was no different with this project.

“When Truman said, ‘You have proven yourselves more than capable during spirit week,’ and Colton Duncan said, ‘Niedfeldt is going to win,’ we had to at least participate!” Warren said.

Sophomore and New Dorm RA Marina Weber said she volunteered for New Dorm’s ad because she had some experience from making the New Dorm video for Homecoming.

“The RA team decided to make our ad sentimental and cute, replicating styles of ads we had seen from Apple,” Weber said. “We ended up asking our residents to describe New Dorm in one word, which for some was difficult. The ad ended with the catchphrase, ‘New Dorm. One word just won’t do,’ which we thought perfectly

encapsulated how dynamic the dorm is.”

Junior Kenton Baer said really wanting to cash out on the Handmade gift card caused him to enter an ad promoting his home, the Triplex.

“It is a realist depiction of the consumerist degeneration we see in our society today,” Baer said. “I got the inspiration for this ad because it depicts exactly how my house is. If you entered on any given Saturday, the commercial is what you would see.”

Baer said the hardest part of making the ad was convincing his friends that they did not have to act.

“They literally just had to be how they always are: lifeless,” he said.

Kjos said he is working on getting a group of professors to judge the films and decide on the winners. He said he hopes to do an award show in the TV lounge to reveal the winners.

Warren said she hopes this becomes a bigger competition in the future.

“I'm excited to see the other videos that were submitted,” she said. “Homecoming week offers great competition among dorms in the fall, but having something like this as a spring competition was very fun.”

Members agreed the old website had become outdated and obsolete, according to senior and Investment Club President Justin Nater.

“People who are interested in HCIC — whether they be employers, prospective members, or parents — can now easily learn about our club, our philosophy, and our people,” sophomore and treasurer George Accola said.

Senior Isaac Waffle, the investments club’s junior analyst, said the original investment club website did not meet the club’s professional standards.

“Much of the information was out of date, and there were many necessary features missing,” Waffle said. “We especially wanted to have something that potential employers could look at and appreciate the level of professionalism that we hope to carry.”

According to Nater, the investment club needed a professional, organized website for employers, interested students, and current members to easily access data and work with other investment firms in the future.

Sophomore Christian Mancuso, founder of Merica Sites, designed the new website. According to its website, Merica Sites primarily specializes in designing sites for conservative organizations and campaigns.

Member biographies include a professional photo of each club member, along with access to their LinkedIn profile and resume, Waffle said.

The member portal allows members to access the investment club’s portfolio, including various holdings, according to Nater.

Nater said the investment club hopes to extend more opportunities for Hillsdale students to join, and the accessibility of the site will allow students to apply on a rolling basis.

The club hopes to add a networking feature for members and former alumni members to the site soon. This feature will help connect current investment club students with Hillsdale graduates working in the financial field, according to Nater.

The investment club plans to promote various club events, which would provide outreach for members and non-members alike. The club also will promote an upcoming speech and networking event on the website, Nater said.

According to Nater, the Investment Club hopes to introduce a few other changes in addition to the new website, including rewriting its investment policy statement. He also hopes students will be able to become members of the club biannually, as opposed to the current annual basis.

“I think the website is a great opportunity to signal that our club is different than most,” Accola said. “Due to our role in managing a part of the college’s endowment fund, HCIC is a responsibility. We want our prospective members to understand this.”

Opinions

Online : www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Editor-in-Chief | Maggie Hroncich

Associate Editor | Christian Peck-Dimit

Design Editor | Tracy Wilson

Digital Editor | Josh Newhook

Outreach Director | Hannah Cote

News Editor | Maddy Welsh

Opinions Editor | Elyse Apel

City News Editor | Logan Washburn

Sports Editor | Isaac Green

Culture Editor | Megan Williams

Features Editor | Meghan Schultz

Science & Tech Editor | Alexandra Hall

Social Media Manager | Jillian Parks

Circulation Managers | Micah Hart and Victoria Wagner

Assistant Editors | Linnea Shively | Michaela Estruth | Lauren Scott

| Olivia Hajicek | Tess Owen | Olivia Pero | Thomas McKenna | Jane

Kitchen | Michael Bachmann | Carly Moran

Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold

The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Send submissions to the Opinions

Editor at ehawkins@hillsdale.edu before Saturday at 3 p.m.

By Jacob Fox

There is a stark difference between the quaint shops and historic architecture of N. Broad Street and the sprawling parking lots along W. Carleton Road. On either side of Hillsdale College’s campus, there exists a perfect microcosm of 100 years’ worth of urban planning policies. N. Broad Street is characterized by closely packed shops, adorned with varying colorful facades and ornamentation. The street terminates at the beautiful post office and City Hall, drawing the careful observer’s eye to an attractive focal point. W. Carleton Road, on the other hand, is filled with generic, boxy stores set so far back from the road that they need large, flashy signs to catch the attention of fast-moving traffic.

The historic downtown of Hillsdale is a perfect example of traditional urban development: slow, calculated growth that maximizes land usage to reduce transportation time and infrastructure costs.

Old urban policies naturally incentivized efficient development due to constrained modes of transportation, such as walking or cycling, as well as a limited municipal budget funded by local property taxes. Builders cared about ornamentation and style because those experiencing the town on a human scale would enjoy it, increasing a building’s property value. Mixed-use zoning allowed people to integrate their work with their domestic life, bringing the community together through plenty of shared spaces like neighborhood restaurants and cafes. The city itself was also incentivized to create attractive landmark buildings for its government offices by the increase in surrounding property value and subsequent tax revenue.

However, Hillsdale’s modern development, no more than a few blocks away, tells a very different story. Once Americans became dependent on cars in the 1950s, work and home no longer needed to be geographically close, assuming that there were enough parking spaces. Hillsdale expanded outward as fast as concrete could be poured and with it came big corporations brandishing trademark American consumerism. Living space segregated itself from commercial developments to escape the added noise of traffic, and ornamentation ceased as businesses changed from aesthetic designs to flashy branding to appeal to consumers. Parking lots destroy architectural beauty no matter the building and parking requirements make them mandatory. Several urban planning policies enabled this new approach

The Collegian Weekly

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

Students should spend a summer in Hillsdale

Let’s face it: despite the warmer weather this week, most Hillsdale students don’t get to enjoy the full extent of spring in Michigan. People rightfully note that trees are just about to burst into full foliage just as students pack up and finish the semester.

But not all Hillsdalians have to go home. Instead, spending spring and summer in Michigan might

be a great way to enjoy the weather and gain new experiences. If you want to get an extra core class or upper-level out of the way, you can choose dozens of courses with great professors.

Michigan may not be the first place you think of when you are making summer plans. But the warm weather, low humidity, and the Great Lakes provide an

ideal summer.

After classes, job opportunities and adventures await. Career Services and Handshake offer plenty of internships and job opportunities right on campus. Want to try life in a bigger city? Hillsdale has connections to alumni and friends of the college in cities like Ann Arbor and Detroit who would be willing to set a budding student to

work. Additionally, Career Services offers ways to find housing through The Hub, which could make living in Michigan affordable as well as convenient. So before you’re set on going back home for the warmer months, consider the great options right here in the Mitten.

Make the library as beautiful as the rest of campus

By Jillian Parks

to development. Parking, set-back, and greenspace requirements forced lower density than the market may have wanted. City planners also zoned much of the city as single-family residential, preventing developers from increasing density to create more affordable housing closer to Hillsdale’s central business district, the downtown.

For many U.S. cities, these mistakes were detrimental to their financial health. They became dependent on state grants to cover their large infrastructure costs and replace the depleted property values downtown. However, the City of Hillsdale avoided this mistake. For instance, a new Meijer is slated to break ground in 2023, just north of Tire Discounters on W Carleton Road. Instead of subsidizing their decentralized location, the city required Meijer to fund the expansion of the water main to their own site, while allowing them to lease out usage of that section to future businesses. This incentivizes Meijer to be frugal with its infrastructure and location choices and prevents additional liabilities for the city. According to the 2015 and 2021 City Master Plan, Hillsdale has also stated a commitment to expanding mixed use zoning in areas conducive to higher density, increasing walkability, and rerouting M-99 to decrease heavy traffic downtown.

These steps are integral to Hillsdale’s city planning strategy as it faces a unique challenge: because of Michigan state law, the would-be largest contributors to Hillsdale’s property tax base are exempt. This includes hospitals, churches, educational institutions, and government buildings. Therefore, the city must find ways to optimize its remaining tax base. They plan on increasing the connection between Hillsdale College and the downtown area, as currently many of the visitors to the college never contribute to the local economy through commerce. Additionally, both the Meijer project and the downtown revitalization efforts are an attempt at drawing the distant rural population to Hillsdale over places like Fort Wayne or Ann Arbor that might be the same distance away. Hillsdale’s downtown is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places, giving all the more reason for the city to support its vitality. Hillsdale is a small city with relatively slow growth so change will take time. However, with fiscal prudence and future plans, the City of Hillsdale will continue to be a strong, beautiful place for a long time to come.

Jacob Fox is a sophomore studying economics.

For a school that touts beauty as a real virtue to pursue, Hillsdale College has one of the ugliest libraries I have ever seen. My childhood public library and the library in my high school were both more inviting, thematically cohesive, and able to inspire a love of learning, which is our purpose while at Hillsdale.

Mossey Library has an honorable, sweet history behind it. Named after Micheal Alex Mossey, it pays homage to the memory of a beloved child of alumni parents. With more than 300,000 items - physical and online - in its collection, the library provides a wealth of resources for student and faculty research and projects. It has continued to be updated and funded by a multitude of different donors since its original construction. It is also home to some of the most capable, kindest librarians and library staff, and they deserve a prettier place to work.

Mossey Library’s current layout and design hurt student study habits by making library trips a chore, and its outdated design does not match the campus’ overall aesthetic. The college should hire an interior decorator to fix the ambiance, color scheme, and layout of the library to increase the campus’s ability to pursue and appreciate academic excellence.

If a student wants to study in the library, he or she is left with three floor options that

students have named Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Each floor features stand alone, wooden bookshelves and a colorless atmosphere that pervades the entire building.

At the top, there is Heaven. Wind down with Plato and Aristotle by sitting in the back room with lime green walls, teal accents, and cherry red furniture. Frankly, it is shagadelic. The alternative is sitting among reference books, DVDs, and magazines displayed on bookshelves. On the bright side, there are usually a good amount of people up there to study alongside. On the not-as-bright side, there are approximately 215 places to sit; I know because I counted. The other two floors seat a collective 120. That may sound like a lot of seating opportunities, however, that is less than 25% of campus, and a majority of those seats are in sets of four. Most people aren’t comfortable sitting down at a table next to a stranger to study, which effectively means three seats are no longer available if one person claims a spot.

Heaven houses the Heritage Room, which embodies exactly what the rest of the library ought to be; however, any breath too loud or cough too consistent, and I’m afraid of being taken out by the daggers people throw with their glances.

The middle floor is affectionately called Purgatory. The controversy of the name embodies the controversy of the place itself. Wikipedia describes purgatory as “an intermediate state after

physical death for expiatory purification,” which sounds about right.

Some people love that floor. Those people have never been to a good library. Purgatory features cinder block walls, windows that let in light around the room’s perimeter and leave the middle of the room subject to bright fluorescent light, and study rooms. These study rooms are not at all soundproof, so they are only effective for independent, silent study time, i.e. the point of the entire floor, i.e. a useless feature. The windows are a plus, but the color of Purgatory is beige, and Michigan winters do not help with that.

The bottom floor is called Hell, and it is called Hell for a reason. It is sad like Purgatory, just smaller and more silent. Once a student makes his or her way down to Hell, the red has been stripped of the chairs and wooden, independent desk areas are all that remain.

The only way out is a creaky, shakey elevator or a staircase that can only be described as dingy. While I have never committed a crime, the floor reminds me of the cells I saw on a field trip to the local jail I took many years ago. People often use Hell when they really need to crack down on an assignment because it is quiet. The punishment of being in a sterile and unfriendly environment is simply an unnecessary pile-on.

If you can get a seat, getting work done in these areas still feels like a punishment for trying to learn.

Also, not a single floor, in vibe or in appearances, is beautiful. Even the books themselves are stored, not displayed. The library should be warm, inviting, and an enjoyable experience like the other keystone buildings on campus.

Christ Chapel emphasizes the school’s commitment to Christian worship. The amphitheater-reminiscent Markel Auditorium for performance proclaims an attention to the roots of theater and an appreciation of the arts. The presence of plenty of coffee shops and communal spaces for student conversation provide space for the free speech and open exchange of ideas on campus. The school cares about worship, performance and free speech, and it has spaces and architecture that physically manifest those ideals. If the school really values the liberal arts, learning for the sake of learning, it should provide a space where spending hours reading and studying for finals is a joy. Hillsdale has proven to be capable of creating beautiful spaces, and I’m confident it could do it again in pursuit of a better library space. I love what I am learning here; I want a space where I am able to love the process of learning it.

Jillian is a sophomore studying rhetoric and media and journalism. She is the social media manager for the Collegian.

There should be an optional sex-segregated physical wellness

By Erin Osborne

“I had a gym date today,” sophomore Natalie Parker said.

As part of her physical wellness class, Parker’s professor asked the men and women in the class to raise their hands if they were familiar with the equipment in the gym. The men in the class raised their hands. According to Parker, the professor then asked the students to raise their hands if they were unfamiliar with the equipment in the gym. Parker and the other women in the class raised their hands.

The students were then told to pair up as a “gym date,” in which the men who were familiar with gym equipment showed the women who were unfamiliar with gym equipment around the gym. This method may be an efficient way to teach people how to use gym equipment, but it also reveals a problem in the physical wellness classes: men and women have different abilities and interests about their own physical health and wellness. Men and women often exercise differently. They have different maximum aerobic

capacities, can lift different amounts of weight, and have different preferences regarding exercise category.

For example, Matt Brzycki of Princeton University said “the absolute total-body strength of women has been reported as being roughly 67% that of men.” With these different capacities, men and women often act differently in the gym. If the physical wellness class required by Hillsdale College wants to encourage students to exercise and care about their physical wellbeing, there should be an option that is sex-segregated, in order for men and women to get a more valuable experience that reflects the different capacities of both sexes. Hillsdale College offers self-defense and shooting classes that are exclusive to women, so why not extend the same separation to the class that all students are required to take?

The physical wellness curriculum is not exclusively about physical exercise. It also includes emotional and relational wellness instruction. This is another area where men and women often have innately different interests.

Women, for example, may prefer to learn about their own hormonal cycles and fertility, while men may be uninterested in that sort of education.

The Women’s Health and Nutrition class does specify women’s health, but there is only one section offered per semester, and the class is only open to seniors. Therefore, as good of a class as it is, comparatively few women can actually take it.

I went to a public school for 13 years, and had every single co-ed health instruction that that entailed, including lectures on sexual material where both male and female students were present. That environment fuels incredible discomfort and keeps students from asking questions that may otherwise be important to their health.

Hillsdale College’s physical wellness class includes components about relational wellness, which is important. However, women and men yet again have widely different needs as far as curriculum. Again, if the goal of a physical wellness class requirement is to encourage students to learn about their

own bodies and how to be healthy, then shouldn’t the class cater to the questions and educational needs of the students?

Optional sex-segregated physical wellness classes would allow men and women to gain the most out of their physical wellness experience in all areas of the curriculum. They would be able to further their knowledge of physical exercise, human emotions, and healthy relationships in a comfortable environment where they can prioritize their health as it aligns with their sexes.

There is a place for co-educational wellness. There is a time for learning about the wellness of the opposite sex. But physical wellness classes should be an environment in which both men and women can best learn about their own needs, and sex-segregated class offerings is one of the ways to accomplish that.

Erin Osborne is a sophomore studying Spanish, journalism, and military history and grand strategy.

Hillsdale leads the way in fixing poor urban policies

The New Yorker reporter did not come to Hillsdale to flatter us

By Alexandra Hall

When Hillsdale students were bickering with New Yorker readers in the comments section on Instagram last week, one thing was clear: only a small percentage of people had read Emma Green’s article in its entirety. From the April 10 issue of the New Yorker, Green’s article “The Christian Liberal-Arts School at the Heart of the Culture Wars” was printed, more than six months after Green visited campus. Some students were enraged by Green’s playful descriptions about freshman convocation being as dramatic as going off to battle or College President Larry Arnn’s shoes being described as “orthopedic.” But if you’ve ever stepped foot at a singular Hillsdale function, you can’t deny we’re inclined toward the dramatic. Hillsdale is a place that for better or for worse, takes itself very

seriously. This is why Green’s article felt like a personal attack on Hillsdale. Here was a woman who came to campus for only a few days, the place most of us will spend a significant portion of our young adult lives and whose professors and administrators have dedicated their careers. Making any sort of definitive claim about what Hillsdale is and the identities of those who compose its infrastructure is a catch-22. If it was all positive, it not only would’ve been a lie, but we still would’ve found some fault in it.

The article doesn’t have a cohesive storyline or singular point— it reads as a collection of thoughts, quotes, and research Green conducted while on campus. So to a Hillsdale audience, it seems lame and un-telling of anything new. But to the typical New Yorker reader, this article served its purpose. It captured a birds-eye view of an institution that to most of

the country, is a mysterious, scary little city on an imaginary hill.

Another major criticism that was repeatedly brought up over the week following the article’s release was Green’s inclusion of Hillsdale’s past scandals.

“Why did they have to bring up George Roche III again?”

Because that’s our history. Shying away from mentioning very public scandals would be a disservice to both Green’s readers and Hillsdale as a whole. For a school that claims not to shy away from the past or eliminate evidence of it, why should the collective approach to our own institution be any different?

Green’s sharpest point was the distinction she drew between Hillsdale’s external image versus its internal reality. While some Hillsdale folks are gung-ho about all things GOP, others are merely drawn to the promise of a liberal arts education,

what Green describes as “a devotion to the Western canon, an emphasis on primary sources over academic theory, and a focus on equipping students to be able, virtuous citizens.” Many students are weary of some of Hillsdale’s gaudy marketing moves, but as Green points out, they’re necessary to the survival of our school.

Of course Green’s profile was limited. A profile in a newspaper or magazine will never be able to capture the full, rich image of anything, let alone an entire institution filled to the brim with dynamic and strange characters. Green’s article was a charcuterie board of some of what Hillsdale has to offer and where its ingredients are found on a national level— Green didn’t write her article for us.

Alexandra Hall is a sophomore studying rhetoric and media. She is science and tech editor for the Collegian.

New Yorker misquote shows how media distorts Hillsdale

By Haley Strack

Journalist Emma Green’s article on Hillsdale College in last week’s New Yorker placed our school “at the center of the culture war.” Save one line about the “relatively little appetite for partisanship” on campus, she failed to pin down Hillsdale’s political philosophy. And she failed to quote at least one of our fellow students accurately.

Discovering Hillsdale’s political alignment is easy. We’re not shy thinkers; ask our president. Professors quoted in the piece labeled Hillsdale as staunchly conservative—as long as conservative means “conserving things.” It’s an “uncooperative” label, Green said.

Green could have explained why Hillsdale is at the center of the culture

war by including what we conserve. If Hillsdale is conservative, it is so because of its rootedness in the Western tradition. It is so because its students are truth-seekers who pursue education as students of the Almighty.

The danger of joining such a lovely venture is the tendency to sound pretentious. Green picked up on that when she misquoted senior Olivia Ols’s convocation speech:

“A curly-haired senior kicked off the ceremony.

‘We’re always one graduating class away from losing the student culture here,’ she said from the lectern. ‘Hold yourself to a higher standard, because it’s what you need. It’s what Hillsdale needs. It’s what our country needs. It’s what God needs.’”

Maybe Green heard

what her piece needed: A damning line that shows Hillsdale believes itself righteously ordained by God as the only institution that can change the world. Green didn’t hear what Ols actually said: “[A high standard] is what Hillsdale needs, what our country needs, and what God demands.” Ols followed that with a verse from Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Anybody who listens to the audio recording of her remarks can hear what she said, rather than what Green claims in her article.

Emily Stack Davis, the college’s executive director of media relations and communications, confirmed that Ols was misquoted by the New

Trump’s indictment was good for American democracy

By Avery Noel

When a Manhattan grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump, many right-wing news outlets argued the indictment was purely political, an attempt to harm his chances in the 2024 presidential race and in no way based in fact or law. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene even compared the indictment to the persecution of Jesus Christ.

Once again, Republicans have shown their undying loyalty to a disgraced figure. In reality, the indictment of Trump is necessary for democracy, but it also serves as a boost to the president’s primary campaign within the Republican Party; in addition, the indictment is based in both fact and law.

The indictment of Trump is a good thing for showcasing the strength of the American democratic system. Under a democracy, it is important that no one is able to resist the law through force, wealth, or power. In spite of his status as a former president, Trump is not above the rule of law, and this indictment proves that. This should serve as an example to others who seek to usurp the justice system through intimidation or other means.

Some have suggested that this political prosecution may open up the door for the prosecution

Michigan’s ‘right to work’ law should not have been repealed

of Democrats in red states. If, as in Trump’s case, there was evidence that presidents Clinton, Obama, or Biden had committed felonies, I would also hope that they would be aggressively prosecuted. To reiterate, no one should be above the law in a democratic nation. Unfortunately for Republicans wishing to exact political revenge, no such evidence has been found.

Trump’s indictment, while it will hurt him in the general election, will also serve as a boost to his Republican primary campaign. As has been noted in the “Campus Speaks on Trump’s Indictment” piece in this publication on April 6th, some believe that Trump’s indictment will allow him to present himself as a martyr to Republican voters. Because of this indictment, Trump will be able to promote himself as someone so against the political establishment that he served jail time for it. While Trump was already the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, this indictment may push him even further over the top.

Trump’s indictment is not a political prosecution; the legal maneuver utilized by District Attorney Alvin Bragg is an attempt to find justice through the proper means. As stated by Bragg, “[u] nder New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business

defraud, intent to conceal another crime.” Bragg would not have pursued the charges without believing there was at least credible evidence that a crime had been committed, and to suggest otherwise would be absurd.

According to a recent piece written by NPR, the indictment is a culmination of investigation into the former president’s bribery of Stormy Daniels, the former porn star paid to keep quiet about sexual encounters with Trump, especially evidenced through the connected guilty plea of Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer who alleged multiple campaign finance violations. In this case, it is clear that there is too much evidence for the DA not to pursue prosecution.

More than political motivations have played into the prosecution of Donald Trump. Bragg found significant evidence showing the possibility of campaign finance violations and, in accordance with his job description, pursued the prosecution of potential crimes. Such a prosecution is important for the state of our democracy, to show that the rule of law is a principle which applies equally to all, no matter their wealth or power.

Avery Noel is a junior studying economics.

Yorker reporter. Davis has contacted Green about the misquote. We don’t run this college because God needs us to. We dedicate ourselves to virtue for the misquoted reason Ols mentioned: God demands it.

Perhaps a better article would be why so many people flock to Hillsdale as the place to learn that virtue—and why our students have such impressive professional and personal track records. Analyzing the politics of Hillsdale is worthless without first considering why the school exists. We welcome Green to join us again soon, hoping she quotes the next convocation with listening ears.

Haley Strack is a senior studying politics and journalism.

By Christina Lewis America prides itself on free speech. But when it comes to

unions, Michigan

Whitmer

Gov. Gretchen

and the Democratic majority in Michigan’s legislature do not believe people should enjoy this right.

The “right-to-work” law, simply put, gave workers the choice of paying union dues instead of coercing them to do so. The law not only benefited Michigan’s economy, but it also benefited workers and unions.

Paul Moreno, professor of history, explained in an interview how Michigan, once a very strong union state, passed the “right-towork” law.

“Michigan was the home of the United Auto Workers and really one of the most strongly organized states in the union. So the idea that they would become a ‘right to work’ state was sort of laughable,” Moreno said. “But then in 2010, the state had become increasingly Republican and I think mostly a recognition that it’d be good for job creation. Employers like to start new businesses in ‘right-to-work’ states that don’t have to deal with the extra costs of unions.”

Less than one year after people celebrated the 10th anniversary of Michigan’s “right-to-work” law, Whitmer signed legislation repealing it.

Though some may argue that the repealing of Michigan’s “right-to-work” law will benefit unionized workers as it may result in better contracts for the workers since there is more accountability, the benefits will likely only be short term.

Christopher Martin, associate professor of economics, explained the long-term consequences of the law getting repealed.

“There are arguments and evidence on both sides

of this issue, but I think the case is pretty strong that the ‘right-to-work’ repeal will discourage new businesses from locating in Michigan or existing businesses from investing or expanding,” Martin said. “Employment and income growth will tend to be slower in Michigan than it would have been otherwise.”

Now that the “right-towork” law is gone, people in the private sector can be required to pay union dues if their employer is part of a union. If they refuse to do so, they can legally be fired. Unions often become political platforms for workers to express their political affiliations. This means that workers may be required to pay dues to a union they do not even agree with.

The “right-to-work” law benefited unions as well because the law kept unions in check. In a 2014 Washington Post article, former southern region director for the United Auto Workers, Gary Casteel, said the “right-to-work” law keeps unions accountable. Casteel argued that when workers are given the freedom to choose if they want to commit to a union’s views, workers that do choose to commit allow unions to be more effective.

Michigan’s “right-towork” law allowed for the state to benefit economically, workers to get the freedom to choose what unions to join, and even for unions to be more effective. The rights Americans hold dear should not be up for grabs.

Christina Lewis is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Trump’s indictment was the start of justice’s downfall

By Catherine Maxwell

Did democracy die with Donald Trump’s arraignment? Perhaps not––but justice certainly did. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought a set of 34 counts against the former president, including falsifying business records, which is the lowest level felony in the state. Currently, it appears unlikely that Trump will be convicted, but the mere fact that he was charged should be enough to cause outcry––not about him, but about the gross misuse of judicial proceedings. If Trump actually committed a crime, he should be charged. It’s the ludicrousness of his alleged crime that tears a rift in the judicial process and sets the precedent for scores of politically-motivated indictments.

First, Bragg is clearly not motivated by justice. He has a history of releasing felons such as career criminal Rodney Johnson or Harold Gooding, who has been arrested more than 100 times. Bragg isn’t interested in stopping the people who shove women onto subway tracks; he’d rather chase the moments of fame that come with charging a former U.S. president.

He’s probably going to fail, and Trump will raise millions of dollars off of his latest persecution. The media will have something new to say about Trump and benefit from a surge in

ratings. As the drama fades into the background of the 2024 primaries, it will only be considered the reason why so many are rallying to Trump’s side or organizing themselves against him.

Meanwhile, justice is floundering.

Republicans will not forget this moment. They have a long history of letting Democrats change the rules. Take, for example, the Democrats abolishing the filibuster for U.S. Supreme Court justice confirmations. They have certainly benefited from it; but it also allowed Republicans to confirm three justices during Trump’s presidency.

What happens when Biden eventually leaves office? If the Department of Justice chooses not to indict him, will some no-name DA decide to cry “Hunter Biden” and press charges? Will they bother putting together a real case, or will they just shrug and rely on the support from loyal Republicans?

Once Republicans retaliate, the war has truly begun. Democrats will look to charge the next Republican president with anything from a real crime to having an abrasive personality. Both sides will continue to escalate the cycle.

This trend of arresting people because of who they are––not what they’ve done––will water down the justice system until an arrest means nothing. If a former president didn’t do something wrong––well, there

will always be something ambiguous to pounce on. If he did do something wrong, his supporters will cry witch hunt, and any legitimacy in the proceedings will be lost.

Is this what Americans want their judicial system to become? A circus of weak, uncertain charges? A whirlpool of hot takes where one side refuses to admit any wrongdoing and the other believes they’ve found the devil incarnate?

The political implications are uncertain at best. Trump’s indictment might secure him the 2024 Republican nomination; then again, it might not. Democrats have the joy of seeing Trump in the courtroom, but that’s as far as their satisfaction will go. It’s a poor excuse for mismanaging justice, but even if they weren’t, the benefits simply aren’t there.

No one will stop to consider this, of course. Republicans would appear weak if they didn’t retaliate; they might claim injustice now, but it won’t stop them later. Democrats, if Biden is charged, will bemoan the state of justice but ignore their own violations.

Is there a way to avoid this grim judicial future? Not if our political parties follow the habits they’ve developed after years of attempts to one-up each other.

Catherine Maxwell is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

City News

Alumna wins 2023 Artist of the Year

ArtWorks recognized Renee Nestorak ’10 for her contributions to art in the community

By Isabella Helms Collegian Reporter

Renee Nestorak ’10 was named the 2023 Artist of the Year by ArtWorks of Hillsdale County on March 31.

Nestorak’s accomplishments and promotion of the arts in the community as associate music director at Hillsdale First United Methodist Church qualified her as a stand-out recipient for the award, ArtWorks President Connie Sexton said.

According to Sexton, ArtWorks will honor Nestorak on June 4 with a celebration reception at the Dawn Theater.

The award honors individuals or couples who have played a significant role in promoting arts in Hillsdale County, Sexton said. The honorees may be involved in any art form, and can be art educators or advocates. ArtWorks has given the award since 2008.

Sexton said she was impressed by Nestorak’s dedication to art and music after working with her.

“She was running the music performance competition for ArtWorks all by herself for many years, until I took it over for her and gave her a break,” Sexton said. “No matter what I ask of her, she is always there for support.”

Nestorak said she was surprised to learn she had won Artist of the Year. As an ArtWorks board member, Nestorak had received an email about a nomination but did not know any details about the nominee until she arrived at the board meeting later that day.

“When I finally showed up,” Nestorak said, “I noticed that there were several of the calendars that I designed with my photography on the table, and I thought ‘Well wait a second, what are these doing here?’ That’s when they told me that they had chosen me as the Artist of the Year, and so it was quite a surprise.”

Aside from her work at her church, Nestorak is a teacher at Hillsdale County School of the Arts, a board

4

director.

“I felt like God had kept me in the community to help further the arts and music,” Nestorak said. “I didn’t realize that right away, but looking back, I am glad that I have been able to nurture graphic arts, fine arts, and music in this community.”

John Ourensma, director of music at Hillsdale First United Methodist Church, has been working with Nestorak in a church music position for the past 10 years. Nestorak took the position of associate music director after she graduated from Hillsdale and was responsible for the contemporary 11 a.m. service and worship band.

“Renee works in the church that she grew up in since she was two or three years old when her parents moved to Hillsdale,” Ourensma said. “The church is an older congregation, and so when she began working here, she was the youngest one in the congregation.”

Nestorak began designing posters, publicity materials, and graphics for the music department and webpage soon after she started working at Hillsdale First United Methodist Church.

Over the years, Ourensma said he has been impressed by her skills.

“She is a very detailoriented person,” Ourensma said. “She catches a lot of our mistakes, oversights, and things we don’t think about. Her work is very important to our daily routine.”

Ourensma attested to Nestorak’s gifts and character, saying that both he and the community have always noticed her dedication to work and faith.

Police arrest sexual assault suspect on Easter Sunday

member of ArtWorks of Hillsdale County, and an instructor for the violin and viola. She has also published a yearly calendar of her photography.

“When I went to

Hillsdale, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I enjoyed art and music so that’s what I ended up doing,” Nestorak said. While attending the college, Nestorak double

majored in art and music, with a focus on graphic design and photography. After college, she decided to stay in Hillsdale because her church was looking for a contemporary music

POLICE REPORT: 6 April

April

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 38-year-old man from Hillsdale on a felony warrant for second-degree home invasion, larceny, and possession of burglars tools. A $75,000 bond with 10% allowed was not posted.

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 28-year-old Hillsdale woman for operating while intoxicated. A $5,000 bond with 10% allowed was posted.

9 April

- The City of Hillsdale Police Department arrested a 35-year-old homeless man for third-degree sexual assault. No bond was allowed.

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 70-year-old North Adams man on a misdemeanor warrant for two counts of a stray dog and two counts of a dangerous animal. A $2,000 bond was posted.

Logan Washburn City News Editor

Police arrested a Litchfield man accused of rape at a local hotel over Easter weekend.

Officers with the City of Hillsdale Police Department arrested 35-year-old Leandro Pereyra on suspicion of raping a woman in a hotel room early Easter Sunday, according to the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office.

“She was the fiancee of Pereyra’s friend who was passed out from alcohol and in the hotel room,” Prosecutor Neal Brady said. “He was arrested early Sunday morning at the hotel room.”

Pereyra claimed the incident was consensual, according to Brady.

“She has always been mature for her age and serious about her life, work, and faith,” Ourensma said. “That’s one reason why she has gotten along with the congregation as well as she has. She has figured out how to channel her gifts and energy very early on in her life.”

The Collegian has compiled a selection of recent arrests from the City of Hillsdale and Hillsdale County.

7 April

“He was arrested early Sunday morning at the hotel room.”

Officers booked Pereyra into the county jail just after 5 a.m., according to JailTracker. His bond was set at $40,000 with 10% allowed. If he pays bond, Brady said, the court would place him on a GPS tether. The sheriff’s office said the suspect was homeless.

Brady said prosecutors charged Pereyra with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, which carries a 15-year maximum sentence.

- The Michigan State Police arrested a 50-year-old Hillsdale man on a felony warrant for a false report and malicious use of telecommunications. A $51,000 bond with 10% allowed was not posted.

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 39-year-old Osseo woman on two counts of child neglect/child support and possession of methamphetamine. No bond was allowed.

10 April

- The City of Hillsdale Police Department arrested a 35-year-old Hillsdale man on a warrant for contempt and failure to appear, and two counts of domestic violence. No bond was allowed.

- The Michigan State Police arrested a 41-yearold Fremont, Indiana woman on a warrant from Noble County, Indiana. No bond was allowed.

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 29 year old from Osseo on a fugitive warrant from Steuben County, Indiana. No bond was allowed.

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 32-year-old man from Hillsdale on a warrant for failure to pay child support. A $250 bond was posted.

11 April

- The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office arrested a 64-year-old Hillsdale man on a warrant for two counts of a stray dog, four bench warrants for contempt/ failure to appear, and possession of methamphetamine. No bond was allowed.

Sources: City of Hillsdale Police Department, Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office

“He may have been booked after arrest on a CSC first degree charge, which is a life offense, but that assessment of the crime was in error,” Brady said. “The offense did not fit the criteria for a CSC in the first degree.”

Brady said either he or Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jamie Wisniewski will prosecute Pereyra, and attorney Kimm Burger said she will defend him.

Burger said she had not gotten the chance to speak with him since she was assigned the case Tuesday.

“I’m looking at some of the information, and I already know by the police report, there’s still a lot of things that are not kosher,” Burger said.

Pereyra will face a probable cause conference before District Court Judge Megan Stiverson on April 19 at 10 a.m., according to the court docket.

“I felt like God had kept me in the community to help further the arts and music,” Nestorak said. “I didn’t realize that right away, but looking back, I am glad.”

Leandro Pereyra. Courtesy | JailTracker

Renee Nestorak is a violinist and an instructor in violin and viola. Courtesy | Facebook

Farmhouse Charm Shoppe offers handmade goods

By Olivia Hajicek Assistant Editor

Farmhouse Charm

Shoppe in downtown Hillsdale is a local family’s venture to share their creativity with the community.

Brad and Larissa Hovis, and their oldest son, 17-yearold Hunter, recently started running the business out of their shop at 77 N. Broad Street. Their products include original designs and custom orders of handmade furniture and home decor.

“Our style is rustic, chic farmhouse,” Brad said. “You’re not going to go to any of the box stores and buy anything that we make, because our stuff is solid wood, it’s handmade, no two pieces are the same.”

Brad said that he, Larissa, and Hunter personally hand-make every piece they sell.

“Nobody else touches them,” Brad said. “I build it. My son and my wife fill, sand, stain, paint — whatever needs to be done after that.”

Larissa said the business that became Farmhouse Charm Shoppe originally started as a side hustle.

“He built me a farm table, and I had, of course, posted about it on social media, and all of a sudden, we started getting inquiries from friends and family,” she said.

Brad said they started the business from their home in 2019.

“She started posting pictures and things for her friends online, and it just kind of blew up from there,” Brad said. “So we were online for four years, and then we just opened the store downtown like six months ago, and now we’re starting to get into more decor and things like that.”

Larissa said this has allowed them to offer something within everybody’s budget.

“You could find a really cute $8 item, or you could go up and get a really nice piece of furniture,” Larissa said.

Larissa said she comes up with ideas in her head, not from looking up pictures online. Besides their own creations, they build custom furniture to meet customers’ specifications.

“We’ll build anything to your specifications and your measurements,” Brad said. “If you have this space in your house and you can only have a 4-foot-3 table, well, what are you going to do? You call somebody that

makes you one, and there’s not very many people out there that do that. So we kind of homed in on that.”

Brad said that with just the three of them working and orders flooding in, they are usually booked out six to eight weeks.

“I draw a picture of it right there at the desk in front of you,” Brad said. “Six to eight weeks later, I bring it to you, and it’s exactly what you wanted. Your colors, your measurements.”

Brad said Larissa handles the financial parts of the business as well as advertising their products on social media.

Larissa said since they opened the store, she has become friends with quite a few of their customers, which she hadn’t expected at first.

“I’m kind of a shy person, so opening the store — I had some anxiety over that, because typically I was online behind the scenes,” Larissa said.

She said she didn’t see

customers very often when their business was only online.

“Since opening the store now, I get to,” she said. “It’s really helped me come out of my comfort zone completely, which I absolutely love. I love seeing my customers.”

Larissa said the hardest thing for her is balancing the needs of her family with the demands of the business.

“I have eight kids, and one is still a little baby, so one second I’ll be feeding the baby, and then I’m holding her, then I’m painting something,” Larissa said. “My phone goes off constantly, so I’m having to respond to customers, and I am a very quick responder too. I kind of pride myself

on my customer service.” Larissa said she homeschools her oldest son Hunter.

“He loved that after the pandemic happened,” she said.

least for a little while.

“If I were to get some other job, it would probably be somewhere in the woodworking business because I’m so familiar with it at this point,” he said.

Brad said he has enjoyed building things since he was a child and has worked in construction his whole life. He said he and Larissa have run several construction companies.

their current home, an Amish farmhouse they used their construction skills to renovate. They also built all the furniture for the house.

“It was a new build, but it had no amenities because they were Amish,” Brad said.

He said he and his wife took some time off to do the renovations.

Hunter said homeschooling gives him the opportunity to help with the family business by sanding, filling, and staining finished products and sometimes running the shop. Brad said his son is his right-hand carpenter.

“It’s better than going to some other job where you barely know a coworker or your boss, for example,” Hunter said. “It just feels more at home.”

Hunter said he plans to stay with the business at

When they launched their business online, they had been looking for a job that would allow Brad to be home with his family.

“Our whole game plan was to live in the middle of nowhere, debt-free, and not have any neighbors,” Brad said.

He said they purchased their first farmhouse eight or 10 years ago.

“Because of the condition of the house, we were able to renovate it and make a large profit on it,” he said.

Brad said that after flipping a few houses, they were able to pay cash for

“It would generally take somebody, you know, six months or better,” Brad said. “We did it in two weeks because we have a family of 10 and we needed to move in two weeks after closing.”

Brad said the best part of running the business is being able to be home with his family.

“If the mood strikes me,

I can stop what I’m doing and go help Larissa make lunch for all the little kids, or breakfast. If Larissa’s not feeling well, I can watch the kids for her,” Brad said. “So being here, a full-time dad, with Larissa, is probably the best part.”

College Baptist plans piano recital

"Running Low On Fumes":

Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness will host a 5K run and walk with food trucks at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds.

Citizenship Awards:

The annual Jonesville Citizenship Awards reception will honor local citizens for their contributions to the community on Tuesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sauk Theatre.

Overtones Concert:

Upcoming in the city: Correction

The Overtones from Lafayette, Indiana, will perform for the opening night of the 2023 concert season on Saturday, April 22, at 6 p.m. in The Gospel Barn.

By Quinn Delamater Collegian Reporter

Local musicians Kristi Gautsche and Debbi Wyse will perform their annual piano recital at 8 p.m. on April 14 and 15 at College Baptist Church.

The duo has collaborated each spring season since 1985 to bring the community a night of music, a themed event in recent years.

This year’s theme, “A Musical Box of Chocolates,” was inspired by the box of chocolates that sits between the two friends that they share during rehearsals together. The concert will be free of charge and open to the public.

In the April 6 story "Council plans library board, budget votes," a quote said the Hillsdale County Democrats published a controversial video. Individuals, not the party, did so.

The concert will feature selections from composers Debussy and Gershwin, and Gautsche and Wyse have given their different movements names based on the theme. Some of the movements feature titles such as “Parisian Bonbons,” “Cartoon Caramels,” or “A Chocoholic’s Dream.”

Wyse said she and Gautsche think it is

important people see how they play.

“Our pianos will be in the center, turned so that people can see us,” Wyse said.

The set list promises to be about 90 minutes long, including 75 minutes of playing, with a few breaks for a spoken narration by Wyse’s husband, Ned, that will consist of poetry, interpretation, and recitation.

The concert will also include an intermission, according to Gautsche.

“We try to make our programs fit our audience so that they can enjoy the evening and the music,” Gautsche said.

Gautsche said she has seen the way in which music affects others.

“What’s important to me is the way that music can change and work in the lives of kids especially,” Gautsche said.

Wyse agreed.

“If I think about music as a hobby, it is a way to bring people together and connect. We have a blast when we play together,” Wyse said. “But the central thing is that

we want to dedicate our lives to serving the Lord through music. If we don’t have that, we have nothing.”

Both women are active members of the community. Wyse is the accompanist for the college’s Chamber Choir and a former private piano instructor in its music department. Gautsche is a music director at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville.

always incorporated it into their lives.

“I played for a voice professor in college, and then got into the classical stuff, and then played for a gospel choir for 14 years,” Gautsche said.

Wyse and Gautsche said they both enjoy a variety of music. Wyse sings, plays the harp, and has experience playing the violin, and Gautsche plays the organ.

Anne Schmitt, who will serve as the page turner for Gautsche during the performance, said the audience can expect a classical, fun-filled performance.

The pair met in a Bible study in 1980 and have been friends ever since. Gautsche attends College Baptist Church, where she plays the piano on Sunday mornings, and Wyse attends Free Methodist Church. Both Wyse and Gautsche have been playing the piano since they were girls and have

“When they perform these duo piano concerts, it is a real treat. Their musicianship and performance are aweinspiring and I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of this,” Schmitt said. “They also do a great job of combining truly amazing classical music performances with a bit of humor and fun. Those who attend will be treated to a musical and artistic delight.”

“Our stuff is solid wood, it’s handmade, no two pieces are the same.”

“We want to dedicate our lives to serving the Lord through music.”

Larissa Hovis stands in the family business, surrounded by its merchandise. Courtesy | Larissa Hovis

Shotgun

Hillsdale shotgun team earns fifth place at nationals

By Carly Moran

Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale shotgun team placed fifth overall in the Association of College Unions International/Scholastic Clay Target Program National Championship. The tournament took place March 21-25 at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. The college competed against 19 other DII schools, winning a variety of accolades.

Besides placing fifth overall, the Chargers won second in DII skeet doubles, and third in both DII American skeet and trap doubles.

“While we did a lot of training and practice in the doubles and sporting clays events, I think we have the most room for improvement in those events,” junior Joshua Corbin said. “Nationals this year proved this, as we lost the most targets to the other teams in sporting clays, so we need to do better to be more competitive as a team.”

Corbin won All-American in Texas and he placed third in men’s skeet doubles.

“We shot really well in skeet doubles as a whole,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. “It continues to be

telling, the things that we figured would be important ended up being very important. So we will try to tailor our practices, take advantage of new resources and new training techniques to make sure that we can take another leap forward in those events.”

Senior Ida Brown said that having to balance school with athletics during her time at Hillsdale has ultimately led to her decision to return for a fifth year.

“When I started off at Hillsdale with shotgun and academics, I was very heavily focused on trying to do both super well, and trying to give both of them 100% of my attention was entirely impossible,” Brown said. “I feel like I’ve just been able to learn balance a lot better by this point. To be fair, I’m taking a lot less credits.” Brown said goal setting is important, but so is not being too hard on herself.

“One of my big goals was always to win an HOA title,” Brown said. “To be fair, when I made that goal, I thought I wanted to win an HOA title at Nationals. I didn’t perform very well at Nationals. I finished in the top 20 women which is not at all what I wanted. But, I won

HOA at regionals this season. I would ideally like to be an All-American before I graduate, but my goal right now is to make the Olympic team.”

Brown said 94% humidity with moderate winds acted as a distraction for the already tired athletes in the sporting clays round.

“I think we did a good job of not getting down or isolating ourselves,” Brown said. “I got through the first day and I was like, not what I wanted, but I could do better. Everyone was trying to stay upbeat and encouraging, and made sure that people who were shooting well continued to shoot well.”

Woody Glazer is the only senior graduating from the team this year.

“It’s going to be really hard to see Woody Glazer go,” Hintz said. “He’s been here basically as long as I’ve been coaching. I think he broke a perfect score in more events than anybody else did. Three or four team members may be selected as All-Americans. He was one of our honorable mentions. I don’t know how much that really means to him, but it means a lot to me.”

Four freshmen will join the team this fall. The team will

Golf

have a total of 16 people, the largest roster yet.

“Next year I think the team will be even better,” freshman Leif Andersen said. “The team has four high-caliber recruits coming in, one of which just made the USA Junior World Traveling Team. We will be losing Woodrow Glazer when he graduates this year, which will really hurt our line games as a team, but we have some really good trap shooters coming in as freshmen.”

This was the Chargers’ second year competing at nationals as a DII team. The rankings are based upon how many athletes each team has, with Hillsdale barely sneaking into the DII category. A 16-man roster allows the Chargers to be a more competitive II team, according to Hintz.

“We will have more athletes next year than we’ve ever had before, so that’ll be an interesting challenge,” Hintz said. “The DII teams that beat us, I think three of them had 19 shooters, one of them had 17. They’re considerably larger programs than we are. Next year, I think we’ll finally be taking that leap into being a size that makes it easier for us to be competitive.”

Chargers take eighth at Ken Partridge Invite

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale men’s golf team placed eighth out of 13 in a field full of regional rivals at the Ken Partridge Invite in Noblesville, Indiana.

“We were disappointed,” junior Will Verduzco said. “For the team overall, it was a lot better than what we did in Nashville but, still, we were not where we want to be and not where I want to be.”

Verduzco and sophomore Filippo Reale tied for 33rd in the tournament, shooting 226 over three days.

Verduzco said his consistent outing — carding 75-77-74 — was the product of persistence.

“You can start really bad and finish really good — that’s what I ended up doing,” Verduzco said. “Just taking it shot by shot and trying not to think about the future too much and, ultimately, what your score can be because it’s really just a culmination of taking things shot by shot. That’s just really why I was trying to focus on — staying present.”

Reale had a less consistent but equally successful outing, scoring 79-73-74.

“I had a tough first day,” Reale said. “I wasn’t on my best game but I was fairly happy with the other two or three days. Just like everyone else on the team, I think we can all say we could have done some things a little bit better. I think this is just one of a lot of tournaments where we weren’t maybe necessarily doing horrible, but we weren’t doing great. We have one more chance to do that.”

In addition to the 5-player lineup, sophomore Charlie

Belden joined the Chargers this weekend as an individual competitor. He shot a 78-78-73, finishing tied for 47th.

Belden said his short game improved in his third round to bring his score down by five shots.

“I felt like I hit it pretty much the same all three days,” Belden said. “The difference was just my chipping and putting around the greens. I made a couple more putts. On one of my closing holes, I chipped in for Eagle which brought me back to even for the day. Nothing like that happened on the first two days.”

The Chargers will travel to the University Club of Kentucky to play in the G-MAC Championships April 24-26. Reale said the team must win the conference championship to advance to the regional tournament.

“I think maybe this doall-or-end-all kind of tournament can bring out the best in us because we don’t have a choice,” Reale said. “We have to play well.”

Head coach Matt Thompson said the team’s approach to the conference championship tournament will not change.

“I think we have a good opportunity leading up to conference to go and make a splash,” Thompson said. “I think the tournament is pretty wide open. Just finishing in the top two is certainly something we’re capable of. Overall, we’re just looking for some guys to emerge. Hopefully, as they get into really good form over the next eleven days, we can bring a hungry group of guys to conference and have a chance to make a run.”

Baseball Chargers snap Northwood’s 15-game winning streak, drop series

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale baseball team went 1-3 against the top-ranked G-MAC team, Northwood University, April 7-8.

The team split its first doubleheader and lost both of its games in the second by a single run. Despite taking away a single win, the Chargers are celebrating, as they ended the 15-game winning streak of the undefeated Northwood Timberwolves, junior centerfielder Danny Passinault said.

“We played two really close games on Saturday, which both could’ve gone our way but unfortunately

ended up losing both,” senior shortstop Aidan Brewer said. “Our pitching staff did a really, really great job this weekend giving us a chance to win three games, but they also had a really good pitching staff and we just weren’t able to score enough to win. Overall, we played really well and just couldn’t get as many wins as we would’ve liked.”

The Chargers lost the first doubleheader game 12-2 but came back for a 5-4 win in the second game. Closing pitcher junior Zane Barnhart pitched six and one-third innings in relief for the second game on Friday, surrendering one infield single and three total baserunners while throwing seven strikeouts.

Sports Feature

“Our pitching was very good this weekend, with Zane Barnhart, Tommy MacLean, and Will Gifford all going the distance and pitching some phenomenal games,” Passinault said. “Northwood’s pitching staff was one of the best we have faced all year, and they held our offense in check for most of the weekend. We were just a couple key hits away from winning some of the games this weekend, and we know this weekend is nothing to hang our heads about because we competed very well against one of the top teams in the conference.”

On Saturday, starting pitcher sophomore Tommy MacLean pitched six and

one-third innings with five strikeouts, two walks, and three earned runs surrendered, but the Timberwolves clinched the victory after tying the game during the sixth inning and securing a walk-off hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

The Chargers tied the second game of the day 1-1 with a hit in the bottom of the seventh, but Northwood took the lead permanently in the bottom of the eighth with a game-winning run and a fielding error by the Chargers.

“You never want to be on the losing end of a series, but we played in some very close, winnable ball games,” head coach Tom Vessella

said. “If a few bounces went our way, we very easily could have been on the winning side. Northwood is a very good team and deserves to be at the top of the league, but we played them tough the whole weekend.”

The Chargers also played Central Michigan University April 11, losing 15-6.

“It was a cool experience getting an opportunity to go up against a DI opponent,” MacLean said. “I thought we did some things well. We hit the ball around offensively creating some runs and played pretty good defense overall. We struggled a bit as a pitching staff finding the strike zone, we needed to continue to focus on each

pitch in order to get outs. We have a lot of talent and, if we do things right, we are very hard to beat.”

The Chargers will play Lake Erie College April 15-16 in a four game series. They will also play one game against Saginaw Valley State University April 18 and one against Grand Valley State University April 19.

“We have a lot of baseball to play this week, and if we play up to our potential, we have a good shot at winning a lot of ball games,” Vessella said. “I am just praying that the weather cooperates this weekend.”

Two years down, two to go: Elise Mason breaks swim records

By Victoria Wagner Collegian Reporter

Sophomore Elise Mason was the only Hillsdale swimmer to qualify for the NCAA DII National Championships last year. She was a freshman.

This year, she is one of only two Chargers — alongside sophomore Megan Clifford — who competed at nationals.

Mason started young.

“I have been swimming competitively since I was 6 years old. Both of my parents and many of my siblings also swam, so the sport definitely runs in the family,” Mason said.

In high school, Mason swam for Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics which is based out of Holland, Mich-

igan, just outside of Grand Rapids.

Mason came to Hillsdale in the fall of 2021 and now holds program records in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle events.

“She just came into her own as her college career got underway and melded into the type of training we provided which was a blessing for both her and our program,” head coach Kurt Kirner said.

During her freshman year season, Mason qualified for nationals in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events. According to Kirner, that glimpse of success drove her to improve with every practice.

“I was very satisfied with her performances at that

meet as it was just a taste of what she needed to experience,” Kirner said.

In her second season as a Charger, Mason qualified for nationals again in the same events and placed 11th in the nation in the 1650 freestyle, dropping the most time off of her previous personal best out of anyone in the competition.

“I would definitely give some of the credit to coach Kirner and the program he has created,” Mason said.

Mason’s teammates said she is a determined and ferocious athlete, pursuing excellence in whatever she does.

“She is one of the hardest workers on our team, and she gracefully embraces every challenge that our coach

throws at her each day at practice,” sophomore Caroline Holmes said.

Mason said that even though these events are physically and mentally grueling, she has found support in her teammates and coaches, which has lightened the load.

“I am very thankful for this team and all of the support that my coaches and teammates offer,” Mason said.

Kirner believes Mason has only started what will turn into an amazing collegiate swimming career.

“The bright lining is that she has more to accomplish in her approach to the next two years. I feel she has only scratched the surface,” Kirner said.

The Hillsdale Shotgun team placed fifth overall at its national competition. Courtesy | Jordan Hintz

Sophomore Elise Mason qualified for nationals in both seasons she competed for Hillsdale swim. Courtesy | re gan Monnin

Women’s Track Sports Opinion

Charger athletes grab top spots in heptathlon

By Tracy Wilson Design Editor

Sophomore Neva Polo and junior Allison Nimtz were the only athletes on the women’s track and field team to compete last weekend, both participating in the heptathlon at Muskingum University April 7. Polo and Nimtz took second and third in the event overall, scoring 644 and 634, respectively.

“They were solid,” head coach R.P. White said. “It’s not the point in the year where you’re firing on all eight cylinders, but to come away with a performance that’s just solid when you’re still in the thick of heavy training, I thought it was really good.”

The heptathlon at Muskingum was Nimtz’s first-ever time competing in the event.

“It was fun to compete in my first heptathlon, and even though my marks weren’t what I was hoping for, it was great to experience putting all seven events together,” Nimtz said.

According to White, the recent outdoor meets have not included multi-events like the heptathlon and the decathlon.

“It’s been kind of wonky how a lot of the meets, they’re not hosting multis,” White said. “It was appropriate that they went this weekend. When you do that event, it kinda beats your body up a little bit, so just to give them ample rest coming out of it.”

The heptathlon included seven events: 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot

Hop on the Lions bandwagon now

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate Editor

put, 200 meter dash, long jump, javelin, and 800 meter run. Multi-event scoring is calculated using a cumulative point system, since the events are individually scored in different ways.

“One of the challenges with the heptathlon or decathlon is shaking off a bad performance in one event to get a clear head for the next one,” Nimtz said. “I’m happy with my mentality, and being able to stay calm and positive during the event.”

Polo and Nimtz both did well in the shot put, taking second and third in that event with throws of 10.02 meters and 9.98 meters, respectively. In long jump, Polo and Nimtz took second and third, jumping 5.06 meters and 4.95 meters, respectively. Polo took first place in javelin, throwing 30.88 meters.

“I think Neva would agree with me that the meet didn’t go how she wanted it to, but she kept a really clear head and threw a personal record in javelin on day two, as well as putting up a good long jump mark,” Nimtz said. “The next time we’ll compete in the heptathlon will be at the conference championships, and I hope to be able to use the experience I got competing this weekend to put together some marks

I’ll be proud of.”

Next weekend, the track and field team will compete at the Tiffin Extravaganza in Ohio and the Bison Outdoor Classic in Pennsylvania. Both meets will be April 14-15.

This year, the Detroit Lions will finally put it together.

Growing up in the Detroit area, I’ve been told to “just wait, next year is our year” more times than I can count every year. And every year, Detroit sports fail to deliver.

Whether it’s LeBron James smearing the Pistons up and down the court four times a year, or Aaron Rodgers tearing out Lion hearts in the fourth quarter, Detroit teams of every major sport have spent the better part of two decades struggling for relevance.

This struggle peaked only a few short years ago, when, as Detroit sportswriter David Hogg calculated, “The 226 losses suffered by the four Detroit teams in calendar year 2019 are not only the most in Detroit sports history, but also the most of any city or market in any calendar year in the history of North American professional sports.”

Finally, 32 years after the last Lions playoff win, there is hope in Motown once again.

The football franchise put together one of its best offseasons in years, and is primed for its first playoff appearance since 2016.

The foundation for the team’s success was laid down during the back half of the 2022-23 season. Entering the season, excitement for head coach Dan Campbell’s second year in the role had the city riding high.

The first seven weeks, however, were unkind to the team. They went 1-6 and had fans across social media claiming that this season was no different than the abysmal years past, calling up a common mantra: “Same Old Lions.”

Despite the poor start, the team was able to turn it

around and win eight of its last 10 games, taking down multiple playoff teams in the process. The magical run culminated in the Lions’ final game when, in spite of already being eliminated from playoff contention, they beat their division rival Green Bay Packers on the road to end their playoff hopes.

Though they missed the playoffs, the team finished the season playing the best ball Lions fans have seen in years, and set high expectations for the coming season.

Anyone who watched the Lions this year could quickly identify the team’s offseason needs: defense, particularly in the secondary. The stats back up the eye-test. The team ranked bottom-three in the league in points and rushing TDs allowed, and dead-last in total yards and first downs yielded.

Though the team has two top-18 picks in this year’s NFL draft, including the No. 6 overall pick, the franchise got to work fixing its problems well before that.

The front office took care of first things first, re-signing key players on the defensive side of the ball, including tackle Isaiah Buggs, linebacker Alex Anzelone, and cornerback Will Harris, all three of whom were top 10 on the team in tackles.

Next, it turned its focus to the gaping holes in its secondary. Cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, as well as safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson headline a wave of big-name free agents headed to Motown. Sutton and Gardner-Johnson will likely be impact players from the jump, and Moseley — at the very least — will provide sorely-needed depth.

On the other side of the ball, the franchise reloaded one of the league’s most potent offenses with a slew of shrewd moves. In response to losing running back

Jamaal Williams and receiver D.J. Chark, they used cheap deals to add David Montgomery and brought Marvin Jones Jr. back for his second stint with the team. Both will compliment quarterback Jared Goff and returning offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as they look to repeat last year’s phenomenal success.

More than just their tangible additions on the field, signing big names away from great teams — Gardner-Johnson from the Eagles, Sutton from the Steelers, and Moseley from the 49ers — signals a larger shift: players are willing to come to Detroit.

Though it may seem small, Detroit fans of any sport will be the first to tell you that usually good players simply sign somewhere else. A mid-level market with a losing pedigree, Detroit is

rarely any high-caliber player’s desired destination. As a result, the Lions are usually forced to home grow their teams through the draft and timely trades.

This offseason’s signings could mean a shift in the NFL’s landscape. Perhaps the Lions’ miraculous mid-season turnaround caught the attention of teams around the league. If that’s the case, an already challenging road schedule for the Lions’ upcoming season will prove even more so. But it’s time for the franchise to do what it has failed to do for decades: build on success and deliver when expectations are high.

Campbell and the new and improved Lions squad are primed to shed the Same Old Lions title and bring consistent success to Detroit for the first time in a century.

Charger Chatter J oni R ussell , s oftball

How do you maintain your drive when things get challenging?

My teammates and seeing their drive and constant hard work keeps me passionate.

I revert my thoughts back to my teammates and say, ‘who am I doing this for?’

I’m doing it for them, and my school, not myself.

If you could be any celebrity for a day, who would you be and why?

I love Sandra Bullock, and all of her movies. She’s drop dead gorgeous! “The Proposal” is my favorite. My mom and I used to watch her movies all of the time and so when I watch Sandra Bullock now I always feel at home and reminded of my mom.

How has softball helped develop your character?

It has built up my confidence in my athletic ability but also in other aspects of my life. I used to always approach things hesitantly, but through college and softball

I’ve gained a lot of confidence, and my coach and my teammates have helped me with that.

If you could have free meals for life at one fast food chain, which one would you choose?

I love the three C’s: Chick- fil- a, Culver’s and Chipotle. But, I would have to pick Chick- fil- a as my number one. I love their frosted lemonades and the Chick - fil - a sauce, which has become an essential in my fridge.

Marvin Jones Jr. was traded back to the Detroit Lions this offseason. Courtesy | Getty Ima G es

Sophomore Neva Polo competes in heptathlon. Courtesy | Dav ID Bea C h

C harger S port S

Softball

Russell sets strikeout record, Chargers go 3-1

By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale softball team went 3-1 against the Malone University Pioneers at home April 8 and the Davenport University Panthers at Davenport April 10, with sophomore pitcher Joni Russell earning G-MAC Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row.

Hillsdale beat Malone 4-0 and 3-0 in two games before losing 3-2 and winning 12-6 against Davenport.

“In the first game against Malone, Joni set a school record with 19 strikeouts and became the G-MAC Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row,” head coach Kyle Gross said.

In the second game against the Pioneers, junior pitcher Erin Kapteyn struck out seven batters, walked one batter, and gave up four hits.

The Chargers split the doubleheader against the Panthers, a tough regional team according to Kapteyn.

“I felt really good pitching and was able to produce outs when the team needed it,” Kapteyn said.

Junior infielder Grace Wallner began the nightcap against Davenport with a grand slam.

“I just love having the chance to do something that helps the whole team out,” Wallner said. “I just really

Men’s Tennis

want us to do well this season, and I want to do whatever I can to help get us there.”

All four Hillsdale pitchers took the mound, with Vis starting and Russell, freshman Mackenzi Maxson, and Kapteyn pitching in relief.

Russell struck out seven batters, walked two, and gave up two earned runs in her five relief innings.

Gross said Hillsdale’s offense was good, with home runs being hit by sophomore infielder and utility player

Ashley Strick, Wallner, and

freshman utility player Maggie Olaveson.

Freshman utility player Maggie Olaveson had a big day against Davenport with her two starts, home run, and two doubles, according to Gross.

“We’ve been working really hard on our offensive approach at the plate and I believe it’s paying off,” Gross said. “We’ve been doing a lot of live stuff at practice, trying to just be comfortable and confident in our bats.”

Wallner said hitters must

Women’s Tennis

walk the fine line between being cool and collected and also ready to attack.

“It’s a constant battle to stay in the middle when there’s pressure, and recently, I’ve had to fight really hard to find that middle ground,” Wallner said. “I found it against Davenport and that’s when good things happen.”

Wallner said the team fought hard throughout the first game it lost to Davenport.

“Malone is in the bottom half of our conference and Davenport was a non-conference matchup, but despite that we didn’t choose to take anything lightly this weekend,” Wallner said.

“I think the season is going well. We’ve had a couple ups and downs along the way, but with such a young team, I feel that is a part of the learning experience,” Kapteyn said. “We have a couple of important conference games coming up, so I’m really excited to see how the team comes out to play.”

Hillsdale stands 22-15 overall on the season and 8-2 in the G-MAC. The team will play a doubleheader against Trevecca Nazarene, which is tied for second with Hillsdale in the G-MAC, April 14 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Chargers will play another away doubleheader against Kentucky Wesleyan April 15.

Chargers shut out Cedarville, Ashland at home

By Emily Schutte Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale men’s tennis team won both of its weekend games at home against Cedarville University and Ashland University, defeating both teams 7-0.

It was a weekend of milestones for senior Brian Hackman, who reached 100 collegiate wins as a Charger. Head coach Keith Turner reached 200 wins as a coach.

“It’s something I’m proud of,” Turner said. “I definitely have a lot more gray hair than when I started. Hopefully that number will at least be 204 by the end of the season. That means we’ll be in the NCAA tournament.”

In the Friday match against Cedarville, the Chargers claimed victory in doubles matches. No. 1 junior Sean Barstow and senior Tyler Conrad won 6-3, No. 2 Hackman and freshman Nik Wastcoat won 6-1, and No. 3 freshman Aidan Pack and junior Daniel Gilbert won 6-2.

“We needed to get those wins,” Conrad said. “It was very nice to win 7-0, pretty decisive in both and to show the conference ‘Hey, we had a tough start, but we’re still contenders for the title.’”

The Chargers also took every singles point, only losing one set. The lineup was changed a bit, with No. 1 singles played by Conrad instead of junior Brennan Cimpenau. Conrad won with a tie break, scoring 6-2, 3-6, 10-5.

“I moved up to No. 5 against Ashland just trying

out some new stuff, and then Tyler moved up to No. 1 against Cedarville because Brennan was injured,” Gilbert said. “Just shifting some stuff around, trying some new things out, before conference so we can set our lineup then.”

No. 2 Pack won 6-1, 6-0, No. 3 Hackman won 6-4, 6-2, No. 4 Barstow won 6-0, 6-0, No. 5 Gilbert won 6-0, 6-1, and No. 6 Wastcoat won 6-0, 6-2.

“My plan, especially for singles is just put as many balls into the court as I can, because typically, when you’re playing players that are a little weaker than you, they’re a lot more inconsistent, and if you’re impatient, they might be able to make it a little closer than you’d like,” Gilbert said.

In the Saturday game versus Ashland, Cimpeanu was back in the competition, where he and Hackman won No. 1 doubles 6-1. No. 2 Barstow and Conrad won 6-2, and No. 3 Pack and Gilbert won 6-0.

“We won every double spot, which was good,” Gilbert said.

“The lower down you got in the lineup, the easier it’s going to be. I think just another good weekend of doubles experience will get us ready for conference.”

Hillsdale took every set in singles. No. 1 Cimpeanu won 6-1, 7-5, No. 2 Conrad won 6-1, 7-5, No. 3 Hackman won 6-2, 6-3, No. 4 Pack won 6-1, 6-2, No. 5 Gilbert won 6-1, 6-0, No. 6 Barstow won 6-0, 6-0.

“We hadn’t really played outside at all, and we played

both of those matches outdoors, and it was relatively windy,” Conrad said. “Luckily, those other teams weren’t really used to it either, and especially Ashland had just come from playing Northwood indoors, so we definitely had the advantage on Saturday.” Hillsdale’s record is now 12-6 overall and 4-1 in G-MAC play. These wins have brought the Chargers close to the third seed in the upcoming tournament. The team will know its final seeding after

its game against Northwood University on Saturday.

“Northwood is a must win match — they have a good program. We’re slightly favored, but they’re a team that can beat us on some days,” Gilbert said. “Conference is like our Super Bowl, so it’s gonna be high pressure, high intensity. We just got to bring it all at practice in these next two weeks, lay it all on the line, and then we should be okay.”

By Isabella Helms Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale women’s tennis team secured two 5-2 victories over Cedarville and Ashland April 7-8.

Facing Cedarville Friday, No. 1 doubles senior Sarah Hackman and junior Melanie Zampardo won 6-1. Senior Ellie Chawner and sophomore Elizabeth McGivern followed this up with another 6-1 victory at No. 2 doubles.

At No. 3 doubles junior Julia Wagner and freshman Isabella Spinazze won 6-2.

“Going into the match I think we were expecting to win just based off of previous years and their record currently against teams we have already played,” senior Canela Luna said. “It might not have been the prettiest tennis because we were playing outside for the first time, but we took care of business.”

The Chargers went on to win four-of-six in singles and secure the victory over Cedarville.

In the No. 1 singles match, Sarah defeated Cedarville 6-1, 6-2. No. 2 singles was closer as Zampardo grabbed a 7-6, 6-2 win.

In the No. 3 spot, Luna defeated Calista Bobula in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-2. McGivern also won in straight sets with a final score of 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot.

After losing to the Eagles in the first doubles match, Hillsdale responded with a 6-4 win from McGivern and Chawner in the No. 2 spot, and a 6-0 victory from freshman Megan Hackman and Luna in the No. 3 spot.

“We won the doubles point in each match which put us in the lead right off the bat and had us going into singles with good energy,” McGivern said.

At No. 1 singles, Sarah walked away with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. Luna swept 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, sophomore Courtney Rittel won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 singles, and Chawner won 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 6 spot.

Currently 8-7 overall and 5-1 in G-MAC play, the Chargers will be looking to build on this performance in their upcoming matchups as they prepare for their season finale against Northwood April 15, according to McGivern.

“The team is on a really good winning streak as we approach the end of our season,” McGivern said, “We’re all really excited for our last conference match next weekend against Northwood.”

Depending on the Chargers’ success next Saturday, they could close out the season taking the third seed in the G-MAC tournament. The Chargers will also be honoring their senior players April 15 in celebration of Senior Day. These players include Sarah, Luna, Chawner, and senior Tatum Matthews.

Sarah won G-MAC Player of the Year last year and has made first team All G-MAC two of her years at Hillsdale. Luna has earned G-MAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week three times in her career. Chawner, who hails from West Yorkshire, England, won the President’s Scholar-Athlete Award last year. Matthews shut out her opponent in No. 6 singles in the Chargers’ victory over Ursuline in March.

“We’ll be at home and it’s our senior day where we get to celebrate our four seniors who we all will miss so much,” McGivern said. “Anyone that’s around should come by and support so that our girls can have a great send-off.”

Senior Tyler Conrad and junior Sean Barstow shake hands with opponents

Chargers take two 5-2 wins versus weekend opponents, move to 5-1 in G-MAC

Sophomore Joni Russell earned her third G-MAC Pitcher of the Week award on the season.

Senior Brian Hackman winds up to serve. Courtesy | James Gensterblum

Culture

Spending Holy Week in Hillsdale

How staying at school for the Easter holiday can help you remain grateful for our college community

By Megan Williams

Culture Editor

Until this semester, Hillsdale was never my ideal location to celebrate holidays. With family on the West Coast, I was used to accompanying friends home for different holidays throughout the school year since it wasn’t practical to fly across the country for three days.

Yet when the time rolled around to plan how I would spend Holy Week and Easter weekend this year, Hillsdale seemed like the obvious choice.

Having attended – and loved – the Easter Vigil at St. Anthony’s Church in Hillsdale my sophomore year, I wanted to spend my last Holy Week relaxing and soaking up the sun with friends in Hillsdale, cherishing my last few moments before graduation.

I assembled a small group of other members of my sorority who were also staying in town, and we decided to cook an Easter feast– complete with mimosas and The Masters playing in the background.

The preparation began on Friday morning, before the Good Friday afternoon service at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. My fiancé and I researched focaccia recipes to try our hands at breadmaking. After creating

a grocery list, we left my off-campus house to get a seat at the church about an hour before the service actually began.

The chapel, as usual, was full at 2:30 p.m. for a 3 p.m. service. Lasting about two hours and 20 minutes, the congregation poured out of the chapel to go find or make dinner after fasting a majority of the day.

Driving over to Kroger, we bought the necessary ingredients for our bread and invited some friends over for dinner.

Heating up the oven and a pan on the stove, we assembled veggie paninis – loaded with tomatoes, olives, spinach, and cheddar cheese – and created a cheese and cracker board with honey-drizzled baked brie resting in the center. With The Masters being delayed due to weather, we turned on “Full Swing,” a Netflix golf docu-series, to keep us in the spring golf mood.

We woke up to a sunny spring morning on Saturday and headed over to Rough Draft to get some homework done.

We were pleasantly surprised by how many people stayed in Hillsdale for the holiday – whether it was to support friends getting confirmed or to try and catch up on school work – the

area surrounding campus was still very lively. We went home and decided to whip together the focaccia bread recipe, mixing in sundried tomatoes, garlic, and a bit of rosemary to flavor the dough, and put it in the fridge to rise.

Anthony’s two hours before the service began to get seats for us and some friends.

We made sure to bring a few books– an illuminated manuscript of “Psalms” and “Word on Fire: The Gospels”–to help ourselves focus on the service about to take place.

the practice of welcoming in Easter surrounded by friends, classmates, and professors. The three-hour service has never felt laborious or boring, rather, it perfectly situates Jesus’ death and resurrection within the whole story of God’s love for mankind.

Attending the Easter Vigil also left Sunday open for cooking, socialization, and more golf. Making pancakes from scratch with bacon in the morning, we left the rest of the afternoon to prepare for our dinner.

We took the bread dough out of the fridge, proofed it, and placed it in the oven to bake. In the meantime, we invited some friends over to drink beer and watch The Masters while I continued to cook brussel sprouts in the kitchen.

had probably made too much food for the six people in attendance, but the flavors, and leftovers, made all the work worth it. Spending the rest of the night playing card games and drinking mimosas, we all agreed that while a Hillsdale Easter may not be the most glamorous, it’s an incredible way to remind ourselves how thankful we are for our college community.

Making a quick dinner before the Easter Vigil, we got dressed in our Sunday best and headed over to St.

First experiencing the Easter Vigil at St. Anthony’s my sophomore year with a Catholic friend, I fell in love with

With the bread and brussel sprouts finishing around the same time, we transported our steaming dishes to our friend’s off-campus home, along with some champagne and orange juice. When we arrived, the chicken was getting pulled out of the oven, looking like something straight out of Better Homes and Garden magazine. We boiled and mashed potatoes for another side and created a delicious gravy out of the juices from the chicken.

Once the spread was laid on the counter, we realized we

Going home allows you to experience the traditions that you grew up creating with your family. Whether it’s Easter baskets, egg hunts, church services, or golf, continuing to participate in those activities is often a comfortable and enjoyable choice. Yet, deciding to stay at school and combine my traditions with those of my friends and the local community helped me grow and prepare to do the same thing after graduation. We spend so much time on campus worrying about papers, exams, and social situations that taking a four-day weekend to actually enjoy our campus should be an opportunity that students welcome.

Sure, Hillsdale may not be students’ first idea when they think of where to spend the holidays, but it is a place where friendship and faith are cultivated, and spending a few days cooking and coming together over a delicious meal definitely outweighed the laborious travel I could have undertaken.

Students attend Taylor Swift’s coveted Eras Tour

By Quinn Delamater Collegian Freelancer

Taylor Swift is in her era.

On Nov. 1, 2022 the world famous singer-songwriter sensation announced her international Eras Tour would kick off in March 2023, her first tour since the Reputations Stadium Tour that closed in 2018. The announcement sent Swift lovers into a tizzy following the let down of the cancellation of her “Lover” tour in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Eras Tour is a historical event for Swift, set to showcase selections from all 10 of her previous albums. Performing 44 songs on every leg of the tour, each concert is set to last three hours.

On Nov. 18, the popular concert ticket purchasing website Ticketmaster was forced to cancel the Eras Tour presale due to high ticket demands.

Following this, Swift added additional stops on her tour to appease demand, hoping to

accommodate the 3.5 million people who registered for the Eras Ticketmaster presale– the largest number in the platform’s history. According to StubHub, some fans paid as much as $22,000 for a night with the queen of pop.

Opening on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, at State Farm Stadium, Swift sold out the arena of more than 70,000 people for two consecutive nights. The show is set to close on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

What has millions enchanted with the opportunity to snag a seat at the Eras Tour?

On opening night in Glendale, Swift performed fan favorites such as “Cruel Summer,” “Enchanted,” “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” “Shake It Off,” and “Tim McGraw,” giving attendees of future concert dates much to look forward to.

That same night, Swift wore a long red dress for the performance of “Mirrorball” and

“Tim McGraw,” the “surprise” songs she decided to include on her acoustic set list that night, while wearing the same dress in green for her mystery acoustic set on night two.

her long time fans would recognize, as they were very similar to the outfits of her previous tours,” Fleming said. Swift also went above and beyond for set production.

more concrete sets such as the songs performed from “Folklore” and “Evermore,” in which Swift crawled across a long, wooden table during the song “Marjorie,” and a stood in a treehouse to sing almost all of the selection from “Folklore,” an homage to her 2021 performance at the Grammys.

Junior Audrey Guess attended the opening night show on March 17.

“As someone who has been listening to Taylor Swift since I was a kid, I feel like I’ve been through all of her different eras with her. It was really fun to get to see her perform and reminisce on her past releases with us as her audience,” Guess said.

Junior Abby Fleming, who attended night four of the tour, also in Glendale, said Swift’s outfits made significant contributions to her performance.

“Her outfits on this tour were like an Easter egg to her past tour outfits, little hidden gems of the past that only

On the stage, lighting or a screen was shown to cast images such as snake for “Reputation” songs and arrow images during the song “Arrow” from “Lover.” A graphic of a car was projected during “Getaway Car,” that Swift smashed with a gulf club. Other songs utilized

A tour practically fifteen years in the making, Swift brought back fan favorites such as the iconic ballad “Enchanted,” which she wore a ballgown dress similar to one she performed in for the Speak Now tour over a decade ago.

“She brought back outfits she wore on past tours which were amazing and reminded me of past shows I saw of hers, like the Red tour. Her theatrical performance, including the way she used the stage space and her dance moves were incredible too! It was 100% worth the vicious battle with Ticketmaster,” Guess said.

Freshman Penelope Campbell is excited to see Eras live during the last week of the tour in her home state of California.

“I grew up listening to Taylor Swift, but when she went on tours before, I was too young to go on my own,” Campbell said. “I think it will be so fun to see all of her different outfit changes during the show and am very much excited to see her perform ‘Cruel Summer’ and some of the more low key songs from ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ too. I’m going to go crazy when I hear the opening chords of ‘Cardigan.’”

Junior Michael Hoggatt was confirmed at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil. Courtesy | Rosemary Surdyke

Abby Fleming attended the Eras Tour with alumna Hannah Fleming and Stephanie Walker. Courtesy | Abby Fleming

Junior Hannah Allen roasted two whole chickens and assembled an Easter feast with friends. Megan Williams | Collegian

John Wayne is more than a cowboy

By Logan Washburn City News Editor

When a tycoon tried to take a family’s land in the movie “El Dorado,” an alcoholic sheriff did nothing to help – but John Wayne did.

“Your gun hand’s no good,” gunman Nelse McLeod said.

“Just give me time to get down off of this wagon and we’ll find out,” Wayne replied.

While Wayne embodied the character of the American frontier, few Americans know the story behind his own character.

Wayne was born in 1907 to a pharmacist in the small town of Winterset, Iowa. His parents, who struggled financially and often fought, gave him the name Marion Michael Morrison at age five.

His grandfather, a Union Civil War veteran, bought a homestead in California’s Mojave Desert, and his father moved there to help tend the land in 1914. The rest of the family followed soon after and lived on a farm in what Wayne called a “glorified shack.”

“Didn’t have gas nor electricity nor water,” Wayne said, according to The Washington Post. “A stranger visiting from Iowa wouldn’t have believed he was in the 20th century.”

Wayne rode a horse to school until his family moved to Glendale, a Los Angeles suburb, in 1916. He went to Glendale Union High School, where he was president of the Latin society, on the debate team, on the football team, and wrote sports news for the school paper. During these years, his dog Duke never left his side. Locals started calling him “Duke,” and the name stuck.

Wayne’s family kept struggling with finances, which strained the relationship between his mother and father.

“Mom was just not a happy woman,” he said, according to The Washington Post. “No matter what I did, or what Dad did, it was never enough.”

He went to study at the University of Southern California in 1925, where he continued playing football. He worked for the Fox Film Corp. during the summer, where he made inroads and eventually got minor roles in Western films under the name “John Wayne.” He made his first major appearance in the 1939 movie “Stagecoach.”

When America entered World War II, however, he never enlisted. The Japanese struck Pearl Harbor when he was 34 years old, and he was the sole provider for his family, so he got an exemption from the draft.

When the Army later changed its mind, film studios threatened legal action against Wayne should he enlist. They convinced the military he would be more useful making war movies. So he served from the studio, making movies including “The Fighting Seabees” and “Back to Bataan.”

Wayne’s only field experience came from entertaining soldiers in the Pacific with the USO. Army Lt. Col. Fred Stofft, however, served with Wayne in the New Britain Campaign, and recalled him sneaking onto a landing craft to join soldiers invading an island.

“I turned around and

there alongside me was Duke. I said, ‘What the devil are you doing here?’ And he said, ‘I want to go and see what’s going on,’” Stofft said. “There was actual fighting and he was part of that.”

Wayne applied to the CIA’s precursor, the Office of Strategic Services, but was never accepted. His wife Pilar wrote that he would become a “superpatriot” to atone for this.

He starred in patriotic films like “The Green Berets” and “The Alamo,” and classic Westerns like “El Dorado” and “Rio Bravo.” He brought a new grit to the industry, which had been stuck in the habit of simply pitting “white hats” against “black hats.”

“The heavy was allowed to hit the hero in the head with a chair or throw a kerosene lamp at him or kick him in the stomach, but the hero could only knock the villain down politely and then wait,” Wayne said. “I changed all that. I threw chairs and lamps. I fought hard and I fought dirty. I fought to win.”

Wayne applied this in other areas of his life, supporting conservative causes and pushing against Hollywood’s left-wing current.

“I thought I was a liberal,” he said. “I came up terribly surprised one time when I found that I was a right-wing, conservative extremist.”

Wayne founded the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in 1944 to obstruct efforts by “communist, fascist, and other totalitarian-minded groups to pervert this powerful medium.” He strongly supported Republican Sen. Joe McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, even playing the role of a HUAC investigator in the 1952 movie “Big Jim McClain.” Wayne criticized communist teaching in schools.

“You’re being conned into Keynesian socialism,” Wayne said. “It isn’t going to stop the selfishness of human behavior. It isn’t going to stop the greed.”

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, a film buff, allegedly tried to kill Wayne for his on-screen persona and his off-screen anti-communism, according to the book “John Wayne – The Man Behind the Myth.” Author Michael Munn wrote that Stalin sent two KGB assassins after Wayne in 1951, but the FBI intercepted them in Hollywood, according to The Guardian. They brought the men to Wayne, who made them defect by staging a mock execution on the beach. Munn wrote that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev apologized to Wayne in 1958 for the plots.

While these claims are disputed, Munn cited popular actor Orson Welles, who supposedly heard of the plots from imprisoned Soviet filmmakers. Welles disliked Wayne, so would have nothing to gain from spreading these rumors.

Wayne’s status as an American icon, however, is undisputed. He acted consistently with principle and true grit.

“I want to play a real man in all my films, and I define manhood simply,” Wayne said. “Men should be tough, fair, and courageous. Never petty, never looking for a fight, but never backing down from one either.”

A disappointing end

Final installment of John Wick series is an anti-climactic film

By Ty Ruddy Collegian Freelancer

Last week, Lionsgate released the fourth installment of the “John Wick” movie franchise, which sees Keanu Reeves reprise his role as the well-dressed assassin. Against all odds, he attempts to overrun The Table and leave the creed of assassins he has served for so long.

A plot synopsis of the first three movies will help viewers better understand the goal for movie four.

The first movie begins with retired hitman John Wick enjoying married life. Tragedy strikes when his wife dies of a serious illness, leaving behind a puppy for John. When the son of a prominent mob boss robs John’s house and kills his dog, he hunts the men for revenge.

The second movie opens with John once more attempting to live a quiet life in retirement. His plans are cut short when an Italian gangster calls in a favor, and John is compelled by the code of the criminal underworld to oblige him.

John becomes embroiled in an international criminal enterprise that ends with The High Table, a council of powerful crime lords, putting a bounty on his head.

The third movie follows

John’s escape from the assassins trying to kill him. As he runs, he works to uncover the conspiracy behind The High Table.

This installment is expected to be the last starring Keanu Reeves. Unfortunately, the chase and conspiracy that defines the first nine years of the franchise culminates in an anticlimactic fashion.

Although plot and character issues abound, the movie is not without highs. First, it packs exciting action. The directors include new and creative choreography for Wick and his allies. While lengthy, the fights are engaging and

serve as an incentive to remain seated during the film’s nearly three-hour run time. Despite knocks from critics that some fights are overplayed, over the top, or drawn out, they work well for the film.

on screen, so any talent that he might have is speculative.

At the beginning of the movie, John assassinates a single elder of The High Table. Then, his motivation suddenly changes– he no longer desires to eliminate the table, he just wants to escape it. This decision by the writers plunges “Chapter 4” into the same plot as movies two and three. It dilutes John as a character and erases the buildup created by the previous movie

The cinematographer earned his money with his work in “Chapter 4.” From the blue-green setting of a club fight set to strobe lights, to sunset shots of the Paris skyline, the camera work is impressive.

Plot and character dilemmas are present from the movie’s outset, but show through most clearly at its climax. First, the big bad, the Marquis (Alexander Skarsgård) is random and generic. He has every quality of an assassin but none that make him particularly worthy of being feared. Further, he does not show fighting skill

By the time he fights Caine (Donnie Yen) in front of the Marquis for an opportunity to be free, it’s difficult to tell where the movie has gone and how it got there. Although John Wick ends the reign of the Marquis, he dies at the hand of Caine and the audience is left wondering what they gained.

The abrupt change in plot, along with a later tease that Wick might still be alive has given some hope that a fifth movie will justify the end of this one. For now, however, “Chapter 4” suffices only as a mildly entertaining and anticlimactic conclusion to the series.

Concert unites campus bands

By Moira Gleason Collegian Reporter

With a range of genres from Irish music to progressive rock and motown, eight student bands showcased their talent on April 4 for the SAI benefit concert in Plaster Auditorium.

The concert was hosted by the Sigma Mu chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, the Hillsdale women’s music fraternity. Proceeds from the concert went to SAI Philanthropies, a nonprofit organization that supports music education projects such as providing instruments and music programs in schools.

Sophomore Emily Griffith, president of SAI, said the idea of a benefit concert featuring music fraternities and campus bands has been in the works all semester.

“During a chapter meeting one day, we were saying that there are so many amazing bands on campus,” Griffith said. “A lot of them are bigger bands that perform in CHP, and a lot of them are just single people or a duo that do things like Concert on the Quad. We really wished there was a way for everybody to come together to do a single performance, and we realized that this would be a good opportunity for that to happen. And then also by charging a small fee for entry, we could have people vote for a winner and also raise money for SAI philanthropies.”

Griffith performed with fellow sophomore SAI members Fiona Muller and Phoebe VanHeyningen with their trio band, Tuition and Fees.

“We put together a set of songs that we’ve performed previously around campus and at Rough Draft,” Griffith said. “It was really nice being able to perform as SAI members because usually we try to disassociate from SAI when we are performing as a band because we don’t want

people to just think that we’re SAI members– and that’s it because the band is a separate thing. It was really nice being able to come together and use our musical talents for the music frat through the band.”

According to VanHeyningen, performing in Plaster was a new experience for Tuition and Fees, which usually performs completely acoustic at Rough Draft.

“It was different because we actually had a stage and we couldn’t see the audience because it was dark,” VanHeyningen said. “But ultimately, once we start singing, it’s not that different. You just connect with each other, and you look at each other, and you just go.”

While Tuition and Fees stuck to their usual sound with covers of indie-style songs in three-part harmony, the Schizmatics and Diet of Worms took the venue shift as an opportunity to try a slightly different sound.

The Schizmatics performed a set list of chill classics like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.

Diet of Worms followed with a few classic motown songs including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Hit the Road Jack,” and finished with “Forget You” by Celo Green.

According to freshman and Diet of Worms pianist Erik Teder, the transition from pop music to motown was natural for the band.

“Aidan and Rachel both have really great voices,” Teder said. “I feel like a lot of the songs that we play don’t showcase the fact that they have really nice soulful voices because a lot of pop songs don’t in general. For me, it was really cool to hear both of them sing in a much more comfortable style.”

The new student band Larry Arnn and the Liberal Artists, composed mostly of Diet of Worms members,

made their debut by covering multiple Rush songs, as well as “Every breath You Take” by The Police and “Dean Town” by Vulfpeck.

Teder said junior Carter McNish formed the group as a Rush cover band. They don’t have a lead singer yet, so they pulled freshman Aidan Christian, the lead singer of Diet of Worms, from the audience to sing for the concert.

“I think we’re still finding our direction as a group,” Teder said. “Most of what we’re focused on playing is stuff that is more technically interesting, like Rush and ‘Dean Town’ and things like that.”

HillsGaelic, Hillsdale’s Irish music band, took the stage following Larry Arnn and the Liberal Artists and won the vote/award for fan favorite.

“It was a close race,” Griffith said, “but they put on very touching renditions of some classic Irish songs that were very fun, and they won the audience over.”

Two duos, Jillian and Abigail; and Big Mac, also played before Diet of Worms closed out the evening.

Griffith said that she was impressed by the variety of musical genres represented in the concert.

“There wasn’t actually a theme,” Griffith said. “But it did end up being really diverse because we had people that were more indie like Tuition and Fees, which has like some bluegrass influence, and HillsGaelic obviously has Irish influence. But then you have people like the Schizmatics and Diet of Worms who are doing songs you hear on the radio with a bigger band, so I guess depending on what time of the night you came in, there was a wide range of music that was performed.”

Freshman Catherine Graham said she enjoyed the range of music and the opportunity to see bands that

usually play at events like Jukebox and CHP expand into new genres.

“It was really neat to see the Schizmatics and Diet of Worms in that setting because they were able to play slower songs and explore different genres than they normally play at their gigs,” Graham said. “I thought they sounded really good, and it was neat to be able to see that creative range. It was also really neat to go to the lobby in between sets and hear the different artists talking to each other and being really supportive of each other.”

Senior and SAI fundraising chair Mikela St. John said she was impressed by the turnout. With over 100 people coming in and out throughout the evening, SAI was able to raise over $300 for music education. After SAI almost went inactive last year, St. John said, she is happy that the fraternity is growing again and hopes that the benefit concert will become an annual event.

“It’s been really fun to watch how much we’ve grown with membership and also now we actually have an on-campus presence for the first time in a really long time,” St. John said. “So it’s just a joy to watch it all grow.”

VanHeyningen said that she was grateful for the opportunity to perform with her SAI sisters and enjoy the talents of other musical students on campus.

“It really made me realize that this is what I’m going to remember about college,” VanHeyningen said. “Creating music and watching my friends create music and just enjoying things like that. It’s not going to be exams or anything. It’s going to be blowing off exams to watch my friends perform and do what they love.”

“Chapter 4” suffices only as a mildly entertaining and anticlimactic conclusion to the series.

Inside the off-campus scramble

Students react to the decrease in off-campus permission and share how it affects their fall housing plans

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

In the aftermath of a decreased number of available off-campus spots, the sophomore class of ’25 describes the process as annoying, frustrating, and unnecessary. It seems every student who wanted permission has a story to share.

With only 56 of the 127 men who applied and 118 of the 148 women who applied being given off-campus permission this year,

students have been racing to figure out their housing for next year. The situation appears particularly difficult for rising juniors. Only 17 of those male spots were rising juniors and 74 of the female spots were rising juniors.

“It’s been really strange because there’s not a lot of official stuff published, so you’re left guessing,” sophomore Owen Gerth said. “It’s a lot of hearsay, so it’s really just been a lot of guesswork, crossing our fingers, and waiting.”

A group of eight men, some independent students and some from Greek houses, signed a lease during the third week of school for Burt House, located on Manning Street.

“Most of us had a lot of credits already, so we assumed that there would be about 75 to 80% of the group who would get off campus,” sophomore Kirsten Lopez said. “When off-campus permission came out, it screwed a lot of us over because we planned on living in the

house, and we didn’t really have an alternative.”

According to the men, the problem does not lie with the lease but the fact that half of them received permission while the other half did not.

“We’re having to scramble to find guys that we can potentially fill our lease with, but we don’t know if the guys we originally were willing to live with are going to still get off campus or if we have to fill their slots,” sophomore Jack Walker said.

Walker said that the process has caused a lot of uncertainty.

“I don’t know if my rent is gonna go up because we’re not going to be able to fill the house or if we’re going to have too many people,” Walker said.“Some of my friends are going to get screwed over because of the uncertainty that’s flying around.”

Even if a student gets off-campus permission, it doesn’t mean that their problems are solved.

“I ended up getting it but had to change plans completely because the group that I was going to go off with, nobody else got off-campus. And so I’ll be living with a bunch of juniors next year,” sophomore Rachel

Burt House is one of the most popular off-campus houses in a prime location on Manning Street, well within walking distance of campus.

JACK COTE | COLLEGIAN

Houts said. “I think it did work out in the end, but only through sheer luck because I just happened to have taken enough credits.”

Students are given two weeks to decline or accept their off-campus permission. Houts said that having to make housing arrangements that quickly was the main source of stress for her and others new to the renting process.

“It’s just annoying because for most people going off-campus is their first experience with a rental that’s in their name,” Houts said. “Having the time crunch once you get the permission is really stressful because then you have to figure everything out about renting that you didn’t know in two weeks. Or if you signed a lease ahead of time, then you’re just kind of trapped.”

Other students, like sophomore Sarah Gregory, are going on WHIP in the fall and decided to be proactive, making housing plans for the spring semester.

“They always make that joke, ‘You make plans and God laughs,’ and I had this whole plan figured out in there,” Gregory said. “I’m a big planner, and it just seems like everything that I’ve done to try to plan everything has fallen through. And so now it’s kind of just figuring out what would be a good place for me to live.”

Inevitably, the process has left some students behind to figure out new plans with what seems to be a general consensus of confusion and lack of direction.

“I would say the best way to describe it is it’s just been a consistent rumor mill,” Gregory said. “I have found out through friends and through other people. It

always felt like I never knew what was fully going on.”

Gregory said the lack of communication can also affect student’s finances.

“For a lot of kids who do pay for their own housing, they need to plan if they’re going to be paying X amount on campus or X amount off campus,” Gregory said.

“And everything just kind of seemed to not be finalized or to be communicated until the last possible moment.”

To aid some of this confusion, the administration is implementing a new program, StarRez, which it hopes to use to help close the information gap and manage expectations among other things.

“We realized that there has been sort of a change in culture of just even expectations of when you should be able to sign a lease,” Dean of Women Rebekah Dell said. “We see that there is an information gap. Starting from the very first page when you log on to StarRez, it talks about housing, about the college’s policies, and how it’s a live-in campus where you have to request off campus permission.”

For some students, communication will not fix the social or financial concerns that they want addressed.

“I’ve worked three jobs to try to pay for school, so not getting off campus was really challenging,” sophomore Kenda Showalter said. “And so it’s just disappointing not only financially but socially. I don’t know where I’m going to live because I’m the only one out of my circle that’s in that situation.”

‘Chew mail pouch tobacco – treat yourself to the best’

A historical Hillsdale location, the old Mail Pouch Barn, was removed to make room for a commerical store

By Lauren Scott Assistant Editor

Mail Pouch Tobacco barns are a reminder of America’s agrarian roots — one that is slowly disappearing.

On March 27, Meijer removed Hillsdale County’s historic Mail Pouch Barn to build its new location southeast of Bullhead Lake near the intersection of W. Carleton and Beck Road.

Mail Pouch Tobacco barns have existed in America since 1891. The Bloch Brother Tobacco Company of West Virginia, the tobacco company now known as Swisher, paid farmers $1 to $2 a month to paint their barns with a Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement.

“Chew mail pouch tobacco – treat yourself to the best,” the advertisements said.

Fortunately, the Hillsdale County Historical Society is preserving the side of the barn with the advertisement to display in its museum.

Hillsdale County had another Mail Pouch Tobacco barn in Jonesville off South Hillsdale Road, but it was removed a few years ago.

There are many things that remind us of our agrarian roots besides barns. Even though I live in a busy suburb of Dallas, I live off a highway called FM 2944, with FM standing for “farm to market.”

Although there are countless roads and highways starting with “FM” in Texas, few people know that the names originated from an agrarian society when farmers took their produce to markets.

“Today, the Mail Pouch Tobacco Barn is becoming just a memory of America’s past,” according to the Hagen History Center’s website. “Once a common roadside sight, they are almost all gone.”

Morgan Morrison, board member of the Hillsdale County Historical Society, said the incentive for farmers to advertise the tobacco company was to get a fresh coat of paint on their barns.

“They identified a need that farmers had because paint was really expensive,” Morrison said. “If farmers don’t paint their barns, they fall apart.”

Morrison said it was a brilliant marketing idea. The advertisements on barns located on main roads were seen by millions of Americans since interstate highways did not exist.

The tobacco company would send its painters all across the country, usually in pairs of two, to paint whole barns, but only one or two sides were painted with the advertisement. The company would send painters to do “touch-up” work every few years.

Harley Warrick was a remarkably dedicated Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement painter.

“The first 1,000 were a little rough,” Warrick said, according to the Hagen History Center. “After that you get the hang of it.”

After serving in World War II, he painted and repainted more than 20,000 barns between the years 1946 and 1992.

“Warrick said he could do one in six hours,” according to the Hagen History Center. “He didn’t use a pattern or straight edge. He did it from habit.”

Even though the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company stopped painting barns in 1969, Warrick continued to repaint old advertisements until 1992. Warrick died in 2000 and is buried in Ohio.

Engraved on his tombstone is his life’s work: a barn that reads, “Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco.”

“In 1965 the Highway Beautification Act allowed the Mail Pouch barns to be grandfathered in as landmark signs rather than billboards,” according to the Hagen History Center. “This allowed these iconic barns to remain, though none have been repainted for nearly 30 years, unless it was by the owner.”

The old Mail Pouch Tobacco barn was removed by Meijer in March. Farmers painted their barns with the ads in exchange for $1-2 dollars.

LOGAN WASHBURN | COLLEGIAN

FEATURES

“Bless the sheep prior to slaughter”

a meal

By Tess Owen Assistant Editor

Before he cooked a true Hillsdale Easter brunch, senior Colton Duncan first learned how to roast a lamb from an elderly farm-hand in Argentina.

“I lived in Argentina for three years as a seminarian, and, at a lamb roast, this old man grabbed me and showed me his elaborate spit system. He had a lamb laid out butterfly style to roast it evenly over the fire,” Duncan said.

Duncan said he decided to roast a lamb on his own this Easter at an off-campus residence called Halfway House and to share it with whoever wanted to join the party.

“It was my first solo experience, but I had a number of people before show me, like the old man and Morgan Morrison.”

According to Duncan, he had to search for a suitable lamb at a number of farms before settling on the right one.

“I visited a few farms, including a couple of Amish ones, but ended up at one about 20 minutes from campus,” Duncan said. “The lady there let me choose, and I went with one that had more meat, an 11-month-old male.”

Duncan said he shot and cleaned it on Holy Saturday and roasted it early Sunday morning.

“So after we shot it and threw it in the back of the minivan, my friend’s brother asked, ‘Is it too late to name it? Because I’m thinking Kevin,’” Duncan said.

Junior Jacqueline Robarge, who attended the party, said she enjoyed the lamb roast.

“Kevin was yummy,” Robarge said.

Duncan said was inspired to carry on a tradition of lamb-roasting started by the men who lived at an off-campus residence called Bjornheim, like Morrison ’21.

“Lamb roasts had been traditional at Bjornheim, and Halfway House is right

behind them, so it just made the most sense to do it there,” Duncan said. “They also have a lot of wood to clean the animal and the space to have a fire and a party. It’s the ideal place.”

Duncan said he was satisfied with how the roast turned out.

“I was thrilled,” Duncan said. “There were probably 150 people who cycled through from the different church services, and when I left the party, there was only one pound of lamb left. I don’t think there were any leftovers.”

There was also an abundance of roast lamb at St. Anthony Catholic Church’s celebration after the vigil mass, according to Jonathan Smith, associate business analyst for the college.

Smith said he has participated in the parish’s Easter lamb butchering for the last six years, but this year Alexis Zieler ’18, who leads the parish’s celebration called Greek Feast, asked Smith’s men’s group to help.

“Trevor Buehrer, one of the men in our group, took on the main leadership role of the butchering,” Smith said. “This year we had 6 guys help with the slaughter, which made it go much faster. Now that we’ve been doing it awhile, guys are more experienced. We were able to slaughter and skin three lambs in just under two hours.”

Smith said the men’s experience and having multiple butchering stations working simultaneously were good changes from past times.

“We did make some vast improvements this year to our process, which is good considering I work in business improvements at the college,” Smith said. “Normally, we have slaughtered and skinned one lamb at a time. Part of that was due to our lack of equipment and skilled volunteers. However, this year we were able to set up three stations and slaugh-

ter and skin all three lambs at once, which made the process go much faster. After butchering lambs or chickens, I’m always making notes for how we could do it better the next year.”

Smith said that last year’s butchering was made memorable by some of Associate Professor of English Dwight Lindley’s sons.

“Last year, the Lindley boys came over to help us. Their job was helping us wrangle the sheep into a holding pen,” Smith said.” It was entertaining and comical to watch the Lindley boys of all heights and ages run across the pasture trying to circle the sheep. They did a great job and were a big help.”

Zieler and parish volunteers prepared the lamb for the feast while Smith and his fellow butcherers, which included Marcus Reynolds, Charlie Hutchins ’03, Adam Debacker, and Hillsdale graduate student Jose Arevalo, cut up the meat

“I was able to eat some at the Easter Vigil Greek feast and thought it tasted great,” Smith said.

According to Smith, butchering the lamb on Good Friday highlights an essential element of the Triduum.

“We always do it the morning of Good Friday, which always brings with it spiritual significance,” Smith said. “Later that day when we go to the Good Friday service at St. Anthony’s, we hear Isaiah 53:7 during the first reading. Having led a literal lamb to the slaughter just hours before really makes that passage come alive.”

Rev. David Reamsnyder also made an appearance at the lamb butchering.

“This year Fr. Dave Reamsnyder, our pastor, came to bless the sheep prior to the slaughter,” Smith said. “That was the perfect way to start the day and would be the one part of the process I would want to ensure that we continue year after year.”

Strength rejoices in the polar plunge

By Sydney Green Collegian Reporter

Jumping into frigid water might not be the first way many people would choose to spend their Saturday afternoon. However, Assistant Professor of History Jason Gehrke and many other students enjoy willingly participating in this prodigious character-building activity.

What started out as a challenge from Gehrke’s son has now become an almost weekly tradition for Gehrke and several students. The group has grown to a size of nearly fifteen students who

participate weekly on most Saturday afternoons.

Gehrke said the idea began after his son watched it happen on National Geographic.

“My son said, ‘Hey Dad, do you do that?’ And of course, me being a father, I know that the first rule of parenting young boys is to tell them lies, so I said that I did.” Gherke said.

According to Gehrke, his son then challenged him to do a polar plunge on the spot.

“I said, ‘Why not? Let’s do it.’ So we ran down to the lake and jumped in. Turns out it was exhilarating and fun,” Gehrke said.

Students began joining Gehrke after word of his adventures spread to his classroom and church. Junior Juliana Undseth described her first polar plunge experience as a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

“Immediately after I agreed to go, I questioned what I had gotten myself into, and for the next three hours I was freaking out,” Undseth said. “But with Jonathan Schulz’s Viking music blasting in the car on the way over to hype us up, I started feeling a little bit better.”

Afterwards, Gehrke bought the group warm drinks from Rough Draft, and they gathered in the back room and chatted for an hour.

“There is nothing quite like going from being so cold that your skin feels like velvet to warming up with a cup of chai in your hand,” Undseth said. “What a wonderful feeling to have when you are all bundled up.”

Undseth said that the rest of the day she was on an emotional high and had a surprising sense of accomplishment.

“I was on an unexpected emotional high afterwards,” Undseth said. “It was neat

though because it is a relatively small thing that you can do where you are conquering a seemingly, not impossible, but difficult obstacle.”

Senior and frequent attendee Jonathan Schulz said he enjoys the unique nature of the challenge and the chance to do it with friends.

“It is always nice to do it with other people because there’s that element of suffering in solidarity,” said Schulz. “It is enjoyable to me because it’s something to do in nature that most people would never think of.”

During the Triduum, Hillsdale residents and students joined in the time-honored and biblical tradition of artfully roasting a lamb to share

Top to bottom: Luke Hollister, Stephen Edelblut, and Alex Schnell enjoy an Easter brunch at Halfway House; Colton Duncan prepares a roast lamb. COURTESY | TESS OWEN, ROSEMARY SURDYKE, COLTON DUNCAN

“There is nothing quite like going from being so cold to warming up with a cup of chai”