Collegian 10.5.2023

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

English professors adopt zero-tolerance AI policy

By Colman Rowan Collegian R e po R te R

The English department professors adopted a new, uniform artificial intelligence policy this semester amid concerns of cheating with the advent of ChatGPT and other AI tools.

The policy states that any use of AI tools for any part of English coursework will be considered a violation of the college’s academic honesty policy, but it is left open as to what lengths each professor will go regarding enforcement.

“We want you to wrestle with the text in your writing on your own because this is an essential part of your intellectual growth,” the policy states.

Chair and Professor of English Justin Jackson said he does not expect students will try to write papers using AI tools.

“No one’s going to be stupid enough to cut and paste from ChatGPT,” Jackson said.

“We don’t think you guys are going to do that. Our fear is that students will start to allow ChatGPT to do the brainstorming for them.”

Jackson did not fully discredit the potential benefits of certain AI usage in the study of English, though.

“There’s not an irrational fear here. We think that it could potentially be useful for scholars,” Jackson said. “You guys just aren’t prepared for that yet. You make kids study times tables, but eventually they get to use calculators.”

Jackson said he was primarily concerned with students using AI tools for writing because that usage could remove an essential part of the learning process.

“What we’re telling you is if you want to be a good scholar and you want to exercise your brain, don’t use ChatGPT,” Jackson said. “You’re actually harming yourself and your develop -

Ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicates Sohn, Kirn

“We are so pleased to know these two families and to carry their name down through time. It’s a great thing.”

ment.”

For his personal policy of discouraging students from using AI, Jackson said he looks no further than the department’s policy.

“If you’re here and we tell you ‘Don’t do that,’” Jackson said, “we’re going to assume you respect and believe us enough that you think, ‘He’s telling me not to do it and he’s here for my good. I won’t do it.’”

Associate Professor of English Benedict Whalen has one of the more rigorous policies in the department.

“I want to create helpful incentives for students to avoid the temptation of AI,” Whalen said.

Whalen’s policy involves turning in a “paper trail,” which amounts to proof of the whole process of paper writing in addition to the final product.

He said it would only be a minimal additional burden for those students who already write multiple drafts and hopes this policy will not only encourage better writing but also result in better papers.

“The reason I like this method is because the ultimate result of it should be that students start writing their papers more than two days before the paper is due,” Whalen said. “That should have been happening anyway.”

Whalen said the advent of AI tools prompted the creation of the new rule.

“Maybe it’ll even be the provocation for me to be a better teacher of writing,” Whalen said. My hope would be that ultimately, the result of having this paper trail is that I have even more at my disposal to help students grow as writers.”

Junior Lucy Potter, an English major, said she is wary of the strong enforcement of AI policy.

See English A2

By Zachary Chen Collegian FReelanCeR

Students and campus visitors gathered outside Sohn Residence Oct. 3 during a dedication ceremony for the two newest women’s residences on campus.

The dedication of the Ken and Dean Kirn Residence and the Marilyn J. Sohn Residence included remarks from College President Larry Arnn and Kirn senior and house director Addison Longenecker.

It also included a music selection performed by a women’s vocal ensemble, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“True character development happens in the residence halls,” Longenecker said in her remarks. “If Hillsdale teaches us that strength rejoices in the challenge, it is the residence hall where we learn what it means to rejoice.” Arnn thanked both the Sohn and Kirn families in his address.

“I’ve known them both for a long time now. They’ve been friends of the college as long as the writ runs,” Arnn said.

Ken Kirn named the Ken and Dean Kirn Residence, previously known as New Dorm, in honor of his wife, Stella “Dean” Kirn, who died in 2021, and Kenneth Sohn named the Sohn Residence in honor of his wife, Marilyn J. Sohn, according to the dedication ceremony program.

“Ken is a gentle man, and an entrepreneur,” Arnn said.

Longenecker, who has been a resident assistant for the last two years, said she sees her fellow RAs and residents as family and praised Kirn’s unique resident composition.

“As the only women’s dorm on campus to house freshmen through seniors, we have a very special blend of women,” Longenecker said. “Kirn is one of a kind.”

Junior Caitlin Filep, a Kirn resident who will be one of the first women to stay all four years in Kirn Residence, agreed with Longenecker about the dorm’s community.

“One thing that has moved me to stay year after year is the compassion and warmth that the women of this dorm invariably possess,” Filep said.

“This dedicated love genuinely pours forth from them, as if they can't help sharing it and they're overjoyed to do so.”

Longenecker closed her remarks with best wishes for Sohn Residence.

“As Sohn Residence begins its legacy, I look forward to seeing the unique personality the RA team chooses to foster,” Longenecker said.

U.S. News ranks Hillsdale 39th among liberal arts colleges

By Skye Graham Collegian FR eelan

C e R Hillsdale College tied with Denison University in Ohio for the 39th best liberal arts college in the nation according to the U.S. News and World Report, which released its 2024 annual college rankings this September.

The top liberal arts colleges on the list are Williams College, Amherst College, and the U.S. Naval Academy. According to U.S. News, schools are assessed on a variety of factors such as graduation rate, retention rate, faculty salaries, and social mobility.

Recently, Hillsdale has seen an upward trajectory in these rankings. In 2021, U.S. News placed Hillsdale at 54th among liberal arts colleges. According to Hillsdale’s website, the college has placed in the top 100 liberal arts colleges by the report since 2013.

College President Larry Arnn said the ratings continue to impress him.

“We’ve risen greatly in the rankings,” Arnn said. “Do we deserve better? I think so. But we have to take it. Back in the day we were 110th. We were tier three, but we’re tier one now.”

But numerical rankings cannot encompass the full

College hosts CCA on American intelligence

By Christian Papillon Collegian FReelanCeR

The United States has a rich history of intelligence systems, some good and some bad, according to the speakers at this week’s Center for Constructive Alternatives seminars.

Hillsdale held its first CCA of the year from Oct. 1-4, discussing the history and controversies behind U.S. intelligence.

Alexander Rose, author of “Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring,” gave the first lecture on intelligence during the American Revolution.

“There was a lot of spying during the American Revolution; it’s just that no one talked about it until recently,” Rose said.

Rose’s lecture detailed the story of Abraham Woodhull and the Culper Ring.

“Its importance lies in the fact that it was the only network of civilian agents per-

manently operating behind enemy lines,” Rose said.

According to Rose, before the Culper Ring, intelligence would normally come from individual soldiers working for a single patron and for private interest.

“It was a great lecture,” freshman Hart MacKinnon said. “As someone who wants to minor in history, it was interesting to see the origins of American intelligence and spy rings during the revolution.”

Jonna Mendez, the former chief of disguise for the CIA, spoke Monday afternoon on “The Art of Disguise.” Her responsibilities included assigning disguises and special equipment to overseas agents.

“We were the gadget people at the CIA,” Mendez said.

Examples of gadgets were a camera hidden in a pen and a document hidden in a file reduced to the size of a 1 mm circle, also called a “microdot,” that would be read with magnification from a compact lens.

Mendez also said the CIA took inspiration from sources such as Hollywood when forming new schemes.

“We were always looking to private industry,” Mendez said.

Edward Jay Epstein, author of “Assume Nothing: Encounters with Assassins, Spies, Presidents, and Would-Be Masters of the Universe,” gave a lecture on Monday evening on the subject of Cold War espionage. Epstein focused on the Nosenko case.

“The Nosenko case was the most important case of the Cold War,” he said.

Epstein said Yuri Nosenko defected after the Kennedy assassination, saying he was Lee Harvey Oswald’s case officer in the KGB. He was discredited in part because he failed the verification process, which included lie detectors and emotional response tests.

Fred Fleitz of the America First Policy Institute gave a lecture Tuesday afternoon on “The Importance of Good

Intelligence.” He discussed what he considered bad intelligence, citing how then-CIA director John Brennan helped orchestrate the Trump-Russia collusion story. The CIA is currently a body of the administrative state, according to Fleitz.

In order to bring back good intelligence, Fleitz said conservatives need to get control of the agencies again.

“Good intelligence must be objective, non-political and relevant,” Fleitz said. “It needs strong and ethical leaders.”

The CCA held a faculty roundtable on Wednesday afternoon. Mark Moyar, professor of history, stressed the importance of good government for improving American intelligence.

“You need to elect leaders that are willing to make the necessary changes,” Moyar said. “I would encourage Hillsdale grads to go into government, because people of character are needed.”

picture of a college, according to Arnn.

“Some of the things they measure are valuable, but most of the important things are missing,” Arnn said. “People want to come here and work here because of the meaning and the mission of Hillsdale College. That can’t be quantified into statistics.”

Sophomore Mattie Grace Watson said she agrees with Arnn’s assessment.

“Hillsdale is such a unique school because it offers students an education that will accompany them for life and shape them as a whole person,” Watson said. “Most colleges simply give you a four

year degree to put on your resume. There truly is no way to wholly measure Hillsdale’s quality of education in comparison to the education of other colleges because the liberal arts education we embark on sets us on a journey for life and not just for a degree.”

The rankings come on the heels of a number of controversies over college rankings. Yale and Harvard Law Schools, as well as a number of prominent medical schools, chose to pull out of the ranking process. Yale’s and Harvard’s undergraduate programs still participate in the rankings.

An ensemble from the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir performed at the dedication ceremony on Tuesday. Erik TEd E r | Coll E gian

Hillsdale Chapel Choir performs on East Coast Epoch Times adds free subscription option for students

By Jackson Casey Collegian F R eelan C e R

The Epoch Times is now offering free five-year digital subscriptions to college students at all accredited institutions, including Hillsdale College.

Chris Bob, program manager of subscriptions at the Epoch Times, described the reasons behind its expanded efforts at accessibility for students.

“Back in March, we were initially discussing the idea of making the student subscription available to everyone,” Bob said. “We didn’t want there to be any barrier for them to access the truth.”

By Moira Gleason a ssistant e dito R

The Hillsdale College Chapel Choir traveled to perform for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s 70th Anniversary Gala on Sept. 28 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Hillsdale alumnus John Burtka ’12, president of ISI, invited the choir to sing at the gala to celebrate the dedication of the new Linda L. Bean Conference Center. The event also featured keynote speaker Tucker Carlson. The choir performed again the following day at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., just down the street from the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship.

“The trip was initiated when Dr. Arnn, who is a trustee of ISI, suggested that we sing for their gala dinner,” assistant accompanist and conductor to the choir Katherine Rick said. “From there, we decided that while we had the whole choir out east, it might make sense to swing by and do a concert near the Kirby Center. As the college re-emphasizes its Christian identity, it makes sense that the Chapel Choir should function as a sort of religious vanguard in an outward-facing way.”

This was the first time the Chapel Choir has traveled, and according to Associate Professor of Music and Director of Sacred Music Timothy McDonnell, the students adjusted well to the difficulties of performing on the road.

“Going outside the college and performing with very little acclimation time in various new environments pushes the capabilities of our ensemble to new levels,” McDonnell said. “The choir did an admirable job, and their preparation of a concert program in only a month of rehearsal was an impressive accomplishment.”

The day after their performance at St. Joseph’s, the students visited the Museum of the Bible in Wasington, D.C., and the museum’s head sound engineer offered them the opportunity to sing in the World Stage Theater, McDonnell said.

“The theater is outfitted with a special audio configuration which allows the room to be adjusted to the acoustics of world-famous venues, such as Carnegie Hall,” McDonnell said. “It was a jaw-dropping experience to hear the room go from dead silence to the reverberation of Hagia Sophia.”

According to junior Madeline Scheve, the choir benefited from learning to perform on the road in venues with different acoustics than Christ Chapel.

“I think there's definitely an adjustment going from work mode to performance mode, especially when you're performing in a foreign environment,” Scheve said.

“There'sdefinitely a learning curve and some growing pains, but we adjusted really fast.”

The benefit of that experience is evident in rehearsals since returning to campus, according to Scheve.

“In rehearsal I could already tell that everyone felt more comfortable,” Scheve said. “Just having a couple of different experiences under their belts of singing in different spaces.”

Before returning to campus, the students had the opportunity to visit museums and tour Washington, D.C. While exploring the district together, a group of students met and took a photo with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT. When some of the students attended Mass at St. James Catholic Church in Virginia on Sunday, they met Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas and took a group photo.

“He was super down to earth,” sophomore Augie McCormack said. “He was asking our names and told us to say hi to Larry.”

The students formed better friendships with each other while traveling and performing together, McCormack said.

“I’m a lot better friends with everybody in Chapel Choir now,” McCormack said. “Just because you’re doing so many things together, sharing bus trips, going to hotels and museums and performances and practices. You’re just singing the whole time and everyone’s super joyful.”

Scheve said that while most people in Chapel Choir were not necessarily friends at the beginning of the semester, they were all much closer by the end of the trip.

“It felt like traveling with a big family,” Scheve said. “It was just like, we’re all in this together.”

According to senior Joseph Perez, the closer the students in Chapel Choir grow to each other through trips and experiences such as this one, the better they will perform.

“Choir is such a communal ensemble style activity, that the better you know the people that you are singing with the better you sound because you know them, you know how they sing, you know how they think,” Perez said. “I think we will sing better for the whole year because of that.”

McDonnell said he hopes the choir will travel again in the future, but there are no current plans to do so.

“Travel is a tricky proposition for the choir, both due to the academic demands of our students but also due to our primary charge to provide sacred music for our splendid Christ Chapel,” McDonnell said. “However, I think we've been bitten by the ‘travel bug,’ and we’ll endeavor to find opportunities to take our music on the road somehow.”

“The only problem was that we had a limited network of colleges and universities that we thought would be able to help us accomplish our goal,” Bob said. “Instead of negotiating with each individual school, which could’ve been a lot harder, we decided to open it up so that anyone with an ‘.edu’ email should be able to access the Epoch Times for free for up to five years, and that officially launched on June 1.”

Even before offering this digital subscription program, the Epoch Times worked with Hillsdale’s Mossey Library to give students access to their standard newspaper.

worked to involve the Hillsdale student body in journalism in the past.

Clifford Humphrey, a 2020 Van Andel graduate school of statesmanship graduate and current executive vice chancellor of the Florida College System, wrote as a freelancer for the Epoch Times after it offered Hillsdale students the opportunity to assist in the paper’s efforts while developing skills of their own.

“I think it’s sort of a onestop shop for students like those at Hillsdale who are interested in both current events and the Western heritage, and there’s no one else doing that,” Humphrey said. “There’s no one else who’s going to unapologetically defend and promote the Western heritage without an asterisk and a bunch of qualifications.”

He said broadening the program to all college students in the U.S., rather than working with a select few institutions, makes the process of launching it much easier.

“We also worked with your library to give students full access through the same system that you use to look through journals and pull up books,” Bob said.

The Epoch Times has

“I learned that they were hoping to find students from Hillsdale who would be willing to write articles about positives about America, just to push back against the idea that this is a bad, evil place,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey said he thinks the Epoch Times’ unique coverage of culture and current events is an asset Hillsdale students should take advantage of.

Freshman Nathan Fish agreed that the Epoch Times is a valuable resource for students.

“It’s great that they’re doing that,” Fish said. “It’s especially important for young Americans to learn the truth about politics in a world where the media is so biased. It’s important that they, as the future of our country, get truthful coverage of current events and an unbiased look at the political world.”

Mark Kremer joins faculty as professor of politics

By Malia Thibado Collegian RepoRteR

Associate Professor of Politics Mark Kremer joined the Hillsdale College faculty this fall.

Kremer previously taught at the college as a visiting professor in the politics department during the 2019-2020 academic school year. He also lectured on “Love and Marriage in Machiavelli’s ‘Mandragola’” for the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship in February 2020.

“The school has an intellectual mission that is not a politically correct ideological mission,” Kremer said. “I believe everything that the school does.”

Kremer said he hopes to teach at Hillsdale for the rest of his career.

Political philosophy is Kremer’s specialty. He studies different historical thinkers and the forms of government they proposed, writing books like “Plato and Xenophon: Apologies,” which was published in 2006.

In 2017, he published “Romanticism and Civilization: Love, Marriage, and Family in Rousseau’s Julie” through Lexington Books.

“I wrote it as a challenge to contemporary liberalism because it has subordinated science to sexuality and equality,” Kremer said.

Kremer spent his early years in Ontario, Canada, right outside of Toronto. He received his Bachelor of Arts in both political science and philosophy and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto in 1985 and 1986 respectively. He continued his education at the University of Chicago, earning a doctorate in political science in 1995.

Kremer said he has always had a passion for political phi-

English from A1

“I can sympathize with it,” Potter said. “I don’t think it’s the worst thing ever. But I think, to a large part, cheating has always been an option and choosing to take such a strong stance when it comes to ChatGPT, in some respect, could chip away at the necessary relationship of trust between the teacher and the student.”

Senior Peter Harrigan said he agrees with the necessity of manually searching through a text to formulate a thesis, but he expects the integration of ChatGPT and the English department will likely be neces-

losophy, as it focuses on both the best form of government as well as the individual’s rights within the government.

Kremer began his teaching career as a lecturer at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He then taught core curriculum at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, before teaching as a member of the political science department for Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.

While at KSU, he established a great books curriculum, teaching until 2019 when he became a visiting professor at Hillsdale. His time at the college was cut short by the COVID-19

sary in the near future.

“I think the zero tolerance policy is fine for the moment,” Harrigan said. “But in the long run, like within the next couple of years, I think the English department is going to need to find a way to permit some limited form of use, perhaps in the way that they use other search engines and stuff like that.”

Jackson said that perhaps he is being naive, but he is not too worried about the threat AI poses.

“I think if I were at another university, maybe I would be a little more worried,” Jackson said. “But I have great faith in our students.”

pandemic, and he returned to KSU before settling at Hillsdale this fall.

This semester, Kremer is teaching two sections of U.S. Constitution, part of the college core curriculum.

“I really love his class,” freshman Carver Means said. “He always brings out such great commentary about what we read.”

He is also advising Bryan Richardson, a fifth year Ph.D. candidate, on his doctoral thesis about Rousseau.

“The way he taught Rousseau fascinated me,” Richardson said. “Dr. Kremer is special at being extremely clear in the material he teaches, and the way

Dorms from A1

“I cherish the closeness we have with our sister dorm.”

Following the re marks, Arnn, the Kirn and Sohn families, Dean of Women Rebekah Dell, and Chief Administrative Officer Richard Péwé participated in ribbon-cutting ceremonies in front of both dormitories.

An ensemble of women from the Hillsdale College

he communicates the literature helps people understand the book.”

Kremer said he enjoys the size of Hillsdale and its academic culture.

“I was coming from a large state school with over 45,000 students,” Kremer said. “What I like about Hillsdale is that it’s a small private school with a sense of community. People are interested in one another’s ideas. It is more intellectually intense.”

Next semester, Kremer said he will be teaching courses about the U.S. Constitution, Shakespeare, and a graduate course focused on Rousseau.

Chamber Choir also performed at the event, singing a rendition of Mary Brahe’s “Bless This House.”

The dedication ceremony closed with a toast from Arnn. “I salute the Sohn and the Kirn families and open these dorms for the use of our students with great gratitude,” Arnn said.

Mark Kremer taught at Hillsdale during the 2019-2020 academic year. Courtesy | Hillsdale College a r CH ives

Matthew Byrne, Daniel Sturdy, Noah Lobue, and Dravyn Spies pose for a photo with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Courtesy | Matt H ew Byrne

College President Larry Arnn spoke at the ceremony. e rik t eder | Collegian

Campus Rec revives tradition with Naval Battle

By Caroline Kurt Collegian reporter

The men of Hillsdale College proved their naval prowess on the waters of Baw Beese Lake last weekend.

Dozens of student participants and spectators gathered at the local lake on Sept. 30 for the first Naval Battle, a version of capture the flag on water, since 2016.

Sophomore Sophia Schlegel helped organize the event. She explained why Campus Rec revived the tradition after its six-year hiatus.

“This year for Campus Rec one of our main goals was to promote dorm culture as a whole,” Schlegel said. “We thought this would be a really great way for the dorms to bond.”

Sophomore and Campus Rec staff member Ethan Bourgeois considered Campus Rec’s goal accomplished.

“Naval Battle was a staple at Hillsdale that was gone for too long,” Bourgeois said.

Of the logistical hurdles Campus Rec faced, Bourgeois was most concerned about participation.

“I was worried that Simpson was not going to have that big of a turnout,” Bourgeois said. “Obviously, I was completely wrong.”

Simpson Residence competed against the “Coalition,” a team of non-Simpson competitors. Both teams had almost an even turnout, with 30-40 men each.

Ryan Perkins, a ’22 grad and director of Campus Rec, was instrumental in reviving the Naval Battle tradition.

“We got ideas from people who helped with this in the past to find out what was successful and got a lot of support from the deans,” Perkins said. “We were excited to bring an old tradition back.”

Campus Rec gave the groups two hours to build

their boats before battle. They supplied cardboard, pool noodles, tarps, and duct tape to each team.

Each team received three flags, each of which they raced to bring around a buoy to the other team’s shore before the 90 minute time limit was up. Teams were allowed to sink each other’s boats and defend their own, but not to steal flags. If a flag got wet, the team had to return to their own shore and begin again.

“No maiming, no drowning, and no complaining,” Bourgeois said. “Have fun and don’t kill each other.”

The teams charged into the water dragging their cardboard vessels. Within five minutes, Simpson brought two of its three flags to the enemy shore.

Neither team advanced quickly, and several cardboard boats found a new life as second-rate submarines. Several times, the teams lined up for a bout of hand-to-hand combat.

“Push! Push!” their leaders yelled.

Campus Rec called a 15-minute halftime, and both teams returned to shore to strategize.

Many men abandoned their vessels the second half of the battle. The rules allowed participants to carry a teammate on their shoulders as a substitute ship.

After more rounds of handto-hand combat, the 90 minutes allotted for battle were up. Simpson emerged victorious, boasting two flags to the Coalition’s zero.

Naval Battle was not without its perils, according to junior Paul Sri, whose contact lens fell out in battle, leaving him vision impaired for the rest of the conflict.

“One casualty: my contact,” Sri said.

Some men sustained bloody scratches, but no one was seriously injured.

Both organizers and participants said the event was a success.

“Naval Battle was really fun, but probably the most

Tracy Lee Simmons speaks on education

By Isabella Helms Collegian re porter

The true metric of educational success lies in equipping students with the skills to navigate a complex world, according to former Dow Journalism Program Director Tracy Lee Simmons.

Simmons delivered these remarks during a Sept. 27 lecture titled “The Classical Inheritance Goes to School.”

ed to a growing dissatisfaction among parents with the standard public schooling system.

“Many good parents are desperate to find alternatives to the dreariness of public education, so much so that they will turn almost anywhere to find it,” he said.

exhausted I’ve ever been,” said sophomore Brian Curtin, a member of the Coalition. “I didn’t expect to ever be wrestling Simpson guys.”

Jack Dickinson, a high school sophomore visiting Hillsdale, said watching Naval Battle gave him greater appreciation of Hillsdale’s dorm culture.

“I love the manly spirit of it all, all of these shirtless guys in the water” Dickinson said.

Joseph Cox, an Ave Maria University senior visiting friends, participated in Naval Battle. He said it reminded him of medieval culture with its celebration of heroism.

“There’s a lot of school pride here,” Cox said.

Both teams amassed a significant number of onlookers, many of them female Hillsdale students.

Sophomore Lucy Treene observed the watery tumult in Baw Beese with a smile.

“Testosterone,” Treene said, “it just makes men do wild things.”

SAB to host craft fair on quad

By Catherine Maxwell Collegian reporter

The Student Activities Board is hosting its annual craft fair on Oct. 7.

Maker’s Market, which will be held on the quad from 10 a.m to 1 p.m., will feature art and baked goods by both Hillsdale locals and students.

“It is a unique opportunity to see a different side of campus and to support the very talented students of Hillsdale,” said junior John Schaefer, promotional lead for SAB.

Schaefer said a variety of items will be available.

“There will be 26 tables selling a variety of foods and goods ranging from crochet pieces and jewelry to boba and bakery items,” he said.

Junior Lydia Saffian will be running a table for the first time.

“I’ve been crocheting and whittling since my freshman year, and I’ve wanted to run a booth the past two years,” she said.

Saffian said she also does wood burning and makes

bookmarks from pressed flowers.

Now that she has enough inventory, Saffian will be selling both crocheted items and woodwork at her table.

“On the crochet side of things, there are baby blankets, small baskets, succulents, garlands, Christmas ornaments, coasters, and a lot more,” she said. “On the wood side, I have some small carvings that I’ve made, and some wood burned signs and coasters.”

Saffian said she enjoys

Maker’s Market as a creator.

“It's a fun opportunity to see what other people on campus are making and maybe find some inspiration,” she said. “And whether you make things yourself or not, it's a great opportunity to find something cute and handmade and support other students by doing so.”

Schaefer encouraged students to attend.

“It is such a fun way to spend a Saturday morning,” he said. “There is something for everyone.”

“A classical education is about sustaining a classical inheritance, and it evolved to pass on a high legacy,” Simmons said. “It was never meant to be the stuff of museums. If that is the case, it's dead, and a classical education was always meant to maintain a living legacy of inheritance.”

After 13 years away from his position as program director, Simmons returned to the campus to speak to students of the Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Classical Education and several faculty members.

Current graduate student and classical school teacher Christian Holmes said he appreciated Simmons’ perspective and particularly valued his emphasis on the necessity of being challenged at school.

“We set the bar high for our students, which means that school can still be fun, but it doesn’t mean that school is supposed to be easy,” Holmes said. “I had a ton of students who wanted class to be fun, and I get it. I had to tell them that the main reason for me being here as a teacher is not for everything to be fun, but rather to help them and teach them what they don’t know.”

Rebecca Schwartz, another graduate student, said she was struck by Simmons’ style.

“He was well-spoken, he was witty, he was funny, and he was charming,” Schwartz said. “He was also a very engaging speaker which made some of his points about classical education particularly poignant.”

Classical education, once revered as the bedrock system for learning, is centered on preserving and transmitting a legacy of knowledge, Simmons said.

“Rightly applied, this classical scheme is a hard but successful approach, which is one of the reasons why it was thrown from public schools long ago,” Simmons said.

According to Simmons, the modern revival of classical education can largely be attribut-

According to Simmons, a true classical education is rooted in the trivium, which consists of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Beginning with foundational knowledge, proceeding to analytical thinking, and culminating in expressive capability, the trivium is not merely a triad of subjects but a progression of understanding.

“Any student who has spent nine or 12 years in school or homeschool runs on this plan, has read lots of books, and has had to prove that he has taken from them not just what he felt about them, but what the author intended,” Simmons said. “He has learned to observe the ‘otherness’ of knowledge.”

Simmons criticized institutions that brand themselves as “classical” without a genuine commitment to the foundational principles of the approach. Such misleading labels, he said, risk diluting the very essence of what classical education stands for.

“For all their virtues, these schools can be unreliable models for classical education,” Simmons said.

According to Simmons, in an effort to impart a true classical education, certain misconceptions have arisen.

“We have achieved an impressive degree of confusion on a fairly simple matter,” Simmons said.

For one, many educators are anxious about pushing students too hard, according to Simmons, fearing potential failure or believing that every aspect of learning must be enjoyable.

“Why not call hard things hard?” Simmons said. “What's happening in schools is not only for their good individually, but also for the good of the society in which they will live and serve.”

Before concluding his speech, Simmons acknowledged the fact that classical education is not a universal cure.

“A classical Christian education is not the only form of education worth having,” Simmons said, “but it is the highest our civilization has set and is one that lasted thousands of years before being assaulted in the 19th century.”

Metz celebrates Oktoberfest with traditional German lunch options

By Sophia Mandt Collegian Freelan C er

The International Club and the Metz catering team joined forces to offer Oktoberfest-themed lunch options this Wednesday in the Knorr Family Dining Room.

Upon walking through the door, students were greeted with Oktoberfest-themed signage and decor, alongside traditional German foods like schnitzel, pretzels, sauerkraut and sausage, and beer-cheese soup.

“Our chef built the meal, and it took a good couple hours to prepare,” Tammy Cole, operations manager of the college’s dining services, said.

Cole said the German honorary Delta Phi Alpha reached out and suggested the themed meal.

“We said yes, as it’s different food, something we don’t normally cook here,” Cole said. “It’s good to bring in different traditions for different things.”

Senior Cedella Odiara, student mentor for the Interna-

tional Club and member of Delta Phi Alpha, said that the International Club first started doing Oktoberfest with the dining hall a few years ago, and that it continues to be her favorite event the International Club organizes.

“This is one of those moments where international students get to share something about their culture with the other students,” Odiara said.

“I think that’s my favorite part about it, having that space to share something.”

Freshman Isabelle Ellis said the pretzels and beer cheese were her favorite foods at the event.

Ellis said Metz should hold cultural food events more often.

Cole said she would be interested in hosting more cultural events in the future.

“We like to pick certain themes, and we’d be willing to team up with any class or club that would like to host a similar event,” Cole said.

Odiara said Metz was supportive when working with her to plan Oktoberfest.

“They did the bigger chunk of the work,” Odiara said. “They’re the ones who planned the menu. It was great to work with chief Adam and Tammy, they were very cooperative with bringing everything together.”

The men of Simpson Residence took home the victory after the 90 minute competition.

Kyle Johns | Campus Re C

The dining hall offered food options like schnitzel, pretzels, sauerkraut, and beer cheese soup. sophia mandt | Collegian

Opinions

Devil’s Advocate with Claire Gaudet

It’s not gourmet, but it’s not garbage either

My freshman year, there were maggots and metal shavings in the food at Saga.

It sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. If you don’t believe me, download Jodel and scroll back about three years — you’ll see some pretty heinous pictures.

I get why freshmen and sophomores complain about the food. It’s because they don’t know how bad it used to be. That being said, now you know. I will die on the hill that Metz’s takeover of our cafeteria and A.J.’s Cafe was a godsend.

options, but people still love to complain.

Where did students live before college where they ate delicious, low-processed meals they were excited about every day?

ite, but it’s hot and someone worked hard on it.

before Saturday at 3 p.m.

I love the fresh fruit, the hummus, the additions to the salad bar, and more. Our cup runneth over with edible dining

I love my parents’ cooking, but it’s not like I was pleased when the Gaudet household subsisted on a giant pot of beef and barley stew for days on end. Despite some obvious differences, Saga is not all that different from the meals at one’s house. Parents work with what they have, on a pretty routine schedule, to make their kids something everyone will like enough to eat. Not every day is going to be your favor-

I think we can all agree that if we spoke about our mother’s cooking like we speak about Saga, we’d be beaten with a wooden spoon faster than you could say “just kidding.”

What’s even more vexing is that people abuse the system they love to complain about. Senior, homecoming king, and A.J.’s employee Truman Kjos clued me into a problem I had never encountered in our little cafe: people putting in triple orders on weekends to get all their food for Sunday.

There’s only one cook in A.J.’s on the weekends, and he or she certainly doesn’t have

the capacity to fill 30 orders in a timely manner, especially with the pressure of complaining children tapping their feet and checking their watches. Metz employees are people, too. Treat them like it. I don’t think it’s fair to complain about the dining options on campus anymore. But if you want to, at least take it outside the union and away from those that worked hard to prepare it. If you’re talking within earshot of the employees, they’re liable to hop over the counters with wooden spoons.

Claire Gaudet is a senior studying rhetoric and journalism.

The Student Federation should fund all club sports

By Joshua Mistry Collegian Repo Rte R

Hillsdale College boasts a diverse array of unfunded club sports.

These athletic groups serve as more than just avenues for physical fitness. They also serve as crucibles for instilling core values like teamwork, leadership, and discipline in the student body. The need to ensure the continued flourishing of these club sports becomes evident in the need for financial backing from the Student Federation.

The Student Federation’s mission statement says it exists to “allocate student fees for the purpose of improving campus life; to approve of and regulate student clubs, organizations, and honoraries.” If that’s the case, why are many of the club sports on the campus lacking student federation funding? From equipment to uniforms, these teams need a lot of money, and they need to function properly for their purpose to be fulfilled.

Club sports serve as training grounds for the cultivation of essential leadership and teamwork skills. Students who embrace leadership roles as captains or club presidents are bestowed with invaluable abilities that will undoubtedly prove instrumental in their

future careers. Moreover, the collaborative environment of team sports imparts critical aptitudes like commu -

In addition, participating in club sports presents students with a unique opportunity to strengthen both their physical

but also fosters a robust and health-conscious lifestyle, laying the foundation for lifelong fitness habits.

the college’s reputation, exemplifying its unwavering dedication to excellence that transcends the confines of ac-

of conservative educational institutions. For better or for worse, Hillsdale College is getting more and more wellknown. The college and its students should be most interested in building up connections with students at other schools, students who will become their coworkers, friends, and rivals.

What better way to build and strengthen connections with peers than over sports?

Sports provide students with a neutral ground upon which they can compete and form friendships free from the politicization which can surround the image of Hillsdale. This provides a whole other dimension to the general public’s view of Hillsdale.

The Student Federation ought to financially back club sports as the most concrete way to advance the mission of their organization and the college as a whole is to support these students competing in club sports, both to improve the campus itself and to swell the image of the college aiding in the enrichment of the careers and lives of post-graduate life.

nication, collaboration, and problem-solving, nurturing well-rounded individuals primed for success in various endeavors.

and mental well-being, effectively harmonizing with their academic pursuits. Engaging in these sporting activities not only equips students with stress management skills

Furthermore, when students represent Hillsdale College in competitive events, it imbues them with a profound sense of accomplishment and pride. This, in turn, bolsters

ademics.

Last semester, a feature in The New Yorker demonstrated the ever-growing interest in the college as a source of inspiration for revitalization

Joshua Mistry is a sophomore studying the liberal arts.

Everyone could benefit from better sexual education

By Alexandra Hall Design eDitoR

We should talk more about sex.

We already talk about it a little. Every fall, Greek houses host a discussion about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and weekend etiquette. The program means well, but students don’t walk away with anything of value and instead are just scared by the concept of sexual intimacy. Talks like this should be given in a panel-style forum, including health professionals, and should be open to the whole campus. Health Services should host sexual health forums once a semester to help better inform students about all things sex.

Right now, too much sex “education” comes from

television and pornography — both of which highlight and celebrate the extreme, the profane, and the violent.

Hillsdale students talk about porn all of the time, often coming to a common consensus about its harmful effects on relationships, the developing brain, and conceptions of sex. But if students don’t feel safe or comfortable asking the adults in their lives about sexual topics, a quick Google search becomes all the more seductive. A curious young person can quickly become victim to what the World Wide Web has to say about intimacy, despite knowing it probably isn’t all that good.

College-sponsored forums could cover topics like sexual education basics, information about sexually transmitted diseases and sexually trans -

mitted infections, pornography, and consent. They can feature spiritual leaders on campus, faculty, and even outside speakers. Students should be able to ask questions and candidly discuss sex, and Hillsdale offers a unique space to make that conversation spiritually well-rounded and biologically informed.

Hillsdale is a Christian campus. Many people here are waiting until marriage to have sex, but you’d have to be a few points short of Hillsdale’s average IQ to assume everyone in the 49242 is keeping their pants on.

For many students, gray areas arise when it comes to defining sex. What might not “count” to some surely qualifies as sexual activity in a doctor’s office. Health Services can provide a medical

perspective to aid students in the development of their sexual values and identity. Even if they choose abstinence until their wedding night, there is still much to know — issues don’t disappear in marriage. Educating students will assist them in their current and future relationships, no matter the end goal. If not educated, students are left vulnerable and can be taken advantage of either by potential partners or a toxic culture.

The forums don’t have to be graphic how-to, pro-promiscuity parades — they can just seek to answer questions and supply information that many people on this campus do not have. Lots of students at Hillsdale were raised religiously, attended charter or classical schools, or were homeschooled, all of which

might have hindered their access to sexual education. Sex might never have been a topic of conversation growing up, and suddenly students find themselves in college having their first true dose of freedom alongside a few spikes in hormones. The birds and the bees suddenly become very important.

And yet many students here still can’t tell the difference between a biology diagram and a Star Trek alien drawing. If you don’t believe that, you haven’t had a candid discussion with your peers about what sex is.

What may seem funny at the surface level reveals a deep misunderstanding of one, if not the, most important biological processes.

Sex is controversial and challenging, and Hillsdale has a unique opportunity

to tackle it. Forums can offer balanced perspectives of adults who know a thing or two, both spiritually and medically, about pants, birds, and bees. Aside from the random discussions given to freshmen and Greek houses, it is wasting this chance to shape how young people think about sex. Shedding the idealist fantasy that sex exists only behind closed doors between couples who both wear wedding bands can allow a more open discussion that empowers young people to make the best decisions for themselves.

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

The club rugby team was denied Student Federation funding despite their 12-game winning streak. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

A Professor’s Opinion

“What’s your favorite class to teach?”

Kelli Kazmier, Chemistry

“I will use this opportunity to plug the course that I think students might be the least familiar with, my upper level elective, Topics in Pharmacology. I love this course personally because it allows me to stay engaged with the state of the science research in an absolutely fascinating field. We get to learn about the molecular mechanisms of disease and how scientists are designing drugs to meet these challenges right now. We rotate topics every year, so I am constantly learning new information with my students.”

Compiled by Isabella Helms

Justin Jackson, English Collin Barnes, Psychology Patricia Craig, Classics Lee Cole, Philosophy Todd Mack, Spanish

“I don’t have one favorite class. I love teaching each of my classes for different reasons. The language classes are great because I love seeing students progress and gain confidence in their ability to speak. I love teaching literature because of the great discussions we are able to have about life. And I love teaching history because I get to share my passion for Spain with the students.”

Put an end to the Hillsdale gossip mill

By Isaac Green nEws Editor

“It’s none of my business” is a phrase Hillsdale students would do well to remember.

During the third week of the semester, I had a conversation with some friends about a personal problem. I made sure to ask that they keep it under wraps, but by the end of the following week, people who had no good reason to know about it were bringing it up to me in passing. Word had spread quickly about something private.

I don’t bring this up simply to complain about a frustrating situation — I’m as guilty as anyone else on this campus of having conversations about others that I probably shouldn’t. But that’s the point: there is a gossip problem at Hillsdale, and we need to stop it.

We pride ourselves on self-government, but fail to control our mouths. It makes sense. Gossip thrives when people in small, tight-knit communities get bored. We have a small campus and often little to do outside of academics, providing the means, motive, and opportunity to indulge in this base pleasure. Not everybody knows everybody, but everybody knows of everybody. When someone has an inside scoop, the temptation to talk can be irresistible.

Because our small school fosters the vice, we have to guard against it — even those who do not usually struggle with gossip. The solution is simple but difficult: be intentional in what you say.

American founder Benjamin Franklin set a good example in this respect. He developed his character by making a list of 13 virtues and choosing one per week for focus and improvement. Make temperance the virtue you focus on next week. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, to gossip is to “talk idly

“ENG 310—Old and Middle English Literature. My two favorite eras of Brit Lit. I actually know what I’m talking about in this class.

ENG 403—Reading Biblical Narrative. It’s the one class I teach that sticks with students for the rest of their lives. I still get emails from students from almost 20 years ago.”

“I most enjoy seminars that allow me to carefully engage the ideas of a single author like William James, Michael Polanyi, or Iain McGilchrist. It feels like questing in uncharted territory. Students and I are collaborators in the journey; they show me things and I show them others. We all walk away from the experience changed. It’s my favorite part of teaching.”

“I have most enjoyed teaching Greek Tragedy. With advanced students who can read Sophocles and Euripides in the original Greek, it is such a treat to delve into nuances of meter and poetic language, and to consider Plato’s and Aristotle’s evaluations of the art form or even of specific plays. I hope to teach this course again here at Hillsdale!”

“I don’t “a priori” have a favorite, and the differences in preference are fairly subtle. I have “favorites” largely in retrospect, and that’s more dependent on the students’ commitment and the classroom dynamic than on the subject matter. I will say that the two CSP seminars that I taught with Dr. Gaetano, on The Republic and Robert Spaemann, were a blast: the texts were exceedingly rich, and there was a high degree of mutual engagement. Those seminars were incredibly formative experiences for all involved, professors included.”

about the affairs of others.”

These conversations are often based in rumor but even if the shared information is true — as was the case in my story — it does not give you the right to talk about it.

When someone who is not present comes up in conversation, pause and ask why you are talking about that person.

It’s good to think about whether or not you have a vested interest in the person’s well-being. Are you talking about someone because you care or because it satisfies some craving to share or receive private information? Even if you do know and care about the person, ask yourself whether the discussion is appropriate for the time, place, and company. We also need to consider what drives gossip. What makes it enjoyable is the shared experience — the sense of belonging to a group of insiders. We talk with others because we desire community, but gossip is a perversion of this desire. It is not bad to want to belong, feel like an important part of a conversation, or be in the know, but it is bad when these desires are placed above honesty and integrity. It’s bad when we justify ignoring the golden rule for the sake of personal enjoyment. We are never excited to learn that others are discussing intimate details about us, but we don’t seem to have enough of a problem with it to modify our behavior on the other side of the issue. If community is what we’re after, we need to pursue it in other ways.

I get it. It feels good to be part of a conversation. It feels good when friends huddle around, hanging onto every hushed word that leaves our mouths. It feels good to be in the know. But if we are not careful, it can come at the price of our integrity and character.

Isaac Green is a junior studying philosophy, german, and journalism.

By Elizabeth Troutman Editor- i n-Chi E f

The eight House Republicans who voted to end Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s speakership played directly into the hands of Democrats.

Eight Republicans joined with House Democrats Tuesday to make McCarthy the first speaker in U.S. history to be voted out of office by members of his own party.

These include representatives Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana. They make up only 4% of House Republicans, yet their alliance with Democrats enabled them to override the support of the majority of the Republican party and boot McCarthy.

These representatives lack a plan or even a shared goal, but that didn’t slow them down.

“Washington must change,” Gaetz, who led the

motion, said on Twitter. “We must put the House of Representatives on a better course. McCarthy has failed to take a stand where it matters. So if he won’t, I will.”

The eight Republican rogues raised concerns about McCarthy’s judgement on government spending and the growing national debt. Regardless of his track record on these issues, McCarthy’s removal and the resulting open speaker seat will prevent Republican representatives from getting any real work done.

Without a speaker, the House can’t vote on legislation that matters to Americans. Republicans have control of the House, but thanks to Gaetz and company, they won’t be able to use their majority to pass legislation on any number of issues, including abortion, investigating President Joe Biden, or securing the border.

The House nominated Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, N.C., as acting speaker for up to three legislative days. His primary job will be appointing another speaker, meaning that will

be the House’s only order of business for three days or more.

So far, Republican representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and Kevin Hern of Oklahoma have thrown their names into the ring to replace McCarthy.

Judging by the fact that it took 15 rounds of voting across four days to appoint McCarthy in the first place, and House Republicans are still divided on priorities, it’s unlikely that appointing a replacement will be a quick or easy process.

Democrats made no effort to save McCarthy’s speakership, showing that Gaetz, who considers himself an “America first” conservative, ended up making Democratic dreams come true by removing McCarthy.

Even former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Gaetz, said the ouster was a waste of time.

“Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are

destroying our country?”

Trump wrote on TruthSocial.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is no friend of McCarthy, agreed, arguing that the motion to vacate was “performative” and “the typical theatrics that we’re used to seeing.” DeSantis has said that the former speaker is “really someone that Donald Trump has backed and put in that position” and that McCarthy didn’t deliver adequate results during his time in office.

Despite claims that they were holding the House accountable for not getting things done, the Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy guaranteed absolutely nothing would get done for days.

All they succeeded in was drawing attention to themselves and diverting the House’s attention away from issues of national importance toward petty partisan politics.

McCarthy ouster serves Democrats A statue all Christians can agree on

Elizabeth Troutman is a senior studying politics and journalism.

By Elizabeth Crawford AssistAnt Editor

St. Augustine can teach Hillsdale students many lessons on how to live — and how not to live.

College students seeking boundaries in their Hillsdating relationship can empathize with Augustine when he prays, “Lord, make me chaste, but not yet.” Or, when they steal fruit from Saga, students can relate to Augustine stealing pears for the fun of it — though he would later call it a sin that made him “gratuitously evil.”

But Augustine was more than a relatable pagan. His conversion — an experience which all Christians undergo in some way, shape, or form — and its fruits have had a lasting effect on the Western tradition. Because of this, Augustine deserves a spot on Hillsdale College’s Liberty Walk.

In one of Augustine’s greatest contributions to the West-

ern tradition, the “Confessions,” he documents in great detail both the build-up to his conversion and his conversion itself. Suffering under temptation, feeling “mocked” by the examples of chaste young men and women, Augustine came to Christianity when he heard the voice of God telling him to “take up and read” the scriptures. After that, he sold all he had, gave it to the poor, and followed Christ. Any student, regardless of denomination, can learn from Augustine’s example.

Given Hillsdale’s commitment to nonsectarian Christianity, most people would argue that placing religious figures on the Liberty Walk would further religious divides. But as an early Christian father, different denominations of Christianity — whether they be Lutherans, Calvinists, or Catholics — claim Augustine as their own.

At present, Hillsdale only has political leaders, not spiritual ones, on its Liberty Walk.

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan defended the West during the Cold War and tore down the Iron Curtain. George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson protected the rights of colonists, forming a nation on the premise that all men have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and the Civil War soldier all fought to maintain those rights for everyone, not just the privileged few.

Having an Augustine statue would remind students of two important facts: first, that virtue is a necessity for any polity — a fact the founding fathers would agree with; and second, that God, not political liberty, is the primary end of this life.

“There is no virtue except that which is directed towards that end in which is the highest and ultimate good of man,” Augustine wrote in his other great work, “The City of God.”

A liberal arts education like Hillsdale’s should aid students in cultivating virtue, enabling

them to see the “ultimate good of man” — God himself.

The blessings of “civil and religious liberty” which Hillsdale affirms in its mission statement cannot exist without a genuine Christian faith. Augustine and his contributions to the Western canon serve as a warning of the frailty of human endeavors divorced from God.

With his crozier in one hand and a flaming heart in the other, St. Augustine’s statue on the Liberty Walk would be a tribute to everything Hillsdale stands for. He’s the perfect example of the union between “Athens and Jerusalem,” and of the college’s commitment to maintaining “by precept and example the immemorial teachings and practices of the Christian faith.”

Let’s put St. Augustine on the Liberty Walk. Hillsdale needs him.

Elizabeth Crawford is a senior studying politics and journalism.

Fink, other lawmakers unveil bills to stop foreign influence City News

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor

State Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale, and other Michigan House Republicans unveiled a package of bills last week aimed at protecting the state from foreign influence, including a ban on government devices using apps from blacklisted countries.

The set of nine bills, which legislators introduced Sept. 28, targets nations on a federal “foreign countries of concern” watchlist, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

The proposed legislation would block some foreign apps from government devices, prohibit the listed foreign actors from buying land near military bases and critical infrastructure, and prevent the state government from award-

ing business incentives — subsidies and tax breaks — to blacklisted countries.

Fink highlighted security threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party in a press release last week.

“The CCP’s authoritarian governance, human rights abuses, unfair economic practices, national security threats, disinformation campaigns, and lack of reciprocity all warrant caution,” Fink said. “Every legislator in this group of bill sponsors offers a unique professional experience related to the issues at hand: veterans, a farmer, a health care worker, a teacher, and more.”

All bills in the package were referred to the Committee on Government Operations last week. State Sen. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe, told The Collegian that while he thinks the

bills have full support among the GOP caucus, the package will be “dead on arrival” in the Democrat-controlled legislature.

“Unless the governor moves away from the country and a couple of Democrats in the House and Senate disappear,” Bellino said, “it won’t be brought up here.”

Fink told The Collegian the legislation’s chance of receiving consideration remains to be seen.

“It would be a change in policy from the way current leadership has done things, so it may well be uphill,” Fink said.

Mike Johnston, vice president of governmental affairs for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, said he thinks the proposed regulation of international commerce is not the job of the state government.

‘Taste and see’ high tea at St. Anthony’s on Sunday

By Jackson Casey Collegian Freelancer

The Council of Catholic Women at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church will host its fourth annual “high tea” event at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 8.

The event’s official flier describes it as the “event of the season.”

“Some people get so stuck on whether it’s actual high tea or an afternoon tea,” said Sarah Stewart, member of the St. Anthony CCW. “There are two different kinds in British history, but we call it high tea because it sounds more festive.”

This is a white glove affair, meaning it’s a three-course meal, Stewart said. A classical guitarist from Grand Rapids will perform and 14 students from Hillsdale College will be the servers, according to Stewart.

Stewart said that the effort put in by the high tea’s volunteers is what makes the magic behind the event.

“They went through a training this past Sunday on how to properly serve and how to escort people to their tables,” she said. “It’s really a very charming event with great food and wonderful music.”

The event also serves great causes, organizers said.

“This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Council of Catholic Women,” Stewart said. “It allows us to do more outreach within the community, within the family center, and within St. Anthony’s.”

Many members of the Hillsdale community, including Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire, said they are glad to sponsor the tea for the work the CCW does and the joy the event brings.

“My daughter-in-law, her mother, my granddaughter, and some friends go to it, and it’ll be the second year in a row that I sponsored the table for them,” Hodshire said. “They enjoy going to it—they dress up with their fancy hats and dresses.”

Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

“Believe me, anyone who comes is stuffed by the time they leave,” Stewart said.

“This is the role of the federal government, not the state government,” Johnston said. “State government is pretty illequipped to analyze all of the things that people would want to analyze in terms of national security. Let’s leave what is constitutionally appropriate and practically appropriate in terms of resources to the federal government.”

The package comes as local and state officials raise concerns about two electric vehicle battery plants with Chinese ties. Gotion Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of China-based Gotion High-Tech Co., plans to build a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant near Big Rapids. The company has received more than $700 million in state and local incentives, including a 30year, $540 million tax break.

Fink tried to block the state incentives, The Collegian reported in March. The project faces scrutiny from local, state, and federal officials due to its board members’ ties to the Chinese government and CCP.

According to shareholder communications compiled by Big Rapids Township, Gotion High Tech CEO Li Zhen was a delegate to the Municipal People’s Congress and to the Provincial Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body for the CCP.

Former intelligence official Bill Evanina told Congress in a July hearing that the factory will “100 percent” bring spies to the United States.

Another project in Marshall involving Ford and another Chinese battery manufacturer, CATL, has also drawn scruti-

ny. Ford paused construction on the plant last month amid the United Auto Workers strike and a Congressional probe into CATL’s ties to forced labor in China.

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., heads the select Congressional committee investigating the Ford-CATL deal. He said in a press release that states are “on the front lines of our New Cold War” with the CCP.

“I commend Michigan legislators for taking seriously the issue of foreign land purchases near national security sites,” Gallagher said, “including by closing the loopholes in federal regulations that have allowed purchases as close as one mile from our most sensitive military sites, as well as continuing the momentum against TikTok to codify bans on state government devices.”

Pregnancy resource center to host second annual banquet in Searle

By Tayte Christensen Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale’s Helping Hands

Pregnancy Resource Center will host its second annual Fall Banquet Oct. 10 in the college’s Searle Center.

“It is a great opportunity for new and returning supporters to gather together, share a meal, and celebrate the work that God has done through Helping Hands,” Executive Director Bryce Asberg said.

The organizer’s of the banquet hope to acknowledge the work of Helping Hands in the community over the past year.

The dinner will allow supporters to hear about the work of the center, Helping Hands’ Office Coordinator Emelie Randell said.

“This dinner will have an opportunity for our supporters to hear how the center is doing, what we are accomplishing, and how they can help advance our ministry’s important work,” she said.

Helping Hands is Hillsdale County’s only pregnancy resource center, offering a variety of pregnancy services for mothers, as well as parenting resources, Asberg said.

“We serve Hillsdale County by providing free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options consultation,” Asberg said. “We support mothers and fathers through a robust parenting mentorship program and generous material assistance. Our aim is to equip women and men to make life-affirming decisions about pregnancy, parenting, and sexuality through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“This year, our keynote speaker is Jim Sprague, the CEO of PRC Grand Rapids, the largest pregnancy center in the state,” Asberg said. “Sprague will speak about his experience at PRC, the work that they do, and how Helping Hands is carrying on the same, critical mission right here in Hillsdale County.”

Guests will be able to contribute to the further work of Helping Hands.

“At the end of the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to support Helping Hands by giving a recurring or one-time gift,” Asberg said. “The funds raised at this banquet are critical in supporting the work of the ministry.”

Asberg stressed the importance of the banquet for the nonprofit’s operation.

“As a private nonprofit, we operate without any government support,” he said. “This means we rely on generous donors across this community, hundreds of individuals who give to keep our doors open.”

The dinner will provide an update on the center’s recent work, feature a keynote speaker, and raise funds for its work in the coming year.

While the ticket RSVP deadline has already passed, the waiting list is still open and can be accessed by calling the Helping Hands office at 517-437-7020.

“We serve Hillsdale County by providing free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options consultations”

The bill package concerns China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Courtesy | Twitter

Hillsdale Municipal Airport is getting a new terminal

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 2 to approve the contract for a new terminal at the Hillsdale Municipal Airport, with plans to break ground in the spring.

“It’s good to see the progress being done out there,” said Councilman Tony Vear, who represents Ward 1. “These improvements aren’t just for the college. It’s a community airport that the college will use and so will everybody else. This is a big step in updating Hillsdale and keeping it moving forward.”

Smaller airports competed last year for grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to improve and update its facilities, according to Airport Manager Ginger Moore. These grants came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Joe Biden signed in November 2021, and according to the FAA they are part

of a larger initiative to update airport infrastructure in the United States.

Moore said the Michigan Department of Transportation

will be in charge of the project and they plan to start construction on March 1, 2024.

“Our airport has consistently received an A+ on in-

spections, but we were still surprised and delighted in the spring when we received a $2.5 million grant, the only airport in Michigan to receive money

Hillsdale and Branch counties to host CASA volunteer training

By Christina Lewis Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale and Branch counties are teaming up to host Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer training sessions.

The volunteer training will take place every Monday and Wednesday from 5:20 to 8:30 p.m. starting on Oct. 18 and ending on Nov. 15. The training will take place at the Hillsdale CASA office, 59 N. Broad St, Hillsdale County CASA Director Heather Upton said. Volunteers must be 21 and older and pass criminal background checks.

CASA is a nonprofit group of volunteers who work with children in foster care and advocate for them in court.

Upton said the training will cover everything volunteers will need to know to be successful.

“We have a lot of curriculum that we cover from national CASA, but then I also have guest speakers that come in to supplement the curriculum,” Upton said. “I usually have a prosecutor that comes in just to explain the system and what is considered child abuse. So you could literally just know nothing about any of it and then know quite a bit.”

Volunteer Katie Griffiths said the small-group training

sessions were a big help.

“Trainings were followed with lessons that included hypothetical and actual case examples to be worked through collaboratively,” Griffiths said.

Once volunteers complete the training, they are assigned a case and Judge Michelle Bianchi swears them in, Upton said.

Branch County CASA director Emily Katz said she wants CASA volunteers to stick with their assigned child for the entire time that the child is in foster care, since the volunteer is a secure person for the child.

Volunteers are required to write court reports every 90 days to provide supplemental information at review hearings. CASA reports are valued because volunteers meet with the kids every week, Upton said.

“Judge Bianchi reads all the court reports. When she sees that there’s a CASA volunteer assigned to a case, she goes to the CASA report first because she feels like the meat and bones of the case is going to be in that report since we see the kids more than anyone else,” Upton said. “We’re in the home every week and seeing them in that environment that they live in and how they do talk.”

Volunteers who are apprehensive of report-writing will

receive help from Upton, she said.

“I have no problem helping a volunteer write a report,” Upton said. “There are a couple of volunteers that don’t like to use computers, so they’ll just come in and tell me what they want me to type up, and I’ll type it up, and we’ll work on rewording a few things just so that it sounds like what we’re trying to say.”

Upton said her biggest role is to mentor and advocate for her volunteers.

“I help the volunteers to work through things because they have to sign a confidentiality agreement,” she said. “So, they can’t just talk about their frustrations of a case with their friends or neighbors, but they can talk to me, and so I’m very happy to be that sounding board for them when they need it.”

Julie White said she has been a CASA volunteer for five years.

“It’s very hard to accept what some parents can do and will allow to happen to their children,” White said. “It is heartbreaking. You have to be able to work through that and not let it bring you down and control your life. You have to be able to understand that now they’re in a better place.”

Upton said the program aims to reunite children with

their family.

“But sometimes that just doesn’t happen,” she said. “So then the next biggest success is finding that home that’s going to be able to adopt these children as their own and as they deserve.

Griffiths said that volunteers must do their best to advocate for the children in their case.

“While CASA volunteers all come from different walks of life, it is important that they be open-minded, committed and able to make decisions that are in the best interest of the children they serve even if they deviate from one’s own beliefs,” Griffiths said.

CASA volunteers must be willing to serve, White said, but can be reimbursed for gas mileage if they have to travel.

“You need to have a heart for children of all ages,” White said. “I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Katz said the group has a large need for volunteers.

“I think in the world we live in today and how difficult difficult times are, I know it’s very hard for people to do things for free. I think volunteer work is kind of pushed to the wayside,” she said. “However, it’s so important to bring back volunteer roles and we desperately need people who are compassionate and who have a passion to help others.”

for a new terminal,” Moore said.

The full project will cost a little more than $3 million, according to City Manager David

Mackie, with the expenses not covered by the grant to be split between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Hillsdale.

“We are ready to start construction soon on the terminal, and the approval of the contract initiates that,” Mackie said.

Mackie also said during the meeting that the portion of the contract cost covered by the city will not come from general funds or other areas. Instead, it will be completely paid for by income from fuel sales at the airport during the past five years.

“The new terminal will be up to date and gorgeous,” Moore said. “Our airport is the front door to Hillsdale for many visitors, and this will really drastically improve that first impression.”

Mayor Adam Stockford agreed.

“It’s an airport. We have one. It should be in the 21st century,” he said.

Dinner to raise money for local business owner

By Jamie Parsons Collegian Reporter

A group of locals are gathering support for a Pittsford auto shop owner who cannot work due to his cancer treatments.

The group is hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Oct. 8 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Pittsford High School. All proceeds will help cover medical expenses for Chuck French, owner of recently-closed Pittsford Collision.

“We think we are going to feed 500 people,” said head organizer Barb Poling-Price. “I think he is so well known, we are going to have a continuous line for spaghetti.”

The fundraiser will include a silent auction and a prize wheel in addition to the meal, according to Maxine Vanlerberg, a family friend of French. To participate in the prize wheel, attendees can buy a number and win prizes if the wheel lands on their number when it is spun throughout the night.

“If Chuck is well enough, he will be there,” Vanlerberg said.

The flier for the fundraiser said French was diagnosed with lymphoma around the end of November 2022. French’s battle with cancer is ongoing and has made it difficult for him and his wife Vickie to maintain their businesses. With French in the hospital most days, and Vickie taking care of him, the couple could

not keep Pittsford Collision operational.

After opening the auto shop in the summer of 1986, Valerberg said the couple closed the Pittsford Collision in May.

Valerberg said the community knows and cares about the French couple, and has been extremely helpful with the fundraiser and generous with donations. Pittsford High School is allowing the committee to use the space free of charge for the fundraiser.

“I never thought we would have such a great response,” Poling-Price said. “That is how much the Frenchs are loved.”

Poling-Price said the Frenches always lend a helping hand and have a good work ethic. Valerberg said Chuck French was awarded Citizen of the Year in 2022.

“They were very supportive when other people were in need,” Poling-Price said. “Chuck is also a very honest business man. He always wanted to make sure that when you got your car back from him it was acceptable.”

Poling-Price and Valerberg expressed their admiration for Pittsford concerning how fast the community formed a committee to throw the spaghetti fundraiser.

“People are so generous. Donations are coming in, it’s amazing what people are willing to do,” Vanlerberg said. “That’s what I love about Hillsdale County, people really care about each other.”

New glass art studio to offer classes this month

By Olivia Pero Sports Editor

Hillsdale resident Sheri

Ingles opened a glass art studio in Hillsdale on Oct. 1.

Ingles, mother of Mayor Adam Stockford, purchased a building on Carleton Road for Glass Act Studio one year ago, but she officially started teaching classes this week.

“Starting in October I’ll be scheduling classes on Saturdays and drop-ins where anyone can come in and learn how to cut glass,” Ingles said. “I’ll spend the day here, and anybody who wants to come in and make a piece can come in and do that.”

Ingles said depending on the size, glass projects cost

anywhere from $15 to $80.

The studio will have retail sales and do some Michigan art shows, but the focus will be on teaching fused glass classes, she said.

“There’s nothing like it in the community, so it’s great for groups like small bridal showers,” Ingles said. “It’s just something I wanted to share with the community.”

Ingles said fused glass is something anyone can do, and there are a variety of things one can make. Kids as young as 6 years old are able to participate.

Fused glass creates no waste, Ingles said.

“If you don’t like it, you cut it up and fire it again,” she said. “So it’s not a bad

thing for the environment, and it’s creative. It’s a lot of fun.”

lifetime of hard work my mother’s path has led her to small business ownership in

for our residents’ creativity. Hillsdale is truly an extraordinary community for music and the arts.”

Ingles said she learned how to make fused glass when she took some classes with her mom in Ohio a few years ago.

“I’m really fickle with my art,” Ingles said. “That’s why I like the fused glass because there’s such a wide array of things you can make. You can get very complicated, and you can do a project that takes weeks.”

Ingles said her husband also makes glass art.

Sophomore Nick Bass said he would be interested in learning to make glass art at the studio.

“It sounds positively wonderful,” Bass said. “Even though I’ve never done glass artwork before, I really enjoy looking at it.”

Ingles said she hopes Hillsdale will become a more artistic town.

“It’s getting there,” Ingles said. “We’ve got some murals now, and I even painted some of the river barriers on Union Street. I asked permission to do more.”

Stockford said he is happy his mother is becoming a small business owner.

“I’m happy that after a

her retirement,” Stockford said. “I’m excited to see another artsy business in the city which will be an outlet

“He owned the skating rink, which is now The Well, so his first project was of course a skate,” Ingles said.

care.

Courtesy | Ginger Moore

Fused glass art creates no waste. Courtesy | Facebook

Haske becomes assistant manager of women’s basketball

By Moira Gleason Assistant Editor

Rachel Haske has found her soul sisters.

Twenty-eight-year-old Haske, who has Down Syndrome, joined the women’s basketball team this summer as assistant manager. Originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Haske now lives in Hillsdale and comes to campus to help the team and coaching staff with every practice. Haske also joins in workouts, cheers the team on, and gives lots of high fives.

“They’re like a sisterhood and a family that I never had,” Haske said.

Head coach Brianna Brennan met Haske and her mother Diane — who works as a receptionist at the Roche Sports Complex — through the Hillsdale United Brethren Church where they attend services. Brennan recruited her as an assistant manager for the team after being named head coach in the spring.

“I felt like she would thrive around our players, and our players would love her really well too,” Brennan said. “She has a great personality, she’s hilarious, and she’s very intelligent. She picks up on a lot and isn’t afraid to make fun of our players. She’ll tease them, and they’ll tease her which is just fun to see.”

Haske said she wants to challenge herself through her

Softball

role on the team and become an advocate for other people with Down Syndrome.

“I’ve been bullied my whole life because I’m different,” Haske said.

Haske said that has changed at Hillsdale. She said

down,’” assistant coach Abbey Bartoszewicz said. “She’s well aware she has Down Syndrome but knows she has no limitations and can do anything everyone else can do.”

According to Diane,

“She’s got confidence.”

The change goes both ways according to sophomore Payton Adkins. Rachel has positively impacted the environment of the team and continually draws the players together into a tighter com-

and be goofy. Adkins challenges Haske to dance battles before and during practice, and Haske always wins by breaking out a new move or dropping into the splits.

“She brings a lot of positivity to the team,” Adkins

a lot easier to get through practices and want to come here and be here.”

According to senior Ashley Konkle, Haske supports every woman on the team and has even given each player her own personal nickname. Konkle said she has a way of drawing everyone she talks to into the present moment.

“We’ll come out of the locker room before practice, and she’ll just look at you and be like, ‘You need a hug, don’t you?’ She just knows,” Konkle said. “It makes you smile and just makes you grateful for that awareness because a lot of us have so many different things going on in our mind when it comes to school and basketball. Our minds always go a million miles an hour, and we don’t really get to focus on everyone around us in that moment.”

For assistant coach Morgan Litwiller, Haske is a model of gratitude, one of the core values of the team.

she loves the women on the team and feels respected by them despite her differences.

“I think the best thing she’s ever said to me is ‘I have Down Syndrome, but it’s never going to keep me

being around the players is like having sisters again for Haske, who is the youngest of seven children and lives with her parents in Hillsdale.

“It has totally changed her,” Haske’s mother said.

munity, Adkins said.

“She brings us even closer and gives us someone to look at when we’re down or put our focus into,” Adkins said.

Adkins said Haske gives everyone a chance to smile

said. “I know some days, at least for me, it’s kind of hard to come in here and push yourself for that two hours, but coming in here, seeing Rachel smile and cracking jokes with you, it makes it

“She shows up every day with a smile on her face, and she is the kindest person in the gym, and she knows exactly who she is. She places her identity in Christ and will let you know about it,” Litwiller said. “For me, it’s like a challenge. I can come on the court and be down and blue, and she’s out here and knows exactly who she is. It reminds me I need to be that way too."

Hillsdale looks ahead to MSU game

By Ellie Fromm Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale softball team played two doubleheaders this weekend, finishing with a 2-1-1 weekend record.

The Chargers played the Lawrence Technological University Blue Devils Oct. 1, dominating with a final score of 11-3, and they beat the Concordia University Cardinals, winning 9-3. They also played a doubleheader against the Madonna University Crusaders Sept. 30, tying the first game 2-2 and losing the second 5-1.

The four games were away, with Madonna’s games held at their stadium and the other two games hosted by Concordia.

All three universities are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, with Madonna being highly competitive in NAIA competition.

Head coach Kyle Gross said he thinks the weekend as a whole went well, and he thinks the team stepped it up slightly on Sunday.

“Madonna was probably a little stronger than the other two squads, but we also

Action Shooting

played better on Sunday and that was the difference in scores,” Gross said.

Gross said he believes this fall season is helping the Chargers gain experience together and learn to move as a team.

“Every year it’s figuring things out,” Gross said. “You’re trying to get into that mindset of competing.”

Freshman catcher Emili Blackie hit two home runs this weekend. She said she thinks the first game’s score was partially due to nerves. According to Blackie, starting the game at a fast pace is

what set the Chargers apart in the Concordia game.

“I think against Madonna we were just a little bit nervous,” Blackie said. “With Concordia, we just got on top of them really fast, then it was easy afterward.”

Senior pitcher Erin Kapteyn said she credits the difference in scores on Saturday and Sunday to differences in pitching strength between Madonna, Concordia, and Lawrence Tech.

“I think Madonna had a little bit better pitching,” Kapteyn said. “But I think their hitting was proba-

bly about evenly matched throughout the whole weekend.”

The Chargers are ready to use their experience when they play against the Michigan State University Spartans in Lansing Oct. 13 in Lansing Oct. 13. Gross believes the results of the weekend will prepare the Chargers to face Michigan State on a competitive level.

“Hopefully we go in there with all kinds of fight and give them a good competition,” Gross said. “One of our high points of the fall is to play a Big Ten team and

compete with them.”

According to Kapteyn, the Chargers are ready and excited for the challenge of Michigan State.

“We played them last year and we did pretty well,” Kapteyn said. “I think we’re just hoping to build and make it a more competitive game.”

Games like the upcoming one against the Spartans can add to players’ confidence, Gross said.

Hillsdale travels to Ohio for Steel Challenge

By Carly Moran

Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale action shooting team placed in multiple categories at the Ohio Steel Challenge Sept. 16.

The annual state match, located at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio, is one of the most competitive events of the team’s season. It is considered a level two match, meaning coaches cannot speak to their shooters during runs. The match attracts athletes from across the Midwest to compete.

“Overall, the Ohio Steel Classic is a very important match,” junior Taylor Chen said. “It is a measure of our raw ability as shooters to compete on a big stage and perform under pressure.

All 11 of the team members and our assistant coach Doc Sweeney were all in the same squad, which meant that we got to watch each other

shoot and give constructive criticism or encouragement to the shooter after they were done.”

After a day of driving to Columbus, the team left its hotel at 6 a.m. to make its way to the event venue.

“Since shooting is a huge mental game, the travel and early morning are not generally great components to incredible performance,” Chen said. “But, no excuses. We have trained in all kinds of situations and are prepared to perform when the time comes.”

There were eight predetermined stages at the Ohio Steel Classic. The teams are able to practice the patterns beforehand, with one stage being a particular challenge, known as the Pendulum.

“As it happened, the stage that we were assigned to start on in the morning was this stage,” Chen said. “For many it was a rough start,

but Zechariah Steiger, senior member and army veteran, shot it clean and deliberately.”

Steiger ultimately won ninth place in the centerfire pistol division, while senior Adam Bentley placed tenth. Sophomore Joseph Grohs, junior William Hudson, junior Sandy Vietor, and senior Dean Ballantyne placed between 12th and 22nd.

“I am very proud of how Steiger, Bentley, and Hudson shot the match,” Chen said. “After a slow start since joining the team, seeing Hudson improve immensely during practice and then moving up to fourth on the team this match is amazing.”

Freshman member Kayla Mullin said the team has been supportive as a beginner competitor.

“This is a much more competitive setting,” Mullin said. “The big thing is that I'm getting way more

guidance and coaching than I ever have in high school, not only from my coach but from all of the other teammates. As one of the newest shooters, upperclassmen will come over and say, ‘Hey, I noticed this was a little bit off to draw, try to fix this,’ and things like that.”

Chen said he has seen the newest members grow over the past two months.

“Our newest team members proved that they could hit the targets and be accurate,” Chen said. “From a coaching perspective, accuracy is immensely more important than speed. Speed comes with time, practice, and confidence, and as we move forward with the season, the time, practice, and confidence required will come along. Shooting eight stages for a total of almost 40 runs is a long match, and our new members showed perseverance and tenacity at

this competition.”

Before coming to Hillsdale, Mullin said she only competed in a few tournaments her senior year. She ended up joining the Hillsdale action pistol team after head coach Adam Burlew noticed her potential while she sighted in her personal pistol at the college range.

“I knew there was an actual team, but I was like, ‘There's no way I am going to make it on a shooting team at the collegiate level,’” Mullin said. “I happened to be down at the range the day before moving day because I had just put a new trigger on my personal gun and the coach happened to be down there. I came to tryouts, it wasn't really on purpose, but I'm really glad that I did.”

Chen said the team will focus on both stationary and dynamic shooting as the season progresses. Practice involves drawing from

holsters, prepping the trigger, and rapidly transitioning between targets.

“While we can never recreate a true competitive atmosphere in practice, we are going to continue our training with competition in mind,” Chen said. “With the sport being a mental game, it is important for us to mess with each other during practice to force individuals on the team to block out distraction. While only being given a certain amount of ammo per practice, it is critical that every single bullet that comes out of the gun matters.”

The Chargers will compete at home in the Hillsdale College U.S. Practical Shooting Association Invitational Oct. 14 as they continue to prepare for collegiate competitions this spring.

Rachel Haske helps the coaches, joins workouts, and cheers the players on. Courtesy | Morgan Litwiller

Shotgun

Hillsdale takes first in all events at invitational

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale shotgun team won first place in multiple events during its first collegiate match of the season on Oct. 1 at the Hoosier Invitational.

The Kosko Shotgun Sports Complex hosted nearly 70 competitors from seven other colleges, including Purdue University, Olivet University, Indiana Wesleyan University, Grace University, the University of Illinois, Concordia University, and Ferris State University. Only seven Hillsdale athletes decided to attend after a long day of volunteering on Saturday at the Klix Memorial Shoot, a fundraiser at the Halter Shooting Sports Center.

Men's Tennis

“It's our first real intercollegiate match of the season,” head coach Jordan Hintz said.

“These are teams that we're shooting against all the time. It's really good that those who went came with the attitude that this is a warm up for this coming week. This is the first time that we've competed in anything except sporting clays this fall, and they certainly exceeded my expectations.”

The Chargers squad for sporting clays broke 457 out of 500 targets, placing first above Grace College. The team included junior Josh Corbin (96/100), sophomore Leif Andersen (94/100), senior Ida Brown (92/100), sophomore Davis Hay, and senior Jessica Strasser. Josh Corbin placed highest overall for individual score.

“I was super excited for my first actual collegiate shoot,” Madeline Corbin said. “I am very glad that we were able to go to this invitational so that I could break the ice on a smaller shoot, because otherwise my first collegiate shoot would be the regionals that we are headed to this week in Ohio.”

Brown, Josh Corbin, Hay, Andersen, and Strasser teamed up again to also place first in American Skeet, with a score of 488/500. Hay shot a perfect 100-straight, while teammate Madeline Corbin took second.

“There's a lot of reasons to be confident,” Hintz said. “Some of these guys, they've not shot skeet yet this semester, so to be able to go down there and have two 100 straights and a 99, it's hard to complain.”

Hillsdale finished the meet with a first place score of 205 in the modified bunker event. Brown shot 46/50 clays, earning her the title of highest overall lady competitor.

“I think shooting sports are kind of unique because it doesn't really matter how physically mature you are,” Andersen said. “We're not afraid to offer advice to older or younger people. Even last year as a freshman, if you saw something, you could even offer some advice to a senior on the team.”

The Chargers left Tuesday, Oct. 3 for collegiate Nationals and the Upper Midwest Conference Championships, located at the Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio. Both tournaments will end on Oct. 8.

Chargers comeback in ITA Midwest

By Emelia Klanduch Hillsdale Freelancer

The Hillsdale men’s tennis team made a round of comebacks at the ITA Midwest Regionals this past weekend.

Freshman Ellis Klanduch led with an impressive run, making it to the quarterfinals of the B draw consolation bracket.

“He competed very well for his first college event,” head coach Keith Turner said. “I'm very pleased with what I saw from him.”

Klanduch worked his way to the quarterfinals of the B

draw consolation bracket. He won the first consolation round 6-3, 6-3. He won the next round 6-2, 6-4. He lost 2-6, 6-2 (9-11) in a close match tiebreaker in the quarterfinal.

Senior Sean Barstow fought hard in the opening round of the A draw, splitting sets, but ultimately lost 6-7, 6-4 (10-3).

Freshman Henry Hammond defeated his opponent 6-1, 4-6 (10-8) in the opening round of the B draw consolation bracket before losing 6-3, 7-5 in the next round.

In doubles, Klanduch and sophomore Aidan Pack won 8-6 in the opening round of the B draw over a team from Walsh University. They fell to the second-seeds from University of Indianapolis 8-3 in the next round.

“At 6 in the doubles match me and Aidan played, it was like 10 p.m., we were struggling that whole time on the return games, and I took the no-add deuce point and hit a winner up the line,” Klanduch said. “That was pretty big because then that led Aidan to hit four straight bombs. I didn’t have to do anything

that whole next game. He had four serves, and they couldn’t return one of them, so we won that match. That was pretty cool.”

Hammond and senior Dan Gilbert came back and crushed their opponents 8-3 after losing in the opening round of the doubles B draw.

“We were able to come back and play the best we’d played that weekend and be a very good doubles pair,” Hammond said. “It was quite uplifting to be able to be that positive and play that well, despite the events that had taken place beforehand.”

Seniors Tyler Conrad and Barstow also saw victory in doubles in the opening round of the A draw consolation bracket. They won 9-8 (7-4) against a University of Findlay team before losing 8-6 to a team from Michigan Technological University in the quarterfinals.

According to Turner, the ITA Midwest Regional was a preview for the upcoming spring.

“The tournament was an eye opener for us as we saw what the deepest region in the country looks like,” Turner said. “We have a lot of work to

do if we're going to compete for an NCAA tournament bid in the spring.”

The Chargers’ next tournament is Oct. 7 on their home courts. Their competition is still to be announced.

“We’re hoping to perform well because we’re going to be playing all these teams in the spring,” Klanduch said. “It was a little tough at first, just kind of getting into it, but we’re starting to play really well, so it should be fun.”

Max Burns, Golf Charger chatter

Do you have any pre-tournament superstitions?

When we stop at Walmart to get our snacks, I gotta get that strawberry milk. I drink one before our practice round and one before the 36-hole day. When we’re coming up to the range, I like to listen to “Graduation” by Kanye West. It puts me in a good mood before I play.

What’s the best thing to do in Seattle?

You gotta go to Pike Place Market. They have the original Starbucks there, and there's just a bunch of mom-and-pop shops and magic stores.

Compiled by Thomas McKenna

What’s a bucket list golf item you haven’t done yet?

I really want to play TPC Sawgrass, where they play The Players Championship every year. That's my favorite event to watch. They have the iconic 17th green — it's just a tiny island with nothing around it.

If you could be famous for something besides golf, what would it be?

People who play guitar in bands are really cool. It'd be the most rad thing ever to just shred on the guitar. I’m not that good at playing guitar, but they’re rock stars, man.

Junior josh corbin placed highest overall for individual score. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Chargers dominate Northwood, pick up first win Football

By Alex Deimel Assistant Editor

After starting its 2023 season with four straight losses, the Hillsdale Charger football team pulled off its first win of the year against its G-MAC rival the Northwood University Timberwolves 40-18 Sept. 30.

Defense was the name of the game for the Chargers in their first win, ending the game with two interceptions, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and a safety. The first turnover was an interception by senior defensive lineman Zachary Tokie, who caught the ball after Northwood’s pass was tipped by senior defensive lineman Trevor DeGroote.

It was Tokie’s second career interception.

“I have to thank Trevor for that one, he tipped it up for me,” Tokie said. “It really felt great to win. All credit to Northwood. They’re a great team, and they played their butts off, but we came out and executed our game plan, and it went really well.”

Senior captain and defensive lineman Riley Tolsma was another big contributor to the defensive effort for Hillsdale, finishing with 11 total tackles, including two sacks. Tolsma leads the team with three sacks on the year. Redshirt freshman linebacker Jacob Vance also had 12 total tackles of his own, which was the most by any Charger that day.

Senior quarterback Jake Burger, in his first start of the season, got the Charger offense rolling early with a 77-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard touchdown run from senior wide receiver Logan VanEnkevort to take an early 7-0 lead.

“We really needed a win today, we got it, and that’s what matters,” Burger said. “There wasn’t much difference between this week and the last four, just a couple more picked-up assignments.That’s what won us the game.”

Burger finished 6-19 on completions with a total of 85 passing yards, including one passing touchdown. He also finished with 47 rushing yards, including a 30-yard run during the first possession.

Senior running back Michael Herzog continues his stellar final season. He finished the game with 98 rushing yards and got his sixth touchdown of the year in the second quarter to give Hillsdale a 14-7 lead.

“Defense definitely stepped up for us today with the three turnovers, and offensively we just kept our foot on the gas pedal,” Herzog said. “I just gotta keep coming out here and playing well. I need to be patient behind my blocks, and the reason I have six touchdowns is because of the big fellas up front so if they keep doing their job, I’ll keep doing mine, and we’ll keep rolling.”

Through five games, Herzog leads the G-MAC in all-purpose yards with a total

of 818 and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns. Also contributing to the offensive charge for Hillsdale was freshman wide receiver Shea Ruddy, who had two touchdowns on the day, one coming on a 65-yard run in the third quarter to give Hillsdale a 24-10 lead.

Ruddy’s second touchdown came on a pass from junior quarterback Gordie Lafontaine, who made his Charger debut late in the fourth quarter, with his first career completed pass and touchdown. Lafontaine sealed the deal for Hillsdale on a fourth down 21-yard passing touchdown, locking in a 40-18 final score. Sophomore tight end Josh Lee also had his first career touchdown, coming on

a 7-yard throw from Burger in the fourth quarter.

“I’m overfilled with joy seeing the young guys get a piece of what we’ve been doing. It’s great to see,” Herzog said.

The Chargers look to carry the momentum of their first win into their Oct. 7 game against another conference rival, the Tiffin University Dragons. Their next home game will be the following Saturday against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers.

Hillsdale builds roster, team culture for new season

By Maddy Welsh Senior Editor

Charger swim is gearing up for another season of record smashing achievements and excellent personal performance with the addition of eight new athletes to its roster.

“I think our culture is super positive and I am very pleased with how things have been going so far,” said senior and captain Caroline Holmes. “I think we’re going to have a really solid, competitive team.”

Head coach Kurt Kirner said the new swimmers are a talented group of recruits.

“This year we were able to replenish most of the talent base that we had from the graduates last year,” he said.

They’re also embracing the team’s culture, Kirner said.

“We have an individual sport where they work as individuals but it’s a team sport where they need to come together and they need to train together and they need to compete together,” he said. “They’re really working off each other and I think it’s going to be a good year judging by the feeling in practice.”

On Sept. 23, the team had an intersquad meet, which Kirner said went well.

“I was pleasantly surprised with the totality of the times,” he said. “Judging based upon

what I’ve seen in the past 16 years of coaching, I thought this was a pretty good one.”

The Chargers will compete for the first time Oct. 14 at Bethel University.

“The competition isn’t going to be real strong for the first meet, which is fine because I want kids to swim within their lanes. I don’t want them to be thinking about competition right off the bat,” Kirner said. “I always emphasize, ‘just give your best effort,’ and it’s easier to do that when they’re just focusing on what’s going to happen in their lane and not be overly concerned about how fast everybody is.”

Freshman Izzy Ondracek said she is excited about her first collegiate meet.

“I’m really looking forward to being able to race and to see what we can do given how young our team is,” she said.

Seven of the team’s new athletes are freshmen, but one, junior Lucia Ruchti, is a transfer from Lees-McRae College. They join ten other women on the team — two sophomores, five juniors, and three seniors — for a roster of 18.

The seniors on the team are Holmes, Sarah Pataniczek, and Phoebe Johnston.

“The three of us have really grown,” Holmes said. “We have transformed because of

the Hillsdale experience and so I’m very honored to stand beside both of them. They’re both rock stars.”

Their Hillsdale experience has been different from most.

“It’s very meaningful. We’ve been through a lot. You think about when we were freshmen during the COVID year and it was crazy,” Holmes said. “But we were able to get through it together.”

Holmes and Pataniczek are captains, along with junior Emma Dickhudt.

“They are really just true leaders,” Kirner said. “We obviously have some figureheads on the team in terms of kids who are very top of the conference. We’ve got a couple of All Americans, and they provide leadership also, not necessarily as captains, but just in terms of getting after the workout and getting going.”

Ondracek said she’s seen the leadership of her older teammates in and out of the pool.

“The upperclassmen have been really gracious about helping us with classes and studying and preparation and just the new workout style for some of us,” she said.

Holmes, who is in her second year as a captain and contributed to the team’s conference wins her freshman and sophomore years, said

she wants to make the most of her last year as a collegiate athlete.

“I just want to end with one final year really loving and enjoying the sport of swimming,” she said. “This is it, so I’m trying to embrace every challenge, enjoy every moment.”

Last year, Hillsdale finished second in the conference championship meet to Findlay University, its perpetual rival. Findlay’s roster is about double the size of Hillsdale’s, but Kirner said

beating Findlay is not the goal for this season — guiding athletes toward excellent personal performances is.

“I’m not a coach that invests a lot into ego. I’m very much about making sure that my athletes understand this whole perception of control. They can’t control how fast Findlay is or what they recruit,” Kirner said. “Whether we can measure up to them at the end of the season, that’s hard to say, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.”

Findlay’s head coach of

11 years resigned in May to pursue a coaching position at Augustana University and Kirner said other teams in the conference have shaken up their coaching staffs too.

“There are a lot of young, new coaches,” he said. “Hopefully the old dog — meaning me — has a few tricks up his sleeve.”

The Hillsdale swim team had an intersquad meet Sept.23. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Senior running back Michael Herzog scored his sixth touchdown of the season. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

C U L T U R E

Not a typo: ‘Pride@Prejudice’ play uses modern discourse to adapt beloved story

By Jillian Parks

CultuRe editoR

A terraced stage lit by warm pink, purple, and orange lighting, long canvases that frame a thrust-style stage, and long Regency era dresses will all bring the warm, romantic mood of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to the Markel Auditorium from Oct. 4-7.

Despite these scene builders and even the presence of Jane Austen’s recognizable “Pride and Prejudice” characters, this is not a production of the beloved classic.

“Pride@Prejudice” is not the product of a typo. The at symbol is intentional, pointing to a production that celebrates the classic story while also highlighting the people who love it and the woman that wrote it.

“Our purpose is to ask what conversation with a text really means, and I think this play does that beautifully,” said Chris Matsos, director of the show and chairman of the theater department. “It converses with Jane Austen and with her work and just brings that question to our community: how do we converse with our favorite works, and what role does theater play in that conversation?”

The play itself unfolds like a crash course on “Pride and Prejudice” with many of the lines and scenes from the novel and the film adaptations. Throughout the play, this iconic dialogue is juxtaposed with internet dialogue, ranging from study questions to seventh-graders asking for homework help to enthusiastic Etsy shops advertising their merchandise.

“It doesn’t really pull away from the magic,” freshman Charles Reamsnyder said. “It’s

a little dated. I remember we made comments about how sometimes it reads like an old Tumblr post from 2014, but honestly, I believe it opens up to a wider audience. People our age might find those little internet jokes to be a means of connect ing, and it won’t lose some of our older members as long as they have some idea of what an old internet blog would look like.”

The play is written for a cast of six people to play 22 roles. Besides junior Kenda Showalter, who portrays Elizabeth Bennet throughout the entire show, each actor has anywhere from two to seven roles. Between junior Emily Griffith switching back and forth between Mrs. Bennet and Charlotte Lucas and junior Fiona Mulley tackling Lady Catherine and Jane Bennett in the same scene, the actors faced a unique challenge.

Many of the actors met that challenge by adopting distinct physicalities to distinguish their portrayals.

“For me, I rooted a lot of my character work in different physicalities and finding different postures,” Mulley said. “And different registers for the voice for all of the different characters. Everything started from a physicality that’s not quite but almost like a caricature, and then I

softened that with more of the kind of theoretical character.”

Other actors focused on the voice and allowed the physicality to flow from

this other fact that there are these women that aren’t necessarily youthful. They’re all just kind of in this nebulous, middle ground, and how do you differentiate? And so that’s where I went

concentrated in the second act, or I became more comfortable with the actors and the conventions they presented. It takes some getting used to, but the show allows its audience members to appreciate new dimensions and even consider some of the long-debated questions that surround the novel.

“When you go to a play, as an audience member, your responsibility is to meet the play halfway,” Matsos said. “It doesn’t exist, just to entertain you at where you are. It expects you to come on a journey with it. And so I think our responsibility as audience members is to ask what a production is trying to do, and evaluate it accordingly.”

In true Jane Austen fashion, the women are the stars of this show. They are brilliant, natural, classically beautiful, and graceful even in the dialogue and choices that are meant to put them in an unflattering light. Due to the consistent fourth wall breakage, the show doesn’t really allow for a full suspension of disbelief. It’s best not to expect transportation but, rather, an invitation both the women and the men in the cast make it difficult not to accept.

school, and I just didn’t care. But I think the way this plays written allows us to comment on the story as we’re expressing it in this new way that we are able to make our own. That whole process made me kind of fall in love with the story.”

One of the most, if not the most, stunning additions to this play is the presence of Jane Austen herself, played by Mulley. She writes letters to her family, delivers advice, and stands her ground while the ensemble speculates about and celebrates her.

“Those letters and the story that starts to unveil itself of Jane Austen’s life, and the trajectory it took, and then the story of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and the trajectory Lizzy’s life takes, the parallels, the differences, and the way they inform each other is so meaningful,” Mulley said. “By the time you get to the end of the play, I’m choked up at the end of every night because it ends with Jane Austen’s words.”

The play still makes me want to write letters, go on walks, and fall in love; it still has moments of investment, confrontations, and engagement alike — same as the original does. But it also reminds the audience of the deeper context and connections that fuel the telling and retelling of this timeless story.

“I have Mrs. Bennett, and I play her the most,” Griffith said. “She’s just a firecracker. But then you are faced with

to the voice. When you attach those voices to that character, then when you start speaking in that voice, you’re there.”

The comedy is either more

“I think ‘Pride and Prejudice’ can be kind of hard to get into for a lot of modern audiences,” senior Marc Sherman said. “I remember having to read and study it when I was like a freshman in high

“‘Pride@Prejudice’ captures the spirit of Austen by analyzing and taking apart the scenes we have seen dozens of times,” senior student dramaturg Grace Bryant said in the playbill as a part of her dramaturg’s note. “The merch plugs, chat room interruptions, and role-changing of the actors let us see that ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is not a stuffy drama but a vivacious spectacle of human beauty and human error.”

Professors’ Picks: James Spiegel, postdoctoral research fellow in the philosophy department

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

“Strawberry Fields Forever”

The Beatles -1967

“Arguably the most significant musical phenomenon of the 20th century, the Beatles’ impact on Western culture runs deep, transcending music and even the art world generally. Among their many lasting legacies is how the Beatles transformed rock music into a legitimate art form and revolutionized music recording techniques. ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ epitomizes their innovation as studio artists, despite the limitations of a primitive four-track recording console.

After recording three versions of the song, with a range of levels of orchestration, John Lennon asked producer George Martin to combine them — a

seemingly impossible task since the three versions differed in terms of keys and tempo. But by slowing down a section from one of the versions, he produced a final version that begins with a simple arrangement of guitar and mellotron and builds into a fully orchestrated piece that provides the ideal palette for Lennon’s surreal, Hindu-influenced, Jabberwocky-like lyrics.”

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1852

“For many years I had this book on my ‘must read’ list but didn’t get around to reading it until recently. Like most people, I was aware of the common use of the phrase

‘Uncle Tom’ as a pejorative term for an African American who somehow betrays their allegiance to their own ethnic group. So, upon reading the book I was surprised to see how badly this pejorative misconstrues the book’s main character. Far from betraying his people or excusing the wickedness of slavery, Uncle Tom provides an inspiring portrait of Christian suffering, as he refuses to condone the evils of the slave system while admirably persevering in his faith.”

“Deathtrap” - 1986

“This 1982 suspense thriller starring Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, and Christopher Reeve is a film adaptation of

a stage play by Ira Levin. The plot centers on playwright Sidney Bruhl (Caine) who, after a string of failures, is desperate to have a successful play. After reading the script written by one of his students (Reeve), Caine hatches a plan to murder the young playwright and pass off the script as his own. Bruhl persuades his wife (Cannon) to join him in the plot, and the thrill-ride begins. However, things don’t go down quite as planned, and several shocking twists and reversals make for stunning viewing. Brilliantly acted and directed, the performances do justice to a masterful script that is charming, menacing, and hysterical. In addition to the technical genius of the film, it has a powerful moral theme and is endlessly quotable.”

Compiled by Alexandra Comus Collegian RepoRteR

Spiegel graduated from Belhaven University in 1985.

Courtesy | James Spiegel

Courtesy | Caleb Diener, Hillsdale Department of Theatre & Dance

C U L T U R E

Stop the spread: Student club remedies writers’ block

*NSYNC releases new song for the 30 somethings

By Maria Servold collegian adviseR

The level of excitement shared by 30-somethings across my social media over the last few weeks has been unprecedented and bizarre, especially given that the reason is a smattering of press appearances and rumors surrounding a group of five men, all aged 40+, who were popular 20 years ago.

restrained thrill, my brother and I would unwrap a new CD like *NSYNC’s “No Strings Attached” from its fiddly shrink wrap, pop the disc in my boom box, and spend the next hour poring over the booklet included with the CD — which often contained lyrics for every song — as we listened to each track.

By Catherine Maxwell collegian RepoRteR

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an aspiring author must be in want of time to write. Six Hillsdale students have banded together to solve that problem with Writers’ Block, a creative writing group.

Junior Rooks Russell, who started the group last school year, said he wanted a space where writers could encourage each other.

“For the most part, writing is a pretty solitary task,” he said. “I wanted to have a community where people could do the work alongside each other.”

Russell said he began writing in earnest during his junior and senior years of high school.

“It was actually during COVID-19 where I sat down with all the free time I had and wrote my first full manuscript,” he said.

Russell proceeded to write nine manuscripts before graduation. Most of his work is in the young adult genre, which is for readers 12 to 18 years old.

“There’s a lot of important messages that they need to hear,” Russell said. “Creative writing is for the purpose of truth, and they’re about the age where they need to be hearing good truths.”

Russell said he is currently working on polishing older drafts while working on new ones.

“I’m working to submit them to agents for publishing,” he said. “The publishing industry is wild and crazy and terribly difficult to get into, but I’m working on it slowly.”

The students meet every Saturday morning from 1011:15 a.m. in the Fishbowl room of the Mossey Library. The first hour is dedicated to writing, followed by 15 minutes for writers to share their progress and discuss potential difficulties.

“Writers’ Block is really just a writing accountability group,” said sophomore Autumn Visser, one of the group’s first members. “The thought is that if you plan to do something, it becomes part of your schedule and you can make time for it.”

“Writer’s block” is a term describing a mental block where a writer can’t generate new ideas for a story, but the group’s name presents a solution as well as a problem.

“It’s a wordplay,” Visser said. “It’s the block that belongs to writers. It’s the place where you go, like a street corner where we need to write.”

Visser said she first became interested in writing in fifth grade after reading “The Lord of the Rings” for the first time.

“All through high school, writing was my main hobby,” she said.

Her first completed series was a science fiction trilogy, and she is currently working on two fantasy novels.

Visser said she believes creative writing is important because of the way it lets authors communicate truth.

“If we try to just state the truth a lot of the time it comes off as being trite or as something that’s been said the same way too many times,” she said. “It’s a lot easier to show through an image or a short story or a novel.”

She said she believes that is why Jesus spoke in parables.

“A perceptive mind will be able to see the truth in a piece in a piece of fiction where it might reject something that is simply stated,” she said.

Sophomore Erika Kyba joined Writers’ Block during the 2023 spring semester because of a poster she saw in her dorm.

“What was really attractive to me about the idea was just that it was a place where you can just carve out time and write,” she said. “It can be hard to find time for that in the midst of a busy schedule.”

Kyba said she likes the community that has developed in the group.

“You get to know the other writers there, and you get to know their projects too,” she

said.

She also said she appreciates the debriefing session at the end of each meeting.

“At first I was kind of nervous about sharing,” she said. “But as I got more comfortable with the group, I got to the point where I felt like I could ask people for advice. And that was really, really helpful for me.”

Although most members are writing novels, the group welcomes authors of all interests and experiences.

“To hear that from other writers, especially who are more experienced, opens your eyes to new possibilities,” Kyba said.

The group started with three members at its initial meeting at the end of the 2022 fall semester. It now has six consistent members and is still looking to grow.

“Don’t feel like you have to be at a certain place in your writing journey,” Kyba said. “It’s really just a time where you can just be with other writers.”

Russell encouraged any interested writer to come.

“It’s for other writers to feel like they’re not the only one out there just typing away on a laptop,” he said. “They can come and be surrounded by other people who are working, like they are, to write a story.”

Last week, the 1990s/early 2000s hit boy band *NSYNC released a new song, “Better Place,” which is from the movie “Trolls Band Together,” set to come out in November, but also serves as a “reunion song” for the band. The song, while extremely catchy and playable, isn’t anything special — and that’s exactly why I love it.

I spent many, many hours as a middle schooler listening to *NSYNC albums with my younger brother or friends, learning all the words to favorites like “Here We Go,” “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” and the ubiquitous “Bye, Bye, Bye.”

These were the days pre-Spotify and iTunes, when you only got to hear your favorite songs if they came on the radio or when you saved up enough babysitting money, convinced your mom to drive you to Target or K-Mart, and bought a physical CD. With

Somehow, *NSYNC reignited that anticipatory and genuine excitement over the last several weeks as it teased the new song and, many suspect, a reunion tour. (You best believe I’d fork over a significant chunk of change to see *NSYNC live in Michigan next year.)

“Better Place” sounds like the *NSYNC people my age know and love, but with a modern twist. Hearing the identifiable voices of Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez (and the rest of the band) awoke a long-asleep teenage excited in me. In an exciting twist, it’s a song my kids also discovered is perfect for dancing to, and I don’t have to worry about what the lyrics say, as like in most pop songs, the words don’t really mean much of anything. This is all we need from a song by the band 20 years after they lost popularity, and if the only people who download it are over the age of 30, that’s OK.

Movie review: ‘Surprised by Oxford’ gets an A plus

By Ameera Wilson collegian Repo R te R

Is it irresponsible for Hillsdale students to drive to Ann Arbor in the middle of the week to watch a movie?

Maybe. But “Surprised by Oxford” fully justified the excursion. And everyone in our guilty party came away from the film academically motivated, sharing a determination to get to the University of Oxford.

The movie was stunning. Its visuals alone were enough to make the laziest of students want to join the world of prestigious academia, which was partly its point.

In the beauty of the Oxford campus, the strongest themes of the film emerge: the emptiness of knowledge pursued for its own sake, and beauty

as an end rather than a path.

Based on Carlolyn Weber’s memoir by the same name, the movie retells her story of finding faith at Oxford. She enters the school as a cynical, driven young woman, hellbent on earning her doctorate. But once there, she meets Kent Weber, who is charming, intelligent, TDH (tall, dark, and handsome) – but also a Christian. Through her relationship with him, Caro, the lead’s nickname, becomes less emotionally distant and more open to faith.

After a turbulent hour and a half of emotional breakdowns, hesitations, gorgeous cinematography, and C.S. Lewis quotes, Caro accepts the fact that fulfillment cannot be found in knowledge alone but that it points to something greater. The movie

ends with her having reached both her academic goals and having found something deeper, without which none of her academic goals had any meaning.

While the movie is not without moments of overt sentimentality, this is likely because writer-director, Ryan Whitaker said he purposefully worked to keep it accessible to a broader audience. “I wanted to make a film that was more authentic and messy than many of the ‘faith-based’ films I had seen,” he told The Collegian. “With the film, I wanted to make something that a secular audience would enjoy as well, so I jettisoned some of the conversations about, say, the reliability of the biblical manuscripts and leaned more into the idea of beauty and long-

ing as something that can point us to God.”

In this, Whitaker did an excellent job. While the movie is very clearly centralized around faith, the concept of longing for something eternal is much more original than found in most of the faith film world.

The danger of knowledge when pursued for its own sake is an interesting and uncommon theme, as well as especially relevant to Hillsdale students.

As students of a “classical education,” we can lock in on performance or enjoy being in our own heads, thinking deep thoughts about old books.

I know I’m not the only one who has heard students brag about the quality of Saga conversations.

But maybe next time a deep discussion about Plato’s trifold soul comes up, the meaning of Milton’s acrostic poetry is questioned, or anything else arises that provides that self-satisfied feeling, avoid taking an intellectual selfie at that moment. Ask why. What gives this journey of learning real meaning?

“Discern the real from the bullsh*t.”

That was Caro’s professor’s advice to her, and it’s good advice. Recognize valuable knowledge and distinguish it from the junk. However, even worthwhile learning becomes useless if it is separated from its purpose.

“There’s great irony in the fact that Caro, in her ruthless pursuit of knowledge, has shut down emotionally, but still opts to study the Roman-

tic poets,” Whitaker said. “As Kent tells Caro in the film, ‘you pore over the words of dead people, but you don’t allow yourself to feel those same things.’”

The film should remind Hillsdale students about the importance of intentionality.

Don’t philosophize without the desire to reach the truth. Don’t memorize facts just to recite them or notch a sufficient grade.

Don’t read the great books and ignore every lesson they teach.

“Knowledge pursued for its own sake will betray us,” Whitaker said. “Beauty pursued for its own sake will betray us. The spires of Oxford, stunning as they are, point upwards.”

Servold stands with her new *NSYNC CD at her 12th birthday.

Maria Servold | Collegian

A new student writer ‘accountability group’ meets weekly to discuss ideas, give input, and develop community

The creative writing group meets in the library every Saturday. Courtesy | Autumn Visser

FEATURES

Professors brew up some fair competition

By Elizabeth Crawford Assistant Editor

When Laboratory Director Douglas Dobrozsi studied skin fungus, he didn’t expect to use it in a beer competition at the Hillsdale County Fair. “I became interested after actually doing a long technical project at work, studying the action of antifungal drugs in which I was culturing a yeastlike fungus that is on everyone’s skin called Malassezia,” Dobrozsi said. “I made sourdough bread and got good at that, then did sauerkraut. Beer was the next logical thing to ferment.”

But Dobrozsi is not the only member of the chemistry department to brew beer — or to submit it at the Hillsdale

County Fair. Professor of Chemistry Christopher Hamilton was brewing beer and entering the beer competition long before Dobrozsi. “I’ve been entering the competition since the first year they offered it, which I think is about six years,” Hamilton said. “Last year I had a clean sweep and all of my beers won first place in their categories. But entries were very low that year, so I did not have much competition.”

Shelly Wirick, one of the fair directors who oversees the event, said the beer competition is more intense than the wine competition, attracting competitors as far as Indianapolis.

“For beer, they have to bring three: one for display, one for

the first round of tasting, and then, if it’s good enough to go to Best of Show, you have to have a fresh bottle to retaste,” Wirick said.

There is a friendly rivalry between the two professors now that Dobroszi has entered the fair competition, Hamilton said.

ular Tart Cherry Cream ale — which won Best in Show last year at the fair. We were both very surprised.”

Dobrozsi called Hamilton the master of brewing beer.

“He is so knowledgeable and good at it,” Dobrozsi said. “But I thought he deserved the privilege of a lot more competition, so his wins would taste sweeter.”

Hamilton likened choosing a favorite beer to choosing a favorite child.

the “low-hopped end of the hoppy spectrum.”

“Brown English ales, the ones that are really malty, with low hops and low carbonation,” Dobrozsi said, “I’ve liked those ever since I had a beer in a cave underneath Nottingham castle, where my tour guide told me that one age of the crusades set off from.”

This year, Dobrozsi entered six beers at the fair’s beer competition, taking home three first place medals. Hamilton entered eight beers at the competition, taking the top spot in four other categories and winning Best of Show.

Hardly a space to kneel in prayer

Why Catholic culture has exploded at Hillsdale over the past twenty years

By Caroline Kurt Collegian Freelancer w

When no floor space remains, students kneel on couches to pray.

Every Thursday evening, students gather at the Grotto, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church’s student outreach house, for Convivium. After enjoying a home-cooked meal, they join in an opening prayer before the week’s speaker takes the stage. Students pack onto couches or vie for floor space, spilling into the kitchen and staircase when the three main rooms fill up.

Catholic students have attended Convivium in past years, but not like this, according to Ben Hufford, director of campus ministry for St. Anthony’s.

“Our first Convivium of the year was 190 people,” Hufford said. “The biggest Convivium ever before that was around 110.” Hufford and his wife, Shelby, live on the second floor of the Grotto, ministering to students and making events like Convivium possible. More than anyone else, the Huffords have noticed changes in Catholic activity on campus in the last few years — just a decade after St. Anthony’s bought the Grotto. They said they see it as a reflection of the type of student Hillsdale College draws, and a natural response to the foundations laid by earlier generations of Catholic students and professors.

Attendance at a range of events has increased compared to fall 2022, Hufford said.

According to Hufford, the Masses celebrated every Tuesday at the Grotto average 70 people this year, while only the largest masses last year reached that size. The Grotto’s rosary group has grown from 40 to 45 people last fall to 55 to 60 people this fall.

The Welcome Bonfire is the Grotto’s largest event, held every August for new and returning students. Last year, it drew a crowd of 200 to 210 people. This year, 250 people attended — roughly 16% of campus.

Things were different in 1994 when David Whalen, associate vice president for curriculum and professor of English, arrived at Hillsdale to teach.

“There wasn’t much of a Catholic culture on campus,” Whalen said. “That didn’t surprise me. This was more or less a Protestant institution. But they were friendly and welcoming, and there was no problem with my being a Catholic.”

According to Lee Cole, chairman and associate professor of philosophy, Hillsdale Catholics didn’t always have a solid communal identity.

Cole attended Hillsdale as a student in the early 2000s. He had heard that a significant minority of the student body was Catholic but failed to see signs of it.

“I would see a number of students at Mass, but I didn’t know who those students were,” Cole said. His junior year, he assumed a leadership role in the Catholic Student Council, which Cole described as a “quasi-bureaucratic entity that was meant to play a mediating role between the administration and Catholic students.”

Most Catholic events at the time were driven by professors, rather than students, he said.

“The number of activities we were able to do was extremely limited because we only had a handful of participating students,” Cole said. “We said the rosary together twice a week, but typically about five people would show up.”

As president of Catholic Student Council, Cole decided the group needed a rebrand. He suggested the name Catholic Society. It stuck.

That same year, Cole conceived the iconic maroon Catholic Society shirts as a marketing idea for the group.

“If you want to be a group on campus that has an identity and visibility, the first thing you need to make is T-shirts,” Cole said.

Cole’s future wife Kelly Cole ’02 designed the shirts. The idea succeeded: Cole’s senior year, Catholic Society had doubled its numbers from his sophomore year.

“I’ve been brewing longer than Dr. Dobrozsi, and he’ll often ask for my advice on beers,” Hamilton said. “It was funny this year that my Belgian Saison beat his at the fair, but he also brewed a Cherry Saison that beat my very pop-

“I like many styles of beer, so it really depends on the moment,” Hamilton said. “I will say that I always enjoy a good hoppy beer, so I love trying out new IPAs and Hazy IPAs.”

Dobrozsi, on the other hand, said he liked beers on

For those interested in homebrewing, both Dobrozsi and Hamilton said it doesn’t have to be complicated.

“The best advice I received was from Brian Newberry, husband of Chemistry Chair Dr. Meyet,” Dobrozsi said. “He said ‘Doug, just try it. If you screw up, it will still be beer!’ As it turns out, it’s been beer every single time.”

Like the name, the maroon shirts have remained a quintessential feature of Hillsdale’s Catholic student community. Less than a decade later, the Catholic community found a home at the Grotto, which wasn’t always a ministry center.

In 2010, then-senior Mary Tillotson ’11 and five of her friends settled in an off-campus house on Union Street. They decided to name it The Grotto to honor the mother of God, even planning parties for the Marian feast days that fell during the school year.

The Grotto even played a part in Tillotson’s marriage.

“I remember going back to my friends at the Grotto,” Tillotson said. “I told them, ‘I’ve wanted to marry Luke Tillotson for several months now, and he just asked me out, and I don’t know what to do.’”

Fortunately, the women at the Grotto encouraged Tillotson to accept the date.

The year after Tillotson graduated, St. Anthonys bought the Grotto. The parish has owned it as a site for campus ministry ever since.

In his nearly three decades at Hillsdale, Whalen said he has noticed increasing numbers of Catholic students and professors seeking out the college. He attributes it to an organic shift in demographics and a response to Hillsdale’s founding principles.

“In Catholic intellectual tradition, reason has a high dignity,” Whalen said. “I think it’s virtually inevitable that Catholics are going to be drawn into a place like Hillsdale, which is committed to reasoned inquiry rather than trendiness, wokeness, and political correctness.”

A 2023 Pew Research survey reported that 60% of U.S. Catholics don’t attend Mass weekly.

That said, many of the young Catholics in the U.S. that do seriously practice their faith say they find a place like Hillsdale attractive, according to senior Charlie Kacal, president of Catholic Society.

“I got here as a relatively lukewarm Catholic,” Kacal said. “St. Anthony’s and the Catholic Society upperclassmen really set examples that I wanted to imitate. I had a lot of upper-

classmen really living and loving the faith, talking about it amongst each other, and sharing it with me when I asked.”

In line with his own experience, Kacal said he finds the Catholic student population grows organically.

“Make internal conversion your priority, and people will notice,” Kacal said.

Kacal, Whalen, and Hufford all said they see the growth of the Hillsdale Catholic community as a gradual, grassroots movement.

“Catholic communities that exist outside of Hillsdale are falling in love with the school and talking amongst themselves about how robust the faith is here,” Kacal said. “They’re sending more and more family members and friends. I think it’s really a national phenomenon.”

According to Whalen, the increase in Catholic community at Hillsdale also has to do with the growing commitment of its members.

“The kind of Catholic drawn to Hillsdale College is not the accidental Catholic,” Whalen said. “It tends to be the more devout, the more serious, and the better catechized Catholic.” Hillsdale’s nonsectarian Christian identity may serve to increase the commitment of its Catholic community, Whalen said.

“Hillsdale College does not carry your Catholic identity for you,” Whalen said. “At Catholic colleges, in an accidental and unintended way, the college can be seen to relieve its students of the burden of carrying the flame of Catholicism themselves.”

Twenty-one years since Catholic Society’s founding, it boasts a wealth of participants and activities. According to Reilly Demara, vice president of Catholic Society, 1,053 students, professors, and parents are on the Catholic Society’s mailing list.

“How do you know how the Catholic culture is? It’s not just a feeling,” Whalen said, highlighting the many devotional and intellectual activities that Catholics on campus participate in, such as talks by visiting religious sisters, in-dorm Bible

studies, and movie nights.

As Conviviums stretch the Grotto’s limits by the week, Hufford says he looks to God’s providence.

“God is sending all these people to the Grotto because it draws them close to him,” Hufford said. “And if he’s going to send all these people, then he’s going to provide the space. I think God really smiles on the Grotto. I’m not totally sure what the future is. But pray for us.”

Cole said students should embrace Catholic Society’s growth with humble gratitude.

“The language of grace takes on a very concrete meaning and becomes palpable when you see how something so modest has grown into something so vibrant,” Cole said. “It blows my mind.”

Students celebrate Mass at the Grotto every Tuesday, often having to kneel for space. Courtesy | Anna Heldt

Tillotson and her housemates lived at the Grotto before St. Anthonys bought the house. Courtesy | Mary Tillotson

“I thought he deserved the privilege of a lot more competition, so his wins would taste sweeter. ”

FEATURES

Who

By Jillian Parks Culture editor

Hillsdale junior Nathan Stanish is a social media celebrity. But not on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube.

Stanish has 20,000 followers on Quora, where he has 87 million content views and holds the top most-viewed writer spot in multiple topics, ranging from Marvel to tennis.

“I don’t exactly remember how I found out he was Quora famous — before meeting Nathan I didn’t know that was something you could be,” junior Ruthie Chinery said. “The fact that he even has lore as one of the most popular Quora teens is the most baffling thing of all. In one day, I not only found out that Quora was a website, but that one of my friends was famous on it.”

Quora, a website where users can quickly answer niche questions, is not commonly understood as a social media platform. But when Stanish stumbled across the platform in January 2018 during his freshman year of high school, he found it to be an outlet for practicing his writing and a place for a stable community. It was something his other hobby — editing Wikipedia pages — didn’t offer.

“I started to realize Quora was closer to what I actually wanted to do, which was just to write,” Stanish said. “Unlike Twitter or Facebook, where it’s primarily about your brand and selling your message, Quora is more interested in actually discussing information and sharing knowledge.”

Three to four months after starting his Quora account, Stanish began writing on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By January 2019, his account had hit 1 million content views, and he was the topviewed writer in the Marvel category.

“At school, I felt like I was well known, but you wouldn’t call me the ‘popular kid’ or anything,” Stanish said. “Quora had an effect on me big time. It gave me some, I would say, false confidence. But above all, it kept creating this huge dichotomy between my online presence and my real presence.”

The dichotomy was so distinct even his parents didn’t know about it.

“They’d ask what I was doing, and I would lie and say, ‘I’m doing a project’ or something like that,” Stanish said. “It just spiraled to the point where it was like I was leading a total double life.”

There was more going on than simply answering people’s questions about Superman. Underneath his answers, upvotes, and followers, there were Discord servers, or online chat rooms, friendships, and even fangirls that took Q&A to a different place.

“It was definitely becoming an ego thing,” Stanish said. “I wouldn’t share this with people in real life at the time, but I was enjoying it. I would estimate that there were at least

Stanish?

200 fangirls who left regular, positive content interactions and maybe 20 to 30 obsessive people who liked to read everything I wrote and messaged me. I would get a lot of weird messages.”

In January 2019, Stanish discovered “Teen Quora ‘’ and joined a Discord server where the popular teen writers would communicate.

“I joined the ‘Teen Quora’ Discord server, which was probably a bad idea,” Stanish said. “I joined to get to know some of the writers, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty fun.’ I started to talk to other people about their writing experience, get to know the community, and plug in more.”

From here, Stanish established his gimmick; most of the popular teen writers had one. They ranged from defenestration to venn diagrams to Stanish’s own — selfies and flirting.

in January 2020, his dad found out about the relationship, his Quora account, and his online persona.

“I would say that was probably God because my dad found everything,” Stanish said. “I was the goody two shoes. I did every ministry possible. I volunteered at the church as much as I could. I was super open about my faith. It just crushed them, especially my mom, because I was doing things that are contrary to my faith, while claiming to be an open, professing Christian in my writing.”

Stanish and his dad took up a daily Bible study going through “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges. His parents asked him to step away from volunteering at his church until his outward profession matched his inward practice.

“It was like my life had really fallen apart,” Stanish said.

ish’s freshman year roommate. “Dark room, single lit laptop monitor, and Nathan is hunched over with a bag of Cheerios and caramel m&ms sitting in his lap, furiously typing superhero lore or theological responses at 200 words per minute. This is the scene that I saw most days while being his roommate.”

In terms of Hillsdale involvement, Stanish maintains his commitment to doing a little bit of everything. He works as a student director of training and ambassador development for admissions.

“Nathan is just full of these fantastic ideas, which, very much relates to his Quora capabilities,” said Ashley DeMay, student director of hiring for admissions. “He’s also so spontaneous in the fact that he can come up with these genius ideas, just in an instant. It’s absolutely mind blowing. This guy is so creative.”

He also returned to working in ministry, currently serving on the Student Ministries Board and playing organ for the new EvenPraise services.

Related questions

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The gimmick caught on, and Stanish created “The Circle of Love,” a Discord server for him to communicate with his fan girls. It grew to about 400 members. Simultaneously, he gained popularity beyond just his answers.

“It’s just not healthy for a person with a homeschool background who wasn’t used to that kind of attention,” Stanish said.

Stanish was homeschooled until eighth grade when he began a hybrid learning program with his local public school, coming in to take a few classes throughout the day and heavily involving himself in after school extracurriculars.

“I’m a three-time all star in individual and group improv and spontaneous speaking, I did a lot of academic decathlon, and I was a state champion in the speech and essay competition my senior year,” Stanish said.

Despite his involvements and social personality, developing full-fledged relationships on a hybrid schedule was a challenge for Stanish.

“I knew a lot of people, and I was always super active in church, but I wasn’t really able to connect that deeply,” Stanish said. “I had some good friends, but having an online community where I’m not just the guy who visits for four classes at the time, that does make a difference.”

Eventually, one of these friendships developed into a relationship — one he was not allowed to have. During a search through Stanish’s phone

“And my dad helped me pick up the pieces. He was just so gentle. He was so gentle and kind in helping me realize, ‘You fell away from the path, let’s build you back up.’”

Concerned fans eventually caught onto Stanish’s disappearance. These fans took to Quora en masse to ask: what happened to Nathan Stanish?

One Quoran’s answer received almost 16,000 views.

“I am sure, once he gets out of high school, he will be back on Quora, but there were some serious personal issues he had to deal with on the home front,” one commentator, Madden, said. “He is a fascinating writer and will be even more so when he matures.”

Other responses were not nearly that diplomatic or flattering.

“I do not miss Nathan Stanish,” Mandy Mariano wrote. “He does have a way with words in his answers, but there are other good writers out there. He wasn’t the only good writer.”

Stanish decided to post a story with one of his iconic selfies to explain.

“It seemed like people were hating on my parents,” Stanish said. “The mentality was ‘how dare your parents. They’re too strict or overbearing.’ So, I specifically wrote about how my parents are the hero of this story. They rescued me.”

Stanish has since returned to Quora after convincing his skeptical parents, and he continues to write as a monetized hobby. “I want to set the scene for you,” said Jacob Fox, Stan-

“Nathan has been an enthusiastic and convicted member of the Student Ministry Board,” Chaplain Adam Rick said, “He’s thoughtful in his input, strategic with ministry ideas, and energetic in his service. He has a heart for seeing Christ glorified on campus which is invaluable to the success of our work. He’s also super outgoing, which has been a vital component of our outreach to campus as we’re getting something new off the ground. I’m thankful for him.”

Right: Stanish rocks a pink jacket that a fan gifted to him in the mail.

Bottom: Stanish edits a Quora post on a library computer.

Maddy Welsh | Collegian

is Nathan

How one student became the king of Quora with his hot takes, movie knowledge, and iconic pink jacket

“It was definitely becoming an ego thing. I wouldn’t share this with people in real life at the time, but I was enjoying it. ”