2.9.17 Hillsdale Collegian

‘Closer than you imagine’ Design firm Arnett Muldrow and Associates rolls out new color scheme, logos, and a slogan focused on rebranding Hillsdale through the Rising Tide Initiative. A6

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Dreaming of dance Senior Angela Bonvissuto performed in “The Nutracker” with a professional ballet company as a child. B4

Orchestra takes D.C. Student musicians performed at the national CODA conference this weekend at George Mason University. B1

Vol. 140 Issue 17 - 9 February 2017

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Hillsdale alumni take over Trump’s administration Former students selected to serve as speechwriters, a legal counsel, and a department chief of staff By | Thomas Novelly Editor-in-Chief Hillsdale graduates are filing into key positions in the Trump administration, ranging from speechwriters to legal counsel.

“I admire them all,” Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn said. “These are fine jobs of high service for accomplished, experienced young people.”

At least four graduates have taken roles in the new administration. But with numerous Cabinet confirmations still unapproved, there are possibly more in the near future.

After Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ historic tie-breaking confirmation on Tuesday, Josh Venable, a graduate of the class of 2002, became the chief of staff for the Department of Education.

Venable was a politics major at Hillsdale and was heavily involved with politics as a student. According to an April 2001 issue of The Collegian, Venable was elected as a sophomore to serve as the co-chair of the the Michigan Federation of College Republicans. It was the first time that a Hillsdale student had ever held the title.

“Our main goal was to get one Hillsdale representative on

the board,” Venable said in the article. “I think it is important to increase involvement and focus our membership on focused message.”

Following his time at Hillsdale, Venable immersed himself in the Michigan Republican Party, serving as its deputy political director, director of strategic planning, finance director, operations director, and chief of staff. In 2011, he served as deputy finance director of the Republican National Committee.

“Josh was very interested in politics and impressed a lot of people in Michigan politics, including the DeVos family,” Professor of Politics Mickey Craig said of his former student. “Whatever he does, he does well.”

As reported in The Washington Post, Venable helped prepare DeVos for her Senate confirmation hearing in January, which many considered to be a public relations disaster.

Venable did not return request for comment.

But Venable wasn’t the only Hillsdale graduate appointed last week. David Morrell ’07 is serving as associate counsel to the president, a spokesperson from Arnn’s office confirmed.

David Morrell ’07 is associate counsel for President Donald Trump. LinkedIn

In an interview with The Collegian, Morrell said White House counsel Donald McGhan hired him to help identify people for legal jobs worthy of the administration’s agencies.

“It’s a real honor and privilege to serve in this capacity,” Morrell said. “Hillsdale really helped me create a disciplined way of looking through legal reasoning. You need to have a certain level of confidence to have a job like this, and Hillsdale helped create that.”

Morrell studied history at Hillsdale and served as president of the Student Federation.

After his senior year, Morrell

Arnn, Spalding to address CPAC By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, will speak on conservatism and the nation’s founding principles at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 22.

Arnn will be one of many influential conservative thinkers speaking at the annual conference. He is joining Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; Vice President Mike Pence; and many others over the course of three days.

Matthew Spalding, associate vice president and dean of educational programs at the Allan P. Kirby Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship, was also asked to speak at CPAC and will address the conference on Feb. 23. In 2013, Spalding participated in a CPAC panel discussion called “Can Social Conservatives and Libertarians Ever Get Along?”

Spalding said he received the invitation from the American Conservative Union to speak at the conference.

CPAC is the largest annual conservative conference. According to sophomore Kolbe Conger, an officer for Hillsdale College Republicans, it serves to rally conservatives across the nation and encourage them

to be vocal.

Hillsdale College Republicans takes students to the conference every year. Last year, 130 students attended the CPAC trip, making Hillsdale the largest organized group in attendance, according to junior Madeline Domalakes, acting president of College Republicans.

“We are thrilled he’s speaking,” Domalakes said. “We are very proud the president of Hillsdale will be following students to CPAC.” Arnn said he sees this as both a teaching and learning opportunity and hopes to highlight conservatism and its relationship to the principles of the country in his speech. He hopes those who attend CPAC and hear his speech will remember why they must restore the Constitution.

“One of the Constitution’s great features is that it understands that education and such things happen in the minds and hearts of those who want them, and they and those near them should control all such things, especially education,” Arnn said in an email.

Domalakes said she hopes Arnn will touch on what President Donald Trump’s administration can do to restore consti-

tutional principles.

“I hope he lays out a template for how this administration can follow the Constitution,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been missing for the past eight years.”

Domalakes said Arnn is the perfect voice to bring back true conservatism, since he’s one of the foremost intellectual minds in the conservative circle.

“Dr. Arnn will truly educate us on what the Constitution should look like in action,” she said.

Conger said Arnn’s speech will give legitimacy to the college and the mission of CPAC. “He will bring the academic and intellectual side of conservatism,” he said.

Arnn said he doesn’t believe his speech will bring the college more attention. Regardless, Domalakes and Conger said they believe Arnn is the perfect representative for the college and its mission.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Dr. Arnn showcase his wisdom on constitutionalism,” Conger said, “especially on how it relates to conservatism today.”

CPAC funding sliced by Student Fed vote, see A2

Seniors Lauren Renslow, Evyn Melanson, and Rosie Ellison wine and paint Wednesday at the Toasted Mud in downtown Hillsdale at an event sponsored by the Student Activities Board.

Morgan Channels | Collegian Follow @HDaleCollegian

attended Pepperdine University School of Law but was later accepted to Yale Law School, so he transferred. Later, Morrell clerked for Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

“David is an intelligent, thoughtful, and interesting young man,” said Mark Kalthoff, dean of faculty and professor of history. “We spent hours in conversation about history, theology, and other ideas. It was clear that when he went to law school that he was going to great things.”

In addition to Venable and Morrell, two other alumni have taken on a behind-the-scenes role in the administration.

Brittany Baldwin ’12 and Stephen Ford ’10 are serving as speechwriters for Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, respectively. They did not reply to requests for comment.

Baldwin majored in American studies and was actively involved in campus clubs and organizations. She was a sister in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, a George Washington Fellow, and the vice president of her graduating class.

“Brittany was an outstanding student,” Professor of Politics Kevin Portteus said. “She

Brittany Baldwin ’12 is a speechwriter for President Donald Trump. LinkedIn

was diligent, friendly, and had good character.”

Baldwin also wrote for The Collegian. In a November 2001 issue of the campus newspaper, Baldwin wrote an opinion piece titled “The Conservative Case for Lowering the Drinking Age.” “Many conservatives hoped that raising the drinking age to 21 would stabilize society again,” Baldwin said in the article. “Although this policy may have had conservative intentions, in reality, it prevents young adults from learning responsibility and delays adult-

hood in America.”

Before he was writing speeches for the vice president, Ford was actively involved in the Mu Alpha music fraternity as well as Hillsdale’s debate team.

A 2007 issue of The Collegian wrote a profile piece about Ford and how he spent one of his summers interning for the Rio Grande Foundation, a research institute for free-market principles in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“The amount of research that one will have to do for the think tank will be quite taxing,” Ford said in the article. “But I feel that this will be a great opportunity to write about something I love, to speak about something I love, and to come to a greater understanding of why I love them and want to pursue them as worthy goals.”

When asked if he was surprised about the numerous appointments and jobs take on by Hillsdale students, Morrell said he was proud but not surprised.

“Hillsdale students set themselves apart,” Morrell said.

“They’re imaginative, they’re good at writing, and they’re principled. That stands out in this administration.”

Grace DeSandro | Collegian

Enactus creating Uber for Hillsdale

Club plans to introduce app in next two weeks By | Jo Kroeker Opinions Editor About 91 percent of more than 500 students surveyed said they would use an Uberstyle service, the international business club Enactus discovered after polling campus Jan. 31.

Within the next two weeks, Enactus members said the club plans to introduce its ride-sharing service — operated by students for students — to campus with the launch of a Hillsdale-branded ride-sharing app. Nine members will take the test-run app’s results to the annual Enactus competition on March 27 in Chicago.

“This isn’t a profit-maker for us, for Enactus,” Co-President senior Tucker Phillips said.

“This is just a way that we are trying to reach out, help the school, help the community.”

Co-Presidents seniors Victoria Tran, Laura Crabtree and Phillips agreed the project will respond to problems in Hillsdale’s community the club wants to address: safety concerns and lack of student investments in Hillsdale businesses. It is the brainchild of members like Phillips, who said he remembered desperately needing a car a dozen times freshman year, and members who have worked for Uber be-

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fore.

“It’s a nice way for students to make money, get people to go out to local businesses and help their businesses,” Tran said.

In the past, Enactus has partnered with a local nonprofit bakery and spearheaded recycling initiatives. But this time, students adopted a more technological approach to solving a problem, one they hope will improve both the social welfare of the surrounding community and the students’ experiences, Phillips said.

“Students aren’t going to Hillsdale businesses much, but we want students to be investing in the community more than we are,” Phillips said. “A lot of freshmen don’t have cars; the survey showed that. This will give them a way to explore the city on their own time.”

Vice President for External Affairs Douglas Johnson, the club’s adviser, said he was impressed with the club’s ability to work quickly.

“Their initiative is fantastic,” he said.

Now that the survey has identified a real consumer need on campus, Johnson said it’s time to start fleshing out a detailed business plan that attends to pricing and costs for drivers for the upcoming competition. He said he views the

competition as an opportunity for students to first, meet students’ needs; second, learn how to put together business plans; and third, promote the college in front of big company names like Kraft and Wal-Mart.

“We want them to know it’s a calling card for the college,” Johnson said.

Pricing will align with Uber’s business model: Students will pay a minimum fee for each ride, with per-minute and per-mile premiums past two miles. When polled, students said the maximum they would pay for a zero to two mile ride ranged from 50 cents to $15 but averaged between $3 and $4. Customers will be able to pay through the app, Phillips said.

Of the respondents, 260 said they would be interested in being paid as a driver.

“That’s a huge chunk,” Phillips said. “Almost everyone agreed they would use the service. We have supply; we have demand.”

Enactus will demand a copy of each potential student driver’s license, insurance, proof of enrollment, and a reliable method of reaching the student.

“You’re trusting not just us but also Hillsdale College,” Phillips said.

See Enactus A2

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In brief: CPAC funding sliced by Student Fed vote SAB ice rink By | Emily Blatter Collegian Reporter

plan melting Student Activities Board’s ice rink is looking uncertain, said junior Branden Bisher, director of men’s health and residence life.

The rink depends on cold weather, and this week’s spell of warmer weather raises concerns about whether SAB’s ice rink can freeze solid.

“To be completely honest, it’s looking like it is probably not going to happen, but we haven’t made the decision for sure,” Bisher said. “It’s a huge bummer, because it was something the students would really utilize and a great way to get away from studies.”

The fire department filled in the rink with water last week.

This week’s weather break, however, turned the ground mushy, weakened the structure of the rink, and melted the ice. Air crept under the tarp, and the plastic ballooned up into bubbles.

The bubbles are an easy fix, Bisher said. SAB can pop them with a pin or fill over them. But for the ice to refreeze, there must be at least three consecutive days of cold weather.

“The weather looks like it is going to bounce up and down, which is really unfortunate, because the one thing you rely on the most for the rink is the thing you can’t control,” Bisher said. “It’s really disappointing.”

SAB is considering shutting down the rink or waiting a few weeks in the hopes of colder weather, Director of Student Affairs Anthony Manno said.

SAB hoped to operate the ice rink through February and into March, if possible, Bisher said. If the rink were to open, students could rent skates in the Grewcock Student Union.

If Michigan’s weather does not cooperate this year, however, SAB will try to reopen the rink next year, Bisher said.

“As long as weather cooperates, we definitely plan to do it next year,” Bisher said. “We still really love the idea, and we are definitely not giving up on it.”

Enactus from A1 Phillips said more people agreed to go longer distance than he had expected. Many students reported going to Jonesville and Wal-Mart once a week, and almost every respondent reported going to McDonald’s or El Cerrito’s once a week. The data shows most students will travel at least 20 miles to places like Michigan State University, the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, and Toledo, Ohio, over the course of the semester.

One obstacle the group of innovators faced was finding a coding-savvy student who could develop professional-looking phone applications and websites.

“The hardest part is definitely the coding,” Tran said.

“Hillsdale used to have a computer science program but not anymore, so there are not many people who know about coding.”

Enactus surmounted the blip by finding a third-party organization that will create a Hillsdale-branded taxi app, costing the club $440.

Eventually, the team said it foresees selling the business model to other small Michigan college towns — like Adrian, Coldwater, Jackson, and Kalamazoo — with similar demands for taxi services but lacking the size for Uber.

The enthusiastic responses from campus encouraged members like Phillips, who said he was pleasantly surprised so many students said they would use Enactus’ ride-sharing service.

“I was surprised overall with how positive it was, not because I don’t believe in it — I think it’s a great idea,” Phillips said. “I’m glad to see the campus is so positive about it.”

The College Republicans are working to salvage their annual trip to the Conservative Political Action Conference, after Student Federation approved only 80 percent of the funds needed to finance the trip.

Hillsdale College’s chapter of College Republicans asked Student Fed for $5,000 during the body’s Feb. 2 meeting, planning to take 55 students to CPAC in Washington, D.C., from Feb. 22-25. But Student Fed unanimously approved only $4,000 for the trip, throwing the College Republicans into a panic over the $1,000 deficit.

“This is a $19,749 trip,” College Republicans acting President junior Madeline Domalakes told Student Fed. “We cannot do this without you.

That’s just the bottom line.”

College Republican officers said Tuesday that they were optimistic the trip would still happen but did not provide a statement.

According to the College Republicans’ proposal to Student Fed, each person going on the trip would have to pay $218 to attend. But when College Republicans officers obtained a 10 percent discount on the students’ ticket fees, they reduced the cost of attendance to $205 to make it more manageable for students, Domalakes said.

But some Student Fed representatives argued that if the original ticket price stood, the group could get by with only $4,000.

“That $13 decrease probably amounts to about $1,000 in cost,” Student Fed Junior Rep. Brendan Noble said to the College Republicans officers.

“You’re passing that cost onto Student Fed.” The College Republicans

Hillsdale College Repubicalsn acting President junior Madeline Domalakes and Director of Events junior Peyton Bowen present their club’s request of $5,000 before the Student Federation. Representatives only approved $4,000 to fund the group’s trip to the Conservative Political Action Conference at the end of the month. Emily Blatter | Collegian

have fundraised for months, College Republicans Director of Events junior Peyton Bowen said, but many of its usual sponsors have been unable to help this year.

“We have tried to reach out in many, many other ways,” she said. “We had all of our board members write letters to their congressmen. We reached out to an independent law firm that offered to help us raise a little bit of money.”

Last year, the group requested $7,000 from Student Fed, which funded it in full. The amount participants have paid to attend has increased over recent years. Each person paid only $50 in 2015, while last year the trip cost $135. This year, the price is $218, after Student Fed partially approved the club’s re-

quest.

The College Republicans decreased the number of students they are taking, as well. While 165 students attended the trip last year, the the group can only afford to take 55 this year.

Student Fed representatives said the lower attendance factored into their decision to approve less money, as the reduced attendance increases the cost per person from $42 last year to $92 this year.

“I believe that the cost per student is an issue,” Student Fed Freshman Rep. Matthew Montgomery said. “Last year, when they brought 165 people for $7,000, that was impressive and actually a pretty good cost.

But I believe that bringing 55 people in one coach bus for $5,000 is a bit too much to put

on the Student Federation’s shoulders.”

Student Fed encouraged the club to increase the price of attendance to the original $218 per person, generating an additional $715 toward the trip and reducing the cost per student to $73.

Members of Student Fed expressed their support for the CPAC trip, despite their decision not to grant it the full amount requested.

“I’m very impressed by the amount of work you guys have put in for this, and I think that we definitely need to make sure that these guys go to CPAC,” Noble said. “But I think we need to make sure that the extra costs are not put on S.F.’s shoulders.”

Winona increases staff, as participation rises Last year, the yearbook sold more than 200 copies to non-seniors, 52 to the administration, and, per usual, a free copy for every senior. This year, however, may see a sizable increase in yearbook participation because of the efforts of its new staff.

Junior Anna Eby has taken the helm of the Winona yearbook from Meg Prom ’16 and now manages a staff of 14.

More than 300 students had their portraits taken, and 115 pre-ordered copies in the fall.

“We had more people show up to portrait day in one semester than all last year,” faculty adviser Maria Servold said.

Eby estimated 380 people had their portraits taken for last year’s yearbook, while 335 have already taken photos this year, and the second photo day is on Monday.

The yearbook staff doubled this year, requiring an additional $1,500 in funding, doubling the staff ’s salary budget and bringing its total use of student fees to $25,000. This takes almost $17 from each student’s $426 allotment per semester to “general fees” listed in the college’s handbook. The fees pay for the yearbook, Collegian newspaper, Tower Light literary magazine, admission to athletic events, health service, graduation cap and gown, and

How to: Advertise with The Collegian

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ID card.

Dean of Women Diane Philipp, vice president of student affairs, said the yearbook was once ordered for every student, but too many books were left untouched.

“Not everyone was picking them up,” she said. “We’d order enough yearbooks for every single student, and we’d have 400 left in boxes. They’re very expensive.”

Each yearbook costs $42 to print and deliver to students, but non-seniors can buy them for $5 after student fees. Faculty and staff members pay $50 per book. Mossey Library and the external affairs office each receive a free copy.

Instead of the publication’s editor, Servold had to request funding from the Student Federation last year, because the editor-in-chief position lay vacant after Prom graduated. This year, participation in the new yearbook class has been good.

Servold praised the staff ’s efforts to design and promote the yearbook, as well.

“It’s a huge challenge in this day and age to make people care about the yearbook because of Facebook,” she said.

The new staff has taken this challenge head on, reaching out online to students through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, and students can now share photos to the staff using the mobile phone app Balfour Image Share. Balfour is the yearbook’s publisher. Eby

said students can type “Hillsdale College,” enter the code 706657, and send pictures to the yearbook.

The staff has already laid out some of the first pages and is prepared to print draft copies, Eby said. There’s only one catch.

“We’re still waiting for pictures for a lot of them,” Eby said. “We still do have photographers, but it’s really hard to make sure somebody is going to every single thing.”

Last year the yearbook had an issue with photos appearing under the wrong titles. Eby explained this was because the photos weren’t linked in the files correctly, but the staff plans to avoid the issue by printing out drafts of the pages and using the additional sets of eyes in the office, she said.

Nearly a decade ago, Student Fed decided to have students pay for the postage of the books. This is now the $5 holding charge that all students pays to receive their yearbook order. The end-of-year inventory is only half a box now.

Philipp noted the yearbook held great value with people interested in the school’s past, especially students of alumni who visited her office.

“It’s a pictorial history,” she said.

Students can get their portraits taken and pre-order yearbooks on Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Grewcock Student Union.

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Betsy DeVos, a billionaire education philanthropist with ties to Hillsdale College, was appointed secretary of education Tuesday, after Vice President Mike Pence broke a tie in the Senate.

“I think it is obvious what the vote means: Things are very partisan in Washington,” President Larry Arnn said in an email.

DeVos’ approval was the first time in history the vice president decided a Cabinet member’s appointment.

In November, sources confirmed to The Collegian that Arnn was among the candidates for education secretary.

“I do not know if I would have been more or less controversial,” Arnn said. “Mother Theresa would be less controversial, but in this atmosphere, she would have to be careful what she said.”

DeVos has numerous connections to Hillsdale. Most notably, Richard DeVos, Betsy DeVos’ father-in-law, co-founded Amway with Jay Van Andel. In 2013, Hillsdale named its graduate school after Van Andel’s son, Steve ’78, after he donated to graduate school scholarships and operations.

Professor of Politics Thomas West said Trump’s appointment fulfill his inauguration promise of giving power back to the people.

“The politicians are reacting in a predictable way,” West said. “This is the reality of the Trump phenomenon. It’s a fight against the establishment.”

Students bond in the Battle of Chemistry Clubs By | Kristiana Mork Collegian Reporter

By | Joe Pappalardo Video Editor

Arnn reacts to historic DeVos appointment By | Thomas Novelly Editor-in-Chief

Grace DeSandro | Collegian

By | Julie Havlak Collegian Reporter

A2 9 Feb. 2017

Members of Hillsdale College’s American Chemistry Society united to compete against other chemistry clubs Jan. 28 in the 10th annual Battle of the Chemistry Clubs.

Held at Michigan State University, the annual competition pits chemistry clubs from Michigan schools — including Hillsdale, University of Michigan – Flint, Wayne State University, Adrian College, and others — against each other.

Although the nine Hillsdale students who attended did not qualify for the final playoffs, the team members said they enjoyed spending time together learning about chemistry.

Four team members competed in each of the five events, starting with Running on Shrooms, a relay race where competitors dressed in lab gear, ran to the end of a hall, and answered a lab safety question. Hillsdale placed second in their group for the relay.

Hillsdale also placed first in Chemistry Pictionary, a chemistry drawing game; second in Pinning the Periodic Table, where students identified elements based on etymological clues; and second in Survey Says, a “Family Feud” chemistry trivia game.

Scores from the first four events then determined how quickly teams could start in the

first playoff event, It’s All About that Base. Hillsdale started at a four-minute disadvantage going into the competition, a titration where competitors determined a concentration of acid by neutralizing the acid with a known base concentration, senior Sheldon Saccoman said.

Speed, accuracy, and precision determined the titration victor, ACS Secretary junior Andrea Lee said.

“We finished first, and we had great precision, but the accuracy was off,” Lee said. “In years past, time mattered more than precision or accuracy, but this year the reverse was true.

So we didn’t end up moving on to the finals.”

Nevertheless, the students said they enjoyed working together and sharing jokes. “[Senior] Kyle Shillingstad had a cheesehead, because he’s from Wisconsin,” sophomore Christine Ausherman said.

“Someone wore it during every event. It made us distinguishable. Everyone knows who we were or at least recognized the cheesehead. It became part of Hillsdale College.”

But the cheesehead was only part of what made the competition fun, Ausherman said.

“It was mostly upperclassmen, and I knew a few of them, but many of the others I didn’t know as well,” Ausherman said.

“It was really great getting to know the other members.”

Hillsdale College’s chapter of the American Chemical Society participated in the Battle of the Chemistry Clubs at Michigan State University Jan. 28. Christine Ausherman | Courtesy

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News In brief: Burke resigning as Dow Hotel humanities dean to to finish renovations focus on teaching

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A3 9 Feb. 2017

By | Scott McClallen Collegian Reporter

By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor

The 2016-2017 academic year Collegiate Scholars visit the home of Russell Kirk, conservative political theorist, and former Hillsdale College history professor, and meet with Kirk’s wife, Annette, in Mecosta, Michigan. Morgan Brownfield | Courtesy

Collegiate Scholars program thrives after rebranding By | Kristiana Mork Collegian Reporter Hillsdale College’s one-yearold Collegiate Scholars Program is seeking applicants for its second class of students.

The program, formerly known as the Hillsdale Honors Program, offers seminars, campus lectures and discussions, retreats, trips abroad, and a senior thesis opportunity to accepted students. The program received a makeover in March 2016, changing its name, admissions policies, and academic requirements but retaining its purpose: to enrich students’ academic experience.

“The program is ideal for anyone who wishes to dig more deeply into the kinds of readings, ideas, and problems exemplified in the college’s core curriculum,” Program Director and Assistant Professor of Classical Studies Eric Hutchinson said. “In joining the program, you will be joining a group of highly motivated, inquisitive students and ongoing dialogue about the arts and sciences in the Western tradition.”

Unlike the Honors Program — which invited incoming freshmen to apply based on their standardized test scores, their resume, and three essays — the Collegiate Scholars Program considers students’ performance during their first two semesters at Hillsdale before admitting them.

As a result of waiting to admit freshmen, the Collegiate Scholars Program eliminated honors coursework. Formerly, honors students took honors sections of the Western and American heritages, Great Books I and II, and the U.S. Constitution.

Nevertheless, Collegiate Scholars Co-President junior Noah Weinrich said the program’s emphasis on learning, growth, and interdisciplinary study has remained strong.

“Freshmen should know that the program is not some massive time sink but is something that has really affected the course of study for many Collegiate Scholars,” Weinrich said. “We are a community above all else, and that is more important than the events and the seminars we sign up for. It has probably been the best use of my time at Hillsdale.”

The honors classwork had developed a close-knit community that defined the Honors Program, junior Anna Meckel said, expressing concerns that those bonds are weakening.

“Honors upperclassmen befriended me, offered advice, and passed down traditions and legends from previous years in the program,” Meckel said. “I took my core humanities classes with the same group of 30 honors students.

Spending two years studying great books and heritage with a cohort of fellow students was

an incredible opportunity and a great bonding experience.”

Senior Luke Zahari, former co-president of the Honors Program, agreed: “Our discussions went a little differently than a normal class of students, because we knew each other so well. We knew what everyone else was thinking whenever any issue came up in class.”

Sophomore Co-President Gill West, however, said the program provides him with the opportunity to get out of the busy schedule of a college student and focus on conversations within a serious intellectual community.

“I have a very strong group of friends within the program,” West said. “I have met some of the most thoughtful, serious, and intelligent people within this group, which makes me all the happier that I applied.”

Although West said it might be nice to take three-credit classes with his colleagues, he said he likes the freedom of planning his own schedule and thought that the Collegiate Scholars seminars provide the group with plenty of classes together.

Interested students with a GPA of 3.4 or higher may apply to Collegiate Scholars by submitting a resume, three faculty recommendations, and an essay answering the application’s question to Hutchinson by March 20.

Book clubs take discussion outside the classroom By | Kristiana Mork Collegian Reporter Conservatism, life, faith, and culture are but a few of the topics under discussion at this semester’s crop of campus book clubs.

The Lyceum, Symposium, Faith and Works, and Students for Middle Eastern Discourse book clubs are all back this semester offering an assortment of reading and discussion options for students.

Book clubs are about bringing discussions outside the classroom, said sophomore Sammy Roberts, leader of the Lyceum’s freshman book club.

Some people want to shut the door on their classwork, but students should fight to pursue truth both inside and outside of class, Roberts said.

“I was kind of hesitant to join the Lyceum book club, because I thought I was doing enough reading already with Heritage and Great Books classes,” Roberts said. “But once I got in there, it was so much fun. Usually someone brings baked bread or jam or something like that, and instead of being forced to have a discussion like in a classroom, we really enjoyed discussing the text.”

Roberts said he joined the Lyceum’s freshman book club during spring 2016 and read “The Intellectual Life”

by French Dominican monk Antonin Sertillanges. Roberts

5

things to know from this week

-Compiled by Jordyn Pair

then became a Lyceum board member and now assists with this year’s book club.

“We talked about getting a different book for the freshmen,” Roberts said. “But the ‘Intellectual Life’ is a really good introduction because it talks about what we’re doing here at Hillsdale.”

The Lyceum also offers a book club for upperclassmen.

This semester, the club is reading “Festivity” by Joseph Weaver.

After a semester-long hiatus, the Symposium book club is back to discuss Walker Percy’s “Lost in the Cosmos,” a self-help parody about finding oneself in a seemingly meaningless modern world, book club leader sophomore Nic Rowan said.

“The Symposium is interested in exploring intellectual conservatism, which means reading outside the traditional curriculum,” Rowan said. “We look at more modern conservatives like Alasdair MacIntyre or Patrick Deneen.”

For those looking for more ways to work their faith into

“It talks about what we’re doing here at Hillsdale.”

their everyday lives, The Faith & Works Project is diving into “For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty”

by Anne Bradley and Arthur Lindsley.

“The book this semester tries to answer the question of what role Christians play in alleviating poverty by combining exegesis with economic principles,” sophomore co-leader Anna Perry said.

Perry said the Institute of Faith, Work, and Economics recommends the book and provides the group with study guides to further discourse.

Additionally, for those interested in Israel or Middle Eastern affairs, the Middle Eastern club is reading “Israel: a Concise History of a Nation Reborn” by Daniel Gordis.

The club’s president, junior Hannah Brewer, said the book club is meant to inform those interested in the Middle East and also to provide an outlet whereby Hillsdale students who visited Israel through the Passages trip to the Holy Land can stay engaged in Middle Eastern affairs.

Associate Professor of English, Justin Jackson, is also holding a book club this semester on Athanasius’ “On the Incarnation,” a book C.S. Lewis called “a picture of the Tree of Life.” The club takes place on Fridays from 12-1 p.m. in the Delp Hall Ground Floor Conference Room.

Public Domain

Tornadoes cause state of emergency in Louisiana Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Tuesday, after seven tornadoes tore through the New Orleans area. No deaths have been reported, though 25 people were treated for injuries. Edwards dispatched the National Guard to help.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren silenced by the Senate Sen. Elizabeth Warren was prohibited from speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, after she read from a 30-year-old letter from Coretta Scott King about attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions. Warren was warned and then ultimately silenced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Professor of Religion Tom Burke is resigning as the dean of humanities at the end of the semester, after 27 years of leadership and service.

Burke said he is choosing to step down as the divisional chair, because of the growing responsibility that the position includes. His love of teaching led him to set aside the administrative responsibilities that accompany the position, he said.

“The college is growing in size,” Burke said. ‘The given responsibility of the provost office is becoming more overwhelming, so the deans will be given more administrative responsibilities rather than teaching opportunities, How do I want to spend my last five to 10 years here? There’s really no choice.”

Provost David Whalen said Burke will continue to serve as chairman of the philosophy and religion department and as a full-time member of the faculty.

As the dean of humanities, Burke oversees 10 academic departments, including English, classical studies, modern languages, journalism, art, music, theater, rhetoric and public address, and religion and philosophy. This involves evaluating faculty members on a regular basis, leading the hiring process in each department, and acting as a liaison between the faculty and the administration.

The job is a way of making sure everything was done right, Burke said.

“At the time I entered, it was a matter of just doing your job,” he said.

When Burke accepted the position in 1990, however, he never anticipated the drastic changes that the college would undergo over the next couple of decades, he said. Burke said it’s hard to imagine what the college was like before.

“The improvements have been dramatic in every way,” Burke said. “The student body is much better academically — almost every student is now at a higher level, rather than just a handful,” Burke said.

The faculty has also seen improvements, according to Burke, tripling in size in more than four departments.

Burke attributed these improvements to the quality of education the college began to emphasize and the faculty members that made that possible.

“The college, academically, is what they wanted it to be when I first came here,” Burke

said.

Burke had a hand in many of these improvements, specifically in the hiring process.

Whalen estimated that around 37 percent of the college’s hires occurred under Burke’s supervision.

“His intelligence, wit, and obvious good character have helped draw many to the college, and many of us remember our interviews with him as important elements in our deepening desire to join the Hillsdale College faculty,” Whalen said in a statement.

Professor of Philosophy Jim Stephens said Burke encourages the faculty to make the college outstanding.

“He has the good of the college, the good of the humanities, and the good of each department very much on his mind,” Stephens said.

Stephens said he believes the growth of the college is, in part, a testimony to Burke’s servant-minded leadership.

His willingness to listen, encourage, and support has been integral to the success of the college, Stephens said.

“The most important thing of all is that he is a very caring man who supports, individually, all the faculty,” he said.

Both Whalen and Stephens attested to Burke’s humble yet effective leadership and his ability to manage relationships in such a way that allows them to thrive.

“He possesses that all-toorare ability to refrain from managing what does not need managing,” Whalen said in an email.

Burke’s own philosophy is that if someone in a leadership position treats others with respect, that person will be successful.

“One of the things I’ve learned is that if someone is working in academe, it’s because they want to be here. So, if you leave them alone, they’ll thrive,” Burke said. “Treating people like responsible human beings goes well. If you do that, by and large things will go pretty well.”

Although Burke’s leadership and dedication to the faculty will be missed, his colleagues said, Burke said he looks forward to spending time focusing on scholarship. He said he plans on taking a sabbatical next year to focus on reading focused on theological philosophy, particularly regarding the trinity and the incarnation.

“Personally and professionally,” Whalen said in an email, “I am grateful to Dr. Burke and consider him one of the great blessings given to Hillsdale College.”

Religion and Philosophy chairman Thomas Burke is resigning as the dean of humanities, after serving for 27 years in the role.

Hannah Kwapisz | Collegian

Hillsdale College’s Dow Hotel is undergoing renovations scheduled for completion by August to replace worn interior and outdated rooms.

With 12 of 36 rooms completed, renovations on the hotel are under way, as the college updates them six rooms at a time. The final renovations on the first floor will begin on Feb. 16.

“The goal is for the Dow is to reflect the college’s principles,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said. “Hillsdale attracts around 10,000 visitors each year, and we want to give them the best destination possible.”

AM/PM Builders is completing the Dow renovations, along with interior design help from Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell and Penny Arnn, wife of President Larry Arnn.

“We wanted to provide a warm and welcome hotel for guests traveling from across the country,” Dell said.

“I would describe the renovations as classic and clean, where traditional meets modern flair.”

Room renovations include new carpet, mattresses, and showers. The college is also replacing some of the Dow’s wallpaper and hallway lighting.

Dell said she used her undergraduate art experience to pick hand-designed desks, dressers, and headboards for the hotel.

“It was another way I could serve the college while utilizing my Hillsdale art experience, so it really was a winwin,” Dell said.

Hillsdale College is giving the Dow Hotel’s rooms a clean makeover.

Teresa Heckenlively | Courtesy

Super Bowl ad part of extended campaign By | Breana Noble News Editor Those watching the Super Bowl Sunday on Fox 47 likely saw some familiar scenes on the TV. Hillsdale College’s “Freedom” commercial appeared before and after the Super Bowl as a part of the college’s renewed ad campaign. Hillsdale extended the campaign for the beginning of 2017, Director of Marketing Bill Gray said.

The TV spot made its debut in September, and the national television campaign lasted through December.

The ad during the Super Bowl attracted some attention on social media, drawing comments on the Vanished Hillsdale Facebook page.

“Wow! Hillsdale College, always forward thinking and out in front,” Dutch Van Fleet ’73 said in a comment. “Well done to all.”

Test your trivia knowledge Thursday By | Tim Pearce Assistant Editor Student Activities Board is holding its first-ever trivia night at El Cerrito’s Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight.

SAB is providing $200 worth of quesadillas and tacos for all

Gov. Rick Snyder requests $50 million for Flint Gov. Rick Snyder requested an additional $48.8 million in state aid for the ongoing Flint crisis Wednesday. The aid would help pay for water filter cartridges, technical assistance, early childhood services, school nurses, and food assistance. It would bring state aid to $300 million.

Hillsdale College students who attend, whether they come as competitors or spectators.

SAB Event Coordinator senior Shelby Phillips said the night will consist of four relaxed rounds of bar trivia, a bonus round, and a tiebreaker round, if needed. The trivia Grand Rapids ranked 19th best place to live Grand Rapids, Michigan, was ranked No. 19 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of “100 Best Places to Live in America.” The publication said the city showed Midwest friendliness of a small town, despite being the second largest metro area in the state.

champions will split a Mexican-themed gift basket and a $30 gift card to El Cerrito’s.

SAB reserved the restaurant’s newly renovated space, after moving the event from the Broad Street Underground when it closed Jan. 29.

New Jersey proposes to ban cat declawing Soon, New Jersey residents may not be able to declaw their cats, thanks to a proposed bill that would make the state the first to ban the practice. The law would have provisions for declawing for medical purposes only. The American Veterinary Medical Association doesn’t support it.

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Lift your noses from your books and take the tinsel down Newsroom: (517) 607-2897 Advertising: (517) 607-2684

Online: www.hillsdalecollegian.com Editor in Chief | Thomas Novelly Associate Editor | Kate Patrick News Editor | Breana Noble City News Editor | Philip H. DeVoe Opinions Editor | JoAnna Kroeker | Anders Hagstrom Sports Editor | Jessie Fox Culture Editor | Hannah Niemeier Features Editor | S.M. Chavey Design Editor | Grace DeSandro Web Editor | Evan Carter Photo Editor | Madeline Barry Senior Writers | Andrew Egger | Nathanael Meadowcroft | Ramona Tausz Circulation Managers | Conor Woodfin | Finn Cleary Ad Managers | Adam Stathakis | Aidan Donovan Assistant Editors | Stevan Bennett, Jr. | Jordyn Pair | Joe Pappalardo | Josh Paladino | Katie Scheu | Tim Pearce | Brendan Clarey | Madeline Jepsen | Michael Lucchese | Kaylee McGhee Photographers | Ben Block | Catherine Howard | Emilia Heider | Jordyn Pair | Luke Robson | Andrea Lee | Lauren Schlientz | Madeline Fry | Nicole Ault | Nina Hufford | Rachael Reynolds | Sarah Borger | Zane Miller | Hannah Kwapisz | Sarah Reinsel Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Letters should be 450 words or less and include your name and number. Send submissions to jkroeker@hillsdale.edu before Saturday at 3 p.m.

Editor's note: The article previously titled "City of Hillsdale set to go bankrupt in 2020" is incorrect.

There was an innacurate representation of facts in the article and it was retitled "City’s general fund balance set to bottom out by 2020" to more accurately reflect the story. The city of Hillsdale is not going bankrupt.

Just call them ‘Scouts’: BSA decision is a half-measure By | Joe Pappalardo Video Editor

adults who are fully aware of their decisions, but children who aren’t even old enough to apply for jobs. By the time scouts are developing into men and coming to grips with their sexuality, they’ve almost aged out of the program. Gender dysphoria is not the same.

A 2014 Hastings Research Center study showed that most children with gender dysphoria outgrow it and become homosexual adults, with a minority living as straight adults. The rapid normalization of child gender dysphoria has created more pressure for nonconforming children to continue their gender transition into adulthood.

This decision was a step in the wrong direction, but it hardly warrants the celebration that has followed. Opening the BSA to transgender scouts instead of making it a coed scouting movement only reinforces gender stereotypes and tells girls that the toys they play with, the clothes they wear, even the colors they like, could impact how they live the rest of their lives. The BSA’s new policy encourages parents to determine their children’s gender identities before they even reach puberty.

The reaction to this decision has been exaggerated on both sides.

Supporters are hailing it as an amazing step forward even though it only affects a tiny portion of grade school children. Outrage from opposition is just as ridiculous because so few are affected.

If this was an attempt to be more inclusive, it has simply exacerbated the issue of childhood gender dysphoria. If this was an attempt to increase numbers, the disgusted withdrawal of many scouters will easily offset the small number of transgender boys who join the Boy Scouts. Had the BSA really wanted to be progressive and overcome its membership struggle, it would have created an adapted version of its program for girls instead.

The Boy Scouts of America are struggling. Since 1999, scouting membership has decreased by over a third, or one million boys. Founded in 1910, the program peaked in 1970 with 4.6 million members. This year over 2 million American boys between the ages of seven to 17 participate in scouting. Boys have lost interest in scouting and the program needs to rebrand itself to grow. This was not solved when on Jan. 30, 2017, the BSA voted to end its ban on girls who identified as boys. In fact, it is ridiculous, even from a conservative perspective, that the organization saw fit to include transgender children but not girls.

These membership numbers are important when the organization’s inclusiveness is questioned.

It is clear there needs to be a change in how the program markets itself.

Maybe it needs to expand its parameters for membership.

Or perhaps the American population no longer perceives scouting to be as valuable as it did in 1970.

Whatever the reason, scouting is not mounting a comeback, and its most recent policy change isn’t going to affect it one way or the other. The BSA did not implode when it finally acknowledged the existence of homosexual scouts in 2014. It did not collapse when openly gay leaders were allowed shortly after. It seems ridiculous that sexual orientation would even be a topic of conversation in an organization that focuses its efforts on children. It is a shame these decisions were not made earlier, but it is also sad to see no net positive change in the group’s membership.

While it was ridiculous that gay scouts were suppressed, it is just as absurd that the BSA would admit transgender children.

Anyone 14 and older, of any gender or sexual orientation, can participate in Venturing, scouting’s underappreciated co-ed program, along with Sea Scouts and a variety of Mr. Pappalardo is a camp staff opportunities. junior studying marketing These potential management. transgender members aren’t

The opinion of the Collegian editorial staff

“‘’Twas the night before Valentine’s Day, and all through the dorms, Not a student was stirring, except to study the Forms.”

Sound jarring? A bit out of place?

As odd as it sounds, this poem was inspired by the decorations around campus, and it is dedicated to the dear Hillsdalians who really do have their noses in the books — enough that they seem not to have noticed the Christmas decorations still gracing the doorframes of their classroom

buildings.

Before we study right through Valentine’s Day and rush into Lent without a second glance, let’s take a moment to recognize that though we love to celebration the Reason for the Season, we have to acknowledge — as every Western Heritage student must someday do — that the past is the past.

And as we say goodbye — albeit two months late — to the sparkly trappings of a season that means much more than the decorations, we can

take a moment to engage in other meaningful days and seasons that may fly right over our bookworms’ heads as well.

When we descend the lofty heights of Kendall and Lane halls, we should be aware of much more than just our physical surroundings; there are real friendships and intellectual loves to cultivate. There are arguments to be had about the worth of another upcoming holiday with its own noxious red decorations. But, once we descend to Earth long enough to realize that Christmas is

actually over, we can realize another advantage of living in a place where people sometimes get lost in the clouds of studies and crazy schedules: History has a lot to say about the love St. Valentine showed the people around him. And he showed it in ways more real than philosophical, more charitable than merely celebratory.

We’ll miss the Christmas cheer, too. But let’s put off the outward trappings and cultivate a love for learning that is more real than the decorations and abstract discussions.

Ideology blocked real conversation between NYT, Hillsdale By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter As someone who came to Hillsdale College unaware of the school’s conservative leanings, I was at first shocked to see Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher monumentalized on the quad.

The New York Times reporter Erik Eckholm told me he felt the same way the night before he left Hillsdale.

Eckholm said this as he sat in the upstairs apartment of my house. I had invited him over via Twitter. He said he liked music, so I threw a Modern Baseball album on the turntable. A friend who was 21 bought a six pack of Bell’s White Winter Ale for himself and the reporter. We talked.

Eckholm told us that he had been sent to Hillsdale after the Trump election to find out why seven professors at a small Midwestern college would be listed as part of Donald Trump’s intellectual squad. When he arrived and sat in on some of the classes, he saw that rumors he had heard about Hillsdale as a Trump-haven or a GOP training school were not true.

My friend and I asked what

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,

Last week, Luke Robson submitted an opinion claiming that television, material reductionism, and "the miasma of science and realism" spawned social pressures on children not to play make-believe or engage in fantasy. These pressures, he alleged, cripple children's ability to separate fantasy and reality as adults, leading to a delusional generation. However, how he came to this argument is more insightful on delusion than his argument itself.

Apart from television taking time away from children’s make-believe, none of what he is saying is “obvious” enough to be accepted without proof.

would be in his piece: Would he skewer the college for not taking federal funds? Was he going to make a big deal out of our lack of LGBT initiatives? Did Dr. Arnn ask him about the Good?

Like a good reporter, Eckholm did not really answer our questions. He only said he liked our school, our commitment to the classics, and that most of the students around here are courteous and well-dressed.

He didn’t like that we don’t participate in affirmative action, and he seemed unsure about the success of the college’s charter school initiative.

But that was then. The article is published now, read and overanalyzed by nearly everyone on campus. Though it sets up a tension between the school’s commitment to freedom and the skin- color of the people it regularly admits, that’s a cute and classic Times criticism. Neiman Marcus-clad liberals pitch that puke onto the page every day.

The real story came only after the Times published Eckholm’s article. Some people here were upset the article mentioned “the gay thing.” Others were pleased the Times recognized our school with a feature-length article.

Read the story however you wish — it doesn’t really matter.

The Times found a liberal arts college, sent a reporter to talk to people, and then somewhere in the editing process, lost any meaning in the piece to the world of ideology.

And it’s not just the Times that does this. It’s us, too.

Someone posts a Townhall article about sexual conduct on Facebook and then everyone’s a pundit unwilling to engage in meaningful debate. Charity and community give way to pride and arrogance.

We’re lucky the Times can’t see past the Staten Island Ferry.

We’re fortunate that it’s Black History Month — a great news hook for the non-affirmativeaction college about to get a Frederick Douglass statue!

If the Times weren’t so obsessed with its own world view, it could have written some terrible — and true — things about Hillsdale.

Consider this headline: Hillsdale, a school that celebrates the legacy of Ronald Reagan, the man who rose from the racist ashes of the Barry Goldwater campaign and defeated Russian communism, but whose successors failed to instill his

ethic in the hearts of Americans.

We’re lucky the Times doesn’t know enough about William F. Buckley to realize that “progeny of Buckley” may not be the compliment they thought it was.

If they knew that Buckley was disappointed in his progenies, we could have been stuck with this headline: Bill Buckley said conservatism peaked in 1980. In the minds of Hillsdalians, 1980 is just around the bend.

We could talk and spit until we get lockjaw, but unless we give up our ideologies, nothing will change. The New York Times is liberal organization focused solely on gender, race, and identity. Hillsdale College is a conservative organization stuck on a set principles that — while mostly good, true, and beautiful — are often just upheld as the holy relics of the days of when Gordon Gekko was going to make Bud Fox rich.

Sometimes our two camps can meet in a dinky apartment on East Fayette Street, but even then we’re too busy grooming ourselves to conduct a coherent conversation.

Rather, given the extraordinary claims and implications of this argument, extraordinary proof is required. Yet Robson offered no arguments, and his only evidences were instances of delusional people existing, social acceptance of transgenderism, and one case where school officials mistook make-believe for a threat.

Nothing he offers shows how he came to such a specific and peculiar thesis.

The entire story is told by how Robson ends his article.

He ends by quoting Tolkien as saying, "If men were ever in a state in which they did not want to know or could not perceive truth, then Fantasy would languish until they were cured." Robson's thesis is the

converse of Tolkien’s statement, and thus claims something very different. In all probability, Robson misread Tolkien while the murky idea of “people think fairy tales are for kids because realism” haunted his mind.

Filled with the joy of discovery and the false confidence of thinking a great mind had gone before him, he argued that some women want to marry walls because they hadn't read A Wrinkle in Time as a child, unaware of how bizarre and illsupported the position was.

This demonstrates a more reliable source of delusions, one that afflicts fantasy lovers and haters alike: not stopping to question yourself. Did Robson ask himself if he read Tolkien correctly, or if he knew the

difference between a statement and its converse? Has he thought about what he means by “miasma of science”? Can he explain how not encouraging make-believe would lead to delusions? Did he ever ask himself why nobody appears deluded about the color of the sky or a host of other examples, or how he could talk about the delusions of a society when delusions live in an individual mind?

Not asking such questions, whatever the subject, is a certain way to fall into what Tolkien himself called the perils of fantasy, pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold.

Mr. Rowan is a sophomore studying history and journalism.

Sincerely, Jonathon Misiewicz

Cruz-Sanders healthcare debate took the high road By | Michael Lucchese Assistant Editor Today’s age is one in which personality dominates politics.

The media breathlessly covers every Trump tweet, and Trumpian insults have quickly become America’s shared political language. Tuesday night, though, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders showed us a different way of doing politics.

On CNN, the two senators debated issues related to the Affordable Care Act in front of a live audience at George Washington University. The debate remained issue-focused as Cruz and Sanders met on the battlefield of ideas to discuss the best path forward for the American people.

The ACA debate on CNN stands in stark contrast to the media’s coverage of the 2016 primary and general election.

Rather than encouraging political figures to sling mud at one another as they did so often over the last year, the moderators made sure to keep the debaters focused on ideas.

Not only does the debate do a public service, it also dominated ratings Tuesday night. According to Nielsen ratings, CNN beat Fox in the 25-54 demographic for the first time this year. The American people — especially young people — are hungry for this kind of engagement, and they will reward networks and news outlets for giving it to them.

Politics in a republic is an

inherently deliberative activity.

Washington, D.C. is meant to be the place where the American people gather, through their representatives, to discuss and make law. The Founders intended politics to be based on goodwill, social trust, and virtuous patriotism.

During the 2016 election, Donald Trump and Hillary

Joel Haines

Clinton both abandoned that vision. They painted an ugly picture of the other side — “nasty women,” “bad hombres,” “a basket of deplorables.” Going back into the Obama years, liberals frequently lamented backwards conservatives who “clung to their guns and their Bibles,” and conservatives whined constantly about “the roots of Obama’s rage.”

This kind of division is by no means new to our republic. In his Farewell Address, George Washington wrote, “The alternate

domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge... is itself a frightful despotism… Sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”

In his 1976 book on the

to omnipresent social media and a 24-hour news cycle has empowered those “prevailing factions,” both during the Obama years and during the 2016 election. Instead of responding to one another, the factions of the right and of the left have both resorted to fear-mongering.

While presidential politics has been rapidly descending into the trap which Potter described over the last 13 years, the CruzSanders debate shows that there is still hope for reversing the 21st century’s ugly political balkanization.

When our statesmen focus on the common good and a shared patriotism, they elevate the tone of the national conversation so that the best ideas — independent of preexisting prejudices and the spirit of faction — can carry the day.

Cruz and Sanders represent two entirely different political philosophies, and they did not avoid making strong arguments and debating their differences.

But, they remained civil and respectful and concerned for the good of the American people.

The media ought to encourage events like these instead of incentivizing incendiary tweets.

The American people’s political leaders need to engage their opponents, rather than treat them like enemies in a bitter war.

antebellum era, “The Impending Crisis,” historian David Potter argued that one of the reasons that the Civil War came is that Southerners and Northerners both responded not to the actual positions of the opposing party, but rather the worst possible stereotype of their respective positions. The country was divided into the very factions Washington so feared, and those factions tragically tore the nation Mr. Lucchese is a junior apart. studying American Studies and Today, the soundbite culture journalism. that has developed thanks

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The 2017 Hillsdale College’s Choice Awards The Udder Side, Jonesville The Udder Side offers “udderly delicious” ice cream creations and a variety of flavors in both hard and soft serve ice creams at their walk-up location in Jonesville, a mere five miles from campus. Fun concoctions of soft serve and toppings go by the names such as “Cowabunga” and “Manure Spreader.” My personal favorite: “Coconutty,” a coconut ice cream with almonds and chocolate chips. A tip for the pocket conscious: items from the Cow Pile — creation mistakes — can be purchased for just fifty cents.

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By | Josephine VonDohlen Collegian Reporter

Best Sandwich

Best Pizza

By | Anna Timmis Collegian Reporter Handmade Sandwiches and Beverages, Hillsdale

Facebook

By | Alexis Nester Collegian Freelancer

Handmade Sandwiches and Beverages offers the best sandwiches in Hillsdale, with an extensive menu of breads, meat, cheese, and vegetables for a 7-inch build-your-own sandwich starting at $7. Don’t forget to grab a drink, but the shakes, coffee, soda and organic juice will make it hard to choose just one. This recent downtown development also boasts Chocolate Shoppe ice cream, a Wisconsin-based leading dairy company. A great afternoon study spot, Handmade has WiFi and excellent natural lighting, and is just a 10-minute walk from campus, located next to the Saint Joseph River on Hillsdale Street in the old Oakley’s building. A great first date spot for blossoming affection — just be ready to run into school pals when you least expect it.

Cavoni’s Pizza & Grinders, Hillsdale

r C e c I st e B

eam

Pizza is arguably one of the most beloved foods of all time, and if you want the best pizza in Hillsdale, Cavoni’s Pizza and Grinders delivers. With its relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, and tasty yet inexpensive Italian menu, Cavoni’s makes the perfect lunch or dinner destination for college students on a budget. My favorite pizza: green peppers and sausage.

The personal 8-inch pizza is perfect for a hungry college student. Unashamedly devour the whole pie for a meal, or save half for the quintessential college breakfast: cold pizza. Any way you slice it — and eat it — Cavoni’s pizza tops the rest.

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By | Jo Kroeker Opinions Editor

The Hunt Club

A good burger depends on good atmosphere. The sporty American-style pub, Hunt Club of Hillsdale, delivers. Two levels draw your eyes up to emerald tiled ceilings, waxed wooden beams, and incandescent light bulbs. Bite into the bar’s classic Pony Burger or opt for something non-traditional, like a turkey and guacamole burger. Pair it with all day, every day inexpensive domestic drafts and crispy fried pickles dunked in dill sauce to take a great burger, plain ‘n’ simple, to the next level.

Best Breakfast Facebook

By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter The Palace Cafe, Hillsdale Some days we stand up in the Palace Cafe like it’s the last of the great pioneer town bars. Other days, we sit in the booths, dreading tomorrow — the exam, the hangover, the break-up on the quad — and measure out our lives in coffee spoons. But the Palace is always there to comfort us: cozy, ungentrified, and friendly. So we grab one more cup of coffee and another two pancakes before we go.

Best

Coffe

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Checker Records Brendan Clarey | Collegian

By | Tom Novelly Sage Center for the Arts Editor in Chief Sitting in a small, clear display case secured to a gray gallery wall is the fountain pen used by President John F. Kennedy to make Sir Winston Churchill an honorary United States citizen. It isn’t in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. or the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It’s a traveling exhibit at Hillsdale College’s own Daughtrey Gallery at the Sage Center for The Arts.

With regular performances of renowned plays such as “Much Ado About Nothing” and “The Eumenides” and rotating art exhibits such as the “Art of Winston Churchill,” students and locals don’t need to travel to Jackson or Jonesville for great live theater.

The best part, the works of art and acting performances are done by fellow students and professors. It’s easy to break the fourth wall when the artist is a classmate.

Best Bar Facebook

Best Burger Facebook

Checker Records Coffee, Hillsdale Once a local record store, Checker Records fuses its classic rock aesthetic with a multitude of signature drinks and flavored coffees. While not cheap, many of the drinks are very sweet with flavorings and endearing names, such as “Teddy Bear” as well as drinks named after rock artists such as “Def Leppard” and “Jimi Hendrix.” They offer fresh-brewed house coffees like “Red Eye Espresso Blend” and “Turkish Coffee,” or you can purchase flavored whole-bean coffee and make it at home.

By | Brendan Clarey Assistant Editor

By | Philip H. DeVoe City News Editor Here’s To You Pub and Grub embodies the characteristic smalltown charm found among businesses in downtown Hillsdale.

The dim lights illuminate a countertop tiled with bottle caps and a chalkboard, listing in bright colors the bar’s beers and ABV. Though the bar is tucked into a tight space on North Street., P and G — as it is affectionately called — has space for crowds in its upper room. Visiting P and G with an empty stomach and an open mind can lead to incredible discoveries, as the bar features many craft beers unique to the Hillsdale area. If you choose a beer with a high ABV, fear not: P and G offers one-ofa-kind pub food, including the ever-popular deep-fried macaroni and cheese. So, the next time you need a drink, steer clear of bars only serving the classics, and visit an original: Hillsdale’s Best Bar, P and G. Here's To You Pub and Grub

By | Hannah Niemeier Culture Editor Coney Hut Drive Inn, Jonesville At Coney Island Drive Inn near Jonesville, a perfect summer dining spot waits to serve “Blue Goo” ice cream shakes under a purple-painted awning. The nostalgia couldn’t get more picturesque — or flavorful — than that.

Best Entertainment Hillsdale College

Located just six miles from Central Hall, Coney Island offers a trip into a better time — one when menus included all the staples of a summer diet: fried onion rings, buttery cheeseburgers, and dozens of flavors of milkshakes and ice cream. With a root beer float in a chilled mug resting on an old-fashioned tray outside your window, it’s easy to believe in better (and warmer) times.

Olivia's Chophouse Jordyn Pair | Collegian

Olivia's Chophouse If you’re looking for a place to take your date on Valentine’s Day, Olivia’s Chophouse in Jonesville is the spot. A meal for two costs around $50, but the attentive and friendly waiting staff, delicious food, and pleasant atmosphere make it worth the price. Olivia’s offers a range of food: everything from burgers to crab legs, but perhaps their most unique item isn’t on the menu. The restaurant’s free bread comes with a different specialty butter each time, including By | Jordyn Pair maple bacon butter and chocAssistant Editor olate chip cookie butter.

Best Date Spot

Best Hidden Gem Facebook

How we chose: Editor's note: Nearly 300 students and faculty responded to The Collegian survey. Categories and choices on the survey were determined by The Collegian editorial board, but allowed write-in options. These highlighted businesses won the majority of the votes in their category, as determined by campus’ favorites.

City News

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Hillsdale, Michigan: Closer than you imagine!

City rebranding, rolled out at Monday’s council meeting and funded through the Rising Tide Initiative, includes new slogan, logos, color scheme, and typefaces By | Philip DeVoe City News Editor After more than two months working with residents and city officials, design firm Arnett Muldrow and Associates rolled out new logos, color schemes, and typeface for the city of Hillsdale as part of rebranding efforts at Monday’s city council meeting.

Paid for by the state of Michigan for cities in Governor Rick Snyder’s Rising Tide initiative, the designs are intended to help Hillsdale’s development by unifying the city around a consistent ‘brand.’

After the initial presentation at Monday’s meeting, the city council and officials will review the designs to determine what of the portfolio meets the city’s needs for future marketing efforts.

Mary Wolfram, Hillsdale’s director of economic development, spearheaded the design efforts for the city and worked with Arnett Muldrow throughout the process. She said the designs will function as a marketing tool to help sell Hillsdale to the outside world, adorning brochures, for example, to educate and inform

those interested in Hillsdale but unfamiliar with the city.

“It is an effort to answer the question ‘What is Hillsdale?’,” Wolfram said. “The idea is that we are our own little entity; we’re not a part of something else and we’re not a suburb.”

Ben Muldrow, partner at Arnett Muldrow and manager of the Hillsdale design project, answered that question after five public focus group sessions with residents and a public meeting at city hall during his three-day visit the week of Dec. 12, 2016. He told The Collegian that he found most citizens wanted Hillsdale to preserve its small-town values as its economy expands, all the while demonstrating its accessibility and visitability.

“As we started to narrow down the information from people in the city, some things became obvious,” Muldrow said. “Small town values were certainly something people cherished and Hillsdale’s close proximity to other cities.”

Instead of casting Hillsdale as one location in the vast rural landscape between other points of interest, Muldrow decided to reframe the narrative and show Hillsdale as a

destination worthy of visiting in its own right.

“There are a lot of things bringing people to this community — the college being a huge one — and we have to do everything we can to get them to come here,” Muldrow said.

City Manager David Mackie explained the slogan emerged from this sense of closeness expressed by a consensus of participants in the meetings conducted by Muldrow.

“People living in Hillsdale can find shopping and other such services within a drivable distance — in Jackson, Ann Arbor, or Indiana, for example — so the concept for the slogan is just that,” Mackie said.

“We’ve maintained our core values while still being just, probably, hours or less away from larger locale.”

Some have criticized the slogan and designs, saying they do not represent the people.

At Monday’s meeting, Hillsdale resident Penny Swan said she found no supporters of the designs or slogan on a Facebook page she manages dedicated to discussing the controversy surrounding the ‘It’s the People’ signage.

“One person said… it didn’t seem like a whole lot of imagination. One… thought it was pretty awful and didn’t understand it,” Swan said. “I hope you give the people of Hillsdale an opportunity to speak when it comes to a new city slogan.”

Wolfram told The Collegian that although residents are certainly allowed to express criticisms of city decisions, people must remember that the designers met with residents to attempt to capture the spirit of the city.

“There are always complaints about the public not being included in the decision-making, but it is not true that nobody was invited to comment during the development stage,” Wolfram said.

“Lots of people had voices in this.”

According to Wolfram, the city utilized radio advertisements, posters on the city website and Facebook page, and independent departments within city administration to spread the word about the public meetings to as many people as possible to brainstorm ideas for the new designs.

“There is no demand for

conformity here. I love these logos, but nobody will force them on anybody,” Wolfram said. “This can be a unifying effort among the community, and we need everyone working together.”

Michelle Loren, director of Hillsdale’s Parks and Recreation department, one of the seven receiving unique logos in Arnett-Muldrow’s portfolio, said she thinks the new designs are refreshing and speak directly to their relevant departments. She does not yet know if her department will adopt the logo, however, having only seen it briefly during a presentation.

“From what I saw, they bring us up to date and into the future, yet allow us to hold on to our small-town appeal,” Loren said.

In terms of timeline, Mackie said he anticipates a concrete plan as to when the city will officially roll out the design will come by the first of July, after monthly meetings with the department heads and input from the city council. His intention for the design, like Wolfram’s, focuses on the idea of creating a uniform brand of Hillsdale, which does not

require each department to adopt their specific logo.

“It’s all about creating a consistent brand,” Mackie says. “That does not necessarily mean the same logos, but a brand consistent with typeface, color, and theme, to kind of pull things together with the city and its departments.”

Mackie stressed that the city will retain the official seal on documents, but will try to incorporate the brand across its various forms of communication. Having designed brands for nearly 450 communities, Muldrow, who personally took charge of the Hillsdale project, said he always reinforces the role of branding as a communication tool.

“The biggest initial byproducts when a community rolls out a new brand is an increase in the effectiveness of communication, the bolstering of community pride, and the re-engagement of citizens within their community,” Muldrow said. “I don’t give too much credit to the branding itself for a town’s success after its implementation — branding is simply the invitation to an event the community planned.”

All photos: Arnett Muldrow and Associates | Courtesy

CAPA ball set for Sen. Shirkey works to prevent accidents Feb. 13 at Johnny T’s between automobiles and Amish buggies By | Joshua Orlaski Collegian Freelancer The Child Abuse Prevention Awareness organization of Hillsdale County will be hosting its second annual Children’s Charity Ball at Johnny T’s Bistro on Feb. 13.

The theme of this year’s ball is ‘safe sleep.’ Keynote speaker Mary Sales will discuss important measures parents should take in order for their infant children to sleep accident-free.

The ball will feature a silent auction, dancing, a photo booth, and a sit-down dinner.

CAPA Vice President Megan Stiverson believes they will raise anywhere in between $15,000 and $20,000 from ticket sales and the auction.

“All proceeds raised will go back to the community,” CAPA Executive Director Christie Campbell said. “Some, for example, will be channeled into the ‘Baby Think It Over’ program.”

This program sends simu-

lated babies to students in order to teach them parental responsibilities. CAPA will also donate HALO sleep sacks to Hillsdale Hospital — an outfit for infants which functions as a blanket, but won’t inadvertently cover their faces while they sleep.

CAPA is a non-profit organization that raises awareness for and promotes efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect in the home. Roughly 100 to 150 children in the county are placed into foster care each year due to abuse or neglect.

Though CAPA is not government-affiliated, many members of the executive board have backgrounds in law enforcement or child services.

Tickets for the ball are $60 per person, or $100 for a couple. Guests must be 21 or older, and formal attire is required. Doors open at 6 p.m. for cocktail hour and dinner is at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, call the CAPA office at 517-437-3100.

By | Brooke Conrad Collegian Reporter State Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Jackson, is working to improve safety on the road for areas of Hillsdale County that encounter automobile and Amish horse-and-buggy collisions.

According to Shirkey, road safety concerns seem to be a big issue for the county, and he plans to speak with Amish bishops in the area to understand how they perceive the situation before working toward a solution. The county does not have a record of how often the accidents occur; however, several county officials and Amish residents find it necessary to improve the situation.

Anna Schwartz, an Amish resident from Hillsdale County, said the accidents occur quite frequently.

“What really makes your eyes open is that it happens in the daylight,” she said.

She recounted a recent ac-

cident in which an automobile driver rear-ended a buggy on Hillsdale Road because the driver was reaching down to pick something up off the floor of the automobile. The driver of the buggy fell on his head and was life-flighted to the hospital, and his horse had to be put down. The driver left the hospital quickly, but is still in recovery.

Another Hillsdale County Amish resident, Esther Lengacher, said automobile drivers tend to speed past buggy-drivers.

“Some drivers are nice and pass slowly, but others just step on the gas,” she said.

Lengacher said her nephew’s baby was killed when an automobile hit their buggy 3 or 4 years ago on Montgomery Road.

“I just don’t get over that to feel safe on the road,” she said.

Another Amish resident in Hillsdale County, who wished to keep his name anonymous, recounted an accident that occurred by California Corners

Cemetery in Branch County in which at least two children were killed.

The resident said accidents in Branch County occur partly because Amish residents are not allowed to use blinkers; they instead often use kerosene lights, which are hard to see. On the contrary, the Amish community in southern Hillsdale County usually equips their buggies with a blinker and two LED lights.

The resident said he feels safe on the road for the most part.

Shirkey said road safety is high on his list of local priority issues. He said another less-urgent but related issue he wants to address is that of road damage caused by the buggies.

Hillsdale County Commission Chair Mark Wiley agreed that the safety concerns must be addressed.

“Anytime you have a potential safety issue, it’s a concern,” he said. “It’s not just a safety concern for the Amish community…Just because a buggy was hit doesn’t mean

the motor vehicle driver wasn’t injured as well.”

Both Wiley and Shirkey attended a meeting on Jan. 27, in which several authorities in Hillsdale County discussed the safety concerns. Among other things, they discussed the possibility of registering the buggies. Wiley said registration is definitely not a priority for the county, and registration fees would not help much in paying for road damage.

Amish resident John Schwartz said if the law enforcement required the Amish community to register their buggies, it would probably turn into an issue.

Shirkey, however, said he does not wish to resort to new legislation to fix the problem, if possible.

“We often resort to legislation to solve problems when they can be done through logic and communication,” he said. “Whenever there is an intersection of freedoms, much caution should be in order before jumping to conclusions.”

City News

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A7 9 Feb. 2017 Bull riders in Saturday’s show at ProEdge Arena line up before the competition begins. Breana Noble | Collegian

ProEdge Arena brings American West to Osseo with Saturday night bullriding By | Breana Noble News Editor

Top to bottom: Earl Proctor poses with his family; Hunter Ball rides his bull, Chipotle; a bull needs help getting up after bucking off its rider at ProEdge Arena; gate three is prepared for the next rider.

Earl Proctor | Courtesy (1), Breana Noble | Collegian (2-4)

When thinking of ways to evangelize, most people probably don’t think of using a sport that involves getting thrown off an animal with horns on its head. But Earl Proctor does.

“I’m not blessed to go up to strangers and share the Gospel,” Proctor said. “I’m not that; my wife is. This was an avenue for me. There’s no reason I can’t do this to show the love that we have for our savior.”

Earl and Carie Proctor’s ProEdge Arena holds bull-riding shows on Saturdays at 7 p.m. in Osseo and is the only competitive location for the sport in Hillsdale County. In addition to becoming a community hot-spot, the business fulfills the Proctors’ dream of continuing to be a part of bull riding, after Earl Proctor retired from the sport.

Located 12 minutes from Hillsdale College at 2325 Blackbridge Road off a dirt road, ProEdge opened its doors Oct. 29 to around 250 spectators. Since then, attendance has bucked to more than 600 people a night, as families come to watch professional bull riders compete for $500.

“It’s better than we anticipated,” Earl Proctor said. “People keep coming out. They came to the first one and haven’t stopped. It blows us away that people enjoy it that much.”

The shows feature an open competition as well as novice-level riders along with music, games, giveaways, and pyrotechnics. The event also includes prayer, Christian mu-

sic, and crosses hanging in the front of the arena, but Proctor said he doesn’t want it to feel like church, just a wholesome environment.

“I like the environment, the Christian atmosphere,” said Heidi Olinger of Osseo, who attends the shows with her husband nearly every week and attends church with the Proctors at The Hub in Hillsdale. “It’s exciting to watch, and [the Proctors] really care about the well-being of the riders. They’re in good hands.”

The open competition includes a long and short round.

In the long round, riders draw at random a bull to ride. They have to stay on the bull for eight seconds one-handed, while two judges score the rider out of 25 points each. They also score the bull based on how much it bucks, how fast it spins, and whether or not it changes direction. Most of the bulls at ProEdge score a 19 or 20 per judge, Proctor said. The final score is out of 100.

“The bull level is well-suited for the riders,” said Kelsey Thomasek of Blissfield, whose brother frequently rides at ProEdge. “It’s family owned, but it’s very professional.”

In the short round, the highest scoring rider choose the bull he or she will ride first and go on from there. The athletes compete again, and the judges add their scores from both rounds together. The rider with the highest wins the money.

Local businesses also sponsor ProEdge and its 39 bulls. At the end of each six week series, the business that sponsors the bull with the best scores wins

$2,000. Proctor said there has been so much interest, he’s had to turn away sponsors.

“It’s been fantastic, because I’m a horrible salesman,” Proctor said.

Before opening ProEdge, Proctor was a professional bull rider and competed for 16 years across the United States and Canada since the age of 11.

“They call us adrenaline junkies,” Proctor said. “It’s great. You’re working for yourself. You’re not answering to a boss. You enter, pay the fees, and play good. It’s not like basketball, baseball — if you don’t perform, you don’t get money.”

Nine years ago, Proctor left bull riding when he and his wife had their son, Strand. To make money and stay connected to the sport, Proctor said he wanted to open an arena, but the Proctors wanted to do so without getting into debt, he said. Reaching that goal, however, proved difficult.

At the age of 18, the Hillsdale native and his wife bought a house to renovate and re-sell.

Then, the housing market crashed. Selling it was a challenge. The Proctors, however, kept working and saving.

“What we learned behind this is that if you put God first, then he’ll bless it,” Earl Proctor said. “There’s been a hundred instances that weren’t supposed to work out, and they did.”

The most progress has been made in the past eight years, beginning about the time when the Proctors had their son and started attending church. That revolutionized the mission of their work, Proctor said.

“I was a believer but not so much a follower,” he said.

“ProEdge became something to glorify him by and not just an income.”

Proctor said he wants ProEdge not only to show his faith to spectators but also to riders. He said growing up in rodeo showed him the party culture surrounding the sport.

Instead, he said he hopes ProEdge can be an example to the riders from across Michigan and Ohio who range from high school age to 20-somethings and show that life is about something greater.

“I’m not a great Christian either,” Proctor said. “But I think I can inspire people who don’t think they can be saved.

‘If that guy can do it, I can do that.’”

Friends of the family, however, disagreed, saying the Proctors are the most selfless people they know.

“Their door’s always open,” Heidi Gautz of Adrian said. “If there were an emergency a 3 a.m., they’d be willing to help.”

ProEdge Arena’s events are $8 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. To purchase tickets to all six events in a series, the cost is $40 for adults and $30 for children. In the midst of a series now, ProEdge begins its next session Feb. 19.

Looking ahead, the Proctors have plans to add more bull pens in the spring, and they hope to have even more people come experience the sport they love, Proctor said.

“They say people watch NASCAR for the wrecks,” he said. “Bull riding, you’re guaranteed a wreck.”

Credit cards, e-checks now options for paying for city services By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter The city of Hillsdale has adopted a new program which will allow credit card users to pay for almost all city services with their card or electronic checks.

The city council voted to approve the program, which is powered by Point & Pay LLC, an electronic billing service, at Monday’s city council meeting. The program applies to all payments except library fees, Dial-a-Ride tickets, and city park concession stand payments.

“Choosing Point & Pay will allow the city to have a single point of contact for all issues regarding our accounting and payable system,” Mayor Scott Sessions said.

Point & Pay will levy fees from credit card companies onto individual users who choose to pay electronically for the city’s services. Other communities already use Point & Pay, including nearby Jonesville.

Councilman Patrick Flannery said it is becoming common practice for businesses and governments to charge fees for people who choose to pay with a credit card.

“People are really pinching margins right now and getting every penny they can. And people are realizing that credit cards are a big deal,” he said.

The city, however, will still allow people to pay for services with checks or cash.

“We’re just giving another option for paying, that’s all,” Councilman Bruce Sharp said.

“People have to understand though, if you pay with a credit card, you’re gaining the interest and possibly will have to pay a fee.”

The city’s two banks, Southern Michigan Bank, which handles the majority of the city’s accounts, and County National Bank, which holds the Board of Public Utilities’ accounts, do not have the platform to process credit card payments directly, and do not have the software to deliver reports to the city about such

payments. In addition, the city does not have a way of electronically depositing checks.

“Right now, we physically walk our checks from city hall over to the bank,” City Clerk Stephen French said.

Sessions said the city will save a significant amount of money each year by adopting Point & Pay. “This fixes a problem because, right now, the rest of the city has to subsidize those who use credit cards around $20 to 30 thousand a year, and that factors into the BPU’s budget and is calculated into the rates,” he said. “Those who pay the bill electronically and don’t pay the convenience fee are actually being subsidized by those who pay by another method.”

Councilman Bill Zeiser said he was not thrilled about placing the new charge on people but is happy the city will allow people to skirt the fee by paying with check or cash.

“This is our best worst option,” he said.

Hillsdale High School runner Devin VanDusen races to victory during an outdoor track meetct event.

Shannon VanDusen | Courtesy

Hillsdale HS track atheletes qualify for nationals for first time in school history By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor

Two Hillsdale High School athletes qualified for the New Balance National Indoor meet, held at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City March 10-12, becoming the first Hillsdale Hornets to compete at a national level.

Senior Rees Nemeth qualified in pole vault after jumping a height of 14’ 3.25” at an indoor meet held at Central Michigan University. Junior Devin VanDusen broke the record for the initial 60-meter dash qualifying time of 7.14 seconds at an indoor event at Hillsdale College with a time of 7.12 seconds.

Clay Schiman, the athletic director and track coach at Hillsdale High School, said this national meet is a reward for the passion, commitment, and hard work the two students have invested into their sport.

For both Nemeth and VanDusen, this sport is fairly new.

VanDusen joined the track team his freshman year, setting aside his love of football for something different.

“My coach put me in the

100-meter and I ran a really good time,” VanDusen said.

“He didn’t believe it at first, so he made me do it again and retimed me.”

It was from that moment that VanDusen strove to excel at the sport he had initially picked up for fun. After relentless training, along with the support and encouragement of Schiman and his friends, VanDusen began to place at events his sophomore year.

“He won first in everything that year,” his mother, Shannon VanDusen, said.

According to Schiman, Devin possessed a talent for the sport from the very beginning.

“He is very gifted,” Schiman said. “Over the last couple of years he has applied hard work to those gifts, and he’s reaping the rewards of that now.”

Although Nemeth had previously been on the track team as a hurdler, he started pole vaulting last April because the team needed it. Nemeth said the adjustment to this drastically different event took him a long time to figure out.

“I had terrible form,” Nemeth said. “Everything was backwards.”

He didn’t let the initial chal-

lenges deter him from success, though. Schiman said Nemeth began driving to Adrian, Michigan to train at Siena Heights University throughout the week, and even took gymnastics classes — even during the off-season.

“Both of them do a lot of this on their own,” Schiman said. “And that’s all to their credit.”

Nemeth said he has seen constant improvement since he started pole vaulting.

“The thing I love about it is you can always get better,” he said.

Devin has become one of the top sprinters in the state, breaking the school record for the 200-meter, and taking fourth in the state.

“He just loves to run,” Shannon said.

Both Nemeth and Devin attested to the way athletics has shaped their lives.

“It made me strive to be better and gave me a goal to work toward,” Nemeth said. “It taught me devotion and commitment.”

Schiman said this is evident in both of their lives.

“You do this because you’re passionate about it,” Schiman said.

A8 9 Feb. 2017

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Sports

Follow @HDaleSports for live updates and news

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball THURSDAY, FEB.

Hillsdale

Upcoming

2

Findlay

74 88

SATURDAY, FEB.

Thursday, feb. 9 at WalSh 7:30 pm saTurday, feb. 11 at tiffin 3:00 pm

StatS

Hillsdale

4

Ashland

17 ptS, 7 reb, 1 aSt 15 ptS, 5 reb, 1 aSt 11 ptS, 3 reb, 2 Stl 10 ptS, 5 reb, 1 aSt

17 ptS, 2 reb, 2 aSt 15 ptS, 6 aSt, 4 reb 15 ptS, 2 Stl, 1 reb 12 ptS, 6 reb, 1 aSt

New Records

Upcoming

Hillsdale Wide Track Classic Hannah McIntyre, Molly Oren, Fiona Shea, Hannah Watts - DMR - 11:54.32

feb. 10-11 David Hemery Invitational Boston, MA. 1:30 PM

Men’s Tennis

Some different — although recognizable — faces took the court at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena last Saturday during the annual alumni basketball game.

The game, now in its tenth year, is an opportunity for former members of the Hillsdale College men’s basketball team to get back on the court and reconnect with friends.

“It’s a time to celebrate, really,” said former shooting guard Anthony Manno ‘14. “It’s almost like a mini-homecoming for the basketball players.”

Although two teams of six took the court, 25 total alumni attended the event.

“Even though they’ve graduated years ago, they’re still part of this program,” said head coach John Tharp, who is

currently in his 10th year with the program.

According to Manno, the program is still a part of them, as well.

“There’s that connection, despite us not having the same coach,” Manno said. “Because we all wore ‘Hillsdale College’ across our chest and we’re all Chargers, we bond together.”

During the event, it becomes clear the connection goes beyond the common logo on the front of their jerseys.

“It’s always interesting to see the similarities we have in our beliefs, how competitive we are, and how much we love and respect Hillsdale College,” said Brandon Pritzl ‘14. “It’s always great to see that tradition’s been here for a long time.”

This year, Tom Farmer ‘04 won the game with a buzzer-beater shot in overtime,

Hillsdale

4

Ashland

82 102 StatS

14 ptS, 3 reb, 2 aSt 13 ptS, 4 reb, 3 aSt 9 ptS, 5 reb, 2 Stl 6 ptS, 3 aSt, 2 reb

Allie Dewire Allie Dittmer Morgan Blair Brittany Gray

20 ptS, 6 reb, 3 aSt 14 ptS, 7 reb, 2 blk 11 ptS, 2 reb, 2 aSt 10 ptS, 4 Stl, 3 reb

Women’s Swimming

Upcoming

feb. 8-11 2017 GLIAC Championships at University Center, MI 10:30 AM

Softball

feb. 10-12 2017 NFCA Leadoff Classic Clearwater, FL

Former Chargers gather for 10th annual alumni basketball game By | Jordyn Pair Assistant Editor

Brittany Gray Makenna Ott Maddy Reed Allie Dewire

SATURDAY, FEB.

Thursday, feb. 9 at WalSh 5:30 pm saTurday, feb. 11 at tiffin 1:00 pm

Upcoming

feb. 13 at Lewis Planfield, IL 12:45 PM

feb. 10 vs. Cedarville Hillsdale, MI 4:30 PM

Findlay

Upcoming

StatS

Rhett Smith Nate Neveau Harrison Niego Nick Czarnowski

Track and Field

Upcoming

Hillsdale

2

80 55 63 70 StatS

Nick Czarnowski Ryan Badowski Harrison Niego Stedman Lowry

THURSDAY, FEB.

adding an extra element of excitement to the event.

It’s not just the game that matters to the alumni, though.

“It all goes back to community,” Manno said. “That’s what the alumni game is for me. It’s to see some of the people I made the best memories of my life with and to spend some time with them.”

Tharp said he’s always happy to catch up with past players and to see how they’ve grown.

“It’s a joyful moment,” Tharp said. “You see the success they’re having. You’re proud of them as people and as men. It’s an emotional night, truthfully.”

Some things, however, never change.

“Hillsdale college means a lot to them,” Tharp said, “and they mean a lot to us.”

Men’s from A10

Walsh will be to contain senior forward Trey Fletcher and senior guard Zac Carter. Carter leads the GLIAC in scoring with an average of 24.5 points per game. Fletcher is third in the conference, averaging 21.7 points per contest.

On Jan. 19, the Chargers lost to the Cavaliers 79-77 on a last-second jumper by Carter from just inside the top of the arc. Carter finished that game with 26 points and Fletcher scored 32 points.

“We have to play the best defense we’ve played all year against arguably two of the best players in the league,” Lowry said.

With a win, the Chargers would leapfrog Walsh in the standings and could move into a tie with the Panthers if they lose to Findlay tonight.

“We’ll battle,” Tharp said.

“We’ll try to throw a punch at them and see if we can just be solid for 40 minutes.”

Track from A10

sette, who had been struggling with posterior tendonitis and problems with her achilles, placed third in the pole vault with 11 feet, 9.75 inches. Bassette is now ranked 21st on the national list.

“No words describe it — just based on the things I’ve had to struggle through to even be able to compete at a college level. So for me to go from an 11 foot vaulter to, hopefully next meet, a 12 foot vaulter is something that will be very exciting to see,” Bassette said.

Both vaulters attested to the difficulty of sitting at the meet for hours on Saturday waiting to finally vault around 9 o’clock. However, they also said how much the crowd that came to watch affected their energy level.

“The support of the group that came to watch was probably the biggest thing.” Whitford said. “They sat and they

cheered their heads off, not just for me, but for everyone.”

“We feed off the crowd’s energy,” Bassette said. “That’s why I love meets--people show up and they support and are super enthusiastic even though they may have no idea what’s going on.”

In the weight throw junior Rachael Tolsma came in first, throwing her season best of 60 feet, 2.5 inches, which met the provisional standard and earned her the 13th spot on the national list. Senior captain Dana Newell placed third with a throw of 60 feet, 1.25 inches. Newell is currently ranked 11th nationally.

20 athletes left for Boston University on Wednesday afternoon, in order to compete this weekend at the Valentine Invite. Another 20 athletes will be attending the Big Meet at Grand Valley State University.

son, they held their opposition to 65 points and 60 points.

“We have to take our defense with us. How we defended on Saturday, if we defend like that every game, we’ll win all four,” Lowry said. “And we have to have good starts because we’ve come out flat on the road. If we can just get ourselves going early, I think that’ll change everything.”

Hillsdale’s task tonight at

“The energy from having a professional vaulter there for the week, and also watching improvement happen week to week in meets, allowed it to finally come together and the energy builds really quickly once we start warming up,” Whitford said.

Whitford is now ranked fourth nationally.

“It’s honestly really humbling to have come from a couple of years of extreme emotional instability — I let a lot of struggles get to me,” Whitford said. “But coming into this nationals knowing I will not be worried whether or not I will be on that list, which is so cool and it brings a lot of peace into my competitions now. I feel like I can actually try to put into practice the things that I’ve been doing, rather than just make bars.”

Freshman Katherine Bas-

Brock receives All-American mention By | Crystal Schupbach Collegian Freelancer

Left to right: Jim Shuster ‘85, Professor Mark Kahltoff ‘84, Jack Furlong ‘85, Bill Granberry ‘85, Ed Peper ‘85, Dave Springer ‘84, and former Hillsdale College trainer Paul Beachler attend the alumni event on Saturday.

Houses for Rent January 27, 2017

The following houses are for rent for the 2017-2018 school year:

• 85 East Fayette Street - This is a very spacious, five-bedroom, one and one-half bath, fully furnished, and recently renovated Victorian that is one-and -a-half blocks from campus. It is centrally air conditioned, has a large eat-in kitchen with a garbage disposal and dishwasher, separate dining room, living room, parlor, large front porch, deck off of the back, unattached one-car garage, unfinished basement useful for storage, and is equipped with a washer and dryer. The rent is $420 per student per month based upon five student occupants.

Available June 1, 2017.

• 173 West Street – This is a three-bedroom, one bath Victorian, that is only two blocks from campus. It has been recently updated, is fully furnished, has a separate dining room, living room, and unfinished basement that can be used for storage, and is equipped with a washer and dryer. The lease is $405.00 per student per month based upon three student occupants. A fourth student may be added at a reduced rate if desired. Available June 1, 2017.

• 171 West Street – This is a three bedroom, one bath, recently updated, unfurnished Victorian that is two blocks from campus. It has a living room, den, eat-in kitchen, and an unfinished basement available for storage that is equipped with a washer and dryer. The rent is $360 per student per month based upon three student occupants. A fourth student may be added at a reduced rate if desired. Available June 1, 2017.

If you are interested please call Berry LeCompte at: 805-736-8421(home); 847-809-4843 (cellphone), 847-809-4829 (cellphone) or email at cblecompte@aol.com.

When sophomore wide receiver Trey Brock found his name on the All-American Honorable Mention list in late January, his teammates were the first to congratulate him.

“I have definitely become more disciplined throughout my time as a Charger, and the people make me better myself,” Brock said. “I have met some of my best friends here, and they probably don’t know it, but they really pushed me to be the best version of myself I can be.”

This past month, Brock joined a rich history of Chargers with national recognition.

In 2011, Joe Glendening and Troy Weatherhead earned the same acknowledgement, as well as Andre Holmes, current wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders.

“The easy comparison for us is to compare him to Andre Holmes... I would say in some aspects of the game Trey is already ahead of him,” Charger head football coach Keith Otterbein said. During the 2016 season, Brock broke the Hillsdale record for most 100 yard receiving games in a season.

This record formerly belonged to Holmes.

Otterbein said it’s rare for young players like Brock to receive such attention.

“You don’t get athletes having the limelight so young,” Otterbein said. “His post season recognition is well deserved.”

This is evident in Trey’s

cumulative record this past season, totaling 77 receptions for 1,322 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns. With two seasons of collegiate play ahead of him, he is already closing in on other school records, having the second-most yards in a season in Charger history.

In addition to his All-Amer-

All-American Honorable Mention shine light on Hillsdale’s football program.

“It’s impressive because you see larger schools like Grand Valley and Ferris State listed, but he is leading the conference in receiving,” Otterbein said.

Brock has no shortage of

Sophomore wide receiver Trey Brock carries the ball in the Chargers’ matchup against the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds this fall.

Ben Block | Collegian

ican Honorable Mention, Brock received the 2016 Charger Football MVP award in November and was named first team All-GLIAC in December.

Not only does Brock stand out in the GLIAC rankings, he also ranks third in Division II for receiving yards per game.

Otterbein said Brock’s national recognition and accomplishments through his

aspirations and these honors have undoubtedly motivated him for upcoming seasons.

“As a team, we just need to set the bar high and understand how good we are,” Brock said. “It felt great to be recognized as an honorable mention All-American, but it mainly made me want to work harder in order to be on the All-American first team next

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS TWO By | S.M. Chavey Features Editor For a few shining moments in the first quarter of Saturday’s women’s basketball game between Hillsdale and Ashland, No. 1 in the nation, the score was tied. Ultimately, the Eagles pulled ahead in the second quarter and ended the game 102-82, the second loss for the Chargers this week, after falling to Findlay on Thursday.

“We were playing the No. 1 team in the country — which was still undefeated, like the first time — but we did a lot of really nice things against them,” head coach Todd Mitmesser said.

Hillsdale beat Findlay by 17 points earlier this season and started this game just as confidently, up by 10 at one point and up by 3 going into the second half. Through the fast-paced game, the Chargers moved the ball quickly and ended with 18 assists. Senior guard Morgan Blair had a team high of 4.

“We really executed our plays and did what we wanted to do on offense pretty well with their defense. We played tough that game...we played hard and pretty much that’s all you can do,” sophomore forward Makenna Ott said.

The Oilers, however, outrebounded Hillsdale by 15.

In contrast, Hillsdale snagged 9 more rebounds in the first meeting. The Chargers also struggled with shooting in the fourth quarter, hitting only 21 percent from the field and 20 percent from behind the arc for eight total points. They made only 1-4 free throws in the game.

Sophomore forward Brittany Gray tied her career-high with 14 points, followed by Ott with 13 and junior guard Maddy Reed with 9.

“It’s a team we thought we could beat, but we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we needed to and they knocked down a few 3’s that really hurt us,” Mitmesser said. “We also got into a little foul trouble, and that slows us down offensively quite a bit.”

Mitmesser cited Dittmer’s absence in the game after fouling out as particularly challenging.

Heading into the Ashland game two days later, the Chargers were enthusiastic.

“It’s always exciting to be able to play the No. 1 team in the country, twice. For them to be in your conference just shows how competitive it is,” Ott said. “They’re great, but they’re also a beatable team. When you look at their scores, they just score an ab-

surd amount of points.”

The starters began the game with energy, tying Ashland twice in the first quarter.

In the last two minutes, however, Ashland pulled ahead to lead by 8 points, and in the second quarter they outscored the Chargers by 12 to take a decisive lead.

“We changed up our defense a little from the first time we played them. We really tried to prevent the post players from scoring and we tried to guard a couple of their guards differently so they would take different shots,” junior center Allie Dittmer said. “We just wanted to run the ball because they’re not as used to that and we wanted to wear them so they didn’t hit as many of their shots.”

The Chargers matched the Eagles’ scoring the entire second half, but could not overcome the twenty-point deficit at the half. Their 82 points were the most allowed

by Ashland in any GLIAC

game this season, and the second most of any team. With a deep bench, aggressive defense, and strong field goal percentage (48 percent), Ashland sealed their 24th consecutive victory.

Sophomore guard Allie Dewire and Dittmer, leading the team in scoring through the season, scored 20 and 14 points respectively. Freshman center Julia Wacker, junior forward Jessica De Gree, and Dittmer each got 7 rebounds — half of the overall Charger rebounds.

“We made the best team in the country make some adjustments, they had to take off their press because it wasn’t working and change the way they were defending us because it wasn’t working,” Mitmesser said. “It’s just a tough matchup for us because they’ve got so many talented and skilled players and they’re coached very well. There’s a reason they’re No. 1.”

This week, the Chargers

battle Walsh and Tiffin on the road. Earlier this season, they lost to Walsh by 8 and beat Tiffin by 18.

“They’re really big games for us because we really need to win in order to make the GLIAC tournament,” Dittmer said. “I think we’re very capable of beating both teams this weekend.”

Mitmesser said the game against Walsh will be difficult, but he’s optimistic that with fewer players hurt than last time, they have a fighting chance.

Ott added that the Walsh game is particularly important, since Walsh and Hillsdale are Nos. 8 and 9 in the league respectively right now, and only the top eight teams make the tournament.

“Going into Thursday, we’re going to have a lot of fire power and a lot of energy,” Ott said. “The GLIAC is so competitive and pretty much anything can happen, so we have to focus on every game.”

Sophomore forward Brittany Gray pushes past a defender. Last Thursday, Gray led the Chargers’ offense and tied her career-high scoring 14 points. Matt Kendrick | Collegian

Charger swim alumna returns to Hillsdale athletics By | Scott McClallen Collegian Reporter Zoe Hopkins — a 2016 alumna holding three of Hillsdale’s top 10 swim times — returned to Hillsdale on Jan. 23 to serve as assistant women’s swimming coach and assistant sports information director.

Hillsdale formed Hopkin’s assistant coaching position after a retirement restructured the swimming department. Head swim coach Kurt Kirner interviewed Hopkins during winter break, offering Hopkins the position on Dec. 23.

“I said yes right away — this is my dream job. I wanted to start the 15th, but I had to finish work,” Hopkins said. “My favorite thing about Hillsdale is the atmosphere. For me, Hillsdale feels like home”.

Hopkins will assist in planning practices, team nutrition, compiling GPAs, and recruiting new swimmers.

Hopkins’ time will be divided between assisting coach Kirner, as well as putting together information packets for recruits.

In addition to these duties at the pool, Hopkins will work with Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Brad Monastiere as the assistant sports information director.

Monastiere described Hopkins as a “home-run hire”.

“Zoe’s position will grow and evolve over time. She will improve our social media across the board, and will help both programs from day one,” Monastiere said. “She has a good grasp of my responsibilities. She picks things up quickly, and is able to adapt on the fly extremely well.”

Kirner expounded upon why Hopkins stood out from the crowd.

“She was a two-time captain, and had worked with me at Michigan swim camps which I worked with during the summer,” Kirner said.

“She has a vast amount of experience for a swimmer because she spent a lot of time on deck here during the offseason and coaching.”

Hopkins served as team captain her junior and senior

Hopkins ‘16 captained the Hillsdale College swim team during her junior and senior year.

Zoe Hopkins | LinkedIn

years. She holds the program’s records in the 1000 free (10:18.52) and 1650 free (17:18.95), and was named Scholar All-American by the College Swimming and Diving Association in 2015 and 2016, earning Academic All-GLIAC three of her four year college swim career.

Hopkins graduated with a degree in sports management, and then worked as YMCA’s director of competitive swimming for ages 5 through 18 in Traverse City, Michigan.

Hopkins started swimming year-round at 4 years old, and began a travel club swimming at age 8. Hopkins swam for Temperance Bedford High School and her sights set on Hillsdale.

“I only applied to Hillsdale,” Hopkins said. “I’ve wanted to come here since high school.”

As graduation approached, Hopkins knew her departure would be difficult.

“Before I graduated, I went to Kirner and asked, ‘How can I stay at Hillsdale?

I would love to work here.’”

Although there were no open positions available upon graduation, Hopkins said that she knew Hillsdale was the right place for her — with its quirks and all.

“I’m excited to recruit athletes, to grow the team, and the program,” Hopkins said.

Hoosier to Charger: Niego joins Hillsdale basketball By | Hannah Niemeier Culture Editor Last year, he was riding charter planes to games at legendary venues like Cameron Indoor Stadium and Rupp Arena. This year, he’s riding buses to the Upper Peninsula in the middle of blizzards — and loving every minute of it.

According to sophomore transfer guard Harrison Niego, the transition to Division II basketball from a Big 10-Championship-winning Indiana University team has made him a better player and a better person — and it has certainly brought new drive and energy to the Hillsdale Charger men’s basketball team this season.

“Playing here at Hillsdale is great,” Niego said. “It’s been such a smooth transition to a new school and a new program. I’ve really been embraced by the players and the coaches.”

Niego originally chose Indiana University over scholarship offers from Hillsdale and at least seven Division I schools, several Ivy League colleges, and offers from numerous other Division II schools, according to John Tharp, Hillsdale’s men’s basketball coach.

“We recruited Harrison since his senior year of high school,” Tharp said. “He’s a talented basketball player and a bright student … He came to visit with his whole family — his parents and five brothers — when they were on vacation. We loved the whole

family.”

Though Niego said Hillsdale was high on his list of possibilities from the beginning, the chance of playing for one of the top basketball programs in the country sent Niego to Indiana.

“I was looking for a program where I could play for something bigger than myself and where every game counted,” Niego said. “Eventually I turned them all down to walk on at Indiana. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

From the suburbs of Chicago, Niego did more than just claim a spot on the roster during his freshman year with the Hoosiers. He played in 25 games for a team that made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, scoring 11 points and earning 15 rebounds throughout the season.

“We ended up winning the Big 10 championship, and we didn’t lose a game at home,” Niego said.

“I got to play in key games, and my role grew as the season went on. It was an awesome opportunity for a freshman walk-on. I just worked hard and there were some injuries, and I took advantage of a great opportunity.”

But with great opportunity comes great responsibility, at least according to Hoosier fans.

“At Indiana, basketball is 100 percent your job. It’s how you’re judged,” Niego said.

“Indiana fans are the most passionate fans in the country, and that has its pros and cons. If you win, it’s great, but if you lose, you’re in the hot

seat. It ends up balancing out, but that’s the culture: you win.

That’s what you do.”

Tharp said he heard in the spring of Niego’s freshman year that, despite the excitement of Hoosier basketball culture, Niego was looking to

move on.

“I was there for one season and then decided I wanted a change of scenery, but it was still an awesome experience,” Niego said. “I have zero regrets. I just wanted a change and some new options opened

Sophomore transfer guard Harrison Niego brings the ball up the court during the Hillsdale’s game against Ohio Dominican.

Matt Kendrick | Collegian

up.”

Those options included a meeting with Tharp, which convinced Niego to transfer to Hillsdale to play basketball and continue to pursue a degree in financial management for a future career in business.

“He’s fitting in well, though there are differences,” Tharp said. “He had to ask himself a little bit of the ‘What does it mean to play Division II at Hillsdale College?’ question.

But he has no ego. He’s not saying, ‘I’m better than this.’ I think ‘unassuming’ would be the word for it.”

Though Niego said the transition was a smooth one, his teammates still knew there were differences between the two schools.

“He was really quiet at first,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, a sophomore shooting guard who met Niego while they were coaching a kids’ summer camp last June. “I think he was having culture shock in reverse, coming from a school of 50,000 to 1,400.”

Wilkinson said he has learned from Niego’s tenacity on the court.

“He’s just very crafty and very intelligent,” Wilkinson said. “He knows where to be on the court. And he works hard. He’s always staying after practice to shoot. You can make up for what you lack in athleticism by being intelligent. I picked that up from him.”

But in a new season at a new school, Niego is discovering that Indiana isn’t the only team that he can help to victory: he has moved on from Lyons

Township High School, where he averaged over 15 points per game his senior season, to a season average of nearly 8 points per game at Hillsdale.

In last Thursday’s long-awaited victory over Ashland, he scored 15.

Though playing at Hillsdale’s Dawn Potter arena isn’t quite the same as taking the court with the Hoosiers in front of a Duke Blue Devils crowd which literally rocked Cameron Indoor. Niego said Hillsdale’s basketball culture has a completely different focus.

“Coach Tharp makes you feel valued, and once I was here, I got to be a big part of the program,” Niego said. “Off the court, he makes you feel like part of the family. You can’t say that about all coaches. At Hillsdale, I have a bigger role, which forced me to grow into a better player. I also get to become a better person too, with all these amazing people, which is a huge, underrated part of all this. You just put yourself around people who are smarter than you, and good things happen.”

And that family is what Tharp has been sharing with Niego since the beginning of the recruitment process: “We just talked to him about what you do when the basketball is put away,” Tharp said. “We have a basketball family here, and not only that, but a whole Hillsdale College family. And he is a big part in accomplishing our goals as a team.”

Charger Women’s basketball drops two Chargers fall to Findlay and Ashland in a tough weekend of competition. A9

Matt Kendrick | Collegian

9 FEB. 2017

Spotlight: Harrison Niego From Indiana University to Hillsdale College, the transfer guard tells about his transition to Division-II basketball.

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Trey Brock recieves all-american honorable mention After a record-breaking season, Brock receives national recognition.

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Ben Block | Collegian

Matt Kendrick | Collegian

Junior Jared Schipper pole vaults at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic last weekend.

Evan Carter | Collegian

CHARGERS FIND SUCCESS AT WIDE TRACK CLASSIC By | Jessica Hurley Collegian Reporter

On Feb. 3 and 4, Hillsdale College hosted the Wide Track Classic, which attracted elite competition and resulted in 14 provisional marks for the men’s and women’s squads combined.

Between 800 and 900 athletes attended the meet — many of whom are the top seeds in their events. Head coach Andrew Towne has prepared tirelessly to make this meet stand out in NCAA Division II. “This wasn’t our biggest Wide Track Classic ever, but very close,” Towne said. “The quality was drastically different than any Wide Track Classic. I thought it was a step in the right direction, but there’s more that we need to do.”

Towne said the 200 meter races, the relays, and the pole vault were particularly exciting to watch this weekend.

Senior Caleb Gatchell won the 800 meter with a time of 1:53.99 — a personal best on the season. The time hit the provisional mark and left him ranked 16th in the nation.

Freshman Joseph Humes took third in the mile, running a 4:13.33. This is a personal re-

cord and his first provisional mark. Humes said he had been feeling confident in practice all week, and it showed in his performance this weekend.

Humes is ranked 18th in the nation in the event.

“I thought it was pretty awesome,” Humes said. “I got to run with Tony Wondaal, who is an All-American, and a couple other All-Americans were also in that race. Meeting the provisional mark was just an added benefit.”

Humes ran a 4:16 mile in high school, and his goal was to match it. This was his first time running the mile in college.

“I was pretty happy with my rank, but I don’t think it’ll stay that way, because I know people will get faster later on.

I’m just kind of seeing how this plays out and I still have three more years,” Humes said.

Humes also expressed how the level of support within the team at this meet was especially motivating.

“It seemed like the whole team was there, especially on the back straightaway. There was just a wall of noise,” He said. “The atmosphere was just awesome. Having the team there was so much fun, but also a huge motivation.”

The men’s 4x400-meter re-

lay took second this weekend.

It was run by sophomore Tanner Schwannecke, juniors Lane White and Colby Clark, and senior Ty Etchemendy. They hit the provisional standard with a time of 3:19.69, placing them 17th in the nation.

Junior Jared Schipper won the men’s pole vault, clearing 16 feet, 4.75 inches. Though it was not his season best, this was another provisional mark for Schipper, who is ranked ninth on the national list.

Etchemendy, previous All-American, placed third in triple jump, reaching 48 feet, .5 inches. This was not Etchmendy’s season record, but still reached the provisional standard, ranking him 20th nationally.

On the women’s side, Hillsdale had two provisional performances in the 400-meter.

Junior Tori Wichman took first with a time of 56.86, marking her third provisional time of the season. She is now ranked fifth nationally. Senior captain Allison Duber placed seventh, running a 57.76, which ranked her 27th on the national list.

Hillsdale took first and second in the women’s mile. Junior Hannah MacIntyre placed first with a time of 4:56.22.

This time is MacIntyre’s indoor personal record, as well

minican Panthers (13-9, 8-8 in GLIAC) by one game for the eighth and final GLIAC Tournament spot. Hillsdale will close its regular season schedule at Ohio Dominican on Feb. 18.

Sitting between the Chargers and the Panthers are the

Walsh Cavaliers, who are 7-8 in GLIAC play. Tonight, Hillsdale will take on the Cavaliers in North Canton, Ohio, at 7:30 p.m. The winner doesn’t clinch a playoff spot and the loser isn’t eliminated from postseason contention, but the Chargers know how vital a victory

as a provisional time which placed her 10th on the national list. Senior Molly Oren was just seconds behind, placing second, with a time of 4:59.80.

This time also meets the provisional standard ranking her 21st and is Oren’s indoor personal record as well.

The historically successful distance medley relay teams for Hillsdale took first and third — both met provisional times. The A-team of Oren, and juniors Fiona Shea, Hannah Watts, and McIntyre, took first and is ranked seventh in the nation for their time of 11:54.32.

The B-team which took third was composed of freshmen Allyson Eads, Seneca Wyse and Arena Lewis, and Junior Amanda Reagle with their time of 12:16.59 ranked 20th.

Hillsdale has been the national champion in this event for the past two years and is gearing up for another successful year.

Hillsdale put up a strong performance in the pole vault, with two lifetime personal records and two provisional marks. Senior Alex Whitford vaulted 12 feet, 7.5 inches, on Saturday placing second to professional vaulter, Kayla Caldwell.

See Track A8

Junior Hannah McIntyre leads the pack during her race at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic last weekend.

Matt Kendrick | Collegian

Basketball pushes for GLIAC tournament spot

By | Nathanael Meadowcroft Senior Writer With four games remaining, there’s little room for error for the Hillsdale College men’s basketball team.

At 7-9 in the GLIAC, the Chargers trail the Ohio Do-

Sophomore forward Gordon Behr goes up for a shot against Ohio Dominican.

Matt Kendrick | Collegian

would be.

“It’s a must-win,” junior guard Stedman Lowry said.

“We just have to go into it fired up and ready to compete.”

The Chargers will play three of their final four games on the road, starting tonight at Walsh.

Hillsdale is just 2-6 away from home this season.

In their most recent road game on Feb. 2, the Chargers fell 88-74 to the Findlay Oilers, who lead the GLIAC South Division and have the “best home-court advantage in Division II,” according to Lowry. Findlay jumped out to an early 19-6 lead and took a 44-25 advantage into halftime.

The Chargers cut the deficit to 8 points with 7:30 remaining in the second half but couldn’t pull closer.

“It’s a heck of a place to play at,” head coach John Tharp said. “When you play there you have to be really mentally tough, and you’ve got to be resilient. We weren’t quite that.”

After struggling to find their rhythm on the road, the Chargers returned home Saturday and put up perhaps their best all-around team performance of the season. Five Hillsdale players scored in

double figures in an 80-55 rout of the Ashland Eagles.

“It was huge momentum for us to go into the rest of the season to win these last four games, because we pretty much have to win all four,” Lowry said. “Just how we played — overall, on defense, offense, everything — I think it was exactly what we needed to get us started.”

Senior forward Rhett Smith led Hillsdale with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Sophomore guards Nate Neveau and Harrison Niego each scored 15 points. Sophomore forward Nick Czarnowski scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds off the bench, Lowry added 10.

As a team, the Chargers shot 59 percent from the field (32-of-54) and 50 percent from beyond the arc (11-of22).

“When you make shots you look really good,” Tharp said.

“We had multiple guys making shots, and I thought we did a great job of moving the basketball… We just played inside-out throughout the game and we wore them down.”

Hillsdale was just as impressive on defense as they were on offense. The Chargers held the

Eagles to 38 percent shooting (22-of-58) and forced 18 turnovers while committing just 8 turnovers themselves.

“We played really good team defense today and we did a great job of controlling the ball,” Tharp said. “We worked really hard on all their dribble-pitch and all their penetration and we really tried to prevent them coming down the middle on us. We were much better with our one-on-one defense.”

With just one game remaining at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, the Chargers must figure out how to translate their success at home into wins on the road.

“It’s just been a roller coaster. That’s been the difficulty for all of us — you see it at times, you see it in us,” Tharp said. “I’m encouraged because I think we are starting to play better but we haven’t been great on the road, so that’s the next hurdle for this team to face.”

Ultimately, success will come from the defensive side.

In the two road games the Chargers have won this sea-

See Men’s A8

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Grace DeSandro | Collegian

Hillsdale’s small symphony sets off sparks on the national stage at CODA conference By | Hannah Niemeier Culture Editor

Playing on a national stage for the first time will leave any musical ensemble on cloud nine. But when Hillsdale’s musicians ascend to new heights, they light up the place with their love for the music.

When the Hillsdale College symphony orchestra traveled to George Mason University this weekend to perform at the national conference of the College Orchestra Directors Association, they showed an energy and passion for music performance that was reinforced by the shared experience of performing, learning, and exploring music in Washington, D.C. The orchestra was one of two colleges selected from blind auditions of both national and international schools, all of whom were significantly larger than Hillsdale College.

Though CODA’s final pick was announced late—coming only after one of the original orchestras had to give up its slot—Music Director James Holleman and the orchestra prepared a program from performances over the past two years.

“I was thrilled about our performance,” Holleman said. “The idea we had of presenting music that we’ve played over the last two years and take it to a higher level was absolutely successful. The orchestra rose to their peak level of performance. And that gives us a new level for our next performance.”

The 77-member orchestra traveled to Fairfax, Virginia, Thursday.

There, they rehearsed and performed Friday afternoon before an audience that included Penny Arnn, the wife of Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, and other Hillsdale guests, as

well as orchestra directors and members from across the country.

The hour-long concert, which included Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Serenade to Music,” brought the audience members to their feet for a standing ovation.

“This was definitely our best performance since I’ve been at Hillsdale,” junior violinist Delaney Lehmann said. “There was so much energy from everyone, especially Professor Holleman. I noticed that especially in the fourth movement of the Britten; the storm was stormier. We were able to bring across the character of the music. I also enjoyed the two violin pieces. Stevan Lukich was immaculate on the solo for the Max Bruch ‘Scottish Fantasy’. Hannah Andrews’s violin solo on Ralph Vaughan Williams’s ‘Serenade to Music’ was lovely and heart-wrenching, too. All the feels.”

Though their performance was the centerpiece of the weekend, the orchestra also participated in master conducting classes with the University of Tulsa, the other orchestra selected by CODA. Holleman also spoke on a panel entitled “Conducting at a Liberal Arts College” Saturday afternoon, where he addressed a question he heard from other music directors repeatedly: “How do you do it? How do you make quality music with an orchestra that includes mostly non-music majors?”

“It was great to be a panelist right after everyone saw the concert. Our performance really gave us credibility,” Holleman said. “We repeatedly got compliments from other direc-

tors about the quality of the performance and about how interesting the repertoire was. But the compliment I heard the most was that people were so moved by how engaged our musicians were, and how joyous they were in performing the music. People were also shocked by how few music majors there were; we have only five in the entire orchestra, including two double majors, two piano majors, and an organ major.”

For Holleman, though, that joy

though; the entire orchestra was en- of time with musicians they may tranced, Lehmann said. have only known from rehearsals.

“The second movement of the “John Russell kept saying, ‘We’re ‘Trombone Concerto’ was the best,” not in Hillsdale anymore’ while we she said. “This man just walks out were walking around the monuwith a giant block, and everyone ments in the dark and the cold. It starts laughing because we sort of was an experience that I will treasure knew what was going to happen. Ev- in my memory, but I don’t need to eryone was so alert and into the mu- do it ever again, because my hands sic. It was intense.” were numb,” Lehmann said. “ComFor Holleman the concert was ing home, though, I had this sense both a motivator for upcoming of descending into reality from this performance—they will likely per- cloud of playing wonderful music form the “Serenade for with wonderful people.”

Strings” on their May For Holleman, too, the joy someconcert—and a unifying times overflowed in mysterious ways experience. as he looked back on the experience.

“The conference really “We were at our last stop and I was renewed our energy and buying a Coke and mints because I our sense of performing was carsick. I was about to walk as a group because it was away, but then I said to myself, ‘Hey, such a bonding experi- everything’s going so well, I may as ence,” Holleman said. well buy myself a Mega Millions and “I’ve seen that when I’ve a Powerball.’ I told the students that traveled with the Cham- if I hit the big one, I’m taking them ber Choir, but that hasn’t to New York City and we’re playing happened with the or- Carnegie Hall,” Holleman said. “In chestra before. People got to meet all seriousness, though, my joy was people they had never spoken to be- traveling with these students and fore outside of practice and perfor- having the honor of performing onmances.” stage with them.”

While wandering around the city after rehearsals, Lehmann and Russell discovered not only the beauty of the monuments on the National Mall on a quiet, cold night Music Director James Holleman conducts the Symphony Orin D.C., but chestra at George Mason University. Jones | Courtesy also the joy

“The compliment I heard the most was that people were so moved by how engaged our musicians were and how joyous they were in performing the music.” stems from students’ love of performing as a group, and it shows through in their appreciation of others’ music, as well. Saturday night, the students attended the National Symphony Orchestra in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to hear Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for String Orchestra,” and Christopher Rouse’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Trombone Concerto,” which, according to Holleman, was “a riot.”

“This was my first time watching a professional orchestra,” senior John Russell said. “As a percussionist, it was helpful to watch their technique.

And then in one piece they came out with a giant hammer and a giant wooden box, which took a lot of timing. It was fun to watch.”

It wasn’t just the percussionists,

‘This is Us’ celebrates life and family By | Chandler Lasch Collegian Reporter

The pilot opens with a repetitive melody: fast-paced finger-picking on an acoustic guitar. Somehow it feels comforting. Familiar, even.

The show is called “This is Us,” and the song is “Death with Dignity” by Sufjan Stevens. It’s perfectly fitting for a story about life and death—but mostly life.

The first shot is a glimpse into the Pearson home. There is a white and yellow, vaguely retro rug that is still rolled up. An open suitcase sits atop one of many cardboard boxes. One of them has a message scrawled in black marker: “Family Photos ’75-’79.”

As the melody continues, you meet a pregnant woman and her mostly naked husband in their bedroom. It’s Rebecca and Jack Pearson, and it happens to be Jack’s birthday.

The scene shifts several times as the rest of the main cast is introduced. Kate is a woman struggling to lose weight as she closes the refrigerator door on her birthday cake. Randall is a successful businessman who is greeted with a cake of his own from singing coworkers. Kevin is an actor in a sitcom who feels that he should have achieved more success by today, his 36th birthday.

In fact, Jack, Kate, Randall, and Kevin have all just turned 36.

NBC’s Golden Globe-nominated “This is Us” is a little over halfway through its first season and has been renewed for two more. The show airs on Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M. EST, and it may be the best show on television.

In the first episode, “This is Us” presents itself as a story about people who happen to share the same birthday, and it’s believable for a while. In reality, it’s a story about family and love. It’s beautiful, vivacious, and sorrowful. But what makes the show particularly noteworthy is that it is an excellent depiction of conservative values — almost Christian, even. It’s

hard to imagine this is intentional. It’s just a good story, and it has good values.

The show portrays a married mom and dad with kids as the ideal family. Jack and Rebecca have their fights, but they love each other and Milo Ventimiglia in NBC’s ‘This is Us.’ | IMDB and appreciation for the man who work through them. They are faithful and in love. Randall is raised him.

The show departs from a tradimarried to Beth, the mother of his two daughters and the woman of his tional conservative narrative with its dreams. In time, Kate finds the man abrupt inclusion of a bisexual man in of hers. Kevin, on the other hand, a relationship with another man. It’s consistently sleeps around, seeming- a twist that feels like the writers panly unable to commit to a relationship icked after suddenly realizing they had forgotten to include an LGBT and unhappy because of it.

In addition, “This is Us” makes an character.

Nonetheless, so far in the series, incredible statement about the value of life at any stage. It’s an inherently his sexuality has not been much of pro-life show without ever mention- a plot point. Maybe that’s intentioning abortion. The Pearsons—a white al. He’s not used to make a political couple—adopt a black baby who was statement. The writers just hope you abandoned at a fire station by his believe this is who he is. Interestingdrug-addicted father following the ly enough, the most impactful parts death of his mother in childbirth. of the story revolve around his son’s There is no question that this baby’s confusion as he struggles to feel comlife has value, though prior to his fortable knowing that his father loves birth, he was what some in the real a man.

“This is Us” feels like a true stoworld might call a perfect candidate for an abortion. After all, he’s un- ry. The characters are easy to love, wanted—except by Jack and Rebecca. easy to laugh with, and easy to cry “The moment I saw you, I knew with. The acting is phenomenal, and you were my boy,” Jack tells his child. the soundtrack delights. “Some Day “You weren’t a choice… you were a Soon” by Alexi Murdoch and Jackson C. Frank’s cover of “Blues Run the fact.”

The show handles questions of Game” are particularly charming and race refreshingly well. The two white fit the story brilliantly.

But the timeline of the story is a parents work hard to teach their black son that his race doesn’t make funny and clever thing. For fear of him different. He’s their son. He’s a spoiling the twist, suffice it to say Pearson. That’s what makes him who that the unique way this story is he is, not his skin. The only real ac- told is almost undetectable at first. knowledgments they have that he Then someone lights up a cigarette might be unique come when they in a hospital, and the thought occurs seek out a barber who can cut his hair that maybe the setting isn’t what—or well, or make sure he spends time when—it seems. Maybe this is not a around black children and adults as story about strangers who happen well as white. Although the young to share a birthday. Maybe there is a Pearson starts to wonder about his connection—something of an “us.” birth father, he never loses his love You’ll just have to watch and see.

CULTURE CORNER VALENTINE’S DAY EDITION

Compiled by Katie Scheu

What’s the most romantic flick?

Very often, I find that films—and people— treat love as an end-of-the-story goal to be obtained: the guy and the girl get together at the end and ride off into the sunset. But very few people write movies about the divorce, or the breakup, or that mid-summer relationship slump where things slowly slip away. I like movies that have the guts to address those problems—“Crazy Stupid Love, or “500 Days of Summer.”

-Film Student Faith E. Liu ’16

Who sings the greatest love song?

Chester See, with “You’re Beautiful.” It’s just a really beautiful song because, as the lyrics express, describing what it’s like to be in love is so hard to do eloquently and without cheesy clichés, so all you can really say is “You’re Beautiful.”

-Junior Patrick Lucas

What’s the greatest love story of all time?

Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski.

-Freshman Jack Duffy

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Culture www.hillsdalecollegian.com

B2 9 Feb. 2017

around the country this week . . .

Netherlands meets Hillsdale with men’s vocal ensemble By | Jordyn Pair

Assistant Editor

Music, laughter, and five European men will fill the stage of College Baptist Church this Saturday.

The Olga Vocal Ensemble will be performing Feb. 11 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the college’s Performing Artist Series. The group was founded in 2012 at the Utrechts Conservatorium in the Netherlands, and two years later, they recorded their first album of songs which ranged from jazz to oldies, pop to classical.

In addition to a wide variety of music, Olga is also known for adding humor to their performances.

“We like to keep the concerts light-hearted. Not all of our songs are funny, but when they are funny, we try to make the most of it,” Philip Barkhudarov said. “We do a lot of talking during our concerts, we introduce our songs, we introduce ourselves; we like to make jokes and make fun of ourselves. It kind of breaks the ice with the audience.”

The ensemble is comprised of five men who hail from all over Europe: Bjarni Guðmundsson, tenor; Jonathan Ploeg, tenor; Gulian van Nierop, baritone; Pétur Oddbergur Heimisson, bass-baritone; and Philip Barkhudarov, bass.

The ensemble will also be hosting a master class for students in Howard Music Hall Feb. 11 at 11:00 a.m.

“We’re preparing a couple a cappella pieces with the men of the big choir to perform and be coached by the men of Olga,” Music Director James Holleman said. “It’s a shared experience of the students.”

This shared experience can be used as a common knowledge reference point when an ensemble is struggling later in the year, Holleman added.

Although only men will be participating in the master class, all students are welcome to watch.

“I’m excited to hear them,”

Performing inside and outside the Netherlands, Olga always tours with its mascot, a red kettle. Courtesy

said sophomore Tom Ryskamp, who sings bass in the Chamber Choir. “They’re professionals; I really want to hear them. I think it will be really cool to be singing for them.”

Hearing from experts is exciting, Ryskamp added.

“It puts your own talent in perspective,” he said. “It gives you a goal. You think, ‘These are the great people. If I want to be great, I need to be like them.’”

In the master class, Olga plans to work on tempo, tuning, breathing, and blend with the student choir, Barkhudarov said.

Barkhudarov cites harmonizing as a special challenge in a cappella, or unaccompanied, music.

“In a small group, one person per part, you can never just sit back and cruise along,” he said, noting the absence of an instrumental accompaniment as a base to work from.

“Every one of you has to be there 100 percent of the time.”

Although Olga has toured before, this is their first time touring in the U.S. “Personally, I’ve never been anywhere near Michigan,” said Barkhudarov. “I’m very curious. I think there’s a strong choir culture there, as

far as I know.”

Tr a v e l i n g so much together leads to a more intimate ensemble, B ark hud arov said.

Being with each other all the time, compared to a larger choir, leads to a lot of inside jokes.

These jokes can help add to the humor of their shows.

One such Olga’s five-member ensemble mixes schtick joke is their with style as they sing on stage. Courtesy mascot, a red “We like the playfulness of kettle called Ketill Olguson. it, ” Barkhudarov said.

“Ketill is a real Icelandic Their audience does too, he first name, and then Olguson means ‘son of Olga,’” Barkhu- added, and that’s what really darov said. “We discovered matters.

“We have a good time toKetill in the library of the gether anyway, and when we’re Utrechts Conservatorium where we all studied, when we on stage we have a good time were filming our first promo together,” he said. “The audivideo. Most of the video was ence sees that. If we’re having improvised, and at some point a good time, they also have a Pétur picked up this red kettle good time.” and carried it around during To find more information some scenes.” on the Olga Vocal Ensemble, They then started taking the kettle to concerts, and it find them on Facebook or go to was eventually donated to www.olgavocalensemble.com. them by the library.

Alumna poet wins Princemere Prize Collegian Reporter

“Winning this contest was a bit of a fluke,” Hillsdale graduate Serena Howe ’12 said after winning the 2016 Princemere Poetry Contest. “I don’t apply to contests often, particularly since I haven’t written much lately. I was shocked when I won the prize.”

The English major won $500 for her poem, “After a Certain Age Everyone Wears the Face They Deserve.” The Princemere Poetry Journal is a literary magazine of Gordon College, located in Wenham, Massachusetts, and the poem will be published on its website.

Professor of English John Somerville said he is in no way surprised that she won the award: “Serena is extremely gifted, both as a student and a poet. And she’s a diligent worker.

This is the result of much hard work.”

Junior English and French major Mark Naida said he believes the final line of Howe’s poem accomplishes a difficult task.

“This poem expresses the beauty of corporeality and the beauty inherent in the transmission of ourselves,” Naida said. “After thinking of her conception, growth in the womb, and the interference inherent in that relationship, the speaker sees her mother in the mirror, or at least an intimation of her mother’s face.

The poem comes full circle in a short amount of space.

A true virtue of the poem’s technique is the use of strong specific verbs, which provide clarity to many of the images.”

Naida argues that though the poem is short, it demonstrates a lyrical elegance that makes it deserving of the Princemere Poetry Prize.

Professor of English Justin Jackson said a poet always offers something of herself in her work, and he believes Howe has a lot to offer the reader.

“I remember Serena very well and fondly,” Jackson said.

“She and I still keep in contact. Serena had a great sense of humor, was intelligent, and supremely humane. She was the ideal student: smart, curious, diligent, but didn’t take herself too seriously. She’s one of those students whom you

miss immediately upon graduation.”

Jackson said he is delighted for his former student and he hopes she continues to write and publish poetry.

“I love this wonderful line: ‘I hollowed her, / And heal her, and she still bears me / Everywhere.’ And there’s that nice concluding rhyme: ‘interfere’ and ‘mirror,’” Somerville said.

Jackson said Howe’s poem demonstrates a wonderful mixture of the physical and the spiritual, scientific meditations combined with a sense of ineffable givenness.

“It most certainly doesn’t surprise me to see Serena meditate on inter-subjectivity—that one is never really one’s own self, but is always simultaneously being gifted and offering oneself as a gift, a sort of ongoing reciprocal gesture of both affection and raw existence. It’s a treat to be able

is how she realized that she wanted to become a teacher.

Howe said one of the things she misses most about Hillsdale is the Visiting Writers Program, organized by Somerville. Many of the visiting writers from this program inspired Howe to be the writer she is today, she said.

“I still think a lot about Wilmer Mills, who visited Hillsdale while I was there and died soon after,” Howe said.

“He was a beautiful man and his humility and clarity challenged me to be serious about words.”

After Howe graduated, she and some of her friends created a private poetry blog where they kept up the community of criticism. When she started attending the University of Dallas, she said that she found a group of writers there who provided many opportunities for public reading and publication.

Howe said over the past two years she has hardly written at all, though she strives to be involved in the community still.

Howe now teaches algebra, history, Latin, and literature at The Saint Timothy School in Dallas, Texas.

This is her fourth year at the small parochial middle and high school.

To all budding poets and aspiring writers, Howe discussed some things she has learned along the journey to being a writer.

“I guess my advice to those who want to write is to be humble and to not be precious about your work,” Howe said.

She said it is important for students to let others critique their work, and tell them their poems are not good at all, but to remain determined.

She urges writers to associate themselves with people who write as long as they want to improve and learn. She warned against seeking out people who will only give positive feedback.

And read the works of others, she advised.

“I always experience writing a poem as being given a gift, something I didn’t earn even if I had to put in the hours,” Howe said. “I think all art is like that. The effort may be a necessary cause, but it certainly isn’t the sufficient cause.”

“Howe’s poem demonstrates a wonderful mixture of the physical and the spiritual, scientific meditations combined with a sense of ineffable givenness.”

to read Serena’s work again,” Jackson said.

As a freshman, Howe began experimenting with her own poetry. These works she calls “self-indulgent crap.” Nonetheless, Howe submitted her works to the campus literary publication, The Tower Light.

Howe claims that the feedback she received helped shape her as a writer.

“A kind senior on the board had the grace to ask me if I wanted some tutoring, and she was so gentle with my garbage,” Howe said. “She taught me that my writing wasn’t very good, but that that was okay, and that I had some nice turns of phrase and could keep learning. I’m thankful to her for that.”

Howe continued on to spend four semesters on The Tower Light editorial board and served as editor-in-chief one semester.

“Those meetings were some of the best fun I had in college,” Howe said.

She also worked at the Writing Center and was student director of Academic Services for two years, which

Hillsdale alumna Serena Howe recently won a poetry contest. Howe | Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

By | Morgan Channels

After a Certain Age Everyone Wears the Face They Deserve By | Serena Howe

Hillsdale Alumna ‘12

Consider: in a teaspoon of my mother’s Blood cells you may count a hundred of my own.

I heard this on the radio, and though It seems too lovely to be true, yet who Am I to contradict? I knew before That the divide between our lives Is tenuous indeed—but I never guessed That my anterior zygotic self still teems Inside of her in myriads of stem cells, A reciprocating gift she gave to me.

I ask, how beautiful is it to bear From this body of death? I hollowed her, And heal her, and she still bears me Everywhere, a natural kind of grace--and If, as physics will confirm, once bodies Interact they always stay entangled, Then my conception fated us to interfere.

Only this morning she surprised me in the mirror.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

B3 9 Feb. 2017

Sophomore Ryan Murphy is from California, the state that sends the third highest number of students to Hillsdale. S. M. Chavey | Collegian

‘Boots-on-the-ground’ admissions attracts Californian students By | Brooke Conrad Collegian Reporter Over the past three decades, Hillsdale has accepted more and more students from states as distant as Texas, Colorado, and California as a result both of intentional efforts by the admissions department, and of what seems to be a more nationwide interest in the college.

Sophomore Hannah Socolofsky knew she wanted to come to a liberal arts school when she started looking for colleges. She comes from California, a state from which Hillsdale drew only 12 students in the 1990-91 school year. Now, an average of 80 Californians enroll in Hillsdale each year. Socolofsky said after looking at a couple of liberal arts schools in California, as well as Patrick Henry College, she decided to attend Hillsdale because of its organic Christian community.

There are several other reasons why more students might

Jobs from B4 By | S. M. Chavey Features Editor At least 35 percent of students on campus work, some as many as four or more different jobs according to Assistant Director of Career Services John Quint. With 73 supervisors in 56 different departments, work experiences can differ quite a bit between jobs.

From working in the president’s office to paid academic research with a professor, student workers make a difference, Quint said.

“If you ask supervisors, they would say the student employment they are allowed to have is so valuable,” Quint said.

For the first time ever, the college will be hosting an on-campus job fair in March.

Students can meet supervisors, apply for jobs, and practice for future job fairs.

be coming from California, however. Former Director of West Coast Recruitment Colleen McGinness said the cost of education at several California state schools is often comparable to the cost of education at Hillsdale: more than $30,000. The average Hillsdale student, however, only pays $18,440 per year because of the financial aid many students receive through scholarships. In addition, California schools often experience difficulties with “impacted” majors — meaning that classes fill up too quickly — forcing students to wait as long as five-and-a-half or six years to get a degree, according to Director of Field Recruitment Jenny Brewer.

Another possible reason the state of California sends the third highest number of students is because Hillsdale has gotten better at tapping into the conservative and homeschool pockets in places like Orange County and San Diego, California, according Here’s a bit of information to distinguish between the perks and pay of different hourly on-campus jobs.

A.J.’s Cafe 1844 Information from Makenzie Self

Flexible Hours? Weekly schedule.

Job Perks? Free soda while working. A.J.’s meal exchanges while working through meals.

Job Skills? Customer service.

“It gives me an opportunity to interact with people. It’s a great way to socialize and get to know new people, and I like coffee,” junior Colette Peterson said.

Contact Center Information from John Papciak

Flexible Hours? Yes. Job Perks? Access to Contact Center to study, access to Contact Center Conference Room, access to exclusive lectures for student employees by staff, faculty, and outside speakers.

to McGinness. Often, word spreads through activities like speech and debate.

“My sister came and that inspired more interest in the college, and a bunch more people came [afterward],” said sophomore Regan Lasch, who lives near Orange County, California.

While California recruitment has seen success over the past several years, the college faces more competition with other liberal arts schools in the Northeast region of the United States, according to Kathryn Bock, admissions counselor for the Northeast.

“You can blindfold someone [here], spin them around five times, and they can hit a private liberal arts school in New England,” she said.

Nevertheless, Hillsdale distinguishes itself from other schools because of its conservative values. Sophomore Abigail Trouwborst from New York looked for liberal arts schools close to home, but she said none of them seemed to give the particular type of education that Hillsdale gives.

“There are a lot of liberal arts schools in the Northeast, but not a lot of conservative ones,” she said.

Maybe things will change soon. Bock has only been living in her region for the past couple years, while California has had counselors living in and developing the West Coast region since around 2000. It also helps that the department has increased its total admissions staff from five to nine in recent years, decreasing the area each counselor has to cover, according to Brewer.

“Boots on the ground make the difference,” said Assistant Director of West Coast Admissions Kelly Scott.

Overall, the percentage of students attending Hillsdale from outside of Michigan has steadily risen in the past almost three decades. While about 40 percent of students in the 1990-1991 school year came from outside of Michigan, the current school year “You get to interact with people all over the country, supporters and parents and people involved in different ways. There’s a whole network of support and we get to talk to them every day,” senior Rosie Ellison said.

Grewock Student Union Information from Emma Klaserner

Flexible Hours? Weekly schedule.

Hiring? Yes, 10 students this spring.

“I like having the opportunity to spend quality time with Matt Katz, studying and giving people PingPong paddles, and I like being central to campus where I get to see everyone while I’m on the clock — getting paid to do my homework,” junior Mark Englert said.

Mossey Library Information from Linda Moore

Flexible Hours? Weekly schedule.

Job Skills? Research skill development.

Ballet from B4

When senior Angela Bonvissuto danced as Clara in “The Nutracker,” her three siblings were in the show as well. Angela Bonvissuto | Courtesy

woman.”

The music and dancing became such an influential outlet for Angela Bonvissuto, and she said she loved what she was able to express through the art.

“I felt extremely alive,” she said. “I felt like I could express myself really well through dancing, and I love that when you’re doing ballet you don’t have to say anything. It’s almost like the music speaks for you and you express yourself by dancing through the music.”

Angela Bonvissuto’s dancing career ended soon after her role as Clara, when she was faced with the choice to continue her career into professionalism, or end it soon after.

“The choice was very appealing because you’re 13 and you want to be a prima ballerina,” she said.

She laughed to herself as she considered her future that could have been.

“I had to leave because I had progressed so far that my only option was to become a professional dancer,” she said.

“I had maxed out on all the levels.”

After having conversations with her parents, Angela

catalogue showed an increase to 65 percent.

Senior Director of Admissions Zach Miller said that while the admissions department is intentionally recruiting from more distant locations, there also seems to be a more nationwide interest in the college.

“We do see more of a national appeal and a national attention from students, and we want to make sure that we can meet as many students in their area as possible,” he said.

One possible reason the college is receiving more attention is that the college is directed by like-minded people, who are able to articulate a sharp vision for the college.

“The college is all on the same page,” Scott said. “People know what Hillsdale is, so they are able to communicate that.”

But the college did not always have this sharp of a focus, according to Brewer.

While Hillsdale has always appreciated a classical liberal arts model, she said it seems to have begun emphasizing its mission more over the past 30 years, as evidenced by the growth of the core curriculum under President Larry Arnn’s leadership.

“I think we used to be known as challenging, and that we prepared you well for a job, but since then our focus as a classical liberal arts school has sharpened,” Brewer said.

“And since it has sharpened, our message is more focused too, and so we’re able to reach students who are drawn to it.

The more clear the message is, the more compelling it is.”

Whether or not the clarity of Hillsdale’s mission in recent years has helped draw more national attention, Brewer said the variety of student backgrounds and perspectives enrich campus.

“I don’t think this education is for a specific type of person and for a specific place, but the farther away we go, the easier it is to find people who both fit with this education and also recognize the beauty of the liberal arts,” Brewer said.

“Getting people from different backgrounds, finding people from different perspectives … makes campus that much more vibrant and interesting.”

Diner from B4

Hiring? In the fall.

“I love books and I also really love the people I work with. The library staff is very nice and helpful,” freshman Elyssa Warren said.

ment through opportunities to become certified in specific skills.

“We get to do a lot of different activities. It’s not only setting up ice rinks and registration. There’s a lot of organization and event planning and it allows you to interact with all kind of students,” junior Lyndsey Bice said.

Marketing Information from Kokko Tso

Flexible Hours? Yes. Job Skills? Writers — published portfolio of blog work.

Website — technical training and hands-on experience with the most widely-used content management system in the world, WordPress.

“I like being able to connect with campus through thinking about what aspects of campus would be appealing to write about,” sophomore Emma McCormick said.

Student Activities Board Information from Anthony Manno

Flexible Hours? Yes, but up to 20 hours some weeks.

Job Perks? Event perks, such as early sign-up privilege.

Job Skills? Creative freedom and professional developBonvissuto decided to live a “normal” life where she could pursue college and potential careers outside of dance.

Eleven years later, she said dance still brings her joy, but in a different way.

“I am still sad, I wish I could do ballet still. It is my favorite thing in the whole world,” she said.

While she chose to never take up dance again herself, she said that whenever she hears classical music she immediately begins choreographing in her mind.

“I felt like I had gotten to the point that I was really good and anything less than the highest level doesn’t seem like real ballet,” Angela said.

The skills that she mastered in ballet carried over into her life after dance.

“Ballet is really good at discipline,” Linda Bonvissuto said. “It has helped her in all aspects of her life, such as overcoming obstacles.”

While Angela Bonvissuto is no longer dancing herself, she said ballet is still something special to her.

“Dance is my favorite art form, whenever I see or experience art, a very well-done dance is what speaks the most to me,” she said.

Ringenberg hasn’t always served the customerfavorite Thai food, though.

She only began because of continual customer requests for “Pai’s famous Thai.”

“I went from serving it from one day, to two days, to every day,” Ringenberg said, laughing at its popularity.

It was in Bangkok, Thailand, she said, where her love of cooking developed.

In her accented English that speaks to a different time and place, Ringenberg said she learned to cook Thai food from her family before she moved to the United States. Forty eight years later, Ringenberg is still cooking the same dishes.

Ringenberg moved to the U.S. when she was 17 years old, following in the footsteps of her older sister who had already settled in Virginia.

“I was excited to move to America,” Ringenberg said. “I was poor and had no home in Thailand.”

Ringenberg said it was hard to adjust to living in the U.S. at first.

“I didn’t know any English,” she said. “That made it very hard.”

The opportunities she looked to find here were everything she had hoped for, she said. Her talent in the kitchen allowed her to succeed both as a cook and a manager in several different restaurants. Eventually, work brought her to Hillsdale.

Ringenberg goes back to Thailand to visit her relatives every five years, and said she hopes to visit them again this summer.

“I miss my relatives, and sometimes the food,” Ringenberg added. “But this is my home now.”

Ringenberg quickly became an integral part of the community, and not just because of her diner’s cuisine. According to Hillsdale alumnus Mason Stuard ’14, Ringenberg’s open and approachable nature makes her an invaluable part of Hillsdale’s community.

Stuard, who worked for Ringenberg for two months

Roche Sports Complex and Biermann Athletic Center Information from Bradley Kocher

Flexible Hours? Yes. Options: Fitness center, JAM room, climbing wall, gameday management staff, Biermann setup crew.

“I get to go and do something I’m passionate about a few times a week and get paid for it. We get to climb a lot, hone our skills, teach others, and watch them fall in love with it,” senior Eric Ragan said about working at the climbing wall.

Student Affairs

after his graduation, remembered how even when he was a customer, Ringenberg would sit and talk with him.

“She’s warm, open, and giving,” Stuard said. “Everyone who comes in feels special.”

Though Ringenberg has experienced unimaginable trials throughout her life — the death of a son and a knee operation with its accompanying setbacks — her drive and joy are testimonies to her unwavering faith in God, according to Stuard.

“Even though she had a hard time, she doesn’t wear that on her sleeve,” Stuard said.

Hillsdale resident Cindy Armstrong, a close friend of Ringenberg’s, said she would never forget the day Ringenberg found out her son had died in the service of his country.

“It changes you,” Armstrong said. “I can’t even imagine.”

Ringenberg continued to exude incredible generosity and kindness to everyone around her, though, according to Armstrong.

“She cares about so many people,” Armstrong said.

“She’ll do anything for anyone.”

Ringenberg, however, said she receives more from the community than she could ever give.

“They’re like family,” she said. “If I ever need anything, they’re here. This is a small town with a very caring heart.”

Ringenberg said she hopes to begin training someone to succeed her and take over the management of Coffee Cup within the next five years. She said she wants to enjoy her grandchildren and travel, but her plan is to stay in Hillsdale.

“People will miss her tremendously [at Coffee Cup],” Armstrong said.

Stuard said regardless, Ringenberg will continue to do what she’s always done: feed people and connect with them.

“Pai is Pai,” he said.

“She has a beautiful nature about her. That will never change.”

Mentors Information from John Quint

Job Skills? Professional development training, project management training, facetime with visiting employers, guest speakers, and fellow students.

“I love helping people realize their strengths and how to leverage their Hillsdale experience with potential employers. I’m always surprised by the hidden talents students have,” senior Larissa Clark said.

Student Ambassadors Information from Maria Theisen

Flexible Hours? Yes. Job Perks? The opportunity to meet and possibly persuade prospective students.

Job Skills? Office skills, customer service.

“I like getting to know the prospective students and figuring out what they’re interested in and telling them why they should want to come to Hillsdale,” senior Hannah Andrews said.

Senior Angela Bonvissuto danced as Clara in “The Nutcracker” for the Nashville Ballet in 2006. Angela Bonvissuto | Courtesy

www.hillsdalecollegian.com Senior Angela Bonvissuto performed with a professional ballet company. Angela Bonvissuto | Courtesy

B4 9 Feb. 2017

Dancing with family and sugar plum fairies By | Josephine von Dohlen Collegian Reporter The orchestra played as the curtains closed upon a young lady, who in that moment lived a dream of many young performers.

This young girl was senior Angela Bonvissuto, who starred in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” ballet, playing the role of Clara in 2006.

Bonvissuto’s ballet career began at age 5 with the Salt Creek Ballet in Westmont, Illinois. Her sister, Maria Bonvissuto, began just a year prior and the two danced together for eight years.

Linda Bonvissuto, mother of Maria and Angela, first placed her daughters in dance classes simply to “get them out of the house.”

Linda Bonvissuto recalled Angela Bonvissuto’s little pieces of arts and crafts

around the house when she was younger.

“Angela is a creative, artistic person,” she said.

For Angela Bonvissuto, ballet quickly took on meaning.

“It was always a part of my life, as far as I can remember,” she said.

When Angela Bonvissuto was 9, her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she and Maria Bonvissuto began dancing with the Nashville Ballet, the largest professional dance company in Tennessee.

The two sisters that took over the dance floor gently pushed each other towards success in what Maria Bonvissuto called, a “friendly rivalry.”

“It was fun but definitely intense,” Maria Bonvissuto said. “We both enjoyed it.

I don’t think we ever said a

word about the rivalry but it motivated each one of us. It was a fun challenge that gave us a great appreciation for fine arts.”

Their instructor at the Nashville Ballet came from the Royal Ballet School in London, England, and she took a special liking to Angela Bonvissuto.

The teacher’s methods, however, were quite different from the ballet that they had danced back in Illinois.

“She taught the super-traditional English ballet method,” she said. “So she started us from scratch again, but it made us super good.”

Ballet dancers often are trained in different methods, all different expressions of ballet technique: Russian ballet, Italian ballet, French ballet, and English ballet.

Angela Bonvissuto continued to advance, skipping an

of my dancing career”. Not only was she the star, but the ballet quickly became a family show, as Maria Bonvissuto played the role of the evil rat and her two younger brothers played extras in the opening scene’s Christmas party.

Maria Bonvissuto said her

sister’s hard work and dedication to ballet was admirable, contributing to Angela Bonvissuto’s success as Clara.

“Angela is incredibly talented,” Maria Bonvissuto said. “She is a Renaissance

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A Thai tradition in Hillsdale By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor

Prapai Ringenberg opened up the Coffee Cup Diner in Hillsdale.

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The perks and pay of on-campus jobs

entire level.

“My teacher wanted to give me private lessons because I was homeschooled and make me into a ballet star,” she said.

In 2006, Angela danced the role of Clara in “The Nutcracker”, which she later accounted as “my favorite part

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Prapai Ringenberg, affectionately known to those in the community as Pai, leaned back in a faded blue chair in one of Hillsdale’s beloved hole-in-the-wall diners.

Coffee Cup Diner is her legacy in the quaint community she now calls home.

The small restaurant is nothing close to spacious, yet she said it manages to attract hundreds of regular customers and curious visitors each week.

“When I heard that there was a diner in Hillsdale that served Thai food, I was immediately intrigued,” sophomore Carrie Williams said.

Ringenberg purchased the diner, which used to be a dining car, in 1999 because “the price was right and the opportunity was there.”

Though Ringenberg had cooked in and managed restaurants across the country, she had always wanted to own a coffee shop. So when she opened Coffee Cup, as a small coffee shop shortly after settling in Hillsdale, she felt like she had accomplished one of her aspirations.

Today, Coffee Cup not only serves coffee, but also traditional diner food and Ringenberg’s specialty Thai dishes.

“It’s a local hangout — you grab a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee,” she said.

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Bekah Kastning and Jake Bull By | Jordyn Pair

Patagonia pullover I really like wearing.

Jordyn Pair | Collegian

What’s your favorite outfit?

Bekah: I really like wearing tennis shoes then mid-calf leggings and a big T-shirt.

Jake: I like wearing jeans, then I have a

How do you feel sports have influenced your fashion choices?

Bekah: Usually I wear sweats or leggings. I mainly just like to be comfortable. If I do dress up, it’s always comfortable.

Jake: Because we do workouts in the morning and have practice in the afternoon, I always just try to dress in a way that would make me feel comfortable.

What were you wearing on your

Valentine’s Day Edition

What were you wearing when you got engaged?

Bekah: I couldn’t decide what to wear, because obviously I didn’t know I was getting engaged. His family told me we were just going to take pictures on the beach before dinner. I couldn’t decide between a black and tan dress and a white dress, so obviously they were like, ‘Wear the white dress.’

Jordyn Pair | Collegian

first date?

Bekah: I think I was wearing a light pink sweater, then some skinny jeans, then some boots. I was

actually wearing this coat. [Pictured.]

Jake: I had a navy dress shirt on with some jeans and my Sperrys.

What do you like most about how the other one dresses?

Bekah: I really like when he wears the button-down shirts. He has really cool different styles of patterns on

Jordyn Pair | Collegian

the shirts.

Jake: I actually really like her scarves and her choice of shoes.

She has really good shoes.