Collegian 10.02.2025

Simpson three-peats in homecoming

Rock title with movie

By Evelyn Kniffen Collegian Freelancer

With a routine featuring a giant sand worm from “Dune,” a dance-off between “Star Wars” characters, and a bald Gru from the “Despicable Me” movie, Galloway Residence won Hillsdale College’s Mock Rock competition for the second year in a row, this time combining forces with Koon Residence in the team Kalloway.

Simpson Residence took first overall in the homecoming competition, with 980 points, for the third year in a row.

Junior Elijah Ahrens, one of

By Ellie Fromm News Editor

Seniors Cecilia Jansen and Andrew Winter won Homecoming Queen and King on Saturday.

Q: What was your experience with the nomination? How did it happen?

Jansen : My sister and my housemates tossed my name in for a nomination and spread the word around for their friends to get me in the running for court — people continued to reach out to their respective friend groups and residences from there, and I guess that got me enough to make it!

Winter: I got my campaign going very early, designing posters and spreading them across campus. By the time the nominations actually started, it was an easy push to get on the court.

Q: What does this mean to you as you begin your senior year?

Jansen : I’ve been blessed to be good friends with some of the past women on court, and it meant so much to stand in their shoes this year. As a lowerclassman, I remember taking note of the many different virtues I admired in the women on court, and I’m very humbled to be in their place as a senior. I’m ex-

the choreographers and a resident assistant for Galloway, said he and others let dancers play to their strengths.

“Instead of trying to make all 50 guys do the same exact thing, we allowed different guys to do things that they were the best at,” Ahrens said. “For example, we had one guy who couldn’t really fit in with one of our groups, so we just gave him a lightsaber and put him out in front of the group and really allowed him to use his own unique style to enhance things.”

Freshman Galloway resident Jonah Meduna said that he was not nervous during the dance.

cited to continue their legacy by trying my best to put those virtues into practice during my last year on campus!

Winter: It is of course very fun being king. It is also a little tiresome, what with everyone coming up to me and kissing my hand and kneeling down in homage. But it is a huge blessing to see so clearly that the student body loves and appreciates me greatly, and honors me even as I prepare to leave Hillsdale. May God help me to use the gift of this publicity this year!

Q: How has this impacted your Hillsdale experience?

Jansen: My family has always encouraged us to practice an apostolate of service wherever we find ourselves, and it’s beautiful to see that work bear fruit in the many friendships I’ve cultivated through a “yes” to that service. I’ve been blessed to serve as an RA and hold an outreach position for Catholic Society during my time here, and it meant so much to see so many people I’ve encountered through those opportunities support me on court.

Winter : Since freshman year I have spent countless hours trying to get to know every name on campus, and every year I have made a special effort to get to know the freshman class. Winning Homecoming King is the

“During the dance, I know for me and for a lot of the guys I was talking to, we practiced it so much that we knew what we were doing, and we really all just focused in and we weren’t too worried about it, because we knew that we’d done it before,” Meduna said.

Freshman Camryn Juelg said Kalloway’s dance was her favorite.

“When they brought out that giant alien creature in the middle of a battlefield while dancing, I was awestruck,” Juelg said. Olds Residence tied with Simpson Residence for second place in the dance competition.

“I don’t think Olds has ever placed in Mock Rock, like ever,” said sophomore Audrey Lang, the choreographer for Olds. “So not only placing, but getting second place with Simpson was a dream come true. We all absolutely freaked out when they announced the tie for second. I think I went in shock, I couldn’t get any words out. It was amazing. Just being there with the Olds girls and getting to experience that with them was the best thing ever.”

great triumph of my sociability.

Q: What was your reaction when your name was called?

Jansen : I was genuinely very surprised when they announced my name on Saturday! I was on court with some really incredible women, and I honestly had no idea whose name they would announce. I just remember thinking “praise the Lord” when I heard my name — it was such a gift to me after a couple of very busy weeks leading up to homecoming, and He always reminds me that He sees that hard work and it is all well worth it.

Winter : Andrew Agbay was also on the court, so when the announcer called “Andrew...” I had a small seizure moment wondering if it was actually him. After I heard my name, I had no time to think or process as the swarm of friends rushed out at me. But I have to say it’s pretty great getting picked up and carried on the shoulders of all your buddies and getting a hug from every dang student at the school.

Chargers

By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale football team rebounded from a tough loss last week with a 44-0 victory against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers in its homecoming game Sept. 27. The win moved the Chargers to an even 2-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

The win was the Chargers’ first homecoming victory since 2021 and their first shutout win since 2019.

“Anytime you win your homecoming game it adds to an already special event,” head coach Nate Shreffler said. “I feel like we did our part in making it a really special weekend.” Sophomore quarterback Colin McKernan went 15 for 21 on pass attempts with three touchdowns and did not throw an interception or take a sack. McKernan

also added 75 rushing yards which is a new career-high. Freshman tailback Ben Ngishu led the team in rushing, running for 117 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.

“I give credit to my offensive line,” Ngishu said. “As a running back, you are only as good as your offensive line. When your offensive line is good, it opens up lanes for me to be able to succeed as well.”

After getting a quick stop on defense, the Chargers scored a touchdown on their first possession, capped off by a 15-yard run by Ngishu. The Chargers caught the Panther defense by surprise on the next play, earning a two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.

fire pit to finish construction in late fall

By Alessia Sandala and Megan Li City News Editor and Features Editor

The construction of a fire pit outside Kendall Hall will finish by late fall, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. It is a separate project from the senior class gift, which is a smaller fire pit planned for the northeast side of Lane Hall.

“It would have been disruptive to student events to build both at the same time. We’re planning to start the Lane fire pit in the spring,” Péwé said in an email. “There is an opportunity for a donor to name the Kendall fire pit.”

Since construction in the north quad will last several more years, the administration believed it important to enhance the south quad, according to Péwé.

“It needed to fit in its place,” Péwé said. “This fire pit will be a great place for students to gather and study. It will also be a great venue for outdoor classes and planned events.”

The fire pit will operate

on natural gas with an onoff switch, with stone seating material with the capacity of a seminar room. Péwé said the sides of the seats will be made of a similar type of stone, and a stone path will lead to the fire pit from the west and east approaches.

“It’s a fairly elaborate design,” Péwé said. “There will be landscape lighting, there will be a great deal of new vegetation for beauty and to shield the parking lot and protect the setting from the wind, and there will be power to plug in devices and power for concerts.” Péwé said the fire pit can be used as a bench or picnic table, and even outdoor classes.

“It will feel like an outdoor room,” Péwé said. “I can see it being used often on weekends and after class hours. The faculty are going to love it as well.”

Junior Lydia Boone said the fire pit has an interesting location beside Kendall.

“That’ll be cool in the winter when it’s freezing,” Boone said.

Senior and Simpson Head Resident Assistant Jonathan Williams and Simpson

Freshman Ben Ngishu scores a touchdown. Courtesy | Reva Ludwig

Andrew Winter and Cecilia Jansen after being crowned Saturday. Emma Kate Mellors | Student Activities Board

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Olds Residence competes at Mock Rock on Saturday. Emma Kate Mellors | Student Activities Board

A Star Wars showdown during Kalloway’s Mock Rock routine. Emma Kate Mellors | Student Activities Board

Students spend summer researching DNA nanotech

By Anna Northcutt Collegian Reporter

Three students researched DNA nanotechnology and magnetism last summer with Assistant Professor of Physics Stephanie Lauback.

Senior Michael Bogumill, sophomore Thatcher Debowski, and sophomore Daniel Lo presented their work Sept. 18. Their research opportunity was part of the LAUREATES program, a paid, six-week internship, to which any Hillsdale student majoring in a STEM field can apply.

Lauback said she and the students studied how to use magnetic fields to operate DNA nanomachines. Scientists build these structures, which are often a mere 10 to 50 nanometers long, to serve various functions in the body.

A strand of hair is generally about a tenth of a millimeter thick, Lauback said. Nanometers, meanwhile, are a millionth of a millimeter, or 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair.

The implications for DNA nanomachines include targeted drug delivery, where a nanomachine would transport a drug through the body until it encountered a specific type of cell, such as a cancerous cell, and then release it, according to Lauback.

This could be especially useful in the treatment of superbacteria, which are bacteria that have built up a resistance to antibiotics.

Nanomachines are already

found naturally inside the body in the form of proteins, according to Lauback. These natural nanomachines are just three to six nanometers long.

“You have millions of little, tiny nanomachines operating, keeping your cells alive all day long,” Lauback said. “They’ve been working very hard today; that’s why you’re tired at the end of the day.”

The nanomachines Lauback and the students used were made of DNA rather than proteins, because there are only four base pairs in DNA, making it much easier to program and engineer the structures to form.

“There are people working on making these same structures using amino acids and proteins,” Lauback said. “But no one is close to being able to figure out how to do it.”

Their research studied two different types of magnetic beads, MyOne Dynabeads and PrecisionMRX Nanoparticles. The beads respond to magnetic fields because they have an iron core.

When the beads are connected to the DNA nanomachines, the magnetic fields can be used to turn the beads into “magnetic tweezers,” which can move the DNA nanomachines around with a precision of one or two nanometers, Lauback said.

Debowski said he and his fellow students studied both types of beads.

“Michael and Daniel focused more on the analysis of the Dynabeads data, while I

was doing a lot of experimental work, trying to understand how these Nanoparticles behave,” Debowski said.

The Nanoparticles’ advantage lies in their being a thousand times smaller than the MyOne Dynabeads, operating on the nanometer scale rather than the micrometer scale. This makes them much simpler to connect to the DNA nanomachines. Although the concept is exciting, the work can often be tedious, according to Lauback.

“When I started doing this work, no one had nano-sized beads that would be a strong enough magnet to respond to the really weak magnetic fields we were applying,” Lauback said.

When recounting his proudest day of research, Bogumill remembered the pain of watching an experiment for hours only to have it fail just before completion.

“At one point we had an experiment where we were three videos away from completing the whole thing [before it got stuck], and so that was a bummer. But then the next day, we had an experiment that went all the way through. We had maybe two experiments that went through that day. And that was a very happy day,” Bogumill said.

Lo said they took turns working in shifts of several hours at a time.

“You literally just sit there and watch the beads rotate

and take videos,” Lo said. “All day, we set a computer and just let it run. Whenever it would run successfully, which is every couple of days, it was very satisfying.”

Lo said that, although he had little previous experience with coding, part of his job was developing a computer program that would review hundreds of videos and accurately track the movement of the beads.

“We understand visually, if the bead moves, it moves, and that’s the flip, but the computer just sees ones and zeros,” Lo said.

Lo said he and Lauback spent hours discussing how to write a program from the computer’s point of view.

“I’m using what I learned a lot this semester, so I’m very grateful for that,” Lo said.

While Bogumill will continue to analyze the data he and his fellow interns gathered this summer, all three students said they enjoyed their experience and were grateful for the opportunity.

“Just to get an idea of the massive scale of what’s going on in the nano-scale world is pretty incredible,” Debowski said.

Kehoe offers scholarships to student entrepreneurs

By Ty Ruddy Culture Editor

Sophomores who are aspiring entrepreneurs can apply for scholarships from the Kehoe Family Initiative for Entrepreneurial Excellence, a program that gives them the tools to grow their business. Admittance to the program includes a scholarship, according to Jennifer Lutz, career placement associate and director of the Kehoe fellowship. The application is available on Handshake.

Lutz asked students what business they would build with unlimited time and money. Answers ranged from equestrian photography to high-end fashion for female shooters.

Through networking and

ket in Hillsdale. He said Kehoe helped him find a niche for his business.

“The connections I made from the very beginning and the confidence I’ve gained and the support has been phenomenal. I went from just a handful of clients my first summer to now more than 30 students using Stores for Students,” Rastovac said.

Junior Luke Burmeister runs a business called Atlas Yard & Home Maintenance that provides services such as landscaping, junk removal, and general home and yard improvements. Burmeister said he has seen growth in himself and his business since he joined Kehoe.

“The Kehoe fellowship has helped me to build my business from scratch, even with

skill workshops, students have the opportunity to build the relationships that will help their business grow, according to Lutz.

“We bring in attorneys, we bring in accountants, we bring in members of the board of trustees, and they all own a business, so they can speak to the entrepreneurial journey,” Lutz said. “They give advice from ‘do you need an LLC or an S Corp’ to ‘what do I do about taxes?’ These are the pertinent things that young business owners should know.”

Symposium honors 1,700-year-old Nicene Creed

By Adriana Azarian Assistant Editor

After centuries of division, most of the global Christian Church still holds to the 1,700-year-old Nicene Creed, said Jerry Timmis, president of stewardship at Westminster Seminary and father of Assistant Professor of English Patrick Timmis and at a Sept. 26-27 symposium on the Reformation and Nicene Creed.

The Westminster Theological Seminary and the Hillsdale College English, history, and theology and philosophy departments hosted the symposium to honor the Council of Nicea. Fifteen speakers presented papers on topics related to Trinitarian theology and Christology in the Nicene Creed, sacred Scripture, and the Christian Reformation.

“We are here for an auspicious celebration of a 1,700th anniversary of a creed and a confession that has stood the test of time in ways that most haven’t,” Jerry Timmis said. “Over the course of the fourth century, Christian leaders came together to define what it is that the Church believed clearly in the face of mostly Christological heresy and fortified what it is that we believe. It is still, even after the Reformation, for the church in the West and mostly even the global Christian Church, what we hold true

and believe.”

The first day of the symposium was titled “Reformation and Society,” and the second day was “Reformation and Tradition.”

Among the speakers were Professor of Theology Mickey

all presented papers at the symposium. There were also professors from Westminster Theological Seminary, the University of Cambridge, the University of Notre Dame, and Calvin University.

This was the second sym-

Mattox, Assistant Professor of Theology Don Westblade, Associate Professor of Theology Cody Strecker, Associate Professor of History Matthew Gaetano, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Joshua Benjamins, Assistant Professor of English Patrick Timmis, and Associate Professor of Music Derek Stauff

posium held by the college and the seminary after last year’s symposium, also titled ”Reformation and Society.” These symposiums were meant to be alternative platforms for academics to present papers and research on 16th-century theology, according to Mattox.

“It’s almost impossible to

get your work published in the journals of these professional organizations because they don’t want to publish theology,” Mattox said. “So when we talked about this, a few friends and I, we thought, ‘Well, we need to start some kind of alternative thing.’ And we came up with the idea of having a Hillsdale conference of some kind.”

Alumna Stella Webster ’24 said she found early Christology and Trinitarian theology fascinating.

“Random theological controversies that don’t have super high stakes are more fun to think about because there’s less human conflict and suffering involved,” Webster said.

Westminster Seminary Press will publish all this year’s papers in the second volume of the seminary’s book “Reformation and Society” next year, according to Timmis.

Senior Nathan Rastovac joined the Kehoe fellowship as a sophomore with the goal of giving students who live far from campus a safe way to store their belongings over breaks. He found that the businesses that often dominate his market only contract with schools that have more than 10,000 students. Rastovac seized a wide-open mar-

Q&A from A1

Q : What is your favorite Hillsdale memory?

Jansen : I really have so many good memories from Hillsdale, but I have to say that some of the best and most formative ones came from being an Olds resident assistant my sophomore year. The Lord taught me so much about how to work on a team, how to be present to the person in front of me despite taking on too many commitments, and how to trust Him in the heights and the depths. I deepened past friendships while forming many new ones with my residents and team members, and we spent hours and hours sharing inside jokes, laughs, tears, very late nights, and not enough study time that year.

Winter : Over Christmas break of 2023-2024 I was extremely sick; I had to stay home after Thanksgiving, and could not even come back for the first day of classes because of last-minute complications.

no prior business experience, by providing direction and guidance through the examples of successful entrepreneurs,” Burmeister said. “Kehoe has strengthened my entrepreneurial abilities significantly in terms of practical business knowledge and the ability to take consistent action.”

Rastovac also said the hands-on approach of the Kehoe fellowship has been a driver of the improvements he has seen in himself and in his business.

“Other colleges are mainly academic. We are mainly experience-based,” Rastovac said. “Rather than reading from a textbook, you’re throwing yourself into the fire making connections, building on an idea, and ultimately filling a market need to make lives better.”

The night I finally got back to campus, I went to a friend’s birthday party. As I walked in the door dozens of people who had been praying for me all winter burst into cheers and applause. They forced me to give a speech and then I sang my favorite Taylor Swift song for them with my best friend Leo Bykerk.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

Jansen: I hope to teach elementary education or go into campus missionary work after college.

Winter : My ultimate dream is to be a full-time fantasy and sci-fi author. Immediately post-grad I’ll probably be teaching Latin, literature, or history.

From left to right: Thatcher Debowski, Michael Bogumill, Daniel Lo, and Stephanie Lauback. Courtesy | Michael Bogumill

The group’s research lab. Courtesy | Michael Bogumill

Don Westblade speaks at the symposium. Adriana Azarian | The Collegian

Senior Nathan Rastovac with his buisness, “Storage For Students.” Courtesy | Nathan Rastovac

Austrian Parliament member speaks on Christianity in Europe

By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor

A member of the Austrian Parliament advised Christians in politics to stand firm in their morals and witness faithfully and sacrificially during a talk in the Wilcox Reading Room hosted by the President’s Office Sept. 29.

“I have done this public ministry always trying to serve God,” Gudrun Kugler said. “It’s not easy, and I’m not always doing it in a perfect way by far, but I try to ask God’s opinion, and I try to walk with God.”

The talk, titled “Christians and Politics — Mission Impossible?” began with Kugler arguing that Europe and the United States should be united because they share Western culture. Kugler is a mother of four and speaker for Human Rights and Displaced Persons for the Austrian center-right People’s Party.

“I am a European politician, but together, we are united by a common Western identity and

Senior Anna Teply said she looks forward to the finished fire pit.

“I think it will be great to have another space for students to gather in the middle of campus, particularly one that we’ll also be able to use when it gets colder,” Teply said. “I hope some professors will also be able to use it as a space for holding class outside as well.”

Michaela Estruth ’25, member of the 2025 Legacy Board, said the Lane fire pit came into being as a tribute to the senior class beginning college in 2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and all of the time they were encouraged to spend outside if they wanted to be in a group setting.

“We were coming in remembering what it was like to have all these events outside, and we had the quad,” Estruth said. “As seniors, we didn’t have the same bonds because of all the construction, and we were mourning that and missing that. We wanted a place where students could just gather and chat, as they used to do on the quad.”

The college had already developed plans for both fire pits when the 2025 Legacy Board met with them, according to Estruth.

“They had us look at their plans, and then said that we could fund one of them,” Estruth said. “We were hoping that raising the funds would mean that we could get it built quicker.”

Estruth said she hopes the class of 2025 will have left an important mark on campus and help to further develop a changing campus culture.

“I know that sometimes these additions to campus can feel a little bit extra or unnecessary, but I hope that they add to the community of Hillsdale, because it truly is the people,” Estruth said. “It’s what makes Hillsdale Hillsdale, and so even in the colder months, when you’re rushing to get to the library or to get a paper in, just stop and say hi to your friends and chat around that firepit for a little bit. That’s what’s cultivating the community at Hillsdale. It really is invaluable, and you won’t get that time back.”

Western civilization,” Kugler said.

She is the Special Representative for Demographic Change and Security, and the Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. She also leads the Austrian National Prayer Breakfast and is on the board of the European Prayer Breakfast.

Kugler acknowledged several problems in Europe including the mental health crisis, but she said that there were reasons for hope in Europe, and rejected the common notion that “Europe is lost.”

“You can see also a renewal of faith,” Kugler said. “Let me just give you a few numbers. In France, the most secular country we have in Europe, we had in the Easter Vigil this year 18,000 adult baptisms.”

In the second half of her talk, Kugler gave five lessons she learned as a Christian in politics. In the first lesson, Kugler said that it is possible

to be a politician without compromising her Christian morals.

“Power corrupts, but not always, and it does not have to corrupt you,” Kugler said. “And it needs a few people of light that are not corruptable. Politics needs more than anything virtuous people, virtuous politicians. It also needs a vir-

accomplish only five goals out of the 10, she said the effort is worthwhile.

“Two, I can move. Three, I can prevent. Five, I lose,” Kugler said. “Now, is that good or bad? Be honest, it’s great. It’s great because this is the whole country I’m talking about. I wanted to have 10 things, but

“ In France, the most secular country we have in Europe, we had in the Easter Vigil this year 18,000 adult baptisms.”

tuous electorate. Otherwise, democracy does not work. Democracy without virtues is not possible.”

Kugler’s second lesson emphasized focusing on what was possible for her to accomplish. She said that she has a list of 10 things she wants to change in politics. Even though she can

Debate team begins preparing for fall season

By Ameera Wilson Senior Reporter

Director of Debate Kirstin Kiledal says the Hillsdale College Debate team is back and ready to argue with a large team and an unusual prompt.

This fall the team will be arguing the resolution that “The United States should actively promote substantially greater unionization by implementing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act or facilitating sectoral bargaining.”

According to the Center for American Progress, sectoral bargaining is “a type of collective bargaining that provides union contract coverage for most or all workers in a particular sector.”

The act creates protection for workers who seek to create unions, more power for those unions, and harsher penalties for companies that attempt to obstruct their formation or activities.

“This one is very complex,” Kiledal said. “Usually it’s ‘United States federal government.’ But simply saying United States means that an opposing team could come up with a really weird actor or agent.”

Even with the raised difficulty, senior Rebekah George expects to win.

George said the team had

a successful season last year, winning the Junior Varsity National Competition. She hopes to continue that success and said that their clear goal was to win sweepstakes awards “Win, win, win,” George said. “Take ballots from other top programs. Get our novices on the podium.”

The prompt isn’t the only change for the team. It also has a larger team than the 13 from last year with 17 competitors making 8 1/2 debate groups. The team is bigger, but it also is more experienced, according to Kiledal.

“We have a larger team who overall has more experience than we’ve had in the last couple years,” Kiledal said. “We’ve got a few newbies, but we also have a number of new team members who have varying amounts of debate experience in various high school organizations. So we’re already starting off at a fairly strong point.”

Currently the team’s schedule includes four debates this semester, some online and some in person. Kiledal said they also hope to have a blue and white scrimmage tournament.

The team’s first official debate will be on Oct. 18-19 against the University of Oregon.

I got five.”

In the third lesson, Kugler told two stories about the influence she has witnessed prayer have on fellow politicians at prayer breakfast meetings.

“Whatever you do in a political context, understand that it’s not just your professional work, it’s also your personal witness

that is absolutely necessary,” Kugler said. She drew her fourth lesson from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who was exiled from the Soviet Union because he refused to continue lying.

“Promise to yourself whatever you do in public office, never to knowingly support a lie,” Kugler said. “It will be difficult enough, I can tell you.”

In the fifth lesson, Kugler referenced a book called “To Change the World,” written by James Davidson Hunter. In the book, Hunter concluded that the best thing to do is found an institution. Hunter said Christians, no matter their vocation, must give everything sacrificially. By doing this, they will change the world, make others happy, and make themselves happy, according to Kugler.

“The world has changed through faithful presence, that’s the key,” Kugler said. “Take this with you for whatever

you do, politics or not. Faithful presence means to walk the extra mile. What it means is you do what you have to do the best possible. You will give everything.”

Senior Drew Bennett, a politics student, said he attended the talk because he was interested in hearing about politics and Christianity.

“One of the things I took was that you don’t necessarily have to speak out for something that you can be doing, but not cheering for and not supporting something that you would find morally objectionable is a requirement,” Bennett said.

Junior Claire Pipher, who works in the President’s Office, said she enjoyed hearing from Kugler’s wisdom and experience.

“She brought listeners into the mission throughout and made it sound attainable,” Pipher said. “She had a lot of hope about the state of politics despite acknowledging the problems. It was hopeful.”

‘Welcome home’: choir students and alumni perform together before homecoming

By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor

Alumni joined the chamber and college choirs for their annual performance of the Homecoming Choir Reunion Concert after a morning of rehearsal and fellowship Sept. 27.

“It feels like I always have a home here, and somewhere to come back and sing,” Emma Turner ’25 said. “It’s really heartwarming. It’s hard out there in the adult world, and it’s fun to be with college students and friends and singing again, and I love choir.”

The concert began with “A Prayer Before Singing,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” and Hillsdale’s Alma Mater, “White and Blue.”

“There’s a tradition in the Marine Corps known as ‘God, Country, Corps,’” Professor of Music James Holleman said. “We do something similar with this concert as ‘God, Country, College.’”

Holleman said he started the alumni choir concert about 25 years ago because he didn’t see many musicians at homecoming. Alumni return when they are a part of a community, according to Holleman.

“We started this to wel -

come choir alumni back to campus,” Holleman said.

He said the choir enjoys donuts, cider, coffee, and fellowship as they rehearse the concert the morning of homecoming. They used to perform at the parade, but they moved inside Christ Chapel to share the space with alumni, according to Holleman.

“This is a wonderful tradition for us,” Holleman said.

“I appreciate everyone who joined us. Alumni, welcome home.”

Senior Samuel Jarzab conducted “A Prayer Before Singing.” Jarzab said he came to Hillsdale as a music major, and has become interested in conducting during his time here. As the librarian manager for the college choir, this is Jarzab’s fourth time participating in the Homecoming concert.

“I enjoy the community, and the fellowship, and the feeling of life on campus again with the alums coming back,” Jarzab said.

After the three introductory songs, the chamber choir performed “America the Beautiful,” “His Eye Is On the Sparrow,” and “And So It Goes.”

Sophomores Aidan Bauer and Evie Gray performed so-

los in “And So It Goes,” written by Billy Joel. The college choir closed with “Precious Lord,” “No Time,” and “Here’s to Song.” Freshmen Grace Gardner and Isaiah Sebranek performed solos in “Here’s to Song.”

“It’s traditional for us to close with ‘Here’s to Song,’” Holleman said. “It exercises our voices and is just beautiful music. It’s very appropriate for what we’re doing.”

Alumna Rosie Safford ’25 said she enjoyed singing familiar songs with the choir.

“It’s fun to think of a song that we were singing freshman year for this event, and now sing it as a first-year alumna,” Safford said.

Alumnus Stephen Berntson ’25 said he has been looking forward to returning to this concert.

“It definitely felt emotional, especially singing songs that I’ve sung before with the choir, like ‘Here’s to Song’ and ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and the Alma Mater,” Berntson said. “So it felt emotional. It was nostalgic, and I’m glad I came.”

Mumme goes to Latvia, speaks at retirement of archbishop

By Gemma Flores Assistant Editor

Associate Professor of Theology Jonathan Mumme returned from his first trip to Riga, Latvia, where he presented a paper on Aug. 28 in honor of the retirement of the Archbishop of the Latvian Lutheran Church.

He was invited to present his paper entitled “The Presence of Jesus Christ in the Ministry: Continuity and Certainty from Luther’s Pulpit” at a conference hosted by Riga’s Luther Academy. The conference was in honor of the retirement of the Archbishop of Latvia’s Lutheran Church, Jānis Vanags.

“I was invited sometime last year,” Mumme said. “I agreed to go, not least because the conference was meant to honor the outgoing or retiring Archbishop of Latvia, whom I had met on several occasions.” Mumme and Vanags were both mentees of the same retired German bishop while Mumme was serving as a vicar in Germany in 2003. While in Riga, Mumme

attended the final service that Vanags presided over on Aug. 29 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The next day, Mumme attended the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Latvia, Rinalds Grants. Vanags took office in 1993, when he was

also helps shape the national consciousness of a very small state, right? Latvia is not a very big place. Half of its population lives around the capital city. Arguably, he’s the most visible Christian figure in his country. That’s a huge role.”

only 35 years old.

“It’s not my job to review his career, but that church seems a pretty healthy place,” Mumme said. “The Gospel is being proclaimed in Latvia. The church is present, the ministry is going on, and that

During his final service, Vanags relinquished his role as leader of the Latvian Lutheran church by laying the crosier, a staff carried by the archbishop, and his pectoral cross down on the altar.

“All of the other bishops

of Latvia gathered around him and prayed over him and blessed him,” Mumme said. “He doesn’t cease to be a bishop. He’s basically like an archbishop in retirement. Analogously, what was Benedict XVI when he stopped being pope? Well, Francis I was then the pope, but Benedict XVI was still alive for a while and was still honored as the old pope.”

Though Mumme said he was apprehensive about going on the trip right at the start of the semester, he eventually decided that it was an opportunity he could not pass on.

“I consulted with Dean Smith of the humanities division and said, ‘What do I do with this? It’s right at the beginning of the semester,’” Mumme said. “His sense was the same as mine, which is that it’s probably an invitation one should take if you can manage it.”

Stephen Smith, professor of English and dean of the humanities division, said he was happy to help Mumme with the decision.

“Dr. Mumme is an outstanding theology professor

and teacher here,” Smith said. “I have admired his scholarship and been happy to support his ongoing research through trips and work like this.”

Associate Professor of History Korey Maas agreed.

“Dr. Mumme is an accomplished theologian and churchman with valuable experience partnering with other Lutheran church bodies and in broader ecumenical endeavors,” Maas said in an email. “I’m thrilled that he could be present for this important event.”

Mumme said he wished he’d been able to bring his children to witness the beauty of the ceremonies.

“I came and gave a paper for a conference, but, for me, what’s going to stick with me the most is what happened in the cathedral,” Mumme said. “It was frankly just beautiful. When church goes well, heaven and earth are coming together, right? That’s what it felt like.”

Kendall from A1

Jonathan Mumme speaks at the retirement of the Archbishop of the Latvian Lutheran Church. Courtesy | Jonathan Mumme

Opinions

Roller coasters make us better

By Brennan Berryhill Collegian Freelancer

Legoland, California — home to Project X, the world’s scariest roller coaster, with a drop the height of a skyscraper and turns sharper than my #2 pencil on exam days.

At least, that’s what I thought when I was 7.

Little Brennan watched the car zoom down the drop over the queue entrance, his heart straining to escape his throat each time he felt the roar of the coaster reverberate in his chest.

“Mom, I don’t wanna ride it,” he said. She looked at him with steely eyes and pointed to the line with a draconian finger.

Kimmel is no martyr

By Moira Gleason Executive Editor

Jimmy Kimmel really, really wants to be a martyr for free speech.

The story goes like this: The host of ABC’s late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” speculated falsely on air that conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was killed by a right-wing extremist, and the Federal Communications Commission leaned on the network to cancel him.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said in his Sept. 15 monologue.

If the federal government censored Kimmel for his speech, our country has a serious problem. On principle, conservatives who were upset when cancel culture claimed Gina Carano and Dave Chappelle shouldn’t celebrate when a leftist they don’t like is silenced.

But maybe the whole debacle is more mundane than we want it to be. Kimmel wasn’t the victim of authoritarian overreach. The host of the already struggling late-night show did himself in by offending broadcast affiliates.

The move to suspend Kimmel came from the network after Nexstar Media and Sinclair, two of ABC’s largest affiliate carriers, said they wouldn’t air Kimmel’s show after his comments. Together, the two broadcast groups account for one quarter of ABC’s affiliate channels.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” as well as CBS’s “The Late Show” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Seth Meyers” have seen 70–80% declines in viewership since 2015, according to LateNighter. When viewership goes down, ad revenue follows.

The show was already bleeding the network’s money. With two affiliate carri -

ers out, the network had a non-political, economic incentive to suspend Kimmel.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s much-criticized comments came after the two broadcast networks dropped the show. Carr argued on the podcast that broadcast licenses from the FCC come with an obligation to operate in the public interest.

“These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr said on the podcast “The Benny Show” on Sept. 18.

According to the internet, this statement was a thinly veiled threat to yank ABC’s broadcast license. But the FCC can’t actually pull a license from ABC as a whole because the network itself doesn’t have a broadcast license. Affiliate stations, not networks, have FCC-issued broadcast licenses.

ABC’s indefinite suspension of the show was cut short by free-speech outrage. After a wave of subscription cancellations on Disney+, ABC and all its affiliates reinstated Kimmel less than a week after suspending him. Kimmel wants to play political games. Based on his social media comments, Trump seems happy to indulge him. The American Right’s apparent inclination toward cancel culture is a real concern. But in this case, the facts are a little bit more complicated than the narrative would suggest.

Chances are, Kimmel’s show would have gone out with a whimper when his contract runs out in May.

Networks like ABC are already starting to pull the plug on low-profit late night shows like Kimmel’s and switch to more streaming-focused models. For now, of course, ABC must keep up appearances. Free speech warrior Kimmel is here to stay — for now.

“We’re going,” she ordered. Further protests fell on deaf ears, and Little Brennan resigned himself to his premature end. In line, his visible dismay was a counterpoint to the eager smiles and impatient bouncing of other kids. Yet his parents held firm, knowing that this was an experience he needed. Too soon, he found himself harnessed into the death contraption, and the clicks of the chain lift yanked his car up the hill. Were those clouds below him? The drop loomed. He closed his eyes. In no time, the car careened down the hill and completed its race around the whiplash-inducing turns. When the ride came to a stop, Little Brennan had a massive smile on his face. He

had conquered Goliath. Now I know that Project X (which was lamely renamed the “Lego Technic Coaster”) is a bog-standard wild mouse ride with a measly 50-foot drop. I’ve gone on to ride coasters with mind-bending inversions and drops measuring well over 200 feet. But when I was a kid, riding Project X allowed me to overcome my fear. It never would have been possible if my parents hadn’t made me ride.

Many parents cringe at the thought of forcing their kids to do anything, much less something “fun.” With the advent of techniques like “gentle parenting,” the idea of telling a child to do something they don’t like is repugnant to the cultural zeitgeist. This hesitancy does

If my parents hadn’t made me ride Project X, 7-year-old me would have left Legoland feeling like a failure because he hadn’t been able to conquer the “big ride.” It would have reinforced fear’s mastery over me, like a splinter driven deeper and deeper into my foot with every step.

This argument doesn’t come from a born thrill junkie either. I was a nervous child. Cryingon-the-bunny-hill-my-firsttime-skiing-at-age-11 type nervous. Every successive leap into the unknown, whether it was at the amusement park, on the ski slopes, or even in the sports arena, required careful prodding from my parents, but I’m so grateful they pushed me further than I wanted to go. I

kids a disservice. They need to be challenged. Just because they won’t enjoy everything their parents make them do doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be made to do it. Nobody calls Child Protective Services when a mom forces her toddler to eat his vegetables. That’s because the screaming 2-yearold doesn’t know what’s good for him.

The same logic applies to that daunting roller coaster the kid is scared to try. While he can’t see past his fear, mom and dad know that on the other side of the terrifying wait, there’s an exhilarating ride their boy might love. Even if he doesn’t, at least he won’t have given in to that giant of doubt.

owe my development in character and confidence to those experiences.

It’s not like you’re strapping a parachute onto your kid, saying “Good luck!” and chucking him out of a plane. Roller coasters are one of the safest ways to challenge your child.

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the chance of sustaining a serious injury on a fixed site ride is 1 in 15.5 million. The chance of being struck by lightning is 1 in 1.2 million. Statistics from the National Sporting Goods Association show that you’re more likely to get hurt fishing or playing golf than riding a roller coaster. If you want to be

worried about something, worry about the drive to and from the amusement park, because there’s a much higher chance something will go wrong there than on a ride.

Two summers ago, my mom made my younger sister ride her first roller coaster with a loop, despite my sister’s tears of fear and protest. After the ride, she was laughing and giddily recounting every second of the experience. She isn’t nearly the roller coaster fan that I have become, but that was a core memory for her. Making your kid ride a roller coaster isn’t “forcing them to have fun” — it’s giving them a safe avenue to stare fear in the eyes and refuse to back down. So stuff your kid’s hands, feet, arms, and legs inside the vehicle, because like it or not, they’re going to ride the roller coaster.

Brennan Berryhill is a junior studying English. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.

Cancel culture comes for Kimmel

By Gemma Flores Collegian Reporter

In his first episode back after a five-day suspension, latenight TV host Jimmy Kimmel tearfully declared he never meant to place the blame for the murder of Charlie Kirk on any specific political group.

The “joke” that got him suspended, however, tells a different story.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said in his Sept. 15 episode.

While the “joke” was both ill-timed and inaccurate, the reaction to it sets a dangerous precedent for free speech.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr called out Kimmel, saying the joke would “directly mislead people” about the killer’s political affiliation. Carr also appeared on a conservative podcast and alluded to further action the FCC would take to correct the situation.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct

and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Disney, the parent company of ABC, announced Sept. 17 that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be suspended indefinitely as a result of Kimmel’s comment about Kirk’s assassination.

Reactions to the suspension have been split. President Donald Trump immediately took to Truth Social to laud the network’s decision to suspend Kimmel.

“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump wrote. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

Still, Kimmel’s suspension caused an uproar from both left and right. The American Civil Liberties Union, along with more than 400 celebrities, released an open letter condemning the network and the Trump administration for violating the First Amendment. What Kimmel said was wrong. It clearly wasn’t a joke; he made a tactless and potentially harmful comment and paid the price for it.

In a time of pain and confusion for conservatives, Kimmel capitalized on the vitriol and pointed the finger at the very people who were grieving.

That being said, silencing him sets a dangerous precedent. Conservatives have long experienced similar deplatforming, particularly during COVID-19. But when it happened to their own, they were outraged.

If a left-leaning activist were assassinated and a conservative comedian deplatformed for making a joke about it, conservatives would round up supporters and write an open letter, too.

When Gina Carano was fired from “The Mandalorian” for voicing conservative views, many on the right were furious. People expressed their disdain for the violation of the First Amendment all over social media, and Elon Musk personally funded Carano’s lawsuit against Disney for wrongful termination.

Conservatives cringe at the idea of recognizing “preferred pronouns,” claiming it is the right of an American citizen to voice their beliefs, regardless of who it may offend. Why, then, is Kimmel’s offensive comment not protected?

While Carr maintains the FCC did not pressure Disney to

remove Kimmel, two of the affiliate channels that still refuse to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” are currently seeking to make deals with the FCC, pointing to the influence the commission has in the decisions of private networks. It seems highly likely that the government was involved in the suspension, be it directly or indirectly.

Government overreach isn’t the only issue here, however. As with Gina Carano’s lawsuit, private companies shouldn’t rush to silence unpopular views. Though Kimmel’s comments were inappropriate to say the least, conservatives have often been the ones making “inappropriate” comments and being silenced for it. While conservatives may not agree with what Kimmel said, it’s their duty as defenders of the First Amendment to protect his right to say it. It would have been far better to let Kimmel’s comments be disproved by facts rather than silenced by force. Rather than painting themselves as hypocritical, conservatives must stand up for free speech in all its forms, lest they feel the pendulum swing back against them.

Gemma Flores is a junior studying English.

Moira Gleason is a senior studying English.

Invite Usha Vance to speak at commencement

The second lady would be the first female commencement speaker in nearly two decades

Adriana Azarian Assistant Editor

Before she was Usha Vance, she was Usha Chilukuri, an alumna of Yale University, summa cum laude; a Cambridge scholar; and a Yale Law School alumna. Even her husband, Vice President JD Vance, described her as “way more accomplished” than he. A woman of intelligence and duty to her country, Usha Vance deserves to be Hillsdale’s next commencement speaker.

Now the second lady of the United States, Usha has stood by her husband’s side through some of the country’s most trying moments this year. Together, she and JD visited Assumption Catholic School in Minneapolis in the wake of the school shooting, and she walked with, and embraced, the widow of Charlie Kirk as the vice president accompanied his casket. Through it all, her duty has been to her family and the United States.

“My attitude is that this is

a four-year period where I have a set of responsibilities to my family, to myself, to, obviously, the country, and that’s really what I’m focused on,” Usha told podcaster Meghan McCain in her first extended interview as second lady. “I’m not plotting out next steps or really trying for anything after this. And, in a dream world, eventually I’ll be able to live in my home and continue my career and all those sorts of things. And if that happens in four years I understand. If that happens at some other point in the future I understand. [I’m] just sort of along for the ride and enjoying it while I can.”

Usha has achieved and excelled in her academic and professional careers. After graduating from college, she received her master’s degree in early modern history from Cambridge University. She attended law school, where she met her husband and served as an editor for the Yale Law Journal. Usha went on to clerk for Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the District

Put first aid kits in campus gyms

By Caroline Kurt Opinions Editor

Campus gyms need first aid kits.

Just this week, I was lifting weights in Founders Gym when another student came over with a bleeding cut. We searched for a Band-Aid to no avail. This week was the second time in just a few months I’ve needed a simple first aid kit in Founders Gym and haven’t been able to find one.

Though lifting, martial arts, cardio, and the other athletics that happen in campus gyms are reasonably safe activities, injuries happen all the time. Most of them are minor. But even minor cuts and scrapes can turn into bloody messes when there isn’t a Band-Aid in sight.

It’s a simple, cheap fix. Basic first aid kits sell for $10–15 at pharmacies and online. Though the main weight room in the

Roche Sports Complex has first aid supplies handy along the back wall, many dorm gyms do not. Founders Gym has a kit, but it lives in a cabinet designated for staff use only that is usually locked.

Hillsdale fitness instructor Rachel Kookogey Eller said she supports providing well-stocked first aid kits.

“I’m going to look into ways we can improve that, as I myself have been the victim of a nick or two when training,” Eller said. Easily accessible first aid will save students time and hassle, but even more importantly, it will help the cleaning staff. No one wants to wipe up someone else’s blood from the floor.

Accidents happen. BandAids help.

Caroline Kurt is a senior studying English.

of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals before he became a Supreme Court justice, as well as for Chief Justice John Roberts on the Supreme Court. She worked in civil litigation for five years until her career came to an abrupt end in 2024, when President Donald Trump chose her husband to be his run ning mate.

Usha exem plifies an ed ucated, fulfilled career woman.

“Mrs.” degree in four years or risk being miserable forever. At a time when many young women will be in their caps and gowns, uncertain of their next career or family steps, Usha’s-

ucational formation to go forth into theplish greatness infore she had a family, and

ues to do soAs much as she

She defies much of today’s conservative messaging that a woman’s only calling is to stay home and have as many children as possible. Many Hillsdale women say they feel pressured to get their

cessful attorney, she is a devoted mother. In the same interview with McCain, Usha said she has focused on teaching her children self-sufficiency and making their lives as normal as possible, despite the

media attention and importance of their father’s job. From reading with them, to making crafts for them, to watching “The Lion King,” Usha comes across as a very relatable mom.

The college typically chooses people with Christian or conservative backgrounds. Usha is, at least in public, an apolitical Hindu. This is all the more reason to choose her. Even without explicitly “Hillsdale values,” she has devoted herself to justice, family, and country. These are universally admirable traits, evidence that goodness is written in the hearts of all.

After graduation, most alumni will not have the homogeneous Christian conservative community of Hillsdale, but they will, hopefully, seek out fellow lovers of the good. Usha is one of them.

Now, more than ever the country needs intelligent women to encourage the next generation. Hillsdale hasn’t had a female commencement speaker for about two decades. That’s not to say the

college should pick Vance based on sex alone — this is, of course, not the Hillsdale way. But, for a college that prides itself on being one of the first to admit women, it’s time to hand the microphone to someone who embodies female excellence and intellect.

Finally, Usha has advised the man who is now the vice president of the United States. He has credited her for helping him write and edit his No. 1 New York Times bestselling book, “Hillbilly Elegy.” It was her encouragement and wisdom that pushed him to become one of the most powerful men on the planet. Undoubtedly, she has a thing or two to share with the class of 2026.

Adriana Azarian is a senior studying politics. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.

AJ’s giveth, and AJ’s taketh away: Rend your spoons for lost ice cream

By Lewis Thune Assistant Editor

I do not often have cause to react with abject horror at Hillsdale. One of few occasions I can recall was a random weekend last semester, when I discovered that AJ’s Cafe was out of ice cream. So much for my Sunday dessert. There was not a scoop in sight — instead, the absence had been filled with grocery store frozen novelties. When I went back the following week and looked through my reflected face into the AJ’s ice cream freezer, I didn’t find eight tubs of ice cream staring back at me. I saw, to my increased alarm, the same selection of pre-packaged products. Upon seeing nothing differ-

ent on my first trip to AJ’s this semester, I had to accept that the eight tubs of hardscoop Ashby’s ice cream were never coming back.

I’ve remained a steadfast lover of AJ’s through many changes. Despite the worsened chocolate milk, the drastic decrease in energy drinks, and the cheese curds that were always out of stock, there were still wickedly fast breakfast sandwiches and good ice cream all day, every day of the week. It was enough.

It’s all gone now. As I walk by AJ’s Cafe now, I often reminisce about how flawless it was my freshman year. Crazy as it sounds, I could walk across the grassy quad past a flowing fountain, enter through the front door

Athletics enhance the Hillsdale life

Varsity sports can play a central role in collegiate education

By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor

Every incoming college student faces the question of what they want to do during their college experience, both to enjoy it in the moment and reap the fruits for years to come. Varsity athletics aren’t necessarily the obvious choice to Hillsdale intellectuals, but my involvement on the track and field team has heightened my college experience like nothing else could.

Being a collegiate student-athlete is a special opportunity, especially as a walk-on. When I started my freshman year at Hillsdale, I had no intention of being on the track team; frankly, the thought was terrifying. I competed in cross country all four years of high school and track for my final two years. I didn’t think I could compete at a collegiate level, nor did I have the desire to find time for a sport in the busy life my admissions counselor informed me I would lead.

But when I arrived on campus, I found myself

missing the team atmosphere, consistent practices, and competitions. After reaching out to coaches, a two-week tryout period, lots of paperwork, and a few doctors’ appointments, I was finally a part of the Hillsdale women’s track and field team as a high jumper in October of my freshman year.

Most students at Hillsdale are involved in more than just their studies, whether they choose music, theatre, clubs, or intramurals. All add time constraints to studying. But just like other commitments, varsity athletics elevates my Hillsdale experience by introducing me to different people and fostering relationships that I otherwise would not enjoy. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not easy making time every day for classes and homework, track practices and meets, working a job, editing The Collegian, and socializing with friends. But the strain on my schedule is more than made up for by the collective fruits of these different pursuits.

My commitment to athletics pushes me to manage my

time well, since my homework and social events all depend on my track schedule. I might miss a late-night movie or Dutch Uncle’s run because I have practice that evening or a meet the next morning, but this forces me to spend my time with friends intentionally.

I am pushed daily to run harder, lift heavier, and jump higher. The physical challenges I face in practice translate to my studies, allowing me to adapt the determination I learn from athletics to the classroom.

The relationships I have developed with my teammates are also a beautiful product of being on a team. We see each other’s highlights and hard days, suffer together through brutal lifts and workouts, and bond outside of practices and meets, too. My track teammates inspire me to be a better person and athlete, in addition to becoming some of my closest friends and mentors.

Outside of the team, my Hillsdale experience is not incomplete or lacking: I have friends involved in many aspects of campus life, and

their passions show me more of what Hillsdale has to offer. Though I often spend a couple of hours a day in practice, I can still grab coffee with friends I don’t see often, go to (almost) every SAB event, or explore the farmers market on Saturday mornings.

As cross country coach R.P. White always says, being grateful for our opportunities and the people we get to share these things with is the way we should approach everything we do. I try to extend this mindset to every part of my Hillsdale experience.

Stepping out of the monotonous daily routine of classes and homework to practice and challenge myself physically changes how I view the time I get to spend in the classroom. Finding a passion that presents challenges outside academia will only add to the already fulfilling experience that Hillsdale provides.

Elaine Kutas is a junior studying English.

of the student union, craft a milkshake out of eight excellent ice cream offerings, and have it in my hand within five minutes.

Yes, AJ’s had milkshakes: an apparent secret to many of my peers. Occasionally I’d get stopped on the walk back across the quad.

“Hey, what’s that?” someone would say. And I’d respond, “It’s a milkshake.”

“Wait, AJ’s has those?” Yes they did, indeed they did. They could make them in minutes from any flavor of ice cream, and they’d even mix flavors upon request. You could add the slightest bit of peanut butter to German chocolate or recreate an apple-and-cherry crisp.

Many of my class never

experienced an AJ’s milkshake in their four years. Yet we must not pity the old, but the young; we must mourn for the freshmen. They might never know a Hillsdale with AJ’s ice cream. They will never understand a college where any student can walk past the Ronald Reagan statue into a rafter of turkeys, milkshake in hand. Still, I can accept it. I don’t need AJ’s ice cream again before my time in Hillsdale ends, but the freshmen certainly do. AJ’s, please don’t act on my account. Bring back ice cream for them.

Thune is a senior studying politics.

Don’t shut down over a shutdown

By Catherine Maxwell Senior Editor

“The U.S. government shutdown has begun,” a news notification told me at 12:06 a.m. Wednesday morning. The follow-up came seven hours later: “What the government shutdown means for you.” What does the shutdown mean for you? In reality, not much.

Despite the hysteria from news outlets and Democratic lawmakers, students attended classes as usual. Hillsdale residents bought food at Walmart and gas at Meijer. The Collegian’s editors spent the afternoon putting the paper together.

Maybe the shutdown will be over by the time the paper reaches campus. Maybe Congress will still be deadlocked after fall break. No matter when it ends, the shutdown is a blip in the political landscape, not a catastrophe.

The federal government has shut down before, and it certainly will shut down again. The most recent shutdown lasted 35 days, from December 2018 until January 2019. Before that, the government shut down for 16 days in 2013 and a total of 26 days in 1995 and 1996.

Yet unlike France, which faces

government collapse every other week, America runs despite the standstill. Although President Donald Trump said he wanted to avoid a shutdown — blaming Democrats for refusing to pass a funding bill — he said “a lot of good” could come from it. The special circumstances make it easier for the president to fire federal workers and cut unnecessary spending programs. There are absolutely negative effects from a shutdown. Military servicemen and other federal workers won’t be paid, veterans could lose access to assistance programs, and airports could face delays as federal employees are furloughed or work without pay. But all these workers will receive back pay, and while an extended shutdown could cause more problems, now is not the time to panic. Instead of worrying about D.C. machinations, watch the changing leaves, study for midterms, and enjoy fall break. The federal government will still be there when you come back.

As former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels once said, “You’d be amazed how much government you’ll never miss.”

Lewis

Catherine Maxwell is a senior studying history.

City News

Stockford, Paladino endorse Bentley for mayor

By Moira Gleason executive editor

Former Mayor Adam Stockford and Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino endorsed Ward 3 Councilman Matthew Bentley for mayor of Hillsdale in interviews with The Collegian this week.

Bentley will run against former Mayor Scott Sessions in the mayoral race Nov. 4 after finishing second in the Aug 5. primary with 30% of the vote. Sessions finished first in the primary with 37% of the vote.

Stockford, who was mayor from 2017 until his resignation Jan. 1 of this year, said he supports Bentley because the councilman wants to reform or end the special assessment districts the city uses to fund road repairs. A major point of contention in the mayoral race, SADs require individual property owners in a designated district to pay up to $5,000 to fund road repairs on their street.

“Over my tenure, the city, through the sale of city property and a compromise with community players, created a multi-million dollar surplus, something

the city has never had,” Stockford said. “That is the people’s money. Charging the homeowners special assessments of $5,000 apiece — on top of the street’s millage and the maxed out tax rate of the city of Hillsdale — is not only excessive, it’s wrong. Many cannot afford it and shouldn’t have to risk losing their property, especially when the city has the money already to end the assessments, thanks to the hard work of City Manager Dave Mackie and the previous city council and myself.”

Sessions told The Collegian in April he supports the SADs because many residents have already had to pay for repairs on their street.

“I believe it’s unfair to change it halfway, so some people pay more and some people pay less,” Sessions said at the time.

Paladino said he supports Bentley not because he thinks the councilman is an expert on city policy, but because Bentley understands how a city council should function.

“I’m endorsing Bentley because I believe he’s open to deliberation and disagreement in a way that Sessions, as well as sev-

eral members of the council, are not,” Paladino said. “I think Matt sees council as not merely a time to pass resolutions, appropriate funds, or make purchases but as a time to inform the council members and the public, to see if there are gaps in understanding and try to fill those in a deliberative process.”

road. More than 40 members of the public spoke at the public comment meeting, according to Paladino.

Though Paladino disagrees with Bentley’s opposition to the road diet, he said he supported giving the community an opportunity to discuss the issue.

“As representatives of the people, it’s the council’s responsibility to be more involved in fixing the roads,” Bentley said.

Both Paladino and Stockford have publicly expressed frustration with the limitations of the mayoral office in Hillsdale.

“I’m endorsing Bentley because I believe he’s open to deliberation and disagreement.”

Disagreement and debate are an essential part of government, Paladino said.

“I think he will bring us the type of politics where we are allowed to have opponents and we can still be friends in a tight-knit city,” Paladino said.

Bentley called a special city council meeting Sept. 10 to give the public an opportunity to discuss the M-99 road diet, which will narrow Broad Street from four lanes to three, make the middle lane a turn lane, and add bike lanes on both sides of the

“If you have a republic of any kind, people need to be able to exercise their reason in public and to be able to do so in a way where you’re allowed to have opponents,” Paladino said.

The city council voted 5-3 in August to move forward with the plan.

Bentley said he decided to run to oppose the road diet. Now that the proposal has passed, he will have little leeway to change course even if elected mayor. Nevertheless, Bentley said the roads will remain his priority if elected.

“Hillsdale is a lovely place with all the potential in the world, but if there’s ever been a community that can’t get out of its own way, Hillsdale is the embodiment of it,” Stockford said.

“So many great people with so many great ideas and passion, but also so many willing to make the same mistakes over and over because of the comfort of toxic familiarity. There is no more dangerous statement in government than ‘this is the way we’ve always done it.’”

The mayor is the executive head of the city, according to the city charter, but Paladino said the office is in reality only a figurehead.

“Effectively, the mayor’s only real authority that he exercises in his own right or her own right is chairing the meetings of council, which is a very limited role,” Paladino said.

The mayor has limited ex-

ecutive authority, subject to the consent of council, to make appointments to boards, commissions, and department positions. Bentley said he would be open to considering restructuring the charter to strengthen the office of mayor if he runs again in 2026. But restructuring the city charter to strengthen the office of the mayor would require a 2/3 majority in the council. Bentley said he respects both men and will be looking to Stockford in particular for advice if elected mayor.

“I think the biggest challenge of the office is trying to get accurate information to the public in the hyper-political climate that we are living in, where mud slinging, false narratives, and old feuding factions are commonplace,” Stockford said. “If Matt is going to be successful, he’s going to have to gain the trust of his fellow council members and the public, have the courage to stand on his convictions, and not get lost in the tedium of insignificant bickering.”

Accountant wins Hillsdale County ‘Artist of the Year’ award

By Skye Graham Social Media Manager

Hillsdale College alumnus

Greg Bailey, ’89, received ArtWorks of Hillsdale County’s 2025 Artist of the Year award at a reception at the Dawn Theater Sept. 28.

Mary Wolfram said she nominated Bailey for the award because of his financial and administrative work for various arts programs in Hillsdale, such as writing grants, keeping the books, and submitting paperwork. Bailey also performs in local musicals and sings as a bass in the Arts Chorale.

“I believe that art is not the

same thing to everyone,” Bailey said in his acceptance speech. “Art is in the eye of the beholder. So why not me? Why not any of us? If you are passionate enough about what you do, it can become art.”

Bailey said he was surprised to receive the award because most of his contribution to the arts in Hillsdale is behind-thescenes work.

“My first reaction to hearing about my nomination was ‘Why me?’ I am an accountant, not an artist,” Bailey said when accepting the award. “As I thought more about it, I guess that I have been surrounded by art my whole life.”

ArtWorks is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists in and around Hillsdale and hosts community events. According to ArtWorks Secretary Sarah Gray, the Artist of the Year award was established more than 20 years ago to recognize active members of the arts community. She said anyone involved in the arts in any way can be nominated, including visual, performing, or literary artists;

arts educators; or local art advocates.

“I am an accountant, not an artist.”

At the reception, ArtWorks President Connie Sexton and Vice President Heather Tritchka presented Bailey with a state recognition award, signed by State Rep. Jennifer Wortz and State Sen. Joseph Bellino, both Republicans who represent Hillsdale County. Afterward, they presented him with the ArtWorks Artist of the Year Award, a glass trophy

with his name engraved on it.

“He’s an accountant, or ‘bean counter’ as he calls himself,” Sexton said. “He helps out a lot of the arts nonprofits by doing their tax forms for free. He doesn’t charge any of us. With all the organizations that he does belong to, he is an avid participant in writing grants for them to put on their events.”

Bailey, who has lived in Hillsdale since around age 9, said arts in Hillsdale have become much stronger throughout his lifetime, which organizations like ArtWorks have been encouraging for years.

“The constant theme you

hear is that there’s nothing to do in Hillsdale,” Bailey said. “But if you look around, there really is, between the college and the community. Everything may not be for everyone, but there is definitely something for everyone, whether it be theater, visual arts, music, or something else.” Tritchka said the arts help bring communities together. “It was St. Maximillian Kolbe who said only love creates art,” Tritchka said. “When you’re trying to make something beautiful and share it with others, it’s an act of love, and it’s a way we give back to our community.”

Hillsdale shelter sees increase in abandoned dogs

The

By Gemma Flores aSS i S tant e ditor

The number of abandoned dogs at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society is rising, leading to a growing waitlist, according to Megan Shaw, the shelter director.

“Our mission is to find homes for abandoned and neglected animals in need,” Shaw said.

While the society has resources available on its website for lost pets, it typically helps animals that are surrendered by their owners. When surrendering a pet, owners come into the shelter, present identification, and pay a fee to relinquish their animal.

“Our waiting list is pretty long right now because of situations like this,” Warner said.

“We’re not going to turn away a dog that’s been dropped.” Tyson, a boxer, was found after his owner abandoned him in the Humane Society’s driveway Sept. 8. Warner said Tyson is sweet and gentle, unlike some dogs who are abandoned because of their aggression.

“They didn’t even put him in one of the kennels,” Warner said.

with 26 dogs currently inhouse. The shelter also currently has 43 cats in-house, with the longest having entered the shelter in De cember 2024.

ceives treatment and awaits either adoption or being reunited with her family.

Shaw said the Humane Society tries to ensure all of its dogs get the best care.

Recently, however, Kennel Manager Crystal Warner said people have been abandoning their animals at the shelter in Osseo, leaving the Humane Society in a tough spot. When people leave their dogs at the shelter without permission, the Humane Society has to prioritize care for that dog over all of the dogs waiting to enter the shelter.

“They just dropped him off, let him go. He was severely emaciated; he was noth ing but bone to skin, that’s how bad it was.” Warner said the cost of caring for a dog might be too much for some, leading to desperate owners abandoning their pets.

“We prefer for people to get on the waitlist. It might take some time, but we want to make sure we have room for the animals here,” Warner said.

The Humane Society some times takes on dogs from Hillsdale County Animal Control, as the county does not accept pets that need veterinary care. One such dog is Bella, a beagle with an injured back leg. The shelter is caring for her

“When they first come in, we do an intake, which consists of the DHPP vaccine and Bordetella vaccine. We get a weight on them, we get a picture, we do flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, and we deworm

Shaw said.

The dogs are also sent to the vet to be microchipped, spayed and neutered, and to receive any other vaccines they might need.

Typically, Shaw said, dogs will be adopted within a few weeks of being listed as available. Some, however, can take months to find their new home.

“They can stay here as long as they need to,” Shaw said. “We don’t euthanize for space or anything like that. What we’ll normally try to do is reach out to surrounding shelters or rescues and see if they’ll take the dog, or we’ll swap, so they’ll give us a dog.

In 2024, the shelter accept ed 130 dogs. This year, so far, the shelter has taken in 101,

that Hillsdale students can be part of the solution,” said Kassidy Sherrill, the director of the Humane Society GOAL program. “Whether it’s walking dogs, playing with cats, or helping with on-campus events, every bit of our time and energy eases the burden on the shelter staff and helps prepare animals for adoption sooner.”

Warner said that all of the work is worth it to see these animals get the love they deserve.

We’ll give them that dog just to get it a different audience.”

Hillsdale students can help by volunteering at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society through the Humane Society GOAL program on campus.

“It’s heartbreaking to see so many animals waiting for homes, but the good news is

“In the end, it’s seeing a dog that’s been here six-plus months, and seeing them going to a great home, that’s so rewarding,” Warner said. “Being able to be a part of that and seeing where they came from to going to a great home — it’s beyond words.”

Local clinic to host benefit

By Martha Kennedy Collegian Freelan C er

St. Peter’s Free Clinic will partner with local businesses Oct. 18 to provide food, wine, and live music at its 20th annual “Taste of Autumn” fundraiser.

The fundraiser will begin at 7 p.m. in the Searle Center. Guests will be able to sample food and beverages from local restaurants and businesses and participate in raffles, according to Amber Yoder, secretary of the clinic board.

“We’re working hard to make it extra special,” Yoder said. “We have Detroit Red Wings tickets for a door prize. Your ticket is your entry into the drawing. We will also have a wine raffle and a gift basket raffle.”

The clinic, which is based at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Hillsdale, provides medical care to uninsured Hillsdale County residents, according to Jamie Bauerly, clinic director.

and medication to those in Hillsdale County who have little or no insurance.”

Bauerly said the mission of the clinic is to meet the needs of those facing poverty and homelessness in the Hillsdale community.

“When we started the clinic, there was a huge need for care in this community. I volunteered for many years until I became director. The work we do has been in my heart, be-

its name because people can sample from many different vendors.

“That’s why it’s ‘A Taste of Autumn.’ You can only have a taste because you have about 20 vendors to go to, so if you eat a lot right off the bat, you’re too full to eat anything else,” Bauerly said.

The event is open to everyone. Yoder said guests can dress up and make a special evening out of it, especially because it falls on “Sweetest Day,” a holiday that celebrates loved ones.

“Taste

cause it’s something we need in this community and will continue to need,” Bauerly said.

“All of the people that work here — the doctors, the nurses, the pharmacists — none of them get paid. It’s all just volunteers,” Bauerly said. “The proceeds help us provide care

At the fundraiser, businesses partner with the clinic to provide a fun atmosphere and a variety of food. Bauerly said the fundraiser received

“It’s a unique event, in that you have the opportunity to sample many different types of foods, wine, and craft beer for the price of a ticket,” Yoder said.

“This year, the event falls on ‘Sweetest Day’ as well, so it would be an excellent date night!”

Tickets are $50 in advance or at the door and will go directly toward the clinic’s effort to provide free services to those in the community who cannot afford medical care.

‘Winner, winner': Hillsdale's KFC will open Oct.

21.

Metz cuts back on locally grown produce

High costs force Hillsdale food service to outsource more

By Daniel Johnson Collegian Freelan C er

Much of the produce Metz Culinary Management serves is sourced in Michigan seasonally, but the company now buys less from within Hillsdale County than it once did.

According to Campus Executive Chef Adam Harvey, most of Metz’s produce is supplied by Detroit-based produce company Del Bene Produce Inc.

“Del Bene sources as much produce locally as possible, but some of it comes from California or other areas farther away, especially during the colder months.”,

According to Harvey, much of the Michigan produce Metz serves is supplied on a seasonal basis.

“Currently, we are ending the more local lettuce growing season, so things like our leaf lettuce, romaine, and mustard greens will be moving out of Michigan as it is getting too cold,” Harvey said. “Del Bene will still be sourcing the bulk of our fall vegetables — things like Brussels sprouts, winter squash, and cabbage — from the greater Michigan area.” Metz once sourced its lettuce and other greens yearround from a Hillsdale County certified organic farm,

Chef’s Way Farms, according to owner Ezra Bertakis.

“At first, they bought a lot of their produce from Chef’s Way,” Bertakis said. “After the first year, it slowed down.”

According to Harvey, high pricing is one of the biggest barriers to buying more local, organic foods like these greens.

Bertakis acknowledged this barrier.

“Organic produce like this is more expensive to grow,” Bertakis said. “Local farmers are the first ones on the chopping block.”

According to Bertakis, Chef’s Way Farms can supply tender greens yearround through an uncommon cold-frame greenhouse system.

“I harvest day-of, while unfortunately that’s not the case for greens grown in California or Mexico,” Bertakis said. “You can taste the difference.”

Bertakis sells his produce on Saturdays at the Hillsdale County Farmer’s Market in the courthouse parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

According to Harvey, Metz still uses Chef’s Way Farm’s produce for special events and at the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center’s Grille.

“Organic produce like this is more expensive to grow.”

“We do utilize produce from Chef’s Way Farms, mostly in catering and out at the AcuSport Grille,” Harvey said.

“I’m one of the largest organic greens producers in Michigan,” Bertakis said. “We use cold-frame hoop-houses that have year-round production.”

Bertakis added that Chef’s Way Farms preserves the freshness of its greens.

According to sophomore Allison Kuzma, there is a contrast between local, organic produce and conventionally grown produce.

“I just find that it’s a better quality and tastes better too,” Kuzma said. “Kind of less to worry about with pesticides and stuff.”

Kuzma added that she would welcome any addition-

al local, organic produce to the Knorr Dining Hall.

“I think it’s not only better just for school health, but also I think it’s good to support local farms,” Kuzma said.

According to Kuzma, organic, local produce might be worth the extra penny.

“I do think it’s worth it to spend a little more money on organic,” Kuzma said. “But with the price of meal plans already being so high, I think it would just depend on how much more.”

Harvey added that Metz welcomes students’ suggestions for how Metz could better serve them.

“The best way to give us feedback is to fill out the comment cards that are placed around campus,” Harvey said. “We love to hear what students like and ways that we can improve.”

Harvey said students with a special interest in influencing what food is served at the dining hall can speak to Metz directly about their concerns.

“We also do have a dining committee that meets once a month to get feedback from a group of students,” Harvey said. “If this is something any student is interested in participating in, please let our staff know so that we can include you in future meetings.”

Catholic community gathers for fellowship

St. Anthony’s families and students met for prayer, food, and games

By Anna Stirton Collegian Freelan C er

Local Catholic families joined Hillsdale students for an afternoon of prayer and yard games at the St. Anthony Catholic Church’s Family Fun Day in Hayden Park Sept. 28.

“The parish gives a lot to the students on campus, and this is an opportunity for the students to be more involved, and also just a really easy way to get to know families from the parish,” said senior Adeline Kaufman, event coordinator for Catholic Society.

The parish collaborated with the college’s Catholic Society to organize an event to foster the relationship between students and the church, ac -

cording to Kaufman.

“This event is a really good way to show the families that we really appreciate them and that we want to have a connection with them, even though it’s hard sometimes because life gets busy and it’s difficult to prioritize during the year,” said junior Lucy Bachiochi, who volunteered at the event.

The day started at 1 p.m. with the Stations of the Cross led by Father David Reamsnyder, the pastor of St. Anthony’s, followed by games and snacks for the next three hours.

“We wanted to have games the kids could play in a self-directed way with the college students,” Kaufman said. “So many of the games

that we’re doing are just conducive to large groups, so we can just bring everyone in as they come in and out.”

Toddlers played in the sand, a group of middle schoolers passed a football, parents sat in the shade and chatted, and peals of laughter could be heard from a chaotic game of tag.

“Being able to just go out and have a fun time just hitting the volleyball around, playing a fun game of tag, or just doing the little things that families do in order to grow in the parish family is so wonderful,” said junior Elizabeth Schlueter, secretary of the Catholic Society. “All the kids ended up getting covered in sand, but they had smiles on

their faces, so it was OK.” Kaufman said she enjoyed watching not only the kids having fun, but also the students.

“It’s been great to see the college students just jump into it,” Kaufman said. “I think a lot of them have younger siblings or they grew up around kids, so they miss it.”

Schlueter said that the St. Anthony’s community came together over their shared faith at the event.

“I think it is just a really beautiful testament to us just being part of the same parish family and part of the same body of Christ,” Schlueter said.

Brewery to host autumn craft night

By Caroline Kurt o pinions e ditor

Hillsdale Brewing Company customers will put the “craft” in craft beer on Oct. 13. Sweet Melody Lane, a craft business from Horton, Michigan, will hold a “Paint and Pints” 6–9 p.m. at the Hillsdale Brewing Company.

Attendees will choose between a wooden ghost and a wooden jack-o’-lantern sign to paint. All craft supplies are included in the $45 project fee, and attendees can choose to purchase additional food and drink from the Brewery to enjoy.

Sweet Melody Lane owner Stephanie Poleck said she envisions the event as a way to foster community.

“Our whole goal as a DIY studio is to bring people together to connect and be creative, and just spend time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday,” Poleck said. “That’s my goal for every event, every class, every workshop, every open-paint that we offer.”

decided to open a physical storefront in Horton in 2023.

“Let’s take this business and move it into an establishment where we can actually bring the community together,” Poleck said. “COVID separated all of us, and we just needed something to bring everybody together.”

The craft projects Sweet Melody Lane offers, Poleck said, are designed for people at any skill level.

“You do not have to be an artist by any means, because in all honesty, I’m not,” Poleck said. “But I am pretty crafty, so I wanted to make sure everybody could come in and do something. I have kids that come in that are two, and I have women that come in that are in their 80s, sometimes 90s.”

In the first couple years of owning a physical storefront, Poleck said she has received a positive response from her community.

“You do not have to be an artist by any means.”

Poleck said she expects about 20 attendees for the event, which will run from 6–9 p.m. Although registration for the October Paint and Pints night closed Sept. 29, Poleck said she hopes to do monthly craft nights at the brewery.

“I’d like to see the flow of this event, and then we can go from there,” Poleck said.

According to Poleck, she started her business in 2017 with her husband, Dave. The Polecks sold wood blanks, which could be turned into painted and stencilled wooden signs.

“Dave does all the woodworking,” Poleck said. “I tell everybody that if he wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have it.”

The husband-wife duo found 2020 to be a pivotal year for their business.

“We just soared through COVID, because everybody was at home and needed things to do,” Poleck said.

Poleck and her husband

“They love being able to come in,” Poleck said. “They put their phones away. They chitchat.” According to Poleck, her customers live in Horton, Jonesville, and Hillsdale, which is by design.

“They’re getting to know each other, and they’re talking, and they’re actually building relationships, to the point they’ll communicate via Facebook if I have an openpaint class scheduled and say, ‘Hey, do you want to come during this time?’” Poleck said. “It’s bringing the different communities together.” Kaley Morgan, a Jonesville resident, said she plans to attend the craft night after a friend saw it advertised and invited her along.

“I’m hoping to have a good, relaxing night with my friend and meet new people,” Morgan said. Poleck said she invites participants to trust the process in every craft event she offers.

“When first-time customers are done, they’re like, ‘I can’t believe I created this,’” Poleck said.

Gemma Flores | Collegian

Wayne Babcock serves donuts at

of Autumn” last year. Courtesy | Amber yoder

The forgotten sport: revive pro hockey this season

By Brady Birmingham Collegian Freelancer

Hockey is heading into one of its most unpredictable seasons. For sports fans searching for a sport with fresh storylines, the NHL season offers international competition, rising stars, and a wide-open race for the Stanley Cup.

The league doesn’t get as much attention as football or basketball, but this season is worth watching. With the defending champions weakened, the competition for the Cup is more open than ever.

The Florida Panthers, who have appeared in the last three finals and won back-to-back Stanley Cups, face a different challenge before the season has even begun. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov,

the team’s top stars, have both suffered significant injuries.

Tkachuk tore his adductor and Barkov his ACL, leaving them unable to play. Their absence opens the door for other contenders, such as the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars, to fill the void left by the Panthers. Injuries often break dynasties, and this is the year for new contenders to step up.

Several rebuilding teams are also worth watching. The Chicago Blackhawks, led by Connor Bedard, the most anticipated rookie since Connor McDavid in 2015, look to take the next step towards playoff contention after back-to-back disappointing seasons. The Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs last season and now look to prove that their

young core of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson can push them into Stanley Cup contention. While the Detroit Red Wings continue to rise with Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, with a new head coach, Todd McLellan, they hope to finally make the playoffs after back-to-back heartbreaking finishes to the regular season.

One of the league’s brightest stars faces an uncertain future. Connor McDavid in Edmonton enters the final year of his contract. McDavid has posted five consecutive seasons with more than 100 points and is regarded as one of the best players in the world. He is in the last year of his eight-year, $100 million deal. He has not signed an extension, raising the possibility of an in-sea -

For a row or column with two pairs, the letter in the second position is always part of a pair.

The numbers around the border indicate the length of the longest runs of consecutive noughts or crosses in that

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

son trade or free agency next summer.

The NHL Global Series will travel overseas, bringing regular-season games to Stockholm, Sweden, in November. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will participate, giving European fans a chance to see NHL talent up close. For players such as Swedish offenseman Filip Forsberg, it will be a rare chance to play meaningful games in front of a home crowd.

Later in the season, the Winter Classic will be held in Miami. The Florida Panthers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Hard Rock Stadium on New Year’s Day. It will be the first outdoor NHL game played in Florida. The Winter Classic has become one of the

league’s most iconic events.

The question is whether the NHL can pull off ice hockey in South Florida, but the game itself should carry the intensity of a natural in-state rivalry.

The success of the Four Nations Face-Off this past February proved just how much fans crave international hockey at the highest level. For years, Olympic tournaments felt incomplete without the NHL’s top stars, but that’s about to change. NHL players will be back in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, when Sidney Crosby scored the iconic golden goal against the USA to win the gold for Canada. Olympic hockey has always carried a special energy, from the Soviet dominance of the 1970s to the unforgettable 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” when Al

Michaels encouraged his team to beat the Soviets by asking,

“Do you believe in miracles?”

That same electricity will return in 2026 when Connor McDavid finally gets the chance to lead for Canada, and Auston Matthews leads Team USA.

For fans, this season feels like the prologue to that moment, knowing it’s building toward what could be one of the most competitive Olympic hockey tournaments in years. The NHL season is not just about who lifts the Cup at the end of season, it’s about the rising stars, wide open Cup race, and the kind of intensity that will carry into hockey’s biggest moments on the international stage.

Swimmers test the water

By Lucy Billings Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale swim team started the season at its Blue and White intrasquad meet Sept. 27 with the freshman class placing in the top spots in each event.

Head coach Kurt Kirner said collectively the energy and efforts made by the team were impressive, especially from the freshmen.

“The freshmen came to swim and shined as a new group,” Kirner said.

The team split into two teams, the blue team and the white team, and competed against each other in an effort to build up excitement for the upcoming season.

“I’m pleasantly surprised at the competitiveness of the team and feel confident that by the end of the season we are going to have records broken and some quality efforts that set the state for the next cou-

ple of years,” Kirner said.

Swimmers on the team also spoke to the energy and competitive spirit present on deck this past weekend. Sophomore swimmer Ella Schafer said the Blue and White meet is always helpful in preparing for the season.

“The Blue and White meet is definitely tough, both mentally and physically, but it is a great training tool for the team,” Schafer said. “It allows us to get back into racing and redevelop a competitive spirit. It is an opportunity for everyone on the team to experiment with some races and push themselves to find their limit.”

Schafer also said the meet revealed great character and brought encouragement to the team.

“The Blue and White meet made it obvious that everyone on the team is invaluable,” Schafer said. “Each person is very talented and brings a great deal to the program

through both their swimming and character.”

Sophomore Matilyn Wilhelmsen said the meet readied her and her teammates for future meets and gave them a starting point for season goals.

“This meet helped me get into a competitive mindset for this season, giving me goals to chase during practices and making sure I give my all for my team,” Wilhelmsen said. “The tone for this season is fast. The team is ready for a great season.” Wilhelmsen said the team is the strongest she’s ever seen and consistently giving their all.

“Racing on Saturday was just the beginning, and everyone has so much to offer this season,” Wilhelmsen said. “Our team is going to crush it this year, and the relays are looking especially exciting.”

Thompson swings into first

By Ameera Wilson Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale men’s golf team finished seventh in the Midwest Regional Preview at the Rock Hollow Golf Club Sept. 29-30 shooting 891. Junior Robert Thompson placed first individually for his second invitational title of 2025.

“He is off to a great start and I’m really pleased with how he has been competing,” head coach Luke Kelly said. Thompson shot a 71-6970=210 for his second win of the season.

“I felt pretty confident coming into this tournament after the last two events I played in,” Thompson said. “Feels pretty good to get two wins this early in the season, hope to keep it rolling.”

Freshman John Cassiday also had a strong showing, shooting a 71-76-74=221 to place 13th overall. The team brought him to compete as an individual, which means although he placed, his performance did not contribute to the Chargers’ overall team score.

“I felt pretty confident going into this tournament,” Cassiday said. “I worked on my accuracy off the tee throughout the past week, which is what you need at Rock Hollow, which has very tight tee shots.”

Tiffin won the event, shooting 875 as a team.

“Tiffin and Findlay Univer-

sity are consistently good teams to watch out for,” Cassiday said.

“Tiffin particularly played very well this week and won the tournament.”

Thompson said Tiffin’s win was surprising out of the 17 teams competing.

“Coming into the event, I thought University of Missouri St. Louis and Findlay were go-

ing to be the top teams to beat, but Tiffin ended up winning it,” Thompson said.

As a team, Thompson said the Chargers placed lower in the competition than expected.

“To be honest, it wasn’t our best performance as a team,” Thompson said. “I thought we were probably the third-best team there, and we placed seventh.”

“Besides Robert Thompson, everyone else played well below average,” Cassiday said. “This was the worst finish we have had this year so far, and we weren’t happy with how we played.”

Now the Chargers wait for the regional rankings which will come out in October. Even with the loss, Kelly said they expect to rank well, and his players agree.

“I think whenever the regional rankings come out, we’ll be ranked pretty well, around fifth in the region, maybe even better,” Thompson said.

Cassiday said he hopes to be ranked well and to keep improving as a team.

“I think we have played well enough in a couple of tournaments to be ranked one of the top teams in the region,” Cassiday said. “Our best golf is still to come, though.” The team will compete next in the Doc Spragg Invitational at the Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio, Oct. 13-14. Other regional teams will be competing such as the Tiffin Dragons and the Findlay Oilers, who are hosting the match.

Kelly agreed that the team should be able to place higher. “The team could have performed better,” Kelly said. “We lacked execution and didn’t battle the way we can.” Cassiday said the tournament does not reflect the team’s abilities.

Thompson at Malone Fall Classic Sept. 8. Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

Cross Country

Chargers display grit at invitational

By Anna Stirton Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Siena Heights Tune Up meet Sept. 26 with the men’s team taking fifth place and the women taking seventh place.

The Chargers ran only a partial squad, and challenging conditions included full sun and high temperatures.

“It was really hot, so the sun was beating down,” senior Emil Schlueter said. “But given the heat and given the time of the season, I was happy with how it went. The goal for this race was to have the older more experienced runners pull the younger and less experienced runners to faster times.”

Schlueter led the Charger men placing 25th with a time of 26:53.7 over a distance of 8k. He was followed by three freshmen in quick succession with Jefferson Regitz taking 26th in 26:53.9, John Richardson finishing 27th in 26:54.2, and Henry Thuet placing 30th in 26:55.0. The final scoring runner for the Chargers was sophomore Daniel Johnson who placed 37th in 27:02.4. Head coach R.P. White said he was pleased with the men’s team’s performance and teamwork.

Megan Roberts rounded out the scoring runners crossing the line in 25:45.6 to earn 46th place.

The Siena Heights Tune Up was a particularly important meet for junior Emilie Santoso because she completed her first race of the season after taking a hiatus from competition due to health issues.

Santoso recounted how in previous races and past seasons she has struggled with fear and disappointment.

“I was stepping into every race wondering, am I even gonna finish,” Santoso said. “It’s just debilitating.”

However, something about this race felt different to Santoso, she said.

“Coach made it clear that the whole point of this race was that we were running for each other.”

“Coach made it clear that the whole point of this race was that we were running for each other,” Santoso said. “I would not have mentally gotten through that race if it wasn’t for the team. They are just my pillars and my rocks to be able to keep doing this.” White said he was proud of how Santoso performed

“To see Emilie cross the finish line strong was just something that makes your heart feel good after seeing some of the struggles that she's had,” White said.

Santoso said she was inspired by the support she received from her team.

“They did a tremendous job executing the front portion of the race and keeping themselves in control,” White said. “For some of the top guys that were racing, they were just there to do one thing and one thing only: serve the other guys around them. We had a really good showing.”

On the women’s side, sophomore Victoria Stonebraker ran a personal best in the 6k, finishing in 24:38.3 and placing 24th. Freshman Caroline Roberts took 27th in 24:48.0 with freshman Mavis Banks taking 38th in 25:08.0 and Taylor Klimp taking 40th in 25:16.8. Junior

“During that last stretch I was just thinking, I have so many people who want me to succeed,” Santoso said. “So I told myself, I’m just gonna do it. I’m just gonna run,” Santoso said. “Talk about running for something greater than yourself: running for your team.”

The Chargers will race again at the Louisville Classic Oct. 4 as they continue to prepare for championship meets just around the corner.

Catch the Tigers at the World Series

By Carson Brower Collegian Freelancer

The Detroit Tigers are locked in a battle with the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Wild Card. They won the first game in the best-ofthree series behind their star, Tarik Skubal, who threw a franchise playoff record 14 strikeouts. On Oct.1, the Guardians bounced back with a dominant 6-1 victory sending the series to a winner-takes-all third game Oct. 2.

The Detroit Tigers put their anxious fans at ease when the team finally clinched a spot in the 2025 MLB playoffs on Sept. 27. The Tigers’ victory over the Boston Red Sox gave the team its first playoff appearance since the 2013-14 season.

The season, however, did not come without its fair share of eventfulness, including a historic collapse to lose their division to the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers were the MLB’s first team to reach both the 50- and 60-win mark this season before the bats cooled down and they limped to the finish line.

Near the beginning of July, the Tigers had a 15.5 game lead in the American League Central over the Guardians. As recently as Sept. 1, the Guardians were still more than 10 games behind

the Tigers. On Sept. 25, however, the Tigers lost their eighth straight game and Cleveland won 17 of their last 19, catapulting them into the division lead.

In a finish that can be likened to Lightning McQueen blowing his tires and hopping across the finish line in his first Piston Cup, the Tigers held on to the final American League Wild Card spot despite a .291 winning percentage during the month of September.

So, does a team on such a terrible skid even stand a chance to advance? The simple answer is yes.

Despite their finish, the Tigers have the talent in their rotation to make a run through the month of October. Everyone knows the Tigers' Skubal, the most dominant pitcher in the MLB and the favorite to win the Cy Young Award, but the Tigers’ depth extends much deeper.

On the mound behind Skubal, the Tigers have Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, and Chris Paddack. Mize has the seventh-best pitching win/ loss record in baseball, and with some solid bullpen pitching the Tigers look ready for some defensive masterpieces. When teams eventually do put bat-to-ball, the dynamic duo of outfielders Riley Greene and Javy Baez will be there to snag any stray fly ball. Offensively, the Tigers have been troubled in the last month. They have shown the potential to make their bats red hot. Riley Greene is top 10 in the MLB in both home runs (36) and RBIs (111). Javy Baez and Spencer Torkelson are also top 40 in home runs despite relatively long cold streaks throughout the season.

Overall, the Tigers have the makeup of a team that can make a deep run during the

MLB playoffs. ESPN is hopeful, too, with their projections giving the Tigers a 51.1% chance to defeat the Cleveland Guardians in game 3. After the Guardians they would get the second-seeded Seattle Mariners. The Mariners’ hitters have been hot as of recently, but nothing cools down a hot bat like the pitcher with the lowest ERA, second most strikeouts, and lowest WHIP in the MLB. And if you aren’t into the fancy statistics, the Tigers have the defense to shut down any team in the MLB.

Following the Mariners, the Tigers would most likely play the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series and then the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series. The Tigers split their regular season series with the Blue Jays and with the momentum they will be carrying into the ALCS they should be able to take care of business.

The most talented Tigers team of the past decade dominated Major League Baseball for the majority of the season. They absolutely have the bats and the defense to bring a pennant back to Detroit for the first time since 1984 and cause a mass migration of Hillsdale students to downtown Detroit for the World Series parade.

Freshmen shine despite team injuries

By Fara Newell Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale men’s tennis team had two players charge through to the consolation semifinals in singles at the ITA Midwest Regional in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sept. 27-29, while playing the best teams in the region.

Freshman Patrick Cretu advanced through the Flight B consolation bracket after a close loss in the opening round. Cretu beat his opponent from William Jewell College 7-5, 6-3, his opponent from Tiffin University 6-4, 6-3, and his opponent from Maryville University 6-2, 6-2 en route to the semifinal round. Cretu withdrew from his semifinal match due to injury.

Freshman Jackson Clements dominated his opponent in the first round of Flight B, beating his opponent from Juan Pablo Espinosa from Roosevelt University. Clements said the match

was an arduous duel, but he conquered his opponent with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

“The match was very intense,” Clements said. “Every point was super long and tiring.”

In the second round, Clements lost a tight battle to his opponent from Grand Valley State University after forcing him into a third-set tiebreaker; the match had the final score of 1-6, 6-4, 7-10.

Head coach Keith Turner said he was impressed with the performance of his freshmen.

seen him play so far,” Turner said.

“Patrick picked up three wins and played by far the best I’ve

In the Flight B consolation bracket, sophomore Rintaro Goda advanced to the semifinal round. He beat opponents from the University of Indianapolis 6-2, 6-2 and the University of Illinois 6-4, 6-1 respectively before withdrawing from the semifinal because of injury. In their opening match in Flight B doubles, team Cretu and junior Henry Hammond won after a hard-fought match, ending in a tiebreak (9[10]-8[8]).

Sophomore Ryan Papazov

Charger Chatter

What's your least favorite movie? Probably "The Conjuring." I hate horror.

How good are you at arm wrestling? I'm absolutely terrible. I have grip strength, but put me against some guy who's been lifting for a bit, and I'm cooked.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate chip cookie dough.

Compiled by Matthew Tolbert

lost in a close match in the first round of Flight A singles (4-6, 4-6) before a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from his next match.

Despite the injury, Papazov said he and sophomore partner Sam Plys played well in their doubles matches, both of which they lost narrowly.

“We didn’t quite get the results we wanted, but we had really good points and good play,” Papazov said.

Although several players are contending with injury, the Chargers are pushing forward and remaining positive about upcoming matches, according to Papazov.

“We are picking up a few minor scratches and bumps along the way, but we look strong,” Papazov said.

The Chargers will play Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, Oct. 4 for their final match of the fall season.

What's something you still want to perfect? I haven't learned how to hit a good kick serve in tennis and it bothers me so much. What is the most underrated snack? Sour Patch, it's so good.

on, you always have a floor to kneel and pray on. Sometimes your frustrations in life are just something you don't handle with other people, it's something between you and God.

Sam Plys, Men's Tennis

Photo Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Cretu at the Summer Invitational Sept. 13.

Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department

Charger Sports

First GMAC win this season

By Grace Brennan Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale volleyball team won its first conference game of the season against rival Northwood University Sept. 26, now standing 3-6 overall and 1-2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

According to sophomore Jenna Southland, while away in Midland, Michigan, the Chargers played an intense game without losing their cool.

“The energy was high throughout the game. We were focused and ready for anything,” Southland said. “It felt really good to win, especially since it was such a tight game. Emotions were high and we focused on taking care of our side.”

The Chargers made zero attack errors in the first set, starting the game with a 25-17 victory.

each making two kills.

Three Chargers, junior Emory Braswell, Sysum, and Baker, tied for the team lead with 12 kills each. Southland added 10 kills and seven total blocks, while freshman Ella Byrum led defensively with 23 digs, and senior Josie TeSlaa had a teamhigh of 43 assists.

Byrum said she was able to lead defensively due to her team setting the ball for her at the right moments.

“Our front row did a great job of setting up a solid block, which allowed me to be in a better position to make those defensive plays,” Byrum said.

“The energy was high throughout the game. We were focused and ready for anything. ”

The Northwood Timberwolves came back in the second set, scoring 25-19, before the Chargers led set three wire-to-wire, winning 25-22.

Trailing in the fourth set, Hillsdale rallied for a 23-all standing, but lost the last two points to Northwood.

Starting with a kill from junior Molly Kennedy, Hillsdale outscored Northwood 9-3, taking a 16-14 victory in the fifth set. Southland, senior Adi Sysum, and sophomore Hannah Baker helped with the win,

Football from A1

“When everyone is focused on doing their job and bettering the ball for each other, our energy on the court enables us to play at a really high level.”

Head

coach Chris Gravel said the team’s strongest plays were seen in its attacks out of the middle.

“We attacked out of the middle well,” Gravel said. “Adi in particular attacked the ball so quickly out of the middle, Adi’s opposing blocker had to often jump to block her after the ball had already passed her by.”

Hillsdale will travel to Kentucky to face off against Kentucky Wesleyan College Oct. 3 and Thomas More University Oct. 4.

Six new inductees join hall of fame News

By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor

Hillsdale College welcomed six Charger alumni into the 26th Athletic hall of fame class during the annual ceremony Sept. 26. Keith Otterbein ’79, Michael Michno ’84, Michael Nugent ’85, Cleves Delp ’86, Troy Weatherhead ’11, and Emily (Oren) Newcomb ’16 will join 96 individuals and 17 teams in the hall of fame. The six athletes share 12 national championships and 21 All-American honors between them.

“When you look at all six of the individuals, the first thing that you recognize is their excellence while they were here, what they did as a Charger,” Athletic Director John Tharp said. “The second thing you realize is how excellent they’ve been in their lives and how much they have appreciated their experience and time at Hillsdale, and that they’ve credited some of their subsequent success to the four years here.”

Weatherhead set NCAA all-division records for single-season completion percentage (76.9%) and career completion percentage (70.2%) during his three years as the starting quarterback for the Charger football team. In 2010, he received All-American honors and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year when he led the team to its first conference title in nearly two decades.

“I was extremely humbled to receive this honor, and I truly believe that the recognition is a testament to my teammates and coaches,” Weatherhead said. “I was blessed to be surrounded by incredible men during my time at Hillsdale who elevated my play, and we

were able to accomplish great things as a team.”

Weatherhead said his time at Hillsdale shaped how he lives the rest of his life, and he hopes that current and future students will learn the same values he developed from his experience.

“I am forever indebted to Hillsdale College,” Weatherhead said. “The lessons I have learned have helped shape me not only as an athlete but now as a working professional and a husband and father. The lessons of accountability, responsibility, integrity, and trust are values I try to live by every day, and it’s because of Hillsdale that I see

es, and the only two Hillsdale football playoff victories. The student section was also known colloquially as “Otter’s Army,” illustrating the impact he had on more than just the athletes playing on the field.

Otterbein said it is an honor to be recognized in the hall of fame, not just for his time as an athlete, but also for his service as a coach.

“Coaching provides a great platform to help build character and a work ethic that allows our players to become better fathers, husbands, and community members who positively change the world,” Otterbein said. “Modeling the

the importance of doing so.”

Otterbein, who served as head football coach for 22 seasons, was also inducted into the hall of fame this year. Otterbein played for the Chargers in the late 1970s, was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American, and won linebacker of the year three times during his football career. During his time coaching, he won 133 games, led the team to four conference championships, three NCAA Division II playoff appearanc-

hard work, dedication, and discipline needed for success has made me a better man.”

Delp was recognized for his athletic achievement on the Hillsdale baseball team, as well as for his meritorious service to the college. Delp was the team captain and led the team in slugging percentage for two consecutive years. Post graduation, he built his father’s company, TFO Partners, into a Forbes Top 25 wealth management company. He continues to give generously to Hillsdale

College, funding many new athletic facilities in the past decade, and also supporting many athletic scholarships.

The three remaining inductees — Michno, Nugent, and Newcomb — represent Charger cross country and track and field.

Michno was the NAIA National champ in 1984, racing the outdoor 1,500-meter run and a two-time All-American. Nugent won back-to-back NAIA national championships in the indoor 3-mile run in 1984 and 1985, was a threetime All-American, and won GLIAC two titles in the 5k in 1983 and 1984.

Newcomb was the youngest inductee and is the most decorated Hillsdale athlete ever, boasting nine national championship titles and 14 All-American honors. She dominated the steeplechase and distance events. She set school records in the indoor mile, indoor 3k, outdoor steeplechase, and distance medley relay that still stand, and she still holds the indoor mile record at the NCAA DII National Championships. After graduation, she ran professionally and competed in multiple U.S. Olympic trials in the steeplechase.

Tharp said he sees the commemoration of athletes in the hall of fame as a way to remember their greatness and to inspire future generations.

“I think, like anything great, their stories need to continue to be told,” Tharp said. “The most important thing is sharing the legacy that they have left here. We as a college need to continue to share their stories, not so much for the people that were inducted, but for current student-athletes and coaches to know what people have done before.”

After another Hillsdale touchdown extended the lead to 14-0, the Panthers quickly found themselves on the Hillsdale 2-yard line with on first and goal at the end of the first quarter. The Charger defense held the Panthers back on four consecutive plays and forced a turnover on downs, keeping the shutout intact. The Chargers again kept the Panthers off the board with another goal line stand in the fourth quarter.

said. “The guys really wanted that zero to stay on the scoreboard, and they made some big plays to get it done.”

In total, the Charger defense got a successful stop on third down nine out of 11 times and three out of four times on fourth down.

“Preserving the shutout with a couple of goal line stands was awesome,” Shreffler

Junior receiver Shea Ruddy said the team did a good job capitalizing on opportunities and limiting mistakes.

“We were getting ourselves in third and short situations which is key to making long drives and scoring,” Ruddy said. “We also limited pre-snap penalties to keep us out of third and long situations.”

The Chargers also outperformed the Panthers in rushing yards with 308 yards on the ground for Hillsdale and 98 for Kentucky Wesleyan.

“Offensively, we con -

tinue to get better running the ball,” Shreffler said. “When we can do that, it opens up opportunities in the passing game and we executed very well throwing the ball on Saturday. The offensive line opened up some nice holes for the backs and they did a great job protecting the QB when we threw it. No sacks on the day is a pretty big deal.”

The Chargers will travel on the road this week to face Tiffin University Oct. 4.

The hall of fame inductees at the homecoming game. Courtesy | Reva Ludwig

Collin Davis catches a pass to score the first touchdown.

Courtesy | Reva Ludwig

Culture

By Elaine Kutas Sport S Editor

Welcome to Hillsdale, Michigan. Population: quite small. Entertainment: check the SAB calendar. Sights to see: not many.

As someone who has lived in a small town in Michigan for my whole life, I understand the plight that Hillsdale students face when it comes to finding something to do on the weekend. But never fear, compiled here is a list of some nearby opportunities for entertainment, because all students should get to know where they are living during their four years of college.

If you are missing the city life and need to make a Target and Chick-fil-A run, Jackson is for you. Only 45 minutes away, it is the closest city for entertainment, chain retail, and food. The city itself isn’t the most charming, but when the Olive Garden cravings hit, Jackson will satiate your desires.

ProEdge Arena in Osseo offers a Christian rodeo, providing you with a fun outing

to lean into the country aesthetic of the surrounding area. The drive is only 11 minutes, making it a perfect weekend getaway. Other surrounding towns will also host rodeos or fairs throughout the fall; my hometown of Charlotte, Mich., is no exception, so my friends and I have made an annual trip to the rodeo one of our yearly traditions. Michigan is home to many charming small towns with more than just cornfields and livestock, one of my favorites being Chelsea. Located an hour away, it has the charm of Stars Hollow, especially in the fall. Chelsea has adorable boutiques, good only for window shopping (unless you are independently wealthy), but the local restaurants provide ample opportunities for dates somewhere outside of the small Hillsdale bubble. Although it may seem far to drive an hour for dinner, Chelsea is a perfect place to get a taste of adorable small-town Michigan.

Just about 15 minutes further east from Chelsea on I-94 is Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan

Wolverines, but more importantly, some amazing coffee shops, bookstores, and entertainment options. Ann Arbor is the classiest “city” near Hillsdale, providing you the ability to explore a city where you won’t run into your professors or classmates, no matter where you go. The Dawn Treader Book Shop is a favorite of mine, as well as a stop at Cherry Republic to snag some free samples. As a coffee addict, each trip to Ann Arbor means a chance to try a new cafe. Music lovers can find small concerts or music nights to attend with a quick Google search, and art lovers can peruse the University of Michigan Art Museum’s impressive collection for free. A tried and true weekend spot, Ann Arbor is a favorite day-trip getaway for Hillsdale students seeking something more exciting. If you’re seeking the excitement of a full stadium of sports fans cheering for a team they love, or against a team they hate, there are many college, professional, and semi-pro teams around the Hillsdale area. A two-

hour drive to Detroit brings students ample options of pro sports: Tigers baseball, Lions football, Pistons basketball, and Red Wings hockey. If you don’t want to spend a month’s worth of rent on tickets and gas money to a professional sporting event, check out nearby semi-pro teams, like the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team or the Motor City Cruise G League basketball team. Making that two-hour drive to Detroit might be worth it to art or culture-loving students, as the Detroit Institute of Arts is one of the best art museums in the country. This museum boasts more than 65,000 works and artifacts, and was the first U.S. museum to acquire a work by Vincent Van Gogh, which still hangs in the museum today. With such a rich disposal of culture at their fingertips, students should set aside at least one weekend during their time at Hillsdale to explore and enjoy this museum.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in culture, a quick hour and a half drive up US-127 will take you to Lansing, the state capital, and home to the Wharton Center. This is a bit of a more expensive experience, but the Wharton Center provides the opportunity to see professional plays, ballets, orchestra performances, comedy routines, and traveling Broadway musicals. Located in East Lansing on the campus of Michigan State University, there are many options for dinner before or after a show.

Tickets may be more expensive or hard to get, but if you are looking for professional entertainment, the Wharton Center will not disappoint.

Thrill seekers, don’t worry, there is an incredible opportunity for you, too. Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, boasts 18 world-class rollercoasters and countless other rides perfect for adrenaline junkies of all

A fall weekend guide for Hillsdale students Professors’

Professor of Theology

levels. Although it is a bit more than a two-hour drive from Hillsdale, this destination is worth the journey if you want to blow off some steam with exhilarating, high-speed rollercoasters and fried food.

Bonus: they are also hosting HalloWeekends featuring outdoor scare zones and indoor haunted houses to bring the spooky season alive.

While living in the “Great Lake State,” all students should make the trip and visit Lake Michigan. St. Joseph, Mich., is a two-hour drive from Hillsdale that will deliver the beach town vibes that all lake towns must have. Especially in the fall, students should venture over to the west coast of the state and enjoy a walk along the beach and the fall foliage.

If you are seeking a longer weekend getaway in the fall atmosphere, a longer drive to Holland, or even Traverse City, offers the quintessential

Michigan beach town experience and beautiful trails for hikes in the fall colors. Being in college is a bigger experience than just studying on campus. Despite the busyness of Hillsdale life, students should make time to get to know the state that they live in and to explore some of the opportunities at their fingertips. Start planning your fall break trip, get those weekend plans out of the group chat, or ask that girl out on a date, and explore the state you currently call home.

Juniors Martha Kennedy and Elaine Kutas take a stroll in “up-north” Michigan. Elaine Kutas | Collegian

Dr. Mumme and his wife, Rachel, in Tübingen, Germany. Courtesy | Johnathan Mumme

Coffee lovers will find plenty of stops in Elk Rapids, Mich. Elaine Kutas | Collegian

Compiled by Cassandra DeVries

Charlie Cheng: Life asks the questions, film gives the answers

By Jamie Parsons AssistA nt Editor

When senior Charlie Cheng made the homecoming video for his team, the Bloc, in 2023, he developed a love for film that would one day lead him to produce a short film in China.

While Cheng was visiting his family in China this past summer, he produced a three-minute film called “Stain.” The film uses no dialogue, but instead leans on calligraphy, music, and acting to capture the concept of childhood trauma.

“Film is my passion, because there are times when I feel inspired to portray something beautiful or ask a question that is not easy to answer in words,” Cheng said. “Film is a very sophisticated way to do that for me.”

Cheng said he still needs to compose Eastern music for the film, record a few more sound effects, and record himself writing calligraphy. Cheng added that the film will be released at the end of the semester alongside other Film and Production Club projects.

Cheng moved to the United States from China when he was in the eighth grade. He got involved in the arts when he was living in China, learning how to play the piano at age 8 and singing in the sixth grade.

When Cheng moved to the U.S. he sang in his high school’s choir and eventually started composing his own piano pieces. At Hillsdale College, Cheng is in the Choral Scholars Program, which includes singing in the Chapel Choir and performing in the weekly Choral Evensong performances at the Christ Chapel.

Despite having an extensive background in music, Cheng said he had zero experience with film prior to making the homecoming video, “The First Olympics.” He added that after making the video, he did not think about pursuing film further until the former Film and Production Club president, Truman Kjos ’24, reached out to him and asked if he was interested in making a film one day.

“I still have that email to this day,” Cheng said. “It was kinda like ‘woah, I never really thought of this, let me think about this.’”

In 2024, Cheng directed the film “Shall We,” a story about a Protestant and Catholic at Hillsdale who are interested in one another but are unsure if they should go on a date. The Film and Production Club premiered the film in the Plaster Auditorium Feb. 14. Cheng said when he came to Hillsdale he wanted to become

Tower Players stages student written play

By Evelyn Kniffen

Hillsdale’s Tower Players performed their first show of the fall semester on Oct. 1, a pairing of the anonymous medieval play “Everyman” with “I’m Not a Mourning Person,” written by Hillsdale alumna Emily Griffith ’25.

Griffith won last year’s student playwriting competition. Professor of Theater James Brandon said he picked her play to go along with “Everyman” after noticing the similarities between the themes of the two pieces.

“Being in the zone for ‘Everyman’ and then hearing that script read at the staged reading — it was the perfect complement,” Brandon said. “It gives us a medieval and then also a contemporary approach to pretty much the same subject.”

Both plays present a story of death and grief, according to senior Rachel Dunphey, the lead actress in “I’m Not a Mourning Person.”

“The medieval one, ‘Everyman,’ deals with death as if you’re the person dying — how to die well,” Dunphey said. “Whereas ‘I’m Not a Mourning Person’ handles coming to terms with death of loved ones, and being the one living and grieving.”

Junior Peter Gilchrist, who plays opposite Dunphey in “I’m Not a Mourning Person,”

fleshed out the plot lines of both plays.

“‘Everyman’ is about a man who is told that he is going to die, and he panics trying to find things and ways to give an account of himself to God at his death,” Gilchrist said.

“‘I’m Not a Mourning Person’ is the second act of the play. It’s a completely different play, but we’re putting them next to each other because ‘I’m Not a Mourning Person’ is about grief. It’s about the people who were left behind.”

Dunphey said acting through grief authentically was one of the most difficult aspects of her role.

“When you’re portraying grief, you want to do justice to it because that is a very personal emotion,” Dunphey said. “It’s something we all experience, but it’s also so unique to the individual.”

Jillian Bober, a junior who attended opening night, said she was very impressed with the dedication of the actors involved.

“Rachel did a great job; she was so captivating in the different ways that her character was dealing with her grief,” Bober said. “Also, shout-out to Karol. He was awesome. And all the smaller characters that didn’t have a ton of lines really brought the play to life so well and made it all work together.”

a history professor and teach either Western or Eastern heritage. Now his dream is to teach film one day.

Cheng said he found a love for film because it allows him to involve many elements of art in one piece of work. He said film

different angles and different dimensions and put them all on screen for somebody to sit there and go through all of that.”

Cheng said his short film set in China allows him to portray his newfound perspective of

does a good job at addressing a question he has, unraveling it, and telling a story.

“It involves everything,” Cheng said. “There is a visual component, sound component, audio component. It can capture a lot of things from

his childhood after moving to the U.S. and learning Christian values.

“Especially after learning Christian ideas and going back and looking back at my family and how I grew up, I see clashes between values of what I

believe right now is good and true compared to what my family held,” Cheng said. “Learning what a family should look like and looking back on my family, I have statements that I want to make.”

Cheng said the topic of childhood trauma stuck to him because he was intrigued by the idea of how a person changes in different ages of life, and how sometimes tiny things that happen in the past have long term effects for the rest of a person’s life.

Cheng said the film centers around a 6-year-old boy, who plays the younger version of Cheng, and Cheng, who plays himself. The rest of the crew consists of Cheng’s friends from junior high.

Joshua Burnett, head producer of the Film and Production Club, said he is excited to see Cheng’s film, especially because it has no dialogue.

“Dialogue is an easy way to communicate, but if your actors are good and if your camera angles are good, you can tell a story without any dialogue whatsoever,” Burnett said. “You can communicate character moments. It’s a challenge for sure trying to navigate through that, but you can do some really interesting things.”

Assistant Professor of German Jeffrey Hertel, who is

the club’s faculty adviser, said Cheng has always approached his films like he imagines a professional would, and is also excited to see the film when it is completely done.

“In my years advising the club, they’ve really ramped up their activities in meaningful ways,” Hertel said. “We have a really innovative and driven group in the Film and Production Club. It’s wonderful to see the students get out there and turn their passion into a reality. I am excited to see the final product.”

Cheng said he aspires to one day shoot a movie in China about China’s One-Child Policy and forced cremations. Cheng added, given China’s censorship on films there is a possibility it won’t be shown in theatres; however, he is dedicated to making films even if they might not be approved in China.

“I have hope that by the time I am good enough to make a two-hour film, China will be more open than it is today, and people’s desire to look for the beautiful and true things will break through the barriers that exist today,” Cheng said.

Angel Studios’ ‘The Senior’ is just an old trope

ByAmeera Wilson

Coll E gi A n rE port E r

Don’t waste your time on Angel Studio’s new movie “The Senior.” You’ll have more fun watching the Tennessee Titans play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Those mediocrities of the NFL will put on a better show than this feel-good sports story.

“The Senior” is meant to be filled with healthy messages and second chances, but is a daydream catered to older men who live in the past, obsessing over their “glory days.” It features very little character growth and romanticizes a failure to move forward.

Based on the true story of Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis) the film is about the 59-yearold man who goes back to Sul Ross State University in Texas to finish his fourth year of school and football.

During this time he is supposed to undergo great character development, realizing the importance of both forgiveness and family.

Flynt had been kicked off his college’s team for excessive fight-

ing, and three decades later, as a construction worker in Texas still can not get over his lost season. After going to his football team’s reunion, he is inspired to return to the field and finish what he started.

Throughout the movie, everyone insists that “football was more than a game.” When telling his wife his plans, Flynt claims that he “had to do this.” For him, returning to the game is an essential part of changing his life.

This does not disparage the achievements of the man himself. Returning at 59 to play with college athletes is extremely impressive. Even in the movie, the character clearly had bucket loads of grit and determination.

But, throughout the entire movie it is never clear exactly why he “had to do this.” In fact, it seems obvious that he shouldn’t.

A very important part of life is learning to let go. It’s something everyone has to do at every stage.

We let go of high school and move on to college. We move on from college to join the work force and raise children. Parents have to let go of

their children and allow them to become their own people.

Every new part of life means leaving something behind. And this includes sports.

Football for Flynt is something that he is unable to let go.

At the beginning of the movie he says that he thinks of the moment he was kicked off the team every single day. That’s every single day for over three decades in which he had a wife, a son, and grandchildren.

Flynt’s decision to go back on the field is not heroic in any way. Impressive, yes. But heroic? Romantic? Absolutely not.

“The Senior” a tiresome reflection of the boomer mentality of “back in the summer of ’69.”

It’s a desperation to be back in the glory days.

His son tells him it is selfish, that he might get hurt and even paralyzed. Flynt refuses to listen. He prefers to risk paralysis than to move on. He doesn’t even process how that could affect his family.

Flynt tells the team later that his coming back wasn’t about ego, but the movie shows that it was. The writing fails to convey an inspiring message, giving no

good reason that Flynt’s actions are not selfish and inward facing. The filmmakers put inspiring music over lazy writing to try and make a pathetic character seem noble. Regardless of talent, the actors had no chance at salvaging the movie. The level of importance that Flynt places on his sport is unreal and unhealthy. When a teammate is told that he may never be able to play football again, Flynt helpfully informs him that whether or not he plays again is entirely up to him. Because for Flynt, not playing is not an option. The reality is that injury can destroy careers. There are many moments when things are taken away from you and it is in fact not in your hands. People need to be able to let sports go. The movie seems to make the opposite point, and it makes for a bad film.

The movie romanticizes chasing after old regrets. It shows a man obsessed with the past and portrays him as an underdog come-back story. And in the end, it simply isn’t worth the watch.

‘Slow Horses’ season 5 gets off to a fast start

By Sophia Douglass Coll E gi A n Fr EE l A n CE r

The Emmy-winning British series “Slow Horses” has begun its fifth season with a bang.

In this series, a team of disgraced MI5 agents are assigned to Slough House, an administrative purgatory, under the supervision of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). There, while drowning in paperwork, the agents dreamed of reentering the field, until season one’s hostage case changed everything.

“Bad Dates,” the long-anticipated premiere of season five, opens with a strange mass shooting at a shopping center. Among the deceased is a supporter of Zafar Jaffrey, the left-leaning mayor of London, and the shooter, Rob Trew. Later, Lamb and his disgraced MI5 agents discover that Trew had ties with Jaffrey’s conservative opponent, Dennis Gimball.

The premiere’s thrilling mystery captivates viewers, but watchers will also observe the characters’ intense trauma throughout the episode, adding an emotional undertone some may find exaggerated and overthe-top.

As the characters attempt to unravel the mysteries of Trew’s history and motives, they try to come to terms with their grief from last season’s explosive ending. The finale, “Hello Goodbye,” saw the death of Marcus Longridge, who died protecting his fellow agent River Cartwright. Marcus’ absence is certainly felt by all the slow

horses, but it seems to affect Shirley Dander the most, who viewers see struggle with her drug addiction throughout the premiere.

If you enjoy comedies, dramas, thrillers, or a mix of them all, “Slow Horses” is a must watch show for you.

The season five premiere is a captivating and emotional production that enthralls viewers from its very first scene. Between the violent shootings and heart-felt conversations, watchers will find respite in the characters’ witty jokes, which lighten up the show’s tone. Thus, “Slow Horses” provides an enjoyable

viewing experience for fans of thrillers and dramas alike.

As Ben Dowell from The Times said, “It is glorious fun, a taut, twisty and enjoyable thriller laced with so many funny moments. Oldman continues to be mesmerizing to watch.”

I agree. The first episode was a solid 4/5. The characters’ trauma did weigh down both the storyline and the pace of the premiere, but the episode is otherwise stellar. Oldman’s Lamb provides much needed comic relief in between the heart-to-heart conversations of his agents. If you wish to learn more about “Slow Horses,” the show is available on Apple TV+. There, a new episode will be released every Wednesday until Oct. 29.

Cheng with his high school dorm parents, Diane and Mike Flynn.

Courtesy | Charlie Cheng

Sophomore Huba Bodor-Gosztony during a rehearsal of the first Tower Players production of the season. Courtesy | James Brandon

The poster for “Slow Horses.” Courtesy | IMDB

features

From Darth Vader to chromatic aberration: Whitley prepares for trivia

Chai tea and giant study guides bring Whitley’s trivia team to second place at the homecoming competition

By Megan Li Features Editor

When the Student Activities Board unveiled the homecoming theme, many dorms searched for subject experts among their residents for the trivia competition. But not so at Whitley Residence: the six members competing in space trivia turned themselves into experts.

“Two weeks before the big event, I made a Google Doc of any single theme or any subject related to space that’s possible,” freshman Blake Schaper, leader of the trivia team, said. “We looked at science fiction movies, video games, anything related to space history. I researched the different types of telescopes and talked about chromatic aberration in lenses. I just wanted to make sure we covered all our bases.”

Junior and Whitley resident assistant Dylan Glover said Schaper exhibited great leadership in his initiative to organize studying for the team.

“His drive to help us win and his work of assigning study materials to each member of the team are what put us in contention for first in trivia this year,” Glover said. Schaper said this was the dorm’s first time, as far as he knew, preparing for trivia this intensely in advance. As soon as he learned about the trivia competition, he begged the resident assistants to let him lead the team.

“We got second place,

which I think goes to show that we’re at least doing something decently,” Schaper said. “We were on the seat of our pants though — if we missed one question, we would have dropped a few places. Every time we studied counts.”

Schaper placed in the top 20 in the nation for the National Academic Bee in seventh grade, and he said he hopes to go on “Jeopardy!” someday.

“I’ve always had a passion for trivia and learning knowledge,” Schaper said. “I thought this would be a great way to get back in the habit and also show my smarts. My friends call me ‘the king of the nerds,’ and I gotta continue that title.”

Schaper recruited senior Nicholas Mirochnikoff, junior Benjamin Bassett, sophomore Pierce Leaman, and freshmen Dominic Gaetano and Dave Lawrence for the team. Each member took a different category of the study guide.

“Seeing the potential in some of my teammates was one of the things I’m most proud of,” Schaper said.

Gaetano came into the trivia armed with quiz bowl experience from high school and his family’s love for “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” and other space fandoms, so he chose to specialize in space movies and pop culture for the competition.

“That category just so happened to be a large portion of what made up the overall trivia set of 40 questions,” Gaetano said. “Unfortunately, no -

body memorized the distance of Mars to the sun. Otherwise, we would have won.”

Gaetano said the extent to which he studied paled in comparison to his teammates.

“I’d scan Wikipedia pages, I made myself ChatGPT summaries. I’ve been quizzing myself throughout the week. But they had piles and piles of note cards, bolded words, flashcards,” Gaetano said. “I was like, ‘Wow. I don’t know what I signed up for here.’ I

of trivia called for his “special secret formula”: his grandmother’s “ultra-caffeinated” chai tea.

“I put three of the tea bags in a water bottle and started just chugging it. I felt a little strong. I was a little jittery,” Schaper said. “Nicholas was like, ‘Blake, you gotta chill down.’ I wanted to do a Whitley chant. We nixed that, but we did a group prayer. I was feeling a little antsy throughout the whole thing, probably

“Unfortunately, no one memorized the distance of Mars to the sun. Otherwise we would have won.”

only truly learned the extent that the team had gone through to prepare for this a day or two before, maybe even the day of, the actual trivia competition.”

At the trivia competition, SAB asked a series of 10 questions per round, and the team would write down their answers, which would be submitted for grading.

“It means that you can work together as a team instead of a team of individuals,” Gaetano said. “It definitely takes a lot of the pressure off of the competitors. It makes it a lot more enjoyable as a team, but not as cool to watch.”

Schaper said the intensity

Quick Hits

By Matthew Tolbert Web & puzzle Editor

In this week’s Quick Hits, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Edward Goldsmith talks Britain, banjo, and classroom behavior.

Which is better — whiteboard or chalkboard?

A chalkboard. My handwriting is terrible and I need some grip. And it just looks cooler. Let’s be honest.

What stereotype about English people is dead right?

There’s probably a couple. We like a drink. That’s true — except I don’t drink — but generally we do. What counts as an alcoholic in America, we call a legend in the U.K.

We like tea, and I think we’re much more reserved than Americans. We all have bad teeth.

How about dead wrong?

We’re not all posh. This idea of the Hugh Grant type — walking across an English moor in a top hat — that’s not what happens. It’s more like hiding under a bus shelter in a tracksuit.

So I would say we’re not posh. What made you want to come to America?

I feel like America is the greatest country in the world. And, you know, as an outsider who’s visited lots of countries, I genuinely believe that.

How did you end up in Michigan?

The reason I ended up in America is because I really wanted to, so I made the effort to try and get over it at some point. We used to come over and visit America every few years, and I was always obsessed with it.

What was the biggest adjustment coming to the United States from En gland?

Having to drive everywhere. I showed up with a British driving license, and a British driving license only works in California for a month, and I didn’t even have a car for that month, so I didn’t drive in Amer ica for the first little while I was here. If I needed to do anything, I’d have to get an Uber. Then that adds up quickly, especially in Cali fornia.

How is that different in Britain?

In the U.K., I can go a week without driving, without even thinking about it, be cause I’d be in my town. And here, if I need to go and just do something like that, I have to drive like two miles. It’s not a criticism; America’s big. England isn’t big. I imagine moving from America to England would be much harder, because everything gets smaller! It’d be like trying to downsize into a studio apartment after you’ve owned a mansion.

because of the caffeine.”

Gaetano said he was initially doubtful of his ability to contribute to his first homecoming at Whitley.

“But the first category was ‘Star Wars,’ and so I was able to answer a lot of those questions very confidently. Then the last category where we needed to perform just happened to be space pop culture,” Gaetano said. “It was just an instant write-down.”

Gaetano said the last round was a great moment for the team that landed them in the tie-breaker round, and he ended up as one of the highest scorers on the team.

“I definitely want to give a

shoutout to the boys, all the hard work they put into it. Definitely to God, of course — we did a prayer circle before, so that’s definitely massive,” Gaetano said. “All the people that came to support us, even if it wasn’t like they could jump in or anything. They just came to watch. We’re really building something here, and I think this trivia win is a massive part of defining the dorm that no one really knows about. We were happy to place, because I don’t think we’ve ever placed that high in a homecoming event ever.”

Schaper said many students seem to underestimate Whitley as a dorm, but he hopes to defy that stereotype.

“I know Galloway Residence equates us to the fraternity in ‘Monsters Inc.’ that’s full of a bunch of losers who don’t do anything, and I like to just gently counteract that stereotype — show that we’re a small dorm full of spirit,” Schaper said. “We’re not just a bunch of nerds who never see the light of day again, but we’re well-rounded individuals who are fun to talk to and engage with the real world.”

Schaper said the team did well on the trivia’s “Star Wars” portion, lost some points on NASA missions, but won 10 out of 10 points on the last round. He felt nothing but pride for the team, despite not winning first place.

“Whitley drilled it into us freshmen that this is a chance to show who you are to the overall body of Hillsdale,”

Schaper said. “Doing the trivia aligns perfectly with that mission, also with the homecoming dance. If you asked me to do dive rolls and dress up as Wall-E in front of a crowd of 200 at the start of this summer, I would say absolutely not. But I thought this is the time to try something new. I know you only have neuroplasticity until the age of 24, so then you start being solidified in your skill sets. This is the perfect chance to grow myself.”

Glover said placing second in trivia inspired him and the rest of the dorm to work harder than ever for their Mock Rock performance on Saturday.

“We scored the most points we ever have in homecoming this year, and a large part of that was because the trivia team worked so hard at preparing for the competition,” Glover said.

Gaetano said the Whitley trivia team will be returning next homecoming with full force.

“We’re going to go for first next year,” Gaetano said. “That trivia team includes some of the greatest minds on campus right now. So I think any category we have a solid shot at.”

with Edward Goldsmith

beard completely or shave your head, which would you choose?

Well, this is limited by the fact that I can’t really grow a beard. I don’t think I have the head for a shaved head. I’ve got big ears and a square head. So I’d look like Spongebob.

cheap banjo, and we found an old fella who sort of knew how to play the banjo, and he showed me the ropes and I learned, and then I just kept playing it because I like it.

What do most people misunderstand about math?

That you either get it right or

is describing than the exact nature of mathematics.

What is the hardest thing about teaching math?

When I’m teaching Calculus I, I’ve got a class of students that they do mathematics for the hour that I’m with them three times a week, and then they do a bit of homework. And then when there’s Christmas break, they won’t touch maths, and then they come back and they’ve forgotten algebra, and they’ve forgotten how to do arithmetic. The difficult bit is not getting frustrated with that.

How did you get into playing banjo?

If someone told you you either had to grow out your

I just liked the banjo. I was 11, and I came home from school and my mum was like, “Have you thought about learning an instrument?” I was like, “I’ll learn the banjo.”My mum bought me a

wrong. As an applied mathematician, it’s not about right or wrong, it’s how much information you can extract from a problem using various inexact methods. We don’t solve equations exactly. Applied mathematicians care much more about the inexact thing that the maths

What about the easiest thing?

I think I’m at a stage now where I don’t think it would be possible for me to forget how to do calculus. Not that I don’t need to prepare for lectures, but I imagine if I was teaching history or something, you probably every now and then, if you haven’t taught it for a little while, have to go and remind yourself of dates and names. With maths, you don’t have to do that. And I think that’s because you embody it as a subject rather than memorize it.

What surprised you the most about Hillsdale students?

How they dress. They dress like they care about coming to school. When I was in California, half my students

would turn up in pajamas — literally roll out of bed! One guy ordered a pizza to my lecture once, and I was like, “Can you at least humor me and pretend like this matters to you?” But here, it wasn’t surprising to me that Hillsdale students cared about their degree, but it was surprising to me that they constantly act like they care about their degree.

What would you think you’d be doing if you’d never fallen in love with math?

I would have been one of the guys that builds flat pack furniture. I love building flat pack furniture.

What do you miss the most about England?

Just my family. But fortunately, my parents are at roughly the age where they’re getting ready to retire, so they’re able to come and visit a lot. That’s nice.

What part of England do you hail from?

I was born in London. My mum’s from Liverpool. I was born in London, then we moved to Cambridge when I was about 6. I went to undergrad in Bristol, which is the southwest of England, and then, before I moved to America, I lived up in the northwest, in Liverpool, where my mum moved back to be close to her family.

Goldsmith plays the banjo at a festival in Cambridge with his old band.

Courtesy | Edward Goldsmith

F eatures

Homecoming from

A1

Junior David Gregory, the student house director of Niedfeldt Residence, said the Niedfeldt men were very intentional about preparing their dances.

“As soon as the theme drops, we have someone working on making our mix for it, just putting all the songs together. About two weeks from Mock Rock, we start practicing. It’s an hour per night, we’ll take one day off a week, and we just try to work through the dance front to end,” Gregory said. “Because the timing is so tight, we put all of our work choreographing the dance basically the night before. So

it’s very stressful and it takes quite a bit of time, but it works for us.” Lang also noted the time-intensive nature of both designing choreography and teaching it.

“The hardest part was the time constraint,” Lang said. “There are only a few days between the theme drop and the start of practice. I had a lot of ideas coming in, but once the

dances a few hours before we taught them.”

Meduna said this experience in Mock Rock this year, though intensive, has definitely convinced him to do it again in 2026.

“It was such a blast dancing with all my friends and kind of learning how to do something as a group like

that,” Meduna said. “Just being part of the group and learning to work together like that is really good.”

Sophomore Dave Bellet said Mock Rock was also a great way to build character, both now and for the future.

“One of the reasons that we care so much about winning is because if you are able to fully commit yourself to a task, even if it’s a silly task, then you’ll be better at fully putting yourself to important tasks,” Bellet said.

“And so by putting all the work that we do into Mock Rock and homecoming, we believe that that will help us to become better men in the real world, becoming husbands and fathers and whatever else may lie in wait for us.”

Campus Character Miriam Ritchey

What is your family like?

Miriam Ritchey is a senior from Eubank, Kentucky, majoring in mathematics. She is assistant editor of The Magazine, a worship team lead at Soma, and the vice president of the Kappa Mu Epsilon mathematics honorary. She is also captain of Women’s Club Soccer, president of the Memorization Club, a member of the Collegiate Scholars Program, and served as a co-emcee of Mock Rock this year.

If you had to live in the country or the city, which would you choose and why?

Country for sure. The city is horrible. No one knows how to actually live.

What did you do in the community growing up?

4-H was a big part of my life. Speeches, horse showing, and other fair entries.

Three sisters! (and a brotherin-law). We like to say that our family hobbies are eating and talking, but we find plenty of time for sports in there, too.

What is one favorite pastime you consistently enjoy?

I have too many to list, and most people don’t know all of them. Riding horses is one that I miss while at college. Others include slacklining, unicycling, baking, crocheting, and writing.

Why are you majoring in math?

I’ve always loved math, and the thought of not doing it made me sad, so I decided to just keep doing it.

What hobbies do you keep doing at college?

Three of the things that always bring me joy are soccer, quick-recall trivia, and dancing. I try to make time for all of them. I also enjoy memorizing scripture and poetry, and I start-

ed the Memorization Club here.

Do you have any favorite instruments or any you would like to learn?

I wish I was better at guitar, but it’s my own fault that I don’t take the time to practice. And I wish I played piano.

If you had to pick an American car maker, would you choose Ford, Chevy, or Dodge?

Ford is just better. Our F250 has 330,000 miles, and it’s still going strong.

If you were to give your younger (pre-college) self a piece of advice, what would it be?

A lot of people don’t know how to have fun, or they think that being boring is “cool.” Own the things you love. “Fitting in” doesn’t make you the person

you want to be. You don’t have to, can’t, and won’t be everyone’s friend. That’s OK. But, for the ones who are your friends, you have a serious duty to love them well.

If you had to live 100 years ago in a country other than America, which would you pick?

Well, if it wasn’t for the potato famine, I’d choose Ireland. But really, I just love America.

What’s your favorite redhead stereotype?

That they have strong opinions.

What’s something you do that most people don’t know about?

I compete in adventure racing, which is competitive orienteering with a compass and a map. It can be on bike, boat, on foot, or a combination of all three.

I’ve competed in 6-hour and 12-hour races, some alone and some with my family. If I had more time, I would compete in more.

What did you do during your gap year?

I traveled domestically, tutored for middle school math and the ACT, played club soccer, ran farm business with my sister, learned how to make wedding cakes, and completed an adventure race.

What animals are on your family farm?

Goats, cows, chickens, pigs, horses, a dog, a cat, and we tried unsuccessfully to have sheep and rabbits.

What is a dream you have that you don’t talk about?

I want to write a book, novel-esque, about my life or the life of my family in some way.

Olds resident assistants rehearse the Mock Rock routine that would tie for second with Simpson. Evelyn Kniffen | Collegian

Compiled by Frederick Woodward Circulation &

Niedfeldt rehearses its Mock Rock routine in the basketball courts. Courtesy | David Gregory

Olds brings out an inflatable alien costume for its Mock Rock. Evelyn Kniffen | Collegian

Niedfeldt dancers fling sophomore Joseph Diprima into the air. Courtesy | David Gregory

The Kalloway (Galloway and Koon) Mock Rock team poses on the night of Mock Rock. Courtesy | Student Activities Board

Ritchey with Lira, her off-campus horse.

Courtesy | Miriam Ritchey