‘Kiss Me, Kate’ The 1950s musical turns Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” into a Broadway-style musical this weekend. B1
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
Mock trial goes undefeated at regionals
The Las Viegas Comedy Club Hillsdale alumnus Warren Viegas ’15 is hoping to start the first dedicated comedy club in Goa, India. B4
Vol. 140 Issue 20 - 2 March 2017
Airport expansion The Hillsdale Municipal Airport seeks sponsors for ambitious expansion concept. A6
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Trump hires James Sherk ’03 as labor adviser
By | Joshua Lee Collegian Reporter Hillsdale College’s mock trial A team broke school records Saturday and Sunday, when it went undefeated in the regional tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. The A team claimed the first place trophy, after four threehour-long rounds against some of the highest ranked mock trial teams in the country, including those of Notre Dame and Cornell universities. It was the first time a Hillsdale team went undefeated at regionals, senior co-captain Jon Church said. The victory sends Hillsdale to the Opening Round Championship Series next month, one step away from the team’s goal of making it to nationals. The regional tournament was held at the Cleveland Justice Center, where Hillsdale’s mock trial hasn’t had the best luck in the past. “We’ve competed well at other venues, but this place has always been a curse for us,” Church said. “But we finally broke the Cleveland Justice Center curse, and we couldn’t have done it in a better way.” In addition to the team’s win, the tournament also recognized two students on the A team for their performances. Junior Anna Fair Mathes received an All Region Witness Award with a perfect 20 rank score in which all the judges independently placed her first
among the competition. “Judges are looking for credibility and likeability,” Mathes said. “I play the character with a lot of emotion since she claims to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I don’t cry on the witness stand, but I make it look like it.” Church also received an All Region Attorney Award. “I am really excited by the way we performed,” Church said. “Winning at regionals is great for the team and for our program. Advancing beyond regionals means Hillsdale is at least in the top 25 percent of teams in the nation.” The A team consists of mostly upperclassmen, except for freshman Carson Waites, who plays the main defendant. “It’s been really impressive to see Carson take on such a big role on our team,” Church said. “He has a knack for picking holes in the other team’s case theory, and that is really helpful.” Waites said it is an honor to be competing with Hillsdale’s best. “I am surrounded by teammates who are really good at what they do,” Waites said. “I am excited to do my part in helping us win.” Hillsdale’s C team also competed at the tournament but fell short of advancing. “Our team is made up of freshman, who, for many of them, it is their first time doing mock trial,” freshman captain
Andrew Simpson said. “Our goal was to take away as many ballots as possible from other teams, and we did just that.” Freshman Jenny Sanclemente of the C team received an Outstanding Witness award. She earned 19 of 20 ranks — a great gift on her 19th birthday. After the A team won the regional tournament, Hillsdale received its second bid to the Opening Round Championship Series, or ORCS, March 24-26 in Hamilton, Ohio. Hillsdale’s B team also earned a bid to ORCS at its regional tournament Feb. 19 in Joliet, Illinois. Two bids is the maximum a college can receive. “Sending two teams is a big deal for our program,” Church said. “It will be a huge advantage to work together and see each team compete. We are feeling really good going into this next tournament, but we know we will have to beat the best teams in the nation in order to advance further.”
The American Mock Trial Association released changes to the case the teams will perform at ORCS. “AMTA makes these case changes to see how you respond to them,” Mathes said. “Sometimes they can really mess up your team’s case theory, so we will have to work as a team to be prepared for ORCS.” ORCS is one step from nationals. Hillsdale will need to rank in the top six teams of 24 to advance to the rounds in Los Angeles, California. “Our program has been preparing all season to make it to nationals for the first time,” Church said. Despite the competition, mock trials members said they are up to the task. “Our team is getting really good at what they do, and we all know the challenges we will face at ORCS,” Waites said. “But we are really good at rising up to the level of our competition.”
By | Tim Pearce, Josh Paladino, and Nic Rowan Collegian Reporters
Last week, 45 Hillsdale students attended CPAC with the Hillsdale College Republicans, where many heard from conservative leaders, including Trump; saw protests; and encountered the alt-right spokesman Richard Spencer. Shortly after Spencer entered President Donald Trump addresses the the convention Conservative Political Action Conference on hall at CPAC, seFriday. Peyton Bowen | Courtesy curity guards esfight against it. corted him out of the building. “What I’m trying to conCPAC spokesman Ian Walserve and also restore is those ters told National Public Raoriginal arrangements — the dio that CPAC officials ejected best in human history,” Arnn Spencer from the conference said of the Constitution.
because he was perceived as a disruptive force. “A major event like CPAC should be open to sharing ideas and debating one’s opponents in a civilized way,” Spencer told The Collegian. “I purchased a ticket and acted in a polite and courteous manner, and many journalists and attendees alike were interested in my ideas. Those who initiated my expulsion had the perfect opportunity to challenge those ideas but chose to ban them instead.” Before being escorted out, Spencer watched Arnn address the conference around 10 a.m. Spencer criticized Arnn on Twitter, saying Arnn was a “nice gentleman” but that his “fuddyduddy” approach was insufficient because “we live in revolutionary times.”
-Compiled by Kaylee McGhee in Lane 124 for the Dow Jour- immediately either for him or nalism Program. against him. That’s not how How does faith play a role it should be. We shouldn’t be in politics? losing friendships over who is What I’ve been struck by president. We have this disorover the election is the level of dered relationship with poliinstability in the country right tics where we want the person now, including among people in office to be our savior. We of faith. We didn’t have good don’t need that. Rather, we all candidates to choose from. But need to step up. Our immedifor those with faith, whoever’s ate reflex when something goes in office, pray for the guy. Pray wrong is to look for a law to fix for the people in office, wheth- things, but you can’t undo evil er you agree with them or not. and the poisons in the human Yes, let’s have substantive de- heart. bates, but let’s have them with What do you think about love. Weirdly, this situation Trump’s relationship with — the bipartisan unhappiness the press? with politics — has given us the I think one of the fascinatopportunity to be more cre- ing things is that it seems like ative with coalition building. a large part of the population is How can Trump promote watching a reality TV show. As faith and love? I tune in here and there, there’s That’s not necessarily his this entertainment aspect that job. It’s the job of everyone else. the press is playing into. Trump He is trying to strike a more is the villain, Bannon is the optimistic tone, though. After villain, Kellyanne Conway is he was elected, people were the villain. That all makes for
good TV — substantive policy discussions don’t. But politics should be hard work, not entertainment for the populace. Everyone needs to take a few breaths and be more reflective on what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. What are some things that can be done to fix Trump’s relationship with the press? The mainstream media has exaggerated the press’s limited access. Not all news organizations are going to be allowed into press conferences. That’s just the way it is. So the media is feeding into this misunderstanding, and it isn’t helping anything. Everyone needs a reality check and even an education on how the press works. If we don’t understand that, we’ll never fix it. The transparency of this administration is very helpful, though. The constant cameras fixated on Trump and those See Lopez A3
Hillsdale College’s mock trial A Team — (back row) sophomore Natalie Taylor, junior Anna Fair Mathes, senior Jon Church, sophomore Mark Compton, freshman Carson Waites, senior Hannah Norman, (front row) senior Lindsey Redfern, senior Cheyenne Trimels, and senior Kristiana Mork — earned first place Sunday at the regional tournament at the Cleveland Justice Center in Ohio. Hannah Norman | Courtesy
By | Thomas Novelly Editor-in-Chief Another Hillsdale College alumnus has joined the ranks of graduates working in President Donald Trump’s administration. James Sherk ’03 began serving as a White House labor adviser a couple of weeks ago. “It’s a tremendous professional privilege and a great chance to make a lasting change in America,” Sherk said in an interview with The Collegian. “I’m going to work as hard as I can to take advantage of this opportunity.” Sherk, a labor economist and researcher at the Heritage Foundation for the last seven years, has been working with the White House Domestic Policy Council since the end of January and was also part of the Labor Department’s transition team following the November election. He served as temporary appointee for the Department of Labor, as well. “I know James well and his family. I knew him well as a student and have kept in touch, especially while he has worked at Heritage,” Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn said in an email. “Impressive young man — always very solid and productive.” Sherk is now one of five Hillsdale graduates confirmed to be working within the Trump administration. “Hillsdale students are smart and hard working,” Arnn said. “And they learn a lot about the
world. Maybe that is why they get hired in high places.” When Sherk was a student at Hillsdale, he served in the Student Federation, participated in the JRR Tolkien Society, and was a member of Hillsdale’s debate team. He also had a regular byline in The Collegian, frequently writing opinion pieces about the 2000 election, George W.
James Sherk ’03 is a labor adviser to President Donald Trump. James Sherk | Courtesy
Bush, immigration policy, and economics. “My economics education was tremendously beneficial,” Sherk said. “It’s helped my career in numerous ways and has proved useful on a day to day basis in my role with the Domestic Policy Council.” In an article titled “Drop it: Congress’ stimulus folly,” Sherk wrote that it’s not the government’s job to stimulate the economy and create jobs because it primarily doesn’t understand it. “ O n e See Sherk A2
CPAC 2017 features President Arnn, President Trump NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 23, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn discussed the roots of conservatism and claimed that President Donald Trump, at least in his rhetoric, has stayed true to it. Arnn spoke about the first principles that define conservatism, namely that all men are created equal and that governments are instituted to secure the liberties of all individuals. He argued the administrative state is the greatest threat to this equality and liberty, but he said he believes Trump will
Lopez talks love and law
John Miller | Courtesy
Kathryn Jean Lopez is a nationally syndicated columnist and the editor-at-large of the National Review Online. “KLo,” as she is known online and on talk radio, is most known for her commentary on faith and public life, human dignity, and feminism. She serves on the Archdiocese of New York’s ProLife Commission and is a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Lopez speaks Thursday at 8 p.m. Follow @HDaleCollegian
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Spencer missed Trump address the conference about 24 hours later. Trump spoke to a full-capacity crowd Friday morning, reiterating his commitment to campaign promises on policy, while fueling his feud with the media. “One by one, we’re checking off the promises we made to the people of the United States,” Trump said. “We will not stop until the job is done. We will reduce your taxes, we will cut your regulations, we will support our police, we will defend our flag.” Geraldine Davie, 76, from Virginia — who lost her 23-year-old daughter in the terror attacks on 9/11 — complimented Trump’s position on ISIS and found the “vintage
Trump” speech to be the perfect balance of entertainment and information. “That morning altered my life forever,” Davie said of 9/11. “I have not seen anybody in this country stand up to radical Islam like this president, and he is to be commended for that. I will follow him and make sure he stays on that trajectory and keeps us citizens safe.” About 20 demonstrators stood outside the conference and protested Trump and his policies, while the president spoke. The group came from Prince George’s County Democrats, said the group’s leader, Jessica Semachko, 33, from Mitchellville, Maryland. The demonstrators criticized Trump’s immigration
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Students sit in the hallway of the lower level of the Grewcock Student Union Tuesday night, during one of two tornado warnings issued by the National Weather Services that evening. Philip H. DeVoe | Collegian Look for The Hillsdale Collegian