Committee begins core curriculum review
By Catherine Maxwell Senior Editor
Hillsdale College will build a new visitor center and an extension to Central Hall, President Larry Arnn announced at convocation Nov. 13.
Other plans feature a memorial arch and updates to the facade of the Moss Laboratory building.
“The plans are contrived to fit the campus in form and function,” Arnn told The Collegian. Construction on the new visitor center will begin in the spring, even though the college still needs to raise $8–9 million according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. The project should last 14–15 months.
“We have about half of what is needed for the visitor center,” Péwé said.
The exterior plans of Central Hall are finished, but the college has yet to finalize the interior plans, according to Péwé.
“There will be some updates to the existing interior of Central Hall,” Péwé said. “Normally, the college would wait to start until our supporters have donated or pledged nearly all the funding needed. But in this case there is a logistical need to start the visitor center this spring.”
The new Central Hall addition will extend the north-facing side of the building into the quad, designs obtained by The Collegian show.
Arnn said the designs finish the building, which was not originally built to be part of a quad.
“The design is in keeping with the original design of the building,” Arnn said. “It will house academic administration and several classrooms and be more fully what it was meant to be: the center of our campus.”
The Central Hall construction is not yet funded, Arnn said.
The college recently replaced a historic limestone threshold at the entrance to the building.
“The original was so worn
it had become a trip hazard,” Péwé said. “Of course, we have preserved the original.”
The current timeline for the start of Central Hall construction is uncertain. The college hopes to raise money for updates to the facade of Moss Laboratory before starting the memorial arch, which needs to be finished before work on Central Hall can begin, according to Péwé.
Architect Duncan Stroik, who designed Christ Chapel, is also designing the memorial arch, Arnn said at convocation.
“The memorial will remind us who we are and provide definition to what we think
will be a splendid architectural setting,” Arnn told The Collegian.
In addition to those projects, architects have drawn up plans for south library addition, Péwé said.
Library Director Maurine McCourry said the expansion would include space for the library archives, including an office, a reading room, and storage.
“It will be stunningly beautiful, like the north addition,” McCourry said.
By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor
By Sydeny Green Senior Reporter
The Hillsdale Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny a request to convert a storage building behind Hillsdale Community Thrift into a “dwelling facility” to be used as a sober transitional housing facility at a meeting Wednesday.
“My opinion is contrary to how I vote this evening,” Chairman Eric Moore said during the meeting. “I do admire what you are doing, and I want to see a solution in our community, but our charge here is to assure compliance with the ordinance.” The HOPE Harbor project — which stands for Hillsdale Opportunity Promoting Empowerment — aims to convert the storage building behind Hillsdale Community Thrift into a sober transitional housing facility. The effort is led by Melissa “Missy” DesJardin, who formerly ran Camp Hope before it closed Oct. 16 after the Hillsdale City Council deemed its tent structure unsafe for occupancy. See HOPE A7
By Ellie Fromm News Editor
Hillsdale College has appointed a committee to review the core curriculum and consider changes such as a possible comprehensive core exam, according to Samuel Negus, director of program review and accreditation.
“The freshmen who’ve matriculated this year are the 10th class to matriculate into the new core,” Negus said.
“We plan to review, look back at what those changes have affected, whether they’ve worked out or not.”
The current core curriculum was the creation of a review committee from the late 2000s, and was implemented in the 2013-14 academic year. The last course implemented by that committee was the senior capstone, which began with the class of 2020.
“This is essentially a program review process for the core. Now was the right time for two broad reasons,” Negus, the non-voting secretary of the committee, said. “One was that it’s been 10 years since these changes fully came in. And then the other was that Dr. Arnn has an interest in adding some kind of comprehensive exam to the core, in some form or fashion, and he’s spoken about what that might look like in very broad terms. It’s part of the role of this committee to think about what along those
lines is actually feasible, and how we would do that.”
The Logic and Rhetoric course requirement, religion and philosophy requirements, and the sequence of the heritage and great books courses were changed with the 2014 core update. The math requirements were also redesigned, according to Lorraine Murphy, associate professor of English and member of the review committee.
“The core was revised with several things in mind. The first and most fundamental was based on this question,” said David Whalen, associate vice president for curriculum and professor of English. “The answer to this question — what are the essential things that any liberally educated man or woman needs to understand about the fundamental academic disciplines? That’s a pretty broad question, but it does force you to think about what we are actually doing with our liberal education.”
The review committee is considering student and alumni feedback, both from surveys and informal meetings, in their discussions, according to Whalen, who is also a member of the review committee.
The Hillsdale football team took a 31-14 win against Ohio Dominican University at home Nov. 15 to finish the regular season 6-5 and qualify for the Albanese Candy Bowl game Dec. 6. The Chargers, who finished 5-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, will face Upper Iowa University, who finished with a 6-2 record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The bowl game will be Hillsdale’s first since 2021.
“The bowl game is a great opportunity for us to learn how to prepare and play for a long season,” head coach Nate Shreffler said.
Junior receiver Shea Ruddy was named GMAC Offensive Player of the Week thanks to two receiving touchdowns including an 80-yard screen pass reception.
into the next drive. If we got stopped, we didn’t let that affect us. We’d make the big plays, run hard, and I think we did a great job with that.”
The Chargers scored on their opening drive when McKernan connected with Ruddy on a 4-yard touchdown pass.
“Our ultimate goal is to win a conference championship and compete in the playoffs for a national championship. This is a step in that direction. We are playing our best football right now and being rewarded and able to continue this season with this group of men is a blessing.”
Ruddy finished the season as the GMAC leader in all-purpose yards with 1,510 and led the Chargers in both receiving yards with 598, and kick return yards with 783.
Sophomore quarterback Colin McKernan said the team stayed resilient in Saturday’s game.
“We didn’t let things cascade into anything worse than they already were,” McKernan said. “If we let up a big play, we wouldn’t let that affect us going
Hillsdale added to their lead in the second quarter when freshman kicker Dylan DeDario hit a 36-yard field goal. At the half, the Chargers led the Panthers 10-7. Although the Chargers briefly lost the lead in the third quarter after an Ohio Dominican touchdown made the score 14-10, a rushing touchdown by McKernan in the third quarter put Hillsdale in front for good.
McKernan had another strong game for the Chargers, completing 14 of 19 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns. In addition, McKernan rushed for 61 yards and one touchdown.
By Ty Ruddy
Editor
The Central Hall and library additions from the Quad. Courtesy | Richard Péwé
Freshman Ben Ngishu rushes against an Ohio Dominican player. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
No. 14 sophomore Charlie DeVries and freshman Jeffery Townsend celebrate DeVries’ goal. Courtesy | Cruz Reichert
By Skye Graham Social Media Manager
Students in the documentary filmmaking course premiered
“Lived Conservatism: Russell Kirk’s Example for a New Generation” Tuesday night.
The documentary covers the life of prominent conservative thinker Russell Kirk and his affiliation with Hillsdale College. At the end of the documentary, junior Gemma Flores — the film’s narrator — revealed herself as Kirk’s granddaughter.
“It was really cool to see it all come to life,” Flores said. “It was really nice to reflect on my grandpa’s legacy, especially here at Hillsdale.”
In addition to Flores, four other students worked on the film — seniors Emma Wiermann and Cassandra DeVries, sophomore Aubrie Wilson, and freshman Nora Shull.
Wallace, who lived with the Kirk family for six years.”
Students interviewed Annette Kirk for the documentary, in which she reflected on Kirk’s
“At Hillsdale, he saw a continuation of his philosophy. He saw students who believed in the preservation of the permanent things.”
visitors and guests. In some instances, Professor of Economics Ivan Pongracic pointed out, they hosted guests at their home for years, including Pongracic himself.
Pongracic and his family fled communist Yugoslavia, and found a temporary home in Piety Hill, Kirk’s Mecosta home.
“Kirk certainly practiced what he preached,” Pongracic said.
“Over the course of his lifetime, he and his wife took in refugees from Vietnam, Ethiopia, unwed mothers who had nowhere else to go, and a homeless man named Clinton
Kirk was a political philosopher and is often called one of the fathers of modern conservatism. His conservatism was not just political, but a moral and religious foundation that governed his way of life, according to the documentary. The film told stories centered on Kirk’s home in Mecosta, Michigan, where he and his wife, Annette, would host
legacy, values, and his love for Hillsdale College.
“Hillsdale has very much been a player in our lives,” Annette Kirk said in the film. “At Hillsdale, he saw a continuation of his philosophy. He saw students who believed in the preservation of the permanent things.”
The students came up with the title “Lived Conservatism” after hearing how his wife responded to interview questions. Kirk demonstrated what it meant to live out a conservative life, Wiermann said.
“A lot of anti-communists
didn’t really know what they stood for,” Professor of History Bradley Birzer said in the film. “They knew what they hated, but they didn’t know what they stood for. Kirk was not like that.”
Kirk was not a reactionary but a conservative who articulated a positive vision of conservatism, Birzer said.
Flores encouraged young conservatives to carry on Kirk’s legacy, and live out conservative values with confidence and poise.
“Remember that doing the right thing doesn’t mean that you’ll win,” Flores said. “In fact, you’ll probably lose, but as Kirk tells us, we can’t give up hope. We, as young conservatives, must bear our crosses humbly and take up our torches courageously.”
Lecturer in Journalism Buddy Moorehouse said he chose the subject of the documentary both because Flores was in the class and because there were not yet any documentaries about Russell Kirk.
“There’s a lot of videos out there of people giving talks about him at lectures or panel discussions, but not a true documentary,” Moorehouse said.
“So we figured there was a need to have the story told, and it made sense to have it be told by Hillsdale College students.”
The class also premiered the shorter film “The Long Run” by DeVries and Wilson, about Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele and his 24-yearlong tradition of running Le Grizz, a 50-mile ultramarathon.
After the showing of the documentary, Steele told the audience that anyone can be a runner, insisting that he could coach anyone in the room to run an ultramarathon.
“I guess if Dr. Steele can run 50 miles, then I can do two miles around the track,” Wilson said.
Student Federation election open until Friday, students can choose representatives
Construction from A1
McCourry said while plans have been drawn, the project has not been approved and would likely start after the north quad construction is finished. The brick and limestone addition will include a pavilion with a brick dome leading students from the south quad to the north quad, according to architect firm Michael G. Imber architect Alice Arnn. The addition will convert the existing Heritage Room into a new archives center, Alice Arnn said. The archives space will add a display hall, a vault for rare book storage, office and work space, and a new reading room.
“The new reading room will significantly expand the Heritage Room footprint and allow students to study among both great books and great architecture,” she said.
The addition will also include a cafe, space for the Writing Center and Academic Services, private study carrel desks, and offices for staff.
“The architecture of the formal reading room spaces builds upon the tradition of great reading rooms like the Wren Library at Cambridge, the Boston Athenaeum, and the New York Public Library,” Alice Arnn said. “Woven into the building will be statues and detailing that focuses on the themes of philosophy, poetry, and wonder.”
The new Founders Room mockup.
Courtesy | Richard Péwé
The new Heritage Room remodel.
Courtesy | Richard Péwé
The Central Hall designs, with additions in darker shading.
Courtesy | Richard Péwé
By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor
Students can see course rosters for any current or past classes, thanks to a new feature in the “Hillsdale Experience” app. Edward Parshall, applications and integration lead in Information Technology Service, said they decided to add the feature for the spring of ’25, as the old version of the app, “HillsdaleGO,” had a similar feature.
“After moving to the ‘Hillsdale Experience’ app, we received feedback from students indicating a desire to see the course roster feature provided again, as there was some inherent value in knowing who their classmates would be in a given class,” Parshall said in an email. “We strive to add value and support the mission of the college, through the appropriate use of technology. This initiative was a direct result of a need being communicated and our team’s commitment to fulfill that need.”
Freshman Nolan McCue, who works at the help desk for ITS, said he tested the new feature a few weeks ago.
“Ed Parshall just popped over to the Help Desk one time and said, ‘Hey, can you test this for me?’” McCue said. “He just wanted me to download the app and see if the course roster was working
for students. And after that, I decided, wow, this is a great feature. I should probably share this.”
McCue said ITS added the feature because it was present in the old “HillsdaleGO” app.
“They wanted to bring it back and make students happy in that way, and provide them with the features that they were missing,” McCue said.
Senior Heather Juskiewicz said she thought the new feature is a good thing.
“We had that ability at least for my freshman year, which was a few years ago, and it went away with the system change, and a lot of people were generally disappointed,” Juskiewicz said. “I didn’t really hear anybody who liked the other way with no ability to see the roster.”
Junior Theodore Hoelker said he didn’t know if it was necessary, but it would be useful.
“I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like it could be useful,” Hoelker said. “Maybe, if you are trying to see if people you know are in a class.”
Sophomore Evelyn Gray said it would be helpful for recognizing people outside of class.
“I like the idea of being able to remember who was in my classes, just because they’re those people you see around campus and then never see again,” Gray said.
‘True manhood’: Legion XII to table at AmericaFest
By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter
Student leaders of Legion XII, a Christian men’s club and nonprofit that aims to teach young men what it means to be godly, are hoping to expand to other campuses after the new year.
Founded by junior Luke Waters and other Hillsdale students, including club vice president junior Andriy Pasichnyk, the group hopes to recruit new club leaders from across the country while hosting a table at AmericaFest, an event hosted by Turning Point USA in Phoenix every December, according to Waters.
“Andriy and I will be there connecting with donors and the general Turning Point network, and then, the rest of the guys will be on the actual floor of the event, recruiting, talking to potential student leaders, young men who want
to start organizations that form the whole man,” Waters said.
The mission of Legion XII is to help young men learn what true manhood looks like in a world where many people in their generation do not know what it means to be a man, according to Jason Gehrke, assistant professor of history.
“There is an existential question in young men ages 15-25. They want to be good and do the right thing, and a lot of it is that they don’t have an inherent notion of sex and gender roles. Luke wants to help his peers understand this,” Gehrke said. “The young men who are finding Luke’s program are finding it because it responds to a need in themselves.”
The club, made up of 16 members, gathers once a week for a Bible study. Then, throughout the week, they
meet to work on different physical skills, including sparring and kickboxing, according to freshman Christian Brossa, a member of Legion XII.
“Everything that we do has a biblical connection,” Brossa said. “I think there’s nothing that we do that is separate from trying to be Christ-centered men.”
The four tenants of the club are virtue, valor, vision, and vigor, according to Luke Waters.
“The question is, what does it mean to be a biblical man? What does biblical manhood look like? And how do we actually restore that? And that’s the heart of this,” Waters said.
The fighting helps students improve their self-control and direct their natural inclinations toward gaining strength. The club has a handbook for its members to work through together over two years, according to Waters.
“They gather together once a week and read through that week’s chapter, there’s discussion questions and challenges,” Waters said. “They’re paired with an accountability partner who they meet with weekly and set goals with them. And then there’s multiple different combatives programs that all the guys work into.”
During Waters’ freshman year at Hillsdale, he started a Christian boxing club based on his club in high school. The initial mission of the club was to help Hillsdale students in a
similar way to how he helped his peers through his club in high school.
“We’re at Hillsdale College. This is the place where men should be being launched from, like arrows from a quiver,” Waters said. “I saw a lot of freshmen in my class when we first showed up, who started resting, drifting, because they had made it to Hillsdale. And I was like, ‘No, this is the time that we should be gearing up.’” Waters joined the Kehoe Family Initiative for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Hillsdale’s entrepreneur fellowship run by Career Placement Associate Jennifer Lutz, to grow Legion XII.
“Jen Lutz has been spectacular, very, very helpful,” Waters said. “She brings in a bunch of great business owners and entrepreneurs.”
Through mentorship, Waters has been able to hone in on the mission of the club and understand what is necessary to expand that mission to other campuses, according to Lutz.
“I think one of the things that Luke is very clear on, and the reason this is getting traction, is he really understands the cultural problem with young men,” Lutz said. “He’s been working on that mission and the messaging so that it’s something that he can take and replicate in other places.”
Conservatism’s demise? Speaker explains populism within the movement
By Charles Hickey Collegian Reporter
Conflict between rightwing populists and mainstream conservatives is a persistent problem, according to Daniel McCarthy, vice president of publications at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Collegiate Network.
McCarthy presented a talk Nov. 13 titled “Is Populism Conservatism’s Future...Or Its Demise?” which was hosted by the Lyceum.
McCarthy said there was a civil war on the American right in the early 1990s in which complicated battle lines were drawn based on the issues of immigration, trade, and foreign policy —
“We’re learning a lot,” Whalen said. “Everybody comes into the room knowing a great deal about what students find frustrating, what they find liberating, what they find convenient or inconvenient, what is complicated because of their major, and what is facilitated. So, there’s a ton of feedback in the room, even on the informal level.” Whalen said members of the review committee are also using information from their experiences as academic advisers in their deliberations.
“The primary source of feedback is our experience as advisers,” Whalen said. “The faculty are mixing it up with the students all the time — several times a year with every student on campus. We are going back and forth, and we’re exchanging information.”
Murphy said the committee is reviewing every part of the core, including things like the sequencing of certain courses or taking four years to complete the core, as opposed to encouraging its completion in a student’s first two years.
“How can we pursue the good of giving students a common experience at the same time as pursuing the good of giving them the freedom that they need to chart their path through the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Arts, the
in large part due to the end of the unifying threat of the Soviet Union.
“Our success in the Cold War created new questions for the American right,” McCarthy said.
These three issues aren’t the only problems which have divided conservatives.
“The questions of America’s relationship with Israel, how that affects potential conflicts in the Middle East, and whether criticism of that relationship is antisemitism,” McCarthy said. “This is also something that dates back to the 1990s and even earlier.”
McCarthy explained the emergence of populist figures such as Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot, and detailed their
science majors, the humanities majors?” Murphy said. “It was weighing these goods against one another and deciding what to prioritize. We want to make sure that we’re doing that well because it is a robust core. It asks a lot of students.”
Whalen said the core is meant to give students a “common experience” so that they are able to share ideas, though they major in many different disciplines.
“It gives you a sense of belonging and identity, such that if you were just kind of doing things on your own and by yourself, and had no one to talk to, you would feel much more isolated, much more alone in the venture,” Whalen said. “So, membership and then friendship, conversation, the common experience, promotes all of that.”
The committee is reviewing the curriculum broadly this fall and will begin reviewing details in the spring, according to Negus.
“In the spring, we’ll have three meetings in which the committee will start to think about things that they might propose as revisions; somewhat major, perhaps, probably more likely to be a handful of fairly minor things, whatever those might be,” Negus said.
struggles with the Republican establishment and President George H.W. Bush.
“I go back to this scene in the 1990s and in the early 2000s to start to indicate how we’ve arrived at the present moment and how these fault lines have been in place for a very long time,” McCarthy said.
The economic boom of the late ’90s and the shock of 9/11 weakened populism as a political force until the rise of Donald Trump, but the years that followed ultimately vindicated populist criticisms of conservative policies, according to McCarthy.
“In foreign policy, attempts to Americanize other parts of the world, or to liberalize oth-
By Thomas McKenna Editor-In-Chief Dean of Humanities
Ste -
phen Smith introduces the life and writings of Thomas More in an online course released by the Center for Thomas More Studies Oct. 31, the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s declaration of More as patron saint of statesmen.
“He’s a free, artful, and daring thinker who lived and wrote and thought under a very powerful monarchy,” Smith said. “He also served his country with great distinction throughout his life, and so he is an author and thinker who was also a practical statesman.”
The eight lectures guide the viewer through More’s major works, personal correspondence, and moral conscience.
er parts of the world by force, have failed,” McCarthy said.
Conservative attempts to liberalize and democratize other parts of the world through free trade have also failed, according to McCarthy.
“What free trade succeeds in doing is actually making America more dependent on other countries for basic technologies,” McCarthy said.
“Things like computer chips and steel manufacturing, things that we actually would need in the event of a war.”
Mass immigration and a lack of assimilation have enabled Democrats and progressives to weaponize the immigration system, according to McCarthy.
“Again, this is something
In the early 16th century, the English statesman refused to swear an oath acknowledging King Henry VIII as supreme head of the Church of England and the annulment of Henry’s marriage. More was executed in 1535 and canonized as a martyr by Pope Pius XI four centuries later.
Smith co-edited “The Essential Works of Thomas More,” published by Yale University Press in 2020, and edited “For All Seasons: Selected Letters of Thomas More,” released in 2012.
The course can serve as an introduction to the saint, Smith said, including for those who may know him from the famous play-adapted movie “A Man for All Seasons” but want to “know more.”
“For More, to be a practical statesman meant to have the
that populists have been complaining about going back all the way to the 1980s and 1990s, and yet it only becomes salient once it becomes a kind of crisis — which happens in 2016,” McCarthy said.
He said former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s controversial platforming of white supremacist Nick Fuentes on his podcast was “dumb.”
“I think that Tucker Carlson probably did that because he knows that Fuentes has an enormous underground audience,” McCarthy said. “Not just among ordinary folks, but even on Capitol Hill.”
Lyceum president and senior Adriana Azarian said she thought the compatibility of populism and conservatism
ability to pilot the ship of state in both calm waters and in a real storm,” Smith said. “To do that, a person needs the best education, the best preparation, the best habits, the best experience possible. You don’t just magically become capable of statesmanship, in More’s mind.”
After decades of studying Thomas More, Smith said it was difficult to choose what to include in a course so short compared to his other scholarship on the saint.
“You have to accept the real limits of time, and then choose wisely, I hope,” Smith said. “In this case, I knew that we needed to introduce his character, his personality, his mind, his wit. The first thing I thought was, ‘Why don’t we let a real friend of Thomas More’s tell us what he
has become increasingly relevant with Trump’s election.
“McCarthy did a very good job explaining the history of conservatism and how it’s always been more complex than we like to think it is,” Azarian said.
Sophomore Noah Abrudeanu said he remained unsure of the merits of populism, but that he was impressed by McCarthy’s eloquence.
“I really liked his historical contextualization of populism that I feel that I did not have nearly as much of before this talk,” Abrudeanu said.
thought?’ So we started with Erasmus and his famous letter on Thomas More.”
The course then turns to More himself and letters he wrote to one of his famous mentors and the teacher of his children. Smith also introduces the viewer to his “major writings that need to be much better known,” including More’s “Utopia” and “The History of Richard III,” which inspired a young William Shakespeare to pen his “breakthrough tragedy.”
“There’s a huge More-Shakespeare connection that I want everybody to know about,” Smith said. After moving through More’s writings during the Reformation, Smith also teaches on More’s writings while imprisoned in the Tower of London, including “A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation.”
“C.S. Lewis thought this was a book that should be on every man’s shelf,” Smith said. Distant Moon, the same company contracted for online courses by Hillsdale College, produced the video lectures, which can be found online at thomasmorestudies. org.
Smith teaches on Thomas More in new online course
Junior Luke Waters leads a Legion XII meeting.
Courtesy | Luke Waters
Stephen Smith in the online course’s trailer. Courtesy | The Center for Thomas More Studies
Opinions
‘Trad’ is just as much a fad as ‘woke’
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Online : www.hillsdalecollegian.com
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3 p.m.
Submit to Rome: Watch good movies
By Moira Gleason Executive Editor
Take it from the Bishop of Rome: Good movies offer hope amid the algorithms.
“Entering a cinema is like crossing a threshold. In the darkness and silence, vision becomes sharper, the heart opens up, and the mind becomes receptive to things not yet imagined,” Pope Leo XIV said in an audience with filmmakers and actors Saturday. “The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what ‘works,’ but art opens up what is possible.”
The pope is onto something. If you’re like me, you spend most of your screen time mindlessly scrolling through 30-second videos curated to your tastes, and you probably can’t get through a movie without checking your phone or opening Instagram.
But we lose depth when algorithm-driven entertainment takes the place of art. Short-form media acts as an escape mechanism. Film stands apart in digital entertainment as an art form that can challenge.
The algorithms that drive platforms like Instagram and TikTok keep users online by predicting the kinds of content they will like and engage with. Don’t agree with this influencer’s opinions? Great, she’s gone. Get bored five seconds into a clip? With a flick of the thumb, there’s something new.
It’s mechanized confirmation bias disguised as entertainment, and it’s hurting us. Online content has already begun to drive a wedge through civil discourse. A bill introduced in the Senate this week aims to hold social media platforms accountable when their algorithms negligently cause harm. Social media feeds on and perpetuates narrow-minded and hateful thinking because outrage keeps consumers engaged.
Film is key in cultivating a space for reflection and conversation.
By Lewis Thune Assistant Editor
Postmodernism is waning. Traditionalism is ascendant. People are nostalgic for a simpler time: They brought raw milk and smoking jackets back into vogue, and turned sundresses into a legitimate craze. “Trad” is the definitive response to 15 years of “woke.”
As this becomes clear, it also becomes apparent that no one grasps what that truly means. As soon as “woke” became a term at all, it became a semantically overloaded, political catch-all term. No one could define it, but right and left knew it when they saw it. It operated entirely on vibes, and it was popular because it felt cool. It stopped being popular as soon as that feeling evaporated.
“Trad” is a direct reply to woke, so it naturally has the same problem. It’s a vibe. Ask seven people what it means, and you’ll get seven different answers — the closest approximation is some vague, novel combination of conservatism and religion. But show those same people a picture or meme, and everyone will agree if it’s trad or not.
nateness and pageantry. Baptist and reformed congregations like mine often have a simplicity reminiscent of a purer time.
Take one of Pope Leo’s favorite four movies, which he described last week, Robert Redford’s 1980 “Ordinary People.” It’s not a fun watch. Set in the Pope’s hometown of Chicago, the film follows the recovery of high school student Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) and his family after Jarrett attempts suicide following his brother’s tragic death.
The drama works because it draws attention to the darkest parts of human experience and prompts its audience to dwell in the discomfort — not to exploit the pain as clips of assassinations on X do, but to recognize and explore it.
If the scene of Jarrett’s mother (Mary Tyler Moore) screeching at him about how he ruined her family came across my Instagram feed, I would scroll past before she could get two words out.
But that scene in the context of the whole showcases the quiet pain caused by trauma and the difficulty of conversion.
My own experience watching “Ordinary People” in high school helped me become more attentive to those in my life who experienced similar hidden pain. I would not have gotten that benefit if I did not have to sit with Conrad Jarrett and his parents and become a witness to their suffering.
“You can’t feel pain, you aren’t gonna feel anything else, either,” one of Redford’s characters says.
That is what great film, great art does: force us to confront truth above our own preferences, which makes us better able to perceive reality in the world outside the movie theater.
This change of sight effected through film is something fragmented, algorithm-driven entertainment can never accomplish.
Moira Gleason is a senior studying English.
Like its woke progenitor, trad has quickly become invincible. Gallup reports that social conservatism is reaching its highest popularity since the early 2010s outbreak of postmodernism, and the public influence of religiosity has recently reversed its fall. And in a similar way, if not much quicker, the trad fad will crash and burn like woke did. It is fleeting, and what’s worse, we’ve willingly tethered this political millstone to the Church.
Christianity is cool right now — which ought to alarm us. The virtues of humility, forgiveness, self-denial, discipline, suffering, and slavery to righteousness necessarily clash with every human society, the West included. One single look at social media shows that the newfangled coolness of conservative-minded faiths is driven heavily by the “aura” of traditional religions. The Islam creeping into the right-wing “manosphere” offers a more dominant masculinity than the West is accustomed to. Catholicism has an unwavering or-
Like the sower of the Gospels, we Christians gaze triumphantly upon a field rich with simplistic living, conservative ideals, and church participation — as if the Christian life could be reduced to these. Have we forgotten that we sow among rocks and thorns? Anyone who knows the parable understands that the field will yield only a fraction of what we expect.
dus to explain why he will no longer do this, as the Israelites back then grumbled over their bread the moment they craved something new. The truth he then proclaims is that he is the true bread, but nobody wants to hear that. They all leave.
Appearances disappoint, and those that don’t quickly become boring. We see it in John 6: Jesus laments the people of Capernaum for following him simply because he appeared to be giving out free loaves. He loudly recalls Exo-
For a college community that so harshly criticizes previous Christian revivals from the Great Awakenings to Billy Graham to the ad campaign “He Gets Us,” we ought to understand that popular gospels — gospels masked in societally acceptable garb — fail. The gospel Jesus preached promised pain, poverty, and suffering. Therein lay its radiance.
And for those convinced this time is different because it’s more Catholic, curb your enthusiasm. The Roman wave
Alexis de Tocqueville predicted in “Democracy in America” has yet to materialize. Between births and converts, Islam is still globally outgrowing Christianity. And in America particularly, as Pew Research shared in February, Protestant churches — led by independent and Baptist congregations — still not only dwarf the Roman Catholic Church in conversions, but make more converts out of Catholics than any other sect or religion.
Somehow, we imagine that we couldn’t possibly be Israel or Capernaum of John 6. We proudly embrace a movement built on the appearance of that better life, based on that picture of a former time that everyone agrees was “trad.” But where we agree in images, we disagree in actuality. This will be the fate of the trad fad — the wheat can’t hide rocks and thorns forever. When the world from the picture inevitably fails to return with proper speed or strength, those among the rocks will fall away. The thorns will continue to grow apace as trads become bored of the movement, embracing a nominally Christian yet explicitly vengeful utopian politics. Nick Fuentes and his sycophant Joel Webbon already lead an expanding army of Groypers using the guise of “based and trad” toward identitarian ends neither Christian nor conservative. And as the politics of trad loses its saltiness, so will its religion. That saltiness cannot be restored. Grafting Christianity onto the withering roots of a political coalition compromises the branch. It will languish as quickly as it sprouts. Before reaching for power in God’s name, we ought to recall his example: Though the expectation of Christ the king made converts, the reality of Christ the suffering servant made disciples. He told us to go about making the latter.
Welcome though it is, this nostalgia for olden days will pass; it’s a moment, a fad. The truth of the Gospel will not; it is neither. It’s time for the trad fad to start growing at the root and not the sprout.
Is protein toothpaste next?
Americans’ obsession with this macronutrient has gone too far
By Adriana Azarian Assistant Editor
I found myself with two dilemmas one morning on my fall break road trip: I hadn’t gotten my caffeine fix, and I hadn’t hit my protein goal for breakfast. Enter the new Starbucks protein latte. With 29 grams of protein in a venti vanilla latte, I was set for a few hours. It might’ve been good in a pinch, but the protein takeover of the American diet needs to stop. Protein is a macronutrient that extends the feeling of fullness, boosts metabolism, balances blood sugar, and repairs muscles. As more people have discovered the health benefits of protein, food companies and restaurants have scrambled to add protein to their products. On grocery store shelves, you’ll find protein tortilla chips, protein pancake mixes, and protein pasta — heck, I even found a jar of protein peanut butter the other day.
But as much as we need protein for a balanced diet, we’re definitely overdoing it. The recommended dietary allowance for an individual’s daily protein intake is 0.36 grams per pound — for a 150-pound person, that’s about 54 grams of protein. This is likely too little, especially for someone trying to up his metabolism and muscle gain. But as we Americans become more aware of our protein deficiencies, we’ve swung to the opposite extreme. As with all things, protein should be consumed in moderation, that is, in the amount that suits an individual’s needs and fitness goals. Excess protein intake can cause digestive problems and even kidney damage for certain individuals. And if not properly supplemented with a healthy amount of carbohydrates, it’s more difficult to build muscle on a high-protein diet.
Just because it’s beneficial to increase protein intake
doesn’t mean it must be an all-or-nothing pursuit. Not every food needs to have 20-plus grams of protein per serving. A chocolate bar can just be an ordinary chocolate bar, and a slice of bread can just be an ordinary slice of bread while still serving a valuable purpose in one’s diet. Carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and micronutrients are also necessary for proper energy levels, satiety after eating, metabolism, and overall joy in life.
Bodybuilders aside, most of us don’t need 150-plus grams of protein daily to have balanced, healthy diets. We especially don’t need them in the form of highly processed corn puffs and cookies. If we increase our protein consumption, natural protein sources like cheese, eggs, Greek yogurt, meat, and quality, grass-fed whey powder are much better choices than a highly processed, pre-packaged snack.
Busy college students
sometimes need to fuel themselves by whatever means possible, and not everyone’s schedule allows them to make or grab a whole foodsbased meal with 30 grams of protein. Pre-packaged protein sources, in moderation, are not going to destroy your health — and some are definitely better than others. But they still do not replace the real foods that should make up the majority, if not entirety, of our diets. A Starbucks protein latte can be a great occasional supplement, but it shouldn’t replace real food. If you catch me drinking a protein shake from the sports complex cart on a Tuesday, I’m probably just in a hurry to meet my fitness goals. But if you ever catch me with a “protein brownie,” please throw a dumbbell at me.
Adriana Azarian is a senior studying politics.
Lewis Thune is a senior studying politics. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.
Drawing 101 should count for the core
By Anna Broussard Design Editor
I could barely draw a stick figure when I walked into Sage 235 for the first day of Drawing 101. It took countless hours, late nights in the drawing studio, and pointed critiques, but through the 16-week course, an artist was born. The art of drawing takes time, patience, and grit: qualities essential to a comprehensive education. Drawing 101 should fulfill the fine
arts requirement in the core curriculum. The course meets twice a week, running nearly 3 hours per class period, and begins with everyone sitting on wooden benches called “horses,” blind contouring — drawing in pencil without looking down at the page for five minutes — an item in the center of the room. Immediately afterward, students assess and critique each other’s drawings. It is brutal. My drawing resembled an abstract pile of spaghetti, when the object I was attempting to draw was a cow skull. As I walked around the room comparing my drawing totempts, I realized we were all bad — not at drawing,
drawing is similar to the game of golf: It is impossible to pretend to be good. One’s game can only be improved through many visits to a driving range, leaving it filled with divots from practice swings and misses. Drawing is even harder because the mediocre golfer can curse the course or the clubs, while the artist has no such excuse. Somehow, lines connected in the right place with the right shape and proper proportions become art. It is akin to anything difficult; it takes intentional effort. Drawing is public and vulnerable.
the flaws and gaps in my mental approach to education. It exposed my pompous attitudes of procrastination and mediocrity, while challenging me to produce something beautiful and entirely individual.
In the course, it is impossible to inflate one’s abilities. The student’s talent, effort, and patience show through every homework assignment. It is a lesson in the willingness and vulnerability necessary for a complete education.
Blackout proves streaming is too good to be true
By Henry Fliflet Collegian Reporter
sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
ate professor and chair of the art department, explained that
Talent might even hurt your ability to excel in the course — as Suarez told me — because the untrained student will begin by learning the principles and then develop from there, while a trained student might need to unlearn their preconceptions. Like education, drawing is the simple retelling of what your mind has interacted with. There is no place to fill pages with empty words repeating the same statements and ideas in an already-too-long English paper. Drawing will take hours of practice, hours of erasing, and hours of staring at inanimate objects. It is raw, exposing, and humbling. It is an attempt to copy what is seen exactly as it appears.
Drawing 101 highlighted
Britain disgraces bad royals — will America take heed?
By Frederick Woodward Ad & Circulation Manager
A member of the British monarchy stands stripped of his ruling titles for the first time since World War I, and the scandalous circumstances leading to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s humiliation, as well as the substance of the king’s response, are worth the attention of all Americans.
King Charles III issued a terse statement last month that initiated the formal process of removing “the Style, Titles and Honours” of royalty from the disgraced Prince Andrew. Additionally, Andrew will be evicted from the Royal Lodge he has occupied essentially for free for two decades.
The king is responding to more than a decade of sexabuse allegations lodged against his younger brother. Earlier this year, Andrew’s primary accuser, Virginia Giuffre, took her own life. Her memoir, published posthumously this fall, included new details concerning the connection between Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, and many believe it was the final impetus for King Charles’ action.
The weight of the king’s decision is indisputably grave, for it places the entire person and legacy of Andrew into the company of the most reviled men in English culture: those who have betrayed their fatherland. The last time a royal was stripped of his titles was in 1919, when King George V dethroned Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, for conspiring with Germany during World War I. Removing the titles from a member of the royal family is a punishment reserved for those few men who not only betray their country and its creed but do so for their own self-interest.
John of Salisbury, the medieval theologian who gave us the idea of the body politic, writes in his “Policraticus” that “To be cast down from honor is to be cast out from the body politic, as a limb severed from its place.” Andrew’s punishment and eviction is a societal amputation, a reminder that transgression of public morality demands a heavy price.
Charles’ treatment of Andrew underscores a lesson that too many American leaders have either forgotten or are afraid to teach. To maintain a healthy social order, we must laud the virtuous actions that benefit the common good, and simultaneously, firmly and publicly condemn evil actions. As a body of organic communities, every country must by necessity uphold a clearly defined morality, for like any body, it must be governed and judged according to some criteria of moral certainty.
Charles’ actions remind us that no social order can exist without a mechanism for not just carrying out public punishment, but public disgrace on moral grounds. The burden of initiating such opprobriums weighs upon every government to rule in our imperfect world. To enact such a public reproach, as Charles has done, is not a matter of arbitrary choice — it is one of sacred duty.
In America, given the alarming revelations from the Nov. 14 Epstein correspondence cache, we ought to examine our national conscience accordingly. Like England, we have prominent public figures — American royalty, if you will — whose personal actions mirror the hideous deeds of the disgraced former prince. Unlike England, we don’t have a monarchy with titles and palaces that can be stripped away with the swift motion of a royal pen. But we have other reproaches we can enact, both in the private and public sphere. Whether or not we take action will, for good or for ill, etch a moral character on the slate of American life and public morality which cannot be easily scrubbed away.
America isn’t England. But justice and her demands transcend national identities and contexts. Charles has taken a momentous step towards the reassertion of public morality and civic dignity in the United Kingdom. Will our country follow suit?
economy.
Most students who take this class will not become artists. Yet, through the course, they can develop educational skills that apply more broadly to life. The liberal education is a pursuit of beauty, and every student should understand that beauty requires effort. Drawing is hard, but it is for everyone. It develops the habit of dedication to an unknown final product, which is something beautiful.
The Hillsdale education intends to develop virtue and cultivate excellence. Drawing 101 exposes how seriously you take education, and thus it should fulfill the Fine Arts requirement of the core curriculum.
Anna Broussard is a senior studying politics. Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.
The longest blackout in television-streaming history ended last week when YouTube TV settled a dispute over how much it would pay Disney to air its programming. For 14 days, YouTube TV’s 10 million subscribers kept paying their $83 a month but could not watch any sports hosted by ESPN.
Streaming services made themselves essential by alternately creating and acquiring vast portions of the television market. Unbeknownst to consumers, this great product was insufficiently profitable — but now that it’s become irreplaceable, services like Netflix and YouTube TV raise their prices and worsen their product with impunity.
Disney, one of the players in this debacle, only first turned a profit streaming last year with ESPN+ and still lost money on Hulu and Disney+, according to Forbes.
Which is to say: They sold their customers a product that didn’t really exist. The cliche remains undefeated; if it
YouTube announced Nov. 9 that it would offer customers $20 credit to make up for the gap in coverage — but only to those who actively claim it, instead of applying it automatically, according to NBC Sports. It’s another example of the squeeze that exists everywhere in streaming now.
I remember piling into the car with my siblings to rent DVDs for family movie nights, but options we had then were limited compared to the more or less infinite offerings I can access anytime I want on my computer thanks to streaming. It’s remarkable.
The convenience and price we were sold was, in fact, too incredible to last. Streaming services are making money now, and as the carriage dispute preventing 10 million subscribers from watching Monday Night Football showed, that’s going to make the product worse.
English.
John Adams deserves a statue
By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor
A key figure of the American founding still lacks a statue on Hillsdale’s Liberty Walk: John Adams.
While the presence of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison is more immediately obvious in the American founding, Adams’ legacy deserves far more respect than it currently receives.
In his career as a lawyer, Adams showed courage in standing up for what was right. In the aftermath of the Boston Massacre, he represented the British Redcoats who had fired upon the angry mob, leading to the acquittal of six soldiers. Adams believed everyone should have the right to a fair trial and followed through with his duty, even if he would become unpopular among some of the colonists for his defense of the “enemy.”
Reflecting on the trial three years later, Adams called his defense of the British “one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole
Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country.”
Adams was still a patriot fully in favor of American independence from Britain, but he also believed in justice, irrespective of sides.
Adams advised the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence and persuaded Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft. During the debates for American independence, Adams played a key role in the Continental Congress.
David McCullough, who wrote a definitive biography of Adams in 2001, “John Adams,” wrote of Adams’ perseverance in fighting for independence.
“For eight difficult wearisome months, working under the greatest imaginable stress and with the full realization of all that was riding on what transpired in Congress, he kept his head, kept driving toward the single surpassing objective of independence,” McCullough wrote. “Few Americans ever achieved so much of such value and consequence to their country in so little time.”
McCullough points out that through his urgency and drive, Adams made the Declaration happen when it did, and that if it had come at a later time, the events of the American Revolution would likely have been vastly different.
Adams also received praise from his contemporaries for his contributions to the Declaration.
Fellow Founding Father Benjamin Rush said of Adams, “Every member of Congress in 1776 acknowledged him to be the first man in the House.” Jefferson called Adams, “Our colossus on the floor.”
Adams was the primary author of the Massachusetts state constitution, ratified in 1780. While other state constitutions have been replaced as many as 11 times, the Massachusetts constitution is still active, a testament to the enduring influence of Adams’ work.
In the aftermath of the revolution, Adams helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which secured British recognition of the United States as an independent nation.
After a brief retirement, Adams served as the first vice
president under George Washington and then as the second president of the United States. During his presidency, Adams successfully kept the young United States from entering into a war with France, paving the way for Jefferson to complete the Louisiana Purchase. Although his presidency was not as popular as Washington’s or Jefferson’s, it should not diminish his contributions as a Founding Father.
Hillsdale has an opportunity to rectify the modern-day snub of one of our finest Americans. After Madison received his statue on the Liberty Walk in 2020, the next person who should follow him is Adams.
With the space previously occupied by the Victory Bell now vacant due to its move to the new student union facade, the college now has a perfect opportunity to put Adams right where he’s always been: Between Washington and Jefferson.
Christian Papillon is a senior studying history.
Mr. President, build that ballroom
By Blake Schaper Collegian Freelancer
Critics of the president’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing need a history lesson. Public and media criticism have taken issue with the necessity, price tag, and ethics of the demolition and renovation. But these criticisms fail to account for the circumstances of the addition and the historical precedent of prior additions.
To begin, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt built and expanded the East Wing to be a venue for housing guests. Trump’s partial demolition and addition serve the East Wing’s original purpose.
The president will no longer have to set up a big tent
on the South Lawn to host diplomatic and other state meetings. The proposed ballroom is 90,000 square feet with a price tag of $300 million. It will triple the White House’s hosting capacity from 300 to 1,000 people. The larger space saves money and increases safety.
Despite future savings, $300 million is still a hefty price to pay for such a ballroom. Yet this sum has been shouldered by willing donors, so taxpayers do not have to eat the cost. Some major sponsors include the Union Pacific Railroad, Amazon, the crypto Company Coinbase, the casino Hard Rock International, and tech giants Meta and Palantir.
This has raised subsequent concerns about allowing private donors to abruptly
destroy a site as historically significant as the East Wing. Worries abound that these donations are out of place and intended solely to curry favor with the president. Yet almost every monument on the National Mall — from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument — was built with private funds. Some monuments, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, were funded entirely by corporate and individual donations. Previous presidents have privately funded White House renovations, such as President Gerald Ford’s construction of an outdoor swimming pool in 1975 or President Barack Obama’s modification of the basketball courts in 2009.
Private donations have funded past White House
renovations, such as a recent Rose Garden beautification project. In addition, the private donors are donating to 501(c)-3 nonprofit organizations, which are then financing the private building contractors. This is perfectly legal and does not need congressional approval. The White House is home to the most powerful world leader. Trump has the funds and resources to renovate it in order to create a venue that reflects the prosperity and power of America, and he’s willing to play hardball.
Blake Schaper is a freshman studying the liberal arts.
Henry Fliflet is a junior studying
Frederick Woodward is a junior studying political
City News
Paladino reflects on time as mayor
By Thomas McKenna e ditor-in-Chie F
After nearly a year acting as mayor of Hillsdale, Joshua Paladino ’18 isn’t sure anyone should want the job.
“It’s simply that the authority attached to the mayor’s office is not worth running in a citywide election, receiving more criticism, even though you have virtually no additional authority,” Paladino told The Collegian in an interview this week.
Paladino was voted mayor pro tem by his fellow councilmen in November of last year after Adam Stockford, who had served as mayor since 2017, resigned when he moved his family out of the city.
Paladino — who spent a decade at Hillsdale College earning bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees — was elected to the city council in 2022. While at Hillsdale, he served as the opinions editor for The Collegian his senior year. Paladino and his wife, Brigette ’18, married in 2019 and have two children.
After opening the city council meeting Monday night, Paladino returned to his seat on the far-left side of the dais, where he represents Ward 4.
The council voted earlier this year, at the recommendation of the city’s attorney, to hold a special election for mayor this month. Former mayor Scott Sessions won the mayoral race on Nov. 4 by 67 votes, returning to the mayor’s seat Monday night.
“It feels great to be a councilman again,” Paladino said. “I guess not that I ever lost that position, but it feels great to be acting as a councilman again. The mayor is at somewhat of a disadvantage. It’s
By Skye Graham SoCial Media Manager
Michigan will tax an additional 24% on wholesale cannabis under a new state law that goes into effect Jan. 1, allocating revenue toward Michigan roads and construction projects.
The tax will be added to the existing 10% excise tax and 6% sales tax for cannabis sales at regulated dispensaries. Estimates by Michigan Advance say the new tax could raise up to $420 million. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has advocated raising taxes on marijuana as part of her initiative to repair Michigan’s roads.
“After voters legalized marijuana, the industry has grown exponentially thanks in part
By Lonán Mooney Collegian FreelanCer
A new jewelry store in downtown Hillsdale, which offers a variety of vintage and handmade pieces, opened in mid-October.
Love, Willow operates by appointment and sells jewelry at an affordable price, according to store owner Kristen Holmes.
Holmes said she tries to make sure her customers find exactly what they are looking for when they schedule an appointment to shop, because jewelry is more than accessorizing; it’s an experience.
Holmes said she hopes customers take away a spirit of positivity from the store.
“I hope customers find it to
difficult to keep the meeting running and facilitate conversation and think about what agenda items are coming up next and where you are in the order of the meeting, while formulating arguments and responding to arguments from others.”
The mayor of Hillsdale is a voting member of the city council who runs the meetings, but the office has no executive authority. Instead, the city council oversees the work of the city staff, which is led by the city manager.
“The sort of natural associations that we make with ‘the mayor’ — that he’s somehow responsible for the administration and the policies of the city — that is so disconnected
“I’m somewhat convinced that Mayor Sessions won’t take on that role,” Paladino said. “He has explicitly declined policy leadership, saying that he’ll kick things to committees or take the advice of the staff and other council members.”
Paladino said he doesn’t know Sessions’ plans for his time as mayor.
“I’m still not sure what he ran on, except opposing negativity, which apparently means asking council members and staff members tough questions, which we did,” Paladino said, referring to the Nov. 17 city council meeting. “That’s the funny thing, that’s exactly what we did, and it was perfectly cordial. Everyone was kind.”
“I’m surprised anyone wants to run for the office.”
from the reality on the ground that I’m surprised anyone wants to run for the office,” Paladino said.
Stockford told The Collegian in April that the mayor could use his position as a “bully pulpit” from which to set an agenda and unite his peers.
“It’s more about steering the ship than being the navigator,” he said in April. “You can chart a course, but you need everyone else rowing in the same direction. That takes the trust and support of your peers. Most of the time I was mayor, I had that.”
But while Paladino said the mayor can sometimes help set policy priorities, he does not believe the new mayor can unite the council around an agenda.
to Michigan’s industry-friendly taxes, the fourth-lowest in the nation,” Whitmer’s office said earlier this year.
When the state of Michigan legalized marijuana in 2018, Hillsdale city officials passed two ordinances to prohibit the sale and public use of marijuana within city limits.
Because of this, Hillsdale does not receive tax revenue from marijuana sales. Ward 4 councilman Joshua Paladino said he is frustrated that the state gives additional tax revenue to municipalities that allow marijuana dispensaries within city limits.
Paladino said he would like to see Michigan House Republicans distribute money from marijuana taxes evenly, rather than giving municipalities with
The office’s lack of executive authority helps explain why Paladino was unable to accomplish what he called his No. 1 priority when he entered office last November: removing fluoride from the city’s water.
“I asked the city manager to research it and bring forward a resolution, to at least give the city council an opportunity to vote on whether we should continue to fluoridate the public water supply,” Paladino said in a September interview. “But nothing has come of it yet.”
City Manager David Mackie said in September he could not act without explicit direction from the council, which he did not receive.
One win Paladino counts from his time as mayor pro tem was connecting Pen -
dispensaries more revenue to improve their roads.
“I don’t think the state should be holding this over our head as a funding mechanism,” Paladino said. “The city doesn’t get additional gas tax revenue for each gas pump; we don’t get additional tax revenue for the cigarettes or alcohol we sell in the city. It creates a system of perverse and vice-encouraging incentives that I don’t think the state should be encouraging.”
Paladino said he thinks allowing marijuana dispensaries might not be in Hillsdale’s best interest.
“In the cities that have done this, their downtowns do not look particularly healthy,” Paladino said. “There’s an argument to be made that Hillsdale stands out for not having
ny Myers of the Share the Warmth homeless shelter with additional funding from private entities, including the Hillsdale Community Foundation.
“They’re not going to take any government funding from what I understand,” Paladino said. “Between the Community Foundation and local churches contributing, that’s going to be the way they raise the money and get this thing going.”
Myers told The Collegian last month that the board hopes to raise $750,000 to purchase a new building in the next three months through the Hillsdale Community Foundation’s annual Great Give. That would allow the shelter to stay open year-round.
“In a better world, the city would receive mental health money, health department money as a discretionary allotment from the state, and we would be able to choose whether we want to support something like a full-time homeless shelter,” Paladino said. “But I think that's outside the realm of political possibility at this point.”
The state, Paladino said, is “totally committed” to a grant-writing system that doesn’t allow the county to allocate funds as it sees fit.
“We just need a full-time, regulated homeless shelter that is both transitional for those who can support themselves, but is consciously permanent for the population of people who will not be able to support themselves permanently,” Paladino said.
Scott Sessions sworn in as Hillsdale's mayor
By Adriana Azarian aSSiStant editor
Scott Sessions was sworn in as mayor of Hillsdale during the Nov. 17 city council meeting after winning the Nov. 4 election against Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley.
Sessions told The Collegian during his campaign that Bentley and former Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino were to blame for the resignations of five Hillsdale city officials, including the city engineer, zoning administrator, the Hillsdale Airport manager, and two supervisors from the Board of Public Utilities.
The meeting ended with Bentley saying Sessions “ran on negativity” and refused to debate with him in public.
“I would suggest to the community at large, the media, and civic organizations, that they should expect, if not demand, that there are public forums where the mayoral candidates meet face-to-face and have discussions so the people can make informed opinions instead of surrogates slinging negativity,” Bentley said during the meeting.
Sessions responded that he had been open to discussion with Bentley while attending the weekly Hillsdale Farmers’ Market.
“I was actually in the public every single Saturday for three hours, and I only saw you down there a couple times,” Sessions said. “You could’ve come to see me, but you didn’t.”
Sessions said during Monday’s meeting that he ran against Bentley because of the negativity he said Bentley and others sowed among city officials.
“The negativity came from the resignations of five different people from the city of Hills-
marijuana, and that might actually be a benefit to the downtown, to have it be more family-friendly.”
In the 2024 fiscal year, Coldwater received $757,000 in taxes from marijuana sales.
Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker told The Collegian in March that the city benefited from the marijuana tax revenue.
“We also collect a $5,000 licensing fee every year from each of these establishments, which brings about another $60,000-$70,000, depending on licenses that year,” he told The Collegian in March.
Ashley Davis, founder and co-owner of the Stoned Goat dispensary in Osseo, said the tax increase will affect her business significantly.
“What’s frustrating is that cannabis is already one of the most unfairly taxed industries, and adding more on top hurts the little guys, not the big corporations,” Davis said. “It feels like the legislature pushed through a major change without proper input, and that upsets me not only as a dispensary owner but as a registered Michigan voter.”
Davis said a large portion of customers at the Stoned Goat use marijuana for medical reasons due to the high cost of other medications.
“Insurance rates are so high and pharmaceuticals have a lot of negative side effects,” Davis said. “People are choosing a more natural remedy, and the government is finding a way to make money off of people just
dale. That’s where the negativity came from. It was in the resignation statements. That’s all I put together. That’s what I ran my campaign on because there was negativity there,” Sessions said. “I’m sorry if you didn’t see that. I did.” Bentley said he had no interactions with the city's engineer or the public utilities supervisors who allegedly resigned because of him.
“I reject that there was negativity for the previous year under mayor pro tem’s tenure, and the whole narrative I would challenge you, rhetorically, to name the five bodies that he or I caused. I reject all five of them as being caused by either one of us,” Bentley said.
As mayor, Sessions said he will enforce a chain of command in which communication between council and its staff must first go through the mayor and city manager.
Sessions previously told The Collegian the chain of command would solve the “free-for-all” communication between the mayor pro tem and new city council members.
Bentley said he will not follow Sessions’ chain of command and that councilmembers and staff previously emailed each other directly without issues.
“Mr. Mayor, with all due respect, I will not be following the chain of command,” Bentley said. “Generally we all email each other to let us all know what we’re doing.”
Bentley said he would have preferred if Paladino had remained mayor pro tem instead of having any election at all.
“I am 70 years old, and have seen a lot of campaigns in my life,” said Ward 1 Councilman Greg Stuchell. “I’ve never seen one that wasn’t negative.”
trying to help themselves feel better.”
The marijuana industry in Michigan has been fighting against the tax increase in court, arguing it inhibited voters’ abilities to exercise their rights through ballot initiatives. The Michigan Cannabis Industry Association said the tax violates the Michigan Constitution by amending a statute voters have already approved without a three-fourths majority in the legislature.
“Therefore, while the State may claim an interest in raising revenue to rebuild roads, it cannot use the enforcement of an unconstitutional tax that will destroy businesses and livelihoods to achieve that goal,” the group said in the lawsuit.
be a positive place, where they can appreciate beauty and themselves.”
Holmes said she found solace and a creative outlet in jewelry after being diagnosed with epilepsy. She stumbled across TikTok’s “jewelry jar” trend, where thrifting influencers buy mystery jewelry jars and sift through them on camera.
“I decided to get my own and had so much fun with it,” Holmes said. “It started with me tearing apart and crafting old, broken jewelry and making my own."
Now, Holmes said she plans to form a display of her crafted jewelry among the many original pieces her store carries. Love, Willow features more than 600
pieces, including vintage Avon and Monet, ar tisan pieces, and fine jewelry.
Soph omore Savana Greb, who owns a small business called Honeycomb Jew elry Co., said she looks for ward to support ing Love, Willow.
“I love jewelry and owning a jewelry business because it’s such a simple and timeless way
to express yourself and feel more put together or beautiful each day,” Greb said. Holmes said she made purposeful design choices that add brightness to her work office.
“The store is also a way to battle my seasonal depression,” Holmes said. She said she has filled the store with flowers, plants, and
a message board, where she encourages customers to take a note and leave a note of love and inspiration.
Holmes said she hopes the store can be a positive place where anyone can celebrate beauty and themselves for affordable prices. The pricing system features many pieces between $1-5, which is affordable when compared to specialised vintage and handmade jewelry retailers. Holmes also has the average resale price attached to each piece.
Junior Caesar Gombajov said he is thrilled about this new addition to the Hillsdale community.
“I think the new store will
add more variety to this small town,” Gombojav said. “It's also cool that it's opening around Christmas time, so it'll be perfect for gifts.” Holmes said she currently runs the business out of her work office but has plans to open a storefront soon. Until then, customers can make an appointment through her Facebook page.
“Love, Willow is truly tied to the adventure I’m on, with a variety of pieces I hope to help each customer find a special place and unique jewelry piece for yourself and your loved ones,” Holmes said.
Some of Love, Willow's jewelry. Courtesy | FACebook
City council to hold town hall on road repair funding plans
By Gemma Flores assistant editor
The Hillsdale City Council will hold a town hall to discuss special assessment districts on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., following a unanimous vote at its meeting on Nov. 17. Ward 4 Councilman Robert Socha proposed the town hall, which will be open to the public so that Hillsdale residents can voice their opinions about SADs. Socha said the meeting will be attended by representatives from public services and followed by a special public services meeting, which will cover what was discussed at the town hall.
“We already have a public services committee. The committee meetings are public knowledge; they’re posted so that we have public comment during those times,” Socha told The Collegian. “Part of the public service committee’s purpose is road assessments
and things like that. Why create another committee when we already have that?”
The City of Hillsdale uses SADs to fund road repairs. Residents in a SAD are charged up to $5,000 each for repairs on their road.
Socha suggested the meeting after Mayor Scott Sessions proposed reviving the Funding Alternative Identifications and Recommendations committee from nine years ago, which was meant to make the process of road repairs more transparent.
“It has been nearly 10 years since the committee last met, and much has changed since then. The city has made meaningful improvements with the use of special assessment districts and local road monies, but we still have significant needs and limited resources.
Now is the right time to take a fresh look at our approach,”
Sessions said at the Nov. 17 city council meeting.
Ward 2 councilman Matthew Bentley said he did not see a point in reviving the FAIR Committee.
“I applaud your initiative to find a solution to these problems, but the question of
road repairs.
“I personally don’t want to be part of another committee,” Socha said Monday. “As I’ve listened to the discussion tonight and think about it, I think it’s a duplication of ef-
“We are addressing things on council within my term here that should have been addressed in the ’70s.”
who’s on it and how many are on it kind of begs the question, ‘well, what’s it supposed to do?’” Bentley said.
Socha raised concerns about adding a separate committee to conversations about
forts. And I think we could have a town hall and then have public services address the special assessments, since it's obvious that this is the whole reason this has come together.”
Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino told The Collegian he is glad the council decided against forming another committee.
“It would make it ultimately less clear what the council really wanted and what their decision was if we act on a recommendation from a committee of unelected officials,” Paladino said. “So, I was very happy with the outcome of that. The council will make a decision, and we will be held solely responsible for that decision, and then voters can act on that. That's how you have a strong political process.”
Socha told The Collegian that the city may hold multiple meetings to discuss SADs with the public, depending on the results of the Dec. 8 town hall.
“For now, it’s a one-time thing. We’ll see what the future holds,” Socha said. “I can see us having more in the future, I just don’t think there will ever be a permanent schedule.”
A meeting to discuss SADs and road repairs in general is necessary, Socha said.
“The infrastructure in Hillsdale has fallen into extreme disrepair over the decades. We are addressing things on council within my term here that should have been addressed in the ’70s, and that takes time and money,” Socha said. “The city’s budget is not flush with money. We’re not destitute by any means, but we’re not flush. We need all the help we can get, not just to maintain the status quo, but to make progress. The only way I’ve been shown that progress can be made is through SADs. If another way can be shown to me, then absolutely, I’m not glued to anything. I’d rather the SADS not be necessary. But the way I see it, at this time, they are.”
'Like son, like father': New mayor follows in son's footsteps again
Michael Sessions became Hillsdale's mayor at only 18 years old in 2005
By Megan Li Features e ditor
When Michael Sessions was only 18 years old in 2005, he became mayor of Hillsdale by a two-vote margin. On Monday, his father, Scott Sessions, was sworn in for his second term as mayor.
“They say, ‘Like father, like son.’ This is, ‘Like son, like father,’” Scott Sessions said.
Michael Sessions said he had always been interested in public service, and his writein campaign's victory of 670 votes over incumbent mayor Doug Ingles’ 668 helped him realize that dream, making national news along the way. Guinness World Records still lists him as the youngest mayor in America when elected. Now, 20 years later, he is the city manager of Manchester, Michigan.
“Hillsdale is a place where not very many people run for office. When I ran for office, the only person that was running was the mayor at the time, and he was running unopposed. I think people seem to enjoy having an alternative person to vote for,” Michael Sessions said. “Since my time as mayor, I think there has always been a contested election in Hillsdale. That’s pretty neat to see.” Scott Sessions said his first reaction to his son’s decision to pursue the mayoral office was pride.
“I was proud of him, and I supported him,” Scott Sessions said. “I just saw him mature a
DesJardin sought approval to turn the building into a “dwelling facility” under the city’s ordinance for the B-3 general business district.
Moore said in the meeting that there is no clear category to put HOPE Harbor under in the section of allowable uses in the B-3 district.
“For family daycare and group homes, the ordinance is very specific; it says that no dormitory facilities shall be provided or permitted,” Moore said. “The motel use prohibits cooking facilities other than the manager or the caretaker. I don’t know a path forward out of this.”
According to DesJardin, the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act require that cities and towns make reasonable accommodations for sober living homes.
“People with disabilities like addiction should have equal opportunity to live in and enjoy housing,” DesJar-
lot during his term.”
Despite his unconventional age, Michael Sessions said the residents of Hillsdale were supportive of his campaign when he went door-to-door.
He hoped to use his time in office to improve the economy.
“When I was elected, there was always a dream for more funding for the fire department. So the fire department really propelled my election, and a lot of it was surrounding hiring an additional full-time firefighter,” Michael Sessions said. “During that time, a lot of the automotive industry was lost. So it was, ‘How do we work on trying to recruit new industry?’”
Michael Sessions said 2005 to 2009, when he was in office, was a difficult time for businesses amid the Great Recession, and he spent a lot of time studying the role of municipal governments in improving the community.
“That was a time when state revenue sharing started to be very stagnant, like it is today. And that’s a time when property values decreased as opposed to increased,” Michael Sessions said. “My time as mayor was really generally just about continuing what we had.”
Michael Sessions said there was little controversy within local politics during his time.
“Everybody seemed to work together with the city manager,” Michael Sessions said. “We changed city managers twice when I was mayor. There were different things
din told The Collegian after the meeting. “All we were asking for were reasonable accommodations to afford people this, and the commission didn’t know that under federal law they have to allow for this.” DesJardin said she was disappointed in the outcome, as she and her team had been working to prepare the building to meet the city’s requirements.
“The city told us we needed to move
that happened with that. But generally, the city council was always willing to try to work with the city manager and the city staff. It was more about, ‘How do we continue to provide services to community?’”
Michael Sessions
one interested in government and politics to get involved in it, no matter the age.
“I don’t think age is a barrier,” he said. “I’ve had the luxury of working with lots of folks so far in my career, and I’ve had young city council members that have been on
lege student at the same time.
“The allocations of the mayor are essentially to show up every two weeks and run a city council meeting and then advise, recommend, and consent on appointments. That’s pretty much what the statutory requirements in the city charter are.”
cils while I’ve been city
“Social media was in its infancy back 20 years ago, and that was a huge thing,”
Michael Sessions said. “A lot of folks are able to better understand or try to understand the government through social media.” Sessions encourages any -
our storage containers to create a fire lane and update our documentation to reflect that our program is not a permanent housing facility,” DesJar-
ager. I always think that'sspective. You know, I encourage anybody — if they feel as if they have a passion to serve — to serve, regardless of what their age is.”
According to Michael Sessions, his job as mayor was fairly part-time, and he was able to balance his life as a col-
din said. “We decided to make it a sober transitional housing facility specifically to target one of the major causes of homelessness.”
His favorite project completed while mayor was the Broad Street Market.
“That was a market that was pretty rundown when we started, and now, it’s been through a couple of iterations of different owners, but it is pretty neat today, and I think a lot of folks in Hillsdale enjoy that,” Michael Sessions said.
Michael Sessions hired Hillsdale resident Michael Mitchell as city manager, and Mitchell later became a mentor to him.
“It was a great learning experience in terms of how communities are managed and run,” he said. “I learned a lot about planning, zoning, finance, different types of things that have helped me as an individual and as a leader in local government.”
After graduating from Hillsdale College, Michael Sessions chose not to run for re-election because he wanted to see where post-grad life would take him. He has lived and worked in Blissfield, Detroit, Royal Oak, Morenci, and Hudson. He said he hopes his leadership has helped others see the importance of a profession in local government.
“I’ve been a city manager for
Bethany Karn, an assertive community treatment worker who will partner with HOPE Harbor residents, emphasized the connection between substance use and homelessness.
“Pretty much 100% of my clients have had some sort of substance use,” Karn said. “Substance use, mental health disorders, and homelessness co-occur and require intense services that offer wraparound support.”
DesJardin said the Community Action Agency
almost 12 years now,” Michael Sessions said. “A lot of what I learned as a city manager came from my time as mayor, learning from different staff members that worked at the city, and other connections that I gained along the way have benefited my career.” Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram, who had Michael Sessions as a student, said Sessions was very active in the community for a busy Hillsdale College student.
“It was notable that he was able to become a mayor of a city when he was only 18,” Wolfram said. “That certainly is a notable accomplishment.” Wolfram said the role of mayor has remained largely unchanged since Michael Sessions took office.
“Because we have a city manager form of government, the city manager runs the dayto-day operations of the city, and what the city council does is things like approve the budget that the city manager puts forth,” Wolfram said. “The mayor is basically a member of the city council.”
Michael Sessions says he looks forward to seeing his father’s time in office.
“One of the things he really enjoys is being able to listen to people and and after listening to people, understand exactly how they feel,” he said. “I know Hillsdale does have challenges. And I really feel that with the challenges, one of the big things is he wants to unify everybody there and try to really advance that community.”
in Hillsdale plans to offer programs to the residents at HOPE Harbor to help with these issues.
According to DesJardin, the facility would be able to hold 16 residents, with four triple bunk beds and two double bunk beds in the building. Keri Stewart, president of the board of directors for HOPE Harbor, said the community’s support has been significant over the past few weeks.
“Every time there is a hurdle thrown up, something comes through — without fail,” Stewart said. “There are a lot of people helping us get over the hurdles at the same time.”
DesJardin said she is prepared to continue moving forward with her plans.
“We are going to get a lawyer to show that we are protected under federal law and appeal to the zoning board to ask for a variance,” DesJardin said. “It will be a struggle, but it will be just fine.”
HOPE from A1
Michael Sessions became mayor at 18 years old. Courtesy | Max Cote
SportS
Hillsdale Academy
Colts' historic volleyball season ends with state playoff showing
By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor
The Hillsdale Academy volleyball team made it to the Michigan High School Division 4 state playoffs for the first time since 2013, finishing their season with a loss in the quarterfinal game to No. 1 Mendon High School Nov. 18. Closing the season with a 25–12–1 record, head coach Katherine Huffman said the Colts defeated their rival, No. 7 Lenawee Christian in the regional semifinals. They then swept Lansing Christian in the regional finals, sending the Colts into the state tournament and securing their first regional title in 12 years.
“Lenawee Christian is a big rival to our team in volleyball, since I’ve been coaching for 17 years, and we have been winning back-and-forth for awhile,” Huffman said. “Lenawee has beat us out of the tournament a few times and we have beat them out a few
times. They beat us earlier this year, so we were the underdog in that match. We ended up winning 15–9 in the 5th set that night, advancing us to the regional finals.”
High school junior Zoe Plemmons said this season was historic for the Colts and it was their fiery attitude that led to their success.
“We made it to the state quarterfinals, tying for being the best team in school history,” Plemmons said. “I think the biggest highlight was beating Lenawee to take us to the regional finals. We lost to them earlier in the season and I think we were all prepared mentally and physically to pound them.”
High school senior and captain Liz Andaloro said that she is proud of how hard the team worked this season, citing their big wins as motivation to keep playing.
“We learned how to come together as a team and play for each other when it was
needed,” Andaloro said.
“Even when we were down on points, we had the drive to continue playing like it was the last time we would be on the court and that motivated us to want every win.”
Given the small size of Hillsdale Academy, Plemmons said the close-knit community contributes to the team’s chemistry and ability to stay strong even in defeat.
“At the beginning of the season, I knew we had a lot of potential and I was very confident in our group of girls,” Plemmons said. “We went so far and even just making it to the state competition was such a blessing.”
According to Andaloro, the Colt’s season consisted of many moments of overcoming adversity, including many team-member injuries, that led to big wins, notably their two wins against No. 6 Concord High School, 2–1 and 3–1, and a win against Climax Scotts High School,
3–2, in October.
“These long games showed us just how much talent and grit this team had,” Andaloro said.
Now that the season has ended, Plemmons said she hopes next season will be even better than this one, but that their goal is to always keep the sport in perspective.
“Something so important to being on a big team is trusting each other and remembering why we play,” Plemmons said. “We play because we all originally fell in love with the sport, and in the end, we play to glorify God on
This week's solutions will appear alongside next week's puzzles. If you have questions or feedback, please contact Matthew Tolbert at mtolbert@ hillsdale.edu.
the court. I would love to see us go as far as we did this year, and I believe if we put in the work, we can do anything.”
Andaloro said she hopes the next team of girls will continue to play as a unified team and stay strong.
“Although we are graduating four starters, there is amazing talent in the girls coming up,” Andaloro said. “I hope that they learn to play for each other and play for God because it is when my team realized who we play for on the court that we all began to play as a unified team. I fully believe that joy can be found in everything on the volleyball court.”
Women's Basketball
Women sweep at home, curbed on road
By Robert Matteson Collegian Reporter
The Hillsdale women’s basketball team opened its season with two wins at home, defeating the University of Illinois-Springfield 77–61 Nov. 14 and Purdue University Northwest 77–59 Nov. 15. The Chargers lost a third game 79–59 away against Wayne State University Nov. 19.
“Starting at home allowed us to play in front of our families, and they gave us that extra sixth man on the court,” sophomore forward Sarah Aleknavicius said.
The team shot 51% from the floor, 45% from 3-point range, and nearly 89% from the free throw line on Friday night.
“Offesively this team’s ceiling is so high,” head coach Brianna Brennan said. “The way we’re meshing so early on with such a young lineup is special.”
Pietrzyk led all scorers with 19 points. She also had six assists and contributed a team-high six rebounds.
“Annalise’s performances were absolutely incredible,” Brennan said. “She’s our leading scorer, but she also shared the ball well.” Pietrzyk was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week for leading the Chargers in scoring for the weekend.
“It’s exciting to get this accolade early on, but I couldn’t do it without the team and coaches around me,” Pietrzyk said.
Aleknavicius and junior forward Savannah Smith each added 13 points, and sophomore center Ellie Bruce scored 12 points for the Chargers.
The Chargers continued shooting well from 3-point range on Saturday night. The team made 13 3-pointers and shot the ball at 52% from beyond the arc.
After a back-and-forth first half Hillsdale led Purdue Northwest 38–34 at halftime.
The Chargers outscored the Pride 23–8 in the third quarter to pull away.
“We knew we weren’t playing our best basketball in the
first half, and we were keeping them in it a little too much,” Aleknavicius said. “So we had to come out in the second half and execute our stuff.”
Bruce and Pietrzyk led the Chargers in scoring with 17 apiece. Senior guard Emma Ruhlman added 11 points, sophomore guard Emilia Sularski added nine points, and Aleknavicius and Smith contributed eight points each. Pietrzyk led the team with five assists, and Ruhlman added four assists. The Chargers combined to have 21 assists on 29 made baskets.
“The way we’re seeing the floor, moving the ball, finding the open person, and just playing selfless basketball is what’s going to set us apart,” Brennan said.
During their game away at Wayne State University Nov. 19, Hillsdale lost 79–59. Pietrzyk led with 16 points during the game.
The Chargers next play at Lake Superior State University Nov. 22 and at Ferris State University Nov. 26.
“We’re excited for the challenge to take what we’ve been working on on the road, and keep growing and getting better each game,” Brennan said.
The Chargers will return home to begin GMAC play on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m.
against Lake Erie College.
Minidoku
Each row, column, and bolded 3×2 region contains one each of 1–6.
The Hillsdale Academy volleyball team after their regional win. Courtesy | Liz Andaloro
Sophomore Ellie Bruce goes up for a shot.
Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius maneuvers around her opponent. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Club swim makes waves at regionals
By Christina Lewis Assistant Editor
Senior Makayla Hanna led Hillsdale’s club swimming team, placing fifth in the women’s 200 breaststroke with a nationals qualifying time of 2:40 at a regional competition Nov. 8-9.
Five Hillsdale students traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to compete against roughly 800 athletes at the College Club Swimming’s Central Regional Championship. The team was composed of seniors Hanna, Isaac Myhal, and Alba Padron, along with junior Dylan Glover and sophomore Julia Jones. The two-day competition took place at Ohio State University’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
Hanna, vice president of club swimming, also placed 10th in the 50 breaststroke in 33.78 and 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:12.
“It’s a lot of fun to be back competing,” Hanna said. “I think after high school, I wasn’t sure when I would compete again, if it would be like post-college on my own, but it’s great to be with the team and travel with the team.”
Hillsdale’s team competed in preliminary rounds on Saturday and Sunday, and top scorers advanced to finals on the corresponding nights.
The 500 and 1000 freestyle however, are time-final events, taking place only in the morning. Padron swam the 500 free, finishing in 9:27 and placing 18th.
“In between the first rounds and the finals, we had a threehour break to go get lunch and to wander around,” Jones said. “On Saturday, we went back to the hotel, and I scrambled to do some Josephus reading, and some of the other members took some naps, which was great for recharging.”
Jones joined club swimming her freshman year and said the club has become her favorite extracurricular because it offers a much needed break from school. She swam a personal best time in the 100freestyle in 1:06.
“It’s a little intimidating because for many of the teams there were 30-plus people, and for Hillsdale, we only had
five people in total,” Jones said. “So, except for warm-ups, we were joining other teams, just jumping in, doing starts, and practicing.”
Glover, president of club swimming, said he started the club his freshman year with the help of juniors Nick Rutkoski, Finn Fleischer, and Hayden Stolzenberg. He set college career bests in the 50 freestyle in 26.39, the 100 freestyle in 59.02, and the 500 freestyle in 6:18.
“I was most pleased with my 100 free time,” Glover said. “Although it wasn’t a great swim in terms of technique, I swam it much faster than I was expecting, which showed me that I have a high ceiling for that event in terms of improvement. I was most glad that we were all able to perform so well and grow together as a team.”
Club swimming welcomes swimmers of all levels, according to Glover.
“Working with the team and watching it grow has been a highly formative experience in my life,” Glover said. “It has taught me how to lead in many respects and how to work together in a team environment. The friendships we form as swimmers and the competitive nature of practice are some of the best parts about being on the team. We race each other constantly and are always pushing each other to be better, work harder, and to win.”
Club swimming holds three practices every week to encourage training together and getting more students involved in the club, according to Hanna. The club started competing for Hillsdale last fall.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are either interested in getting better at swimming or have competed in the past and have missed that aspect of their lives and want to come back to it,” Hanna said. “It’s been very nostalgic for me coming back and just very cool. I never thought I’d be doing this in college. So it’s been a lot of fun.”
Soccer from A1
“The open division is for the teams just on the outside looking in, but it’s a great opportunity for those teams to see what they’re working toward,” Beckwith said.
The Chargers are up against three teams this weekend: the University of Kansas, Sam Houston State University, and Weber State University. They will play two games on Thursday, Nov. 20 and one on Friday, Nov. 21, with a chance to advance to play on Friday night and Saturday with wins.
Beckwith said the competition will be worth the 10-hour drive.
“This is our benchmark and a goal for the future,” Beckwith said. “We want our guys to have a chance to compete in the championship division."
Still, it is a feat for the Chargers to be in a position to go this year, according to sophomore club president Cruz Reichert. He said the team has been blessed with a dedicated group of seniors who helped make this possible.
“The seniors we have right now basically built this thing up from the ground,” Reichert said. “When they were freshmen they played on the ‘field’
behind the baseball stadium. It was more of a beer league sort of thing. Then Hayden Park got built, they fundraised, joined a new league, and started winning. It’s literally been their blood, sweat, and tears for four years on and off the field.”
Reichart also said Beckwith had a major role in bringing in money to help the club make strides financially.
“I basically inherited the money to go to nationals if we get the chance, and that’s the product of Jacob’s hard work from when he ran the club,” Reichart said. “It’s my job now to keep what we have and build every year.”
Beckwith said when he took over the club as a freshman, he was encouraged by then-seniors Brett Schaller ’24 and Matt Muller ’24 to save up for the next time a nationals bid would come along.
“Those guys had a great club and got the invite the year before we got here but couldn’t make the trip because they didn’t have the money,”
What’s your favorite way to celebrate a big win?
My favorite way to celebrate is by hitting a celebration dance.
If your season had a theme song, what would it be?
"I Need Your Love" by Calvin Harris, featuring Ellie Goulding.
What’s your most unathletic habit that would shock people who know you play a sport?
I never wear tennis shoes, only my Ugg slippers and slides.
Beckwith said. “They encouraged me not to let that happen again. So we saved and made it happen.”
The club joined a new league in 2022 and hired Graham Delano as the head coach in 2023. Both of these moves, Reichert said, have helped the club improve.
“We’ve seen great progress in the last few years,” Reichart said. “Two years ago we were one win away from nationals. We have a high-level coach who is sticking around, so we’re excited about that, too.
We have great freshmen year in year out and a great group of upperclassmen willing to lead them. Each year is anoth-
er step up in our level of being competitive.”
Senior Peyton Hutchinson, a four-year member of the club, said he looks forward to the chance to play for one more weekend with the team.
“I'm thankful for the opportunity to play these last few games, and I hope it inspires the lowerclassmen and new students to continue to push the program towards greater excellence,” Hutchinson said. “We owe our gratitude to our club president, Cruz, and to former club presidents who have planned ahead to make this trip possible.”
Although the bid for this year came by lottery selection, Reichart said the ultimate goal of the club is to play at nationals in the champions division.
“Competing at nationals will be a big help for us to see what the standard is and where we are in relation to it,” Reichert said. “We want to show that we can earn being here. We want to show what we can do now and in the future.”
McWhinnie said the team is ready to go back out again and attack the rest of the season.
“We’re itching to get back out there and get back on the boat,” McWinnie said. “We have a lot of stuff we can look at and grow from and a lot of the season ahead of us, so many opportunities to get better and work on people transitioning into new roles.”
Janowski said as a captain,
he is excited by the team culture they have built.
“I believe every successful team encourages a culture of competitiveness, togetherness, and refusal to back down from challenges,” Janowski said. “It is my job as a leader to ensure that these traits remain ever-present in our locker room so we can continue to improve and begin stringing together wins.”
Bradley said these losses have made the team eager to play again and change the tide
Chatter
for the rest of the season.
“We are trying to approach everything day by day,” Bradley said. “We have two more home games this week, and frankly, we’re just looking for another opportunity to get back out there and compete.” The Chargers face Ohio Christian University at home Nov. 22, University of Indianapolis in Indiana Nov. 26, and Malone University in Ohio Dec. 4.
If someone gave you $25 right now, what’s the first thing you’d buy?
Jersey bagel and an iced caramel latte.
Which random fictional character do you think you’re most like?
If you weren’t playing your current sport, what would you be doing instead? Napping and playing the piano.
Sasha Babenko, Swimming
Compiled by Cassandra DeVries
Photo Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
Freshman Jeffrey Townsend, sophomore Charlie DeVries, and junior Luke Wilmington celebrate mid-game at home.
Courtesy | Cruz Reichert
Masha from "Masha and the Bear."
The team huddle before a game.
Courtesy | Cruz Reichert
Senior Cole McWhinnie during their home opener. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Basketball from A10
C harger S port S
Men rebound with win at home
By Evelyn Shurtliff Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale men’s basketball team won their home opener against Andrews University, 89-42. Earlier in the week, the Chargers lost two games to Saginaw Valley State University 79–77 Nov. 14 on the road and 80–73 Nov. 16 at home, starting the season 1–2.
Senior guard and captain Ashton Janowski, who is coming off a preseason injury, said he is hopeful about the rest of their season despite the first two losses.
“I think it is vital that our team takes a deep breath, realizes that our season is still very much alive, and we are still playing for all of the goals we set for ourselves in the preseason,” Janowski said. “The exciting part is that we still have 93% of our regular season ahead of us, which will provide us with plenty of opportunities to see major improvements from where we are now to where we hope to end up.”
The Chargers held the lead for most of the game against Saginaw on Friday, although they were not able to take a big lead. With less than seven minutes remaining, Hillsdale led 67–60, but Saginaw went on a run to achieve a 77–71
lead with 56 seconds remaining on the clock. Hillsdale came back to make it 79–77 with 14 seconds remaining, but were not able to get a shot off before the clock ran out.
Janowski said the loss was eye-opening for the team.
“I think our loss on Friday made us aware that we have a lot of areas to improve upon, and going into Sunday, we came into the game under the impression that we were fully prepared to go and avenge our loss,” Janowski said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as we came out flat and got down early.”
In the home opener, Hillsdale fell to Saginaw. The Chargers trailed 32–16 with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half. In the next three minutes, they managed to recover with an 11–0 run with senior guard and captain Cole McWhinnie and sophomore forward Connor Stonebraker each contributing a 3-pointer and Stonebraker adding three more points. With less than three minutes remaining, Stonebraker hit another 3-pointer to close the gap to three at the half.
Hillsdale battled in the second half but could not take the lead. With less than two minutes remaining, the Chargers trailed by two points. Unfortunately, Saginaw had a series of fast breaks which clinched their lead, totaling the score at 80–73.
Head coach Keven Bradley, who is starting his third year as head coach for the Chargers, said although it was an unfortunate beginning to the season, he was impressed by several of his players.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Bradley said. “We’ve got some work to continue to keep improving upon. We played a really tough game on the road Friday and anoth -
er challenging game Sunday, but we had guys who stepped up and played really well. I thought Ashton Janowski, Cole McWhinnie, and Connor Stonebraker had excellent games, and we just need more guys to play with them.”
During Wednesday’s home game, the Chargers took control early, with a 50-21 lead by the end of the first half. Freshman forward Tommy Morgan led the Chargers in scoring with 20 points, and junior forward CJ Yarian assisted with 15 rebounds.
See Basketball A9
Chargers advance to semi-finals
By Grace Brennan Assistant Editor
The Hillsdale volleyball team swept Walsh University in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal match Nov. 18 in Ohio, after losing a 3–2 set match against Tiffin University Nov. 14, and taking a 3–2 set win against University of Findlay Nov. 15.
The Chargers finished the regular season 11–4 in the GMAC and 14–11 overall.
Sophomore Ellie Fles had the best match in her career against Tiffin with 21 kills, hitting at .463, and contributing seven digs and five blocks, according to head coach Chris Gravel.
“Ellie Fles, on the outside, made a big difference in the match,” Gravel said.
The Chargers entered Friday night hoping to defeat Tiffin so the GMAC quarterfinal game could be played at home. The first two sets were split between Hillsdale and Tiffin, but with a 25–14 third set win the Chargers took the lead.
The Chargers were up 17–14 in the fourth set, trying to close out the match. But with
a 6–0 run, Tiffin advanced to a 20-17 lead. Unable to close the gap, the Chargers lost set four 25–21 to Tiffin.
Tiffin forced the game into a fifth set and took the win 15–13.
Freshman Grace Drake hit 12 kills and 13 digs with seven assists for the Chargers. Fles and senior Adi Sysum each added eight kills for the Chargers. Sysum also chipped in three blocks, while sophomores Caroline Lanicek and Jenna Southland added five blocks each.
According to Gravel, the Chargers improved on their offense and played a better game the next day.
“Our offense wasn’t clicking, and Tiffin is a good team, so it came to the end when anything could happen, and it didn’t fall our way,” Gravel said. “The following day, our offense kicked in, and it made a world of difference, and we were able to get a better result.”
The Chargers started their game against Findlay with two set wins. Fles hit five kills for the Chargers winning set one 25–17. The Chargers led wire-
to-wire in set two, winning the set 25–16.
Findlay won the next two sets, both 25–21. In the fifth set Findlay fell behind 8–2 due to Chargers starting the set with two blocks and back-toback kills by Lanicek. Findlay almost met Hillsdale’s score at 11–10, but the Chargers scored four of the final six points, winning set five 15–12.
According to Drake the energy that went into defeating Findlay transferred over to their game against Walsh.
“We went into playing Findlay with a ton of freedom and confidence that we carried with us into the game against Walsh,” Drake said.
The Chargers never trailed for a single point in its game against Walsh, dominating the net and overpowering Walsh offensively and defensively. The Chargers won the first set 25–18, the second set 25–14, and the third set 25–19.
Junior Marcelina Gorny had been on the sidelines all season due to lower back injuries until the game against Walsh. Gorny’s eight kills helped the Chargers win their first victory in this season’s
GMAC Tournament.
“My eight kills couldn’t have happened without everyone on the team doing exactly what they needed to do,” Gorny said. “Everything was clicking for all of us, and that helped feed my confidence and motivated me to be fearless in my play. Thankfully, I’ve had a productive few weeks of practice with the team, which definitely contributed to the trust my setters had in my abilities.”
The Chargers will play Cedarville University in the GMAC Tournament Semifinal on the road Nov. 21. Hillsdale hopes to claim its eighth GMAC Tournament title this weekend.
According to Gorny, the Chargers are preparing to play better than they have all year.
“It’s really rewarding to see all our hard work pay off in important moments like this,” Gorny said. “The team as a whole is in a ‘the work is not finished’ mindset. A win is not just handed over, and we recognize and embrace that we need to work extremely hard to achieve our goals.”
Swimming
Young team continues to shine
By Lucy Billings Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale College women’s swim team placed second at an invitational meet held by the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, Nov. 15.
The Chargers defeated Lewis University by 93 points at 177–84, and lost to Findlay by 89 points at 175–86.
Freshman Kate Potwardowski placed second in the 50 breaststroke in 30.35, second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1.09.50, and was on the 400 medley relay team, placing second in 4.00.91.
“Findlay is our rival school, and our coach was really trying to set us up as best as possible for this week,” Potwardowski said. “It was about putting our best effort into this meet, making sure that we’re putting up a good fight against Findlay, even though we knew they would put up a fight as well, and then doing our best to beat Lewis, which we did, so that was super exciting.”
Sophomore Ella Schafer finished second in the 200 freestyle with a season-best time of 1.56.15, second place in the 100 freestyle with a time of 54.60, and second place in the 200 individual
Football
“We’re focusing on what we need to do, and are getting the little things right,” McKernan said. “Ultimately, I think we are playing our best football now. It always seems to be at the end of the season where we play our best football, but that’s just how it turns out.”
McKernan ended the regular season with 1,914 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, both of which placed him third in the GMAC. McKernan also led the Chargers with five rushing touchdowns and was second on the team to freshman tailback Ben Ngishu with 400 rushing yards.
Shreffler said he was happy with how the team finished the season and wants to build on the strong finish going into next year.
“Ending the year on a fourgame winning streak and finishing with a winning record is a solid season, but it is short of where we want to be,” Shreffler said. “Great seasons end in championships, and we will continue to build on the good things we did and make improvements this off season.”
medley with another season-best of 2.14.43.
“Going into the meet, we knew that Findlay was going to be tough competition, but we wanted to embrace that and swim some fast times,” Schafer said. Fast times came from sophomore Ella Malone, placing second in the 50 butterfly with a season best time of 26.83. Freshman Avery May, swimming the two longest events of the meet, finished first and earned a season best in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 10.43.13 and second place in the 500 freestyle in 5.15.03. Freshman Sasha Babenko placed first and swam a season best in the 50 backstroke in 27.28 and second place in the 100 backstroke in 59.40.
“I like where we are as a team right now. We just need to execute this next weekend,” head coach Kurt Kirner said. “We typically do great going into the midseason meet, so I’m looking forward to some great times this weekend.”
The Chargers will swim against Davenport University, Olivet Nazarene University, Quincy University, and Saginaw Valley State University in their midseason meet, the Don Kimble Invite, Nov. 21–23, in Kentwood, Michigan.
The Chargers got strong performances from their young players this season. Ngishu led the team in rushing yards with 716, and freshman quarterback Eli Boyce completed 16 of 26 passes, including seven of nine at Saturday’s game, for 221 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, freshman receiver Braden Rabideau caught two passes for 59 yards in Saturday’s game for the first yards of his college career.
“We have a lot of freshmen who are having an impact on the team,” DeDario said. “I would say at least half of us are actively contributing. It just makes me excited for the future of our team.”
DeDario became the team’s main kicker in October and hit 18 of 21 extra point attempts and all four of his field goal attempts.
McKernan said he is looking forward to the bowl game.
“It’s just a blessing that we get to have Team 133 for one more game,” McKernan said. “I have one more game with the seniors and we can hopefully go out on a high note.”
Freshman Tommy Morgan pushes past his opponent. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
By Lilly Faye Kraemer
Collegian Repo Rte R
By Anna Northcutt Collegian RepoRteR
Almost 20 dancers are performing in about a dozen student-choreographed works at the Tower Dancers’ Informal Showing Nov. 23.
The performance will feature a wide variety of music, according to junior and Tower Dancer Mercy Franzonello.
“There is going to be a very classical ballet piece, some contemporary, some modern,” she said.
Sophomore Sophia Kyba said one of her dances is Flamenco-inspired, while the other is more of a jazz piece.
“I have only been trained in ballet, so it is fun for me to learn these different choreographies,” Kyba said.
Junior Moriah Mitchell said student choreographers usually spend a semester choreographing their pieces and teaching them to the dancers but may begin choreographing earlier if they wish. She began the process of choreographing a dance to Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” in the spring semester of last year.
“Every time I heard the song play over the summer, I would always have movement flowing in the back of my head,” Mitchell said. “When I got here in the fall, I had a ton of stuff that I was already ready to give my cast and my dancers, which made the whole process a lot easier.”
Making changes to the choreography once rehearsals start can be stressful, according to Mitchell, but it’s a part of the process.
“The things that I imagine myself doing in my living room don’t necessarily translate
the same way to other people,” Mitchell said.
According to Kyba, choreographers have two different options for rehearsing during the semester. Either the choreographer can do residency style, where they’ll spend a single weekend teaching their entire choreography to the dancers and then rehearse briefly every week, or the choreographer can teach the dancers incrementally, for an hour and a half each week.
Mitchell said wanted to do residency style but ended up teaching week by week due to scheduling.
“It’s nice because you see it happening in real time,” Mitchell said. “It also gives you more time to gain creativity from your cast. I can give this idea to them, and they can spit it back to me and tell me if it’s realistic or not.”
Mitchell said choreographing a dance requires a lot of individual initiative, but students also work closely with Assistant Professor of Dance Holly Hobbs and Lecturer in Dance Sean Hoskins.
“They watch videos of how far we have come and what each rehearsal looks like, and they give us tons of feedback,” Mitchell said. “It’s definitely not something where they leave you alone. You go hand in hand the whole time.”
Mitchell said she is excited to have people come out and support Tower Dancers this weekend.
“The choreographic process is so long and fulfilling in and of itself, so actually getting people to come out and see what you’ve worked on is great,” Mitchell said. “It is, in a way, greater than the process itself — it is the culmination of it.”
More than 900 people filled Hillsdale College’s Searle Center for an evening of jazz, swing dancing, cocktails, desserts and a performance by the Harry James Orchestra Nov. 15.
Fred Radke, conductor of the Harry James Orchestra, and Hillsdale’s artist in residence, led and played jazz standards with the orchestra.
“This is my seventh year coming,” Radke said. “The highlight of the evening is to see the swing club, and to see young people dancing.”
Guests packed the dance floor to the left of the band’s stage. Families and students gathered to enjoy the music.
“There is nothing more wholesome than the professors’ families all dancing together,” Hillsdale Swing Club member and sophomore Caleb Diener said. “My grandparents were present, and I got to swing dance with my mom and both my sisters. It’s just so special seeing several generations all enjoying music and dance together.”
Along with swing dancing, guests heard student combos from the Hillsdale jazz programs in partnership with the event. The Early Birds played in the lobby of Searle as guests arrived, and the Rob Roy combo opened for the Harry James Orchestra on stage.
Anne Love, a senior and jazz vocalist, was invited to sing with the orchestra on Saturday night with just a week’s notice.
“We only ran through the song one time before we actually sang ‘Almost Like Be-
ing in Love,’” Love said. “It was amazing to play with a real, professional big band for the first time. I am new to jazz this semester, so having the privilege of singing with them was a fantastic opportunity for me, and I loved every second of it.”
hosts for the community, the free tickets were all claimed weeks prior, according to Chris McCourry.
“It has the most production values and that makes it fun,” sophomore Ethan Williams said. “There’s also tons of families here, which makes
Love had planned on singing only one song, and to her surprise, she was asked to sing a second.
“I wasn’t sure if we were doing a second song until Mr. Radke turned to the pianist and said, ‘Do you know Skylark?,’ which was pretty crazy because I wasn’t even sure I had it memorized,” Love said.
“It was probably the jazziest thing I have ever done, but I guess that’s how a professional gig would go, so it was good to get the practice in.”
Because the Harry James Orchestra is one of the most popular events the college
it different from most college events and everyone dresses up.”
The Harry James musicians also had the opportunity to spend time at the college.
“Being able to spend time with Larry Arnn is really nice, because Larry’s such a great guy,” said John Capobianco, lead trumpet player for the Harry James Orchestra. “Chris McCourry is another great guy, and we hung out and went shooting.”
Both Capobianco and Radke said they enjoyed their time spent in the dining hall with Hillsdale students.
“I sat in the lunchroom with Dr. Arnn, and then people came over and challenged him,” Radke said. “He lets them open up and asks what they think, and listens to them, and so on. And that’s a treat.” Radke says he and his band always look forward to playing at Hillsdale because they love the community.
“I love the atmosphere and the people. Everyone here is very positive,” Radke said. “It’s fun to see people have a good time. Music should be positive, and it should make you happy. A lot of the music today is not happy. Louis Armstrong used to say, ‘You know, if you can’t beat your foot to it, it ain’t jazz.’”
Juniors Moriah Mitchell and Jillian Golden in an April production of “The Wild Wild West.”
Courtesy | Michael Besom
Sophomore Samuel Baggot dances with Elizabeth Williams ’25. Anna Northcutt | Collegian
C U L T U R E
Student film forces a new perspective
By Gemma Flores AssistAnt Editor
Hillsdale’s Film and Production Club will premiere senior Joshua Burnett’s newest film, “Forced Perspective,” Nov. 21.
“I am the writer, director, producer, and editor, so I’m wearing a lot of hats,” Burnett joked. Burnett says he has worked on the script for his film for more than a year and served many roles in the production. He has been involved with the film production club for two-and-a-half years, serving briefly as the club’s president. Though he helped produce most of the films the club has made, “Forced Perspective” is the first film that Burnett has made on his own.
“Forced Perspective” will premiere Nov. 21 in Plaster Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Film and Production Club will also show some of its previous films, including “A Peculiar Sort of Stairs” and “Shall We,” starting at 7:30 p.m. If viewers want to see only “Forced Perspective,” they can catch one of the other screenings at the same time Nov. 22 and Nov. 23.
The story follows two sisters, played by senior Rachel Dunphey and Fiona Mulley ’25, who are struggling to reconnect due to differing values and priorities. The story centers on art and family, with the title referencing both the artistic concept of forced perspective and the difficult relationship between the two sisters. Burnett said he went through several different versions of this project before settling on the storyline.
“The first version was about a white-collar criminal running away after he embezzles a bunch of money,” Burnett said. “With that one, there were some stageability things, like not having a middle-aged guy. So that ended up changing quite a bit.”
He later decided to explore the story of the two sisters, but couldn’t pin down the storyline
that fit until the summer of 2024.
Burnett said he enjoyed getting the chance to make a movie from scratch.
“It’s been fantastic,” Burnett said. “I definitely think it’s a lot more fun to be able to direct and kind of lead out my own story. It’s still very collaborative. I’m working with tons of other actors and artists, and filmmakers to make the thing happen. But being able to actually execute a creative vision versus just doing logistical stuff is much more fun.”
some challenges, though.
“Because I rewrote the script for them partway through rehearsal, they ended up not having as much time to memorize their lines as expected. So that was an unexpected challenge, for sure,” Burnett said.
Though Burnett spearheaded the movie, he said “Forced Perspective” was a collaborative effort between the members of the club. Along with Dunphey and Mulley, the two leading actors, Burnett thanked especially Ethan
As a director, Burnett said he was able to make the film exactly how he wanted.
“One highlight was after I cast Fiona and Rachel during the research process. We ended up doing a lot of development and analysis, and I ended up actually making some changes in the scripts, kind of tailoring it to them as actors, which was so much fun,” Burnett said.
This personalization of the script to the actors came with
Graham ’25, who scored the film, and senior Abigail Palubinskas, who coordinated the student art used for the studio.
Film and Production Club
Vice President and senior Joseph Johnson oversaw the film’s lighting. Though the entirety of the movie was shot in one day, he said the production was fun and organized.
“It was a fast shoot, so everyone had to work hard as a team to get it done. The whole time
we were helping each other out and enjoying the chance to make something beautiful,” Johnson said.
Burnett said his involvement with the Film and Production Club prepared him for working in the industry after graduation and cultivated his love of cinema. He said he hopes that younger students get involved in the club to help keep its presence on campus.
“We’re planning to help train and lead up the next generation of men and women, because most of the people who have worked on our bigger projects are all graduating now,” Burnett said. “We’ve got some newer people who have shown up and shadowed or helped out. We’re hoping, especially next semester, to offer some more resources.”
Film and Production Club President and senior Charlie Cheng encouraged students to give the club a try.
“There’s something for everyone, whether they want to make films or simply watch and talk about film,” Cheng said. “Literally anyone can find something to do in our production; everyone who directed a film with the club has been a production assistant of some kind for others.”
Johnson said he is grateful to be able to work on “Forced Perspective.”
“I’m just thankful to be a part of it and get to promote one of the greatest art forms out there,” Johnson said.
Burnett said he loves film because it tells uniquely human stories by immersing viewers in another world.
“Film is art,” Burnett said. “Art and storytelling are how we put the mirror back to ourselves, how we reflect on questions like ‘what does it mean to be human?’ Such as the pains, the loves, and the struggles.”
‘Frankenstein’ revives the classic
By Jayden Jelso CollEgiAn rEportEr
Director Guillermo del Toro’s latest creature feature delivers a thrilling, philosophical, and stylized take on Mary Shelley’s classic story “Frankenstein.”
“Frankenstein” hit select theaters Oct. 17 before its Nov. 7 release on Netflix, debuting with an 85% critics’ score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie follows the book’s well-known plot: Victor Frankenstein, an egotistical scientist, sows together a humanoid creature from various body parts and brings it to life. However, because of repeated mistreatment and rejection from humanity, the creature becomes vengeful and murderous, vowing to destroy his creator’s happiness.
This new adaptation delivers thrills — such as the creature’s birth and the lab’s destruction — and takes enough liberties to leave the audience guessing what will happen next. The cast that includes Oscar Isaac as Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the creature, and Mia Goth as Elizabeth, delivered on all their fronts. Their performances were subtle during emotional moments and haunting during horror scenes. Hollywood news outlets have already suggested the film’s potential for an Oscar win.
Del Toro’s cinematic style — grotesque and macabre, but somehow beautiful — is its own character in the movie. The shockingly gory violence that earns the film its R rating feels fitting in the context of the story, though those with queasy stomachs might want to shut their eyes. The cinematography, color grading, and elaborate gothic costumes seem ripped right out
of classic Hollywood movies. Del Toro used as little CGI as possible, emphasizing practical effects, grand sets, and stunts. As a result, the film has a sense of realism that many modern-day blockbusters don’t.
Perhaps the most famous elements of “Frankenstein” are its philosophical themes about the creation of life and the nature of evil. Del Toro takes liberties with how he handles these themes. In the book, Shelley leaves it ambiguous as to whether Frankenstein or the creature is the true monster. Del Toro, however, takes a clear stance: Victor Frankenstein is the monster, and del Toro went as far as to have one character say this out loud. Frankenstein even commits one of the killings that the creature did in the original novel, and even though it’s an accident, it cements him as careless and deranged. Though some might complain about the director’s liberties, del Toro’s choice to focus on a select few of the novel’s themes, like man’s arrogance in playing God, makes for a more grounded film.
Still, some of del Toro’s changes missed the mark. Having Frankenstein and the creature reconcile at the end was out of place at best and cringeworthy at worst, especially after the amount of murders committed. The scenes of graphic nudity had no bearing on the story and were clearly slipped in to sell tickets (clicks?). As such, some viewers might want to steer clear.
Despite these minor flaws, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a long-anticipated film that is worth the hype. It’s a beautifully shot and phenomenally acted piece of cinema that will keep living long after its creator is not.
Pulitzer Prize winner talks process and prose
By Maggie O’Connor
CollEgiAn illustrAtor
The Visiting Writer’s Program hosted Pulitzer Prize–winning author Hernan Diaz this week, with numerous events with students and faculty culminating in a lecture and book signing Nov. 18. Diaz read from and discussed his novel “Trust,” which was released in 2022 and awarded the 2022 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The novel follows the rise of a 20th-century business tycoon from the perspectives of four different characters. Diaz said that he was interested in the idea of money because he didn’t know a lot about it.
“I think the advice ‘write about what you know’ is the most pernicious advice a young writer can receive,” Diaz said. “Literature is not here to confirm your experience but to widen your knowledge and bring you out into the world of the other.”
In an interview, Diaz said that
he is not a spontaneous writer.
“I believe in control in the prose and in the process,” Diaz said. “The hard thing is to be in control of the prose, to be as lucid as possible, to explore the grammatical possibilities of language, to show restraint while also conveying depth of feeling. That’s the biggest challenge for me as a writer.”
Although technical control should never come at the expense of the emotional dimension of the text, there is also a difference between sentiment and sentimentality, Diaz said.
“I’m not interested in emotional pyrotechnics or gut punches,” Diaz said. “I’m not that kind of writer at all. I’m trying to access feelings that are more opaque in a transparent way, if that paradox makes any sense.”
In addition to inviting Diaz to campus, Associate Professor of English Dutton Kearney taught a class this semester on Diaz’s two novels.
“The hope was to create a groundswell of interest in Diaz’s
work, and then to have a group of students who know his work and know it in a way that makes them want to participate in the events,” Kearney said. “I just want students to see that contemporary writers are very interested in the tradition that we’re studying, that there’s a lot in common with American novels written in the last 100 years and American novels that are written today, and to see that as a conversation.”
Senior Erika Kyba, who took the Diaz course this semester, said she recommends Diaz’s books.
“Sometimes Hillsdale students will shy away from authors who are more modern because they distrust the postmodern movement, and they especially distrust the claims that a lot of people make that we can’t arrive at truth,” she said.
Kyba said she appreciated that during his Monday lecture on “Trust,” Diaz expressed the pursuit of truth as asymptotic but not impossible.
“The splinter narrative isn’t
breaking down reality,” Kyba said. “It’s a way of getting us to look at reality differently and come to understand it more.”
“All of us should come to terms with the fact that so many of the stories that we both consume and produce inhabit a very indeterminate region,” Diaz said in an interview. “I think delving fully into the realm of fiction will perhaps help us understand where these evanescent and moving boundaries may lay.”
Better understanding the multi-storied nature of reality is one of the purposes of fiction, if indeed fiction has any purpose, Diaz said.
“Maybe we don’t need fiction. We live in a society where utility and instrumentalism are our rule, everything is commodified and serves an ulterior purpose. To have something that doesn’t do that is not necessarily a bad thing,” Diaz said. “I could leave it at that, but I know that I need fiction, and I suspect that all of us need it.
Even if we don’t happen to be big readers, we’re telling stories all the time to make sense of reality and to make sense of ourselves.”
Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele attended Diaz’s “Trust” reading and said he was interested in the comparison of fiction and money.
“He talked about money as a fiction, that it exists because people believe in it. That’s economic theory: money is a set of mutually reinforcing expectations,” Steele said, referencing Diaz’s statement during his lecture that “a genre is nothing more than a horizon of expectations.”
Kearney said he was intentional about inviting different departments to participate in Diaz’s visit.
“I love reaching across campus for these kinds of events,” Kearney said. “So we’ll have the business department because ‘Trust’ is all about the business world, and then also reach across the aisle to the Spanish
department, because Diaz is from Argentina.”
Associate Professor of Spanish Victor Carreño attended Diaz’s lectures and said he enjoyed hearing about Diaz’s high modernist influences.
“It’s very interesting the way he talked about being influenced by Thomas Mann and Virginia Woolf,” Carreño said. “It’s a pleasure to find an author who is still interested in and being influenced by high modernism. He’s not imitating the avant garde but recreating it.” Correño said he was grateful for the chance to eat lunch with Diaz on Tuesday along with three Spanish students and Associate Professor of Spanish and Department Chair Todd Mack.
“Dr. Arnn always says college is a partnership,” Kearney said. “So for the departments to be siloed off from one another, I think that would be appalling. We don’t see one another all the time, but here’s an event that can bring us all together.”
“Forced Perspective” will be senior Joshua Burnett’s directorial debut. Courtesy | Natalie Kottom
Burnett shot the whole film in his own house. Courtesy | Natalie Kottom
The poster for “Frankenstein.” Courtesy | IMDb
Behind the Hillsdale bombing: Mafia or KKK?
By Alessia Sandala City News Editor
In the early hours of June 24, 1923, a violent boom rocked the town of Hillsdale.
A bomb blew up at the back of the Cascarelli fruit store, destroying windows all
Joe, and his nephew Frank were upstairs when the bomb went off just below them.
Someone had hidden an explosive — likely on a timer — between cases of empty glass bottles in front of the store, according to a June 25, 1923, Hillsdale Daily News
Joe supposedly waited in the store with rifles in case the mafia returned. But that story contradicts what Peter told the sheriff: He, Joe, and Frank had all been upstairs during the explosion, according to the historical society.
Other residents thought the
along the Broad Street side of the Waldron Block, the triangular building in downtown Hillsdale.
Some alleged eyewitnesses said they saw a car speeding out of town. The June 25 Hillsdale Daily News story said others insisted Peter Cascarelli, the owner of the store, knew more than he let on, claiming they’d seen an Italian man speaking with him before the attack. That rumor sparked the most popular theory: The Italian mafia had reached small-town Hillsdale. Specifically, people suspected La Mano Nera — the Black Hand — a group from Naples known for extorting shopkeepers and active in cities like Detroit and Chicago.
According to the Hillsdale Historical Society, the sound of the explosion woke Hillsdale’s sheriff, W. H. Bates, who was at the nearby jail, which used to be on the courthouse square. The sheriff initially thought the explosion came from someone attempting to rob the First National Bank, but when he walked outside, he saw the chaos outside the Cascarelli store.
The Cascarelli fruit store was located on Broad Street, and Peter Cascarelli lived in the apartment above the store with his family. Peter, his son
Ku Klux Klan, who had built a presence in Hillsdale accord-
H. Roberts, to denounce the KKK and its violence in October 1923.
Not only was the KKK thought to be behind the Cascarelli store bombing, but the group was confirmed to have held a cross-burning in the front yard of another Italian immigrant family, the LoPrestos.
The LoPrestos came to the United States around the year 1900 and ended up in Hillsdale while working on the railroad.Sam LoPresto and his family owned and operated a small store that sold fruits, vegetables, ice cream, and candy. They also owned a bar next to the family’s home on West St. Joe Street, but Sam’s wife made him close the bar after the KKK burned crosses on their front yard.
A June 26, 1923, Hillsdale Daily News article described local tensions with Italians in the aftermath of the bombing. The article said some residents were worried that if the sheriff arrested an Italian, the jail could be blown up. The sheriff said he would make arrests if he had any leads on specific people involved.
Despite all the rumors and conflicting accounts, no ar-
doors, cracked the back of the building, and ripped off a water pipe. Peter told the sheriff he had no idea who would target him.
Peter’s young cousin, Don Cascarelli, later shared the family’s version of the story. In his telling, the Black Hand had approached Peter for money. Peter refused, prepared to resist, and he and
ing to the historical society, were behind the crime.
While Italian immigrants worked to create a neighborhood in Hillsdale, the KKK’s arrival in 1923, the same year as the bombing, led to a growing fear in the community, according to the historical society. The KKK’s presence in Hillsdale prompted the pastor of College Baptist Church, W.
rests were made in the Cascarelli case.
“Even if Mr. Cascarelli knew, he might not tell, fearing that greater vengeance might be wreaked upon him,” Bates said in a 1923 Hillsdale Daily News article.
Is it too early to listen to Christmas music?
The Collegian weighs in
A dusting of Christmas music can’t hurt
By Caroline Kurt Opinions Editor
When I awoke to a world of white last week, I knew what I was playing on Spotify that day: Christmas oldies like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by the peerless Bing Crosby.
I don’t listen to Christmas music in June, and I like to observe Advent with liturgical music like the haunting “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” But here at Hillsdale, we can get a little obsessive over making rules for things that instead need loose guidelines. Christmas music is one of those. Sure — resist the modern encroachment of a commercialized Christmas into Advent and Thanksgiving. But a sprinkling of Christmas music in the long, gray, cold weeks of November and December can give us some much-needed hope and zest for life, reminding us of the great joy this season is preparing us to receive. And, for the love of God, keep that music going all 12 days of Christmas.
Don’t cheapen
Christmas
By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor
Nov. 1 means only one thing for many people: the start of the Christmas season.
This is a problem.
For one, sellers try to push the shopping season earlier and earlier each year. I got an email advertisement Oct. 29 this year encouraging me to begin my Christmas shopping. That is completely ridiculous. Christmas season does not start two months before the holiday.
Early Christmas celebrations also distract from November’s main holiday of
Thanksgiving. It is silly to celebrate a holiday when there is another one that precedes it by a full month. The end of Thanksgiving coincides with the beginning of Advent, which marks the true Christmas season and still offers a full month of celebration.
The earlier people push Christmas celebrations, the more likely they are to forget about the true meaning of the season. While the vacation, time with family, and exchanging of gifts are all key parts, people must not forget that the birth of Jesus lies at the core of Christmas.
Don’t get overly excited about the future and forget about the present. Christmas season will come and it will be great when it does, but for now, enjoy the last of fall. Spend your Thanksgiving with family. Then, you can go into the Christmas season with full enthusiasm.
Christmas music is the ultimate cure
By Alessia Sandala City News Editor
To listen or not to listen to Christmas music on Nov. 1? That is the question each and every year. When the Michigan winter weather kicks in and the due dates approach, there’s only one cure, and that’s Christmas music.
Why delay the joy of the best time of the year by forcing yourself to wait until December? Christmas music is the one thing that remains the same every year. Halloween celebrates darkness, so Christmas music is the perfect way to bring hope and happiness back into the world.
Listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving is a crime to some, but last time I checked, there was no Thanksgiving playlist to set the mood, so why not have a very merry Thanksgiving? No matter what we are going through, Christmas offers a reprieve from suffering, as the Italian Christmas song “Bianco Natale” says.
Quick Hits with Anna Navrotskaya
Compiled by Henry Fliflet Collegian Reporter
In this Quick Hits, Associate Professor of French Anna Navrotskaya talks wooden clogs, her cats, and her love of the French language.
If you could introduce or bring back any fashion trend, what would it be?
Wooden clogs. I love everything medieval, and also, I can just see (and enjoy seeing) the students’ faces when they hear their professor “toc-toc-toc” in the hallway. Imagine that!
Where would you travel if you could go anywhere you hadn’t been before?
I would love to go to Bhutan. While we measure the gross national product, they measure the gross national happiness. I wish I knew how! And it is astoundingly beautiful.
What does the perfect Saturday afternoon look like for you?
My armchair (shared with my dogs — all three of us fit there when I work), my notebook (I prefer writing by hand), and a good cup of coffee. And time: Two to three hours when I could read and write without feeling guilty doing it.
Why are you passionate about the French language?
It’s love! And according to Blaise Pascal, “Love has its reasons that reason does not know.” No other language gives me immense pleasure by simply speaking it, turning a phrase this way or that, discovering a hidden gem under a seemingly logical structure. My students know: I finish every grammar explanation with “Is it logical”? It is not always, obviously — but isn’t it beautiful? And, of course, French and France have a special place in the heart of every Russian. Just read Tolstoy!
What’s your favorite song?
One of my favorites: “I’ll Be Gone” by Tom Waits. What a voice!
What advice do you have for students considering the French major?
Don’t be afraid to make a mistake! A mistake can be fixed; it should never be in your way of being in love — just like your professors — with the texts, films, history, food, art, even politics that infuriate us so often. It’s a treasure chest that you can never get tired of exploring. A life is not enough! And you are just beginning — you are so lucky.
What’s an un popular opinion you have?
opinions differ and cannot be brought to a common denominator. I don’t believe in culture wars: they don’t lead to victories; they lead to violence.
What’s the hardest part about teaching French?
I think, as individuals and as responsible members of the society, we must find a way to hear each other even if our
Teaching what you love is not hard.
What is your favorite time of year here at Hillsdale?
Autumn, even when it becomes gray and muddy. I am from St. Petersburg: gray skies and rain are my home. Then the beauty of colors and my dogs jumping in the leaves, when it is a sunny day. But one needs gray
to appreciate color, and autumn gives you both.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
It was something my grandmother told me just a few days before she passed away. She kept her sharp mind until the very end, and I was by her side all those days. She told me to do what I wanted right away, without waiting for a “good moment,” be it practical or not. There might never be a good moment, and we don’t want to leave from this world regretting pages not written, places not seen, books not read.
Is it too early to listen to Christmas music?
Of course not! My cousin’s family one day decided not to take away Christmas decorations from their yard. Imagine going home in June and seeing Christmas lights. It makes your soul smile.
What’s an old book more people should read, and why?
The essays of Michel de Montaigne. He thought, considered, analyzed, and wrote about everything that is important to a human being. And often sarcastically (just check his remarks about doctors). He also gave the best definition of friendship, writing about his friend Étienne de La Boétie and why he loved him: “Because it was he, because it was I.” Nothing more is needed, and nothing is more important than a true friendship. Do you have any pets?
I have two cats, both black: Queenie is an old girl whose nasty character is so famous that one of our former neighbors once composed an ode in her honor; and Behemoth (so named after the black cat in “Master and Margarita”) who joined us this August. He has one eye and no tail, and the most endearing personality. And I also have two dogs (or they have me?): Roxy, whom we adopted three years ago, and Birch, a rescue dog, who arrived from North Carolina last month. Clearly, I need more cats.
Navrotskaya holding a giant cucumber.
Courtesy | Anna Navrotskaya
article. The blast tore holes in the stone wall, blew out the
The Broad Street side of Waldron Block in 2025. Alessia Sandala | The Collegian
The Cascarelli fruit store after the bombing in 1923. Courtesy | Hillsdale County Historical Society
Campus Character Pierce Leaman FEATURES
Hillsdale hunters up their game as season opens
By Maxon Versluys Collegian Freelancer
Dennis “Gate Guy” Cook shot his first deer around age 16.
“Grandma would cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all the hunters, so it made opening day kind of like a holiday,” Cook said.
Cook is one of many hunting aficionados in Hillsdale. After firearm season opened Nov. 15, students and locals flocked to the woods and waterways to hunt.
Bow hunting and duck hunting season opened in September and October, and more hunters are loading their rifles and heading into the wild.
Cook has been hunting in the area since high school, he said. Growing up, his family and friends would celebrate the start of the season together.
“We had a farm my grand-
buck, and her noggin was in the way of my crossbow, so we just got to see it, and it walked away happy,” he said. “It’s given her the buck fever.”
Local residents are not the only ones to frequent nearby forests for hunting. Freshman Theodosius Santalov said he rekindled his love of hunting while at Hillsdale. Raised in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Santalov said the outdoors were part of his life since he was a child.
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t escape the outdoors,” Santalov said. “It was such a blessing though, because I was raised hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, mountain biking, and snowboarding.”
Santalov said he is excited to get into hunting with his friends from Hillsdale.
“I’m really grateful to be connected with so many people who are interested in hunting and fishing at Hillsdale because they’re encour-
parents owned that was a big chunk of land, and friends and family would all get together,” Cook said.
Cook said he’s been trying to make it out on the weekends while working at the college, but he said he always makes sure he’s spending plenty of time with his young daughter.
“I think she will appreciate it later in life that her dad was a hunter and not just a Tik-Toker,” he said.
Cook said he shares the love of hunting with his niece. He said she wants to follow in his tracks after seeing a “monster deer” with her Uncle Dennis.
“We saw a humongous
aging me to get back into it while living out here,” San talov said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get any big game this season, but based on what I’m learning from my buddies who have been bringing home deer in the great er Hillsdale area, I think I’ll have a good chance at getting my own next season.”
Freshman John Blaney said he usu ally opts to head north to hunt whitetail deer.
“With school, I’ve been practicing with my bow and dusting off my slug gun. I’ve done a fair amount of prep work with some buddies, and sat out one morning so far with my bow.”
Blaney also said he is determined to stock his freezer.
“It is satisfying to harvest my own food, and with the price of red meat nowadays, it’s actually a cost-effective use of my time to hunt,” Blaney said. “Any time in the woods is time well spent, kill or no kill.”
Blaney said he does his best thinking when he is out in nature.
“Anything I can harvest while doing so is a bonus,” Blaney said.
Junior Luke Johnson, a member of the shotgun team,
morning breasting out ducks — that was me, and always has been.”
Johnson said hunting for him is a time for thought and prayer.
“To say what hunting means to me is almost an impossible question. It is what consumes my thoughts, actions, time, and even my dreams,” Johnson said. “As soon as I was big enough to carry a gun through the woods, my parents have always had a hard time finding me. No matter how many pounds of meat I get on the ground, I always leave the woods lighter than before.”
Compiled by Anna Northcutt Collegian Reporter
Pierce Leaman is a sophomore history major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He participates in College Republicans, Federalist Society, and club tennis.
Have you ever set anything on fire that you weren’t supposed to?
Nearly the Niedfeldt microwave when I botched heating up Kraft Mac and Cheese — ask Nick Rutkoski about that.
Would you rather spend the night in the Pentagon or the White House?
White House: I will sleep there one day.
Do you think you would make a good president of Hillsdale College?
Yes, but not as good as Elon Musk would be.
What is the best class you’ve taken so far at Hillsdale?
“History of the Ottoman Empire,” with Assistant Professor of Medieval History Charles Yost.
Who is your favorite president?
Richard Nixon, and no, it’s not a joke. He accomplished historic things, especially considering the era, and would have gone down as an all-time great if not for the overblown Watergate nonsense.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Whitley Residence?
The basement space. It serves as my school office.
Do you think an underground tunnel connecting Whitley and Niedfelt would be a good idea?
Yes, I could use both basements interchangeably.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten in Saga?
Jambalaya, hands down.
Have you ever skyconed someone?
Yes, it did not end well. I was sent to the dean’s office.
Do you prefer the fall or spring semesters at Hillsdale?
Fall — weather is more consistent, you get the rush of seeing
your friends after a three-month gap, and the Michigan foliage is beautiful.
What’s something fun you’d like to do before you leave Hillsdale?
Watch the Eagles play the Lions at Ford Field.
Whom do you think is a severely underrated music artist that more people should know?
Eva Cassidy.
If you could teach any class at Hillsdale (including one that doesn’t currently exist), what would it be?
Watergate Does Not Bother Me: The Coup Against Nixon.
Do you have any interesting stories from office hours with your professors?
When I went to office hours with Dr. Yost to discuss Greek Orthodoxy, we ended up spending 20 minutes talking about my favorite historical novelist.
Do you have advice for freshmen?
Go to Manning Street at least once — you can’t judge it if you don’t go.
If you could have a slide that went from your bedroom window to anywhere on campus, where would it go?
The Suites; it would make hanging out with my friends there easier.
What’s your go-to AJ’s order?
Smashburger and fries.
How do you stay warm in the Michigan winter?
I prefer cold weather to warm, so even on the coldest days just my go-to black coat is necessary. What’s a surprising fact about you?
I did theater through middle school.
What level of the library do you spend the most time in?
Heaven.
Do you have advice for sophomores?
Find at least one leisure activity per week to take your mind off school.
Freshman Maxon Versluys (third from right) hunting with his cousins.
Courtesy | Maxon Versluys
Junior Luke Johnson shows off a giant buck.
Courtesy | Luke Johnson
Dennis “Gate Guy” Cook with a buck in 2021.
Courtesy | Dennis Cook
Leaman as a child.
Courtesy | Pierce Leaman
Freshman John Blaney with his rifle and deer.
Courtesy | John Blaney