Collegian 08.27.2025

College continues construction on classical education building

By Ty Ruddy C ultur E E ditor

The Classical Education Building will be completed by late December, and additions to the union, which began construction last spring, will be usable by February 2026.

By Elaine Kutas s ports E ditor

Former Hillsdale College football player Isaac TeSlaa has arrived in the National Football League after the Detroit Lions made him their 70th overall draft pick in May.

“Starting at Hillsdale was a crucial time for me as I made the transition from quarterback to receiver,” TeSlaa said.

“Being able to learn at Hillsdale and play under those coaches was such a great experience, for both my education and football career.”

TeSlaa played wide receiver for the Hillsdale Chargers for three seasons, 2020 to 2022, before transferring to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks for two more seasons.

Rich Péwé, Chief Administrative Officer at Hillsdale College, said the windows have been hung in the Diana Davis Spencer Classical Education Building and almost all the brick is set.

The bell that sat in front of Central Hall has been moved and now hangs in the tower above the Grewcock building.

“The Grewcock Union facade has all but taken shape, so it is becoming apparent how important it was to get the scale of the union to work with the scale of Christ Chapel and the Spencer Classical Ed building,” Péwé said.

The college hired McCrery Architects for the design of the Spencer Classical Education building, the same architect that will design President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom at the White House. The company is known for its neo-classical

body, and souls of its students,” Péwé said. “The architecture at Hillsdale should point up to the eternal, inspire higher learning, and represent the college’s meaning.”

Hillsdale’s campus has also been under construction for

Kirby Center served us well for 15 years, but we are very excited about the new additions.”

The additions to the D.C. campus will include a new chapel called the “Chapel of Divine Providence,” according to Matthew Spalding, vice president

of men and invoke the last line of the Declaration of Independence,” Spalding said. The building will also include five new classrooms and eight new staff and faculty offices.

The Van Andel lecture hall will also receive all new audiovisual equipment. On the fourth floor, the college plans to install a new library reading room, which Heim said will allow for more formal and serious academic events, as well as high profile administrative events such as board meetings. Heim also said the college will renovate the two townhouses that stand beside the Kirby Center. The townhouses will house undergraduates in the Washington Hillsdale Internship Program.

approach to design, according to a press release from the White House.

more than a year and renovations continued this summer.

The facade of the union has made much progress since the spring, Péwé said. The portico pediment is complete, and its pillars are being set.

“Architecture and landscaping are not superficial decorations, but rather an expression of the harmony Hillsdale College seeks to form between the mind,

“The number of people on our D.C. campus has increased dramatically, and we outgrew the space we had,” said Andrew Heim, executive director of Washington operations. “The

Hillsdale admits most competitive freshman class

By Sophia Bryant A ssistA nt E ditor

Hillsdale admitted 19.31% of its applicants, making the class of 2029 the most competitive freshman class, according to Associate Director of Admissions Benjamin Strickland and preliminary data shared with The Collegian.

There are 386 students in the freshman class with an average 31 ACT score and an average 3.95 GPA, according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller.

“This is the first year we’ve been below 20% for acceptance rate, so that’s pretty cool,” Strickland said. “This is the most selective class so far.”

The college reported an acceptance rate of 20% for the class of 2027 and an acceptance rate of 20.74% for the class of 2028, The Collegian previously reported.

“The students who make up our incoming class have great potential to make a positive impact at Hillsdale,” Miller said in an email. “They are studious, they are leaders, and they desire to further the mission of the college. Yet they still must choose to realize that potential as students here. We expect them to rise to that challenge over the next four years.”

tor in choosing Hillsdale was the academics.

“I appreciated that it was a community that valued a well-rounded education,” Cook said.

The class represents 40 states as well as Washington, D.C., and 10 countries.

“We unfortunately have to say ‘no’ to many good students.”

The freshmen yield rate, or the percent of admitted students who choose to attend, was 61.24%, according to Miller.

“A 61% yield rate places Hillsdale in the same range

of Washington operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College.

“The chapel at the Hillsdale D.C. campus, and its stainedglass windows, will proclaim the sovereignty of God in the affairs

said. “The incoming class is confident, outgoing, eager, and ready to embrace Hillsdale for all that it is. They are here to embrace the community and the challenge that Hillsdale offers.”

Michigan is the most represented state, followed by Ohio and Texas, according to Strickland.

as schools like Brown, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame,” Assistant Director of Admissions Greta Buehrer said in an email.

The class is almost perfectly split between men and women, with 192 male students and 194 female students. The class of 2028 was also close, with 189 men and 192 women.

“Through the application evaluation process, we look at students’ academics and curiosity, their involvement and desire to plug themselves into Hillsdale’s campus community, their character and commitment to the Honor Code, and their understanding and fit with seeking Hillsdale’s mission,” Miller said. “We look at how these students will impact positively the campus academically, socially, and spiritually.”

Strickland said that he’s excited to see how the class of 2029 will shape Hillsdale.

Freshman Francesca Cook said the most important fac-

“The Admissions Office looks for students who are willing and able, but as we’ve become more and more competitive over the last many years, we’ve had to look for those who are most willing and most able,” Miller said.

This yield rate is similar to that of the class of 2027, which was 62%, but higher than the yield rate of the class of 2028, which was 55.5%, The Collegian previously reported.

“I love this class,” Buehrer

“The mystery of college admissions is that you collect a group of excellent people and put them in an excellent environment and see what they do,” Strickland said. “It’s interesting to see what they spend their time doing and who they choose to become.”

“We have seen wonderful growth in our D.C. programs, so we wanted to make sure our facilities were accommodating,” Heim said. The D.C. campus will see substantial completion by the end of October of this year, according to Heim.

Robertsons partner with Hillsdale

By Christina Lewis

A ssistA nt E ditor

Members of the Duck Dynasty family will take Hillsdale College’s online course on the book of Genesis and discuss it on their podcast, in a partnership with the college.

Every Friday, starting Aug. 29, hosts of “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” will discuss a lesson from an online course taught by Professor of English Justin Jackson. Once they finish the course, they will start “The Exodus Story,” and then move on to “The David Story: Shepherd, Father, King.” Unashamed podcast host Zach Dasher said that his

team was looking for an educational partner to enable the next generation to be immersed in critical thinking and the Christian worldview, and Hillsdale was at the top of the list.

“This is a little different from what we normally do, because one of the things that we wanted to capture in this venture was we wanted to be able to bring in a multi-generational table,” Dasher said. The Friday podcasts, called “Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College,” will feature Al Robertson, Dasher, John Luke Robertson, and Christian Huff.

See TeSlaa A6

Drone footage shows the Diana Davis Spencer Classical Education Building construction on Aug. 22, 2025.

Luke Robertson speaks on the “Unashamed” podcast.

‘Story of America’ continues with Arnn, Hegseth

By Elijah Guevara A ssistA nt E ditor

Hillsdale’s “Story of America” video series, made in partnership with the White House to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, is continuing to roll out videos on the American Revolution featuring historians, federal officeholders, and Hillsdale professors.

my’s 250th birthday in June, said the series is a change of course after historians have

“Americans deserve to learn about the heroes who lived and the battles we fought because they forged the greatest nation in human history — a Republic dedicated to the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in an email to The Collegian.

The series began after the White House’s Salute to America 250 Task Force and the U.S. Department of Education asked Hillsdale to help create a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Hegseth, who filmed a video titled “The Formation of the Army,” celebrating the Ar-

portrayed the country’s history as oppressive and shameful for decades.

In his video, Hegseth traced the Army’s story from its beginning in the spring of 1775 after the Massachusetts militia defeated British forces at the battles of Lexington and Concord.

“The formation of our Army is a testament to the power and enduring spirit of a people determined to secure their destiny of liberty,” Hegseth said in the video.

neman, who filmed a video on the Battle of Bunker Hill, told The Collegian American history has been a fascination of his since the third grade and that he hopes the videos continue to inspire the youth.

“We can’t plan for the future of our country without knowing where we have come from in the past,” Bor-

len said the series is a worthy project that he hopes continues to get wider notice.

“The anniversary of the Declaration deserves honor and celebration, both of which depend on understanding something of its history and its place in the heart of the nation,” Whalen said. “Hillsdale is ideally poised to provide just this understanding.”

Whalen said helping to deepen the country’s appreciation for the Declaration can only strengthen what is admirable in the nation.

Hegseth said the series will set the record straight by debunking historical myths that have corroded American culture.

neman said. “I hope this video series will provide that insight for younger generations.”

Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Wha -

“The ‘Story of America’ series guides you through our greatest victories, our toughest trials, and the dreams we still pursue,” Hegseth said. “It’s about teaching every American — young and old — what makes this nation truly exceptional.”

Deans

make changes to off-campus meetings

By Ellie Fromm n E ws E ditor

Students who live off campus must attend at least one meeting, in an experimental effort to increase student participation, according to Dean of Men Aaron Petersen.

In the past, the college has held one meeting for all off-campus students. This year, the college organized the groups by campus involvement so students will not have to attend similar meetings multiple times, according to Dean of Women Rebekah Bollen.

Off-campus students received an email in early August indicating which group and meeting time they were assigned.

“One group is student athletes, the second is Greek, and then the third would be any off-campus student not affiliated with two of those cohorts,” Bollen said. “Athlete teams already have other onboarding meetings as well as Greek organizations. That’s where we found there was the most redundancy.”

The smaller groups aim to make the meetings faster and

more applicable to the students in each group, according to Bollen.

“It was born out of a simple conversation about efficacy and logistics, and making sure that the student groups were not getting overlapping information,” Bollen said. “We realized that if we divided students into three different meeting cohorts, that would allow us to include elements that were specific to each group, not covered in another meeting or training that they had.”

Senior Josie TeSlaa, who is on the volleyball team and a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, said she has attended many of the same meetings between the two activities, such as the sexual misconduct meeting.

“I have definitely found myself getting similar talks both as an athlete and being in Greek life,” TeSlaa said. “I love this idea from the college and am excited to see how it plays out. As someone who loves efficiency, I am a fan.”

Historian Walter Bor -

College Republicans to host celebration commemorating V-J Day

By Alessia Sandala C ity n E ws E ditor

Hillsdale College Republicans plan to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the veterans whose sacrifices delivered victory at a V-J Day ceremony.

Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, celebrates the Japanese surrender that officially ended World War II. The College Republicans

“It’s hilarious when you’re watching it,” Dasher said. “Al’s got a notebook for all his notes. I have a laptop, John Luke has an iPad, and Christian has his phone. You get to see the generations represented based on how we access our notes on different technologies.”

Dasher said Unashamed Academy is “kind of like ‘Seinfeld’ meets Bible study.”

“The first thing that I would want the viewers to take away from the podcast is an imagination for the kingdom and a curiosity to dive into these stories,” Dasher said.

When Hillsdale started its online courses program, it wanted to provide people with access to high quality classical education, according to Vice President of Marketing Jon Hall.

“We had to, as an organization, not just as marketing, but as an entire senior staff, had to really understand what our brand was really about and how to position it in a way that could have more mass impact on all Americans, as many Americans we have,” Hall said.

The college identified a group of 37 million people called “truth-seeking Americans,” according to Hall. These are people who have never heard about Hillsdale but show a high interest in the country, the U.S. Constitution, and faith, based on survey data.

“They need a guide, and they’re looking for the truth,” Hall said. “They’re looking for information to learn more that they’re hungry to learn.”

Hillsdale Executive Director of Brand Management Juan Dávalos said the audience

will distribute professionally made booklets that include the names and photos of veterans connected to the college, including students’ family members and alumni. The ceremony will be held Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Hoynak Room. College Republicans collected nearly 200 names from students and identified 900 former Hillsdale College students who served, according to College Republicans President and junior Josiah Jones.

of the Unashamed podcast is a “perfect match” for the truth-seeking American.

“We partnered with the Unashamed podcast because we believe it is a new way for us to teach this audience that shares the principles that Hillsdale stands for, but, as our research indicates, is unfamiliar with Hillsdale,” Dávalos said.

Last year, the online courses program had 1.2 million course enrollments and 700,000 new accounts created, according to Dávalos.

“The goal of the partnership is in keeping with our goal to bring our teaching to as many Americans as possible,” Dávalos said.

Currently, the Unashamed podcast has an average of 100,000 downloads per episode, with its popularity expected to rise with the relaunch of the “Duck Dynasty” TV show on A&E, according to Dávalos.

“They will invite their audience throughout the week to go to our online course, watch a lecture, and join them every Friday on their podcast as they discuss the lecture as a family,” Dávalos said. “In a way, we are trying to recreate digitally one of the most valuable experiences of learning in person, the after-class discussion.”

The college is working to partner with other influencers to increase participation in the online courses program, according to Hall.

“‘Duck Dynasty’ is just the beginning,” Hall said. “We’re going to be getting all kinds of different cohorts of audiences that are out there that just represent a wide swath of the American population.”

“We wanted to make it personal for the Hillsdale community, to help them understand that it is their victory that is being celebrated,” Jones said. “That’s how we

got the idea to especially honor the veterans that are in our own families.”

“We wanted to make it personal for the Hillsdale community, to help them understand that it is their victory that is being celebrated.”

The V-J Day event will include a Civil Air Patrol color guard, music, and guest

speakers, including Professor Emeritus of History and Social Sciences Thomas Conner, and Director of the Center for Military History and Assistant Professor of History Jason Gehrke. Hillsdale CAP Composite Squadron Commander Cassie Hambleton said Associate Dean of Men Jeffery “Chief” Rogers invited cadets from the squadron to present the flag at the ceremony and all 34 cadets

were encouraged to attend the ceremony.

“This opportunity will give them the chance to connect with that part of America’s history and come to a deeper appreciation than they already hold for our veterans and the sacrifices those veterans and those who died made to keep our country safe,” Hambleton said.

Princeton Review ranks Hillsdale No. 2 in community service

By Christina Lewis A ssistA nt E ditor

Hillsdale College came in second place for being the most engaged students in community service, the most politically conservative students, and the most religious students, according to Princeton Review’s 2026 rankings released earlier this month.

Each year, the Princeton Review, a college prep company, surveys college students to determine how colleges place in various categories. Radio Free Hillsdale ranked as the eighth best college radio station, with The Collegian coming in as the 18th best college newspaper.

“Through GOAL since my first semester, I have seen firsthand how important service is to Hillsdale students,” said Livia Dodd, junior and director of the GOAL program. “As GOAL director, I have the joy of working with the 27 GOAL leaders that make GOAL what it is. They pour so much time and love into the programs they lead and are very passionate about the niche in the community that they work with.”

Emma Rizzuti, senior and leader of the Hospital Volunteering GOAL program, said her experience has increased her understanding of the surrounding community and has allowed her to build relationships with people she would have never met otherwise.

“For the students, they gain exposure, volunteer hours, and networking within the local medical system,” Rizzuti said.

“But they also get the chance to make a positive impact in

Associate Dean of Men Jeffery “Chief” Rogers said volunteering is a way to be Christ’s hands and feet in the Hillsdale community.

“The Bible says that they

their department just through their presence and willingness to serve.”

will know that we are Christians by our love. Serving via volunteering is a way to

love and live that out,” Rogers said. “Mark 10:45 says, ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

Junior and GOAL Coordinator Alex Buehrer encouraged every student to get involved, especially freshmen.

“College can be an extremely self-serving time in our lives since we’re focused on ourselves and our education,” Buehrer said. “Giving your time and effort to help the wider Hillsdale community not only breaks you out of that attitude, but it also allows you to put your faith in action and truly be the hands and feet of Christ.”

Hillsdale College also made it on the lists of the best 351 colleges in the country and the best colleges in the Midwest. The college ranked No. 3 for “Their Students Love These Colleges,” No. 5 for happiest students, and No. 6 for friendliest students.

“People sometimes joke about the phrase, ‘It’s the people,’ but it’s true — it really is about the people,” Rogers said. “The people at Hillsdale College and the people in our community make all the difference.”

Unashamed from A1

Hegseth’s “The Formartion of the Army” video C ourtesy | “s tory of A meri CA ” website

College President Larry Arnn in “The Story of America”

ourtesy

“s tory of A meri CA ” website

Opinions

Freshmen, know your geography

By Lewis Thune Assistant Editor

Executive

Circulation

Assistant

Welcome, class of 2029, to the prestigious construction site occasionally called Hillsdale College. These first months will be for you not only an academic exercise as a Hillsdale student, but a civil exercise as a Hillsdale citizen, learning the subtleties of our polity’s geography and culture. You will, unfortunately, break very many taboos in the process, causing onlookers despair and yourselves embarrassment. In hopes of averting the worst of this, The Collegian has tasked me with providing a freshman’s map of college based on three years of impartial observation and minimal participation.

Orchid proposes conditions for love

By Caroline Kurt Opinions Editor

Will you make babies the right way, or the old-fashioned way?

Orchid, a reproductive technology startup, knows which option it would like you to pick.

The company, which screens embryos for an extensive list of genetic diseases before clients select some for in vitro fertilization, frames the decision in language that appeals to parents’ deepest desires for their children.

“Now parents have this ability to protect their children from an entire category of disease,” Orchid founder Noor Siddiqui told New York Times columnist Ross Douthat in an interview this month.

According to Siddiqui, the embryo screening technology Orchid offers isn’t just for couples who worry they carry hereditary genetic disease. It’s intended for ordinary parents. After all, what future mother or father would wish a life-altering or -ending condition on their child, when the technology to prevent it exists? Siddiqui says she and her husband intend to use Orchid-informed IVF, despite not suffering any infertility problems like most heterosexual couples who pursue IVF.

The compassionate, ethical pathway to parenthood, Siddiqui claims, is to protect children from preventable disease through Orchid technology.

Siddiqui’s logic would be valid if her technology stood by the fundamental principle of good medicine — to do no harm — and cured existing embryos or babies of serious conditions. But Orchid does not cure. It kills. More specifically, the company aids and abets parents in freezing and disposing of living embryos.

Orchid is complicit in violating the sacred precondition of parenthood, unconditional love. Genetic screening allows parents to set conditions for their children to be born: a certain standard of physical and intellectual perfection that will soon expand to aesthetic perfection as well.

Had my own parents accepted the logic Orchid proposes, they would have aborted my sister. A 20-week ultrasound revealed that my sister suffered

from anencephaly, a neural tube defect that almost guarantees an infant will die shortly after birth. In other words, my sister was exactly the type of embryo Orchid users would choose to discard.

Doctors offered to terminate the pregnancy. My parents said no: Their love for my sister had no conditions. They accepted her as a gift, not a commodity. The three days she lived outside the womb were ones of comfort, meaning, and the unconditional love of my parents, grandparents, and family.

Orchid heightens the objectification and commodification of human beings already sadly inherent in the IVF process, so much so that doctors and prospective parents fail to recognize the personhood and thus the infinite dignity of every created embryo. Suffering does not deprive a life of meaning and worth; if anything it can heighten it. The creators of Orchid see people with illnesses or disabilities as flawed products they now can optimize out of existence. We must recognize them as people with dignity, whose health does not diminish their value.

Gen Z must take notice. Our generation, more than Millenials, will enter our twenties and thirties as Orchid and similar technologies grow in popularity and widespread acceptance. Assisted reproduction may very well become the norm: the 21st-century eugenics of compassion. Only weirdos will make babies the old-fashioned way.

Orchid offers a paradise that is actually a hell: a world of perfect children, made possible by killing any deemed unfit. The U.S. aborts three-quarters of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Orchid aspires to aid it in aborting even more. Those wise enough to see through Siddiqui’s illusions realize the necessity to cure and care for children with any kind of illness, and most importantly, to see them born in the first place. In doing so, we have the opportunity to make a paradise out of hell: a world of imperfect children, loved wildly for who they are.

Caroline Kurt is a senior studying English.

The conventionally-recognized “college” for freshmen sits between two distinct portions of not-college. To the north lies the rugged and peaceful portion suitable for walking. To the south looms an unruly fictional place called “Manning Street,” a noble lie perpetuated by Greeks and athletes. The saintly residents of Broadlawn nonetheless stand guard against the south, protecting campus from hostilities real and imagined.

You are allowed to venture north and south for religious obligations, volunteering, illness, and Greek capers; otherwise it is no place for freshmen. To abridge Caesar: “Collegia est omnis divisa in partes tres.”

These are generally referred to as construction zones A, B, and C — or for our purposes: West, Generica, and Frontier.

Everything west of Central Hall is the territory of West, wherein the Platonic ideal of the

West meets its real-world manifestation, the duality of which confounds CCA guests. Officially, Dr. Arnn presides as this territory’s monarch with campus security as nobility. Unofficially, West is a warlord quasi-empire of the Williams-Rastovac-Vankat triumvirate. West offers visitors such native marvels as the Searle Center, the Dow Hotel sitting room, and Simpson Residence events, while exporting event guests, single boys, volunteer

hours, and parking tickets. Marvel at/observe its math and science majors, scary people walking in and out of Moss Hall, faint smell of cleaning products, smoking paraphernalia, and frat house that is missing its letters half the time. West’s dangers are many: Security, Bagman, disapproving glances from the upperclasswomen of the town homes, and Simpson between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. To freshmen non-occupants, make a point to visit or spectate West on occasion — to freshmen occupants, mind the microwaves at all times.

Generica is the beating heart of campus life: currently a heart undergoing triple bypass surgery. It sprawls north of Broadlawn to Galloway Street, and east from Kendall Hall to Union Street, including Waterman, Olds, and the Suites residences. Generica is a confederal republic composed of a bureaucratic administration in Central Hall and an aristocracy of the humanities faculty. Local attractions include the Christ Chapel, Penny’s, Gate Guy, and made-to-order omelets, while the territory’s exports consist predominantly of Greek pledges and Western Heritage readers. Its culture is marked by students studying outdoors, someone doing nothing behind the Union desk, skycones, and a sprawl of “No Man’s Land” walkways between Sohn, Kirn, Mauck, and Benzing residences. Freshmen should beware of tabling student orgs, Collegian

pitch meetings, skycones, statue golfers, pipe-smoking professors, and fundie PDA.

Frontier is the wilder portion of campus that most students frequent but none inhabit, an anarchy stretching from Union Street north and east as far as Hayden Park, including Chi Omega and McIntyre Residence. Its primary attraction is sports in all forms, complemented by the opposing kicker and punter, Hillsdale meme accounts, and the sand volleyball court at Hayden. Its exports are numerous: protein shakes, intramural blood feuds, volleyball sweeps, B-gap runs, and canceled rugby games. Local culture revolves around ice, lower body braces, racquetball courts not in use, hecklers, literal hundreds of football players, and people running for no reason. Dangers stem from this cultural chaos, the worst of which are soccer enjoyers, intramural referees, and that one freshman trying to play basketball as a walkon. In short, freshmen, if you’re not playing volleyball, get out of here before dark. There’s a reason the only people who stay here are from Mac and Chi Omega. This, dear freshmen, is college as you will know it until your sophomore year. Until then, always remember: “No cameras? No construction? Not college.”

Lewis Thune is a senior studying politics. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.

Economics divides the Right

Thomas McKenna Editor in Chief

Since when did today’s American Right support expanding federal control of private companies?

President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. government will take a 10% ownership stake in Intel through a “golden share” after announcing plans in June to do the same for U.S. Steel. That special share, in both deals, would give the federal government voting rights and other types of control over closing plants, moving workers, and investing capital, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Most conservatives 15 years ago would have balked at Trump’s de facto nationalization of the two companies. But today’s Right is not the Right of even 10 years ago. It’s the latest slip in the Re-

publican slide from a free-market, free-trade economic agenda to an industrial policy that coddles U.S. industry through tariffs, subsidies, and, now, government ownership. It’s also another stroke in Trump’s self-portrait as the great dealmaker, and he promised “many more” such deals. “I want to try to get as much as I can,” he told reporters Monday.

That “I” remark seems to signal that, for the president, this is more about cultivating an image than carrying out convictions. But for some of his potential successors — including Vice President JD Vance — this is a policy win for making the Right, especially the Republican Party, defenders of an industrial policy that would manage private companies.

This is a taste of what the conservative economic agenda could become after 2028. The

GOP presidential primary will determine, at least for an election cycle, who represents the post-Trump Republican Party. That political battle will be fought on ideological grounds that are already taking shape.

On trade, taxes, and unions, many on the Right still hold traditional conservative positions. They believe that subsidies distort market incentives, that tariffs are deadweight taxes that hurt all trading partners, that broad-based tax cuts are better than loopholes and handouts, and that union interests don’t always align with worker interests.

But many others are trying to change these positions. Republican support for the 2022 subsidies for chip manufacturers signaled momentum toward government support. In the case of Intel, that government support has brought us

to government control. Tax exemptions for tips and overtime are vote-buying carveouts, not tax cuts. The Trump administration’s secretary of labor was endorsed by the Teamsters Union. And Vance said in 2020 he’s “not a big fan” of right-towork laws, which protect workers from being forced to join unions. Neither side jockeying for the Right’s economic message has won yet, and what it means to be a conservative in the United States has always been changing. It’s true that we need to re-examine old ideas sometimes, but conservatives should reconsider whether they want to stand for government control of industry.

Thomas McKenna is a senior studying political economy.

City News

Bentley, Sessions win August mayoral primary race

Both candidates advance to the November election amid M-99 “road diet” tensions

By Thomas McKenna Editor in ChiEf

Ward 3 Councilman Mat-

thew Bentley and former Mayor Scott Sessions earned spots on a November ballot for mayor of Hillsdale after winning a citywide primary earlier this month.

Sessions finished first in the Aug. 5 primary, earning 37% of the vote. Bentley followed with 30%. Ward 4 Councilman Robert Socha came in third with 16%, and Cathy Kelemen received 15%. About 17% of registered voters participated, compared to 25% turnout in the 2022 mayoral primary.

Students registered to vote in Hillsdale can cast a ballot in the mayor’s race on Nov. 4. The elected mayor would finish the current mayoral term through 2026. To serve longer than a year, the mayor would then run in the August 2026 primary and November 2026 general elections.

Sessions served as mayor from 2013 to 2017. He told The Collegian he was running to end the “negative culture” that some councilmembers, including his opponent, have created for city staff.

Bentley grew up in Hillsdale and re turned from Ann Arbor in 2020. He told The Collegian he would bring more control over city policy back to the city council and prevent the city from installing bike lanes downtown.

M-99 road diet would slim down Broad Street from four lanes to three, with the middle lane acting as a turn lane, and bike lanes on either side of the road.

“There were three city council meetings that focused pretty much exclusively on the road diet,” Paladino said.

The city’s main political issue this summer has been the proposed “road diet,” according to Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino, who is not running in this election. The proposed

The city council voted 5-3 last week to move forward with the road diet plan. While the state government will cover most of the project, the city will contribute $135,000 to the project, with $250,000 being provided by the Tax Increment Finance Authority — which collects revenue from downtown businesses — and $10,000 by

Hillsdale Renaissance.

“The recent vote changes the road ahead for those of us who oppose the road diet,” Bentley said. “The people have no choice now but to take matters into their own hands.”

That road ahead likely runs through a bal lot referendum, Bentley said. He would support one to prevent the council from approving the road diet.

“While there’s cer tainly no direct power for the mayor to veto this plan, I will continue to agitate against the plan and support the people’s voices in any way I can to defeat the road diet,” Bentley said.

sons, since a biker riding in the bike lane could hit a person coming out of their car parked on the street. But now that the city has approved the plan, he said it would cost just as much money to stop the plan as to go through with it.

“By the time it would go on the ballot, the city would have engineering costs to the state of Michigan, and the costs of an election might be close to what the city will have to pay anyway,” Sessions said. Sessions said he thinks Paladino and Bentley have created a hostile work environment for city staff.

Sessions said he opposes the road diet for safety rea -

City to spend $135K on ‘road diet’

By Christina Lewis A ssistA nt E ditor

The Hillsdale City Council voted 5-3 to pass a resolution that cements the city’s decision to allocate about $135,000 toward the “road diet” at its Aug.18 meeting.

The plan will add bike lanes and slim down Broad Street from four to three lanes, with the middle lane serving as a left-hand turn lane. The council approved the project for M-99 at a June 16 meeting.

“If you park on Howell Street, it will be much easier to cross Broad Street and visit businesses like the Filling Station or Dante’s,” said Luke Robson ’17, president of real estate development firm Hillsdale Renaissance.

“If you park on Broad Street, you won’t have to worry about oncoming traffic taking off your car’s doors or mirrors.

It will benefit drivers passing through downtown as well by making traffic patterns more straightforward and keeping traffic flows smooth.”

Robson said he supports the road diet project. As part of the council’s resolution, his firm will put $10,000 toward the construction.

Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino agreed with the city council’s decision to pass the road diet but said the council should not have voted for spending the city’s money on this project. The Tax Increment Finance Authority, a board that redirects tax dollars to promote economic development, will put $250,000 toward the construction.

“TIFA collects all of the city’s infrastructure revenue from the downtown district,” Paladino told The Collegian. “The financial obligation should fall on TIFA, the Economic Development Cooper-

ation, or the property owners in the district via special assessments. The average citizen is expected to pay $5,000 for routine infrastructure repairs. Council should have had the same expectation for infrastructure improvements in the downtown district.”

Robson said the road diet will save taxpayers money.

“This isn’t just a road diet, it’s a larger infrastructure package that includes work that the city would have to perform in the near future with or without the subsidies from Lansing,” Robson said. “For just $135,000, the city is receiving $870,000 worth of work.”

At least $250,000 of the total projected cost of work will go toward the city’s necessary infrastructure repairs, according to Robson.

Hillsdale resident Zechariah Steiger ’24, who opposes the road diet, said the city

council’s decision reflects the fact that it is refusing to listen to its constituents.

“Many across the town whom I’ve talked to have said they’ll avoid the downtown if the road diet goes through,” Steiger said. “Several have even stated they’ll take to using side streets as bypasses.”

Additionally, Steiger claimed the road diet does not take the city’s future into consideration.

“If this road diet does achieve its goals of bringing more people into the town, let’s say 400 to 500 people in the three years after the project, and the U.S. average car per household is 1.8, that is an extra 700 to 900 cars adding to the traffic,” Steiger said. “At that point, the traffic will force the road to be expanded once again to four lanes.”

Dawn Theater to host bluegrass band

By Alessia Sandala and Megan Li

Tennessee bluegrass band Mountain Highway will bring “tradition, harmony, and drive” to the Dawn Theater Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. Mountain Highway is a four-person band from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It has been a band for about 10 years and playing music full-time for seven years.

Victoria Glover, the band’s banjo player, said Mountain Highway plays a lot of traditional bluegrass music but loves to include a variety of genres in their shows.

“We also love stuff like the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Willie Nelson,” Glover said. “We like to add that variety to our shows. It gives us an extra fun, funky feel.” Mary Wolfram, chair of the board of the Friends of the Dawn Theater, said she came across the band when Glover and her father, anoth-

er band member, recognized Wolfram’s husband, Director of Economics and Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram.

“Mountain Highway came to us weirdly,” Wolfram said.

hosted a concert at the Dawn Theater since February, but hope to begin bringing in music on a more regular basis.

“The last concert that we did was with Greg Whalen last February,” Wolfram said.

by Hillsdale Renaissance, a real estate development firm, and Waldvogel Wealth Management.

“Due to the generosity of our sponsors, we have been able to keep the prices quite affordable,” Wolfram said.

“My husband teaches economics, and we were at Niagara Falls, where he was wearing a Hillsdale College T-shirt. One girl in the band saw the Hillsdale College T-shirt and she said, ‘Oh, are you from Hillsdale College,’ in a very Tennessee accent.” Wolfram said they haven’t

“We’ve had other events, but no music events.”

Greg Whalen ’25, the son of a Hillsdale English professor, performed original songs inspired by his time in the Marine Corps at the Dawn Theater in February.

Wolfram said the Mountain Highway concert is sponsored

Tickets are $12 each if ordered in advance and $15 at the door. For groups of 10 people, tickets are $10 per person, according to Wolfram. Doors open at 6 p.m.

“The ticket prices are purposely affordable because we want a lot of people to come,” Wolfram said. “It’s not about making a profit for us, it’s for bringing entertainment and art to the community.”

Glover said each member of the band loves what they do, and audiences love the variety of their music, as well as watching the band having fun on stage.

“This ain’t your granddaddy’s bluegrass,” Glover said. “It’s hard driving, funky vibin’, traditional, and fun all in one show.”

“We must stop the extreme exodus of the Hillsdale city staff. As mayor, you are the CEO of the city and responsible for everything that happens in the city.” If elected mayor, Sessions said he would ask councilmen to send their questions for city staff through him. This chain of command, he said, would help create a less hostile work environment for staff.

“Right now, it’s a free-forall with the mayor pro tem and a couple of new members of the Hillsdale City Council,” Sessions said, referring to Paladino, Bentley, and Ward 1 Councilman Jacob Bruns. Bentley said he thinks the council has ceded too much control to the city staff.

“The negative culture needs to stop,” Sessions said.

“He means to protect the powers that be from negativity, as he labels it — or from my perspective, accountability,” Bentley said. “So it seems to me that he is the candidate for the status quo.”

Coney’s and Swirls closes after 23 years

By Adriana Azarian A ssistA nt E ditor

Hillsdale restaurant and ice cream parlor Coney’s and Swirls has closed permanently after 23 years of business.

Coney’s and Swirls, located at 44 E. Bacon St., shut down earlier this summer when real estate agent Darin Spieth purchased the business and auctioned the ice cream equipment to Ethan’s Donut Factory, anticipating leasing the building to another business, Spieth said.

Pet groomer Emma Faust opened The Groovy Groomer in place of Coney’s and Swirls, Spieth said.

“It’s a great location, and I think it’s going to be perfect for her,” Spieth said. “It’s just a nice little way to bring in a new business.”

The local ice cream spot opened seasonally from March through October, serving American fare and a variety of frozen desserts.

Hillsdale resident and parttime student Maggie O’Connor said she would go to the ice cream parlor “all the time” growing up.

“I get very nostalgic thinking of Coney’s and Swirls,” she said. “I think it was definitely a staple for the children of Hillsdale because it was right there in a great position between all these neighborhoods. It was very hopping.”

O’Connor said she and her siblings walked to Coney’s and Swirls after school events before they were able to drive.

“My favorite memory is my favorite thing there, which was the peanut butter slide,” O’Connor said. “It was like five bucks or something, but it was massive, and it was basi-

and Swirls in 2017.

cally vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, fudge, and peanuts. It was huge, and it was so bad for you, but I got it every single time.”

Hillsdale College senior Meredith VanDerWeide said she used to frequent Coney’s and Swirls while she attended high school at Hillsdale Academy.

“Coney’s and Swirls was always the ice cream place open when we needed it,” she said. “My fondest memories at Coney’s and Swirls are after track meets getting ice cream with the whole team, or going there with friends during the summer after walking around downtown.”

Wayne Babcock, owner of Ethan’s Donut Factory, said he recalls when the ice cream parlor was a Dairy Queen before changing hands.

“It was a landmark for many, many years,” he said. “I remember when the line was around the block for Dairy Queen.”

With the additional ice cream equipment, Ethan’s Donut Factory is serving more varieties of ice cream, including flurries, and hand-dipped ice cream, Spieth said.

“It’ll be a one-stop sweet shop,” Spieth said.

Hillsdale resident Olivia Tritchka-Stuchell said she went to Coney’s and Swirls often growing up.

“I loved going to Coney’s and Swirls as a kid. I would go with my friends and also with my family. It’s definitely a core memory of mine,” Tritchka-Stuchell said. “I am sad that Coney’s and Swirls is closed because I wish everyone had the opportunity to have their great ice cream.”

Councilman Matthew Bentley. Courtesy | City of Hillsdale

Former Mayor Scott Sessions. Courtesy | City of Hillsdale

Mountain Highway will perform at the Dawn Theater Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

Courtesy | Mountain Highway website

Coney’s

Cal Abbo | Collegian

Shotgun Season opens with a bang

By Francesca Cella

Five freshmen joined the Hillsdale shotgun team, making it one of the team’s largest recruitment classes, with one placing third overall in the highest class at the team’s frst meet of the season at the Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Among the 314 competitors at the registered sporting clays shoot was freshman David Ardis who placed third while competing at the highest level in the master class. Senior Leif Anderson took third in the AA class, and senior Jordan Sapp came in frst in the A class.

Te team spent its frst days on campus before the meet bonding with the incoming athletes before the season began.

Junior Madeline Corbin said she is impressed with the freshmen’s performance.

Tey’re all having a grand time,” Corbin said. “Tey’re good shots and they’re meshing with the team well.”

Freshman Henrik Kiledal, a Hillsdale local, said although he has occasionally attended practices with the Hillsdale shotgun team for the last year,

Games

he is still adjusting to the collegiate level.

“Everybody’s been really welcoming by helping us learn the diferent disciplines that some of us might not have worked on as much in high school,” Kiledal said.

Te new recruits have much to contribute to the team, according to head coach Jordan Hintz.

“I think it’s a very strong class,” Hintz said. “We’re

ers. Tere’s a ton of talent and a ton of experience that we’re bringing in.”

Adding fve athletes to the roster brings the team to 18 members — the largest it has ever been. It also leaves the group just two athletes below the 20-person limit for a Division II shotgun team.

“It’s a little dance,” Corbin said. “You want to get as close to 20 as you can without going over in order to

bringing in All-Americans in trap, skeet, and sporting, as well as international shoot-

stay in Division II and have a larger pool of scores that you can pull for team scores.”

Hintz said when he became head coach in 2019, the team was in Division III with 10 athletes. Since then, he’s expanded the team, bringing them into Division II, which is more intense because of the larger teams, Hintz added.

“I would go so far as to say that Division II is probably the most competitive division in collegiate shooting ever in terms of how many teams there are, how deep those teams are, and how competitive they are with each other,” Hintz said. “In Division I there are really only a couple teams that are vying for the podium.”

Te team has excelled in Division II, earning the 2024 national championship title and placing third in the 2025 national championships.

“Our team is successful pretty much everywhere we go,” Kiledal said.

Tis year, the Hillsdale shotgun team aims to take back its winning title.

“ Tere’s really nothing holding us back from being able to win another national championship,” Hintz said.

Feature

Feature New assistant coach joins women's swim

By Jamie Parsons

Te Hillsdale swim team

welcomed Maddie London to the team as the new assistant coach at the start of the summer.

London will start her frst collegiate coaching job afer a fve-year career as a Division I swimmer and a two-year career as the head swim coach for Shaler High School in Pittsburgh.

London is replacing former assistant swim coach Alissa Lufin, who served under head swim coach Kurt Kirner for three years.

“Sometimes you get a gut feeling when you interview people, and we had that with her,” Athletic Director John Tarp said. “I could just tell she was super organized, very disciplined and the thing that came across was she was going to take care of the girls and challenge them.”

London swam for the University of Arkansas from 2019 to 2020, then for the University of Pittsburgh from 2021 to 2024. Both swim programs are in the top 100 Division I women’s swimming programs in the nation.

London also swam in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference while attending the University of Arkansas, and in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference while attending the University of Pittsburgh — both top-tier conferences.

Her main events included the 200- and 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard freestyle.

Tarp said London’s lack of coaching experience did not harm her chances of getting hired given her background in the collegiate swim world.

“I think she learned a great deal from both of those diferent experiences she had, and I

just feel like they are going to lead her to be a good coach,” Tarp said.

London said she is planning on making a few changes to the team’s practice schedule such as adding an additional lif on Saturday and incorporating injury prevention work into the workouts.

London also said she also has a few new goals for the team, including achieving a collective 3.5 GPA, being in the top two highest GPA performing women’s sports at Hillsdale, and winning GMACs.

“In a nutshell, the aim is all around living the lifestyle of a champion, inside the pool and outside the pool,” London said. “I believe if the swimmers are doing well in the classroom, they will do well in the pool.”

London spoke to all of the swimmers over the summer and has already won over many of them with her enthusiasm and ambition.

“I think she has the right amount of motivation to continue pushing the program forward and push the swimmers toward more accomplishments we know we can achieve like winning GMACs,” Senior Captain Rotem Andegeko said. “We have come short so many times in a row and she has these good ideas and plans to push us over the edge.”

Tarp said Charger athletics wants their swim coaches to foster a sense of excellence around the entire program and give the girls the best experience. Tarp added he believes coach Kirner and London can do that.

“We believe that Charger swimming can continue to get better and better and coach Kirner and London want to continue to push the expectation standards,” Tarp said.

Men's basketball welcomes two new coaches

By Martha Kennedy

Te Hillsdale men's basketball team hired two new assistant coaches this summer.

Braeden Proctor and Jackson McLaughlin will assist head coach Keven Bradley with recruiting, scouting and all aspects of the program, according to John Tarp, athletic director and former head coach for the men’s basketball team.

“ Tey will be a great addition to the program,” Tarp said. “I believe they will be terrifc role models for our young men.”

Te Chargers fnished last season 20-10 overall, making it their fourth 20-win season in the past fve years. Tey were knocked out of

the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament against Malone University in the semifnal round. Proctor and McLaughlin join the coaching staf, replacing Evan Morrissey, who stepped down afer two years with the Chargers.

Proctor began coaching in 2019 at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, which ranks among the top prep basketball schools in the country.

“Sunrise developed many Division I and professional talents,” Proctor said. “I coached at Sunrise from 2019-2023, and during that time we had four of the best seasons in school history, qualifying for the GEICO and Chipotle High School Nationals all four years.”

Proctor most recently

served as assistant coach at IMG Academy in Florida, where he helped lead the team to the Prep National Championship and sent six players to Division I schools across the country.

Tarp said Proctor’s extensive experience, especially with evaluating and recruiting talent, stood out during the hiring process.

McLaughlin began his basketball career at the University of Iowa in 2020, where he served as the student manager for the team. Te team qualifed for the NCAA tournament three of his four years there and won the 2022 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament championship.

McLaughlin said that his time as student manager helped show him what college sports should look like.

“I was very blessed to be a part of a team and culture that stands for all the right things in college athletics,” McLaughlin said. “ Te head coach emphasized relationships and always doing things right, which is rare in today's college athletics landscape.”

Afer graduating in 2024, McLaughlin worked as a graduate assistant coach for Augustana University in South Dakota. During his time on staf, the team won three games against opponents ranked in the top 25 Division II teams and qualifed for their conference’s tournament.

Tarp said McLaughlin’s background and energy stood out during the hiring process.

“Coach McLaughlin is a young man who has served college athletes at the highest

level. He has a work ethic second to none,” Tarp said.

Last season, the Chargers went 13-7 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Both assistant coaches said they are excited to contribute to the program.

“Whether it’s something on the court or of the court, I want to be a guy that can be trusted and relied upon by everyone and can truly help impact the program and college in a positive way,” Proctor said.

According to Tarp, the athletic department searches for people whose qualifcations go beyond the court.

“We always look for people who understand the mission of athletics at Hillsdale College,” Tarp said. “We want people of high character who will be relentless work-

ers to make Hillsdale athletics great. Tey must be role models for our student-athletes.”

McLaughlin said this mission is part of what drew him to Hillsdale.

Tis school is a special place that stands for all the right things when it comes to developing student-athletes,” McLaughlin said. “Growing the hearts and minds of individuals is emphasized here, which is important to me as I believe college athletics should enable these things as we hope to continue to grow as young men, fathers, and husbands as Christ calls us to do.”

Senior Leif Andersen at a meet last season. Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

Noughts and Crosses - Te numbers around the border indicate the length of the longest runs of consecutive noughts or crosses in that row or column (a zero means that symbol does not appear in that row or column).

C harger S port S

TeSlaa from A1

“ Te transition to Arkansas was difcult in a lot of ways, especially going from playing Division II to then being in the Southeastern Conference, but I got a lot of good learning experience with special teams, which I will defnitely carry over into my time playing as a rookie for the Lions,” TeSlaa said.

TeSlaa joins a handful of Hillsdale-educated NFL athletes, including Chester Marcol ’82, a kicker, and Jared Veldheer ’10, an ofensive lineman.

Born and raised in Hudsonville, Michigan, TeSlaa’s dad, Mark Teslaa ’97, taught him the love of football. Te younger Teslaa played in high school and then followed in his father’s footsteps to play at Hillsdale College. TeSlaa played three seasons for the Chargers, beginning with his freshman season in 2020, where he transitioned from playing quarterback to wide receiver.

He earned a starting spot on the team as a true freshman, leading up to his sophomore breakout season.

During his second season, he led the Chargers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, claiming the title of Outstanding Ofensive Back for the 2021 team.

His 2022 season with the Chargers kept him in the spotlight with a stat line of 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns. He recorded seven games with 100 receiving yards or more and earned honors as the Great Midwestern Athletic Conference Ofensive Player of the Year and team MVP, as well as an All-American Honorable Mention.

Tere is such a strong brotherhood on the [Hillsdale] team because everyone just loves playing football,” TeSlaa said. “I’ve made some great lifelong friends from my time playing at Hillsdale.”

As a rookie for the Lions, TeSlaa has played in three preseason and special teams games while continuing to develop as a player. He scored three touchdowns, one in each of their preseason games.

“I have no doubt Isaac will fnd success in the NFL,” football head coach Nate Shreffer said. “He will be a great

make big plays, and I wish him the best of luck.” Although Hillsdale coaches don’t train players with

“Our goal is to develop and maximize everyone’s potential and if they have the measurables and are talent-

teammate and will make any locker room better due to his character. Te coaches and fans will love him for his work ethic and his natural ability to

the expectation that they will make it to the NFL, Shrefer said they hope that their players will become the best they can be.

ed enough, the NFL will fnd them,” Shrefer said. “Over the past 20 years, we have had 15 or so guys get into NFL camps. Our staf has done a

great job over the years developing our players, and when an NFL-caliber guy is in our locker room, we can see it and will alert the appropriate NFL scouts.” Ben Hinrichs ’24 played on the football team with TeSlaa during his time at Hillsdale. He said he is not surprised by TeSlaa’s accomplishments.

“I was just unbelievably happy that the one team of 32 players that he'd loved since he was born was willing to sacrifce to get him,” Hinrichs said. “It was really cool to see how excited the Hillsdale community was and to see how that excitement had a ripple efect to people even loosely connected to Hillsdale. At every point of the draf process, from the Hula Bowl to the Combine, even when the odds were against him he completely exceeded expectations.”

Chargers aim for thirdstraight winning season

By Christian Papillon

Afer its second consecutive winning season, punctuated by a fve-game winning streak last year, the Hillsdale football team returned to campus to prepare for the 2025 season Aug. 12.

“Coming of that fnish put them in a good mood heading to the break,” head coach Nate Shrefer said. “ Tey’re fred up and ready to get back into the new season.”

Shrefer praised the performance of several players including junior wide receiver Shea Ruddy, who caught 24 passes for 680 yards last season, adding 279 rushing yards on 49 carries. Ruddy led Division II in all-purpose yards through October last year and fnished the season third in the division.

“Shea had a pretty dynamic season,” Shrefer said. “He’s going to get the ball in a lot of diferent ways.”

Athletic Director John Tarp said he is looking forward to the upcoming season, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Chargers’ undefeated 1955 season under former head coach Frank “Muddy” Waters. Te

Chargers went 9-0 and won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football championship.

Tarp says he has seen some of the team’s morning meetings and workouts in the weight room.

“From everything that I’ve seen, there’s been great energy with the team,” he said.

Sophomore quarterback

“ Tey're fred up and ready to get back into the new season.”

Colin McKernan also said he is excited for the upcoming season.

Te thing I’m most looking forward to is the camaraderie that this team has,” McKernan said. “We have a lot of key returning pieces. A lot of the defense and the entire returning ofensive line are very experienced overall.

I think this whole idea of a champion season could really come to fruition this year.”

McKernan earned the starting quarterback role last year, compiling 1,455 passing yards across 10 games.

“When you do something for a while, it slows down for you and you understand more routines, reads, and everything you need to know,” McKernan said. “I’ve defnitely felt that the game has slowed down for me a ton and I feel way more confdent doing what I’m doing. Being able to step into a role of leadership a little bit more has defnitely helped.”

McKernan also said he is excited to have most of his teammates back for the season.

“Knowing the guys that you’re around is defnitely an important thing in football, especially since you’ve got to rely on them so much,” he said. “Additionally, it’s great to be able to hang out with your friends outside of football, when those friends are still the guys you play with every day.”

Te Chargers will play their frst game against McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois Sep. 6. Te team’s frst home game will be against Michigan Technological University Sep. 13.

Senior Kyle Riffel and sophomore Andrew Konieczny work the Youth Football Camp over the summer. Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletics Department

A6 August 27, 2025

Isaac TeSlaa poses with his family and friends at training camp. Courtesy | Instagram

College President Larry Arnn, 72, whacks a pickleball during The Source. Joshua Mistry | Collegian

Football

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C U L T U R E

Palubinskas teaches the art of wonder

By Ty Ruddy

When senior Abi Palubinskas sees the sunlight dance in the trees, or cracks in a stretch of pavement, she sees art. And when she stares into the eyes of a painted gure, she sees the soul of the artist behind it.

Palubinskas studies art at Hillsdale College with a focus on painting and drawing. is year, Palubinskas will serve as the president of art honorary Alpha Rho Tau, the art honorary on campus.

“Being an artist can be lonely,” Palubinskas said. “We want to bring people out of their shell and give them a safe place to create.”

She said the board wants to focus on community building this year with monthly meet-

ings, partnerships with other honoraries, and opportunities for artists to share their work and give and receive constructive criticism.

“Often the hardest part about making a piece of art is then showing it to someone else,” Palubinskas said. “So it’s nice to have a community that you know you can trust.”

By the time Palubinskas arrived on campus in 2023, her brother, A.J., had become an integral part of the Hillsdale theatre program. e two are close, according to Palubinskas, and supportive of each other’s cra

“When I ask him, he’s always willing to give me ideas for my own art, and I usually learn something new from his insight,” Palubinskas said.

Palubinskas also said A.J.’s presence on campus made her

own transition from Arizona to Michigan not only doable, but enjoyable.

“He introduced me to tons of people, and just to see the impact he made on others I got to be proud of him all the time,” Palubinskas said. “People just loved his presence, which made me comfortable.”

Palubinskas’s presence had a similar impact on Catherine Schleuter. They had known each other for some time before spring 2025, but because they were the only two students registered for Teacher of Art Brian Shaw’s Graphic Design II course that semester, their friendship blossomed in their love for art and dedication to cra at was an intimate environment and Abi gave such insightful feedback,” Schleuter said. “She has a gi for seeing the heart and soul of the artist.”

dience an inside look at the life of an artist: a world of discipline, experimentation, and joy.

Schleuter said Palubinskas’s love for art invites others to join her in wonder.

“She’s intentional, she’s dedicated, she’s hardworking, but most impressive is her wonder,” Schleuter said. “ e way she sees the world and draws others into that delight with her.”

In addition to her artwork, Palubinskas has collaborated with artists in other mediums, including the lmmakers in the Film and Production Club. Last spring, she served as the art director on an upcoming short lm directed by senior Josh Burnett.

“Abi was fantastic to work with: adaptable, creative, enthusiastic, and hardworking,” Burnett said. “ e lm revolves around art, and her work on production design was key to making the project possible.”

Palubinskas said it was a chance for her to give the au-

Palubinskas said she will be happy to keep in touch with Hillsdale’s art department and to perfect her cra upon graduating next spring, but she ultimately hopes to share her wonder with others. She said she plans to become an art teacher.

“Art isn’t just learning how to draw or paint. It’s learning how to see,” Palubinskas said. “Even if my future students don’t realize it until much later, they will carry with them an appreciation for beauty in the mundane.”

‘A Matter of Time:’ Laufey sings again

By Grace Brennan

Since her debut EP in 2021, Laufey’s silky jazz and soft pop has been a story of hope, heartache, and helplessly falling in love with Prince Charming. But her new album “A Matter of Time” dares to tell the reality of when the clock strikes midnight. e whole album to me is just that moment when Cinderella finds out it’s struck midnight and she’s running,” Laufey told Rolling Stone. “ e heartbeat that she has, that’s the album.”

e 14-track album begins with jazzy vocals creating the illusion of a clock ticking in “Clockwork:” “And nothing brings me fear like meeting with my destiny/ But like clockwork, think he fell in love with me.” ese lyrics in the chorus of “Clockwork” encapsulate the anxiety and excitement of having no control, a theme that runs through the whole album.

Laufey told the Associated Press that her album would showcase raw emotion and honesty with new variety in her musical approach. “It’s a matter of time until you nd out everything about me,” she said.

e clock strikes midnight and Laufey exposes her heart with every beat of bossanova and swell of orchestral music, running with new bravery just like Cinderella — but in her case, the clock striking midnight is when the magic begins.

Most of the album, especially “Snow White,” “Castle in Hollywood,” and “Carousel” have fairytale motifs accompanied by a dreamy or whimsical orchestra. Laufey’s voice is enchanting as she draws the listener in, only to break their hearts with her lyrics of uncertainty and loss.

“Snow White” expresses the insecurity of not being the version of herself seen on posters and vinyls: “Sometimes I see her, she looks like Snow Whitе/ She’s everything I am, but my wrongs arе turned to rights.” “Castle in Hollywood,” although upbeat in sound, is a heartbreaking story of losing a friend: “It’s a heartbreak/ Marked the end of our girlhood/ We’ll never go back to our castle in Hollywood.” Neither song has a fairytale ending.

“Sabotage” is far from a fairytale being lyrically threatening, saying “It’s a matter of time ’til you see the dagger,” but even more of a shock is that it’s musically bold, haunting, and disorienting, unlike her usual so melody.

The bonus track, “Seems Like Old Times,” showcases Laufey’s familiar jazz that has made her stand out in a sea of female pop artists. Laufey brings her newest album to an end reminiscing on old times, thinking of rewinding the clock.

“A Matter of Time” showcases Laufey’s musical genius to express both dream and reality.

Superman returns for Gunn’s new cinematic universe

By Catherine Maxwell

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … “Superman,” a fun superhero movie that restores Superman’s character as a symbol of goodness. e lm, released in July, is the rst entry in DC Studios’s new DC Universe, not to be confused with the failed DC Extended Universe.

Central to the plot’s conict is a war Superman (David Corenswet) stopped in the days leading up to the movie’s opening scene. Fictional Slavic country Boravia had attempted to invade neighboring country Jarhanpur before Superman saved the day.

Now the Pentagon is worried about what Superman’s actions say about the United States, and Superman’s archnemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) wants to exploit the situation to turn public opinion against the hero.

Even Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Superman’s girlfriend of three months, questions his motives. His actions as

a representative of the United States could cause more problems than they solve, she suggests.

“I wasn’t representing anyone, except for me!” Superman retorts. “And good, I dunno, doing good!” at’s what de nes director James Gunn’s Superman: “doing good.” Unlike the con icted version in Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” this Superman is happy, optimistic, and unapologetically committed to goodness. And it works. Superman ghts monsters and the machinations of Lex Luthor, but the movie goes out of its way to show him saving people and animals. He cares about people, not politics. When public opinion turns against him, he just wants to nd his dog.

Even when he questions his origins, he questions only the “why” behind his do-gooding, not the actions themsleves.

“Your choices, Clark,” Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince) tells Superman in a moment of personal crisis. “Your actions — that’s what makes you who you are.” And Gunn made excellent

casting choices with this movie. e actors shine, from Superman to the supporting cast, especially the less well-known hero Mr. Terri c (Edi Gathegi). e movie’s aesthetics are

underwear outside his pants — and the movie is better for it.

e movie begins in medias res, and Gunn’s world is already eshed out. Metropolis is lled with other heroes, and Lois

bright and colorful, unlike the muted, gritty tones of the failed DC Extended Universe. Lex Luthor plots Superman’s doom like a Silicon Valley mastermind. Superman wears his red

Lane already knows Superman’s secret identity.

e number of characters might be confusing for new viewers. And it’s no origin story — Gunn assumes the audi-

ence has some familiarity with Superman lore.

e movie feels like an episode from the 1990s TV show “Superman: The Animated Series.” It’s quippy and more lighthearted than previous DC movies. Characters are sometimes exaggerated versions of themselves — Ma (Neva Howell) and Pa Kent, Superman’s adopted parents, have over-thetop country accents, despite living in the Midwest.

is exaggeration could be viewed as a mockery of rural conservatives, which Ma and Pa appear to be. e lm certainly drew plenty of criticism from the Right after Gunn’s brother made comments about Superman being an immigrant, with Fox News labeling the movie “Superwoke.” Some have suggested the Boravian-Jarhanpurian conflict is a stand-in for the Russia-Ukraine or Israel-Palestine wars.

In fact, the movie is none of those things. Ma and Pa are, the movie says, the reason Superman is devoted to goodness — a suggestion, perhaps accidental on Gunn’s part, that rural conservatives have a bet-

ter grasp on virtue than liberals would admit. Superman is an alien, but it’s a problem because he’s a super-powered being who came from space, not because he didn’t ll out his immigration forms. And the war between two ctional countries is just a made-up con ict, not a foreign policy statement.

“Superman” may not save the superhero film industry, despite being the highest-grossing superhero movie of the year and beating all three Marvel Studios releases. DC’s ick will have grossed at least $600 million, but it’s still hundreds of millions less than the billions Marvel earned at its peak. Still, DC seems to consider the movie a success. Gunn has announced a spin-o based on Supergirl (releasing next year) and a “Superman” sequel, and plans for more DCU movies are in the works. Even if the lm didn’t make a billion dollars, it’s a fun story that restores the classic version of Superman’s character. He wants to save everyone, from people to squirrels. e movie leaves the viewer smiling, and that’s a super feeling.

Palubinskas’s sketch study of a clown . Courtesy | Abi Palubinskas

Palubinskas beside Frans Hals’s “The Lute Player.”

Courtesy | Abi Palubinskas

A portrait study by Palubinskas.

Courtesy | Abi Palubinskas

“Superman” hit theaters July 11. Courtesy | Amazon

Senior wins 100km Turkish ultramarathon by scaling mountains and fighting dogs

By Lauren Bixler a ssistant e ditor

The fog rolled across the mountains as the bustling city of Bursa lay 9,000 feet below. Also visible from the mountain’s peak is the ancient city of Troy — the same one upon which Achaean soldiers once marched. For senior Oliver Bieser, it was like he walked into the pages of Homer’s epic as he ran 62 miles up the Turkish mountain Uludağ, also known as Mysian Olympus — allegedly where the ancient Greek gods went to watch the Trojan war.

Bieser placed first in the men’s 100k of the Uludağ Premium Ultra Trail race on July 19 with an elevation change of 4,620 meters. There was a total attendance of 2,650 from 20 countries competing in 100k, 66k, 42k, 30k, 16k and 6k races. Bieser started his long run near the peak of Uludağ, with miles of rocks, roots, and sharp turns. He remained in second place for the beginning of the race until he

encountered the Turkish runner in first.

“I was behind him until mile 16, when I caught him on a super steep incline,” Bieser said. “That incline was probably the most difficult of the entire race: I was bear-crawling for about a quarter mile at one point because it was so steep.”

Once Bieser overtook his competitor, he climbed for another mile or two until he

“Around mile 45, I came across a herd of goats that was guarded by six Kangal shepherds — 100-150 pound, super scary dogs — who immediately ran at me, barking and gnashing their teeth. I kicked one squarely in the jaw when it got too close, which scared the rest of them off to at least give me some breathing room,” Bieser said. “They still blocked the path, though, and I was stuck in a standoff

onds, Bieser crossed the finish line in first as flashing cameras marked his triumphant moment.

“This was their national race, and I was the only person not from Turkey or Iran to finish,” Bieser said. “The fanfare was incredible, you’d think I was winning Olympic gold, not some trail race.”

Bieser was in Turkey for an eight-week internship at the American Research Institute

“I just decided on a whim two weeks before the race to sign up — it was the last day before registration closed,” Bieser said. “I knew the course would be tough and I didn’t have all the equipment I needed, but I went for it.”

Bieser said this would not have been possible without his companions Laird and Choe, who drove him there.

“One day he said, ‘Hey, I registered, I’m going.’ So we

“The fanfare was incredible, you’d think I was winning Olympic gold, not some trail race.”

reached more forests.

“From there, the next 20 or so miles consisted of super lush and humid forests, interspersed with small villages, where I was able to get extra water from fountains and women watering their plants,” Bieser said.

Rocky terrain was not the only foe Bieser had to conquer.

with them barking at me for seven or eight minutes until the race director noticed my tracker had stopped moving and came to rescue me. I have no idea how he got up that terrain in his Jeep, but he scared the dogs off and let me pass to finish up the race.”

All the miles culminated in the final moment — after 12 hours, 12 minutes, and 31 sec-

in the Salt Galata museum in Istanbul. Alongside senior Alexandra Laird and junior Madeleine Choe, Bieser spent time cataloging and archiving information about the Americans’ involvement in Istanbul.

He did not plan to run an ultramarathon on his last weekend in Turkey. In fact, he said he didn’t announce it to his family until after he won the race.

rented a car, and just went,” Laird said.

Bieser said he was grateful for his support team in Turkey, as well as his mother for getting him into running, and his girlfriend, senior Penelope Campbell, for putting up with him disappearing for two to three hours per day to train.

Bieser intends to race a 50-mile course in October and

a 100-mile course in December.

“This coming semester will be the most I’m running every day, averaging about 15 miles a day. Fridays and Saturdays are both long runs, which are 20 or more miles,” Bieser said. “I haven’t missed a day since last September.” Campbell said she’s happy to support her boyfriend’s ultramarathon adventures.

“During the 100-miler he ran this spring, our good friend Owen and I stayed up all 20-plus hours with Oliver, and every time he ran through the aid station, we had food and a pair of new socks waiting for him,” Campbell said. Campbell said he does not run for money or status, but only because it brings him joy. His words echoed hers. “If tomorrow I found out that running is terrible for you, or I found out that I would never be any good at it, I think I would keep running,” Bieser said. “It’s something that’s for its own good.”

From German churches to Oxford spires: students discuss summers abroad

By Megan Li F eatures e ditor

Students packed a suitcase, hopped on a plane, and flew across the world for schooling in another country this summer. From learning the difference between garden peas and mash peas to arguing in German over a town’s best church, four students tell their stories.

Würtzberg, Germany

Senior Lance Lintuerer ate pretzels and sipped Helles beer with the Hillsdale German Department in Würtzberg, Germany. Lintuerer said he first learned of the program from a former student, and it was also his love of the German department that convinced him to go.

“They have this incredible culture where they get people going on this program really consistently,” Lintuerer said. “The professors in this department are awesome.”

Students in the Hillsdale program took classes with Associate Professor of German Stephen Naumann and Emily Goodling ’14, learning Johann Wolfgang von Goethe literature and German culture.

“It’s an immersion program, so you’re supposed to

learn by, first and foremost, speaking only German, and then experiencing German life by living there,” Lintuerer said.

Lintuerer said he struck up a conversation with a stranger in German when Lintuerer made a claim about “the best church in Würtzburg.”

“An older guy — German — with a huge handlebar mustache just started shaking his head like he doesn’t agree. And I called out to him like, ‘What do you think is the best church?’” Lintuerer said. “It just turned into a conversation about the history of Würtzberg and German culture, and it was just a great conversation. You can’t have that elsewhere.”

Lintuerer said his favorite memories included members of the study abroad group going out for a beer or to a restaurant together. Without them, Lintuerer said he would not have enjoyed Germany so much.

“I’m confident it must have been one of the best groups the program has ever had,” Lintuerer said. “When you think of German culture, you think of beer, and what better way to experience that culture than to just have a really tasty beer with a group of people and just laugh.”

Oxford, England

It took a random conversation about summer plans to spark junior Becca Gilchrist’s decision to travel to “the city of dreaming spires,” where she spent four weeks studying Shakespeare and politics with the Oxford Study Abroad Programme at the University of Oxford.

“A lot of what Shakespeare was writing about was divine right and monarchy,” Gilchrist said. “I was able to hear and have these conversations with a tutor who still lives under a similar system.”

Gilchrist said managing her time to complete an essay per week without a prompt, when she normally would have had several weeks, was her biggest challenge.

“I really had to second-guess, ‘How am I reading this text? Am I thinking about it quickly as I’m going, or am I waiting for somebody to tell me where these significant issues are?’” Gilchrist said.

Outside of writing papers, Gilchrist experienced the British-American language barrier when ordering at a restaurant.

“The waiter kept on asking these questions, and I just had no idea what he was asking, and I ended up ordering something, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what I just ordered,’” Gilchrist said. “We ended up using hand signals to try to explain the difference between garden peas and mash peas.”

While Gilchrist thought England’s standard of living was lower than America’s, given her lack of a dryer and air conditioning, she enjoyed the cultural sense of living in the past.

“Pub culture — you go and you have a drink and you’re hanging out — gives you much more time to just sit and relax,” Gilchrist said. “It felt like you were living a simpler life with

more time to really reflect and just enjoy the moment and enjoy the people around you.”

Istanbul, Turkey

Junior Madeleine Choe’s trip to Istanbul, Turkey, was not intended to be a language immersion trip, but Choe, who speaks French, Italian, Japanese, and Turkish, decided to turn it into one. Choe first discovered the program through Assistant Professor of Medieval History Charles Yost’s Western Heritage class, and he offered her a spot.

“He found out that I speak Turkish because I lived in Turkey for a few months back in 2020,” Choe said. “And I really wanted to get back to Turkey, improve my Turkish, get back to Istanbul. I really love the country, so I said yes.”

The program works with the American Research Institute in Turkey, a historical institute that welcomes students interested in the history of the Byzantine Empire or the Ottoman Empire. Choe worked on digitizing documents from the American Board of Missions in Turkey, which was active in the 19th century but dissolved in the 1960s due to underfunding.

“There was a Bible house in Constantinople, and that’s where most of the correspondence was going through,” Choe said. “So it was interesting to get a bit of a glimpse into what Turkey was like at that period in history.”

Choe said sometimes the letters held unusual content.

“One letter in particular that we had a bit of fun with had to do with a request for a shipment of ‘60 tons of coke.’ We were like, ‘Okay, is that Coke, as in Coca-Cola, cocaine, or the fuel?’” Choe said. “But for a second, we thought, ‘Oh, shoot, was there a drug operation being run out of the

Bible house?’” Choe said she enjoyed the program’s opportunity to teach her about the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.

“It was a place where we got to see the remnants of two bygone empires,” Choe said. “I’d say that’s a part of the world and world history that maybe at Hillsdale we can often overlook when we’re focused on Western history.”

Tours, France

While Choe sampled Turkish culture, sophomore Sophia Kyba was speaking French in a four-week study abroad program in Tours, France. At language school Institut de Touraine, Kyba studied French at the second-most advanced level.

“I kept studying it all throughout high school, and I like reading books in French and listening to French music, so I decided to keep studying it in college and hopefully to be able to use it in work someday or at least for leisure,” Kyba said.

Kyba said Tours was the perfect size for immersive linguistics study.

“They say that that is the

region where French is spoken most purely,” Kyba said. “It was definitely helpful when you are learning.”

Kyba and other Hillsdale students stayed with host families, where they spoke French from the moment they woke to the moment they went to sleep.

“The words come to mind quicker the more you speak with them,” Kyba said.

Kyba said her favorite part of each day would be finding her host parents on their terrace just before dinner, drinking wine and eating cheese.

“We would chat about the day or about other things,” Kyba said. “Those moments with my host family were probably the best part of the trip, or else we would play games or watch movies in French. They were super kind and welcoming.”

Kyba said her time made her more confident and interested in living abroad in the future.

“I was studying and going about day to day, doing things like taking the bus, doing normal things that people who live there do, as if I was just another person from Tours,” Kyba said.

Senior Lance Lintuerer (far back left) poses with students and professor on the German Würtzberg trip.

Courtesy | Lance Lintuerer

Sophomore Sophia Kyba and senior Erika Kyba smile in front of Chateau d’Amboise. Courtesy |Sophia Kyba

Senior Oliver Bieser makes his ascent to the peak of Uludağ. Courtesy | Egemen Dağıstanlı