Hillsdale Collegian 4.5.18

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Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Vol. 141 Issue 24 - April 5, 2018

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

College average GPA falls to two-year low

Even as the women’s average GPA score continues to rise, the overall GPA hits lowest score since 2015 By | Breana Noble Editor-in-Chief Hillsdale College’s allschool average GPA hit its lowest in two years, though female students are surpassing their male counterparts in the classroom. For fall 2017, Hillsdale students’ average GPA was 3.317, the same average as fall 2015’s. That is a drop from 3.343 in spring 2017, the highest allschool average GPA on record at Hillsdale. It is the first decrease since the average GPA decreased from 3.34 in spring 2016 to 3.29 in fall 2016. The GPA definitely did not suffer because of the performance of female students. The average GPA earned by women was 3.427, an increase from spring 2017’s 3.425. Meanwhile, the all-men’s average fell from 3.260 to 3.211. Provost David Whalen said he was unsure why the average GPA decreased last semester, especially since the women’s average rose. “While it is too much to say this is worrying with respect to the men’s GPA, it would become so if it continued or the decline accelerated,” Whalen said. “I can’t really explain why there is this difference, other than the usual quips about the superiority of the fairer sex. But quips aside, this is something to watch and consider as well in light of national trends.” In recent decades, more women are attending college than men. The U.S. Department of Education reported 2.2 million more women enrolled in an institution of higher education in the fall than men. They are more like-

ly to graduate than men, too. Although men and women in the class of 2018 are about even (167 women to 151 men), women accounted for the entirety of the top 10 graduating senior GPAs. The class of 2018’s top students are, in alphabetical order: Anna Eby, Abigail Engel, Madison Frame, Clare Grinnis, Jessica Kopmeyer, Delaney Lehmann, Anna Meckel, Macy Mount, Hannah Niemeier, and Callista Ring. It is the first time this has been the case in recent years, according to Registrar Douglas McArthur. Additionally, the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship faculty selected Sarah Onken ’16 for the Judith Finn Memorial Exemplary Master’s Graduate Award, which recognizes the best student pursuing a master’s degree at Hillsdale. “In addition to her consistent excellence in classroom performance – which will be of no surprise to anyone at Hillsdale since we had Sarah here as an undergraduate – Sarah has already shown remarkable potential as a scholar in her short time in the program,” said Ronald Pestritto, the graduate school’s dean. “I have seen her interact impressively at academic conferences with established scholars, who are surprised to learn that she is a graduate student.” In Greek life, Pi Beta Phi dethroned Kappa Kappa Gamma for the sorority scholarship cup. Pi Phi’s average GPA was 3.48, higher than Kappa’s 3.44 in spring 2017. Former Pi Phi President senior Charlotte McFaddin said

Although all the measured GPA averages for the school stayed above a 3.0, the overall school average dropped. Katherine Scheu | Collegian

since personal and intellectual growth is one of Pi Beta Phi’s six core values, the sorority began making a concerted effort in 2017 to celebrate academic achievement. It encouraged attendance to music and research presentations, honored excellence in academics on a weekly basis, and added a leaf to a bulletin board tree with a sister’s name when she earned an A on an assignment. “It’s something extra that makes you feel good,” McFaddin said. “It provides some extra reinforcement to keep you going.” McFaddin added that the initiatives seem to have worked. Seven Pi Phi women earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall.

For the fraternity scholarship cup, Alpha Tau Omega stayed on top for the fourth consecutive semester. The fraternity’s average was 3.263, up from the previous semester’s 3.259. Junior Joshua Pradko, the fraternity’s president, said ATO tries to keep track of every member’s grades and classes as well as make a conscious effort to take academic success into consideration during recruitment. “We’re celebrating when people do well and encourage people who may be struggling,” Pradko said. “Friends ask each other about their classes and what they’re worried about. It’s not an afterthought.” Pradko said the fraternity’s

next goal is to beat the allschool average GPA. In recognition for his classroom instruction, the faculty chose Professor of Philosophy Nathan Schlueter to receive the Emily Daugherty Award for Teaching Excellence. “There is a reason why Dr. Schlueter’s courses fill up so quickly semester after semester,” said Daniel Coupland, dean of faculty. “Students know that in his classes, they will encounter a wise and compassionate teacher who exemplifies all of the intellectual and moral virtues that we prize so highly here at Hillsdale.” The college also previously awarded the women’s cross country team during its

honors assembly over Parents Weekend last month with the athletics scholarship cup. The team had an average GPA of 3.43. The class of 2018 also voted last week on nominations for Professor of the Year. Nominees were art department chairwoman Barbara Bushey, Assistant Professor of Politics Adam Carrington, Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele, and Professor of Chemistry Chris Van Orman. The honoree will receive that recognition at commencement on May 12.

City council starts holding prayers before meetings By | Nic Rowan City News Editor Hillsdale City Council meetings normally begin when Mayor Adam Stockford’s gavel bangs on the semi-circular table, but this week, the council started with an informal pre-meeting prayer. Led by Pastor Bob Finnegan of the Hillsdale City Church, those who chose to pray gathered in a conference room one floor below council chambers and asked for God’s guidance in the body’s deliberations and decisions. Finnegan requested at a

March 19 meeting that he be allowed to pray publicly for council, as he said he had been allowed to do in the past. After reviewing his request and finding that it was in keeping with the Michigan case Bormuth v. Jackson County, which allows prayer before public meetings, Stockford decided to informally open the pre-meeting gathering to optional prayer. “I believe that one reason our nation has gone bad is because we’ve taken God out of everything,” he said at the meeting. “I’m not here to push an agenda or anything. I’m

just here to pray for you guys and get the Lord involved in Hillsdale.” Stockford said the city is looking into adopting a more formal mode of prayer before meetings. Prayer before public meetings recently has become a subject of national debate. Most notably, the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision Greece v. Galloway ruled that opening a meeting with a prayer did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

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Van Andel awards first Ph.D. degrees By | Alexis Nester Collegian Reporter Seniors Drew Lieske, Kie Kababik, and Jordan Hintz receive awards at this weekend’s national competition. Amanda Klug | Courtesy

Shotgun sports team wins fifth Division III national title in a row By | Calli Townsend Collegian Freelancer The Hillsdale College Shotgun Sports team earned its fifth consecutive Division III national title last week. The team sent nine people to compete in San Antonio, Texas, in the Association of College Unions International Collegiate Clay Target Championships from March 26-31. “It’s incredibly stressful and a relief at the same time,” junior Emanuel Boyer said. “It’s sort of a marathon. You shoot at least one event Follow @HDaleCollegian

every day.” Seniors Jordan Hintz and Drew Lieske were able to overcome this stress to earn All-American designations of 16th and 3rd respectively. This was Lieske’s fourth All-American title. All-Americans are not divided into divisions, but rather earned by scoring the highest in the top 20 of all competitors, from all four divisions. The top 20 highest scores compiled from all six events earn the All-American honor. More than 800 shooters competed. Hintz and Lieske’s per-

formances contributed to the team’s success. The team took first place in five of the six competitions, with an almost perfect score of 493 points in the American Skeet competition. Lieske led the team in the sporting clays, super sporting, and international skeet competitions. Hintz led the team in the international trap and American skeet competitions. Senior Kie Kababik also led the team in the American trap competition.

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The Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship is planning to present diplomas to Hillsdale College’s first two doctorate recipients this May. Kathleen Thompson and Nathan Gill will graduate with a doctor of philosophy in politics. Besides honorary degrees that Hillsdale has presented, these are the first two doctorates granted in the 174-year history of Hillsdale College. Thompson, wife and mother of two with another on the way, completed her undergraduate work in English and politics at Texas’ University of Dallas, which boasts a similar liberal arts curriculum to Hillsdale. She entered the Van Andel Graduate School in 2012. Her studies focus on politics at the local and state levels and her doctoral thesis discusses the role of progressivism in home economics. “The graduate school just started up when I entered, and it was the only one that focused not only on educating

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Nathan Gill entered graduate school in 2013 and studied natural rights and social contract theory. Bruce Wykes | Courtesy

graduate students to become professors and join academia, but also educating for real politics,” Thompson said. “I was interested in the action-oriented aspect of Hillsdale’s program.” Gill earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey and a master’s in politics from Regent University in Viriginia. He

Kathleen Thompson began graduate in 2012 and studied the role of progressivisim in home economics. Bruce Wykes | Courtesy

entered the graduate school in 2013. His research interests include the understanding of natural rights and social contract theory and their link to present-day progressivism. He said he has accepted a teaching position at a liberal arts college. In order to earn their doctorates, Gill and Thompson

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