Collegian 09.03.2026 by The Hillsdale Collegian

Overworking:

Classics Musicians:

Dolly Parton:

OPINION: Embrace Hillsdale’s busyness. Life will only get busier.

The two latest Classics faculty are a guitarist and pianist.

Campus remembers the late country music legend.

See A4

See B5

Courtesy | Tony Jelso

Illustration | Maggie O’Connor

Courtesy | Dalton Sala

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Hillsdale County sheriff faces felony charges By Gemma Flores City News editor Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire pled not guilty to two felony charges at his Sept. 2 arraignment in Jackson at the county courthouse. Hodshire and his Ann Arbor-based attorney John Shea appeared via Zoom before Jackson County District Judge Daniel Goostrey. Hodshire was charged with one count of obstruction of justice and one count of misconduct in o!ce. Lawyers for the prosecution were not present at the arraignment. Hodshire, who is currently serving his second term as Hillsdale County’s Sheriff, is accused of tampering with an investigation carried out by the Williams County Sheriff ’s Office in Ohio.

Hodshire allegedly tampered with a theft investigation that WCSO requested assistance from Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s O!ce on, according to court transcripts obtained by the Hillsdale Daily News. The suspect, according to the transcript, was residing in Camden, Michigan, which is under HCSO’s jurisdiction. Hodshire allegedly called the suspect and both of the suspect’s parents to inform them of an active search warrant, including what the police were looking for. The prosecution claims that Hodshire’s actions placed police o!cers in jeopardy. Hodshire’s next appearance in court will be his probable cause conference, scheduled for Sept. 30.

See Sheriff A7

College to build War Memorial By Sophia Bryant Features editor Hillsdale College will build a memorial in the quad to honor student soldiers who died fighting in armed con&icts. Construction on the memorial will begin in April 2027 and will finish in late May 2028, according to Chief

als, living memorials,” College President Larry Arnn said in an email to The Collegian. “They attest to the purposes of the college and our activity in service to them. It is traditional to place in such places memorials to the past and to the connection of the college to the outside world. We have several, beginning with our

See B1

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Vol. 150 Issue 2 – September 3, 2026

Michael Knowles named 2027 commencement speaker By Ellie Fromm

Editor In Chief

public commentary,” Hillsdale College president Larry Arnn told The Collegian in an email. “His commentaries are an instruction and an entertainment. He is an example of man keeping his bearings in a shifting, dangerous, and opportune world.” Earlier this year, Knowles hired Christina Lewis ’26 as a researcher for his podcast and in July she began working for him in Nashville. “Michael is a good pick as Hillsdale’s commencement speaker because he represents everything that Hillsdale stands for,” said Lewis, who

thinkers of Western tradition,” she said. “He will give a good commencement address that focuses on students while also talking about deeper topics in life.” Knowles is from New York and married Alissa Mahler in 2018, and the couple has three children. Andrew Klavan, host of The Daily Wire’s “The Andrew Klavan Show,” hired Knowles 12 years ago to write Klavan’s Twitter posts. Soon after hiring him, Klavan noticed something special in Knowles. “He did such a good imitation of me, I often read my

Michael Knowles will deliver the commencement address for the class of 2027 on May 8, according to the college provost’s o!ce. The 36-year-old Knowles has hosted “The Michael Knowles Show” podcast at The Daily Wire since 2017, which is No. 27 on Spotify’s news podcast charts. He also hosts PragerU’s “The Book Club,” a show in which Knowles and “special guests discuss the great literature that has shaped Western Civilization,” according to PragerU’s website. Knowles earned a degree in history and Italian literature from Yale University. He frequently lectures at colleges and u n ive rs it i e s , and spoke at Hillsdale College in September 2021 about free speech, according to The Collegian. “ M i c h a e l Michael Knowles in Arizona in 2024. Courtesy | WikiMedia Commons Knowles is witty, quick, and studied history at Hillsdale feed just to remind myself profound. He studied seri- and was on the staff of The what I sound like. In keeping ous things at Yale, and he Collegian. with this, I recommend Hillshas improved his knowledge “In his show, he always dale’s students should listen and his faith by intense effort brings up Aquinas and Saint to him as long as he sounds as he has built a career of Augustine and all these great like me,” Klavan joked in an

email to The Collegian. “If he strays into any thoughts of his own, put your fingers in your ears and whistle Dixie, or if Dixie is no longer acceptable, the title song to the musical ‘Mame,’ which will work just as well.” Klavan was a Hillsdale College Eugene C. Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Journalism in 2019. “There is no one working today who can more expertly eviscerate the specious arguments of socialists and other enemies of the American founding,” Klavan said. “To watch him stand as a lone conservative on a TV panel or debate stage is a joy — sort of like watching a samurai slice up a sparrow m i d - f l i g ht , although in that case, the sparrow has a better chance o f e s c ap e . He’ll be an i nspi r at i on as these fortunate grads ride off into the fray.”

Hillsdale’s two new Fulbright students spend time abroad By Sophia Mandt CollegiaN reporter

The War Memorial Courtesy | Rich Pewe

Administrative O!cer Richard Péwé. The memorial will be located between the Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Classical Education building and Strosacker, according to a mock-up. “All the buildings at the center of the campus are memori-

Civil War statue, proudly facing out toward the world in the South Quad. The War Memorial will repeat this theme and recognize all the Hillsdale students who have sacrificed for our country.”

See Memorial A3

It was a normal day at work in the Mossey Library archives for Phaedra Kelley ’26, until she discovered she had received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. “I’ll never forget that moment,” Kelley said. “It was just a huge wave of disbelief and relief all rolled into one, and I definitely started crying.” Kelley and Ethan Bourgeois ’26 both received scholarships from the Fulbright

Volleyball sweeps 3-0 on the road By Ashley Luke CollegiaN reporter

We were just more comfortable when the game was on the line.”

WSU 3-1 with 56 kills and 4 aces, and swept Quincy University 3-0 with 42 kills and The Hillsdale 9 aces. Junior women’s volleymiddle/outside ball team won all hitter Ellie Fles three matches at led against IUP the Wayne State with 12 kills. University Warrior B oth junior Invitational tourmiddle hitter nament Aug. 28-29 Caroline Lanand earned touricek and Fles nament and Great dominated at Midwest Athletic WSU with 16 Conference distinckills. Fles fintions. ished QU with “We’ve got a 13 kills. During tough schedule this t he tour naSenior Chloe Pierce, sophomore Grace Drake, junior Ellie Fles, year,” head coach ment, Lanicek was Chris Gravel said. freshman Ella Vandermark, and junior Caroline Lanicek. selected for the “We’ve done a lot of Courtesy | Athletics Department all-tournament work on performing while Hillsdale beat Indiana team and Fles was awarded being uncomfortable, and I University of Pennsylvania think that was the difference. 3-1 with 43 kills and 11 aces, See Volleyball A9

program this year. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and awards grants to graduating American seniors, graduate students, and professionals who plan to conduct research, pursue graduate study, or teach English abroad.

Phaedra Kelley.

Ethan Bourgeois.

Courtesy | Phaedra Kelley

Courtesy | Ethan Bourgeois

See Fulbright A2

Students nominated for top college broadcast awards

ITS overhauls campus Wi-Fi

By Monica Smies CollegiaN reporter

By Blake Schaper CollegiaN reporter

College Broadcasters Inc. has named three Hillsdale College students as finalists for national awards due to their exceptional work with Hillsdale’s radio program. Junior Lilly Faye Kraemer is nominated for Best Regularly Scheduled Entertainment Program for her episode, “Story Behind the Song: Stephanie Childress”; senior Luke Miller is a finalist for Best Documentary for his work, “Commander in Chief: Lyndon B. Johnson”; and Erika Kyba ’26 is nominated for Best Podcast for her program episode, “The Poetry Fix: Old Ironsides.”

CBI is a national college radio competition that gives awards to colleges across the country for radio, podcasts, and documentaries, according to Scot Bertram, general manager at WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. The submissions are judged by multiple professionals in journalism, journalism-adjacent fields, and mass communications, according to CBI rules. The first-place winners for each section will be announced at the CBI convention in October.

See CBI A2

Hillsdale College’s internet is getting software and hardware upgrades, improving connectivity, security, and accessibility for students. Hillsdale ITS has been working over the summer to move to a new network equipment vendor, add more Wi-Fi access points in notoriously spotty areas, and adjust the Wi-Fi usage for guests. Additionally, ITS is implementing a new network, HC-Wi-Fi, which will require a secure, one-time Hillsdale account login.

See Wi-Fi A3

A2 September 3, 2026

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Freshman orientation takes new trip to Halter By Trinity Gentry assistaNt editor Freshmen shot guns at the John A. Halter Shooting Sports Education Center as part of their orientation this year, as an effort to raise interest in campus shooting teams and clubs, according to Operations Associate Katherine Vander Wall. “I didn’t think I would do as well as I did,” freshman Reece

firearms quickly, according to Vander Wall. “Air rifles go pretty fast with beginners. They tend to get a decent amount of shooting done, even in a short span of time. And they all got to shoot some bolt action .22-caliber and some ARs outside,” she said. !is alteration to the orientation schedule was initiated by Vander Wall, who wanted

ter seemed to boost student interest in the College’s shooting programs and clubs. “We got more sign-ups on our email list than we ever have, and we had more students show up to our first club practice than we ever have,” Vander Wall said. “Many of those students, most of them who signed up and most of them who showed up to our first club practice, were fresh-

Freshmen students at the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center.

men who had been at the freshman shoot. !ey came over, and they said things like, ‘I was looking for your table,’ and, ‘I had such a great time the other day.’” !e freshmen activities at Halter Center also created an

Courtesy | Austin Thomason

Culbertson said. “I’ve shot a gun once or twice before. It was really fun. Precision shooting was great as well. I enjoyed that one — probably my favorite.” The freshman class was divided into groups of roughly 100 students, which were bused to the shooting range. As soon as they arrived, they split into four groups and cycled through four stations, Vander Wall said. !e stations gave students the opportunity to learn and handle firearms and do team-building exercises, according to Associate Dean of Men Jeffery “Chief ” Rogers. “Students received instruction in firearm safety and responsible handling from trained professionals. They had the opportunity to shoot both a precision rifle and a .22-caliber rifle. !ey also participated in team-building and problem-solving activities that required communication, trust, patience, and cooperation,” Rogers said. Some of these team-building exercises included solving riddles, answering getto-know-you questions, and building paper towers, according to Director of Student Programs Rachel Marinko. Even though each group spent a short time at its station, the students learned to handle

CBI From A1 “Each time we are able to have these achievements, I hope it inspires students to know that with the kind of work that they put in, that it is a realistic goal for them to perhaps be acknowledged, recognized by others in the industry of doing some really outstanding work,” Bertram said. In Kraemer’s nominated segment, she interviewed the Franco-British conductor, Stephanie Childress, who works in Barcelona. “I love music and the history behind it — the stories behind it. So, radio was an outlet for me to practice public speaking in a different way to talk about music,” Kraemer said. In her series, Kraemer said she interviews people involved in the production of a song, whether that be an audio engineer, a songwriter, or an artist. Kraemer said she believes the episode on Childress was nominated because the topic was niche and flowed well. “I asked what the process was like being a conductor,

apply not only at the range but throughout their college experience and their lives.” !e addition of the Halter visit improved the orientation schedule, according to Marinko. “We took out the campus tours, and we scooted back the honor code lecture a little bit, and later into the afternoon. Then the registrar gave two presentations — one in the morning for the groups who went in the afternoon, and one in the afternoon for the groups who went in the morning to the shooting range,” Marinko said. Campus tours were always difficult with almost 400 freshmen exploring the college, making things chaotic and never working out the way the faculty hoped for, according to Marinko. Freshmen were already learning the campus as they walked with their families on Saturday and Sunday. Freshman Charissa Miao, who shot a gun for the first time during orientation, said the structured group activities and icebreakers were a helpful way for her to get to know other students. “I really enjoyed the orientation process even though, as a freshman, it is a lot coming at you at the same time. Every event was very fun, for sure. Super enjoyable, and I did really like all of them even

to create a way to increase interest in the College’s shooting programs. “A lot of students don’t even know the range exists,” Vander Wall said. “!ey don’t know that we offer classes here or that we have competitive shooting teams.” To r a i s e awareness of t he opp ortunities the shooting range offers and increase knowledge of firearm safety, Vander Wall and Benjamin Roche, a junior and rifle team captain, discussed these ideas separately with the Jeffery “Chief” Rogers speaks with freshmen students. College’s adminis- Courtesy | Austin Thomason though tration in casual just soconversations. opportunity for teamwork and cializing sometimes with “Before we knew it, Chief bonding, according to Rogers. strangers is a lot, but in the was like, ‘Hey, let’s go for it! “The experience helped end it was really awesome,” Like, let’s make this happen,’” students build relationships Miao said. Vander Wall said. “I really early, develop confidence, and thought it would take years of practice working effectively planting those seeds and, you with others,” Rogers said. “Stuknow, talking to folks.” dents learned that discipline, Vander Wall said the fresh- self-control, respect for others, men’s trip to the shooting cen- and personal responsibility because you have the orchestra to conduct, but also the choir. She talked about how to study the piece and what really goes into conducting. She is 27 years old, and conducts all around the world, which is so cool,” Kraemer said. Miller said he loves to tell stories through radio documentaries and wants to show the unknown, interesting parts of past presidents’ histories. “I got to actually tell a story and try to make it come to life, to humanize this person who none of us have ever met because he passed away a long time ago,” Miller said. “He was president 60-plus years ago now. And so, trying to bring somebody like that to life takes a little bit of creativity, and this project allowed me to do that.” Kyba read and analyzed poems in “!e Poetry Fix,” a five-minute weekly segment. “It is so easy to get involved, and there is so much creative freedom to put together a program about something that interests you,” Kyba said. Kyba was nominated for her episode on the poem “Old Ironsides,” by Oliver Wendell

How to: Advertise with The Collegian

To advertise in !e Collegian, please contact Elizabeth Caneday at ecaneday@hillsdale.edu.

Holmes Sr. She was inspired to create this segment by Alex Bertram, Scot Bertram’s son, who introduced the poem to her. “Radio is interesting to me in large part because it’s grounded in the local,” Kyba said. “From the creator’s perspective, it always brought me so much fulfillment to meet people from town who listened to my show. !at helped me make a mental picture of the local audience tuning in, beyond data points of podcast downloads.” Each nominee had taken Bertram’s course “Elements of a Talk Show.” “Mr. Bertram is a great mentor. He has given me so much production advice over the years that has changed the game for ‘The Poetry Fix,’” Kyba said. “I can’t count the times I’ve knocked on his door to ask for help with a finicky mic or to pick his brain — he is always ready on deck to help his students.” Miller said he learned how to tell a story with scripted sections and music. “He teaches us how to be good storytellers, and then

gives us the leeway to be creative with how we tell stories and try to bring them to life as we picture them in our minds, and that really is what radio is all about,” Miller said. Kraemer said she felt that Bertram’s support and the creative license of Hillsdale’s radio gave her the opportunity to feel comfortable in pursuing her passions while balancing other commitments. “Mr. Bertram is a phenomenal director at the station. He is so organized and encouraging. He offers incredible feedback and just sees potential in everyone — I am very grateful for him,” Kraemer said. Miller said Hillsdale consistently takes awards home from CBI and other competitions because of Bertram. “It is not a coincidence that Radio Free Hillsdale wins awards every year,” Miller said. “It is Mr. Bertram’s leadership and the journalism program at Hillsdale that gives us the funding and the freedom to be creative and to also pursue excellence, which allows Radio Free Hillsdale to succeed as it has.”

How to: Subscribe to The Collegian

To receive weekly issues of Hillsdale College’s student newspaper, please contact Elizabeth Caneday at ecaneday@hillsdale.edu.

Fulbright

twentieth-century historian whom he considers politically uncategorizable. “He doesn’t really fit in Kelley will teach English with the conservatives, nor to grade-school students does he fit in with liberals, in Fulda, nor does he fit in Germany. really anywhere,” Bourgeois he said. will study Bourgeois Hungarian said Lukács historian John called histor y Lukács at the “t he chaste Ludovika d i s c i p l i n e ,” University of because a Public Service historian’s work in Budap est, teaches him Hungary. to be humble. Kelley said The historian she wouldn’t also called have considered history “the new applying for a h u m a n i s m ,” Fulbright if it and b el i e ve d weren’t for the one must think encouragement about the world of Chairman in a way that and Associate considers the Professor limits of human of German knowledge. Fre d Yaniga, “It te aches H i l l s d a l e’s you that you Fulbright d o n’ t k n o w p r o g r a m everything a d v i s e r, a n d and you’re not Colleen Prince, meant to know who supervised everything,” he Kel l e y w hi l e said. she inter ne d Bourgeois at the Victims Kelley in Germany. said he has of Communism Courtesy | Phaedra Kelley spent his last Museum as part three summers of the Washington-Hillsdale interning in Budapest, Internship Program. Prince which has afforded him the was herself a Hillsdale opportunity to work with graduate and 2019 Fulbright people who also appreciate Scholarship recipient. Lukács. He credits former “I’ve known Dr. Yaniga Professor of History Richard since freshman year,” Kelley Gamble with igniting his said. “I genuinely feel like passion for the historian, he saw something in me and said his first-ever class that I didn’t, and it inspired at Hillsdale was Western me to always do better and Heritage with Gamble. even do something as crazy “Everything has come as a Fulbright. At the very from him. He’s taught me beginning, I never even how to be a good historian,” considered it because I Bourgeois said. “He’s taught never even thought that I me how to be a gentleman. qualified.” He’s taught me how to be a Ke l l e y s a i d good Christian. she waited for So all of this months to see re a l l y c o m e s if her Fulbright from him, and application was I’m blessed that accepted. I still get to keep “It was a huge working with relief to first of him now that all know where I’ve graduated. I’d be going after I very much did graduation, not do this on and then also my own.” knowing that I’d Yaniga said have this amazing he and Kelley opportunity argued intensely ahead of me for over topics and this year,” she ideas, which he said. thinks bolstered Kelley said she Kelley’s chances loves studying at receiving a German with Fulbright. professors who “I think that have poured their that’s something lives into the field. that you have to “I’ll meet do as a Fulbright f reshmen w ho representative,” have never spoken Ya n i g a s a i d . a single word of “You have to be German in their able to represent lives, and I will Bourgeois in Budapest, Hungary. the country, s e e t h e m at Courtesy | Ethan Bourgeois your origin Stammtisch — c o u n t r y, the German lunch table — and you have to be able to the next year, being able to fight to understand your host have full-on conversations,” country.” Kelley said. “I think language Yaniga said students learning in general is just so coming through the German captivating because it’s so department will have read an di&cult. Nothing, nothing average of 70 works by the will humble you more time they graduate, which than attempting to learn a helped ensure Kelley was language.” well-prepared for Fulbright. Bourgeois said his “We came to loggerheads Fulbright research-study sometimes,” Yaniga said. grant allows him to edit a “That was a little bit of series of correspondence her personality and my for publication between personality, but here at Hungarian historian John Hillsdale we have the time Lu k á c s and A me r i c an and the space because we diplomat George Kennan. have a limited number of He hopes to find a publisher students that we can do that in both Hungary and the kind of thing. At a bigger United States. institution, forget it. You “They’re talking about would never get that much everything from their own attention.” history books to the nature of God, to populism, to modern politics, and modern history and the Cold War,” he said. Bourgeois said he is fascinated by Lukács, a

from A1

How to: Join The Collegian

To find out more about how to contribute to !e Collegian through writing, photography, or videography, please contact Ellie Fromm at efromm@hillsdale.edu.

September 3, 2026 A3

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

‘I took the leap’: Alison Chomiak, former cancer researcher, joins biology faculty By Anna Northcutt CollegiaN reporter A!er a decade of conducting cancer research, Alison Chomiak ’09 returned to Hillsdale College this semester as an assistant professor of biology. Chomiak’s research at the Van Andel Institute, a biomedical research institute in Grand Rapids, focused on epigenetic dysregulations in the genome of a cell, particularly in patients diagnosed with colon cancer. At Hillsdale, she said she’s excited to teach Cellular & Molecular Biology, an introductory class geared toward biology students, and Advanced Molecular Biology, a 400-level class. “I’m excited for the freshmen who sometimes don’t know so little, and I’m excited for the older students that we can help dive deeper,” Chomiak said. Chomiak received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Hillsdale in 2009 and her Ph.D. in biomedical life and sciences from Northwestern University in 2015. Chomiak said when she arrived as an undergraduate, she planned to be a doctor. But as she progressed in her education she enjoyed knowing the “why” even more than

Wi-Fi from A1 “Our previous network equipment vendor discontinued their edge switches — the switches inside each building that feed network connectivity and internet to local access points,” Patrick Chartrand, the senior director of ITS infrastructure and support said in an email to The Collegian. “Because of this, we selected a new enterprise vendor to serve as the foundation for Hillsdale’s future network.” ITS has already added HC-Wifi to Moss Hall, Plaster Auditorium, Christ Chapel, and the new campus buildings on Park Street west of campus, according a Chartrand. Cybersecurity Engineer David Pauken explained that HC-WiFi will be implemented gradually as Wi-Fi in other buildings is upgraded. IT does not know when exactly the Wi-Fi will completely switch over, but the change will take place over a couple years. “The ultimate goal is not to replace CampusNet, but rather to shi! its purpose — reserving it for basic access while providing dedicated, secure services to students, faculty, and staff via HC-Wifi,” Pauken said in an email. “Once the building hardware refresh is completed, ITS may decide if the CampusNet name will be retired in favor of precise labeling.” Chartrand said the new login method of HC-Wifi improves network security and helps connectivity between buildings. “When a user moved between a building on the old network and a building on the new network, CampusNet struggled to seamlessly hand off the wireless client,” Chartrand said. “To solve this roaming issue, we created HC-WiFi.” Pauken said Hillsdale’s new Wi-Fi system also improves security by allowing ITS to monitor Wi-Fi users through their login instead of tracking physical hardware addresses. “Co-mingling institutional, student, and guest devices on the same unauthenticated network increases security risks,” Pauken said. “Restricting open access helps isolate potential threats and limits the impact of any compromised device on the rest of the network.” Pauken added that tying

Alison Chomiak. Courtesy | Alison Chomiak

the “how” behind a disease and its treatment. “A medical doctor knows the things to treat you,” Chomiak said. “I wanted to do the research to know the why as well as the how, and so that’s how, instead of going down the medical track, I ended up doing the research track and going to graduate school.” At Northwestern University, Chomiak worked in a lab studying the molecular and cellular processes that underlie human development.

Wi-Fi access would allow IT to immediately identify the entry point of a hacker, further protecting students from any cyberattacks. “If an account needs to be restricted or revoked for security reasons, access management is tied directly to the user identity rather than tracking down individual physical hardware addresses,” Pauken said. Hillsdale ITS has also installed additional internet access points in a few of the student residences. “We listened closely to student feedback regarding weak signals in Simpson and McIntyre dorms caused by thick brick walls,” Chartrand said. “Over the summer, we installed additional access points directly inside individual dorm rooms rather than relying solely on hallway placement.” Along with HC-WiFi, ITS is unveiling HC-Guest, an alternative network for visitors. This means that HC-WiFi will still be usable during events with high traffic, such as graduation. “The guest network will be throttled with limited bandwidth to ensure adequate bandwidth for our staff, faculty, and students,” Chartrand said. Though there may be minor service interruptions as HC-Wifi is added to buildings, Pauken said students should not worry about a massive Wi-Fi blackout. Alex Buehrer, a head RA of Simpson Residence, praised the new Wi-Fi, saying, “It is way better than it was last year.” He said the new Wi-Fi runs at 37.4 megabits per second for downloading and 24.3 megabits per second for uploading. This speed can download a 100-page PDF in less than half a second, and guarantee stable connection for Zoom calls and YouTube streaming. “Especially in the winter, when more guys are in the dorm and kind of just using more of the internet, CampusNet was always pretty slow,” Buehrer said. “I mean, if you ran a speed test, it might not even load all the way. Or if you try to watch a movie or something, it can’t load. There was a lot of buffering.”

“Specifically, I was studying t he de velopment of the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of your brain t hat makes you you,” Chomiak said. “It’s higher-order thinking.” Chomiak said she became interested in epigenetics, which literally means “on top of

genetics.” “If your genome is the sequence of nucleic acids — that’s the blueprint for your life — epigenetics are changes to how your genome is read,” Chomiak said. “It’s like punctuation in writing, helping you understand a sentence correctly. To me, that was really interesting. How do you change what a cell is doing without changing the DNA sequence?” While attending graduate school in Chicago, Chomiak met her husband, Dave Chomiak, a Chicago native. The

Memorial from A1 Chief Staff Officer Kyle Murnen told the Collegian in an email that 135 Hillsdale students and alumni have died defending the U.S. in war. Most of these students died during the Civil War, but some students died in the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Four students have received the Medal of Honor, according to Arnn. “The purpose of the college is to understand,” Arnn said. “One thing that must be understood is war, particularly the paradox of its necessity and its decided inferiority to peace.” Arnn said understanding requires sacrifice. “One must give his best efforts to it,” Arnn said. “It requires a kind of courage, to keep on when it is difficult, to surrender oneself to the work, to overcome many obstacles. War requires a sterner sacrifice. We should honor our colleagues from the past and present who have made that sacrifice and faced the risk of it. It will help us to remember that we all owe service, every day.” College Trustee David Hough’s funding made the memorial possible, and Duncan Stroik, the architect for Christ Chapel, designed it, according to Péwé. “There will not be much more disruption to the student traffic patterns than there

two have been married for she recognized the time had sorority. almost nine years. come either to open her own “Hillsdale students are very A!er finishing her studies lab or begin teaching. invested in learning, and so at Northwestern, Chomiak “I loved my time at Hills- any one of them would be said she joined the Van Andel dale,” Chomiak said. “I loved wonderful colleagues,” Barbiomedical research institute the intellectual curiosity, the on said. “When one chooses because it was the premier faculty, and the students. And to come back to Hillsdale, it’s institute for epigenetic stud- even though I’m more of a re- a gi!.” ies. Her research focused on search background, I knew I Christopher Heckel, the drugs that targeted epigen- would love returning here and biology department chair, etic dysregulations — how working with the students. So I said Chomiak’s status as a the cell’s genome is read in- took the leap.” Hillsdale alumna makes her correctly — in people with Professor of Chemistry Lee a natural fit with the mission colon cancer. Baron said she had Chomi- of the college, while her area “My favorite part was we ak as a student and knew her of research fills a gap not prehad all these separate labs, through advising Chi Omega viously realized among the but we were faculty. all trying to “Having tackle these spent the last human bio10 years as a medical cancer bioloc ond it i ons gy researchthat need to er, I think b e treated that’s going or helped,” to be someChomiak t h i ng t hat s ai d. “Ev would be reeryone says, ally appeal‘I want to ing to all our cure cancer,’ students, but but working especially to at Van Ant hos e w ho del felt like, may want to ‘Well, maybe pursue medwe kind of ical degrees are curing or even medcancer.’” ical Ph.D.s,” After 10 Heckel said. Chomiak and her husband, Dave Chomiak. years at the Van Courtesy | Alison Chomiak Andel Institute, Chomiak said

is right now,” Péwé said in an email to The Collegian. The memorial will be made of limestone and built in the Doric order, a style of Greek architecture, according to Péwé. “At the pinnacle of the War

The planned interior of the War Memorial. Courtesy | Rich Pewe

Memorial will be a dove to indicate the reason it is sometimes right to fight and always right to study,” Arnn said. Murnen said the memorial is intended to honor the hero-

A map of the War Memorial, south of the Classical Education Building. Courtesy | Rich Pewe

ism of Hillsdale students who died in war, and to remind students of the purpose of the college. “Hillsdale College was founded in the belief that sound learning is necessary to perpet-

uate the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and intelligent piety in America,” Murnen said. “The men to be honored in this memorial studied the beautiful things we pursue today at the college and fought so that this blessing would be extended to us.” Peter Jennings, associate professor of leadership studies, said in the Civil War alone, more than 500 students volunteered to serve in the Union army. One hundred t h i r t y of them were wounded and discharged, and 99 were killed. “They were you,” Jennings said. “They had their hopes. They loved their stud-

ies here. They had their hopes and dreams for their future careers and success for families and children. And when the cup came, when the war came, they put down their books. They put down their dreams. They set aside their ambitions. They denied themselves, and they picked up rifles, and they went off, and they put down the scourge, the treason, and the scourge of slavery.” Jennings said we weren’t created to be self-interested and self-serving. “We were c r e at e d t o be men and women who commit, who dedicate, and who consecrate our lives in service to neighbor and to God at great sacrifice, if necessary,” Jennings said. Junior Ashley Burdo enlisted in the Marines a!er graduating from high school in 2023. She spent a year in the Marines, then came to Hillsdale, where she is also participating in the Officer’s Commissioning Program, which includes a summer program for undergraduates to complete Marine officer training while also attending college. “This school has such a rich history in service and sacrifice,” Burdo said. “The valor that they showed — that they combined both duty and their education in a way that made them stand out amongst everybody else.” Senior Macartan Moore participated in OCP the past two summers. He said that in a class with Jennings called “Hillsdale Honor,” they learned about the Hillsdale students who fought in the Civil War. “They didn’t try to make themselves better than anyone, they were there to fight and do their duty, which is something I want to follow in,” Moore said. “It’s like we have a tradition here in Hillsdale, and I want to continue that tradition.”

Opinions

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A4 September 3, 2026

The Collegian Weekly

Fund scholarships for phone-free students By Elijah Guevara News Editor Young Americans check their phones 150 times per day and spend five hours on them. Hillsdale should offer a scholarship to help them kick the habit. From writing papers, to emailing professors, to submitting Canvas assignments, it is nearly impossible to separate college students from technology. In practical ways, some students always rely on their phones’ GPS to navigate on and off campus — for example, the 20 or so miles of country road between Hillsdale and I-69 that many students haven’t committed to memory. Even with a phone, I sometimes still get lost between here and Jackson. Although technology permeates our college lives, Hillsdale College — and its students — should aim to be the exception in higher education. Hillsdale should establish a scholarship fund for students who give up their smartphones throughout their college years. Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2022 began offering a scholarship, called the “Unplugged Scholarship,” for this purpose. It provides up to $5,000 per year to students who refrain from using a smartphone during their undergraduate studies. The goal was to draw students closer to one another and to God by removing smartphones from their lives, while still allowing them access to computers needed to complete schoolwork. This resulted in committed participation not only from the 30 students on the scholarship, but also from the almost 50 additional student applicants who chose to give up their smartphones and participate even without receiving the financial award. Franciscan University spokesperson Tim Delaney said the scholarship — and the voluntary movement around the scholarship — yielded immediate results. Delaney described students telling stories of getting lost in an airport and needing to ask someone for directions as a result of giving up their phones. “Other stories were more heartfelt,” Delaney said. “One shared about how giving up his smartphone is helping in the struggle with pornography. Another student shared about being diagnosed with depression and anxiety, only to have both disappear soon

after she gave up her smartphone.” Some might argue Hillsdale students are fully capable of giving up smartphones of their own volition, without donor funds or scholarships. Giving up smartphones without a financial incentive would be a testament to students’ own practice of self-government — one of the central tenets of a Hillsdale education. But sometimes good things need a financial incentive. At Franciscan, the students who gave up their phones without a scholarship were initially motivated by the financial award and eventually committed to the scholarship requirements, even after they did not win it. An “unplugged scholarship” at Hillsdale could benefit many in the same way. As Danny Rognlie ’22 wrote in a 2020 Collegian article “Smartphones make us less humane”: “We think thoughts less the more time we waste on smartphones…The neglected way of thinking is the wrestling with ourselves, our thoughts, and our emotions. If there are always distractions in our ears, eyes, and hands, there are always barriers in our minds to thinking good thoughts.” This fund, and its potential influence on campus, would be worth every dollar. The Journal of Human Development and Capabilities found that 18- to 24-year-olds who had used smartphones from a young age and continued to do so were more likely to report suicidal thoughts, aggression, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and low self-worth. A study from the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction linked young adults’ smartphone use to sleep deprivation, attention deficits, and social challenges. A scholarship fund to help students overcome one of the greatest addictions for young adults could benefit not only their education, but also their lives. Students would have an opportunity — and a financial incentive — to reduce screen time and focus more on their studies, their community, and their future. Sure, they would lose access to practical apps, such as texting or GPS. But perhaps students who can navigate life without a smartphone are the ones most prepared to lead it. Elijah Guevara is a junior studying history.

Please ask a question. But not every question. We’ve all been there: You’re in the middle of class when a student raises his hand and asks a question so long that you, the professor, and the student forget the point of the question by the time it is finished. The professor is forced to ask the student to repeat the question. The focus of the class has shifted from discovery of Athena’s role in “The

Odyssey” to discovering the point of the question. Concise questions are the best questions. They respect class time. In a 50-minute class period, even a five-minute question eats up valuable time. Long-form oration skills are best practiced outside the classroom — at debate team practice or around the dinner table.

Academic strength rejoices in, and is trained through, questions — mostly the questions asked in office hours. Professors set aside specific time for prolonged responses, dialogue, and development of a personal relationship. A benefit of a small college is more access to professors, so take advantage of it. Professors keep tight syl-

labi and offer office hours throughout the week for this reason. They may not be able to answer every question in class, but they make themselves readily available to you. So book that office hours session and pull up a chair in your professor’s paper-strewn office. Your professors and fellow students will thank you.

No one knew Dolly’s 5-to-9. That was intentional. By Elaine Kutas Senior Editor Her voice wasn’t spectacular, her songs aren’t complex, but she stole the world’s heart, making her one of the most popular musicians of all time and arguably the best-known female country artist. Her big blonde hair and rhinestones, generous philanthropy, personable songs, and quiet private life make Dolly Parton a dynamic figure, even though much of her life was mysterious. Many people know her tough childhood background growing up in a poor family from Tennessee, an experience that inspired her song, “Coat of Many Colors.” Behind all the glitz and glam, Parton’s closest relationship, her almost 60-year marriage to Carl Dean, stayed private. The pair met when Parton was 20 and Dean was 23, right after Parton moved to Nashville. They didn’t throw a big wedding but instead eloped in 1966, and were married until Dean’s death in 2025. Parton told NPR in a 2008 interview that “Jolene” was inspired by a bank teller who Dolly said had “this terrible crush on my husband.” The song, widely regarded as one of Parton’s best since its release in 1974, expresses the emotions of a young woman who is worried about another woman stealing

her man. As the chorus says, “Please don’t take my man… please don’t take him just because you can.” That song’s allusion to her husband is about the only public presence that Dean had during their marriage, as he hated fame and stayed out of t h e public eye. Parton herself loved to travel, calling herself a “gypsy,” but her life

off the road and at home w i t h Dean was “simple.” Beyond her relationship with her husband, P a r t o n and the singer Miley Cyrus had a deep bond. Cyrus even called Parton “Aunt Dolly.” After Par-

ton’s passing, Cyrus posted on X that their “most sacred moments were private, and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts.” In the same post, Cyrus wrote that Parton would’ve wanted her to write a song about losing Parton and continue on with her life in the wake of Parton’s death. Parton’s life of writing music, according to Cyrus, is the inspira-

tion t o keep on even in deep tragedy. During her life, Parton’s successes include hundreds of recorded songs, starting a literacy nonprofit called Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, films and TV show appearances, and her theme park, Dollywood. But beyond that, Dolly lived her life unashamed of her

public persona, or of her quiet life with her husband. “My life is fairly simple when I’m out of the limelight,” Parton told Billboard in a 2014 interview. She went on to say, “I’m more successful now than I was [when I arrived], but I still feel like the same girl. I’m just a working girl.” Despite being arguably the most well-known country singer of modern times, Parton remained a Tennessee girl at heart, authentically glamorous and unashamed to live her life as she chose, all the while staying mysterious. Now, most popular stars seem to post everything on social media or take their fame too seriously, but Parton exemplified how her fame wasn’t the most important aspect of her life. Relationships are personal, and she lived that out by never publicizing what should stay private. Social media makes mystery all but impossible, but Parton knew the game and played it. If only the rest of the world could learn from her and appreciate the magic of mystery. Elaine Kutas is a senior studying English. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.

Embrace Hillsdale’s busyness. Life will only get busier. By Bradley Haley Collegian Freelancer When I ask my Hillsdale friends how they’re doing, I almost always get the same answer: they’re busy. Lamentations about overcommitment are a common occurrence bordering on liturgical rite at a Saga meal. I’ll be the first to admit I have opened many conversations that way myself, but it struck me recently that I hadn’t met a single Hillsdale student who proudly announced he was undercommitted and had an abundance of free time that he was unsure how to spend. A word of advice to the new freshmen who are tempted to whip out their color-coded Google calendars to show how busy they are: please don’t. We are all busy around here. It’s an opportunity — not a burden — of college life. No one else is to

blame for signing up for that fourth club leadership position or the third music lesson. We did that to ourselves, and that’s OK. We should embrace it. Overcommitment may not be listed in the course catalogue, but it is part of the core curriculum. The test is figuring out how to be holy, virtuous, and happy in the gaps in our insane schedules. Don’t tell my professors, but I don’t quite remember the plot of the “Iliad,” and poetic scansion is still a mystery to me. But I have learned some things in college. One thing I discovered is that the thin cracks in my calendar are the spaces where virtue or vice come to the surface. The 15 minutes between classes, the hour between the end of classes and dinner, and the 20 minutes between dinner and a club meeting might be more important than a midterm exam. It’s enough time to dive into tomorrow’s reading for a few minutes, stress about the paper I have to write this weekend, and email the registrar to sign up for yet

another class. Or, worse, it’s enough time to doomscroll or attempt to study so that I feel productive while not actually accomplishing anything. Those short windows are also

e n ou g h time to do important things like pray, go for a walk, run into some friends, or sit quietly on a bench on what’s left of the quad. A little order in the middle of the chaos goes a long way, even if it means I read a few pages less. There certainly are times when those elusive free moments should be devoted to getting caught up on schoolwork or writing a paper, and there definitely is such a thing as trying to do too much. But life is not going to get any less busy once we graduate, and we shouldn’t wish for that. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “You were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Great men don’t have empty schedules, but great men do figure out how to establish

barriers around the important things in their lives. If we don’t figure out how to erect barriers in college that protect our interior lives from exterior ch a o s , then how can we expect to handle crying babies, angry bosses, quarterly reports, and mortgage payments? Our calling right now is to be busy. We should embrace it and not complain. Not because busyness for its own sake is good, but because our most important assignment is figuring out how to become holy in the margins of our color-coded calendars. Bradley Haley is a senior studying English. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.

Opinions

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Tucker’s third party is Republican-lite Reforming the GOP would be a better use of time By Lucy Billings Assistant Editor Tucker Carlson first publicly proposed building a third political party on July 1 in an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review. A month later during a livestream, Carlson revealed a 10-point manifesto that is the foundation for what he hopes is a new political movement. “The parties are in lockstep solidarity with each other,” Carlson said in the interview. “That’s not a democracy. That’s a one-party state posing as a democracy, and it needs to be broken, and there’s going to be a third party, and I’m going to do everything I can to bring that about.” But most of Carlson’s objectives are so tightly aligned with the Republican Party’s that reforming the GOP would be a far more effective long-term use of conservative efforts than springing to start a new party. Carlson said the United States needs a third party because the Republican Party hates its voters and no longer represents them. “You’re being lied to every day by people who claim to represent you,” Carlson said. “If you want to save America, you have to start by telling the truth.” This retaliation against the party that Carlson has long supported comes on the heels of a rift between himself and President Donald Trump that’s gone on since the summer of last year. Carlson opposes Trump’s policy decisions in the Iran war and has questioned the president’s motives in continuing the war and defending Israel. “I feel betrayed,” he said in an April interview with the Wall Street Journal. “Why can’t the U.S. government act on behalf of its own citizens?” This is the main issue that’s pushing Carlson to break from the Republican

Party and that he hopes the plans laid out in his manifesto will remedy. Among the points of Carlson’s manifesto lies a call to national unity. It’s ironic that Carlson claims he wants unity as he takes active steps to fragment the political state. He says he doesn’t want to divide the country, but a quick glance at history shows the inevitability of this consequence.

and the nuclear family. The divergence lies in issues of foreign policy, most notably surrounding the Iran war. Carlson opposes the war as an obstruction to putting “America first,” but in practice, creating an additional domestic dispute would lead to greater long-term harm. Hanson condemned Carlson’s plan, citing the injury caused by previous third-party movements.

Historian and Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College Victor Davis Hanson has noted in commentary for The Daily Signal that eight out of 10 points from Carlson’s manifesto fall in line with the efforts of the Trump administration. Both advocate for controlled borders, economic productivity, cleaner food, government official accountability,

“Third parties in American political history have no record in the modern era of ever winning,” Hanson said. “They do affect the election, but only to hurt the party that is more ideologically akin to the third party running.” The split of the right that Hanson predicts is already happening as Carlson’s third-party plan garners support from the conservative movement. Former

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who fell out with Trump last year over the Epstein files, also called for support of a third party. “There is a group of us that have literally fought the system,” Greene said. “I think there’s a group of us that, if we decide to align, could launch a true America-focused party that doesn’t fall into the traps of Democrats and Republicans, but align some serious players from the right and the left, and move forward.” The exasperation amongst U.S. citizens with both parties is substantial. A poll conducted by The New York Times and the Siena Research Institute in May found that 43% of registered voters are dissatisfied with both the Republican and Democratic parties. The proposal of a third party is bound to sound appealing. American citizens yearn for a clean slate, but forming a new party would do more harm than good. Even if it were successful, Carlson suggests no measures to prevent corruption yet again. The hard work is in working together. Political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in “Democracy in America,” “If men are to remain civilized or to become so, the art of associating together must grow and improve.” If influential conservative leaders like Trump and Carlson continue to break connections and avoid the difficult task of proposing policies together, decency and civility in the political arena will continue to decline. A third party is not a shortcut. It’s a mistake. Lucy Billings is a sophomore studying economics. Illustrated by Paige Kutas.

September 3, 2026 A5

We were promised a ballroom. Not more debt. By Blake Schaper Collegian Reporter President Donald Trump’s ballroom construction has become one of the biggest mistakes of his presidency, with taxpayers shouldering millions of dollars for a continually delayed project. In the Nov. 20, 2025, edition of the Collegian, I argued in favor of the proposed construction. I agreed with Trump that the White House was previously not able to safely house a sizable number of guests. The East Wing, for example, could only accommodate about 200 people — one-fourth the capacity of the Searle Center. The problem is the president tore down the historic East Wing, and federal judges kept blocking progress on the construction because Trump did not receive congressional approval for changing this historical site. Even though the Supreme Court of the United States finally issued a favorable ruling for Trump’s ballroom, the White House has been left looking like a bombed-out building for months. At the same time, the price of this project has skyrocketed. The Hotel Washington, a destination for heads of state in Washington D.C., has documented the White House ballroom construction. On their website, they noted that estimates of the ballroom’s costs started at $200 million but the projected price tag has more than doubled since then. Trump originally promised on Truth Social that the ballroom “will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money,” adding that it would be privately funded by his millionaire buddies from Union Pacific Railroad, Amazon, the cryptocurrency company Coinbase, the casino Hard Rock International, and tech giants Meta and Palantir. “Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill,” Trump said in his post. However, the contractor, Clark Construction, recently claimed that despite what

President Trump said, taxpayers will shoulder more than half of the costs. The American people are already burdened with $41 billion in costs from a stalemate war in Iran. Living costs are high because of oil scarcity and tariffs. The American people cannot endure higher taxes for a ballroom. Our national debt has just hit a staggering $40 trillion. For context, the ballroom is set to cost more money than Mount Rushmore, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial combined — even after adjusting for today’s dollars. Even though we need a place to house guests of honor, we should have found another building instead of trying to renovate the White House. When the American government needed a place for executive offices, it built the Eisenhower Building — it didn’t try to expand the White House. When Franklin Roosevelt needed a retreat and a place to talk with diplomats, he established Camp David. It wouldn’t be much harder to find a place to hold presidential events with the same level of security as these two places. There are quite a few buildings around Washington, D.C., that could work for a White House event center, thanks to the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts on the bureaucracy. Renovating an existing building would be much cheaper and less problematic than destroying an historic structure to build a new one. Remodeling a newer building would also circumvent many regulations protecting historic sites. The proposed ballroom project is a misstep by the Trump administration. There are better options for a lower price than a White House renovation. Blake Schaper is a sophomore studying mathematics and economics.

‘Me too, Lindsay’ empathizes with child murder By Monica Smies Collegian Reporter Crowds of women dressed in pink silently assembled during the trial of Lindsay Clancy to offer their support for the mother who admitted to killing her three young children. At press time, the Massachusetts jury was still deliberating whether Clancy is guilty of the murder or manslaughter of her children. Hundreds of supporters have demonstrated their concern and sympathy for her through protesting and social media. Those who support this woman support a woman who killed her children, regardless of their good intentions. Clancy and her defence admitted in court on July 27, 2026 that she strangled her three children with an exercise band before attempting suicide while her husband was out, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down on Jan. 24, 2023. Her children were all under the age of 5, one of them only 8 months old. But what is possibly more unsettling is what Clancy’s supporters have been doing and saying out of “empathy” for her situation. A million-dollar GoFundMe project is in the works

for her family, and there are videos of mothers with their children captioned with the words, “Me too, Lindsay.” The core issue in the case is whether or not Clancy was mentally incapable of controlling herself due to postpartum psychosis. Throughout the trial, the defense argued that Clancy was not mentally sound and was experiencing postpartum psychosis. The defence also claims Clancy was under the influence of psychiatric medications incorrectly prescribed to her before the killing that led to her feeling more disoriented and out of control. The prosecution argued that alt houg h Clancy struggled with mental health, she is still responsible for the killing of her children given the many resources available to her, such as adequate healthcare and a babysitter. Her charge depends on how mentally aware the jury determines she was at the time of the killing. Regardless of Clancy’s mental state, her supporters divorce her from her crime and say she’s not responsi-

ble for what she did. They’re endorsing murder. However, the crux of this controversy goes deeper than the trial itself. The repercussions of her supporters’ actions give reason to fear for the future of children, the family, and true sympathy in difficult situations. American families should not look to a woman who has murdered her children as a symbol of injustice for women receiving poor

no control over herself due to psychosis, she is not culpable for murder. Throughout history, societies and religious institutions such as the Catholic Church have understood that full consent of the will in any moral situation affects the gravity of a person’s action. Groups of supporters claim that Clancy did not receive enough help, that she was doing all that she could to care for her children, and that

lating through the media, as Kimberly Zapata, who experienced postpartum psychosis, explained in an article for the Parents online magazine. True compassion includes accountability. Clancy’s supporters must realize that supporting a mother’s killing of her children — intentional or otherwise — does not promote the beauty of mothers, motherhood, or life. Post-partum psychosis is very difficult. But Clancy murdered her children, and that is a fact that both she and her defence acknowledge. If a man struggling to control himself because of a major testosterone imbalance assaulted a woman, would Clancy’s supporters who say that she was in an uncontrollable mental state defend him? These women clearly want to passionately express how they feel about motherhood through the lens of the Clancy case, yet, in reality, they are endorsing the most unnatural image of motherhood imaginable. If communities consider a mother killing her three children to be justified, this will only contribute further to the untangling of the most fundamental societal

“If a man struggling to control himself because of a major testosterone imbalance assaulted a woman, would Clancy’s supporters who say that she was in an uncontrollable mental state defend him?” healthcare. Through their support, Clancy’s advocates downplay the crime of murdering innocent children and promote abdicating responsibility. On social media and other online platforms, women who are not in support of Clancy have expressed their concern that the supporters of Clancy are presenting a poor image of womanhood. It’s true that, if Clancy had

any woman could end up like her. It is understandable that some mothers support Clancy because they have faced postpartum depression and mental health issues themselves, but justifying murder out of sympathy for her mental health is unacceptable. “I could have been Lindsay Clancy,” and “Her story could have been mine,” are common sayings that have been circu-

building block: the family. It’s not charitable for these supporters to disregard a crime and its just consequences, or for mothers to post online about how, at times, they feel they could kill their kids. That’s retaliation against due process and the degradation of how society views the mother’s authority over the lives of her children. Whether or not Clancy was in her right mind when she murdered her children, those who protest for her cause are supporting a woman who killed her children. We cannot forget the importance of enacting justice, regardless of the emotional weight of the situation. Compassion for someone who has committed a crime is in no way unjust. But we cannot ignore the injustices done by clinging to the character of the perpetrator, regardless of his apparent guilt or innocence. As St. Augustine is reported to have said, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” We must never go so far as to embrace the sin out of sympathy for the sinner. Monica Smies is a sophomore studying philosophy.

City News A6 September 3, 2026

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Historic theater in downtown Hillsdale nears new management

TIFA has narrowed down the search for a management team to one candidate By Sophia Mandt Senior reporter

After a year of deliberations, the historic Dawn Theater in downtown Hillsdale is one step closer to having a new management team, according to Mary Wolfram, chairwoman of the Friends of the Dawn Theater. Hillsdale’s Tax Increment Finance Authority voted unanimously Aug. 25 to designate Speakeasy LLC, which is sponsored by the Hillsdale-based consulting group Jason Walters & Associates, as the preferred operator for the Dawn Theater, said TIFA chair Andrew Gelzer. Gelzer said the decision is tentative and remains subject to final agreements and legal review. TIFA will continue to own the Dawn Theater, while the operator remains responsible for paying TIFA rent. After closing as a movie theater in 1996, the theater opened and closed several times under a series of different owners until Friends of the Dawn received a $1.4 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in 2019. Despite the challenges, Wolfram said the venue

persists because it tells part movies. Wolfram said the “Hillsdale was a big railThe Friends of the Dawn of the story of American theater purchased an organ road center. Friends of the reopened the theater in entertainment right here in from the Wurlitzer Compa- Dawn Theater were able to February 2022 after rehasmall-town bilitating, Hillsdale. rather than “ T h e restoring, histor y of the historHillsdale ic buildis this little ing. microcosm “‘Rehaof the world bilitation’ at l a r g e ,” means to Wo l f r a m preser ve said. “If you as many of read about the origthe history ina l eleof the Dawn ments of Theater, it’s the builda histor y ing as posof the film sible, while industry in still abatAmerica.” ing blight T h e conditions Dawn Theinto curat e r f i r s t rent, code opened as a compliant vaude vi l le elements,” theater in Wo l f r a m 1919. said in “Vaudean email. ville was a Mary Wolfram, the chairwoman of the Friends of the Dawn Theater, displays pictures of Dawn Theater History. Since then, very popu- Sophia Mandt | Collegian the Dawn lar form of has been entertainment in the 1910s ny in western New York in get hold of that very organ. open continuously. to 1920s,” Wolfram said. “It 1925. This now 100-year-old It never left Hillsdale but Professor of Theater was mostly individual little pipe organ was used to rep- was actually being stored in James Brandon, who serves acts such as comedians or licate an orchestra during the Keefer House.” as a liaison between TIFA singing and dancing. There silent movie screenings. The Dawn Theater served and the Friends of the Dawn would have also been a pit “We have some great as a single-screen movie Theater, said the Dawn will orchestra playing.” documents that talk about theater and was once the continue to host events. After the vaudeville era the Wurlitzer organ being only movie theater in Hills“It’s a tremendous space,” of variety entertainment shipped by rail to the Dawn dale before it closed. Brandon said. “There will be came the invention of silent Theater,” Wolfram said. events that appeal to tradi-

Quincy El Cerrito offers Sunday margaritas By Patrick Matteson Assistant Editor El Cerrito Mexican Bar and Grill opened its newest location in Quincy this July. The new location will provide the same menu and, with it, the ability to serve liquor on Sundays. The new restaurant, located at 174 E. Chicago St., is about 15 miles west of Hillsdale on US-12. It’s the fourth El Cerrito location in Michigan, joining restaurants in Hillsdale, Coldwater, and Grand Rapids. “I cannot tell you how much we appreciate them being there,” said Marilyn Ostrander, chair of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “It is a wonderful family business; they have a long history in the area, and I was so pleased that they chose Quincy to open their business.” Adam Rocha, owner and general manager of El Cerrito, said the family decided to open a restaurant in Quincy after hearing from peo-

County driver faces felony after local woman’s death By Gemma Flores City News Editor

Evelyn Shurtliff, Martha Kennedy, and Anna Stirton enjoy margaritas at the El Cerrito in Hillsdale. Elaine Kutas | Collegian

ple who wanted a Mexican restaurant in the town. “We had a lot of people reach out and ask,” he said. “There is only one other restaurant in the area, so we wanted to help out the community. Business has been busy. ” The new restaurant offers a notable difference: Quincy

Catherine Friedenfeld (left), Abigail Stonestreet (right), and friends share an El Cerrito Margarita Tower Elaine Kutas | Collegian

customers can order spirits and cocktails on Sundays because it’s located in Branch County. Hillsdale County prohib-

and serve another community. “We are always willing to donate to people or give sponsorships,” he said. “We

“I cannot tell you how much we appreciate them being there.” its restaurants and bars from serving spirits and mixed drinks from 7 a.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday. It is the only county in Michigan with such a restriction and one of the last “blue laws” still present in the state. Hillsdale County Clerk Abe Dane said local businesses often lose Sunday customers who can travel outside the county to have drinks with their meals. “In Quincy, we can sell liquor on Sundays; that’s the only difference,” Rocha said. “It is nice that we can serve liquor on Sundays.” Despite this liberty, Rocha said that liquor laws were not the driving force behind opening the new restaurant. Instead, the family wanted to grow its presence in the area

just want to help the community.” Ostrander said the restaurant has already become a noticeable addition to Quincy. “If you drive by the restaurant, there are cars there all the time. It is just wonderful,” she said. El Cerrito in Quincy is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

tional community members and events that appeal to students. We all want to see the space thrive,” he said. Wolfram said the Dawn initially worked with a private manager who hosted private events while the Friends of the Dawn Theater hosted public events. “Once the first manager left in June of 2025, the Dawn has only been open for public events put on by the Friends,” Wolfram said in an email. “The Dawn Theater will be used as a theater, but it will also be used as an event space for wedding receptions, business meetings, and Christmas parties.” Gelzer said TIFA deeply appreciates the work done to restore the venue by the nonprofit Friends of the Dawn Theater. “Their fundraising, volunteer work, and commitment to community programming have been important to the Dawn’s preservation and public identity,” Gelzer said in an email. “As the operator process moves forward, TIFA intends to preserve that role.”

The Hillsdale County employee who struck and killed local woman Joni Norris in February appeared in court for his second probable cause conference, a mandatory early hearing in all Michigan felony criminal cases, on Aug. 28. Earl Wayne Harris, who struck Norris in a county-owned vehicle at the intersection of North Broad and McCollum streets, was arrested July 27 on charges

misdemeanor and felony charges against Harris. For the misdemeanor charge, a moving violation causing death, Harris could face up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. A moving violation causing death means that a driver committed a traffic infraction, such as speeding, failure to use a turn signal, etc, that inadvertently resulted in the death of the victim, according to Fitz. The penalty for reckless driving causing death,

“It’s a tragic incident.” of moving violation causing death and reckless driving leading to death. Harris, 48, struck Norris on Feb. 17 of this year while Norris was out for her daily lunchtime walk. 68-year-old Norris sustained critical injuries and was immediately taken to Hillsdale Hospital. From there, she was airlifted to another hospital in Toledo, Ohio. She died March 7 after being in a coma for three weeks. The Branch County prosecutor’s office originally pursued the case due to Harris’ employment with Hillsdale County, before the Hillsdale County prosecutor filed a petition for the appointment of a special prosecutor, according to Branch County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. “This happens with some regularity when there’s a conflict for the prosecutor’s office,” Fitz said. The Branch County Prosecutor has brought

a felony in Michigan, is much more serious. “Reckless driving causing death indicates that he drove in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, and because of that operation, he caused the death of Joni Norris,” Fitz said. “That crime, which is a felony, carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of between $2,500 and $10,000.” Hillsdale City Police declined to comment on the case as the investigation is still ongoing. Assistant City Manager Sam Fry also declined to officially comment, though he expressed his condolences for Norris’s family. “Obviously it’s a tragic incident,” Fry told The Collegian. “Our condolences and sympathies have gone out to her family. They still remain in our thoughts and prayers.”

Ava-Marie Papillon illustrated the City News header.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026 A7

Coldwater Chick-fil-A plans to open by the end of the year By Adam Robbins Senior Reporter

Chick-fil-A will be closer than ever to campus, coming to Coldwater as early as this semester. The new restaurant, located at the southwest corner of U.S. 12 and Michigan Avenue, will be the first location in Branch County and the closest to campus, about 30 minutes away. Currently, the closest is in Jackson, 45 minutes away. The location will share an exit with Culver’s, another franchise coming closer to the college soon. “I am very excited,” sophomore Jordan Nelson said. “I think it will be advantageous for student culture, but not for our wallets.” On May 12, a public

hearing ended with the Coldwater Planning Commission unanimously approving a special land use plan on the condition that a city engineer a p -

proves t h e stormwater retention plans. The location’s drive-thru requires special land use approval under the city’s ordinances, and signage must also match the

Handmade now open Tuesdays, closed Sundays By Ben Martin Collegian Freelancer

Local sandwich shop Handmade is now open on Tuesdays and closed on Sundays, in a move that owner Derek Spiteri said will allow him to spend more time with his family. “The time was right to strike a better balance between doing Handmade and being a dad and a husband,” Spiteri said. “It really has been life-changing.”

times last year where I could have gone for a bacon-mac combo, but they were closed,” McDougall said Hillsdale junior Nadia Frese said she was disappointed that she would not be able to go to Handmade for after-church brunch. “Having a good non-cafeteria option after church was great for me, so I will probably go to Handmade significantly less because of the new hours,” Frese said. The updated hours are

“The time was right to strike a better balance between doing Handmade and being a dad and a husband.” He also shortened the shop’s hours Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Aug. 3. “Everyone has been super supportive,” said Spiteri, who has four young children. “Everybody’s been telling me they’re happy for me.” Handmade offers subs and panini, as well as custom-made sandwiches, Michigan’s own Great Lakes chips, fresh cookies, and specialty beverages like Olipops. “I appreciate it when shops are closed on Sunday,” said senior Peter Stokes. “It allows it to be a fuller day of rest for other people.” Graduate student Alexander McDougall said that the new weekday hours will give him more lunch options. “It’s nice that they’re open on Tuesdays, because there were

only the most recent in a long list of changes Spiteri has made to Handmade. His family purchased the store 10 years ago and spent the first year after its purchase repairing and remodeling the building. His improvements include adding new windows, reworking the shop’s layout, fixing holes in the roof, custom-building furniture, and evicting two 25-pound raccoons that had taken up residence in the kitchen. The menu started with a handful of improvised sandwiches and morphed into the current menu through trial and error. “The first year open was a baptism of fire,” Spiteri said. “We definitely had to work through a lot of growing pains.”

Sheriff from A1

the prosecutor will review the discovery and decide how the case will proceed, according to Goostrey. They will also schedule a probable cause hearing, which determines if the prosecutor has enough evidence to send the case to trial. If the evidence is found unsatisfactory, the case will be dismissed. “During this period, until fully vindicated, I will continue to serve in the same capacity and full scope as I have over the past six years as your elected sheriff,” Hodshire wrote in a statement posted to the Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Office Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon. “While I would like nothing more than to provide the community with a playby-play of the incident, I have been instructed by my own

Conferences usually take place within 14 days of the arraignment, but Hodshire’s attorney requested the arraignment be pushed back due to the workload of the discovery, the collection of all evidence in the case. “There’s a number of witnesses, there’s going to be recordings, there’s a phone dump — at least one, maybe more,” Shea told the judge during the arraignment. “We’re going to need some time to get through that all before we can have a meaningful PPC.” Hodshire stated that he agreed with Shea’s decision to delay the probable cause conference. At the conference, Hodshire, his attorney, and

city’s requirements. As previously reported in The Collegian, the Coldwater Zoning Board rejected plans for a proposed layout of a Chickfil-A at a March 18 meeting due to a zoning irregularity. “They came back with a revised s i t e

commission for a special use process for a drive-through because our ordinance requires them to,” planning and zoning administrator Robert Hawley said. “They applied for a demo permit, so they’re waiting for some site preliminary reports before they move ahead.” Haw l e y said the board plans on

Hillsdale students said they’re excited for Chickfil-A’s opening, but not just for personal use. “I feel like it’s gonna be really helpful for different club events and helpful for catering,” sophomore Kailyn Dekker said. Nelson, who serves as the vice president of t h e Hillsdale College Re-

plan that was consistent with our ordinance, meaning they were meeting the setback requirement, and they were going through the planning

moving ahead once they iron out additional details. Currently, the plan includes 72 indoor seats, 16 outdoor seats, and 59 parking spaces.

publicans, said he will likely use the new location to cater the club’s events. Nelson also said he worried that the new restaurant will face tough compe-

tition with other recently added fast food options in the area, like KFC. Nonetheless, he said he’s looking forward to having more dining options. In 2024, Chick-fil-A announced plans to nearly double their presence in Michigan from 28 locations by adding 25 to 30 more. The company, which has maintained a presence in Michigan since 2013, plans to add over 2,500 jobs with its expansion.

Gospel Barn to host The Booth Brothers into their music is entirely consistent with the Gospel Barn’s mission. The Grammy-nominat“My grandparents started gospel trio The Booth ed this, and the purpose, Brothers will perform at right from the beginning, The Gospel Barn Sept. 12. was to share the gospel The group through will perform s ong an d twice, at 1 music,” Wip.m. and 6 ley said. p.m. Tickets “A n d t h e for the event B o o t h are $20 and Brothers do are available that as good in advance at as anybody. The Gospel There’s no Barn’s website. question Tickets for the that when 1 p.m. concert you come are sold out. to a Booth The Gospel Brothers Barn, a conconcert, cert venue loyou’re going cated just outto get some side Hillsdale, testimony. hosts gospel You’re going groups from to get some across the music that country each gets right to weekend from the heart of April to No- Guests attend a preformance at the Gospel Barn, which is located just outside Hillsdale’s city limits. sharing Jevember. The Daniel Johnson | Collegian sus.” Booth BrothAccorders trio, composed of broth- nominated for two Dove comes through — they love ing to Pam Vanscoroik, ers Ronnie and Michael Awards, an award celebrat- people, and they just bring a longtime patron of The Booth and Buddy Mullins, ing contributions to gospel a powerful concert,” Wiley Gospel Barn, this atmohave long been connected music. said. sphere of sharing the heart with The Gospel Barn. of Jesus is part of what has “They’ve been coming kept her and her husband here since the late ’90s,” Tony coming back for years. owner of the Gospel Barn “This is a place where Scott Wiley said. “They’ve they play Christian mubecome a long-time fasic, and you can tell that vorite here and we’re just by the atmosphere here,” thrilled to have them and Vanscoroik said. “The spirto be on their schedule and it here is different than any tour. People love them, and other place. The people that over the years they’ve probare here are all kind. [And] ably been the most popular it’s just an inexpensive way group on our schedule.” to have a night out.” Originally from Spring The Gospel Barn has Hill, Tennessee, the Booth a schedule of upcoming Brothers began with four artists on its website, with brothers in 1957 before disdifferent acts booked each banding in 1963. The group weekend through the end restarted in 1990 with one of October. The Blackwood of the original members, Brothers Quartet, which Ron Booth, and his two has been performing since sons, Ronnie and Michael. Wiley, the grandson of Wiley added that the 1934, will play next weekBuddy Mullins, a Gospel the founders of The Gospel way the Booth Brothers end on Sept. 19. artist who has toured with a Barn, Everett and Margaret work the truth of the gospel By Daniel Johnson Assistant Editor

variety of Christian groups from the Gaither Vocal Band to DC Talk, stepped onto the trio in 2021. Aside from a Grammy nomination, the Southern gospel trio has since been

Wirick, credited the Booth Brothers’ popularity to their ability to bring life to a performance along with faith. “They just bring so much energy and enthusiasm; they love the Lord — that

“There’s no question that

when you come to a Booth Brothers concert, you’re

going to get some testimony. You’re going to get some

music that gets right to the heart of sharing Jesus.”

legal counsel that I must refrain from engaging in such

The penalty for obstruction of justice without causing

Sheriff Scott Hodshire pled not guilty to two felony charges. Courtesy | Facebook

conversations and discourse until after my time in court.”

bodily harm to an individual is “not more than four years or a

fine of not more than $2,000, or both,” according to the state penal code. For misconduct in office, the penalty varies, with a maximum fine of $500 and a maximum jail sentence of 90 days. The Michigan Attorney General’s office is prosecuting the case. Shea could not be reached for comment. The Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Department declined to comment on the investigation. Sheriff Thomas Kochert of Williams County also declined to comment and directed people to the Michigan State Police. Assistant City Manager Sam Fry said he and City Manager David Mackie will be following the case proceedings. “We’re not going to speculate because it wouldn’t be ap-

propriate. We don’t have any knowledge of the specifics or the allegations that the city knows beyond the headlines and what was reported,” Fry told The Collegian. “It’ll work its way through the court process and we’ll obviously be monitoring that.” Hodshire, who is not up for reelection this year, wrote in his statement that he was grateful for the public’s trust in him in his position. “I appreciate the trust, faith and confidence you have placed in me during the past two election cycles and will continue to ensure that the operations of the Sheriff Office are not hampered by this and that we move forward,” Hodshire said.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A8 September 3, 2026

SportS Pickleball

Say 'goodbye' to swing club and 'hello' to pickleball club By Megan Li sEnior Editor Pickleball club is the new swing dance club, according to senior Nathan Furness. “There’s guys and girls out there playing together,” Furness, the president of the club, said. “It’s a great place to meet people. I think we had three couples come out of it last year.” The pickleball club, formerly only a recreational club, became an official club sport this year and will compete against other schools in the Dynamic University Pickleball Rating Collegiate League and the National Collegiate Pickleball Association. Its first tournament will be Sept. 19 in Grand Rapids at Calvin College, which is hosting the event for several Michigan teams. Furness founded the club his sophomore year with now-senior Josh Mistry, but he was not initially interested in adding a competitive level to the club. “Pickleball’s not that niche anymore, but it’s still niche at the pro level. So I looked up pro pickleball,” Furness said. “There’s a lot of differences

there, so I started actually around 350 people in the “Pickleball is the greatest playing the way that the game GroupMe. sport on the earth right now,” was meant to be played and “Unfortunately, we have Furness said. “As I became then got addicted.” four pickleball courts, and so more competitive, there’s othFurness said since pickle- on Wednesday, we had our er students who were also beball has remained on the club first pickle meeting, and we coming more competitive and level rather than the varsity had probably 80 people there,” wanted to compete at higher level for all colleges, Hillsdale’s Furness said. “We need new levels.” club can play the top team at courts very badly.” While recreational sporting any school. Pickleball splits into teams clubs go to the Student Feder“We can compete against of two, with men’s and wom- ation for funding, club sports the top team at any given school, whereas the club soccer team, they’re not playing Michigan’s actual D1 soccer team,” Furness said. The club meets every Wednesday and Friday from 4–6 p.m. at the pickleb a l l c ou r t s , located next to the sports complex and shared with the Hillsdale community. The club provides Parents weekend pickleball tournament in October 2025. Courtesy | Nathan Furness paddles, balls, and water. Fur- en’s doubles, but the teams can receive $2,000 per year from ness said the recreational side be mixed depending on the the college and fundraise evof the club has been growing tournament. Furness said the erything else. quickly, with more than 100 club is looking for more wom“The process of going from signups at The Source and en players specifically. a regular club to an intercol-

legiate club is really as simple as talking to me and making sure that they’re in the right kind of league, that they have enough interest, and that they have some sort of fundraising plan,” Ryan Perkins ’22, director of Campus Rec and club sports, said. According to Perkins, Hillsdale has had baseball, lacrosse, fencing, and pickleball become intercollegiate in the past year and a half. “If they go into playoffs, go to a regional tournament, nationals tournament, the college pays for all of those expenses, which is often a really big help to the team as well,” Perkins said. Less than two weeks after arriving on campus, freshmen Ezekiel Wagner and Derek Su are now members of the club’s executive board and planning to

compete in the Calvin College tournament. Su started playing two and a half years ago, while Wagner has five to six years under his belt. Wag ner est imates he spends two hours every other day at the courts and one hour a week sending fundraising emails. “I was already expecting to at least be in some part involved with the pickleball club and continue playing, probably not to the extent that I’ve softly committed myself already, which is scary to think about,” Wagner said. Su said the low cost and skill requirements, the ease of becoming competitive, and the community have kept people coming back for pickleball. “People love the sports they can be good at,” Su said. “Pickleball is very easy to become good at, which makes people want to keep playing.” Though the club is now entering tournaments at the more competitive club sport level, Furness is eager to keep the recreational side. “We’re still super excited about people of all skill levels coming out and having fun and meeting people,” he said.

Feature

Ava Downs takes bronze in Germany for USA By Lucy Billings AssistAnt Editor

Junior Ava Downs earned a bronze medal in the mixed team event for Team USA at the Junior World Championships in Germany mid-June, a$er posting the third-highest score in both qualification and finals with her partner, highschool senior Kaleb Horinek. Downs, along with her Hillsdale shotgun teammates, junior Madeline Corbin, sophomore Taylor Dale, and freshman Kinsey Duzan, qualified to compete at the annual JWC. Shooting 140/150 in the qualifiers, Downs said there was a point when she did not expect to make it to the finals. “I had a rough round,” Downs said.“For whatever reason it was just not the best I’ve ever shot. I thought I blew it. I walked o% and looked at my coach and I said, ‘We didn’t do it.’ He said ‘We don’t know

but probably not.’” kind of pressure than what I in.” Downs and Horinek ended feel at domestic matches,” Dale Dale also noted Downs’ up making it to the final in the said. “Some of that pressure to adeptness throughout the third position, shooting 22/40. make a USA travel team goes championship, as she contin“We went in and it was not away because if I am compet- ues to get used to wielding a a rocky start, but also not incredibly strong,” Downs said. “In a final you’re not trying to break o%. You want a medal but you’re always going for gold so there’s not any relief-filled moments. Then it sets in. You go get your awards and do the interviews. As the adrenaline calms down it’s more emotional. When you’re on the podium you realize this is a big deal and I’ve done it. It was very exciting for us to close out that way.” Dale shot 114/125 in the women's trap and Ava Downs competes in Suhl, Germany. Courtesy | USA Shooting Instagram placed 7th in her final. She ing overseas that means I've new gun since the spring. commented on the high stakes already made it, but as soon “Ava’s performance was inof international competition. as that goes away, the pressure credible to watch. She had just “For me, competing inter- of competing against people recently got a new gun and to nationally brings a whole new from all over the world kicks have that extra piece of ad-

Ben Ngishu, Football

pearance at the JWC as she ages out of the category next year, but she is excited about moving ahead. “My goals are the same: to go to the Olympics in 2028 and beyond that in 2032 and so on. It makes things feel very serious now,” Downs said. “I am incredibly grateful for the USA shooting Junior Program and the Junior World Cups, getting to meet people my age around the world, making a bunch of friends, and competing at the highest level with everybody, because everyone else is in it for the long haul, just like I am.” Hintz shared his positivity for Downs’s future in shooting. “Ava has been in the mix for Junior and Open teams for several years,” he said. “As she ages out of the junior category, she is primed to continue having success.”

Charger Chatter Which professional athlete do you look up to the most? The one that I watch the most is probably Alvin Kamara or Le’Veon Bell. I mean, those are both people I base my running style o" of, or watch before a football game to get myself ready.”

What is your favorite sports movie? I’d probably say "The Sandlot." Photo Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

justing and still do so well was awesome to see from the front row,” Dale said. “Ava also was tremendously supportive to me, which highlights her ability to focus on her competitions and support her teammates.” Hillsdale College head shotgun coach Jordan Hintz, although not present at the overseas competition, said he was proud of the Hillsdale athletes’ success. “Ava had a rough final day of individual qualification, so coming back strong for the Mixed Team event was very exciting to see,” Hintz said. “Our athletes making Team USA, representing our nation in international competition, and bringing home medals is important to our team, the college, and Hillsdale’s supporters.” This was Downs’ last ap-

Would you rather play a game in mud or in snow? Probably the mud because if it’s muddy, they are going to hand the ball o" more. In the snow, you’re just cold.

Do you usually plan for touchdown celebrations? I don’t really have a go-to right now, but I’ll see. I’ll look on TikTok this week. If I find something I like, I’ll put it in my mind, but honestly, it’s on the fly.

Compiled by Sean DaRos

Sp'()s

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026 A9

Feature

Club Rugby

Englishman trades hoops for pigskin

'A solid cast': Rugby adds new coach and players

By Reagan Vicars CollEgiAn FrEElAnCEr

“I didn’t exactly want to prove them wrong, but I didn’t want to prove them right,” Agbesi said. After taking a friend’s advice, he turned to football as a possible solution to his situation, contacting more than 300 American schools. Hillsdale College was one of the few that responded. Defensive coordinator Steve Otterbein said he was first struck by Agbesi’s impressive academics, which he said athletic department sta$ eval-

An incoming freshman from England was o$ered an o$ensive lineman position by Hillsdale College before he had ever played a snap of American football. Nathan Agbesi, who stands at 6’6’’, first came to campus last October for a gameday visit. He signed with the team in February and began practicing in April at home in England. Agbesi was born to Nigerian immigrant parents Agbo and Anna. He grew up in London, attending the City of London School and studying the viola and piano at the Royal College of Music. Agbesi began playing basketball in England when he was 15. In order to advance his training with preparatory student athlete programs, he came to the United States in 2024 to play basketball for the Academy of Central Florida, and again in 2025 with the International Sports Academy in Ohio. Though Agbesi was successful in his basketball endeavours, he felt restricted to playing positions, like center, that he was given because of his size alone. He described his mental state as “dangerous.” “I was com- Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department peting out of anger and frustration, trying uates before athletic ability. too hard to prove myself to an “When you find that comorganization that didn’t give bination of smarts and size, me the freedom to showcase it’s something that definitely my skills in other areas of the piques your interest,” Otterbegame,” Agbesi said. in said. The result was an urge to Otterbein and head coach quit basketball and possibly Nate Shreffler were intrigued return home, but this desire and traveled to Ohio to watch was countered by another. Agbesi play basketball. Others back in England per“He was a competitor and ceived two possible paths for there was something there Agbesi: prospective security that told me he really wanted through attending university to work,” Shreffler said. “He’s for an employable degree, or got great feet for being that playing sports in the United big, and that's going to work States with no guarantee of a well with his position in the stable future. They encour- o$ensive line.” aged the former. “It was pretty strange — I

Volleyball from A1 On Monday afternoon, Fles was also named G-MAC North Division Volleyball Player of the Week. The award is Fles’ first, she said. The team’s hard work in the preseason paid o$ and they were able to enjoy their time on the court, according to Fles. “We have been pushing each other in practice each day,

and I think it definitely showed on the court,” Fles said. “Overall, there were a lot of gritty defensive plays and smart plays on o$ense. We did a great job at extending our own runs. I think everyone on the team would agree that we play our best when we are having fun, and we definitely had fun while also remaining extremely competitive.” The tournament gave the team things to work on in

mean football coaches coming to see me play basketball,” Agbesi said. Otterbein described the unique opportunity of shaping an inexperienced athletic individual into an e$ective player. “We knew it was going to be a challenge; we knew it was going to be a project, but it was something that excited both of us.” Agbesi said Feb. 9, 2026, was “the best day of his life” when he got to tell his parents back home in England that

he would be playing Charger football, putting their worries about his future to rest. “Hillsdale gave me the opportunity to play a sport that I didn’t even know I had a future in while getting an amazing degree at a school that puts academics first,” he said. Upon returning to London in March, he began learning football with the London Blitz, a British American football club. Seven training sessions a week prepared him for his return to campus in early August. Agbesi arrived in Hillsdale a week before his teammates practice, according to Gravel. He said the team has been working on retaining focus under pressure and in di$erent scenarios. “We came into this weekend really focused on the process,” Gravel said. “That’s really what we do. We work on the problem right in front of us, and then always let the results speak for themselves. Sometimes we come out on top, sometimes we don’t, but

and worked with Brad and Zac A,olter, o$ensive line coach and senior o$ensive lineman. Shreffler stated that even without Agbesi’s additional work in England, the coaching sta$ felt “ready to train him up in a month,” confident enough in his athleticism and their program to get him ready for the first snap of the season. Agbesi described a transformation from the negative spirit he felt playing basketball to a positive one, as he builds relationships with his teammates and coaches. “Nathan proves every day in practice that he is at the caliber that we need him to be,” freshman teammate Walton Autrey said. “It’s cool to see him grow, but also to play alongside him.” Agbesi is characterized by Shreffler as “someone who has never known a stranger” and who brings positivity and skill to the team. Staying true to his identity as an Englishman, and as someone consequently nicknamed “Fish Sticks” by coaching sta$, Agbesi has shared some of his opinions with Otterbein, who said “he’s very critical of my tea choices right now.” When Agbesi is worried about the possibility of failure, he urges himself to remember his “why.” “That’s a big thing that the team talks about,” Agbesi said. “What’s your ‘why’ for doing these things? You put yourself through major physical pain every single day and it's not easy, so you need to have a good reason to do it and my family is definitely that reason.” Ready to play his first season of American football, Agbesi said: “I really do owe everything to Hillsdale, so I’m ready to give everything back to them.”

it's proven that usually we do come out on top, which is nice.” Gravel said although the team is inexperienced, the baseline of Hillsdale’s talent is stronger than most other teams’. This allows their top players to practice against skilled teammates while many other teams practice against their less-talented players. “We have a really deep, talented team,” Gravel said.

Games

No"ghts a() Crosses -

M.(.)ok" -

No"ghts a() Crosses The (",-ers aro"() the -or)er .().cate the 0e(gth o1 the 0o(gest r"(s o1 co(sec"t.ve (o"ghts or crosses .( that row or co0",( (a zero ,ea(s that sy,-o0 )oes (ot appear .( that row or co0",().

Each row, co0",(, a() -o0)e) 89 reg.o( co(ta.(s o(e each o1 –.

This week's solutions will appear alongside next week's puzzles. If you have questions or feedback, please contact Matthew Tolbert at mtolbert@hillsdale.edu.

By Grace Brennan

CulturE Editor Hillsdale College Club Rugby hopes to win the Men’s National Collegiate Rugby Midwest Small College Championship this fall, with the addition of 12 freshmen and a new coach, Mike “Bama” Harris. This season marks the seventh consecutive year that rugby is an o%cial club team. In 2023, club rugby won the championship 6212 over Winona State, and last year was one match away from nationals. Harris played rugby at Ferris State University, then coached for Western Michigan University’s women’s rugby program. Last year Harris refereed some of Hillsdale’s rugby matches, and now serves as the club’s first ever non-student coach. “I got to referee a few of their games last season and saw that they were on the cusp of doing great things and just needed a little bit of fine-tuning, which I felt like I could do,” Harris said. “I reached out and the stars aligned. Everything worked out perfectly.” Harris said he enjoys coaching players that respect him and want his leadership. “It’s awesome being able to give them the reassurance that they want and need,” Harris said. “Not necessarily being their buddy, but being the figure about which they can say ‘that’s my coach, and I can look up to him.’” Senior and club president Luke Jones said he is glad the team finally has a coach that is not a student. “He’s very knowledgeable about the game, so we have a lot more direction and structure than we’ve previously had,” Jones said. “Overall it makes for less grumbling and a little more focus, because he’s not one of our peers; he’s an authority.” Harris re-ected on playing rugby and looking up to his coaches. He said he is pleased to see himself transitioning into a similar role. “Being able to coach and see the same energy that I used to have — it just fuels me,” Harris said. The team is training to finish on top this season, according to Harris. “They are really energetic, “We’re inexperienced, but our best plays will be in practice, not on game day. It’s because the rallies are going to be so good. That’s part of why we won this weekend. We’ve been able to practice at a really high level, where some teams aren’t…we don’t have a drop-o$. Everybody is good.” Hillsdale brought six freshmen to the team, including Ella Vandermark, who started in all three games. Vandermark’s

almost always early to practice and giving 110%,” Harris said. “I never have to say anything more than once. They’re ready to hop to it and jump on whatever assignment I give out. They’re picking up everything I’m putting down and running with it with extreme strides.” During the first five practices the team dynamics have been opportune for the growth of all players, according to Harris. “Some of the old guys are pulling the new guys along, but the new guys are right behind them in understanding it,” Harris said. “Rugby is a sport that you have to be involved to understand it.” It’s a rarity that players stay on the team all four years, which is why getting new teammates is vital, according to senior Angel Jimenez. “Now that we have a coach, and 12 new freshmen, we’ll have a solid cast for the future years,” Jimenez said. According to Harris, the team will play one friendly and one competitive team to start o$ the season. Ferris State University — Harris’ alma mater — is in a division above Hillsdale and will be hosting the Chargers Sept. 5. “Playing Ferris State University will be more like a friendly match, a kind of warm up game for both sides. Giving each other a live practice is awesome because most teams don’t get that opportunity,” Harris said. Franciscan University, the defending national champion, will come to campus for Hillsdale rugby’s first home match Sept. 11. “I look to make some noise for the Franciscan University game. I’m really excited to play them and show anyone who’s had a negative thought about Hillsdale rugby what we’re all about.” Jimenez said the start of the season is crucial to getting the team to work well together in order to win. “We’re facing some tough competition. Seeing where we stand as a club and setting groundwork is important,” Jimenez said. “We have a super young team. As quickly as we develop, that’s how fast we’ll take the championship.”

presence on the court for each match is rare for freshmen, and shows her talent and dedication, Gravel said. “I couldn’t ask for a more supportive group of girls and coaches,” Vandermark said. “They push me to be my best while supporting me in my di%cult moments. While this weekend had many positives, it also showed us which parts of our game need improvement.”

Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

Director of Athletics John Tharp speaks at the inaugural Charger Golf Classic.

C harger S portS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A10 September 3, 2026

Shotgun

Track & Field

Hillsdale sweeps G-MAC athletes of the year Chargers aim for national spots By Sophia Bryant FEAturEs Editor

By Daniel Johnson

AssistAnt Editor Ten shotgun athletes are competing this week for spots on the U.S. National Team in the USA Shotgun Shooting Selection Matches at the USA Shooting Shotgun Range in Colorado Springs. The Chargers will compete in the International Skeet and Trap categories against shooters from across America for a higher chance of representing the United States on the world stage. The competition began Aug. 28 and will run through Monday. “The ultimate goal is to get as many people onto the national team as possible,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. Seniors Madeline Corbin, Davis Hay, and Luke Johnson will compete in the skeet division alongside sophomore Zach Hinze and freshman Cameron Roberts. Juniors Taylor Dale, Marin McKinney, and Lucci Kern are competing in the trap category with senior Ava Downs and freshman Kinsey Duzan. Competitive shotgun involves hitting clay targets launched from various trajectories as consistently as possible. In International Skeet and Trap, targets are launched at a high velocity from the same trajectory each time. Athletes’ scores depend on how many targets they hit out of 100. According to Hintz, athletes who shoot well enough to make it onto the national team have the chance to represent America at World Cup competitions and more. He added that the national team is selected on a rolling basis, using the combination of an athlete’s two most recent scores from national competitions — such as this week’s selection match in Colorado. “This competition represents a lot to us,” senior Luke Johnson said. “There are only two of these selection matches a year, and they build off of each other, so every last target is of utmost importance. For some of us, it determines the story of the rest of our lives.” Johnson said so far the team has had its ups and downs, but he’s optimistic about the rest of the competition. “I think some of us are a little disappointed in ourselves, but there’s nothing that can be done except putting one foot in front of the

other and focusing on the next target,” Johnson said. “On the other hand, we have a few members of the team who are doing really well, and the bunker (International Trap) shooters haven’t even started yet, so I’m excited to see how they’ll perform.” Although the results won’t be complete until the competition is over on Sept. 7, McKinney said the Chargers were successful in the first event, International Skeet, which finished Sept. 1. “For the team, it went relatively well,” McKinney said. “We had one team member, Madeline Corbin, who ended up taking 3rd out of all women in the [skeet] final, which was amazing.” According to Hintz, Hillsdale is the only o$cial collegiate team at the meet. “I think we’re the only college here that supports our athletes to participate in events like this, at least to this extent,” Hintz said. “There are other collegiate athletes here, but I would not say that there’s a ton of them. The competitors range from high school age all the way through senior competitors who are 55-plus.” According to Hintz, the Chargers’ facilities give them a unique advantage over other collegiate competitors. “There’s no other school that has access to a facility like Hillsdale’s, up to the standard of the Halter Center,” Hintz said. According to McKinney, several Chargers have made it onto national teams — including the U.S. National Team, U.S. Junior National Team, and the U.S. National Collegiate team — before and have had the chance to compete internationally. Several are lined up to compete internationally this fall with the U.S. National Collegiate team. “A good portion of our team is going to be traveling to Taiwan,” McKinney said. “Those people will be Luke Johnson, Roman Barrett, Davis Hay, Taylor Dale, myself, and Ava Downs.” McKinney emphasized that the team aims to continue pursuing these opportunities to shoot on the international stage. “The goal is always to end up shooting the best you can to represent the U.S. globally,” McKinney said.

Two Hillsdale track and field athletes won the men’s and women’s athlete of the year award in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference July 7. Junior Ally Kuzma, named the 2025-26 Female G-MAC Athlete of the Year for her sophomore season, runs cross country and the 5K and 10K events. “It was definitely an honor to be able to represent Hillsdale College in that way,” Kuzma said. “I’m just happy to have that, and grateful.” Ben Haas ’26, named the 2025-2026 Male G-MAC Athlete of the Year, was a thrower on the track and field team and majored in biology. Haas was awarded the 2024-2025 title as well, making him the first person to win the title twice, according to Jessica Bridenthal, head men’s and women’s track and field coach. “Ben is awesome, a very talented athlete, but he’s also really passionate about throwing and passionate about being a good leader and setting the right example,” Bridenthal said. “He was an Academic All-American this year too. He really cared about his studies at Hillsdale. All those things are really important to the type of athlete and type of culture we’re trying to create at Hillsdale.” This year, Haas is coaching track at Hillsdale while

he trains for the 2028 Summer Olympics, according to Bridenthal. Haas is also working on his patient care hours to apply for PA school in May. “My highlight of last season was when I finally got my first shot put All-American at the outdoor national championships,” Haas said in an email. “I worked so hard on

on, among many other titles, according to James Gensterblum, director of athletic communications. “At the end of each school year, each G-MAC member institution is allowed to nominate one athlete for consideration for the G-MAC Athlete of the Year award, and all nominees are then voted on

Ally Kuzma wins 10K Outdoor National Championship. Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

shot put, and it came together a%er 5 years of hard work.” Haas holds 11 titles, including three-time NCAA Division II National Champion, NCAA Division II All-American, and G-MAC Champi-

by administrators at each conference institution, with the top vote-getters receiving the award,” Gensterblum said. Kuzma holds 11 titles, including NCAA Division II National Champion, NCAA

Division II All-American, and G-MAC Champion, according to Gensterblum. “I felt pretty good all season, and was lucky to be healthy,” Kuzma said. “Part of the reason I was able to be successful was just because I was able to have a life outside of running. It was not consuming my mind all the time.” Bridenthal said that Kuzma will do everything to the “absolute best” of her ability. “Every encounter I’ve had with Ally, she is just so grateful and hardworking, and you couldn’t ask for a more supportive teammate,” Bridenthal said. “And the way that she feeds and elevates those around her, is a really huge testament to what type of person and what type of athlete she is. She is just such a joy to be around.” Kuzma said she is excited to work with the team during the upcoming season. She will run all year, with cross country in the fall, indoor track in winter, and outdoor track in spring. The cross country team competes at their first invitational, hosted by Michigan State University, at the Forest Akers East Golf Course Sept. 11. “The team is amazing,” Kuzma said. “We have a smaller group, which makes it almost like one big family. Our coaching staff is amazing. I really feel they do a good job at developing us as athletes, but also caring for who we are as people.”

Golf

Athletics Department hosts inaugural Charger Golf Classic By Adam Robbins sEnior rEportEr A team from the Southern Michigan Bank and Trust won the inaugural Charger Golf Classic, a new event hosted by the Hillsdale athletics department, Aug. 3. Located at the Country Club of Jackson, the event brought donors, friends of the college, and alumni back for a four-person scramble, followed by a dinner and a silent auction. The Classic, presented by TFO Wealth Partners and Vanbridge, an EPIC Company, provided opportunities for donors to meet coaches, alumni, and student-athletes participating and assisting in the event. “We are hoping to grow it and build it into something bigger each year,” said Luke Kelley, head coach of the men’s golf team. “It’s a great way for those that have been involved with Charger athletics to come back, give back, and enjoy a

day of celebrating Charger athletics. That’s what it’s about.” Members of the Charger golf team volunteered their skills at several of the parthree holes around the course for the teams to take advantage of as they played. The scramble event ended in an initial draw between the teams from TFO and Southern Michigan Bank and Trust, with South-

lege,” she said. ”They ranged from Detroit Tigers tickets to a basket of high-end whiskey. We had a signed Jared Goff football and a signed Isaac TeSlaa Hillsdale jersey, which I actually got to take to the Lions’ training camp and get signed for this event, which was really cool. ” Although various teams at Hillsdale feature their own golf

"We are trying to build our athletic department on the shoulders of the people that came before us." ern Michigan winning the tiebreaker. Haley Ketchum, executive assistant to the athletic director, was primarily in charge of seeking out items for the silent auction. “Around nine or 10 items that we had were donated from alumni and local community people that support the col-

outings, Ketchum said this was the first instance of the college hosting a department-wide fundraiser. “We had some high expectations, but we weren’t sure how well it would go,” Ketchum said. “I think it exceeded our expectations. I’m a golfer myself, and it’s a very fun social event for people that love

Charger athletics and want to give back.” Both Ketchum and Kelley emphasized how this event was something new and exciting for the department and represents a step toward further growth in Charger Athletics. The event also supported the Tobin Fund, a general athletic fund that Director of Athletics John Tharp distributes among the different teams. “We are trying to build our athletic department on the shoulders of the people that came before us,” Tharp said. “We’re on a journey to try to make this the best Division II athletic program in the nation at the best school in the nation. Dr. Arnn always talks about the college being a crown and you want the athletic department to be a gem in that crown. I just ask for people to support and continue to come back and be a part of the journey that our current student athletes are on.”

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026

Aharon Dubovin records actors. Courtesy | Caitlyn Larsen

c u ltu re We will always love you, Dolly By Addie Barton Collegian FreelanCer Junior Macky Joostens, who named her car Jolene after Dolly Parton’s hit song, has been mourning the loss of the singer by listening to her music. A dedicated fan of Parton, Joostens is looking forward to blasting her favorite song “Coat of Many Colors” in her car. “Jolene and I are tragically apart. She’s back at home, but I do have a Dolly Parton CD that I can’t wait to play in my car once we’re reunited,” Joostens said. Dolly Parton, the beloved country star, singer-songwriter and philanthropist, died on Aug. 25 at age 80. Joostens said she sees similarities between Parton’s reading initiative and her own volunteer work. “I am really passionate about children’s literacy, so I volunteer through the Buddy Reading program,” Joostens said. “Like Dolly, I have that same care for reading in the community.” In 1967, Parton’s rise to fame began with the release of her first album, “Hello, I’m Dolly.” She then released countless hit songs throughout the 1970s that grew her fanbase and spread her name. !is culminated in her induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. President George W. Bush presented Parton with the National Medal of Arts in 2005. Then, in 2007, she founded an independent record label, Dolly Records, to ensure she would have complete creative freedom over her future works. While Parton’s music, with notable favorites “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You,” is beloved by many, Joostens said Parton’s philanthropic work has also made a profound impact on the world. One of her most famous philanthropic projects is the Imagination Library, founded in 1995. Parton created the project with the goal of increasing literacy in remembrance of her father, Robert Parton, who could not read or write.

According to the Imagination Library, more than 300 million books have been given to children ages 0-5, resulting in higher kindergarten literacy and positive attitudes toward reading as a whole. Freshman Katie Schaer said she respects Parton’s mission. “It’s so easy for celebrities to throw out money and never see where it goes or the impact it has, but she stuck with it and came up with a genuinely beneficial philanthropy that has improved the lives of so many children,” Schaer said. According to freshman Presley Csortos, in addition to Parton’s extensive humanitarian work, her hit songs have started friendships among students on campus. “I’m thankful that she was present in my life because her music brought me and my friend together when we didn’t have any commonalities at first,” Csortos said. Parton’s legacy will be her genuine kindness and love for others. “Dolly Parton represents so much of what is good about country music,” Joostens said. “She had aspirations and worked really hard to achieve them. I think it’s so clear in her philanthropic works that she really aimed to bring joy to other people.”

Practice gratitude in honor of Wendell Berry By Grace Brennan Culture editor The writer Wendell Berry died on August 31, at the age of 92. We asked several professors to offer their perspectives. Why does Wendell Berry have a following at Hillsdale College? Associate Professor of English Jason Peters: People here, and of course in other places, recognize sanity when they see it. Against everything in this world that is just props and scenery and make-believe, Berry reminds us of the beauty and the order of the given world. He offers something real, authentic, and enduring. The wonder is that Berry doesn’t have a larger following here. I often think that those most in need of him — politicians, warmongers, cheerleaders for Big Ag, economists — are the ones who won’t pay him any mind at all. Professor of History Darryl Hart: Hillsdale students and faculty are readers who read everything. At colleges where reading is not what it should be, it takes longer to get around (if ever) to Berry. The other factor is that Berry offers a way to be conservative without having to adopt American exceptionalism or the military-industrial complex. !at does not mean that Berry is conservative. But he does line up with some of the conservative authors that Hillsdale folks read. Professor of Philosophy and Religion Nathan Schlueter: Because he exemplifies what many people here want to be: A Christian-farmer-poet-novelist-essayist-activist.

Illustrated by Maggie O'Connor

Emeritus Professor of History Richard Gamble: Berry transcends categories of left and right, liberal and conservative. He addressed timeless, deeply human questions in his work. He helped us to love what

we ought to love, and that is the essence of true education. I recommend his essays “!e Loss of the University” and “!e Work of Local Culture” to everyone at Hillsdale College. Assistant Professor of English Christina Lambert: Gamble assigned his work to me when I was a student at Hillsdale, and now I assign his work to my students. Berry’s stories suggest that your “work” is your whole life — and not simply a career. In a world that preaches that

Hart: “!e Unsettling of America,” a book that lays out the contrast between agrarianism and industrialism; at the heart of his argument is a simple point — human beings cannot survive without food and they can’t have food without the land (and proper care of it). Schlueter: I am partial to his novella “Remembering.” It is an American epic that should be read alongside

ageable you’d have to narrow it down and maybe compartmentalize it. And he railed against narrowing and compartmentalizing! He was necessarily a “public” figure — that happens when you write more than 50 books — but he was also a husband for 69 years, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a neighbor, a farmer, an activist, and a good friend. He was as kind to me as anyone I’ve ever known, and very funny, but mostly I think of him as a fierce defender of the land, of small farmers, and of rural communities. Industrial agriculture never faced a smarter or more articulate critic. Hart: For progressives he is an inspiration for conservation and environmentalism; for conservatives he is an inspiration for localism and what Rod Dreher called “crunchy conservatives,” the ones who live modestly and eat granola. Schlueter: I think he will be remembered for his acute diagnosis of the dissatisfactions of the modern world and his attractive, imaginative depiction of the possibility of wholeness.

status is everything, his stories preach faithfulness. !ey remind us that our responsibility is, first and foremost, to the people and places right in front of us. What is his best book and why? Peters: “!e Unsettling of America” is his most important book. If we want to keep from overproducing our way to starvation, which is what we’re doing, we’ll need to give it its due. His best book? You’d probably have to separate them out by genre. I admire many of the early books, such as “Standing by Words” and “Nathan Coulter.”

Melville, Twain, and Robert Penn Warren. Gamble: I think his best novel is “Hannah Coulter” and his best nonfiction is “Life Is a Miracle.” I rate “Life Is a Miracle” as high as Lewis’s “Abolition of Man.” Lambert: “Hannah Coulter” is the book I’ve bought the most times to give to others, and “Jayber Crow” is my favorite. What is his legacy? Peters: To make Berry’s legacy man-

Gamble: The legacy of Berry will be up to those who read his works. He enables us to see loss as well as gain in the world. History is subtraction and division rather than all addition and multiplication. He called his readers to love home, place, family, community, home-making rather than constant restless striving. Lambert: If you’re not convicted, or a little bit offended, while reading Wendell Berry, then you’re probably not reading carefully enough. I think his writings teach us to grieve the harm we’ve caused, learn what it means to steward the places and relationships we’ve been given, and practice gratitude as an act of radical hope. Hope, in Berry’s stories, is costly and real. No writer has influenced me more than Wendell Berry. Illustrated by Maggie O'Connor

‘Weather or Not’ they win internationally, Rough Cuts celebrates local victory By Monica Smies Collegian reporter With only a few hours to write, cast, film, and edit a short film in a global competition, a group of Hillsdale alumni and local residents calling themselves “Rough Cuts” were more than up to the challenge. In fact, they won first place for the city of Detriot. “I thought to myself, ‘I want to do something competent and well, and I want to submit it on time. I know that we are capable of making something beautiful and great, but I don’t expect to make it the first time,’ and, well, I stand by what I said,” joked Caitlyn Larsen ’12, the team leader of Rough Cuts. !e 48 Hour Film Project competition required films to incorporate three specific elements: a prompt, a line, and a character provided by organizers. !is year, the required components were a meteorologist, a character named “Bart,” and the line “be careful with that,” according to sophomore Ahron Dubovin, who was the first camera assistant on set

and is the president of the college’s Film Club. Titled “Weather or Not,” the short film is about a meteorologist who gets accidentally mixed up with a gang initiation, while a non-initiated gang member inadvertently attends the meteorologist’s Tinder date. !e short film, written and directed by Hillsdale alumnus Chandler Ryd ’18, will be shown at Filmapalooza, an international film festival with the top finalists from cities across the world. From there, they could end up at the Cannes Film Festival, a world-famous invite-only event in France. After living in Hollywood for three years, Larsen and her husband settled in Hillsdale and helped her parents rehabilitate the building where Rough Draft is located. From there, Larsen followed her longtime dream to foster a community with like-minded artists by starting Rough Cuts. “I drummed up interest in the filmmaking medium with the intention of preparing for the 48-hour film competition the whole time,” Larsen said.

The short film’s poster. Courtesy | Caitlyn Larsen

“From the start, I wanted to bring all of the creatives on campus and all of the creatives

in this community together for an opportunity to collaborate, create, and to make something

and finish it.” Ryd directed and was involved in several short films while at Hillsdale. After graduation, he started Copernican Media, a video production company, and writes and directs documentaries and commercials. Ryd said he was happy to get the chance to create a humorous film with a story arc. “I wanted to make something funny, and then also something that had a real story arc to it,” Ryd said. “What I most love about film is the opportunity to tell a story.” Maddie Merritt ’11, the film’s producer, worked in Hollywood for 13 years as a TV production operator. “I’ve worked on plenty of productions that are excellent and plenty that were hot mess expresses. This was one of the best productions I’ve ever worked on, which is saying something,” Merritt said. Joshua Burnett ’26 works with Ryd at Copernican Media and was editor for “Weather or Not.” During his time at Hillsdale, he produced four short

films. Burnett said collaborating with other artists is essential to thriving in the art of storytelling. “When you are able to work with people and produce really good art, but also build a really good community, that I think is the best place for artists to grow into their art because they’re pushed against all these people from different mediums and disciplines,” Burnett said. !e team of artists desire to enrich Hillsdale’s community with good art and film, but they also hope to increase involvement from students and community members. According to Larsen, they could not have completed the project without their crew of 26 people, including community members ranging from 8 to 80 years old. Larsen encourages students to attend the monthly Rough Cuts meetings. Every first Friday of the month, in Rough Draft’s event room, like-minded film artists gather to discuss and do workshops together. The first event of the fall semester is on Friday, Sept. 4.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

C U L T U R E

September 3, 2026

‘Sterling Point’ is a modern take on sisterhood and secrets By Ashley Luke Collegian reporter Prime Video has been dishing out !rst-rate rom-com TV shows, and fans are eating up Prime’s newest addition, “Sterling Point.” The story follows Annie Jacobson, a Type A 17-year-old who discovers her long-lost sister on her grandfather’s remote island in Canada. At face value, the show sounds like a mishmash of young adult cliches squashed into a picturesque Muskoka landscape, but behind the budding romance, drama, and scenic boating shots is a touching depiction of sisterhood and grief. The show is refreshing for many reasons, one being the candid dialogue. Annie is the type of person to rant, streamof-consciousness-style, about her problems. In one scene, Annie brushes another character’s hair while describing a new relationship. She punctuates each sentence with strokes of the brush, constantly interrupting herself to mention another detail of the story and rambling in run-on sentences. The director of “Sterling Point,” Megan Park, was intentional about including this type of authentic teenage dialogue. During the press tour, Park said she gave the cast the freedom to ad-lib lines so their characters felt real. She often worked with the cast to write or rewrite scenes on !lm day. Instead of the cringy dialogue found in many young adult TV shows, Annie Jacobson and her friends

talk in sarcastic, slang-filled, winding sentences that are actually realistic for a 17-year-old. Like most YA heroines, Annie Jacobson has a complicated past. She and her twin brother were adopted just a few years before her mother died mysteriously. Since then, her father hasn’t talked about her mother’s side of the family. Mr. Jacobson’s hasty erasure of Annie’s mother leaves the viewer with the haunting feeling that a key detail about Annie’s past is missing. Why won’t he talk about Annie’s mother, and most of all, how did she actually die? The Jacobson twins discover that their maternal grandfather has passed away, leaving them partial shares of his remote island in Muskoka, Canada. In the !rst few scenes of the show, Annie is rejected from Wharton School of Business’s summer program at the University of Pennsylvania, which she believes is the key to her college acceptance and future career. Queue an average teenage crashout. But Annie’s version involves running away to Muskoka, hoping to reconnect with her mother’s memory. When Annie arrives at her grandfather’s cottage, someone else is already living there. That someone turns out to be Annie’s long-lost sister Ramona, who isn’t particularly happy about her new relative. At !rst, Ramona’s personality seems to be made up solely of sarcasm, side-eyes, and performative reading. As complications arise on the island, Annie and Ramona are forced

to come to an understanding. Under Annie’s newfound sisterly influence, Ramona slowly softens into a lovable, grungy, do-it-yourself kind of girl. The show has its share of dramatic ups and downs, but another point I found refreshing was the depth of emotional maturity many of the characters display. Annie meets Rory, an old friend from middle school, and immediately reconnects with him. A classic love triangle grows between Rory, Annie, and Ellis, a local marina worker. Yet unlike the love interests in similar shows such as “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “My Life with the Walter Boys,” neither Rory nor Ellis are toxic, abusive, or morally gray. Instead, both boys care for Annie in different ways, each wanting the best for her and each contributing to her coming-of-age character arc. Ramona and Annie’s relationship is a refreshing picture of what sisterhood and girlhood actually look like. Annie, who has never had a sister, now experiences a new world of latenight conversations and heartto-heart moments. For Annie, Ramona is the gateway to knowing her mother, whom she barely remembers. For Ramona, who was raised by her grandfather, Annie is the !rst woman she can fully rely on. Although they have their dramatic squabbles, the plot of “Sterling Point” centers on Annie and Ramona’s growing love for each other as they begin to understand and grieve the loss of their mother. Of course, “Sterling Point” is

Sterling Point TV Poster. Courtesy | Prime Video

a modern TV show catering to a modern audience. Ramona and Oona, a local island girl, engage in a complicated romantic relationship and one of Ramona’s friends, Sully, plays the token vivacious LGBTQ character. Characters frequently curse, and there is a sex scene. But the show does not bombard viewers with an LGBTQ agenda or indoctrinate them with feminist ideology. Oona and Ramona’s romantic relationship is a major plot line in the show, but the virtues of their relationship shone

through the moral grievances I had. “Sterling Point” is much more than a show featuring quaint Muskoka scenery and the love triangle that we all look for in summer TV. Watching each episode feels familiar, comforting, and real — like a window in Annie’s Muskoka cabin has swung open and the audience is peering in.

Lose yourself in Phoebe Bridgers’s new album ‘Lost Weekend’ By Lonán Mooney Collegian reporter The radio program “Lost Signal” hosted singer and songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, exclusively to discuss her third solo studio album, “Lost Weekend” on Aug. 14. Since “Lost Signal” aired exclusively on college campuses, college students had the privilege to hear Bridgers explain her new found maturity in response to her relationship with her father post-mortem, her struggle for true intimacy, and her self-image. Bridgers spent an hour breaking down each song and the meaning behind them. This choice was the first of many efforts by the artist to gain a deeper intimacy and connection with her fanbase. Her album covers a variety of genres, with heavy and purposeful autotune reminiscent of early 2000s indie music; folk in the style of classic American

bluegrass; and ethereal, legato tones in the style of modern alternative rock. Bridgers kicked off her performance at Madison Square Garden with her no-screen policy, using a new innovation, the “Yondr” pouch, to magnetically secure individual devices at her concerts. The device then remains in the pouch before being unlocked after the event. Bridgers proclaimed to the crowd, “It’s weird not having a phone, isn’t it? I love it. I appreciate you allowing this to be an internet-free zone.” Bridgers, whilst maintaining a de!nitively intimate and guarded attitude towards her new album with regards to promotion and performance, included a voicemail from her now-deceased father on her song “Never Going Back.” The title of the album serves to describe multiple aspects of Bridgers’ life, !rstly, referencing her father’s alcoholism. Fans have drawn a connection

between the 1945 classic !lm, “The Lost Weekend.” The !lm tells the story of a male alcoholic and the weekend bender he experiences. By the close, the man, the weekend, and the efforts he made are col-

lectively deemed “lost.” Fans also speculate the title may refer to her longtime break from making music before her recent release. Lastly, the title refers to Bridgers’s own “lost” weekend, with her ex-

Phoebe Bridgers’ performs at Marymoor Park. Courtesy | Creative Commons

periences with dissociation. Her !rst song on the album, “The Outside,” tackles exactly that. “It’s about my ability to dissociate and how it once protected me, but it can prevent me from feeling my life when I want to,” she told host Elia Einhorn on “The New Music Hour.” Other songs on the album, such as “The Governor’s Waltz” follows the thematic through line. “One day I sat down to write and the only way that felt right was writing about my life as a fairytale … these same themes of not feeling present for my life.” Overall this album has a much more mature perspective on her relationships and experiences, as her single “Lost Boys” professes. Phoebe ties in the sociological phenomena known as “Peter Pan Syndrome” in reference to her experience with men in her life. This phenomena refers to men who are in a state of willful

arrested development, in reference to the story of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. In this song, her lyric “Lost boys find me” demonstrates how she sees herself as Wendy in her relationships. “It’s about this character that keeps appearing to me as new people. So, the song talks about three different people who all have a lot in common. They struggle with this big, bad, feeling, and I struggle with my love for them,” Bridgers said. Though Bridgers’s own philosophy seems nihilistic, and quintessentially “sad-girl,” this recent work of hers ultimately has a hopeful message. Using her artistry, creative influences, and personal experiences, “Lost Weekend” becomes a cathartic profession of forgiveness, acceptance and healing. This, in tandem with dreamy tones and careful lyricisms, leaves the listener in the mindset of a hopeful cynic.

Professors’ Picks: Mario Guzman Associate Professor of Psychology

“Time”

Guzman and his wife in Rome. Courtesy | Mario Guzman

“Time” by Pink Floyd. I have always liked this band — it might say something about how old I am — but this song is my favorite for two reasons. The musical composition is marvelous, especially if you like progressive rock from the 1970s. But more importantly, the lyrics are a true piece of wisdom on the ephemerality of time and the necessity to act in life. It is a reminder that when time passes, there is no going back, and that when we are young, we can delude ourselves into thinking that we have all the time in the world ahead of us. But we don’t.

“The Book of Elders: Sayings of the Desert Fathers (The Systematic Collection)” “The Book of Elders: Sayings of the Desert Fathers (The Systematic Collection).” It is a beautiful book that contains the wisdom and teachings of the Desert Fathers, who gave life to the monastic tradition in the Church. Their theology is simple, ascetic, mystic, and profoundly human. It covers diverse topics of spiritual and psychological life. I use it every day in my prayer time, along with readings from the Bible. I have found that the wisdom of the fathers is perennial.

“Train Dreams” “Train Dreams” with Joel Edgerton and directed by Clint Bentley. Some !lms touch the soul. I think “Train Dreams” needs to be counted among those movies that become part of our collective emotional landscape and rank as great classics.

Compiled by Grace Brennan Culture Editor

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026 B3

B4 September 3, 2026

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026

f e a t u r e s Community vendors gather at local farmers market Local small businesses sell flowers, bread and more

By Skye Graham Assistant Editor The Hillsdale County Farmers Market brings the community together every Saturday as local small businesses sell their best homemade goods in the Hillsdale County Courthouse parking lot. The farmers market runs from May until October, and hosts a wide variety of vendors. Vendors sell everything from baked goods to T-shirts to flowers. Laci Miller, an owner of Sidewalk Blooms, a small business based in Hillsdale, wakes up at 4 a.m. every Saturday morning to prepare for the farmers market. “My husband works on our freeze-dried candy throughout the week, while I’m busy preparing our herb salts, lavender sugar, and all the other things we bring to market,” Miller said. “Friday evenings are spent out in the garden harvesting flowers, and I’m up bright and early at 4 a.m. on Saturday putting bouquets together so our customers get the freshest blooms possible.” Miller said her goal with her bouquets is that people who buy her flowers on Saturday will have a beautiful bouquet on their table the weekend after they purchase from her. “There’s definitely a lot of work that happens behind the scenes before we ever pull into the farmers market,” Miller said. Hillsdale students and residents attend the farmers market each week, with many relying on it for healthy, organic goods. Hillsdale resident Diane Brenner said her family regularly buys from the market. “Our Hillsdale Farmers Market meets all of our needs,” Brenner said. “We depend on it for strawberries, raspberries, sweet corn, many types of lettuce, bread, sweets, magnesium, skin products, hair products, and more. On top of that, the prices are so much better than a box store.” 15-year-old Dara Sinischo sold Challah bread at the farm-

ers market this week for her business, Kneaded Grace. This past Saturday was her first time selling, and she plans to continue growing her business and selling her bread at the market. Challah is a braided bread that is popular in Jewish culture, and Sinischo has been making it her entire life. “My family has made Challah from the time I was about two,” Sinischo said. “I began selling it when I was 13 for my bat mitzvah project to donate the money I made, but I wasn’t at the farmers market then.” She said the process of preparing for the farmers market is time-consuming, yet rewarding. “The process every week takes about two nine-hour days,” Sinischo said. “I make around 50 loaves of bread every week, and every loaf is hand-kneaded and braided. The whole process is very enjoyable for me, but it is pretty tiring to knead.” Ahna Decker also makes 50 loaves per week for her own bakery, Taste and See Bakery, as well as dozens of cookies and scones. “My favorite thing about the farmers market is connecting with the community and my fellow vendors,” Decker said. “It’s so fun to see families outside, enjoying the summer weather, buying fresh coffee and produce, and supporting local farmers and businesses.” Senior Olivia Leathers said her favorite business at the market is Elaine’s Kitchen Delights, which sells jams, pickled vegetables, homemade rubs, and lemon bread. “They are so kind and will give you instructions for some recipes to try at home,” Leathers said. “It makes cooking for me a lot less daunting. I mainly buy food to try out cooking or baking.” Elaine Riopelle, owner of Elaine’s Kitchen Delights and secretary of the farmers market, started selling at the farmers market 18 years ago to raise money to go to her niece’s wedding in Jamaica.

By Charlee Amason Collegian Reporter

Dara Sinischo sold Challah bread at the farmer's market this weekend. Courtesy | Linda Sinischo

“I heard about the farmers market, so I applied and I got in,” Riopelle said. “We started out with just a card table, three or four jams, a couple dips, some breads, and my great-greatgrandmother’s mustard recipe.” The business has grown significantly since that time. Now Riopelle said she has two tables and a trailer, and sells over 25 types of jams. However, Riopelle said her favorite part about the farmers market is the community. “You get to see the same people, a lot of people over and over again,” Riopelle said. “They gather and meet their friends up there, and it’s a small town gathering place.” Mary Bertakis, co-owner of Chef ’s Way Organic Farm with her husband Ezra, said the community is also one of the reasons she loves selling at the market. Their booth, located at the intersection of Howell and Bacon Streets, sells organic produce. “I love learning about the

lives of our customers,” Bertakis said. “It’s great to know that our little corner booth at Howell and Bacon has been the location where people have seen the light, changed their diet patterns, and changed their overall wellness.” Bertakis said her customers often tell her about their health-related struggles. Through these conversations, she said she has built strong relationships with the community that major corporations aren’t able to replicate. “I remember the names and the struggles our customers have, and they share those with me and keep me in the loop of our lives,” Bertakis said. “It is a true place to come meet the farmers, Ezra and Mary, not just a food buyer who resells other people’s produce.”

New classics professors study Greek and guitar By Anna Northcutt Collegian Reporter If you happen to hear Canadian folk music alongside ancient Greek and Latin issuing from the top floor of Kendall Hall, it’s probably one of the two new assistant classics professors, Dalton Sala ’20 or Stephen Hill. Sala, who plays guitar, says his love for music helped him develop a love for literature. “Music is a lot like literature,” Sala said. “You can’t see, feel, or taste it, but you can hear it. You can think about its rationality and beauty, and have it inspire you.” Hill said he also enjoys music, having played the piano off and on for most of his life. “I think there are some extraordinarily well-written songs in country music between, say, the 1940s through the 1980s,” Hill said. “It would be really fun to have a class on that period and genre, and just treat the songs as poetry.” Eric Hutchinson, chairman and associate professor of classics, said while Sala is primarily a Latinist who enjoys Cicero and Augustine, Hill is a classicist who focuses on Greek literature during the time of the Roman Empire. “They’re young and energetic, and I think will bring a lot of good things to our department and to campus at large,” Hutchinson said.

Sala, originally from Colorado, said he came to Hillsdale as an undergraduate in order to pursue the kind of education he wanted. “Colorado has mountains, and that’s great,” Sala said. “I love mountains, but Hillsdale has something much better, which is the pursuit of learning in the liberal arts.” Sala majored in Latin during his undergraduate years, since it was the language that had touched him the most in high school. Besides that, however, Sala said he speaks some Ancient Greek, loves listening to German music, and enjoys trying to read French poetry. After graduating from Hillsdale, Sala attended Bryn Mawr College for his master’s degree and Ph.D. in classics. His current research interests revolve around philosophy in the early Christian church. “C i c e ro w as , as he claimed, a skeptic, so he didn’t think we could know truth fully,” Sala said. “Augustine tweaks that and says, ‘You’re right, Cicero, we can’t know truth fully because God is ultimately above our understanding.’ It’s not meant to make you despair. It’s meant to make you awestruck by God’s infinite greatness, and pursue him further.” Before coming back to Hillsdale, Sala taught at a Catholic seminary, and said he loved the work because of the seminarians’ concern with their moral and spiri-

Three friends, one bike: Students study at Oxford

tual formation, but believed he would find similar qualities in students at Hillsdale. “Hillsdale is really good at encouraging the moral formation of students without mandating it,” Sala said. “I feel that undergraduates here understand that, and they pursue it.” In his spare time, Sala enjoys playing guitar. He especially admires Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers, who sings about maritime provinces in Canada around the Great Lakes. “I would love to teach a CSP seminar on the music of Stan Rogers,” Sala said. “This would be an opportunity for me to, as professors love to do, intellectualize one of my interests.” This semester, Sala is teaching Beginning Latin I, Intermediate Latin, and a seminar class on Augustine’s “Confessions.” Meanwhile, Hill took a self-described “circuitous” route to becoming a professor in classics. Originally from Florida, Hill attended Bryan College in Tennessee, majoring in English and studying Greek and Spanish. Afterward, he got a master’s in teaching English as a foreign language at the University of Illinois. “While I was at Illinois, I had also started teaching Greek for an organization based in Jerusalem that did summer courses in Rome,” Hill said. “That made me t hink, ‘Wow, te aching English as a second lan-

guage is great, but teaching Greek is even better.’” Hill went back to school to get a second master’s degree in classics at the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. in classics at the University of Virginia. After teaching at Wyoming Catholic College for a few years, he joined the Hillsdale faculty. This fall, Hill is teaching Beginning Greek I, Literature of the Roman Republic, focusing on Cicero’s “Pro Archia Poeta,” and an upper-level seminar called Greek Historiography, focusing on book seven of Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.” Hill said his heavily laden bookshelves include languages he can read and languages he’s started learning but never quite got around to — the former including Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, and German, to varying degrees of fluency. “I was drawn to Hillsdale because it was a really wonderful visit when I came in February,” Hill said. “I’m excited to see what it’s like to be on the inside, become part of the community.”

At the University of Oxford, three Hillsdale students found a culture of studying where students genuinely enjoyed their schoolwork, treating it like a full-time job. Juniors Anna Armesto, Charlotte O’Beirne, and Caera O’Brien went on academic leave in the spring of 2026 to spend a semester in England. “What I found most unique was that nobody ever complained about how much work they were doing, or how little sleep they were getting,” O’Brien said. “The general atmosphere within Oxford was one of complete joy because, to the other students, their studies were their job. They were fully invested and loved what they were doing.” The culture of scholarship shaped the womens’ daily lives during their semester at New College, one of Oxford’s 36 colleges. “A typical day for us would begin with Mass, followed by breakfast, before we separated for tutorials,” O’Beirne said. Oxford operates on a tutorial system in which students meet one-on-one with a professor twice a week. The rest of their time is spent studying independently in libraries related to their fields of study. Armesto studied radioisotope chemistry and Venetian art history, while O’Brien immersed herself in T.S. Eliot and Silver Age Latin, including Tacitus for a trimester. O’Beirne studied in Oxford for two trimesters, focusing on British satire, St. Augustine, modern poetry, and Roman satire. O’Brien joined the Oxford Rowing Team, while Armesto joined the Oxford Triathlon Club. The women spent their days pursuing their own academic interests before reconvening for dinner, a walk, or a visit to the pub — a central meeting place in Oxford, according to Armesto. “And we wouldn't do any work after dinner because you treat your research like a nine-tofive, I guess,” Armesto explained. The women found this attitude toward education distinct from the culture they were accustomed to at Hillsdale. “Everyone there has a lot of work to do, but you don't talk about how much you have. The substance of what you're learning about is what carries over into conversations,” O’Beirne said. “Basically, there’s no majors or minors or whatever, and no core. You just pick a subject, and then you’re completely committed to that subject. So if you study French literature, you just love French literature, and that’s what you study, and you’re completely engrossed in it.” The academic culture was re-

inforced by Oxford itself, a city the women found deeply inspiring. “Just seeing the place that has inspired so many great writers to do what they’ve done, you understand why,” O’Beirne said. O’Beirne said that reading poetry about Oxford while sitting outside its historic churches and libraries gave her a greater understanding of why so many great writers had been inspired by the city. “You’re in such a beautiful place that you feel compelled to also create beautiful things,” Armesto said. To explore the compact city, the three split the cost of a secondhand bicycle, buying it for 50 euros and sharing it throughout the term. All three women considered the opportunity to study abroad in Oxford when applying to colleges. Kenneth Calvert, professor of history and the trip’s faculty adviser, helped coordinate the logistics of their study abroad trip. “Especially as a STEM major, it can be really hard to squeeze in a semester abroad. But the registrar and Dr. Calvert were helpful in accommodating each of us,” Armesto said. For the women, leaving the tight-knit community of Hillsdale was more than the opportunity to leave the "bubble.” It gave them an opportunity to grow tremendously. O’Beirne experienced her first term in Oxford without her friends from Hillsdale. “The program was still wonderful, and it was really good for me because I was pushed outside of my comfort zone,” O’Beirne said. “I had to go make friends, and I made very good friends there.” Arranging the semester abroad was no easy feat. It required each of the women to take academic leave for a semester, apply to the program, and coordinate the details together. “All three of us had life-changing experiences there. And it’s worth the difficulty and the trouble of doing it. It’s very worthwhile,” O’Beirne said.“And it doesn’t feel difficult while you’re doing it.” The women encourage other Hillsdale students to look more deeply into the opportunity to study abroad, but even more so, to take greater joy in their studies and treat their vocation as students as a job they love and truly enjoy. “Maybe I was stressed a couple times,” Armesto said. “But I think the overwhelming feeling was just complete gratitude."

O'Brien, O'Beirne, and Armesto in Oxford. Courtesy | Anna Armesto

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

September 3, 2026

One of five flyovers at the race.

A Chevrolet Indy car in front of the Capitol.

Alessia Sandala | Collegian

Graham Rahal speaks to the press. Alessia Sandala | Collegian

f e a t u r e s

Need for speed: F1 fans head to D.C. for IndyCar race By Alessia Sandala Managing Editor A blue streak came speeding around the final corner. We gasped as carbon fiber crunched into concrete barriers. I could hear metal and plastic debris hitting the track of the first ever Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. We watched as the race car staggered to a spot by the barriers directly in front of us. The IndyCar safety team rushed onto the track to get the driver out. The rubbery stench of burnt brakes and fuel hung in the air as we held our breath. Seconds later, the driver emerged from the stopped car. We had witnessed Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson crash out of the qualifying session all in a fraction of a second. We joined 215,000 other people at the National Mall to watch race cars speed around the 1.7 mile track that stretched through America’s capital. Our trip to D.C. for the IndyCar race came about because my friends and I began a weekly ritual of watching Formula 1 — an international racing series regarded as the highest level drivers can reach — together on the third floor of Sohn Residence last year. “It was kind of a poetic week-

end, because we all got into F1 racing at the same time, summer a year ago, and we watched our first race together on the exact same weekend last year,” said Catherine Maxwell ’26. First time on track In between the racing, we wandered through the fan zone, which was full of people. Vendors, food stations, tents, and big screens filled the grass lawn of the National Mall and created a racing fan’s dream watch party. As F1 fans, we didn’t expect to see so many fans wearing F1 merch, let alone one of F1’s celebrities at the Freedom 250. But near Chevrolet’s display of sports cars and an Indy car, I heard Maxwell call out, “Is that Zak Brown?” “It was kind of a jump scare,” Maxwell said. “No chance,” I thought. Even though Arrow McLaren, an IndyCar team, was competing in D.C., McLaren’s F1 team had a grand prix in the Netherlands the same weekend. Brown, the teams’ CEO, usually attends the F1 races, so surely he wouldn’t be in D.C. But, as my head swung around, I saw Brown puttering toward us in a four-wheeler. No one around us seemed to notice, and Brown glanced over as he drove by.

“It was just such a shock to see him there,” Maxwell said. “And of course my friends and I were too stunned to pull out our phones and get a picture, so there’s no evidence.” After our unexpected run-in with Brown, we headed outside the fan zone to an area where a chainlink fence separated the paddock from the public. Behind the fence, Graham Rahal, from IndyCar team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, gave an interview to a TV station about his crash in a practice round. At

ty to hop between our favorite exhibits and spend most of our time in the “Nation of Speed” exhibit that features the evolution of race cars and, of course, race airplanes. “Usually it’s overrun as one of the most popular museums on the Mall, so it was really strange to have some of the exhibits basically to ourselves,” Anna Teply ’26 said. “Also it was awesome to see Mario Andretti’s race car in the exhibits while outside, his race team was getting ready to win the race!”

“It was kind of a poetic weekend.” the end of his interview, Rahal came over to the gate and fans shoved T-shirts, hats, and other merch through the links in the hopes of getting autographs. From the back of the crowd, a group of men called questions to Rahal about the conditions of the track. “It’s actually pretty good,” Rahal told fans. As Rahal gave thoughtful answers to the crowd’s questions, the fans quieted down to hear his answers. With an hour left before qualifying, we headed for the National Air and Space Museum, which was open to all those inside the inner track area. It was the perfect opportuni-

With qualifying about to start, we made our way to a spot with a perfect view of the exit from Turn 6. From our post, we saw Simpson miss the turn and slam into the barriers at full speed. The IndyCar championship leader claimed the top spot for Sunday’s race and his nearest championship competitor Kyle Kirkwood started second. Race day promised entertainment. The race From our spot at the exit of Turn 6, we settled in for the prerace activities. Drill teams from each military branch marched by, and

Chevy trucks sporting American flags did laps of the track, along with the IndyCar drivers in the back seat, all in preparation for President Donald Trump’s lap in his secure vehicle: the Beast. The crowd roared and jets, including a B-2 Spirit bomber and a B-52 Stratofortress, flew overhead. The ground shook as we waited the six seconds between when the planes passed over us and when we heard the roar of their massive engines. Before the race started, we got to know the fans standing around us. One came all the way from Australia on a great American racing tour that included dirt tracks and NASCAR. Another attempted to explain IndyCar to his friends. Despite standing directly in the sun for hours by the time the race started, we were just happy to be at a historic race that cost us nothing — a rarity in the motorsports world. On the opening lap, Kirkwood passed the car in front for the lead of the race. While we couldn’t see the overtake from our section, Kirkwood’s blue Indy car was the first to come roaring around the bend, and we knew he’d grabbed the lead. A loud bang on lap 36 of 147 woke up anyone bored by the continual passing of Indy cars. From where we watched,

we could only hear the terrible sound of a crash, and were forced to rely on a radio broadcast to learn Team Penske’s David Malukas had smashed into the barrier on the final turn just out of our line of sight. Then came another bang. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Sting Ray Robb (yes, that’s his real name) had t-boned Malukas. We pushed through the crowd to try to catch a glimpse of the situation, but shocked fans blocked any view of the track. In a fitting end, Kirkwood — a 26-year-old American from Florida — claimed victory on the streets of our nation’s capital. “It was awesome to see an American win the Freedom 250,” Maxwell said. “Kirkwood dominated the whole time, and he absolutely deserved it.” I never expected our motorsport journey to survive our busy college schedules or my friends’ graduation, but the excitement, drama, and skill we witnessed every week took us from Sohn to Washington, D.C., in search of more. “If you’d have asked me in May of last year if I was ever going to attend a motor race, I would have thought you were crazy,” Teply said. “It would never have crossed my mind that I might love any kind of motorsport.”

Campus Characters: Joe Vankat Compiled by Elizabeth Caneday Assistant Editor Joe Vankat is a senior from Omaha, Nebraska, studying history with a minor in classical education. He has been a resident assistant in Simpson Residence for the past two years and is a Simpson head RA this year. He also is a member of the intramural leagues team for Campus Rec. What is the most quintessentially “Hillsdale” thing you’ve ever experienced? I don’t think it gets much more Hillsdale than Mock Rock. Especially doing it in Simpson for the past three years — you see a side of Hillsdale that you really don’t know exists unless you go here. Everyone knows about the academics and the CCAs and whatever, but there’s so much more to Hillsdale that really comes out in Mock Rock. What’s your favorite Mock Rock memory? During my sophomore year, the theme was pirates. We wanted to use the quote from

“Pirates of the Caribbean” to introduce one of our songs that goes, “Not all treasure is silver and gold,” but we couldn’t find a good recording of it anywhere. So I did probably 30 different takes just trying to figure out Jack Sparrow’s voice and recorded it myself. That’s the one we ended up using.

fun to see that, and to see them be able to be serious and have all these good jobs and do stuff around campus, but still kind of let loose and do all the fun, silly things that we do at Simpson, like our scavenger hunt and Mock Rock.

Are there any Simpson stereotypes that you really have a problem with? I don’t think there’s one that really sticks out because they all have a grain of truth. You know, one of the things people like to say is “Simpson’s

Why did you choose to attend Hillsdale?

If you were a pizza topping, what would you be? I don’t want to be boring and say pepperoni. I’m gonna go with Italian sausage. What is your favorite book, movie, and song?

I knew some people who went here when I was in high school, and I heard good things from them. I took some of the online courses throughout high school and really enjoyed them. I ended up coming on a visit here and interacting with a lot of the guys in Simpson, and I knew this was where I wanted to go after that. Really, it was the time I spent in Simpson specifically.

“In Defense of Sanity,” a collection of G.K. Chesterton’s essays. “Kung Fu Panda,” the greatest movie ever made. “Puff, the Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul and Mary. What advice would you give your freshman self? Humor the upperclassmen and the RAs when they invite you to come to an event or do something that, on the surface, sounds really dumb, like Mock Rock. It’s a lot of fun. You’ll make the best friends you’ll ever have, and it’s worth it.

What’s your favorite thing about Simpson? It's definitely the guys. Being an RA the past two years and now going into my third year has been one of the most rewarding things. I just love seeing all the guys thrive around campus. It’s so much

the dumb one.” We’ve got some smart guys because it’s Hillsdale, but also we do have some pretty dumb ones.

If Joe Vankat was a pizza topping, he would be Italian sausage. Courtesy | Joe Vankat

Have you ever gotten to talk to Dr. Arnn? We’ve met. I’ve never had a one-on-one conversation with him. He’ll come sit down at the Simpson table sometimes. I usually just try to hide in the back to let everyone else talk to him. What do you hope to leave as a legacy at Hillsdale? My sophomore year, I broke my collarbone running into one of the walls in Simpson, and there is a chip in the wall from where it hit my shoulder. I hope they never repair that. On a more serious note, one of my favorite professors, Dr. Calvert, always starts his history classes with asking us that question, “How do you want to be remembered?” And I think the answer he always gives is the answer that I would have to give. I hope at least one person leaves Hillsdale and says, “My time there was better because of him.”