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warrant issued for local resident Jason Hawkins of Litchfield remains at large and is considered dangerous after being charged with assault. A7

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Opinion: CCA grading needs to be reformed CCA paper grading appears arbitrary and unjust, and is protected by anonymity and lack of accountability. A

Women’s track ranked third in nation Several Chargers break school records at Hillsdale Wide Track Classic over weekend. A10

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Vol. 139 Issue 15 - 11 Feb. 2016

Birzer builds on book success with Kirk biography By |Macaela J. Bennett Editor-in-Chief

Fox Business Network host John Stossel sits with Professor of Economics Ivan Pongracic on the set of “Stossel with John Stossel” during an interview about a free market versus socialized economy, set to air Friday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. Emmaline Epperson | Courtesy

Pongracic to appear on ‘Stossel’ Yugoslavia-born economics professor will appear on Fox Business Friday By | Philip H. DeVoe Assistant Editor Ivan Pongracic, professor of economics at Hillsdale College, is set to appear Friday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox Business Network’s “Stossel With John Stossel” program, where he will discuss Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt., democratic socialism from his perspective of growing up under a communist government. “He was recommended to us by a frequent guest of the show, so we looked into him, liked what we saw and invit-

ed him on,” Stossel’s Executive Producer Michael Ricci said in an email. Larry Ross, president of the Foundation for Economic Education and president emeritus of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, recommended Pongracic when the Stossel producers asked Ross to find a free market economist who was raised under communism, according to Pongracic. Ross could not be reached for comment. Pongracic was born and raised in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, which was the second-largest city in Yugoslavia and is now the capital of Croatia,

while the country was run by communist dictator Marshal Tito, who practiced socialist democratic economics, the same economic system favored by Sanders, the 2016 U.S. Democratic presidential candidate. “It was a democratically socialist economy in the truest sense of the term. They had worker management where the workers controlled the factories, and the workers would democratically decide what the factory would do,” Pongracic said. “This was different from the rest of Eastern Europe, which had governmental central plan-

ning bureaus dictating what was to be done.” Although Sanders shares the same economic policy as the former Yugoslavia, Pongracic said they are completely different in reality. He said the way Sanders’ supporters emphasize the democratic aspect of the policy is disingenuous in that it implies a system where the people choose to have their property taken and given to the government. “Democratic socialism is in reality something like Yugoslavia or Venezuela — that would fit quite well. They

See Pongracic A3

Professor of History Bradley Birzer’s book about the man who first used the word “conservative” to describe the contemporary understanding of the political ideology seems well-timed during these presidential primaries where socalled conservatives dominate the Republican field. In “Russell Kirk: American Conservative,” Birzer presents a biography of the famed author of “The Conservative Mind.” Kirk was a leading intellectual who not only labeled the conservative movement but also influenced its early political leaders like Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Birzer describes Kirk as “too much a romantic to be good at politics,” but he illustrates Kirk’s political significance saying, “You couldn’t have had the Goldwater movement without Kirk, and you couldn’t have Reagan without Goldwater.” Undeniably, Kirk was a strong force in the mid-20th century, corresponding with many of the period’s big names: Wendell Berry, Flannery O’Conner, Goldwater, Herbert Hoover, and Malcolm X. And some with whom he regularly corresponded — like Ray Bradbury, Whittaker Chambers, T.S. Eliot, and Leo Strauss — lauded his work. Yet, by Kirk’s death in 1994, he

Who grades the CCA papers? Students frustrated with grading anonymity

By | Vivian Hughbanks News Editor Students say they are frustrated by one of campus’s biggest mysteries, according to a recent survey conducted by the Collegian. Students do not know who grades their papers for Center for Constructive Alternatives seminars, and they allege that the anonymity leads to inconsistent and what they believe to be unfair grading. The CCA office outsources the grading of some papers to qualified, yet unidentified, individuals who grade the papers and offer feedback. “Someone who has attended the lectures and has a lot of experience grading and writing is qualified to figure out if a paper is a good paper on the CCA,” Director of Programs for External Affairs Matt Bell said. Graders and their backgrounds are not disclosed to students participating in the CCA, and a list of graders’ names has not been released

despite requests by the Collegian. “The reason we don’t release the names of the graders is that they’re specifically hired just to grade,” Bell said. “We don’t want students going and asking them about their grades.” Anonymity creates an aura of mystery around the grading process that students say is frustrating. In a three-day survey of 100 anonymous students, conducted by the Collegian in February, only 11 respondents said they approve of grader anonymity. “Anonymous grades encourage careless, slipshod grading,” a student said. “A CCA grader might only see my paper for five minutes, but the grade sticks with me for years.” Fifty-nine of the respondents answered, “I disapprove. I want to know where the grades are coming from.” This element of anonymity sets CCAs apart from all other courses on campus, and

Do you find comments/ feedback on returned CCA papers helpful? Very helpful

Do you approve or disapprove of the anonymity of CCA graders? Other

I don’t care.

I approve. I don’t care who grades my paper.

14%

Satisfactorily helpful

19%

Somewhat unhelpful

25%

Very unhelpful/frustrating

24%

12% 11%

18%

59%

disapprove

I disapprove. I want to know where the grades are coming from.

Meg Prom | Collegian

Papers are supposed to be graded based on a student’s response to the prompt (worth 60 points); formatting, grammar, and clarity (worth 20 points); citations from at least three speakers (worth 10 points); and a logical, clearly-stated thesis (worth 10 points). The variety of people grading the papers requires extra effort to maintain equal application of grading rubric

to each paper, Bell said. “People apply rubrics differently, so of course there isn’t perfect consistency,” Whalen said. Bell said he and his colleagues at the CCA office review each paper’s grade to check for anomalies in graders’ application of the rubric. “If we notice the grader is a little tougher, we’ll look at some of their papers and m a k e See Grades A3

How would you describe the college’s grading rubric of CCA papers from your experience? 15% Very fair

Somewhat helpful

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participating in the seminars is required for graduation requirements. “In a class, there is an instructor in front of you,” Provost David Whalen said. “There is a clear link between the person you know and the product that you get back. CCAs behave very differently because you’re not sure who is attached to what you’re getting back.” According to Bell, the majority of the graders have been faculty members or past faculty members. Occasionally, qualified staff members and Ph.D. candidates working on their dissertations have also been selected to grade. Graders are not required to have any specific expertise or familiarity with the CCA topic, but they must attend CCA lectures or watch them online. A grading rubric is provided to graders by the CCA office, and it remains largely consistent over most CCAs.

17% Somewhat fair 16% Fair 26% Somewhat unfair 17% Very unfair/frustrating 9% Other www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Rachael Reynolds | Collegian

had lost his momentum and much of his fame had faded. Since Birzer’s book was published last November, it has been reviewed by prestigious publications such as The Claremont Review of Books, National Review, The Wall Street Journal, and most recently The New York Times Sunday Review of Books in January. An important, though “unexpected” result of these reviews — according to Dedra Birzer, lecturer in history and Bradley Birzer’s wife — is that it’s forced discussions about Kirk and his accomplishments to reemerge. “It’s become an opportunity to bring Kirk back into the public consciousness,” Dedra Birzer said. With both the WSJ and NYT reviews featuring a summary of the life and work of Kirk more prominently than the evaluation of Bradley Birzer’s writing, large audiences are again exposed to the conservative intellectual. A few weeks ago, the Library of Michigan also included the book on its list of the 2016 Michigan Notable Books that highlights books published in 2015 about Michigan authors or about Michigan topics. In this case, Birzer’s book fits under both categories since Kirk was born and lived in Michigan. He also taught at Michigan State University and for a semester at Hillsdale College. Kirk’s wife, Annette Kirk,

See Birzer A3

Yuval Levin on foreign policy By | Kate Patrick City News Editor Yuval Levin is the founding editor of National Affairs, contributing editor to National Review, and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was the chief of staff for the President’s Council on Bioethics and a member of the White House domestic policy staff in 2005 and 2006. His most recent book is “The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Left and Right.” Levin spoke in Dow A & B for the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College Tuesday, Feb. 9. How did your Israeli heritage affect your conception of foreign policy? I don’t really know. I was born in Israel and lived there until I was about eight. I grew up in the U.S. mostly. It’s not something you ever entirely leave behind, and I’m sure it shapes the way I think about politics and policy, but the way I think about politics and policy is a very American way of thinking. What’s an American way of thinking about foreign policy? I think that American foreign policy has to be rooted in the same American principles that American domestic policy is rooted in. It’s rooted in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and the equality of all mankind and a belief in democracy, and ultimately in some sense of interests and American needs and principles. Finding that balance is always a challenge, and that’s why it’s not an easy thing

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A2 11 Feb. 2016

In brief:

Murphy honored with Michigan math teaching award

Hillsdale’s Best Dance Crew to be determined Friday

By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor

By | Katie Scheu Collegian Reporter Beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, teams of Hillsdale College students will dance the night away in the Roche Sports Complex, competing in a new event: Hillsdale’s Best Dance Crew. The event’s coordinator, senior Elizabeth Thistleton, said the success of Mock Rock, a dance competition between campus residencies during Homecoming weekend, inspired the new contest. “Mock Rock is always a highlight, and we know people love to dance and to watch the routines, so we want to give another similar opportunity,” Thistleton said. The audience can expect performances from a wide range of competitors: dancers from all corners of campus have entered, drawing team members from Greek houses, dorms, and elsewhere. Accordingly, skill levels of crew members will vary from novice to trained, and performances of differing genres will hit the dancefloor. Though the identities of the competition’s judges will remain a surprise to dancers and spectators alike, the fate of the teams lie in the hands of select members of Hillsdale’s faculty and staff. Thistleton said students both on the dancefloor and in the bleachers will enjoy the evening: “If you love fun, you should be there!”

Jane ‘Austenian’ Economics By | Jordan Finney Collegian Reporter Guest speaker Cecil Bohanon, an economics professor at Ball State University in Indiana, spoke to a group of about 40 students and several professors last night about the intersection of Jane Austen’s novels, particularly Sense and Sensibility, and Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments. The English Department and Praxis co-hosted the event, “Pride and Profit: The Intersection of Jane Austen and Adam Smith.” “What Adam Smith said, Jane Austen put on steroids. It’s like she’s channeling an older uncle. Smith’s principles show up all over in her novels,” he said. “Our argument is very straightforward: Jane Austen and Adam Smith fit together...[Austen] elaborates, embellishes, and illustrates the Smithian concepts of self-command in her characters.” Bohanon argued that Theory of Moral Sentiments is a work of moral philosophy in which Smith emphasizes four practical virtues— prudence, justice, beneficence, and self-command—and two vices, pride and vanity. He then examines these virtues and vices, especially self-command, in Austen’s novels. “Self-control is central to a free society. If people are going to live together they have to have habits where they don’t fly off the handle at somebody,” Bohanon said, citing “America the Beautiful” lyrics. “Smith is making the argument that humans crave approval and want other people to give us a thumbs up. People want to be able to look in the mirror and like what they see. And vice emerges because our perceptions and reality don’t quite match.” Bohanon then demonstrated how this principle of self-command plays out in the lives of the Dashwood sisters, who are both jilted by lovers. “Today’s talk was really nice because we got to combine economics and literature,” President of Praxis junior Eric Ragan said. “It focused on the virtues that are required for the free market to work. Later this semester, Praxis is hosting economist Deirdre McCloskey who will address economics and political philosophy. We are really excited for the direction that Praxis is moving in.”

For the first time, a Hillsdale College professor received the Distinguished College or University Teaching Award in January from the Michigan chapter of the Mathematics Association of America. Associate Professor of Mathematics David Murphy received the honor for his distinguished teaching and passion for mathematics. When the MAA sent out a call for nomination submission by the end of the week in the middle of the fall semester finals week, a small group of faculty and students quickly pulled together to recommend Murphy for the annual award. Now, Murphy qualifies to apply for the national Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award, which honors

math professors who excel in teaching and influence the field of mathematics beyond their home institution. According to Lecturer of Mathematics Jonathan Gregg ’11, Murphy’s excellence in instruction matches his high expectations for his students. Now a professor, Gregg once sat on the other side of the desk as an undergraduate student in Murphy’s classes. “He has a relationship with the students that they know when they go to his class that they can expect a high level of instruction, and they can expect to do a high level of work,” Gregg said. “This passion for actually understanding the material at a deep level — that really drives him a lot and drives his relationship with his classes.” In addition to the math classes he teaches, Murphy

also helps lead a summer math camp for high school students and collaborated with other mathematicians to write a textbook on algebraic geometry. According to Assistant Professor of Mathematics David Gaebler, Murphy demonstrates excellence beyond the field of mathematics. “He has a wide variety of things that he knows about — philosophy, history, art, literature — he doesn’t just like them, he can tell you something substantial about them,” Gaebler said. “He’s very caring and helpful, and he brings all these things together in the classroom. You see his expertise in mathematics; you see his expertise in other fields; you see his care for his students.” Senior math major Sarah Onken recalled a time when

Associate Professor of Mathematics David Murphy was honored with a distinguished teaching award from the Michigan chapter of the Mathematics Association of America. Madeleine Jepsen | Collegian

Murphy integrated a Shakespeare soliloquy into his lecture. “It was a small class, and he just whips out Shakespeare, and says, ‘We’re going to introduce this concept through Juliet’s soliloquy in Act II of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” Onken said. “You walked out of class thinking, ‘We just read Shakespeare in a math class.’ I think that’s very indicative of how seriously Dr. Murphy takes the liberal arts and how across disciplines, all these things are really working together and show us truth.” Murphy said he appreciates the way mathematics intersects with other disciplines. “One of the things that’s important to see is that the knowledge is interconnected,” he said. “Philosophy and mathematics grew up as siblings, so you see early on the Pythagoreans and Thales, they don’t really draw a clear line between where philosophy ends and mathematics begins. There’s as much between mathematics and philosophers throughout the ages as there is between mathematics and physics. My knowledge of physics and philosophy are only a little bit of what I would like them to be, so I’m looking to continue to learn these subjects. As I learn more about them, it’s exciting and fun, so when I see these connections I like to point them out in classes.” According to Onken, Murphy encourages students to explore topics in mathematics that interest them. “He is a very serious teach-

er, and he takes his job very seriously, but he also wants us to have fun in what we’re doing and to have that sense of curiosity about what else there is in math,” she said. “He encourages questions all the time, really wanting to make sure not only that we understand the material, but if we see something that looks a bit peculiar, we can ask on it and explore it further in class.” Gregg, whom Murphy advised on his honors thesis, said Murphy encourages students to think critically about mathematical concepts and helps guide them through the thought process. “A lot of the thesis process, especially in math, is trying to come up with something new,” he said. “There was one avenue where I got really excited about something and kept pursuing it, and it ended up being something Dr. Murphy had already tried, but he entertained all my thoughts and let me pursue it and guided me along the process anyway, even though it wasn’t going to advance his research at all.” Despite Murphy’s serious attitude toward his occupation, his love for mathematics also takes the form of jokes and logic puzzles. “In addition to being very knowledgeable, he has a sort of playful streak,” Gaebler said. “He loves games and jokes and puzzles, and I think anyone who’s around him in any sort of context for five minutes picks up on that. That’s part of what draws students in, as well.”

Cooks quit, sorority women eat in Bon Appétit By | Katie Scheu Collegian Reporter Hillsdale College’s Knorr Family Dining Room has several more regulars after two cooks working at the Pi Beta Phi and Chi Omega sorority houses quit the last week in January. While students on the Pi Beta Phi and Chi Omega meal plans once enjoyed their meals in the Greek houses, they have now transferred to the 150-block meal plan, allowing them to dine at Bon Appétit for roughly the same amount of meals that would

have been prepared by their cooks. “For food right now we are eating some meals at the house and some in the dining hall, and people in the house seem to enjoy having a mix of both,” Pi Beta Phi President junior Rosie Ellison said. “It’s always nice to relax at the house and have a meal with sisters, but it’s also a lot of fun to see everyone up the hill and be able to eat with other friends. We do have food at the house, plenty of breakfast and snack options and some more substantial things for

when schedules don’t allow girls to eat in the dining hall.” Chi Omega President senior Anna Goodwin said the women enjoyed takeout from restaurants around Hillsdale last week but have now transitioned to eating at Bon Appétit. Administrators in both sororities are working to find a long-term solution. “The plan for resolution is fairly straightforward,” said Rebekah Dell, Pi Beta Phi’s housing corporation adviser. “The position was posted on the Hillsdale College website

this week. We will interview potential candidates and hire if one of the candidates is a strong fit.” Dell said Pi Beta Phi students’ meals could return to the plan based on dining in the sorority house depending on when the sorority hires a cook. Goodwin said Chi Omega does not plan to attempt to find a cook for this semester: “With Pi Phi’s cook gone, we just don’t think it’s possible. We’re going to...use this six months to find a full-time cook for next year.”

Goodwin said, with the extra money in the budget, they will try to arrange a weekly meal at the house for all Chi Omegas. Both Goodwin and Ellison said their sorority sisters have shown positivity and flexibility in face of the situation. “I think it was an unexpected transition, but the response has been pretty positive, and I think everyone adjusted well,” Ellison said.

Hillsdale Dow Hotel renovations completed By |Phillip H. DeVoe Assistant Editor Hillsdale College completed renovations to rooms of the Dow Hotel and Conference Center to expand room size and update the design. The college made changes after guests called the rooms outdated, Dow Center General Manager Teresa Heckenlively said. “The new rooms are very nice,” Heckenlively said. “They are very exciting developments to the Dow.”

“We had guests calling just to reserve the new rooms to see what they’re like.” The renovation designs began in 2015 and construction by local contractor AMPM started on Nov. 17 of last year. Of the 36 rooms at the Dow, the college renovated only six, due to costs, according to Rich Péwé. Five of the six renovated rooms were assigned to CCA guests, who, according to Heckenlively, said they were very happy. “The Dow Hotel was built before 1970, and we spend too much time on mainte-

nance as a result of the age of the hotel,” Péwé said “It needs updating.” Some specific changes to the new rooms include improved heating and cooling systems, upgraded plumbing and electrical/lighting fixtures, new finishes and furnishings, and updated bathrooms. The renovations partially aimed to pull the rooms out of their outdated design and into a more modern one. “They will provide a better experience for guests, higher occupancy rates, easier to maintain; Hillsdale is a great college and the hotel rooms for guests should be great too,” Péwé said. One major complaint from guests, beside their old age, was a lack of power outlets, Heckenlively said. The new rooms include USB charging ports and nine available outlets, as well as, of course, updated upholstery, wallpaper, and color schemes. “The hotel is often the first place guests arrive on campus. Friends of the college — such as parents, alumni, and donors — matter so much, and we want our guests to have the best experience possible,” Péwé said. “The college is a destination, with 10,000 visitors each year and students coming from 47 states and 10 foreign countries.” While the rate for a standard double room is $99.99 a night, the renovated rooms

will come at a higher rate, according to Heckenlively and the Dow Center’s website. The college has no plans yet for the remaining 30 rooms. Heckenlively said the high number and frequency of events makes renovations on rooms difficult to schedule. “As we raise more and as

time allows, we will continue to renovate room,” Péwé said. “We need $34,000 per room, and we will eventually renovate Dow A, B, and C, as well.” Guests said they are eager to see and stay in the new rooms, according to Dow Hotel employees, and they said they are happy with the

new design. “Everyone loves them,” said junior Kelly Cotes, a student employee at the Dow Hotel. “Once the new rooms opened, we had guests calling just to reserve the new rooms to see what they’re like.” — Ross Hatley contributed to this report.

Newly-renovated rooms in the Dow Center feature upgraded design, upholstry, and lighting fixtures (above). All-new bathrooms feature updated plumbing (below). Teresa Heckenlively | Courtesy

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A3 11 Feb. 2016

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Levin from A1 to be a policy maker. I think it’s essential to balance interests with circumstances, and in a sense, that’s what makes America unique. Are there any politicians in Washington, D.C. today who you think do a good job of balancing interests and principles? It’s hard to say because when it comes to foreign affairs, not a lot of politicians have their hand in the stew; they’re not involved. Ultimately, American foreign policy is driven by the executive, and I don’t think our chief executive now does a particularly good job of balancing interests and principles. But I think there are some politicians who are trying to counterbalance that. Some of them are more inclined toward interventionism, like Rubio for example, and some are less inclined to that, like Rand Paul. I think both of those people are looking for ways to apply principles of government to foreign policy. The fact that they come to different conclusions is not surprising; there’s more than one way to apply principles because ultimately that application is based on circumstances, and that’s a judgment. What do you think is the

Grades from A1 sure they’re in accordance with the guidelines we’ve given them,” Bell said. “If we notice they’re a little easier, we’ll do the same.” Students say they perceive the grading rubric is applied inconsistently, however: 43 respondents said they believed the grading rubric of CCA papers was either “somewhat unfair” or “very unfair or frustrating.” “There’s no real clarity on how they grade anything. It feels like a crapshoot,” one respondent said. “It’s extremely random,” another student wrote. “Some students do well and other not. Doesn’t seem to have any reason to it.” Comments on the returned papers also often frustrate students: 49 students said that comments and feedback they had received on returned CCA papers were either “somewhat unhelpful” or “very unhelpful or frustrating.” But if students believe they received an unfair grade, they have the option to submit an appeal through the CCA office by providing their name, the topic of the CCA, and an argument of why their paper should have received a different grade. Appeals are handled internally by the CCA office — students do not meet or discuss their grades with the graders, according to Bell. Many students also said in

Pongracic from A1 have had government taking over more and more, nationalizing, socializing, but have shortages everywhere, with bread lines,” Pongracic said. “Sanders keep talking about Nordic countries as an example of socialism, and I think that’s dead wrong.” Under Tito, Yugoslavia thrived, according the Pongracic. Until 1980, the year Tito died, the country had a high standard of living, people were content, and although there were no free elections, the government tolerated free speech. “It wasn’t a bad time, actually,” Pongracic said. After 1980, it became clear, however, that the socialist system was not sustainable. Yugoslavia was receiving large sums of money from the West, being an independent communist country — that is, being unconnected to the USSR and a buffer between East and West Europe. As the money dried up, the state began to collapse. “I got to witness the

things to know from this week

-Compiled by Phillip H. DeVoe

proper relationship between public policy and social welfare? I think that for a long time now, American public policy has been defined by a way of thinking about the place of the state in achieving social welfare that’s misguided or not well-rooted in our constitutional system or our political tradition that sees the role of the state as centralizing and consolidating efforts to advance social welfare and putting that in the hands of the elected government rather than seeing the role of the state as creating a space for society and the institutions that stand between individuals and the state to do their work. A lot of what conservatives do in domestic affairs now is the work of recovering that vision by creating a space for the institutions that intermediate, like the family and the private economy, to do the work of improving social welfare. I think the key of what we’re looking for is not the exact right solution from Washington. The role is to allow different groups to try different things. If you begin from a more humble premise — that we don’t have all the answers, then you think about, “How do we find the answers?” creating the space for that is a much better role for Washington. the survey that they are irritated by not being able to tailor their papers to the audience grading them since they don’t know who the graders are. “I wish we knew who they were, so we could write appropriately,” a respondent wrote. “Different teachers have different expectations across departments. It’s kind of infuriating.” “I also strongly feel that it’s not accurate,” the student continued. Other students commented that grader anonymity was “disappointing,” “not homogenous,” “cowardly,” and “unfair.”

“I disapprove. I want to know where the grades are coming from.” “We’re not trying to keep a secret. Ultimately the responsibility is mine,” Bell said, encouraging students to come to him before, during, and after the writing process for clarifications. “I think the lack of a body in front of you whom you know grading your paper gives rise to all kinds of speculative fears of randomness and inconsistency,” Whalen said.

Birzer from A1 who survives him, agreed with Dedra Birzer’s analysis of the impact of the book. “At this time when the conservative movement is in such disarray, it is good to have Bradley Birzer’s book remind readers of Russell’s thoughtful and erudite conservatism,” Annette Kirk said. Although Bradley Birzer said he has wanted to write this biography for more than 15 years, he did not formally begin until Annette Kirk gave him her blessing and opened up her husband’s voluminous archives to him. When Birzer first read “The Conservative Mind” as a college senior, he said Kirk did not fit into his usual political views. But since, he has clung to the idea of one day writing about him. In preparation, Birzer said he continually collected information on Kirk throughout the rest of his research for other projects. Once Birzer received permission to peruse Kirk’s many diaries, letters, and other writings, he, his wife, and student

assistants traveled to Mecosta, Michigan, monthly to scan all the documents so he could examine them in Hillsdale while writing. “I had been talking to Annette about doing her husband’s biography for a while, but she was reluctant to open up all his archives,” Birzer said. “As far as I know, I’m the only person who’s gone through

“He gave almost all his money away.” them all.” Despite Birzer’s deep research into Kirk beforehand, he said he still was surprised by a number of discoveries, like that Kirk and Strauss were good friends, which defined the course of his book. “I also had no idea how charitable he was. He gave almost all his money away,” Birzer said. “And if he gave money, it wasn’t a loan — it still gets me.” With a publishing history that also includes biographies on Charles Carroll, Chris-

topher Dawson, and J.R.R Tolkien, Birzer is described by Professor of History Mark Kalthoff as the “biographer” on faculty. “He likes seeing the person’s life and relationships and how those are manifested in their ideas,” Kalthoff said. Birzer’s latest biography is more than a work solely for academia, Kalthoff said, which is evidenced by The New York Times’ choice to review it. “Certain books like this try to straddle that fence of wider audience and academic,” Kalthoff said “This has wider significance, so it deserves wider readership.” This, combined with Birzer’s honed craft for biography and current conversation about what conservatism means, makes it appear that “Russell Kirk: American Conservative” has done something similar to Kirk’s “The Conservative Mind.” Just as Kirk did not create conservatism but articulated its old ideas in modern terms, Birzer has rediscovered a largely overlooked figure at a time when his ideas should perhaps be rediscovered, too.

Students gather to watch freshman Makenzie Self and sophomore Jared Gohl compete in the second annual Charger Chopped in the Bon Appétit kitchen Friday, Feb. 5. Madeline Barry | Collegian

Charger Chopped crowns champions By | Jessie Fox Assistant Editor Student Activities Board held its second annual Charger Chopped event Friday, Feb. 5, and the “ATBros,” junior Eric Reagan and sophomore Steve Sartore, beat out five other teams to claim the winning title for the second time. “Even though going in there was a sense of familiarity, we both were still very nervous,” Sartore said. “I knew our dish was good, but there were some other very nice dishes that could have won, too. We’re glad to represent ATO and men everywhere who like to cook.” Six pairs of chefs dressed in white aprons hustled around Bon Appétit kitchen,

sharing grill space with their competitors and brainstorming a tasty way to combine chocolate chips, wasabi, and beets. Spectating students crowded around their favorite team’s workspace, cheering and shouting out suggestions. After one hour of cooking, the teams offered their dishes to the judging panel. Teams prepared an array of plates from stuffed potatoes to “wasabi jambalaya,” but the ATBros’ creation of flank steak with grilled peppers and onions, a beet salad with chocolate sauce, and a green pea sauce with honey, ginger, and wasabi for dipping the steak. “With such a small

amount of time and a lot of pressure, I think that all the dishes were incredibly creative,” Director of SAB senior Corinne Wiggins said. “Steve and Eric have a history of being strong competitors; their winning dish was full of color and texture, and the judges really loved it.” Wiggins said the best part of the event was the atmosphere — as the SAB team utilized a tech team to arrange live streaming as well as TV screens in Bon Appétit for an improved audience-viewing experience. Sartore agreed: “Because of the production, my friends and family from back home can watch it, making it all the more special.”

In brief: Profs weigh in on New Hampshire primary results By | Josh Paladino Collegian Reporter Voters in the New Hampshire primaries awarded victories to the two second place finishers from the Iowa Caucuses. In the New Hampshire Republican primary, the polls put GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s victory as a foregone conclusion because of his 17-point lead over his competitors — the real fight was for second place. On the Democratic side, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, positioned himself for a 13-point victory over Clinton, according to the Real Clear Politics New Hampshire primary average, but he overshadowed her with a 22-point win. Republicans Florida Sen. Marco Rubio,Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush battled for second place in New Hampshire to secure the support of the Republican establishment. Rubio’s campaign claimed he positioned himself well for a second place finish in New Hampshire, when he exceeded expectations in the Iowa Caucus. His poll numbers indicated he would take second place in New Hampshire, but Rubio faltered in ABC’s Feb. 6 Republican presidential debate. Rubio said in a press conference after the primary the debate “didn’t help” his chances in New Hampshire. Kasich took second place with a respectable five-point victory over Rubio and Bush. Kasich took 16 percent of the vote compared to Bush’s approximately 11 percent and Rubio’s 10.6 percent. “Kasich goes nowhere after this,” Assistant Professor of Politics Adam Carrington said. Carrington said he thought the Republican establishment support could shift to either Rubio or Bush after New Hampshire, but since Kasich won, it is still undecided. “The establishment vote will continue to be split between Rubio and Bush when South Carolina comes, and the next debate could decide to whom the momentum shifts,” Carrington said. Cruz took third place. His tea party-conservative block of the Republican Party naturally flocked to him without much of a fight from the rest of the candidates, according to Carrington. On the heels of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina’s sixth and seventh place finishes respectively in New Hampshire, they suspended their campaigns Wednesday, Feb. 10. “I think the most natural place for Christie and Fiorina’s supporters will be with Rubio,” Carrington said. Carson, who took a distant eighth place in New Hampshire with only two percent of the popular vote will continue to campaign in South Carolina. The winners of the New Hampshire primary, Trump and Sanders, have a lot of similarities, according to Assistant Professor of Economics Chris Martin. In a similar vein, Martin said Trump’s support comes from a frustration with cronyism but specifically directed at foreign nations. “Trump applies a zero-sum mentality to international trade,” Martin said. “A lot of Sanders’ support comes from an anger rightly directed at crony capitalism but conflated with free markets.”

slow-motion collapse of socialism, at least in the early years, in Yugoslavia. It made a big impression on me. I remember power outages of all sorts, waiting in line for coffee, detergent, and even milk,” Pongracic said. “You would have to wait for hours sometimes.” Pongracic recalled traveling to nearby Westernized countries bordering Yugoslavia, such as Austria, Germany, and Italy for their toy stores and musical selection. He said the contrast between the market economies and Yugoslavia’s socialism were unbelievable. “You go to a Western toy store and ‘wow.’ Heaven on earth. By 13, I was getting into music, and you could get everything you wanted in the West,” Pongracic said. “Not so in Yugoslavia.” Pongracic’s family left Yugoslavia in 1984, the year of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. He remembers the country’s rough shape, as represented by the lack of electricity throughout the country to the point where the Yugoslavian government

was rationing electricity among its cities to save up for the Olympics. According to Pongracic, government officials divided cities into three parts and turned off electricity for eight hours in one of the sections every third day. Pongracic’s section would lose power from 2-10 p.m. “We lived on the 20th story of a building, and every once in awhile, I would have to carry my bike up the stairs when I returned home. Boy, was I cursing the commies then,” Pongracic said with a laugh. His family fled Yugoslavia to the U.S. in 1984 due to his father’s intuition regarding the collapsing country. His father worked as a public auditor in the government of the Yugoslavian state of Croatia and, according to Pongracic, observed the rot in the system before anyone else. “He ingrained into me that socialism is a system that is rotten and cannot aid people or create wealth,” Pongracic said. In the weeks leading up

to Pongracic’s family’s flight, his father warned his friends of Yugoslavia’s collapse, but according to Pongracic, they all laughed and didn’t believe what he was saying was possible. Then, in 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and then Bosnia collapsed, leading to the downfall of the entire nation and confirming Pongracic’s father’s prediction. Pongracic said his goal for his “Stossel” appearance is to teach viewers about the lesson Yugoslavia can teach the U.S. about socialism. “To some extent it’s preaching to the choir, but the choir should know the gospel so they can preach the truth,” Pongracic said. “I think that’s the purpose here. I’m not really sure that most pro-market people know how to respond to Sanders.” Pongracic’s intimate history with socialism resulted in his modern embrace of free-market economics, inspired also by his father’s friendship with Russell Kirk. His colleagues believe his understanding of socialism from the point of view of a victim is valuable in his role

as a teacher of market economics. “The fact that his family lived under a planned economy and experienced it directly gives him an outlook nobody else would have had,” Professor of Economics Gary Wolfram said. “Markets are the only systems capable of producing wealth for the masses, but we tend to forget that.” Pongracic certainly will never forget the impact socialism had on his life, and although most of his memories are dark ones, of the problems with communism, he does have at least one memory of the Western superiority over Communism from within Yugoslavia. “The U.S. hockey team, who defeated the Soviet Union in 1980, returned to Sarajevo in 1984 for the Winter Olympics that year,” Pongracic said. “They did not do nearly as well, but we shared a flight out of Yugoslavia with that team, which was pretty cool.”

Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50

Supreme Court grants stay request on energy plan

Parking valet with concealed carry saves woman

Michigan man arrested for affiliation with ISIS

Gov. Rick Snyder presents budget plan

Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 23-10 in Super Bowl 50 Sunday. This is Denver quarterback Peyton Manning’s second Super Bowl win. Carolina QB Cam Newton appeared shaken, leaving a post-game press conference early. Denver outside linebacker Von Miller won MVP.

Supreme Court granted 5-4 a stay request, stopping President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan by preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing rules to force power plants to lower carbon emissions. The D.C. Court of Appeals will hear the case in June.

A parking valet stationed outside General Motors Tech Center Wednesday saved a GM employee, who was stabbed repeatedly by an unknown assailant. The valet, who has a concealed carry permit, pointed his gun at the assailant until police arrived.

A Dearborn Heights, Michigan, man was arrested last week for threats in support of the Islamic State against a Detroit church. Documents released Thursday, Feb. 4 show the FBI has investigated him since May. His hearing is set for Tuesday, and he will not be charged with terrorism.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder presented his $54.9 billion budget plan before lawmakers in Lansing, Michigan, Wednesday. His bill includes increased funding for resolving the Flint water crisis and $720 million over 10 years to the Detroit Public School system to pay off its debts.

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Etiquette: the lost liberal art By | Thomas Novelly Assistant Editor

To practice his penmanship, a 16-year-old George Washington transcribed “110 Rules of Civility” in the last 10 pages of his journal. Three decades later, General Washington quoted the old homework verbatim to his soldiers at Valley Forge, reminding them to be mindful of their personal appearance and words around women. These rules of civility, once considered busywork, became an integral part of his adult life. Washington valued proper social decorum for good reason. Hillsdale students would benefit from a one-credit etiquette course introduced to the core curriculum. Hillsdale College already acknowledges the virtue of Washington’s ethics, using it for recruiting new students. The admissions department requires top prospective students to read Washington’s guide to civility and write an essay during their annual leadership weekend scholarship competition. Before freshman arrive on campus, they are required to read Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics” over the summer in preparation for the core curriculum. What many freshman miss, as they attempt to cram the information in before classes begin, is that Aristotle advocates manners as an essential part of the good life. Aristotle writes in the “Ethics”: “One aspect of this good life is entertaining conversation. It is considered that there is a kind of social conduct that is in good taste: that there are things that are right to say, and a right way of saying them; and similarly with listening.” With a philosophical justification in Aristotle and a connection to Washington’s decorum in practice, a onecredit etiquette course could teach students useful skills of proper conversation and fine dining while still discussing the good, the true, and the beautiful. In addition to the academic benefits, students would also receive practical skills that would help them with their careers and personal lives. Director of Career Services Joanna Wiseley has been teaching etiquette seminars to students unofficially for several years now. As a certified business dining etiquette trainer, she has seen how knowledge of fine social skills has helped her students secure jobs and said she believes an etiquette class would be a benefit for all of campus. “Students have told me that these training sessions have given them conviction when they have to go to a formal dinner for an interview,” Wiseley said. “Dining is really a lost art. So when the situation arises to become a part of a formal dinner, most people don’t know what to do. A onecredit etiquette class would be very helpful for students as they head out into the professional world.” Hillsdale students are generally well-behaved and aware of their deportment, but all could benefit from learning how to navigate a professional situation. This course would provide a majority of our students their first opportunity to interact in unique social settings such as smalltalk, table setting, and situational dress. Head student ambassador and sophomore Maria Theisen said a portion of Hillsdale’s student population may have never been in situations where formal etiquette is necessary. “Thirteen percent of our students come from homeschooling [backgrounds], and many others come from other smaller learning environments,” Theisen said. “While these places foster individual attention, they sometimes create a comfortable classroom environment lacking in professionalism and new social situations. An etiquette course would teach these students how to approach social situations they may have never experienced before.” A required etiquette course coincides with the ultimate mission of a liberal arts education, to develop well-rounded students. “I believe it’s just one more thing to becoming a fully learned person,” Wiseley said, “and can help a person gain so much success in their personal lives.” Thomas is a junior studying politics and journalism.

Dear administration: constantly telling us we’re smart hinders our education. Reminders of grades and percentiles add to our pride rather than prepare us to learn. Standardized test scores indicate little more than an aptitude for test-taking. Congratulating us on this narrow faculty inhibits the development of more humane ones. If all knowledge begins with wonder, egotism is its greatest obstacle. No matter how important to Hillsdale’s national reputation the average incoming ACT or SAT scores are (29 and 1976, if you succeeded in forgetting), they do not

belong in campus conversation. Of course admissions and external affairs need to talk Hillsdale students up, but that praise should be reserved for recruiting donors and prospective students; they do want to know, for example, that a full 54 percent of last year’s freshmen were in the top tenth of their graduating class in high school. Hillsdale professors must already right the wrongs of their students’ past education (or lack of it). Reassuring students of their own superiority is harmful obfuscation. Professors have become wrapped in campus lore for apparent dedication to annihilating the self-esteem (and grade

point averages) of their students. Students receiving C’s and D’s grow from the experience; the A student receives commendation for genuinely fine work. Through this experience, unearned self-esteem becomes genuine self-respect. Our education’s purpose is to train the appetites, not satisfy them. We are here to be humbled before a tradition, an affirmation of goods beyond ourselves. But what might a budding egotist make of the notion that his education imparts knowledge of things inherently worth knowing? Human flourishing is action in accord with virtue, not contemplation of the relative

superiority of one’s own understanding of it. Virtue understood but unrecognized in action is no virtue at all. The liberal arts affirm the profound good of the person herself, not the prestige of having been liberally educated. It is our task to turn toward beauty and goodness. Egotism delays this turn at best and prohibits it at worst. To learn from our tradition, we must give up our sense of personal excellence. A liberal education requires the cultivation of many things, yes, but not the ego.

Virtue doesn’t rejoice in the CCA grade challenge By | Emma Vinton Assistant Editor When students turn in CCA papers every semester, they play Hillsdale’s version of Russian roulette. That’s because Hillsdale’s CCA paper grading system is neither reasonable nor transparent. The CCA grading system is anonymous. Students don’t know — or at least aren’t supposed to know — who grades their CCA papers. The system is also unpredictable. Different graders mean that students receive a whole array of grades, regardless of the quality of work. This is unfair and inconsistent with Hillsdale’s personal approach and transparency in education. The college boasts small class sizes and interaction between students and professors, and professors encourage students to visit office hours for outof-classroom help. Professors aren’t out to get students. But the mysterious CCA graders are. January 2015’s CCA was titled “American Journalism, Yesterday and Today.” I registered, attended all lectures, wrote my paper a few days before the deadline, and turned

it in. Simple enough. More than two months later, upon receiving the graded paper, I was shocked to read scribbles such as “nonsensical” next to clear sentences, and “a little over the top here!!” next to the phrase “the last best hope of America.” You know what is nonsensical and over the top? Awarding a 78 percent for a well-written and coherent paper for a onecredit seminar. I know from experience what a C+ paper looks like, and this was not a C+ paper. Next step: Appeal the paper. Another difficult process. The office warns students before making an appeal: “If you choose to have your paper reviewed, I must caution you that your grade could go up, remain the same, or even possibly go down.” After writing an appeal nearly half the length of my initial paper for why my work deserved a better grade, I received an 86 percent, but not without further comments: “Argument quite hostile for asking for more points.” I was satisfied with the grade, but not with the process. The anonymity and inconsistency of the system is

absurd. Who are the graders, and why can’t students know who they are? Do graders have guidelines by which they grade? Or is it subjective? Students deserve more clarity. The office can provide help on how to write a better paper next time, but one can never discuss one’s specific paper with the grader. The comments are often stylistic rather than textual, which makes one question if the graders were even at the lectures. Director of Programs for External Affairs, Matt Bell, explained the system. He said that he grades a number of the papers himself, but because of the quantity of papers, faculty, past faculty, qualified staff members, and Ph.D. students who are working on their dissertations help grade the papers. “Both I and my predecessor CCA director, Timothy Caspar — a current and longtime adjunct faculty member — review the grades to ensure uniformity and fairness,” Bell said via email. “We do not make public the names of all the graders, because they are employed to help grade the papers, not to consult with students.”

But when individual graders are not held accountable for their specific comments, it is much easier to grade without careful consideration. The CCA anonymity is illogical. Students can’t know who graded their papers, and they can’t even know why they can’t know. Finally, the grading is arbitrary. If anything, it is pure luck. If Grader Bob picks your paper out of the pile, you’ll get an A, even if you wrote the paper the night before. But if Grader Sue does, it’s a C for you. And if grading is alphabetical, students at the end of the alphabet are out of luck. The college should make the grading system more transparent and fair. Students who attend the lectures and write decent papers should not receive C’s in the CCA. It is against Hillsdale’s mission and educational standards to grade papers anonymously and without grader accountability, and students deserve an explanation. Emma is a senior studying English and journalism.

Car sales and the problem with Ted Cruz By | Cole McNeely Special to the Collegian Iowa was obviously a triumph for Ted Cruz. Poll numbers had shown him trailing Donald Trump just days before the election. He should be commended on his win. What he should not be commended on is his victory speech that seemed to rival the length of his 21 hour “filibuster” in 2013. The speech epitomized what is wrong with Ted Cruz the candidate – as dedicated and honest as he may be, he still comes off as a televangelist who has a side job as a used car salesman. His policies are not the issue here. The issue is that the product he is selling is a brand new Ferrari, yet he makes it sound like a lime green 1997 Buick LeSabre. Cruz is one of the very few who has the talent to make

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“As dedicated and honest as he may be, he still comes off as a televangelist who has a side job as a used car salesman.” “morning is coming” sound ominous. He is a man of principle, but principles don’t win elections and generally haven’t since 1960, with the first televised presidential debate. Those who listened to that debate between Kennedy and Nixon on the radio felt Nixon had won. Those who watched the debate on television felt Kennedy had won. Presentation is becoming more and more important in national campaigns. There is a reason Barack Obama was

elected and re-elected. On what principles did he run? What credentials did he have? He beat a former Governor and successful businessman in Mitt Romney not because Romney wasn’t conservative enough, but because Romney came across as an out-of-touch rich guy with the personality of a wet blanket. Now, this is not to say that principles don’t matter, because they do. But in modern America, the average citizen is disconnected from reality. In

campaigns, presentation and the ability to persuade is now the most important factor in winning. Only about 7 percent of human communication is what a person is actually saying. Ted Cruz is very talented in that regard, but he struggles with the other 93 percent. Ted Cruz doesn’t have the ability to get the “average Joe” to rally behind him like Reagan or Obama have successfully done in the past. He deserves respect for defending the Constitution in the Senate, but the United States is in perilous times and in need of a leader who can win over minds and hearts. Ted Cruz simply fails to do so. Cole is a freshman studying economics.

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Peace will not come through sanctions in Israel By | Noah Weinrich in self-rule, they already have Special to the Collegian that to a great extent through the Palestinian Authority, The pro-Palestinian, anti- the party in power in the Israel BDS movement West Bank. (Boycott, Divestment and They are not represented Sanctions) is a prominent in Jewish settlements in the element of the progressivism West Bank, but that can only of our time. be solved by negotiating BDS is a movement peace and compromise that seeks to pressure with Israel. The Palestinian Israel through non-violent, Authority has made it clear economic means for three that they will not reach stated goals: dismantle peace through any sort Israel’s barrier in the West of compromise of land. Bank and regain lands taken Hamas, the terrorist party in in the Six-Day War of 1967, power in the Gaza Strip, has force Israel to acknowledge indicated that they will not the equal rights of “Arab- reach peace with Israel under Palestinian citizens,” and any conditions. promote a Palestinian “right Those who back BDS of return” as outlined in have a fundamental United Nations Resolution misunderstanding of both 194, adopted just after the how to properly enact formation of Israel in 1948. political change and of the The BDS movement, unique complexities of the though admirable for its Israel-Palestine situation. peacefulness, is inherently This is demonstrated by flawed. Its underlying their third stated goal, that of assumptions about the core adhering to U.N. Resolution qualities of the Israeli state are 194. Complying with that it is a state built on lands international agreements stolen from Palestinians, seems like a good way to and that there cannot be a achieve peace on its face, but fundamentally Jewish state. the resolution was passed in These core assumptions 1948 while Israel was still are the cause of the conflict battling for its independence. and the BDS movement’s At the time of the resolution, misunderstandings of all Arab states rejected Israel. Broadly speaking, the the plan and Israel was supporters of this movement unrepresented in the United are either misguided in Nations. their understanding of the But 68 years and several particular socio-political wars and intifadas later, issues between Israel and Israel’s territories have Palestine or fundamentally expanded through lands opposed to the existence of taken in wartime from a Jewish state in the Middle their aggressors. Relations East. with Palestinians have also Consider the second stated worsened over the last two goal of BDS: “Recognizing decades. To ask Israel to the fundamental rights of abide by a 68-year-old plan the Arab-Palestinian citizens dictated by an international of Israel to full equality.” body in which they had no While equality is a noble representation, and which goal, it is not clear what sort all Arab countries rejected, is of equality they desire. If it is unrealistic and unfair. full participation of current Finally, the BDS movement Palestinians in the political whitewashes the reasons process of the state of Israel, behind Israel’s settlement then that would mean a of lands in the West Bank destruction of the current and the Golan Heights and order of Israel as a Jewish military measures against state. If they desire equality

both the West Bank and Gaza. The BDS movement asserts that settlement constitutes a violation of human rights and goes directly against international law, but it ignores the fact that these lands were seized from military aggressors. The Israeli government has a policy of “land for peace” that began due to suggestions in UN Resolution 242 in the aftermath of the Six-Day war and has dictated decades of Israeli peace negotiations and security policy since. This policy played out in Israel’s negotiation for peace with Egypt in 1979. Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula in return for a lasting peace with Egypt and the agreement has proved successful in years since. This doctrine also prompted the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, but since the withdrawal was not accompanied by any form of peace agreement, the conflict with Gaza has escalated. Since the land given to Gaza has not resulted in peace, Israel’s current position is to stay in the West Bank until there is a multilateral peace agreement. This means that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank must be willing to negotiate and compromise if they want sole control in the West Bank, since Israel will not give up land again without a promise of peace, even under economic pressure. Until then, settlements will stand, Israel will be under threat from all sides, and the BDS movement may continue spouting its simplistic narrative of oppression and calling for Israel to give up its land, without properly understanding a complex, mercurial region of history and deeply rooted conflict. Noah is a sophomore studying politics and English.

You’re not entitled to art By | Jennifer Matthes American Time Use Survey Special to the Collegian from the Bureau of Labor. After marathoning your When creators, particularly favorite TV show or book artists, take longer than usual series, there’s inevitably a to produce their next work, waiting period for the next people become enraged. On installment. But, when the Jan. 2, George R.R. Martin well runs dry, no worries announced that, despite we have a pretty predictable previous indications, the schedule of when to expect highly anticipated sixth book the next release. We’re used in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” to not having to wait long epic would not be published periods of time between new in 2016. Fan outrage was releases of content: Marvel has enormous, despite Martin’s a semiannual movie release long, apologetic explanation schedule planned out until accompanying the 2020; most Top 40 artists announcement. Adele’s 4-year release their albums one to hiatus between albums was two years apart. People have unacceptable, the Lumineers’ become accustomed to this new single release was met schedule, so when artists with comments of “Finally!” deviate from the unspoken after a 5-year break, and with “plan”, audiences bristle under every passing year the popular being forced to wait, and the exasperation with Frank few holdouts become the Ocean only grows. Despite object of audience outrage. how fans might feel, however, But this mindset reflects an this outrage is inappropriate. improper sense of entitlement. We need to learn how to reject Artists are not our employees, the mindset of entitlement and they don’t owe us new and exercise patience toward content. Ideally, their purpose our favorite creators. in creating isn’t to satiate Why so much vitriol over public demand but to create an extra couple of months something of beauty and - or even years - between quality. Demanding that our installments? Services like desires be met degrades the Spotify and Netflix make relationship between creator it even easier to indulge on and fan, inhibits their ability whole seasons or albums at a to create quality art, and fails time and has brought binge- to extend the respect that watching into the mainstream; creators deserve. in fact, people are watching Nothing that requires even TV in larger quantities a marginal amount of artistic than ever, according to an ability can operate on a strict

schedule. Sometimes the muse strikes; sometimes it doesn’t. Creators are not machines that can produce on command, and this becomes especially important when creators have to push back the date initially given to the public. The question becomes: Would you rather have regularly-released new music, books, or movies that are mediocre? Or would you rather have high quality art that may not fit the yearly schedule? If the answer is the latter, audiences would do well to have a little patience rather than anger. Exercising patience when waiting for new releases will not only allows the artist to create freely without having to worry about immediately meeting public demand but also make you more receptive to the next album or book when it does come out. We need to stop subconsciously viewing musicians, authors, directors, and other artists only as producers for the entertainment we love. They’re people, who have real-life complications and schedules and struggle to put pen to paper too. So let’s have a little patience, and trust that whatever is taking so long is worth the wait.

photo credit | Wikimedia Commons

GOP has abandoned Reagan By | Michael Lucchese Special to the Collegian The Republican presidential candidates commemorated the anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth on Saturday. But, far from honoring his legacy, the candidates utterly failed to exhibit his virtues of statesmanship. The average Republican voter frequently says that he wants to vote for the next Reagan. But, in this hunt for a Reagan clone, we have lost sight of the important virtues of statesmanship he displayed. The statesman must understand the fundamental questions of the day. Reagan understood the threat of the Soviet Union. He understood the pitfalls of the welfare state and the breakdown of the constitutional order. In his public speeches, he addressed the root problems of his time. Reagan was able to talk about conservative philosophy and first principles. Most of this election’s Republican candidates — notably Donald Trump, the three governors, and (to a lesser extent) Marco Rubio — critique the Obama Administration on the grounds of competency, not constitutionality. These candidates rarely mention the Constitution, and almost never talk about natural law or the rights of men. Even the Republican candidates who habitually talk about the Constitution, such as Ted Cruz or the recently-departed Rand Paul, rarely delve deep enough to acknowledge the dramatic moral differences and the oppositional understandings of justice that separate the Right and the Left. Effectively, the candidates running today have moved away from the platform of small-government conservatism Reagan ran on in 1980. The conservative movement in the 20th century predicated its politics on a rejection of the administrative state. Today’s candidates are primarily concerned with how to run the administrative state better than their liberal counterparts. And the American voters are vindicating this move. Instead of substantive thought on urgent matters, American voters seem to be attracted to Reaganesque rhetoric. What they fail to understand is that simply sounding like Ronald Reagan or promising to cut taxes

Jennifer is a junior studying politics.

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor,

On Monday, a 21-year-old Dearborn Heights man appeared before Detroit’s U.S. District Court on charges of supporting ISIS and planning an attack on one of the city’s largest churches. Khalil Abu-Rayyan had been interacting with ISIS on Twitter since late 2014 and wanted to commit jihad in America. He wanted to kill Christians. He reportedly told an undercover FBI agent that his dream was to behead someone. An affidavit quotes him as saying that the attack, “would make the news. Everybody would’ve heard.” After the San Bernardino shooting, fear emanated from American airwaves, social media, and news websites, though some urged us, “not to give into the fear.”

Many at Hillsdale scoffed at those telling us not to fear. Professors I respect talked openly about their fear for America’s future in light of events like San Bernardino. Yet I refuse to be afraid. I claim Christ, and Christianity tells us not to fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7. Of course I don’t have the solution to radical Islam in this letter. But I know that fear, bombs, and bullets won’t ultimately fix the problem either. ISIS is a demonically evil ideology. You can’t bomb an ideology. But you can and should refuse to fear. Evan Carter, junior

“Our candidates truly do not believe in the urgency of the conservative mission to restore the constitutional order. They are demagogues using conservative philosophy and rhetoric to accrue support and solidify their establishment in Washington, D.C.” or “Make America Great Again” is not the same as possessing the virtues which made Ronald Reagan one of the most consequential conservative politicians of the twentieth century. Consistently, these alleged “Reagan conservatives” support big government programs. When was the last time Trump, Rubio, or Cruz promised to end the Department of Education, or disarm the EPA, or privatize the TSA? Until substantive, specific policy action is promised on issues related to the size and scope of the federal government, the “Reaganesque” rhetoric is just a way to beautify speeches made in support of administrative law. Take Marco Rubio’s performance last Saturday. He repeated four times an assertion that President Obama is seeking to radically transform the United States of America. But Rubio didn’t offer specific ideas about rolling back the administrative state, of restoring a culture rooted in tradition, and reversing this tragic transformation. Prior to Reagan taking office, the Heritage Foundation issued a report detailing over 2,000 ways to move the federal government rightward. By the end of Reagan’s first term in office, about 60 percent of those proposals had been implemented. Marco Rubio has no such plan to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. He, and other candidates, have shown little interest in such a plan. And that is a problem. Donald Trump has shown absolutely no interest whatsoever in specifics, either. His campaign speeches and policy papers are devoid of any serious application of principle to policy. I

suspect that this is because, unlike Reagan, Trump has no principles, and “making America great again” is simply a campaign platitude. Out of all the candidates still in the running, Ted Cruz has shown the most interest in the application of principle to policy. However, most of his appeal is found in rhetoric, not a realistic approach to politics founded on conservative principles. Cruz talks about the Constitution, and occasionally Americans’ historic and inherent rights, but this is largely lip service. Cruz has done little in Washington besides grandstand, whereas Ronald Reagan served as a genuinely conservative governor in California. Our candidates truly do not believe in the urgency of the conservative mission to restore the constitutional order. They are demagogues using conservative philosophy and rhetoric to accrue support and solidify their establishment in Washington, D.C. What the conservative movement needs is not another Reagan parrot. What we need is a statesman, who understands the particular problems of our time, who understands the philosophical roots of the American experiment, and who shows true prudence instead of Catonian stubbornness or weakness in the face of difficult decisions. We fast approach a crisis, and it is time for conservatives to get serious about statesmanship and talk tough about small government. And the current field simply isn’t acting like Reagan. Michael is a sophomore studying American studies.

First AnnuAl “Best oF HillsdAle”: Hillsdale Collegian staff find and recognize exceptional area businesses and sites. Nominate your favorite place by contacting Sarah Albers at salbers@hillsdale.edu or tweet #BestofHillsdale.

Dear Editor, Natalie McKee’s parking column in last week’s Collegian (“Let’s compromise on parking”) proposed a great solution to a thorny issue on campus. It’s ridiculous for certain lots to be reserved for visitors year-round when visitors sufficient to fill the lots only come to campus a handful of times a year. McKee’s solution — restricting the lots from students only on the year’s busiest weekends — will do much to relieve student parking woes. I’d like to suggest

two additional steps. First, the college could discriminate for parking passes between the cars of freshmen and upperclassmen. With the rare exception of students whose parents live in Hillsdale, all freshmen live on-campus. Freshman dorms, especially Galloway and Olds, tend to be closer to campus than upperclassman dorms. Restricting freshmen from parking up the hill would mean fewer students to fight over valuable space. Alternatively, the college could open certain faculty/staff lots or visitor lots specifically

to off-campus students. This would allow students in town easy access to campus parking while preventing on-campus students from clogging the lots to shave three minutes off their commute. Each of these policies are common at colleges nationwide, and would do just as much good at Hillsdale. In addition to McKee’s compromise, moving on from our one-size-fits-all system of student parking would work wonders for lot congestion on campus. Andrew Egger, junior

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‘Skyfall:’ Sauk Theater ceiling collapses Next three Sauk performances scheduled for Hillsdale College’s Phillips Auditorium By | Breana Noble Assistant Editor Sauk Theater’s next three productions will show in Hillsdale College’s Phillips Auditorium due to the partial collapse of the Jonesville, Michigan, building’s ceiling, which created a crack in the lighting booth’s ceiling and caused two air ducts to fall on Dec. 28. At the end of January, an engineer’s report concluded the false plaster ceiling of the Sauk’s auditorium fell due to rusted fasteners, which hold up the ceiling. The theater plans to replace the entire ceiling in the auditorium and at least some of the audience chairs, a project that will take eight to 10 weeks of construction. Sauk Theater’s Executive Director Trinity Bird said the entire process would not finish until May. “It was the saddest day I ever had in this building,” said Bird, who has worked with the Sauk since 1987. When the ceiling collapsed on Dec. 28, no one was in the building. The following day, a theater volunteer entered through the building’s back door and made footprints on the stage floor. Assuming it was sawdust from building sets at first, the worker continued, later realizing each step was sinking into something. He contacted Bird, who drove to the site and notified the insurance company on the way. Bird said the volunteer indicated the roof had fallen — actually, the roof was in “great condition,” it was replaced only eight years ago with a 50-year warranty. About 20 to

25 percent of the false ceiling, however, had caved in He said walking into the theater was like Sept. 11, 2001. “On 9/11, everything was covered in that ash — that’s what it looked like,” Bird said. “When the plaster hit the floor

“On 9/11, everything was covered in that ash — that’s what it looked like. It looked like a bomb went off.” or the seats, it seemed to disintegrate.” Not only did the dust and chunks of ceiling material cover the stage, seats, and curtains, but since the doors to the theater lobby were open, they even covered the front glass windows and doors. “It looked like a bomb went off,” Bird said. He said at first he thought the ceiling fell because of a windy storm that night. Instead, the engineer found rust on the fasteners, which normally are not visible. A small piece of plaster had fallen a year prior, Bird said, and an inspector came to investigate but told the theater group the ceiling was fine — this ruled out the cause of negli-

gence. The fasteners dated to the ’50s. Following the collapse, ServPro came to the auditorium and cleaned up the mess in 10 hours, Bird said, removing four tons of debris. Hillsdale County Building Inspector Ray Taylor visit the theater to concur with the engineer’s recommendations for the repairs. “The engineer report basically concluded that because the whole ceiling is roughly the same age and showing other signs of wear...their recommendation was to replace the ceiling in the theater and control booth,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t do a lot of good to just patch up the ceiling if the fasteners and the rest of ceiling are as old as the part that failed.” Samples to check for asbestos were taken. Bird said most of the theater was built in the ’30s, though it is unlikely asbestos is in the building. Those results should become available within another week or two. After that happens, Bird can know how much insurance will cover for repairs to the building. He said the insurance might cover them completely. “To say our insurance company has been great would be the understatement of the year,” Bird said. Some of the repairs may be a problem, specifically the auditorium seats, because their kind is no longer made. Bird said they might have to replace all of them. Once the theater finalizes plans with its insurer, contractors will bid to do the repairs.

Debris covers the floor and stadium seating of the Sauk Theater at 240 E. Chicago St. Breana Noble | Collegian

Sauk Theater Executive Director Trinity Bird discusses how the Jonesville theater ceiling caved on Dec. 28. Breana Noble | Collegian

Bird said he hopes they will finish in May so that “Tarzan,” the Sauk’s largest showcase of 2016, can perform in the building again in June. Until then, Phillips Auditorium will host the next three shows: “M*A*S*H,” “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” and “A Festival of One Acts.” Bird said he originally expected Phillips to be unavailable due to its scheduled expansion, but the college delayed renovations of the auditorium. The college’s events program aligned to accommodate the Sauk’s season without changing performance dates and times.

Bird looked at other spaces, including church basements and gymnasiums. Having the opportunity to perform in an actual theater is ideal, he said. “It’s small but so is the Sauk,” Bird said. “To end up in a space that is designed for theater has really been a blessing.” “M*A*S*H” Director Kristin Hood said working with the smaller stage and limited lighting options caused her to rethink the staging, but she said she is grateful to use the space. “Having to rethink everything was challenging but fun to do,” Hood said. For some of the longtime

Sauk volunteers, performing at Phillips, Bird said, “comes full circle” since the college’s theater program and the Jonesville community theater worked on a few productions together in the ’70s, when the college’s actors performed in Phillips. While the Sauk’s shows continue to go on with the help of Hillsdale, the repair process, Bird said, is progressing slowly. “It’s been a lot of hurry up and wait,” Bird said. “It’s been seven weeks since it happened, and essentially nothing has been done to the building.”

The fallen ceiling isn’t noticeable from the front of the Sauk Theater at 240 E. Chicago St. Breana Noble | Collegian

Poor House hosts historical show-and-tell Hillsdale Historical Society encourages residents to bring their own pieces of history By | Jordan Finney Collegian Reporter Hillsdale County Historical Society will host its annual “Show and Tell” event at the Will Carleton Poor House on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. The event is part of the Historical Society’s goal to host four general membership meetings each year. At last year’s event, about 25 people attended. The society welcomes interested community members to attend the event and bring an item of their choice that has some degree of historical significance or interest. Attendees do not have to be members of the historical society. “Bring something! This event is all about sharing treasures that we value,” said JoAnne Miller, who joined the Historical Society after she

stopped teaching in 2006. “It could be an heirloom you’ve had in your family for generations or it might be something from EBay. We encourage you to stand up and tell everyone

and Native American artifacts. “I like that it allows people to see some unusual items in the past. Most of the time we aren’t sure what to bring. It’s usually a last minute decision.

bring an item that has monetary value. The artifact simply needs to have an interesting history that can be shared with the group. “One of our older members,

of something priceless. It’s not valuable moneywise, but it’s extremely valuable as far as emotion and sentimentality goes.” Each year, the Historical

“It’s important for the community to know what our historical roots are and I think if we know where we came from we will have a better direction of where we should go.” about the history of the item you have. If you’re into antique stuff, it’s just a tremendous amount of fun.” Past items brought to the “Show and Tell” include an exquisite bowl made from the bole of a tree, a collection of Valentine’s Day cards from the 1800s, small pieces of furniture, a rope maker, old books,

Some of my favorites have been toys from the 1800s or early 1900s,” said Tony Fowler, who was an administrative vice president at Hillsdale College from 1961 to 1999 and has been attending the annual “Show and Tell” for several years. “Show and Tell” attendees do not necessarily need to

Sally Sallon, will be 90 shortly after the ‘Show and Tell’ and she always comes. Her parents were members of the Historical Society, too.” Miller said. “Sally stuff from her grandparents, who also lived in Hillsdale County. Last time she brought a hand painted pitcher that belonged to her grandma. That’s an example

Society purposefully chooses to host the event at the Poor House, a cobblestone structure located on Wolcott Street, because of its historical significance to the county. The original builder, who constructed the home with Erie Canal mason art in mind, sold the Poor House to Hillsdale County. Then, in 1987 it was deeded

to the Historical Society. It is listed on the both the national and state Register of Historic Sites. “At the Historical Society, we gather, collect, and promote historical information and items related to the county,” said Michael Braman, who has been a board member of the society for about four years. “It’s important for the community to know what our historical roots are and I think if we know where we came from we will have a better direction of where we should go.” Complimentary food and drinks will be available following the presentation of historical items. For more information, interested community members can visit hillsdalehistoricalsociety.org.

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Michigan Republicans aim to set strict guidelines for historic districts By | Evan Carter

Web Editor

Republicans in both houses of the Michigan Legislature recently introduced bills to amend existing laws governing the creation and administration of local historic preservation districts. The new House and Senate bills would amend the 1970 law and create a higher bar to establish the districts, change how the historic district study committees are governed, and allow property owners to appeal to their local elected government about decisions made by local preservation districts. Both bills are currently in committee. “When I ran for office in 2014, one of the things I talked about was respect for private property rights,” said State Representative Chris Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids Township. Afendoulis said there are examples of historic preservation districts benefiting the communities they’re in, but he also cited examples of people being placed into historic districts without their consent. Others he spoke with expressed frustration about losing many of their property rights. In an interview with Michigan Radio, Nancy Finegood, executive director of the Michigan Historic

Preservation Network, said the legislation “would cost the local municipality a great deal of money.” One MHPN criticism of the legislation is its mandate that local residents have a vote once every 10 years to determine whether or not to continue a historic preservation district. Some worry that forcing the historic preservation districts to be renewed every 10 years will essentially mean the end of many districts. Afendoulis, who has met with Finegood on two occasions, called this claim a “misdirection.” “It doesn’t say that districts automatically lapse and must be recreated. It asks for affirmation of the district,” Afendoulis said. “Now, if indeed the benefits of the historical districts are what everyone says they are, then why would anyone ever get rid of them. I think that’s a question you need to ask — you tell us how great they are, then what are you worried about.” While Afendoulis’ bill is still in early stages of the legislative process and its language is still being worked out, Afendoulis said he’s already working with Gov. Rick Snyder’s legislative liaison. While Hillsdale doesn’t have any local districts, much of its downtown is a National Register historic district, and thus the city has to comply

with federal standards when it applies for federal grants. Hillsdale Director of Economic Development Mary Wolfram, said she sees benefits in preserving the original 1970 law as well as in amending it with the bills currently being considered. While Wolfram noted that the destruction of many of the old mansions along Manning Street as an incentive for setting up historic preservation districts, she said she doesn’t like how much control over district property the current law gives to district boards. “I am personally in favor of historic preservation, so to the degree that a local act and a local district encourages historic preservation, I would be very much in favor of that,” Wolfram said. “But if an individual has a property in that historic district, you have to get his approval to do what you want to with his property.” Wolfram said she would favor the state legislature renewing historic district tax credits to encourage property owners to preserve their historic property without compelling them. The state used to offer this type of tax credit, she said, but it has since lapsed. Afendoulis said there is nothing about tax credits in his legislation. “We haven’t really done this with taxation in mind,” Afendoulis said.

CAPA to host first annual charity ball By | Amanda Tindall

Features Editor

The Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness of Hillsdale County will host its first Children’s Charity Ball at Johnny T’s Next Door on Saturday at 5 p.m. The proceeds from the charity ball will go to the Baby Think It Over campaign. Junior Taylor Lee currently works on staff at

CAPA since January 2015. “They were trying to find something fun that they could do in the winter to raise money for the Baby Think It Over campaign,” Lee said. “We have other events to raise capital during the warmer months, but not much in the winter.” Lee explained that the Baby Think It Over campaign is a program in which CAPA goes into schools, usually on Fridays, and brings baby simulator

dolls, which simulate what it is like to have a baby. The students will take the babies home to learn what it’s like to have baby. “They usually gain a better respect and understanding of how difficult it is to raise the child,” Lee said. The expected attendance of the ball is around 300 people. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Lee said. “There will be live music, a silent auction, dinner, and a great time.”

Facebook | Courtesy

Local eateries catapult Jonesville to national recognition City makes the ‘30 Great Small Towns for Food Lovers’ Top Value Reviews list By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor With everything from premium steak and duck to fried hotdogs and “Michigan Pot-Hole” ice cream, Jonesville ranked 30th in a national ranking of the “30 Great Small Towns for Food Lovers” by Top Value Reviews in January. Citing Olivia’s Chop House, Saucy Dog’s Barbeque, and the Udder Side in the review, the list ranked Jonesville among tourist destinations such as Traverse City, Michigan, and Walla Walla, Washington. Only small towns with notable restaurants or food events and a population of under 100,000 were considered by the reviewers. Jonesville native Wayne Babcock, the owner and chef at Olivia’s Chop House and Saucy Dog’s Barbeque, said he appreciated the list’s recognition of Jonesville. “It’s absolutely wonderful,” he said.

“Comparing Jonesville to other top cities puts a smile on my face.” Babcock opened Olivia’s Chop House in 2011, after a fire destroyed the Chicago Water Grill in 2009. “After the fire, which was horrible, we had the opportunity to rebuild, and we did,” Babcock said. “We wanted to give it a fresh

also cut almost all our own steaks in house.” Sophomore Abigail Engel said she enjoyed her dining experience at Olivia’s Chop House. “I went there with a couple of friends, and the food was delicious,” she said. “The duck was so good. It was a little expensive, but if you split an entree with

restaurant, he decided to open a barbecue-based restaurant after studying for several weeks in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he learned how to make fried hot dogs, one of the unique foods now found at Saucy Dog’s Barbeque. The chefs there also shared recipes and ideas for the new restaurant. “We make our own sauces,

years, in the food business, and I was always curious about cooking the beef, and baking, so I would learn while I worked. I always wanted to open my own restaurant. I knew that to be successful, I would need to know as much as I could about the business, from staffing to baking.” Babcock said the review

“Comparing Jonesville to other top cities puts a smile on my face.” look, a fresh feel.” Olivia’s Chop House, described in the Top Value review as a “restaurant that feels like it belongs in Vegas or L.A.,” features a dinner menu of seafood and steak, and a more casual lunch menu. Customer favorites include the prime rib and salmon. Wednesdays we bring in fresh perch,” Babcock said. “That goes over well. We

someone else, it’s not bad.” Babcock also owns Saucy Dog’s Barbeque, which he opened in 2005 to cater to a younger crowd. “The Chicago Water Grill was very successful for 4 years, but there was a market I didn’t tap into — those under 25, the high school students and the college students,” he said. When he had the opportunity to open a second

and we make everything to order,” Babcock said. “We cook our brisket for around 12 hours, low and slow.” Both Olivia’s Chop House and Saucy Dog’s Barbeque stem from Babcock’s experiences in the food industry. “In college, they taught me about the business side of restaurants,” he said. “Then I worked at a casino in Reno for around nine

reflects hard work of his employees. “The review was great,” he said. “For all the hard work the employees put in, it’s a tribute to them — the restaurants are what they make it.” The Udder Side, also mentioned by Top Value Reviews, is owned and managed by Dave and Julie Bauer. Truly a family business, Julie Bauer worked

at the ice cream shop as a 15-year-old in high school. She later became a manager after the shop changed hands, and met her future husband Dave Bauer, who then worked as a grocery delivery boy. They married, and bought the ice cream shop from the previous owner in 1990. Now, the Udder Side features a variety of cleverlynamed “cow creations” and over 30 flavors of ice cream, from dinosaur egg (green vanilla ice cream with frosted cake pieces) to Michigan Pot-Hole (chocolate ice cream with fudge and chocolate chunks). They also have a full grill menu. “People really like the manure spreader ice cream, slow turtle, and mud pie,” Dave Bauer said. For the Bauers, running the restaurant and serving customers is all in a day’s work. “We just come to work every day and do the best we can,” Bauer said.

Warrant issued for Hawkins after failing to appear at pre-trial hearings By | Vivian Hughbanks to life in prison, according to the Hillsdale Daily News. News Editor Hawkins remains at large, and is considered dangerous. After failing to appear at He was last reported to be pre-trial hearings in both district and circuit courts this staying in the Litchfield area, week, police consider Jason according to the Hillsdale DaiHawkins of Litchfield a fugi- ly News. Any information on tive. Warrants from both dis- Hawkins’ whereabouts should trict and circuit courts have be reported to the police. Hawkins was arrested with been issued for his arrest. his girlfriend Tera Krchmar Hawkins faces several for possession of methamcharges: assault with intent to do great bodily harm, assault phetamine on Jan. 6 by Hillswith a dangerous weapon, and dale City Police at Krchmar’s domestic violence in district home in Hillsdale Mobile Vilcourt; possession of metham- lage. Both have since appeared phetamines in circuit court. in court, and are now out on Hawkins has spent much of his bond: Krchmer remains in readult life in prison. As a habit- habilitation, Hawkins’ whereual offender, he could face up abouts are unknown.

“I did not know he was living there until the day they arrested him,” Hillsdale Mobile Village employee Jerry Gustley told the Collegian. “They came in with about five cop cars. He had a knife sheath on his side — the knife was not in it.” According to Krchmar’s sister-in-law, Gerri Osmun, Krchmar’s life became difficult after her previous longtime boyfriend and father of her two children died allegedly of a heroin overdose last summer. “Tera’s not had an easy life. She used to be really happy,” Osmun said. “She’s a good person. Just because she’s going through this doesn’t make her a bad person. She got caught

up with this person after a bad experience.” According to Osmun, Krchmar moved in at Hillsdale Mobile Village after meeting Hawkins during rehabilitation at Hope House Community Prevention and Treatment Services last summer. “When they first moved in, we talked with her parents. I told her that if she needed anything, just to let me know,” Tina Lindsey, Krchmer’s nextdoor neighbor told the Collegian. “She kind of locked herself away. Honestly, I didn’t know they were doing what they were doing.” While Krchmer and Hawkins did not interact much

with their neighbors, they did often have company. According to another neighbor Beverly Willardo, Krchmer’s family was very supportive and came often to visit, helping her remodel her home. “The parents, her family — they were exceptional,” Willardo said. “We’ve seen the rages she had with them. I can’t believe the hell those people went through.” “My heart breaks for her family,” Willardo added, with tears in her eyes. “I know what they’re going through. I lost my own great grandchildren to drugs. I know what it’s like.”

Jason Hawkins of Litchfield, who has a warrant out for his arrest. Facebook | Courtesy

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Follow @HDaleSports for live updates and news

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball THURSDAY, FEB. 4 Hillsdale Northwood

60 75 StatS from feb. 4 Stedman Lowry Ryan Badowski Nick Archer Kyle Cooper Zach Miller

upcoming

SATURDAY, FEB. 6

Thursday, Feb. 11 VS. micHigan tecH 8:00 pm saTurday, Feb 13 VS. nortHern micH. 3:00 pm

60 87

StatS from feb. 6 Jason Pretzer Kyle Cooper Stedman Lowry Ryan Badowski Zach Miller

18 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST 12 PTS, 1 REB 8 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL 7 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST 5 PTS, 8 AST, 2 STL

GLIAC Standings North Division Conf. Overall 1. Saginaw Valley 15-2 19-4 2. Ferris St. 13-4 19-4 3. Lake Superior St. 11-6 16-7 4. Grand Valley St. 9-8 15-8 5. Hillsdale 8-9 12-9 Northwood 8-9 12-11 Michigan Tech 8-9 9-12 8. Northern Mich. 4-13 6-15

Lake Hillsdale Superior St

South Division 1. Findlay 2. Ashland 3. Walsh 4. Tiffin Wayne St. 6. Lake Erie Ohio Dominican 8. Malone

14 PTS, 3 AST, 1 REB 10 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST 8 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST 8 PTS, 3 REB, 1 BLK 5 PTS, 3 AST, 2 STL

Conf. 14-3 13-4 9-8 6-11 6-11 5-12 5-12 2-15

Overall 17-5 19-4 11-10 10-14 6-14 8-15 8-15 5-17

THURSDAY, FEB. 4 Hillsdale Northwood

64 92

StatS from feb. 4 Morgan Blair 14 PTS, 4 AST Kayla Geffert 12 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL Allie Dittmer 10 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST Makenna Ott 8 PTS, 2 AST, 2 REB Sarah Theut 6 PTS, 1 AST, 1 REB

GLIAC Standings North Division Conf. Overall 1. Saginaw Valley 13-4 16-6 Michigan Tech 13-4 15-6 3. Grand Valley St. 12-5 17-6 4. Northwood 9-8 13-10 Northern Mich. 9-8 10-13 6. Hillsdale 6-11 9-12 7. Lake Superior St. 4-13 5-18 Ferris St. 4-13 4-19

New School Records

Upcoming

Current

Sergio San Juan lorza- 60 m 6.87 emily oren- 1 mile 4:45.13 Jared ScHipper- pole Vault 5.15 m corinne zeHner- 60 m Hurdle 8.72

feb. 12 GVSU Big Meet

WedneSday, feb. 10-13

GLIAC Championships

At Allendale, MI 10:00 AM

At Oakland Universty

Men’s Tennis

Lake Hillsdale Superior St

75 78

StatS from feb. 6 Allie Dittmer Allie Dewire Becca Scherting Kayla Geffert Sarah Theut

South Division 1. Ashland 2. Ohio Dominican 3. Walsh 4. Findlay 5. Wayne St. 6. Lake Erie Tiffin 8. Malone

29 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST 12 PTS, 4 STL, 2 REB 10 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL 8 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST 6 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST

Conf. 16-1 13-4 12-5 9-8 5-12 4-13 4-13 3-14

Overall 22-1 18-5 15-7 14-9 10-13 7-16 6-16 6-16

Rochester, MI

Women’s Tennis

Results

Upcoming

Saturday, feb. 6 HillSdale-2 at Lewis-7

Saturday, feb. 13 VS. daemen 11:00 AM

Sunday, feb. 28 at Western Mich. 4:00 PM

Football adds 19 recruits Hillsdale College head football coach Keith Otterbein announced on Feb. 3 that 19 young men would be joining his squad in the fall. The new Chargers will come from Nebraska, Virginia, and almost every Midwestern state, including two from here in Hillsdale. “We’re really excited about this class,” Otterbein said. “We have some guys that are really good football players. There are guys that are going to be great for our program.” Otterbein stressed the importance of looking for more than raw talent in his recruiting process. “It has to be the right kid to come to Hillsdale College,” he said. “If he is a great football player but also a knucklehead then we don’t want him.” Hillsdale’s rigorous academic standards make Otterbein’s recruiting process even more challenging than it already is. This class will come in with an average ACT score of 27.4 and a high school GPA of 3.82. “A lot of times we look at a kid’s test scores and we have to move past him right away,” he said. “We find ourselves recruiting against the Ivy League schools, the academies, places like that.” The program usually seeks recruitment classes of 25 players and will look to fill a couple of slots in the coming months. Headlining the current list of signees are Hillsdale High School seniors Martin Petersen and Joe Philipp. Petersen is the son of Dean of Men Aaron

SATURDAY, FEB. 6

Thursday, Feb. 11 VS. micHigan tecH 6:00 pm saTurday, Feb 13 VS. nortHern micH. 1:00 pm

Swimming

Track and Field

By | Stevan Bennett Jr. Assistant Editor

upcoming

Petersen, a former Hillsdale baseball and football player. Philipp’s mother, Diane Philipp, is a former Hillsdale College track coach and the current dean of women. Hillsdale College football has had its eyes on Petersen and Philipp for a long time and the program is happy to finally welcome them, according to Otterbein. Petersen, who played quarterback for the Hillsdale Hornets, will be joining the team as a tight end, the same position that his father played at Hillsdale. “I’ve been around the college my entire life and it was really a pretty easy decision to come here. I didn’t even apply to other schools,” Petersen said. “The opportunity to follow in my dad’s footsteps makes it that much better. I really am my dad’s son.” Otterbein believes that the transition to tight end will be a natural one for Petersen. “Martin is a big, athletic kid. I’ve told his dad for years I saw him as a tight end,” Otterbein said. “We need to get him a little stronger first but he will do well there.” Philipp, a lifelong soccer player, will join the team as a place kicker and punter. Philipp explained that he is primarily a place kicker but that he plans on developing his punting further. “I really want to get the punting down a little better over the next few months,” Phillip said. “Obviously you want to be able to do all you can to help the team.” Otterbein believes that Phillip will benefit greatly

from working with current Hillsdale kicker Steven Mette. “Steven Mette is a great football player and I’m sure he will help Joe develop a lot,” he said. “Kickers all have a guru-type guy that they go to and both these guys went to the same guru so they already have that in common.” Lifelong friends and teammates, Petersen and Philipp are thrilled by the opportunity to play college football together. “I met Martin before preschool,” Phillip said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to get another four years with a friend like that.” Petersen echoed this sentiment and explained the naturality of their friendship. “With our parents working together we have just always been really close,” he said. “It’s actually a little surreal that we’re both going to play at Hillsdale.” Both multi-sport athletes in high school, Petersen and Philipp stressed the importance of the academic side of Hillsdale. “It’s going to be a really big change, no doubt about that,” Petersen said. “But hey, strength rejoices in the challenge, right?” As of now, Otterbein has not decided which new players will redshirt and which will see time in the 2016 campaign. “In theory you want to redshirt 100 percent of the guys, but that just doesn’t happen,” Otterbein said. “It’s pretty likely that we will see some of these guys making an impact next fall.”

Hillsdale High School seniors Joe Philipp (left) and Martin Petersen (right) smile for a photo after signing to the Hillsdale College football team on Feb. 3. Mindy Eggleston | Courtesy

Morgan Warfield joins women’s basketball coaching staff By | Hannah Niemeier Collegian Reporter Although Morgan Warfield has been juggling schoolwork and sports schedules all her life, beginning her coaching career midseason was an unexpected twist. A year after finishing a record-breaking career in basketball and softball at Siena Heights University, Warfield jumped into her first assistant coaching job midway through the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team’s season. Warfield works as a reading assistant for kindergarten through third grade students at Camden-Frontier Schools during the day and commutes to Hillsdale for practices and games. She said she works behind the scenes, scouting opposing teams, watching game film, and organizing travel itineraries. “I’ve learned so much already,” Warfield said. “It’s really broadened my basketball philosophy. I have great mentors in Todd Mitmesser and Matt Hilkens. We work toward getting better as coaches every day, which helps the players get better too.” When a member of the Chargers’ coaching staff moved home partway through the season, assistant coach Matt Hilkens recommended Warfield, a standout player from his previous assistant coaching job at Siena Heights University. Warfield graduated from Siena Heights University in 2015 with a degree in elementary education. But Warfield earned a lot more than a teaching degree at Siena Heights. In her four years as a starter in both basketball and softball, Warfield collected an impressive list of personal records, including all-time top-10 in total points, field goals made, steals, assists, rebounds, and minutes played. She was also selected for the WHAC All-Academic Team four times, twice each for basketball and softball. These personal records led to team success as well, said Sue Syljebeck, Warfield’s head basketball coach at Siena Heights. “Siena Heights had one season that we won 20 games since 1975, and we won over 20 games each of her four seasons,” Syljebeck said. “I think she was responsible for 95

wins in her four seasons here.” Syljebeck said Warfield’s success can be traced to her dedication to the game. “Her key was just her work ethic, her drive to be good and make herself better and our team better,” Syljebeck said. “She committed herself yearround. She was in the gym every day in the summer for an hour to two hours a day.” Warfield said time in the gym as a young player helped her compete with other players. “My mom started head coaching at Camden when I was two,” Warfield said. “Since I was an only child, I went where my parents went. So I guess I was a gym rat. I was there every day.” Since Warfield recently played college basketball herself, the team can relate to their new coach, junior Becca Scherting said. “She knows what we’re going through when we have tough game, or after a tough practice. It’s a different mentality from a coach. She knows how the players feel because she was in that position.” Warfield said coaching women so close to her in age

sometimes seems strange. “But it’s nice having that connectedness to the girls,” Warfield said. “Being fresh out of college, I just went through what they’re going through. It’s crazy and it goes so fast – I can relate to that.” Scherting said Warfield’s day job carries over into her coaching style in basketball games. “She encourages you on the bench,” Scherting said. “It’s very uplifting, like a teacher is. When we had our tough shooting game last Saturday, she said stuff like, ‘You guys need to start using your legs more, but don’t stop shooting.’ So I see that as one of her big strengths, is being a coach and a teacher.” Warfield said she tries to encourage her team to take advantage of the opportunity to play college sports, just as she took the chance to become a coach in the middle of the season. “I want players to have a sense of urgency,” Warfield said. “I don’t think they take what they have here for granted, but I want them to work hard for what they want. If you want it, go get it.”

New assistant coach Morgan Warfield coaches from the bench in Hillsdale’s game vs. Saginaw Valley on Feb. 1. Warfield graduated from Siena Hieghts University last year. Brendan Miller | Collegian

A9 11 Feb. 2016

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Women’s basketball doubles down after double-overtime defeat By | Hannah Niemeier Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College women’s basketball team has played several games down to the wire recently. But this week, they played past it – twice. After a 92-64 loss at Northwood on Feb. 4, the Chargers took Lake Superior State to double overtime before falling to the Lakers 78-75 on Saturday despite a record-setting night from sophomore Allie Dittmer. “We’re definitely getting better every game,” head coach Todd Mitmesser said. “We just haven’t been able to put together four good solid quarters in many games. In the Northwood game, we played well in the first quarter, and decent in parts of other quarters, and not so great in other parts. Court savvy, knowing what to do when, is something that comes with age.” The Chargers continued a trend of speedy starts against Northwood, stretching an early lead to 24-12 in the second quarter. However, 14 points and four assists from junior Morgan Blair and 12 points

from senior Kayla Geffert couldn’t counteract Northwood’s offensive response. The Timberwolves scored 31 points in the second quarter to erase the Chargers’ lead for good. On Saturday, the team returned to the Upper Peninsula for the second time in three weekends to take on Lake Superior State for the second time this season. The Chargers raced to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and held the lead through the third quarter, but defensive mistakes and 4-for10 free throw shooting in overtime allowed the Lakers to sneak past the Chargers, who are now 9-12 overall and 6-11 in the GLIAC. “We came in with a lot of confidence because we beat them the first time,” Geffert said. “This game, all their key players had career nights and we missed six free throws in overtime, and that really brought us down.” Dittmer played the best game of her career to compete with the Lake Superior State attack, scoring 29 points on 14-for-18 field goal shooting,

which earned her second place for most field goals in a game in Hillsdale College history. “Allie just went off,” Geffert said. “It was awesome to see her break that barrier. It’s just a glimpse of how good she’s going to be in the future.” According to Dittmer, explosive individual performances come from an offense that moves the ball well. “A lot of it had to do with touches,” Dittmer said. “We were really focusing on getting the ball inside. Also I don’t shoot a lot of jump shots, so they were sagging off me and I made a couple of those. That opened things up for other people to post up.” Despite tough losses, the Chargers are maturing both individually and as a team, Mitmesser said. “I’ve been telling the players for a month now that the wins will come,” Mitmesser said. “Part of learning how to win games is going to come from maturity, and we, at times, are still playing like we don’t have that experience to pull through when we aren’t playing so well.”

Men’s tennis drops first match of season By | Madeline Fry Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team played its first dual match in over a decade on Saturday afternoon, falling to Lewis University 7-2. Head coach Keith Turner said he was pleasantly surprised by the results, considering Lewis’s regional ranking and the size and inexperience of Hillsdale’s team. Last fall, the Chargers participated in two tournaments, but the dual match they were slated to play was cancelled. None of the team’s six members had played a college dual tennis match before Saturday. Hillsdale’s two wins of the afternoon came in doubles, as freshmen doubles partners Jerry Hewitt and Zach Rabitoy and freshmen partners Gianpiero Placidi and John Ciraci won their matches 9-8. The Chargers could have potentially defeated Lewis, Turner said, because they

played three close singles matches. “We played the doubles first and we actually got up 2-1 in doubles,” he said. “We probably surprised them a little bit. They were probably overlooking us a little bit being a first year team, and once they knew what they were up against, I think they came out with a little bit more intensity in the singles.” Freshman Gianpiero Placidi said results in doubles were a good achievement, though singles were tough. None of the Chargers won a singles match, and only Placidi and Rabitoy were able to extend their matches to a third set. “You can only improve from there,” Placidi said. “I think it’s a solid start.” Now that the first match is out of the way, the team knows what to expect when competing against stronger opponents, Turner said. “The team was tough,”

sophomore captain Dugan Delp said. “Now we know what we’re up against and what we have to do to improve.” The Chargers will play a total of 18 matches this season, including seven at home. On Saturday, the Hillsdale College men’s tennis team will face Daemen College in its first home match in over a decade at 11 a.m. in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center. Home matches have the advantage of better fan turnout, according to Delp. “We do encourage fans to come and cheer for us on Saturday,” he said. Because Daemen’s team is relatively new as well, Turner said he thinks Hillsdale has a great chance playing against them. He is happy with Saturday’s results, he said, and looks forward to the remaining matches. “It’s a good first step for us, and if we just continue to improve, we should have a good season.”

Samantha Kearney returns to Hillsdale By | Stevan Bennett Jr. Assistant Editor The Hillsdale College track and field and cross-country programs welcomed back Samantha Kearney as an assistant coach and director of track and field operations on Feb. 1. Kearney, who worked at Hillsdale as an assistant coach during the 2013-14 season, spent the last two years coaching at her alma mater University of California, Davis. Although Kearney admits that her first week back was a bit hectic due to the annual Hillsdale Wide Track Classic, she said she feels right at home. “It felt like I didn’t miss a beat — like I had never been gone at all,” she said. “I missed the athletes a lot and it is great to be around them again. Everyone has been very supportive and loving. I’m very excited for the future.” Kearney, who was a decorated track and cross-country

runner at UC-Davis, will help coach the athletes as well as take on some of the administrative load. Those athletes that were here for Kearney’s previous stint at Hillsdale were ecstatic at the news of her return.

Brad Monastiere | Courtesy

“I was so excited to hear about it,” senior Kathryn Royer said. “I had to keep it a secret for a few days but I wanted to tell everyone that I saw.” Royer said that Kearney does a great job of keeping the

mood light yet practice-oriented. “I love Coach Sam’s sense of humor,” she said. “At the same time, she expects a lot out of her athletes and has always given me great advice in regards to competing and pushing myself in workouts.” Kearney believes that her experience as a D-I runner allows her to better relate to the athletes that she now coaches. “I have been to both high-level events, but I have also been the bubble person,” she said. “That really lets me connect with the runners and give them some advice.” Kearney, a Bay Area native, says she chose to return to Hillsdale because of the exceptional work environment it breeds. “I love the way that the student athletes here operate with honor and integrity throughout their day-to-day activities,” she said. “I am really looking forward to the future here.”

Sophomore Allie Dittmer scored 29 points on 14-for-18 shooting in Hillsdale’s 78-75 loss in 2OT at Lake Superior State on Saturday. Dittmer’s 14 field goals are the second-most ever by a Hillsdale player. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

According to Dittmer, the lessons the Chargers learned this week will help them prepare for two tough conference opponents. “On offense, we want to add twists, to throw something

new at them in the end of the season,” Dittmer said. “On defense, we’re looking to stop their offense by doubling the post and limiting their touches. That’s what we need to focus on because defense wins

the game most of the time.” The women’s basketball team returns to Hillsdale this week, hosting Michigan Tech at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

MEN’S TRACK BREAKS RECORDS

By | Evan Carter Web Editor Junior Sergio San Jose Lorza didn’t take long to make an impact on the Hillsdale College men’s track team after transferring to Hillsdale from Spain at the beginning of the semester. At last weekend’s Hillsdale Wide Track Classic — in his first meet running for Hillsdale — Lorza broke the school record in the 60-meter dash, running the distance in 6.87 seconds and besting teammate senior Todd Frickey who set the previous school record at a meet two weeks ago. Sophomore pole vaulter Jared Schipper also broke a school record, topping his previous record from earlier this season with a vault of 5.15 meters. Lorza was excited about breaking the school record, but is confident he can go even faster. “Two weeks ago, I ran 6.84 in Spain and I think that when I have adapted to the United States, I can run a similar time,” he said. “In Spain I trained harder, but I think in the United States I’m training better.” Lorza said short-sprints and jumps coach Nate Miller believes he can make the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championship in March if he shaves 0.08 seconds off his time last Saturday. While 0.08 seconds is only about the time it would take someone to blink twice, it’s a significant amount of time in a race as short as the 60-meter dash. This indoor season has also seen the arrival of two other transfer athletes: Daniel Čapek, a thrower who transferred to Hillsdale from Northwood University, but is originally from the Czech Republic, and Eli Poth, a distance runner and Michigan native who transferred from Saginaw Valley State University. Last weekend’s meet was Čapek’s second competing as a Charger. While he hasn’t had the immediate success enjoyed by Lorza, head track coach Andrew Towne said he’s confident in his abilities as a thrower. Last year as a freshman for Northwood, Čapek competed in the NCAA Division II Out-

door Championships in the hammer throw. “They’re making an impact for us right away, which was good,” Towne said. Poth has been training with the distance runners since the beginning of the semester, but is ineligible to compete until the 2017 indoor track season. In addition to Lorza and Schipper, a number of other track athletes had a standout meet. Sophomores Lane White, Tony Wondaal, and David Chase, as well as the 4x400 relay team, all hit provisional marks that make them eligible to run at the indoor championship meet. Although Wondaal didn’t win the men’s mile, his finishing effort in the last 400 meters of the race — where he moved from the back of the lead pack to the front of the race, only to get out-leaned at the finish line — made it the most exciting race of Friday night. His 4:15 mile was a personal best and 10 seconds faster than he’d run only a month earlier. “My race plan going in was to just hang on for the first half, get back in the race the next two laps, that’s when I got back into the pack, then the last 400 is kind of mentally challenging because it’s two laps indoors,” Wondaal said. “But I just told myself it’s a 400 and when you’re outside that’s the bell lap, and that’s when

you’ve got to go.” Towne also highlighted Chase’s performance in the heptathlon, an event in which athletes compete for points in seven different types of track and field events. Chase’s score of 4742 was a personal best, and puts him in good position to make the national meet if he improves next time he does the event — likely the GLIAC Conference Indoor Championship Meet. Still, Towne believes his athletes haven’t reached their full potential yet. “Everything is capable of being topped in the next few weeks,” he said. The men’s next track meet will be this Friday and Saturday at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Michigan. Towne expects more of his athletes to either get provisional marks or improve upon their provisional marks at the meet. “Historically when we’re two weeks out from a championship, whether it’s indoor or outdoor, we’re trying to have as many of our kids as possible hit marks that will get them into NCAAs,” Towne said. “The whole idea is to be able to have as many kids in the NCAA championships after this weekend as possible so that when we go to GLIAC we can just focus on scoring points.”

Junior Sergio San Jose Lorza broke the school record in the 60-meter dash in his first race as a Charger with a time of 6.87 seconds. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Charger Chatter: Jared SChipper

Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Sophomore Jared Schipper, a finance major, broke Hillsdale’s pole-vaulting record, a record he already held, with a jump of 5.15 meters on Friday night. Schipper was named GLIAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.

You were just named GLIAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and are now ranked fourth in Division II. What’s your reaction? I was actually really shocked. I had no idea. I was like, “Really, me? That’s awesome.” It’s really exciting. Hopefully I can do well in the NCAAs. I got second last year indoor, so I’m hoping to get first and improve on that, but it’s going to be hard, because the field has gotten a lot stronger this year. I think last year two people reached the auto-qualifying mark, and this year five people have already done it, so it’s definitely a lot stronger year, so hopefully I’ll do well again. I’ve improved a ton myself, so I’ll see. You just beat the school’s

pole-vaulting record — one you already held — clearing 5.15 meters. What does the rest of the season look like for you? Can you beat the record again? I’m confident I can improve on it again. I actually almost cleared the next height, so I think I can get it. I just need a good jump and I’ll get it. I’m just one good jump away. How did you find your niche in pole vaulting? Well, a lot of my brothers do it, so I just took after them. My brothers were really good, so I kind of wanted to be like them. I first started track in eighth grade. What’s the camaraderie of the track team like? I love the track team. I think

we’re a really good team. I get along with everybody on the track team really well, they’re my best friends. Everybody’s really supporting. Everybody’s really happy when I do well, even the other pole vaulters. We’re really competitive with each other, but also super excited when the other pole vaulters — Luke Miller and Matt Harris — do well. I also have a really good relationship with Coach Towne. We joke around a lot in practice, but keep a good level of focus at the same time. He knows a lot about pole vaulting and has definitely surprised me a lot. I had a great coach in high school and he had told me, odds are, you’re going to have a bad coach in college. Then I got here and I was pleasantly surprised by Coach Towne.

What do you wish people knew about pole vaulting? I think a lot of people think that pole vaulting is all about having a super strong upper body. But right now the world record holder is an average-looking guy and he’s really short too. It really just comes down to knowing what you’re doing — having a super good reaction time and just lots of practice. Any person could pole vault, it’s not like you have to be super skinny or super strong, you just have to find the type of form that works for you.

you don’t have enough power to get into the pit so it just shoots you back onto the runway. Fortunately I fixed that, so I’m landing in the pit again.

How have you improved since the beginning of this season? At the beginning of the year I fell a lot, I would get rejected by the pole, which is where

-Compiled by Ramona Tausz

Where do you see yourself going as an athlete in the next two years? I just hope to keep improving, I’d like to get five meters, fiveand-a-half meters, that would be my goal, because then I’d be better than my brother, who went to Notre Dame. That would be awesome, since he’s a lot better than me.

Charger Mindy Eggleston | Courtesy

Football adds 19 recruits New Chargers include Martin Petersen, son of Dean of Men Aaron Petersen, and Joe Philipp, son of Dean of Women Diane Philipp. A8

11 FEB. 2016

Charger Chatter: Jared Schipper Schipper, a sophomore pole vaulter, discusses being named GLIAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. A9

Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Women’s basketball comes up short Chargers drop their fourth game in a row in a double-overtime defeat at Lake Superior State. A9 Brendan Miller | Collegian

Anders Kiledal | Collegian

WOMEN’S TRACK CLIMBS TO THIRD IN NATIONAL RANKINGS race so to be able to go out and run that mile time from the front gave me a lot of confidence, and the 800 that I ran gave me a lot of confidence. I’m really happy about it. I feel really good about what is coming up,” said Oren, who was again named GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week. Sophomore Hannah McIntyre ran a time of 4:57.10 in the mile to place third and junior Molly Oren placed fifth with a time of 5:02.62. Both hit provisional times for the national meet. Senior captain Corinne Zehner broke the second record of the weekend in the 60-meter hurdles during the semifinals, running an 8.66. Zehner then placed second in the finals for the event running an 8.72. Both times earned her a spot on the provisional qualifying list for nationals. Zehner attributes her early success to the learning curve that has developed during her college career. “I’ve picked up this season a lot quicker than past years. Everything I’ve learned has just carried over into this year. The 60 hurdles have really taken off. I’m still working on the 400 and waiting for the race

that just clicks like the hurdles,” Zehner said. “Hopefully that will be this weekend at Grand Valley because they get me really fired up.” The 4x400 meter relay team — ran by Zehner, senior Emily Guy, junior Allison Duber, and sophomore Tori Wichman — was not far from breaking the school record this weekend as well, running a time of 3:51.52. Though they did not manage to break it this week, they did meet the provisional standard for the national meet, ranking sixth. In the jumps, junior Madison Estell placed fourth in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 5 inches, to reach the provisional mark for nationals. Junior Alex Whitford improved upon her provisional mark in the pole vault from the last meet with a jump of 11 feet, 11.75 inches, good enough for fourth in the championship heat. The weight throw also afforded some impressive progress as both junior Dana Newell and sophomore Rachel Tolsma beat their personal records this weekend. Newell, who placed second, threw 18.20 meters and Tolsma threw 17.67 meters to place

third. Newell maintains her spot at 12th in the nation. Junior Sarah Benson participated in the pentathlon this weekend for the first time. Benson placed second with 2987 points. Head coach Andrew Towne said he is confident in her ability to contribute in the conference meet and perhaps even at nationals. At this stage, Towne said he prioritizes getting as many people into the national meet as possible, so that heading into the conference meet in two weeks the athletes can focus on scoring points. “I thought we did really well. I think everyone is moving in the right direction. The neat thing is I don’t think we did anything that we won’t top in the next few weeks. So, to have a performance like that at this stage is really good,” Towne said. The Chargers head to Grand Valley State University this weekend for the Big Meet to compete against big competition including Ball State University, Michigan State University, and Eastern Michigan University.

burst “unbelievable.” “I’ve literally never seen anything like that before,” Lowry said. Lowry scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, nine of which came on three consecutive 3-pointers to bring the Chargers within 14 points with 12:48 remaining. But the By|Nathanael Meadowcroft Timberwolves were able to Sports Editor maintain a comfortable lead throughout the rest of the The Hillsdale College men’s game. basketball team couldn’t find “It starts with us and how their way on the road this we played,” Chargers head weekend. coach John Tharp said. “We Facing big halftime deficits didn’t close out particularly in both games, the Chargers well, something that we’ve relost to the Northwood Tim- ally stressed. They saw a couberwolves 75-60 on Feb. 4 and ple of them go in and then all suffered an 87-60 rout at the of a sudden that basket gets a hands of the Lake Superior little bigger.” State Lakers on Saturday afterNorthwood made two more noon to drop to 12-9 overall 3-pointers in the second half and 8-9 in the GLIAC. to finish 16-for-30 from beNorthwood torched the yond the arc for the game. Chargers in the first half of Those 16 3-pointers were the the first game of the weekend, most the Chargers have given shooting 14-for-21 from the up in a game this season. 3-point line in the opening “It wasn’t just that they were period to establish a 45-23 hitting these shots with our advantage at the break. North- hands in their face, we were wood’s first 14 baskets of the allowing them to penetrate game came from beyond the into the middle of our defense arc and the team didn’t make a and then kick out for catchbucket from inside the 3-point and-shoot threes,” said senior line until guard Maurice Jones forward Kyle Cooper, who was converted a pull-up jumper held to seven points and 10 reto beat the halftime buzzer. bounds in the defeat. “That’s Sophomore guard Stedman not a winning formula.” Lowry, who led Hillsdale with On the offensive side, the 18 points in the loss, called the Chargers shot 36 percent (22Timberwolves’ offensive out- for-61) from the field as a team

and 38 percent (11-for-29) from 3-point land. Saturday’s game at Lake Superior State didn’t go any better for Hillsdale, as the Chargers shot under 40 percent (20-for-51) from the floor for the second straight game and made just 18 percent (3-for17) of their 3-point attempts in the 87-60 loss. “We’re really disappointed in our fight and how we executed on both ends of the floor,” Tharp said. “We didn’t play our way, our style.” While the Chargers were struggling to find a rhythm on offense, the Lakers got going early, making 50 percent (7-for-14) of their 3-point attempts in the opening period to establish a 41-20 halftime lead. “Really our Achilles heel all year has been the other teams’ 3-point shooting,” said Lowry, who scored eight points in Saturday’s loss. “Slow starts have been a theme for us on the road.” “We were trying to dig ourselves out of a hole in both games,” said Cooper, who finished with 10 poiners and six rebounds. “We just didn’t close out hard enough on the perimeter. When a team sees a couple go in early, confidence grows exponentially.” The Chargers’ winless weekend drops the team into a three-way tie for the eighth and final GLIAC Tournament

spot with five regular-season games remaining. One of those teams, the Michigan Tech Huskies, faces Hillsdale tonight at 8 p.m. in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. Following their matchup with the Huskies, the Chargers will host the 6-15 Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday at 3 p.m. “It’s incredibly important that we get these two games on our home floor, and hope that you can build some momentum,” Tharp said. “The league is as good as it’s ever been, so we’ve got to respond the right way.” Hillsdale has been focusing on fundamentals heading into

By | Jessica Hurley Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College women’s track and field team raced to third in the nation at the annual Wide-Track Classic meet hosted at the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center on Friday and Saturday. The Chargers put up several impressive performances across the board, as the team broke two school records and achieved two automatic-qualifying marks for the national meet. Senior Emily Oren won the championship heat of the 800 meters with a time of 2:11.18, hitting the automatic qualifying time for the national meet. Although this was her first time running the event, she is now ranked second in the GLIAC and fourth nationally in the 800. The Chargers swept the podium in the mile this weekend — taking first, second, and third place. Emily Oren broke the record previously held by Amanda Putt with a time of 4:45.13, while senior Kristina Galat came in a close second with a time of 4:45.35. Both reached the automatic qualifying time for nationals. “This was only my second

Senior Emily Oren broke the school record in the mile this weekend with a time of 4:45.13 to place first and automatically qualify for the national meet. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Men’s basketball struggles on the road

Slow starts doom Chargers, who face Huskies tonight in battle for tournament spot

the stretch run of the season. “Truthfully we’re really just focused on trying to do some really basic things well,” Tharp said. “We haven’t been doing anything particularly well. We haven’t been really good defensively or really good offensively, we’ve been pretty mediocre in a lot of different things.” The Chargers have enjoyed having a full week to prepare after finishing a stretch of five games in 10 days. “It’s important because we went through that stretch where it felt like we had one day really to get ready for opponents, but more so we only had one day to get to fix things,” Tharp said. “We’re

not the most confident group right now, and you’ve got to fix things, but you can’t destroy how kids are feeling.” Following these two games, the Chargers will face three teams ahead of them in the standings to finish the season. But Hillsdale hasn’t started thinking about next week. “The only thing we can do is focus on one at a time, and hopefully we come out of here with four or five wins if at all possible because that’s what we’re going to need,” Cooper said. “We’re going to need a huge effort if we want to see the season extended.”

Sophomore guard Stedman Lowry drives to the hoop in Hillsdale’s game vs. Saginaw Valley on Feb. 1. Lowry scored 18 points in Hillsdale’s 75-60 loss at Northwood on Feb. 4. Ben Strickland | Collegian

B1 11 Feb. 2016

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Shakespeare in the Arb ‘Macbeth’ cast announced

‘Mother Courage and Her Children’: A history

Bertolt Brecht’s classic drama, opening Feb. 24 in Markel, offers themes relevant to ‘today’s political landscape’

By | Micah Meadowcroft

By | Vivian Hughbanks

Associate Editor

The Shakespeare in the Arb production of “Macbeth” now has a cast and music. The play, which will show the weekend of April 15-17, will be scored by sophomore Quentin Herman. The directors, seniors Faith Liu and Daniel Negri, have gathered a cast of students, alumni, and professors for a conventional staging accented by Herman’s original music. Alumnus Joe Banovetz ’15 will star as the titular character driven by ambition and prophecy to bloody deeds. Senior Kendall Karpack will play his dominating wife. Senior Dominic Restuccia will portray Malcolm, and junior Shelby Ripley will take the role of Macduff. “We’re just waiting on one or two parts from professors,” Negri said. “We’re waiting to hear back from them.” The cast possesses varied theater experience. A few, including Liu, are currently rehearsing the Tower Players’ production of “Mother Courage and Her Children.” Though Shakespeare in the Arb preparations are ongoing, rehearsals for “Macbeth” will only begin in earnest after “Mother Courage and Her Children” strikes. “We have a really exciting cast,” Liu said. “We have a lot of people who have done a lot of theater before and we also have a lot of people who have never done theater before. So there’s work to be done, but we’re really excited.” The directors said that with the help of senior Megan Scott as stage manager (a Shakespeare in the Arb first), they are meeting with the cast weekly to check on script memorization, character process, and other preparations. Constrained by limited time and resources, Negri and Liu said they opted for a traditional design interpretation of the work, and are relying on Herman’s music to create a distinctive feel. “He’s arranging for a brass choir, which is more than we’ve ever really had in a Shakespeare in the Arb production,” Liu said. “Which is really, really exciting because we don’t really have the opportunity to create set and lighting atmosphere. You have to create atmosphere through other means — other means being tons of amazing music.”

News Editor

War-torn Germany at the height of the Thirty Years’ War will be the scene for next month’s Tower Players’ production of “Mother Courage and her Children,” opening at Markel Auditorium on Feb. 24, but themes found in the play also apply to today’s political landscape. Written by German communist playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht in 1939, while Brecht was living in Sweden avoiding Nazi persecution, the play tells the story of a woman’s experiences during the series of religious conflicts in Europe from 1618-1648. “She is a war profiteer,” Associate Professor of German Fred Yaniga said. “Mother Courage feeds the fire of war with the bodies of her children. One by one, her children are devoured by this war, and time and again she shows more concern for the loss of business than for the loss of her children.” The Thirty Years’ War was a wave of destruction over Europe, occurring concurrently with the plague, Assistant Professor of German Stephen Naumann explained. “Germany was the battlefield,” Naumann said. “In the Thirty Years’ War, there were entire villages that were wiped out. Parts of Central Germany lost more than half

sor of Theatre James Brandon said. “I also thought the show is very political, so it would be great to do during an election year.” Elections aren’t the only current situation in which Brechtian themes can be found. Yaniga points to the international conflict with the Islamic State in the Middle East as a war-torn area similar to that of “Mother Courage.” “There are a lot of hands in the pot in Syria right now,” Yaniga said. “The Russians are in there making money; the Turks have vested interests which are not just ideological but territorial; the Americans have a sphere of historical and political interests there which are not always neutral. There are proxy wars being fought all over that region right now.” “The idea that people are not always fighting for ideological truths, but for their own selfish interests is timeless — that’s what makes good theater and good literature,” he added. The name “Mother Courage” comes from another work of German literature set during the Thirty Years’ war: “Simplicius Simplicissimus,” written by Hans Jakob Christoffel in 1668 — just 20 years after the end of the conflict. “He’s a soldier in the Thirty Years’ War,” Yaniga said

“Kafka says, ‘a book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us’...Brecht certainly has an axe, and he’s going to be chopping some holes in the ice with this play.”

the population.” In “Mother Courage,” Brecht addresses the capitalist nature of war, showing how war feeds itself through profiteers and ultimately leads to complete destruction. “It was in a sense a total war,” German Department Chairman Eberhard Geyer said. “The war fed itself. Soldiers took food stock, livestock, and girls from the land. Wherever they came in, they were taking.” Brecht’s message in “Mother Courage” is attacks the destruction and profiteering inherent in war. “In wartime, there are always people who don’t care which side wins as long as they’re making money,” Yaniga said. “When greed gets in the middle of that, it becomes the accelerant which allows that fire to burn.” “It is, in a sense, a plea to stop pointless, senseless wars,” Geyer added. Though Brecht set his drama during a war which had ravaged Germany during the 1600s, the themes found in “Mother Courage” also demonstrate a clear reaction to the contemporary political situation of the 1930s and ’40s. Brecht wrote during his self-imposed exile from his German homeland after the Nazi rise to power in 1933. “It was in response to the Nazis’ march into Poland in 1939,” Naumann said. “Sept. 1 was the start of World War II with that attack. Brecht wrote this play in a couple of months.” According to Naumann, Brecht’s personal experience was also influenced by the last great war which had ravaged Europe: World War I. “It was a devastating war,” Naumann said. “It was fought all over Europe. Germany was trying to recover from that psychologically, politically, and economically.” Themes found in “Mother Courage” are still relevant today. “I’ve wanted to do this show for a long time,” Profes-

of the novel’s main character, Simplicissimus. “He has absolutely no idea what he’s fighting for. He’s fighting for both sides half the time. He’s fighting so he can get plunder from both sides.” In the theater world, the signature attribute of Brecht’s works is the Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect — a tactic to disengage the audience from emotional connection with events taking place on the stage. “The audience is supposed to be reminded not to get emotionally involved but to learn a lesson from it,” Geyer said. The Verfremdungseffekt had audiences throughout Europe in tears at the conclusion of “Mother Courage” on its premier tour. “Aristotle thought that the end of the theater was the emotional experience, the cathartic experience,” Brandon explained. “Brecht thought that you should get into the story and feel for the characters, but then he also wants to draw you out of that from time to time.” Ultimately, “Mother Courage” is a tragic depiction of the effect greed can have on family and society. “In German literature, I often ask ‘Was ist der Mensch?’ — what does it mean to be a human being?” Yaniga explains. “Brecht shows us a kind of human being here, and he asks this question very purposefully: is this what the human being is? A greedy, selfish, morally disinterested being?” “Kafka says, ‘a book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us,’” he added. “Brecht certainly has an axe, and he’s going to be chopping some holes in the ice with this play.”

Phi Mu Alpha sponsors Battle of the Bands By | Ramona Tausz

Arts Editor

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia men’s music honorary’s annual Battle of the Bands will take place Friday night, with a lineup that includes four student band performances and a special appearance by Simpson Dormitory’s group Patches of Paisley. The event, which features a cash bar, will be held at the Elks Lodge at 60 North Manning St. and will run from 8-12 p.m. Professor of History Bradley Birzer, Professor of Economics Ivan Pongracic, and Music Department Chair James Holleman will judge the competition. Each band will get a halfhour set. Nasty Earl, featuring senior Joel Calvert, junior Andrew Egger, sophomore Mark Naida, and sophomore Dean Sinclair, will kick off the event at 8:15 p.m., followed by the duo Ice Chimes, comprised of seniors Joel Calvert and Catherine Coffey. “I’m most excited for them, because they’re in love and they’ll be great,” sophomore Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity Education Officer Stephen Savas said. “I’m sure there’ll be a sea chantey.” Members of the third band of the night, Deaf Davy and the Wineboxes, include senior Forester McClatchey, freshman Isabelle Parell, sophomore Jacob Hann, and a brass section featuring juniors Luke Zahari and Conor Woodfin. The night will conclude with performances by Avicenna and the Floating Men (the band of seniors Ellen Hogan and Colin Wilson), and a Patches of Paisley performance. Tickets for the event are available in the Grewcock Student Union during mealtimes through lunch on Friday. Tickets bought in advance are $3, tickets at the door are $5.

Kicking up heels in the Hills and Dales

Every semester, dance instructor Alison Plemmons shares the art of Highland dancing with students By | Natalie C. McKee

Senior Reporter

Feet flitted across the black box floor Wednesday evening as dance instructor Alison Plemmons taught the art of Scottish Highland dance to 16 Hillsdale students. The craft is a traditional Scottish dance which was developed as early as 1054 A.D. when Malcolm Canmore, a Celtic prince, killed another chieftain, according to the Scottish Official Highland Dancing Association. “Taking his victim’s claymore and crossing it with his own on the ground, so making the sign of the cross, Malcolm Canmore danced over and around the naked blades with the ecstasy of victory,” the association’s website read. The Sword Dance is still popular during competitions today, but Plemmons leaves the swords at home and primarily works on teaching her students at Hillsdale the Highland Fling. She said she can’t remember the exact year she started at Hillsdale, but guessed she began about a decade ago. But that was hardly the beginning of her Highland dance career. Her mother was born and raised in Scotland, and started teaching 2-year-old Plemmons the craft. Plemmons performed for the first time at age 3, dancing in front of 1,000 people. “And that was that,” Plemmons said.

Students practice the Highland Fling during a Highland dance class. Instructor Alison Plemmons has taught this class at Hillsdale regularly for about a decade. Jordyn Pair | Collegian

She never stopped dancing. By age 11, she represented the Midwest region in the national highland championships, and at age 14, she won her first of four consecutive championships. From there, she started teaching the art she loved and eventually passed the membership exam from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing. Now, she teaches young aspiring professional dancers during the evenings at the Mittig School of Highland Dancing in Novi, Michigan, when not instructing the students of Hillsdale. “It’s a celebration of my heritage, and I want to spread my heritage and my love of Highland dance to anybody who wants to learn,” Plemmons said. Even though Hillsdale students typically take the class recreationally — not to become masters of the art — Plemmons said she benefits just as much from teaching them as she does from teaching her more serious dancers. “It’s actually refreshing,” Plemmons said. “It’s all in my perspective. I get out of it what I want, and I choose to learn from them.” Plemmons said she spends the classes introducing basic technique and definitions of movements, which she then connects to form the dance. She also brings in the Scot-

See Highland Dance, B2.

B2 11 Feb. 2016

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Arts News Feb. - The Sauk Theatre presents: “M.A.S.H.”

Future chapel to feature world-class organ By |Michael Lucchese

8 p.m. Feb. 11-13 & 18-20 3 p.m. Feb. 14 & 21 Phillips Auditorium Searle Center Tickets at www.thesauk.org Feb.  Phi Mu Alpha Battle of the Bands 8 p.m. Friday Elks Lodge 60 North Manning St. Tickets $3 in Grewcock Student Union, $5 at door Jan. -Feb.  “George Mauersberger: Works on Paper” Daughtrey Gallery Sage Center for the Arts

Collegian Reporter

The college is negotiating with Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders, based in Tacoma, Washington, to design and install a stateof-the-art, world-class organ for the planned chapel. “Our organs are classically-inspired, with an eye to

timeless, to have broad appeal,” Fritts said. “The Hillsdale project excites us because the chapel is such a well-designed building.” “We hope our organ is truly outstanding,” he added. “We really want it to be a destination point.”

churches. “I know that many people have complained about the quality of the organ in McNamara because it is often out of tune and sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity,” freshman organ student Tom Ryskamp said. “A new, well-constructed organ would be a blessing to students of the instru-

the site to install the instrument. “Building organs is a little like violin-making,” Fritts said. “If you want to make a great violin, you first have to find the great ones made by earlier masters, like Stradivarius. Likewise, if you want to make a great organ, you have to study the art of earlier mas-

“Our organs are classically-inspired, with an eye to both authenticity and the future...the Hillsdale project excites us because the chapel is such a well-designed building.” both authenticity and the future,” Paul Fritts, director of the firm, said. Design work on an organ can take upwards of 700 hours and is a significant part of the yearslong process of organ building. Fritts said that his firm and the college are finalizing the details of the relationship, and his company is working through a backlog of other projects, but design will begin as soon as possible. “When we complete an organ, we want it to be

He identified the vaulted ceilings, the shape of the building, and the position of the organ as aspects of the chapel’s design he and his team will have to take into consideration when designing the organ. “Currently we have an organ in the McNamara Rehearsal room in Howard. We are in the process of purchasing a practice organ for the Howard building as well,” Music Department Chair James Holleman said. He also said that some students practice organ in area

ment, and even encourage others to learn to play it.” Fritts & Company Organ Builders began in the late 1970s, and has been striving for high standards ever since. In 1983, the company established a pipe shop and expanded its research. Since the company completes so much of the work for organs in-house, it has greater control of every aspect of the organs produced. After constructing the organ parts in Tacoma, Fritts and his team travel to

ters.” Fritts said he and his team often travel to Europe to study the organs of the Old World. He added that his firm bases many of its designs on Northern European and Dutch organs, because of their versatility and functionality for a number of different styles.

Highland Dance, from B1 do so while keeping proper posture, pointing feet, executing turnout, and the dozens of other things Alison is constantly reminding us of,” Wolff said. Wolff also had great praise for Plemmons. “She keeps me coming back,” Wolff said. “She is extremely down-to-earth, funny,

Plemmons shared the same sentiment. “I just want people to know that I love Highland dancing and I am willing to work with and teach anybody who is willing to learn,” Plemmons said. “It’s not about being the absolute best, but enjoying the experience and learning.”

“It’s a celebration of my heritage, and I want to spread my heritage and my love of Highland dance to anybody who wants to learn.”

Dance instructor Alison Plemmons has taught a class in Highland dancing at Hillsdale regularly for about a decade. Jordyn Pair | Collegian

tish social dancing for a “different flair” of the Scottish heritage. Over the years, she has gotten a wide variety of students, many with no dance experience. “I think they take it because it’s new and different and they don’t know what to expect,” Plemmons said. She said the class is very helpful for flexibility and coordination because of how much “crossing over the body technique” goes into the dance. “You are using both sides of the body at the same time, which activates your brain and your coordination,” Plemmons said. “You need to move your right arm and left foot. The coordination is the struggle for most students.” Plemmons said that even though Hillsdale students aren’t starting young, she knows that committed students could learn enough to compete or put on shows. In the past, when she was connected with the music department, she has had groups of students perform. Senior Lucia Rothhaas is currently in the class. She said the backstory as to how she ended up in the class is a bit embarrassing. “I thought Irish stepdancing and Highland dancing were the same thing,” Rothhaas said. “I grew up watching Riverdancing and practicing it on my kitchen floor.” She wasn’t taking a physical education

class or any classes “for fun,” so when a friend mentioned she was taking it, Rothhaas decided she could do Irish dancing too. Rothhaas said she has no previous dance experience, but loves dancing. “It’s kind of rigorous and we only have one class per week to work on form and how to position our feet, and I have no background in that,” Rothhaas said. Right now, Plemmons only teaches a beginner class, but she has some students who have taken the class all four years at Hillsdale because they love it. Senior Hannah Wolff took Scottish Country dance before coming to Hillsdale and wanted to continue learning new types of dance, so Scottish Highland dancing seemed like a natural choice. She also knew the club associated with the class hosted ceilidhs, or informal Scottish country dances, during the school year. She’s taken the class since she was a freshman. “It seemed like a great way to stay active, fulfill my PE credit, and have fun,” Wolff said in an email. “It’s nice to take a break from academics and yet exercise another part of my brain: some of the dances are more complicated and definitely require mental exertion.” Wolff said the four-step Highland Fling is like running a mile. “Not only does it require incredible strength to jump for that long, but you must

and encouraging. She always gives us a pep talk when we’re stressed during hell week, and she also holds us to a high standard for dancing. Alison is great to be around.” She added that in the future she plans to keep dancing and bringing more people into the world of Scottish Dance.

Dance instructor Alison Plemmons has taught a class in Highland dancing at Hillsdale regularly for about a decade. Jordyn Pair | Collegian

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

B3 11 Feb. 2016

Antiquing in the Greater Hillsdale Area By | Kayla Stetzel Collegian Reporter

Antiquing is a staple of the rural Midwest, and it plays an important role in the historical value of the greater Hillsdale area. Collegian reporter Kayla Stetzel explored a few of these stores to see what hidden treasures she could find, while attempting to gain better understanding of their cultural value. Livery Antiques — 106 Prentiss St The Livery Antiques building has a unique history: it was originally a blacksmith shop in the early 1900s. It has the feel of an old country barn — warm wooden walls and rafters surround the space, creating a homey atmosphere for its collection. Owner Debbie Hanshaw and her husband took a risk when they purchased the property in 2009, as its conditions were questionable. “Everyone was complaining about the conditions of the property, saying it flooded often, but I could tell that this building would be OK with a little work,” Hanshaw said. “We worked on it for three years. We discovered, after we started gutting the place, that it had been an old blacksmith shop years ago. We found this beam, which says ‘pay today, and trust tomorrow,’ which was from the original blacksmith shop.” She even uncovered the original bellows to the blacksmith shop out front after thoroughly cleaning out the space. “Little by little, we saw all these things, and we released that this building should not be torn down, but it should stay up and flourish,” Hanshaw said. “It took a lot of time and a lot of work, but I think it was worth it.” The Livery specializes in the sale of primitive and country antiques and collectibles, but also offers buyers a mix of both new and old products. Running an antique business “has to come from the heart,” Hanshaw said, and that sentiment can be felt when visiting Livery, which is open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hog-Creek Antiques — 10750 W Chicago Rd Standing at 23,000 square feet, Hog-Creek Antiques feels more like a well-organized retail-chain than an antique shop. The store is large, colorful, and clean. The spaces are open, and the store does not feel crowded, despite being packed with a selection of goods. When asked about the history of her business, owner Michelle Barrows said: “It’s a lot of learn as you go. It’s kind of like a gamble, you take a chance on things. You can go to auctions and estate sales and try to find things you can make a bit of money on. It doesn’t always happen, but the key is to have a variety of merchandise because you have a variety of shoppers.” Barrows and her husband, who was an aircraft mechanic, entered the antiquing business after 9/11, though Barrows has family ties to the industry. “I grew up with it,” Barrows said. “My parents were antique dealers. After 9/11 hit, the aircraft business went downhill, so we were looking into opening up a franchise of some sort. My husband is from Coldwater, and always wanted to move back home. Barrows and her husband designed the store specifically to function as an antique mall. The wide aisles, carpeted floors, and sections all streamlined for a positive shopping experience. Hog Creek was voted best antique shop by Hillsdale Daily News in 2015. Not only does Hog Creek offer a wide assortment of vintage pieces, oddities, and trinkets, it also features statement furniture pieces, exotic art, and lamps. Hog Creek is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and closed on major holidays. A Long Way Back — 162 W. Chicago Rd. A Long Way Back has yet to officially open, but this quaint shop already has charm and distinct character. The store is composed of a string of small rooms, which form a straight line to the back of the store. Each room has a theme and specific ambiance. The Headstroms, the store owners, have been the antiques business for 13 years, formerly running a store located in Shipshewana. They moved to the greater Hillsdale for a fresh start, after owner Debbie Headstrom’s mother passed away in 2013. “We were looking for a place we could call our own and have a retirement business, so when we found this location we thought it would be perfect, so here we are,” Debbie Headsxtrom said. This love for antiquing was fostered through antiquing with her mother and sisters, Headstrom said. “We are hoping that when people come in they feel really welcome and happy to be here,” she said. “If they just walk through and enjoy themselves and enjoy the atmosphere, I want it to be a fun day whether they find something that they buy something or not…I hope that every time someone comes back they will see something new and different and will want to come back again.” A Long Way Back will open on March 26, and plans to offer shoppers both a mix of vintage and modern goods, with a focus on women’s clothing items. “We are going to be carrying more new things, wine accessories, wine racks, and women’s clothing. We will be open Friday, Saturday Sunday and Monday, and closed during the winter months,” Headstrom said. A Long Way Back also plans to have wine tasting during spring and summer months after it opens in March. Allen Antique Mall — 9011 W Chicago Rd Another antique hot-spot is the Allen Antique mall, which was the first antique mall in the area and the largest. The mall is composed of two buildings and features a full-service restaurant on site. “Between the two of buildings we have over 100 dealers from five different state, with the huge variety of dealers that we have, we have everything, from primitive to furniture, from crafts, to candles,” store manager Jamie Cole said. Owner Bonnie Friend purchased the property around 15 years ago, after running the store’s neighboring restaurant. “My mom started off by buying the restaurant, but it was just a little ice cream shop before,” said Friend’s son Wesley Cook. “She bought it, put a grill in it, and expanded it, so now it’s a full service restaurant. The antique building was formerly owned by Mike Bud, then she purchased the building, and fixed it up to what it is now.” Friend built the second Antique Mall building in 1994. “Twenty some years ago, the hot spot used to be downtown, in what used be called the Green Top. Since then, a lot of people have passed away or retired, so it’s kind of a good thing the malls came to town,” Cook said. The Allen Antique Mall is open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on major holidays. The antique business, aside from being a highly personal trade, is a driving force behind commerce in rural Michigan, as they bring in buyers and travelers from around the country.

Young Daniel Wisner ’55 lived near a body shop, a truck garage, and a tool shop — the mentors for his invention of cruise control. Wisner stands here with his “Distinguished Alumnus” pin and tree plaque. Hillsdale College | Courtesy

FROM CRUISE B4 heard much from Wisner. The Hillsdale Collegian did check up on Wisner in their “Alumni Corner” column in May 1955: “Dan is at present attending electronic school at Fort Knox, Kentucky.” Equally terse newspaper clippings hinted at Wisner’s advanced training in electronics at IBM and his rise as an electronics engineer in companies like the National Cash Register Company and the Radio Corporation of America. But, as Wisner told it, the invention of cruise control, now a feature of every modern vehicle, is no big deal. “A company that made high-end cars came to RCA and asked if they were interested in working on cruise control,” Wisner said. “I had figured out a way to do that memory for cruise control cheap. It was a matter of a few days, and the cruise control was done.” But the simple genius of Wisner’s work took a while to catch on. In the late 1960s, the world of electronics rapidly evolved, and RCA hesitated to invest in an invention that they feared would soon be outdated. It took 20 years for Motorola to make an integrated circuit that used Wisner’s invention. “Now they’re in cars everywhere,” Wisner said. In 2005, after 50 years away from Hillsdale College, Wisner’s work quite literally brought his old classmates back together as they traveled to their class reunion. “When we went back for our 50th 10 years ago, we reconnected,” Miller said. “We talked about being in class together. Dan told me a lot about his work, how he developed cruise control. We learned more about him from the reunions than we ever knew in school.” For Wisner’s 50th class reunion, Hillsdale College’s Alumni Magazine published a paragraph recognizing the successes of the class of 1955, describing Wisner as the inventor of “that well-known automotive device, ‘cruise control.’” During homecoming weekend in October 2015, Hillsdale College recognizes Wisner with a “Distinguished Alumnus Award” at their 64th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet. That same weekend, Miller returned to his alma mater for the Tower Light literary publication’s 60th anniversary, and he and Wisner met again. The two remembered math classes from years ago, and Wisner looked to the future of his invention, which still evolves more than 40 years after Wisner filed its patent. “It’s not gonna go away,” Wisner said. “Google and Apple Inc. are working on driverless cars. They’re just adding features to what I did years ago.” But the key to Wisner’s forward-thinking invention lies in his past, in teachers who were willing to teach a hardworking boy everything they knew. “My Hillsdale College mentors had confidence in my success and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to achieve it,” Wisner said.

Hillsdale alumna runs for West Virginia Supreme Court By | Emma Vinton Assistant Editor Alumna Beth Walker ’87 came within sixth-tenths of 1 percent — 6,951 votes — of being elected to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2008. But in 2015, Walker decided she would run again for the upcoming May 10 election. “You can’t just sit on the sidelines and watch, you need to contribute something,” Walker said. “And that’s of course what running for office is.” Walker graduated from Hillsdale Summa Cum Laude, with a double major in English and Political Science, and a minor in History. Her parents also attended the College. She went on to law school at Ohio State University, from where she graduated in 1990, and has been practicing law in West Virginia ever since. Walker said that her Hillsdale education was ideal for entry to law school. “Hillsdale was the perfect education for critical thinking, the ability to write, and the ability to think about things at a deeper level,” she said. Walker works as a Legal employment lawyer for the West Virginia United Hospital System, which works with seven hospitals in the northern part of the state. Like her parents, Walker served on the Alumni Relations Board for two years as vice president. Director of Alumni Relations Grigor Hasted has known Walker for many years, even before she came to Hillsdale. “I find her to be a dedicated, hardworking, and honorable person,” Hasted said. “She is bright, quick on the uptake, and fair-minded in all of her dealings.”

Hasted also said that Walker was dedicated to her position on the Alumni Board and went to great personal expense to attend meetings. Walker is one of five other candidates running for the position of Supreme Court Justice. The justices hold the position for 12 years, with elections on a term cycle. Walker is running against incumbent Brent Benjamin, and, if elected, will begin her term on January 1, 2017. Starting this year, the West Virginia Legislature switched to non-partisan elections. This means that elections are held earlier, on the primary. Walker believes that this switch to non-partisan elections is more fair and will help keep politics out of the judicial system. “I was really concerned as a lawyer and as a person about the fairness in our courts and in the fact that judges put their personal beliefs or opinions above the law,” Walker said. “I don’t agree with that. I wanted to be someone who would follow the rule of law, and not legislate from the bench.” Walker’s Campaign Manager, Joe Reidy, said that Walker is the only true conservative in the race, and that she is dedicated to just laws over personal politics. “Beth is very skilled lawyer, much more so than she is a candidate,” Reidy said. “She believes strongly in the rule of law, which I can’t stress enough for this position, and for the West Virginia Supreme Court.” “She is the kind of person Hillsdale College should be very proud of, even for her accomplishments already,” Hasted said. “Ninety-three days til election,” Reidy said, “and still going strong.”

Hillsdale Alumna Beth Walker ’87 files her paperwork to become an official candidate to the West Virginia Secretary of State. Joe Reidy | Courtesy

B4 11 Feb. 2016

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A Civil War-era letter from the Fountain brothers, who were from South Eastern Michigan and fought in the war. The letters have been transcribed by the Hillsdale Historical Society. JoAnn Miller | Courtesy

Historical Society transcribes Civil War letters from local soldiers By | Thomas Novelly Assistant Editor On May 4, 1863, after three days of fighting in the fields of Virginia during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Corpral Hiram Fountain finally found a moment to write home to his family. Hiram Fountain wrote: “I am writing now from the Battle field I am yet unharmed. We have had 3 days fighting. None of importance going on today. This is all I have time to write now.” This week-long campaign during the Civil War left more than 30,000 American men dead, but Fountain, and his letter home, lived on. JoAnn Miller, a board member of the Hillsdale Historical Society, acquired and transcribed the personal correspondence of Hiram and his brother Jerome Fountain in late November of last year. Edward Pitchell, a distant relative of the Fountains, stumbled upon a shoebox containing numerous letters and receipts from the brothers. After he realized the brothers were from southern Michigan, he contacted Miller to see if she had any interest in having them. “I had to have them,” Miller said. “I love

history, and I have a very special affinity for the Civil War. I said yes immediately.” Miller sat down with the yellowed and worn parchment and began to transcribe the words and research the context for each letter. Miller said she worked tirelessly with the letters, something she described as a labor of love. “As soon as I got these letters, I put everything else on hold,” Miller said. “Everyday I spent three hours scanning sentences with a magnifying glass to identify faded words. Some of the words were completely worn, but I was able to eventually figure them out by context.” After several weeks, Miller had completely transcribed Hiram and Jerome Fountain’s numerous letters to their parents and friends back home. The finished letters were then posted to the Hillsdale Historical Society’s website as well as biographies of the brothers. After peering through the letters, Miller discovered that Hiram Fountain enlisted in Michigan’s Fourth Infantry, spending most of his service in Virginia protecting Washington D.C. from possible Confederate attack. Hiram Fountain wrote his parents frequently, the subject of his letter primarily usually detailed daily life in his unit. In one letter to his father, he details the

drunken celebrations of his comrades and celebrator horse races in camp during St. Patrick’s day. “One man ran his horse against a government wagon dislocating his shoulder,” Hiram Fountain wrote. “During to these accidents the performances were ended and the remainder of the day given to drinking and fighting. Many were drunken in the ditches and with their black eyes sneaking off to their quarters. I have no particular desire to see St. Patrick’s day celebrated again.” Due to family illnesses, Hiram Fountain’s parents did not respond frequently. He understood their situation and constantly prayed for their recovery, but he still longed to hear from them. “I will bring up now that I have not received a single thing from home in the shape of a letter in so long a time that I begin to feel quite contented without any,” Hiram Fountain wrote. “But you may write as often as you can.” Hiram Fountain died on July 2, 1863 on the second day of fighting at Gettysburg. His brother, Jerome Fountain, enlisted in the First U.S. Sharpshooters on August 26, 1861. He spent his service in Washington D.C., shortly before dying of malaria a year later. Jerome Fountain’s letters back home detailed life in his regiment, but most nota-

bly he often sent letters of life advice to his younger brother George Fountain. In one letter, Jerome Fountain urges his younger brother not to enlist and to keep an eye on his girl. “I hope that you will not be fool enough to enlist because we did,” Jerome Fountain wrote. “You had better stay at home and when you have the war fever, go up and see that pretty little black-eyed Susan instead.” Miller said that the details in the letters, especially the early death of Jerome Fountain, truly show the pain the Civil War caused the American people. “The history of our country is primarily one of wars,” Miller said. “The Civil War in particular was the most dreadful not in just what it did to our nation, but the great suffering it caused the families.” Miller said that transcribing the letters and working with a piece of history has been the most organic way for her to understand one of the most significant events in American history. “Holding these letters, especially one that was on the battlefield,” Miller said, “was like having a connection to the Civil War and what it truly meant for ordinary people.”

Hillsdale alumnus inventor of cruise control By |Hannah Niemeier Collegian Reporter When Hillsdale students crank up the radio and hit “cruise” to return to school, they benefit from the work of Daniel Wisner, a Hillsdale College alumnus whose invention of automatic cruise control smoothes the ride for road trippers and continues to pave the way for future research in automated driving technology. Daniel Wisner ’55 holds 15 patents in various fields of electronics, but his most well-known invention is the “Speed Control for Motor Vehicles,” also known as electronic cruise control, issued by the U.S. Patent Office in 1971. Wisner’s invention uses electric pulses to keep a vehicle moving at a constant speed, and to maintain that speed when the car goes up and down inclines. Wisner, a quiet man now in his 80s, is hard of hearing. His wife, Marilyn, repeated questions into his ear, and he responded in a measured, thoughtful voice. He has told this story before to college buddies and to organizers of Hillsdale College alumni reunions. It began in the 1940s in North Adams, Michigan, when young Wisner followed his cousin into a tool shop. The way he described it, Wisner’s childhood sounded almost idyllic, the perfect starting place for a serious, hardworking boy who dreamt of becoming a mechanic. “My next door neighbor had a body shop and a truck garage,” Wisner said. “A couple blocks over was a blacksmith’s shop. Across the street was a toolmaker.” Wisner credited his success in science to these handymen, mentors who taught him how to fix machines while most boys his age were playing baseball. “I worked with them side by side,” Wisner said. “They treated me like an adult. If you show you’re interested in what they’re

interested in, they’ll be happy to teach you what they know.” Wisner enrolled at Hillsdale College in 1951, planning to use his expertise with machines to become a mechanical engineer. In the 1950s, Hillsdale College boasted about 500 students, which meant that Wisner’s math and physics professors sometimes taught lessons in the student union over cups of coffee. Wisner’s physics professor, Jacob Olthoff, became a mentor much like the men who welcomed the inquisitive young boy into their workshops. Olthoff encouraged him to explore the exciting new field of electronics. Because Wisner had to pay for his education and support his mother at home, he treated college like a full-time job. He took his finals early and drove big rig trucks across the Midwest during breaks. Aside from joining the religious fraternity and the sociology club on campus, Wisner only knew other Hillsdale College students from classes. In a way, then, the hard work that helped Wisner excel in math and physics also make it difficult for his friends to share in his success, Wisner said. “This was so long ago,” Wisner said. “A lot of the people I worked with are long gone. But you can talk to my friend Fred Miller. He knows what I was really like in college.” Fred Miller ’55, an English major and former editor of The Hillsdale Collegian, took math classes with Wisner while courting his future wife, Carol, who graduated with a mathematics degree in 1956. “We didn’t see him that much,” Miller said. “My wife and I took a lot of math classes together, and Dan was in a couple of those. The difficulty is, Dan lived at home, not on campus. And he took his exams early so he could have more time to work.” For years after his graduation, no one at Hillsdale College

Daniel Wisner ’55, the inventor of cruise control, studied math and physics during his time at Hillsdale. Hillsdale College | Courtesy

SEE CRUISE B3

Anne Theobald Assistant Professor of French By | Madeline Fry

How would you describe your style? I would describe my style as classic, feminine, and a tiny bit whimsical.

also like Anthropologie, J.Crew, and small boutiques that have unique pieces. Whenever I’m in France, I look for one dress and/or one pair of shoes to bring back with me.

Has your fashion evolved recently? Not very much. I used to wear jeans on Fridays at my previous job because many of my colleagues taught in jeans every day. The colleagues and students at Hillsdale are more elegant. Now, I save my jeans for the weekend.

What are your fashion staples? Dresses, blazers, and boots.

Where do you like to shop for clothes? I love Nordstrom — free shipping and free returns! I

What is your favorite piece of clothing? A tweed J.Crew blazer with suede elbow pads. My mom bought it for me about 10 years ago when I was in grad school. She said she thought I should have it because it looked professorial. I don’t wear it often because I’m afraid to wear it out! I will keep it forever. Madeline Fry | Collegian

Who or what inspires your style? Alicia Florrick and Carrie Bradshaw.

madeline Fry| Collegian