3.27.14 Hillsdale Collegian

(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Vol. 137, Issue 21 - 27 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Student union DEMOLITION KICKS OFF REMODEL floods again Kate Patrick Collegian Reporter

Students crowded outside the Grewcock Student Union at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon after a pipe broke in the college bookstore.

“I got a call about an alarm going off,” Director of Student Activities Amanda Bigney said.

“A pipe broke in the ceiling and water started going down into the bookstore.”

Senior Martha Ekdahl was working in the bookstore when the flooding started.

“Black water started gushing out of the break room in the back,” Ekdahl said. “We closed the door and started putting cardboard boxes down and a few blankets to stop the water.”

Fortunately, only some merchandise was damaged. Cindy Willing, College Bookstore director, tried to save merchandise in the break room when water came pouring down from the ceiling.

“I was trying to get as much merchandise off the shelf as I could before it got wet,” Willing said. “The water was coming down so fast. It looked like a

pond caved in.”

Willing, who got completely soaked, said the textbooks are safe.

“It could have been the textbooks, and we’re thankful that it wasn’t,” Willing said.

Ekdahl said the leak could have been much worse.

“A few things got wet,” Ekdahl said. “The big thing is the textbooks are fine. Everything is pretty much up from the floor.”

The flooding extended out of the bookstore and into the hallway, blocking off the conference room, Saga Inc. office, and Collegian office behind A.J.’s Café.

After about half an hour, students returned to the union but were prevented from accessing the formal lounge, bookstore, and offices behind A.J.’s.

Director of Security Bill Whorley said the administration reacted quickly to turn off the fire alarm and get the water cleaned up so the students could return to the union.

“Simplex was called and they called the fire department, but we called them off as soon as we knew what it was,” Whorley said.

“We’ve got guys on it, and we’re getting it cleaned up.”

See Flood A3

Emmaline Epperson Senior Reporter

This week, the college made preparations for the summer’s renovations. To clear room for construction equipment, construction crews tore down a garage on the corner of Galloway Drive and West Street.

The extensive renovations to Simpson Residence necessitate space for large construction crews. The update of Simpson is the first of many changes initiated by the Rebirth of Liberty and Learning capital campaign.

“If students could avoid parking in that parking lot for a couple of weeks, it would be much appreciated,” Bill Whorley, director of security said. “Security would give them all a big hug.”

All construction on Simpson will take place during the summer.

“We have three months to do an enormous amount of work,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said.

The improvements on Simpson are more than a facelift — the plans have a $3.4 million budget. The college intends for an extensive update on every part of the residence.

First, Simpson’s current flat roof will be replaced by a

To prepare for summer renovations occurring on West Street, a garage was torn down in order to clear a lot for construction equipment. Work will commence at the end of the spring semester. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian) pitched roof. Columns will stand near the entrance of the building in an effort to match the facade of the planned Searle Center.

The renovations of Simpson also include demolition of the first four rooms on the ground floor. In their place will stand a common area that includes a kitchen and a common space.

“The idea, eventually, is to

have a patio in the courtyard,” Péwé said.

The common areas would lead into the proposed patio.

The rooms will also look completely different. Many changes are planned, including the replacement of old carpeting with vinyl wood floors, new sinks and vanities, and tiled showers.

College hires Manno for SA director Morgan Delp Sports Editor

More than 200 students attended a wrestling match Saturday that was hosted by the Student Activities Board in the Roche Sports Complex. Pro wrestlers entertained the crowd for two and a half hours. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

Wrestlers throw down in Roche Jordan Finney Collegian Reporter

On March 22, students dropped their studies for a few hours and headed to the Roche Sports Complex to watch wrestlers drop their opponents.

The Student Activities Board hosted a National Wrestling Alliance Championship International Wrestling competition, an event that attracted more than 200 students, as well as many people from the town.

“Wrestlerama was basically the fulfillment of everyone’s childhood dreams. It was the most fun I have ever had here at Hillsdale,” freshman Ben

Jiles said. “Honestly, the whole event was a blast. It was just so bizarre and out of the Hillsdale College norm that it was really fun.”

Combatants clothes-lined, punched, and body-slammed each other for two and a half hours on Saturday.

“Think of it as a violent play — a bunch of guys jumping around doing crazy acrobatics,” senior Derek Fields said.

“Sometimes people get hurt, but that’s not the intention.

They practice big moves, but the rest is improvised mostly.”

Jiles said the more you understood it was fake, the more you could get into it.

“It was like watching a play,

The hallways will also receive an update. New lighting will illuminate corridors and rooms following an upgrade of Simpson’s electrical system.

The halls will also have new carpeting.

“The rooms will be great for freshmen and sophomores,” Péwé said.

except with chains,” Jiles said.

This was the first professional wrestling show that the college has hosted in recent memory. There are currently no plans to host a similar event next year. However, the Student Activities Board and the new Director of Student Activities senior Anthony Manno may choose to do so.

“Based on its success, I would think that there’s a good chance that we could have it next year. It was an incredible atmosphere — high energy and a lot of yelling,” current Student Activities Director Amanda Bigney said. “Everyone was fired up. I had never seen anything like it before, besides a

basketball game.”

A college employee who is associated with the NWA approached Bigney about having the event on campus. The administration agreed, with the conditions that students get in for free and a $3 charge be applied to community members and faculty. According to Bigney, the college made a small amount of money from the event.

“Students from lots of different crowds went out to it,” Fields said. “It wasn’t the kind of event you would expect at Hillsdale, but it was a nice change of pace. It was just a really good time.”

His resume includes men’s basketball captain, President’s Ball king, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship leader.

Starting in May, he will add director of student activities and the Grewcock Student Union.

After graduating, senior Anthony Manno will replace Amanda Bigney, who is moving to Kalamazoo to marry and pursue a career in business or design. Manno had originally planned on moving to Spain after graduation, but rethought his plan when Dean of Women Diane Philipp approached him for the role.

“I realized that moving to Spain is something that will still be there, whereas if I were to turn down this position, it is something I probably couldn’t come back to,” Manno said.

“I’m a big believer in taking opportunities big or small, and this one was one I thought was pretty substantial.”

Manno will take charge of many aspects of student life, including campus health and wellness, the Student Activities Board, and Student Federation.

“Anthony will find his strengths will serve as an advantage for him to be able to work with all those moving parts,” Bigney said.

The financial management and Spanish double major was selected for the position after

an application process that included one day of six interviews, Manno said.

“We took applications for approximately one week and received 12 applications both internally and externally. We had a committee review the applications and then began the interview process over spring break,” Philipp said.

Manno will benefit from working alongside Bigney for the last month or so of the school year. He will attend meetings, SAB events, and assist in hiring and training of students for next year. Bigney was trained for two weeks in the summer of 2012, when students had left campus, before she took over for Kevin Boyle.

Manno has had the advantage of attending Hillsdale under three different directors: Bigney, Boyle, and Assistant Dean of Women Rebekah Dell.

“It helps that I’ve known all of them, and I see that there’s been very different personalities in the office, and yet, they’ve all done well for the school, improving student life,” he said. “That’s reassuring to know that they welcome new ideas and different approaches, because I will definitely have different approaches just because I’ve been involved in athletics, and in being a S.A.M., and different leadership roles.”

Philipp is especially excited about Manno’s commitment to health and wellness on cam-

See Manno A3

INSIDE Q&A Richard Vedder talks about the problems of obtaining higher education. A2

Chi Omega house history The Chi Omega house has survived the test of time and fire.

B4

Life after Hillsdale Career Services offers a course on how to deal with the basics of post-graduate living. A3

In the princess business Sophomore holds auditions for Disney princess look-alike to visit children’s birthday parties and local hospitals. B2 (Courtesy of External Affairs)

All-American Junior basketball player Megan The harsh winter expedited the Fogt tops off a stellar season. A8 formation of Hillsdale’s potholes, especially its largest, “Lake Lovinger.” A6 City reacts to pothole problem

(Courtesy of Mossey Library)

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

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Q & A: Richard Vedder

Richard Vedder is an American economist, historian, author, columnist, and currently distinguished professor of economics emeritus at Ohio University.

He is an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of “Going Broke

by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much.” He spoke last Friday on campus in an event hosted by Praxis called “‘Creative Destruction’ in Higher Education: Why Tuition Costs are on the Rise.”

Compiled by Sally Nelson.

The Ohio University Professor Richard Vedder spoke on Friday on the topic of “‘Creative Destruction’ in Higher Education: Why Tuition Costs are on the Rise.” (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

Red Cross is out for blood

Claire Freier Collegian Freelancer The American Red Cross is coming to collect blood donations on March 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“I love giving blood,” freshman Erica Haimbaugh said. “It’s so selfless, but also so easy. It doesn’t take that much time out of the day, I’m not really negatively affected by it, and I’m helping three people.”

According to the Red Cross, one pint of blood can save the lives of three people.

The Pre-Professional Society and the Hillsdale Emergency Action and Response Team are working with the American Red Cross for this particular blood drive.

“The Pre-Professional Society has a lot of health-oriented people,” said junior Markie Zimmer, treasurer of the PreProfessional Society and treasurer and secretary of HEART. Although the American Red Cross has set an 84-pint donation goal for Hillsdale this spring, HEART and the Pre-Professional Society have a more ambitious goal of 100 pints of blood from at least 100 donors. This could be a daunting task, considering that Hillsdale has struggled in past

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years with adequate donation numbers.

“I think one year there were as few as 20 pints donated,” HEART Team Leader senior Kelly Tillotson said. “We would like to both meet their goal and pass it.”

If this drive does not go as well as hoped, Tillotson said the partnership between the American Red Cross and Hillsdale College could dissolve.

“It takes a lot of money to bring down all their supplies, and if they can’t meet their resources they’ll have to take their partnership somewhere else,” Tillotson said. “If they don’t meet these quotas, they’ll opt to work with more successful drive coordinators who meet and surpass the quotas.”

According to Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers, weather and location have a large impact on donations.

Cold or wet days lead to fewer donors, and a location like the Curtiss Dining Room has more space for equipment.

The smaller Grewcock Student Union, on the other hand, has more students passing through it on any given day and was selected as the location for this spring’s blood drive.

“There is nothing that can replace human blood,” Rogers said. “Life is in the blood.”

Can you explain the deteriorating benefits of having a college degree?

What I mean by that is that benefits of having a college degree have declined in two ways from a financial point of view. The earning gains after college are not quite as big as they were years ago, adjusting for inflation. The differential between high school and college graduates has narrowed. The bang for your buck, in terms of a better job, is not there quite as much. At the same time, the cost of getting a degree has increased. The benefits have fallen and the cost has gone up. It’s not as good of a deal, say, as it was in 2006.

Has underemployment increased? Will you explain a

little bit about the study you authored on unskilled jobs and college graduates?

The study that I did — and others have done somewhat similar work — is very relevant. The newer college graduates are finding it very difficult to get jobs in the traditional, rather high-paying areas they would expect: as managers of companies; as professional workers after law school, advanced academic degrees, or medical degrees; as executives; or even technical jobs such as scientists and mathematicians. The gains are there but they just aren’t as big as they used to be. Old workers aren’t losing their jobs in large numbers but new workers are being increasingly pushed into jobs as temp workers, taxi drivers, bartenders, baristas, and so on.

How can we change this?

I don’t have a magic bullet answer. The negative trends in the last few years have been significantly aggravated by federal government at a high level. Historically, meaning fifty years ago or so, the federal government had little involvement in higher education. There was the G.I. Bill, for veterans to go to school after World War II, and other programs, but they were modest in number.

That has changed a lot in the last 30 to 40 years.

Any effort to seriously contain cost must revise these programs and reduce them in magnitude.

Some kids probably shouldn’t be getting federal student loans. Even Pell Grants are given out to almost middle class kids. They probably should be restricted to the very poor, not just to anyone who wants federal money.

Colleges could cut the large administrative bloat that many colleges have. By the way, I’m not speaking about Hillsdale College.

Some of this might apply to Hillsdale. I just don’t know. I haven’t looked at a budget or staffing list.

But Hillsdale is unique. It’s essentially outside of this problem. I’m talking about American higher education in general.

Typically, colleges have expanded non-teaching positions. A lot of subsidies are being set aside for intercollegiate athletics. If you were to go to Eastern or Western Michigan Universities, for example, they probably spend $15 to $20 million on sports programs.

That money has to come from somewhere.

I could point out other areas.

It would be nice to use buildings year-round. We wouldn’t have to have so many buildings that are expensive to heat and maintain. It would cut down on capital costs if we just used our facilities

27 March 2014

more. Students could graduate in three years if we had a closer to year-round system. That doesn’t mean this is the coolest thing for everyone. But it does mean there are ways we could address this problem.

Do you think that part of the problem is that kids often go to school to have fun and spend less time studying?

Evidence is clear that students in American schools aren’t working very hard. Some students are working very hard, but most are having a lot of fun and partying a lot. They have lots of recreational activities. There is nothing wrong with kids having fun. I’m all for it.

But are these things worth public subsidies? I would say not.

If parents want to pay for their kids to spend ten years in college and party a lot and go out drinking every night and have sex three times a day or whatever their thing is, that’s their right, as long as the federal government doesn’t subsidize it. Right now, the federal government is aiding and abetting this activity through their loan program. A lot of kids are barely able to afford four years at college and live beyond their means with nice housing and nice spring break trips because they borrow money, some through taxpayer subsidies.

Is that justified? I would say no.

WHIP tours Mount Vernon

Sam Scorzo Washington Editor

Washington–Hillsdale Internship Program students were treated to a tour of Mount Vernon by one of Hillsdale’s very own: Dean of Educational Programs Matthew Spalding.

Rather than listening to a regular tour guide, the students toured the house and the grounds before listening to Spalding’s speech, which junior Ashley Wright called an “insightful exploration.”

Spalding’s lecture highlighted the four most significant historical events that took place at George Washington’s estate. The planning of the battle of Yorktown and the Mount Vernon Conference, which spawned the idea of the first Constitutional Convention, both took place there. It was also the place where Washington was informed of his election to the presidency and the place of his death in 1799.

“The most surprising event that he included was Washington’s peaceful death at home,” Wright said. “It symbolized the American Revolution’s success and the ability to transition from one administration to another without violence.”

Unbeknownst to most Hillsdale students, they were not the only ones, nor will they be the last, to hear Spalding’s lecture at the estate. In fact, the Hillsdale dean is on the Board of Academ-

Juniors Korbin Kiblinger, Elena Sakelaris, senior Victoria McCaffery, and junior Kelsey Drapkin on the shore of the Potomac River by Mount Vernon. (Courtesy of Elena Sakeleris) ic Advisors for the estate and has spoken to groups of all ages and educational backgrounds.

Spalding’s involvement with the estate traces back to the early 2000s when it was simply an estate without the extensive learning center, museum, food court, and interactive tours it has now.

Spalding even has preliminary drawings of the additions in his office.

Spalding’s extensive study of Washington, having written his dissertation on the man and having published several books as well as his residence in the Washington, D.C., area, qualified him for the project, he said.

“All the other graduate students wanted to write about Jefferson and Madison because they had a lot more materials and writings to use for their papers, but I wanted to do something differ-

ent,” Spalding said. “I was interested in Washington because he was so different from the other guys.”

As a chosen member of the Board of Academic Advisors for the estate, Spalding recommended information that needed to be included, checked the accuracy of the information, and advised on how to make the estate a more interactive place.

The grand opening of the new addition was in 2006, and after the ceremony concluded with an address by keynote speaker historian David McCullough, Spalding’s son ended up putting his mark on the estate by being the first person to walk into it.

“I went with my son to the ceremony, who, at the time, must’ve been about seven or eight,” Spalding said. “He was thrilled by the whole thing, and because

we were one of the first groups of people, once the doors opened, he ran right through and almost knocked David McCullough down. He knew there were horses and animals back there and he wanted to see them. He didn’t care much for McCullough,” he said, laughing.

Recently, Spalding helped with the compilation of Washington’s library, which opened in 2013.

Spalding is a frequent visitor to the estate, and said he lives nearby and takes his kids there often.

“It’s important to see the estates because they tell you something about the individual,” Spalding said. “With Mount Vernon, it is eclectic, and clearly the place of a very active person; a man of action.”

Vivian Hughbanks Collegian Reporter

writing.”

Goodling’s presentation examined the work of Austrian author Marlen Haushofer, whose novel, “Die Wand,” presented a female character defined by her separation from nature, in contrast to previous authors.

Clark presented her paper “Humans Playing God: A Study of Man’s Pursuit to Control His Environment Through Science as Shown Through Anatomie and Blueprint,” which explored German film and literature of the World War II and postwar eras. After taking Assistant Professor of German Fred Yaniga’s German films seminar last semester, Clark was introduced to two science fiction films that addressed medical ethics and limitations on science, and was inspired to present.

“Since I’m going to medical school, I’m really interested in the ethical questions that started getting raised after the war,” Clark said. “The studies of these German films is helping me to better understand the threats that medical ethics are faced with, and where some of the ideas of people who don’t agree with my views are coming from.”

After their presentations, Goodling and Clark participated in forum discussion for 20 minutes, engaging with other presenters and the audience.

“It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s a time where you can get perspectives on things you’re interested in and hear ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise,” Goodling said.

While the presentations were in English, they explored aspects of German culture and heritage only accessible through knowledge of the language.

“Once you know a language, you can bring your interests from other disciplines in and see what you can do with that in a German context,” Naumann said.

During the conference, the three undergraduates had a chance to interact with graduate students in the field of German, and meet Hillsdale alumni currently enrolled in the German graduate program at Ohio State.

“I think that the opportunity was great for all the students to have a chance to see what a graduate program looks like,” Naumann said. “On the way back, we talked for the first two or three hours just about graduate school: what is graduate school like, what is your day like, what is it like financially.”

The graduate students and faculty at Ohio State were impressed with the presentations

by Goodling and Clark, and according to Naumann, the Hillsdale German department received several compliments over the course of the conference.

“I hope the German department will continue to encourage students to do this in the future,” Goodling said.

“It gives students a chance to check out the field of German and network with others in the field.”

Responding to evolution Seniors present at OSU

which streamed a debate between creationist Ken Ham and scientist Bill Nye. Rather than portraying the question of evoluThe history department tion and Christianity as a debate, hosted a lecture on March 24 Gundlach showed how promiby Trinity International Univernent conservatives at the time sity Professor Bradley Gundlach of Darwin were able to see the called “Darwin and Creation at place of evolution in a positive Princeton: American Christian theological sense.

Responses to Evolution.”

“The evolution question is The lecture, which was atmuch bigger and much more tended by roughly 100 students complicated than I thought,” of different classes, majors, and Gundlach said. “How did a religions, was held in Dow A & Christian place like Princeton, B. a conservative Gundlach place that is is a professor the guardian of history at of orthodoxy, the Evangelicome to be the cal Protestant earliest place in College TrinAmerican reliity International gious history to University in Ilembrace some linois. His lecversion of the ture revolved doctrine of evoaround his lution?” recently pubGundlach lished book, also said this “Process and question was an Providence: important one The Evolufor students to About 100 students attended the history department talk tion Question study, especialat Princeton “Darwin and Creation at Princeton: American Christian Rely those who 1 8 4 5 ‒ 1 9 2 9 , ” sponses to Evolution. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian) wish to reconwhich explores cile science and how the thinkers at Princeton at Freshman Shelby Ripley at- faith. the time grappled with the new tended the talk at the encourage“It’s a question of origins.

Darwinian principles, and how ment of Kalthoff.

Don’t we base our understandthey reconciled providence and “I thought it was fascinating,” ings of ourselves, our purpose, in the evolutionary process.

Ripley said. “It took us back to an God and the world?” Gundlach “It seemed like a good time to intellectual tradition in American said. “I think the Princetonians in invite him,” Professor of History colleges that we couldn’t possi- general are helpful to study beMark Kalthoff said. “We have bly imagine conceiving, and then cause they are very thorough in had lectures on war and peace worked our way through it in an their explorations of these quesand politics and religion and sciunfolding of itself.” tions, and they tried to be utterly ence. We look for opportunities Gundlach’s lecture follows fair to their opposition, which is here and there.” the student-hosted creation de- something we could see more of Kalthoff said history is the bate which took place last month, these days.”

Emma Vinton Collegian Reporter

biggest of the disciplines in some ways, because it draws connections with all other subjects. The department wanted to host the lecture because students have shown interest in the subject, which wrestles with solutions and theories after Darwin, and how science and the Christian faith fit together. He also said a lot of people do not know the history of that time.

“A lot of students are interested in this question,” he said. “It seemed like a good opportunity.”

Two seniors studying German were chosen to present papers at a Graduate and Undergraduate Research Conference at Ohio State University on March 21 and 22.

The conference, “Ecologies Reconsidered: Landscape, Nature, Thought and Memory,” was a project of Ohio State’s Germanic Language and Literature Department. Seniors Emily Goodling and Nicole Clark each gave 15-minute presentations in the undergraduate panel. Goodling and Clark were two of only four undergraduate presenters at the conference.

“Both of our students who submitted abstracts were accepted and presented,” Visiting Assistant Professor of German Stephen Naumann said.

Goodling and Clark were informed of the call for papers last semester by Naumann, and encouraged by the German department to submit proposals.

Sophomore Carsten Stann also attended the conference.

Goodling’s presentation was titled “Mischwesen and Naturgeister: Transcending Images of Women in Nature from Kafka to Die Wand.” Her presentation addressed women in nature in German literature.

“In the earlier works I looked at, women were associated with the natural world and were more archetypes than real human beings,” Goodling said, “so they weren’t allowed to participate so much in rational processes like speaking and

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A3 27 March 2014

Russian Club holds first event

Mike Parney, owner of Parney’s Car Care, demonstrates the basics of auto maintenance as part of the “Life After Hillsdale Explained” seminars. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

Students examine life after Hillsdale

Micah Meadowcroft Assistant Editor

Students recently saw a shift from book smarts to street smarts in the form of a weekend seminar, “Life after Hillsdale Explained.”

The March 22 event targeted juniors and seniors thinking about graduation with sessions on finances, workplace preparation, and car maintenance.

Students heard talks all day, beginning at 10 a.m. with a budgeting and finance talk, followed by a presentation on leadership, a lunchtime dining etiquette session, and a talk about proper attire and wardrobe.

In the afternoon, Mike Parney, owner of Parney’s Car Care shop, walked students through basic car maintenance.

Career Services and Student Affairs Mentors, led by senior Brianna Walden, the event’s general manager, organized the event.

“I conceived of it last semester, and put a little organizational work into it over break” Walden said, “I really assembled my team, delegated jobs, and kicked into high gear at the beginning of this semester.”

Walden’s team was made up of junior Leah Bernhardson, who acted as the events emcee; junior Morgan Delp, hospitality manager; and sophomore Macaela Ben-

nett running registration.

The team brainstormed to find speakers who could best address the topics under consideration and present the most value for student’s time. About 40 students attended. Walden and Career Services hope the event will become perennial.

Walden said she considered the topics to be practical skills and knowledge that fall off the radar while at college, especially at a liberal arts institution like Hillsdale.

“These things were all areas I knew that I wanted to develop, so I thought that other people would be in the same boat,” Walden said. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for seniors to come to one place and develop skills and knowledge that will help them in their life after college.”

Unlike many events on campus that are heavily advertised via posters and emails, this postgraduate life seminar was only advertised by a formal invitation sent in the mail to juniors and seniors.

Maran McLeod, a junior, attended Joe Banach’s financial talk and found it very helpful.

She felt that she needed more information on personal finances if she hoped to be in a financially stable state when middle-aged.

“You have to have moderation early on in order to be able to maintain the same type of

lifestyle in retirement,” McLeod said.

She appreciated the event as an opportunity not normally part of the Hillsdale environment.

“I think that it’s really valuable for Hillsdale students — especially because we are all such ‘academic-y’ people — to gain some practical knowledge,” she said. “It was good.”

President Larry Arnn introduced Walden to Branach last semester. Branach has supported the college for more than 20 years and financed a number of students’ scholarships. He considered the event a good idea and was happy to be a part of it. His talk Saturday morning complements a lecture series he is giving over the next few weeks on personal finances. He hopes his session will attract more students to further talks.

Branach found the students to be a receptive audience and said he hopes students learned to live within their means, employing their talents and capabilities. He hoped the biggest lesson learned is the need to have the self discipline to live a virtuous life.

“I thought they were serious and paid attention,” he said.

“Hopefully, it will be able to provide a little bit of a good influence. That’s all one can hope for.”

The Russian Language and Culture Club hosted its first event on March 26 in Lane 124 about preBolshevik Russia.

The talk by Professor of History Tom Conner contained many elements of a class lecture. Conner wriote his main points on the black board and used a map of pre-WWI Russia to more clearly display his topic.

He talked about the many factors that led up to Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917.

Some of those factors included the rule of Czar Nicholas II, widespread political dissatisfaction with the inequality of Russian society, and Russia’s military failings in WWI. Conner then explained how these factors led to the overthrow of the czar and opened the door for Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks to take power in November 1917.

“It’s definitely history I’m not familiar with,” sophomore Hannah Wolff said. “It definitely clarified some things.”

The club started last semester under sophomore Will Gage and freshman Benjamin Jiles in order to expose students at Hillsdale to the Russian culture and language.

“There’s a lot more to Russian culture than Mother Russia and Communism,” Gage said, “We wanted to look at aspects of Russian culture and dispel some of the beliefs that Russia is all about Communism.”

The club will have a meeting next Tuesday at 8:30 pm in Lane 123.

–Evan Carter

Journalism students wins internship Junior Sam Scorzo won a paid summer internship at The Washington Times through a competition sponsored by the newspaper. The announcement was made at the Conservative Political Action Conference, held in Washington, D.C., from March 6-8.

The competition for the internship was a play on the reality show “American Idol” called “The Washington Times Idol,” in which contestants were judged on their interviewing skills.

The judges for the contest were The Washington Times Managing Editor Chris Dolan, National Security Reporter Kelly Riddell, Chief Political Writer Ralph Hallow, Managing and Digital Editor Ian Bishop, Senior Opinions Editor Emily Miller, and columnist Armstrong Williams. Scorzo, who went third, got to see how they judged the first two contestants.

“The two that went before me were ripped to shreds by the judges, so I was really nervous,” Scorzo said.

Scorzo previously interned at the National Journalism Center in D.C., which entered all of its interns into the competition.

“I was kind of shocked when I won. I didn’t expect to win,” Scorzo said.

The internship at The Washington Times lasts for 10 weeks in the summer and is fully paid. Already in Washington as a member of the WHIP program, Scorzo knows her way around the city, making the transition easier.

As a member of the journalism program at Hillsdale, Scorzo credited John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program, and Maria Servold, assistant director of the Dow Journalism Program, as part of the reason for her success. Her experience will open doors for other Hillsdale journalism students.

“Hopefully, more journalism students will enter the same competition,” Servold said. “I also hope it encourages them to try new things, where internships are concerned.”

As the journalism program at Hillsdale grows, Servold said opportunities like this show how well the program is succeeding.

“I hope it means we’re doing something right,” Servold said. “Our goal is to train students to be good journalists, and when they do things like win huge reporting competitions, I think it means they’re growing and improving like we hope they do.”

–Shane Armstrong

On the Greek Scene Detailing the news and events of Hillsdale’s Greek houses

Chi Omega This week, Chi Omega would like to thank everyone who came out to our Volley For a Wish tournament and helped make it another successful event benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma welcomed 19 women into their fraternity this past week. Thank you to everyone who participated in our philanthropy event, KupKake Wars this past Wednesday. Finally, we are introducing a Kappa Chapter blog soon. Check our Facebook page for more details and updates.

Manno From A1

pus. In addition to being a varsity athlete, Manno is active in CrossFit, is an avid healthy eater, and is leading the work-

Flood From A1

Bigney helped maintenance mop up the water in the bookstore while bookstore employees

outs for some of the women’s teams this spring.

“As the sports complex is fully-renovated, I will have more ideas,” Manno said. “For health and wellness, why don’t we teach kids how to cook?

We would host a seminar once

a week, bring a chef on campus or off campus, and teach students how to cook with what they have, whether that be with a microwave or one burner. It’s an opportunity to learn a new skill, a valuable skill, that can be used the rest of their lives.”

and maintenance employees vacuumed and moved merchandise and furniture back to their original positions.

Some water flooded into Saga, but not near food production, Bigney said. Maintenance cleaned up the water in the book-

store and the hallways within two hours.

“We’ve got certified maintenance getting it cleaned up,” Bigney said. “We’ve had it happen so many times this year, so we’re on it.”

Hillsdale Lutheran Society organized The Hillsdale Lutheran Society sponsored its first public lecture last week, called “Natural Law and Lutheranism: A ‘Two-Kingdoms’ Perspective.” The talk was given by Assistant Professor of History Korey Maas and drew 47 attendees.

The society, formed last fall, is a unifying organization intended to connect the Lutheran prayer services and Bible study which students have held informally for years, according to junior Mitchell Irmer.

“The reason we wanted to be organized, and the reason that there is more organization this year, is because we want to be able to provide a campus network of Lutherans so that all the Lutherans can come to our evening prayer, our matins, and our Bible study, if they want to,” Irmer said.

Irmer and sophomore Phoebe Kalthoff said they hope to reach those previously unaware of the events.

“We’d meet people in the middle or the end of the year and be like, ‘Ah, I had no idea you were Lutheran,’” Irmer said, “And they’d be like, ‘I had no idea this was happening on campus.’”

In addition to better-publicizing their events, the society plans to continue offering public speeches by Lutheran faculty or other speakers.

Kalthoff said the society will also make it easier to organize rides to church.

Irmer said the society works with Hillsdale College Chaplain Peter Beckwith for support, and he and Kalthoff said they are pleased with the society’s increased organization.

“We’re really happy that we’ve been able to organize and come together as much as we have,” Kalthoff said.

Lutheran Society events, while geared toward Lutherans, are open to everybody.

“I think, from the start, we’ve had people attending who aren’t Lutheran,” Maas said.

–Walker Mulley

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OPINION 27 March 2014 A4

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WrestleRama was awesome

Last weekend, hulking men clad in tights and covered in tattoos stormed Hillsdale’s campus.

The NWA National Heavyweight Championship match, held in the Roche sports complex, featured dramatic fights and a whole lot of trash talk. Not a mention of classical liberal political theory, nor a hint of papist vs. protestant doctrinal hairsplitting, was to be found at the smack down. And it

Dr. Kalthoff’s trim brown beard (their height analogies vary). Yet Hillsdale students are, at times, as guilty of ivory tower iniquity as the most rabid “check your privilege” neo-feminist.

Wackily fun spectacles like WrestleRama provide campus with a nice dose of unpretentious fun. We, therefore, encourage Student Activities Board to bring on the comedians, popular musi-

cians, and magicians. We also, more earnestly, entreat our fellow Hillsdale students to take study breaks and patronize these events.

The unexamined life may not be worth living, yet the ceaselessly examined life is boorish.

Take Aristotle’s advice: embrace the mean, take a study break, and, next time a group of pro-wrestlers come to town, make sure you get an admittance ticket.

Searching for life and light: Walker Percy

Both fake and not: A night with the National Wrestling Alliance It’s been five days since the National Wrestling Alliance stretched its tights across Hillsdale’s campus, and the streak of the Crayola marker confirming my attendance has begun to fade from my right hand. For one night only, the Roche Sports Complex housed the sort of indiscretions so fitting of its namesake. Children loped around the arena in camouflage and neon, rushing rinkside with the introduction of each new wrestler, ready to test phrases like Josh Andrew “you suck” while arguing with enormous adults Student Columnist wrapped in compression diapers and elbow pads.

The wrestlers wandered to and from the rink with a hypnotic ease, entranced by the small-scale rapture and ecstasy that only Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” can inspire.

They paraded chairs, chain-link necklaces, and loincloths around the ring like Baptists with their Bibles at a fifth Sunday fellowship.

And while nearly every wrestler had a cross plastered somewhere on his glistening body, a kind of heroic and pagan haze flickered over the stadium with the introduction of each new champion. All the while, their ethnic outfits were a glowing testament to the brand of flamboyant racism that keeps whole departments employed at Ivy League institutions.

Of course, the beauty of this whole thing is that it is a perfect joke. When I first entered the arena, a smiley guy wearing the 1994 edition of Jeff Gordon’s DuPont Jacket told me to “enjoy the show, buddy.” No winks, no sarcasm, only an absolute confirmation that everything I was about to see was a farce. From the announcer who fumbled with his two microphones while struggling to wrap his Italian suit around his body, to the referee’s ponytail that curled and bounced off his back like a greased playground slide for miniature children, we were invited over and again to remember that none of this is real.

In general, the college students seemed less aware of how this whole thing worked. Groups came and went over the course of the night, their movements as calculated as the fighters but with a different type of religiosity. Each seemed weirdly preoccupied with an apologetic irony that begged to be dissociated from anyone who might actually find this activity enjoyable. The prevailing fear was that any comment might be taken seriously, and this gave way to the sort of multi-layered irony that invites us to lean our heads back and dreamily whisper, “Dawg, that’s Kafkaesque.”

So as the snarling children with glowing torsos and invisible legs crowded ringside and their proud parents sat placidly in the stands above them, Hillsdale students were suspended in that bizarre space occupied by the critically aware and woefully self-conscious.

All the while, the wrestlers engaged each other in a sort of primitive mating dance, swinging their heavy arms, embracing for three-second intervals, and releasing to survey the partner.There was a certain fluidity to their movements, ,and as the night wore on, the delineation between the rehearsed and the natural became less important. At one point, when Malice and Sebastian Rose refused to leave the ring, a frail security guard rushed to the scene, only to be launched toward the glowing light fixtures of the George C. Roche arena. As his body floated in a space known only by the likes of Jackie Chan and Evel Knievel, Classics professors and snot-nosed kids rose in unison to their feet.

Yes, they had surely performed this move to the delight of aspiring gladiators across the Midwest, and still none of us cared. This was the show and we loved it. In this perfect moment of acrobatic violence, disbelief was suspended with the feeble body of a security guard. We were believers.

The evening rose to its inevitable climax with the final bout of the night, the NWA National Heavyweight Championship Match between Lou Marconi and Hillsdale’s own Phil “Nitro” Monahan. The blend of Italian Stallion and nitroglycerin made for a respectable brawl, a thick blaze of purple and black singlets slow dancing around the ring. Yet things got real when their collective 525 pounds tumbled into the stands.

The comfortable 50 foot separation between our seats and the fighters gave way to inches as the two began to bloody each other at our feet. And I mean that they literally bloodied each other as they were surrounded by gawking professors, raging eight-year-olds, and conflicted students. Each wrestler took a turn as the sacrificial lamb, lying motionless on the floor as the other slammed his head with a chair. Those around me fell strangely silent. If this was a show, we were all in it.

Later that night, I approached the victorious Nitro for a picture. I was close enough to see the gnarly bits of chest hair that escaped the scrape of his razor. His forehead was bleeding and he sat with his meaty knuckles curled against his thighs.

“Are you okay?”

“My head hurts.”

And I believed him.

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

was sublime.

News of the event raised a few eyebrows on campus and even drew some scorn, but it was a well-attended success. Hillsdale needs more entertainment events like WrestleRama.

So often, indignant Hillsdale students accuse gender-studies touting academic institutions of ivory-tower sophism as separated from reality as the ground is from

Daniel Teal Student Columnist “What is the nature of the search? you ask. Really, it is very simple… the search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life… To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something. Not to be onto something is to be in despair.”

These are the thoughts of Binx Bowling, the seeker-protagonist of “The Moviegoer,” Walker Percy’s widely-praised first novel. Binx is a single, thirty-yearold man living in New Orleans, Louisiana, trudging through his wearisomely boring day-to-day life in the workaday world of financial accounting. Binx works at his office, indulges himself in little love affairs with his secretaries, and goes to movie theatres where he can happily escape the monotony of life and the deadweight of his own existence — and yet, he notes, the movies are onto something. Throughout

the story, he grapples with the able to be in the world than [a] weightiness of his alienated self ghost.” and with the prospect of “becomBut in our era of scientism, ing no one nowhere.”

Percy wanted to show that there Significantly, he believes that is more to be understood about there is some benefit to the grap- human existence than the inforpling and, as such, he is an ob- mation available through emject of particular interest in our pirical studies. He sought to offer search. Our search is the con- something to a people who, in tinued investigation of literary such strange times, feel themworks that ofselves living as fer an optimistic ghosts in a lost perspective of Percy wanted to world, as he hintthe human pered in his National son in modern help lost pilgrims Book Award actimes, for which and wayfarers for ceptance speech reason we ought for “The Movwhom “God” and now to direct iegoer.” He said our attention to “holiness” and he had wanted to Walker Percy. the hu“faith” had become present Throughout man person as the 1960s to the moot points. more than “an or’80s, Percy wrote ganism,” “an inphilosophical tegrated personnovels that explored the existen- ality,” or “a mature and creative tial dislocation of the human per- individual,” and, above all, as “a son in modern times. He claimed wayfarer and a pilgrim.” that the modern novelist ought to On the one hand, Percy befocus less on answering the big lieved that the solution to the questions and more on pointing problems of his times was a reout “fault lines in the [cultural] turn to God and recognition of terrain,” hints of what he thought real holiness, of sacramental to be a pervasive malaise over reality. On the other hand, howthe individual and society. Percy ever, he thought that concepts himself attributed this malaise to like “God” and “holiness” had the loss of a spiritual context and lost their meaning and that the of common language and values, only way to speak of them was the absence of which prevents “in silence,” so that “the craft of the individual from making any the religious novelist nowadays sense of the onslaught of a mind- consists mainly in learning how less, materialistic culture, its bar- to shout in silence.” rage of media, and the century’s Nevertheless, Percy wanted to staggering global death toll. help lost pilgrims and wayfarers Binx Bowling, the 20th cen- for whom “God” and “holiness” tury pilgrim, suffers almost con- and “faith” had become moot stantly from modernity’s malaise, points. In a letter to Caroline defining it as “the pain of loss,” Green, he wrote that he had tried, the sense that “the world is lost in “The Moviegoer,” to“tell peoto you, the world and the people ple what they must do and what in it, and there remains only you they must believe if they want to and the world and you no more live.”

The problem as I see it is that the source of hope that Percy attempts to shout in silence cannot help those of us who have become so entrenched in unbelief that any religious version of “God” or “holiness” will never again be helpful. Binx feels the weight of this, which he calls “the strangest fact of all,” that although “Abraham saw signs of God and believed, now the only sign is that all the signs in the world make no difference.” By the time the malaise has set in, God and Truth and a strong sense of personal identity have already been dealt out of the game irrevocably.

But Binx, I think, finds a way to move forward. After an out of town fling with the emotionally unstable Kate, his recently suicidal friend-turned-love-interest, Binx realizes that his actions were not in her best interest, and ends up marrying her and genuinely caring for her. The answer that Binx seems to have found lies in his choice to live for himself rather than ignoring the effects of his actions on others.

By the end of the book, Binx Bowling, as Lewis Lawson phrases it, “has come out of the movies, to chance acting himself.” Our New Orleans seeker continues to look for unity, to find some pattern in the chaos that will allow him to live as more than a ghost.

And while he doesn’t come to an answer about “God” or his own existence, what he ends up finding, I hold, is that in the midst of everydayness and of unanswered questions, one can continue to wonder at the mystery of life and of the self and to do good rather than ill to others.

THE EMPTINESS OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY

Jonah Goldberg Syndicated Columnist The right side of history is bunk.

In domestic politics, people (mostly liberals) tend to say, “You’re on the wrong side of history” about social issues that are breaking their way. It’s a handy phrase, loosely translated as, “You’re going to lose eventually, so why don’t you give up now?”

Philosophically, the expression is abhorrent because of its “Marxist twang” (to borrow historian Robert Conquest’s phrase). The idea that history moves in a predetermined, inexorable path amounts to a kind of Hallmark-card Hegelianism.

From the Archives: Senioritis strikes

Marx, who ripped off a lot of his shtick from the philosopher Hegel, popularized the idea that opposition to the inevitability of socialism was anti-intellectual and anti-scientific. The progression of history is scientifically knowable, quoth the Marxists, and so we need not listen to those who object to our program.

Later, Lenin, Stalin, Mao and others would use this reasoning to justify murdering millions of inconvenient people. It was a “God is on our side” argument, minus God. In fairness, I doubt Barack Obama and John Kerry have Marx or Hegel on the brain when they prattle on about the right and wrong sides of history. They more properly belong in what some call the “Whig school” of history, coined in 1931 by historian Herbert Butterfield. The Whiggish tendency in history says that the world progresses toward the inevitable victory of liberal democracy and social enlightenment. Again, I doubt Obama and Kerry have ever cracked the spine of Butterfield’s book.

Still, this administration has used the “wrong side of history” phrase more than any I can remember. They particularly like to use it in foreign policy. In his first inaugural, Obama declared, “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit

The Uses of a Liberal Arts Education

Greg Stokes, a senior, defined [senioritis] as “burnout and the inability to care anymore.”

Senior Cody Ewers said he has a recipe for survival: “I try and drink a good amount of scotch every week and by Forester play online poker in class.”

McClatchtey March 6, 2008

and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Ever since, whenever things haven’t gone his way on the international scene -- i.e., on days that end with a “y” -- he or his spokespeople have wagged their fingers from the right side of history.

Lately, Obama and Kerry have been talking a lot about how Russian strongman Vladimir Putin is on the “wrong side of history.” Before that, Obama announced that Putin was on the wrong side of history for supporting the Assad regime in Syria. He also said that Assad himself was on the wrong side of history. And so on.

Note the difference in usage?

In domestic affairs, it’s a sign of strength. But in foreign affairs, invoking history as an ally is a sign of weakness. On social issues like, say, gay marriage, it amounts to a kind of impatient bullying that you can afford when time is on your side; “Your defeat is inevitable, so let’s hurry it up.”

But in international affairs, it is an unmistakable sign of weakness. When the president tells Putin that he’s on the wrong side of history, the upshot is: “You’re winning right now and there’s nothing I can (or am willing to) do to change that fact. But you

know what? In the future, people will say you were wrong.”

The phrase is utterly lacking in feck because it outsources the bulk of the punishment to an abstract future rather than the concrete here and now. But the fecklessness goes deeper than that because people like Putin and Assad either completely disagree about what the future holds, or they think they can change the future. And the people who try to bend the future to their benefit tend to be the sorts of people who believe they can.

Now, I don’t think in the long run things look great for the tyrants and totalitarians either, but that’s just a guess. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Maybe there is a direction to history. But if there is, it doesn’t move in anything like a straight line. It zigs and zags and U-turns all the time. And there’s no telling how long any detour will last.

In the meantime, people can’t eat the future judgment of history. They can’t live decent, free lives because history might eventually work out for their grandkids or their great-greatgreat grandkids. In short, being on the right side of history in the long run counts for little when in the here and now the guy on the wrong side of history has his boot on your neck.

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‘Noah’: worth seeing Don’t waste your time Caleb Whitmer Editor-in-Chief

Schuyler Dugle Special to the Collegian You should skip “Noah.”

The movie is going to diverge dramatically from the source text — the Bible — and won’t be anything special. Although director Darren Aronofsky has made good films in the past and Russell Crowe will star in this one, the March 28 movie won’t be worth your time and money. Why? (Forester McClatchey/Collegian)

Darren Aronofsky’s latest opus takes four chapters of Genesis and gives them a blockbuster makeover.

The result: “Noah,” which promises a brooding Russell Crowe as the eponymous lead, apocalyptic special effects on par with disaster films such as “The Day After Tomorrow,” and a manyarmed fallen angel wielding a fiery sword. In short, Aronofsky’s story of Noah is not the one you learned in Sunday school. For that reason alone, moviegoers of all faith backgrounds should look forward to seeing Aronofsky’s “Noah” when it’s released on March 28.

Hollywood has always had an uncertain relationship with the Bible, even when it works with directors less provocative than Aronofsky. Studios face a demographic problem when they make Bible films: Whom do they aim to please? Stick too dogmatically to the text and you risk alienating the secularists; stray from it too far and you get a host of pastors comparing your movie to “The Da Vinci Code”; strike the wrong balance and, in the case of “Noah,” a $125-million investment flops.

If “Noah” is to err one way, it will be secular. The movie adds enough to the biblical account that Rob Moore, vice chair of Paramount, told the Hollywood Reporter it is probably more accurate to say the film “is inspired by the story of Noah.” That was inevitable, however, as Noah has no recorded dialogue in the Bible and his story takes up all of a few pages. “Noah” the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 12 minutes — an impressive stretch of the source material, even by Hollywood standards. By comparison, DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” reached almost four hours on roughly 25 chapters.

Aronofsky will fill in the gaps with his imagination. His other films pit conflicted characters against the broken and the bizarre. This may explain Aronofsky’s decision to title the film after its lead. The movie looks to be a character study of the man God chose to save the human race. Aronofsky has also said he plans on mythologizing.

“For me, the pre-diluvian world has many fantastical elements,” Aronofsky told Rolling Stone. “It was a very magical, spiritual world — as different as, say, Middle-earth. We created this Biblical fantasy world and we wanted to make it like no world we’d seen be-

fore.”

Aronofsky’s “Noah” surely won’t lack for vigor. Because of that, Christians should extend grace to Aronofsky’s rendition of the biblical account.

For all its campiness, “The Ten Commandments” did a great service to the story of Moses, as did the Jesus musicals of the 1970s. Whatever they lacked in piety, these Bible blockbusters made up for in sheer artistic energy: They gave new life to old stories. The image of Charlton Heston raising his staff above the Red Sea remains iconic in blockbuster cinema, and “Jesus Christ Superstar” introduced a rock-anthem gospel to an entire generation. The L o r d moves people in mysterious ways — even in Hollywood.

This intersection of biblical narrative and raucous imagination precedes the advent of film. In the High and Late Middle Ages, the guilds of English cities staged pageants of the salvation story, from Creation to the Apocalypse. They called these spectacles “Mystery Plays.” Even then they took liberties with their source material, as the writers strove to entertain and edify audiences that were well-acquainted with the Bible’s stories and teachings.

Despite the movie’s secular bent, this is the tradition in which audiences should consider Aronofsky’s “Noah.”

In creating a mystical, pre-flood world, in making Noah a tortured and heroic character, even in introducing the many-armed, sword-wielding fallen angels, Aronofsky endeavors to rekindle a sense of wonder that is due Noah’s story. If he can make the Noah narrative relevant to today, Aronofsky will have done a service to all audiences – whether they be Christian, secular, or otherwise.

“Noah” is going to be just another superhero movie.

Hollywood has been churning out superhero movies like Krispy Kreme makes doughnuts. Paramount Pictures is financing “Noah,” starring Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, and Odin, Thor’s father. Although Noah had no special powers in the Biblical narrative and Aronofsky did not give him any in the movie, the director told The Hollywood Reporter that “You’re going to see Russell Crowe as a superhero, a guy who has this incredibly difficult challenge put in front of him and has to overcome it.”

Mr. Incredible — of “The Incredibles” — once complained in an interview that the world never stayed saved: He had to re-save it continually.

Superhero movies are in a similar rut.

They’re constantly being made and re-made with new characters, but the same plots. The entire world is usually doomed, but the protagonist and his sidekicks swoop in just in time. In “Noah,” the flood is the enemy, but the patriarch rescues the elect few by

building a gigantic ark.

Aronofsky has make some excellent films, but his earlier works are not superhero-esque, nor has he worked with a major studio. His first major film, “Requiem for a Dream,” is about Coney Island drug addicts. “The Fountain” is a philosophical and spiritual journey across a thousand years. “The Wrestler” is a drama and “The Black Swan” a dark thriller. Enter Noah, the “superhero” protagonist of his current project.

The trailer doesn’t give the impression that the movie will be fresh or new. When the local king warns Noah about his supposed insubordination, the brooding Noah responds “I’m not alone,” referring to his divine aid. The quick sequences and intense music of the trailer make it exciting, but recall “Transformers” or “The Avengers.”

Posters feature moody main characters superimposed over a dramatic lightning storm. To be fair, the events that occurred in Noah’s lifetime were monumental. But there was not so much human drama. The Bible does not mention the reaction of Noah’s neighbors. Sure, torrential rain fell from the sky and geysers exploded, but did the timing of the geyser explosions happen to coincide with the exact moment an angry pagan horde charged the ark? Well, there were no angry pagan hordes in the Biblical account, so no. Aronofsky’s audiences will be wide awake the entire time, but will leave scratching their heads.

Why was there an angry pagan horde?

Where did the fire-sword come from?

Why didn’t Noah use the fire-sword on the angry pagan horde?

Early screenings of the film have received mixed reviews, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Viewers at test screenings have not responded completely favorably, and Paramount and Aronofsky have been in conflict over which version of the movie to release. It’s an ill omen when there are multiple versions of the movie and that the director and the production company don’t completely agree.

Movies, while creative endeavors, are still business enterprises and cohesion between the CEO (Aronofsky) and the board (Paramount) is important.

It may not be completely fair to judge an entire two-hour movie by a two-minute trailer. But trailers are supposed to convince viewers to come watch the movie. If that is the grading rubric, then the “Noah” trailer has failed. The music, the cinematography, the writing, the characters, and the acting all fail to excite and don’t provide anything viewers haven’t already seen a dozen times.

We can only hope that Aronofsky’s ark will not be his “Exxon Valdez.”

The search for a good young adult movie Morgan Delp Sports Editor While watching “Divergent,”— the latest in a string of dystopian, teenybopper, book-series-turned movies — which came out last weekend, I found myself seriously conflicted. On one hand, the unrealistic and swiss-cheeselike plot was frustrating, and the nonchalant usage of brutal combat was disturbing. On the other, the impressive acting and my desperate desire for a young-adult success story kept me hopeful for a ground-breaking movie.

“Divergent” greatly moved the Hillsdale County pre-teens in the bathroom after the movie — at least three girls were wiping tears as I rolled my eyes in the mirror behind them.

I probably should have given up on the quest for an excellent young-adult fantasy film series after “Twilight,” whose message consisted roughly of “Be weary of romantic entanglements with supernatural creatures — and unfortunate facial expressions (i.e. Kristen Stewart).” Alas, I have continued the search, finding elements of success in various films. But none have come close to achieving the thought-provocation of George Orwell in “1984” and of Aldous Huxley in “Brave New World,” or the symbolism and imagi-

nation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

Most recently, the second of Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” series’ movies, “Catching Fire,” came close to fulfilling my desire for a substantial portrayal of human and political nature.

During an early scene in the movie, Katniss and Peeta attend a grand party at the President’s palace in the Capitol. One of the wealthy attendees offers the pair yet another delicious-looking treat, but Peeta and Katniss reply that they are too full to try any more. To this, the partygoer offers them a drink to make them throw up in order to make room for more food.

“How else can you taste everything?” he remarks incredulously.

The two victors are shocked and disgusted with the irony of this statement. After all, as Peeta points out, members of their District 12 community are starving under the rule of the tyrannical Panem government that meanwhile indulges so gluttonously.

The overall story is about revolution under a despotic government that forces tributes from each district to fight to the death in a televised reality show. Questions of liberty, morality, sacrifice, and loyalty are woven throughout. While the moral conundrum in the first “Hunger Games”

movie is thinly played out, further implications that arise in “Catching Fire” make the choices more difficult and the characters more real.

One could compare President Snow’s constant videotaping of Katniss’ every move to NSA domestic surveillance in our own country. The main difference being, of course, that Americans aren’t kidnapped and killed for speaking against the government.

Yet. In another “Catching Fire” scene, the ‘Peace-keepers’ (or, secret police) raid the black-market building in District 12, where people trade goods like meat and jewelry that they otherwise cannot get because of government restrictions. Could this scene be symbolic of the government’s ever-encroaching policies on the free market and free trade?

After a few off-script words from Katniss that address the solidarity of the Panem people, an elderly man in the crowd raises his hand with the symbol of revolution. Before long, the whole crowd has joined him, and Peace-keepers have grabbed him from the crowd as Katniss is pulled offstage.

In front of the entire community, the weak, old man is dragged onstage and shot in the head.

Despite all the political agendas I contemplated while watching the movie and that the director may have been

pushing, the message anyone could take away from the movie is that inhumanity and tyranny aren’t things of the past.

The movie is presumably set in America’s distant future, at a time when barbarism rivals that of the cavemen, yet the technology is something we in the present can only dream of.

The books and movies warn that, no matter how advanced we think we have become, freedom and individual rights are never guaranteed. The series rejects complacency and apathy, teaching that we must have the hope and courage to change our placement of authority instead of forcing down the government propaganda, just to throw it back up only to make room for more.

“Catching Fire” was entertaining from start to finish, but I am not convinced that this is the best Hollywood can do for the genre. I have set my sights on the film adaptation of Lois Lowry’s Newberry Medal-winner “The Giver,” starring Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges, set to premiere in August of this year. A favorite book of mine as a middle-schooler, the book explores topics like conformity, pain, happiness, and memory against the backdrop of a dystopian society.

I am hopeful that maybe it will be me crying in the theatre bathroom in August.

A5 27 March 2014

Olympics: A platform for human rights Amanda Tindall Assistant Editor

Every few years, Americans take up arms of activism because of a viral video that exposes human rights abuses. They join the crowd, wear the ribbons, share videos on Facebook, and do whatever it is activists do. Think Kony 2012.

And then it dies down. The videos stop assaulting news feeds. The hashtags on Twitter end. Yet the problems still exist. Problems like 27 million people in modern slavery.

Based on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, the United States can enact sanctions against Tier 3 nations, those with the worst human rights abuses that are doing little to nothing to solve the problems that plague their population.

This year, two of the countries that have recently held the Olympics — Russia and China — were reduced to Tier 3, the same category as North Korea, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Cuba.

Based on the fact that the U.S. didn’t enact sanctions on Russia until it took over part of another country, the likelihood of the U.S. actually doing anything similar over human rights is pretty slim.

Superpower against superpower, the chances of bitterness and strained relations are more likely than accepted assistance and change.

Yet the rest of the free world desperately needs to announce that oppression will not be supported. It needs a platform that promotes and encourages peace, that allows representatives of the world to come together, where countries won’t be up in arms — literally and figuratively.

Every two years, the entire world comes together to play games. It’s like a family reunion. There’s always the crazy uncle too. But every host country has a point to prove — that it’s capable of hosting such a large event.

The Olympics are prestigious. And if used properly, the Olympics could be a platform to promote peace among the nations, as well as peace and freedom within the nations.

The International Olympic Committee should introduce new requirements for host countries. Any country that refuses to work seriously to improve human rights conditions and to combat human trafficking within its own borders should not be eligible as an Olympic host.

Seven countries filed candidacy to host the 2014 winter Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee chose three for voting: Pyeongchang, South Korea, Salzburg, Austria, and the winner, Sochi, Russia.

Both South Korea and Austria are Tier 1 nations, while Russia has maintained a spot on the Tier 2 Watchlist until this year.

Under new requirements, both South Korea and Austria would be viable options for a host country. They could actively work against any possibility of human rights violations or human trafficking during the Olympics as well.

During the London 2012 Olympics, police actively worked against human trafficking because the government of the United Kingdom understood that it was a problem.

At large events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics, there is a significant influx of human trafficking to meet the demands of an increased population.

To prevent the violation of the rights of thousands of people, it’s important to host the Olympics in countries that will actively work to prevent human trafficking, and not to support it.

Although this alone may not end modern slavery, it’s a valuable step to show the nations of the world that the free world will not stand for oppressive regimes.

Solitary confinement hurts prisoners, general public Shane Armstrong Collegian Reporter Robert King spent 29 years in a 6x 9x12 feet box, only to be released after his conviction was overturned.

“I get confused as to where I am, where I should be,” King told CNN. Solitary confinement is one of the most brutal punishments one can receive. Because of the toll it takes on prisoners and the harm it inflicts on the general public, the United States must abandon solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement is a punishment usually given to prisoners who are not fit to be in the general population of a prison: someone who is on

suicide watch, someone in danger of cruel treatment from inmates based on the crime he committed, or someone who has not been getting along with fellow inmates. Those in solitary confinement are held in small cells with no windows for 23 hours a day with little or no human contact. They eat and defecate in the same space. Their one hour outside of their cell is spent in a cage rather than outside like other inmates.

Recent studies have shown glaring problems with the mental and physical health of prisoners held in solitary confinement such as depression and brain deformation. CNN’s story on Robert King, who was in confinement for 29 years, brought the cruelty of the

punishment to light.

Right now, there are approximately 80,000 people being held in some sort of solitary-type confinement in the United States. Some states, like New York, are attempting to revise their laws, which would limit the number of people punished with solitary confinement.

These prisoners are treated worse than most dogs in pounds, then expected to transition back into society with no problems when they are eventually released. Several studies have shown that prisoners in solitary confinement suffer from stress, loss of the sense of reality, confusion, depression, and hallucinations. These problems did not disappear for Robert King

when he reentered society, and it’s unlikely that others would have different experiences.

Sunlight and social interaction positively impact the brain and allow people to grow mentally. Depriving people of things like that is not only mentally damaging, but permanently changes those punished with solitary confinement.

Frustratingly, solitary confinement was somewhat out of practice until it regained popularity in the 1970s and ’80s. Its renewed popularity stemmed mainly from prison overpopulation.

This means that many of the people placed in solitary confinement did not necessarily do anything to deserve it.

They were simply caught at a place

that was overpopulated, drew the short straw, and suffered for it.

Solitary confinement should end.

Having these damaged minds going back into society is not only tough on the individual, but on the community as a whole. Nobody knows how a mentally-ill person is going to react to social life after such a long period of isolation.

Since the main reason people are put in solitary confinement today is due to prison overpopulation, prisons should consider expanding their general population to accommodate for more people. Anything would be better than casting a human being into perpetual solitude.

CITY NEWS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A6 27 March 2014

Winter potholes prove costly to city, drivers Kate Patrick Collegian Reporter While Hillsdale is struggling just to fund routine road fixes, this winter amplified the problem by creating new potholes that are expensive to fix and costly to drivers if neglected.

Hillsdale senior Christopher Kehoe discovered this when he popped two tires driving 25 mph over a massive pothole on Fayette Street.

“I swerved to avoid all the potholes on the right side and I hit a super large one in the middle of the road,” Kehoe said. “I had a friend with me in the car, and I said, ‘You know what, I’m pretty sure I just popped a tire,’ and so we pulled into the Grab N Go and both of them were toast.”

Kehoe is not the only one who is struggling with the pothole problem. Hillsdale resident John Lovinger attended the Hillsdale City Council meeting on March 17 to discuss one of Hillsdale’s worst potholes, which he deals with every day.

“I’m the proud property owner of what we affectionately, on Wolcott Street, call ‘Lake Lovinger,’” Lovinger said. “It is directly at the end of my driveway. It’s not a big street, but it’s the worst puddle in the city.”

Despite his frustration with the pothole, Lovinger said he attended the meeting to encourage city council to continue seeking a solution to fix these road problems.

“I’m mainly here to encourage you. I understand it’s not a simple fix, but it’s a problem that’s not getting any better, and I perceive it to be worse,” Lovinger said. “The challenge is now that the street underneath the lake is basically down to dirt road and impossible to maintain.”

Lake Lovinger even prevented him from putting out his trash.

“This past week I was unable to take my garbage can out to the curb because there was literally a puddle 30 feet in length and so much snow on the side of my driveway,” Lovinger said.

Hillsdale’s Director of Public Services Keith Richard explained how cycles of freezing and thawing form these potholes.

When the ground freezes, it swells upward,

but warmer temperatures thaw the ground and it shrinks back to original size. This constant freezing and thawing breaks up the pavement and forms potholes. Harsh winters expedite the process and form larger ones, like Lake Lovinger.

“It’s been a real struggle this winter,” Richard said. “We’ve had so many potholes form. We typically try to catch them as quick as we can. The severity of the winter and the extremely cold temperatures have made the streets swell up considerably worse than other years. This year the frost has gone deeper than a typical winter.”

Even though potholes pose serious problems for the city, Hillsdale has limited options for fixing them. Richard admitted the city doesn’t have enough funding to permanently repair the roads.

“We just completed the fiscal budget for the upcoming year starting July 1, and that has to be approved yet,” Richard said,” but we’re finding it difficult to fund anything.”

Part of the problem is that many of the worst roads are local streets that Hillsdale can’t use state funding to fix them.

Roads are classified into three types: trunk line,

major streets, and local streets. The trunk line includes state routes like M99, and is maintained by the state. Major streets are also maintained by the state, but local streets must be paid for by the city.

“State grants are only eligible for major streets, and of course, the trunk line is paid 100 percent by the state of Michigan,” Richard said. “The City of Hillsdale is going to have to create their own funding among the taxpayers to reconstruct the local streets.”

This means that local streets, like Fayette, must be paid for by Hillsdale residents.

“We’ll be awarded in 2015 a small, urban grant of $350,000 that has to be used on a small urban route that is a connecter to the city limits,” Richard said. “I don’t know of one grant that could be used on a local street. The people of Hillsdale have to fund local streets on their own.”

Despite the many obstacles facing Hillsdale, residents believe that city council will find funding.

“I’m hopeful that you can find some type of solution,” Lovinger said.

The anatomy of a pothole How a freeze-and-thaw cycle destroys roads: 1) Freezing temperatures cause ground beneath the pavement to expand 2) Thawing causes the pavement to shrink back to original size 3) Continuous expanding and shrinking of the ground breaks the pavement 4) Small breaks develop into areas devoid of pavement, which are called potholes

‘Lake Lovinger,’ which is located at the bottom of John Lovinger’s driveway on North Wolcott Street. The broken road stretches 30 feet wide and holds half a foot of water at its center.

Lovinger attended the Hillsdale City Council meeting to encourage council members to find roadfunding solutions. (Macaela Bennett/Collegian)

Prosecutor Neal Brady to run for District Court Judge Taylor Knopf City News Editor

After 18 years serving as Hillsdale County Prosecutor, Neal Brady is ready to take his career next step by running for District Court Judge.

Brady announced his candidacy for judge at the March 17 Hillsdale City Council meeting. Brady decided to run for the vacancy after Judge Donald Sanderson announced his retirement on Feb. 6. Currently, Jonesville lawyer Sarah Lisznyai is Brady’s sole opponent for the fall election.

“It is a natural transition going from the public servant prosecutor to public servant judge,” Brady said. “Your goals are the same. You’re trying to protect the public and do justice. I’m not trying to win at all costs as prosecutor. I’m trying to do what’s just. That’s what a judge should do according to the law and their conscience. I think that the two positions flow into one and fit fairly well together.”

Brady said he is also ready to be at the top of the food chain, where he will call the shots. Being a prosecuting attorney in a small county requires long hours and constantly being in the midst of the fight.

“It’s a tough job that tends to wear on you,” Brady said.

Brady’s platform will consist of continuing the efficient and readily accessible court that Sanderson created.

“District court is the court of the people. There is hardly anyone who hasn’t had contact with District Court in some way — whether it’s traffic tickets, landlord relations, or misdemeanors,” Brady said. “It has to be efficient, friendly, motivated, and it has to provide swift and easy access to justice.”

Brady said he would continue with his own stylistic changes according to his personality and experience as a prosecutor. He plans to be some-

what tougher on people he has repeatedly prosecuted.

If Brady wins the District Court Judge seat in the fall, Judge Smith will appoint a prosecutor to fill Brady’s vacancy, as prosecuting attorney is only up for election during presidential election years.

“Running for judge is a chance that not every lawyer is able take,” senior Elizabeth Brady said. “Now that it has arrived for my father, I am thrilled that he is campaigning for this new opportunity to serve his community. Of course, I have no doubt in his ability, but I have more appreciation now for the character and courage required to even run for the position. I have great confidence that this fall will bring out the best in my father, who has never ceased being a fine example for all those around him.”

During his campaign, Neal Brady intends to seek the assistance of Hillsdale’s College Republicans to help reach voters by going door-to-door.

He was chairman of the Hillsdale County Republicans for six years and said he has a good relationship with the college group. He said he could use the help because this fall will be a busy as he campaigns and coaches soccer.

Brady is the varsity men’s soccer team coach at the Hillsdale Academy, and he coaches two community youth teams of 8-12 year old boys.

“He is a fantastic coach with a very commanding presence,” said Hillsdale Soccer Club Coordinator Amy Fast. “He’s a quiet spoken and thoughtful man, but when he speaks he commands attention. It’s a great quality for a coach and a judge.”

Fast said what she admires most about Brady is his ability to balance his professional career, volunteering, and family life.

“He works all day, volunteers at night, then goes home and helps with a horse farm and six kids,” Fast said. “He does everything in such a way that he is never distracted. He’s completely

Drop-In Center opens location in Hillsdale Alex Anderson Web Editor

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One summer afternoon, Colonel Fowler said to Chief Baw Beese as they looked out over the water, “No longer shall this lake be called by its Indian name. Henceforth, it shall be known as Baw Beese Lake, in honor of the chief who has been a true and loyal friend to the white man – in your honor – and your memory shall be kept alive forever by all citizens of Hillsdale County.”

The tribe of the Pottawatomies was friendly and fierce – though known by the settlers to be more of the former trait than the latter. They roamed through the valleys of the St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and other streams that flowed into Lake Michigan, camping near Somerset and Lake Baw Beese. Tribes would often travel along the Sauk Trail, which is the U.S. Route 12 today and carries traffic across the state. Formerly, it was a rough, worn trail used by tribes, trappers and traders, and explorers such as Frenchman Robert LaSalle.

In 1827, Hillsdale County’s first settlers arrived, lead by Captain Moses Allen, a veteran of the War of 1812 and one who helped survey Chicago Road – another name for U.S. Route 12.

A year later, Benaiah Jones settled five miles from the Allens.

Chief Baw Beese and the Pottawatomies helped the settlers gather supplies and food, especially to survive for the harsh winter. Also, once the settlers opened the first county school, Chief Baw Beese sent his son to be one of the pupils.

The settlers and Indians received the 1837 federal mandate that required the Pottawatomies to move west. It wasn’t until troops enforced the law in 1840 that the tribe left — school was dismissed for the day so they could said goodbye.

A diary entry written years later by Moses Allen’s granddaughter says that members of the Pottawatomies bore the body of Chief Baw Beese back to bury him with his ancestors near the lake that was later renamed after him.

about this particular drug, its processes, and other crimes that sort of spin off from the drug.”

The most unexpected aspect of being a prosecuting attorney is helping a defendant with a specific need.

“I am able to understand and tailor a disposition that requires them to be accountable yet heal themselves,” Brady said. “So sometimes it’s not the victims we are helping, it’s those who are being charged. They are not all bad people. Some of them need help. They can’t always get it through a court appointed defense attorney. They need the help of a concerned prosecutor.”

Bro

The corner of Monroe and Hillsdale streets has sat unoccupied since the closure of the Victorian Rose Flower Shoppe. In January, LifeWays, a community mental health agency based in Jackson, Mich., moved its Hillsdale DropIn Center into this once vacant building.

A drop-in center is a transitional place that delivers social support for individuals in the community suffering from emotional and mental health problems. Daily activities provide members of the community with a safe environment to develop friendships, socialization, courage, and decisionmaking skills.

Director of the Drop-In Center and former attendee Thomas Barns, spoke about the program’s success and the positive impact it’s had on his life.

“I’ve been coming to the dropin since I was 18,” Barns said. “I enjoyed hanging out with other people who had similar experiences to what I was going through.”

LifeWays provides mental health services to individuals living in Jackson or Hillsdale counties. Generally, drop-in centers partner with communities to inspire and equip individuals for a journey towards wellness.

The Hillsdale Drop-In Center is one of two centers funded by

LifeWays where activities and daily tasks are run entirely by volunteers.

Volunteer Amber Nowlin explained that the new facility has given the team more space to work with.

“We had an old building across from the Finish Line for quite a while but we needed more space.

We had limited capacity with the two levels because it wasn’t handicap accessible,” Nowlin said.

“Now we have that accessibility giving us offices, meeting rooms, and activity space.”

The center offers free laundry, internet, television, activities, crafts, field trips, and weekly meals throughout the year.

“We are hoping that this facility will get us more members. We are now out in the open where people can see us,’’ Nowlin said.

The majority of activities are funded through LifeWays. However, funding for specific projects have been made available through multiple grants.

On May 17, The Hillsdale Drop-In Center will host an open house to connect with the community and gain volunteer support.

“We are trying to work on partnerships with local business in the communities,” Nowlin said. “We hope to get some community support. We are looking for volunteers or people who are interested in helping us out for summer.”

involved in what he is doing at that moment. He’s incredibly dedicated and focused.”

Brady has four children at the Academy and two attend Hillsdale College. His wife, Lois, works at the hospital.

Brady grew up in Saginaw, Mich. and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Elma College. However, in 1983 the economy was rough and teaching jobs were difficult to find, so Brady decided to continue his education at Thomas Cooley Law School. He graduated three years later and accepted a job as a clerk with bailiff responsibilities in Jackson County while he worked to pass the bar exam.

It was then that an assistant prosecutor position opened in Jackson County, and Brady worked there for three years. He wanted to be a public servant, but never thought he could fulfill that desire as a prosecutor.

“The best part is when you use your talents and power to help individuals,” Brady said. “You feel it when you talk about one person. You don’t feel it when you talk in generalities. But when I have a face, a name, and a cause with a name, then that’s what is most satisfying about it. The hard part is that it’s not always easy. Quite often, it’s difficult to satisfy victims and to console people who can’t be consoled. Sometimes you walk away neutral and disappointed.”

In January 1994, Hillsdale County Prosecutor Michael Smith offered Brady a position as his assistant prosecutor. In 1996, Smith ran for Hillsdale County Circuit Court Judge, leaving the prosecutor seat open, so Brady ran for it and won.

In almost two decades as Hillsdale County Prosecutor, Brady said he has seen sprees of various crimes. In 2003, he and the police force began dealing with methamphetamine.

“I don’t know that there was a law on the books specifically to prosecute methamphetamine,” Brady said. “Then it became an epidemic. The police and I were all learning at the same time

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SPORTS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A7 27 March 2014

Softball falls to Findlay Oilers Monica Brandt Collegian Reporter In the first conference games of the season, the Hillsdale College women’s softball team lost twice to the University of Findlay.

The games were played on a field near Findlay’s campus, because neither Findlay nor Hillsdale’s fields were clear of ice and snow.

In the first game of the double header, Hillsdale went into the top of the third inning trailing 2-0, after a run by Findlay in the bottom of both the first and second innings. After singles by junior Melissa Felkey and sophomore Danielle Garceau, freshman Bekah Kastning hit her first career home run to put Hillsdale ahead 3-2.

“We have good freshman hit-

ters this season,” Garceau said.

Findlay tied up the game in the bottom of the same inning, and scored again in the bottom of the seventh to win the game 4-3.

Hillsdale lost the second game 9-1.

“Findlay hit our pitching hard in the second game,” head coach Joe Abraham said. “They were up 8-0 before we even knew what happened.”

Kastning said Findlay was able to get hits in the gaps, making it hard on the defense.

Abraham said Hillsdale played well defensively against Findlay, but needs to get more hits.

Hillsdale has scored three or fewer runs in nine of the 10 games it has played this season.

“When a season starts, the pitchers are typically ahead of the hitters,” Abraham said. “It takes games for the hitters to catch up.”

Abraham said Hillsdale needs to add more non-conference games early in the season so the hitters are ready when conference play begins.

“These games were not an example of who we are as a team,” Felkey said.

On Saturday and Sunday, Hillsdale is scheduled to host its first home games of the season against Tiffin University and Ohio Dominican University. Due to four inches of ice on the field, Garceau said Hillsdale must either find a neutral site for the games, or give away home games and play at Tiffin.

“It would be nice to have a turf building to practice in,” Abraham said, “but all we can do is go out and play our hardest.

You can’t control the weather.”

The Chargers have been unable to have outdoor practices in Michigan this season, and

BOX SCORES

Garceau said the earliest they predict to be outside for practice or games is mid-April. ”“I dont’ want to make excuses for the team, but at the same time, these girls are facing very difficult conditions,” Abraham said.

Abraham said he expects good pitching from Tiffin, the alma mater of Hillsdale’s new pitching coach, Amber Young.

“They are always solid at a minimum,” Abraham said.

He said Ohio Dominican struggled in the preseason, but has already played about 25 games, making them better than their record indicates.

Hillsdale will then play at Wayne State University on Tuesday.

“I hope we can show up this weekend and play the way we had been in Florida,” Felkey said.

Casey Harper Spotlight Editor

Looking for warmer weather, the men and women’s track team headed south to Raleigh, North Carolina to compete through the weekend in the first meet of the outdoor season.

“I’m excited to get down to a big-time meet this early in the year,” said head men’s coach Jeff Forino.

The team is coming off an indoor track season that boasted 13 national qualifiers.

For previously redshirted athletes, the new outdoor season offers a chance to compete again.

mantha Kearney said.

Forino said going south for this meet will allow them to compete against a lot of teams from the East Coast instead of the same teams from the Midwest.

“I like it when we go to meets and we don’t know all the people there,” he said. “You don’t know what to expect and that makes it exciting.”

The teams intentionally head south for the warmer temperatures.

“It’s especially nice for sprinters to be in the warmer climate because your body responds better,” junior Elly Byron said.

The start of the outdoor season means the teams will now compete in the discus, javelin,

Softball

5-15 overall

4-6 overall

Grand Valley St: 4 Hillsdale: 0

Findlay: 4 Hillsdale: 3

Hillsdale: 7 Walsh: 0

Findlay: 9 Hillsdale: 1

Hillsdale: 1 Walsh: 0

Season Leaders:

Hillsdale: 5 Walsh: 4 Davenport: 12 HIllsdale: 1 Davenport: 13 Hillsdale: 8

Track to open outdoor season in NC Junior Cassidy Kaufman redshirted for the last outdoor and indoor season due to an injury, but he will be competing in the triple jump in North Carolina.

“Now that it’s outdoor season I’m absolutely stoked to compete and beat people,” he said. “Our team is going to do well and we are definitely going to compete in the GLIAC for sure.”

Sophomores Emily Oren, Kate Royer, and Kristina Galat, and junior Amy Kerst will not be attending because they are recovering from competing at nationals.

“They’re getting back in the swing of training, but as far as I know they’ll be at the next outdoor meet,” assistant coach Sa-

Baseball

Season Leaders Hits: Luke Ortel: 28 Tad Sobieszczanski: 22 Nolan Breymaier: 20 Connor Bartlett: 20

steeplechase, 10K and the 1500 instead of the mile. Forino said the strength for the men’s team is that they do well in all event areas.

“We are very well rounded,” he said. “We have guys in every area that could make nationals, so that is very exciting.”

The men who competed at nationals will not skip this meet but may compete in fewer events.

Kearney said the women’s team is young and gained a lot of experience from the indoor season that will help them in the outdoor season.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of the team, and they’re hungry to compete,” she said.

Home runs: Lincoln Reed: 1 RBIs: Bartlett: 11 Chris McDonald: 11 Ethan Wiskur: 10 Ortel: 10

Hits: Bekah Kastning: 11 Ainsley Ellison: 7 Kristi Gordon: 5 Jessica Knepper: 5 Home runs: Kestning: 1 Sarah Grunert: 1 Courtney Day: 1 RBIs: Kastning: 7 Gordon: 4 Day: 2 Danielle Graceau: 2 ERA: Grunert: 2.74 Kate Ardrey: 3.36 Sarah Klopfer: 4.29 Tennis Davenport: 7 Hillsdale: 2

ERA: Dan Pochmara: 0.00 Joe Chasen: 3.18 Jake Lee: 3.54

Kopmeyer sisters continue family volleyball tradition Morgan Sweeney Assistant Editor

Four generations of women in senior Caitlin Kopmeyer’s family will have attended Hillsdale College by next fall. Three of them will have played Charger volleyball, all specializing in the front row. Caitlin’s mother, Patty, played right-side hitter when she was a student at Hillsdale, and Caitlin’s younger sister Jessie will play left-side hitter, Caitlin’s position, when she comes to Hillsdale in the fall.

Of her years playing volleyball at Hillsdale, Patty Kopmeyer said, “They were some of the best of my life.”

The Kopmeyer family shares a passion — not to mention, a talent — for sports that spans generations. Patty Kopmeyer’s father played professional football for the Buffalo Bills, and now, her oldest daughter, Haley, plays soccer for the Seattle Reign as part of a U.S. professional women’s soccer league established just two years ago.

Patty continues coaching girls’ volleyball. The youngest of her children, Joey, plays goalie for his high school soccer team — the same position that Haley plays.

For Caitlin and Jessie, the seed was planted early. They grew up helping at their mom’s games, watching the older girls play, and dreaming of the day when they would have their time on the court. They also joined their family in cheering Haley on in soccer.

“When Haley would play in her high school games, Caitlin and I would always go to practices, and I just loved watching them play,” Jessie said.

But Patty and her husband, Joe, never pressured their children into playing sports.

“We wanted them to experience everything. It was nothing like, ‘You’re going to be an athlete,’” Patty said. “We used to take them to art classes and ballet. I have three girls, and I didn’t know what they were going to like. They really took to volleyball.”

And it seems that for the

younger Kopmeyer girls, volleyball took to them.

Caitlin started as a freshman on the college’s volleyball team.

Her sophomore year, the Chargers were GLIAC champions,

All-Tournament team in 20112012, First team All-GLIAC in 2011-2013, and the GLIAC All-Academic team in the 20122013 season. Caitlin was voted team captain, both as a junior

ceived, it appears that Jessie has displayed the same kind of leadership and athletic prowess that Caitlin has.

Jessie was team captain of her high school team during the same time Caitlin was captain for the Chargers. The Marian High School team was state champion for class A during Jessie’s freshman year, Honorable Mention All-State in 2011, Third Team All-State in 2012, and First Team All-State in 2013.

Jessie was Third Runner-up for Miss Volleyball, a state-wide award, in 2013.

Hillsdale College volleyball coach Chris Gravel has known Caitlin and Jessie since they first attended Hillsdale volleyball camps in middle school. Gravel knew from the time Caitlin was in eighth and ninth grade that she had something special. Despite being on the shorter side for the average collegiate volleyCaitlin Kopmeyer (left) and Jessie Kopmeyer (right). (Photos ball player (she’s 5’8”), Caitlin Courtesy of Jim Drews and Jessie Kopmeyer, respectively) demonstrated great versatility as both a front- and back-row player. and they made it to the Final and for the 2013-2014 season.

“Caitlin could do everything.

Four. Caitlin made the GLIAC From the honors she has re- She’s a great serve-receive pass-

er, she has great reads on defense, and she can transition to attack both front and back row,” Gravel said.

Gravel looks forward to watching how the slightly taller Jessie develops as a Charger.

“I think that Jessie shows that her potential might be better in the front row than Caitlin’s,” Gravel said. “To see her play in the back row -- I mean Jessie’s really good in the back row.

Caitlin was great in the back row. We’re waiting to see how that develops.”

Now that Caitlin has finished her last season, she has been invited to be a student coach.

Gravel’s choice was strategic.

“Caitlin’s won two conference titles. She’s gone to the Final Four, the Sweet Sixteen. She has a lot of experience with how to win,” Gravel said. “I want that to rub off on the younger players.”

As for Caitlin, she’s excited to be a part of Jessie’s experience playing at the college level.

“I’m really looking forward to being here during that time,” Caitlin said.

Charger Chatter: heather lantis was roughly 128 feet during the outdoor season my sophomore year at a meet in Hillsdale.

What is the best part about track meets?

Heather Lantis is a junior thrower on the track team, a history major, and the vice president of Student Federation.

When did you start focusing on track?

My junior year in high school. I got hurt playing basketball and needed to rehab to get back and all that hard work instilled my love for track. I was frustrated that I couldn’t throw with my right hand so I threw with my left instead and made it work.

What is your personal record for throwing?

I achieved my PR for shot put of 12.5 meters my sophomore year at the conference tune-up meet at Grand Valley State University. For discus my best throw

I think the best part about track meets is watching those races that are neck-and-neck until the finish. This past season there were a lot of close races with our 4x4 team. When you’re throwing and it comes down to the last throw, and the person in second place beats the person in first; I like watching the upsets.

They’re exciting. It’s worth watching all of the boring moments because of all of those intense moments of competition and victory.

What is your best moment as a Charger?

I think my best moment as a Charger is witnessing the Charger athletic community as a whole compete with a high level of intensity and character. Charger athletes bring so much more to competition than their abilities because they bring such a high level of integrity. And I think that competing to our utmost in a way that is glorifying to the Lord is the most important part of any athletic competition.

What is the most difficult part about being a thrower?

How has having the Biermann Center helped the track team?

those facilities and respect the program because of it.

The most difficult part is the Well logistically, there is a lot aspect that you have such a more room for us to practice, small period of time to com- which is helpful. It also is a pete. In other sports there are huge asset when it comes to four quarters or nine innings recruiting, because people see where if you make a mistake you can make it up Rates for both houses are $400 later on in the game, but in track, and more specifically in throws, you have three chances to throw far.

So with that there is more pressure in those short moments.

What do you like to do outside of athletics?

I enjoy being a part of Athlete InnerVarsity as the women’s

track team bible study leader.

I am also vice president of the Hillsdale Student Federation. I am also a part of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and I am really trying to improve my tennis skills so one day I take on the Delp sisters.

-Shane Armstrong

---- Two houses available for rent ----

Do you have any superstitions/rituals the day of a meet?

I always have to make sure that my cross necklace is aligned correctly so that the clasp is not in front every time before I throw.

Other than that I would say that I am not a very superstitious person.

What is something about coach Forino that not everybody knows?

The amount of Diet Coke and Mountain Dew that c] Coach Forino intakes on a daily basis never ceases to amaze me.

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Rate for both houses: $400/mo per person Please contact Benjamin B. LeCompte, III at 847 381-2514 or at cblecompte@aol.com

27 March 2014

(Photo Courtesy of David Mexicotte)

Charger Sports

Melchior lands gig with MLB farm team

Nathanael Meadowcroft Collegian Reporter For a sports fan, it doesn’t get much better than enjoying America’s pastime -- and getting paid to do so.

Hillsdale junior Matt Melchior is about to spend a whole summer doing exactly that. Melchior has been named the broadcasting director for the High Desert Mavericks, the Seattle Mariners’ Class A advanced affiliate, located in sunny Adelanto, Calif., which is a 90-minute drive northeast of Los Angeles. Melchior will be busy working for the Mavericks.

“I’ll be simulcasting all of their games, for both television and radio, and then I’ll also be hiring a PA announcer,” Melchior said.

“I’ll deal with all the media relations, press releases, all of that.”

Over spring break, Melchior travelled down to Peoria, Ariz. to interview with Chris Gwynn, the director of player development for the Mariners, along with members of the Mavericks’ staff, including manager Eddie Menchaca, pitching coach Andrew Lorraine, and hitting coach Max Venable. Melchior also had the privilege of interviewing with current Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon.

Melchior then headed to Adelanto to prepare scripts and handle human resources in preparation for opening day on April 3. Melchior, a week after returning to Hillsdale at the conclusion of spring break, headed west again this past Monday, this time for the remainder of the summer.

Melchior took 19 credits this semester, a large workload for any student, but was still able to complete all his coursework before leaving for Adelanto.

“My teachers have been very flexible and very willing to work with me, so I’ve been completing all my course work ahead of time,” Melchior said. “I’ll have it all done and all my requirements done on the home front before I take this job.”

Melchior will be just as busy, if not more so, after the season begins. “[The Mavericks] have 72 home games, and between travelling and home games, we have five off days,” Melchior said.

For a season that lasts from the beginning of April to the beginning of September, Melchior will average just one day off a month.

After an incredibly busy summer, Melchior will return to Hillsdale.

“I’ll miss the first two weeks of school, and then I’ll come back and graduate in the fall,” Melchior said.

Melchior will be missed by many at Hillsdale during his absence, including Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale’s Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Event Management.

“Matt came to me actually very early his freshman year two years ago and expressed interest in working in some capacity in the department, but particularly looking at an announcing scenario,” Monastiere said. “He’s someone who has a lot of initiative, who has a lot of drive, has a lot of ambition, but also has a lot of talent, and this opportunity he’s got in California is the end result of the combination of all those things coming together.”

On campus, Melchior is involved with PA announcing and football game management in addition to broadcasting baseball and softball games, so Monastiere will have to try and make do without him.

“We’ll just have to get by with what we have, but his contributions during the time he was here were extremely valuable,” Monastiere said. “The nice thing is that he’ll be back next fall after he’s done with the team out there so we’ll put him to work again.”

The next five months will be a marathon for Melchior, but one he will undoubtedly enjoy. Becoming the High Desert Mavericks’ broadcast director is one of the first big steps that Melchior will take towards fulfilling his dream of becoming a broadcaster for a Major League Baseball team.

FOGT ADDS ALL-AMERICAN TO STANDOUT SEASON

Her 22 double-doubles were second in the nation.

“I think my biggest accomplishment was developing consistency throughout the year,” Fogt said. “Being someone my team Junior Megan Fogt was named Firstcould count on was a really big deal for me.”

Team All-American by both the Women’s Fogt led the GLIAC in points per game, Basketball Coaches Association and Dakwith 20.3. tronics.

She earned seven GLIAC She was one of only 10 women South Division Player of the Week in NCAA Division II to receive this awards, and was named GLIAC honor given by the WBCA, and the Player of the Year. only player in the GLIAC. “She is very humble,” Charney She is one of five women in Divisaid. sion II to be on the Daktronics AllCharney said it can be a negaAmerican First Team. She qualified tive at times because she can lack for this after being named First Team confidence.

All-Region.

“Last year I was never conThis was the first year in Hillsdale fident in my ability,” Fogt said.

College history that players from both “This year I developed a sense of basketball teams were named to Allself-confidence and it has taken me American teams in the same season, places.” after senior Tim Dezelski was named Outside of basketball, Fogt Third Team All-American, First Team takes her academics seriously, All-Region, and First Team All-Conwith a 3.84 overall grade point avference. He was also named Second erage, and volunteers at the HillsTeam All-Region by the National Asdale Community Health Center. sociation of Basketball coaches. He “Academics always come first, is only the second Hillsdale men’s and they always have,” Fogt said. basketball player to be named AllEarlier in the year, Fogt was American. also named Second Team AcaFogt was also named Daktronics demic All-American by the ColMidwest Region Player of the Year, lege Sports Information Directors the second women’s basketball playof America, which Fogt said was er in Hillsdale history to do so after important to her because it comKatie Cezat during her senior year in bined her athletic and academic 2009. performances.

“We always talk about Katie CezFogt’s goal for next season at,” head coach Claudette Charney Junior Megan Fogt recently added All-American honors is to win the GLIAC, make it said. “Megan is very comparable.” to an already impressive season. (Collegian File Photo) to the NCAA tournament, and Cezat holds many of Hillsdale’s have a winning record. game, season, and career records.

“The best part of our team This season, Fogt was second to Cezat’s 15 from the field, making her final 14 con- is that there are so many capable players,” 521 season rebounds with 435, and second secutive shots.

Fogt said. “Any one could step up on any to Cezat’s 100 season blocks with 67.

Fogt led the nation in rebounding this given night. It’s going to take all of us, and With one season left to play, Fogt is al- season, averaging 16.1 rebounds per game. we can do some damage.” ready fourth in school history with 756 caMonica Brandt Collegian Reporter

reer rebounds, and second to Cezat’s 138 career blocks with 107.

In the four-overtime win against Walsh University, Fogt set a school record with 58 minutes of playing time.

In the final game of the regular season against the University of Findlay, she set school and conference records by going 14-

Volleyball wins video contest Shane Armstrong Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale College volleyball team is the winner of the American Volleyball Coach’s Association’s “Let’s Make a Video” contest. This was the first year the contest was held and the Chargers stole the show.

The team did their own version of “The Sound of Music” as a thank you to their coaches for taking them on a team trip

to Italy and Austria.

“We didn’t know that the video would be entered in the contest. We did it as a thank you to our coaches and found out that Brad Monastaire entered it into the contest,” sophomore middle hitter Haylee Booms said.

The idea to do “The Sound of Music” was a collaboration by seniors Sydney Lenhart and Caitlin Kopmeyer, and junior Lindsay Kostrzewa. To win the award, collegiate teams of all levels were asked to show their

creativity.

The video, shot by junior softball player Courtney Day, was filmed in the Grewcock Student Union.

“One of the most fun parts about making the video was breaking into the union over break and filming it when nobody was there,” Booms said.

Although the video took a lot of planning and preparation, the team was efficient in filming it.

“We actually filmed it in one take. We rehearsed it like two

or three times but filmed it in under an hour,” Booms said.

For winning the contest, the Chargers’ head coach Chris Gravel will receive the book “Thinking Volleyball,” written

by AVCA Hall of Famer Mike Hebert. The team is excited that something done as a thank you to their coach has gained so much attention.

“I think it was weird enough and different enough to win,” Booms said.

Baseball starts GLIAC season 3-3, sweeps Walsh

Caleb Whitmer Editor-in-Chief

The baseball team played six games in the last week. They won three and lost three.

After losing to Grand Valley State University (6-0) on March 20, the Chargers (3-3) swept Walsh University (1-3) over the weekend.

The team then dropped two more games to GVSU on March 26.

Grand Valley, currently 18th in national rankings, topped Hillsdale 12-1 and 13-8 in yesterday’s games.

In the first game’s second inning, junior Shane Armstrong got

into trouble early, walking two batters and hitting one. Grand Valley recorded only one hit in the inning but managed five runs.

The Chargers scored their one run in the fifth. Sophomore Luke Ortel singled into center, batting in junior Sean Bennett.

Grand Valley again jumped ahead early in the second game, scoring 10 runs in the first four innings to Hillsdale’s three. But then Hillsdale came back.

The Chargers scored three in the fifth off a single from Ortel, a double from senior Adam Ladzinski, and another single by junior Nolan Breymaier.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Mc-

Donald held Grand Valley scoreless in the bottom half of the inning.

In the top of the sixth, sophomore Lincoln Reed doubled and freshman Jake Lee singled, scoring Hillsdale two more runs and pulling the team within two of the Lakers.

But Grand Valley responded with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, and the Chargers couldn’t respond.

The weekend games ended much more favorably for Hillsdale.

Coach Eric Theisen praised the team’s pitchers for their two Saturday games. The Chargers shut out Walsh in both, 7-0 and 1-0.

Senior Matthew Reck pitched for Hillsdale in the first game. He held Walsh to four hits and forced five strikeouts.

Freshman Jake Lee threw in the second game. He allowed just one run and struck out three.

Both pitchers threw complete games.

“That sets the tone for the whole weekend,” Theisen said.

“When you don’t have to go to

your bullpen – that’s huge.”

Breymaier batted in the second Walsh game’s only run. Two outs into the bottom of the fourth, Breymaier took two strikes before smacking a single into center field.

Sophomore Tad Sobieszczanski scored the run.

“Sometimes all you need to do is come up with one clutch hit,” Theisen said.

He said the whole weekend exemplified good team baseball.

Point in case: the Hillsdale offense’s collaboration to score the final run of the series’ third game.

Going into the bottom of the sixth, the game tied at four, sophomore Connor Bartlett singled. He then advanced to second as Reed grounded out.

Junior Vinny Delicata got on base after taking a hit. A single from Ortel put Bartlett onto third.

Ladzinski then forced a fielder’s choice and Bartlett crossed home.

Hillsdale held on and won, 5-4.

“It truly was a great team weekend,” Theisen said.

Hillsdale next plays this weekend in a three-game series at Sophomore Lincoln Reed at bat during a game over spring break. (Photo Courtesy of Dominic Restuccia) Malone University.

B1 27 March. 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Hannah Ahern

Tower Dancers concert features new talent, choreographers Amanda Tindall Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale College dance department has changed a lot over the last year, and their upcoming concert, showing March 28-30, is evidence of this.

The concert will be directed by new Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Holly Hobbs, with choreography from Hobbs, new Adjunct Dance Professor Jessica Post, and seniors Katherine Holt, Katherine Denton, and Angela Pearsall.

“I’m very excited to be directing the concert for the first time,” Hobbs said. “Although I’ve been part-time faculty here for seven years, it’s my first time directing it.”

Each student choreographer took the fall choreography class, in which students learn about body shapes, the use space, energy, time, and how to apply those aspects to a group.

“There’s a lot of exploration of choreographer’s personal vision and thematic material, Hobbs said. “Each choreographer has a very diverse point of view, and that’s a hallmark of modern, contemporary dance, and we’re featuring that quite prominently.”

While Holt began ballet 15 years ago, she switched to modern in high school and prefers

Tower Dancers will perform their annual concert this weekend, March 28 to 30. modern dance. She is choreographing a piece called “Reconciliation,” which will involve only three dancers.

“It’s very lyrical,” Holt explained. “It’s modern, but the

technique is a little more balletic.

I’m using three dancers, which is a little small for a Tower Dancers piece. I’ve been working on it since last semester, so I was coached through it as I was de-

(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)

veloping it.”

Holt will also be in Post’s piece called “Encircling Air.” Because it is a piece about friendship, the dance will have many lifts. Every dancer is lifted

In the princess business

Top: Sophomore Valerie Oresko, dressed as the Disney princess Belle, connects with a girl in her visit to the children’s hospital, Right: Oresko posing in her Wonder Woman costume. Far right: Oresko (middle, as Aurora) with fellow princess actors in California.

(Courtesy of Valerie Oresco)

Sophomore holds auditions for Disney princess look-alikes Teddy Sawyer Assistant Editor She can dance. She can sing.

Almost every weekend at her home in California, sophomore Valerie Oresko dons a tiara and becomes every little girl’s dream: a Disney princess. Now she is bringing the princess business to Hillsdale.

Originally started in Los Angeles, Calif., the Neverland Princess Company caters predominantly to children’s birthday parties, bringing real-life Disney princesses in full ballgown attire –– or whatever is most appropriate to the specific princess –– to attend and host the parties.

“My friend, Alysia Smith, started the company. We did a lot of theater together; she knew I could dance and sing and was good with kids, so she brought me into it,” Oresko said. “It is based in L.A. and is basically a company where girls dress up as princesses and are invited to parties and charity events where they need entertainment for children.”

The actresses go all-out in their roles, wearing appropriate

dresses and accessories, learn- especially women who can act ing songs, and making sure they and look the part of a Disney know as much about the princess princess. Auditions are still as possible to convince a rather pending, but a few students have tough crowd –– an audience of already shown interest. children who live and breathe One such person is senior Disney Princess trivia.

Emily Whitmer, who has often “The kids can ask just the been compared to a Disney princraziest questions, so you really cess. Her nickname from Natalie have to know about your char- Doran ‘12 was DPH, short for acter,” Oresko said. “One time “Disney Princess Hair.” She said I went as Wonit seems a bit inder Woman, and timidating, but they asked, ‘do “We really try to children make you always wear stress having a a kind and exyour supersuit?’ cited audience, and I said ‘No, heart for service.” so she doesn’t I have pajamas,’ think they’ll be so they asked — Sophomore too harsh of a ‘what do they Valerie Oresko crowd. look like?’ I reShe already ally had to think has a reliable on my feet.” reputation as a The company princess lookoffers a variety of princesses alike. with creative packages accom“My little niece, Gianna, is panying. In the past there have five. Like most five-year-olds, been an Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, she loves Disney Princesses and Belle, Cinderella –– arriving at has a blanket with five of them the party with Prince Charm- on it,” Whitmer said. “If you ing and two step-sisters –– and point at the princesses for her more. she’ll identify them: Cinderella, In Hillsdale, Oresko is look- Ariel, so on, but if you point ing for students interested in the to Sleeping Beauty she always princess birthday party business, calls her ‘Princess Emmy,’ never

Sleeping Beauty.”

One obstacle to starting the business in Hillsdale, though, has been the costumes. Each of the dresses is handmade by the company’s founder, and delicate dresses and extensive accessories don’t ship well, according to Oresko.

She also stressed the nonbusiness aspects of the program.

The company has a strong sense of service, going, for example, to children’s hospitals in costume to visit the young patients.

“We really try to stress having a heart for service,” Oresko said. “We want to bring that back to and focus on helping and making people happy.”

Oresko plans to begin auditioning and catering events as soon as she solidifies a base of interest, which she said was clear from parents she met through the dance studio where she teaches, and will continue doing so through summer session and the remainder of her time at Hillsdale.

“We believe so you believe, that’s our motto,” she said. “We really have to believe that we are princesses, and who didn’t want to be a princess growing up?”

at least once, Holt said.

While some Tower Dancers, like Holt, have been in dance most of their lives, Denton didn’t take any dance classes until college. After taking Ballet I, she

decided to be a dance minor.

“In my senior year of high school, I tried out for the musical, and they cast me as a dancer,” Denton said. “So I got here and I thought, ‘Oh! I’ll take ballet,’ and I just loved it. Now I’m a dance minor.”

Her piece, “I Am My Enemy,” is about the desire to heal but feeling stuck. Denton said it began as the physical yearning to heal, but it can represent that desire both in the physical and the emotional sense.

“It’s going to be interesting because all the pieces are unique,” Denton said. “Kat, Angela, and I all started with something very similar and all ended up with different dances.”

With all the changes — Post joining the dance faculty, Hobbs starting in a new position — Denton said that there seems to be a lot of energy in the Tower Dancers’ work, even though they’ve been rehearsing for months.

“Because we start rehearsing in September, it is quite a lot of work,” Hobbs said. “I think that’s why dancers really have to enjoy the process. Because the amount of actual time we spend on the stage is fleeting, enjoying the process of creating the work in the studio is a huge part of what dancers do. Then the performance is the pay off.”

Students perform woodwind quintet

Ramona Tausz Collegian Reporter

On Sunday, March 30, a student Woodwind Quintet will perform at 3 p.m. in Howard Music Hall’s Conrad Recital Hall.

The performance, a little under an hour long, will feature senior Jacob Martin on oboe, senior Kayla Cash and freshman Kaitlyn Johns on clarinet, junior Anna Schumacher on flute, junior Mitchell Irmer on French horn, and junior Lydia Ekin on piano.

Martin, Cash, and junior Kirsten Hall, who is studying abroad this semester, organized the quintet three years ago.

“We started because we wanted to do chamber music, but there wasn’t an outlet for that,” Cash said.

The students requested Cynthia Duda, lecturer in music, to coach and play bassoon in the group, which she has continued to do for three years.

Unlike past student wind quintets, this one has lasted for several years by having different members play different pieces.

This way, not all members must make a full time commitment to

the group and can avoid scheduling conflicts.

“We try to have multiples of each instrument,” Duda said.

“We have two clarinets right now, and that’s what’s helping.

The more people that are participating the more we can keep this thing going.”

Because of this strategy, the group will not have to disband once Martin and Cash graduate in May. Duda also doesn’t require members to make the typical commitment for a chamber group.

“I have some people that take it for credit and play more pieces,” Duda said. “And the ones that can’t just fill in for one piece here, one piece there.” Since all the members don’t have to come to all rehearsals, this prevents students from having to leave the group due to packed schedules.

Cash has loved participating in the group and noticing how they have all improved.

“We’ve grown to be good friends and better musicians. I’m happy that the group will continue once half of us graduate in May,” she said. “I will be sad to leave it.”

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27 March. 2014 B2

Richard Austin is an internationally acclaimed performer of Gerard Manley Hopkin’s poetry. Austin has dedicated his life to performing the 19th-century Jesuit priest’s work. He has performed the verses for more than 15 years, self-described as Hopkin’s Golden Echo to the unique and often difficult poetry of Hopkin’s. He aims to fulfill Hopkin’s own wish for the verses to be performed and to help audiences everywhere understand the deeper meaning behind the words.

–– Compiled by Meg Prom What prompted you to start reading Hopkin’s poetry?

It came down to the fact that I was presented with this almost impenetrable poetry –– everybody acknowledges that Hopkin’s is difficult. I had to start reading him when I was 16. At the same time, because I was somebody who was known to have a good speaking voice, they liked to hear me read things. So, they gave me the “Windhover” and “God’s Grandeur” to read in school assembly. We used to have religious assembly every morning in school, and I got to read them out loud with a microphone. I became enchanted with the sound of it. I had no idea, particularly with the “Windhover,” what it was about. In a way, “God’s Grandeur” has more that I fell in love with –– probably because I did slightly understand it. But some of those images are just so fabulous. He is the poet of the little humble things, things that poets wouldn’t normally think to glorify.

Because he’s a nature poet, and because he puts his thinking and his feelings into terms that are accessible and into such beautiful imagery –– you can’t help but love Hopkins.

Is Hopkin’s Poetry still applicable to this day and age?

Absolutely, I think he said actually, “as Solomon says, there is a time for everything,’ and perhaps the day may come for my verses.”

He was not published until almost 30 years after his death. Once the first edition [of his poetry] came out, the world was still not quite ready for it it. For the 750 copies that they made of the first edition, it took over 10 years for them to sell and for a second edition to be required. So in 1930 a second edition appeared, and, from then on he has been a massive influence on everybody writing in English poetry.

Sylvia Plath said, ‘read Hopkins for solace,’ Ted Hughes loved him; Seamus Heaney said that he might as well have signed his early poems “Hopkins” –– that’s how strongly influenced he was. I think poetry would not be where it is today if not for him.

He went back in time to take poetry forward. He reconnected it to two major taproots: the Anglo-Saxon poetry of the past and the “out loud” component. Now we have young people doing poetry slams which are terribly popular and we have rap. Hopkin’s poetry is extremely relevant and valuable today because of where he took poetry.

What is your favorite poem by Hopkins?

I have several, but “As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame” is how I usually answer because that sonnet seems to me to

ARTS

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Q&A Richard Austin

be so important. It’s not just beautiful to listen to, beautiful to read, and full of wonderful imagery –– as all of his work is, but more importantly I think it sums up what Gerard Hopkins believes is the key, a quintessence of his philosophy, really, of what he believed was important. He was very immersed in Dun Scotus’ philosophy and that idea of “thisness”: the idea that each thing is unique. But there are moments in all of [his poems]. They are all great friends.

As to other poets, Bob Dylan is big for me. He entered my life just a little before Hopkins. He’s a considerable force I think.

You have to be into him pretty thoroughly before you dig up some of these treasures. But his religious work too, some of his Christian albums, are full of wonderful stuff. I love Ted Hughes, but he makes me never want to write again, he’s so good. I love Emily Dickinson, I think her work performs really well too. Oh, Shakespeare of course. Sonnets, plays, everything. He’s just absolutely amazing.

How do you memorize so many large poems?

I have a mind that is a bit like a magpie’s nest. It’s full of stuff.

It remembers things whether I want it to or not. It loves words. My mind is extremely attracted to ideas, words, rhythms, and phrases.

And poetry is by definition heightened speech. It’s partly that I do have a predisposition to it.

Also I work hard. I repeat it over and over and over, longer and longer sections, gradually putting it together. Reading it over and over again aloud. Always aloud. I always work with a microphone, even at home, and in headphones. As a vocal performer, you have to overcome that experience that we all have, and I don’t care how beautiful somebody thinks anybody’s voice is, your spoken voice does not sound to yourself the way it sounds to others. And we like what it sounds like to ourselves. I like what I hear in my head. But that’s not my product.

What is your favorite audience reaction?

I really like when someone says that they didn’t think they were going to enjoy it as much they did. A lot of times with poetry people don’t appreciate it. People think they won’t like it, that it will be boring, that they won’t understand it –– which maybe they won’t –– but it can still be pleasurable even if you don’t understand it. I also really like it when people say that they’ve tried and tried with Hopkins and they really haven’t been able to get it. Then they get the CD and go, “ahh, now I see.” That’s what Hopkins wanted.

(Ben Block/Collegian)

Do you have any advice to collegiate poets or performers?

Hydrate. It sounds ridiculous or a humble thing to think of, but if you are a person who suffers with nerves and you’re faced with this auditorium full of people –– and in my case they are often the top Hopkin’s scholars in the world –– you get extremely nervous.

My mouth gets really dry. The only way to get around that is to anticipate it, to know that it’s going to happen, and drink, drink, drink.

Because by the time you get there, it’s performance time, and you’ve got a dry mouth, it’s too late, however much water you drink then is not going to affect it. You need to prepare.

Learning it by heart is also absolutely crucial. You cannot do what I do if you’re working with paper. A lot of people like to have the paper there, it’s like their security blanket. But it’s also creating a barrier between you and [the audience]. I can’t maintain eye contact with you if I’m doing that. You’re not going to have the same impact as you will without notes.

What would you say the purpose of poetry is according to Hopkin’s?

He said to his brother in a letter, “I am sweetly soothed by your saying that you could make anyone understand my poem by reciting it well. That is what I always hoped, thought, and said, this is my precise aim.” I think he would say that he would want his poetry to fulfill that purpose if it could. To express that beauty that he experienced in the world. He was very touched and moved by beauty in all its forms. It could be the formation of ice crystals in the outdoors or urinals. [Hopkins wants] to express the beauty in a form of words of the formation of a bird, a tree, wet sand, in such a way that it draws the listener or the reader to God and reveals beauty to their mind.

Fills them with beauty, nourishes them.

‘Wind’ a fitting farewell to animation legend

Studio Ghibli

Peter Kistler Special-to-the-Collegian “The Wind Rises” is the last production of its kind. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film marks the end of a long career for this living legend of animated cinema. In his final work, Miyazaki applies his trademark imaginative, thoughtful aesthetic to the story of real-life engineer Jiro Horikoshi, who designed airplanes in a Japan swiftly militarizing in anticipation of World War II. The film follows Jiro, an idealistic young man, as he pursues his

childhood dream: to design and build beautiful airplanes. As the 1930s wear on, however, Japan and Germany begin to court one another’s affections, and Jiro’s aircraft firm must replace its quaint wooden designs with sleek fighters and bombers. Jiro must decide, time and again, how best to use his talents in a world bent on turning them toward destructive ends.

Though this question forms the crux of the plot, the film moves at a deliberate pace, examining multiple aspects of Jiro’s life. In a series of lush dream sequences, Jiro discusses his problem with his idol, Italian engineer Giovanni Caproni, who faced a similar dilemma with his own aircraft in World War I. A second subplot involves Jiro’s childhood sweetheart Nahoko, who contracts tuberculosis be-

Sauk holds auditions for ‘Les Mis’ Andrew Egger Collegian Freelancer

Auditions for Hillsdale Community Theater’s June production of “Les Miserables” will be held this weekend at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville. This is the Sauk’s third production of the 2014 season and will run June 13 to 22.

The production will be directed by Trinity Bird, president of the Sauk Theatre. It is his 25th show with HCT. “Les Miserables,” the stage adaptation of Victor Hugo’s celebrated novel and one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, tells the story of a French peasant, Jean Valjean, who is imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread in an hour of desperation. The musical follows Valjean’s quest for redemption through times both of peace and revolution in France. It is a massive production, with a timeline spanning nearly twenty years and a large ensemble cast.

While the Sauk has in the past put on more technically demanding shows necessitating elaborate sets, costumes, and props, Bird said “Les Miserables” is uniquely taxing on the voices of the actors.

“It’s three hours of non-stop singing,” Bird said. “Musically, it’s the most ambitious show we’ve ever done.”

As of Monday, 91 people had signed up for auditions, which will take place Friday and Saturday with callbacks on Sunday. Of these, Bird said that about half were entirely new to Hillsdale Community Theater.

“People are coming from all over to audition,” he said. “It’s exciting because we’re always looking for new blood.”

Bird estimated that the final cast will include around 40 people.

This year, Hillsdale Community Theater has been making a concerted effort to increase the number of people who regularly attend shows at the Sauk. The February production of “Lost in Yonkers,” a coming-of-age play by Neil Simon, was particularly successful.

“It was the most highly attended non-musical and non-Christmas production that we’ve put on in ten years,” Bird said.

This desire to reach new audiences, especially young people in the community and at Hillsdale College, was a large part of the decision to produce “Les Miserables.”

“Once people see our shows, they start to appreciate what we’re doing, and they’ll want to come back,” Bird said. “We are a community theater, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive for something more professional.”

Sauk performance information Preview: June 12 at 8 p.m. (all tickets $5 at the door) Performances: June 13, 14, 19-21, at 8 p.m. and June 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. $10 adults, $8 seniors (55+), $5 children (12 and under) For tickets, call 517-849-9100 or visit thesauk. org. Box office opens June 2.

fore their wedding so must decide how to spend the remainder of her days.

The film treats Nahoko’s illness, as well as the other harsh realities of the WWII era, from a respectful distance, making the truth of things plain without indulging in unnecessary detail. Miyazaki’s screenplay has drawn criticism from some who claim “The Wind Rises” downplays the atrocities to which Japan and its wartime allies were complicit. Over the course of the film, however, we see that Jiro is aware of Hitler’s rise to power, his terrible regime, and its implications for the free world. Jiro is mainly interested in doing his job and discovers only too late, by the time the German secret police become involved, that he has no choice but to continue doing it.

“The Wind Rises” stands out among Miyazaki’s body of work in that it takes place in an entirely realistic world. In the absence of the usual spirits, demons, and wizards, the studio instead focuses its signature attention to visual detail on highlighting the beauty of everyday life. As a Miyazaki veteran, I found the change of pace refreshing and marveled at the intricate puffs of hand-drawn cigarette smoke and the steady flow of a forest stream. Newcomers to Miyazaki and his style, never fear: This is one of his studio’s most readily-accessible films for Western audiences.

As has been the case with all Miyazaki’s films for the past 15 years, a talented team at the Walt Disney Company has provided a seamless English translation, brought to life by an all-star cast. Jiro is voiced by Joseph-Gordon Levitt, earnest, as always, yet polite and unassuming. Emily Blunt voices Nahoko, and supporting roles are filled by the likes of Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, and Werner Herzog, among others.

The film derives its title from a piece of poetry of which Jiro is fond, “The wind rises…we must try to live!” Through Jiro’s eyes, we see the truth of the poem: there is darkness, fear, and hardship in the world; sometimes it is inescapable, even unopposable. And yet, we must do our best and most beautiful work — we must strive to be the best human beings we can possibly be.

At this particular juncture in our lives, as college students about to cast ourselves off into a world that promises us very little, I believe this is some of the best advice we could hope to receive.

Apartment Rentals 157 Hillsdale St. Southeast corner of Hillsdale Street and Fayette Street across from the ATO house.

Groups of 2 - 5 with Kitchen and Living Room

• Singles and doubles • $300-$400 monthly • (utlities included) • Washer and dryer, parking, and dumpster available • Air-conditionted

Call Glen Ziegler at (517) 439-4390 or (724) 223-4599

Spotlight

B3 27 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Chi Omega house stands through fire, time Vivian Hughbanks Collegian Reporter

vacation the house was more beautiful than ever before,” the 1946 Winona reported. “Once more the Chi O’s could entertain campus.”

At 8 a.m. on Nov. 4, 1945, the women The fire occurred weeks after the of the Chi Omega sorority slept peace- twentieth anniversary of the Rho Gamfully in their beds. ma chapter of Chi Omega on campus.

By 8:15 a.m. the house was in a com- The chapter was founded on Sept. 15, motion.

1924—the second Chi Omega chapter “Fire!” founded in Michigan. During the first Residents sprang to their feet and ran four years of the chapter’s existence, Chi out into the chilly morning to escape the Omegas lived in the house on the corner billowing smoke. of Union and Fayette streets.

“There we stood in the backyard in Groundbreaking ceremonies for the our nightgowns or pajamas and coats, current Chi Omega house were held on watching our house Sunday, Sept. 25, burn,” an unamed Chi 1927.

Omega active wrote “Our hearts nearly broke “Several of the in The Collegian on when one of the firemen fraternity songs Nov. 13. “From all the were sung,” The smoke, it appeared we took his ax and chopped Collegian reported. would have only one holes in the floor and “Katherine Harriwall standing when son offered a prayer the fire was finally put walls. However, when we after which Gersaw the flames burst from trude Theurer, presout.”

The chapter had these holes, we realized it ident of the chapter, redecorated the house ground with had been necessary.” broke that fall, and all the a spade wound furniture on the first —Unnamed Chi Omega with cardinal and floor was brand new. active, 1945 straw.”

The fire department The house was quickly arrived and completed the next began battling the year, and immediately became a center blaze. Fifteen minutes later, men of the of hospitality on campus. Construction Delta Tau Delta fraternity arrived to help was largely funded by Metta Woodward clear out the furniture to prevent smoke Olds and Eldora Dow. In 1929, women damage. in the house issued an open invitation “Our hearts nearly broke when one to students and faculty for dinner every of the firemen took his ax and chopped Sunday evening. holes in the floor and walls,” the Chi “I think that part of the Greek life exOmega explained. “However, when we perience is having a house because then saw the flames burst from these holes, you have your own unique place,” said we realized it had been necessary.” junior and current Chi Omega President The girls were guests of the faculty Geena Pietrefase. “You can invite other and staff while repairs were made over people over, but you can still go to your the next five days. own house. It’s a lot better than dorm One week later, women woke to life.” smoke in the house and were evacuated The chapter paid the last bank note again. This time, there was no fire. The on the house in October of 1933, and coal stove in the basement that heated held a special celebration. Actives enthe house had emptied, pushing smoke joyed entertaining one another in their upstairs. local paper “Owl’s Feather” which was Most of the wall and floor space in published regularly until 1950, when the the hall of the house had to be removed paper was discontinued for financial reaas a result of the fire on Nov. 4. Although sons. electrical repairs were made within two Chi Omegas were known for their weeks, the residents remained out of the ability to balance their hospitality with house until the end of the fall semester. other responsibilities in campus clubs “When they returned from Christmas

Chi Omega gallery (Top) The house, in 1885, that would become the Chi Omega house more than 40 years later.

(Left) Two students on the steps of the Chi Omega House in 1947. (Right) aerial shot of campus in 1935 (Photos courtesy of Mossey Library). and as class representatives.

“What do you think of when you think of a Chi Omega? A Greek goddess?” The Collegian asked in February of 1976. “Athena, goddess of justice, is the holder of the scales. Like Athena, the Chi O’s strive to attain a balance in their activities and daily lives.”

In 2004, catastrophe struck again when a gust of wind blew a sheet into an unattended candle used during initiation ceremonies. The sheet caught fire, and 40 women were evacuated from the

house. The fire was contained to one room in the basement, but several of the actives’ belongings were damaged.

“I cannot describe the feeling when you walk in a room and everything you own is destroyed,” then Chi Omega active Julie Tedesco told The Collegian soon after the incident. “It was like walking into a bad dream.”

The house was repaired, and more recently refurbished to allow space for 28 residents.

“We just got some major renovations

done in the past couple of summers,” Pietrefase said. “We have a gorgeous living room with neutral colors—it’s very warm inside. The house used to be kind of dark. The decorators got carried away with the cardinal and straw theme.

The social room used to be red wallpaper with sunflowers going around. Now it’s an off-white with very welcoming, friendly colors.”

On bid night each year, new pledges run out the doors of Central Hall into the house that Chi Omega calls home.

f o s e o r He

Hillsdale

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. Special thanks to Linda Moore, Arlan Gilbert, and Kraig McNutt for their knowledge and assistance.

Evan Brune News Editor The cry came from the other side of the tent flap as the orderly rushed in.

“President Lincoln is coming!”

A wail erupted from the beds of the Confederate wounded.

“Oh, don’t leave us, Miss! He is a beast! He will kill us!”

“Oh, no. He is a grand good man,” Mary Blackmar replied.

Again, the wounded men cried, “Don’t leave us, Miss!”

“Well, I’ll not leave you. Don’t fear,” she said.

She walked to the front of the tent, and opened the flap. There, only a few feet away, stood Gen. Ulysses Grant and President Abraham Lincoln.

“These are the Confederate quarters,” Grant said, as he gestured toward the tent flap.

The president turned to the general and whispered, “I wish to go in here alone.”

Blackmar watched as the president bent under the open flap and entered the ward. He walked over to the bed of a young soldier and, with tears streaming down his face, asked, “Oh, my man.

Why did you do it?”

The young soldier leaned up as much as he could and weakly whispered, “I went because my state went.”

Lincoln went to each bed in the ward and asked the same question, and, again, he got the same reply.

“On that ground floor, a pin could almost have been heard to fall,” Blackmar later wrote.

Mary Blackmar attended Hillsdale College in the 1850s. After graduating, she went into nursing, which led her to City Point Hospital, where she observed the interaction between President Lincoln and the confederate wounded.

She worked at the hospital for ten months, during which time City Point became one of the busiest hospitals in the country. The siege of Petersburg had begun in June of 1864 and had run until the end of March 1865.

Blackmar recollected her experiences

more than 45 years later.

“After one of the fearful onslaughts at Petersburg, the wounded came pouring into my tent, which was nearest to the firing line, so that a drummer-lad had named it ‘the halfway house,’” she wrote.

As she watched the wagons roll past carrying the Union wounded, one soldier slumped off and fell into the dirt. He laid there motionless.

“Stop!” she cried out.

The driver, looking back, coolly replied, “He is dead. What does it matter?”

Blackmar knelt beside the soldier, feeling for a pulse. She found a faint heartbeat, and called a surgeon over.

The surgeon looked at the young Rebel and declared it a hopeless cause.

“We must go on,” he said.

Blackmar refused to leave his side.

“With my knowledge that he was so young and had the force of youth, moreover, the hardships of the Confederates had toughened him, I remained on the ground at his side, not daring to leave him,” she later wrote.

She used her fingers to plug the young soldier’s wound and remained on the ground at his side for 24 hours before surgeons finally moved the boy inside.

At the close of the siege of Petersburg, City Point saw the departure of the Union Army. Blackmar traveled with the army to Richmond, Va., where she stayed until the end of the war.

“At the close of hostilities, I, with many others, went with the army to Washington, and there saw the final parade of 60,000 troops before the White House,” she wrote.

Blackmar left her job as an army nurse and traveled to Philadelphia. She attended the Women’s Medical College, the first medical school for women in the country.

After graduating in 1867, she moved to Rhonerville, Fla., where she attempted to establish a medical practice. She was forced to leave after two months because local residents would not allow a woman to set up a medical practice in their town.

In 1870, she moved to Jacksonville, Fla., where she practiced medicine for the rest of her life.

Sponsored by Hillsdale College Enactus in association with Sam's Club Step Up for Small Business Project

S potlight Japanese anime, Narnia, and interstellar travel B4 27 March 2014

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Honors seminars cover unique topics

Macaela Bennett Assistant Editor Japanese anime and traveling to Narnia seldom show up on college midterms. But this fall, students will study these subjects in honors seminars.

“Honors seminars are there to provide a way to learn what we don’t have time to study otherwise,” said Professor of Theater and Speech James Brandon.

Some of these one-credit seminars include courses like “Return to Narnia,” “Intro to Japanese Anime Films,” “Drowning in Information,” and “Researching Family History.”

Several of these have been offered before, but Associate Professor of Education Daniel Coupland’s “Return to Narnia” is a more recent development. Coupland said he decided to offer the course after his frustration that he could not devote enough time to the “Chronicles of Narnia” in his “Classic Children’s Literature” class. “‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ is a rich series, and I have always wanted to take a little time and look carefully at these wonderful stories,” Coupland said.

The seminar description says students will “revisit Lewis’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ as adult readers and explore the theological, philosophical, and literary threads that Lewis used in his ‘supposal.’”

Coupland intends to show how even Narnia’s critics concede its great influence on children’s literature.

“The stories continue to resonate with generation after generation of readers,” Coupland said. “Lewis is also communicating some amazing truths to young people in the Narnia series that he communicates to adults in his oth-

er writing. When adult readers revisit Narnia, they are often able to recognize that Lewis had packaged these same important truths within an engaging story for children.”

Brandon decided to offer his seminar, “Intro to Japanese Anime Films” after teaching the topic in another course. Approximately 15 years ago during a foreign films class, Brandon realized there was enough interest in the Japanese anime film to teach an entire course on the topic. He now teaches the seminar every four years.

In this class, students study anime from the 1960s to present day and watch about 20 films throughout the semester.

“Japanese anime helps you get a different angle on things,” Brandon said. “A lot of Japanese cinema reflects World War II and post-WWII themes from the the Japanese perspective, which students find really interesting.”

Brandon plans to teach students about Japanese culture, language, and film, but he will also show how Western film and culture influenced Japanese animators.

“You don’t have to be a science geek to appreciate anime,” Brandon said.

“There are a lot of foreign films out there, and this is just a slice of that pie, but I think it opens up people’s eyes.”

“Drowning in Information” by Technical Service Librarian Brenna Wade is another repeat seminar available this fall. This will function as a brief information studies course.

Wade will use current articles about topics like the National Security Agency and Edward Snowden to foster a discussion-based class about how to handle the masses of information and technology that affect our lives.

“Because everyone uses the Internet

and everyone is affected by technology, it is important to understand how we interact with technology,” Wade said.

Other topics will include censorship, the filter bubble, work-life balance, copyright laws, and research methods.

Public Service Librarian Linda Brown plans to offer a course teaching students research techniques, particularly about family genealogies.

Brown’s students will learn how to find and use primary sources and records to “place their families in context of history” and give presentations about their family genealogies at the end of the year.

Using these methods, many past students have discovered fun facts or debunked family legends.

For example, one student grew up believing her great-grandfather was the only one of her family to survive the Holocaust, yet her class research found that he was born in New York.

To help students find this kind of information, Brown takes her students to Fort Wayne, Ind. where the nation’s second largest genealogical library matches the square footage of a football field.

“This research helps personalize American history or whatever history your family is from,” Brown said.

“When you know your family history, it grounds you in some ways.”

In addition to learning about children’s books, anime, informational studies, and family trees, other specialized seminars next fall include topics like “Interstellar Travel” and “Pain & Providence.”

Despite some of the unusual titles, the seminars’ instructors are excited to study subjects the curriculum would have left otherwise untouched.

SEMINARS of past GREGORIAN CHANT FOR DUMMIES FRENCH CUISINE DEMYSTIFIED THERE’S NO HOME LIKE PLACE H.P LOVECRAFT AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HORROR NOVELS OF CORMAC MCCARTHY INTRO TO LIFE CALLING BEER: SCIENCE, STYLES, AND SAMPLING ONLY ROCK AND ROLL

and present JAPANESE ANIME FILMS RETURN TO NARNIA INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL RESEARCHING FAMILY HISTORY

Hillsdale professor takes on Detroit crime Morgan Delp Sports Editor Some professors enjoy unwinding after work by watching crime shows on television. When Lecturer in Sociology Shannon Finn leaves campus, she lives them.

Finn, a 2010 graduate of Hillsdale College, works in the Detroit court system, advising attorneys using evidence-based sentencing. She said she essentially uses “science and research to argue for more tactful sentencing for convicted criminals in an attempt to change the system to make it more efficient and economical.”

Finn denies any glamour akin to shows like “CSI” and “Law and Order” in her line of work.

“When I was in college I definitely wanted to be a criminal profiler, from ‘Criminal Minds’ or ‘Silence of the Lambs,’” Finn said. “I found out that job does not exist in real life at all.

What I do is more research and theoretical than crime scene investigation.”

After graduating from Hillsdale

with degrees in sociology and psychol- ney, so for me, normal dinner converogy, Finn earned her master’s degree sation was who is on trial for what, and from the University of Pennsylvania.

I was more interested in what’s hap“My graduate work at an Ivy League pening before to cause that – the how school was easier than the work I did at and why,” she said.

Hillsdale, without a doubt,” Finn said.

Finn’s specialty is primarily pracProfessor of Philosophy and Culture ticed on the coasts but is moving inand Director of Sociology and Social ward. She works primarily with deThought Peter Blum fense attorneys fondly recalled to determine the Finn’s work ethic as “But do you give the devil best sentence, one of his students. and estimated the benefit of the law?

He remembered befor every I think you should, and that ing especially proud case she takes, that’s not very popular. ” there is a 50-50 of her during an early week of her of con—Sociology Professor chance condensed, yearvincing a judge Shannon Finn to heed her counlong program at University of Pennsel. sylvania.

“As it turns “She posted on Facebook some- out, right now, I have done a lot with thing like, ‘Now I understand why biker gangs,” Finn said. “They’re very Blum made me read those hard theory good for multiple offenses; a lot of time books.’ Teachers always love those it is drug trafficking and violent crimi‘aha’ moments,” Blum said. nal behavior. My specialty is violent The English-major-turned-criminol- crime. I find that interesting for sure.” ogist grew up in a house where crime Her crime-ridden hometown is apt and punishment were typical dinner for her line of work. Finn remains table conversations. hopeful of Detroit’s evolving dynamic, “My dad is a criminal defense attor- however.

“I’m a Detroiter, born and raised, and I’m hardcore about it,” Finn said.

“Detroit is ripe for this type of job. Detroit is interesting, and it gets a really bad rap, but there’s growth. There are a lot of new businesses coming in, and you kind of see crime move away, even one or two streets over. I won’t be short on clients definitely, but who or what they look like will be changing.”

While believing strongly in the justice of her work, Finn admitted that she is not most prosecutors’ favorite person.

“From a psychological standpoint, child molesters cannot be rehabilitated at all, so when that comes across my desk it’s hard to work with,” Finn said.

“But do you give the devil the benefit of the law? I think you should, and that’s not very popular.”

Twice a week Finn makes the trip from Detroit to Hillsdale, where she teaches Hillsdale sociology students as one of two part-time sociology professors and offers classes that attract students of all interests.

Senior Laura Wonders has taken Finn’s “Serial Killers” seminar and “Research Methods,” and has enjoyed

“Courtship as Ritual” the most. As a senior, Wonders wishes she could have taken more of Finn’s classes.

“Sarcasm, dry humor, and the random bits of trivia she puts in her lectures make them interesting and easy to pay attention to,” Wonders said.

“Rather than wanting us to sit silently and mindlessly take notes, she encourages constant discussion and makes us comfortable to voice our opinions.”

The flexibility of the sociology program has allowed her to teach classes that interest her and that she and Blum feel may interest and benefit students.

“I’ve always admired Shannon’s willingness to forthrightly challenge taken-for-granted assumptions,” Blum said. “Part of her strength as a teacher is her ability to challenge herself.”

Finn would love to earn her doctorate within the fields of criminal populations and the social sciences, but for now, she is happy to teach and work as a legal consultant.

“A lot of students mistakenly refer to me as ‘Dr. Finn’ and I don’t bother correcting them!”

CAMPUSCHIC COUPLE EDITION

RYANJOHNSON AND GRETCHENSANDBERG

Describe your fashion sense in five words or less.

R: Earthy, comfortable, sometimes exploding.

G: Children’s section, pretty, versatile, cozy.

What is your most embarrassing item of clothing?

R: Simen the Norwegian exchange student lived with my family for a year and he gave me a pair of pink American Eagle boxer briefs for Christmas. I wore them to my high school graduation.

G: Floral, quilted, cotton bomber jacket with shoulder pads.

What is your biggest fashion pet peeve?

R: White Socks.

G: When people insist that leggings can’t be pants.

Photos and Compilation by Laura Williamson