Student clubs will compete for extra funding at an event hosted by friend of the college Don Tocco on April 23.
The clubs will present to Tocco, founder of D.L. Tocco & Associates, a national marketing and business development firm, Athletic Director John Tharp, and Director of Athletic Development Jeff Lantis at 7 p.m. in Plaster Auditorium, with coffee and hors d’oeuvres beginning at 6:30 p.m. All students are invited to attend.
“The purpose of the annual Tocco Leadership Challenge is to support and encourage creative and successful leadership efforts on campus,” Tocco said in an email. “Fostering early leadership success at the college level truly prepares students for ‘real world’ scenarios. Each year, we ask the club presidents to step up to the podium and articulate their organization’s purpose, challenges, and various ways that they are helping fellow students or the community at large.”
The presentations will focus on the clubs’ mission, goals for growth, impact on the college community, and intended use of the potential funding.
“It is important for Hillsdale students to participate at a leadership level to help prepare them for the many and consequential future opportunities that lie ahead once they graduate,” Tocco said. “Never have we needed capable and ethical leadership in government, industry, economics, mass communications, and the sciences more than today.”
By Francesca Cella Assistant Editor
The Chargers won 11 events and broke three school records and one Great Midwest Athletic Conference record at the 56th annual Gina Relays hosted at Hillsdale College April 16-18.
Junior Amelia Lutz broke her own school record and the G-MAC record in shot put with a throw of 16.55 meters — the farthest throw in NCAA Division II this season, shattering the former G-MAC record of 16.38 meters.
Lutz also set the school
record in discus, placing fourth with a mark of 47.24 meters. Lutz won hammer throw, setting a personal best
What the
By Caroline Kurt Opinions Editor
mark of 55.20 meters, and placed seventh in javelin with a throw of 29.05 meters.
“I went in with very little expectations because I had already thrown decently far last week too,” Lutz said.
“Every weekend I feel like it’s up in the air how it’s going to go, but we had really good weather, and just having my supportive teammates around me and my family come up to watch — it was just so special.”
duck? Bird craze hits campus
When junior Anna Stirton envisioned her ding, it didn’t volve a 6-foot flower girl, the Arb, or a giant inflatable duck. But her friends had other ideas.
In the final weeks of the semes ter, a duck craze has struck campus from multiple directions. “Over spring break, I went with Lucy Bachiochi, Jacqueline Roth,
Amelia King, and Evelyn Shurtliff to the Outer Banks,” Stirton said.
“When I was on a run, they
were planning the duck wedding together. Because somehow, I seem like the type of person that would enjoy this.”
The friends planned the faux nuptials for Stirton’s 21st birthday.
“I was at Rough Draft with my boyfriend Rylan Conley getting a drink,” Stirton said. “Lucy asked me a couple days earlier, ‘Do you want to do something really low key and fun with the girls for your birthday? We’ll set something up in the Arb.’”
Alumnus releases new study app with coffee timer
By Skye Graham Social Media Manager
A Hillsdale alumnus turned his passion for memorizing Scripture into an app that students can use for studying.
William Schaerer ’16 created the app Swiftlit after using an online randomization tool to aid in memorizing out of order.
“I used to use a random number generator to memorize a lot of scripture quickly,” Schaerer said. “I would actually memorize the verses out of order, so that the hook to memorize would be the number.” He took this idea and turned it into a memorization feature on Swiftlit, which he released for iPhone users this March.
Users can input data and quiz themselves on terms and definitions, as well as large chunks of text.
Schaerer’s wife, Chelsea Schaerer, said she uses the flashcard tool in Swiftlit to memorize scripture.
How many students have graduated with perfect GPAs since 2022?
By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter
Nine students have graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA since 2022, according to a report from the registrar’s office.
An average of 141 students
“It’s
have a college committed to hiring really good teachers, and then saying, ‘Go do your thing, and we’re not going to hover over you and try to micromanage you,’” Schlueter said. “I don’t think we’ve generally had a problem with easy teachers.”
not as though all the students have gravitated to the reputational easy teachers, that’s not the case. It’s almost the opposite.”
have achieved a 4.0 GPA each semester, during that same time period. The average GPA for men and women in the fall 2025 semester was 3.46. This average has remained relatively consistent for the past five years.
“The amount of cumulative GPAs is not super surprising, because Hillsdale’s core is so varied, so inevitably, you’re going to take at least a few classes outside your area of strength,” said Christy Maier, director of Academic Services. “It makes sense that at some point in time, you would come up against something that is a little bit more difficult for you, and thus not have a 4.0.”
Students can receive 4.0 GPAs for multiple semesters, but in order to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, they must have a 4.0 GPA every semester.
Hillsdale does not have any required grading standards for professors, according to Nathan Schlueter, professor of philosophy and religion.
“It’s a great thing when you
Gaining the ability to think critically, write well, and work hard is far more valuable than achieving a 4.0, according to Maier.
“Sometimes there are people that get a 4.0. It’s great, but I think for most people, chasing a 4.0 means that they’re not going to pursue other really important goods,” Maier said.
Taking classes that a student finds fascinating and challenging are worth taking, for both their interest factor and the growth that comes with them, according to Maier.
“I try to steer and encourage students to pick a class where they can succeed, but I feel like success is measured in more than just a grade,” Maier said. “Success factors in all sorts of things, like, how engaged will they be in the class? How much will they learn from a particular class or professor? What do they want to get out of the class?”
Hillsdale to release its first film next month
By Skye Graham Social Media Manager
“I’ve been able to memorize a couple chapters so far,” she said. “There are multiple options, including hiding words, seeing only the first letter of each word, and taking verses out of order.” William Schaerer said he uses vibe coding through Gemini to program the app. Vibe coding, a term coined by coder Andrej Keparthy, is a programming technique in which people use AI to help write lines of code.
As a manager at the Hillsdale College Contact Center, William Schaerer started to think about how this concept could help the students he works with. William Schaerer said the reading pacer feature could be especially helpful to students.
“When I was assigned a 350-page book in school, I had a hard time figuring out how to pace myself,” William Schaerer said. “I eventually found a really annoying beep and put it on a minute loop.”
The reading pacer in Swiftlit is similar. Users can select the amount of pages they want to read and the amount of time they want to read them in, and a noise will sound at an interval so they can pace themselves.
Hillsdale College will release
“Revolutionary America” in theaters on May 31 for a threeday run in collaboration with specialty distributor Fathom Entertainment.
documentary, Hillsdale’s first theatrical release, covers the period from the end of the French and Indian War in 1763 through the ratification of the Constitution in 1789. It features interviews with Hillsdale history and politics professors, along with College President Larry Arnn, political commentator Michael Knowles, and author Eric Metaxas. “The question driving the film has been: ‘What kind of people would put everything on the line against the most powerful nation in the world?’ On paper, it was suicide,” said Ian Reid, the film’s director. “So, why would they do it? Directing this film has been about chasing that question.”
Peter Kazarian and Nathan Reynolds with their Chariot Races trophy (left), Graceland at Taste of Manning (middle), and Rylan Conley (right). See A2 for Taste of Manning coverage.
Left Photo Courtesy | Alex Buehrer Middle and Right Photos Courtesy | Gabriel Beckwith
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
See Track A5 See 4.0 A2
Freshman Taylor Brodeur in the steeplechase. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Senior Ross Kuhn hands the baton to senior Seth Jankowski.
Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Michael Knowles in the film.
Courtesy | Hillsdale Studios
Burt House takes first at Taste of Manning, Triplex in second
By Sophia Mandt Collegian Reporter
Burt House’s crème brûlée — made with a blowtorch — won this year’s Taste of Manning with 77 votes.
The Student Activities Board hosted Taste of Manning, an annual competition featuring free food made by students living off campus on Manning Street
April 18. Participating houses make different dishes, and the event’s attendees vote on the winners.
Triplex and Jungle were this year’s runners-up, with 25 and 21 votes for Greek pastries and bruschetta respectively.
Graceland’s bruschetta and Riverside’s gluten-free Oreo brownies tied for fourth place, with each house receiving 16
votes. Nine off-campus houses participated, according to junior Martha Kennedy, a member of SAB’s creative team.
“I love this event because it brings people together,” Kennedy said. “Living off-campus lets you experience that community, but for those who don’t, it’s nice to sample what it’s like. The food is definitely a plus — I almost cried when I had the crème brûlée, it was so good.”
Kennedy said she was impressed by the creativity of the different houses, with samples ranging from bruschetta to chicken and waffles. Her job was to coordinate with the different Manning Street houses and make each house have supplies for their dishes.
“We get to come and meet new people and taste a bunch of good food. It’s a great study break,” Kennedy said. “It takes 10 minutes to walk up and down and vote for whoever you think is best. And it’s a great way to get outside and meet new people.”
Senior and Lodge resident Lulu Celecia said she decided to participate in Taste of Manning because she lives on Manning Street. Her house made gimbap — Korean seafood rice rolls.
Celecia said she loves Manning Street’s culture.
“Taste of Manning is a chance to show the rest of the college what it looks like to live on this street,” she said in an email. “The street is more like a community than anything else. We definitely get the rep as a party street (which is well deserved), but it’s a lot more than that. It’s a super fun place to live any day of the week. Manning Street ’til I die,” she said.
Celecia said that while Burt House’s crème brûlée had the best setup, she thought every house outperformed last year’s event. She said this year’s highlights included the live music and quality time with her housemates, even if she had to do dishes the whole morning.
Senior and Graceland resident Karin Shively said her
housemates have attended Taste of Manning every year. Her house served bruschetta goat cheese bites, a recipe she credits senior Adelle May for providing.
“It’s a fun tradition, so we were excited to actually live in Manning and be able to make something of our own this year,”
Shively said.
She said she loves talking to people as they walk around Manning Street during the event.
“It’s been fun to talk to people and try to convince them that ours is the best,” Shively said.
Junior Henry Webster, who will live in Burt next year, passed out spoons at Burt House to attendees.
“I think it was a whole house contribution, but I think Elijah
Actor Tom Selleck, known for his starring roles in television shows such as “Blue Bloods” and “Magnum, P.I.,” narrates the film.
“Tom Selleck is a tremendous talent with an amazing voice,” Regan said. “It was a privilege to work with him, and his narration is great.”
The documentary focuses on key events, battles, and stories of the American Revolution, Regan said.
“Revolutionary America” will play in 729 theaters but may
come to more theaters if ticket sales are high, Regan said. The nearest showings will be in Jackson, Battle Creek, and Lansing, Michigan.
Reid said compiling the interviews was a demanding creative challenge for him.
“We ended up with around 40 hours of interviews alone,” Reid said. “The real challenge is taking all that material and distilling it into a clear, compelling narrative that works in about 90 minutes.”
A team of collaborators from Hillsdale and production com-
pany Distant Moon worked for months to compile interviews, edit the material, design sound, and add visual effects, according to Reid. The film took a year and a half to complete.
Associate Professor of Politics John Grant, who was interviewed for the film, said the interview process taught him how to articulate concepts for a documentary format.
“My favorite part of working on this project was thinking about how to present the material for a documentary film,” Grant said. “Considering the
audience and format provoked me to think in new ways about the content.”
The documentary also features Professor of Politics Thomas West, who spoke about the Founders’ theories on natural rights and equality.
“I was glad to share, as best I could, what I have learned about the Founders’ political theory over the years,” West said. “I look forward to seeing what I hope will be an exemplary college project.”
Regan said the documentary emphasizes the continuing
responsibility of citizens to understand American history in order to preserve Founding principles.
“In the telling of ‘Revolutionary America,’ the conclusion of the revolution really came with the ratification of the Constitution,” Regan said. “But as Dr. Arnn says, the revolution continues because it falls to every American citizen to preserve our way of life and the principles of liberty that the Founders established.” Tickets are available at hillsdale.edu/film.
Pangrazio was the main force behind the crème brûlée,” he said.
Webster said he thought Burt had a great house set-up. Attendees walked up to the home’s porch to get crème brûlée from a porch window, and a spoon from another window.
Webster said he thinks Taste of Manning provides a great last chance for senior fellowship.
“For the seniors, they’re just trying to spend time with everyone and enjoy the time they have left. I think everyone, seniors and underclassmen, understand that,” Webster said. “It’s a great chance for them to share a little snack or some food with people.”
It is important for students to challenge themselves so they can develop virtues that they would not get if they were just trying to navigate through all the easy stuff, according to Schlueter.
“What’s amazing to me is that over the years, it’s not as though all the students have gravitated to the reputational easy teachers, that’s not the case. It’s almost the opposite,” Schlueter said.
Employers care more about an applicant’s experience and ability to think than they do GPAs, according to Chad Wilcox, executive director of Career Services.
“As somebody who has hired many, many people and interviewed many more than that, you’re looking at, does this person know how to think? What are the proxies for that?” Wilcox said. “I can tell you that this is an area where Hillsdale shines, because the people who know something about Hillsdale know that they teach you how to think here.”
Grades can be important in certain contexts, such as applying for graduate school or law school, but Hillsdale alumni often do very well despite not having a 4.0, according to Wilcox.
“If you have a 4.0, shout it from the rooftops. Why not?” Wilcox said. “But what employers are looking for is evidence that you know how to think, evidence that you’ve gotten things done and evidence of some real world skills that are going to be a proxy that I know that you’re going to be a good employee.”
Going off of conventional assumptions, law schools see which students take difficult classes, and consider that when looking at GPA, according to Schlueter.
“Our students who have gotten into the top law schools have not always had 4.0s. We’ve had students with 3.7 GPAs and 3.8 GPAs get into top law schools,” Schlueter said. “I think they just showed the whole package of their application. They showed that they were very smart and capable, and where the bad grades showed up were in places where it would be reasonable.”
Film from A1
4.0 from A1
Senior students at Taste of Manning. Gabriel Beckwith | Student Activites Board
Senior Burt House residents Judah Newsom (left) and Elijah Pangrazio hand out their crème brûlée Courtesy | Martha Kennedy
City News
Fayette Township postpones solar panel decision
By Sydney Green Senior reporter
The proposed solar panel project in Fayette Township will remain in limbo until at least May 7, following a unanimous vote by the planning commission April 16 to delay deliberations until then.
The postponement comes weeks after the Fayette Township Planning Commission adopted a new ordinance on April 1 restricting renewable energy developments, including the proposed Heartwood Solar II project. This second phase could span more than 1,300 acres, covering about 10% of the township. The project’s smaller, first phase is almost completed, and the Collegian previously reported there could be a potential third phase of more than 2,000 acres.
Ranger Power, the Chicago-based developer behind the project, presented updates to its application at a public hearing last Thursday aimed at complying with the township’s newly adopted Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance.
Brady Friss, the development manager for Ranger Power, said the company has revised its plans since its initial December 2025 submission.
“We’ve worked to update our application to bring it into compliance and additionally address feedback that we’ve heard,” Friss said during the meeting.
Friss outlined several additions, including environmental assessments, emergency response planning, stormwater management strategies and a strengthened decommissioning plan. He emphasized coordination with agencies such as
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
He also highlighted potential economic benefits, including an estimated $20 million in property tax revenue over 40 years and local grant funding.
“These projects are completely voluntary,” Friss said. “These are landowners that have farmed their property for years and generations, and they feel that this is the best use of their private property.”
Tony Weldy, a property owner in Fayette Township, expressed frustration with the amount of farmland potentially being converted.
“Twenty-six percent of our farmland is going to go to this. Enough is enough, that is way more than it should be,” Weldy said in the meeting. “I just want you guys to consider how much is enough — what
America 250 celebrations come to
By Anna Broussard
DeSign eDiotr
Thousands of visitors are expected in Hillsdale for the All-American Hometown Celebration this weekend for a three-day festival featuring a rodeo, classic car show, vintage train, and a Freedom Truck commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
Presented by Hillsdale College, the business community of Hillsdale, and the Freedom 250 Commission, the Freedom Truck will make one of six national stops and the only stop in Michigan April 23. The truck will be located at the intersection of East College and North Manning streets, beginning Thursday, April 23. Friday, the Great American Rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m. with free entry at the door at the Hillsdale County fairgrounds. On Saturday, a classic car show and the first farmers market of the year will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. in the courthouse square, organized by Hillsdale Renaissance.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, will bring several 20th-century vintage passenger train cars for display on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Hillsdale College, the train will be located at 50 Monroe St. across from Hillsdale Brewing Company.
The activities are all free
High
to community members and visitors, with a schedule of events at hometown250.hillsdale.edu.
“We’re anticipating a lot of people coming to Hillsdale this weekend,” Assistant City Manager Sam Fry said. “We want people to go ahead and visit and see the Freedom Truck exhibit, but we also want both our residents and visitors to have a chance to kind of get out and enjoy a really fun weekend of stuff.”
Hillsdale will become a destination town this weekend, according to Fry. The
their reach and their audience,” Miggins said. “They’ve just been really gracious to offer that to the town for us to continue the party after the truck closes at five.”
The collaboration between the city and the college is essential to building a better relationship, Miggins said.
“We really do want to see a lot more unity with the town and the gown,” Miggins said.
The college helped design the banners hung around the downtown, helping the town get into the patriotic spirit for the weekend, Director of
“The city wants to do our part.”
City of Hillsdale, in collaboration with the college, is projecting several thousand people for the America 250 celebration, Fry said.
“The city wants to do our part, not only to help celebrate and honor our nation’s history, but we also want our downtown to look really festive and patriotic,” Fry said.
Hillsdale Renaissance is helping to coordinate the efforts between the city and college, according to Charlie Miggins ’25, events director for Hillsdale Renaissance.
“Hillsdale College was super gracious and awesome with extending their events manpower to this, but also
school
By Cassandra DeVries Senior reporter
Keith Rushing won ArtWorks’ Artist of the Year title April 9 for his work conducting the Hillsdale High School band.
The ArtWorks Artist of the Year award honors an individual in the Hillsdale community who has supported and contributed to the arts for many years, according to ArtWorks President Connie Sexton.
Rushing’s nomination cited his “healthy dose of creative chaos” that helped students enjoy learning.
“I had no idea I was going to get an award,” Rushing said. “They came in during my band class and gave the award to me with all my students watching. So that was meaningful.”
Rushing has been teaching music in Michigan for 30 years and teaches the trumpet, trombone, flute, clarinet, and saxophone to middle and high schoolers. Rushing will retire
is next? Data centers? Battery storage centers?” Sylvia Valdez, a Fayette Township resident, pointed to inconsistencies with the township’s master plan.
“It was mentioned in previous meetings that we have a master plan, and that in the master plan it says this land is agricultural,” Valdez said at the April 16 meeting. “I’m wondering, what is the point of having a master plan if we are not going to follow it? Also, whatever happened to government by the people and for the people?”
Carrie Oleszkowicz, wife of Steve Oleszkowicz, Fayette Township resident and founder of No Solar Fayette, said she moved to Hillsdale to avoid suburban expansion.
“I want my children to grow up in a farming community,” Oleszkowicz said at the meet-
ing. “I have been running from suburban sprawl my entire life; it just devastated me to see all this land taken. I didn’t want that. So I kept leaving.”
Oleszkowicz said she chose the Hillsdale County area specifically for its zoning and rural nature, adding the proposed project feels like a repeat of development patterns she tried to avoid.
“It’s very disappointing that all of a sudden there’s industrialization coming, because I feel like it’s happening again,” Oleszkowicz. “I’m really tired of it, and I don’t want this community to be destroyed.”
The planning commission consulted Shane Peterson, an engineer for Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering Services, an engineering and architecture firm with an office in Kalamazoo. Peterson found the application largely complete but
identified several areas needing clarification before final approval.
Among the issues cited were missing site plan details such as inconsistencies in setback measurements, incomplete stormwater and traffic safety information, and the need for clearer landscaping and screening requirements.
“None of the identified issues rise to the level of recommending denial,” Peterson said at the meeting. “In short, the project is viable, but several technical and administrative details must be resolved to ensure full compliance with township ordinances.”
The meeting will be open again for public comment to discuss the potential installation of the solar-panel project. It will be held on May 7 at 7 p.m. in the Jonesville High School cafetorium.
Project Management in Hillsdale’s marketing department Michelle Sprott, said in an email.
“A hometown celebration of America’s 250th anniversary brings Hillsdale College and the city together in a way that strengthens the entire community,” Sprott said. “It connects generations by blending the town’s and college’s traditions. Working together has helped both groups to create meaningful events for visitors of all ages that highlight our area’s place in the nation’s story. Most importantly, it builds lasting partnerships that continue to benefit the community and
college long after the celebration ends.”
Hillsdale City restricts parking after woman struck in crosswalk
The college estimates around 2,000–3,000 visitors attending the events throughout the weekend. The Freedom Truck will be open 12:30-5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sprott said.
The train exhibit will allow visitors to celebrate the nation’s anniversary with a display of true Americana, Vice President of Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Luke Kelly said.
“The train represents a cross section of Americana that lasts over a century,” Kelly said. “The railroads were the predominant way to travel and get around. It’s how a town like Hillsdale was connected to the rest of the United States. You could get to any corner of America by taking a train out of Hillsdale, and it would have been on a train like this.”
The rodeo, farmers market, car show, and train exhibit will provide visitors with many opportunities to see what downtown Hillsdale has to offer, Miggins said.
“Everything is free and everything is walkable,” Miggins said. “We want to showcase the charm of the town during that time with those two events.”
By Adriana Azarian ASSiStAnt eDitor
The Hillsdale City Council voted to limit parking on McCollum Street near where a pedestrian was struck in February.
The traffic control order, passed 8-0, seeks to improve visibility in the crosswalk where pedestrian Joni Norris was hit by a Hillsdale County utility vehicle on Feb. 17. She was crossing McCollum Street at its intersection with North Broad Street. Norris died from her injuries March 7.
The order limits parking on McCollum Street, the road which runs between Ethan’s Donut Factory and Hillsdale Filling Station. The new rule applies to the part of the road between Broad and Ferris Streets.
“We had some stakeholders in the community approach us about trying to make the intersection a little bit more safe,” said Hillsdale Police and Fire Chief Kristopher Joswiak. “We sat down, discussed it, and came up with a plan to move some parking around a little bit, add a little bit more visibility to that intersection.”
Parking will be limited on the north side from the point 38 feet east of the crosswalk to the point 25 feet west of the alleyway. On the south side of McCollum Street, drivers may use the two-hour parking between the point 62 feet east of the crosswalk to a point 25 feet west of Ferris Street. On the south side of McCollum Street, there will be 22 feet of designated space, beginning 40 feet east of the crosswalk, for 20-minute loading and unloading. It will have a painted parking space, according to the traffic control order.
Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino said the TCO “seems like a good idea.” Joswiak said the parking situation already complied with state law, but the new parking restrictions will make the crosswalk more visible. He said the curb is already painted yellow to designate no parking, but placing a sign there will make it stand out to drivers.
“The rationale behind that [traffic control order] is to clean up that intersection, because of the angle it’s at, to make it safer for pedestrian traffic,” Joswiak said.
band teacher wins Artist of the Year award
from teaching May 2026.
Gayle Gambill, the mother of several of Rushing’s students, nominated Rushing for the award.
Her son, Brahm Gambill, said he loved playing under Rushing, also known as “Doc.”
“I played for Doc for eight years. He helped me grow my passion for music. Through his daily leadership, he helped me become a better leader myself,” Brahm Gambill said. “The attitude he approached learning with made you want to work harder and enjoy the process at the same time.”
David Boswell taught with Rushing for 25 years, directing the high school’s choir while Rushing directed the band. Boswell said he was not surprised when Rushing received the award.
“Keith is a great band teacher. The kids adore him, and he is able to get a level of performance out of them that challenges them. It’s very difficult
music, and it’s well done. He is a very good musician,” Boswell said.
ing also start ed a jazz band at the high school in 2001.
Rushing played jazz in college and said jazz is his favorite material to teach.
“One of the hardest things is what we call the rhythm sec-
tion. Teaching, building, and developing that is hard,” Rushing said. “To start the jazz band, I try to find my
Boswell praised Rushing’s jazz bands.
“He shows up every day with the same dedication to help those kids get as far as they can. And he’s had some really, really top-notch high school jazz bands,” Boswell said. “He even had a student who became the drum major of the University of Michigan marching band. He’s had some students with some great success.”
Rushing also plays jazz with Hillsdale College and sings and plays guitar at local coffee shops.
works board for several years. She said Rushing’s commitment to being involved in Hillsdale’s art scene out of the classroom sets him apart.
“My favorite thing about him is that he does not just teach it, but he’s a practicing artist in town. He’ll pop up at the pub here and there and play a gig. And it’s really fun to go watch him,” Walworth said. “He practices what he teaches, and I think that just gives him so much strength and passion.”
best drummer and teach them. It’s really the most important part of the jazz band for me, because they lay down the baseline and have to know everything.”
“He’s an important part of the Hillsdale arts community in many ways, even beyond his teaching,” Boswell said.
Rushing was a founding director of Artrageous in the early 2000s. Artrageous was a three-day festival celebrating the arts, including jazz, poetry, and a large visual arts display.
Sarah Walworth teaches at Hillsdale High School with Rushing and served on the Art-
During retirement, Rushing said he plans to play his guitar, work on his house, and spend lots of time fishing on his pontoon boat.
“He definitely displays the characteristics of an artist of the year,” Walworth said. “He’s an overall inspiring teacher, passionate about his work, dedicated to his work, and he’s really made his program grow from the time he got there until now.”
Keith Rushing won ArtWorks’ Artist of the Year award. Courtesy | Keith rushing
Student athletes capitalize on their brand
By Sophia Mandt Collegian Reporter
With brand deals from Bubbl’r to Underdog Athletics, Hillsdale student athletes are taking advantage of 2021 NCAA rule changes that now allow college athletes to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness.
Senior linebacker Jacob Maloney said he didn’t receive any money from promoting the supplement company, “Get Shifted,” on his Instagram page.
“I would just post here and there, and they would send me free supplements,” Maloney said. “It was super easy. They were always having me try new stuff.”
Maloney said he eventually stopped promoting the company’s products after the company started to require more promotion on his social media accounts.
“We can do that type of stuff,” Maloney said. “There are just some requirements, like not having the Hillsdale logo in your post. You have to be representing your own Name, Image, and Likeness because if it’s the school, then they should be getting the product, not us.”
Junior thrower Olivia Newsom said she promotes the sparkling water brand Bubbl’r because she had already been drinking the product for years
before having a brand deal with the company.
“They sent me Bubbl’rs just for me to promote them,” Newsom said. “To maintain the deal, I have to post on my Instagram story at least four times a month, or post one Instagram post with Bubbl’r and just tag them.”
Freshman sprinter Anna Roessner said she has three brand deals — Bubble Skincare, Honey Stinger, and Underdog Athletics.
“It’s super easy to apply, and it’s kind of fun to pro mote stuff,” Roessner said. “Mostly they’ll send you a product, and you’ll make a video or about it. And then you complete little tasks for them, like com menting on their Instagram posts. Then you get points, and in turn they’ll send you products.”
Roessner said she has a brand deal with Under dog Athletics, an athletic clothes company because of the company’s Christian message.
“They promote Christian ideologies in sports and the
fact that sports shouldn’t come before God,” Roessner said. “I thought that was a really cool mindset, and they sent me a shirt.”
Roessner said it’s easy to have multiple brand deals so long as the products don’t compete with one another.
Hillsdale Internal Operations and Compliance Manager Anike Stepke ’23 said there are a multitude of ways for athletes to get NIL deals.
“It’s becoming quite easy,” Stepke said. “In the NCAA, there are a bunch of legal battles going on right now about it because it’s so unregulated, so we’ve put our own regulations in place.
Stepke said she supports NIL deals as long as they don’t step on students’ amateur status.
“College sports generate a ton of revenue, and so I think the athletes getting a cut of that without violating their amateur status is a good thing,” Stepke said. “But I do think because it has been so unregulated that it has negatively impacted athletics at the highest level.”
Stepke said Hillsdale’s regulations prevent student-athletes from promoting products that go against the mission of the college or conflict with the athletic department’s brand deals. Stepke also said the size of Hillsdale allows the college to enforce regulations consistently.
Track from A1 Feature
Junior Olivia Newsome came in second in hammer throw with a mark of 52.63 meters, followed by junior Regan Wight with a personal best of 51.29 meters. Sophomore Tori Tyo took sixth with a mark of 48.22 meters.
Senior Ben Haas won hammer throw and broke his own school record with a mark of 69.28 meters, the second-best mark in NCAA DII this season and the fifth-best mark in G-MAC history. He also took first in the shot put and threw 17.91 meters.
Freshman Dominic Scharer was runner-up in hammer throw with a mark of 62.90 meters, and senior Matthew Belanich came in fourth with a throw of 58.01 meters. Junior Dimitry Ermakov set a personal best of 56.57 meters and placed fifth.
In men’s 3K steeplechase, freshman Jefferson Regitz took second with a personal best time of 9:18.84, followed by sophomore Zach Self in fourth with a personal best of 9:30.06, sophomore John Ahrabi in sixth at 9:46.00, and junior Noah Gazmin in seventh at 9:47.90.
Freshman Taylor Brodeur won the women’s steeplechase in her second time racing
it and set a personal best of 11:02.02. Senior Anna Roberts took sixth with a time of 11:27.96, and freshman Mavis Banks came in eighth with a personal best of 11:35.45.
“The first time I did the steeplechase, I didn’t even feel like I was racing –– I didn’t want it to be over,” Brodeur said. “I was just having fun. That’s how I felt again this time, so it was really fun. My goal this season is to break 11 minutes, and I hit 11:02, which I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be able to get that close so early.”
Hillsdale’s four top-nine finishers in the men’s 5K ran personal bests and broke 15 minutes, with senior Emil Schlueter taking third in 14:51.40 and senior Nathaniel Osborne in fourth at 14:51.40. Freshman John Richardson came in fifth in 14:53.10, and junior Caleb Youngstedt took ninth in 14:57.00.
“Never in my time in the program have four of our athletes broken 15 in the same race,” Schlueter said. “To have that many distance athletes on the guys’ side be in that kind of fitness is very exciting for us. Our coach gave us instructions to run the first two miles at 15-minute pace –– at a measured effort –– and then to push hard in that last mile, almost as more of a training
What is your favorite form of potato? French Fries.
Who do you look up to most and why?
Scottie Scheffler. He is the best golfer in the world but also super humble and a good person. Also my parents because they have supported me my whole life.
Waffles or Pancakes?
Chocolate chip pancakes and Belgian waffles.
run than a full out race. So for four of us to go under 15 pretty substantially is very encouraging to us.”
In the women’s 5K, sophomore Ally Kuzma came in first with a time of 16:49.20. Senior Ross Kuhn won the 1500-meter in 3:45.63, and Richardson came in sixth in 3:58.53.
In sprints, freshman Watson Magwenzi ran the 100-meter in 10.63 and took sixth, while freshman Wyatt Widolff came in eighth in the 400-meter with a time of 48.52.
Freshman Anna Roessner won the 100m with a time of 11.60 that ties with her personal best. Senior Lucy Minning came in third in 11.69. In the 800-meter, freshman Caroline Roberts took third with a personal best of 2:15.45, followed by junior Megan Roberts in sixth with a time of 2:16.36.
In the 100m hurdles, sophomore Sarah Chappelle took fourth in 14.08, followed by sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann in 10th with a personal best time of 14.98. Zitzmann took second in high jump with a clearance of 1.65 meters, and freshman Bristol Whitley placed fifth at 1.60 meters, followed by senior Erika Mogelvang in sixth at 1.60 meters.
Junior Tommy Flud won
javelin with a throw of 58.81 meters, and senior Connor McCormick won men’s pole vault with a clearance of 4.70 meters. Senior Tara Townsend won women’s pole vault with a clearance of 4.07 meters.
“I am just incredibly grateful to be the head coach at Hillsdale College right now,” Jessica Bridenthal, who was named head coach at the beginning of the 2025 season, said. “I’m super happy with how our athletes have just bought into wanting to be successful and to compete at the highest level that they can compete. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved this year, and I think we’re not done yet.”
The Gina Relays commemorate Gina Van Laar Lanser ’88, who won Hillsdale’s only cross country national championship, was President’s Ball queen, outstanding senior woman, and class valedictorian in her time at the college. This year is the 30th anniversary of her and her unborn daughter’s passing in a car accident in 1996.
The Chargers will host the annual Tune-Up meet April 24-25 and the G-MAC Outdoor Championships April 29-May 1.
I’m not Tom Brady: It’s OK to retire early
By Jamie Parsons Assistant Editor
When I was 15 years old, I went from having the best swim career of my life to the worst. I qualified for nationals in open water and was swimming my fastest times in the pool. Then one day, I developed tendonitis in my shoulders, lost mobility in my neck, and overall strength in my body.
The doctors told me I had over trained and now had the flexibility of an 85-year-old. They sent me to receive treatment from multiple physical therapists and a chiropractor. Luckily, my health improved, but my body was never the same. I was forced to start rethinking my future with swimming.
I approached the situation realistically: Division I schools were out of the picture, old times no longer counted if I could no longer make them, and early retirement from competitive swimming could happen in the future. Those who did not understand the severity of my situation viewed my realistic mindset as negative. I needed to have a positive mindset and set goals that the doctors said were physically beyond my ability.
I chose to swim in college, but how I made that decision was a bit chaotic. After going on a recruiting trip to Hillsdale College and falling in love with the team, I committed to swim.
A few months later, I experienced another health flare-up and decommitted. I still chose to attend Hillsdale for the academics.
But when I set foot on campus, I knew I was not ready to give up swimming. I felt like I hadn’t made the decision to quit, my shoulders had. Graciously, the coach allowed me to join the team.
Competitive swimming has been in my life since I was 2 years old. I grew up going to my older sisters’ swim practices and meets, and eventually joined the club team when I was 5. The world of swimming introduced me to life-long friendships and mentors, and instilled in me personal values such as perseverance, attentiveness, and respect. For that reason, swimming will always be a part of who I am.
I spent the majority of my freshman year kicking in practice per doctors’ request. After making great progress on my shoulders, I was given permission to swim at the conference meet at the end of the season.
My sophomore and junior year, I built up to swimming my specialty events: the mile, the 1000 yard freestyle, and the 500 yard freestyle. Despite my improvement, my shoulder
pain returned. When I thought about my last year in college, I didn’t want to go to bed every night with throbbing shoulders, or take painkillers before every workout. So I decided to say goodbye to competitive swimming.
Athletes never truly feel ready to take a step back from their sport. For years, you live according to your sport, sacrificing nights out for practices and weekends for competitions. But there comes a point in everyone’s career when it must end, and for some, that end comes a bit sooner than anticipated.
One question when making my decision was how my team would react. I heard horror stories about athletes who quit their sport, only to then have their team turn its back on them. But true friends and your team will see and want what is in your best interest. I also wondered how I would keep in shape. What I quickly discovered, however, was that the question I should have been asking myself is how do I slow down to develop an alternative healthy lifestyle. I used to think working out for three hours a day, six days a week, was essential to being healthy because that was what I did when I was competing. I learned over time that it’s not actually always healthy for the human body to undergo that much intense exercise, particularly mine. When I quit, I was also nervous that I would be bored or more prone to procrastinating on schoolwork without a strict schedule to hold me accountable. Surprisingly, I found it easy to fill in my schedule. I now work for the school newspaper, The Collegian, film sports games for the Hillsdale Audio Visual department, and take walks with my friends every day.
If you are thinking about retiring early, I recommend sitting on your decision long enough to know it wasn’t a capricious one, as well as talking it through with people who know you and can provide sound advice without clouding your judgement.
Every athlete’s decision to retire early is unique. Although they look similar on paper, people have their own story and their own reasons for quitting. But most athletes share the same questions and concerns about life in retirement. As someone who does not like change, I will say life after early retirement was a bit of an adjustment, but I am happier for it. The unknown is daunting, but if you are already unsure about the now, you might as well take a chance on the future.
Biggest pet peeve? When my roommate makes a mess and doesn’t clean it up.
What's your favorite car? Tow Mater.
Oliver Marshall
Compiled by Hershey Hackberry
Charger
Photo Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
Favorite hype song? "Unapologetic" by Polo G and NLE Choppa.
Baseball
Hillsdale enters home series after losses
By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor
The Hillsdale baseball team lost three of four games at home against the University of Findlay April 17-20 before losing 13-8 to No. 14 ranked Wayne State University April 21, moving its overall record to 18-23 and its conference record to 12-12.
“We had a few opportunities to win Games 3 and 4 against the first-place team and simply couldn’t capitalize,” head coach Tom Vessella said. “If a few bounces go our way, we would be in a very different position in conference. My hope is that a day like this motivates the guys going into this upcoming weekend which can make or break our season.”
Men ’s Tennis
After taking a 21-2 loss in the first game Friday, the Chargers won the second game 5-3.
Sophomore Will Lehman opened the scoring with an RBI single in a five-run first inning, capped off by junior Aaron Jasiak reaching on an error and driving in a run.
Junior Jacob Pallo pitched five innings of three-run ball for the win, and sophomore Josh Novak threw two scoreless innings to earn the save.
“We were able to take advantage of some Findlay mishaps in Game 2 and score those 5 runs right away in the first, and Pallo and Novak pitched very well to secure that win,” sophomore Gaard Swenson said.
The Chargers lost both
games on Monday, 6-4 and 4-3, respectively.
“Especially in Games 2-4, we were able to put the Findlay pitchers under some pressure,” Swenson said. “We’re starting to overcome our strikeout problem that we had earlier in the year as an offense. Findlay is a good team, and we played them close, and I have confidence in our guys the next time we face them.”
Pallo said he is happy with the overall performance of the pitching staff in the series.
“Our staff competed very well minus the first game,” Pallo said. “Collectively, everyone did their jobs to keep us in every ball game. We definitely had our chances to win over the course of Games 3 and 4, but we just never could put it all to-
Women ’s Tennis
gether. It was great to see that we could compete in the zone against a good hitting team like Findlay.”
Pallo said the competitiveness of the pitching staff has improved over the course of the season.
“We have multiple guys every weekend who are giving an extra inning if needed, or doing whatever they can to help the team win,” Pallo said. “As a staff, especially the last two weekends, we have pitched very well, with one game exception. Everyone who has thrown has put us in a spot to win and it is great to see.”
The Chargers will play a four-game series at home against Tiffin University April 24-26, concluding with Senior Day at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Regular season ends with even record
By Patrick Matteson Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale men’s tennis team closed out Great Midwest Athletic Conference play with a 4-2 loss to Walsh University April 18. The Chargers finished the regular season with an overall record of 9-9 and 4-4 in the G-MAC.
Short-handed, Hillsdale was forced to forfeit at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles, giving Walsh two automatic points before play began.
Despite that disadvantage, the Chargers competed closely in doubles. Junior Ellis Klanduch and sophomore
Sam Plys earned a 6-3 win on court No. 1. Sophomore Alex Cordero Lopez and freshman Jackson Clements fell 6-2 on court No. 2, however, allowing Walsh to secure the doubles point.
“We were already down before the match even started, so we were the underdogs,” Clements said. “We had nothing to lose, and all the pressure was on them. We almost beat them, which shows just how good our team is.”
Needing four wins in five singles matches, Hillsdale found early momentum. Klanduch picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win on court No. 2, and
Cordero Lopez followed with a 6-4, 6-1 victory on court No. 3 to keep the Chargers within reach.
“I have the confidence in my game to know what I want to do on court and have the capability to execute it,” Cordero Lopez said. “My best tennis comes out when I am enjoying myself on court, and having fun is the most important thing.”
Walsh clinched the match on singles courts No. 1 and 5, where Plys fell 7-6, 6-4 and Clements lost 6-3, 6-3, respectively. Sophomore Rintaro Goda led 7-5, 2-1 on court No. 4 when play was halted.
“I thought we played pretty well overall considering the circumstances,” head coach Keith Turner said. “It should give us confidence going into the G-MAC Tournament. Hopefully I'll have a couple guys back in the lineup by then.”
Hillsdale will look to reset as it heads to Owensboro, Kentucky to face Walsh again in the quarterfinals of the G-MAC Tournament April 23.
“Hopefully, we can learn from our matches this week and apply it to our matches next week,” Clements said.
Chargers in fourth for conference games
By Blake Schaper Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale softball team won both of their games against Thomas More University April 21. This moved Hillsdale to a 13-5 record, putting them in fourth place in the overall standings of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
In their first game, the Chargers scored a 3-2 victory.
“They have taken a couple of games from the top teams in the conference already this year,” senior Emma Sather said. “Their strategy coming into this game was to come out of the gates swinging hard and getting ahead early.”
Freshman Maggie Hayward said although the offense was struggling, the team was able to score some impressive runs.
“Sophomore Nathalie Hagle hit a solo homerun to get our first run, and then utility player Olivia Ligouri hit a triple, so infielder Anna Chellman was able to score her on a sacrifice fly that tied the game,” Hayward said.
Head coach Kyle Gross said senior Mackenzie Maxson pitched a solid game, keeping the score balanced until the Chargers could gain a lead.
“We did what we needed to win that game, and Maxson did a great job after the first inning,” Gross said. “She only gave up two runs during that game.”
The Chargers won their second game 7-6, thanks to Hagle scoring a two-RBI hit at the bottom of the seventh inning.
Thomas More scored five runs in the first inning.
“None of those runs were earned by our freshman pitcher Katie Jonas; she only gave up one earned run all day,” Gross said. “Since some physical and mental errors happened all in one inning, Thomas More got to score five runs.”
Sather said Thomas More’s strategy going into the game was to score early, trying to break holes in the Charger’s defense. However, Sather said senior Taylor Lewis made sure they did not break through for the rest of the game.
“Lewis put together an excellent game both offensively and defensively,” Sather said. “She made two game-changing diving plays. She did the first one when the bases were loaded, preventing More from scoring some essential runs. She had the other one on the
top of the seventh inning, making sure Thomas More did not get any last-minute runs. She then went on to clutch some hits offensively to drive in some runs.”
Gross said he will focus on keeping discipline with his team as they prepare for the G-MAC.
“We should have a few more wins before the end of our conference season, and then it’s going to culminate with a top team, Ashland, on Sunday,” Gross said. “We’ve secured a spot in the tournament. Our hope is to play better than we did today when we were in there, and maybe we have a team that can win it all.”
The Chargers will face Kentucky Wesleyan College and Walsh University at home April 23 and 24.
Win streak carries into conference
By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor
The women’s tennis team defeated Ursuline College 7-0 April 17 and defeated Walsh University 4-2 April 18, ending its regular season with a record of 12-8. The team’s conference record is 6-3.
Head coach Melanie Zampardo said the match against Walsh lasted until 9 p.m. because they started the match playing on only two courts.
“It was a long day, but I’m proud of the girls when we have less than ideal conditions, and they still figure out a way to persevere and just do well,” Zampardo said.
Sura said one of the highlights was sophomore Briana Rees and junior Ané Dannhauser clinching the doubles point against Walsh. At No. 1 doubles, the match was close at 6-5, but Dannhauser and Rees won at 7-5.
“We’re able to hold strong, and I think that also encapsulates our team, and how we can win these tight matches against these tough opponents,” Sura said.
At No. 1 singles, Dannhauser beat Ursuline 6-0, 6-0.
At No. 2 singles, Rees also beat Ursuline 6-0, 6-0.
“I was very happy with the overall team’s performance and matches this weekend,” Dannhauser said. “Personally I didn’t play very well, but thankfully the rest of the team stepped up and carried us to victory.”
At No. 3 doubles, sophomore Julia Zlateva and freshman Dimitra Papastavrou beat Walsh 6-2.
“They really did a good job playing together, and staying calm and confident in the tough moments, but they just
cruised on through,” Zampardo said.
At No. 2 singles, Rees beat Walsh in a third set match 7-6, 4-6, 6-2. At No. 5 singles, freshman Esther Sura beat Walsh 6-4, 6-3. Rees and Sura played their singles matches against Walsh on back courts, separate from the other courts, according to Zampardo.
“That’s something that’s really difficult to do, because you’re apart from all the excitement, the energy, and the college atmosphere, and they both handled it well,” Zampardo said. “Of course, they didn’t want to be alone on that court, but they were mature. They accepted it, and they got through their matches.”
The Chargers will face off against Walsh University again April 23 at 1 p.m. in Kentucky for the first match in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament.
Sura said she’s excited to have the opportunity to face teams the Chargers lost to earlier in the season.
“Everything we’ve worked for this year is coming up this week,” Sura said. “It’s just crazy, how I was nervous playing my first match, and all of a sudden I’m playing G-MACs.”
Zampardo said if the team defeats Walsh University in the first match of the G-MAC Tournament, they will face either the University of Findlay or Northwood University in the semifinal match on April 24. The final match in the G-MAC Tournament will be on April 25.
“This is what we look forward to,” Zampardo said. “I’m pumped for the tournament. I’m pumped just to see everyone in one location. We’ve had so much fun this year, and I’m not ready for it to end.”
C harger S port S G-MAC comeback
By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor
The Charger golf team took fourth overall in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship after battling up three spots during the last 36 holes on April 21.
Junior Robert Thompson and sophomore Jackson Piacsek both finished ninth overall with finishes at 221.
“I think G-MAC’s went OK,” Thompson said. “Obviously we had a bad first round and really bad first nine holes, but I'm happy
with the grit that we showed to battle back into fourth place and keep the chance of continuing our season alive.”
The Chargers also finished fourth overall in the G-MAC, making them eligible for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Super Regional May 7.
“For us, regionals really isn’t in our hands anymore,” Piacsek said. “If we get into regionals I think we could have a great opportunity to compete, but right now that lies in the hands of the NCAA.”
‘She holds her own’
Meet the first lady of the Joy String Quartet
By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter
Sophomore Julia Peyrebrune is the first woman to get into Hillsdale’s Joy String Quartet, a scholarship-based ensemble founded in 2022 in Hillsdale’s music department.
Peyrebrune is joining a long line of professional musicians in her family, including her grandparents, parents, and some of her siblings. She plays viola in the Joy String Quartet and is pursuing majors in music and classics.
“She doesn’t have to have this manner of being aggressive, or anything like that, to overtake three guys with big personalities, because they all have big personalities, but it’s just great to see her quiet influence on that,” said Melissa Knecht, chairman and professor of music.
Peyrebrune picked the violin because she saw her older sister playing it. But when she turned 14, she added the viola after watching another sister perform on it many times.
“Everybody chose which instrument they wanted to play, which is nice, but I don’t know why we were allowed to choose as 4- and 5-year-olds,” Peyrebrune said.
Eventually, Peyrebrune stopped playing the violin and focused on the viola.
that were all really invested in this thing that we were doing together, and just the beauty of the things we got to do. We got to play some of the most amazing repertoire and classical music.”
Although balancing music and other aspects of her life can be difficult, Peyrebrune has made friends in the ensembles she did growing up and in those she has done at Hillsdale.
And I’ve seen really great musicians,” Peyrebrune said. “I’ve just had a wide range of experience, and been able to see lots of different aspects of it.”
Music is a fundamental part of Peyrebrune’s education, but she knows that eventually it will not be a part of it, and her parents’ attitude toward their musical abilities inspires Peyrebrune to continue working hard.
Campus Character Features
“The viola has a different role than the violin. A lot of the time it’s an inner voice, and it plays a more supporting role, but gets to hop around and do different jobs,” Peyrebrune said. “A lot of the time the violin has a more leading role or just plays melodic material the whole time, but there are exceptions.”
Peyrebrune’s parents are both classical musicians. Her dad is a double bassist in the Cleveland Orchestra and interim managing director of a smaller chamber orchestra in Cleveland called CityMusic. Peyrebrune’s mom is also a double bassist and teaches at both Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
“Her parents are important musicians. They’re not just musicians. They’re nationally recognized musicians. But Julia is a remarkable person of her own,” Knecht said. “She seems quiet, yet she holds her own, and she has a lot of strength.”
Peyrebrune’s maternal grandparents are also musicians; her grandfather played clarinet in the Houston Symphony, and her grandmother was a classical violinist. Her oldest sister is a professional cellist, and another sister and her husband just finished graduate school for music and are now taking orchestral auditions.
“I started when I was 5, and I started on the violin,” Peyrebrune said. “My parents have always had a rule that you have to play an instrument until you move out of the house or graduate.”
from A1
Senior Alayna Schoepp, one of William Schaerer’s employees at the Contact Center, said the reading pacer is one of her favorite features.
“At a school where we have so much reading homework and it’s easy to get distracted, I could see it really coming in handy,” Schoepp said.
Chelsea Schaerer said William Schaerer first told her about his ideas for the app last summer and while she had previously never heard of vibe coding, was interested to see how it would turn out.
“It’s been so fun to see his creativity come out,” she said. “He has gotten to use gifts I didn’t even know he had. It’s
Peyrebrune plays almost entirely classical music, following the example of her family members who played before her.
“There’s centuries of classical music that have been written, and centuries of traditions of how people play. Also, the music is so precisely crafted in lots of ways that it’s inspiring to try and bring it to life,” Peyrebrune said. “A lot of times it’s dead white guys’ music, which I love, but since they put all this effort into crafting it, it’s fun to bring it to life and make it present in the world again.”
Growing up, the Peyrebrune siblings all took weekly music lessons, but in high school, Julia also got involved in a preparatory program at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
“I tried to quit for the first 10 years. I didn’t like it until I was a freshman or sophomore in high school,” Peyrebrune said. “I think it’s more fun the better you are at it. I got better, and so I got to be creative instead of just slaving away.”
At 15, Peyrebrune joined the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra.
“I did it for three years before I graduated, and that was my favorite part of those years, really,” Peyrebrune said. “I was really drawn to the combination of the community of people
been a lot of work, but I can tell it’s been very rewarding.”
The app is free, but users can buy a pro version with even more features, in cluding special sound effects, a timer for brewing coffee, and spaced repetition for flashcards and memo rization.
William Schae rer said he is tailoring the app to himself and things he enjoys. He said he added the coffee
“There’s nothing more bonding than playing music with your friends,” Peyrebrune said.
In high school, Peyrebrune said she felt motivated to improve due to anxiety about how she ranked as a musician. In college, she said, her motivation has changed.
“I’m often in situations where I’m really inspired by the people that I’m playing with, and so I want to inspire them also and for it to be a collaboration, and not just me along for the ride, kind of doing my best,” Peyrebrune said. “Obviously, it’s not healthy to get a sense of worth from how well you play a little box. But also, it’s hard to let yourself relax in that way but still improve.”
In some ways, Julia has developed in her musical talent sooner than her father did when he was her age, according to Henry Peyrebrune.
“It’s a crucial step in anybody’s artistic development to go from playing for the approval of your parents, teachers, and peers, to go to playing for the music itself. That’s a really important milestone and transition to do that,” Henry Peyrebrune said. “It took me a long time to make that transition.”
Peyrebrune has a different perspective on music because of her familial ties to it.
“I think classical music is a world that’s hard to understand unless you're in it. I’ve sort of got a behind-the-scenes look at different aspects of it too. Because I have an orchestral musician who’s a parent and a teacher, and she sees what all of her students deal with, and I know what it’s like for my siblings nowadays, trying to find a job or going through music school.
timer to make the app more personalized and fun.
William Schaerer said he plans to continue working on the app to add more features. His biggest goal at the moment is making it available to Android users.
Schoepp said she has enjoyed seeing the app improve over time.
“Will started mentioning it at work a couple months ago,” Schoepp said. “He would
“My mom is always practicing, always trying to improve. To see my parents constantly pursuing something better, and trying to get better at their craft is really inspiring to me right now,” Peyrebrune said.
Peyrebrune has six siblings who range from age 30 to age 10, so they did not often all play together since they are at such different stages of musicianship.
“We would play together for Christmas. We didn’t play a lot together, and when we did, tempers flared,” Peyrebrune said. “I was like, ‘I know you guys are all very professional and good colleagues, but all of us playing together right now is toxic.’”
Even though her family is made up of classical musicians, classical music is not their go-to music to listen to, according to Peyrebrune.
“My dad likes everything. He drove me to school a couple breaks ago, and it was silent in the car. He goes, ‘Hey, Siri, play Hannah Montana, the movie soundtrack.’ So we listened to that. It was great,” Peyrebrune said.
Peyrebrune said her approach to music has changed since she began college.
“I think there’s a culture in classical music, and also in my family, of saying yes to any opportunity to play that you get, which I think was probably good for me,” Peyrebrune said. “It helped me improve as a musician a lot. But it’s not a sustainable way to be a musician. So what has changed since college is choosing for myself the opportunities that I want to pursue, and also realizing that I have to be the reason I get better, and not some external force.”
check in every couple weeks to show us new ideas he had come up with or any progress that he’d made. I’m so excited that he has officially launched it.”
Schopp said she thinks the app has great potential for memorization projects.
“It’s designed for memorization,” Schopp said. “The different options for memorizing chunks of text would be great for scripture memorization, learning poetry, or memorizing lines for a play.”
Chelsea Schaerer said William Schaerer wants to help people with his work and to have fun while doing it.
“His desire was to make an app that would bring glory to God and be a blessing to students,” she said.
Sandala City News Editor
Alex Scrauben is a senior English major from Goodrich, Michigan. She serves as a member of the Student Ministry Board and was a Kirn Residence (New Dorm) resident assistant for two years.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I have dwarf thumbs. They are very strong, and I’ve never lost a thumb-wrestling competition with them because they’re so sturdy, and everyone in middle school and high school called me Stubs.
What’s your dream job?
A florist. It’s such a reasonable and manageable dream job. So I don’t know why I’m not just doing that, but I think it would just be one of the loveliest jobs ever because all the customer service is for really big celebrations or hard times, and you get to be a middleman.
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever tried? This is not a weird food but it’s a weird food story. For a year and a half, I ate exclusively, with a few exceptions, oatmeal, salmon, and frozen organic cherries.
What’s your favorite thing about New Dorm?
I think everyone loves Simpson because it lets boys just really be boys and make dumb decisions in, most of the time, safe ways. I got to just be a girl in New Dorm. In a place that’s so focused on being serious and being taken seriously, where we’re intellectuals, and we’re cool and nonchalant, New Dorm is the least nonchalant place I’ve ever been in my life. It was just a wonderful excuse to scream and dance and wear bright colors and not have any shame about it, and to say, ‘I actually don’t care if this means that people take me less seriously.’
Do you play any instruments?
Tragically, no, unless you count the piano lessons my
grandma gave me in second grade, which you shouldn’t. I was in competitive dance growing up, so that was my primary creative discipline. Learning piano (beyond the intro to Adele’s “Someone Like You”) is number one at the top of my bucket list though.
What’s your favorite smell and why? My favorite non-perfume smell is the steam from laundry. To die for.
What’s the first childhood memory that comes to mind? Off the top of my head, probably the time that I slipped in my literal slippers during Christmas pajama day in second grade and smashed my face on the concrete. My nose immediately started to bleed, and my principal rolled me down to the office in my teacher’s rolling chair while everyone was at their lockers. I felt like a parade was being thrown for me. I truly hate to admit it, but along with absolutely eating the floor, I ate up the attention.
If you could make one creature on Earth extinct right now, what would it be? I’m generally a fan of creation, but if I had to pick one I’d say giant water bugs. They are terrifying. They stab, liquify, and drink frogs, fish, snakes, and turtles, which is super sick and totally flips the food chain on its head. They are also known to bite human toes.
What’s the longest amount of time you’ve stayed awake? Probably around 40 hours. For Great Books I with Dr. Jackson, I decided to completely rewrite a paper we were supposed to just revise because my first attempt was that bad. I slept for 18 hours straight afterward.
What is something from college you always think “what if…” about?
WHIP. I never wanted to leave my friends at Hillsdale, but it sounds like a fabulous opportunity and a lovely community.
Compiled by Alessia
Schaerer created an app to help students study effectively. Courtesy | Hillsdale Directory
App
Schrauben's favorite animal in fourth grade was a panda. Courtesy | Alex Schrauben
Peyrebrune began playing the violin at age 5 and switched to viola at 14. Courtesy | Julia Peyrebrune
Alex Schrauben
C U L T U R E
is not worth ‘The Drama’
By Hershey Hackberry Collegian reporter
“The Drama” featuring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson is a movie you should watch, but it isn’t worth the trek out to the theatres. Released April 3, this A24 horror movie follows the love story of an affianced couple and the days leading up to their wedding. Despite the quality of the film, the suspenseful storyline failed to resolve in a meaningful way at the end.
The story follows Emma Hardwood (Zendaya), who is deaf in her right ear and sells books for living. Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) is a museum director who falls in love with her. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the film spends no time displaying the progression of their relationship, instead cutting directly to the week leading up to their wedding. Emma appears normal until Charlie discovers that as a teenager, she once wished to commit a school shooting, but didn’t follow through with it.
The suspense of the movie surrounds this question: What would you do if you found out your fianceé wanted to commit a mass murder, even if it was more than 10 years ago? The movie follows Charlie as he wrestles with this question as the wedding draws near.
For the majority of the movie, I was confused but intrigued. The story frequently jumped between the present day, Emma’s past, and hallucinations of Charlie. The director did a good job using the music and the camera an-
gles to build suspense, but the ending failed to resolve key issues. I walked out of the theater with some big questions unanswered, and the ending didn’t seem believable for the characters.
Pattinson portrayed Charlie’s reaction to Emma’s past well. He balanced being both deeply concerned and excited for the wedding. I found Charlie’s actions to be mostly reasonable until the end.
The merits of this movie lie in the performances of Zendaya and Pattinson and the interesting question it raises about a lover’s past. The film does a good job of highlighting that there is an unknown number of mass shootings that are planned but never conducted. It’s certainly one to watch, but not a film that will be notable in the long term of any of their careers.
The quality of the movie itself was brilliant. It had very modern portrayals of the characters as seen in the clothes, the set design, and dialogue.
Zendaya, as always, delivered a candid performance in this film. She portrays a believable bride-to-be while balancing her character’s dark past. This is what makes her a very successful and memorable actress as Rue Bennett in “Euphoria” or Tashi Duncan in “Challengers.”
If you’re torn between going to the theatres to see this film or waiting: I’d say wait until it comes out on a streaming platform, because the quality of the directing and acting is still worth the watch, but the story isn’t worth the drama. A24’s newest
Ducks from A1
Bachiochi told Stirton to wear a white dress.
“I think I’m going into the Arb by myself, because to my knowledge, it’s just a bunch of girls doing this fun little picnic thing,” Stirton said. “It didn’t hit me somehow that it was 9 p.m., totally dark, and 30 degrees.”
Conley offered to walk Stirton into the Arb, which she said she thought was odd.
“Then Lucy texted me to say, ‘When you’re walking in, close your eyes because we have a little surprise set up for you,’” Stirton said. “I was thinking maybe they made me a cake or something.”
Stirton said she closed her eyes and heard strange noises.
“Lucy comes up and joins me and Rylan. We walk up, and then I open my eyes,” Stirton said. “I didn’t comprehend what was going on for a full two seconds. I felt like I was in a dream.”
Stirton saw 40 people gathered in the Arb, with an aisle, a bishop, a flower arch, and a huge inflatable duck.
“I was forced down the aisle by a father-of-the-bride character, who was Emil Schlueter,” Stirton said. “All the while, there’s a choir singing ‘Ode to Joy’ in quacks.”
Junior Joseph Brecount played the duck in an inflatable costume, freshman Trinity Lindsay led the band, freshman Robert Brannon played guitar, William Schlueter played an altar server, and sophomore Karl Schlueter officiated as bishop. Junior Evelyn Shurtliff was the maid of honor, and senior Paul Whalen was the best man.
“Michael Bogumill was the flower girl,” Stirton said. “He did a beautiful job. It was very acrobatic.”
After the ceremony, the
wedding party fled the Arb to avoid security.
“Most people will be able to tell their kids that on their 21st birthday, they went out to the bar,” Stirton said. “I’ll be telling my kids that I married a duck.”
Stirton’s boyfriend has mixed feelings about dating a married woman, Stirton said.
“I think Rylan was a little thrown off by the whole thing,” Stirton said. “He was like, ‘OK,
We should do something like that.’”
Schaper said over winter break, he discussed the prank with his mom, who bought him a hundred or so tiny ducks to pass around.
“What if we just do it with the whole college?” Schaper said. “I passed them around to a few people. Chloe Ross is my good friend. She loves geese, she loves ducks, and she loves
you have odd friends.’ But afterwards, I suggested doing this again as a joke, and he very certainly told me there will be no more weddings happening.”
Meanwhile, freshman Blake Schaper has been busy scattering tiny ducks around campus.
“Earlier this year, two guys in Galloway, my friends Nathan Morgan and Andrew Ebert, had a bunch of those tiny 3D printed gnomes, and they put them all over Olds,” Schaper said. “I was like, ‘That’s cool.
shenanigans almost as much as I do.”
With Ross’ help, Schaper began distributing ducks.
“I gave a couple ducks to some of my Whitley guys,” Schaper said. “Then I also gave a few to some of my softball gentle lady friends.”
As his semester got busier, Schaper said his duck distribution petered out.
Professors’ Picks: John J. Miller
I still remember the first time I heard the opening chords on the radio in 1988. I listened to the same station for days, hoping to hear the song again and for the DJ to say its name. Eventually I found what I was looking for. Now it’s my favorite song by my favorite band, which has given me decades of listening pleasure.
Director of Dow Journalism
This is the best thriller ever written — a story of conspiracy and espionage that feels almost as authentic as narrative nonfiction. It inspired me to write my own novel. “The First Assassin” is not nearly as good, but it is an homage to this genre masterpiece.
Watching this movie transports me back to my boyhood, when I saw it in the theater five times and became entranced by its mix of globetrotting adventure, pulpy action, and archaeological wonder. It has one of the best final scenes. The soundtrack is amazing, too.
“We had the monopoly on the ducks,” Schaper said. “No one else had more than three. So obviously there must have been someone who’s either done a major heist of the ducks or bought the same brand and has been putting them around campus. Or maybe just independently came up with the idea, like Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz.”
According to Schaper, he feels inspired by this mysterious duck dealer.
“Maybe I’ll do a little inter-duck war with this enigmatic persona, shall we say,” Schaper. Schaper said he aspires to create an Instagram page for the ducks.
“There should be more Hillsdale meme accounts,” Schaper said. “I know there’s a few of them making fun of fundies, but what if there’s some, like, fundie-inclusive stuff.”
Independent of Schaper’s operation, senior Jacob Harman Waldvogel said he’s had duck problems of his own.
“My friend Luke Andrews, the first time he was on campus last semester, left tiny plastic ducks all over my room,” Waldvogel said. “Some of them he put in plain sight, but he also put a huge pile in my bed.” Waldvogel said he and his friends collected the ducks and lined them up in their suite.
“Now, they’re all scattered around,” Waldvogel said. “But maybe by the end of the semester we can put them in a row again.”
“But then the funny thing is, about two weeks ago, I was walking to Delp, and I noticed on the column there’s one of my ducks,” Schaper said. “And then the next day I was also going somewhere and lo and behold, I spotted another duck. This is crazy. I’m seeing little ducks all over the place.” Though Schaper assumed Ross had placed those ducks, she said it wasn’t her.
“Under the Milky Way,” by The Church
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
“The Day of the Jackal,” by Frederick Forsyth
Compiled by Ty Ruddy Culture editor
Miller and his wife Amy on the day of their graduation from the University of Michigan in 1992. Courtesy | John Miller
A duck surveys campus with George Washington. Blake Schaper | Collegian
