Collegian 11.9.2023

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Vol. 147 Issue 11 – November 9, 2023

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Students win national broadcasting awards Passages cancels trip

The WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM leadership team poses for a group photo on campus.

Courtesy | Sara Gillett

By Adriana Azarian Collegian Reporter 12 Hillsdale College students received awards across six categories in the 2023 National Student Production Awards from College Broadcasters Inc., the most winners in Hillsdale’s history.

CBI, a national organization for college radio programs, announced the finalists on Oct. 21 at the National Student Media Convention in Orlando, Florida. Six Hillsdale student radio and video productions ranked in the top four for their respective categories, according to General Manager of WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM Scot Bertram.

“Having that sheer number of finalists to begin with is a

great statement about the quality of work that our students produce,” Bertram said. “The fact that we had top four finishers across the entire country is an excellent honor for the students involved.”

CBI awarded second place to senior Abigail Snyder for “Best Regularly Scheduled Entertainment Program,” and to seniors Maddy Welsh, Maggie Wackenhut, and Lauren Scott, juniors Lindsey Larkin and Jack Cote, and alumnus Christian-Peck Dimit ’23 for “Best Documentary/Public Affairs.” Junior Lauren Smyth received third place for “Best Promo” and fourth place for “Best Newscast or Sportscast” and “Best Documentary.”

Alumnus Josh Barker ’23 and junior Megan Pidcock earned

fourth place for “Best Special Broadcast.”

“It’s always really exciting when the radio station gets recognized that way, especially because we’ve just moved into a new space,” said Smyth, a top four winner in three categories. “To see recognition for all of this hard work, and to see the students getting so excited and producing good things with access to this new space, it’s just really exciting and a huge honor.”

Snyder has hosted “The Virtual Voyage,” an armchair travel show about Israel, since her freshman year. This is the show’s second time earning a second place in its category.

“I was really excited because doing a radio show takes a lot of work; I put in anywhere

between eight and 10 hours per episode, and that includes all the research, outlining the script, editing, post-production, contacting people for the show,” Snyder said. “It just made me feel like that work is worth it.”

Bertram said the radio station sets high standards for students who contribute shows, features, newscasts, and sportscasts. He said he credits the number of awards in the audio division to the quality shows students are accustomed to producing.

Larkin, who helped produce “Hillsdale Student, American Hero: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Beat the Mob and Won the War,” the second place winning “Best Documentary/Public Affairs” in the video division, said she had been anticipating the award announcements and was excited to see the documentary’s high placement.

“For us, it was a class we picked up, we did the film and our showcase, and that was that, but it’s amazing to see that other people have gotten to see it,” Larkin said.

According to Bertram, the awards are evidence radio students produce excellent work.

“To have judges who are hearing entries from across the country from dozens of different radio stations also say you’re doing some of the best work in the country,” Bertram said. “That hopefully means a lot to the students.”

Arnn responds to FIRE’s free speech warning label

By Maddy Welsh Senior Editor The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has a fundamental misunderstanding of college education, according to College President Larry P. Arnn in an op-ed titled “There’s More to Education Than Free Speech.”

“I wrote the piece to assert what education is,” Arnn told The Collegian. “FIRE seems like most activists: they want to do education policy, which

is not the same thing as education.”

FIRE is a nonprofit advocacy group “dedicated to defending free speech rights across the country,” particularly on college campuses, according to its Director of Policy Reform Laura Beltz. When FIRE released its 2024 College Free Speech rankings earlier this year, it labeled Hillsdale College a “warning” school. Arnn addressed this in his op-ed, published in The Wall Street Journal on Oct. 19.

“A college’s purpose isn’t merely to encourage speech,” Arnn wrote. “A college’s purpose, through speaking and thinking — the two go together — is to teach students to think and speak better in search of knowledge.”

FIRE categorized Hillsdale as a “warning” school because it doesn’t have a “clear, written commitment to free speech” and because of clauses in its student conduct guidelines requiring behavior in correspondence with the academic, reli-

gious, and moral facets of the college’s mission. It requires civility in conversation and disagreement, maintenance of “good order,” and avoidance of “disorderly, lewd, indecent, or obscene conduct or expression.”

The purpose of the warning rating, according Beltz, is so prospective students are aware the school doesn’t promote “unfettered freedom of expression.”

See FIRE A2

amid war in Israel

By Elyse Apel Digital Editor

Amid escalating conflict in Israel, Passages canceled a student trip to Israel late last week.

Don Westblade, assistant professor of religion and organizer of the trip, which was scheduled for Dec. 28 to Jan. 7, said he supported the decision.

“It is also understandably necessary, with the trip date drawing near so rapidly, that the trip should be canceled and replanned for a safer opportunity later on,” Westblade said. “The persisting degree of uncertainty has made the decision to cancel nearly inevitable.”

The trip is sponsored by the Philos Project and the Museum of the Bible Foundation. Since 2015, Passages trips have taken hundreds of Hillsdale College students to Israel, visiting sites such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Sea of Galilee.

This is not the first time the trip has been canceled. It was also canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the first group of students returning to Israel in the winter of 2021.

A trip to Israel is still planned for May 2024.

“Due to the cancellation of our 2023 winter season, we are working diligently to increase our summer 2024 trip options,” Passages said in a statement. “Based on the most upto-date information we have available, we are optimistic that the summer rounds will take place safely.”

Senior Fernando Bravo said the trip is a great experience for all Hillsdale students, and he hopes they will be able to return soon.

“My love for Israel and the Jewish community has significantly increased thanks to my experience in the Holy Land,” Bravo said. “Visiting the Holy Land as soon as it is safe to do so will allow us to show our love and support for our

Jewish brothers and sisters around the world. The level of impact that just showing up and listening to their experiences can have on their lives and our lives is invaluable.”

For Hillsdale students who were planning on attending Passages, the organization refunded fees and planned a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. over winter break instead.

“It is tragic and not good in any way that Israel finds itself the object of such vicious, anti-Jewish hatred that has erupted in such violence that a trip to that nation is now unsafe,” Westblade said.

“That the regimes of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian theocracy would be openly committed to the genocidal elimination of Israel is unfathomably appalling to me and nearly impossible rationally to square with the religious tenets of the Islam each purports to represent.”

Since the war broke out on Oct. 7, at least 11,000 Palestinians and Israelis have died, according to the Washington Post. This includes at least 32 Americans.

Paul Rahe, professor of history and another trip organizer, said it is important to remember the “barbaric” tactics Hamas is willing to use.

“The tactics Hamas has now adopted are those of ISIS,” he said. “Hamas is refusing to allow foreigners — Americans, Europeans, and the like — to leave Gaza. They want them to be collateral damage.”

According to the New York Post, at least 10 kidnapped Americans are still missing.

Westblade said it is important to pray for peace.

“Let us all pray for the peace and long-term security of the people of Israel in particular and of Jewish people everywhere,” he said, “who feel and fear the growing threats of anti-Judaism, all too often in the violent and vicious ways the world has recently been horrified to

Student performs on the ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

By Elizabeth Crawford Assistant editor When sophomore Gavin Hubner received an email invitation to appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” for his yo-yo skills, he at first thought it was fake.

“I actually replied to it with a very sarcastic comment, and they still responded because Jimmy was very adamant about who he wanted to pick for certain roles,” Hubner said.

Hubner, who has been yo-yoing since fifth grade, was on the show for approximately two minutes on Friday, Nov. 3.

He performed using the same choreography and music as he did for his most viral Tik Tok video, which gained 1.3 million views.

The video — which shows Hubner yo-yoing to the beat of Billie Eilish’s song “Bad Guy” — grabbed the attention of Jimmy Fallon’s team, who initially contacted Hubner back in February to have him on

the show.

“I was put in a pool of a lot of people that they choose to have on the segment called, ‘Show Me Something Good,’ which is where they just take random people with unique talents and kind of show them off,” Hubner said. “I was not actually chosen for the first round that I was entered into.”

Hubner said Fallon’s team reached out again in October to have him on the show.

“Jimmy is very spontaneous and decides what he wants in the moment and how he wants the show to be that particular night,” Hubner said. “There’s not really a rhyme or reason to it.”

The Tonight Show paid for all of his travel expenses, including the hotel, plane tickets, and a limo ride to and from the airport, according to Hubner.

“I stayed at a hotel called ‘The Jewel,’” Hubner said. “It had a balcony. It was sick.”

Hubner said he arrived on set around 1 p.m., and filming

wrapped up around 6 p.m. The show aired later that night at 11:30 p.m, instead of later that week, which is different from other late night shows, according to Hubner.

“I was on camera for two minutes,” Hubner said. “Jimmy asked me questions about yo-yoing for about one minute, and then the next 45 seconds after that was yo-yoing and getting a reaction from the audience.”

In the video on YouTube, Fallon praised Hubner’s performance.

“Dude that spinning? That’s rad,” Fallon said. “That was flawless.”

Hubner said Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift’s producer, was there.

Sophomore Hanna Cobia, Hubner’s girlfriend, said she was present when he got the email in February inviting him on the show.

“Once we figured out it wasn’t a scam, he was super excited,” Cobia said.

Sophomore Gavin Hubner smiles at the crowd after finishing his yo-yo routine.

Courtesy | Youtube

Cobia said her family sent her messages after Hubner’s performance, complimenting him on the TV appearance.

“I told my parents about it, and they went and told my whole family about it,” Cobia said. “Afterwards I got so many texts from cousins, aunts, and

uncles and they kept saying ‘Gavin’s so poised, Gavin speaks really well on TV, Gavin did such a good job.’”

Sophomore and Hubner’s Delta Tau Delta fraternity brother Noah Lobue watched the show when it aired.

“It was so surreal seeing

someone I consider one of my brothers getting to show off for the entire country,” Lobue said.

“Gavin is too good at his craft for the world not to know, and I’m so insanely proud that he killed it on one of the biggest stages in entertainment.”

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Students compete in Catholic vs. Protestant soccer game

Students organize prayer ple can come back to year after know the game better,” Oevyear, we can find that.” erman said. “The atmosphere service for war in Israel Bourgeois said he was ex- was so fun and lighthearted,

Sophomores Thomas Smith (left) and Peyton Hutchinson (right) competed in El Classico on Saturday.

Kyle Johns | Campus Rec

By Gray Turner Collegian Reporter The Protestants defeated the Catholics 3-0 in Campus Rec’s Protestant vs. Catholic soccer game, El Classico, at Hayden Park.

“The goal of the event is to have a fun way to get students around campus who play soccer but maybe don’t have the skill level of a club member to get them all together, to build off of fun rivalry, and to just get a fun crowd to spectate the game,” Director of Campus Rec Ryan Perkins said.

Senior Brett Mueller, soph-

omore Jacob Beckwith, and junior Jonathan Ummel scored for the Protestants.

Junior Campus Rec staff member Ethan Bourgeois said this year Campus Rec has focused on establishing campus-wide traditions that he hopes will continue for years to come.

“Cultivating that tradition at Hillsdale is really important,” Bourgeois said. “Rather than being just this academic power house, Hillsdale does have a community, and it’s a beautiful community that we really want to cultivate, and by having those events that peo-

cited about the unifying aspect of the event and hoped it would create light-hearted fun through friendly competition.

Sophomore Campus Rec staff member and Protestant team member Sophie Schlegel said it is important to establish campus traditions through events like El Classico.

“We want to establish more tradition, because through tradition we can help generate more campus community through specifically athletic events, and I think that’s the reason for El Classico,” Schlegel said. “Everyone knows the Catholic and Protestant debates at Hillsdale, so we kind of drew on that to make a campus-wide event.”

Sophomore and Protestant player Olyvia Oeverman said the event was unifying.

“We acknowledged our differences and embraced them in such a comical, celebratory way.”

Though Oeverman has limited experience in soccer, she said she was excited to play in a competitive but unifying atmosphere.

“As someone not coming from a club soccer background, it was a great way to get to

with my friends cheering from the sidelines and helping me on the field.”

Sophomore and Catholic player Jude Barton said he enjoyed the game despite his team’s loss, and he appreciated the support of those who attended the game.

“I thought that we played well. I was really impressed by the spirit and determination of our team to fight until the last minute, despite being down several goals,” Barton said.

“The preparation for the game and the game itself helped me to grow closer both to many Protestants and to my fellow Catholics. I am not aware of any hard feelings between the two teams, and it was super encouraging to see the support from the student body.”

Beckwith, the president of Hillsdale Men’s Club Soccer, also played on the Protestant team and said he was excited about the victory.

“The Catholic parade wasn’t enough to stop the Protestants,” Beckwith said. “We may not have had the bells, whistles, and flags, but we got the goals and we got the victory.”

Musicians, comedians perform at Chi O Coffeehouse

By Malia Thibado Collegian Reporter Women’s sorority Chi Omega hosted student musicians and comedians at its annual Chi O Coffeehouse fundraiser Nov. 3.

The sorority’s second philanthropy event of the fall semester raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation Michigan, an organization that grants wishes to terminally ill children in the state of Michigan.

The fundraiser always has high student participation ac-

FIRE from A1 “We just put the warning rating in place to be doubly sure that prospective students who are considering Hillsdale are aware of these policies,” she said. “Private institutions, like private colleges, do have association rights to set their own rules, and so that’s well within Hillsdale’s right, because they do value other values over free speech.”

Arnn said setting boundaries in these areas is essential for a college.

“Asking one’s colleagues to treat each other reasonably in speech and deed is simply a condition of learning together,” Arnn said. “I wonder if the Jewish students at the fancy colleges, hearing taunts of ‘kill the Jews,’ are finding it easy to learn? FIRE appears to think that does not matter, because after all the screamers are only ‘talking.’”

Beltz said FIRE takes issue with the civility argument.

“In FIRE’s experience, requirements of civility have been frequently used to restrict the speech of others because it’s a really subjective concept.

You know, what is civil and what isn’t?” Beltz said. “A lot of protected speech per First Amendment standards isn’t civil, and sometimes having to conform to standards of civility actually limits speech.

Because you can’t use the sort of impassioned advocacy that you may need if you’re trying to conform your speech to a subjective person’s idea of what civility means.”

cording to junior Ruth Kirsch, community service director for Chi Omega.

“This event is good for Make-A-Wish because you’re not only donating money, but you’re also getting a show out of it,” Kirsch said. “It’s an easy way to draw people in.”

For a $5 admission fee, students and faculty enjoyed a wide selection of doughnuts and coffee before watching the student performances.

“I think it’s a beautiful event,” sophomore Grace Gainar said. “It’s super great that they get to incorporate Arnn argued complete free speech is not required to pursue things aligned with Hillsdale’s purposes.

“We often argue about the meaning of these things. But we consider them transcendent — a sin in FIRE’s book, in which only freedom of speech is transcendent,” he wrote. “We invite our critics at FIRE to visit our campus and see free speech work in a way that students learn its highest purpose and true meaning — the purpose and meaning it had for the authors of the First Amendment.”

Students, faculty, and staff are made aware of these expectations before they arrive to study or work at Hillsdale, Arnn said.

“Everyone who matriculates or joins the faculty or staff acknowledges the age-old purposes of the college and agrees to assist rather than obstruct the college in pursuing them,” he said. “All learn in advance about Hillsdale’s speech code and every other fundamental practice of the college.”

Assistant Professor of History Miles Smith IV said he agreed with Arnn’s point that FIRE misunderstands what college education is supposed to be.

“Education isn’t predicated on free speech. This is the thing we’ve kind of tricked ourselves into believing,” Smith said. “No — education is predicated on knowing what is good, true, and beautiful. That’s the point of education, not limitless psychosocial self actualization.”

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the live music that Hillsdale has to offer.”

Junior Matt Byrne was the first musical performer. ”It’s my second year playing at this event,” Byrne said. “It’s a good opportunity to put myself out there and play. I love doing it. It’s an acoustic coffee shop vibe, different from what I usually do.”

In addition to the live music, students performed standup comedy routines.

“We have a lot of talented people at Hillsdale, so it’s easy to find good acts,” Kirsch said.

Gainar said there were a lot of good reasons to go.

“I came to support my Chi O friends, philanthropy, and to hear the live music,” Gainar said. “It’s a nice way to spend Friday night after a long week.”

Dozens of students mingled, either chatting in small groups or relaxing on couches.

The Coffeehouse event took place at the Chi Omega sorority house from 7:30-10 p.m.

Students were free to come and go as they pleased, eating doughnuts, drinking coffee, socializing, and enjoying performances from their peers.

By Gray Turner Collegian Reporter InterVarsity students hosted a “Remembering Israel” service this week to unify campus in prayer and mourning for the suffering in Israel.

Seniors Kaeleigh Di Cello, Abigail Snyder, and Elizabeth Sible hosted the event in Christ Chapel.

“It started with us wanting to get campus to come together and educate about what’s happening and then mourn and pray together,” Snyder said.

A lot of attention went into organizing the liturgy of the event, according to Di Cello.

“We wanted it to be very scripture-saturated,” Di Cello said. “We very purposefully picked the songs to reflect the scripture we were reading and to reflect the mourning state that Israel and the Jewish people are in right now.

We are mourning but also with the hope that God is completely sovereign and in control of the nations.”

Ushers handed out pamphlets at the beginning of the service, each containing a prayer card for one of the roughly 242 hostages currently missing. Passages, an organization which takes Hillsdale students to the Holy Land each year, provided the information on the cards.

“Praying specifically for the hostages was something we wanted to emphasize, which is why we put the prayer cards in the bulletins,” Di Cello said. “What happened on Oct. 7 was horrifying, and it’s not over yet. So, we’re just continuing to pray for the terror that is being inflicted on the Israeli hostages and the Palestinians who are also trying to flee from Hamas.”

Sible said the vigil had a diverse audience.

“It felt like it was a very intergenerational crowd from both the community and the student body as well,” Sible said. “It was encouraging to see how all generations care about Israel or at least were interested in coming, regardless of their level of interest in the conflict in Israel.”

Snyder has personal connections to Israel, which she said inspired her to start the conversation about remembering Israel and the tragedies which have occurred there over the past month.

“I have lived in Israel for over four summers, and I have friends over there and in the Israel Defense Forces and it just became clear that the situation was becoming worse,” Snyder said.

Di Cello emphasized the importance of unifying in prayer when in times of crisis.

“I think there’s kind of an awakening when big things happen and terrible things cause us to pray, and it’s an awakening that we should be praying like this all the time,” Di Cello said. “We want to be a praying campus, specifically for Israel and for the genocide that has taken place and make people aware and be praying for them in that regard.”

Snyder said she hopes Hillsdale students will continue praying for Israel and for God’s protection over his people.

“We want this service to be a beginning for people to be thinking about and talking about Israel, and know that Jews around the world, including here in the United States, are mourning and are feeling abandoned in many ways,” Snyder said. “We have a responsibility to come around them and support them and pray for them.”

College hosts CCA with lectures on ‘Great Economists’

By Christian Papillon Collegian Freelancer A nation’s freedom is strongly connected to its economic freedom, according to speakers at this week’s Center for Constructive Alternatives seminars.

Hillsdale College hosted its second CCA of the academic year, “Great Economists,” from Nov. 5-8.

Mark Skousen, professor of free enterprise at Chapman University, gave the first lecture, discussing Adam Smith, on Sunday afternoon.

Skousen detailed Adam Smith’s contributions to economic thought, such as the case for specialization of labor, his critiques of protectionism, globalization, and free trade, pointing out the problems of central planning, and popularizing the term “invisible hand” to describe the market economy.

“Adam Smith can be labeled, in my opinion, a multi-faceted genius,” Skousen said.

Skousen also spoke of Smith’s book, “The Wealth of Nations,” and what it said was necessary for nations to build prosperity.

“You need to have a system of justice, you need to have maximum freedom, and you need to have a robust model of competition,” Skousen said. “If you have that, you will achieve this tremendous benefit.”

The series also discussed the consequences of a loss of economic freedom.

On Monday afternoon, Benjamin Powell of Texas Tech University discussed why the socialist ideas of Karl Marx are still popular today. “[The recession] shook people’s beliefs in capitalism and they started looking toward alternatives, including the legacy of Karl Marx and socialism,”

Jeffrey Tucker lecturing on Ludwig von Mises.

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Powell said.

Powell also mentioned many socialists don’t realize what the word truly means.

“They think that socialism is against oppression, that it is about ending alienation, and about helping people realize themselves and their freedoms,” Powell said. “Most people don’t think of socialism as the government owning and controlling the major factors that go into production.”

On the rising popularity of socialism, Powell said the New York Times ran a column every week in 2017 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution and the history of socialism. According to Powell, out of the 52 columns, fewer than five of them mentioned the negative economic impact socialism had on the Soviet Union and other socialist nations.

Jeffrey Tucker of the Brownstone Institute gave a lecture on Ludwig von Mises and his views on classical liberalism Monday evening.

Citing Mises’ 1927 book “Liberalism,” Tucker pointed out what Mises saw as the key attributes of liberalism in the classic sense.

“Liberalism is property rights, it’s trade, it’s freedom of commerce, and it’s free speech,” Tucker said. “He lays it out very systematically in this marvelous book.”

Mises concluded his book by saying genuine liberals have rationality and are able to argue

their points with calmness and conviction.

“The theme of Mises’ life was that ideas really matter,” Tucker said. “The ideas that you hold are the things that drive your actions.”

Nicholas Wapshott, author of “Samuelson/Friedman: The Battle Over the Free Market,” spoke on how Milton Friedman revived some Keynesian policies through his advising of political leaders.

Wapshott talked about how Friedman advised Richard Nixon to take the United States off the gold standard and control the money supply when asked how to fix inflation.

The series concluded with a faculty roundtable on Wednesday afternoon.

Professor of Economics Ivan Pongracic said spontaneous economic order is at the heart of every argument in favor of liberty.

“Liberty is not just the best organizing principle for society, but really the only successful principle for organizing society,” Pongracic said. “Any alternative way of organizing society will fail.”

Pongracic also said although the ideas of these great economists may have failed to influence the economic profession sufficiently to bring a truly liberal society, it does not have to be that way permanently.

“This is not a failed project necessarily in the long run,” Pongracic said. “It depends on each one of us individually.”

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Christina Lambert joins English department Rev. Lee Gatiss to give

By Elizabeth Crawford Assistant Editor When Assistant Professor of English Christina Lambert, ’16 received an email about a job opening in the English department at Hillsdale, she had another two years to go before finishing her dissertation at Baylor University.

But after receiving that email from Professor of History Richard Gamble, Lambert finished her dissertation in a year, defended her thesis in June, graduated in August, and moved to Hillsdale to teach at her alma mater.

“I was super thrilled when the job posting came up and I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Lambert said. “The nice thing about writing the dissertation quickly is that there is a lot of energy left in me for this project.”

Gamble said in an email he’s known Lambert and her family for many years.

“As soon as I saw the job opening, I messaged Dr. Lambert,” Gamble said. “I knew she would be a perfect fit for the college and the college would be a perfect fit for her.

She’s a star.”

Lambert said her dissertation focused on eucharistic food imagery in the poetic and dramatic works of T.S. Eliot and Denise Levertov.

“The idea was that they both come from high church liturgical, sacramental traditions,” Lambert said. “They both have a lot of food all over their poetry and drama, and it started out as a project just looking at the food

and wondering how it functioned.”

Lambert said the subject of food lies at the heart of her two research interests: creation and theology of the body.

“As I read through these two poets, food had specific uses beyond its material uses that are really important,” Lambert said. “But I also thought, ‘Wow, it also has spiritual significance in their poetry — it builds communities, it transforms people,’ and I realized they were drawing on this eucharistic idea of food which is both spiritual and physical.”

Lambert said working with professors who have become colleagues is a gift.

“It’s really wonderful to work alongside such great minds,” Lambert said.

With the recent retirement of two professors who specialized in American literature, the English department was looking for a fifth professor specializing in American literature, according to Chair of the English Department Justin Jackson.

“The administration listened to what we needed, and they gave us a position to hire, and that was that fifth position,” Jackson said. “An expansion means that they have to open up a whole new line, and that’s a big financial burden.”

Jackson said the department received approximately 100 applications for the job opening, but Lambert’s application stood out.

“When we hire, the only

Drummond Lecture

By Olivia Pero Sports Editor

Christina Lambert ’16 majored in History at Hillsdale College.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College Archives

thing we think about is ‘are they good teachers,’ and ‘what does this place look like when I retire?’” Jackson said.

Jackson said because the department teaches three core courses every semester, it has to hire teachers who can teach both specialized and generalized classes.

“There are very few young people who can step into a job and do it well, and Dr. Lambert can do that,” Jackson said.

This semester, Lambert is teaching English 370: Civil War to the Present Era and English 105: Great Books II. Senior Tomek Ignatik said he enjoys the class discus-

sions in English 370, which make up a heavy portion of Lambert’s teaching style.

“There was one day where it was T.S. Eliot’s birthday, and we had scones and tea,” Ignatik said. “That was fun.

Dr. Lambert is very fun and enthusiastic.”

Jackson said while Lambert’s familiarity with the college’s mission helps her as a teacher to fulfill her job, her best asset is her ability to be present to both students and faculty alike.

“Dr. Lambert looks you in the eyes, she talks, she nods,” Jackson said. “She’s very present, and I think that’s the greatest gift in the world.”

College, Chamber choirs to perform in Christ Chapel

By Jacob Beckwith Collegian Reporter The College and Chamber Choirs will perform a wide variety of pieces in their concert this Sunday at 3 p.m. in Christ Chapel.

“This concert has things from all over the map,” visiting conductor Brad Holmes said. “From a 20th-century

Charger Derby raises cathedral to an ancient Latin forming pieces both separate- tion for the concert has unitext, the wide range of se- ly and together. fied the choirs, as they work $75,000 for scholarships lections means this is truly “Professor Holmes has together to provide variety in a concert with something for everybody.”

The program will be broken into four sections: “Psalms & Hymns,” Of Things Unseen,” “Sing!,” and “Endings/New Beginnings.”

The concert will last just over an hour, with the choirs per-

brought his expertise and many years of experience to challenge both choirs this semester,” sophomore Olyvia Oeverman said. “I am really excited for this concert.”

Oeverman, a member of both the College and Chamber choirs, said the prepara-

both repertoire and styles of music.

“Our goal is to take the audience on a sound journey while meditating on various aspects of the human condition,” Holmes said. “Come experience the architecture of the acoustics in the chapel.”

Students to premiere documentary on ‘The Prison Games’

Brian Anderson ’79 running the ball as a Charger in 1975.

Courtesy | Buddy Moorehouse

By Gray Turner Collegian Reporter The documentary filmmaking class will screen this semester’s group project, “The Prison Games,” Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in Plaster Auditorium.

Entry and concessions will be

The ideas of a Puritan theologian will be the subject of the next Drummond Lecture in Christ Chapel,“John Owen on the Genius of English Puritanism,” scheduled to be delivered

by Rev. Lee Gatiss today.

Gatiss arrived in Hillsdale from England yesterday, according to Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Whalen.

“He’s a very engaging speaker who seamlessly weaves together deep insight and trenchant humor,” Rev. Adam Rick, the Hillsdale College chaplain said. “Dr. Gatiss is very affable and approachable.”

Gatiss lives in England and is an expert on English Puritanism. He is also an ordained minister with a doctoral degree, Whalen said.

“He’ll be speaking on John Owen, a 17th-century English Puritan theologian and pastor,” Rick said. “Dr. Gatiss has recently completed a multi-volume modern edition of Owen’s works, so the 1600s divine is fresh on his mind.”

Rick said he proposed Gatiss be invited to deliver a Drummond Lecture after he heard him give a powerful sermon at a diocesan retreat.

“As soon as I heard it, I thought it was highly relevant to the Drummond Lecture theme,” Rick said. “I immediately sent an email to Dr. Whalen with a link to Dr. Gatiss’ bio.”

Rick said whenever he has heard Gatiss speak before, he had always been impressed by

his learning, clarity, and wit.

According to Rick, Gatiss is a devout believer, an accomplished theological historian, a fine preacher, and a courageous voice for orthodoxy in his home church.

“He recently stood up publicly against the Archbishop of Canterbury, which takes some guts,” Rick said. “He’s the kind of man taking the kind of public stands we value at Hillsdale College.”

Gatiss is also the lead editor of a set of books about the works of John Owen, a Puritan 17th-century British theologian — the chaplain for Oliver Cromwell, Whalen said.

Rick said he came to know Gatiss originally because he is among the most prominent spokesmen for traditional orthodoxy within the Church of England.

“As an Anglican, I find news about the mother church inherently fascinating,” Rick said. “I came to know him personally when he was a special guest of my bishop at a diocesan gathering, which he has since done twice. Dr. Gatiss is a good friend of my bishops, and he’s been a big supporter of our mission for orthodox Anglicanism in North America.”

Rick said he is thrilled that a seasoned pastor and theologian is gracing the pulpit in Christ Chapel.

“Dr. Gatiss is a churchman and theologian of international renown — he’s well beloved by orthodox Anglicans throughout the global Anglican Communion,” Rick said. “He honors us and our chapel by his presence.”

free.

The documentary covers a piece of little-known history from the Hillsdale Chargers football team. In the 1960s and ’70s, the football program was so large that they split their players into junior varsity and varsity teams.

Some games on the junior varsity schedule took place in the Jackson State Prison yard against the prison football team.

Journalism instructor Buddy Moorehouse said he chose the topic for this semester’s documentary because it plays a large role in Hillsdale’s history, and tells a story that reflects Hillsdale’s motto, “Strength rejoices in the challenge.”

“The coach at the time knew it would not only toughen them up but also teach them life lessons that they can’t learn in the classroom or on the football field,” Moorehouse said. “The last part of the movie is going to be about each guy talking about the Hillsdale motto ‘Strength rejoices in the challenge,’ and how it relates to the story from the prison games.”

Director and co-editor of the documentary, junior Erin Osborne, said the story of the prison games is unique and captivating, and incredibly fun to work on.

“As director and an editor of the documentary, my favorite part of the process has been discovering more about the story,” Osborne said. “It has been a joy to learn more about the unique nature of the games. The former players are enthusiastic about telling their stories, and we cannot wait to share them with the Hillsdale College community.”

Sophomore Ty Ruddy, who conducted research for

the documentary, said while filming, the students began to realize that the prison games were more than just football games.

“I think it’s important for people to realize that the Hillsdale College football team playing in the prison was kind of a way to humanize the prisoners a little bit, and I think that goes so far beyond Hillsdale,” Ruddy said.

“I think Hillsdale College students should come see it because it’s part of their heritage and part of their history, but I think it strikes a tone for everybody.”

Moorehouse said the interview process for the film was exciting, especially in interviewing former players.

“The stories we are getting from this are absolutely incredible,” Moorehouse said.

“These guys have tremendous memories, especially about the impact that these games had on them as kids. It was a whole different experience for any football player.”

According to Moorehouse, students and individuals from all areas of the Hillsdale community should come and see the documentary, as it pertains not only to football and athletics, but to Hillsdale’s history as a whole.

“This story has everything,” Moorehouse said, “football, life lessons, true crime, everything, and it’s a fascinating story for anyone who goes and sees it.”

By Moira Gleason Assistant Editor The Hillsdale College Women Commissioners raised approximately $75,000 at its fourth annual Charger Derby on Saturday evening.

All proceeds from the event will go toward the Hillsdale College Women Commissioners’ scholarship fund, which supports Hillsdale students with financial need, according to board member and event co-chair Sue Zbozen-McAlpine ’86.

“Our whole purpose is to raise money for our scholarship fund, but it’s also to bring together the community and the alumni and the parents to support the college,” Zbozen-McAlpine said.

More than 230 people attended the event in the Searle Center, which included a simulated horse race, silent auction, and cash bar. Participants could donate before or during the event by sponsoring races, buying horses, and bidding on items donated by members of the college and local community.

Those who bought horses named them and cheered them on in pre-recorded races screened and commentated live at the event. Three of the attendees who chose a winning horse earned prizes.

“If you were to sit in the room and close your eyes, you would think you were at a racetrack,” Zbozen-McAlpine said.

The Hillsdale College Women Commissioners have supported the college since their founding in 1892 and started a scholarship fund in 1979.

The group now includes approximately 80 members, both local and remote, and offered 42 scholarships this year to returning students, totaling almost $27,000.

The auction included gifts from local businesses such as

Maggie Anne’s Clothing and Gift Boutique, a painting by Professor of Art Sam Knecht, and an autographed helmet from Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, which sold for more than $2,000.

“We try to have things that are college related, some things for your home and your family, for entertaining and sports,” Zbozen-McAlpine said.

This year, the commissioners also gave away a three-day cruise and a trip to see a taping of the game show “Wheel of Fortune.”

Because the college does not accept federal or state aid, many students rely on privately funded endowed scholarships — such as those from the Women Commissioners scholarship fund — to help pay for their education, according to Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg.

Several students who receive the Women Commissioners scholarship volunteered to help set up and run the event. According to Moeggenberg, the event emphasizes the culture of gratitude among Hillsdale students.

“From my point of view, it’s fun when it’s organic and students freely volunteer their time to help for this cause, helping raise money for future Hillsdale students,” Moeggenberg said. “It epitomizes what having privately funded scholarships are.”

Junior Hope Canlas, a recipient of the Women Commissioners scholarship, helped check guests into the event.

“There is something heartwarming about seeing firsthand the copious amount of work others put into volunteering to ensure that my college education is funded,” Canlas said.

“These women put a lot into making sure the derby runs smoothly as mere volunteers, not paid employees. I am forever thankful for their generosity.”

A4 November 9, 2023

Opinions (517) 607-2415

Online: www.hillsdalecollegian.com Editor-in-Chief | Elizabeth Troutman Associate Editor | Logan Washburn Senior Editor | Maddy Welsh Design Editor | Alexandra Hall Digital Editor | Elyse Apel News Editor | Isaac Green Opinions Editor | Claire Gaudet City News Editor | Lauren Scott Sports Editors | Olivia Pero Culture Editor | Jillian Parks Features Editor | Michael Bachmann Science & Tech Editor | Olivia Hajicek Political Correspondent| Micah Hart Social Media Manager | Cassandra DeVries Circulation Managers | Sydney Green & Emma Verrigni Ad Manager | Nathan Stanish Photography Editor | Claire Gaudet Assistant Editors | Moira Gleason | Carly Moran| Kamden Mulder | Thomas McKenna | Jane Kitchen | Linnea Shively | Michaela Estruth | SK Sisk | Alex Deimel | Beth Crawford Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Letters should be 450 words or less and include your name and number. Send submissions to the Opinions Editor at mgaudet@hillsdale.edu before Saturday at 3 p.m.

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Devil’s Advocate with Claire Gaudet You can still enjoy college during midterms and finals When I was growing up, every time I ever said something like “I wish this week was over,” or “Summer can’t come soon enough,” my mother would always respond the same way — “Don’t wish your life away!”

I hated it. I never understood why she wouldn’t support me during my fits of whining. But, as I’ve grown up (a little), I’ve realized it was some of the most sound advice Martha Sr. ever threw my way. Mothers have a terrible, wonderful, awful habit of being right about most things — something which I would never tell her to her face.

It’s so easy to wish time away at this stage of the semester. You’re burnt out. De-

pending on your age or personality, you’re either fighting some extreme stress or crippling lethargy right now — and you know it’s only going to get worse after Thanksgiving.

But, counting down the days until Christmas break or summer is a comfortable trap — an easy way to ignore all the good things around you.

Realizing this on the advent of my graduation is like only savoring the last bite of a meal.

Now that I’m a senior, I’ve reached a certain level of “who cares.” I don’t remember why I got a C in Constitution three years ago because it’s never affected me, and it probably never will. I’d prefer

to get good grades, and I try my best to do so, but sometimes I don’t — so, who cares?

I’m not saying you should get apathetic about school work. Always try your hardest, study, blah, blah, blah.

But no test or presentation is worth staying up until closing time in the library every night — it’s just going to make you hate what could be a fun time of the year.

This more relaxed mindset has made my midterms season so much more tolerable this semester. Giant chemistry exam tomorrow? Guess what: I can still go to Taco Bell with my friends as an hour long study break. Despite the impending doom, I’m making some great college memories

in the moment, and that’s fine by me.

Unless you’re planning on going to graduate, law, or medical school, you don’t have a real reason to lose your minds this season. And, even if you are doing those things, you’re probably smart and passionate enough about your subject that you’ll be just fine.

Midterms and finals will pass when they’re good and ready, so enjoy the last month of the semester — you’ll never get it back.

Claire Gaudet is a senior studying rhetoric and journalism.

Folk music: the perfect soundtrack to autumn

By Caroline Kurt Collegian reporter

Celebrate the glory of Michigan autumn with the best fall music: folk.

Another year is dying before our eyes. Campus is a fading banquet of color. Walking up the hill in the morning, your breath comes in silvery puffs. Hot cider is suddenly appealing, and you’re reassessing your sweater collection.

What better way to mark the fleeting beauty of November in Hillsdale than the wistful music of folk groups like the Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, and Lord Huron?

In autumn, the created world once again reconciles with its mortality, its summer bounty giving way to bare bones and bitter chill.

Certain music can guide us sience. in our own reconciliation.

Folk music’s wistful Folk music in particuFolk is a staple of American music. lar conveys a Courtesy | iStock keen sense of mortality with t he e ar nest ness of its lyrics and simple instrumentals.

The right folk song, whether mournful or lively, helps us transition from t he c are f re e youthfulness of summer to the long days of winter. Songs like “This Will End” by The Oh Hellos or “Mausoleum” by Seryn pro- romanticism is perfect claim a joy heightened, not for autumn wanderings, inhibited by human tran- armed with a suitably

warm beverage and sturdy pair of boots. Take the

songs of Lord Huron: they are three-minute glimpses into a dreamy world of wild

Don’t publish the names of mass shooters

By Evalyn Homoelle Collegian Reporter

Another tragic mass shooting occurred in Maine in late October, and with it came a torrent of news coverage about the suspected murderer’s background and potential motives.

To the majority of Americans, the story unfolds much like a true crime podcast or murder documentary, but to the families of the 18 victims, this story is a horrifying reality.

Mass shootings like the Maine tragedy will inevitably lead to renewed discussions on Capitol Hill about legislation to prevent future murders. But in the meantime, it is worthwhile to consider the effect of publishing specific details about mass shootings and what role the media can play in preventing future mass shootings.

While it’s important to inform the public about such violence, research has shown that publishing details like a mass shooter’s name and image can lend to their idolization by potential perpetrators through “media contagion.”

Evidence of this contagion was first presented in 2015 by researchers at Arizona State University and Western New Mexico University who analyzed mass shootings and discovered that secondary mass shootings often followed highly publicized murders.

The study found that when depressed or suicidal people saw the attention and notoriety of mass murderers, they viewed the events as a sort of script they could follow for publicity and infamous immortality.

It’s disturbing that publishing the names and images of mass shooters with the intent of informing the public about a tragedy could actually serve to elevate and immortalize the murderer, creating an unintentional spiral of future shootings.

At the heart of this dispute is a question about the media’s power for both good and evil. It hinges on whether reporting specific details about mass shootings is more beneficial to the public at large, or could actually encourage more crime.

Some outlets have decided to completely refrain from publishing the names and images of mass shooters, like the Daily Wire did in its 2018 policy, which cited the media’s “unintentional glorification” of mass shooters. Other outlets, like the Huffington Post, continue publishing details when necessary, since it claims it is the act of a mass shooting that inspires future violence as opposed to the background coverage and notoriety of a specific criminal. The Post also argued that omitting detailed information about a mass shooter’s background, motives, and access

to weapons would be a failure to inform the public and hinder their understanding of such violence.

It’s difficult to say which method is best. The media shouldn’t take this principle to the extreme and fall into censorship and revisionist history through the intentional withholding of facts, but if there is a chance that publishing mass shooters’ names and images could spark future violence, the media should seriously consider We certainly don’t want to fall into censorship and revisionist history through the intentional withholding of facts, but if we know that there is a chance that publishing mass shooters’ names and images could spark future violence, why would we not want to mitigate that risk?

Some specific facts about mass shootings should be published, like the background and suspected motive of the shooter. These details are helpful for policy discussions about hate crimes and the connection between mental health concerns and violence, as well as for legislation on keeping weapons out of potentially violent peoples’ hands. But other information that is irrelevant to those official conversations and does not directly help keep the general public safe and informed should not be published, lest it inspire other potential criminals to seek

out similar notoriety through violence.

It’s unclear where this principle should stop, as it could easily extend to other crimes and types of violence. But perhaps for our true crime-obsessed culture, it might be healthy for the press to limit any unintentional glorification and subtle encouragement of crime.

It is important for local police to share such details with communities during ongoing manhunts for the suspected perpetrator, like in the Maine incident, but other details are relatively useless to the majority of Americans. It seems like a small price to pay to potentially prevent future shootings.

This question doesn’t end with mass shootings, and could impact the discussion on whether bodycam footage from shootings should be released, and whether the names and images of other criminals like serial rapists and killers should be published. The “media contagion” theory makes sense and is a short-term alternative to the contentious gun control debate, but psychologists should study it further so that the American media can perhaps come to a consensus on coverage policies for tragedies like mass shootings.

Evalyn Homoelle is a senior studying politics and journalism.

possibility. The right folk lyrics enhance the contemplative spirit of autumn, somet hing e asi ly lost amid the fast-paced final weeks of the semester.

Folk is homey in a season intent on drawing you inside to the hearth fire. The husband-and-wife duo Chatham Rabbits makes music as cozy as your favorite cable knit, as gentle and warm as a steaming mug of chai.

Folk is communal, with guitar-friendly melodies

meant to be sung around flame-kissed firewood. Take the music of Gregory Alan Isakov or Charles Wesley Godwin: strummable, unhurried, and pure. Traditional folk music lends itself beautifully to dancing, a lovely way to share the joy of autumn with others.

We could all use more practice in the art of living seasonally: appreciating each time as it comes and discovering the particular wonder of each phase. You don’t have to give up your current music taste to enjoy what folk music has to offer.

Find a couple of songs that call to you, and enjoy this November with the sounds of fall.

Caroline Kurt is a sophomore studying English.

Classes are too short for vaping to be necessary

By Logan Washburn Associate Editor

cloud for however long the class runs. And while vaping outdoors may be annoying to I was sitting in class and some, at least fresh air allows kept smelling something foul others to avoid it. Don’t vape — like bad breath, but mango. in a situation where it affects The student next to me was everyone. vaping.

No matter how subtle stuVaping should be students think they are, vaping dents’ own is always business — “No matter how subtle students cle ar to though cur- think they are, vaping is always others — rently, it’s and only clear to others — and only not. Vaping sometimes in class is sometimes because of the smell.” because of inapproprithe smell. ate, inconI’ve seen siderate, and shows a lack of students put their shirts over self control. their noses, while putting anWhen Fox News returned other hand, holding the vape, from commercial break in up the front of their shirts. At 2021 and caught Sean Hannithat point, just vape openly. It ty mid-vape, he quickly put it would be less awkward. down because he knew it was No one is perfect and inappropriate for television. everyone has weaknesses, At least in journalism, smokwhether realized or not. But ing, vaping, and drinking are a place to begin building self commonplace. And while the control is to stop vaping in same happens on a college class. campus, it normally takes Most classes run for an place outside the classroom. hour and 15 minutes at most.

Hannity could wait until Vaping can wait. a commercial break to vape, so students should wait until Logan Washburn is a sebreaks between classes. nior studying politics and Vaping in class is inconjournalism. siderate. It traps others in a room with a fruity chemical

Opinions

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A Professor’s Opinion

November 9, 2023 A5

Compiled by Catherine Maxwell

“What is your best tip for surviving a Michigan winter?

Jonathan Gregg, Education

Patrick Timmis, English

Miles Smith, History

Jared White, Spanish

“Grow up in Minnesota… At most you’ll need a rain jacket for a Michigan winter.”

“Stay in the library and start your papers early.”

“Lots of socks, lots of hot tea, and definitely phone numbers for an exhaustive list of people who are considerably better at surviving winter than a guy who went to college at the beach.”

“A warm fire, a good book, and someone to share them with.”

Adam Carrington, Politics

Korey Maas, History “Learn to mix a hot toddy.”

“Find ways to get outside and during daytime so you aren’t always cooped up and never seeing sunlight. Even if it only involves a short walk, make time for it.”

A defense of Naomi Wolf for liberals and conservatives

By Jillian Parks Culture Editor When Naomi Wolf walked onto the stage of Plaster Auditorium during last spring’s CCA on “Big Pharma,” a gasp escaped my mouth, and I just about lunged out of my seat.

I had just spent my winter break reading and rereading her 1997 book “Promiscuities” – a piece of creative nonfiction that follows her and her friend’s journeys as teenage girls growing up in New York City during the sexual revolution of the 1970s. It is a snapshot of the girls affected, for better and for worse, by the revolution that still stirs vitriol when mentioned in conservative circles.

It is a startling read, a relatable read, an accessible, nuanced piece of feminist literature that spoke to me and a lot of the questions, patterns, and frustrations I had shared with my friends about men, growing up, and conversations about sex.

In one section Wolf writes, “The danger is that the culture often makes girls turn into women in ways they do not choose, before they are psychologically ready, and

it defines their readiness as a passive biological development.”

It was my first step into the pool of feminist literature, and I read it truly thinking everyone who read it would find her as charming, thoughtful, and nuanced as I did.

I was wrong. When the book came out, it was effectively slaughtered by outlets from the New York Times to The Library Journal, criticizing her for trying to “apply the microcosmic events of this mostly white, middle-class, liberal milieu to a whole generation.” Other complaints ranged from accusations of overgeneralization to overreaction to being simply offensive. Her other works garnered similar responses.

Not only was the book not well-received when it came out, but a lot of Hillsdale students post-CCA (if they weren’t already upset about her 2012 book: “Vagina: A New Biography”) were put off by the extremity of her ideas about COVID and the vaccine.

In other words, she has managed to step on the toes of the Left by not being

feminist enough, and she has managed to step on the toes of the Right by being a self-proclaimed feminist. As of late, she has fallen into poor standing with the general populace by diving fully into a relatively niche sect of red-pilled conspiracy theories.

In fact, it became clear upon seeing the reactions of my classmates to her CCA talk and the discourse surrounding her name online that almost nobody likes her, at least not publicly. It then dawned on me that finding her book in the clearance section of a bookstore in L.A. was not an act of divine intervention but one of the natural consequences that befalls a work by a canceled female author.

Despite maybe being alone in this, I maintain that “Promiscuities,” and the other works by her that I’ve read, were necessary and good first steps for me in starting to consider deeper questions of womanhood, masculinity, sex, motherhood, and a litany of other very adult conversation topics.

Not only are her ideas convincing and thoughtful, the voice and personality

with which she presents these ideas is exactly the same. I didn’t have to be a teen in the ’60s or a big city native to relate to the universal questions she was raising about women’s relationship to sex and the staunchly different expectations we have for men in the same arena. She dove into a history of carnal, medieval, and — pardon my French — horny women that I had never come across in all my 12 years of public school history education.

She doesn’t praise full sexual freedom as a good thing, and she does not leave the memoir with a clear cut resolution on what the right way to think about it is. She gives suggestions, but her tone is balanced, leaving room for the reader to disagree.

“I am conscious that an inquiry such as this ends by raising more questions than it can answer; sexuality is so personal, and the creation of a sexual culture such a subtle, collective undertaking, that any simple prescriptions are too crude a response,” she writes.

The reality is: to encounter a piece of completely politically correct feminist theory would be off-putting

to sophomore year me who was curious. Pieces of introductory feminist work, disparagingly called “Feminism Lite” by Michiko Kakutani in her 1997 review of the novel, need to exist, and they are growing extinct because of internet backlash like the kind Wolf receives. In a world that punishes authors for moments of impartiality or seeking out common ground with “the other side,” “Promiscuities” is a refreshing, insightful read about a crucial time that really seems to have drastically altered the conversations and expectations of the women who raised us and all generations henceforth.

The question that then naturally follows is: why ought conservative women flirt with feminist ideas if they aren’t going to subscribe to some of the core issues at the heart of the wider, more popular movement?

Because conservative women are afraid of the word feminism, and they are suffering for it. In defending men from the “man-hating feminists” of the world, many have swung too far in their defense, expecting very little from men as a result. In many

ways, we expect unkindness, indulgence, and mediocrity, and we are quick to defend it as a pre-programmed gap in maturity.

Wolf herself questions our understanding of masculinity in the book, and it is poignant: “What would our violent landscape look like if men believed that true masculinity meant becoming an extraordinary lover to a life partner? What would we get if we let women’s passion truly enter and dwell in our social world?”

This “feminism lite” work traces the before, during, and after of a major shift in history while remaining a rare access point for more conservative, in the definitional sense, women to encounter ideas of female empowerment without being completely excluded by ideas that are incompatible with their religious or cultural worldviews.

“Promiscuities” is and was that for me, and, luckily, it is uniquely cheap nowadays, so the time to appreciate this woman scorned is now.

Jillian Parks is a junior studying rhetoric and journalism.

Celebrate friendsgiving on campus this fall Yes, coffee is a drug

By Adriana Azarian Collegian Freelancer

Before heading home for Thanksgiving Break, dedicate some time to eat food and give thanks with and for your friends.

“Friendsgiving,” a meal celebrated with friends in addition to or in place of the holiday, is as old as the Thanksgiving itself. The first Thanksgiving was in part a celebration of friendship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans of Plymouth,

Massachusetts. So, if nothing else, Friendsgiving draws from Thanksgiving’s historical roots.

Many spend Thanksgiving at home with loved ones. But what could be more appropriate than also celebrating with loved ones here in Hillsdale?

When you’re at school, you live, eat, and spend much of your time with your friends.

Cliché as it is, they become your family. And there’s nothing like a delicious meal to bring family together.

The unofficial nature of this

celebration means it can look however you want. For some, that’s a classic Thanksgiving potluck with turkey and side dishes, or, if you’re not a fan of Thanksgiving food, this is your chance to eat foods you actually enjoy.

Whether you assemble fancy charcuterie boards or order a pizza, a Friendsgiving meal is anything that works for you and your friends. The point is to show your friends gratitude for their presence.

The Thanksgiving season is a time to count blessings, par-

ticularly the ones that will not be around forever. For most, college is the last time in life one can get friends together without expensive plane tickets, big changes in plans, and setting aside family and job responsibilities. You never know when you’ll have this opportunity again. Now is the time to pause, share good food, and give thanks for each other’s company.

Adriana Azarian is a sophomore studying the liberal arts.

By Alexandra Comus Collegian Reporter

Some who choose not to drink coffee act like it is due to some moral virtue, while it often just comes down to preference. To elevate this preference, people sometimes like to mention that caffeine is a drug.

Big whoop. We know.

I’ll see you, and raise you one: caffeine is a psychotropic drug.

If you go with the classical definition of psychotropic as a substance that alters emotion, cognition, and behavior, caffeine certainly falls under that categor y — and it’s wonderful.

According to the Nat iona l Library of Medicine, “Caffeine’s primary mechanism of action is on the adenosine receptors in the brain.”

By binding to the adenosine receptors, caffeine blocks the chemical response that makes you feel tired. Otherwise, built-up adenosine would bind to the receptors and cause fatigue.

It also has been shown to improve your mood.

Results from another National Library of Medicine study on soldiers found that “doses of 200 to 250 mg of caffeine elevate mood, ac-

cording to a 1987 study.”

“Caffeine has been found to significantly decrease reaction times in auditory and visual choice tasks when it was used at doses of as little as 32 mg and as great as 600 mg,” the study says.

The increased speed of discernment can clearly be felt on a subjective level, too.

Of course, caffeine is not a beneficial substance for all people, as with all drugs. It comes as no surprise that since caffeine raises blood pressure, those who struggle with high blood pressure should use caffeine within reason according to their medical situation.

F o r most people w ho enjoy and use caffeine to enhance performance in mental or physical tasks, however, it doesn’t make sense to virtue signal using the negative stigma that follows a word like “drug” to act like you are superior for making the decision not to drink coffee.

“Caffeine is a psychotropic drug.”

Alexandra Comus is a sophomore studying English and politics.

City News A6 November 9, 2023

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Abortion battle continues as state legislature moves toward deregulation

A group of Hillsdale students traveled to Lansing for a pro-life rally on Wednesday.

Courtesy | Katie Reid

By Elyse Apel Digital Editor As legislation to remove many of Michigan’s remaining abortion restrictions moves through the state legislature, Right to Life Michigan and three Republican lawmakers sued Wednesday to block the enforcement of Proposal 3.

The bills are the latest push for more access to abortion in Michigan, after Proposal 3 passed last November, amending the state constitution to include a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”

The state senate passed five laws on Oct. 19 that were part of a package of legislation called the Reproductive Health Act. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has supported the act and said she will “fight like hell” to protect abortion access.

Republican state Sen. Joseph Bellino, who represents Michigan’s 16th Senate District, said even though some of the most radical bills did not pass, he is still concerned with the impact the legislation will have on women.

“I’m worried about some of the other bills,” Bellino said.

“The Democrats are smart.

They passed what would poll well and the real egregious stuff they didn’t touch. I’m unhappy with what we have to undo when we take over control of the legislature.”

Democratic state Sen. Sarah Anthony, who represents Michigan’s 21st Senate District, told Michigan Radio that current laws are unfair to abortion clinics.

“Politicians in state capitals and courtrooms have spent many months and many years deciding what to do with my body and the bodies of women in every corner of this state and every corner of this country,” Anthony said.

The proposed legislation would remove requirements for abortion clinics to maintain the same health code as other surgical clinics, end a ban on colleges referring students for abortions, and no longer require that clinics report abortion statistics.

It would also repeal requirements for abortion clinics to have patients sign a form

stating they grant written and informed consent for the abortion, a law put in place to help women avoid coerced abortions.

Pro-lifers gathered in Lansing Wednesday for an anti-abortion rally. Hillsdale students joined them, including Kathryn Reid, the president for Hillsdale College for Life.

“We mourn what is happening in our state capital, but we will never relent in our mission to speak for those whose voices have been ripped from them,” Reid said. “The most effective thing you can do is to have honest conversations with everyone around you. Most of all, find trust and hope in the redemption of Christ. It’s easy to become desolate and disheartened in the face of defeat, but no one who fights for truth and love of God fights in vain.”

Reid said she is concerned about the legislation.

“Once passed, these laws will allow abortion at any point in pregnancy for any reason signed off on by a ‘medical professional,’ a term which is vaguely defined. Sickeningly, the ban on ‘partial-birth’

abortion is also set to be struck down,” Reid said. “Most safety regulations will no longer be required for abortion, and neither will the requirement for women to receive information about the various procedures and their side effects. How can we call the lack of informed consent ‘healthcare?’”

Bellino said he was also shocked by some of the proposed bills.

“One of the bills that was passed was that abortion clinics won’t be regulated like a doctor’s office or a certain clinic or a hospital, which is beyond me,” Bellino said. “For years, they’ve been telling me abortion is healthcare, so now you are going to have healthcare without a proper certification of cleanliness.”

One bill was also proposed in the house that would have required taxpayer-funded abortions through Medicaid. That bill, and others, have stalled after Democratic representatives refused to support them.

Bryce Asberg, executive director of Hillsdale’s Helping Hands Pregnancy Resource Center, said he is concerned

about the repeal of legislation meant to protect the health and safety of pregnant women.

“Women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy deserve loving support and compassionate care. This means medically accurate information and the highest standards of medical care,” Asberg said. “That the abortion industry is fighting so hard against informed consent and common-sense protections raises serious questions about their motives.”

Currently, there are 16 pro-abortion bills making their way through the state house and senate. If passed, the laws would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Bellino said he thinks Whitmer is happy to take advantage of Democrats controlling the legislature.

“I feel the governor wants to run for president,” Bellino said.

“So, the abortion issue and the New Green Deal are going to make her look good when she runs for president.”

Bellino said pro-lifers in Michigan should not give up hope in the face of the

pro-abortion push.

“I’m 100% pro-life,” Bellino said. “But we need to change our verbiage because we are working hard, but pro-life people got our butts kicked in the last election.”

Asberg added that it is important for the pro-life movement to come together to support women.

“In the face of a state that is increasingly pushing abortion, pro-life citizens need to rededicate themselves to the cause of life,” he said. “This includes creating churches, nonprofits, and communities that will walk alongside women and families in need.”

Reid said she is very concerned with the laws that were passed.

“The laws currently being decided on by the Michigan Senate are far too extreme for any person, pro-life or prochoice, to honestly agree with,” Reid said. “These are all laws that the pro-life movement has fought for over the last 50 years.

Abortion clinics will now continue to lie about the reality of abortion.”

Luminaries coming to town The Sauk debuts original play

By Lillian Ferrell Collegian Freelancer The Christmas luminary tradition will be coming to Hillsdale for the first time Dec. 3, 2023, from 5 to 8 p.m., lighting up neighborhoods around the city with candle light shining through brown paper bags.

Organizer of the event and Hillsdale resident Jean Heise encourages Hillsdale residents to participate by crafting their own luminaries — also known as luminaria — out of candles, bags, and kitty litter, or sand.

This is the first time the tradition has been formally celebrated in Hillsdale, according to Heise, and will take place on the first Sunday in December to commemorate the season when Christians prepare their hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth.

Heise said the origins of the tradition date back to the 1500s.

The luminaries in St. Joseph.

Courtesy | Facebook

“Martin Luther was the first to use real candles to celebrate Christmas to point out that Jesus was the light of the world,” Heise said. “The meaning of this tradition is to observe, embrace, and find deeper meaning in the holy season of Christmas.”

Heise said she experienced the beauty of luminaries when she lived in Wisconsin and would take her children on a drive to see the luminaries in the neighborhoods “It’s a very memorable thing in our history,” she said.

Mayor Adam Stockford said he is thankful Heise is bringing this new experience to Hillsdale.

“I absolutely love it when residents take that much ownership in their city,” Stockford said.

The basic materials to create a luminary will be available at Hillsdale Craft Supply and Gelzer’s Hardware. Heise said

both stores are stocking materials specifically for residents to partake in the Christmas tradition.

“This is a community effort,” Heise said. “Many people generously contributed to the printing and advertising of the night of luminaries. It is really an effort by people who are enthusiastic and want to spread this beautiful tradition throughout the whole city.”

Hillsdale College Creative Director of Marketing Brian Springer designed the luminary posters.

Heise said residents are encouraged to be creative with the presentation of their luminaries and there are no strict guidelines for the manner in which lanterns are hung in one’s yard or driveway.

“I’m very much looking forward to not only seeing the lovely displays but also participating myself,” Stockford said.

By Jillian Parks Culture Editor The American Association of Community Theatre chose The Sauk as one of six community theaters in the country to workshop and produce an original work, “Criminal Mischief.”

After its run, the play will be published by Dramatic Publishing, listing The Sauk’s cast members as the original cast. Representatives from AACT will be at the February premiere to watch and present The Sauk with a grant to cover the cost of the production.

The Sauk will be doing a public reading of the play it chose, “Criminal Mischief,” on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Following the reading, the audience will join playwright William “Bill” Cameron for a discussion with feedback and questions.

“It’s brand new and it’s coming off the press of working a week with Bill, the playwright himself, which I think is so cool,” said Savannah Brutton, who plays the character Angie.

Cameron is a retired professor of theater and communication arts at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. He taught for 31 years before retiring and deciding to focus on playwriting. He is the author of six full-length plays that have been awarded and performed across the country.

“I’ve done a lot of different things, but really in the past five years, I’ve focused more on my plays, trying to get my work done,” Cameron said. “Just try-

ing to be the best I can. And, fortunately, there are people in the world like Trinity Bird.”

Bird is the executive director at Sauk Theatre.

Cameron’s visit to Jonesville runs from Nov. 6 to11. After the public reading, the cast will resume rehearsals after that on Dec. 11 before the official opening night on Feb. 2.

“I’m honored and I’m delighted,” Cameron said.

“There’s a lot of people out there writing plays. I have a lot of friends who are writing plays and who are writing some very good stuff and finding it difficult to get them produced and published. So I’m over the moon with my current situation, having this play being produced by this venerable community theater.”

“Criminal Mischief ” is a combination of a who-dun-it mystery and a comedy that follows two half brothers, Spencer, played by Jacob Weldon, and Freddy, played by Josh Lightener. The action starts after Spencer shoots Freddy in the shoulder. The remainder of the play is told through the eyes of Alice, who is the cop investigating what happened.

The first act bounces between interrogation rooms and a hospital room. Act two takes place in a completely new setting: Spencer’s house. Eventually, the question of who is at fault gets muddier as more information and characters are introduced.

“I think comedies are really special,” Bruton said. “I

feel like laughter is the best medicine and anytime you go to the theater, you’re going to experience something magical and something that makes you forget about your outside troubles for a while. Anytime I’ve gone to see a comedy, it’s like ‘I can take on this whole month now.’”

Bird said he believes a key reason behind their selection as one of the six theaters is the annual “Plays in Development” workshop in which The Sauk picks scripts that aren’t finished yet, fly the playwrights to Michigan to work on the play in action, and, at the end of the week, do readings of all the plays that were chosen.

“One year we got 700 scripts submitted for it,” Bird said. “I’d say we average about 350 submissions a year. And we usually pick four.”

Bird said one of the most rewarding parts is the audience’s lack of expectation.

“We just did ‘The Sound of Music,’ and, no matter what we do with it, when that title song starts, every person ever in the history of the world pictures Julie Andrews in the field spinning whether they know the whole movie or not,” Bird said.

“No one has any expectation of anything in this play, because it’s never existed before. And I think that’s so cool. And it gives the actors, me as director, the designers, and everybody free rein to play because there is no expectation.”

City News

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

November 9, 2023 A7

State population council considers tax hikes, leaders react

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor A state council that seeks to reverse Michigan’s population decline should not push for tax increases, according to local political and business leaders.

“There is never a good time to raise taxes, but now is probably the worst time to even consider it,” Susan Smith, executive director of the Hillsdale County Economic Development Partnership, told The Collegian. “If increasing the population in Michigan is one of the goals of the new council, increasing taxes will not bring business or population growth.

The opposite will be true.”

Documents released last month by the Growing Michigan Together Council, created

by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June, revealed the working groups are considering tax hikes.

The 64-member advisory body consists of lawmakers, state bureaucrats, professors, and union and business leaders. Each of the council’s four workgroups — labor, infrastructure, higher education,

and pre-K to 12 educators — published policy recommendations last month.

The pre-K to 12 educator work group recommended the state increase funding for schools through “potential revenue generation realized by modifying current taxation and budgeting practices.” A recommendation from the infrastructure group said the state should “implement a phased approach that broadens funding sources for transportation” and “raises additional revenue.”

Nonprofit news organization Bridge Michigan said it filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents after they were presented to the governor but not published.

“As the representative for the only Michigan House district that borders two states, I know how easy it is for the people I represent to move a few miles south to enjoy lower taxes and more economic prosperity,” said state Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale. “Trying to solve our population crisis through more bureaucracy and now potentially more taxes

only accelerates the problem.”

Michigan lost close to 30,000 residents last year, according to a federal survey.

Hillsdale County gained 153 residents, a 0.3% increase between 2021 and 2022.

State Sen. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe, also said a tax increase would hurt his constituents since his district lies along the southern border.

while at the same time making teacher evaluations less dependent on student performance.

“You want more money, but you don’t want to be accountable,” Bellino said. “That’s like being a bank robber.”

Business lobbying groups are also voicing opposition.

Leah Robinson, director of legislative affairs and leadership programming at the

“It would be horrendously hurtful for the people in my three counties” “​​It would be horrendously hurtful for the people in my three counties,” Bellino said.

“We would lose small business.

People would move over the border. If we raised the business tax again, they’d take their business over the border.”

According to the council’s reports, the increased revenue would be used to fund school and road improvement. Bellino said the legislature should not increase education funding

Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is still waiting for details to take an official stance but is “generally concerned” about the prospect of tax hikes.

“We’re not just talking about one tax increase. We’re talking about multiple for different reasons,” Robinson said.

“We’ve spent an unprecedented amount of money this past year as a state. Does that make sense? Is that being a good

steward of Michigan’s taxpayer dollars?”

John McNamara, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, said a tax increase would damage the state’s hospitality industry.

“I don’t think we can tax our way into increased population,” McNamara said. “Michigan’s population has been stagnant for decades — in fact, we’ve continued to lose population for decades. With increased taxes, the first thing you see to go is discretionary spending and that’s eating out and that’s traveling. I think that’s potentially bad for any number of sectors.”

One tax change the council’s infrastructure working group recommended was to remove a 1978 cap — known as the Headlee Amendment — on property tax increases at 5% or the rate of inflation.

Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram, who represents Ward 3 on the Hillsdale City Council, said when property values fell significantly after the 2008 real estate market crash, so did revenue from

property taxes. He said returning the revenue to its prior level by allowing rates to be raised faster than 5% would give local governments more revenue to spend on projects.

“Local units of government could fix the roads,” Wolfram said.

But reforming the Headlee Amendment would require a constitutional amendment, Wolfram said.

The chances of that amendment, or any tax increase passing the state legislature, are slim, according to sources in Lansing. McNamara said any proposed tax hike would have an “uphill battle,” as Robinson said she would not expect to see “movement” on a tax increase until later in 2024.

Bellino said he does not think a tax increase will reach a vote in the Democrat-controlled legislature before next year’s elections.

“I fail to see how Democrats that want to stay in office would vote for a tax increase because they would lose their seats,” Bellino said. “I don’t think it would fly.”

Fifth annual humane society raffle drawing to start next month

Beer and yoga available at the brewing co. next Saturday

By Christina Lewis Collegian Reporter

By Olivia Pero Sports Editor

The Greater Hillsdale Humane Society’s annual 12 Days of Christmas raffle drawing will span 18 days, according to organizers.

The raffle fundraiser, now in its fifth year, aims to sell all 1,000 raffle tickets after starting in October. Each ticket is sold for $20.

The humane society is a nonprofit organization that does not get any government funding. It earns money through donations, pet adoption fees, and pet surrender fees.

“We do things like the raffle and different fundraising events throughout the year so that we can bring in more money and help more animals,” shelter director Joni Baker said.

Prizes include a Blackstone grill, $250 gift cards to The Udder Side, a five-day camper rental, and more.

People who buy raffle tickets can watch the Michigan Lottery Daily 3 on TV to see if they’ve won from Dec. 4 to Dec. 21.

Baker encouraged people to buy tickets even if they are not interested in the raffle prizes.

“You could still buy a ticket to support the shelter,” Baker said. “If you do win something, you can give it away as a present or you can even decline the prize. If the winner does not claim the prize for whatever reason, then they just draw another one.”

President of the board of directors Julia Bauer said that the society’s biggest expenses are the vet bills.

“We have utilities and we have payroll, and we have all the things that go along with running a business because essentially that’s what the shelter is,” Bauer said. It’s a nonprofit, but it’s a business to help support the animal population.

So a lot of times people don’t understand that we have bills.

Former Humane Society resident Eggnog dresses warm for the winter.

Courtesy | Facebook

We have to take our animals to the vet just like everyone else.”

Baker said people can also donate their time.

“We love having volunteers come out. We take volunteers anytime of the day that we are open,” ,” Baker said. “We are open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. I tell people that if they want to volunteer and help clean, we actually get here at 8 a.m. every day and start cleaning.”

Baker said that it is crucial for animals to get social time with people.

“The more different people that the animals see, the more adoptable they become because they get more socialized,” Baker said. “The more volunteers we have come in and play with the cats and walk the dogs, the easier the animals are to adopt. Then we can more quickly get them into homes and we can get more animals in here to help them.”

Duke was adopted in January 2022.

Courtesy | Facebook

The Hillsdale Brewing Company will host its next biweekly yoga session at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.

“Those choosing to join can grab a beer, wine, or cider to sip along with during class,” said Felicia Ray Finch, co-owner of the Hillsdale Brewing Company.

Heather Williams of Soul Inspirations teaches the classes.

Williams said the brewing company’s Indoor Beer Garden is the perfect atmosphere for stretching, zen, and brews.

“The fact that you can grab your lunch right there afterward is an extra bonus,” Wil-

liams said. “I have even had a group come as a way to start a birthday weekend.”

Adrienne Magda has been attending the class since the start of the year.

“I always leave the class feeling calm, relaxed, and happy,” Magda said. “I love that Heather always starts class with a positive affirmation reading, and we end class with a positive ‘I am’ statement.”

According to Magda, the class is laid back, and there is a diverse group of people who participate in the class.

“I know a lot of people can be intimidated by yoga, but I’d really like to encourage them to give beer yoga a try,” Magda said. “The laid back and en-

couraging environment makes for a good time for everyone, including beginners.”

Magda said her favorite beer to order during the class is “Peanut Butter Porter”.

“When that’s out of season I also enjoy the ‘Oatmeal Stout’ or the ‘Peppermint Stout’,” Magda said.

Williams said she is extremely thankful the Hillsdale Brewing Company continually offers different things to the community and that they have given her the opportunity to bring her passion for yoga to Hillsdale.

Hospital auctions Ohio vs. Michigan tickets

By Evalyn Homoelle Senior Reporter Hillsdale Hospital is auctioning off two tickets online to the Nov. 25 Ohio State University vs. University of Michigan football game in Ann Arbor.

The auction bidding began at $1,500 for the two tickets and the current bid is now $1,800. The auction website lists each of the two tickets in the ninth row of section 6 of Michigan Stadium as having a $975 current selling value. The last day to place an online bid at hillsdalehospital.com/auction is Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Local insurance agency Moore Insurance Services do-

nated the tickets to Hillsdale Hospital, which will use the proceeds for new equipment fundraising efforts and continued patient care.

“This is the first time Hillsdale Hospital has held an online auction of tickets for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, and we are so grateful to Moore Insurance for donating them,” said Kyrsten Newlon, marketing and communications coordinator at Hillsdale Hospital.

Moore Insurance Services is excited to donate these tickets to help support the hospital, according to owner Richard Moore in a press release.

“This football game is always a big event, and these

tickets are a unique way to witness a great sports rivalry while also supporting the Hillsdale community,” Moore said.

Hillsdale Hospital president and CEO Jeremiah J. Hodshire ’99 added in the press release that this auction functions as an important part of fundraising for future equipment and continued patient care.

“Our people, both patients and staff, are the most important part of our hospital,” he said. “We want to ensure we are always providing the highest quality care in a safe, healing environment for every single one of our patients and team members.”

Ballet Chelsea to perform the Nutcracker at the Dawn

By Tayte Christensen Collegian Reporter Friends of the Dawn Theater will be hosting Ballet Chelsea for a performance of excerpts of the Nutcracker at 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Dawn Theater, sponsored by the Hillsdale County Community Foundation “Ballet Chelsea does a full performance of the Nutcracker in Jackson with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra

in December, but we wanted to bring it to Hillsdale,” said Mary Wolfram, member of Dawn Theater Governance Board.

The production is sponsored by the Hillsdale County Community Foundation.

Thanks to the Hillsdale County Community Foundation, no tickets are required for the performance.

“A friend of the Dawn approached the Hillsdale County Community Foundation

and they gave us a grant to fund this performance, so we are able to present it free of charge,” Wolfram said. “We are really appreciative of the Foundation for supporting this performance,” she said.

This weekend’s performance will be a glimpse into the full ballet, which will take place in Jackson in December.

“Ballet Chelsea does outreach performances all the time, so we worked with their programs committee to bring

them to Hillsdale. They also have other outreach commitments, so we had to settle on Nov. 12, which is a bit early,” Wolfram said.

The ballet This weekend’s performance will be the first of its kind since the Dawn’s renovations in 2022.

“This performance will give Hilldale audiences a unique opportunity to experience a taste of a world-class performance – of a fully-produced performance of the

Nutcracker with a live orchestra, which is so rare this day in age,” Holly Hobbs, assistant professor of dance and director of Hillsdale’s Tower Dancers, said.

Wolfram said she hopes that this is the start of bigger productions happening at the Dawn.

“Hopefully this will be the first of many cultural performances to come at the Dawn,” she said

Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. with the performance starting at 3.

“This performance will be an early start of the Christmas season,” Wolfram said. “It’s a good preview for Hillsdale audiences in case they want to go to the full performance in Jackson in December.”

A8 November 9, 2023

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Sports Shotgun

Chargers take first in final fall tournament

By Carly Moran Assistant Editor The Hillsdale shotgun team took first on home turf during the Michigan College Clay Target State Shoot Nov. 4 for its last tournament until February.

Each team competed in squads of four, with every athlete shooting 100 clays each for American trap, American skeet, and sporting clays.

Hillsdale hosted five separate universities at the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Center: Ferris State University, Michigan State University, Mid-Michigan College, Montcalm Community College, and

Olivet University.

“I'm really proud about how this semester went and how everybody has been shooting,” head coach Jordan Hintz said.

“I think this is very possibly the strongest team that we've ever had. I'm really, really proud of how they've been shooting.

The scores that we've been putting up are just crazy, especially consistently for a team of our size.”

The Hillsdale squad hit 399/400 clays in both American trap and skeet.. Fifth-year senior Ida Brown and senior Jessica Strasser, followed by junior Josh Corbin, all scored perfect 100s in American trap.

“It's always about trying to improve the fundamentals,” Hintz said. “Overall improvement shows up in the aggregate.”

In American skeet, seniors Jackson Sokel and William Stuart, alongside sophomore Leif Andersen, earned perfect scores.

“My favorite moment of the season would have to be shooting a perfect score in skeet,” Andersen said. “This is the first time I have ever done this, and my family was here to watch, which was really nice.”

In sporting clays, Hillsdale also earned first, with a squad score of 384/400. Corbin

(98/100), Andersen (98), Brown (96), and Stuart (92) composed the total score.

With a total of 1,182/1,200 broken targets, Hillsdale took highest overall, finishing ahead of Olivet,who placed second,, and Michigan State in third. Corbin, with a score of 297/300, took highest overall shooter. Andersen earned silver with a 295/300, and Stuart took bronze with 291/300.

Brown won women’s highest overall with a 295/300, with Strasser in second and freshman Madeline Corbin in third.

“I chose Hillsdale for the academics and for the shooting program,” freshman Ava

Downs said. “It’s so fulfilling because you put in so much work to get something out of it versus just skating by.”

Multiple team members mentioned how close the team has been, particularly this semester.

“The team is united because of all of the extracurricular things we do together,” Andersen said. “It seems like there is always an event someone on the team is hosting or even just studying together.”

While the Chargers are done competing for the fall semester, the team said it feels prepared to take on the challenges of the spring season.

The main tournament to look forward to will be the Association of College Unions International/Scholastic Clay Target Program National Championships in March.

“We'll be winding down practices starting pretty soon here so that everybody has lots of time to work on their schoolwork and also avoid some of the bad weather,” Hintz said. “Ultimately, they're all here for their education, so that's the most important thing.”

The Chargers will compete next at the Hillsdale Invitational Feb. 24.

Women's XC

Wamsley qualifies for nationals, Hillsdale take 17th place

By Cassandra DeVries Social Media Manager Hillsdale senior Liz Wamsley won the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championships last weekend, where the Chargers took 17th as a team.

The Chargers raced at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana, Nov. 6.

A n A l l - A me r i c an i n cross-country and track and field, Wamsley ran at the front of the pack with Grand Valley State University's Klaudia O'Malley — who finished third in the nation in 2022 — before Wamsley sprinted past O’Malley in the last leg of the race.

“I wasn't expecting I would get first,” Wamsley said. “I knew that O’Malley was going to be the fastest person in that race, so when we started, I tried to tuck in behind her.

We were a tight pack for about two miles.”

Wamsley said she had wondered if O’Malley was fading slightly in the last mile and decided she might as well go

for the victory then.

“In the last little stretch, I passed her and just sprinted to the end,” Wamsley said. “I felt the worst at that point because I knew I couldn’t pick it up another gear, so the whole time I'm like, ‘I hope this is enough because this is all I have left.’”

Wamsley said it is bad form for runners to look behind them because it slows them down and signals a lack of confidence to competitors, so she was unsure if O’Malley was going to pass her.

“It's definitely fun to have races like that,” Wamsley said.

“You're battling it out the whole way and putting everything you possibly can into the race. I had to earn that race.”

Wamsley became Hillsdale’s first cross-country regional champion since 2015, and she qualified for the 2023 NCAA DII National Championship, which will take place in Joplin, Missouri, Nov. 18.

“At this point, I'm just competing to the best of my ability just to see how high up I can place in nationals,” Wamsley

Liz Wamsley sprints down the chute at the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championships. Courtesy | Libby Price

said.

National meet competitors will travel to Missouri several days two to three days before the race to acclimate themselves before competing for the national title and All-American honors.

“On Saturday morning, it's just the same thing as regionals,” Wamsley said. “It's just

another 6k race. It's not even necessarily a much larger field size, but it's just so much more competitive.”

Wamsley ran the regionals 6K in 20:04.50, a personal best, as did many of her teammates.

Freshman Savannah Fraley finished in 41st place with a personal best time of 21:39.3.

“I got sucked out a little bit at the beginning, but I didn't completely die at regionals,” Fraley said. “I wasn't necessarily the kicking warrior at the finish, but I improved by over a minute, so I guess that’s kicking enough.”

Senior Vera Thompson finished in 120th place in 23:07.3, freshman Megan Roberts fin-

ished in 143rd place with a personal best time of 23:33.0, and freshman Anna Stirton finished in 144th place with a personal best of 23:33.6.

Junior Br ynn Edison finished in 158th place in 23:58.3, and freshman Eleanor Clark finished in 162nd place in 23:58.8, both personal bests.

“It was a really fast course and good weather. It was just a really good day for our last race,” Roberts said.

While Saturday concluded Hillsdale’s 2023 cross-country season, the Chargers are already looking forward to the track season after a 10-day break from running, according to Roberts.

“It’s a bittersweet ending, especially for those girls who prefer cross-country,” Roberts said. “But we’ll be together for all of next semester too. We’ve bonded through all of the hardest parts of cross-country and are always there for each other no matter what happens after we cross that finish line.”

Feature

Alumnae revamp Charger sports social media

By Olivia Pero Sports Editor The Hillsdale athletic department is revamping the athletic teams’ social media accounts to make a consistent marketing brand for all the teams.

Regan Monnin ’21 joined the athletic department last December and Emma Purdy ’23 started working in the department this August.

Monnin is the director of marketing and community relations, and Purdy is the coordinator of creative services and fan engagement.

“Maintaining a consistent brand identity is something we're very adamant about this year, especially as we expand as a DII athletic school,” Monnin said.

“We’re also really trying to do a better job of showcasing our athletes and doing more storytelling with our graphics and social media.”

Monnin said the athletic department bought a graphic design software for coaches to run their teams’ social media.

“If you look at each team's social media, the graphics are a lot more consistent,” Monnin said. “We've done some seminars with the coaches to show them how to do things and try to give them more support because they’ve really been on their own up until this year.”

Monnin and Purdy taught the coaches how to take footage of their athletes and gave them ideas of questions to ask their athletes for Q&A reels, Monnin said.

“Social media is often the first thing people look at when it comes to recruiting,” Monnin said. “We have some of the best sports programs in Division II, and you have no idea because no one talks about it.”

Monnin said larger colleges hire an assistant coach to run the social media.

“Obviously we do not have the coaching staff like they do, but for the most part, every social media is run by an assistant coach, and then sometimes athletes step in and help out,” Monnin said. “Other than the main athletic accounts for the general department, Emma and I are just support for everyone else.”

Monnin said the athletic department did a rebrand last year because there was no standard blue color for the teams to use.

“Nobody actually knew what the Charger Athletics’ color was,” Monnin said.

Using the same colors and fonts make the brand stay consistent across the board, Monnin said.

“We’ve been able to make the social media look really good because we finally have the manpower and

somebody who's willing to sit down and do it,” Monnin said.

The athletic communications department has never had three people in it before, Monnin said. Prior to this fall, Director of Athletic Communications James Gensterblum ‘12 was the only person working in athletic communications.

Gensterblum said Monnin and Purdy have made huge contributions with the athletic social media platforms and they have greatly improved the environment at home sports contests with promotions and theme nights. “ They’ve been a huge asset to our department already in their first year on the job, and I think we’re only going to continue to grow as a team from here,” Gensterblum said.

Before the athletic department hired Monnin and Purdy, Gensterblum had been doing most everything for the website and social media, Monnin said.

“He did the best he could, but the social media was just score and game updates,” Monnin said. “Then I came in December and took over all the social media stuff for athletics.”

Purdy said she worked as a student for Gensterblum and Monnin last spring, doing photography, graphic

design, and regulating promotions. She graduated with a psychology major and a biology minor.

“Nothing really to do with marketing or graphic design, but when I was in college I ran social media and marketing for the GOAL program for three years,” Purdy said.

“I've also always loved photography. It's just a mix of passions, and I like to incorporate my psychology background into my graphics by making them appealing to the eye.”

Monnin said she majored in rhetoric and public address and wrote for The Collegian during her time at Hillsdale.

“I did political PR for a year and a half out of school,” Monnin said. “My husband

and I traveled full time for a while. We had our own travel Instagram, so I had some experience with that.”

Purdy said she and Monnin are trying to find ways to get the athletic and non-athletic student bodies to interact more frequently.

“We're really trying to find ways for students to have fun at games,” Purdy said. “We're going to do a lot more endgame activities throughout the basketball season and football games.

We're really trying to have students support other students.”

The athletic department can never have too many student photographers, videographers, and help with social media, Purdy said. The athletic department hopes

to develop a program where students can get experience with sports media.

“It can be really hard to break into the sports space, so if kids want to be in it, they should come work for us because we have stuff for them to do, and they can get hands-on experience,” Purdy said. “We don't have enough time to do everything that we want, so yeah, come work for us.”

Mo n n i n s a i d p e o p l e should follow @hillsdale_ chargers on Instagram.

“We promote our home events, and we do a lot of fun, different things on it,” Monnin said. “It's a really good place to go for information.”

Sports

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November 9, 2023 A9

Volleyball

Chargers sweep back-to-back games

By Ty Ruddy Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale volleyball team defeated the Malone University Pioneers and the Walsh University Cavaliers last weekend, taking each match in a three-set sweep.

“This was the first time we were able to string together six consecutive, well-played sets,” assistant coach Allyssa Van Wienen said.

Hillsdale started the weekend strong in Friday’s home match against Malone. Hillsdale took the first set 25-16 and only improved moving forward against visiting Malone. The second set was a 25-15 Hillsdale win. The third set left Malone empty-handed as Hillsdale secured the match, finishing the day on a 25-12 win.

Senior middle hitter Maizie Brown and junior outside hitter Marylin Popplewell

shared the wealth on offense, posting seven kills each in the three-set shutout. Brown also led the defense with six blocks. Senior libero Alli Wiese added nine digs to the defensive effort.

“We were able to play our entire lineup and every player did their part in contributing to the win,” Van Wienen said.

The stage now set for Senior Day, the Chargers avenged a previous loss with another trifecta. Hills-

dale rolled the G-MAC titan Walsh in three sets with wins of 25-18, 25-14, and a hardfought 25-20 third-set victory that sent Hillsdale seniors on their way with a flourish.

Brown and Popplewell had 11 kills each. Once again, Wiese led the team with 12 digs.

“On Saturday, the players were extremely mission-focused and worked hard to play out their role to perfection,” Van Wienen said.

Van Wienen said she was also impressed with the offensive tenacity the Chargers showed.

“We leveled up every aspect of our game and were able to hold off Walsh and avenge our earlier loss to them,” Van Wienen said.

Hillsdale has three more regular season games before the G-MAC tournament begins Nov. 14. The Chargers will play these away games against Malone Nov. 9, the

Tiffin University Dragons Nov. 10, and the University of Findlay Oilers Nov. 11.

“We are excited to have another opportunity to compete three days in a row, finishing off with a match against Findlay, looking to redeem our loss to them as well,” Van Wienen said.

Feature

Remember Penn State's longest game vs. Michigan 10 years later

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor The clock reads ":35" in the fourth quarter. The Penn State Nittany Lions are trailing the Michigan Wolverines 34-27, but quarterback Christian Hackenberg is 37 yards from the endzone.

He takes the snap shotgun. He drops back four steps, stands tall in the pocket, and lofts a high throw to junior wide receiver Allen Robinson at the goal line. Michigan cornerback Channing Stribling leaps for the ball, and so does Robinson — the Detroit-area native who would be drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars six months later.

For a moment, both players hang mid-air in front of 107,884 fans in State College, Pennsylvania.

One-hundred-and-fifty miles south in his Virginia living room, a 9-year-old Thomas

watches Hackenberg’s throw go up. This was the night I became a Penn State fan for life — and why I’ll be rooting for the Nittany Lions this weekend.

The No. 10 ranked Penn State is set to take on the No. 3 ranked University of Michigan at home in front of a dependably raucous Happy Valley crowd on Saturday. Vegas favors the Wolverines by five points, but we don’t choose who to cheer for because of the odds.

On Oct. 12, 2013, my older brother and I were rooting for Penn State for family reasons.

Both our parents had graduated from the school — they met during their first week on campus.

An unranked Penn State team entered Beaver Stadium to face No. 18 Michigan under unusual circumstances. A recent sexual assault scandal and the ensuing coverup had roiled the team and its fanbase. I was

too young to understand, but I knew our head coach of 45 years, Joe Paterno, was not on the field. In his place, former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was coaching the team for a second season.

The team was no longer bowl eligible and had been stripped of a quarter of its scholarships — a crippling punishment for a DI football team. My parents’ alma mater needed a win in more ways than one.

Despite conditions off the field, a sea of 107,884 fans dressed in white — creating the blanketing White Out effect — stood on a chilly October night to cheer on the Nittany Lions and throw the opposing players off their game.

"You couldn't hear the guy six inches next to you," said former Michigan center Jack Miller, who was on the 2013 team. "It was piercing loud, I

think that's the best way to describe it."

The Nittany Lions were led by an 18-year-old freshman quarterback, Hackenberg.

Before sanctions dropped on the team post-scandal, he had only verbally committed to the school. But he stuck with the team.

“I really can't explain it," Hackenberg said, after a visit to State College. "It just felt like home to me."

Now, he was driving down the field with 35 seconds remaining down by seven points.

He takes the shotgun snap and steps up to throw to the left sideline.

“Here’s Hackenberg,” said the broadcaster, Joe Tessitore.

“He’s gonna go for it right here.”

Stribling and Robinson leap for the ball, but Stribling jumps a split second too early. He gets only one hand on the ball as Robinson reaches over his head with arms outstretched.

“And Robinson comes down with it,” Tessitore shouts.

Robinson catches the ball and falls in bounds a half-yard from the goal line. Hackenberg drives through the pile on the next play, and the Nittany Lions tie the game.

In the ensuing three overtimes, both teams missed field goals that could have won them the game. In the fourth overtime segment, Penn State is 16 yards from a winning touchdown, but it’s fourth down with one yard to go.

Junior Bill Belton pushes ahead for three yards, and three plays later scores a touchdown.

The upset at home — the trophy of O’Brien’s stint as head coach — stabilized a Penn State team and fanbase still reeling from scandal.

One decade after the longest game in Penn State’s history, the teams will face off in Happy Valley again. Penn State, with an 8-1 record, is once again led

by a young quarterback, sophomore Drew Allar. The team is also the underdog again, facing an undefeated, higher-ranked Michigan squad that has been trouncing teams, in and out of conference.

The Wolverine offense, led by 5-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy, has averaged 424 yards and 40 points per game, according to ESPN. Penn State will play two weeks after a loss to Ohio State.

All this comes back to a timeless question: why do we pick teams to root for?

Everyone’s reason is different. But, this Saturday, I will be rooting for Penn State, because a decade ago the world of a 9-year-old kid hung on a football as it soared through the chill October air against the backdrop of a Happy Valley White Out. And Allen Robinson caught it.

Charger chatter Jonathan Calabrese, Shotgun Compiled by Alex Deimel

What’s your favorite

What’s your favorite

thing about being on the

winter activity?

shotgun team?

Shoveling snow, closely

Getting to travel and

followed by deer hunt-

compete all over the

ing.

country in a sport I love.

If you had to be any TV

What’s your go-to pre-

character, who would it

game meal?

be?

Whatever the team is

Homelander from “The

feeding me.

Boys” because why not?

He’s basically invincible.

Who’s your favorite

What’s the best piece

professional athlete

of advice you wish you

and why?

would have received as

UFC fighter George

a freshman?

St. Pierre. His fights

Be more intentional

are what got me into

with class choices.

watching UFC.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Charger

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A10 November 9, 2023

Football

Chargers win fourth straight game, crush Cavaliers

Junior running back Kyle Riffel scored a touchdown against the Walsh University Cavaliers. Courtesy | Isabella Sheehan

By Alex Deimel Assistant Editor After starting the season with only one win in their first six games, the Hillsdale Charger football team has found its stride.

The Chargers extended their winning streak to four games, defeating the Walsh University Cavaliers 28-3 on Walsh’s home field in North Canton, Ohio on Nov. 4.

Four straight conference victories propelled Hillsdale to an even 5 -5 record overall.

With one game left on the schedule, , the Chargers have a chance to secure their seventh winning season in eight years.

Hillsdale put up 356 rushing yards, making it the third game that the Chargers have run for more than 300 yards.

Senior running back Michael Herzog proved once again why he’s a top offensive player in the G-MAC. His 156 total rushing yards on 20 attempts lifted him to eighth all-time on the Charger single-season rushing list, with 1,158 rushing yards so far this season. Herzog surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards during Saturday’s win, remaining the G-MAC leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and all-purpose yards.

“This season is going to be one to remember. After

starting 0-4 and being able to turn that into 5-5 is pretty remarkable,” Herzog said.

“The leaders on this team have done such a great job keeping the energy positive throughout the entire season, and the younger guys have been feeding off of it no doubt. I had no idea I had 2,000 career yards until you just mentioned it, but I’m proud of myself and the guys up front for helping me reach that milestone.”

Senior running back Logan VanEnkevort and freshman wide receiver Shea Ruddy also contributed to the Charger’s dominant running performance. VanEnkevort finished the game with 72

total rushing yards, 68 of them from one play alone, which set up junior running back Kyle Riffel for a oneyard touchdown, giving the Chargers a 14-3 lead in the second quarter. Ruddy finished with 45 total rushing yards, including two rushing touchdowns and two receptions for 21 total receiving yards.

“It has been great to see the team work so much harder to turn things around and finish strong,” Ruddy said.

Senior quarterback Garrit Aissen contributed to the Charger offensive attack with 130 passing yards, including a 41-yard pass to VanEnkevort late in the fourth quarter,

which sealed the victory for Hillsdale. Aissen now has 1,259 passing yards this season. He needs 104 passing yards to beat his single-season best of 1,362 from his 2021 season.

“It feels awesome. I am just so proud of the entire team. We never quit,” Aissen said. “At 1-5 we totally could have clocked out, but instead we trusted each other and dug deeper. I wish we could have had some of those first games back, however, all we can do is look forward.”

Senior defensive lineman Riley Tolsma had his best game of the season, making seven total tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one

of which was a nine-yard sack. Tolsma now has 42 tackles this season, a new career-best compared to his 40 tackles last season. Redshirt freshman linebacker Jacob Vance continued his breakout season, also making seven tackles, improving to 49 total on the year. Vance made five solo tackles and two assisted tackles.

The Chargers now have a shot to finish above .500 if they win against the Ohio Dominican University Panthers on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m., during the Chargers’ senior day game.

Feature

Teslaa plays D1 football, grateful for time at Hillsdale

By Anna Broussard Collegian Reporter In his first season as a wide receiver for the University of Arkansas, former Hillsdale Charger football player Isaac TeSlaa has made 25 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown as the Razorbacks’ go-to slot receiver.

Before transferring to the Division I team last spring, TeSlaa showcased his talent during the two seasons he spent playing for the Chargers: TeSlaa earned 2022 G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year, catching 68 passes for 1,325 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. “ The t ransit ion f rom Hillsdale to Arkansas has been great,” TeSlaa said.

“Obviously, there are many things that differ when comparing Hillsdale to Arkansas athletically and academically.”

TeSlaa said Hillsdale is a unique school when it comes to the importance of academics.

“While at other schools the importance of academics is stressed, it is not ingrained into you the way it is at Hillsdale,” TeSlaa said.

“At Arkansas, the academic side of the student athlete is stressed much less than at Hillsdale.”

TeSlaa said the athletics at the University of Arkansas are far more rigorous than what he experienced at Hillsdale. Still, he said he misses Hillsdale’s edu-

dale is extremely high. I'm proud to say I had my first three years of schooling there.”

In addition to the academic benefits of his Hill-

py that he was able to begin here. I hope that Hillsdale has laid the foundation for success both at Arkansas and after graduating.”

Sophomore Josie TeSlaa, TeSlaa’s younger sister and Hillsdale volleyball player, said Hillsdale prepared her brother well athletically.

“I think Hillsdale did a great job at developing Isaac as a wide receiver,” Josie said. “Coming out of high school, Isaac was a quarterback transitioning into the wide receiver position.”

Josie said TeSlaa worked hard to make his transition from quarterback to wide

is,” Josie said. “His insane athleticism definitely helps, but a lot of the credit also goes to the coaches at Hillsdale who believed in him and helped him get to where he is today. I know he is very grateful for the opportunity the Hillsdale coaches gave him to advance to the next level.”

The Hillsdale C ollege at h l e t i c d e p a r t m e nt i s known to be rigorous in a similar fashion to the academics of Hillsdale. Tharp said this demanded level of rigor does not inhibit student athletes. Rather, it further develops them as lead-

Isaac TeSlaa is now a wide receiver for the University of Arkansas. Courtesy | Hana Connelly

cation, community, and the interpersonal relationships between students and their professors or coaches.

“I do sometimes miss the education offered at Hillsdale,” TeSlaa said. “ The standard that students and athletes are held to at Hills-

dale years, TeSlaa said the Hillsdale College athletic department helped him in many ways.

“He was a very exciting player to watch,” Director of Athletics John Tharp said.

“Isaac was an incredibly hard worker, and I am hap-

TeSlaa played two seasons of football for the Chargers.

Courtesy | Hana Connelly

receiver appear seamless.

“I guess you could say Hillsdale took a chance on Isaac and helped him develop into the great player he

ers both on and off the field. “ TeSlaa is an example of the program benefiting students the way we seek to coach them athletically,”

Tharp said. “The truth is, if you're good enough you're gonna be found by professional athletics regardless of if you go somewhere else.

People are still making it to the big leagues through the programs we have.”

T h a r p s a i d s t u d e nt s from all different athletic programs at Hillsdale have gone on to play professional sports.

Tharp said that Z ach VanValkenburg ’19, who plays professional football for the Los Angeles Rams, and Peter Kalthoff ’23, who plays professional basketball in Slovakia, are testaments to the Hillsdale athletic program’s success in producing well-rounded students and athletes.

TeSlaa said he is grateful to Hillsdale for the rigor and development he experienced during his time as a Hillsdale student.

“Hillsdale definitely challenged me to become a better student and a better man in ways that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” TeSlaa said.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

November 9, 2023 B1 Suarez stands surrounded by his art students.

Courtesy | Claire Henzel

C U L T U R E Students explain growing number of art majors

By Anna Broussard Collegian Reporter Senior Claire Henzel said the most frequently asked question art majors face is “What are you going to do with that?”

But the growing number of Hillsdale art majors said they find their education helps them pursue many different career paths. The class of ’24 will include 13 art majors, which is double the size of the graduating class of ’22.

According to students in the department, Hillsdale seems to approach the professionalism of the art world through teaching artistry on the basis of tradition and technique. The art department is rapidly growing and providing opportunities for many of the students graduating with art majors.

Seniors Henzel, Emma Widmer, and Gillian Ruch all came to Hillsdale intending to study something they thought would provide more plausible career opportunities outside of fine art. They found the art department offered something they were passionate about and would provide many different opportunities after graduating.

“I wanted to do something creative, but I always discounted art as a career because it just seemed too subjective and wishy-washy in most schools,” Henzel said.

“Then I took Drawing I, and that showed me that art can actually be super serious, super classical, and super professional.”

Widmer, who has a minor in biology and is planning on pursuing veterinary school after graduation, explained how influential her artistic education will be for her

post-graduation.

“You are trained in the art of observation,” Widmer said. “You can nurture skills, focus really well, and take into account the bigger picture.

And that’s been part of my pitch when interviewing for veterinary programs. It just teaches you a lot of discipline, and how to pace yourself, as well as knowing your limitations and knowing what kind of capabilities you are naturally limited to.”

Ruch echoed Henzel and Widmer, pointing to the benefits of perfecting a craft that can be practiced and refined for life. In addition to nurturing her fine art skills, Ruch plans on continuing to develop her online business selling prints, stationary, and stickers after graduating, she said.

“I really want to continue cultivating my fine art skills,” Ruch said. “I need it for my soul.”

Henzel, Widmer, and Ruch all said the professional opportunities after graduating are not at all limiting.

Henzel worked in the graphic design department of The Daily Wire in Nashville over the summer.

“I am looking to hopefully return to graphic design and continue like studio arts on the side,” Henzel said. “It’s normal for most artists to make a living as graphic designers, I do love the medium of graphic design. It is hard to make a living as a studio artist, but the skills they teach you here are widely applicable.”

In addition to internship and professional opportunities, the art department faculty offers serious mentorship to students involved in the department.

The chair of the art department, Julio Suarez, according to Ruch has been very influential to her growth as a student and individual.

Suarez plays a large role in the department’s overall growth Ruch said.

“The more Suarez becomes known and the more that the word gets spread of his incredible teaching people are convinced to take Drawing I, and then they get hooked,” she said.

Suarez, who has been the head of the art department since fall 2022, said his transition into the chair of the department has not changed the way the department operates.

“I think that we’ve been doing things a certain way since before I have been here, and we continue to do them the same way now,” he said.

Suarez said the methods for teaching art at the college have stayed the same since the seven years he has been a part of the department. The department has always focused on teaching the fundamentals of drawing, painting, and sculpting.

“The way I teach is very regimented,” he said. “There’s specific skills that have to be classically trained. It’s a lot of learning the grammar and the language of art.”

Henzel and Widmer agreed that the department specifically works to refine students’ ability to master techniques, styles, and mediums.

“It’s a lot of material that is different from the normal academic workload. People think they can get away with not doing the extra hours, but you cannot fake the hard work,” Henzel said. “If you show up not having put in exactly three hours of extra work, Dr. Suarez can immediately tell.”

Widmer said that most projects, if done well, will exceed the required three hour homework time instituted by Suarez.

“It doesn’t matter. You have to put your three hours of homework in as the standard, but you honestly need to be doing more.,” she said. “You’re not gonna get good or fast or efficient if you just put the standard hours in.”

While the hours spent perfecting fine art skills is a large commitment, the seniors said their experiences in the department have helped them grow as students and individuals.

“One of the things that gives us the impression that the department is growing is how many freshman scholarship applicants we have,” Suarez said. “Last year, we had twice as many as we did the year before, and this year may be too early to tell, but if I base it on the number of students who have come in person to show portfolios, I can’t even keep track of how many visits I’ve had. I’m looking forward to what will happen this year.”

Freshman Maria Grazia Stroik, who is intending on majoring in art, said the appeal is rooted in the mentorship of the art faculty, which sets Hillsdale apart from other schools.

“Something that I looked at when researching different colleges and art schools was who the professors were and what kind of art they created.

Studying art is all about studying with a master,” she said.

“They are masters and understand that there is an objective way to create art. The faculty art from other schools and art schools are not as impressive as Hillsdale’s faculty are.”

Professors’ Picks: Charles Yost, assistant professor of medieval history From the minds of Hillsdale’s professors: the song, book, and movie everyone ought to know

“Dies Irae” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from his “Requiem.”

“The power of Mozart’s version, while reading the text of this 13th century Latin sequence, really charges me up and sends me on my own little conversion experience every time.”

The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty 1971 “This book is probably usually thought of as simply a ‘horror’ novel. It is so much more.

Blatty himself, an Eastern Catholic by the way, described it as a supernatural detective novel. It is a compelling story of doubt and faith, and it is a real page-turner; impossible

to put down. It is also very funny!”

Barbershop - 2002 “This is a fantastic movie.

Starring Cedric the Entertainer and Ice Cube — who, by the way, is a surprisingly talented actor — we have the story of a demoralized young father tempted to sell out his family business to pay the bills. It is a movie about tradition, about the importance of shared institutions, and commitment to ancestors.

It is also really funny. It is a great movie for conservatives.

I think Russell Kirk would approve of this movie.”

Courtesy | hillsdale college website

Compiled by Alexandra Comus Collegian Reporter

Q&A: Artist in residence Fred Radke Compiled by Jillian Parks Culture Editor

How has your career as a working musician looked over the years?

doors. It opened my doors to being an educator. We carry on the legacy of Harry James.

I first started playing trumpet Do you have any advice for when I was 7 because I saw aspiring musicians?

Harry James on television. I said, “that’s what I want to do,” You follow your dream. If you and I geared my whole life to want something bad enough, play with Harry James, which you visualize what you I did as his first trumpet play- want, and I think that you er. And after his death, I was will achieve what you want. asked by Columbia Artists to Today, as a jazz musician, is take over the band in the role much more difficult than it of Harry James. I’ve done that was when I was growing up, ever since 1989. It’s very funbecause there’s a limitation of ny because my sister just said what we do as a profession. the other day, “I remember But like I said earlier, if you when you’re about 10 years really want that, then you old, and we’re sitting in the pursue that, and I think that front room and you walked you can achieve your dreams. out and said, ‘I have decided Let’s say that you’re an outwhat I’m going to do in my standing trumpet player here. life.’ And my parents said Now today, the difficult part is ‘what is that? And I said, ‘I’m you go to a great high school going to be the first trumpet with a great music program player with Harry James.’” and then a great college music I turned around and program. You get out walked off. Well, there are no bands you know, it’s anymore. There’s kind of funny three of us in when you existence. think about Harry James, it. Before Count they introBasie and duce me the Glenn to go on Miller stage, I’m Band. thinking That’s how many it.There people are is no Las as fortunate Vegas music as I am: to be business as we able to visualize knew it. There’s something in your no studios in LA career, and like we knew then to actual-Courtesy | Harry James Band website it, because ly do it? I feel those TV that I’m very lucky. I’m lucky shows don’t happen anymore. to be married 57 years to my So what do you do? My adwife, who is a great performer, vice would be to go audition Gina Funes. I have a great if you’re that good with one family, a great place to live, of the top military bands. and great friends. I do what I You’re in the president’s own want. I play the music I want. band for 20-25 years now, I’m just very fortunate. and you’re 48 years old. You retire, you have a pension, Who was Harry James? and, being with one of those famous organizations, you’re First of all, Harry James asked to go be a professor at started his career as a truma top conservatory and then pet player with one of the you build another career. I most famous bands in the think that’s advice for young, 1930s with the King of Swing, outstanding musicians.

Benny Goodman. He was a household name. Harry went What are you doing during out and started his own band, your visit to Hillsdale? and during World War II, had more hit records than any I’m an artist in residence with other band. He really heightthe music department, so I’m ened his popularity when working with jazz students, he married the most famous different master classes, and moviestar of the period, Betty lesson ensembles. Also I’m Grable. Together they were leader of the Harry James Ortrue, Hollywood royalty. They chestra, and we are appearing were the highest-paid actors Saturday night for a special in show business. Harry was function. And then Friday very responsible for bringing night, we started a few years name entertainment to a little ago the battle of the bands beplace in the desert called Las tween your jazz ensemble Big Vegas. He was, besides being a Band and the Harry James movie star, besides being one Band. That’s become quite a of the greatest trumpet players function and drawing card for in the history of trumpet play- the jazz department. ing, he had top notch players in the band. And if you played with those bands, especially Harry James, you opened

B2 November 9, 2023

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

C U L T U R E

Professors argue men and women can, should be friends

By Jillian Parks culture Editor Turns out Harry and Sally were wrong, according to three Hillsdale professors — “the sex part” does not always have to get in the way of male and female friendships.

A room of close to 20 women listened attentively to the professors’ rationales this past Sunday at an event organized by Associate Professor of English Elizabeth Fredericks and Assistant Professor of Education Catherine Kuiper.

James Strasburg, associate professor of history, began the panel by pointing to an Aristoltelian definition of friendship: we wish well to one another solely for the sake of the others’ flourishing. He also called upon Scripture and church history, envisioning a friendship between sexes as something Jesus himself and other saints such as Perpetua and Felicity’s co-ed group of martyrs modeled.

“We see a really clear mandate from multiple biblical authors, that men and women within the faith are to encourage one another and build one another up and love, that is specifically to quote 1 Thessalonians

5:11,” Strasburg said. “If we look at how Jesus lived out his humanity, of course, he’s befriending women and even doing some taboo things within his context, meeting with women one on one, to share with them the good news to exhort them in the faith, making them into disciples. So there’s a Christological basis for friendship between the sexes.”

Strasburg also added a theory about why this question has arisen in the first place, specifically in Chirstian evangelical circles.

“The Billy Graham rule,” coined in 1948, contends men should not meet with women who are not their wives in a one on one setting.

Not only did Strasburg argue against the Billy Graham rule, he also said he thinks it has been misinterpreted over time when taken out of the context of Graham’s ministry and applying it to all interactions between men and women.

“I think that the real pitfall and danger of the Billy Graham rule is that it doesn’t leave room for envisioning human relationships between the sexes outside of the sexualization or romanticization of those relationships,” Strasburg said.

Strasburg pointed to ec-

clesia as a necessarily counter cultural view of relationships and people.

“I think it’s perhaps incumbent upon us as Christians to offer the world a vision and examples of what those friendships could really look like,” Strasburg said. “If the critique of the prevailing culture is that the culture just leads to a sexualization of friendship, and the culture cannot think outside of sex and sexual identity. In one sense, the Billy Graham rule is just offering that right back to the world. And so if being Christian is about joining a body Ecclesia, and offering to the world, another layer of being human, that this is our chance, this is our opportunity to do just that.”

Anna Vincenzi, assistant professor of modern european history, offered a similar answer. She used her experiences growing up in Italy to assert that not all cultures have the same struggle with male and female friendships.

“The idea of dating is a very American thing that had to be explained to me when I came to this country, and I found it pretty insane to be very honest,” Vincenzi said.

“When I was in college, I was going to lunch with my male friends all the time without ever thinking that there was

any romantic implication, or that any of us was there to figure out if there could be any romantic implications.”

She said those friendships were important to her growth and that female friendships were crucial to her now husband’s growth, Lorenzo. She also grew up in the Catholic Church during a movement within the church called “Communion and Liberation.” Her parish was highly involved and its priest intentionally sought out coed collaboration, despite its genesis in the ’50s.

“I think the first reason why he did that is that he saw a value in any kind of friendship,” Vincenzi said. “I can name a lot of men that have accompanied me in growing throughout my life. I am a much better person, Christian, teacher, because of our relationship. I think the second reason why he did that is that he taught that it’s best to educate people to responsibility than to fear.”

On the topic of fear, Vincenzi further discussed the reality of love and fear after marriage.

“Can you fall in love with someone after you’re married? Yes, you can. That happens all the time,” Vincenzi said. “I think that what he was doing by making this

movement a co-educational movement was educating people that the fulfillment of life is fulfilling your vocation, and to love someone else is to love their vocation. Having been educated in dealing with relationships in this fuller way, makes it possible for me to hang out with my male friends without fear, but also without any ambiguity.”

Andrew Kuiper’12, husband of Catherine Kuiper, closed the panel by taking a historical look at what society calls “men’s work” versus “women’s work.” Keeping in theme with the 1940s-’50s historical context of the other two answers, he said questions like these could be reactionary responses to the restructuring of the labor market during the 1940s and ’50s which allowed everyone to work outside of the home.

“It is simply a widening of a certain form of the capitalist labor market in a way that now threatens a certain vision of masculinity,” Kuiper said. “Women were not going to the factory very much before this, so what is it that made you a man? That you had a job, a nine to five job.

Which is why I’m technically a woman right now because Catherine is employed, and I’m not, so I’m at home with the kids.”

According to Kuiper, the question of whether men and women can be friends derives from this idea of men and women’s separated spaces, and the neoliberal idea that the family is an independent unit that precedes the rest of society.

Kuiper said this is antithetical to the gospel message.

“I think we need to consider that there’s something that Christ does to an idea of biological family that’s actually quite disruptive and unexpected,” Kuiper said. “Paul is clearly envisioning the ecclesia as some kind of revolutionary subject throughout history, which is why he says insane things like, you know, there’s no Jews or Greeks or slaves or free or male or female. There’s some kind of energy that the kingdom of God is breaking into recognizable social forms, which doesn’t totally annihilate everything that came before, but it does disturb it.”

Kuiper said people need to understand that notion before men and women can be friends.

“We’ve certainly lost that,” Kuiper said. “So if you want to be friends with men, you’re gonna have to bring them back into a better Christian eschatological understanding of the equality of persons.”

Documenting Detroit ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’: photo exhibit through An experience for Wednesday, Nov. 22 the die hard fans

By Kaeleigh Otting Collegian Freelancer

victim to the line “but that’s just a theory” delivered by YouTuber MattPat, the movie is full of moments made to make fans lose their minds.

As gratifying as these moments were, someone who has not spent an embarrassing amount of time looking at video game source code or watching lore videos on You-

the movie. Big reveals towards the end of the film lack punch if viewers have no idea who Within the past two weeks William Afton is and why it since the opening night of the is such a big deal that he is in ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ mova giant yellow bunny cosie, most reviews range from tume. The general plot makes ecstatic fans overjoyed at the enough sense that newcomers final product to cynical critics can get something out of the at a loss over the anticipation film, but may also be left with for the film.’Five Nights at more questions than answers.

Freddy’s’ successfully delivers For longtime fans, a beloved film made for longI cannot express how much time fans but proves to be an I recommend watching unnecessarily confusing this movie. The care and horror film for everyone detail put into the movie else. is evident, from the Living The movie follows Tombstone’s music in the Josh Hutcherson as Mike credits to the use of the Jim Schmidt, an unemHenson Creature Shop in ployed brother caring the creation of the animafor his younger sister tronics. It is clear that the Abby Schmidt, played fans were at the forefront

by Piper Rubio, when he of the creators’ minds, is offered to work nights from preproductions until at a closed animatronic the final touches. Blumpizzeria which provides house Productions worked entertainment via singing hand in hand with Five animatronic mascots.

Nights at Freddy’s creator Conveniently, the man Scott Cawthon to ensure who offers him the job, that even the most minor Matthew Lillard as Steve details like costumes Raglan, later revealed matched his intended to be William Afton the vision. main antagonist and serial Waiting roughly killer, forgets to tell Mike eight years since the first the animatronics are murtease of the “Five Nights derous and possessed by at Freddy’s” movie back in vengeful children’s ghosts, 2015, I can comfortably say which later try to kill Mike as as a die hard fan that the well as Abby. movie is made to satisfy Freddy Fazbear from the FNaF franchise. fans and it delivers.

Depending on the response to that brief descrip- COURTESY | Wikipedia The embarrassingly tion, that is your answer as to large amount of times whether or not you will find Tube is not going to have the I freaked out from an Easter this movie enjoyable. The disame reaction. egg or plot point is testament rector and actors outright told Besides these countless enough that those eight long potential viewers the movie moments of fan service, years were worth the wait. is for hardcore fans, and the the plot itself is convoluted While I do think that those final product drives that point beyond most movies, espenew to the franchise will find home. cially horror films. The FNaF the movie hard to follow, mayThe movie, much like franchise has never been be it will be an opportunity for the games, intentionally has known for clarity or simplicisome to look into the games, hidden Easter eggs for fans to ty, and I expected nothing else lore, and fanbase that made find on their fourth or fifth from the movie. Once again, this film possible and figure viewing. From the midnight this does no service for those out what the hype is all about. motorist shirt of a murdered who know nothing going into

“The students, taught by prolific Detroit photographer Bill Rauhauser, explored aspects of documentary photography using the people and landscape of Detroit as their subjects. Many of the photographs were exhibited at the museum, and all became part of the permanent collection.” - Detroit Historical Society website .

Photos that are on display in the Daughtrey Art Gallery.

Jillian Parks | Collegian

November 9, 2023

www.hillsdalecollegian.com B3

F E A T U R E S Only 1% of American adults drink raw milk weekly.

Courtesy | istock

Moo-ving toward the raw milk alternative

Students ditch store bought milk for the health, flavor, and community of local cow shares

By Isabella Helms Collegian Reporter Forget coffee, energy drinks, and diet soda. There’s a new beverage trending on campus.

Bucking the usual college staples, this calcium-rich drink has students bypassing vending machines and latenight coffee runs for a more wholesome option. Its raw, unpasteurized milk — a drink that has quickly become a popular beverage among students.

For junior Maddie Hornell, it was an ice cream recall that first shed light on the benefits of raw milk.

In the spring of 2015, the South was thrown into a public health scare when Blue Bell Creameries initiated a recall on its products due to Listeria contamination. Although Blue Bell’s ice cream was made with pasteurized milk, the contamination prompted many consumers to question the efficacy of pasteurization.

“I got the glories-of-pasteurization talk from my parents in the spring of 2015 as the South was coping with the Blue Bell recall,” Hornell said. “In light of that, the alternative, raw milk, is something I’ve known vaguely about ever since.”

Besides the 2015 recall, junior Kelly Behling said typical milk sold at stores has lost some of its nutrients and health benefits.

“I did a lot of research on my own trying to find a local farm to source raw milk from. I prefer raw to commercial milk be-

cause all commercial milk is so nutritionally deficient in being pasteurized,” Behling said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports pasteurized milk and said raw milk may cause health issues for those who consume it.

“Raw milk has not undergone a process called pasteurization that kills disease-causing germs,” the CDC website says. “Pasteurized milk is a safe and healthy food. When milk pasteurization began in the early 1900s, deaths and diarrheal illnesses in young children declined dramatically.”

Despite this warning, Hornell and Behling are bypassing commercial milk aisles altogether in favor of something they say is more fresh and nutrient-dense. They are purchasing milk straight from local cows through cow shares.

A herd share is a system where individuals buy a share of a cow, or several cows, and, in return, receive a portion of the raw milk produced. This milk is “raw” because it has not been pasteurized or homogenized.

“I first had the opportunity to join a cow share late this summer,” Hornell said. “Moving off campus and having a smaller meal plan, I get more of a say in what I eat. When a friend approached me about getting involved in a cow share, I was eager to try it out.”

In Michigan, the sale of raw milk is strictly regulated.

State laws prohibit the retail

QUICK HITS with

George Allen

of unpasteurized milk due to concerns over foodborne illnesses that can be transmitted through such products. This creates a significant hurdle for those who advocate for the consumption of raw milk and its health benefits.

For those determined to obtain raw milk, however, herd share agreements exist as a legal pathway. This arrangement allows individuals to buy a share of a dairy herd and legally obtain raw milk as part-owners.

Sophomore Brendan Semler said he discovered cow shares

as part of a personal health journey inspired by the diet of Paul Saladino, promoter of the carnivore diet. Semler, initially thwarted by Michigan’s laws against the sale of raw milk, found his solution through a herd share program.

“I first heard about cow shares over the summer,” Semler said. “I figured that while I’m at Hillsdale, which is surrounded by farms, I’d look into a herd share program.”

and invest in a cow share together, the cost significantly reduces.

One herd share in Hillsdale charges a $60 buy in fee for a full share and $30 for a half share. After that, it costs just $20 a month for a gallon of milk a week or $15 for a half gallon. By splitting a full share four ways, the initial buy-in fee of $60 becomes a more manageable $15 per person and the monthly fee drops to just $5.

For Behling, who is sensitive to lactose, the allure of raw milk lay in its many health benefits.

“I wanted all the health benefits when I was making the switch from pasteurized to raw, especially since I was wanting to move away from plant-based everything,” Behling said. “I can actually digest raw milk, and I generally just feel better after drinking it. It tastes amazing,” Behling said.

Behling also said her decision to purchase raw milk was influenced by her desire to circumvent federal food agencies.

“I try to find as many ways as I can to get food not regulated by the government,” Behling said. “I trust sourcing raw milk from local farmers instead of a store regulated by silly government rules. It is also nice to support local farmers who are just as invested in producing quality, natural products from the earth.”

Semler also noticed significant improvements in his health after beginning to drink raw milk.

“My gut has never felt better,” Semler said. “A lot of people find our diet ‘primal,’ but I wouldn’t want anything else. This has been the way our ancestors have eaten for thousands of years. Now, Big Food and Big Pharma say they’re making a healthier world, yet there are more diseases than ever before.”

Still, Semler said the taste is the real reason he drinks it.

“It is nothing like your ultra pasteurized grade A2 gro-

By Emily Schutte Collegian Reporter

library to put up posters and that’s the boards at the entrance and exit of the library, but people tend to print flyers and leave them all over the place. That’s irritating.

we’re disputing!”

George: “Disputing and arguing are the same thing.”

Girls: “We’re...conversing about how we’re going to do this...cooperation.”

Disney or Pixar?

I’d say toss both of those and choose a Ghibli movie.

What is your ideal day?

Sleeping in, long slow breakfast and coffee, reading at the table, going out to the park for lunch, napping in the afternoon, and sending the children away and having an evening with my wife.

“My gut has never felt better.

A lot of people find our diet ‘primal,’ but I wouldn’t want anything else. This has been the way our ancestors have eaten for thousands of years.”

In this Quick Hits, George Allen, public services librarian, talks about books, travel, and his ideal day.

What is your favorite novel?

“The Black Arrow” by Robert Louis Stevenson — it’s always been my favorite novel.

I think it’s the perfect novel.

Stevenson is a great novelist because he packs so much flavor and weight and emotional power and description into so few words. It’s also a medieval setting, during the Wars of the Roses, and I think it’s the adventure story par excellence. A lot of people would say “Treasure Island” is more so, but I prefer knights and castles to pirates.

What’s the craziest experience you’ve ever had?

Crazy things never seem to happen to me, or in my vicinity. I’m always at a loss for stories from my personal experiences. If you want to guarantee that nothing really wild ever happens, just keep me around.

Before being hired as Mossey Library’s public services librarian, Allen ’09 worked for the provost’s office.

Courtesy | Hillsdale College

Like Semler, junior Charlie Miggins said he is frustrated with Michigan’s raw milk restrictions.

“The biggest thing that I don’t appreciate is the fact that raw milk is illegal to sell,” Miggins said. “There are countless studies about how this milk builds strength in the early years of a human’s life. Local cow shares are an awesome way to support local farmers and to keep small businesses thriving.”

Cow shares for raw milk are surprisingly affordable, even for a college student. When students pool their resources

What should students stop doing in the library?

Leaving posters everywhere.

There are two places in the

What’s your favorite color?

Green.

What’s your favorite pastime?

If I just had any amount of leisure time and could do anything, books and games. I also play the harp. I run tabletop adventure games for friends of mine and I really enjoy reading through the books that give you the background on the adventures even if I’m never going to run them.

What is one of the funniest things your kids have said?

I actually kept a record for ages of all the hilarious things they say. They would say I would routinely post it to my Facebook, but I actually kept a document where I wrote it all. So I don’t even know if I could tell you one of the latest funniest things.

George: “Girls, no arguing.”

Girls: “We’re not arguing,

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Northern Italy, specifically Ravenna.

Where do you get all your sweaters?

I collect them at random and mostly my wife finds my clothes. If you want to know anything about my wardrobe, my only answer is it’s stuff my wife finds.

What advice do you have for students?

My one piece of advice to students is learn how to use the library, and that you can always reach out to us and we’ll set up a time to talk to you about library resources.

We run a class every semester called information and research skills. It’s focused

cery store milk. It has such a smooth, creamy taste, and you can tell that this is what humans are meant to drink.”

Beyond the taste and nutritional value, a sense of community has formed through this cow-sharing initiative, Semler said. Students who may never have crossed paths otherwise are coming together, united by their love for raw milk.

“Being a part of a herd share has opened me up to many people on campus that I never before found myself with. Each of us having the same goals in our health, getting back to an evolutionarily consistent diet, we all kind of found each other naturally,” Semler said.

Hornell said raw milk starts great conversations.

“I’ve definitely connected with more people than I otherwise would have about eating locally, finding quality ingredients, and feeding a family well,” Hornell said. “It’s a favorite conversation starter of mine when guests at my home ask about our milk jars.”

Hornell said she was surprised how many students buy raw milk.

“My first week, I pulled up to pick up,” Hornell said. “Immediately, a good friend pulled up on my right, and, seconds later, so did another on my left side.

It was so funny and charming.

I was so excited and surprised to see who I saw there and to realize how many I knew from the farmers’ market, church, and the community.”

entirely on learning how to do research, and in particular learning on how to use the library to do research. Every time we teach the class, the students who are enrolled say, “I wish I had taken this sooner. I wish they had made me take this freshman year.”

Where are you from?

I was born in New Orleans.

My dad’s from New Orleans, my mom’s from Dallas. So I was born in New Orleans where they were living but when I was 6 months old, they moved to Denver, Colorado, and we lived in Denver until I was 13. Then we spent a year in the Dallas area. Then we moved to Michigan. So I’ve lived in Michigan since freshman year of high school.

What brought you to Hillsdale College?

I was a student from 2005 to 2009. My parents had known about Hillsdale for forever because they were getting Imprimis back in the 90s when we lived in Denver. It was the only place I happen to apply for college, and I was fortunate enough to get in. So I attended Hillsdale, from ‘05-’09, and then I came back to work at the college in 2013.

B4 www.hillsdalecollegian.com

November 9, 2023

F E A T U R E S A student reads in the Heritage Room.

Collegian | michaela Estruth

Reviewing Hillsdale’s most checked-out books

By Eleanor Whitaker Collegian Reporter Some say, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but one could judge Hillsdale students by their books.

Since July 2021, Hillsdale students, faculty, and staff have checked out 49,703 books from the library’s catalog of more than 262,000 volumes, revealing data about student reading habits, or at least the students who refuse to buy the books. Below is the list of the top 10 most checked-out books at the library, after accounting for duplicate copies that have been checked out.

1. “Shakespeare: Complete Works” The Bard of Avon obliterates his competition. While this anthology of his work is the most checked-out of his books, many other titles un-

der his name appear in the top checked-out list. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is Shakespere’s most popular title not in an anthology.

But before Jane Austen fans challenge his supremacy as Britain’s greatest writer, the data seems to be intentionally skewed toward the famous playwright.

According to Libby Gannon, junior and president of the Shakespeare Society, the club checks out 10 collected works or plays per week.

“If any other author were the most checked out I would be both surprised and a little disappointed. Shakespeare is kind of the best,” Gannon said.

Other groups who wish to memorialize their British author in the library records should follow in the Shakespeare Society’s footsteps. Jane Austen club, anyone?

2. “Tolkien: A Celebration: Collected Writings on a Literary Legacy,” edited by Joseph Pearce.

The second book on the list isn’t J.R.R. Tolkein’s own work but a collection of essays analyzing his fiction.

“Tolkien: A Celebration” contains essays titled “Christian heroism in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings,” “The sense of time in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings,” and “A far-off gleam of the Gospel: salvation in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.”

The essays in this book provide excellent sources for a student looking to find a connection between their Great Books II reading lists and “Lord of the Rings.”

3.“Piranesi,” Susanna Clarke Hillsdale students are checking out a book written after 2000 that is popular among

the wider culture. “Piranesi” won the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction and has more than 288,000 mostly positive reviews on GoodReads.

Despite the stereotype surrounding critically-acclaimed novels, “Piranesi” stays true to Hillsdale literature with fantasy themes that draw from Greek mythology.

A GoodReads review described it as “wild, twisted and surreal ride.” “Piranesi” is a first-person narrative of a man trapped in a house with endless corridors who slowly begins to discover its secrets.

lustrated children’s book, adds spirit and youth to the canon of Western literature, earning its place on the most checkedout book list.

Why this book has been checked out so often is a mystery. At the time of this article, the book is currently checked out. It may be a Hillsdale student’s emotional support book, but more likely a professor’s child cannot sleep without it.

But no matter who is checking it out, the Hillsdale library statistics have spoken: a new “Great Book” must be added to the English core requirements.

4.“The Odyssey,” Homer It is obvious why this book has so many checkouts: Polyphemus is one of the most endearing characters of Western Literature. It was not his fault Odysseus ended up in his cave. His devotion to his sheep in the face of the trickery of Odysseus parallels the undying love of the shepherd in Psalm 23. While Odysseus acted with deceit, Polyphemus kept his word, saving Odysseus to be eaten last and accepting his gift of wine. Among Great Books heroes, Nobody hates Polyphemus.

6. “Lord of the Rings,” J.R.R. Tolkien.

There is a disease on campus that biology students have traced back to the ownership of this library book collection called “Hobbititis.” The symptoms include a lack of shoes, the sudden desire to go on an adventure, and an addiction to tea and breakfast. Many infected students can be found at Afternoon Tea or smoking pipes with English professors.

5. “Panda and Polar Bear,” Matthew Baek Although Shakespeare, Tolkien, and Homer are respectable authors who have perhaps changed literature forever, they lack charming illustrations and they lack pandas. “Panda and Polar Bear,” an il-

7. “The Great Divorce,” C.S. Lewis As children, Hillsdale students read “The Chronicles of Narnia,” but as adults, they read C.S. Lewis’ more mature writings, such as “The Great Divorce.” Lewis wrote the book to contradict the message of William Blake’s “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,” which describes heaven and hell as two sides of the same coin and both necessary for life. “The Great Divorce” allegorically describes the sharp divisions between heaven and hell and the difficult journey to cross between them.

8. “Brideshead Revisited,” Evelyn Waugh Protestants and those who do not have a Catholic Great Books professor are forgiven for having not heard of this novel.

Clare Horvath, a sophomore, said the book is about conversion to the Catholic faith.

“It’s a story of a young college student and his journey,” Horvath said. “He starts out as having no thoughts about things and then you see his conversion and he gets to know this family. It is a very broken family, but the mother is very Catholic and very faithful.”

9. “Dune,” Frank Herbert Yes, Hillsdalians like their books British, but students can be proud that the most popular American novel in the library (besides “Panda and Polar Bear,” of course) is the work that inspired “Star Wars.”

The 2021 movie has affected people’s perceptions of the book. When junior and English major Maggie Baldwin saw this book was on this list, she said she was shocked.

“I’m just disappointed,” Baldwin said. “I think the movie must have made people want to read the book, but I’ve heard it’s not very good.”

10. “The Weight of Glory” and other addresses, C.S. Lewis The tenth book on the list is another one of C.S. Lewis’ excellent but less well-known works. It is a collection of transcribed addresses that Lewis gave during World War II, each touching on the Christian life amid war.

Hillsdale students don’t vote more than other college students

By Thomas McKenna Assistant Editor After a failed birth induction, 17 hours in labor, and an emergency c-section, senior Sabrina Sherman still filled out her ballot in her Ann Arbor hospital bed on Election Day, 2022.

“A friend of mine came up to visit me in the hospital and I just asked her to drive my ballot down to Hillsdale and put it in ballot box for me,” Sherman said.

Sherman said her insistence on voting, even while recovering from a complicated birth, stemmed from her opposition to Proposal 3, which codified abortion rights in the Michigan constitution last year.

“It was super important to me that I voted against Proposal 3 in Michigan,” Sherman said.

“I got as many people registered to vote here that I could and did a lot of door knocking at 8.5 months pregnant walking all around this town.”

As voting among college students nationwide rises with each election, Hillsdale students are keeping pace.

While Hillsdale students are twice as likely to vote as other young people, they mirror college students in voter turnout, according to a Collegian survey.

“One reason that people might vote is because they enjoy participating,” said Gary Wolfram, chair of the economics and business department,. “The second reason they might vote is that they feel it’s their duty to vote, and they would feel bad if they didn’t vote.”

Nationwide, 66%t of eligible college students voted in 2022.

Michigan’s 37% turnout rate was among the 18-29 year olds in the highest in the nation in 2020, according to the Michigan

Department of State.

According to a survey conducted by the Collegian in October, 81% of Hillsdale students voted if they were eligible in 2020. Only 12% of students over 18 were not registered to vote.

The survey, which received 120 responses, asked students if they were registered to vote and if they had voted in past elections.

“Probably why we have a higher rate is that people who attend Hillsdale College have come from schools and parents that would instill in them this sense of a duty to participate in your government,” Wolfram said. “And one way to participate is to actually vote.”

Senior Emily Jones said her parents instilled that sense of duty in her. Her father voted Republican and her mother often voted third party.

“They would mostly dis-

agree on politics,” Jones said.

Still, Jones said voting day impacted the whole family.

“After they voted, they would have their stickers that say, ‘I voted,’” Jones said. “They would give one to my brother and I and we would each get to wear the sticker for the rest of the day.”

She said she registered to vote to mark her 18th birthday.

“I was so excited when I turned 18 to vote,” Jones said.

“I said, ‘I’m gonna go register right now,’ because that was the year they changed the law so that you can’t buy cigarettes at 18 anymore. So there was nothing that I could do other than register to vote and then gamble.”

Senior politics major Jonathan Abrantes said he thinks many politics students have become cynical about voting.

“It’s hard to see the effectiveness of it within this current system,” Abrantes said. “Whether it’s fraud, manipulation — does my vote actually do anything? It is very cynical, but I see myself putting that vote in and whether my candidate is elected or not, nothing will actually change within the current system.”

Assistant Professor of Politics Daniel O’Toole said he sympathizes with those who think the political process is broken, but he still votes.

“I don’t think that voting will help much,” O’Toole said.

“But I don’t sympathize with people who are apolitical, who don’t really think that the regime affects their lives or their families. One should be looking for ways to slow the regime down.”

Survey Results Did you vote in the 2020 presidential election ?

Yes, I voted absentee Yes, I voted in person No, I would have voted absentee No, I was eligible to vote but not registered

Did you vote in the 2020 midterm election ?

Yes, I voted absentee Yes, I voted in person No, I would have voted in person No, I would have voted absentee No, I was eligible to vote but not registered

Did you vote in your last local election ?

Yes, I voted absentee Yes, I voted in person No, I would have voted in person No, I would have voted absentee No, I was eligible to vote but not registered