The Hillsdale football team will play for a major award—a replica of the leg lamp from the 1983 film, “A Christmas Story,” at the Albanese Candy Bowl against Upper Iowa University Dec. 6 in Hobart, Indiana. The bowl game will be Hillsdale’s first since 2021.
“A Christmas Story” has a local connection to Hobart because the movie is set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, which is based on Hammond, Indiana, about 15 miles from Hobart, according to Jimmy Nelson, director of sports for the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. In addition, Jean Shepherd, who narrated the film and wrote the book upon which the movie is based, grew up in Hammond.
The film also has a connection to Hillsdale College, as its director, Bob Clark, was a Hillsdale College student and played for the Chargers football team in the early 1960s.
“Almost nobody at Hills-
By Sophia Bryant
Assistant Editor
dale knows that ‘A Christmas Story’ was directed by a Hillsdale football player,” Lecturer in Journalism Buddy Moore house said.
“It’s really cool that the Hills dale foot ball team is playing for a tro phy from a movie that was directed by a Hillsdale football player.”
When the Great Mid west Athletic Conference and the Great Lakes Valley Conference created their bowl game in 2019, they wanted to have a travel ing trophy with local according to Nelson.
“Because of their love for the movie and because they love our bowl game so much, they decided the leg lamp would be an awesome trophy to pass
around,” Nelson
In the film, the main character’s father wins a “major award” from a newspaper contest, which turns out to be a leg
South Shore
CVA created giant animatronic window scenes in Hammond to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “A Christmas Story” in 2003. Afterward, South Shore and Warner Bros. created a contract to sell Warner Brothers’ merchandise, which included leg lamps from the movie,
Moorehouse said the bowl game will have an extra significance due to the connection between the film and the college. Clark, who died in
finalist for the best college or university radio station with under 10,000 students in the national Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards. Several student shows and features are
By Sydney Green Senior Reporter
The Hillsdale City Council denied HOPE Harbor’s request on Monday to forgive a $2,834 fine issued after the city ordered the removal of its tent in October.
“I have learned from the past that
also finalists.
IBS, a national college radio and audio organization, will announce the winners at its national conference on Feb. 21 in New York City, according to General Manager Scot Bertram. Senior Emily Schutte competed against finalists from schools across the country to win the IBS award for best newscast last year.
“Being a finalist for best college, university station, that’s a reflection on the work that everybody does here, all the students do at the station,” Bertram said. “And everyone who’s a finalist this year and most years has a serious shot to win that category.”
Schutte is a finalist for best documentary this year. She produced her documentary, “The Story of the Star Span -
By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor
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shop for ev-
2007, was the starting punter and backup quarterback as a freshman, before becoming the starting quarterback for Hillsdale and later transferring to the University of Miami, according to Moorehouse.
Clark also directed “Porky’s,” a raunchy comedy in 1981, and “Rhinestone,” a musical comedy starring Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton in 1984.
The Chargers bring a 6–5 regular season and 5–4 conference record into the game and have three players who won awards for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference this year.
Freshman tailback Ben Ngishu won GMAC Freshman of the Year, junior receiver Shea Ruddy won GMAC Special Teams Player of the Year, and junior tight end Noah Larrick won the Elite 26 Award, which is given to the student athlete with the highest cumulative GPA.
Illustration by Caroline Kurt.
Hillsdale plans new minor in Judaism
By Jamie Parsons Assistant Editor
Hillsdale is taking the first steps to create a new Judaism minor, College President Larry Arnn said at fall convocation Nov. 13.
The proposed program will cover the great Jewish texts, their historical context, and the Hebrew language, Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Whalen said.
A launch date for the minor is undetermined, as specific plans for the program have not yet been proposed to faculty or the Educational Policies Committee.
“A program like this makes a lot of sense for Hillsdale College because of our mission,” Whalen said. “Our mission makes it clear that Jerusalem is one of the cornerstones of Western civilization.”
Whalen said Arnn had the idea to start a Judaism program several years ago.
Jewish figures across the country, and they have expressed interest in Hillsdale beginning a Judaism program. Whalen said the minor would adhere to the college’s curriculum, commitments, and principles.
“The end goal is to create a program that is sufficiently robust and rigorous, and introduces people to the depths of the Jewish contribution to Western civilization,” Whalen said. “That means theology, philosophy, history, and reading important texts in their cultural contexts.”
Rotem Andegeko, a senior who moved to the United States with her family from Israel as a 2-year-old, said she trusts Hillsdale to provide a thoughtful and accurate Judaism program.
gled Banner,” for Bertram’s advanced radio production class last spring.
“I was shocked because I didn’t know Scot Bertram had submitted it to be considered,” Schutte said. “But I was really pleased because that documentary was something I was really proud of.”
Schutte said the documentary is about Francis Scott Key’s poem “The Star Spangled Banner.” The lyrics to the national anthem were taken from a verse in the poem.
Schutte interviewed Professor of History Bradley Birzer for the documentary, and her classmate Gavin Listro ’25 read the entire poem for the recording.
Arnn told The Collegian it is important to learn about Jerusalem when studying the Western Tradition because the study of God, man, and nature for the sake of themselves and the approach to them as a universal phenomenon arose in the West, in Jerusalem and Athens.
“In Jerusalem, it began with the Jews, a people who conceived a God who was the one God. His dealings with them to be a blessing to ‘all the people on the face of the Earth,’” Arnn said. “This happened very long ago in a time when religion was mostly tribal and particular. It was like lightning striking.”
Whalen said Arnn has been talking to important
“I feel like a lot of things, not just Judaism, when they are talked about are laced with opinion,” Andegeko said. “You don’t learn what happens or what it is, and I feel like this program would actually do that and let you form your opinion.”
Michael Weingrad, a visiting professor of Jewish studies, will teach a new one-credit course, “Israeli Culture Before and After Oct. 7,” next spring as a part of the Collegiate Scholars Program. The course is the college’s attempt to start incorporating Judaism studies in its curriculum.
Weingrad said he supports the idea of a Judaism program at Hillsdale because he believes there are many lessons the students can learn from Israeli culture.
eryone located right here in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Less than a mile from campus, Rough Draft offers a cozy study space and many coffee options from their specialty lattes to cortados to breves.
Erin Freidenfeld, a senior and Rough Draft barista, said they make all of their baked goods and coffee syrups inhouse, differentiating them from the competition in town.
“People love our homemade syrups and baked goods,” Freidenfeld said. “We always have one rotating seasonal flavor, as well as our staple bourbon vanilla and dark mocha.” Freidenfeld also said the close location to campus makes it a perfect spot for community or studying.
“I think the fact that so many people love it here and they
continually come back keeps Rough Draft popular and loved by the town,” Freidenfeld said. “When I work, I see all of campus come through, so it provides a place to do homework and socialize.”
A little farther from campus on the downtown square is Jilly Beans, known for its long list of creative latte names and extensive menu, as well as offering its own flavored beans for sale.
According to Breanna Bower, a Jilly Beans barista, a fan-favorite latte is the “Belly Rub,” made with white-chocolate and caramel flavor. She also thinks that the food they offer brings a lot of people into the store.
“A lot of people come in here for our
and
Bower said. “We
Hillsdale College’s student radio station, WRFH Radio
Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM, is a
Santa and the Cameron Christmas Train rolled through Hillsdale
Moira Gleason | The Collegian
the smooth jazz
cozy atmosphere of Rough Draft to the rock’n’roll-vinyl-selling Checker Records, there is a coffee
Juniors Evelyn Schurtliff and Anna Stirton at Rough Draft. Elaine Kutas | The Collegian
Senior Emily Schutte at last year’s IBS awards ceremony.
Courtesy | Scot Bertram
Undergraduate presents research to classics graduate panel
By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor
Junior Zachary Chen pre-
sented a paper about how Roman writers used the myth of Phaethon to argue for their different philosophies at the Ohio Classical Conference’s annual convention on Sept. 26.
The paper, Chen’s seventh presented at an academic conference, was titled “Generosus Phaethon: The Uses of a Myth in Lucretius, Ovid, and Seneca the Younger.” Chen said he wrote this paper specifically for the conference and presented it for a panel of graduate students titled “Close Readings of Dirty Work.”
“I was very grateful for the opportunity to present at the Ohio Classical Conference,” Chen said. “The audience was a fantastic group to chat with and to discuss ideas. I also enjoyed hearing the other papers which were presented.”
Chen shows graduate schools that he’s already operating at the graduate level as an undergraduate junior by presenting papers at conferences, according to Chairman and Professor of Classics Joseph Garnjobst.
“What we want our students to do is to practice like they’re going to play,” Garnjobst said.
“We want them to act like graduate students, so that they get a better idea of what those demands are, so that if they
really like it and thrive — and Zack is someone who really thrives in that environment — he knows what to expect.”
The presentation lasted for 10 minutes, with an additional five minutes for questions.
“The questions at academic conferences help you refine your paper, and come back to your own thoughts with the input of your peers, and tinker around with your reading,”
Chen said. “They give you a perspective on things that you’re just not going to have,
are not real, and only material fire exists, Chen said. Ovid used the myth to argue against Lucretius and re-mythologize the story, critiquing Lucretius’ Epicurean philosophy in the process. Seneca, finally, used the myth to portray Phaethon as an example of pursuing virtue and stoically accepting suffering, a position which “corrects” and acknowledges its predecessors, according to Chen.
“There’s a tension there between each of the three au-
“This is something I’d like to devote my academic life to.”
and the opportunity for peer review forces you to sharpen what you’re saying, maybe respond, reformulate, and revise your work. It’s a very helpful and healthy experience.”
Chen said he wrote on an intertextual treatment of the myth of Phaethon in Seneca, Ovid, and Lucretius.
In the myth, the sun god Helios’ son Phaethon asked to drive the sun around the earth for one day so that he could prove Helios was his father. Phaethon fails to drive the chariot, and Zeus kills him so that he doesn’t burn the world, according to Chen.
Lucretius used the myth of Phaethon to argue that the gods
thors, and the way that they pick up on each other,” Chen said. “There are verbal resonances there. There are thematic resonances, and I mean, this is the great conversation.”
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Joshua Benjamins read a draft of Chen’s paper before he submitted it.
“It’s a very interesting topic,” Benjamins said. “It is a manifestation of a theme that Zack is very interested in, which is intertextuality, that is the way that authors draw upon and interweave earlier authors and texts into the texture of their own work.”
Benjamins said Chen is an “outstanding” student who is
strong in languages and research.
“His language skills are very good, but in particular, what sets him apart is his ability to pursue serious research questions in a way that combines close reading of the text with scholarly and theoretical frameworks for interpreting the text,” Benjamins said.
Chen said he plans to continue presenting papers in the coming months. He said he wants to be a professional classicist because he finds writing and thinking about the ancient world intriguing.
“I think toward the end of my high school years, I realized that this was something I wanted to pursue,” Chen said. “And then into my first year at Hillsdale, it kind of crystallized for me, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is something I’d like to devote my academic life to.’”
Garnjobst called Chen “a budding classicist and an emerging scholar,” and said Chen has improved every semester as a student, scholar, and person.
“He has done this all himself,” Garnjobst said. “He has looked for these opportunities, and every time he has found one and submitted, we have supported him, but he’s quite the force of nature on his own.”
Fifth-annual Lessons & Carols coming this weekend
By Christina Lewis Assistant Editor
Students and the larger Hillsdale community will get a chance to share the spirit of the Christmas season in song at this year’s Lessons & Carols event.
Lessons & Carols will be held in Christ Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. The program is a joint effort between the music department and the office of the chaplain.
“The Lessons & Carols service was first developed in the late-19th-century Church of England, which we have adapted for our purposes here at Hillsdale,” Associate Professor of Music Timothy McDonnell said. “The general premise is to blend readings of Scripture and music in telling the story of Christ’s first coming in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.”
This will be the college’s fifth year holding the Lessons & Carols event, which was suggested by College President Larry Arnn after the establishment of Christ Chapel on campus in 2019, McDonnell said.
“The musical selections include choral works as well as popular carols for our guests to join in singing,” McDonnell said. “In addition to professional and faculty collaborating mu-
“I’m excited to see what happens,” Schutte said. “I wish I could hear other people’s documentaries, because it would be interesting to compare. I don’t really have expectations. I’m really proud of the work I did, but I don’t think I’ll be crushed if I don’t win. But I’m excited to go to New York with some of my friends in the radio program and experience that conference again.” Bertram is a finalist for the best radio faculty adviser for the second time in his 10 years working for Hillsdale. Bertram won the award for best faculty advisor in 2023.
“I always see that as a reflection of the credible work the students do,” Bertram
sicians, we are excited to welcome student instrumentalists to the program for the first time. We are also extremely pleased to be joined in performance by our own hometown opera superstar, Julie Adams.”
Lessons and Carols is a liturgical service that helps people meditate on the Incarnation and Nativity of Jesus through Scripture and music,
a musical response, with the congregational parts being well-known Christmas carols, according to Rick.
“The service opens and closes with prayer,” Rick said. “It became globally famous when King’s College, Cambridge, began to live broadcast their service in 1928, which they still do every year on Christmas Eve. It’s become a treasured part of
junior Viola Townsend said.
“Lessons & Carols is my favorite event in the semester,” Townsend said. “It is an amazing way to prepare for Christmas and meditate on the birth of Christ and how the Israelites prepared for him over centuries. It is a good reminder of the gift that they spent so long waiting for.”
College Chaplain Adam Rick will lead the service. Structurally, each of the nine lessons from Scripture is followed by
said. “Whatever instruction and assistance and knowledge that I’m able to give them is reflected in the work that they are able to produce, and the really high quality content that we do around here.”
Senior Peter Andrews is a finalist for the award for best specialty music show for “Classical Context.” In the show, which ran for one season in the spring of 2025, Andrews played and analyzed pieces of classical music.
“I’m just excited to know that my vision of making art music accessible to the 21st-century audience through ‘Classical Context’ has hopefully reached more people,” Andrews said.
Senior Hana Connelly is a finalist for the best news feature award for “Human Traf-
Christmas rhythms for millions around the world, and has been widely adapted by a range of western Christian churches, Protestant and Catholic.”
McDonnell chose the musical selections and coordinated them with readings that tell the story of Christ’s birth. He will conduct the Choral Scholars and guest musicians.
“Our purpose in creating this program is to bring the heart of Christmas into the heart of our campus, Christ
ficking: A Growing Scourge.”
“As I wait to hear who wins, I am prayerful that my feature will be a winner so that it can raise even more awareness of human trafficking across the state of Michigan and how we can help end this awful form of modern-day slavery,” Connelly said in an email.
Senior Erika Kyba is a finalist for best specialty show. She has produced the show “Poetry Fix” for three years, according to Bertram.
“What’s really neat about that is almost every week, you can hear her improving in a small way, which is one of the things we strive for, always getting better,” Bertram said.
Lauren Smyth ’25 is a finalist for the best news director.
College schedules network outage over Christmas break
By Cassandra DeVries Collegian Reporter
Hillsdale College has scheduled a network outage Dec. 26 and 27 to replace the college’s network core and distribution nodes.
During the outage, campus servers won’t provide connections to the internet.
All cloud services, including Zoom, Outlook, Box, CRM, Canvas, and Mazévo, will still be available to students from off-campus-networks.
“Other than a handful of students that don’t go home during Christmas break, the only other main people that are impacted by this outage will be the president himself and his family at their residence,” said Patrick Chartrand, senior director of information technology infrastructure and support. “Broadlawn will not have internet during this time, either.”
Hillsdale College’s network is composed of three layers: the core, the distribution, and the edge. The network outage will replace the core and distribution layers, according to Chartrand.
“The core layer is fault-tolerant and located in two different buildings and our main data centers,” Chartrand said. “The distribution layer is in five different locations in the distribution nodes are the only things allowed to talk to the core.”
Chapel,” McDonnell said. “As we approach the intensity of the exam period, this is an opportunity to take some time with our colleagues and friends, ponder the mystery of God-made-man, and join in a hearty carol or two in the soaring arches of our Chapel. This year’s program includes some special guests and features that are not to be missed. Come and stir up the spirit of Christmas for yourselves and the community.”
Townsend said this will be her third time attending Lessons & Carols. She is a soprano in Choral Scholars and will be singing during the program. She said it is important to remember why Christ came to earth and to think about what that means for our lives.
“Music helps to do this in a special way because it both moves our passions to receive its beauty and inspires our reason to reflect upon the text being sung,” Townsend said. “We are so blessed to be able to sing this music and share it with the college and with the community. We work very hard to make it as beautiful as possible and would love to see the Chapel full to bursting. Please come, even if only for a little bit. You won’t regret it.”
“Lauren is a superstar, she’s a rockstar, when she was here, she just did an outstanding job,” Bertram said.
“The Collegian Week in Review”’s segment on the Camp Hope homeless shelter is a finalist for the award for best campus or community news. The show featured juniors Alessia Sandala and Megan Li and senior Catherine Maxwell as hosts and senior Sydney Green as the guest reporter.
“I was excited that the work of my reporting had been seen and appreciated,” Green said. “And I was excited and surprised. I was definitely not expecting that.”
one of the cores has a hardware failure and it doesn’t come online, or some part of the configuration won’t work, we will need to go back to the vendor,” Chartrand said. “If that becomes the case, then that next day, that third day, we will back out and put the original equipment back in place.”
This timing will allow the college’s network to be up and running again for the gift processors to log end-of-year donations, regardless of whether the new layers work or not, according to Chartrand.
“The month of December is one of the busiest for the Gift Processing team, due to an influx of year-end gifts from the College’s generous supporters and friends. Since this month is exceptionally busy, we have coordinated the timing of the network outage with ITS to ensure that our ability to process gifts is not adversely impacted,” Sarah Grablick, a director in Campaign & Data Management, said.
The current network is supplied by Dell, but Dell recently announced it will stop making this type of edge switches.
Chartrand explained that it is preferable that all of the switches are made by the same vendor, so the college needed to decide on a new vendor.
The edge layer is made of numerous switches located in each campus building. Computers and wireless access points are connected to the edge layer, which in turn are plugged directly into the distribution layer. Each layer needs to be changed every seven years.
Chartrand explained that the college thought Christmas break would cause the least disruption. They will begin on Dec. 26 and hope to finish by Dec. 27, according to Chartrand. If there is a problem with the new layers and they do not connect properly, Chartrand’s team will remove the new layers and reinstate the old layers on Dec. 28.
“So my team will go in the day after Christmas, the 26th, to get everything implemented and up and running. If we have any trouble — maybe
Minor from A1
“The Israelis really do give us a number of wonderful lessons on how to live life and how to have a connection to faith, nation, and family under really extraordinarily difficult conditions that we can find inspiring,” Weingrad said. “Hillsdale students who are living lives of faith and understanding the way in which they live their religious traditions in a modern world can find a lot of parallels in the experience of Israelis and how they put their Jewish faith into practice in contemporary conditions.”
Arnn voiced similar beliefs, saying there is an importance in studying both Judaism and Christianity.
“At least through medieval times, there has been heavy overlap between the great Jewish and the great Christian thinkers,” Arnn said. “Thomas Aquinas and Moses Maimonides were rough contemporaries. We can learn from them both and all like them.”
Weingrad said in his spring course he will discuss the development of Israeli culture over the past hundred years,
After several meetings and tests, they settled on Juniper to supply the core, distribution, and edge switches. Since the edge layers are installed building by building, they are replaced on a different cycle than the core and distribution layers.
The edge layers are also less vital to the integrity of the system and will thus not be replaced until they reach the end of their seven year life.
“It will take us about six years to replace the entire network for Hillsdale College from Dell over to Juniper,” Chartrand said.
Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said he is sure the update will be successful.
“I’m very grateful for the work ITS puts in behind the scenes to make sure campus runs smoothly,” Petersen said. “They do such a good job, most of us won’t even realize there was an outage in the first place.”
how it incorporates religious and secular elements, and how Israelis have managed to live their lives under varying conditions. Weingrad added he plans to use aspects of popular culture as a way to make the Israeli experience understandable.
“I know there is a lot of warm support for Jews and for Israel, and a lot of interest and questions, particularly after Oct. 7,” Weingrad said. “And so this seemed like a good way in which to be able to offer a taste of modern Israeli culture.” Whalen said Judaism and Israeli culture are fascinating, and he encourages people to take a look at the history, texts, and traditions they offer, especially if given the opportunity through the college.
“It is a rich, beautiful, and profound culture and religious tradition,” Whalen said. “I am an outsider, I only see it from afar, but even from there it looks like something you can spend the rest of your life reading about, thinking about, working in, and continuously enriching your intellectual and spiritual resources.”
Radio from A1
College Chaplin Rev. Adam Rick at last year’s Lessons & Carols
Courtesy | Zachary Chen
City News
Police chief delays retirement to help find replacement
By Adriana Azarian AssistA nt Editor
After announcing his retirement last month, Hillsdale Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner now plans to postpone his departure until February 2026 to help search for his successor.
“I made an agreement with the city that I’m going to continue my appointment for a few more months to help them through the process of getting my replacement and then transitioning that person,” Hephner told The Collegian. “I have a lot of work to do in the next couple of months.”
After talking with Mayor Scott Sessions, Hephner decided to delay his leaving. Hephner previously
submitted a letter to the Hillsdale City Council Nov. 6, announcing his retirement, which would have begun Dec. 1. Hephner has served as Hillsdale’s police chief since 2014 and fire chief since 2016. According to Sessions, Hephner has been with the police department for 38 years.
The Public Safety Committee met Nov. 25 to discuss the search for Hephner’s replacement and agreed to post the opening for police and fire chief. Though the town charter lists police chief and fire chief as separate positions, Sessions said the committee will look for a candidate who
City approves Arch Ave repair plan
By Gemma Flores AssistAnt Editor
The Hillsdale City Council unanimously approved plans to repair Arch Avenue using a special assessment district at its Dec. 1 meeting and will host a public hearing Jan. 5 to discuss funding for the project.
The estimated cost of the project is $448,000, according to Jason Blake, Hillsdale’s director of public services. Construction will include storm and drainage improvements over the 0.34mile area from Mechanic Road to Carleton Road. The project came before the council in January of this year.
But the city will need far less funding than usual to cover the project. Hillsdale is set to receive $425,000 in federal funding secured through a congressional earmark by Congressman Tim Walberg to pay for the project, leaving roughly $23,000 to be paid through a SAD. A SAD designates dilapidated roads for repair and funds the work by taxing property owners in the specified district up to $5,000.
The city council will host a
By Cassandra DeVries
sEnior rEportEr
Families and friends lined up for cider flights, scented candles, and homemade wooden spatulas at Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm’s Friendsgiving Festival Nov. 23.
“We like to have a holiday festival every year to celebrate Thanksgiving, generally the Sunday before the holiday,” former Meckley’s manager, Heather Meckley said.
Meckley’s is a family-owned apple orchard, bakery, and cider mill in Cement City, Michigan that opened in 1956.
Each year, the owners of Meckley’s, Adrienne and Steve Meckley, host a Thanksgiving event with a different theme.
“We did the Friendsgiving this year with the theme of
public hearing Jan. 5 to discuss funding for the project.“Due to waiting on approvals through a congressional earmark, engineering, and the scope of the project being changed, we were asked to bring forward updated estimates and drawings now,”
Blake said City Manager David Mackie and Assistant City Manager Sam Fry worked with Walberg, a Republican whose district includes Hillsdale, to get federal funding for the Arch Avenue project.
“This is not a grant like the small urban funds. This is a congressional appropriation. This is federal money that was earmarked for a specific project,” Fry said at the meeting. “We had to work with our congressman, Tim Walberg, to get an appropriation for this. There’s a very specific project scope that we had to submit to Congress in order to get the appropriation. We have to maintain the scope of that project with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to get the funds for this.”
The project’s cost will be split between federal funding and
the owners of 16 parcels of land along the stretch of Arch Avenue, most of whom are industrial and commercial businesses.
Walberg requested the funding for Arch Avenue in a letter to Congress in 2024.
“Updates are needed to improve safety given that Arch Avenue is the preferred access point to the City of Hillsdale Manufacturing and Technology Park,” Walberg said in the letter. SADs are a contentious topic for the Hillsdale City Council and were featured heavily in the 2025 mayoral race last month.
“The basic problem with SADs is that they’re irregular,” Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino told The Collegian. “This leads to this problem, where the city’s policy — the council’s policy — is that everyone should be charged a uniform rate for a special assessment district. But it turns out that the districts that the state and the federal government target end up receiving a lower bill.”
In practice, this means that commercial and industrial areas often pay less in SADs than residential areas, according to
the food trucks. We wanted to add something fun,” Adrienne Meckley said.
Food trucks, including The Joint Smokin’ Good Food, PB&J BBQ, and The Smash Box, provided lunch and snack options.
Customers also visited Meckley’s donut shop, bakery, and gift shop.
Local musician Kelly Bracey sang and played the guitar in the tap room as visitors tried Meckley’s variety of hard ciders, including Cherry Bomb, Citrus Twist, and Grape Lakes.
Adrienne Meckley said it was easy to find local vendors for the festival.
“All of the vendors find us and reach out to us,” Adrienne Meckley said.
One of the vendors at the event, Jennifer Fox, sold home-
can do both jobs.
Police and fire chiefs must be certified by the state of Michigan. Ward
4 Councilman Joshua Paladino said it will be “slightly more rare” to find someone who is certified both as a fire and police chief.
Paladino said that, although the combined role of fire and police chief saves money, he thinks the roles of fire chief and police chief should be divided so the interests of both departments can be represented separately.
Paladino said there will be a “learning curve” for Hephner’s replacement to catch up to Hephner’s “wealth of knowledge”
Paladino.
The council tabled the discussion until January, when the council will host a public hearing. Before the hearing, Paladino said, the Public Services Committee plans to meet to discuss further solutions for the funding inequality.
Ultimately, Paladino said, the Arch Avenue parcels will likely be charged a lower amount than residential districts are for SADs.
“It’ll probably be about $1,000 apiece,” Paladino told The Collegian. “It could be as low as $500, maybe as high as $2,000, but somewhere in that range, based on the difference between the total projected cost for the project and the grand amount.”
Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley expressed his continued frustration with the system of funding road repairs, a key issue in his mayoral campaign.
“This, again, brings up the absurdity of our special assessment policy,” Bentley said. “We need to, again, look into special assessments in totality.”
made candles.
“I've known about Meckley’s since I was a little girl,” Fox said. “And I’ve been making candles for 12 years and have a candle factory in Spring Arbor.”
Fox offered candle crockpots, miniature candles that could fit in your pocket, and almost 180 varieties of candle scents, ranging from “library book” to bakery scents.
“At an event like this, I can probably sell 30 candles,” Fox said. “But it’s also not always about the sales. I love networking and socializing with the people here.”
Lindsey Meckley, Adrienne and Steve Meckley’s daughterin-law, also set up a stand in the cider barn where she sold
beef tallow from their farm a couple of miles down the road.
“We sell lip butters, face creams, and body creams. Our anti-aging cream and our whipped body balm are our most popular,” Lindsey Meckley said.
Overall, 24 vendors sold a variety of handmade goods such as knives and spatulas, Christmas ornaments, sourdough bread, and dog biscuits.
“We did a pie festival last year and then thought a Friendsgiving would be a fun element to add to this year,” Adrienne Meckley said. “The festival was good. We had a smaller turnout, but everyone definitely enjoyed their time.”
from his decades of service.
“Chief Hephner was always a professional, very cordial,” Paladino said. “He would give his opinions, but didn’t let disagreements cause any tension. He served the city well.”
Sessions said he congratulates Hephner on his upcoming retirement and is grateful for his service to the residents of Hillsdale.
“His dedication, commitment, and unwavering professionalism have set a standard that will continue to guide our community for years to come,” Sessions said. “Chief Hephner has been a steady hand, a trusted leader, and a true example of what it means to serve with integrity.”
“The fines and costs from this incident, while understandable, will take away critical resources from the very people we are trying to help,” Stewart said. “We are asking for your understanding and forgiveness so that we can continue serving our community together.”
Stewart said this request should come as no surprise, citing the council’s decision in 2023 to forgive part of a fine issued to the Hillsdale Mobile Home Park.
“We are not asking for special treatment,” Stewart said. “This type of forgiveness was given to the mobile home park.”
City Manager David Mackie said at the meeting that these two cases did not compare.
“I would say it’s comparing apples and oranges here,” Mackie said. “That was a different issue that the council negotiated with the mobile home park; the fees that the mobile home park assessed was based on a statute.”
Stewart emphasized that Camp Hope served more than 300 homeless people in Hillsdale at no extra cost to the city, an effort she said should be encouraged.
“Camp Hope was only sup-
posed to be a temporary solution until the city or another organization offered a permanent solution,” Stewart said.
“We stepped up and provided a space to get them the help they needed, which in turn has helped solve problems on our trails and downtown.”
Ward 3 Councilman Gary Wolfram argued the city should acknowledge the organization’s contributions to the city by helping the homeless.
“They are providing a service to the city; maybe we could think of this as paying them for their service,” Wolfram said. “The $2,800 is a minimal payment.”
Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley expressed sympathy but insisted the problems surrounding Camp Hope will continue with HOPE Harbor. Bentley cited the history of frequent noise complaints from residents in the neighboring Apple Run apartments will persist.
“I would be inclined to mercy except the issues are going to continue, and the issue is that the Apple Run residents have been tearing their hair out for forever, so I am inclined to be sympathetic with them,” Bentley said. “I am not trying to crush you out of business.”
‘I believe': Santa comes to town on historic Christmas train.
Moira Gleason | Collegian
Lindsey Meckley and her daughter selling beef tallow products. CAssAndrA devries | CollegiAn
Local musician Kelly Bracey plays at Meckley's. CAssAndrA devries | CollegiAn
Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner. CollegiAn ArChives
Hillsdale shatters records at invite
By Lucy Billings Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale women’s swim team placed second out of eight teams at its midseason meet at the Don Kimble Invitational in Kentwood, Michigan, Nov. 21–23.
Freshman Avery May was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Week and the Chargers scored 640 total points, coming home with one gold, seven silver, and four bronze places.
May placed second in the 500 freestyle in 5.02.87, a season best and Division II B-cut, and second in the 400 individual medley in a personal best 4.29.30. She also swam in the 400 free-
Track and Field
style relay, with the women placing first with a time of 3.29.34 and setting a school record, and anchored in the 800 freestyle relay team, helping the team finish in second at 7.42.28.
“The moment I was most proud of was the 500 free at finals,” May said. “I had a hard day and didn’t have much time to recover in between sessions. I was so happy that I was able to push through and swim a race I could be proud of. I feel like the team, myself included, has made progress in mental toughness.”
Other impressive swims from the team included freshman Sasha Babenko’s second place finish in the 200 individual medley race in 2.08.90, junior Inez McNichols’ second place finish in the 200 butterfly in 2.10.89,
and sophomore Ella Schafer’s second place finish in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1.52.81.
Head coach Kurt Kirner said the meet went exceptionally well.
“It was an outstanding meet. We broke some team records, which is always above and beyond for a midseason meet, and also had some NCAA B cuts.
Sasha Babenko being part of two record breaking relays and breaking the team record in the 100 and 200 backstroke and Avery May getting her 500 freestyle B cut and swimming the second fastest 400 IM in GMAC history.”
Assistant coach Madeline London said she was pleased with the results from the meet.
“This performance exceeded
our expectations,” London said. “We always want to achieve lifetime best times at meets like this. We gained 17 lifetime bests in addition to two NCAA B cuts and four school records. Coach and I have seen immense progress in the team’s underwaters as a whole, in addition to details in their race finishes. It’s been good to see, but like I said, there’s always more progress to make.”
Over Christmas break, the Chargers will travel to Florida for winter training. They will continue the season next semester, starting with a tri meet against Saginaw Valley State University and Ashland University in Saginaw, Michigan, Jan. 10.
Season opens at home, full squad Friday
By Cassandra DeVries Collegian Reporter
The Hillsdale track and field team hosted the MidWeek Multi for pentathlon and heptathlon athletes Dec. 3-4, and will compete in its first meet of the season Friday, Dec. 5 at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Invite in Allendale, Michigan.
Sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann won the Mid-Week Multi with a score of 3452 in the pentathlon, with sophomore Aubrie Wilson placing seventh with a score of 2921 and freshman Bristol Whitley scoring 2462 and placing 13 in her first-ever pentathlon.
“The first meet is always a good meet, because the whole team goes and we just get to see what we can do, because we have been working obviously all semester,” senior Tara Townsend said. “Friday is our first meet, and it is always really exciting.”
Jessica Bridenthal took over the head coaching position, as well as continuing to coach the throws events for the track and field program this year.
“She is super encouraging and really a great leader for us,” sophomore Sarah Chap-
pelle said. “It has been affecting the culture so that everybody is very motivated and very excited to work and be dedicated.”
Senior Lucy Minning said this year’s training was the hardest she has seen in her four years in the program.
“This year we have done a lot of volume and a lot of speed endurance, and we have really picked it up in the weight room,” Minning said. “I feel like we are really being pushed, so that is exciting.”
The Chargers have numerous top national competitors, including senior Ben Haas, a two-time national champion in both outdoor hammer throw and indoor weight throw, and a national qualifier in both indoor and outdoor shot put. Haas aims to win titles in these events this season.
Other top competitors for Hillsdale include sophomore Allison Kuzma, an All-American in cross country after placing 13th in the nation in the women’s outdoor 10k in 2025. Kuzma has continued to train since her 2025 cross-country season.
“She has not stopped training, so she can still be peaked for this opening meet before
she takes her rest,” Chappelle said. “She will be good to look out for.”
Senior Averi Parker, an All-American for women’s shotput, Townsend, an All-American for pole vault, and senior Ross Kuhn, an All-American for men’s outdoor 1,500, are also expected to perform well in the opening meet, according to their teammates.
“A lot of people could achieve national qualifying marks in this first meet, so that is going to be really exciting,” Minning said.
The Chargers’ team grew by 27 freshmen this season.
“They are really well driven, and they just want to come in the first meet and just tear heads off from every other school,” senior Alfonso Garcia said. “So super excited to see what they can do.”
Townsend agreed and said she was especially excited to watch the freshman in her event group perform.
“We got a ton of really talented freshmen this year across the board,” Townsend said. “For me specifically, I am excited to see what Sophia Williams can do. She is our freshman pole vaulter.”
Prior to Thanksgiving
break, part of the track and field team held an intrasquad meet to prepare for their first meet against other institutions.
“We do not do real events,” Chappelle said. “We do modifications of real events. So instead of a 60-meter dash, we do a 55-meter dash, and instead of a 200 we do a 300, which we do not really compete in during the season. We change it up so that it does not mess with our mental state, so if you do not run the exact time that you were at during your peak last season, you are not discouraged.”
Minning said the team is looking forward to seeing the results of a semester of practice in an actual meet.
“It gets to a point when you’ve been training for so long, you’re like, ‘What am I doing this for?’” Minning said. “You do not see results at practice, you see them at the meet. So I think everyone is kind of dying to see what they can do.”
Shotgun
Three athletes to represent USA
By Daniel Johnson Collegian Reporter
Three members of the Hillsdale shotgun team qualified for the Open and Junior Women’s National Teams after competing in the USA Shooting Selection Matches in Tucson, Arizona, Nov. 17-22.
Sophomore Taylor Dale and junior Ava Downs qualified for both the Open and Junior divisions in International Trap. Junior Madeline Corbin qualified for both divisions in International Skeet.
Eleven members of the shotgun team competed in the shoot, with seven making the finals for the top six spots in each event and category. Athletes in the top six of the junior or open categories have a shot at competing internationally in their event.
Shooters who are 21 years old or younger can contend in the junior category, while competitors of any age compete in the open category.
Dale, Downs, and Corbin placed in the top six of their respective open categories, qualifying for the Open Women’s National Team.
Corbin won the junior category in Skeet, while Downs and Dale took first and second in the junior category of Trap.
“They’ll all have opportunities to represent the United States in World Cups and World Championships next year,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. “The people who are on those Open teams are the ones who are being selected to go to the Olympics.”
Hintz said Dale, Downs, and Corbin’s qualification for the national team and Olympic hopes are the fruit of multiple achievements.
“It’s a rolling process,” Hintz said. “You don’t qualify for the Olympics until basically immediately before it. The selection matches in combination with the national championship are what USA shooting uses to select their teams to represent the U.S.”
Senior Davis Hay, junior Luke Johnson, and freshman Zach Hinze all qualified for finals for International Skeet. Sophomore Marin McKinney qualified for finals in International Trap.
According to Hintz, the team’s achievements continue to build a legacy.
“It was a very successful match,” Hintz said. “Continuing to have Hillsdale athletes representing the U.S. across the world is super important for us and for what we do.”
According to Dale, who has qualified for the Junior National Team before, qualifying for the Open National Team was a move towards a larger goal.
“It’s not the final step, but it’s definitely the next step,” Dale said. “I’d love to go to the Olympics one day.”
Corbin said a change in mindset allowed her to shoot her best after a difficult start.
“The first day of competition wasn’t horrible for me, but it wasn’t great,” Corbin said. “I had to reset my brain to not think about the outcome. But then I really flipped a switch and came back. I shot a 122 out of the second 125, which is a personal best for me.”
Dale said the competition started with momentum that lasted.
“I shot a perfect 25 out of 25 on the first round,” Dale said. “I was happy with my performance every day.”
According to Dale, winning with Corbin and Downs was a familiar exercise.
“We’re all from Wisconsin, and I had been friends with Ava and Madeline for at least four years before coming to Hillsdale,” Dale said. “It’s awesome to have grown up shooting with them, shooting against them, and then for us to hit these milestones together.”
Dale, Corbin, and Downs will compete in the Junior World Cup in Egypt March 27 through April 2 in spring 2026.
C harger S port
Women's Basketball
Chargers prep for conference play
By Robert Matteson Collegian Reporter
The Hillsdale women’s basketball team split two road games, defeating Lake Superior State University 59–50 Nov. 22 and losing to No. 18 Ferris State University 79–68 Nov. 26, moving its record to 3–2 on the season.
“Road wins are huge,” head coach Brianna Brennan said. “I’m really proud because that’s a game, and a gym, and a team where you go in there and walk out with a win. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, we’re taking it and leaving.”
The Chargers’ defense held the Lakers to 31.6% shooting from the field and 22.7% shooting from 3-point range.
“Especially on the road, the more we control the defensive end, the more likely we are going to be able to have success,” Brennan said.
The Chargers led the Lakers
Volleyball
36–27 at halftime. The Lakers cut the Chargers’ lead to two midway through the fourth quarter, but Hillsdale held its lead en route to victory.
“When the score dwindled, our players with experience were able to have poise out there,” Brennan said. “And our freshman Maddie Smith really finished the game for us at the point guard spot, and she did a phenomenal job executing what we needed her to do.”
Sophomore center Ellie Bruce led the Chargers with 16 points, contributing six rebounds as well.
Sophomore forward Sarah Aleknavicius added 12 points and also led the Chargers with nine rebounds and five assists.
Junior guard Annalise Pietrzyk scored 10 points, and senior guard Emma Ruhlman contributed eight points for the Chargers. Both Pietrzyk and Ruhlman added seven rebounds.
The Chargers had 19 assists on 23 made baskets against the Lakers.
“I think a stat like assists is just a perfect showing of how much we care for each other and how much we want to get the best shot and share the ball,” Ruhlman said.
Against the Bulldogs, the Chargers led after the first quarter 14–11 and were knotted up at halftime 33–33.
The Bulldogs outscored the Chargers 27–16 in the third quarter to take the lead on their way to victory.
“Going into halftime tied tells us that we absolutely could have had that game,” senior forward Sydney Pnacek said. “It gives us a little more motivation to throw the first punch, but then also come out in the third quarter and throw the first punch of the second half as well.”
Pietrzyk led the Chargers in scoring with 17 points. Bruce
added 15 points and seven rebounds. Aleknavicius contributed a team-high six assists, and Ruhlman led the Chargers with eight rebounds.
The Chargers had 20 assists on 24 made baskets.
Hillsdale ranks 10th among NCAA Division II women’s basketball teams in assists with 18.6 assists per game.
“The way we’re sharing the ball is a testament to the team basketball we can play,” Brennan said. “For us to be doing that so well this early, I just can’t wait to see what it continues to become.”
The Chargers begin conference play at home against Lake Erie College Dec. 6.
“It is important for us against Lake Erie on Saturday to just come out and make a statement,” Pnacek said. “Our conference is so strong, but it’s up for grabs right now.”
Season ends with semifinals
By Grace Brennan Assistant Editor
The Hillsdale volleyball team finished the season 14–12 overall and 11–4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, after losing in the semifinal round of the GMAC Tournament.
The Chargers played their last game Nov. 21 in Ohio against Cedarville University. They lost 3–0 to the Yellow Jackets, set one 25–22, set two 25–17, and set three 25–22.
The Chargers started the game by holding a 14–11 lead halfway through set one, and continued to push back in sets two and three.
Despite the Chargers’ loss, they showed grit throughout the game, according to freshman Grace Drake.
“I’m really proud of how we kept fighting throughout the whole match and didn’t give up,” Drake said. “We made some great hustle plays that showed our grit and how much we have improved over the season.”
According to assistant coach Megan Molenkamp the Chargers passed the highest serve receive rating of any matches this year in the Cedarville game.
“Kudos to our serve receivers who worked hard to improve all year,” Molenkamp said. “Passing against great serving teams doesn’t get easier, passers have to become more skilled at a faster rate — that speaks volumes.”
Senior Adi Sysum said the season was one to remember and a perfect way to end her career.
“Yes, the last game didn’t go the way we hoped — that’s tough, and it’s something we all felt,” Sysum said. “But even with that, I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better final year. This group made every practice, bus ride, workout, and game something I looked forward to.”
Senior Emory Braswell led the Chargers offensively with eight kills and eight digs, and senior Chloe Pierce led the Chargers defensively with 12 digs. Senior Josie TeSlaa led the Chargers with 17 assists, moving into the top 10 all-time for Hillsdale College.
According to head coach Chris Gravel, the loss against Cedarville was still something to be proud of.
“Although we fought hard, Cedarville’s block got the best of us that day,” Gravel said. “Josie TeSlaa served exceptionally well helping her earn all-tournament team honors.”
Sysum finished her career with five kills and has been recognized as a first-team all-conference honoree by the GMAC.
Sysum said that being a part of the team has brought her great joy and she attributes all her success to the support of her teammates.
“It’s a great honor, but I genuinely see it as something that belongs to the whole team, not just me,” Sysum said. “Anything I’ve been able to do this season has only been possible because of the people around me. Every single teammate poured in effort, energy, and heart from day one.”
Molenkamp said the Char-
gers are proud of Sysum’s accomplishments this season.
“Adi was a dominant force on our court this year,” Molenkamp said. “She worked hard to become a middle hitter who could hit any spot on the court this year, meaning other teams didn’t know where she was going to hit the ball, which is a huge asset. She jumps incredibly high and is very quick, making it nearly impossible for other teams to stop her.”
Men's Basketball
Record improves with home win
By Evelyn Shurtliff Collegian Freelancer
The Hillsdale men’s basketball team secured a win at home the week before Thanksgiving, defeating Ohio Christian University 74–72 Nov. 22. The Chargers lost a second game 59–71 on the road to University of Indianapolis the day before Thanksgiving, making their record 2–3.
“We knew it was a punch in the mouth after dropping the first two games, especially the one at home,” junior center CJ Yarian said. “It made us realize that we needed to band together and start turning things around, focusing on attention to detail to become sharp and crisp.”
The Chargers won a close battle with Ohio Christian, clinched by a last-second shot by senior captain guard Ashton Janowski.
“I was proud of our team for not caving when things got difficult and rising to the challenge with the mindset that we were going to do whatever it took to win,” Janowski said.
The Chargers’ victories were exciting and encouraging, according to Janowski.
“We were definitely in high spirits after the game, and most importantly, we had a belief amongst ourselves that we can, in fact, win close games if we dig in and don’t back down from challenges,” Janowski said. The Chargers fell to Indianapolis Nov. 26 in a difficult match on the road.
“We played really well for about 12 minutes of the first half, but then we hit a wall offensively,” Bradley said. “We weren’t able to capitalize on and take advantage of the opportunities we had and unfortunately, dug ourselves into a hole. Although we did a great job of battling back in the second half, we just weren’t able to pull it out.”
“It made us realize we needed to band together.”
The Chargers were able to return home after their game Wednesday and spend Thanksgiving with their families.
The lead changed 10 times in the first half, but the Chargers managed to secure a four-point lead by the half, thanks to senior captain guard Cole McWinnie, who drew a foul off a 3-pointer, sank all his free throws, and made a final, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
With only 57 seconds remaining, Ohio Christian tied the game 72–72. With 12 seconds remaining, the Chargers got possession for a final chance to end the game. Janowski’s jumper with one second remaining secured the well-fought win for the Chargers.
The team shot well from the floor, making 10 out of 11 free throws. Janowski led the team in points, scoring 18, followed by Yarian with 13.
Bowl Game from A1
The Chargers also had six players on the GMAC First Team All-Conference and two on the Second Team All-Conference. The team as a whole won the GMAC Sportsmanship Award for the 2025 season.
Upper Iowa University went 8–3 this season and 6–2 in conference play. The bowl
“Getting the opportunity to go home is something which we are all super grateful for, as many teams in the country do not have that opportunity,” Stonebraker said.
The Chargers face Malone University in Ohio Dec. 4 and Lake Erie College at home Dec. 6. These games will kick off conference play for the Chargers.
“It’s a new season when you start conference play,” Bradley said. “With conference games, everything gets a little more heightened, and you have to be sharper, more disciplined, and tougher. Now everyone is doing everything in their power to execute and do things at a high level, so we are looking forward to starting off with a great opportunity against a great Malone team on the road this Thursday.”
game will be the first meeting between the two teams.
“I am excited to play another great team and have the chance to get a good win for the season,” Ruddy said.
“It is also helpful that we get to play late into the season to learn how to play in a longer season. It should help going forward to next year as we look to make a playoff run.”
The Hillsdale volleyball team huddle up during their last game of the season. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
FEATURES Betty Bisel
Campus Character Nathan Rastovac
Compiled by Evelyn Shurtliff Collegian Freelancer
Nathan Rastovac is a senior economics major from Wadsworth, Illinois. The current co-head resident assistant of Simpson Residence, where he has worked as an RA for three years, Rastovac is known widely for his signature sayings, “winning” and “anywho,” and his love for Hillsdale’s quirky traditions. Rastovac is a Kehoe Family Initiative for Entrepreneurial Excellence Fellow. He runs Storage For Students, a business he started his sophomore year which he hopes to expand to campuses nationwide.
If you had named yourself, what would you have chosen and why?
Rasto Rasto would have been my legal name. Or Rasto James Rastovac, because James is my real middle name and I would probably keep it. Or Rasto Rasmodius. There’s Dadstovac as well. Or Rasto Pasta Rasto. Or honestly, just get rid of my first and middle name and just go with Rasto Rastovac.
What is your best-kept secret?
My best-kept secret is that I have a “fun uncle” Rasto. He’s a super silly, goofy side of Rasto that you only see when it’s late at night and I should be in bed sleeping, but the guys have either given me sugar or they’ve forced me to watch a movie. But eventually, I get to the point where Rasto leaves and at that point no one knows what he is going to say or do.
If you could have a lifetime supply of anything, what would it be?
It would be chocolate-covered almonds from Costco, because they are super tasty and they are stupid expensive, so if I can get them for free, I will. If you’ve ever seen the tubs, you’ll understand this, because the tubs are not that big, and they are $20! It’s criminal, but they are such a good snack. And I can rub it in my sister’s face because she’s allergic to tree nuts, so that’s funny. And it’s milk chocolate, which is arguably better than dark chocolate. So combine God’s gift of an almond with God’s gift of milk chocolate, and you have perfection.
What are the top three perks of being a Simpson RA for three years?
Number one is getting to live in the best men’s dorm on campus. Number two is not having a good kitchen or laundry room. This makes you a man, because you have to be strong when it comes to surviving. When you cannot find a dryer to dry your clothes, that just makes you stronger as a person. And number three is
Former house mom to celebrate her centennial
By Grace Novak Collegian Freelancer
“I love you to the moon and back,” said 99-year-old Betty Bisel. She says this as often as she can to everyone she meets.
Bisel will celebrate 100 years of life with a huge party on Dec. 11 at the Hillsdale Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., open to the public.
From serving as house mom on Hillsdale’s campus, to having two children, to being baptized in the Jordan River as a young adult, Bisel has lived an incredible century marked with a love of people and God, according to her niece Lisa Hamilton.
“She loves to travel,” Hamilton said. “She knows that when the time comes, Jesus will return to earth on a cloud, and that’s why she loves to look at clouds.”
working with the best RAs on campus.
What is the most random fact you’ve learned in the classroom at Hillsdale?
I’ve discovered that most professors want to go on tangents and you’ve just got to find out what they’re interested in to start a tangent in the classroom. Once you know their weakness, it’s easy.
What is your favorite hobby?
German mountain yodeling or Mongolian throat singing, because it gets people in good spirits. Also because I suck at singing, but I like to use my voice anyway. Using words just doesn’t convey the same emotional impact you want.
What is your most stubborn opinion?
That the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the saddest maritime incidents and the saddest song. Everybody says songs like “American Pie” or something else are sad songs. No, this is a sad song. Twenty-nine souls. Twenty-nine souls went down with the Edmund Fitzgerald. It is tragic, and you cannot look me in the face and say that’s nothing. No, this is the Great Lakes we’re talking about. It’s an ocean. Oh, and you wanna know something else I’m staunch on?
People will go around saying “Oh, the Great Lakes are just lakes.” No, they are freaking oceans. And you’ve gotta respect that, because if you don’t, it will take you out and you just won’t see it coming. And that’s the truth. And I stand by that. I stand with the Great Lakes and respect them for what they are: oceans, essentially just as deadly, and man, so beautiful.
What do you think is the key to success at Hillsdale?
I know this is a little controversial because no one can keep the latter, but I think the key to success here is finding a good group of friends and keeping a good girlfriend or boyfriend. Because when you can find that and keep it, life is great, and you don’t have to worry about those things anymore.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I plan to immediately go to sleep and take a nap. It will be a long day, and once I get handed that diploma, I will have to go to dinner, and then I will have to talk to people. So that night, I will really need to get into bed. Long-term, I hope to start my own business and make my way down to Waco, Texas, because I have special interests there — aka my girlfriend, she’s pretty awesome.
of Simpson Residence, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Chi Omega sororities, and worked at the George Roche Sports Complex before her retirement at age 80.
“I was the head resident assistant in Simpson in the fall of 1998, and Betty stepped in,” said Brock Lutz, the director of Health Services. “It was a very interesting juxtaposition because she was soft-spoken and very sweet, and now she was in Simpson. But she also possessed an inner strength that made her a really great fit.”
When Bisel’s husband died, she began to watch the television game show “Jeopardy!” to keep her mind sharp, according to Hamilton. She keeps a list of the birthdays of students, store clerks, friends, and church acquaintances to send cards from her home, where she lives independently, Hamilton said.
Bisel was born on December 11, 1925, in Dover, Ohio, to a family of seven siblings. She moved to Hillsdale about 75 years ago and has lived in the same house for 65 years.
According to Bisel, she has served as the house director
“She does really well on her own, although less than a week ago she scared us,” Hamilton said. “She had fallen between her chair and her nightstand, but thank God everything was fine.”
Bisel was in the Hillsdale
County Medical Care Facility last year for some time, before moving back to her house, where Hamilton stayed until Bisel sent her home and resumed living on her own.
“There’s no place like home,”
Bisel said to Hamilton. “So you need to be home, and I need to be home.”
Bisel said she worked at Smucker’s in Orrville, Ohio, with her brother when she was in her early twenties, before she moved to Hillsdale. She said she loves to show people the Smucker’s jar with her image on it that the company gave her to celebrate her time working with them.
was completely full up to the bottom of the windows, and Betty just thought it was the funniest thing. It was a pretty good prank.”
Bisel now lives near campus on Summit Street and said she loves getting to know the students as well as reading The Collegian every week. The students know her for her loving words, according to alumna Laura Luke ’25.
Lutz reflected on a prank that Bisel still mentions to him with laughter every time she sees him.
“One of the students, who happened to live on a farm, decided it would be really funny if they siphoned 800 pounds of feed corn into my car,” Lutz said. “The interior of my car
“Every day she reads the Bible,” Hamilton said. “She’s read the Bible front to back many times. She taught me about faith.” After living for a century, Hamilton said, Bisel has befriended countless people.
“I cannot believe how many lives she has touched,” Hamilton said. “And the encouragement she has given people to pursue what they love and believe in.” With a century of love under her belt, Bisel has one question: “Are you coming to my birthday party?”
Metz server retires after 30 years at the counter
By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter
Every Hillsdale College student has met Jill Smith, the Metz employee who has been serving students with a smile for 30 years. Smith’s time in the dining hall is drawing to a close as she plans to retire on Dec. 9.
“It’ll be hard. I’m sure I’ll shed a few tears. I can always come back. I can come for lunch and be on the other side of it,” Smith said.
Smith began working in catering at the college after her father, who graduated from Hillsdale in 1942, encouraged her to apply. When she began, she had two sons, aged 5 and 15.
“My kids were little, and it just fit in with their school schedules. I had summers off, and now they’re grown, and I’m still here,” Smith said. “I wish my dad was here to see me. He’d be proud I stayed this long. That’s a long time.”
After working in catering for a year at the start of her career, Smith switched to working in food service. She said interacting with the students is her favorite aspect of the job.
“The students are what keep me going. I’ve met so many
of them, and they’re just great people, so I’m going to miss them. So, that’ll be the hard part, leaving the students,” Smith said. “I’ve met a lot of faculty, too. That’s the other fun thing at lunch, getting to know the faculty.”
Among her favorite memories are her interactions with Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn.
“Dr. Arnn, he’s something,” Smith said. “Several years ago, Dr. Arnn came in for lunch with Pat Sajak and introduced him to me. For a few minutes, I was stunned.”
Smith has seen many students grow up, and then gets to see their families when they come back to Hillsdale.
“I’ve met so many great people, and some are married now with children. It’s been crazy, but it’s been great,” Smith said.
Smith attends every home basketball game of the Chargers, according to senior Cole McWhinnie.
“She is a loyal fan of the basketball team. She comes to every one of our home games. I have gotten to know her through the years from that,” McWhinnie said. “She said she usually goes to Underdogs to
catch the away games, so she keeps up with pretty much every game.”
The women’s basketball team once came to the dining hall at breakfast to sing “Happy Birthday” to Smith. Even after she retires, Smith said she plans to continue attending the home basketball games.
“I will not miss a game,” Smith said. “I even missed my niece’s baby shower one time. I just sent a gift because we had a game. I thought, ‘This is terrible,’ but I had to be here.”
Creating a fun atmosphere in the dining hall for the students brings Smith great joy.
“I love it when we do themed meals. Sometimes those are a lot of fun,” Smith said. “It makes it not so ‘same old, same old’ everyday.” Smith teaches those around her how to have fun, according to Pam Shearman, Smith’s coworker.
“She has made me a better person. You could be having the worst day of your life, and you’re going to come in, and she’s going to say something to you, and she’s going to have you laughing,” Shearman said. “She’s my partner. I’m going to miss her.”
Smith said she plans to spend more time with her family once she is retired.
“I would love to spend more time visiting my daughter. They live in Dayton, and my grandkids are down there, so I do not see them a lot since I’m working. So, I’ll have free time to go down there and stay longer,” Smith said. “I really won’t feel retired until when everyone comes back and I’m not coming back to work, that’s when it’ll seem different.” Smith will be missed in the dining hall, according to McWhinnie.
“Jill, she’s a kind lady. She always uplifts the spirits of people around her. She’s somebody that I’m always looking forward to seeing, whether that’s in the cafeteria or at the games, cheering us on,” McWhinnie said. With so many great memories from her time working in the dining hall, Smith said she is grateful for the people she met along the way.
“I just want to thank everybody, all the students, for all their kindness, and for the chats and stuff that we’ve had,” Smith said. “This has been great. I really appreciate it. But I’ll be back. I feel like I should be at the door, like the Walmart greeter, and just kind of sit there and say hello to everyone.”
Senior Nathan Rastovac thinks the Great Lakes are oceans. Courtesy | Nathan Rastovac
Smith mans the Main Plate station at lunchtime. Faith Miller | The Collegian
Smith with her grandson, Nolan. Courtesy | Jill Smith
Bisel with her niece, Lisa Hamilton. Courtesy | Lisa Hamilton
Bisel’s prized Smucker’s jar. Courtesy | Lisa Hamilton
Bisel will have lived a full century on December 11. Courtesy | Lisa Hamilton
C U L T U R E
Calling all critics: Take a stand and win a grand
Submissions for the inaugural Kenyon Cox Art Critics Essay Competition are due Feb. 2
By Jamie Parsons AssistAnt eDitor
When art critic William Newton gave a lecture on the decline of art criticism in February, the interest of the journalism and art department students inspired Newton and alumnus Nate Stewart ’95 to create the Kenyon Cox Art Critics Essay Competition to allow students to practice the craft of art criticism.
The new writing competition has a prize of $1,000 and is accepting 800-1,000 word essay submissions until Feb. 2. Director of the Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller and Assistant Professor of Art Christina Chakalova will be the judges. Posters on campus display a QR code for more information.
“Art criticism is not very good anymore,” Stewart said. “It has become very watered down, very niche, and overly academic, and by that I mean it just speaks to a small circle of listeners or readers. What I am hoping to achieve is that we get people at Hillsdale who are interested in the true, the beauty, and the good to apply what they are learning to art and how to think about and write persuasively about a painting.” Newton, a former art critic for The Spectator and The Federalist, also said Christian values are not prevalent in the art world, and he hopes the competition will encourage Hillsdale students with a Judeo-Christian background to write thoughtful pieces and uphold their right to engage in debate and conversation with those critical of American and Christian values.
“If this acts as a small encouragement so that I am not like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, that would be wonderful,” said Newton, who is currently working on his first art book.
The essay prompt is about The Metropolitan Museum and the Musée d’Orsay’s co-sponsored exhibition, Sargent and Paris. The exhibition covers the early career of American painter John Singer Sargent from his first arrival in Paris to his famous portrait called “Madame X.” Writers are asked to imagine that the museums have agreed to lend Hillsdale College a painting from the exhibition for one year once the show is over. The college can choose from three paintings: “Setting Out to Fish,” “Portrait of Edouard Pailleron,” and “An Outdoors Study.” Students must argue why the college should select one of the three paintings.
Sargent was born in Florence, Italy, to American parents, spending his childhood
travelling throughout Europe with his family until moving to Paris as an 18-year-old art student. He became known for his portraits, landscapes, murals, and use of watercolor, leading him to paint portraits of notable Americans and Parisians, and produce mural decorations for several established American buildings later in his career.
“The idea is that having to think critically about a painting or several paintings forces the writer to think and analyze why they like one painting over another,” Stewart said. “But then the way the contest is framed is not just about what is attractive to the writer, but about what a painting actually says and how it speaks to the broader community in which it will be exhibited, and in this case, our own campus.”
Stewart said the context focuses on the work of Sargent because he and Newton thought it appropriate for the first competition to be about an American artist, and it honors the 100th anniversary of Sargent’s death in April 1925.
“The prompt is thoughtful, and we hope it will lead to excellent work,” Miller said.
“And the $1,000 prize looks pretty good, too.”
The competition is named after Kenyon Cox, an American artist and art critic, because he pushed back against the modern and postmodern art world, according to Stewart.
“The scientific spirit, the contempt of tradition, the lack of discipline and exaltation of the individual have very nearly made an end of art,” Cox said about the modern and postmodern movement in art in his book, “The Classic Point of View.” “It can only be restored by the love of beauty, the reverence for tradition, the submission to discipline and the rigor of self-control.”
Stewart and Newton said Cox stood up for the values that Hillsdale supports, and that they believed it would be appropriate to name the competition after him.
“It’s sort of an honor and homage to his writings and his work on the subject,” Stewart said.
Newton and Stewart said they envision the competition as interdisciplinary and are encouraging all students to give it a shot, regardless of their art background.
“I really hope there is a kind of output from the student body that shows lots of different points of view and lots of different ways of approaching the question that has been posed to them,” Newton said.
In memoriam: KKG gives up the key
By Anna Broussard Design eDitor
One year ago, at nearly 3 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2024, a group of 30 women sitting outside in the cold heard a yell from afar. It came from men on a mission to steal the 4-foot golden key hanging in front of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority’s house.
“I heard a low rumble in the distance, and then all of a sudden the heads of no less than 40 men peaked over the crest of College Street,” Kappa senior Mattie Grace Watson said. “The low rumble turned into a roar as the boys approached us in a dead sprint. The next few moments were a blur.”
According to Kappa senior Arden Carlton, who was present during the key raid, the tradition is an important pledge class experience each semester.
“It is a tradition for the junior class to guard the key throughout the night,” Carlton said. “We have been guarding the key for over a decade. It is an important tradition to us.”
This year, men from Simpson Residence, called to action by members of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, came sprinting down the street and onto the Kappa lawn in an attempt to steal the key, Watson said.
“With their bare hands, they shattered the lightbulbs of our golden key that had once been gifted to us by Kappa legend Sally Giauque,” Watson said, referring to a Hillsdale alumna who graduated in 1950. “The glass from the lightbulbs stuck to my hair, matted by the eggs they had thrown at us. The boys climbed our pillars and one anothers’ shoulders to get a better grip on the key.”
The group of men overtook
Open since 1980, Checker
Records has been a Hillsdale staple since owner John Spiteri and his wife, Robin, bought their Hillsdale storefront in 1987. While originally just a music store, Spiteri said he saw the decline in the music industry and knew he needed to make a change if he wanted to keep his business relevant. He took inspiration from Borders, a now-defunct bookstore chain that sold coffee, and in 2003 introduced lattes and espresso to his store.
“Checker Records is a reflection of my wife and my personality, and when the music business kind of slowed down, we had to do something or we weren’t going to be around,” Spiteri said. “We thought, if Borders could do books and coffee, we could do music and coffee.”
Spiteri said they offer hot, iced, and blended coffee drinks and smoothies, but the blended drinks are the most popular. They also offer specialty lattes, all of which have rock’n’roll names honoring different mu-
the lawn, shoving women to the ground and hanging off the key, which had been padlocked to the hooks that attached it to the porch roof, until it came crashing down in pieces, senior Maryellen Petersen said.
“I was on the front line when the men came rushing toward us,” Petersen said. “Honestly, most of the night was a blur, but I do vividly remember having a guy in a headlock, and he hit me in the face with his Orbeez gun to get me to let go.”
Petersen said she attempted to protect the house and the key, but was overwhelmed by the chaos.
“I pantsed a man who was climbing up our pillar,” Petersen said. “I remember just trying to grab him down as far away from the key as I could get him, but sadly his pants came with me and not the rest of him.”
According to senior Quinn Delamater, her defense of the key was short, and she succumbed to the rush of Simpson men.
sicians or bands, such as their mocha named after the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osborne, or
“All I remember is being shoved to the ground and falling down while screams echoed around me,” Delamater said. “I heard a sister yell, ‘Quinn is down!’”
According to Watson, the women did all they could to protect their home from the savagery.
“Luckily, we were able to push them back and defend our home before too much damage was done to the house,” Watson said. “The key was shattered and torn to shreds, our pillars and faces were streaked with blood — some our own, some theirs.”
Junior Max Cote, who learned of the tradition his freshman year, said the first attempt to get the key was a failure, which he took personally.
“I got my hat stolen and got dog-piled by five or six women. I got silly string in my ears and in my eyes,” Cote said.
“After that happened, we kind of walked away dismayed. I told everyone I had a bunch of friends in Simpson, and I could wake up at least 20 more guys.”
lattes aren’t your speed, Overflowing Cups and Cones offers a spot to find Christian commu-
their almond-coconut-mocha named after Jimmy Buffett. If death-meatal honoring
nity centered on coffee. Located in an old carwash, Overflowing is a drive-thru-
Cote said he went to Simpson Residence and asked the Resident Assistants to help them, and briefly described their mission to the group.
“We made a plan to meet at the Civil War statue. There were probably now like 60 to 70 men, and our plan was to kind of Blitzkrieg our way up to right under the key,” Cote said. “Guys just started jumping up and trying to tear the key out of the ceiling. The key ended up getting the face torn off and bent in half. The light went out. There was broken glass. There were guys with glass in their hands and cut fingers.”
Senior Addison Randel said it was a bonding moment for the entire class of women, and it taught her about the strength of her sisterhood.
“It was cathartic pandemonium,” Randel said. “I lost a shoe, but I gained something greater — the knowledge that a couple dozen Kappas could hold their own against a horde of Simpson ‘men.’”
style Christian coffee and ice cream spot that honors Christ with every latte, according to barista Lily Proctor. Each cup comes with a Bible verse sticker, reminding the sipper to recenter their thoughts and day around God.
Proctor said each coffee shop in Hillsdale offers something special, which allows them to all compete in such a small town.
“The fact that we praise Jesus and spread the gospel with every coffee we serve sets us apart from the rest,” Proctor said. “People come here for the Christian community we offer.”
The happy-sounding latte names include Proctor’s favorite, their caramel and vanilla latte called the “Uplifted.” Other options on the menu are the “Bean Redeemed,” a caramel-mocha drink, and “Pure Joy,” a white chocolate and strawberry latte.
The next time you find yourself needing your morning latte, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a study break sometime this week, venture out to one of the many local Hillsdale coffee places and find the one that best matches your vibe.
The battered Kappa Key hangs from the ceiling after the raid. Anna Broussard | Collegian
Junior Trevor Hall reaches above the crowd on the fateful night. Anna Broussard | Collegian
