3.6.14 Hillsdale Collegian

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Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Vol. 137, Issue 19 - 6 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Frats, dean develop alcohol policies Hannah Leitner Assistant Editor

Hillsdale College’s Delta Sigma Phi fraternity may get its house back this fall. If they do, the house will be dry. “Now, we are just trying to make sure that we are complying with the national and Hillsdale standards when it comes to the drinking policy,” DSP chapter president senior Joe Snyder said. “Having a house will just make every aspect of the fraternity better.” DSP is one of four fraternities on campus that abides by different regulations regarding alcohol use. Each fraternity operates under its own individual alcohol policy, which depends on factors such as academic merit and national fraternity policy. Each policy, however, resides under the umbrella of the dean’s “I’m moving forward with office campus-wide alcohol polthem returning to the chapter icy, as listed in the student handhouse, and I am presuming a book. strong accreditation score,” PeIn DSP’s case, dry houses are a tersen said. “There will be 10 nationwide policy for the fraternito 15 guys that I’ll move into ty, which was instituted in the past the house. There are going to be several years. some restrictions and expectaOf the three current college frations, and we’re going to work ternity houses, only Sigma Chi has together on those details.” house-alcohol privileges, although Snyder said his work with Pe- no liquor is allowed in their house. tersen was productive. The other two fraternities, Alpha “The focus was on getting the Tau Omega and Delta Tau Delta, house back and setting a good once had wet houses but no longer score,” he said. “After the meet- do for disciplinary reasons. ing, all the officers sat down, and Dean of Men Aaron Petersen we all made a plan, and, as long said the alcohol policy in fraternias we accomplish that, then we’ll ties depends on four factors: the get the house back.” behavior of the members of the Snyder said aspects of that fraternity, the college policy, the plan include service projects, fraternity’s national board, and the philanthropy events, increased local alumni association. recruitment, increased fraternity Within each house there are GPA average, and alumni en- designated officers that are elected See DSP A3 by the fraternity to maintain the

DSP: Road to home

(Caleb Whitmer/Collegian)

Evan Brune News Editor

Delta Sigma Phi fraternity lost its house more than two years ago due to a range of violations, including possession of alcohol. Now, the men of DSP are on their way to reclaiming their home. An agreement between Dean of Men Aaron Petersen and the chapter states that an accreditation score of 80 or higher will allow the college to move forward with a plan to return the house to the fraternity. The accreditation is done by the national fraternity. “We want to see a strong accreditation score from them,” Petersen said. “We need to see that they can sustain strong effort and performance, which is something we’ve talked a lot about. What we’ve been after

with them is to improve the heart of their chapter. We want them to continue being serious about fraternity, and making a strong positive influence on this campus and in the community.” In the past three years, DSP has gone from an accreditation score of zero to a 72, according to junior Paul Wendt, future chapter president. “We have made a lot of improvements over the last two years,” Wendt said. Fraternal accreditation is determined by a number of factors, including participation in philanthropy projects, alumni events, and national conferences. Part of those improvements included attending a conference of the national Delta Sigma Phi fraternity in Indianapolis, Ind., in January. “The Indianapolis conference

Off-campus permission rates dropped for men Morgan Delp Sports Editor

In an effort to convert Niedfeldt Residence back to a male dormitory for next school year, and due to the female-dominated rising junior class, the administration has allowed fewer men to move off campus and increased the girls’ allowance from last year. As of Feb. 28, 51 men and 106 women were newly permitted to leave campus housing, joining the 109 men and 48 women who will return to off-campus housing this fall. This equals 314 Hillsdale students that are projected to live off-campus next year. This number could change, depending on the number of admitted freshmen in the fall. “The end variable is the admissions number,” Dean of Women Diane Philipp said. “There are usually slightly more women than men, by our projections. We have to house the freshmen, and 10 bodies make a difference. Sometimes in May we ask if students want to live off-campus, and it seems as if the office is disorganized, but really, we accepted a few more freshmen, and we need to house them.” Off-campus status is determined by the number of Hillsdale College credits a student holds. The deans’ office, in cooperation with the registrar’s office, ranks students in order of most credits to least, in an effort to honor seniority. If students turn down the op-

INSIDE

tion to live off campus, the administration notifies the next students in line that they are granted permission. Because of this and fluctuations in admitting the freshman class of 2018, the process of notification could go on until May. Philipp said it has never been a problem for seniors to live off campus. Not all juniors and sophomores are always allowed to leave college housing, even if they were granted permission the previous year, or one of their potential housemates was granted permission. However, for college-owned houses, she said that returning residents may choose underclassmen to move in with them. “The key to housing is making sure friends can stay with friends. All residence halls are different, but as long as we can keep friends together they seem to be happy,” Philipp said. Niedfeldt Residence was converted from a men’s dorm to a women’s during the 2012-2013 school year, when the number of freshmen girls far outweighed the number of freshmen boys. The deans said they feel that men need another dorm option on campus, in addition to Galloway and Simpson Residences. Koon Residence, which houses about half as many students as Niedfeldt, will return to housing women next year. The late L.A. “Red” Niedfeldt and his widow, Phyllis Niedfeldt, donated the funds to build

satisfied one of our requirements for accreditation,” Wendt said. “We got 20 guys down there in contact with our national headquarters, and before, we hadn’t really had much contact with the national fraternity.” Wendt said the conference focused on recruitment tactics and philanthropy ideas, as well as a number of team building exercises. Petersen and Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers also attended the conference. “Dean Pete kept the ship running and let the national fraternity do their job,” Wendt said. Upon their return to campus, a conversation began about how fraternity members could return to their house. Petersen and Chapter President senior Joe Snyder developed a plan that put the men of DSP on track to return in the fall 2014 semester.

The Freedom Fund

Freedom Quest

Founders’ Campaign

1976-1980

1987-1996

2001-2012

$32 M

$202 M

$635 M

Alex Anderson Web Editor

avoid dependence on state and federal aid, struck a chord with the national media, dignitaries, and thousands of individual donors. Hillsdale’s Goliath: the threat of Title IX In October 1975, the Board of Trustees published a resolution which openly resisted The Higher Education Amendments of 1972, an act signed into law by President Richard Nixon. The trustees’ resolution stated that the new restrictive regulations imposed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare were an attempt to impose Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 on colleges and universities. The regulations reclassified independent colleges and universities as “recipient institutions.” This classification meant that any independent institution with enrolled students who received government financial aid was obliged to comply with regulations of Title IX.

1976-1980 Raised: $230 M Goal: $470.2 M

Title IX mandated that no person could be excluded from participation, denied benefits, or discriminated based on sex under any educational activity supported by federal assistance. Despite the college’s historic non-discriminatory mission, “to furnish all persons who wish, irrespective of nation, color, or sex, a literary and scientific education,” Title IX threatened the college’s autonomy by attempting to regulate college athletics, admissions, and activities. Hundreds of media outlets including Time, The New York Times, the New York Daily News, and The L.A. Times covered Hillsdale’s battle for academic autonomy, elevating the college’s national profile. Numerous articles compared the college’s faith and moral courage to the Biblical account of David and Goliath, such as one written by John Hiner of The Jackson Citizen Patriot. “Hillsdale is known as the Da-

vid that kept Goliath government off its back,” Hiner wrote. In March 1976 a letter sent by Martin Gerry, acting director of the Office for Civil Rights, informed Hillsdale College President George Roche III that students enrolled at Hillsdale College were participating in a number of government funded programs. Gerry concluded that such participation would require the college’s compliance with regulations outlined in Title IX, should they keep accepting funding. “There is no question but that the regulation as it stands does cover colleges such as Hillsdale,” Gerry wrote in the letter. Contrary to Gerry’s opinion, Roche sought to challenge The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare’s accusation. Roche argued that the college did not have to comply with the specified regulations because the direct re-

Outstanding Seniors

Swimmer goes to nationals Thirteen track and field athletes qualify to compete at nationals on March 14-15. A8

Read Mary Proffit Kimmel and Viktor Rozsa’s speeches from parents’ weekend. A5

Q&A: State rep candidates Fifty-eighth district state representative candidates present platforms and why they deserve a vote. A6 (Carsten Stann/Collegian)

Rebirth of Liberty & Learning Campaign

College has raised $1.1 billion in capital campaign fundraisers since 1976

Keeping the streets clean The city of Hillsdale works to keep the roads plowed for residents. B4

Sun lamps The Health and Wellness Center is using vitamin D lamps to help combat winter depression. A3

See Alcohol A3

Campaigning for capital

Hillsdale College has raised $1.1 billion since it began its 40year fight against state and federal regulations. Three completed capital campaigns, led by Presidents George Roche III and Larry Arnn, have successfully endowed the security of Hillsdale’s academic liberty. This past October, the college launched its fourth campaign, The Rebirth of Liberty and Learning, intended to raise $472 million over the next 10 years. The first capital campaign, “The Freedom Fund,” was launched by the Hillsdale College Board of Trustees in 1976. Symbolized by the Victory Bell, which now sits enshrined next to Central Hall, the campaign successfully raised more than $32 million in less than four years. The purpose See Off-Campus A3 of the campaign, which was to

Q&A Actress Mitzi Gaynor talks about love and life after her CCA presentation on the making of “South Pacific.” A2

standards of the chapter. Petersen said that the main difference between residence halls and fraternity houses is the fraternities’ privilege to establish their own rules within the boundaries of the school and national fraternity policies. “It really is an experiment in self-government,” Petersen said. Through these students, the dean, and local news reports, the national fraternity is able to keep tabs on the campus chapters. Periodically, a representative will come to check in on the fraternity. Petersen said that if a singular issue of alcohol violation arises, the school and the local alumni board typically come up with the punishment. However, if the issue is reoccurring, the national fraternity may step in. “It is supposed to be left to the fraternities to self-govern,” Snyder said, “but obviously, if there is a problem, then the college is supposed to come in.” Consequences from the dean can range anywhere from temporary renunciations of alcohol privileges to the loss of the house. If the national fraternity chooses to act, consequences can include the revocation of the chapter from the campus. After its rechartering in 2009 and moving into a house in 2013, Delta Tau Delta fraternity is a dry fraternity but Chapter President junior Rossteen Salehzadeh said the fraternity is looking into petitioning the dean in order to have alcohol at requested events. “The actions from the past have definitely help shaped our attitudes in the house now as to what we can and can’t allow,” Salehzadeh said. Alpha Tau Omega Chapter President Dan Vandegriff said he

(Walker Mulley/Collegian)

News........................................A1 Opinions..................................A4 City News................................A6 Sports......................................A7 Arts..........................................B1 Features....................................B3

See Campaigns A3

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NEWS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Q&A: Mitzi Gaynor

Mitzi Gaynor is an Emmy Award-winning actress-singerdancer-comedienne who starred in movies including There’s No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes, and South Pacific — for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She launched a wildly successful stage career in 1961 and was even billed over The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. (They asked for her autograph) Yesterday, Gaynor descended upon Hillsdale, giving a delightful show that was more stand-upcomedy routine than CCA. She used nine accents, burst into “O, Canada!,” and agreed to a student’s marriage proposal before dismissing his offer with a glib, “You’re too old for me.” Compiled by Tory Cooney. Actress Mitzi Gaynor, star of the musical “South Pacific” spoke Wednesday on the making of the movie. (Carsten Stann/Collegian)

You’ve worked opposite a number of amazing men in your romantic comedies. Who was your favorite to work

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6 March 2014

with? David Niven in “The Birds and The Bees,” which was a remake of “The Lady Eve.” I played his daughter. And then I did a picture called “Happy Anniversary” with him. He was the most fun — a man’s man and a woman’s man. He was charming and amusing and fun and brilliant and I loved him. And then Rossano Brazzi. We understood each other. Who was the best to dance with? Donald O’Connor was the best dancer. But he wasn’t as good a partner as Gene Kelly. And both men were Virgos. Isn’t that interesting? Now, you have an amazing love story of your own, with Jack Bean. What was that like? I’d broken up with Howard Hughes, and I had a friend who was an agent. He called me and said, “I want you to go to the opening of this singer at The Coconut Grove,” and I said, “But

I can’t, darling. I can’t. The paparazzi will just eat me up alive!” and he said “Oh, knock it off.” It was on a Tuesday night, and he said he couldn’t pick me up because he had to be with this singer [Harry Belafonte. Mitzi initially thought he was Italian]. But he said he was going to send a friend of his, another agent. So I’m all done up because I really wanted to be hot. And when I opened the door, this guy was standing there. And he was this tall, with light brown, Spencer-Tracy colored hair, the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen, long lashes, sweet face, lovely mouth. And he said “I’m here to pick up Mitzi Gaynor. My name is Jack Bean,” and I said, “Well, I’m Mitzi Gaynor. Don’t you know me? I’m a movie star!” And he said, “I’m sorry, Miss Gaynor. I only see foreign films.” And I loved it. And his car was a really old, dirty Plymouth. And in the back seat was this duffel bag full of his

Employees reseal each bag by rolling the top down and wrapping the entire bag in plastic wrap. Kirwan said the lettuce used in the salad which contained the yellow jacket came in a sealed bag but that the bag “did have small holes to allow for the product to give off gas. These holes are too small for a wasp to crawl through, though.” The lettuce was grown in Yuma, Ariz., according to an email Kirwan received from the supplier. A.J.’s handles its other salad ingredients similarly, Ramsey said. Employees fully prepare all the ingredients before they assemble the salad. The ingredients are stored in covered and dated containers until assembly. Once everything is ready, employees wearing gloves assemble the ingredients and place the salads in the takeout containers. Then they are either placed in the café’s display cooler or sold immediately. “A.J.’s is about good customer service. We want you to eat your food. We don’t want to rip you off your five dollars for a salad,” Ramsey said. “If your food’s inedible, please bring it back. We’ll work out a solution. We’d love to help you.”

A yellow jacket was found in a student’s salad in A.J.’s Cafe on March 1. (Courtesy of Heather Buell)

dirty laundry. And I loved it. And that was it. From then on, that was it. He loved me. And I loved him. What was your first fight? We didn’t really fight about anything. We were like one person. We were The Beans. It was only silly things like him saying, “Yummy, how many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want lambchops.” What’s the secret to a successful marriage? Separate bathrooms. And then, finally, what’s the best romantic comedy that you’ve seen recently? My favorite show, honestly, is Modern Family. I love the people. I think Phil is an unsung hero. I think Claire is a little bit like me. She’s so controlling. Cam and Mitchell are adorable. And that little girl, Lily, is going to be a real force. She’s so tough.

Willoughby wins Live yellow jacket found in A.J.’s salad Everett competition Walker Mulley Collegian Freelancer

Abi Wood Arts Editor Senior Melika Willoughby won first place and $3,000 at the Edward Everett Prize in Oratory competition on March 4. Second place went to sophomore Shaun Lichti, and third place to freshman Keyona Shabazz. Lichti and Shabazz received $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. The speech prompt, “Privacy and Surveillance: The Costs to Our Free Republic,” encouraged students to address the NSA’s recent attempts to obtain unauthorized access to the information of American citizens. The judges for the competition were College President Larry Arnn, Director of the Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller, and local management consultant Kerry Laycock. Juniors Ian Fury and Dylan Hoover were finalists in the Feb. 14 semi-finals. Sophomore Emily Runge and junior Christopher Landers tied for the place of alternate, but did not compete in the finals. Willoughby’s speech argued against the invasive actions of the NSA, tying the Founding Fathers’ claims against the Writs of Assistance to the current injustice of the NSA’s gen-

eral warrants. “Privacy is pivotal to the preservation of our country,” she said. While she acknowledged the importance of national security, she described the NSA’s way of obtaining information as “the digital equivalent of tailing a suspect.” “We cannot neglect to secure the blessings of liberty to secure the common defense,” she said. Lichti’s speech took a different route. He claimed advanced technology has caused a shift from circuit-based communications to packet-based communications and a new ability to save and modify information. He argued that metadata analysis could have radically impacted the events of 9/11. While advocating prudent “knowledge discovery systems,” Lichti argued that these systems have real-world benefit. Alternately, Shabazz claimed in her speech that America is increasing surveillance at the cost of its citizens’ privacy. “It is the abuse of the American people at the hands of their government,” she said. “The issue lies not in that the eyes are watching, but that they are doing so without our permission.”

When a student bought a salad from A.J.’s Café on March 1, she found a live yellow jacket inside the container. A.J.’s Retail Supervisor Lisa Beasley said the yellow jacket appearance “was a very unfortunate incident that we regret has happened.” Kirwan said it was an odd occurrance. “Due to the time of year, we are a bit baffled as to how it got into the salad,” Saga Inc. General Manager Kevin Kirwan said in an email. The wasp may have come with the lettuce, but the lettuce arrives pre-washed in sealed bags, he said. “We have reported the incident to our suppliers,” he said. To make salads, A.J.’s employees wearing gloves take lettuce from bags sealed by the supplier and place it directly into plastic takeout containers, according to A.J.’s employee senior Grace Ramsey. The lettuce is marked “pre-washed, ready for use” by the supplier. “It’s just a straight transfer from the bag to the container,” she said. Because the bags are roughly pillow-sized, each is not used up all at once.

Central Hall brings in new switchboard operator

ity to perfect their skills within every discipline of shotgun. In addition to the Olympic bunker, the college also plans to At the Hillsdale College create a sporting clays course. Shooting Sports Center, stu“It’s like golf, but with shotdents armed with shotguns can guns,” Péwé said now shoot in the basement of the In sporting clays, contestants Acusport Lodge. But instead of use golf carts to travel to differbullets, these shotguns fire lasers. ent stations where target clays are The nearly completed AcuSshot at a variety of trajectories port Lodge now features an adand distances. The sport is meant vanced firearms training program to simulate the engagement of called DryFire. With DryFire, live, unpredictable game. So far, students load “blank” shells into the college has $175,000 of the their laser-equipped weapons, required $300,00 to which are synced to complete the course. a stationary target “We don’t want and computer. to begin construc“The system tion on anything then displays your until we have the shot placement as a money for that projgraphic on an overect,” Péwé said. head monitor after An archery range each shot,” Rangeis also under conmaster Bart Spieth struction, which will said. “The DryFire also double as an system is nice beairgun range. cause shooters use “The construcreal guns, and comtion of the archery petitive shooters can range will open calibrate the system the door for a club right to their custom team,” Péwé said. A fit guns.” The college recently purchased laser equipment for donor has supplied This instanta- the shooting sports center to facilitate indoor shot- nearly $100,000 neous feedback al- gun practice. (Ben Block/Collegian) to complete the arlows shooters to imchery field. prove without the expenditure of a combination pistol and rifle A permanent pistol and rifle ammunition. range. range, a 100-meter stretch of land Currently, the DryFire system “The Olympic Bunker project walled in by concrete structures, sits in a classroom in the AcuS- has priority as of now. We are is still pending funding. The cost port Lodge’s basement. looking to finish it by this com- is about $1.l million. “The new AcuSport Lodge is ing fall,” Péwé said. To raise funds for the maincomplete on the upper level, and The project is being funded by tenance of the range, the colthere is more that will be finished a half-million-dollar gift the col- lege will charge range fees for on the lower level at a later date,” lege received specifically for the students who use the facilities. Spieth said. Olympic Bunker Trap range. The Firearms classes will also have a Chief Administrative Officer presence of an Olympic course range fee attached to the overall Rich Péwé said the AcuSport would potentially attract more course cost. In addition to this, Lodge is roughly 13,000 square donors and competition shooters. the college may attempt to orfeet and will eventually contain a “There are not many Olympic ganize leagues within the local complete classroom for instruc- Bunker Trap courses in the Mid- area. Shooters would be able to tion of large classes. The lodge west. We’d be one of the few,” form teams, pay their fees, and will also contain a gunsmith and Péwé said. then compete against each other gunsafe, so the college can store The completion of the course throughout the year. and work on the firearms at the would also give shooters the abilBen Block Collegian Freelancer

Evan Carter Collegian Freelancer The hundreds of people that come through Central Hall every day will be greeted by a new face at the switchboard reception desk. On Feb. 10, Billie Jo Harwood became the college’s new switchboard operator. The former switchboard operator, Susan Marsh, moved down a floor in Central Hall to become the new aide to the registrar. “Every day brings a wide variety of phone inquiries as well as visitors and familiar faces passing through Central Hall,” Marsh said. “The switchboard receptionist is not only the voice of the college, but often the first person someone comes into contact with when visiting the college.” No two calls are the same, and according to Harwood, deciphering the needs of each caller and directing them to the correct department is the most difficult part of the job. “I can have five calls go to the registrar’s office and every story that they tell me is different,” Harwood said. In her short time on the job, Harwood has been asked a broad range of questions, including one question about the weather in Hillsdale. Additionally, Harwood also has to deal with the varied moods of callers. Whatever the phone call is, Harwood emphasizes being cheerful and courteous. “Keeping a smile on my face and in my voice is important,” Harwood said. “Even though that might sound funny, you can hear when the person on the other end may be a little grumpy that day, so regardless, even if I just stubbed my toe because I walked away and I ran back really fast, I have to get my smile back.” While answering phone calls

College firearms range adds new technology

Billie Jo Harwood replaced Susan Marsh as the Central Hall switchboard operator. Harwood previously worked for six months as a janitor. (Evan Carter/Collegian) is a major part of her job, Har- woman who upholds the colwood has many roles as switch- lege’s values,” Johnson said. board receptionist. Before becoming the colSitting at her desk just inside lege’s switchboard receptionist, the first floor doors of Central the Jonesville native worked for Hall, Harwood interacts with the college as a custodian for six hundreds of people everyday: months. She mainly worked in directing them throughout the Moss Hall and the Dow Science building, giving directions to oth- Building, cleaning and making er places on campus or providing minor repairs. maps of Hillsdale’s surrounding When the college sent out area. an internal email announcing Harwood enjoys seeing so the available switchboard posimany people and recognizes a tion, Harwood expressed intergrowing number of people on est and her resume was sent to campus. Janet Marsh, executive director “Faces are becoming familiar. of human resources. Harwood Names — I’m still working on believes that her computer skills that,” Harwood said. and the associates degree she Senior Jennifer Johnson, one earned in 2008 helped her get the of Harwood’s student workers, job. only had good things to say about “Additionally, attendance was her boss. a big concern, and I have good “Ms. Harwood is a hidden attendance,” Harwood said. “I jewel, and Hillsdale is lucky to would imagine that would be my have found such a hardworking one thing that stuck out.”

same place. “It will cost about $250,000 to finish out the lower level. That money has already been donated,” Péwé said. The AcuSport Lodge was constructed on about 100 acres of property that the college purchased in 2009. The range also currently features five stand, skeet, and trap shooting, along with a temporary pistol and rifle range. There are several other facilities planned including an Olympic Bunker, a sporting clays course, an archery range, and


www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Actuarial Club formed

NEWS

Morgan Sweeney Assistant Editor

Every Tuesday, a group of Hillsdale students meets for an hour and a half in the afternoon to go over probability problems with William Abram, assistant professor of mathematics, in preparation for the first of five actuarial exams. Actuarial science topped 2013’s list of best jobs in a survey conducted by CareerCast.com. The job, which involves risk assessment and is prominent in the insurance and financial industries, has ranked among the top Junior Arena Govier studies with Assistant Professor of for the past several years, with a Mathematics William Abram. (Ben Strickland/Collegian) median salary of about $87,000 and a relatively low-stress work and that means that students who ally key to practice your speed.” have the best shot are the students The testing environment was environment. For these reasons and simply that have sort of a head start and extremely sterile. Ostaszewski because they love math, junior that take probability early — hobbled into his first exam on crutches, having broken his foot Arena Govier and sophomore sophomore year or before.” Senior Ian Ostaszewski has weeks before. Monitors searched Nathan Wilson are pursuing actuarial science and heading up the taken the financial mathematics his crutches to make sure he club under Abram’s direction. Ju- exam twice and has been study- was not smuggling test answers niors Sarah Schweizer and Evan ing independently. Because Os- in with him. All students using Chalker and sophomores Sarah taszewski is an economics major calculators on the exam also had Kreuz and Daniel Slonim attend and has more experience with their calculators’ memory erased. finance than math theory, he To prepare to take the probthe club. An early start in preparing is wanted to take the financial math ability exam, the students in the actuarial club will continue preferable, according to Abram, exam first. “Studying involves first un- working through problems with but it’s not easy. Aspiring actuaries must pass five exams, each of derstanding concepts — there are Abram on Tuesday afternoons. which requires on average about a lot of things about interest and As the semester’s end approach300 hours of study. Most people stocks and bonds and financial es, the club will take some fullchoose to take the exam on prob- markets,” Ostaszewski said, “and length practice exams. Those ability first, a test that has a lower then you have to memorize tons who want to take the test in May, pass rate than the California bar and tons of equations. I’d say, to like Wilson, will also start devotexam, one of the most difficult pass the exam, you probably have ing time outside of the club to to memorize several hundred.” study. bar exams in the country. Ostaszewski said he underes“You need intensive blocks of “Probability is not an elementary topic,” Abram said. “You timated the importance of time study time,” Abram said. Beyond the club, Abram is gohave to at least have taken cal- his first time around. “You have about five min- ing to offer a one-credit course in culus III or linear algebra before you can even take probability, utes per question, which is pretty the fall on preparing for the actuquick,” Ostaszewski said. “It’s re- arial exams.

Health center buys sun lamps

in the day can interrupt the sleep cycle. The lamps can be bought for less than $150 on sites like Amazon, but should be purThe Health and Wellness Cenchased at 10,000 lux wattage, ter is taking new measures to the recommended therapeutic combat Michigan winter blues. dosage. Lamps under 10,000 lux The center recently purchased have been shown not to alleviate a sun lamp as a therapy for the SAD symptoms as effectively. treatment of Seasonal Affective Drews said there is no cost Disorder, which affects students to use the lamps, and the health during the short, dark days center has wi-fi and of the winter months. coffee for students Brock Lutz, director while they get their of health services, said daily dose of vitamin via email that the sympD. Students can do toms of SAD are basihomework, use eleccally the symptoms of detronics or use relaxpression — hopelessness, ation software while fatigue, physiological in front of the lamps. lethargy, sleeping a lot, There is a sheet in the difficulty focusing — but health center where they manifest at certain students can sign up times of the year, usually to use the lamp after fall or winter, and remit a brief orientation. in spring . Lutz said that alSAD is a type of dethough light therapy pression that results is the most common from a change in envitreatment for winronmental light, shorter ter depression, other and darker days, and not measures can be takenough vitamin D. Many en to fight SAD. SAD patients are women, “Talking to somebut it can also affect men. one about these Research has shown that symptoms is imporlight therapy is an effec-The Health and Wellness Center purchased tant to make sure it sun lamps to help students combat symptoms tive way to replenish vitaisn’t a more serious min D and alleviate suchof Seasonal Affective Disorder. (Ben Strickland/ type of depression and Collegian) symptoms, Lutz said. to learn to deal with “So, our thought is: if for the health center or even for life when it gets challenging (as light therapy can alleviate some some of the dorms. it usually will),” Lutz said. of these symptoms, then let’s “There may be students who Lutz also said exercising daily make it available,” Lutz said. suffer from SAD because the for 45 minutes and maintaining a Nurse Carol Drews said that sun disappears a lot around here healthy diet are key components vitamin D is essential for the sometimes and for whom light of combating SAD. body. It can relieve stress, reset therapy would be an effective “Most people would benefit the sleep cycle if used early in treatment,” Lutz said. from vitamin D in the winter,” the morning, and keep down corHe recommends the person Drews said. “This is a way to tisol levels, which contributes to sit in front of the lamp for 20 trick our bodies. This is the nonweight gain. She said vitamin D to 30 minutes every day, prefer- medicinal way to get rid of winter releases the “feel good” chemical ably during the morning hours, blahs. It’s just good medicine.” serotonin in the brain. because soaking up the rays later Emma Vinton Collegian Reporter

Corrections

Spotlight In the article,“The house that Reynolds built: 140 years later,”

“It is serotonin in the brain that we get after a good run, a piece of chocolate, or being in love,” Drews said. The center purchased one lamp because a number of students seem to suffer from SAD symptoms. Lutz has referred several students to the light therapy, and, if there is a positive response, they may purchase more

the writer inaccurately reported the year of a fire that destroyed much of the college. The correct

year is 1874. The Collegian regrets this error.

A3 6 March 2014

Speech team competes at state Daniel Slonim Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale’s speech team saw some surprising results at the Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League’s state championship this past weekend. The team failed to put finalists in several events in which Hillsdale students have usually succeeded. “Our really strong suits — persuasion, after dinner speaking, and impromptu — weren't represented, and then traditionally what we’ve not been as strong in, we had a strong showing in,” said Matthew Warner, the team’s coach and assistant director of forensics and debate. Junior Anna Wunderlich, a novice on the team, made it to finals in prose interpretation for

Off Campus From A1 Niedfelt in 1990. Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said it is important to them that Niedfeldt be a men’s dormitory. Both deans said that Phyllis Niedfeldt was very understanding about the school’s housing imbalance; however, the administration wants to honor the couple’s original wishes.

Alcohol From A1

cannot account for all the details of the actions that made ATO a dry house a couple years ago, but he said the hard work of the current fraternity to regain its privileges is notable. “That was a different time, and a different chapter than we have now,” Vandegriff said in an email. “What I can tell you is that, by completing a list of goals given to us by the dean, which included the winning our first True Merit Award from ATO National Fraternity in our chapter’s history last summer, we were able to gain the privilege of throwing parties in our annex.” Dean of Men Aaron Petersen

DSP

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gagement. “We’re just trying to accomplish everything that we’ve set,” he said. According to Wendt, part of the problem that resulted in the loss of the house was the existing culture at the time. “There was an attitude in the house that was more relaxed,” he said. “Nobody was very respectful of the property. We felt entitled, and that’s really changed.”

Campaigns From A1

cipient of funds was not the college but the students. Acknowledging that HEW would maintain a different opinion, Roche and the Board of Trustees sought a new strategy. “If the expansions of federal authority under Title IX are now to use such individual funding as a means of assaulting the independence of Hillsdale College as a whole, we reserve the right to reevaluate the programs involved,” Roche wrote in a letter to HEW. Recognizing the tough battle ahead, the Board of Trustees reevaluated the source of student financial aid. In 1976, it launched a three-year campaign, the Freedom Fund, which planned to raise $29 million as an endowment to replace the expected loss of government aid previously given to enrolled students. Endowing a future of independence Roche understood that in order to resist federal encroachments and secure the college’s independence, a sufficient amount of financial and private support would need to be raised. Such a task would require a campaign strategy that would endow the college’s future with secure financial independence and the ability to weather unexpected contingencies. “We’re going to tell this story loud and clear in the widest forum on the assumption that we are in the right, and that the more people who know we are in the right, the better,” Roche said in a speech to college parents in October 1975. Before launching the Freedom Fund, the college sent 40,000 letters to sympathizers and supporters in an attempt to tell its story. Their story gained momentum, receiving national attention from dignitaries such as Congressman

the first time, where she took sixth place, also winning top novice in the event. By breaking into finals, Wunderlich qualified to compete in the national tournament. Warner said this was the last tournament where she would have had a chance to qualify and was the hardest. “She had never been a finalist in prose until this weekend, and this is the most competitive tournament yet,” he said. Wunderlich said prose interpretation involves selecting a piece of literature and presenting it in a dramatic way. “It’s not quite like acting it out, but it’s similar,” she said. Warner said Wunderlich has made a continued effort over the season to improve her piece until it was good enough to qualify. “She kept working and work-

ing and working,” he said. “She didn’t give up.” Freshman Erin Graham took sixth in poetry interpretation, also winning top novice. The previous weekend, Graham had won first in poetry at another tournament. Junior Ian Fury won third place in extemporaneous. Wunderlich also won top novice in extemporaneous, and freshman Keyona Shabazz won top novice in impromptu. Because this tournament was one of the most difficult so far, Warner said he was thrilled at the novices’ success, despite being surprised that nobody made it to finals in persuasion, impromptu, or after dinner speaking. “Did we do as well as we expected? Not really. Are we really happy with how we did? Yes,” he said.

For years, Phyllis Niedfeldt would host the men for a dinner and a brunch, and inspect the condition of the dorm upon visits. “She talked to us, gave us stories about her life, encouraged us, and talked about her husband and why they started the dorm,” said three-year Niedfeldt resident Greg Barry ’12. “She came through and inspected the dorm, which was interesting. It was cool seeing the interest she took in us. She wanted us to be doing well and be having a good col-

lege experience. It was very clear she cared strongly about us.” The deans encourage all students to see for themselves the list of ranked students, which is available in the deans’ office. “We have to fill beds on campus,” Phillip said. “The college needs to be able to have the means to keep the buildings running smoothly and maintain them. I’m responsible for filling beds.”

said Sigma Chi fraternity is now allowed to have alcohol back within the house, despite some problems earlier in the semester. “My experience is that the leadership within the fraternities is willing and able to partner with my office to resolve problems,” Petersen said. However, many times, the prevention of and consequences for irresponsible drinking are handled within the fraternity by the elected student leadership rather than the administration boards of the fraternity. “We educate both actives and new members about the alcohol policy. That way, there is no confusion,” Vandegriff said in an email. “In the event someone would break the drinking policy, we have our own internal disciplinary system to deal with it and would fully comply with the dean’s office.”

In addition to educating members, the fraternities also set down consequences for behavior that breaks their policies. For example, Salehzadeh said DTD has an established, threestep process of dealing with alcohol mismanagement. At the first and second offense, a fraternity member might receive community service, the revocation of certain privileges, and the completion of the “Delts talk about alcohol” program, a national program. The last offense results in the loss of all membership privileges and, as a last resort, expulsion from the fraternity. “Our alcohol policy is something that we want to be upfront about, because we do take it very seriously,” Salehzadeh said. “We are just working with what we have been given.”

Wendt said the fraternity has plans to improve its campus presence. “Nobody wants this to happen again,” he said. “We have a negative connotation here at Hillsdale, and we want to change that. We want to do more philanthropy events. We want to expand our recruitment to non-football players, and we definitely want to get our accreditation score as high as we can get it.” Petersen said the effort put forth by the men of DSP these last two years has been earnest. “It’s encouraging to me,” he said. “They genuinely want to

do better. From what I’ve seen, they’re going to have a stronger score than they’ve ever had.” Wendt said the fraternity plans to continue improving. “We’re moving forward to try to change that culture that’s been haunting us,” he said. Snyder agreed. “My class was the last class to live in the house,” Snyder said. “These young guys don’t know what it was like to live there. I know they’ve seen all the work we’ve done. We’ve set a good foundation over these last two years.”

Phil Crane, William F. Buckley Jr., Russell Kirk, and Secretary of the Treasury William Simon. Many congressional representatives outspokenly supported the colleges efforts. Colorado Congressman James P. Johnson publicly rallied for the college’s campaign to remain independent. “I appreciate the dilemma you face,” Johnson said. “It is refreshing to find an institution whose dedication to independence is so resolute that it is willing to forego the tempting lure of federal assistance.” In order for the college to perpetuate its independence, it needed to secure an endowment for student financial aid and other projects. Director of Financial Aid Rich Moeggenberg explained that in 1986, the college officially stopped accepting federal gift assistance. “It was at that time that we started replacing federal aid,” Moeggenberg said. “Instead, we started funding the independence grant program for the first time.” In 1986, Hillsdale officially instituted several new programs to assist with student financial aid. Endowed scholarships, budgeted scholarships, institutional loans, independence grants, and loans replaced other previous federallyfunded options. In 1985 the college dedicated more than $2.5 million in academic financial awards to students. 30 years later, the college annually funds $22.5 million in student financial awards. According to a press release from the Council for Aid to Education, Hillsdale College ranked ninth in academic institutions for the most money raised per student annually: $41,506. This increase in available funds is a direct result of three successful capital campaigns and a fourth currently in progress:

The Freedom Fund (1976-1980), Freedom Quest ’90 (1987-1996 ), The Founders’ Campaign (20012012), and Rebirth of Liberty and Learning (2013-2018) Based on numbers acquired from the department of Institutional Advancement, The Collegian calculated that the four capital campaigns have raised and endowed more than $1 billion in buildings, faculty chairs, and financial aid. Despite the college’s current endowment, valued at $386 million, additional funds are continually being fundraised. “It has been a process and it has taken time to get the endowment to that point,” Moeggenberg said. “In the year 2014 we are still not at a point where we have endowed funds to fully fund what is necessary.” The never-ending campaign The story of Hillsdale’s fight for independence is unique among academic institutions. The increase in private support is a testament to the compelling story of Hillsdale’s independence. Imprimis, the college’s publication, has increased its number of subscriptions from 1,000 in 1972, to 2.7 million in 2014. Over the past 40 years, the college has continued to protect the college’s independence through numerous capital campaigns. Roche and the Board of Trustees believed that the fate of the college should not be affected by the strength of the government, but the college’s value of liberty. “The benefits to Hillsdale College will be far-reaching. In the years ahead, many students and a great deal of funding will come from those who have now been introduced to the college,” Roche said. “Even more important, the enhancement of our own academic reputation which this provided will be a great help for the college and for all those who hold Hillsdale College degrees.”


OPINION 6 March 2014 A4

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Enjoy the trainwreck The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

Well, here it is. The week before Spring break. That light at the end of a dark, cold, and snowy tunnel grows ever closer. It will, we hope, bring respite from a semester of unceasing obligations. Yet between it and us, an onslaught of midterms, exams, homework assignments, and other academic obligations threatens ominously — unwelcome yet common attachments any pre-break week. Consequently, many students see this light not

Futile attempts at doing everything

Erin Mundahl Student Columnist I was rejected today. Or rather, my internship application was politely declined using the most cordial of blandly complimentary fluff. Neurological studies say that the brain processes rejection with the same regions it uses to handle physical pain. Which I guess means I feel a little like the letter punched me in the face. I look at the email with chagrin and think I should have gone somewhere else, maybe Harvard. I won’t claim that I could have been accepted at Harvard. What I do know is that, by choosing to come to Hillsdale rather than the University of Minnesota, my education benefited and my grades suffered. I doubt there are many students here who could speak differently.

Jonah Goldberg Syndicated Columnist President Obama announced last week a new race-based initiative, My Brother’s Keeper. According to the White House, the program will coordinate government agencies and private foundations to help young men and boys of color. “Of color” basically means blacks and Latinos. In fact, it’s pretty obvious the program is aimed at young black men. This fact has invited some conservative criticism. The Weekly Standard’s Terry Eastland notes that the program is

his family — take second place to his party duty. Even his sex life is synchronized with the obligations of the cause... Are Communists a menace to America? Yes, there IS a Communist menace in America... A Communist trick frequently echoed by some liberals is to insist that “Fascism is the real danger, not Communism.” That’s like saying that tuberculosis is no danger, because cancer is... April 15, 1947

pers. Impossible as it may seem, you will survive this relatively minor ordeal (unless you’re writing a thesis. If so, no guarantees, and you have our sympathy). And try to take from your survival as many lessons into the real world as you can. Because that’s when the challenges truly begin. Ask any second semester senior: panicking over five page essays wastes time you could spend with friends and professors you get to know for four short years.

Hillsdale provides a good eduAt the same time, Hillsdale cation, not a good GPA. By the does not aim to compete with retime we graduate, we can joke gional schools, but rather seeks to about Aristotle and roll our eyes meet the standards of top tier uniat nerdy Latin humor. Our profes- versities. Ironically, their average sors have demanded much from GPAs are much higher. Last Deus, and we strive and struggle to cember, the Harvard Crimson, its provide it. Virtue rejoices in the student newspaper, reported that, challenge. “the median grade Every ma- We can pretend that at Harvard Coljor has its horlege is an A-, and ror stories. My the scale can be shifted the most frequentfriends in Clasly awarded mark and that institutions sics speak of is an A.” The same fervid exam and employers will article also noted review, knowthat 62 percent of ing that if they recognize the value of grades at Yale fell did not do well a Hillsdale education, into the A- range. enough, they The university set would get their but many will only look a goal of limiting tests back with the number of stucompleted drop at the numbers. dents graduating cards stapled to with honors to 60 the front. I have percent. my own share of stories of the What this means is that Hill“Jackson C” and the “Somerville sdale grades more strictly than C,” both of which merely dem- top-tier Ivy League schools. Unonstrate that you produced good fortunately, we don’t have the college-level work. name recognition to go with it. Taken in isolation, this is a Somewhere around 260 students valid standard. But if Hillsdale have submitted applications to wishes to prepare students for graduate in May. Even if each graduate education, its grading and every one of them intended policies can never be taken in to go to graduate school, mediisolation. cal school or law school, they are Several years ago, the Col- too few to allow the college to legian published an article on become known for its academic Hillsdale’s grading policy. Cam- rigor. pus administration defended the Ironically this problem is only policy by comparing Hillsdale’s exacerbated by the sort of gradaverage GPA to those at other ing which drives intelligent stuMichigan colleges, including dents away from applying to top Grand Valley State University programs due to their GPAs. Hilland Hope College. The compari- sdale students are forced to aim son was intended to show that lower because they were held to Hillsdale’s grades were not a sta- a higher standard. tistical anomaly. Many professors try to help

students by explaining the college’s grading policy through letters of recommendation. Yet even with stellar test scores, many applications are rejected before such letters are even opened, automatically discarded because they did not meet the GPA threshold. As I speak to other seniors, I catch a refrain: “I know I can impress in an interview, but I don’t know if my grades are good enough to get one.” This is the trouble with the college’s current approach to grades. We can pretend that the scale can be shifted and that institutions and employers will recognize the value of a Hillsdale education, but many will only look at the numbers. In short, the trouble with the “Jackson C” is that once it goes onto my transcript, the only name on it is mine. I can’t claim to know the answer to this problem. If I were to discover that all of my professors this term gave me A’s solely because I wrote this column, I would be disappointed, because I would know that I hadn’t earned them. Still, the college should consider what its goals are. If it intends to help foster a renaissance of conservative thinking in higher education, it should not hamstring its students with an archaic grading policy that prevents them from exploring certain careers. The decision is not mine to make though. I’ll stick to sending out applications, while questing after unicorns and the elusive Jackson A. I’ll tell you which one I find first.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER: RACE DOES, AND SHOULD, MATTER

From the Archives: How to recognize a Red Ted Grace, a[t] a recent chapel meeting, told us what Communism is; in this article we will tell you the dangers of Communism and how to recognize a Communist when you see one — and don’t think that you won’t see Communists in the small city of Hillsdale... Because the whole Communist apparatus is geared to secrecy, it is not always easy to determine just who is a Communist. The American Communist is not like other Americans; to the Communist everything — his country, his job,

probably procrastinated in prior weeks, forgetting that deadlines are always closer than they appear. Besides, if your most pressing concern is finishing your term paper before 4 p.m. on friday, you have a pretty good life. Most college students are in a similar position. Never before will we enjoy so many of the privileges of adulthood with so few of the responsibilities, nor will we ever again. So go finish your last few pa-

Hunting the unicorn, the 4.0, and other elusive prey

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 snelson1@hillsdale.edu before Sunday at 6 p.m.

My sophomore year woke me up. Oddly, it had none of the stigma associated with my riotous freshman year. By all appearances, I was thoroughly reformed. I had a second chance to succeed. This was balm to my recently disenchanted soul, primarily because, in performing badly my freshman year, I had failed to hold up a fairly substantial family legacy at Hillsdale College. My father and mother both attended this school. I don’t remember a time when Central Hall didn’t shimmer out at me on the letterhead of one of innumerable college Ian Andrews publications. It was an icon Student Columnist of higher education in my home, though my parents never expected me to trace their footsteps. My father was a true renaissance man, winning the concerto competition, founding Intervarsity Christian Fellowship on Hillsdale’s campus, double majoring in economics and Christian studies, and, most notably, graduating with a 4.0. He met my mother his freshman year. They began dating towards the end of their second semester, and married 3 days after graduation. Theirs was the perfect college experience, full of accomplishments and honors, in addition to legendary friendships and a beautiful love story. I left freshman year deeply confused by the drastic difference between my college experience and theirs, and entered sophomore year ready to pursue their college legacy as earnestly as I had renounced it the previous year. While during my freshman year the college held me to a higher standard than I could meet, sowing humility in my wild oats, it filled a different role my sophomore year. It offered me to myself by laying so wide a range of study at my feet that I was forced to choose what I truly wanted to learn. Unfortunately for me, this required that I know myself well enough to focus my efforts, which I certainly did not. And I was scared. What if I missed college just because I was a moron? How was I to know I was working hard enough, or involved in the right mixture of things to come away with a glowing experience to tell my own children about? It was arrogance that led me to assume I’d succeed on talent alone freshman year; it was fear that drove me to do literally everything my sophomore year. Success, after all, had been defined for me already. My impressive father had set the bar. And now that I had realized not only that I would have to work hard, but that I wanted the benefits that hard work could achieve, I retreated towards the nearest exterior standard of right accomplishment. If I did it all, just like my father had, there was no way I could miss out on his college experience. I decided promptly to become a double English and Music major with a Philosophy minor, to join a worship team affiliated with the Intervarsity ministry, and take all of the professors that my parents had talked about when I was young. I attacked the core classes in as short a time as I possibly could to make up for the previous year’s failures. None of these things contributed the sort of security I wanted. Instead, stressed out and stretched thin, I was unable to devote myself thoroughly to any of these many commitments. The pendulum had swung backwards, from negligence into over-commitment, and I was miserable. Enter phase two of my education. In the face of this overabundance of good things, I had to find out who I, not my father, was. I began to discover what I liked to do, where I wanted to spend my time, and what, precisely, Ian’s interests actually were. Though terrifying, developing my own vision for my personal growth also offered me an unfamiliar comfort in affirming my individual identity. I began to discover what my parents had before me. I realized that the breadth and depth of available knowledge effectively defined the parameters of my being by showing me its limits. To know oneself in such a fashion relieves the pressure to know everything. I left sophomore year content to offer myself to a few disciplines, rather than laboring futilely to possess them all.

as a relief but as an oncoming train. Complaints ring out on Facebook and campus over the unconquerable mountain of tasks to complete before break begins that prevents us from truly anticipating our rest. How can we, with so much left to do? But complaint without action accomplishes little. Much of our anguish is not purely a product of insidious collusions among professors to generate the most possible misery anyway. You

likely unconstitutional. Doling out benefits explicitly based on race is generally a no-no, according to the Supreme Court Even more frowned on: discrimination against women. The program will categorically exclude women and girls. In 1996, when the court (wrongly, in my opinion) ordered the historically single-sex Virginia Military Institute to admit women, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ruled that blanket sex-based discrimination requires an “exceedingly persuasive justification.” For me, My Brother’s Keeper meets that bar. The statistics are gloomy and familiar: 1 out of 15 black men is behind bars; 1 out of 3 can expect to be incarcerated at some point in his life. The simplistic talk about how this is all the result of white racism misses the scope and nature of the problem. The vast majority of interracial violent crime is black on white. But most violent crime is actually intra-racial (i.e., black on black or white on white). Still, blacks are far more likely to die from homicide; half of murder victims are black, which may partly explain why black men in prison have a higher life expectancy than black men out of prison. And this leaves out all of the challenges — educational, economic, etc. — facing black men that don’t show up in crime statistics.

The Uses of a Liberal Arts Education

by Forester McClatchtey

Roger Clegg, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, also thinks the program is unconstitutional because there is no “compelling” government interest here: “It may be that a disproportionate number of blacks and Latinos are at-risk, but many are not, and many whites, Asians and others are. This is just another kind of ‘profiling.’” Yes and no. Obviously there are at-risk youth of all races, but the problems facing young black men are so disproportionate, the difference of degree becomes a difference in kind. Yet, I also think Clegg is obviously right that this is another kind of profiling. There’s an intriguing double standard that tangles up the right and the left. We’re told it is outrageous for government to assume that a young black male (in some contexts) is more likely to commit a crime; we’re also told that government should target young black men for help because they are more likely to commit crimes. Most liberals hate law enforcement profiling but support — for want of a better term — social justice profiling. For conservatives, it’s vice versa (though Clegg opposes both kinds of profiling, it’s worth noting). Yet the empirical arguments for positive and negative profiling are the same: The plight of young black men is different.

Clegg says that the initiative should be aimed at all at-risk males. Maybe that would be ideal -- on paper. The hitch is that a program that appeals to all young males may not be as effective as one that focuses on young blacks in particular. Relatively benign appeals to racial solidarity and pride by definition don’t work on groups of different races. The point is even more obvious when you consider sex differences. A strong male role model can tell boys to “act like a man” in ways women can’t. Sure, a woman can say the words, but she can’t be a man. For some boys, particularly ones without fathers at home (the majority of at-risk youths), that’s still a huge distinction. That’s why I agree with those liberals who think Obama should have done more sooner for young black men. It may be irrational in a legalistic sense, but in human terms it is utterly obvious that the first black president of the United States — raised by a single mother no less — might have special standing with at-risk black youth. Real life happens outside the neat boundaries of rigid legalisms. It also happens upstream of government. I’m very skeptical this program will do much to fix the deeper problems, but if it causes Obama to focus on them, it’s probably worth it.


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Outstanding senior woman: Be humble Mary Proffit Kimmel Special to the Collegian

She delivered this speech Saturday. It took me until my senior year to realize that my mom was right. I finally started sleeping eight hours, exercising, and eating my vegetables. My mom had been right all along: Who knew these seemingly marginal tasks would improve your studies and general well-being? The lesson I learned from my mom is corollary to that which I learned from the great books. The liberal arts are our elders, and we should trust them as such. They made it this far: we should probably listen to what they have to say. If Plato and Virgil and Herodotus have been around for this long, it is because their words are worthwhile. In this respect again our elders have something to teach us. We should act under the supposition that the corpus of the Western heritage is wiser than we are until we have at least tried its authors. The Iliad, in fact, shows us the pitfalls of pride, “King Lear,” the perils of abdicating responsibility, and Dante’s works, the deadliness of sin. Rather than making the same errors as the past, we can "stand on the shoulders of giants," gaining from their wisdom and building on their work. Reading Homer, Cicero, and Augustine is like eating your vegetables: You may not think you like it at first, but you will feel so healthy afterwards. Studying the liberal arts has both practical and impractical rewards. We believe that our studies here will make us better citizens, and that they will make us better persons. The well-ordered state requires well-ordered souls and well-ordered families. In Act One of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” Lear gives his power and lands to his daughters because he wants to “unburdened crawl toward death.” When he gives up his state, all hell breaks loose: We find division, rivalry, adultery, murder, insanity, and war, all because Lear abdicated his responsibility. We may not be the king of England, but we have a responsibility nonetheless: a responsibility to learn self-control, to practice humility, to exercise wisdom, and to be courageous. These are all virtues that Hillsdale teaches which its graduates can carry into the world. We have a great task before us: the recovery of Western civilization. As Dr. Bart taught

me, Western civilization is always on the precipice of destruction. The ship is always sinking, and we always have to bail her out. The liberal arts serve this practical purpose: to produce good citizens who think about the common good above their personal interest. Our education in truth, beauty, and goodness is far from useless; rather, it profits the world a great deal since we are sent out to share what we have learned. Plato depicted the well-ordered soul as a well-ordered state. We affirm that a well-ordered state is made up of well-ordered souls. The liberal arts are in another sense useless and gratuitous. They teach the student to wonder in silence. There are moments of study that consist of pure delight with no mercenary advantage. Lear also speaks of this in Act Five when he says to Cordelia, “so we’ll live / And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh / At gilded butterflies… / And take upon us the mystery of things, As if we were God’s spies.” That is what I have learned at Hillsdale: to take upon myself the mystery of things. We have been given, in the words of Edmund Burke, the “unbought grace of life,” a special privilege which we did not merit. Dr. Whalen will make you self-conscious and nervous for still being in school at the age of 22. He always asks his students, “Are you really okay? What sort of creature has to spend a quarter of its lifetime learning how to be itself?” The answer, of course, is a human. We take an immense amount of cultivation and training to realize what it means to be human. I have learned so much from my literature courses about what pertains to human flourishing. Hamlet teaches us about hasty errors in judgment, Dante about the speechless wonder of heaven, and Augustine about the restlessness of the human heart until it rests in God. The capacity to marvel at truth and beauty is by far the greatest gift I have gleaned from my time here. I am so grateful for a student body of such ambition and vitality, a music department of such richness and beauty, a faculty of such kindness and brilliance, and an administration of such tireless dedication. My heart is full of gratitude to this community and indebtedness to its blessings. In the end, my advice to you is simple: Exercise, sleep, eat your vegetables, and trust your elders, be they Cicero or your mother. Thank you.

Outstanding senior man: Value liberal arts Viktor Rozsa Special to the Collegian He delivered this speech Saturday. The men of this senior class are some of my closest friends — men who have inspired me, challenged me, and befriended me. I am humbled and deeply honored to represent such a group of remarkable people. Last summer I worked at a university on the East Coast doing physics research. Several faculty that I met barely concealed their condescension when I told them of my home institution, a small liberal arts school. “Liberal arts” in modern higher education has become synonymous with a feel-good, buffet-style academic free-for-all, in which trying a little bit of everything makes students supposedly well-educated. Disciplines are often taught in an air of moral and academic relativism, in which any claims of superiority, worth, and proper method are mocked. After four years at such a place, students take pride in their status of being “well-rounded.” This is not what Hillsdale does. Hillsdale does not round its students. It does just the opposite. It gives them proper angles. It sharpens them. Four years ago, I came here reluctantly. Most of my friends had gone to engineering schools, and I had come close to joining them. Yet I chose not to because of a suspicion. Despite my nearly-complete ignorance of the Western tradition, something told me that it was, in fact, worthwhile to study history, English, and politics. This thought materialized because of a speech that Dr. Whalen gave during my first campus visit. He argued for the virtues of a classical liberal education. When we study literature, history, philosophy, and the sciences, our great strides in our learning often happen in singular moments. These are moments in which we make connections. Moments in which we suddenly understand. Rare moments in which we see beauty bare. They are full of wonder. In fact, Dr. Whalen called the wonder of these moments a species of fear. For as we catch a glimpse of greater truths, we ourselves diminish in the face of their magnitude. It is a humbling experience, yet I have found few pursuits more gratifying. I am not romanticizing when I say that we as Hillsdale students take part in this — in our classes, in our readings, and in our conversations. Now, I myself am a science guy. I’ve majored in physics and math, and I intend to continue my studies in graduate school. I’m frequently asked why I would come to a place like Hillsdale to study these subjects. After all, it might be great for history, English, and politics. But for physics? The role of science itself has evolved, and without studying history and philosophy, it is almost impossible to know

how scientific discoveries were made in the past and, consequently, how they ought to be pursued in the future. It is essential to study the humanities along with science. For if we as scientists agree that there is any truth to be found in literature, philosophy, or theology, it is then necessary to properly understand the interrelation of these truths with our own field. Truth is clouded at best, and distorted at worst, when it is compartmentalized and isolated. I think most universities’ science programs do exactly this. The science faculty and facilities here are excellent, and I am gratefully indebted to them. But what sets us apart as Hillsdale science majors is this environment in which we study. We’ve all heard the well-worn cliché about Hillsdale: “It’s the people.” And yet it is around because it is true, affirmed repeatedly with each new class of freshmen. This place attracts some of the kindest and most intelligent people that we will ever meet. Our campus is absurdly, disproportionately musical. Some of my dearest memories have been made playing cello or singing in our various ensembles. The friendships that we make here are kindled in an intense atmosphere. We make them as we struggle together in the academic project we set out to do. People say that our four years in college tend to be the most formative in our lives. I rejoice in the fact that I have been able to spend those years in this community. Now as I myself have been doing today, we at Hillsdale tend to speak very loftily about our aims. We allude to our college’s noble mission. We aim to wrestle with questions of the human condition. We set out to claim our historical and intellectual heritage. Many times, I’ve been discouraged at Hillsdale. I’ve sat back and realized that no, I could not give an airtight defense of what the “good” is. I am occasionally embarrassingly wrong about historical events. My list of books to read grows ever longer, and I make little progress. The more that I learn, the more I am aware of how little I really know. A friend of mine who graduated recently helped me to think about this discouragement in the right perspective. He said that studying at Hillsdale is not about getting all the answers. Indeed, that is patently impossible. Rather, our time here is an introduction. We now know what kind of questions to even ask. The moments of wonder that Dr. Whalen spoke of are not over. Properly tended to, they will continue for the rest of our lives. I’d like to part with a few lines from the end of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. They speak to me especially as I prepare to leave Hillsdale and reflect on my time here: “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.” Thank you.

A5 6 March 2014

Beware the binge: Netflix kills moderation Jack Butler Assistant Editor Last year, I spent most of my Christmas break alone and in the dark. My parents had given me the first three seasons of “Fringe,” a reality-bending, time-traveling, parallel universehopping serial drama that explored the outermost reaches of plausible science. I had heard about the show because its creator, J.J. Abrams, also conceived “Lost,” a similar show to which I had been addicted. Its cancellation left a void in my TV life I hoped “Fringe” could fill. And it did. Each episode expanded the horizons of science-fiction. Different realities, brain surgeries, and alterations to the past, for example, generated nine distinct versions of just one of the show’s characters, all played by the same actor. I devoted the entire second half of my Christmas break to following and theorizing about the plot’s incredibly convoluted turns. Like any addict, I structured my life around my addiction: I woke up at 10 a.m.; watched until 3-4 p.m, saving two minutes an episode from skipping the credits, which could add up to an entire extra episode watched after two days; ran (on an empty stomach, because I didn’t have time for more than one real meal); ate dinner; watched until 1-2 a.m.; fell asleep in the basement, gaining an extra minute or two from convenience; woke up… Thanks to my routine — an example of what is now known as “bingewatching” — I consumed 99 episodes in time to watch the series finale with those who had been following it from the beginning, giving me some strange satisfaction. But it cost me. I could have spent that dark time with my family, all of whom were together for the first time in months. I could have spent it taking running seriously or catching up on

my sleep from an exhausting semester. Maybe I could have even spent it reading, which I so often lament I never have enough time to do. Thus, not long after finishing “Fringe,” feelings of shame, sloth, and selfishness replaced my prior satisfaction: I realized I had wasted my break. The show I thought I was devouring had instead devoured me. Consequently, I vowed never again to allow a TV show to consume my life. Unfortunately, in the time since, the

like the only way to spend time with them. Even President Obama somehow has enough free time to have warned fans of “House of Cards,” who would watch the entire second season as quickly as they could not to reveal any spoilers. Presumably, he wants to sit down and take it all in himself. It is possible to accept binge-watching as a tremendous sign of human progress: never before have TV viewers had so much time to watch what they want, when they want, and in their preferred quantities. But in an imperfect world, no trend exists without ill effects, and this one has plenty. The uninhibited stream of content encourages, begs, and even demands immoderation and impatience: essentially, slavery to the television and to one’s immediate passions. Widespread access, moreover, to the hit shows of the moment enforces a cruel cultural conformity. Confess that you haven’t watched the last season of “Break(Jack Butler/Collegian) ing Bad,” despite havrest of the country has leapt headlong ing a Roku box beseeching use, and the into the binge’s gaping maw. Thanks to conversation dispatches you like Walter the streaming model pioneered by Netf- White would a rival meth dealer. lix, people can binge-watch episode after But, most important, the binge sevepisode of their favorite TV shows with- ers our ties to others. TV can be social, out interruption, powerfully vitiating but without the right frame of mind, it self-control, moderation, and delayed remains ultimately defined by the show gratification. And now, with “House of being watched, not those one watches Cards,” Netflix allows viewers to con- it with. Binge-watching threatens our sume entire seasons of new content at moderation, our social selves, and our once. In my own family, one sister likes very society. So don’t ruin your Spring “How I Met Your Mother,” while an- break as I ruined my Christmas break last other is partial to “Dexter”; meanwhile, year. Catch up with friends and family, my parents prefer “The Shield.” They all exercise, and read instead. A few more spent much of our last Christmas break continuous sessions of “House of Cards” indulging in their respective passions will send us all down into the basement, for hours on end. I admit I occasionally shrouded in darkness and alone. joined them, if only because it seemed

Edward Everett winner: Privacy matters Melika Willoughby Special to the Collegian She delivered this speech Tuesday. On a February day in 1761, in a tiny Massachusetts courthouse, Boston lawyer James Otis rose to fight an “insidious and mischievous” wrong committed by the British Crown. For five hours, he electrified listeners by demonstrating what he called the “illegality,” “iniquity,” and “inhumanity” of the Crown’s action against the American colonies. A young observer named John Adams later wrote that “American independence was then and there born; the seeds of patriots and heroes were then and there sown, …[it] was the first scene of the first act of opposition to the arbitrary claims of Great Britain. Then and there the child independence was born. In fifteen years, namely in 1776, he grew up to manhood, and declared himself free.” The great wrongdoing of England that caused this first rumbling of revolution was neither a tax on tea nor a lack of representation in parliament. Instead, it was the Crown’s unfettered use of Writs of Assistance. Known today as generalized warrants, the writs allowed British officials to ransack the private property of colonial merchant without having to establish probable cause before a magistrate. Adams wrote that such generalized warrants were “a base instrument of arbitrary power,” and “destructive to the liberties of his country.” Nearly 250 years later, 21st century America is bearing witness to a strikingly similar debate. In the name of security, the National Security Agency is obtaining generalized warrants and compromising the privacy of American citizens without having to establish probable cause. While technological advancements now provide government tentacles a farther reach into the everyday lives of citizens, the principles of liberty, privacy, and independence remain unchanged. The maintenance of a free republic demands that the privacy of citizens be respected. First, let us examine the nature of privacy, then its role in a free society. Finally, we’ll consider the NSA, its inappropriate surveillance of metadata, and what steps need to be taken to restore our Constitutional principles. Before considering the nature and implications of privacy, we must first adopt a common definition of the word. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as an “Absence or avoidance of publicity or display,” “Confidential, not to be disclosed to others.” Privacy also has a moral aspect. Peggy Noonan, former presidential speechwriter for Ronald Reagan explains: “Privacy is connected

Fix the Union doors

to personhood. It has to do with intimate things — the innards of your head and heart, the workings of your mind — and the boundary between those things and the world outside.” From this understanding, we can build a framework by which to think about the nature of privacy. For every person, there are certain things about oneself that others should not know, things you do not want to be made public. In a Lockean state of nature, people have absolute authority over their own private information. And under no circumstances should that knowledge be made public, unless the individual should choose to disclose it. Men, however, do not live in a state of nature. We are, as Aristotle says, political animals. Man can only be truly happy when living in friendship with other virtuous citizens in a polis that seeks the public good through deliberation and prudence. When men come together to create a city, they desire a good government, one that protects their natural rights—a thing not secured in the state of nature. In order to create a government powerful enough to protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens, men must relinquish a certain portion of their rights. This power, derived justly from the consent of the governed, enables the government to achieve its ends of securing the rights of its citizens. This arrangement between men is known as the social compact and it is on this theory that the Founding Fathers fashioned the United States. In a free republic such as ours, government respect of privacy is not only guaranteed but also is pivotal to the preservation of our liberties. The preamble to our Constitution states that our republic seeks to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty...” It is the dedication to these things makes America great. The means by which our government achieves its ends must not negate the very things that make our country good. Our government cannot simply neglect to secure the blessings of liberty. Being part of a social compact, it is important to remember that men no longer have absolute authority over their privacy. The government, however, may only abridge the privacy of citizens as much as is necessary to secure the nation and if probable cause is first established. To secure a free republic, we must, at some level, use surveillance; yet, to preserve a free republic, we cannot have an excessive surveillance state. There are two primary means to finding and maintaining the balance between privacy and security. The first is prudential statesmanship. St. Thomas Aquinas,

Winter in Hillsdale can be summed up with one word: trudging. Other things happen — students study and relax and eat and sleep — but trudging pervades everything else. So why don’t the side doors of the Grewcock Student Union unlock? Every day at 10 p.m., the doors of the union are locked, and the only way into the building is through the front entrance. Anyone coming from Chris McCaffery the library or east lawn is out of Assistant Editor luck. Those card readers don’t work. It seems to me the height of cruelty. Each door has a card

in the “Summa Theologica” explains that prudence, or practical wisdom, bridges both spheres of intellectual and moral virtue. He called prudence both a “wisdom concerning human affairs,” and “right reason with respect to action.” Prudence allows statesmen to soundly apply experience and wisdom in light of particular circumstances. The second is a procedural process. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizures. With probable cause and a specific description of “the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized,” police and security officials can obtain a warrant. The amendment, however, specifically guards against generalized warrants. Let us now turn to the NSA. In June 2013, Edward Snowden, a former government contractor, leaked classified documents stating that the NSA was tracking and storing the metadata for all Verizon users. Metadata includes the times, locations, durations, of all calls. While it doesn’t include the content of calls or emails, according to Dr. Orin S. Kerr, a law professor at George Washington University, metadata “can be very revealing…[it] allow[s] them to assemble a picture of what someone is up to. It’s the digital equivalent of tailing a suspect.” And all this information was collected and stored on millions of American citizens without probable cause. The NSA obtained generalized warrants from secret FISA courts to conduct this inappropriate surveillance. Conducting surveillance to monitor the electronic movements of foreign terrorists is well within the purview of the NSA. Monitoring movements of American citizens, with suspected links to terrorist sleeper cells is also within the purview of the NSA, if probable cause has been established and a specified warrant obtained. The question is one of protection through procedure. Outside the National Archives in Washington, D.C., a pillar of marble reads: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” The NSA has, indeed, violated the privacy of millions of Americans, but we must fight against this injustice. We must continue having discourses about this issue in academia, in the public square, and at the kitchen table. We should support people like Sen. Rand Paul who is suing the NSA over its use of generalized warrants. Writing about that Boston Courtroom, so many years ago, John Adams said “that Mr. Otis’s oration against writs of assistance, breathed into this nation the breath of life.” May we, as we take up this worthy mantle, breath into our nation a respect for privacy and liberty once more.

reader — a reader that once worked! — and no sign indicates that, after 10 p.m., the inviting-looking red light, waiting to receive a student ID, is as useful as the brick that surrounds it. Any student unused to late nights up the hill (they exist) sees the light and knows the drill. An ID is offered, and received with a beep. But the door remains locked. Try again, it must have been a glitch. And again, maybe you weren’t fast enough. Nothing. This drama plays out constantly, and no recourse exists but to trudge — more — up the

steps. Those doors don’t work either, but you can try as they laugh at you. Into the snow you go, where pilgrims before you have already carved a path to the front door. I can’t think of any good reason that these card readers don’t work. I assume it’s ignorance, and I call upon those responsible to fix these doors! There’s no great moral hazard and no need to storm the president’s office. This is a small thing, but the small things make a difference. We’re stressed, we’re tired, and we’re trudging. Make our nights go a tiny bit smoother.


CITYSelling NEWS streets:

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A6 6 March 2014

Q&A: state rep candidates present platforms, appeal 58th district state representative candidates explain views and why they deserve the seat

not a legal option Macaela Bennett Assistant Editor

Brad Benzing

1) Smaller government and local control. 2) It comes down to legislative experience. I’m the only candidate who’s held elected office. I’ve served three terms as county commissioner. I’ve done two-and-a-half decades of policy work in Lansing. And I’ve testified on more than 27 bills in subcommittees of the Michigan Legislature.

Eric Leutheuser

Stephen Besson

1) Be an ear of the people and a voice of reason. Restore the constitutional principles our founding fathers established. Limit the power of the government over its own people. 2) I am genuinely honest and put my faith in the people to have the wisdom to discern which candidate they believe will exhibit real leadership while protecting their God-given rights. Every individual in the legislature exerts some measure of influence, mine would be a force for good. All you have to do is want to be a part of it.

1) Common-sense solutions for things that Republicans and Democrats can agree on, like reforming car insurance as no-fault laws in our state have raised the price and even priced some people out of range. 2) I have a breadth of work experience, community service, and education that would allow me to move into the workflow in Lansing, be in committees, and be very effective right out of the gate, putting forward the interests of the district and working with other representatives to get things done.

Hal Nottingham

1) I see the state and the nation leaving conservative values, and I want to stand for what I believe our district represents: the right to life, from conception to natural death; the rights to bear arms, in the state and federal constitutions; and the definition of marriage. 2) I’m an average guy. I can relate with most constituents. I’ve been in the throes of trying to make ends meet every time I get a paycheck. I’ll bring a common-sense approach to problems of our state and nation.

Tim Haberl

1) Job creation and retention and what can be done for farmers and agriculture, fixing the roads this year and here on out, and funding our schools. 2) I’m a good representative of the people. I’m a small businessman who’s worked through the ups and downs of the economy and worked with a lot of big business communications. I’ll listen to the needs and concerns of everyone, understand and be accountable to the people.

Rochelle Ray

1) I believe that Hillsdale and Branch counties need to shore up employment opportunities here so that next time a recession hits, we’re not hit so hard. I also want to do more for education, business, agriculture, and the Constitution. 2) I’m the most experienced with statewide legislation. I’m also interested in a wide variety of issues and carry deep Christian morals and ethics.

Humans of Hillsdale: Richard Wunsch Sarah Albers Collegian Freelancer

Time seems to stop in Volume One Books, located in downtown Hillsdale. It feels as though everything were held suspended, as though – just maybe – this bookstore were a world unto itself; as though Lady History herself could walk in and feel perfectly at home. Cross the threshold. The change is palpable, the environment suddenly calm. Perhaps it is

ty,” Wunsch said, “which has never totally come to me. But Hillsdale was what I wanted — out on a farm, out on land.” The establishment of a bookstore is a natural outgrowth of Wunsch’s hopes to anchor the community, engage its inhabitants, and foster connections. “I enjoy it,” Wunsch said. “And I think it’s really important for a town like Hillsdale – a town with 8 to 9,000 people and a college – to have a bookstore. I think it’s

a political meeting,” Wunsch said. “Lately, we have been discussing the common law grand jury movement. We call ourselves the Hillsdale Common Law Assembly.” Much of Wunsch’s current involvement is on behalf of the men and women of Hillsdale. Whether they are poor, homeless, or unjustly convicted of crime, they will find a sympathetic mind at Volume One. Wunsch has long been an outspoken advocate of public interests, despite social or politi-

-Compiled by Jack Butler

Hillsdale City Attorney Lew Loren recently announced the city is not authorized to sell streets, thus limiting the potential solutions for road funding. “In my opinion, the city has the authority to vacate and close streets, but no authority to sell them or the land over which they traverse,” Loren said in a letter to City Manager Linda Brown. The Michigan Constitution allows for cities to regulate streets, so Hillsdale could close a street in order to avoid paying for its upkeep and repair, but it cannot sell it. “Within the authority granted by the constitution, statute, and charter is the authority to vacate streets,” Loren said in his opinion, “but the city’s authority to vacate streets and to otherwise exercise reasonable control over them does not extend to or include the right to sell them.” Loren said cities are not legally able to sell streets because they are held in the public trust. “The essence of all that is that they don’t acquire any title interest that they can convey by deed,” Loren said. After the Hillsdale City Council compiled a list of 24 potential road-funding solutions, Brown asked for Loren and his partner, Kevin Shirk, to determine whether or not several of the options are legal. Using the Michigan Constitution, state statutes, and the city’s charter, Loren and Shirk are examining questionable items on the list, including selling streets, selling Hillsdale’s Board of Public Utilities, and Payments in Lieu of Taxes for nonprofits. As the attorneys continue to finish reviewing the questionable options, they will send Brown and the council their opinions, but other solutions are still being researched. One option may be state funding. State Sen. Bruce Caswell attended the council’s March 3 meeting to talk about several topics, including street funding. Last year, Caswell asked for one project proposal from each of the four county road commissions in his district and submitted them for funding consideration to the Michigan Department of Transportation. In December 2013, MDOT paid $115 million for transportation projects using the Roads and Risks Reserve Fund. MDOT funded 103 local and state projects. While Branch county received $1.5 million to replace a bridge, Hillsdale received none. Some of the $115 million hasn’t been spent yet, and Caswell said some it may be given to Hillsdale and other counties that didn’t receive funding. In Gov. Rick Snyder’s 2015 budget proposal, approximately $250 million more will be dedicated for road funding, but Caswell said that will only cover about 20 percent of Michigan’s $1.2 billion need. Brown admitted her frustration with the process. Even if Hillsdale receives state money, it will most likely contain restrictions about how it can be spent. “Our small, urban background kicks us in the backside every time, because it puts a lot of restrictions on the money,” Brown said. In addition, the city of Hillsdale was never asked to submit a project to be considered for this funding. While the county road commission’s project was considered, Brown said the city was never asked. Even if the road commission’s project had been accepted, it wouldn’t have helped the city.

Car

Get Your Ready for the Ride Home

“Your continued development as a human being is gov-

erned by what you read, as well as by the people you talk to, the people you care for, the people who care for you.” the fancied, low hum of hundreds of voices; the murmured words of authors, hanging on the air like cigarette smoke; or perhaps it is the dignified, peaceable decay of thousands of pages. Richard Wunsch, the owner of Volume One, is seated comfortably at a round, wooden table. His wavy, white hair is the only aspect that might belie a life spent roving. It refuses to be held captive within a knit cap. Wunsch has been in Hillsdale County for more than 30 years. He graduated from a Grosse Pointe high school in 1958 before beginning college at Princeton University, only to marry and transfer to Wayne State in Detroit. “I got a degree in Near Eastern history,” he laughs, “which qualified me to drive a cab.” Drive a cab he did, for 52 years. From Detroit, it was on to teaching in Chicago, until he left in the spring of 1971 to do construction work in Ann Arbor. After Ann Arbor, Wunsch came to Hillsdale. He finally found home on a farm in Hillsdale County and spent 10 years there. “Civil rights stuff, anti-war stuff, then it was back to the land,” Wunsch said of his life spent in political activism. “But it was when I was on the farm that I finally understood some things about who I was and where I was going. I had a place. I settled in. Spending a decade anchored to one spot does something for you. When I planted trees, raised hogs, it was easier for me to understand the cycle of earth and of life.” Settling down in Hillsdale was as much a matter of geographical as emotional orientation. “Part of it is the calmness which comes to you with maturi-

important for a social and political center to exist for people to come together, to talk, do research.” But not all bookstores are created equal, and Wunsch has something very particular in mind for Volume One. Indeed, Volume One Books is not the bookstore’s only legal title. Its alternative moniker – DBA in legal jargon – is the Book, Art, and Spiritual Center of Hillsdale, or BASCH. “The only other word I would add is political,” Wunsch said, after a moment’s consideration. Politics has always been a significant factor in Wunsch’s life. Even in Hillsdale, he continues to seek reform. Volume One Books hosts a weekly political forum, and Wunsch is active in the common law grand jury movement in Hillsdale. “Every Tuesday night, we have

cal opposition. “My first political activity was against the Joe McCarthy hearings in 1953,” Wunsch said. “I wrote a letter to the editor. It was published, but my father was a Grosse Pointe physician. He told me, ‘You’ve got the same last name as me, boy. You’d better be careful with this political stuff.’” The bookstore, in keeping with Wunsch’s political philosophy, is ultimately intended to benefit the people who frequent it and the town in which it is embedded. It seeks to welcome all with open arms and affect growth through the ties of community. “Your continued development as a human being is governed by what you read,” Wunsch said, “as well as by the people you talk to, the people you care for, the people who care for you.”

(Ben Strickland/Collegian)

5 E Carleton Rd Hillsdale, MI 49242 Call Us: 517-437-4479


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Seniors cope with college retirement Morgan Delp Sports Editor

SPORTS

A7 6 March 2014

a toll on my body, and since I’m not training for football I don’t need to do those. There are a lot more possibilities.” Senior Alison Johnson, along with her twin sister, Hayley, finished their senior swimming season at the GLIAC tournament on February 12-15. The Johnsons

up with swimming and a goaloriented approach to exercising. “I still love swimming and want to keep up with it even though I’m retired. I’ve gotten in the pool a few times since GLIACs and it was nice to swim just for fun and relaxation instead of training for competition

The last play has been called and the last lap has been swum. For this year’s senior Charger athletes, the end of the season means one thing: retirement. “It’s definitely different being done,” said senior volleyball player Caitlin Kopmeyer. “It kinda stinks.” For many, the realization that they will never play at the collegiate level, and for many, ever again, is harsh. Still, most see positive aspects in freedom of workouts and an abundance of free time. Football is unique in that contact football virtually doesn’t exist in recreational adult league forms. Senior wide receiver Andrew Mott said that he is interested in flag football, along with pick-up basketball, swimming, running, and tennis. He has enjoyed the respite football’s end Senior Caitlin Kopmeyer serves last fall. (Collegian File Photo) has allowed his body, although that hasn’t meant a total halt in hardly have plans to slack on in- so it’s been a good transition working out. tensity of training. so far,” Alyson Johnson said. “A lot of the heavy stuff is kind “My sister and I are planning “[Swimming]’s a good workout of cut out of my workout plan. on training for the Chicago mara- for off days of running too. It will I’m still recovering (from an in- thon to run with our older sister. be nice to have more flexibiljury), and I needed time to heal, She’s wanted us to run with her ity and variation now in workand the lighter load has helped for a while but this is the first ing out, but I’m going to try to out a lot,” Mott said. “Power lifts time we’ll have the time to train always have some sort of goal, and playing don’t necessarily for such a long event,” Alison like the marathon, to keep me help the healing process. Power Johnson said. motivated.” cleans and squatting really takes Alison Johnson will still keep Senior Sydney Lenhart fin-

ished her volleyball career in the fall, and will attend University of Michigan for dental school starting this summer. Lenhart already has a workout plan in place and has already competed in an adult league volleyball tournament. “I’ll have a month plus (from when I graduate to the start of dental school), so I want to train for a half marathon, and continue that into school,” Lenhart said. “I’m joining a yoga and bar studio in Ann Arbor. Lauren Grover ’13 and Brogan Wells ’12 play in a volleyball league in Ann Arbor, so I’m going to join their team.” Mott and Copmeyer have both stayed active in their teams’ offseason workouts this semester. Mott has volunteered his time as a student-coach until he graduates, and Copmeyer will act as an assistant coach this fall as she completes her student teaching at Williams Elementary School in Jonesville, Mich. Mott assists the football coaches in afternoon and morning conditioning, and will help out during spring ball practices as needed. The prospect of coaching is especially exciting for Copmeyer, whose younger sister will be a freshman player in the fall. In the meantime, Kopmeyer’s goal is to shed the bulk and become “long and lean.” “I’m a fan of a good elliptical.”

Basketball

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Left: Senior Brandon Pritzl shoots a basket during Wednesday night’s contest against the University of Findlay Oilers. Pritzl, along with senior Tim Dezelski and sophomore Kyle Cooper, scored 10 points each. The Chargers finished the season 18-9.

nal game of his illustrious Hillsdale career, scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds while sophomore Kyle Cooper and fellow senior Brandon Pritzl also contributed 10 points apiece. The Chargers also committed 14 turnovers to Findlay’s seven, leading to 17 Findlay points. The loss drops Hillsdale to 0-7 all-time against Findlay in postseason play, the last two of which had been in the GLIAC championship game. The Chargers finish the season with an 18-9 overall record, in which eight of their nine losses came on the road. “We did a great job protecting our court,” McCauley said. The Chargers went 12-1 at home for the season, a fantastic mark. The Chargers will lose six seniors going into next season, but won’t be lowering their expectations. Hillsdale has made the GLIAC tournament in all seven years that head coach John Tharp has led the Chargers, and will look to keep that streak alive next season.

(Photo Courtesy of Jim Drews)

Below: Members of the men’s Charger basketball team celebrate on the bench during the Chargers’ victory aginst Findlay last Thursday, Feb. 27. The Chargers beat the Oilers at home, but went on to lose to the second-ranked GLIAC team in Ohio on Wednesday, March 5. (Ben Strickland/Collegian)

BOX SCORES

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Hillsdale College: 47 Findlay: 67

Hillsdale College: 60 Wayne State: 75

Hillsdale College: 86 Findlay: 67

Hillsdale College: 66 Findlay: 78

Season Leaders:

Season Leaders:

Total Points: Tim Dezelski (617) Kyle Cooper (325)

Total Points: Megan Fogt (549) Madison Berry (192)

3-Pointers: Anthony Manno (53) Brandon Pritzl (48)

3-Pointers: Kelsey Cromer (35) Kadie Lowery (33)

Offensive Rebounds: Dezelski (75) Cooper (39)

Offensive Rebounds: Fogt (128) Angela Bisaro (56)

Defensive Rebounds: Dezelski (184) Pritzl (111)

Defensive Rebounds: Fogt (307) Bisaro (89)

Assists: Dezelski (107) Pritzl (94)

Assists: Ashlyn Landherr (78) Bisaro (70)

Free Throws: Dezelski (106) Pritzl (80)

Free Throws: Fogt (132) Berry (65)

Blocks: Dezelski (40) Cooper (30)

Blocks: Fogt (67) Bisaro (30)

Baseball splits opening games Caleb Whitmer Editor-in-Chief Hillsdale College baseball split their first two games of the season last weekend, nabbing rookie head coach Eric Theisen his first win. The Chargers (1-1) defeated Davis & Elkins College, 3-2, in the season opener before dropping the double-header’s second game, 6-1. The Chargers’ two Sunday games were cancelled on account of a winter storm. The first game was close throughout. Sophomore Tad Sobieszczanski put the Chargers on the scoreboard first. He launched a triple in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore Luke Ortel scored the run. Junior Sean Bennett then hit a sacrifice grounder to Davis & Elkins’ shortstop, allowing Sobieszczanski to cross home. Davis & Elkins responded with two runs of their own in the third inning: one off a wild pitch and the other off an RBI single. The score tied, 2-2, freshman Jake Lee batted in what would be the game’s winning run in the fifth inning. The Chargers were in position for more runs but Davis & Elkins forced a double play to end the inning. Double plays abounded in Saturday’s first game: Each team completed three. Davis & Elkins threatened to steal the game in the seventh inning. But with one out and runners on first and second, closer junior Dan Pochmara struck out Davis & Elkins’ final two batters back-to-back. Although they only scored three runs, the Chargers swung well in their win. They hit eight

for a collective .348 average. They were able to keep pace with hits in the second game – they hit five compared to Davis & Elkins’ six – but failed to turn them into runs. It was close for most of the game. Ortel singled in the first, driving in junior Vinny Delicata. Davis & Elkins scored one run in each of the next two innings. The score sat at 2-1 until the sixth. Davis & Elkins opened up the game with a pair of double RBI’s. Hillsdale put two runners on base in the seventh, but Delicata grounded into a double play, ending the game. While they were able to adjust their batting to the first game’s pitcher, Theisen said Hillsdale failed to identify Davis & Elkins’ pitching strategy until late in the second game. “We need to figure pitchers out the second time through the order, not the third,” Theisen said. Junior Shane Armstrong (10) got the first game’s win. Senior Matthew Reck (0-1) got the second game’s loss. Theisen praised the team’s batting, base-running, and defense. The bullpen will be looking to improve their strike percentages in the coming weeks. Additionally, the team committed four errors in the second game, which Theisen attributed to rushed play and said was addressed at practice. The team will head south on Friday for a slew of games over spring break. They’ll play 12 total between March 8 and March 15. Theisen said the heavy load of games will open up play-time opportunities across the roster.

Charger Chatter: corinne zehner I like that it is individual but you’re also doing it for something bigger than that, like your team. A lot of people think that it is strictly on your own and that’s all that matters, but in the grand scheme of things, my team is more important to me than myself and how I perform. I want to perform well for my team and my coach, not just for bragging rights for myself. Does the idea of having to apply to medical school ever stress you out? Sophomore Corinne Zehner, a biochemistry major, is in her second year on the track team. In much of her freshman year, Zehner sat out due to a fracture in her foot; however, now she is back and setting school records in the 600-meter hurdles and the 4x400 relay. What’s your favorite part about running track?

To be honest I’ve just been kind of pushing to the side because track has been going really well. Track makes me really happy and school has been really stressful. It’s kind of like sneaking up on me though, so I’m trying to start preparing for that: Trying to keep my grades up, shadowing, volunteering, and all that. I have to do most of that during the summer though because of track. I feel like track is like taking a six-credit class or something.

What has been your favorite part about the college experience so far? I like all of the friendships that I have made here so far. Whenever I’m at home, I just want to be back here immediately. I’m like driving home and I just want to turn around and come back because I have made such great friends here on and off the track team, and all of them are just so supportive of school and especially track. They come to all my track meets and are always standing there with signs; I kind of feel like a celebrity. They’ll buy me candy and stuff when I’m having a bad day. So I’ve just made some great relationships since I’ve been here. Is there a specific person in your past who has really contributed to your success as an athlete? I would say that my parents have been a huge part of that. They aren’t like the pushy parents that have forced me to do

sports. They have said after a bad race, “Just shake it off, you know you’ve got the next one. You need to focus.” I like how they have let me choose what I want to do. And also, last year the seniors on the team were huge influences because I was injured for almost all of my indoor freshman season, and then I came back for outdoor and I ended up running on the 4x4 relay with three seniors and we broke the school record then. So that was huge. How did your injury affect your training? I had a stress fracture in my foot and I had to wear a boot for about a month. I had to train on a bike, which was not fun at all because I felt like I wasn’t getting the same workouts. You can’t even compare the two. I actually tried running on it when I could. My coach would try to stick me in meets because we didn’t have a fourth runner for the relays and stuff. It didn’t go so well most of the time. They made jokes about

how one time I literally ran like a one-legged race because my foot was hurting so bad and I was hobbling around the track. I didn’t get to do much hurdling indoors last year, so I feel like this year I was almost a freshman because everything was still so new to me. How does running in college compare to running in high school? College meets feel like every meet is a state meet in high school. Like a high school state meet is equivalent to every college meet. That’s how it feels in terms of the intensity and the competition level. You are al-

ways up against good people. When you have a bad race it will show, because there’s going to be some girl next to you that’s just as good. In high school you could kind of get away with a first place; you weren’t running against all the same level as your own. But once you got to the state level, it was the best of the best, and that’s how every college meet is: It’s the best of the best. -Compiled by Hannah Leitner; Photo by Anders Kiledal

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Charger Sports

HILLSDALE FALLS TO Track and field to send 13 FINDLAY IN GLIAC TOURNEY athletes to nationals

ter the Chargers’ thrilling victory. The Chargers had plenty of momentum going into their rematch with Findlay in the first round of the GLIAC tournament, but weren’t able to get goThe regular season could not have finished any ing early. Findlay sprinted out to a quick 6-0 lead in less better for the Hillsdale College men’s basketball than three minutes and grew their lead to a margin team. Unfortunately, of 19 points with 3:53 the postseason did not remaining in the first go nearly as well. half. The Chargers reBefore falling to the sponded with a quick 23rd-ranked Oilers of 8-0 run to cut the deficit University of Findlay to 31-20, but the Oillast night in the quarers scored the last four terfinal round of the points of the half to stop GLIAC tournament 47any momentum the 67, the Chargers routed Chargers were buildthe Oilers by 19 points ing. in an 86-67 victory on Hillsdale hurt themFeb. 27, turning a oneselves with poor first point game at the half half shooting, making into a one-sided blowjust six of their 21 atout at the buzzer. tempts from the field. “It was our last home The Chargers also game,” senior Tim missed all five of their Dezelski said. “I’m just 3-point attempts before really proud of all these intermission. guys, all these seniors.” Half time did not Dezelski, in his final offer any respite for game in front of Charthe Chargers. Findlay ger nation, put in yet started the second half another great all-around on a 7-0 run to balloon performance with 23 their lead to 42-20, and points, nine rebounds, Hillsdale wasn’t able and five assists. Fellow to cut the lead down to senior Brandon Pritzl less than 16 the rest of scored a career-high the way. 27 points in the final Senior Tim Dezelski drives by a Findlay deThe Chargers made fender in Wednesday night’s loss to the Oilers. home game of his caa season-low 15 field reer, leading to his first (Photo Courtesy of Jim Drews) goals, leading to their career GLIAC player of lowest scoring output, the week honor. “I’m proud that we finished this way,” assistant and were outrebounded 40-30. Dezelski, in the ficoach Brian McCauley said of the victory. It was an emotional contest, capped when senior See Basketball, A7 Anthony Manno knelt down to kiss center court afNathanael Meadowcroft Collegian Freelancer

Teddy Sawyer Assistant Editor The results from this weekend’s GLIAC conference home meet are in, and 13 Hillsdale athletes have qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships on March 14-15. The men’s team will send seven, and the women’s squad six. The women’s team is currently ranked 13th among the nation’s Division II teams. Continuing its success from the last several meets, especially in the distance and relay events, the women’s track team took 4th place and the men’s team took 6th in the GLIAC conference meet. “The meet this week went really well,” junior Heather Lantis said. “We placed 4th, which is much better than we did last year, and the GLIAC is known across the country to be really competitive, so it was great that we did so well against other really competitive schools.” For the women’s team, sophomore Emily Oren took 1st place in the mile run, clocking an NCAA provisional time with a last-min-

ute surge and pass that launched her to qualifying for nationals. Similarly, junior Amy Kerst took 1st in the 800-meter run, setting a new Margot V. Biermann Center record and qualifying her for nationals. Freshman Allison Duber won 2nd place in the 400-meter dash in an extremely close topthree finish. For the second year in a row, the women’s 4x400 took the conference championship. Duber, along with freshman Danielle Gagne and sophomores Emily Guy and Corinne Zehner, also set a new Biermann record. “I think this year was definitely more successful. We scored a lot more points as a team and a lot more people ended up on the podium, that is, places one through three,” senior Chelsea Kilgore said. “A few years ago we had maybe one person on the podium. This year we have multiple people winning the races.” For the men’s team, junior Joshua Mirth took his second GLIAC championship this year in the 5000-meter run, and placed 5th in the 3000-meter shortly afterward. Senior Maurice Jones took 6th in the 200-meter dash, and the 4x400 meter relay

(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

team, composed of freshman Ty Etchemendy, seniors Matthew Raffin, Jared Van Dyke, and Jones, placed 5th, and will continue on to the national championships. Etchemendy also placed 3rd in the triple jump, and senior John Banovetz took 5th in the shot put with a personal recordbreaking toss. He will also be going to the championships. In addition to those mentioned above, women’s team members freshmen Alex Whitford, Jessica Hurley, and sophomores Kate Royer and Kristina Galat, and senior Elliot Murphy on the men’s team, will represent Hillsdale College at nationals. The teams also noted the impact of the home meet and the supporting crowd for the teams’ successes. “It’s so amazing having such a huge, supporting crowd,” Kilgore said. “Every time I came around a corner there was a roar of support, and every time I began to lag I could hear people around who were depending on me and I would speed right back up.”

Softball warms up for season Chargers to head south to showcase speed Monica Brandt Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale College softball team will travel to Florida over spring break to compete in the Rebel Spring Games. This will be the team’s first games of the season, and their first chance to be on a field. With the ice and snow this winter, the field has not been cleared for the team to practice on it. “The weather is a total disaster,” head coach Joe Abraham said. “We will have played at least 10 games without having been outside to practice.” He said in this tournament they will play mostly teams from the north who have had the same weather, but some have already taken a couple trips south before this tournament, which will put Hillsdale at a disadvantage. “We could practice 24 hours

a day inside, and it doesn’t equal playing games outside,” Abraham said. Junior Jessica Day said the team is as ready as it can be under the circumstances. “It will be rough getting on the grass the first time,” Day said, “but we are going to do very well I think.” Abraham said the team has been working to improve defensively. The team made too many errors last season, he said, but expects to do much better this season. The team is young this season, with only one senior, Kristi Gordon. Gordon said they lost some good senior hitters with Taylor Schulty and Miriam McKay, but also brought in some good freshmen. “We’ve gotten a lot closer, and that’s really going to help us on the field,” Gordon said.

Day said she has seen great improvement in junior Jenny Bals and sophomore Juila Kosco. “Everyone wants to win,” Day said. “I always see people putting in extra work (in the gym).” Abraham said the team’s lineup is somewhat set, but they will figure it out for sure once in Florida. Sophomore Ainsley Ellison will return as the team’s leadoff hitter. Freshman shortstop Bekah Kastning and sophomore Sarah Grunert will be also be at the top of the lineup. Gordon will be the team’s designated player. Assistant coach Amber Young joined the softball program this year. Day said the addition of a pitching coach has helped the returning pitchers to gain more experience. Young joins Abraham and assistant coach Erin Porter, who are in their third and fourth years with the team, respectively. Day said the team is the fastest it has been as a whole, and the outfield is the fastest in the GLIAC. “Porter and I like to be aggressive on the bases,” Abraham said. “We have added speed to the team, which we intend to use.”

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Junior Joshua Mirth wins the 5000-meter race at GLIACs.

Chargers end improved season with quarterfinal loss Monica Brandt Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College women’s basketball team ended its season on Wednesday, March 5 to Wayne State University. Wayne State, the number one seed in the GLIAC tournament, defeated the Chargers 75-60. The game was close in the beginning, with Hillsdale ahead 16-15 with 11 minutes left in the first half, but then Wayne State gained momentum and scored 28 points to the Chargers’ 10 in the last 10 minutes of the half, to take the lead 43-26. Wayne State continued its strong lead, ahead by 28 points at one point, and the Chargers were only able to narrow the lead to 15 points by the end of the game. “We’re the underdogs,” sophomore Sarah Theut said of Hillsdale’s eighth place ranking in the tournament. Junior Megan Fogt ended her season with 25 points and 14 rebounds in the game. Fogt, with six Player of the Week awards this season, is a contender for GLIAC Player of the Year. She had even better numbers in Hillsdale’s last home game of the season against Findlay University, with 29 points and 21 rebounds. She made her last 14 shots in a row, a new school record, and only missed her first shot, shooting 14-15 for the night. Despite Fogt’s performance, Hillsdale lost the game 78-66. The Chargers struggled with 24 turnovers, which sophomore Kelsey Cromer said contributed to the loss. Cromer explained that every game will have turnovers where the other team gets to bring the ball in from out-of-bounds, but Hillsdale was giving the ball away to Findlay. “Here’s the ball; go score a layup,” Cromer said. Theut said Hillsdale lacked energy. She said Findlay freshman Karli Bonar was able to hit five 3-pointers, but Hillsdale could only respond with 2-point shots. “We allowed Findlay to do what they wanted,” head coach Claudette Charney said, “and they dictated the flow of the game.” Hillsdale was able to come back from a 41-32 deficit at halftime to be down 53-52 with 8:28 left in the game, but Charney said Findlay was able to regain the momentum and keep their lead.

Despite the last two losses, the Chargers improved tremendously from last year, when they did not even qualify for the tournament. “We have done so much better since last year,” Cromer said. She explained that the team’s roster was essentially the same as last season’s. Having only lost one senior, the improvement was easy to see. Theut said with injuries, different players on the team had the opportunity to play more than they might have. “I’m really proud of our team for sticking through a long season,” Cromer said.

Junior Megan Fogt attempts to nudge out a Malone defender during a game earlier this season. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)


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Symphony orchestra undertakes Brahms Monica Brandt Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College symphony orchestra will perform Thursday, March 6 at 8 p.m in Markel Auditorium in the Sage Center for the Arts. Due to complications scheduling around spring break and parent's weekend, the orchestra will only perform one Thursday night concert instead of two weekend concerts as in years past. "It's always fun to see what happens slightly differently when there are two performances," junior Claire Ziegler said, "but it's fun to know there's only one performance, one shot to give it our best." Ziegler is a winner of the 2014 student concerto/ aria competition and will be singing soprano as soloist for "Kommt ein Schlanker Bursch Gegangen" from the opera "Der Freischutz" by Carl Maria von Weber. "It requires a lot of facial expression and gestures to tell the story along with breath support and vocal agility," Ziegler said. "It is very challenging, but if it is done well, it is meant to look effortless." In addition to the aria by von Weber, the orchestra will also be performing "Symphony No. 2 in D Major" by Johannes Brahms. "This is along the vein of the great books in the English department," Professor of Music and Orchestra Director James Holleman said. "It is one of the great works." The symphony has four movements, the first being the longest. Those in the audience should

take in the grandness of it, Holleman said. "The musicians will be mentally, physically, and emotionally drained at the end," Holleman said. "It's a large undertaking." The orchestra this year is larger than ever, Holleman said, allowing him to choose a work as large as the Brahms' symphony. Senior Ellen Georges, who plays the French horn, said that being in the back of the orchestra made it challenging to stay engaged, but Holleman had the sections face each other in some rehearsals to help them blend. "It was kind of weird, but it helped our listening," Georges said. The concert will also feature two of the other concerto competition winners, with senior LaRae Ferguson on the violin for a Mozart concerto and senior Jacob Martin on the oboe for a concerto by Bohuslav Martinů. "It's been a long time –– if ever –– that a woodwind won the competition," Holleman said. "It's unique that he was chosen." The concert is sold out, but Holleman said if students do not have tickets, they should still show up and be patient. "There's no guarantees, but we tend to seat everyone,” he said. Ziegler said she has heard parts of the orchestra's other pieces, but not the whole concert. "I am really looking forward to hearing the whole thing," Ziegler said. "Professor Holleman Upper left: Professor of Music James Holleman directs the college orchestra. Upper has chosen challenging music that is pushing them. right: senior Deb Howe plays violin. Lower left: senior Victor Rozsa plays cello at reThey get better every time I hear them."​ hearsal. Lower right: junior Anna Schumacher plays flute. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

THROUGH A FOREIGN LENS: SLAVIC CULTURE IN CINEMA Sarah Albers Collegian Freelancer

Professor of Theatre James Brandon and Visiting Assistant Professor of German Stephen Naumann partnered this semester to present a series of four Russian and Polish films. “We both enjoy film,” Naumann said. “Dr. Brandon knows Russian film. I know Polish film.” The professors' respective interests in Russian and Polish film dovetail neatly. Both countries are Slavic nations, and both are largely underrepresented on the Hillsdale campus. Thus the Slavic Film Series was born. “We wanted to give students and others an opportunity to experience the films,” Naumann said, “and to see Polish culture and politics through the Polish lens.” Both professors hope that Hillsdale students

will encounter the foreign cultures as they present your own culture. themselves in the authentic language and style of “If you look at every film, at every poem, at the films. every song as an element of that culture, you get “I hope they come with an open mind,” Bran- a new perspective,” Naumann said. “You have a don said. “I hope they greater access to the other give it some time. culture if you get inside of Watch a movie that's “You have a greater access to it in some way. Understand not catering to your the other culture if you get inthe country through its every whim! We have side of it in some way.” own language and you can the sense that film see something more about watching is easy––we its experience, about your — Professor of German own experience.” just sit there and eat popcorn. There are In the past 20 years, Stephen Naumann rewards to engaging Russian and Polish films with a difficult film.” have been allowed freeThere are challengdoms that they were not es to appreciating a foreign film, such as overcom- granted while under Soviet influence. As a conseing the language barrier. But these are balanced by quence, film culture has evolved. insights into the culture that produced the film as “Russian films are able to say things that they well as those gained by a different perspective on haven't been able to before,” Brandon said. “In

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post-Soviet Russia, there are now two kinds of film. There are those who make film for the international art house circuit: their language is international. There is another kind that makes popular movies for Russian audiences. Those movies are more polished; they look more like Hollywood.” In addition to the development of more distinctive cinema aesthetics, national culture has had an opportunity to express itself through film. “A lot of really important topics [in Polish film] go back to World War II,” Naumann said. “What we lose track of is that these nations behind the Iron Curtain had their own dramas. From the Western perspective, all of the pressure was being applied from the outside. At the same time, there was a lot of pressure from the inside.” Two of the films, one Russian and one Polish, already showed. The remaining two will be after Spring Break. For more information, contact either Brandon or Naumann.

KNECHT’S WORK ON DISPLAY AT DAUGHTREY

Ramona Tausz Collegian Reporter Hillsdale alumna Elizabeth Gray ‘12 originally wrote her one act play as part of a final assignment for a playwriting class at Hillsdale. When she saw the advertisement for a one act competition, she remembered the play she had written and decided to edit it and enter it in the competition. In January, she had the opportunity to direct and perform her play for the Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Winter One Act Play Competition. “I never really considered myself a writer,” Gray said, “so when I saw the advertisement for the one act, I just decided, ‘I really want to win,’ kind of as a dare to myself.” Gray submitted the play to the competition in October. In late November, she found out her play had been accepted for the contest and began looking for actors in New York City, where she lives. She ended up casting Kirsty Sadler ‘11, a Hillsdale graduate also living in New York, and Mark Keller ‘13, a Hillsdale graduate who moved to New York for two months to rehearse. The play, “The Kazoo,” is set in an Ohio cornfield and has three characters: friends and neighbors who grow up living next to the cornfield. The plot revolves around this cornfield and a terrible accident that occurs there, threatening to destroy the characters’ friendship. “The story is about how they learn to grow, face the tragedy, forgive each other, and find forgiveness,” Gray said. The group rehearsed four days a week for two hours each day through December and January. “Elizabeth works at a yoga studio,” Sadler said. “She was able to get the studio to lend her time and space, so she didn’t have to pay. That was amazing because a lot of times it’s a problem getting free rehearsal space.”

After two months of rehearsals, the play had a five-night run at the competition from Jan. 21 to 25 at the Manhattan Repertory Theater in Times Square. “It’s technically a playwright competition, so judging is on the play and how well the play does in the actual performance,” Sadler said. “It was an audience-based vote, so the audience would rank your play from one to five, one being the worst and five being the best,” she continued, “and at the end of the week everyone’s scores were added up, and the top three went on to the semi-finals.” Although “The Kazoo” did not advance to the semi-finals, the actors felt the play was well-received by the audience. “We got a really good response,” Sadler said. “The last scene was really intense. You could hear a pin drop. There was some sniffling as well.” “All the feedback we got was very positive,” Gray said. “We had people we didn’t even know come up to us and talk to us about it.” Gray said she would definitely consider entering the competition again and that she enjoyed the experience of performing at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre. “I now have a relationship with the main producer there, the owner of the theater,” Gray said. “It was a great venue for the show. It was right in Times Square, so it was right in the heart of the Theatre District, and there was a lot of energy.” Overall, Gray said she was pleased with the results. “We felt very put together and wellrehearsed. I was extremely happy with it,” Gray said. “I thought the actors put a lot of effort in, and it turned out to be a fantastic production.”

(Ben Strickland/Collegian)

The Professional Artist Series’ newest exhibit, “From the Studio and Beyond,” features Hillsdale Professor of Art Sam Knecht’s recent paintings of landscapes and more. His landscapes portray places like Monhegan Island, in Maine, and the Leelanaw Region of the Northern Lower Peninsula, located just west of Traverse City, Mich., and the Tacquamenon Falls, also located in Michigan. At Monhegan, he painted alongside last semester’s visiting artist, Judith Carducci.

He uses both watercolor and oil. Knecht said the break from classes he had while on sabbatical last semester gave him time to travel, paint, and, near the end of the semester, assemble the exhibit. The exhibit opened in the Sage Center for the Arts Daughtrey Gallery March 2 and will continue through April 5. Look for more on Knecht’s exhibit in the March 20 issue of The Collegian. -Abigail Wood

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Review: “Son of God” Casey Harper Spotlight Editor

In the Bible, Jewish religious leaders in Roman-occupied Israel scoffed at Jesus, a miracle man from Galilee, saying, “Can anything good come from Galilee?” Christians who said the same of Hollywood may now have an unexpected answer. Mark Burnett, reality TV entrepreneur behind “Survivor,” “The Voice,” “Shark Tank,” and “The Apprentice,” teamed up with his wife, Roma Downey, to create the highly-rated mini-series “The Bible” on the History channel. The parts of the series dealing with Jesus’ life were compiled –– with a few added scenes –– to create the movie “Son of God.” Aside from “Son of God,” other movies are taking after their own biblical inspiration. Russell Crowe is set to star in “Noah,” along with big names like Emma Watson and Jennifer Connelly, at the end of this month. Also, “Exodus,” starring Aaron Paul, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver, is set for release in December. Especially since it is mostly a rerun of the television series, the fact that “Son of God” could garner $26.5 million over the weekend –– distributor 20th century Fox only predicted $12-15 million — bodes well for the mainstream appeal of Bible-based movies. Aside from the financial success, the film succeeded in presenting the character of Jesus in an approachable light, avoiding a common trope portraying him as a

wimpy, moralistic, and kind of creepy –– the last guy you would pick for a game of kickball. But “Son of God” actually endears his character to you, the way a movie should. Jesus is quiet and sincere with a knowing smile that draws you in. When the nails are driven into his hands, he’s not just a religious leader, he’s the character you’ve come to know. Novelist Cormac McCarthy once said “Where all is known, no narrative is possible.” “Son of God” has struggled to create a compelling narrative when everyone in the Western world already knows how the story ends. The film’s portrayal of the messiah’s years of ministry feels a bit like “Jesus’ Greatests Hits” than a cohesive narrative. First we’re healing paralytics. Oh! Now we’re walking on water! Ooooh, Another iconic miracle. Now we’re feeding the 5,000. However, the second half of the movie takes on a more cohesive narrative. From the Last Supper on, the pacing becomes smoother and conversations more natural. It is easier to connect with characters when Burnett leaves behind the film’s episodic quality and takes the time to carefully unfold the more important moments of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Creating a lucrative movie compiled mostly out of a television show repackaging while breathing life into the silverscreen conception of Jesus was certainly a success. Needless to say, their cup runneth over.

Bailey Pritchett

‘HOUSE OF CARDS’: CATERING TO THE PUBLIC

With over 27 million subscribers in the United States alone and an impressive algorithm that determines user behavior, Netflix created a show that was destined for success before the first season was even released. Although the mathematical inspiration behind “House of Cards” ensured the shows success, it has also changed the craft of television writing. A piece in The New York Times found that the Netflix algorithm detected three components that led to the creation of the online series. David Fincher, the director of “House of Cards,” was also the director of “The Social Network,” a film well-reviewed according to the algorithm. Kevin Spacey and the British version of “House of Cards” also revealed remarkable interest among viewers. Netflix had everything it needed to create a successful television show: a director, lead actor, and concept with proven popular appeal. “House of Cards” coasted its way to the award for 2013 Best Television Series at the Golden Globes. The show is smart and entertaining. The addiction of the show stems from the characters’ obsession with power that guides their every move. The cold, calculating nature of the show’s characters reflects the same scientific background of the show’s creation. The algorithm that provided the idea for “House of Cards” removes the warmth found in less calculating shows like Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing.” Sorkin created the true best political drama on television. His characters and rich dialogue on “The West Wing” remain unmatched. A fearless president with strong ties to his alma mater, a cheeky press secretary with roots in show business, and a loyal chief of staff who calls the president his best friend are a few of the most loved personalities on television. In his critical analysis of President Bartlet, Yair Rosenburg criticized the fictional powers of the president’s personality in a famous scene from the show’s sixth season where the “charis-

Teddy Sawyer Assistant Editor

Senior and student director Katherine Denton held auditions this week for the world premiere of a new edition of the play “Woyzeck,” written by Georg Büchner in the 1830s. She is casting a new version of the German play, selecting roles for the apparently schizophrenic Woyzeck, his wife, doctor, commanding officer and others with the help of students and Hillsdale faculty. Not only will the translation and presentation be a world premiere, but much of the music, set, and choreography is largely original to the show. The play is set in a carnival, the only consistent scene across the manuscripts of the play. The original play was incomplete upon the death of the author and exists in multiple confusing, fragmentary forms that various directors and playwrights have reorganized and interpreted in many different ways. Denton chose to create an original translation of the play for her senior project rather than bending to the creative vision of another editor. “I picked the show last spring, and I’ve been working on it since May,” Denton said. “I’ve read several translations, but a lot of them are really editorial, focusing on the translator’s view. So I read and read and read and I looked at what I liked and disliked, then I went to George [Angell, professor of theatre] and to talk to him about it, and he said, ‘Well, it looks like you need to do a translation.’” After that, Denton approached fellow senior Anna Potrafke, who is from Germany, and asked her if she could work with her on the translation. Since then, they produced in collaboration a literal translation of the play. They polished this translation with outside assistance from Assistant Professor of German Fred Yaniga. “She [Denton] wanted to do her own adaption of the order and meaning of the play, so we approached how to do it on our own,” Potrafke said.

“After I wrote a literal translation, she had an idea for words and phrases, and we talked about how to adapt it so it had the sense of the original German too. She didn’t want to butcher it into submission but to make sure it flows in the English and is true to the German.” After committing to the project, Denton worked on developing her German so she could more fully understand the original text. She also worked closely with her dramaturg, junior Aaron Pomerantz, who is researching the context and composing much of the music for the performance. In addition to assistance musically and linguistically, Denton reached out to senior Angela Pearsall to help her develop the movement of the play. It will deviate from realism with a very limited set, requiring actors to fill the void with their own motions. In many regards, the play is a precursor to much of modern theater. It focuses on the unreal, predicting later developments in psychology and understanding the brain, and it verges on spectacle, according to Pomerantz. He said the play basically diagnoses schizophrenia before it is even recognized and diagnosed officially, so the play is unlike most of its time. It address the question of what it means to be human and how humans deserve to be treated. “It’s kind of a big deal because it is a world premiere of a play, and I and Renée [Surprenant, Hillsdale theatre department’s new theater technician] and others have read the play in translation before, and this is the first that has ever made sense,” Pomerantz said. “It departs from realism, which is Hillsdale’s focus; it really dovetails from that. I’m really excited because it is going to be like nothing else we’ve seen lately. This is a big deal, as Hillsdale, this tiny college, is doing something truly unique.”

RICHARD AUSTIN TO PERFORM HOPKINS

IN FOCUS

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AUDITIONS FOR ‘WOYZECK’

matic Bartlet locks himself in a room with the Chinese president and –– despite being hobbled by an attack of multiple sclerosis –– personally secures an unprecedented summit for nuclear talks with North Korea.” Although “The West Wing” does not embrace a realistic plot line, Sorkin creates a White House staff that viewers would approve to lead their country. The “House of Cards” president is pathetic and manipulatable. There is no press secretary to charm an audience with spunky press conferences. “House of Cards” is far from the loveable, functioning White House that Sorkin creates. Frank Underwood and his wife Claire are clever, relentless, and cold. Claire, the CEO of a non-profit, blackmails pregnant employees by withholding medical insurance. Frank, the majority whip in the House, primes a vulnerable representative for the Pennsylvania governor’s seat, only to destroy the representative’s livelihood. Fincher’s show has a rubber neck effect. It is nearly impossible to avoid watching the brilliant schemes Frank and Claire craft from episode to episode. The largest difference between Sorkin’s “The West Wing” and Fincher’s “House of Cards” does not come down to plot, characters, or dialogue. It rests on the muse of each show. There is a reason that Aaron Sorkin wins awards and Beau Willimon, the screenwriter for “House of Cards” remains unknown. Willimon simply Americanized a show that was already successful, according to an algorithm. Aaron Sorkin created a new concept that succeeded because of his creativity and talent. Netflix found a loophole in creating good television. If anything, the industry will only serve audiences more effectively. The mechanics of writing a quality show is simply going to change, most likely for the better. But the television industry can’t help but wonder if flawless projections of what will make good television will stunt the artistry of screenwriting.

Poetry performer Richard Austin will return to lend his voice to Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poetry March 19 at 7 p.m in Phillips Auditorium. The English Department is hosting this encore performance in conjunction with the literary honorary Lambda Iota Tau. Lorraine Eadie, assistant professor of English, was unable to attend his first performance last spring but says she is excited to have a second chance. “I think people are drawn to his [Hopkins’] poetry for a few reasons,” Eadie said. “It’s very devotional, so he’s pretty open about his faith, about his love of God, and also about wrestling with God –– about dark valleys or times when he feels distant from God. His poetry is also very dense, tactile, and earthy. He uses a lot of homely images, and even though he’s talking about his faith, there’s this sense of this tangible experience.” Michael Jordan, professor of English, was so impressed by Austin’s work after listening to his poetry reading at Hillsdale Academy last year that he bought the CD made available after the performance. “I found it stunning –– it was so remarkable,” Jordan said. “He had such mastery. Hopkin’s verse is not normal verse. It’s got a tremendous amount of alliteration and also what’s called ‘sprung rhythm.’ So it would be this explosion of consonants that was delivered in a very confident way.” -Meg Prom

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S potlight Sunnycrest remains ATO ‘home base’

B3 6 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Vivian Hughbanks Collegian Freelancer In November of 1943, there were only 30 male students at Hillsdale College. The rest had been called to arms eight months before. World War II had taken its toll. “Although none of the nationals on campus have had any of their ‘brother’ chapters close up for the duration [of the war] many Greek letter organizations throughout the country have locked their doors until Hitler and Hirohito are put out of the way,” The Collegian reported. On Nov. 11, concerned citizens of Hillsdale county travelled to Sunnycrest, the white house on the corner of Hillsdale and Fayette streets, hoping to gain a better understanding of the world situation. Hillsdale’s Counsel on International Relations was formed inside the white mansion that afternoon to educate society toward securing a just and lasting peace at the war’s end. In 1944, College President Jospeh Mauck bought the house from former College President John Windsor. Windsor built the house himself more than 40 years prior. After Mauck’s purchase, he dubbed the house “Sunnycrest.” The Mauck family owned the home for the next 47 years. Mauck served as president of the college until 1922. Willfred Otto Mauck, the college president from 1933 to 1942, lived at Sunnycrest until Broadlawn was completed late in 1933. Despite the gloom of the Great Depression, the Maucks entertained at Sunnycrest for many college functions, including annual senior class breakfasts. “College songs were sung, including the senior song,” The Collegian reported in 1922. “Members then drew each other’s place cards, on which they wrote a prophecy. The prophecies were placed in a jar which will be opened at some future reunion of the class.” In September 1939, defective wiring caused a fire that damaged the house’s garage, automobiles, and 75 percent of the house and its furnishings. Before Hillsdale College men were drafted in March of 1943, fraternities on campus were already planning post-war reconstruction. “Big plans for a new house are only awaiting the lifting of wartime restrictions, and will probably be carried out shortly after the war ends,” The Collegian reported in February of that year. “The national fraternity will revoke no charters due to a draft-caused man shortage.” Sure enough, when the Mauck family left Sunnycrest in 1950, Alpha Tau Omega alumni bought Sunnycrest for use of the chapter on campus. During August of that year, the house was furnished to accommodate thirty men. “It was ready for occupancy by the chapter actives when the college opened this fall, thanks to the fact that no major alterations were required to convert the building to fraternity use,” The Collegian reported in 1950. “Thanks also to the hard work put into the project by a group of ATO alumni wives who did the thousand and one things necessary to make the house a home.” Prior to Sunnycrest, ATO actives lived in the Griffith house at the corner of Union Street and East Fayette Street after purchasing the house in 1915. After leaving the Griffith house, ATO actives lived in Herron Hall, which was later demolished to make way for Koon Residence. President Ransom Dunn, a founder of the college, originally lived in Herron Hall. The fall pledge class of 1966 presented the chapter with a large maltese cross, bearing the design of the badge of ATO. The cross was placed on the front of the house where it remained until 2011 after it was removed for maintenance. Current actives hope to return it soon. “We still have it,” said sophomore Ryan Ahrens, who currently lives in the house. “It’s just worn down and needs to be sanded and repainted. Our hope is to redo it soon and get it back up there.” After hosting countless fraternity events, Sunnycrest suffered wear

ato gallery

(Top) Griffith house (Left to right) sketch of current ATO house, Herron Residence, current ATO house. (photos courtesy of Linda Moore) over the years. By Homecoming in 2000, ATO alumni Paul Schlatter ’72 and Kim Beck ’75 saw how badly the house had deteriorated and decided to take action. The ATO Alumni Board met in January of 2001, and decided to completely restore the house. “When I was a student in the mid-70s,” said the late David Harmon ’75 in 2001, “the ATO house had a real home-like feel. It’s not that way anymore. The board knew we needed to restore it at least to the level of 25 years ago.” A week after graduation in 2001, a group of ATO alumni arrived at Sunnycrest for a summer of renovation. “We had 30 or 40 alumni there, getting it down to the bare bones,” Tony Gwilt ’90 said. “We came in on a Friday night and worked all day Saturday.” The restoration featured rebuilt balconies, a new roof, new hardwood floors, new mattresses, porch rails, wallpapering, carpeting, reconstruction of staircase railing, new furniture, landscaping, fresh in-

f o s e o r e H Hillsdale

snow

{ From B4 clear sidewalks bordering city properties and sections of the bike path within city limits, said City Forester Gary Stachowicz, who drives the tractor. Sometimes one-ton dump trucks plow sections of the bike path as well. Stachowicz said the tractor, a “pretty good little machine,” has four-wheel drive and a heated cabin. He uses a brush, snowblower, or plow attachment, depending on the amount of snow. He said it’s not a terribly tough job, but it requires concentration. “I haven’t had any major mishaps so I must have done something right, but you definitely have to be on your game.” With trucks and a tractor, the DPS crews work to keep Hillsdale running, despite the winter weather. “I do enjoy it, but it is trying and stressful at times,” Payne said. “Especially the way winter’s going.” But he agreed with Engle about something that brightens it. Engle had said his favorite part of the job comes when people express their appreciation for DPS’ work. “It’s nice—it’s really gratifying to have a thumbs up,” Payne said.

Hundreds of Hillsdale College students left in 1861 to fight in the American Civil War. Many came home wounded. Some never came home at all. This series chronicles the experiences of several of those students who left their families and their college to fight for a greater cause. Special thanks to Linda Moore, Arlan Gilbert, and Kraig McNutt for their knowledge and assistance.

Evan Brune News Editor A thick cloud of smoke hung over his head as he lay in front of the Confederate trenches. The concussive thud of musket fire hit his face. Asher LaFleur looked down at his shattered leg and watched as the blood drained from his wound. “Luce! Luce, I am bleeding to death! I am bleeding to death!” he cried, barely heard above the roar of cannons and muskets. Out of the smoke ran a boy in blue. As the figure came closer, he recognized the face of his old college friend, Moses Luce. Luce stooped down, glancing at his comrade’s shattered leg. “LaFleur, I have come for you!” he shouted. LaFleur begged his friend to save himself. “I shall not leave you!” Luce replied. “Crawl upon my back, and I will carry you!” Musket balls zipped past their heads as Luce lifted his wounded friend up. Amid the fire, he ran back across the Union line, stopping at a small house behind the battle. There, the two college boys stopped. The war ended for LaFleur on that cloudy May day at Spotsylvania. He had served his country throughout 16 separate engagements, been left to die on the field at Gettysburg, and now, a Confederate cannon had taken his leg. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Asher LaFleur was a 20-yearold Hillsdale College student. Two months after the Confederate guns opened up on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, he, along with many of his college brothers, joined the ranks of the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. By the beginning of July, LaFleur had fought through nine separate battles. His toughest test yet came on the second day at Gettysburg. The men of the 4th Michigan were asked to clear a field in front of Little Round Top. This field would become infamously known as The Wheatfield. One soldier, Pvt. James Houghton, described his experience in his journal. “Soon, the order came,” he wrote. “In less than two minutes, our Regiment was passing out across the wheatfield directly in front of the rebels. It was here that the crash came. A storm of lead swept through our ranks like hail. Many of our noble boys fell to the ground, never to rise to their feet again.” In the charge, LaFleur was shot through the stomach while his commanding officer, Colonel Harrison Jeffords, became the highest-ranking officer to be killed by a bayonet in the Civil War. All told, 165 men from the 4th Michigan fell at The Wheatfield. LaFleur was dragged from the field by Confederate soldiers, where he lay for several weeks. He was eventually taken to a Union hospital in Harrisburg, Penn., where he was cared for by a nurse named Ann Valentine. “There was this one poor fellow by the name of Asher B. LaFleur who was wounded through the bowels, and the nourishment that he took to sustain life passed out at the wound,” she recollected over 25 years later.

terior and exterior paint. An annex was also built for fraternity social functions. The house’s facelift cost approximately $400,000. “When I was treasurer in ’88, the ATO House received some money from the Roger Phillip Ryans estate,” Gwilt said. “One check was for about $60 thousand. Another was for over $100 thousand. So we had the money sitting in the account.” With the restoration came new rules for the ATO actives, including strict enforcement of the fraternity’s no drinking policy in the house. Actives saw the new rules as reasonable to help maintain the house and its standards. “It needed to have a complete overhaul,” Gwilt said. “It was one of the things we needed to improve recruitment interest and our image on campus.” Today, 15 ATO actives live in Sunnycrest. “It’s home base for everyone,” Ahrens said.

(Courtesy of Mossey Library) Asher Lafluer (left) with an unidentified man. Despite this severe wound, LaFleur eventually recovered and rejoined his unit at the beginning of August. He continued to fight until his wound at Spotsylvania. After Luce’s rescue, LaFleur was taken to a field hospital, where he underwent an emergency amputation. He was later transferred to St. Mary’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. By the time he arrived, gangrene had set in on his wound, and he was forced to undergo a second procedure. “The operation was very severe. The hardest that I have passed through yet,” Asher wrote to his future wife. “It took them eight hours, and I was under chloroform only about two hours. The rest of the time, I suffered pain that no mortal tongue can describe. I felt like saying, ‘What is there in this world for us to live for?’” Despite this eight-hour procedure, LaFleur had to endure a third amputation before the wound fully healed. Despite the loss of his leg, LaFleur desperately wanted to contribute to the war effort, and wrote to his wife about his wife on April 12, 1865. “I wrote to the President Himself for an order to go to the front. Should he send it, I must go,” he wrote. The president never received the letter. He was assassinated at Ford’s Theater three days later by John Wilkes Booth. “The Soldier’s Father is dead,” LaFleur wrote to his wife a week later. “The Father of freedom is slain in the Capitol of a free nation. My God, is this possible? Honest Abraham is no more. Would to God it had been otherwise, but, alas, he has gone. Let the martyred hero sleep. He has done a noble work.” After the war, LaFleur returned to Hillsdale, where he served as mayor. He presided over the dedication of the Alpha Kappa Phi monument 30 years after the end of the war. The monument now stands between the classroom buildings of Lane and Kendall. It was my fortune to go out with and stand by some of these very boys in that conflict,” he said. “I saw them in camp, on the march, and on the dread field of battle. I saw them fight, I saw them die, and I want to say here now, with all these memories rushing in upon me, that a nobler, braver, truer band of patriots never fought for their country than these very college boys of ours.”

debate

{ From B4

control. That’s what makes it great, but that’s also what makes it frustrating,” Doggett said. I could understand what he was saying. Despite all the work involved, and despite the inevitable frustrations, it’s worth it. If you disagree, we can debate it sometime.


Spotlight B4 6 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

City of Hillsdale works to keep roads clear

Doug Bildner, a city of Hillsdale mechanic, plows snow in a single-axle dump truck fitted with a plow during his regular day shift. (Walker Mulley/Collegian) children. But even that’s not a great inconvenience. Payne said he and his crew keep extra equipment, such as heavy clothes and shovels, in their cabins. “You gotta pretty much be prepared for anything and everything,” he said.

Naumann extends stay

College in New Ulm, Minn., but decided in his senior year to study German. He spent 2005-2012 securing a master’s and doctorate in German Studies from Michigan State. For the last of those three Due to a favorable response from Hillsdale Col- years, he lived in Europe and traveled between Berlege’s German students and faculty, Visiting Assis- lin and Poznan, a small Polish town, while working tant Professor of German Stephen Naumann’s one- on his dissertation. year appointment was extended to a three-year stay Sophomore Magdalena Olson has taken Nauat Hillsdale. mann for upper “He totally fits level German in,” senior Kodiak classes. Dschida, president “I really like of the Delta Phi Naumann beAlpha German cause he’s very Honorary said. familiar with “You can find him the actual places at every single and has studied German event.” a lot in Berlin,” Naumann was she said. “It’s originally hired kind of like to fill a temporary he’s just taken teaching position us along on his while Eberhard trips there. I feel Geyer, chairman very familiar and professor of with Berlin and German, was on like I know it alsabbatical last se- Stephen Naumann, assistant professor of German most as well as mester. Geyer and instructs an upper level German course. (Carsten he - he’s shared Fred Yaniga, as- Stann/Collegian) that with us, his sistant professor of passion.” German, recomNaumann is active not only in Delta Phi Alpha mended the prolonging of Naumann’s stay at Hill- and the German Program, but also on campus. He sdale. has organized events such as all-campus showing Naumann hopes to stay on at Hillsdale after his of the film “Luther” and a book discussion group three-year contract is up. for students of all disciplines on Miriam Winter’s “This is the place where I want to be able to teach “Trains.” and continue to serve and have a career, working “I think part of being on the faculty of a liberwith the students and fellow faculty,” he said. al-arts college is joining students of other faculty According to Yaniga, Naumann works tirelessly and asking questions across disciplines,” Naumann and pays close attention to students. Yaniga said the said. “I think that’s a tribute to what we do here and word that best describes Naumann is “grossherzig,” who we are.” or “generous.” He believed his hiring as the third German pro“He comes in early in the morning and he’s often fessor in the program reveals the growing success. here until late in the evening,” Yaniga said. “He’s “I think that’s a wonderful statement that the incredibly generous with his office hours, and his program’s doing very well, and has done very well office hours are very busy. He’s an incredibly warm for quite a while,” he said. “It’s being rewarded and open and willing colleague.” with the chance to have three faculty members to Naumann originally completed his undergradu- offer more things to students, and we’re all excited, ate degree in pre-seminary studies at Martin Luther we’re thrilled about moving forward together.”

The department uses a complex system of prioritization and route planning to do the job efficiently. “Four trucks running abreast plow the trunkline,” Payne said. “the staggered plows cover half the road so it only takes one pass out and one pass back.” DPS drivers handle the rest of hte roads in pairs,

See SNOW, B3

A WEEKEND IN DEBATE Daniel Slonim Collegian Reporter

Ramona Tausz Collegian Reporter

If you can beat the same opponent in three different debates, you will own that person’s soul. Or such is the story that circulates among college debaters. I was informed of this fact after I decided to sign up for a debate tournament at Bowling Green State University and compete with the rest of Hillsdale’s team. Fortunately, I would have a more experienced partner to help me protect my soul. I was off to a decently good start, as I already knew the basic rules from friends who debated in high school and from my brother Jonathan, who was on the team for two years. The Hillsdale College debate team competes in two forms of debate. The first is Lincoln-Douglas, or LD, in which members compete as individuals. This year they are debating education reform. The second kind of debate is called Parliamentary, or Parli, in which you have a partner. There is a separate resolution for each debate available 15 minutes before the round starts. Though Hillsdale’s debaters usually focus on LD, this tournament was primarily Parli, so I was paired up with freshman Graham Deese. Debate Coach Matthew Doggett and I agreed that I should try a practice round before going to the tournament cold. Deese and I would debate against Doggett and sophomore Kevin Ambrose. The subject was school vouchers. I was amazed at everyone’s ability to come up with so many arguments so quickly, and, what seemed even harder, to keep track of them all. After the round, everyone assured me that novice Parli at BGSU would be easier. Just one warning: don’t lose to Grove City College, Doggett told me. Though Grove City and Hillsdale have a lot in common as colleges, their debate teams are like Ohio State’s and Michigan’s football teams. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, I climbed into the van with the speech team to ride to the tournament. I watched Matthew Warner, coach of the speech team, joking around with the guys in the front of the van while those in the back reviewed the speeches they would give in just a few hours. Shortly after 8 a.m., it is time for my first debate

ELLY GUENSCHE, FRESHMAN

round. I walked into the room with all the other debaters, and we were given the resolution: “The United States Economy is a big boat with a small leak.” In 15 minutes, each pair would go off to a different room to argue about the same resolution. For now, our whole team talked together about strategies we could adopt. I looked up definitions of key words like “leak” just in case. We beat a novice team from Notre Dame University. Once we made it to the semifinal round, Deese and I found ourselves facing a Grove City team we had already beaten. We were told the resolution, then fifteen minutes later, we walked into the room where we would have our final debate. Forty minutes later, we left the room, allowing the judges to deliberate. After dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings with the whole team, we arrive in time to hear the results announced at the award ceremony. Deese and I had lost the final round, winning second overall. Not bad for a first day debating. But sadly, the team that beat us was also from Grove City. We then got to hear the results from the forensics tournament. Freshman Erin Graham won first place in Poetry Interpretation. Junior Ian Fury won first in Impromptu and third in Extemporaneous. Junior Brandon Butz took second in Impromptu and Longform Impromptu, and won third in After Dinner Speaking. Freshman Chris Landers won fourth in Persuasion, and Junior Andrew Montgomery won fourth in Extemporaneous. Members agreed that you cannot be successful in debate and heavily involved in other activities on campus. Between the tournaments and research there just isn’t time to do much more. What makes it worth it? Doggett said when things go badly, when poor resolutions are chosen, when judges don’t take notes or don’t understand the rules, the challenge is part of the fun. There is an immense satisfaction in having enough debate expertise to articulate why a resolution is poorly written. “There’s a lot that you can prepare for and then there’s a lot in this activity that’s totally out of

See DEBATE, B3

CAMPUSCHIC

Who or what inspires your style? Rachel Heider, William Persson, and the Joco. Describe your fashion sense in five words or less. More money, more problems. What is your favorite item of clothing? I have a pair of socks with the German flag on them, #german. What is your most embarrassing item of clothing? Don’t tell anyone, but I still own a pair of sweatpants with “Aeropostale” plastered down the side. What is your biggest fashion pet peeve? When people don’t observe Minty Mondays or Black Fridays​. Photos and Compilation by Laura Williamson

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The snowplow, rattling and humming, bumps along the otherwise quiet street. Though the cabin rocks like a dashboard hula girl, the driver, unfazed, confidently steers in and out of the cars parked by the curb. The driver, mechanic Doug Bildner, plows the snow for the Hillsdale Department of Public Services. “I’ve got a real good crew,” said Roger Payne, DPS working foreman, who also drives a plow. “They’re very dedicated and they’re ready to go. It’s very long hours.” The DPS handles winter road maintenance for the city of Hillsdale. Its eight-person road crew plows and salts the streets, including the portion of M-99 within city limits, known as the trunk line. Although the department tries to keep most of the work to the regular hours of 7am-3:30pm, the snow often does not cooperate. The crew must work overtime, even at night in the event that a major storm hits. “We’ve done a lot of 12 hour days,” Payne said. Plow driver Frank Engle has two children. “The nice thing with coming in early is the kids are asleep so it doesn’t bother them,” he said. “You’re tired when you get up early, but you can take a nap.When you get home, of course,” he clarified, jokingly. He said midday storms requiring the crew to stay late are more troublesome because he needs to make alternate after-school arrangements for his

he said. The lead driver plows the middle while his partner follows, clearing the snow along the curb. For instance, if there are four inches of snow on the road, the rear driver ends up pushing an eightinch pile heaped up by his partner. Bildner, plowing snow along the curb of a local street, stops at an intersection. Seeing the coast is clear, he hits the accelerator. No movement. Without momentum, even Bildner’s towering singleaxle dump truck cannot push the pile he’s accumulated. He backs up, builds momentum, and normalcy resumes. The plow again masters the snow, which flies smoothly off to the right, a thick surf reflected in the truck’s tall sideview mirrors. Bildner and the other drivers must manage their salt as well as the snow. They occasionally stop to tilt the truck beds, sliding the salt toward the tailgate spreaders. The salt comes out underneath the tailgate. There it falls onto a rotating plate which scatters it behind the truck. This is but one of the many considerations drivers face. Another consideration: they must watch for pedestrians, especially children playing in snowbanks. The trucks are huge, with two exterior steps up to the cabin door. You grab one handle to mount the steps and then another to get into the cabin itself. During warmer months the fleet is used for other tasks, such as sidewalk maintenance and brush removal. In addition to the road fleet, DPS uses a tractor to

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Walker Mulley Collegian Reporter


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