Hillsdale Collegian 2.2.2023

DeSantis appoints Spalding to board of Florida public college

By Haley Strack Senior Reporter

Matthew Spalding, dean of Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, accepted a position on the board of trustees at the New College of Florida. Appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Jan. 6, Spalding will advise the college on its transformation into a classical liberal arts school.

“I have known Governor DeSantis since he was a congressman and have been working with the Florida Department of Education on his civic literacy initiative,” Spalding said. “I was honored by the appointment.”

Spalding, the former vice president of American Studies at the Heritage Foundation and founding director of its B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics, is one of six board members

DeSantis appointed this month to remove political ideology from public education. Spalding is serving on the board in a personal capacity and will remain at Hillsdale. Since becoming governor, DeSantis has commissioned the Board of Trustees to execute education reforms, opposed transgender ideology and critical race theory, and supported parental rights in education. “Florida is where woke goes to die,” the governor said in November. Also appointed to the board was Hillsdale’s spring 2022 Eugene C. Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Fellow Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute best known for his education activism.

Labeled a partisan “leadership overhaul,” media outlets like the New York Times and Politico have decried the

appointments to be a “hostile takeover of a liberal college,” according to the New York Times. Spalding rejects the criticism — and said that the board aims not to make New College a carbon copy of Hillsdale but reclaim its position as Florida’s central liberal arts institution.

“The claim that this a ‘hostile takeover’ of New College is not correct,” Spalding said. “The intent is to renew New College and return it to its liberal arts mission. The significance of doing that in this moment at a public university within a major state system is historic, not only for Florida but as a model for a nation where governors and legislature have the responsibility over public education.”

A member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts College, the New College admitted its first class in 1964 as a private nonsectarian liberal

arts school. Chairman of the first Board of Trustees Philip H. Hess said in a 1964 New York Times article that “the college would stress freedom of inquiry and the responsibility of the individual student for his own education.”

When the school fell into debt in 1975, the board sold it to the University of Southern Florida. In 2021, it was absorbed into the State University System of Florida, where it remains as the state’s honors college.

DeSantis, who has jurisdiction over the state’s public university system, said on Tuesday that a strong board of trustees might save New College from being “completely captured by a political ideology that puts trendy, truth-relative concepts above learning.” Spalding echoed the governor’s efforts.

See Spalding A2

College purchases off-campus Norton houses, open to students this fall

By Elizabeth Crawford Collegian Reporter

The college purchased four off-campus houses from Vice President and General Counsel Robert Norton, which will be available as on-campus housing for fall 2023.

Associate Dean of Women Stephanie Gravel said the college intends to honor Norton’s leases with current residents until the end of May. In the spring, students will apply for the new housing like they would for dormitories.

“The houses will be on the housing form for fall of 2023,” Gravel said. “Anybody will be able to apply for those, so you won’t need off-campus permission.”

“We had been approached by other people, wondering if we wanted to sell the property,” Norton said. “We would love to see these houses owned by the college instead of investors.”

The newly-acquired Chase, Kempton, Carriage, and Hill residences sit on the corner of Fayette and Hillsdale streets, a block away from main campus.

After complete renovations—some which involved raising the buildings’ foundations to create better basement height—the Norton properties have become popular choices for students seeking off-campus housing.

Sophomore Madison Asher, a resident in Hill House,

said she appreciated the cleanliness and the updated interiors of the house.

“The experience has been positive in terms of the housing itself,” Asher said.

Because the amenities are nicer, the rent is higher than other off-campus housing options, according to senior Michael Thelen. Both Asher and Thelen said the rent reflects the value residents received.

“The current rent is more expensive than any of the other off-campus properties I know of, but Norton’s properties are also significantly nicer than any other off-campus properties,” Thelen said.

Now that the college owns the houses, they will offer

single and double rooms at the same prices as dorms, according to Gravel. However, students who choose to live in the houses will qualify for the off-campus meal plan.

Gravel said the college would not give the new houses resident assistants—a difference from most dorms. Instead, they will have one adult staff member coordinating maintenance and work orders for all four houses.

Asher said she is concerned the college’s purchase of these properties will create more difficulties for students searching for housing off-campus.

“Off-campus housing in Hillsdale can be hard to find,”

Radio Free Hillsdale to find a new larger home in Stanton Building

By Josh Newhook

Digital Editor

WRFH 101.7 FM Radio

Free Hillsdale will move to a new location in the Stanton Building later this year.

“It’s roughly triple what we have for space now,” General Manager at WRFH 101.7 FM Scot Bertram said. “It’s significant, which is great because we have always been a little tight on space here. Having a larger footprint can work much better for us logistically.”

The new studio will be located in the basement of the Stanton Foundation Building for Classical Education. The space previously functioned as the cafeteria and kitchen when the building housed Mauck Elementary School. For more than seven years, the radio station has been squished into two small studios in the Fred A. Knorr Memorial Student Center next to the Old Snack Bar.

Because of its connection with the marketing and public relations departments, Chief Administrative Officer

Rich Péwé said the radio and podcast programs would fit well with the growing complex.

After they move in, the Stanton building will be full.

“It’s going to be a hot corner down there,” Péwé said.

to do.”

The new space will feature a main studio and two smaller studios, a control room, an office for Bertram, and a green room where radio students can hang out. The two smaller studios can be

said.

The large main studio, on the other hand, can be used for shows and interviews with four or five people, he said.

“It will be easier to do more live shows,” Bertram said. “Right now, three people in that room is crunched, but with a larger studio and better studio furniture, it will be much easier to talk to each other.”

Most of the existing equipment will be reused in the new studios, along with radio equipment the college bought from Fox News Host Laura Ingraham after she decided to stop doing her radio show in 2018, Bertram said. Having a separate control room will also have the benefit of minimizing background noise.

Asher said. “Although the college has said it wants to maintain something of an off-campus feel in the Norton properties moving forward, I think limiting students’ ability to rent decent rooms close to campus that aren’t college-owned is a net-negative, especially for upperclassmen.”

Thelen also said he was worried about the off-campus living experience and how it will change with the college owning the properties.

“I really don’t think that the experience of living at these houses will be improved with the college’s acquisition,” Thelen said. “I think this will more or less destroy the living experience

that the properties were originally intended to provide, while also costing students more money.”

Junior Holly Stover viewed the college’s purchase as a better alternative than selling the properties to investors.

“I think it can be a good thing that Norton chose to sell these properties to the college,” Stover said. “This way they can be guaranteed to stay as Hillsdale housing.”

Despite student concerns, Norton believes the properties will continue to be popular housing choices for students.

“We wanted these houses to be a place where people can have good memories and socialize,” Norton said.

Survey finds two degrees of separation

Applied Math Club spent a semester studying social connections between students. Here’s what they found.

By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor

Have you ever peered out from a packed Sizzle line in Saga and felt as though you knew just about everyone in the crowd?

According to the math club, you probably do. In a study conducted last semester called Degrees of Arnn, the club found that 96% of students are two degrees of separation or less away from one another.

“That means that there is only 4% of people who you don’t know and who none of your friends know either,” said Jack Graham, president of the math club.

the average student knows 40% of campus, or about 700 students.

“Personally, I thought the number would be a lot lower,” Graham said. “When we were originally testing it out, I only knew about 20% of the people.”

Since the study was conducted via Google Surveys, senior and club secretary Emily Balsbaugh was able to observe the results in real time.

The current station is located in a space that existed before the radio station came about.

“The rooms were what they were here, so we sort of retrofitted them to get functional,” Bertram said. “But now, everything will be easier

used by students to edit and record without having to work around scheduling with the limited studio space they have now.

“It’s difficult to schedule things out to make sure everyone has the proper amount of time,” Bertram

“There’s some background noise that sometimes pops into things as we’re on the air or recording,” he said.

The math club collected its data through a survey that was sent to 200 randomly selected students last semester. Each student was asked if they knew the other 199 students in the survey. Of the 200 students who received the survey, 45 responded.

“Mathematically, I'm unaware of surprising revelations but existentially, it was fascinating to see other groups on campus that you have no connection to,” Balsbaugh said. “It was weird to see the social groupings on paper.”

The study also shows that, on average, students know about 10% more of campus than they are known by.

See Radio A2 See Degrees B5

According to the results,

Matthew Spalding will serve on the board of a Florida college. Courtesy | Hillsdale College

The new WRFH station is under construction. Jack Cote | Collegian

Liberty walk sculptor Bruce Wolfe dies at 81

By Ellia He Collegian Freelancer

Sculptor Bruce Wolfe died Dec. 27 at the age of 81, leaving behind a large portfolio of work.

Wolfe’s sculptures are featured on the Liberty Walk at Hillsdale College, including that of Margaret Thatcher, which was added in 2008, and Frederick Douglass, dedicated in 2017. He is survived by his wife, Linda, two children, three grandchildren, and his brother.

Lucas Morel, professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, spoke at the dedication for the Douglass statue. He remembers Wolfe as a “kind man” and remarked on the profound influence of his sculpture.

“Mr. Wolfe’s statue of Frederick Douglass brings to life a man whose ferocity of spirit was matched by a fierce intelligence utterly devoted to securing liberty for all Americans,” Morel said.

Morel’s 2017 dedication speech on Wolfe’s sculpture reflects this sentiment.

“Douglass remarked that the American people saw in Lincoln ‘a full length portrait of themselves. In him they saw their better qualities represent-

By Moira Gleason Collegian Reporter

Join SAB this Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at Rough Draft for a seminar-style poetry workshop with Joseph Garnjobst, chairman and professor of classics and Elizabeth Fredericks, assistant professor of English.

Garnjobst will teach a 45-minute seminar on blackout poetry, a style of poetry in which the author redacts parts of other texts to compose a new poem.

Fredericks will pull from her studies of religion and

“We will need more microprocessors, but a lot of equipment that will be needed is either already in use or will be transferred from storage into the new space in the next few years,” he said.

He said the green room will add a community space that the radio station has been lacking.

“The space in Stanton is going to have an area where they can prepare for their shows and newscasts,” Bertram said. “Since it’s a little removed from the center of campus now, they can come early and study or talk to friends before they record.

I think it will help foster a sense of community for students who are taking part in the radio program.”

The project is about four to six weeks out from completion, according to Pewe. Bertram said they have been recently putting in structural

ed, incarnated, and glorified— and as such, they loved him,'” Morel said. “In future days, may those who look on this statue see in Frederick Douglass a full-length portrait of themselves, and be reminded what it is to be an American.”

Wolfe told the Collegian in 2015 that he had a unique connection to the Douglass statue. His great-great-grandfather was Stephen Dovell Shelledy, an abolitionist supporter and friend of both Abraham Lincoln and Douglass.

Noah Griffin, founder of the Cole Porter Society, modeled for Wolfe’s statue of Douglass.

"I can't know what it was like to be in the presence of history's great masters. I can only witness their work,” Griffin said in an email. “Sitting for Bruce was an education in the highest-level artistry. His eye in coordination with his precision tools carved the clay to remove all that didn't belong to release not only the exterior visage but the interior soul of his subject. In my estimation, Bruce will be remembered as an artist of transcendent importance."

Griffin said Wolfe’s artistry brought Douglass to life in a unique way.

“He captured the seriousness, determination, and hu-

literature at Regent College to present a seminar on devotional poetry. Each professor will work with small groups of students and give them the chance to practice these niche styles of poetry.

“SAB is committed to encouraging the growth and development of friendships on campus,” SAB creative team member Tatum Linde said. “This is a really unique event for students to get to work intimately with professors in small groups.”

Early arrivals will enjoy a one dollar discount on any Rough Draft drink, events

equipment, such as drywall sound absorption. Furnishings like carpeting are still left to be done. The station could be up and running before the semester ends, Pewe said.

“I’d love to be able to be doing podcasts in there by early April,” he said.

Digital Director of WRFH Abigail Snyder said she is glad the radio station is gaining more space.

“The move to Stanton will help us all be more productive and ultimately create content that reflects well on Hillsdale College,” Snyder said.

“Going from the old closet in Knorr to this massive space will be an amazing upgrade,” Radio Program Director Josh Barker said.

“In addition to being able to put all of our equipment to use and avoid bottlenecks that currently exist, I’m really excited that we’ll finally have our own space for meetings

manity of one of history's most respected and revered pioneers in the continuing struggle for social justice,” Griffin said in an email.

was only 20 when he left San Jose State and accepted an art director position with one of the largest advertising companies in the country at the time:

a great painter.”

Wolfe mentored Johnson and many other artists. He taught figure painting and sculpting at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California.

Wolfe had a prolific career in commercial art, creating designs that have become iconic, such as the Mastercard logo with its two overlapping circles. He also worked on illustrations for promotional campaigns for companies and clients like the Indiana Jones Films, San Miguel Beer, Kawasaki, Tahoe and Mendocino Music Festivals, U.S. Women's Ski team, Sony Music, Stanford University, Lucas Films, Chevron, Dole, HP, Nestle, Ringling Bros Circus, Rolling Stone magazine, Sierra Club, Time-Life Books, U.S. Forest Service, Celestial Seasonings, NASA, Esquire, Kiss, Pink Floyd, and more.

In 1973, Wolfe turned away from illustration to further pursue sculpture.

Aerospace Museum, Stanford University, and a plethora of widely known exhibitions and colleges, including a solo exhibition at La Galerie in Paris, France.

Alumna Heather Tritchka ’98, sculptor of the Liberty Walk’s Winston Churchill statue, said Wolfe made tangible the simple, obvious beauty of form.

“He went for a more simplified sculpting style, but Wolfe put all the emphasis in the manner that Douglass is standing and the look on his face,” Tritchka said. “The whole piece leads up to his face. He captured the strength and the determination really well.”

Tritchka said Wolfe will be dearly missed as an artist.

Wolfe was originally from Santa Monica, California. He studied commercial art at San Jose State University and the Art Institute of San Francisco with an emphasis on portrait painting and sculpture. He

lead Katie Weis said. Starting at 7 p.m., students will split into two small groups for the writing tutorials.

“We hope that students enjoy relaxing for the evening at Rough Draft and allowing their creativity to flow through poetry,” Linde said. “It’ll be a wonderful evening, and we hope everyone who attends enjoys the fun of practicing poetry in fellowship with their peers and professors.”

The event is RSVP only, and currently has a waiting list.

and just to hang out.”

Barker said he is sad to be graduating and won’t be able to enjoy the new studio.

“While I’d be lying to say I’m not very jealous that the other seniors and I will not get to experience it, I am very excited that the next generation of radio students and our current underclassmen will have such a great setup,” Barker said.

Barker said the new location, while a farther walk from the center of campus than before, has benefits not only in space but also in being situated in a quieter part of campus.

“Not being adjacent to the Old Snack Bar means that the sound from outside —a problem when clubs currently host events in OSB — won’t be a problem for our students making content, unless marketing or PR start throwing parties,” he said.

Foote, Cone & Belding.

“Bruce was one of the biggies,” Scott Johnson, illustrator and mentee of Wolfe, said. “He took it to a level that the average illustrator didn't. He was really driven to want to be

From

“The liberal arts are the study of the great works of great thinkers who ask timeless questions about the most important things—What is truth? How should we live our lives? Is there a higher meaning and purpose outside of ourselves?—in pursuit of the highest truths of human existence,” Spalding said.

“This is the approach to education at Hillsdale or any college that pursues the liberal arts as properly understood. This must be contrasted with modern education, which is more often than not a smorgasbord of dogmatic relativism that nevertheless insists on whatever is academically in vogue. Students are hungering for this approach. Enrollment and applications are surging at Hillsdale and institutions like it.”

National college enrollment has decreased 13% over the last decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Admissions rates have skyrocketed at some liberal arts colleges, such as Thomas Aquinas College, Benedictine College, and Florida’s Ave Maria University. Hillsdale’s application rate jumped 53% last year.

James Uthmeier, DeSantis' governor’s chief of staff, said the administration hopes the New College will be like a “Hillsdale of the South.” Although Spalding called the comparison to Hillsdale “flattering,” he said the board aims to renew New College as a unique institution.

“Hillsdale College is the best and most important liberal arts college in America and is the north star that

“Some decisions make themselves,” Wolfe said to student Robert Hunt years later, which Hunt wrote on his blog.

Besides Hillsdale, his work has been placed in the Hebrew University in Israel, New Asian Art Museum, Smithsonian

guides those pursuing truth despite the disordered universe of higher education,” Spalding said. “This effort is not about trying to transform New College into something that it is not, but about strengthening its distinctive mission as the liberal arts honors college in the Florida public university system.”

During the board’s first meeting on Tuesday night, the trustees voted to terminate New College President Patricia Okker and promised to subject tenured professors to employee reviews.

“Artists are never going to be able to be replaced because every decision that an artist makes when they're trying to show you something creates a piece that's unique,” Tritchka said. “Every little line that's sculpted and every little piece that's added is telling a story in the whole thing together and is a unique expression. That can't be replaced with just photography or laser cutting technologies.”

they should be able to do whatever they want,” DeSantis said. “That is not happening in the state of Florida. We're going to hold people accountable.”

The trustees also announced their intent to dismantle the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion offices on Tuesday. The governor has allocated $15 million for hiring new faculty and developing new scholarships.

Enrollment

and applications are surging at Hillsdale and institutions like it.

Spalding proposed that Okker be replaced by Richard Corcoran, Florida’s former education commissioner and Florida House speaker. Corcoran, who delivered a speech on the state of American education at Hillsdale in May 2021, will act as interim president beginning in March.

“This is not how I thought I was going to go,” Okker, who negotiated a severance package before she was terminated, said at the meeting DeSantis defended the decision to terminate Okker’s Presidency in a press conference on Tuesday.

“There are some people who think you have a right to have taxpayer institutions with no accountability that

“In Florida, we will build off of our higher education reforms by aligning core curriculum to the values of liberty and the Western tradition, eliminating politicized bureaucracies like DEI, increasing the amount of research dollars for programs that will feed key industries with talented Florida students, and empowering presidents and boards of trustees to recruit and hire new faculty, including by dedicating record resources for faculty salaries,” DeSantis said in a press release.

Spalding’s former student Josh Barker said the new trustee’s wealth of experience will aid Florida’s education system.

From Radio A1

College President Larry Arnn, sculptor Bruce Wolfe, and donor James Nagy unveiled the statue of Frederick Douglass in 2017. Courtesy | Bruce Wolfe

Bruce Wolfe made the statue of Margaret Thatcher on campus. Courtesy | Bruce Wolfe

CCA III to discuss Greece and Rome

By Linnea Shively

Assistant Editor

Greek and Roman influence on the liberal arts is the focus of next week’s Center for Constructive Alternatives “Classical Greece and Rome.”

The event runs from Sunday, Feb. 5 through Wednesday, Feb. 8.

According to the CCA website, the classics are an essential part of education nearly lost in modern schools. This decline in serious study of the classics began with the “influence of historicism” in the late 1800s. The program features presentations on Greek and Roman governments, classical literature, and philosophy.

Speakers include Professor of History Barry Strauss of Cornell University and Mark A. Kalthoff, Henry Salvatori chair in History and Traditional Values and professor and chairman of History.

Sophomore Elke White looks forward to diving deeper into philosophical ideas

from her Constitution class in the “Xenophon’s Socrates” presentation.

“My professor was talking about the difference in presentation of Socrates from Plato’s perspective and Xenophon’s perspective,” White said. “That presentation caught my eye when I saw it on a poster in the union, and I’m excited to hear more about it next week.”

Sophomore Andrew Klare looks forward to hearing from professors at the faculty roundtable.

“I think it will be very interesting to hear what the different professors and departments have to say about the classical world,” Klare said. “It will provide some perspective on just how wide ranging the impact of the Romans and Greeks have been on all of western development from politics to literature.”

Senior Elizabeth Oxaal’s lifelong interest in classical Greece and Rome inspired her to register for the CCA.

“I became interested in

Greece and Rome as a kid because I wanted to be an archeologist, but became interested in the history of those societies as I got older and came to Hillsdale,” Oxaal said.

Klare’s said he also grew up interested in the classical world.

“I decided to take the CCA because the classical world has always intrigued me,” Klare said. “Since I was little, I’ve loved learning about the ancient Romans and their contribution to our world today. From the Founding of the Republic to the rise of Constantine, it is amazing what the Romans were able to accomplish in their molding of western civilization.”

Preparing to graduate at the end of the semester, Oxaal said she is looking forward to her final CCA.

“What a great way to round out my Hillsdale education,” Oxaal said. “It’s a week full of interesting lectures about civilizations that founded the liberal arts.”

Thousands of rare audio archives donated to Mossey Library collection

By Catherine Maxwell Collegian Freelancer

Students and professors will soon have access to a large collection of LPs, CDs, and cassette tapes – a significant donation because of its size and contents for both the library and music department, according to Daniel Tacke, chair of the Howard department of music.

“The collection was assembled by Edward Wheeler of Lawrenceburg, Indiana,” said Lori Curtis, the Hillsdale archivist. “Mr. Wheeler’s widow, Joanne Wheeler, gave the collection to Hillsdale College with hopes that it would be used and enjoyed.”

The collection includes more than 8,000 LPs, over 3,000 CDs, and approximately 2,600 cassette tapes, as well as six linear feet of correspondence between Wheeler and various composers, according to Maurine McCourry, director of the Mossey library.

“Apart from the sheer size of the collection, which includes a number of unusual and rare recordings, especially of 20th-century works, the most important feature of the Wheeler collection is the assortment of home-made or live recordings made by performers, including many premieres,” Tacke said.

According to Tacke, Wheeler collected an assortment of recordings previously unshared with the public.

“As such, the Wheeler collection is home to a number of recordings that do not

Stanton Building to hold dedication ceremony

By Adriana Azarian Collegian Freelancer

The newly renovated Stanton Foundation Center for American Classical Education, formerly The Mauck School Building, will officially be dedicated on Feb. 6.

Co-founders of the Stanton Foundation, David and Laura Stanton, funded the renovation of The Mauck School Building. The Stanton Foundation Center holds Hillsdale’s K-12 Education Office, Marketing, National Donor Outreach, and the Preston M. Green Charitable Foundation Training Room. It will serve as the center for Hillsdale’s ongoing efforts in educational reform and supporting classical education

across the nation.

“It was renovated while still holding the same architectural qualities of the building. It has nice, bright tones and space for the K-12 office,” Special Events Planner Erika Gehrke said.

Built in 1939, the building served as a public school until the early 2000s. Hillsdale College purchased it in 2018 and began renovations in 2019.

“Walking through the Stanton Center, you can see features such as art fixtures, wood paneling, stained glass, and wall and floor tiles that reflect the previous chapters of the building’s history,” Assistant Provost for K-12 Education Kathleen O’Toole said.

The dedication will be held at noon with a luncheon to follow at 12:30 p.m. President Larry Arnn, O’Toole, and Professor of Education Daniel Coupland will speak on the Stantons’ gift and Hillsdale’s K-12 classical education initiatives. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will follow the presentations.

The K-12 Education Office team, Stanton family members, Hillsdale College faculty and staff, and CCA guests and donors plan to attend.

“With this dedication, we want to thank and honor the Stantons for their financial support and commitment to promoting classical education across the nation,” O’Toole said.

exist anywhere else, offering a unique glimpse into a world of music-making far removed from the modern conveniences of studio engineering and post production,” Tacke said.

According to McCourry, Wheeler died in 2002 while still searching for a home for the collection. After his death, his widow continued the search and found Hillsdale to be a willing recipient.

“The college accepted the collection in 2013,” McCourry said.

The music department initially accepted it but, after a decade, decided they did not have space to store it, according to McCourry. The collection is now being moved into Mossey Library.

“Half the LPs are out on the shelves and are available,” said McCourry.

She noted that it will take years for them to be added to the library catalog.

“Students can still go out and browse them and just get an idea of what's there,” she said.

While the collection itself is important, the library wants to ensure that students also have access to information about its origin.

“We will be acquiring and placing a plaque on the end of the LP range giving collection and donor information,” Curtis said.

Currently, none of the CDs have been shelved, but the cassette tapes and part of the LP collection are ready for students to view. While certain items are currently

unavailable, students will eventually be able to access the entire collection, according to McCourry,

“The tapes and correspondence will be kept in our Special Collections area, not immediately accessible to the public,” McCourry said. “Ms. Curtis is always happy to show students materials from those collections.”

According to McCourry, the library is in the process of purchasing turntables so students can listen to the LPs, which will be available by next week.

“It’s mostly classical, but there is some jazz and some show music,” McCourry said. Wheeler also had recordings of non-published performances by various orchestras that they let him record, McCourry said.

According to McCourry, Wheeler’s correspondence contains all of the letters written to composers and performers that enabled him to record the music without violating copyright laws.

“For study and preservation purposes, we are keeping those tapes with this accompanying correspondence with the copyright owners,” said McCourry.

For security purposes, nothing in the collection will be allowed to leave the library, but students and faculty will be able to view and eventually listen to the entire Wheeler collection, according to McCourry.

DC professor visits campus, speaks on leftist politics

By Victoria Rossmiller Collegian Freelancer

Conservatives need to better understand the psychology of the left if they want to confront it, Assistant Professor David Azerrad argued in a Jan. 26 talk titled “Narcissism, Wokeness, and The Mind of the Left.”

“The left today is the party of intellectuals and the marginalized,” Azerrad said. “It’s the identity groups that have the privilege of having their oppression be recognized by the regime.”

Azerrad, who is a research fellow at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., said describing the left as progressive is misleading.

“Progressives have to believe in progress,” Azerrad said. “But the left doesn't believe in progress.”

Azerrad said leftists say the right things to promote their agenda, but fail to make sacrifices to implement these principles.

“Narcissism is the proper

point for understanding the left today,” Azerrad said.

In order to push their agenda, Azerrad said the left claims victimhood to justify its discontent. By expressing solidarity, leftists can give up nothing and still feel virtuous.

“It is all performative,” Azerrad said.

According to Azerrad, the left believes in trusting science until the results offend a protected minority.

“What seems to always trump the Marxist commitment to the proletariat, the progressive trust in science, or the liberal commitment to openness, is diversity,” Azerrad said.

Leftists are willing to say the right things to promote their agenda, but will rarely make sacrifices for it, according to Azerrad.

“Wokeness or the purported solidarity with the oppressed is the public face of the left,” Azerrad said. “It is the highest authority they recognize, but I don’t believe it is the fundamental un-

Courtesy

New women's dormitory named Sohn Residence, construction continues

By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor

Construction for the newest women’s dormitory is set to finish by mid-summer, with housing available for fall 2023.

derlying commitment of the average lefty.”

Everyone must financially and emotionally support their ideology, Azerrad said. This raises the question, “How do you live with yourself?”

Despite Republicans spending billions of dollars each year to win elections, there never seems to be any true conservative reforms, he said. Leftists ruthlessly “play to win” while the conservatives “play not to lose too badly,” according to Azerrad.

Students in attendance seemed intrigued by Azerrad's speech and many agreed with it.

“It was something the conservative face today has not been hearing,” freshman Nathan Rastovac said.

Freshman Emma Verrigni said she better understands political thinking after hearing Azerrad’s explanation.

“I liked how Dr. Azerrad talked about the psychology of the American left, and why the leftists behave the way that they do,” Verrigni said.

“This dorm under construction will be named the Marilyn J. Sohn Residence,” said Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé.

The college broke ground in June 2022 for the $5.8 million dorm, Péwé said.

According to Dean of Women Rebekah Dell, the dorm will house 56 women. There will be six single occupancy rooms, and 25 double occupancy rooms.

“What is unique about this particular building is that every bedroom has its own private bathroom,” Dell said. “There is going to be a designated fitness studio with fitness equipment. There will be four community lounges and a community kitchen. There's also two designated study rooms, where it's just tables and chairs for group study.”

There will be two main gathering spaces: a master living room with a fireplace at the entrance and a small lounge located at the back of the dorm.

The Sohn Residence will help meet a demand for

single-occupancy rooms that students request each year, Dell said.

“We've found there is the space and demand for another woman's residence facility on campus,” Dell said.

“In particular, this will offer a little bit more privacy and an increase in single rooms, because we do have a number of requests for single bedrooms each year and those requests tend to exceed the number of singles that we have.”

The Sohn Residence intentionally imitates the size of New Dorm and Benzing because this size has been found to help build community, Dell said.

“It's a really nice community space, which we think will be great for the residents,” Dell said. “We're also always mindful that when we're building something new, there's a great student demand for more places to gather with your peers, more variety for study locations, more variety for friendship, and for community building,” Dell said.

Design Collaborative, the architectural company that designed New Dorm, also designed the Sohn Residence.

The interior design will be similar to New Dorm, with all grays, blues, and neutrals, Dell said.

“It's definitely classic meets

modern,” Dell said. “Feminine, but not girly.”

The Sohn residence will share an extended parking lot with New Dorm, Dell said. With additional rooms available on campus, there is increased flexibility for rooming arrangements, Dell said.

Students will be able to request Sohn Residence with the regular housing request form at the end of March, according to Dell.

“We will fill it just like we would any other residence hall,” Dell said. “It’s based first on Hillsdale College credits, and then if there's a tie, we use GPA as the tiebreaker for getting into the space. So anyone interested is welcome to apply in March because it'll be open for business next fall.”

Freshman Jihye Kim lives in New Dorm and has been able to see the dorm’s construction.

“It looks bigger and better than New Dorm,” Kim said. “I'm interested to see what kind of culture it will have.”

Sophomore Sarah Hou is also a New Dorm resident.

“It’s what the college needs,” Hou said. “At this point, I’m probably not interested in living in it, but I guess it depends on when it’s open and ready to move in.”

Sophomore Josiah Jagoda and senior Grace Jagoda traveled to the Frankenmuth Snowfest with the Student Activities Board this past weekend. See B1 for more.

| Jake Rummel

Opinions

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

Elon Musk is poison to free speech

By Nathan Stanish

Before buying Twitter, Elon Musk promised to reform its free speech policies. Now he faces a lawsuit from Tesla shareholders for a 2018 tweet that they claim manipulated millions of stocks for his own benefit.

Over the last several years, free speech has adapted to modern social media platforms and taken on new meaning. Musk treats freedom of speech as freedom from consequences, giving him the power to say what he wants, no matter the financial effects.

Freedom of speech is not an invitation to weaponize social media influence, it’s the opportunity to safely express yourself beyond social media. And just like free speech in real life, free speech online is regulated when it has serious consequences.

Just as you cannot yell “fire!” in a building without repercussions, so Musk cannot tweet negative or positive things about his multi-billion-dollar public company to lower Tesla’s stocks without repercussions. His speech affects more than him, it affects the millions of stockholders counting on Tesla’s price to stay high. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission fined Musk $20 million for that very reason.

But Musk’s behavior does more than affect the finances of millions of people, it also blurs the line between free speech in public and free speech on a social media platform. By claiming that Twitter banning high-profile users or blocking certain topics violates free speech, he implies that people should be as free on social media as they are in a public forum, vindicating his irresponsible tweets.

Conservatives, eager to rally against regulation while preaching free speech, follow along with Musk’s rhetoric. So long as left-wing voices criticize Musk, right-wing voices will give him credibility.

Free speech comes with responsibility. It must be regulated to keep free speech from financially or physically putting someone in danger. Musk’s arguments for free speech only serve to support his own abuses of Twitter.

Nathan Stanish is a sophomore studying the liberal arts.

The Collegian Weekly

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

Don’t give up on your resolutions

As the second month of the year begins, it can become far too easy to leave your New Year’s resolutions behind. You made them, after all, before nearly two full weeks of classes reminded you just how little free time you really have.

Going to the gym every day, eating healthier, or spending less money seemed significantly more attainable three weeks into Christmas break. But now, more than a month later,

life has caught up and your resolutions become an afterthought.

It’s OK, we’ve all been there. It’s the most overused trope of the early new year: “I got a gym membership and went for three days in January.” This is quickly followed, however, by the equally overused “don’t give up on your resolutions, pick up where you left off.”

In this interchange is where many fall short. Few who gave up on their resolu-

tions two weeks in are going to pick right back up just as quickly. Instead, I would challenge you to ignore one of the late-great Kobe Bryant’s favorite sayings, and negotiate with yourself.

One of the hardest things about New Year’s resolutions is the cold-turkey start of a new habit or lifestyle change. Starting the new year with six trips to the gym a week or completely cutting out sugar can set personal expectations too

Leaders must have humility

By Michaela Estruth

Our leaders have broken their oaths and acted dishonorably.

Every president in American history has sworn the same oath upon entering office:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

An oath is not merely a promise. It is a solemn, holy vow before God. It should not be taken lightly. And yet, many of our nation’s leaders have either not fulfilled the totality of their oaths, or have ignored them for personal gain. Not only this, but their response to the public revelation of this information has only tainted their character.

To gain honor, leaders must act with humility, not hostile blame-shifting.

They can start by acting more like former Vice President Mike Pence. When classified documents turned up in his home in January, Pence apologized.

“I take full responsibility,” he said.

The difference in his conduct in contrast to that of both our former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden is astounding. Pence informed the National Archives that

he found the classified documents. Pence then notified Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee.

“Former Vice President Mike Pence reached out today about classified

continue to withhold information from Congress and the American people.”

Pence’s response to these documents is one of humility and honor. He apologized for his mistake, and his actions reflected a

high, leaving an all-or-nothing expectation for success.

Instead, start slow. And even if you never build up from there, a little improvement is certainly better than nothing. It’s important to remember that the goal of resolutions is to make positive changes in your life, not to go from zero to 60 by spring break.

documents found at his home in Indiana,” Comer said in a statement. “He has agreed to fully cooperate with congressional oversight and any questions we have about the matter.

Former Vice President Pence’s transparency stands in stark contrast to Biden White House staff who

desire to correct the situation. Biden was quick to condemn Trump when classified documents were found in Trump’s home in Florida.

“How that could possibly happen,” Biden said. “How one — anyone could be that irresponsible. And I

thought, ‘What data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?’ … Totally irresponsible.”

And yet, after weeks of cover-up, sources revealed that classified documents had been found in Biden’s Delaware home and his office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. These documents had been in his possession for more than six years since his vice presidency ended.

Our leaders are too busy blaming one another and pointing fingers and lack the proper humility to admit a mistake and correct it.

Nothing can be done about the fact that multiple leaders have treated sensitive information with less care than appropriate. Their responses speak volumes for their character. Much of this scandal is centered around the coming 2024 elections. There is no doubt that this “pointing fingers” will characterize many of the upcoming debates.

Leaders should respect their oaths of office, but it is just as important that they admit failure instead of painting a false moral high ground. A humble character will serve America best in 2024.

Michaela Estruth is a sophomore studying history and journalism. She is an assistant editor at the Collegian.

The drama in the House hurt the Republicans

By Micah Hart

Congressional Republicans who fought the election of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the house have set their party up for failure.

The holdouts, as they are now known, held some strong and necessary beliefs, which included the adoption of a rule that says legislation must be sent to representatives at least 72 hours before it is voted on.

The 72-hour rule will give members more time to think about their votes and, perhaps, legislate better.

On the other hand, concessions such as giving several of the holdouts key positions, such as that of the Rules Committee, seems unfair and like a personal agenda rather than a party, and more importantly, country agenda.

Reps. Chip Roy, R-TX, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., were appointed to the House Rules Committee. These two did not originally support McCarthy’s speak-

ership. Another Republican representative on the committee is Thomas Massie, R-KY. As Fox reports, Massie “backed McCarthy during the speakership vote but is known as a troublesome Republican who often causes issues with leadership, was also appointed.”

This is just one committee. The oversight committee also seats several members of the House Freedom Caucus who voted against McCarthy.

It seems unfair to reward members of such a small group of the entire conference to these seats of authority. Furthermore, these concessions are concerning because some Republican House members did not know the backdoor dealings that were taking place.

CBS reports that Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., was concerned about the backdoor dealings taking place, given that GOP members did not know what concessions were being made. Mace supported the rules

package; however, this one instance shows just the lack of stability that this debacle created.

In addition to the chaos of the dealings, one of the rules concerned lowering the number of representatives needed to bring a motion to vacate the chair forward. This small group wanted to bring the number down to a single representative, according to the Hill. Even some Republicans, such as Rep. Don Bacon, R-NE, are concerned about this power.

Giving one person the ability to bring a motion to vacate forward also brings forward a greater uncertainty and unevenness to the House of Representatives.

If one Republican gets upset with an action taken by McCarththy, then he or she can bring up a motion to oust him, which is going to create great contention. It has already been on full display in the speaker battle. It is just a matter of time before a member gets upset

Transform A.J.s for the Super Bowl

By Liam Regan and Thomas McKenna

When the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, there is only one place you should be: A.J.’s Cafe.

But to host a super bowl watch party will require an all-encompassing, one-dayonly modification: transforming A.J.’s into a sports bar and grill. , A.J.’s should be filled with the voices of broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen, the smell of real game food, and sports fans who can shout “fly, Eagles, fly.”

We’re two weeks into the semester and already tired of the same “good enough” grab-and-go. The Big Game demands Big Game food. Wings, thin fries, and nachos should all be on the menu. Keep the ice cream, though. It’s the most edible source of protein on campus. It felt like more people showed up for World Cup events in the student union than any other sports-watching party. There’s no flopping, crying, or Mexican commentators stretching the word “goal” for half an hour. We also have ads! You know it’s an American pastime when more people tune in for commercials than the game.

and calls on the ousting of McCarthy. This could happen multiple times and will make the work of the House much more difficult.

Republicans campaigned on bringing necessary change to Washington, D.C., and fighting for the people. However, the speaker battle, and the ones that could eventually ensue, are based on people and their personalities. Republicans need to present a strong and united message if they want to get anything done and earn at least some respect from the general public, but debacles like the one for the speaker’s gavel do the exact opposite. It is time for the party of order to come together and order itself back as one united Republican Party.

Micah Hart is a sophomore studying politics and journalism. He is a circulation manager at the Collegian.

Football fans are loyal. Let’s provide each team their own section: Eagles fans on one side, Chiefs fans on the other. Give the Eagles fans riot masks (they’ll need them, win or lose), and the Chiefs fans, the defense they need. In addition to filling our equity and inclusion quotas for the furry fandom, we’ll stick a Bengals fan in the middle so that, no matter who wins, we can always blame the refs. Finally, against our better judgment, we’ll invite grieving Cowboys fans and give them their own private section from which to chant together “It’s our year!” But wait, there’s more. Rihanna is slated to provide the halftime show. To protect so many young and innocent students, A.J.’s should cut the feed and play the greatest hits of Silly Songs with Larry. You think Rihanna would do a rendition of “The Water Buffalo Song?” Of course, not. The result of the football game may cause some tears. But no matter who wins, there will be one final show of unity. Hundreds of football fans can join together and sing the infamous refrain of the football-watcher’s 202223 season: “WHOPPER, WHOPPER, WHOPPER, WHOPPER . . .”

Liam Regan and Thomas McKenna are sophomores studying the liberal arts.

Biden faces document scandal. Courtesy | WikiMedia Co MM ons

ChatGPT is politically biased

By Emma Verrigni

ChatGPT is one of the most popular artificial intelligence chatbots on the internet. It’s trained on text data from the internet, and provides users with immediate, accurate responses to most questions. But its growing influence raises significant concerns: ChatGPT is often used as a tool for academic dishonesty and shortcuts, and its answers often demonstrate explicit political bias.

AI is not inherently bad and the use of it does not necessitate that a person is lazy or unintelligent. But the demand among students for an AI that instantly generates answers is symptomatic of a more pervasive issue. It is indicative of intellectual incapability, or at the very least, intellectual laziness. Chatbots like ChatGPT must be used with a conscious restraint. This restraint must be cultivated by the individual, “through strong families and through parents who are heavily involved in the moral and intellectual formation of their son or daughter,” according to Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib.

When we rely too much on chatbots for answers, we essentially demonstrate our willingness to outsource our critical thinking.

Politically, it is no better than placing unconditional faith in a set of predetermined “experts.” We render our minds to an illusive all-knowing bot. Academically, we disadvantage ourselves by foregoing the ins and outs of a genuine learning experience: we don’t learn how to learn with a chat bot.

AI will likely never be able to mimic human originality. The potential for innovation, discourse, and even accidental discoveries could be sacrificed with such substantial reliance on AI.

Because of bots like ChatGPT, fewer people will have meaningful skills in the humanities, and many will not have the capacity to engage in the learning process, because they simply never had to, Habib said.

According to Habib, control over ChatGPT lies in the hands of a few people who are shaping public opinion. The problem is exacerbated when the general

ChatGPT shows human creativity

certain questions. Certain explicit or vulgar responses should be blocked, but not ones that may be deemed controversial or politically incorrect.

According to former Microsoft executive Dan Thompson, the scale of ChatGPT in terms of its influence and capability cannot be rivaled by any traditional means of teaching or disseminating infor-

By Christina Lewis

Humans were made to reason. Humans use reason to build productivity tools to solve everyday problems. The latest tool is ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence program that can have conversations with its user and respond to nuanced requests. It is a search engine on steroids.

field, such as generating rough drafts of articles, “it is unlikely to be able to replace the creativity, insight, and human judgment that are essential to journalism.”

ChatGPT just pointed out three things that make humans unique: creativity, insight, and human judgment. These qualities indicate that humans have a unique ability to reason.

operators cease to exist because of the technological advancements that allow for people to dial a number and get to the person they are trying to reach.

But ChatGPT is being assessed on its ability to take over the jobs of humans as a whole. This asserts that humans will not be necessary to complete any tasks.

This cannot be the case because it was a group of humans who used their creativity to design ChatGPT. This group then used their insight on the

populace is unable to think through what they are being told, and unwilling to hear alternative perspectives.

Over the past months, ChatGPT has come to exhibit left-leaning, pro-establishment positions.

According to a study from The Decoder, when given a political compass test, ChatGPT demonstrated left-leaning positions on issues such as abortion, immigration, and welfare. This is unacceptable from a program that presents itself as impartial.

ChatGPT has also been shown to block responses to

mation. AI has become a reality, and it cannot simply be resisted or deemed negative.

“We have to be in the game ourselves if we believe in free, intellectual thought,” Thompson said.

ChatGPT has the power to shape public opinion and discourse. In the interest of truth, transparency, and scholarship, this power should be wielded effectively and responsibly.

Emma Verrigni is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

But where does ChatGPT leave humans?

If an AI program is smart enough to write essays, make complex business calculations, and generate data, then what happens to people’s jobs? Will ChatGPT result in mass unemployment?

“How many journalists can ChatGPT replace?”

In an article published by Broadcast Dialogue, journalist Connie Thiessen asks this very question. ChatGPT responded by saying that although it has the potential of changing the “nature of the work” required in the journalism

If you ask young kids what their favorite ice cream flavor is, they are bound to declare their opinionated thoughts with great enthusiasm. And, if you tell them you disagree, they are sure to explain why their favorite ice cream flavor is in fact the best.

Ultimately, ChatGPT has the potential to cause many people to lose their jobs. It would be ignorant to think otherwise. With each new wave of technological advancements, some technological equipment has taken the place of humans. Telephone

world around them to find solutions for problems that ChatGPT had the power to fix.

ChatGPT can only do what humans allow it to do. Humans can never stop innovating because it would mean discontinuing their ability to reason. Only humans possess the judgment to know what to do with their creation. The invention of ChatGPT calls for humans to use reason in order to understand their role in society and how AI can play a part of it.

Christina Lewis is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Hillsdale students should celebrate Black History Month

By Elizabeth Troutman

Hillsdale College’s values

are consistent with those of Black History Month, yet the College Democrats were the only group on campus to take notice of the occasion in 2022.

If Hillsdale students truly believe that the American founding principles of liberty and equality are exceptional, they should celebrate the men and women who fought to extend these principles to Black Americans during Black History Month.

Harvard-trained historian Carter Woodson, known as the “father of Black history,” named the first Black history week in the second week of February 1926. He encouraged public schools to take part in a weeklong celebration of the achievements of Black Americans every February, according to History.com.

“History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning,” Woodson said in his book.

Woodson saw a need for Black History Week because many historians misconstrued the meaning of the Civil War.

“They recast the Civil War, not as a war over slavery and the meaning of liberty and equality in the United States, but rather as a war in defense of states rights, and against the intrusions of federal government — a war that was fought to defend southern honor and virtue,” Professor of History James Strasburg said.

Woodson intended for Black History Week to bring the Black experience to the attention of Americans. He wanted to remind Americans to study history from multiple perspectives, leading to a more complete understanding of the past.

He chose the second

the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Since 1926, in part because of Woodson’s efforts, Black history has entered the mainstream

far our country has come concerning civil rights.

week of February because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Former President Gerald Ford officially recognized the entire month of February as Black History Month in 1976. In a speech, he called Americans to “seize

and is now a part of most school history curricula. Regardless, Americans still need a specific reminder of the contributions of Black Americans, such as Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, and W.E.B. DuBois, to prevent them from forgetting how

Black History Month remains valuable because it continues to focus attention on a strand of the American story which has been downplayed in previous generations. American history includes Black history, and it should be integrated into the American story. Black History Month dedicates one month to raising awareness which would extend throughout the rest of the year.

Black History Month highlights the uniqueness of the American exper-

iment. The story of the long road to equality for all races causes discomfort, shame, and pain, but it is also a story of resilience, progress, and hope. America has overcome many challenges, and the study of Black Americans who fought for positive changes in America will inspire Americans today to preserve the blessings of liberty. America was founded on the principles of equality, freedom, and natural rights, and the story of the extension of these principles to people of all races is fundamental to the Amer-

ican story. Black History Month shows that we can hope in America’s founding principles because they prescribe liberty for all.

Critics argue that if we dedicate a month on the calendar to celebrating Black history, we will need to celebrate the history of every minority group in America. The experiences of other minority groups in American history deserve remembrance, but the Black experience in American history is categorically different. No other group in American history has suffered from America’s original sin of slavery as Black Americans have. As a result, Black history warrants special consideration in America, particularly on a campus like that of Hillsdale College.

Hillsdale has celebrated the equality of all people since its founding. Since free-will Baptist abolitionists started the college in 1844, Hillsdale has always provided equal admission opportunities to those of all races.

“Black Americans believed in the American experiment, even as the full benefits of that experiment were often given to them with limited applications,” Strasburg said. “We have a lot to learn from them about the human desire for freedom, and about hope and resilience in the face of challenging circumstances.”

Hillsdale promotes the study of the United States as a land of hope for all. In response, Hillsdale students should remember the contributions of Black Americans to the great American story every February.

Elizabeth Troutman is a junior studying politics and journalism. She is a D.C. correspondent for the Collegian.

“ChatGPT can only do what humans allow it to do. Humans can never stop innovating because it would mean discontinuing their ability to reason”

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. Courtesy | Pix4Free

This statue of Frederick Douglass by Bruce Wolfe was erected at Hillsdale College in 2017. Courtesy | Hillsdale College

City News

Both county Republican factions send competing delegates to state convention

The groups are vying for control, but they expect new Michigan GOP leaders will favor the ‘America First’ party

Logan Washburn City News Editor Thomas McKenna

Assistant Editor

Rival factions of the Hillsdale County Republican Party held separate county conventions on Jan. 26, sending their delegates to compete for recognition at the state convention in Lansing on Feb.17 to 18. The Michigan Republican Party will decide which slate of delegates can cast their votes for state party leadership.

“If we lose in the credentials committee, we’ll still go to the convention,” HCRP “America First” Chair David Mosby Jr. said. “They’ll throw out their delegates.”

The Michigan GOP’s Credentials Committee is responsible for deciding challenges to delegates’ credentials, but its decision can be changed by a twothirds vote at the state convention.

County Commissioner Brent Leininger, who has led the other faction since August, said he wants the Republican Party to be a broad tent that covers a spectrum of views.

“They love the chaos that's been created,” Leininger told the Collegian. “It almost seems as if that was the intended goal from the beginning.”

Around 40 members of the HCRP’s “America First” faction met at Sozo Church at 7 p.m. January 26.They nominated 16 delegates to the state convention, regardless of how the state party’s credentials committee rules.

Leininger’s faction is suing the “America First” group for party control, and Judge Michael Olsaver of the Lenawee County Circuit Court issued an injunction against the defendants. This order barred the “America First” group from county GOP activity while the suit is in court.

The group’s delegates, however, will attend the state convention in an effort to gain recognition and represent their group.

“I’m anticipating it’ll end up being contentious,” Mosby said.

“America First” delegates will include Mayor Adam Stockford, County Commissioner Steve Lanius, and the college’s Director of Career Services Ken Koopmans.

Members also selected new, permanent executive committee officers. According to member Ralph Riley, they appointed Mosby as chair, Stockford as vice

chair, Danielle Menz as secretary, Jacob Bruns as treasurer, and Dan Rutan as vice treasurer. Riley said the parliamentarian is retired and will be replaced.

Around 32 people attended the Leininger faction’s convention at the Hillsdale County Senior Center the same night. Attendees voted to nominate 13 delegates to attend the state convention.

Delegates from Leininger’s faction included City Councilmen Greg Stuchell and Robert Socha, City Planning Commissioner Penny Swan, former state Rep. Steve

Vear, and Lauren Fink, wife of Republican state Rep. Andrew Fink.

Attendees included County Commissioner Douglas Ingles and Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Wiley.

Toward the end of the convention, Leininger addressed a Facebook comment made by Mosby in early January.

“We’ll be seeking what Macomb did this time around,” Mosby said online.

In August, the Macomb County Republican Party similarly split into two groups. When both factions arrived at the convention,

the state party replaced the delegates from the group it had recognized with delegates from the opposing group.

Leininger said there may be a motion at the convention to replace his group’s delegates with the “America First” delegates.

Mosby said if the state party did not recognize his group of delegates, he would bring delegates to the convention to seek the same results.

The conflict started when the HCRP’s “America First” executive committee officers barred more than 61 delegates from the

August county convention, disavowing them as “Trochky [sic] International Socialists.” Mosby said they had not been involved in the party. “The then-established party tried to deny duly elected delegates their right to represent their constituents,” Leininger said.

Leininger led an alternate convention at the same time for those the party leadership had barred from the convention.

The state party accepted delegates from the alternate convention on Aug. 19.

Leininger and his group met in an Aug. 25 meeting, where he and other local officials say they were voted in as the party’s new leadership. The party’s “America First” officers refused to yield control.

Weiser sent a ruling on Aug. 27 against Leininger’s group, recognizing the party’s original “America First” leadership. Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock verified the letter in an email.

Leininger’s group sued the party’s original leadership on Oct. 12 for party control, according to the plaintiffs’ attorney Jonathan Lauderbach.

Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Olsaver granted an injunction against the HCRP’s original leadership on Nov. 15, writing the “America First” faction illegitimately removed other committee members.

The order barred the group from conducting political activities while the case is in court. The “America First” group still held their county convention on Nov. 17.

Michigan GOP Chairman Ron Weiser changed the party’s stance, recognizing Leininger’s group in a Dec. 28 letter. Mosby, however, said new state party leaders will likely support the “America First” group after the February convention.

State Republicans urge 2024 DeSantis presidential run

By Anna MacPhee Collegian Freelancer

State Sen. Joseph Bellino and 17 other state GOP leaders signed a letter to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in December urging him to run for president in 2024.

“Trump brings out so much hate from people within the party as well as from liberals,” Bellino said. “The moderate Democrats and Republicans are the ones that swing the elections. DeSantis is the man to get those votes that we need.”

State Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Kent County, wrote the letter. Last month, Posthumus traveled to Florida to meet with DeSantis and personally deliver the letter.

The signers of the letter, published on Detroit’s Local 4 News, said they believe DeSantis is the president the nation needs.

“Due to your strong leadership, moral compass, and life experience, we ask you to seek the presidential nomination of our Republican Party,” the letter said. “Should you become a candidate, we stand ready and willing to help you win Michigan in 2024.”

State Rep. Andrew Fink

’06, R-Hillsdale, agreed with Bellino’s assessment of DeSantis’s character.

"I did not sign on to the letter, but I am an admirer of Gov. DeSantis,” Fink said.

“He's spoken with a clear voice to defend traditional American values and made a strong stand for freedom in the face of the hysterical liberal media.”

According to the letter, the signers see a difference between DeSantis’ leadership and that of Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“In clear contrast to our current governor, we have admired from afar the leadership you have shown,” the letter reads.

Bellino said the contrast between Whitmer and DeSantis is most clear in their responses to COVID-19 and could cause more independent voters to support Republicans in 2024.

“Whitmer weaponized state police and the health department to do things that were stupid,” Bellino said. “If those two were to run against each other, we’d have a great contrast as to what people did during COVID. That'd be wonderful for the people to vote on.”

According to Bellino, DeSantis would be a better candidate for the Republican party than former Trump.

“He doesn’t have the baggage President Trump has,” Bellino said. “I loved President Trump as a president, and he did great things. But when it comes to having the baggage, well, let's just say he should stay off Twitter.”

Bellino also said Whitmer’s unwillingness to allow tax breaks shows poor leadership.

During her State of the State speech on Jan. 26, however, Whitmer announced a tax break for seniors.

“Repealing the retirement tax will make a huge difference for our seniors,” she said. “Seniors who served, saved, and did

everything right deserve to keep more of what they earned. Let’s get this done.”

Bellino said he thinks Whitmer is not getting it done.

“We have $9 billion in the coffers right now and another $1.5 billion lying around in the rainyday fund, and we're not

giving tax relief to seniors right away?” he said. “The governor's plan for the pension tax is phased in over four years. That's incredibly stupid. We have the money now, people are clamoring for tax relief, and inflation is going rampant.”

Bellino said he thinks America needs better

leadership. “We need someone to lead us,” he said. “We don't have a leader right now as a president. We have an old, decrepit man that can barely put a sentence together. We need something different.”

The ‘America First’ faction opened their meeting in prayer. Logan Washburn | Collegian

Leininger led his group’s convention. Thomas McKenna | Collegian

“Due to your strong leadership, moral compass, and life experience, we ask you to seek the presidential nomination.”

Bellino begins work in state legislature, aims to represent rural communities

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor

State Sen. Joseph Bellino, a Republican, recently took office and said he plans to advocate for his rural constituents.

Bellino formerly represented state House District 17 in northern Monroe County. He now represents most of Hillsdale County, Lenawee County, and his home county of Monroe under the new state Senate District 16.

Bellino said the position is an extension of giving back to his community. Before running for office, Bellino was a trustee at Monroe County Community College and helped run a family-owned convenience store for almost 25 years. He said he thinks politicians failed to represent their constituents.

We would see that Meijer, Kroger, and Walmart had bills introduced and passed to help them, but nothing for the small, independent store like I had in Monroe,” Bellino said. “My representative for Monroe County was quiet about these things. He would never

go to Lansing to advocate for us.”

Bellino decided to run against his representative, incumbent Democrat Bill LaVoy, in 2016. Unexpectedly, Bellino won by more than a 5% margin. In the 2018 election, he won against LaVoy’s wife Michelle by more than 10%.

“I decided to take on this two-term Democrat, thinking I would lose, but that I would learn how to run and I would win the next election. Come to find out, I beat him and his wife, too,” Bellino said.

One of Bellino’s longtime allies in Michigan politics is Hillsdale’s Republican state Rep. Andrew Fink ’06. He looks to continue their work on improving rural Michigan.

“I always try to look at legislation with a view toward how it impacts rural and small town Michigan communities,” Fink said.

“An example from last term is the work we did on legislation that would allow rural hospitals to continue to provide emergency services, ensuring that there is emergency care available throughout the whole state, not just in our most

populous areas.”

According to Bellino and Fink, hospitals are a rare asset in regions with sparse populations like Hillsdale County, so one of their joint first goals is to return funding to rural healthcare.

Police

By Logan Washburn City News Editor

Police arrested a 14-yearold student after threats of a shooting sent Jonesville Middle School into lockdown Wednesday.

“She just didn’t like school, and didn’t want to be there,” said Jonesville Chief of Police Kurt Etter.

Someone called the school twice around 9:30 a.m., threatening to commit a shooting, according to Etter. The school went into lockdown and let students out early as police officers began their investigation.

The suspect had gotten a man who possibly lives in Kentucky to make the calls, according to police. They are still searching for the caller’s location.

The school went into a “hard lockdown” immediately, which requires the school to shut down during an on-campus threat, and after 45 minutes entered into a “soft lockdown,” which responds to a possible threat in the area, while classes may continue.

Jonesville Community Schools Superintendent Erik Weatherwax sent elementary, middle, and high school students home just before 11:30 a.m., and police responded to all three locations.

Around 10 officers initially responded from

five agencies, including the Michigan State Police, the Department of Natural Resources, the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office, the Jonesville Police Department, and the Litchfield City Police Department.

Another student alerted police to the suspect, Etter said.

“The first items Gov. Whitmer cut on her budget were rural services, rural sheriff's patrol, rural hospitals, money for rural school districts with buses that drive many miles,” Bellino said. “I want to keep that hospital open and keep it viable.”

Fink also said he sees a threat to southern Michigan’s funding.

“This term, I expect many

government programs designed by the Democrat majority to more heavily benefit areas with higher population concentration,” Fink said. “The people I represent can be certain that I will always speak up

in committee by the Democrats," Bellino said. "Everything talked about on the floor will be their bills first. I'm sure there will be a lot of bipartisan stuff later."

Bellino and his office, however, continue to plan for action.

“The first few weeks have been great,” Bellino said. “Currently we're strategizing what kind of amendments we’ll put up against some of the bills coming our way, but mainly we're waiting for the Democrats to do something.”

Bellino’s first days in the state Senate have included introducing a new office staff to the public. His office only hired Michigan natives, which Bellino said is an important asset to his constituency work.

for those of us living in the countryside.”

Republican state legislators like Bellino plan to wait and see what bills Democrats will introduce before acting. With a 20-18 Democratic majority in the state Senate, Bellino said he expects the minority party will face an uphill battle with new bills.

"During a majority, everything is talked about

Martin previously served as chief of staff for three separate state senators. He received his bachelor’s degree from Alma College and attended law school at Western Michigan University.

“We got information from a student that a friend had made a comment earlier in the day stating she was going to contact somebody because she didn't want to be in school,” he said. “They just didn’t want to believe that a friend had done something of that nature.”

When police arrested the suspect, they found phone records that showed her speaking with the caller, whom she met online.

“While we were investigating the number,

the state police were able

to determine that it came from out of the country,” Etter said. “Those are more difficult to try to locate an IP address, because it was coming from a computer.”

Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jamie Wisniewski told the Hillsdale Daily News that her office has not yet issued charges, but the court often selects a rehabilitative, rather than punitive approach, for juvenile offenders.

"We really look at what resources we can offer to ensure this doesn't happen again," Wisniewski said to the Hillsdale Daily News.

According to the Hillsdale Daily News, the suspect could face charges of conspiracy to communicate a terroristic threat, which carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison.

The suspect is currently in juvenile custody waiting for her arraignment, according to Etter.

“Parents had to leave work, all the resources that we had were tied up just because somebody wanted to ‘SWAT’ us and give a prank phone call,” Etter said. “So the kids know, they might think it's a nonconcern or doesn't really affect them, but it affects hundreds.”

“My top priority is to provide residents with the best service possible, and my excellent staff will help tremendously to achieve that goal,” Bellino said in a press release.

Bellino announced his staff members included Chief of Staff Joe Martin, Constituent Relations Director Margie Roggelin, and District Liaison Tracey Oberleiter.

POLICE REPORT:

Roggelin was born and raised in Monroe and received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Siena Heights University. She handled projects for two state senators before Bellino. Oberleiter worked at Monroe Bank & Trust for nearly 50 years, until retiring and becoming a district liaison for Representative Dale Zorn in 2019. He is currently the state chairman of Michigan Ducks Unlimited and the former chairman of the United Way of Monroe County.

“What we are currently doing is the definition of insanity: trying the same thing over and over again, expecting different results,” Bellino said. “We need to bring some value back to the community. We need to keep our hospitals open. We need to help our nonprofits take care of people. That's what I'll work on.”

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

23 Jan. - A 43-year-old Litchfield man was arrested on a felony warrant for uttering and publishing. A $50,000 bond with 10% was allowed but not posted.

28 Jan. - A 30-year-old Osseo woman was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for four counts of a dog at large. A $4,000 personal recognizance bond was posted.

31 Jan. - A 39-year-old Jackson man was arrested on a felony warrant for embezzlement. A $20,000 bond with 10% was allowed but not posted.

1 Feb. - A 31-year-old North Adams woman was arrested for resisting an officer and parental kidnapping. No bond was allowed.

House for Rent for 2023-2024

Feb. 2, 2023

The following house is for rent for the 2022-2023 school year:

171 West Street – This is a three bedroom, one bath Victorian that is two blocks from Campus. It has a living room, den, eat-in-kitchen, and an unfinished basement available for storage that is equipped with a washer and dryer. The rent is $450 per student per month based upon three student occupants. A fourth student may be added at a reduced rate if desired. Available August 1, 2023.

If you are interested, please call Berry LeCompte at: 850 736-8421(home); 847 381-2514 (office) 847 809-4843 (cell phone – preferred), 847 809-4829 (cell phone) or email at cblecompte@aol.com.

Bellino moved from the state House to the state Senate. Courtesy | Facebook

MSP troopers and DNR officers helped respond to the threats at Jonesville Middle School. Courtesy | Corey Murray

“Someone called the school twice around 9:30 a.m. threatening to commit a shooting.”

arrest suspect after threats, send Jonesville students home

Women's Basketball

Chargers rally to take down Cedarville but fall to Northwood on the road

By Moira Gleason Collegian Reporter

The women’s basketball team rallied in the second half to erase a six-point halftime deficit and pull out a crucial 68-53 G-MAC win against visiting Cedarville on Thursday night. On the road two days later, the Chargers fell 80-72 to Northwood despite a 22-point game by Grace Touchette and a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers played a rough first half offensively against Cedarville, going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc and shooting below 40% from the floor. Heading into the second half, the Chargers kicked their defense up with a full court press which allowed them to tie the game up in two and a half minutes and outscore the Yellow Jackets 25-11 in the third quarter.

“The second half, we came out, and we were able to start generating our own energy and not really worrying about what the score was

Sports Opinion

so much," senior Arianna Sysum said. “If they hit a basket, we were unfazed, just go back down, just keep playing our game. We just weren’t hitting shots in the first half and then we were letting that affect us on the defensive end. But we turned that around.”

Sysum led the Chargers in scoring with 12 points, the only player in double digits.

Grace Touchette added nine points and five assists.

Sophomores Carly Callahan and Dani Salenbein chipped in eight points each. Senior Sydney Mills hit eight points and nine rebounds. All 11 players with game time added points to the board, including 29 points off the bench for Hillsdale.

“Obviously we didn't shoot really well the whole game for the first time all season,” head coach Charlie Averkamp said. “But we won the game in different ways. We got to the rim, we finished around the rim, and a lot of different people stepped up and made plays.

We had 11 players play and 11 people score and only one in double figures and so that, to me, was a true team win.”

The Chargers rallied in the fourth quarter against Northwood on Saturday after trailing by 11 with 5:14 to play. Callahan, sophomore Lauren McDonald, and junior Ashley Konkle put together a 9-0 run to bring the score within two points, but the Timberwolves hit another 3-pointer to extend their lead. Callahan sunk a 3-pointer with one minute on the clock to give the Chargers another chance at victory. Both teams added points within the final minute, but Northwood made a three-point play and went 5-for-6 from the line to put the game away 80-72.

“Basketball is a make or miss game and sometimes the shot doesn’t go in,” Averkamp said. “We got down 11 and came back and had a chance to go ahead. In our league on the road, you got to play a full 40 minutes. A couple of times now we've

played about 35 really, really good minutes.”

Touchette scored a gamehigh 22 points for the Chargers and shot 4-for-7 from deep. Callahan hit a career high of 19 points. Lauren McDonald added eight points and four rebounds, and Dani Salenbein chipped in seven points off the bench.

Now 13-10 overall and 6-7 in the G-MAC, the Chargers face undefeated G-MAC number one team Ashland on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the Dawn Tibbets Potter Arena at home in Hillsdale before playing Ursuline on the road on Saturday.

“As a team, our confidence is definitely growing. We can go into any game saying that we can win this game at this point,” said Callahan. “With Ashland being the number one team in the country, they have a target on their back. Going into it, we really have nothing to lose. So hopefully we can play loose and play aggressive against them.”

Tennis’ next generation still can’t compete with Djokovic

By Nathan Stanish Collegian Reporter

After 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz won the U.S. Open and became the first teenager to become World No.1, the next generation of tennis looked ready to take over for the Big Three. But 35-yearold Novak Djokovic proved once again that despite his age, he’s the best player in the world.

For the last two decades, the Big Three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic — have dominated professional tennis, winning 67 of the last 75 Grand Slams. Now, as they begin to slow down and retire, fans keep looking for young tennis players to be the “next Big Three,”

Men's Track

but nobody has lived up to expectations. At first, the 2023 Australian Open looked like an opportunity for the next generation to gain momentum. By the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic was the only man over 30 still in the tournament. The younger players had already eliminated Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, the only players other than Djokovic in the tournament with multiple Grand Slams. Only Djokovic remained, and he came into the tournament with a hamstring tear that bothered him in every match.

In the end, though, nothing could stop Djokovic from winning the tournament for his record 10th Australian Open title and record-tying

22nd Grand Slam, regaining the World No.1 ranking.

Tennis is not hurting for young stars. Carlos Alcaraz, 24-year-old Casper Ruud, and 26-year-old Daniil Medvedev have all won several titles and reached Grand Slam finals, but none of them can keep up with Djokovic.

In the last two years alone, Djokovic has a combined 9714 record with 10 titles, including four Grand Slams in six appearances. Only Daniil Medvedev and long-time rival Rafael Nadal managed to beat him at a Grand Slam, the rest sometimes took a win at lower tournaments but didn’t have the endurance to beat him at the higher level.

Thanks to Djokovic, fans are left wondering again when the next generation

will finally take over for the Big Three. Federer retired, Nadal gets a new injury every week, but Djokovic won’t stop winning and dominating for a long time, even with injuries.

At this rate, Djokovic will compete for at least another two or three seasons. He may be 35, but he’s at the top of his game.

As much as tennis fans around the world would love to see Alcaraz and company carve out their own legacies, the old guard stands immovable. The next generation keeps trying, but there is no new Big Three, only cheaper imitations.

Tennis is getting younger, but Djokovic isn’t getting older.

Men's track team posts personal records at home meet

By Alex Deimel Collegian Reporter

Several Chargers set career bests at the 2023 Wide Track Classic on Saturday. Hillsdale hosted the meet with 500 competitors, including athletes from the University of Western Ontario, Calvin University, and Siena Heights University. In the 5K race, junior Alex Mitchell set a personal best of 14:58.99, which was good enough for first place.

Senior Isaac Waffle also set a new personal best with his 15:22.60 second place finish. Freshman Nathaniel Osbourne also competed in the 5K, finishing sixth with a time of 16:00.95.

Sports Opinion

Adding on to the Charger PRs was senior Dagur Einarsson, who finished third in the 60m dash with a time of 7.02. Sophomore

Maliq Brock had his career best finish in the indoor 200m, with a time of 22.97, which earned him fourth place. “It was fun to get out and compete on Saturday.” Brock said, “I haven’t felt good after a meet like that in awhile, so this one was extra nice.”

The Charger jump squad had a great meet as well according to sophomore Cass Dobrowolski. Dobrowolski continued to improve on his indoor season, clearing 2.03m in the high jump event.

“Saturday went really well considering how early in the season it still is,” Dobrowolski said, “There were a lot of good performances across the board which is really promising to see since there is still a month left until our conference championship meet.”

Senior Charlie Andrews followed right behind Dobrowolski, hitting a personal best jump of 1.98m for second place.

“It felt good to hit a bigger mark early on,” Andrews said, “It didn't feel like a PR, just another meet, and I’m excited to see what the rest of the year holds.”

Another jumper with a personal best was sopho-

more Alfonso Garcia, who finished third in the triple jump at 13.16m. The Hillsdale men’s team only had one athlete competing in the pole vault event. Freshman Connor McCormick hit his collegiate personal best, clearing 4.60m to earn second place. First place was taken by Charger alumnus Ben Raffin, who was competing unattached at the meet.

Sophomore Ben Haase continued his season by finishing second in the weight throw at 18.75m, and fourth in the shot put at 14.53m. Hillsdale will head to Ashland University for the Jud Logan Light Giver Open Feb. 3-4.

Saudi Arabia expands its sportswashing ambitions

By Thomas McKenna

Assistant Editor

Saudi Arabia made Cristiano Ronaldo an offer he couldn’t refuse last year: almost $200 million to play only two and a half years for Saudi club Al-Nassr in Riyadh, according to ESPN. Ronaldo shouldn’t have taken the money.

The despotic, oil-rich regime wants you to forget about the 147 people Amnesty International said they executed last year, the hundreds of political activists they imprisoned, and the journalist they murdered

and dismembered inside their Turkish consulate in 2018. That’s why it invested over $3 billion into likely unfruitful sporting ventures in 2022, and threw over half a billion at an aging soccer star.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, has continued its attempt to “sportswash” the country’s global image by distracting from its abhorrent human rights record, investing billions into sporting ventures and the good press that comes with them.

Ronaldo is just the regime’s latest project.

The Saudi investment group took over Premier League club Newcastle in 2021 for $400 million, according to CBS Sports. After sponsoring last summer’s men’s World Cup, Saudi Arabia nabbed a sponsorship of this summer’s Women’s World Cup, to the outrage of co-hosts New Zealand and Australia. The Saudi regime earned the 2027 Asian Cup this week, and is expected to make a bid for the 2030 world cup.

Another example: the new, Saudi-funded LIV golf

league. The PIF has already contributed $2 billion to the venture, enough to attract stars Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, and even Phil Mickelson. The league even scored a long-awaited TV contract with American television network CW just two weeks ago.

If you’re looking to make a buck, investing in an upstart golf league isn’t your best option. That’s what financial consultants told the Saudi regime, according to documents obtained by the New York Times in December. They said investment into the golf league would

be unlikely to turn a profit.

The Saudis invested anyway, because they aren’t in it for the money – they’re trying to cleanse their global image.

The Kingdom wants to be known as the country behind a big-name golf league, or the host of a World Cup, rather than as a regime that tyrannizes its political dissidents.

Dana Ahmed, a representative of Amnesty International, said Ronaldo should “use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country.”

We can only hope he will.

Criticism from Ronaldo would be a blow to the Saudi regime – the soccer star has 526 million instagram followers and 106 million on Twitter. But we shouldn’t expect dissent from Ronaldo. Who bites the hand that feeds it $550 million?

Ronaldo was the latest athlete to cave to the cash, and there will be more to come. But any professional athlete who takes money from a Saudi sporting venture becomes an agent in their sportswashing mission. A note to all sportsmen: don’t be the next to fall.

Carly Callahan scored a career high 19 points against the Northwood Timberwolves.

Courtesy | James Gensterblum

Novak Djokovic won the 2023 Australian Open Courtesy| t ennisbuzz

Isaac Waffle set a personal best in the 5K race at the 2023 Wide Track Classic. Courtesy | i sabella s heehan

Ericka Hess joins softball team as new assistant coach

By Hannah Cote Outreach Director

Hillsdale’s new assistant softball coach, Ericka Hess, didn’t find her position through a job listing or word of mouth. She discovered it on TikTok.

Hess officially joined the Hillsdale College softball team last fall as its new assistant coach.

“Believe it or not, I was scrolling through TikTok,” Hess said, “And I see this guy doing a trendy dance and the caption says, ‘When your coach still doesn’t have an assistant coach,’ and the player was doing a lot of the drills and practice and stuff.”

After seeing the TikTok, Hess began researching Hillsdale.

“I just knew that it would end up being a very good fit for me and a good place for me,” Hess said. “It was funny when Coach Kyle and I had our first phone conversation. He asked, ‘So how did you hear about the job?’ And I kind of had to pause for a second because I was like, ‘Well, I have to tell the truth.’”

Hailing from Erie, Pennsylvania, Hess began

her softball career at just 5 years old in a T-ball league. After graduating from T-ball, she played baseball in a boys league until age 9, she said. After that, Hess finally switched over to softball.

Her softball career continued throughout all of middle and high school, and she went on to play at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Hess played second base and outfield, and in 2019, her team made it to the four-team PAC Tournament for the first time since 2014, she said.

“I studied psychology in college and was very interested in it, but it was always a fallback,” Hess said. “I knew I had to go to college to play softball.”

Soon after graduating from Geneva, Hess returned to her high school and served as the head varsity softball coach, she said. But once Hess realized she could get into college coaching, she began looking everywhere for positions. This year, there was a big turnover for college coaches and many positions were available, Hess said.

Kyle Gross, head softball coach, felt he hadn’t found

any viable candidates for his team until he met Hess, he said.

“I was happy that she had so much enthusiasm,” Gross said.

Now with the Hillsdale Chargers, Hess said she’s soaking everything in and learning from the team.

“What I learned in my first couple of weeks here is that the softball team follows suit with all of Hillsdale’s values,” Hess said. “The culture with the girls and the coach is established already and is fantastic. It’s a great atmosphere for them to play in. They’re welcoming, they’re helpful, they’re great kids.”

Just a few weeks ago, the team completed their annual Iron Man workout, consisting of a 20 minute swim, 35 minutes of cycling, and a three mile run. Hess said she was impressed by the players’ hard work and determination.

“They all finished, and they would go right from one exercise to another,” Hess said. “The girls absolutely crushed it. That was really when I knew this team had a lot of grit to them.”

Gross said he’s excited

Hess joined the team because they can each devote more individual time to the athletes.

“Now that we have two coaches it allows us to split things up and work more one on one while still getting other athletes’ attention at the same time,” Gross said. “The dynamic is always a little cautiously optimistic at first, but it did not take long for Ericka to fit right in and start working with the players.”

Senior first baseman Jenna Cantalupo agreed that Hess has fit right in and has been a great support to the players.

“Upon arrival, I knew that Coach Hess would offer a refreshing insight on the game,” Catanlupo said. “She seemed young enough to understand our position as players, yet mature enough to take on the role as our assistant coach. It seemed that she would fit well with Coach Kyle’s philosophy and therefore be a good addition to the team.”

With this extra addition, Cantalupo said she’s excited for the team to continue to grow and get better.

“Having her on the staff helps us achieve the goals we’ve had since day one,”

Cantalupo said. “Coach Kyle and us as players really thrive with the extra support.”

The Chargers will open the 2023 season on Feb. 10-

11 in Tennessee with a fourgame tournament against Tusculum University and Lees-McRae College.

G-MAC preseason poll predicts fourth place finish for Chargers

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale College baseball team will resume its season this weekend with three games against Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, coming off of the 2023 G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll prediction to finish fourth in the North Division

“I was really fortunate that I have almost my entire starting lineup coming back from last year,” Head Coach Tom Vessella said. “We’re very upperclassmen heavy. These guys have had a lot of playing time over the last couple of years, so we’re really excited for the type of kids that we have and the experience they have going into the season.”

After finishing seventh place in last season’s G-MAC competition, the team is excited to capitalize on its returning starting lineup, rotation, and consistent hitting while still targeting improvement in the areas of defensive consistency and closing out games well.

“If the defense doesn’t play well, then it doesn’t matter what the pitcher is doing because you're just throwing away their effort,” senior shortstop Aidan Brewer said. “It doesn’t matter what the offense does if you can’t pitch and play defense because you just want to score enough runs to win.”

The team will kick off the season with a doubleheader on Friday and a final game on Saturday. The Char-

gers have 3-4 conference games scheduled each week through the first week of May.

“We are all itching for competition,” senior outfielder Lewis Beals said. “Over the fall we had some scrimmages against junior colleges and some other smaller schools. But since October, we’ve been just practicing amongst ourselves as a team doing inter squad competitions. Every last one of us is ready for it. We’re ready to hit the field running.”

Navigating Michigan winters, the team practices indoors in the winter, focusing on defensive work, hitting, and lifting.

“Generally, outfielders and catchers do practice together and infielders will

Feature CHarger Chatter

practice together with about nine or 10 guys in each group,” Brewer said. “I enjoy it. There’s nothing I’d rather do than play baseball. So we actually get to practice and play baseball every day.”

The team anticipates surprising people with a more solidified coaching staff going into their second year with the team.

“I think we’re gonna play really well this year,” Beals said. “We have a lot of seniority, a lot of senior leadership, and a lot of talent, frankly, that we’re just hoping to display and have things come together. I really do think they will. Everything has kind of worked itself out for us to play really well this year. We’ll have a breakout season.”

a

Does pineapple belong on pizza?

Let me put it this way : if I order a hawaiian pizza, I’m not gonna pick it off, but I’m also not gonna order a hawaiian pizza so I digress.

What Marvel superhero would you want to be and why?

Ant - Man because Paul Rudd is hilarious.

What's the best coffee shop in Hillsdale and why?

Chec Rec because the Teddy Bear flavor is unreal.

If you were to play a sport other than track, what would it be?

Baseball because I like the pace of the sport.

I played it a lot as a kid and there’s a lot of nostalgia for me rooted in the game.

C ompiled by a lex d eimel

Ericka Hess began playing softball when she was just 5 years old. Courtesy | Hillsdale College at H leti C d epartment

C harger S port S

Women's Track

Women's throw team reaches No. 1 in nation

By Tracy Wilson Design Editor

Hillsdale’s women’s weight throw team is now ranked first nationally in NCAA Division II.

This victory comes after a successful weekend at the 2023 Wide Track Classic, which Hillsdale hosted on Jan. 28. Six of the women’s weight throwers achieved provisional qualifying marks, alongside the 4x400 meter relay team, which also earned a provisional qualifying mark.

“The amount of people that had PRs that day was amazing,” junior Eden Little said. “It’s cool to see where we’re all ranked.”

The 4x400 meter relay team took second in the event, finishing only a few seconds behind the Western Ontario team with a time

Men's Basketball

of 3:54. The team included sophomore Shura Ermakov, junior Dakota Stamm, freshman Francesca Federici, and sophomore Reese Dragovich.

Many runners also excelled in the individual running events. Stamm took first in the 200 meter dash, finishing at 25.49, only a fraction of a second ahead of the Western Ontario competition. Sophomore Liz Wamsley took third in the 3000 meter run, finishing at 10:26.

The weight throwers had an incredible performance, securing the top four spots in the event. Sophomore Katie Sayles took first with a throw of 17.90mP, and senior Nikita Maines took second with a throw of 17.81mP. Sophomore Averi Parker took third at 17.20mP, followed by junior Katie Weldy at 17.10mP.

Little also threw at the

meet, even though throwing is no longer her main event.

“I used to throw weight in the years before but I don’t throw it anymore,” Little said.

“I decided to make a debut again so it was a lot of fun. I came really close to my PR.”

Little said she is proud of the effort she put into her throwing performance even though she fouled.

“It was one of my fouls that stood out to me,” Little said. “I tried so hard in the throw that it was still a foul but at least I went for it.”

Sophomore Izzy Socha, who competed in the women’s pole vault, said she was excited by the range of Hillsdale students competing together for both the men’s and women’s pole vaulters.

“One moment that stood out was having two of our all American alumni guy pole

vaulters and our freshmen all vaulting at the same time,” Socha said. “Vaulting this past weekend was such a joy because I cleared both my opening and around my PR on my first attempt.”

Because the meet took place at Hillsdale, many athletes had the opportunity to invite family members to spectate their events.

“My mom and sister came from 10 hours away, and then my fiance came from Pittsburgh, so that was a five hour drive for him,” Little said.

Next week, the Chargers will compete in the Jud Logan Light Giver Open on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 in Ashland, Ohio.

“I’m super excited to see how the team competes this weekend,” Socha said. “They have all worked so hard and the results are starting to show.”

Chargers maintain conference lead, climb back to top 10

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate Editor

Ahead of the toughest stretch of its season, the Hillsdale men’s basketball team beat a pair of conference opponents to maintain the top spot in the G-MAC and move from 11th to ninth in the National Association of Basketball Coaches national poll.

The Chargers took down the Cedarville Yellow Jackets, 79-70, at home before traveling to Northwood and beating the Timberwolves, 84-54. The weekend lengthened the team’s win streak to three games and helped keep its game-and-a-half lead at the top of the G-MAC standings.

Fifth-year senior center Peter Kalthoff won his second G-MAC Player of the Week Award in the last three weeks. He averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on the weekend, and moved into ninth place in the conference in scoring, with a 13.7 point-per-game average on the season.

“He’s waited his turn, he’s only gotten better and better,” head coach John Tharp said. “He’s had an incredible attitude, he’s been an incredible teammate, and he’s worked incredibly hard.”

Despite the two wins, the team’s toughest tests — on

paper at least — still remain.

Hillsdale’s next three opponents sit two, one, and three spots respectively behind the Chargers for the conference lead.

The slate of contending opponents begins on Thursday at 7:30 against Ashland, who sits two-and-a-half games back from the Chargers. The Eagles held on at the buzzer to take a 53-52 win in Hillsdale last season.

“Last year at our place they beat us. That definitely still leaves a sour taste in my mouth, as with many of my teammates, but we’re looking forward to the opportunity to reclaim our home gym,” Kalthoff said. “They’re a physical, athletic team. It’s gonna be a challenge, but I think we’re gonna be prepared. I’m looking forward to it.”

Though this will be the team’s first matchup with Ashland this season, it is fresh off of a win over another title contender. Despite a late run from Cedarville, Hillsdale used balanced, efficient scoring to deal a huge blow to the Yellow Jackets’ title hopes.

“We did really well as a team, played really well on defense for the first 35 minutes, then kind of had a few lapses there at the end,” senior guard Kyle Goessler said. “It’s a big

win, that is a really good team, it’s always a battle playing them.”

Goessler led the team with 19 points on nine shots. He was followed closely by fifthyear seniors Jack Gohlke and Kalthoff, who scored 18 and 16 points respectively. Sophomore Joe Reuter rounded out the double-digit scorers for Hillsdale, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 boards on the way to his third double-double of the season.

Though senior guard Cole Nau dropped a game-high six assists, his impact on the defensive side of the ball is what stood out.

“I thought Cole Nau did a terrific job on Maughmer, who I think is maybe the most talented player in the league,” Tharp said. “He’s so talented, he’s gonna score, but I thought we did a decent job of making things relatively difficult, not giving him anything easy.”

The Chargers followed up the win with an 84-54 win over Northwood two days later. The final score, however, was not indicative of a first half that saw the Timberwolves shoot nearly 60% from the floor, finding themselves down just eight at halftime.

“We were forcing them into some tough shots, but the shots were falling for them, so

obviously we weren’t satisfied,” Goessler said. “We knew to just keep playing hard, come out in the second half with a little more tenacity.”

The second half proved far more lopsided, with Hillsdale outsourcing Northwood 49-27 after halftime. The Chargers shot better than 60% from both the field and the threepoint line in a second half that saw Kalthoff score 16 of his game-high 23 points.

“They were a small team, so we attacked them with our size a little bit,” Kalthoff said. “I definitely got to feel the results of that, so that was great, but it could be anybody any night.”

Gohlke and Goessler each scored in double-figures again as well, with 14 and 12 points respectively.

Hillsdale will now turn to a team with a balanced scoring attack similar to its own, as the Eagles boast four players averaging at least nine points per game.

“They’re outstanding, they have tremendous quickness, size, and athletic ability, and they can shoot it, they’re an outstanding basketball team,” Tharp said. “We’re gonna have to do it collectively, like we’ve been trying to do it the entire year.”

Men's Tennis Chargers prepare to kick off spring season at home

By Kamden Mulder Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College

men’s tennis team is set to hit the court for its first home match on Feb. 4.

Hillsdale will be facing off against Cornerstone University, hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The match will begin at 12:00 p.m. in the Margot Biermann Athletic Center.

“Team morale is great right now,” junior Daniel Gilbert said. “Everyone is

starting to click at the right time with our first match coming up this Saturday. We have an opportunity to win a lot of matches this year if we stay focused.”

The team is made up of 10 players, three of whom are graduating seniors. Three freshmen members will also be competing for the Chargers this spring.

The team has a daily practice schedule that has been preparing them for the start of their spring season.

“We practice Monday

through Friday for two hours,” Gilbert said. “On Tuesdays and Thursdays we also have an hour-long lift.”

Junior Brennan Cimpeanu said that the team has been attending tournaments this past semester to help them prepare. One tournament from this fall particularly stood out to Cimpeanu.

“ITA Cup was a very fun and humbling experience,” Cimpeanu said.

Junior Sean Barstow, attended the tournament with Cimpeanu. It was Cimpea-

nu’s second year competing in the tournament.

“I know these guys have been working hard all year just for these next three months.” he said.

Cimpeanu said he predicts this spring should be a great season for the Chargers.

“Considering all of our setbacks from last year, this year is looking a lot more promising,” Cimpeanu said.

“Not only do we have a great coach that pushes us to be our best, but we have ten guys who work so hard

everyday.”

Gilbert said he is looking forward to playing against the team’s long standing rival, Tiffin University.

“Since I’ve been here they’ve always been our biggest rival and we’ve had some very close matches with them,” Gilbert said. “They won the conference last year so I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to get some revenge.”

Cimpeanu said he enjoys the comradery he shares with his teammates.

“My favorite part of the team is for sure the guys,” Cimpeanu said. “We have somehow found 10 great guys from all around the United States and other countries and formed a family. I love these guys.”

According to Cimpeanu, this is his third and final season playing for the Chargers.

“It has been such a blessing playing here and it’s bittersweet knowing that this is my last season playing for the Chargers,” Cimpeanu said.

Peter Kalthoff earned G-MAC Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Courtesy | James Gensterblum

Sophomore Shura Ermakov (right) helped the 4x400 meter relay team to a second place finish last weekend. Courtesy | Isabella s heehan

Culture

Students discover Michigan’s Hogsmeade

Students

traveled to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and discovered the magic of the Bavarian-style town

By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor

ButterBeer, Chocolate

Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans–classic candies sold in Hogsmeade–capture the tongues of young witches and wizards. Hogsmeade is the beloved escape town of the students at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Little do many people know, Hillsdale College students have their own escape town that holds warm food, tempting candies, Christmas shops, and gourmet coffees. The town of Frankenmuth is a little farther than a secret tunnel through the broom closet or a quick snap of the fingers to apparate, but the trip itself is part of the fun: Two full hours free of homework, papers, exams, and stress.

“Sacrificing the day was a pretty easy decision,”

sophomore Nolan Nohr said. “Carpooling meant taking a nap and catching up on sleep.”

The town itself screams Christmas. Wreaths decorate every door. Lights string across the rooftops. Larger-than-life ice sculptures sit majesticly in a circle.

“I really enjoyed watching the ice sculpture carving,” sophomore Garrett Goolsby said. “As a kid from Texas, it was cool to see all the fanfare around a bunch of ice and snow because I didn’t grow up with that.”

The sweet, rich scent of cinnamon roasted almonds, pecans, and cashews hangs in every crosswalk corner, beckoning a growling stomach to follow their sizzling sound. Carriages decorated with evergreen branches and snowflakes roll through the city–these

are drawn by horses, not thestrals.

“The trip was great,” Goolsby said. “It was well worth taking the day to have a fun social outing with friends and get away from the grind of studying for a bit.”

The hours in this tiny town fly like the swirling snow, forming heaps on the side of the road. Industrial brewery food stuffs every stomach–the thick burgers and fries satisfy any bottomless pit. If greasy burgers sound unappealing, you can always find the Paris crepes cafe.

“Getting to eat crepes instead of a saga brunch was heavenly, and seeing elaborate snow and ice sculptures made me hate winter less,” Nohr said.

Come with an empty stomach. All the food could fill you for days.

“The food was one of my favorite parts of the

trip including beignets and hot chocolate from N’Orlins, a Monte Cristo crepe from La Crepe du Jour, and passionfruit honey from Sticky Situations,” sophomore Rachel Hintze said.

Every shop is an escape into a different world.

Plants, dresses, jewelry, house decor, frame the inside of every boutique.

“It was fun to spend the afternoon exploring the town with friends, braving the crowds and the cold, and stopping in at all the fun little shops along the way,” Hintze said.

Before the trip home, thick blocks of chocolate fudge and chocolate-covered cherries sweetly complement the savory foods still pressing against your stomach–but don’t worry, these chocolates won’t jump out of your hand like a frog.

‘The Darjeeling Limited’ still connects after 16 years

By Kara Miller Collegian Freelancer

If there’s one lesson

I learn every holiday season, it’s that it’s nearly impossible to get along with my older sisters. No matter my resolve against it, we always get into some sort of conflict, and by the end of the holidays, I’m more than ready to say my goodbyes.

I know that I’m not alone in feeling this, though– every sibling has faced this uniquely familial struggle at some point. Wes Anderson explores this complexity in his pastel-drenched, 2007 indie comedy “The Darjeeling Limited.”

The movie follows the three Whitman brothers as they embark on a train trip across India. The vacation, organized by the eldest brother, Francis, is disguised as a journey of “spiritual discovery,” but it’s really a last-ditch effort to reconcile the brothers after their father’s death.

The brothers haven’t spoken since this tragedy, and they live estranged from any familial connection.

Jack, the youngest, has been traveling around Europe and pining over a lost lover, who has just abandoned him for the final time.

Peter, the middle brother, is overwhelmed by his wife’s pregnancy, worries over the thought of divorce, and lives in constant memory of his father– carrying his car keys and wearing his sunglasses, even though the prescription gives him a migraine.

Francis, the eldest, decides to repair his relationship with his brothers after he has a near-fatal motorcycle accident, which is later revealed to be a suicide attempt. In contacting his brothers, he hopes to restore their bond, find spiritual clarity, and heal from the trauma that still plagues them.

“The Darjeeling Limited,” named after the railway that snakes throughout the lush Indian terrain, paints a unique portrait of grief that epitomizes Anderson’s beloved filmography.

His movies are notorious for their colorful settings, idiosyncratic characters, quick cuts,

and witty dialogue. Anderson is also hailed, or criticized, for his maneuvering of difficult subject matters. His protagonists often suffer losses, grieve bro -

cism. Anderson introduces weighty subjects but handles them with levity. The characters are painfully human, with flawed struggles and

while Jack and Peter have trust issues and hold on to frivolous things, as only younger siblings can.

Wes Anderson is illustrating universal experiences that families share, which only appear under the backdrop of a larger issue like shared trauma.

In this film, though, his commentary stops at the surface. Though aesthetically pleasing, Anderson’s filmmaking can come across as shallow, and this movie is no exception. The director bites off more than he can chew, and when he creates characters with such complex backstories, he can’t fully bring them to resolution in a 90-minute runtime.

bruised and bandaged Francis. Angelica Houston plays a small role as Patricia, their mother, and even Bill Murray has a brief cameo in the opening scene.

Anderson’s stylized filmmaking thrives in this movie: the tight train compartments organize the frames into symmetrical lines, and the cinematography is based on primary colors, which contrast with the rich hues of the Indian landscape.

Anderson is at his best here, with punchy one-liners, monochromatic bathrobes, montages soundtracked by the Rolling Stones, and depictions of grief that hit a little too close to home.

ken families, and battle depression– struggles which are all on full display in “The Darjeeling Limited.” Some argue that he handles these subjects nimbly, while others think his commentaries fall flat.

This film could be subject to either criti -

flawed solutions. Each brother handles grief differently - Francis resorts to painkillers, Jack attempts a romantic rendezvous, and Peter isolates himself.

Once reunited, they fall back into their old, petty behaviors. Francis is bossy and controlling,

Further, the tone of this movie prevents any message from having a lasting impact. It’s easier, as the viewer, to laugh at jokes and quirky characters instead of considering what exactly drives their actions.

In this film, Anderson continues collaborations with his favorite iconic faces, including Jason Schwartzman as Jack, Adrien Brody as Peter, and Owen Wilson as the

There’s always more than meets the eye in Wes Anderson’s works, and though this particular film only stays surface-level, it’s still relatable for anyone who’s experienced loss, trauma, or a strained relationship with siblings– even if it hasn’t driven them to spend a summer on a train in India together.

“There’s always more than meets the eye in Wes Anderson’s works, and though this particular film only stays surface-level, it’s still relatable for anyone who’s experienced loss, trauma, or a strained relationship with siblings.”

Sophomores Michaela Estruth, Hannah Arends, Joy Hanes, Anna Maisonville, and Reagan Coupland visited Frankenmuth, Michigan, last weekend. Michaela Estruth | Collegian

Michaela Estruth and friends (pictured above) explore the streets and shops of Frankenmuth. Courtesy | Anna Maisonville

Theatre students impress at festival

By Elizabeth Crawford Collegian Reporter

Two Hillsdale theatre students were semi-finalists in an acting scholarship hosted by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in January.

Curate conference returns this weekend

By Victoria Wagner Collegian Reporter

Sixteen women will be speaking at the fourth annual Curate Women’s Summit this Saturday. Students will be able to hear from faculty, staff, and leaders in the community on various aspects of the beautiful life.

“I love the Curate summit because it provides a special day for the women of campus to spend time together and learn from the amazing group of mentors who speak,” sophomore Katherine Vander Wall said.

The women who speak at Curate have been through similar phases of life as Hillsdale students, said junior Shannon Spahr. Curate gives them the opportunity and the wisdom to pour into students and help guide them through their time at Hillsdale.

“Taking a Saturday away from homework gives women a needed break and reminds us that there are

other important things in the world besides school,” Spahr said.

In addition to providing students a break from school, Assistant Director of Student Activities Reagan Linde said the summit better equips students to face the world post-grad.

“The Summit itself is intended to bring together the women of Hillsdale for a time of community, fellowship, and growth,” Linde said.

This year there will be breakout sessions on everything from mental health to planning for the future.

“We are anticipating around 300 students this year and could not be more excited for the best day of the year,” Linde said.

Women interested in attending can register online on the Curate Hillsdale website.

“Bring a friend, enjoy the crafts, and soak up as much wisdom as you can,” Spahr said.

Out of the 175 people who entered the competition, the judges selected 45 individuals to compete in the semi-finalist round. Among those the judges picked were sophomore Kenda Showalter and senior Olivia Kroh.

All three actors were nominated for the roles they’ve played in productions over the past year: Kroh was nominated for her performance in “Our Town,” and Showalter was nominated for her performance in “Ada and the Engine.” Senior Matthew Welch was also nominated for his role in “Translations.”

“The festival itself consists of workshops and productions as well as competitions for all aspects of theater, including acting, musical theater, dramaturgy, directing, playwriting, design, stage management, and tech,” Showalter said.

Associate Professor of Theatre Chris Matsos said he viewed Hillsdale’s success at the competition as a reflection of the growing popularity of the theater program.

“I think that we have an outstanding cohort of actors at this campus

currently,” Matsos said.

“That representation of strong actors is only growing. We have had more students audition for a single play than in previous years for an entire season.”

This is the first time

Hillsdale students have attended the event since 2020, in part because the festival moved online due to COVID-19. As a result, the festival’s administration has restructured the way it runs the Irene Ryan scholarship competition, moving the first round of auditions to a video recording format.

“A lot of people discovered that it’s more effective in the first round of the competition to send in video auditions instead of having them in person,” Brandon said. “For the same judges to watch 200 live actors takes days – with

videos, you don’t have the same pressure and it’s a more effective way to make calls from 200 people to 40 people.”

The first round of the competition consisted of two monologues, and the second round

enjoyed the experience as a whole.

“I’m so glad I got to perform in-person at the festival in the second round,” Showalter said.

“It was an exciting and new experience since before I had only done productions and never acting competitions.”

consisted of a scene with another person and a third monologue.

Kroh said the best part of the experience was the people and the preparation leading up to the competition.

“My favorite part of the experience was getting to workshop my monologue and scene with my friends, and getting the opportunity to perform both that monologue and a scene that I had really worked hard on and was really proud of,” Kroh said.

Showalter said she appreciated the feedback the judges gave on her performance, and

In addition to the three students who competed in the “Ryans,” as Showalter called the scholarship competition, other students participated in workshops and watched performances from other colleges. Some students, like senior Maureen Hall, submitted their work in the dramaturgy competition. “We’re trying to be as inclusive a department as possible in terms of the types of stories we want to tell and the number of students that participate,” Matsos said. “That includes things like going on this trip.”

Ultimately, Matsos said he wants the theater program to be a reflection of the student body writ large, and the excellence which Hillsdale brings to events off-campus.

“I really think that the theater department anywhere, but especially here, is ideally the mouthpiece of the campus, the mouthpiece of the liberal arts,” Matsos said. “It’s supposed to be a reflection of the things we’re studying in and engaging in.”

Tuition and Fees add accoustic style to student music scene

By Isaac Green Sports Editor

For many Hillsdale students, it is their social circles that create connection. But for sophomores Phoebe VanHeyningen, Emily Griffith, and Fiona Mulley, their connection grew out of a shared passion for music.

“We all kind of have our own social circles during the day, and I think it’s really cool that you can have musically bonded friends that end up being people who are there for you 24/7 and that you love and care about so much,” VanHeyningen said.

The trio make up the band Tuition and Fees, and have been performing in Hillsdale on and off campus for the last several months. The idea for the band wasn’t formulated until the spring

of their freshman year, but VanHeyningen and Mulley began sharing music long before that.

“We were in Western Heritage together our first semester freshman year,” VanHeynigen said. “We sat next to each other and started a playlist of songs to play together in September, which kind of foreshadowed all of this.”

While VanHeyingen knew both of her future bandmates from the start, Mulley and Griffith were initially less familiar with each other. However, crossover in their campus involvement quickly solved that, and all three soon became familiar with one another and their musical abilities.

“We knew each other from classes and theater and music, and we all knew we liked music,” Mulley said. “We all

joined SAI and we said, ‘Wait, why aren’t we acting on this?’” Mulley said. One of their friends, sophomore Colin Joyce,

and we’re the fees.”

nicknamed VanHeynigen and Mulley Tuition and Fees their freshmen year, which eventually became the band name.

“Colin Joyce thought

it was really funny that both of our names started with the syllable fee,” Mulley said. “So he started calling us ‘the fees’ and then he expanded it to tuition and fees. Skip ahead two semesters, we’re trying to figure out a band name, and we were like, ‘Well, Emily could be tuition,

According to Griffith,the group is a cross between The Andrew Sisters, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift, combining a mixture of Bluegrass, Christian, and Kentucky Twang sounds.

“If you know The Peasall Sisters who sang in the movie ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?’, we are very influenced by that, but we like to bring in the modern stuff because that’s what’s most popular,” Griffith said.

For their accompaniment , the group likes to keep things relatively simple — using only a guitar. VanHeyningen said she thinks this suits their approach to vocal arrangements. They often use three part harmonies, which is fairly unique as far as Hillsdale bands go, and this has helped to establish their identity on campus.

“What I think makes us unique is that so often people think three part harmony — between women especially — is kind of dead,” Griffith said. “They just kind of assume it’s like 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and it’s so awesome to help bring that back to a campus that is so musically talented in so many ways.”

The trio is set to play at Rough Draft for their next performance on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8:15 p.m. As they take advantage of opportunities to explore their love of music in Hillsdale, they encourage others to do the same.

“It’s really important for students to know they can be active in music on campus, outside of the music department,” Griffith said. “But there are things you can do independently where you can rediscover your love for music.”

English department hosts annual creative writing contest

By Olivia Hajicek Assistant Editor

The English Department is currently accepting prose and poetry submissions for its annual creative writing competition. Entries are due by 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 6.

Students may submit up to one poem and one work of prose, and winners will receive scholarship awards of up to $500. Associate Professor of English Kelly Franklin said faculty members will judge the entries on various qualities, including insight, rhythm, originality and creativity, depth of feeling, word choice, and polish. This year, the competition will center around

four paintings by Assistant Professor of Art Julio Suarez. Each entry must use one of the four paintings as a prompt.

“It really gives the students the freedom to spring from the image like a springboard,” Franklin said. “What emotions come up when you look at it — the underpass of a highway, an empty chair, a cluttered studio closet, a busy alleyway in Naples?”

Suarez said his paintings are usually just representations of what he sees. He said he doesn’t see a narrative in them, but is excited to see what students come up with.

“I think Dr. Franklin has definitely made it challenging for the students,

and they will deliver; they will do it,” Suarez said. “I’m very excited to see what they do.”

This is the first time the competition has required students to write based on images.

“I think all of us write better with a prompt,” Franklin said. “Previously, it was just, ‘write a poem, write an essay, write a short story,’ and I think we’ve all had that experience of the intimidation of the blank page, the unlimited possibility.”

Junior Brett Schaller entered the competition for the first time last year and won the Margaret Weymouth Jackson Award in Creative Writing for his sonnet, “When I consider

the end of my days.” He said he was shocked when he won.

“I think it was my first time making a serious effort to write a poem,” Schaller said.

Senior Katy Borobia won two awards last year for a poem and a short story she wrote about Calexico, the California border town where her dad grew up. Her sonnet, “Calexico,” won the Barnes Award for Metered Poetry, and her short story, “Rumors of Resurrection” won the Carlotta and Alvin Ewing English Award for Short Stories. Borobia said that writing poetry improves her writing in other areas too.

“You become creative with word choice,” Borobia said. “You start to think in meter and rhyme.”

Borobia said writing also makes art more meaningful.

“You start to see things differently,” she said. “Being able to describe something, an image, with words makes the image mean more to you than if you could just see it.”

Two previous winners, Elizabeth Genovise ’06 and Forester McClatchey ’16, are now published writers. They came back to campus in October 2021 through the Visiting Writers Program and shared their work with students.

Franklin said he hopes this year’s competition will

attract the most students yet. “I think — this is my suspicion — that there’s a fair number of students out there that are tinkering with poems or short stories or plays, and they never really let the world see it,” Franklin said. “This is a chance to let the world see it, and to be read, because that’s really why we write. We write to be read. You want, for a brief moment, someone else’s soul to resonate at the same frequency as your own. That’s why we write whatever we write.”

Students take photos before the Curate conference last year.

Courtesy | Curate

“I think that we have an outstanding cohort of actors at this campus currently,” Matsos said. “We have had more students audition for a single play than in previous years for an entire season.”

Tuition and Fees pair three-part harmonies with old-style tunes. Phoebe VanHeynigen | Collegian

Science & Technology

‘CheatGPT’: new AI platform poses a threat to academia

By Thomas McKenna Assistant editor

When Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib saw the writing of artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, he removed all his essay assignments for his courses.

“I decided to do in-class exams this semester until I get more of a handle on this new technology and how to work around it,” Habib said.

Available for free online, this new program can write an essay, explain the Pythagorean Theorem, and even write computer code.

ChatGPT is a thrill to use at first, but professors across the country, including Habib, have become worried about its implications for academic dishonesty.

“I think it has the potential to be bad if students use it to write papers,” Habib said.

“Learning to write is learning how to think and articulate

ideas and arguments. Shortcuts or attempts to circumvent this process are terrible on many levels.”

Hillsdale College Provost Christopher VanOrman said Hillsdale College has been watching ChatGPT closely.

“In the last few months, we’ve had several conversations with IT and with a group of our faculty on how best to address this issue,” VanOrman said. “We will continue to counteract any adverse effects ChatGPT might have on our campus, but we also know that we have to rely on our trust in our students to abide by the honor code.”

Developers at artificial intelligence company OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, built a large language model designed to predict the next word of a sentence, and trained it on more than 300 billion words of information, according to Science Focus.

The concept of “the good” is a philosophical question that has been debated for centuries and refers to what is considered morally right, virtuous, or desirable. It is subjective and can vary greatly between individuals and cultures. Some people believe that the good is a result of divine will, while others argue that it is based on reason. In Western philosophy, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle defined the good as the ultimate end towards which all human actions aim. He believed that the good was a combination of pleasure, wealth, and virtue, and that the highest good was achieved through the practice of practical wisdom.

Response A

Compiled by Aubrey Gulick Senior Reporter

What is your research project?

My research project is on the thermal tolerance of a specific type of caddis fly in North America; Pycnopsyche guttifera trichoptera is the scientific name. It’s essentially about the differences in survivability between flies that are exposed to oxygen from their environment, as opposed to those not exposed to oxygen from their environment, in a way that relates to heat.

The data set included books, articles, and Wikipedia.

If you ask ChatGPT why the Roman Empire fell, you’ll get an answer that could probably pass for a short-answer response in most Hillsdale classes.

“Some factors that contributed to the decline and eventual collapse of the Roman Empire include: economic decline and overspending on military conquests, political instability and a decline in moral values, as well as pressure from foreign invaders such as the Germanic tribes and the Goths,” responds the robot. “Additionally, the empire’s vast size made it difficult to govern effectively and a shortage of military personnel weakened the empire’s ability to defend itself from invaders.”

When a robot becomes too powerful, sometimes the answer is to build a robot to beat it. That’s what Princeton

senior Edward Tian did when he built GPTZero.

“I spent New Year’s building GPTZero — an app that can quickly and efficiently detect whether an essay is ChatGPT or human written,” Tian said in a tweet.

When a user copy and pastes text into GPTZero, the program evaluates how formulaic the text seems, and makes an assessment as to whether a body of text was written by ChatGPT.

Tian has continued to develop the program since he released it online Jan.

2. While its efficacy is still being tested, Tian said in a tweet that his newest version, GPTZeroX, is made for educators. The software received 2.2 million requests during its first day online.

Habib said he would consider assigning essays again if there were a bot that could detect ChatGPT writing.

Senior Meera Baldwin said

the Hillsdale student body does not seem like it would want to depend on artificial intelligence. “Hillsdale students tend to trust their own intellect over

Can

answer

that of a robot,” Baldwin said.

“Especially when it comes to paper-writing for the humanities, I doubt students will want to utilize AI. Yes, it’s a difficult thing to write well, but human beings will always be able to communicate better than a robot. Even if the

population at large doesn’t believe that, I bet you more than anything that’s what Hillsdale students think.”

Associate Professor of English Patricia Bart said she thinks Hillsdale students will be more resistant to the new technology than most other schools.

“Nevertheless, there is a temptation to use it,” Bart said. “We need to nip this in the bud and treat it very seriously.”

The English department may need to refine its plagiarism policy, according to Bart. The current policy says work “written by another person” is considered plagiarism.

Bart said use of technology for a writing assignment should be considered “first-degree plagiarism.”

“If I found someone using ChatGPT, I would make every effort to get them expelled.”

“The good” is something every human being seeks. It is an idea of perfection which all things aim to align themselves with. Whether in professional competence, academic performance, or moral ethics, all things become more complete and come closer to their fullest potential when they reflect “the good.” Precise explanations of “the good” vary by culture and time period. While people who are religious often believe the highest “good” is God, people who are non-religious are more likely to believe the idea of “the good” exists in the human mind.

Response B

Research Spotlight: Quin Colhour

For these flies, oxygen is very important during their larval stage, when they’re aquatic. When water is heated, much of the dissolved oxygen content goes down because that oxygen evaporates in the air. Cold water can hold a large amount of dissolved oxygen content.

When the temperature of the water in which they’re residing goes up, that oxygen content goes down.

That can cause metabolic stress because they don’t have as much oxygen to utilize for aerobic metabolism. There’s

a question about whether the harm caused to the species is caused by the physical heat that’s being applied to them, or due to their metabolic stress.

How did you come up with this project?

That sort of species is easy to capture and they’re found in the particular area of Michigan where I was doing research, so they’re an ideal specimen to be utilized. But the other thing is that this sort of study, even though it’s very niche and not super exciting or sexy, is very relevant nowadays because a lot of studies are assessing the effects of thermal pollution on smaller bodies of water, lakes, rivers and streams. You’re able to assess specific effects of certain factors on the metabolism of an organism. It’s not that isn’t extremely well- understood in a way that is relevant to thermal pollution that’s happening nowadays because of runoff from areas that have higher amounts of thermal pollution, or because of heating with nuclear reactors, and other things like that.

What is the impact this fly has on the ecosystem?

The caddis flies are good indicators of a lack of pollution of any type, whether heat

or chemical pollution, in an aquatic environment. They’re extremely sensitive, especially in their larval stage. They’re not full-fledged flies; they’re not very mobile. They’re confined to the ecosystem once you find them, so they can’t migrate to resist pollution. They have a worm-like structure; they’re still developing in their larval stage, so they’re very sensitive to temperature changes and the chemical composition of the stream. They’re also a good indicator of a lack of pollution because they occupy all niches within the food chain. They’re shredders and collectors; most of them feed on decaying organic matter. Some of them also make nets to catch things like food particles, or they scrape the moss off logs and rocks. So essentially, if they were to die, there would be a large gap in the food chain.

What has the process of research been like?

The research process is really daunting because of a few factors. One is that you don’t really know what you could be doing wrong, which is a weird thing. Every time you fix a problem, you’re thinking of better ways that you could have fixed it if you knew the things then that you know now. Hindsight is always 20/20 when you’re doing a research

project.

It’s a turbulent process; it’s tough. You have to be able to adjust constantly, and you have to be able to find novel solutions and have a good support group. I certainly couldn’t have done it without running to my advisor Dr. Houghton every other day.

What do you plan to do post-graduation, and is it related to your research?

I’m planning on taking a gap year before going to medical school. It’s great to have research experience like this on the pre-medical track, even though this sort of experiment is not super

applicable to disease states in humans, or anything like that. A lot of medical schools want to see it, as it’s important to be able to design an experiment and manipulate variables to answer a question that you’re attempting to understand. As a medical doctor, even if you’re not in a research lab all the time, you still have to be very involved in what the newest research is saying so that you can constantly adjust your treatment and advice to patients. Being familiar with what the research process looks like as opposed to unsound research, and being able to manipulate variables to study questions is a valuable skill in any capacity.

We asked ChatGPT “What is the Good?”

One of these responses was written by ChatGPT, and the other was written by a Hillsdale College student.

you guess which response was generated by artificial intelligence?

Stu Dent POL 101

Dr. Polly Tick 2 February 2023

on bottom of B4

Stu Dent POL 101

Dr. Polly Tick 2 February 2023

“If I found someone using ChatGPT, I would make every effort to get them expelled”

Colhour conducted research at the bio station over the summer. courtesy | G. H. Gordon Biolo G ical station

By Linnea Shively Assistant editor

Michigan’s pride in being a “Great Lakes state” may provide fun summers, but Michigan’s winters lead to a host of difficulties for its residents in the form of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “SAD.”

“I feel trapped in Hillsdale under a permacloud in the winter,” said Hillsdale resident Jessica Franklin, wife of associate professor of English Kelly Franklin. “I noticed the sun didn’t come out as much and I missed it.”

According to the National Weather Service, cold air moving from Canada and across the relatively warm Great Lakes creates cloudiness and snow in the lower part of Michigan’s

’dale:

atmosphere. In the first five days of January, the National Weather Service reported only five total minutes of sun in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Originally from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Franklin attended college in southeastern Ohio before moving to Hillsdale. According to Franklin, the winter in both places is mild but gray.

“At the end of my first freshman semester, I told my friends I couldn’t wait to go home for Christmas,” Franklin said. “They thought I was crazy because it was 20 or 30 degrees colder in Minnesota. My immediate response was, ‘Yes, but the sun’s out in Minnesota.’”

Although students can’t easily take a break from the gray in the middle of the semester, Franklin began

a habit of visiting a college friend in Phoenix, Arizona, after her daughter was born in November 2016.

“I had a winter baby and I was holed up as a new mom, losing my mind,” Franklin said. “That’s when I contacted my friend from college in tears and asked if I could bring my 4-month-old baby down to visit. This started a wonderful tradition of going to Phoenix every single winter for at least a week. The warmth and sun are very recharging and restful.”

Freshman Rachel Downey also noticed that her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, has more sun in the wintertime than Hillsdale. Starting in late December and continuing into early March, she reports feelings of extreme exhaustion and brain fog.

“It’s the realization that you need to do work, but it is so hard to get up and do activities that I normally do,” Downey said. “I had to explain to my roommate why I’m always in my bed after class.”

According to Brock Lutz, director of health and wellness and a clinical counselor, the symptoms of SAD are also typical signs of depression. These symptoms include lack of energy, low motivation, and inexplicable feelings of sadness.

“The official term is SAD, but seasonal depression is not misleading, because the symptoms are usually depressive symptoms,” Lutz said.

For Franklin, the general depressive symptoms of SAD become noticeable in early November and last through the beginning of March.

“I feel so down, very hopeless, and lacking motivation,” Franklin said. “I still get food on the table and get things done, but it’s a battle to do those things.”

During her first Hillsdale winter in 2014, Franklin immediately felt agitated, irritable, and down. She said she began asking other women how they handled the winter and began to develop a winter plan after reading “Winter Blues” by Norman Rosenthal, the physician who coined the term SAD.

Lutz also emphasized the necessity of an individualized plan to manage SAD.

“We tend to focus on overall wellness in these situations, and encourage people to do some of the things that are hardest during depressive episodes: continue and develop healthy relationships, get regular sleep and eat regular meals that are balanced, continue to take time to reflect, grow as a person with silence and spiritual life, and work hard to stay on top of academics,” Lutz said. “Depression makes all of these

things more difficult to do, and takes a lot of hard work to develop healthy coping, healthy mental perspective, and accountability to follow through.”

Downey combines exercise with friends and vitamin C and D supplements with visits to the “cat house,” the Felines and Friends shelter facility run by Associate Professor of Spanish Kátia Sherman.

“I have my cat back home that helps me, so I like going to the cat house,” Downey said. “It helps combat some of those symptoms.”

Franklin’s winter plan has changed over the years, but consistently includes exercise, time outside, vitamin supplements, and time with a light therapy lamp.

“My winter plan has grown and shifted over the years. It’s an exercise in self-discovery in a way,” Franklin said. “I try to combine things. Sometimes I’ll run on the treadmill with the happy lamp or use it while I have devotional time in the morning.”

As part of its recent renovations, the Ambler Health and Wellness Center invested in sunlight therapy lamps, according to Lutz.

“The lamps can be checked out at the front desk of the library and either used while in the library or can be taken home for a couple days to see how it works,” Lutz said. “It is usually recommended that they are used for 20 or 30 minutes before noon so as not to destroy a person’s typical sleep cycles.”

Additionally, students can dedicate time at the health center to use the lamps, Lutz said.

“We also have a room at the health center where students are welcome to come and use our light therapy lamp,” Lutz said. “It is a separate room where the door can be closed and people can use the space for quiet

By Alexandra Hall Science & Tech Editor

Assistant Professor of Physics Michael Tripepi took 10 Hillsdale College students on a field trip to Thorlabs

Ultrafast Optoelectronics facility in Ann Arbor last weekend. Thorlabs, Inc. produces photonics equipment used in research and biomedicine, with this Michigan facility specializing in high-speed optoelectronic products.

Freshman Henry Lennington said the tour made concepts about lasers easy to grasp.

“At Thorlabs they research new applications for optics and lasers, while also manufacturing lasers,” Lennington said. “Although their tour was geared toward upperclassmen with more experience and knowledge, they made it very understandable for our group of mostly freshmen.”

Tripepi wanted to take students on a field trip in order to connect them to what

physics looks like in the real world.

“I really think it’s just a matter of seeing a side of society that maybe you don’t normally see,” Tripepi said. “You know, our world is just built on so many different technologies so it’s really cool to see how it gets made like, what these environments are like, the technology that these advanced pieces of equipment get developed in, and what kinds of people do this work.”

Thorlabs was founded in 1989 and manufactures optical and optomechanical systems that are needed by life science researchers. The Ann Arbor facility focuses on addressing a need for high-speed optoelectronic devices. It has more than 20 different locations worldwide, including in Japan, Germany, and Sweden.

Thorlabs usually only offers field trips for middle and high schoolers, making this Hillsdale group the first group of college students to formally tour the facility.

Freshman physics and mathematics student Paige Lettow described the two demonstrations the group saw.

“One demonstration showed how lasers can be used to carry information, such as songs on a radio station,” Lettow said. “The other demonstrated how lasers can be used to cut various materials and how the use of crystals affects the output of the laser.”

Sophomore Erik Teder found that the experience helped him see what a potential future job may look like.

“The branch of Thorlabs we visited was a great example of an environment where engineers are given the freedom to tinker, collaborate, and develop products without wading through oceans of bureaucracy,” Teder said. “Thorlabs has more of a start-up culture in that respect, which is much more appealing to young people.

Tripepi said he is interested in doing more field trips in the future to help students

gain a practical understanding of the concepts they learn in the classroom. If you’re interested in coming along on the next field trip

or anything physics-related, contact Tripepi.

“The trip was my first look at what it might be like to work in the industry of

if they want a little bit more solitude.”

However, Franklin said that the happy lamp alone isn’t enough and that a winter plan with accountability partners is essential to combatting symptoms.

“You just have to sit down and take the time to map out a winter plan,” Franklin said.

“Make sure you have things in your schedule which bring you joy and hold you accountable with your plan. For example, one friend you can exercise with, one friend reminds you to do your happy lights. Another friend you can have a weekly coffee date with so you can count on it.”

Other options for Hillsdale students include counseling to discuss effective strategies. according to Lutz.

For Franklin, outdoor physical activity is a key part of her winter plan.

“If the weather permits, I will get outside. The first few days where we had wind chills at 15 degrees, I decided I’m just putting out enough clothes and I’m going out and jogging,” Franklin said. “It was invigorating. There was a part of me that said ‘Take that, 15 degree windchill!’”

Hillsdale College students looking for outdoor physical activities are able to borrow cross country skis or snowshoes in Hayden Park. Christopher Netley, sports chiropractor and strength trainer, can also meet with students and staff to put together effective workout and training programs.

Franklin and Lutz both acknowledge that college is a busy time, but encourage students to create a winter plan to lessen SAD symptoms.

“I wish I had known about SAD in college and that I had it,” Franklin said. “I could have started making changes a lot sooner.”

physics,” Lettow said. “I haven’t done much with optics or lasers, so it was cool to see what kinds of things you can do with those areas.”

Professor of Physics Michael Tripepi takes students on a field trip to Thorlabs Inc. in Ann Arbor. courtesy | Micahel t ripepi

The Health and Wellness Center offers sunlight lamps to help combat seasonal affective disorder. a llison s chuster | c ollegian

“Basically 105 of the people you know don’t know you exist,” Graham said.

Senior Eamonn Weed doesn’t have this problem. Seventy-five percent of the study’s respondents said they knew him, making him the most known student on campus.

“Many words come to mind. Surprised. Disturbed. Confounded,” Weed said. “I don’t know that hearing such a notion is a thing that one thinks. I am also unsure whether awareness of such a notion is good to know.”

Weed attributed his campus-wide recognition to the many meaningful conversations that he has had with classmates and friends over the course of his four years.

“I’ve appreciated that aspect of Hillsdale since I arrived as a freshman,” Weed said. “It’s led me to interact with various circles of campus, be that working in admissions, participating in residence life, or hanging out with a number of friend groups.”

Sophomore Matthew Bryne and senior Joe Colman rounded out the top three most-known students. Seventy-one percent of respondents knew Bryne and 64% knew Coleman. On the other hand, senior Rachel Harvey knew the most students, recognizing 75% of people included in the survey.

“I am still flabbergasted about that,” Harvey said. “I personally feel like I don’t know that many people.”

Establishing herself as a fixture of the student union fireplace since arriving on campus in 2019 allowed Harvey to get to know a higher number of students.

“I am always by the fireplace. I have been there my entire time here. It’s a place that I am constantly stopping by every day,” Harvey said. “And oftentimes people are friendly enough that you can just engage in conversations with anyone who stops by.”

Harvey said that it makes sense that the average Hillsdale student knows almost half of campus.

“We have values that are focused on community and relationship,” Harvey said. “In other schools, they stress self-proficiency, but here a lot of the focus is actually on the relationships and most of my growth here had to do with the people I met and interacted with.”

According to Balsbaugh, the hardest part of the study was figuring out how to determine the degrees of separation between respondents.

FEATURES

“It’s a hard question,” Graham said. “How do you look at the pairings between every person? Even with 45 people, that’s hundreds of thousands of different connections.”

The club was unsure how to do these calculations until Graham and Balsbaugh learned about Flyod’s algorithm in a computer science class. According to Graham, Flyod’s algorithm is a computer science program that checks the shortest distance between points on a graph, in this case, Hillsdale students.

“It was a fortuitous moment,” Blasbaugh said. “We didn’t really have a plan before that.”

Senior Meera Baldwin, a participant in the study, said that she knew the majority of the students in the survey.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers were even a bit higher,” Baldwin said. “Since we’re all basically on one neighborhood block, we see each other all the time.”

Baldwin, who works at AJ’s Cafe, said her job might give her an advantage in recognizing faces around campus but added that the

knew 10% of the students by both face and name.

“The first interesting thing that I noticed is that the higher number in the first survey corresponds almost exactly with what we found in the second survey,” Graham said.

Both Graham and Balgsabugh said they preferred the second survey both because of its larger sample size and improved methodology

“In the second survey, we said to interpret the word ‘know’ as intuitively as you would,” Graham said. “That might get more at the heart of what it means to know someone when we just casually used the word.”

Harvey said that she used a more liberal definition of the word “know” that included people she has seen around campus but never spoken to.

college’s small size makes it easy for anyone to know a lot of students.

“You see so many people just in Saga alone,” Baldwin said. “We’re all pretty much on campus. Even the off-campus life is essentially on campus since it’s so close.”

The club’s survey was preceded by a preliminary study conducted in person in the Union. The math club generated 15 random students from the directory and had 32 students identify them by sight, name, or both. Respondents knew 39.2% of the randomly generated students by sight or by name. However, respondents only

“A lot of the people on the survey I did know personally,” Harvey said. “But also I’ve been here for four years so there are many people that I’ve seen many many many times – enough times for me to say that I am familiar with the person.”

Baldwin said that she thought the survey lacked enough Greeks and athletes to provide an accurate representation of campus.

“My one complaint was that the sample pool did not seem very wide,” Baldwin said. “It was very independent-heavy. If there were more Greeks, I think that the numbers would have increased.”

The Math Club compiled their findings in a 15-page research paper last week. The

Nikki Walbright

results of the second survey were displayed in a circular graph that shows the lines of connection between each of the respondents who are represented along the perimeter

By Alex Deimel Collegian Reporter

In this quick hits interview, Assistant Athletic Director Nikki Walbright talks ‘One Tree Hill,’ Bonnie Tyler, and not sweating the small stuff.

What’s your favorite class to teach at Hillsdale?

Women’s Health and Nutrition is pretty near and dear to my heart. It’s cool to work with girls from all over campus.

What’s your pre-match pump up song? “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler.

Who’s your favorite pro tennis player? Madison Keys.

Who is your favorite TV show character? The Scott Brothers from “One Tree Hill.”

What’s your kids’ favorite restaurant in town? Handmade.

If you could coach any

of the circle.

Although the study is called Degrees of Arnn, the math club did not examine campus’ connection to President Larry Arnn.

sport, what would it be?

Baseball because of my love for the Atlanta Braves, as well as the strategy of the game.

What are your thoughts on the new Hillsdale logo?

It’s the face of the future.

What is one life lesson having kids has taught you?

The need to have patience and show grace, and living life through a kid’s eyes is really cool.

Grass, clay, or hardcourt? Hardcourt because I’m a power hitter.

What is your least popular sports opinion?

I’m excited to see the new College Football Playoff expansion.

What’s the most important piece of advice you would give current Hillsdale athletes about college athletics?

Don’t stress over the small stuff now. You’ll always look back and wish you could spend more time studying,

“Everyone knows Dr. Arnn, so in that sense we are all one degree away,” Graham said.

but you won’t ever get the time to compete at this level again.

What is the coolest part of your job?

I’m pretty competitive, so being able to involve myself in Hillsdale’s competitive atmosphere is really nice since you can’t do that in many other jobs.

What’s your favorite memory from coaching the women’s tennis team here?

Winning back to back to back conference championships was really cool.

If you could create one class to teach here what would it be?

College Sport Recruiting 101 would be fun, or I also teach our spin classes, so an Advanced Indoor Cycling would be super fun to do.

Did you want to be a pro tennis player growing up?

Ironically, soccer was my main thing growing up, but I always appreciated tennis and enjoyed traveling to tournaments with my mom.

“Basically, 105 of the people you know don’t know you exist”

Walbright learns the joy of living through her kids’ eyes.

Courtesy | Nikki Walbright

Weed takes time to shovel his street’s sidewalk, which includes senior Emma Purdy’s front stoop. Meghan Schultz | Collegian

Degrees from A1

Students gather together for Concert on the Quad in 2022. Courtesy | Hillsdale SAB

From the desk of Kiley Hatch

By Jillian Parks

Social Media Manager

When junior Kiley Hatch adopted a “say yes to everything” attitude during her gap year between high school and college, she wasn’t expecting to land a full-time theater career.

“I’ve always loved to write, and I’ve always loved to act,” Hatch said. “I ran a little theater camp starting when I was 15. When I was taking a gap year, I just said to myself, ‘I will not say no to anything that comes up because I have no idea what I’m doing during this time.”

Hatch said her first yes when she entered a radio playwriting competition in 2020 hosted by a Catholic startup called The Merry Beggars. Her play “I Do Like the Rain” follows the conversations that ensue after a young family is caught in traffic.

“I lost the contest,” Hatch said. “But I sent an email afterwards and said, ‘Hey, I

really loved what I wrote. And I feel like it was the first thing that showed myself and who I am and where I came from. I never would have written without this contest, so thank you.’”

Peter Aktison, the founder of the Merry Beggars, wrote back asking to produce her show.

Her play became the third episode in “The Quarantine Plays,” a series produced by The Merry Beggars.

While taking online classes from Belmont University, Hatch emailed Atkinson and was offered the opportunity to develop a children’s radio series. Six months into the project, a Chicago-based media company called Relevant Radio bought the program.

Suddenly, playwriting became Hatch’s full-time job.

“That was crazy,” Hatch said. “I kind of stumbled into that. I just said yes to the right thing. And I’ve learned so much from that crazy process.”

Hatch spent two years working on her 21-part series for Relevant Radio called “On The Night Train.” It airs every Sunday evening on Relevant Radio networks across the nation. “It’s about two kids who accidentally stow away on the Pullman night train in 1880, going across the United States on the newly completed transcontinental railroad,” Hatch said. “They soon realize that the train is being sabotaged, and their father is in charge of the train. They’ve got to figure out a way to save the train before a catastrophic wreck occurs.”

While working a full-time job and enrolling as a full-time theater student, Hatch has found support for her creative projects from James Brandon, chair and professor of theater. Hatch said Brandon allowed her to get credit for her work as an independent study.

“A lot of our Hillsdale students are like this, where they want to do 12 different things,

but the difference with Kiley is that she’s able to handle it,” Brandon said. “She’s mature, she’s organized, and she’s passionate. It’s worked out in such a way that she’s able to do what she needs to do professionally, but she’s also serious about her education here. And I’m trying to support her as much as possible.”

Hatch is taking a playwriting class this semester and is currently writing a play for her senior project that will be produced as a staged reading in 2024. The play is in conversation with Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” particularly examining the character of Miranda.

“For our senior projects there is a classroom component and there’s a public component,” Brandon said. “For a playwright, we insist that the final product have a staged reading. She’ll have the summer to do edits and make changes suggested by the professor, so that when we return in the fall, we will be able to schedule a staged reading of

her senior project as part of our theatrical season. I’ll be eager to see what she does with it.”

Hatch also runs a theater company, Embers Theatre Co. in her hometown of Arlington, Virginia. The company offers summer camps and traveling shows for the surrounding community, making shows portable with a trailer, a fold-out stage, and a speaker system.

“In 2021 I was sick of the fact that in D.C., and Northern Virginia, there were theaters still canceled,” Hatch said. “So I went and bought a trailer, and my boyfriend and I wrote a show. We cast nine high schoolers and toured to eight different counties just in peoples’ backyards or a parish parking lot.”

Since transferring to Hillsdale College, Hatch has joined The Kehoe Family Initiative

for Entrepreneurial Excellence to further develop her business under the program and additional guidance of Ken Koopmans.

“She is passionate, organized, motivated, and just very positive. She takes initiative,” Koopmans said. “She’s going to do well, and she’s going to succeed because she has experience in the industry.”

But Hatch is in no rush for the future. She’s just enjoying the path there.

“Playwriting is not about inspiration. It’s about the process,” Hatch said. “It’s about rewriting. It’s about spending time on the project, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s just the fact that you keep showing up, and that’s what makes you a writer. I’m allowing each project to be part of my process of becoming.”

Marching from the ’dale to the Hill

By Emily Schutte Collegian Freelancer

Ten hours into travel towards Washington, D.C., our bus rounded a final corner — and glass flew as a passing truck grazed our window.

Everyone was exhausted, trekking from Hillsdale to the capital to join in the March for Life — the first since the abolition of Roe v. Wade — and the disagreement our bus had with the truck was icing on the bitter cake.

We decided to continue our journey on foot. Anxi-

eties mounted as we realized we’d be late for the rally. After a 20 minute walk, we arrived, managing to only miss the opening concert while still catching the speeches. There were no radical changes that defined this year’s pilgrimage, despite being the first post-Roe March. There were minimal counter-protestors and no uniquely different messages on signs. There was, however, a clear difference in the mood. The crowds were subdued. Excitement was tentative. A real joy permeated the crowds, but a foreboding awareness of the pro-life movement’s long journey ahead cut through the atmosphere.

People from all over the country gathered for the rally in thousands, from parents and children, high school and college students, to priests and religious sisters. The crowd talked, laughed, and cheered with each speaker. I strained to listen to the speeches through the noise, and the words I could hear struck me. The times I could not hear were spent in prayer as I observed those around me.

The crowd exploded at the appearance of Jonathan Roumie, the actor portraying Jesus in “The Chosen” and the event’s keynote speaker.

The general melee of people soon became a crushing mob as the rally came to a close, and our pilgrimage resumed with the beginning of the March. We were all walking shoulder to shoulder with total strangers, and still, there was a sense of deep unity.

The sounds and sights began to press in on us. The determined chants of encouragement and the sounds of Hail Marys surrounded me. The influence of profound faith over these people was evident.

Signs marked the presence of schools, colleges, and churches from across the country. Eager faces, ready for the journey, smiled and shouted below each banner.

“We love babies, yes, we do. We love babies, how ‘bout you?”and “I demand protection at conception” rippled through the air. Posters declared, “Love them both,” “Love life, choose life,” and the newly-victorious, “I am the post-Roe generation,” rose high above the crowd.

Sister Ellen Marie, a Daughter of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus, reflected on the day she and her sisters learned Roe v. Wade had been overturned.

“It was a beautiful day in our history,” Sister Ellen Marie said. “An unforgettable day for all of us who lived it and remembered it and had prayed so long for it. We were on a day retreat with

Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and our superior gave us the information. It was an answer to all our prayer.”

Roumie used his time speaking to encourage participants to take action beyond attending the March itself.

“Change the culture by impacting the culture. Embrace that which is bigger than you, he who gave you abundant life, and he who has called you by name,” Roumie said.

Roumie explained that lives are to be the witness that changes the culture. It is through the example, the light emanating from these people, he said, that a culture of death will be banished.

Sophomore Grace Marks, secretary for the Hillsdale College for Life, said the prolife movement should now focus on addressing legislation.

“We definitely have more responsibilities.” Marks said. “We should be doing everything we can to change policy.”

As the new post-Roe generation, young people will surely continue to play a unique role in the movement. But now the duties of legislation have been given back to the people. Because of this we no longer march to the Supreme Court, but instead we go to our lawmakers — all to complete our journey on Capitol Hill.

One

determined student shares her artistic ‘process of becoming’

Hatch was Aunt Loreli in the show “Something Extraordinary.” Courtesy | Kiley Hatch

Freshman Meredith VanDerWeide holds a sign in front of the the National Shrine.

Courtesy | Emily Schutte

The record-largest group of Hillsdale students traveled to D.C. Courtesy | Emily Schutte