Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
Vol. 143 Issue 15 - January 23, 2020
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Judge Amy Barrett will address the class of 2020. External Affairs
College announces 2020 commencement speaker The Honorable Amy Coney Barrett will address the senior class at the 168th commencement ceremonies
By | Regan Meyer News Editor Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be the speaker for Hillsdale College’s 168th commencement ceremony, which will be held on May 9. Barrett, a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, earned her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Rhodes College and her J.D. from Notre Dame University,
where she currently serves on the law school faculty. President Donald Trump appointed her to the court of appeals in November 2017. “We are excited that the Honorable Amy Coney Barrett has accepted our offer to address the class of 2020 during the college’s 168th spring commencement,” Provost Christopher VanOrman said in an email. “She spoke at Hillsdale
College’s Washington, D.C., campus in May 2019 and we are looking forward to her speech here onFacebook this campus.” Senior Class President Adam Buchman said that the senior class officers and college administrators are thankful that Barrett accepted the invitation to speak. “We wanted somebody that we felt had a knowledge of the Constitution and could defend the things
that Hillsdale stands for,” he said. “We believe that she is qualified to do that.” Professor of Philosophy Nathan Schlueter said he believes Barrett exemplifies the ideals of Hillsdale College. “She is truly a ‘woman for all seasons’: a devoted wife and mother of seven children — two of whom are adopted and one of whom has special needs — a law
professor, circuit court judge, and principled defender of the rule of law,” Schlueter said in an email. “How does she do it? For one thing, her deep Catholic faith. For another, her husband, Jesse, a remarkable man who is himself an assistant U.S. attorney.” Barrett has made headlines in recent years for her strong adherence to her Catholic faith. During her
confirmation hearing in 2017, senators challenged Barrett on how her faith affected her decision-making. “The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s a concern,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Schlueter said that Barrett’s convictions have served her well in her career.
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Mauck renovations are expected to be completed by March 2020. Austin Gergens | Collegian
Radio Free Hillsdale shows nominated for national awards By | Victoria Marshall Assistant Editor Hillsdale students are known for their ability to write, but unbeknownst to some is their penchant for charming listeners over the airwaves through the college’s radio station, Radio Free Hillsdale. Eight Hillsdale students were nominated as finalists in the national Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards in early December, and five will travel to New York in March to attend the awards. Radio Free Hillsdale was named as a finalist in six categories, including Best Speciality Music Show: The Spin Room, created by Matt Montgomery ‘19; Best Talk Program: Off Topic, created by Shad Strehle ‘19, Dylan Strehle ‘19, and senior Carson Waites; Most Innovative/ Creative Program: State
Facts, created by sophomore Jane O’Connor; Best Public Affairs Program: The Policy Corner, created by freshman Josh Barker; Best News Interview: Gov. Scott Walker at CPAC 2019, conducted by junior Stefan Kleinhenz; and finally, Best Sports Update, conducted by sophomore Rachel Kookogey. General manager of the radio station and Professor of Journalism Scot Bertram said that Hillsdale competes against top schools across the country. “If you look at these schools who get the final spots, they’re big names and big schools, and they’re also the schools that have the reputation for having very good broadcasting programs,” Bertram said. “For IBS, anyone in the top 10 percent of submissions at a specific category is named a finalist.”
Winners will be chosen among the finalists at the IBS award ceremony in March. Director of the Dow Journalism Program John Miller said the nominations are a great way for Hillsdale students to be recognized. “We have an excellent radio station with lots of talented students,” Miller said in an email. “It's great to see them win this recognition for their hard work.” Bertram said that all nominated students are worthy of recognition, and hopes for a repeat of last year’s success. “Last year Ben Dietderich won first place nationally for Best News Interview which was with John Bolton at CPAC 2018,” Bertram said. “We have a finalist this year, Stefan Kleinhenz, who
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Junior Stefan Kleinhenz interviews Gov. Scott Walker at CPAC last year. Kleinhenz’s interview was named a finalist for the IBS Awards. Twitter
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Barney Charter to move to old Mauck elementary school By | Austin Gergens Collegian Reporter With Christ Chapel construction coming to a close, various campus construction projects continue. After the Chapel dedication in October, construction crews finished the entire interior, with the exception of two pieces: the large organ and some additional sound equipment. According to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé, there will be a chancel organ dedication on April 16. “The organ is a special and important thing,” Péwé said. “It’s a musical instrument, so we’ll have a concert in the evening and a convocation.” Over the past year, the college has been slowly renovating Mauck Elementary, especially the upper floor. Once renovations are complete in 2020, the Barney Charter team will move from their temporary location on the upper floor of the Dow Center to the elementary school. “The move puts them closer to the Academy which is good because they work closely with the Academy,”
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Péwé said. In addition to providing office space, the elementary school could potentially provide classroom space for filming Hillsdale Online Courses, as well as a venue for charter school teacher trainings in the summer. “It’ll be nice for us to be in a school,” Assistant Provost for K-12 Education Kathleen O’Toole said. “We’re all former teachers and former principals. It will feel like home.” The next large-scale construction project slated for the college is the renovation of Dow A & B. The growing number of CCA attendees and other public functions necessitates remodeling Dow’s facilities. While there is no official timeline at the moment, the college is raising funds for a renovation. Currently, curtains close off the entire secondfloor mezzanine. Under the new plans, the roof will be converted into an atrium-style roof, allowing natural light to come in. Furthermore, the upper floor will be transformed into archival storage for visitors and students to peruse Hillsdale’s many rare artifacts.
“We have museum-quality cases for archival material, rare books, and things we’ve been given,” Péwé said. “I think it would give a space for a visitor, or somebody staying in the hotel, where they can read or feel more connected to the college.” Unplanned renovations came for Hillsdale with the October rainstorms. Benzing Dorm flooded for the first time. The intense October rains streamed quickly down Barber Drive, filled the drainage containers near the Slayton Arboretum, and pooled along the backside of Benzing. Eventually, the rain water found its way into the building, filling the basement with several inches of water. Residents had the option to move out on Monday, Sept. 30, when it first flooded; however, those who did not move out encountered a second flooding on the Thursday of that week, according to Benzing House Director and senior Hadiah Ritchey. “Everyone had moved out a lot of stuff at the time of the second flood,” Ritchey said, “I’m sure it was miserable to
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