Hillsdale Collegian, Jan. 20, 2022 by The Hillsdale Collegian

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Alpaca Farm: offers farm experience and local goods See B6

undeated in dual meets this season See A10 Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

MI Redirecting: splits county into two state senate districts See A6

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Vol. 145 Issue 15 - January 20, 2022

| Michigan Independent Citizen Redirecting Comission

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Senior class 'cements legacy' with permanent pavilion gift A computer rendition of the pavilion from the east. Courtesy | Hillsdale College

By Ben Wilson Editor-in-chief

Seniors have chosen their way to be remembered by future classes — by giving shelter. Members of the Legacy Board announced last Thursday that the 2022 senior class gift will be a permanent pavilion in the grassy area between the Paul House and the parking lot of the Mu Alpha fraternity, a space typically used for Student Activities Board events such as the Welcome Party in August and

More than a hundred students to attend March for Life By Logan Washburn City News Editor Hillsdale College for Life will bring more than 100 students to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21. “Our country was founded on the principle that all men are created with unalienable rights: ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” Hillsdale College for Life president and senior Hannah Stinnett said. “The first among these rights is life.” Beginning in 1974, the year after Roe v Wade legalized abortion, the March for Life is the largest annual pro-life march. Church groups, students, politicians, and activists from across the country descend on the nation's capital to march, pray, and rally for the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Around 110 Hillsdale students will attend, according to Stinnett, along with students from the pro-life group Protect Life Michigan. Two buses will leave campus on Jan. 20, bound for D.C. Upon arrival, Hillsdale students will stay overnight at the Kirby Center, march on Jan. 21, and then return to campus the morning of Jan. 22. Students will pay $70 each to attend, Stinnett said. “This is around half the cost that it takes to charter the buses,” she said. The remaining cost is covered by Right to Life Michigan, HCFL fundraising efforts, and the Student Federation, according to Stinnett. On Nov. 18, the federation allotted $7,020 for the March for Life, according to Student Federation Vice President and junior Anthony Iatropoulos. The March for Life is typically one of the body’s main spending items, Iatropoulos said.

“There was absolutely strong support,” he said. “The Student Federation recommended raising the price per individual, so we just had to take that into consideration.” The March for Life attracts high-profile speakers including former President Donald Trump, media personality Ben Shapiro and House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who have all addressed rally-goers in the past. This year's rally will also feature religious leaders Catholic Priest Fr. Mike Schmitz and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. It will also include New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, Louisiana Rep. Juila Letlow, actor Kirk Cameron and musician Matthew West. Sophomore John Ritchey said he has attended every annual March for Life since he was in sixth grade. “It’s a great witness to speak up for the unborn,” he said. “Not only that, but to be with so many people who may not agree with you about everything else– religion, whatever– they all unite against this common thing,” Ritchey said. “It’s really beautiful.” Stinnett said students have a “moral imperative” to protect humans at all stages of life, including the unborn. “The biological humanity and philosophical equality of the unborn demands the action of those who believe in liberty and justice for all,” Stinnett said. “We march because we cannot remain silent or inactive while our country condones the killing of innocents.” Stinnett called abortion “the largest genocide known to man.” “600,000 abortions are

See March A2

Centralhallapalooza in April. Deemed the Pavilion Project, the heated structure will include a conference room, kitchen, and bathrooms under a 3,900-square-foot asphalt roof. An outdoor patio with a bar and fireplace will be surrounded by irrigated, leveled grass for activities and intramurals. “Each year the senior class gift offers each graduating class the opportunity to make their first tangible and meaningful contribution,” Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Braden VanDyke said. “The

Alumni Office is honored to help steward and continue this partnership we call college from undergraduate life to post-graduate life through the senior class gift project.” The project is estimated to cost around $600,000, according to VanDyke. A portion of the cost, around $20,000, will be covered through 75 memberships of the 1844 Society, an organization through which students and alumni can donate to various campus initiatives. “The senior class gift is contingent upon 75 se-

niors contributing to the gift through memberships to the 1844 Society,” Legacy Board member, 1844 Society president, and senior Brandt Siegfried said. “It’s the easiest way to leave a lasting impact at Hillsdale, and I’m excited to work with the rest of the Legacy Board to accomplish this goal.” The rest of the bill will be covered through donations, with naming opportunities available for large gifts, according to VanDyke.

See Senior Gift A2

World War II remembered "United We Win" by Alexander Liberman (1943) featured in the “Fighting on the Homefront: Propaganda Posters of World War II," which opened on Jan. 14. Josh Newhook | Collegian

Hillsdale College art gallery features new exhibit. See B1.

Hillsdale College welcomes record number of transfer students By Michaela Estruth Collegian Reporter This spring semester, Hillsdale College welcomed a record number of new students, 23 in all. Sixteen of these students are transfers from around the country and across the ocean, including Ireland and Italy. Applications for the spring 2022 semester increased by 46% compared to the spring semester of 2021, said Zach-

ary Miller, senior director of admissions. The number of admitted students depends on available housing for the spring semester, he said. “We’ve seen more and more interest in Hillsdale over the last few years, and for many different reasons,” Miller said. Miller attributes the rise in interest to the college’s rare and unique qualities. “I think by and large, students are seeing that there are

fewer schools across the country like Hillsdale, specifically in the principles for which we stand and the offering of a classical liberal arts education focused on the pursuit of truth,” he said. “That’s become evident even more in the last couple of years.” Geert Ensing, a transfer student from Tuscany, Italy, enrolled at Hillsdale in January. It was his first time entering the United States. For the past year and a half, Ensing has studied

Ludwig Von Mises’ economic thought, leading him to Hillsdale to study economics “I had been looking for a place where I could study Austrian economics, and more specifically the works of Mises and Hayek,” Ensing said. “When I found out that Mises donated his library here, I had to check out the college. The economics curriculum at the college really intrigued me, and Hillsdale was one of the few colleges where I felt I

could study Austrian economic thought.” Ensing said he found the application process to be enjoyable and inviting. “I felt that the Hillsdale application process was very easy and comprehensive,” Ensing said. “Everyone I was in touch with or talked to was super helpful and friendly, and all the processes involved were simple and efficient.” He said he enjoys both the Hillsdale atmosphere and the

academic challenge. “I have found life here on campus, in the small time I have been here, really vibrant and lively. Safe to say, it never feels boring,” he said. “I feel that the workload at the college can be quite intense and challenging, but the academic rigor is one of the main reasons I signed up for the college, and I enjoy the challenge.”

See Transfers A2

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January 20, 2022

Hillsdale's COVID-19 policies differ from other Michigan colleges By Carly Moran Collegian Freelancer For COVID-19, college campuses are the perfect petri dish, said Francis Steiner, professor of biology at Hillsdale College. While Hillsdale College has 16 students in isolation as of Monday morning, other Michigan universities are adapting to the spread of the omicron variant in different ways. “Anytime you put students inside some kind of a close living space, that's pretty much the great equalizer, depending on whether you're talking about a population that's 40,000 students or 1,500 students,” Steiner said. The colleges have adjusted legislation based upon their various needs, though a common denominator appears to be vaccine requirements and testing. “Besides the absence of lockdowns, masking requirements are more lenient but are still required indoors,” said Shad Soldano, a public health graduate student at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. “This year, the university did mandate the COVID-19 vaccine, including the mandated booster.” Among their student body of nearly 50,000 people, there were only 596 active cases as of Jan. 1, according to the University of Michigan’s Campus Blueprint website. Due to similar numbers, other schools, such as Oakland University, Wayne State University, and Michigan State University, have announced that their first few weeks of the semester will be online. “Being a student at the School of Public Health, you especially understand the impacts that the COVID-19 virus has on our healthcare system,” Soldano said. “If you don't want to get sick from COVID-19, the booster does help, and there are arguments that being vaccinated lowers the chance of the virus mutating into something worse.” University of Michigan-Dearborn has similar requirements to Ann Arbor. “I feel that these requirements and mandates are

Transfers from A1 On top of the academic and location adjustment, Ensing said he has also had to adjust to the bitter Michigan weather. “Coming from Tuscany, the weather at first needed getting used to, but I like the cold and snow for a change,” he said. “Having been in Italy for 10 years, I have had enough blue skies and warm weather for half a lifetime, so I am happy about the change.” Another transfer student, Stephen Brindle, left Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, to come to Hillsdale this spring. Brindle compared his education at Trinity to that of students he had met at a Hillsdale Scholarship Weekend, so he decided to join them. “I felt that the education I was receiving at Trinity was not sufficient,” he said. “I picked Hillsdale because I had always heard that it was a school that focused on giving a real and meaningful education. What my friends were telling me about Hillsdale simply confirmed that, and I realized that I had to transfer.” Brindle said he appreciated the application process and the support he received throughout his transition to Hillsdale. “Everyone at Hillsdale has been extremely welcoming and inviting and I could not have asked for a better cohort of students to transfer with,” he said. “Life at Hillsdale is obviously different from life

justified for their purposes to achieve the university's goals of providing in-person classes while keeping students safe,” engineering student Jeremiah Loewen said. “The mandates do inconvenience me, and it could be argued that their mandates infringe on my rights, but I made the conscious decision to go to this college.” As an unvaccinated student, Loewen said he feels equally treated, though his college experience requires extra precautions. “The process for requesting an exemption at first seemed like it wouldn't be taken seriously and was stressful because of that,” Loewen said, “However, I wasn't given any grief about my request and was granted the request reasonably soon after I submitted it. Currently, I only need to get tested weekly to replace the vaccine mandate.” Saldano, however, had a different experience in Ann Arbor. “I know somebody that is unvaccinated and still got COVID-19,” he said.“The unvaccinated are required to get tested weekly, but this individual decided to isolate for the week, therefore missing his weekly COVID-19 test.” Saldano said the university placed a hold on his account due to his failure to comply with the weekly testing, inconveniencing the individual during class registration. “He was sick and decided to stay home to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others, and he was unfairly treated due to his unvaccinated status,” Saldano said. “I believe the university should consider these circumstances into their COVID-19 response to best support all students, whether vaccinated or not.” Soldano said he will not allow COVID-19 to lower his quality of life. “At this point, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon, as we have to get used to living with the virus,” he said. “I don't live in fear anymore, and I hope it stays that way.” in Dublin, yet different in a good way. The quality of students and intensity of study here at Hillsdale is exactly what I was hoping for when I transferred.” One transfer student, Nickaylah Sampson, is a cadet from the United States Military Academy. Sampson transferred as a sophomore from the Academy because of the vaccine mandate for all who serve. Unlike most of the other transfers, Sampson didn’t find Hillsdale – Hillsdale found her. After reading her story, Hillsdale Chief of Staff Michael Harner reached out to her. “I didn’t choose Hillsdale,” Sampson said. "The opportunity was by the grace of God to me when the Chief of Staff at Hillsdale read about me in an article and contacted me. I applied very quickly and efficiently, and the transition was incredibly smooth.” Like the other transfers, the cold has been a bit of a shock to Sampson. “People here are incredibly nice and welcoming, but I am from Texas, so I don’t think I will ever get used to the cold,” Sampson said. At Hillsdale, Sampson is pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher and one day starting her own school. “When I graduate,” Sampson said, “I aspire to be a math teacher, and then one day, fulfill my dream of starting my own Christ-centered private school or orphanage where children can be raised with classical, traditional, and upright morals.”

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Freshman Evan Shafer grills his grilled chesse and ham and cheese sandwiches on the panini press. Josh Newhook | Collegian

Knorr Dining Hall adds panini press, new tile, Taco Tuesday features By Katherine Miller Collegian Freelancer The Knorr Family Dining Hall recently added a tile floor outside the cafeteria area, a panini press, and other new eating options. The tile floor extends about three rows out from the dining area and stretches to the dish drop off area. Bon Appetit Manager Benito Suero Jr. said the college decided to change the flooring due to carpet stains. As for the rest of the dining hall, the college has not made a final decision on how to move forward. “The college is considering other floor types. At this point, they haven’t fully made that decision,” Suero said. “The tile, I think, was a nice idea. It just makes the cafeteria look clean.” Sophomore Bridget Whalen said she likes the new flooring. “It looks sharp,” she said. She also said she feels less likely to trip between the cafeteria and dining area. Whalen said she thinks the flooring

March from A1

performed in the United States each year. The CDC reports that there are 195 abortions per 1,000 live births,” Stinnett said. “This means that about 16% of this nation’s children are killed each year.” Iatropoulos said he thinks advocating for the

Senior Gift from A1 “As Hillsdale grows, it is essential to have facilities that can accommodate the college’s many events with versatility, while also encouraging creativity,” Legacy Board member and senior Andrew Szewc said. “We are excited to devote this project to the legacy of the Class of 2022, leaving this campus better than we found it.” The indoor conference room will fit 12-14 people around a table, with the bathrooms and small kitchen attached. The outside grass will be leveled and maintained for activities like Ultimate Frisbee, according to VanDyke. The venue will allow for

is an improvement on the college’s part. “It would look better than the carpet, but it would affect the acoustics a lot more and make the sound waves bounce more,” Whalen said. Freshman Aaleyah Wellman said she likes the tile floor because it will test what expanding tile throughout the dining area would look like. “I think that tile floor should be in a lunchroom because people are prone to spilling things,” Wellman said. “Tile floor is a lot quicker to clean than vacuuming.” Wellman said that though it would be a huge task to convert the entire floor to tile, in the end, it would be worth it. Tile floors are not the dining hall’s only addition this semester. The second new feature, the panini press, is available at all meal times, according to Suero. Wellman said she is excited to use the panini press to try making different kinds of sandwiches.

Suero cautioned that students should refrain from making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the panini press. “I love toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches personally, but it makes a mess,” Suero stated. Suero said the sugar can build up on the press, making it hard to scrape off and inconveniencing the next sandwich maker. Suero said Bon Appetit will continue updating the dining hall’s offerings. “We’ve instituted power bowls in our Passport area,” he said. “That went very well, and is very popular with the students. I am in the process of potentially buying another panini press because it’s been so popular.” Power bowls include various nutritional foods that fulfill all of the necessities of full meal, Suero said. They will be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Suero said Bon Appetit is striving to bring more variety and higher quality of food to

the dining hall and A.J.’s Cafe “Bon Appetit’s quality is pretty high, and we're trying to elevate it even higher with freshness and high quality cooking preparation,” Suero said. “We do what is considered clean cooking, so we generally don’t cook with gluten, depending on the dish, of course.” Suero said the company is working to increase options for students with dietary restrictions. As for Taco Tuesdays, Suero said Bon Appetit is looking to expand the selection of toppings for tacos and the salad bar to make a wider selection of lettuce, dressings, and more. For breakfast and brunch lovers, things like omelets and bacon will be returning, but due to staff shortages and supply shortages, it may take longer to bring these options back. “We’re working with Key Opportunities to provide special needs individuals with the ability to come and work,” Suero said.

pro-life cause is “extremely important work.” “I’ve seen the statistics from students around here about how many lives are lost in the process annually since we’ve had Roe v. Wade, and it’s crazy,” Iatropoulos said. The unborn are different from born humans in several ways, but this doesn’t make them unhuman, ac-

cording to Stinnett. “The only four factors distinguishing the unborn from the born are their size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency,” Stinnett said. “These differences are real, but they do not disqualify the unborn from the human family.” Ritchey said he appreciates hearing from those

who have been impacted by abortion. “I was raised Catholic, so I’ve always been against abortion,” Ritchey said. “Hearing those who’ve had a change of heart after being affected by abortion is really cool to see.”

classes, receptions, and student events to have indoor and outdoor space. Gladys Oster, events team leader for SAB, said the pavilion will give her team a new place to host events. “The senior pavilion project will be a great space for SAB to utilize for new events or revamp old events,” she said. “It will offer a fun new space.” The land is owned by Phi Sigma Epsilon, a fraternity that lost its house on campus in the 1970s due to financial problems, according to Legacy Board member and senior Emma Shea. The college has shared the land with the group ever since, but was recently approached by the group to construct a structure and to

transfer ownership to the college. The title will be changed with the construction of the pavilion. “As it is a joint effort with the college, we see the importance of participating in the collective work of Hillsdale and living out our partnership not only in, but also outside the classroom,” Legacy Board member and senior Jaime Boerema said. “The pavilion will be a space that offers opportunities for community, friendship, and productivity.” The board encouraged seniors to contribute to the fundraising for the construction, saying it will provide “community and fellowship.” “After long deliberation, we chose the Pavilion Project for

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Cal McNellie contributed to this article. our Senior Class gift,” Legacy Board member and senior Reagan Linde said. “In choosing an addition of a physical structure to the campus, we are not only creating a new space for memories for future students, but we are providing a unique space for past students to return to.” While seniors won’t get the pavilion in their time as students, they will enjoy it in the years ahead for homecoming and alumni events. “I am both really excited and proud of the class gift proposal,” senior Grant Boyes said. “The pavilion not only literally cements our class’s legacy but also increases the aesthetic beauty of our campus.”

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January 20, 2022

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Chargers softball team to host second annual euchre tournament, seeks to fund trips By Hayden Price Collegian Freelancer

Senior Jane O'Connor hosting a radio show. Rachel Kookogey | Collegian

Radio station students selected for IBS finalists By Lauren Scott Collegian Reporter Radio Free Hillsdale students are finalists in seven categories in the annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards. Student shows were nominated in six different categories and the station overall is a finalist for Best College/ University Radio Station for the first time in the program’s history. Rachel Kookogey, program director of WRFH, said it is special that Hillsdale has been nominated for this award. “Being finalists for Station of the Year for the first time ever is particularly exciting,” Kookogey said. “I see each of the radio students put a lot of creativity and energy into their work so I’m glad we can receive this recognition.” Kookogey said the variety of nominated categories reflects the diversity of the programming. “I was excited to see how many different categories we were nominated for this year — that’s a testament to the large variety of good material our students can produce,” she said. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is an organization founded in 1940 that consists of more than 1,000 non-profit, education-affiliated radio stations and broadcasts. Freshman Jillian Parks cohosts “The Social Mediators,” which was nominated as a finalist for Best Talk Program. “It's so exciting representing Hillsdale as a finalist,” Parks said. “My co-host Garrett and I are both freshmen,

so we didn't think we were quite in the running. It was a nice reminder that while we both have lots to learn and change while working on the show, we are still capable and have something good to offer to the radio station and general campus.” Parks said she has learned not to be afraid to speak up about matters of importance this year. “The greatest lesson I've learned in my one semester as a radio student is that if you think you have something worth saying, somebody will probably take the time to listen,” Parks said. Nick Treglia, co-host of “The Loft,” which was nominated for Best Comedy Program, said he is proud of the work his fellow radio students have done. “It's neat that a school as small and relatively unknown as Hillsdale punches way above its weight in these awards,” Treglia said. “We have a ton of other shows, newscasts, and features that were also nominated which is great for the program as a whole.” Treglia said his show gives him the liberty to speak freely and invite others to join in on the fun of recording. “It gives me an outlet for all the stupid stuff I like to think and talk about,” he said. “It's also a ton of fun to get people I know involved. I like to bring friends in if they have a soapbox they want to get on or if I need someone to play a character in a sketch. I just enjoy working through the creative process with people.” Treglia said he has learned many lessons as a radio stu-

"The Loft" radio show was nominated for Best Comedy Program. Rachel Kookogey | Collegian

dent beyond recording and producing. “If you have something you are passionate about and are willing to outwork anybody, you'll succeed,” Treglia said. Scot Bertram, general manager at WRFH, explained how the students involved in radio dedicate much of their time and talent to make this program successful. “Producing these shows and features, as well as covering live sporting events and anchoring newscasts, takes more time and effort than many people might think,” Bertram said. “Our students find time in busy schedules to plan, execute, and edit these entertaining and informative programs on a regular basis, providing fresh content for the station. I’m proud of the dedication that so many students commit to WRFH.” Bertram described what an accomplishment it is to have been nominated for the Best College/University Radio Station award. “Six years ago, WRFH was launched and was built from the ground up,” Bertram said. “To have the chance now to be named the best station in the country is not just a testament to the hard work of our current students, but also is an honor shared by all the graduates who worked here during their time at Hillsdale.” Bertram said the award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication all the radio students display. “This award is an evaluation of the radio station as a whole, not just individual hosts or programs,” he said.

Students and staff will have the opportunity to showcase their euchre abilities in an upcoming tournament. The softball team will host its second annual euchre tournament to raise money for the team’s travel season at 7 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the Old Snack Bar. For $20, teams of two can enter the tournament. Entry fees help offset costs for the softball team, according to freshman softball player Olivia Latimer. Costs include a trip to Texas, where the team will play five games, and a spring break trip to Florida, Latimer said. “Our softball team is not fully funded like some of the other sports on campus,” Latimer said. “The money that we raise with this tournament will really help us with our trips, our equipment, and everything we need to really keep our program going.”

The championship euchre game will be held at 9:30 p.m. with grand prizes for the

“The money that we raise with this tournament will really help us with our trips, our equipment, and everything we need to really keep our program going.“ winners. “There’s going to be a couple things in a prize basket,” senior Madison Rathbun said. “One of those things is

some minor league baseball team merchandise.” Euchre is a two-on-two card game with a limited deck. The game is widely played on campus and is easy to learn, Latimer said. Rathbun said the softball team often plays euchre because it’s easy to play while traveling for games. Overall, the tournament caters to Hillsdale’s Midwestern students, she said. “Euchre is definitely a major Midwest thing, and Hillsdale is a classic Midwest college,” Rathbun said. The tournament’s timing is aimed at accommodating the softball schedule and academic load of students, Rathbun said. “It’s just a good way to get back on campus,” Rathbun said. “Before anyone on campus gets overly swamped with things, it’s a nice way to spend a Friday night.” Students and staff can enter the tournament by emailing Rathbun at mrathbun@ hillsdale.edu. Sign-ups will be open throughout the week.

The new Park Street location will house the archive collection beginning in February. Olivia Pero | Collegian

Library archives move to new building on Park Street in February By Olivia Pero Collegian Freelancer The Hillsdale College Mossey Library will store its archive collection in a new building on Park Street after years of storage across campus and even out of state. Construction of a new archive building finished after having begun early last fall, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. The building can safely store historical books, papers, and other artifacts relating to Hillsdale College and Winston Churchill. “The warehouse that the college was renting in the Hillsdale Industrial Park, which housed much of the archival collections, was sold,” said Lori Curtis, college archivist and special collections librarian. “So the college had to build a new warehouse. Nothing is really changing for archives, except that the new building will be closer and will provide a better environment for the collections that have to be in storage.” According to Maurine McCourry, director of the Mossey Library, the college has many book collections of historical figures in the archive collection. “We have the library of Russell Kirk,” she said. “That's about a 10,000 book collection.There is Martin Gilbert's collection. We have both his papers and his books, with his archival papers being processed now. We also have Gilbert’s personal book collection. We haven't begun processing that yet but that's a vast book collection that are in boxes that will be moved into the storage facility, eventually processed, and maybe, if we're able to expand the li-

brary, they'll be stored as part of the library.” Other collections in the archive include the works of Harry Jaffa and former U.S. representative Philip Crane, according to McCourry. “We also have a couple of chairs that were built for one of the literary societies in the 19th century,” McCourry said. “They had a whole series of chairs designed for their lectures. There's an old chandelier from one of the

“The new building will be closer and will provide a better environment for the collections that have to be in storage.“

old buildings too. There's a lot of stuff but mostly related either to these big archive collections or to the college's history.” The papers and artifacts archived by Hillsdale College are important both for the college’s history and for history in general, according to McCourry. “Mr. Martin Gilbert's papers were vitally important to the study of Winston Churchill,” she said. “There are a lot of other collections like that that are related to the Churchill project that really need to be preserved and cared for. People from all over the world are asking to

get access, especially to the Gilbert papers, but also some of these other collections. So it's important for the study of history that we protect these things. We will be much more equipped to do that and will be able to provide better access to these collections with the new facility.” Curtis said the project has gone well.. “We hope to move the collections over during the first week in February, provided the shelving arrives on schedule,” Curtis said. Curtis has been the college’s archivist and special collections librarian for two years and will continue to manage the archives once they are moved. According to McCourry, the new building will contain extra laundry facilities for the Dow Hotel and Conference Center. “The new facility will be much more secure and our security can keep an eye on it,” McCourry said. “We'll have cameras and locks, but it will be on campus so we can have people retrieve things easily.” Library staff had to drive to the industrial park to grab items from the archives before the new construction. Now we'll have somebody from the maintenance department retrieve those things from the new building,” McCourry said. Freshman Abby Idstein, who works in the mailroom, said she often works with archive materials. “There's Imprisises and magazines that date pretty far back,” Idstein said. “I definitely think it's important to preserve our college’s history which we really only can do if we continue to preserve our archives.”

A4 January 20, 2022

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When was the last time you called your mom or dad? If it’s been more than a week, something needs to change. When it comes to talking to parents, it’s easy to forget to call home regularly when academic and extracurricular activities increase in workload during the semester. So why is it worth making extra time for parents despite an already busy schedule? First off, college is a great time not just to maintain

your relationship with your parents, but to help it grow. You aren’t an over-emotional teenager anymore. College provides a time to find new ways to relate to your parents. Spending time with your parents allows them to see you growing at college, and relate to you in a different break. This makes breaks spent back at home better. Having that connection to home while you are away allows your parents to have a better idea of your needs and

growing maturity that makes it easier to transition in and out of breaks. In addition, parents have wisdom that no one can give you on campus, not even a professor. They know you best. Having a call that’s not just related to finding a plane ticket or an Amazon purchase allows you to be a good listener, and to ask them for advice. Finally, they love you. They want to know what you are doing and how they are doing. You might not think

your days at Hillsdale are very out of the ordinary, but your parents do. It’s often a great gift for them to hear from you, and they benefit just as much from your calls as you do, so bless them with your time. To begin, pick out a regular time each week that works regularly. Even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes out of the day, it could produce memories and wisdom to last a lifetime.

Why you should pay attention to Youngkin in 2022 By Lucy Griffin Virginia’s red wave hit high tide last Saturday, when the state swore in its new Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin--and pointed the way forward for a GOP that hopes to rebound from the

presidential defeat of 2020. Since the exit of a disgraced Republican governor a decade ago, the recent Amazon factory move, and the immigration of Washingtonians into Virginia, the Commonwealth has become dependably blue. Glenn Youngkin is the future of the GOP. Courtesy | Flickr

But on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin shocked the Virginia polls, the country, and the entire CNN staff with his two-point victory over former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the Old Dominion’s gubernatorial election. But you attend college in Michigan in the state’s reddest county: why should you care? First of all, have you seen the gas prices? Youngkin’s Virginia victory showed D.C. Democrats and the Biden administration that their agenda, record, and rhetoric do not bode well for them in the 2022 midterm elections or the 2024 presidential election. This gubernatorial election explains and predicts a broader, national political pattern. Youngkin ran a positive

campaign with his kind character to back him up. But, that didn’t stop him from running a rampage against Critical Race Theory in schools, COVID-19 vaccines, mask mandates, the anti-law enforcement movement, and the failing Biden administration. Youngkin effectively mobilized the moms of Loudon County against CRT, used social media, and expanded the campaign budget for what feels like the first time in Republican history. Youngkin heard Virginians who were tired of big government encroaching on their businesses, and his positive message gave us loyal Virginians hope that we might be able to– for lack of a better phrase– make the Commonwealth great again. “I think it was a trial run,” Virginia Sen. Mark Oben-

It is time to move on from Jan. 6

By Michaela Estruth

On Jan. 6, 2022, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a memorial for the one-year anniversary of what Harris called the “violent assault on democracy.” They presented it as a grave day in history that ought to be remembered for years to come. There is no doubt this was an intense, heavy day and one we should not be proud of. However, the events of Jan. 6, 2021, do not warrant continual grief or discussion. We should move on. In Biden’s address to the nation earlier this month, he said, “The Bible tells us that we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. We shall know the truth. Well, here is the God’s truth about Jan. 6, 2021.” Biden then described the event but didn’t state the truth about Jan. 6. “Close your eyes. Go back to that day. What do you see?” Biden asked. “Rioters rampaging, waving for the first time inside this Capitol a Confederate flag that symbolized the cause to destroy America, to rip us apart.” We all remember watching the riot on TV or reading the

reports. People were mad. They acted irrationally, but they were not attempting to destroy our country. Few were armed. This was not a planned attack or insurrection. It was a large crowd responding in anger to a passionate speech. But that is not how Biden or Harris want us to remember Jan. 6. Harris began her speech by comparing that day to much more horrific, heavy days in American history. “Certain dates echo throughout history, including dates that instantly remind all who have lived through them-where they were and what they were doing when our democracy came under assault,” Harris said. “Dates that occupy not only a place on our calendars, but a place in our collective memory. Dec. 7, 1941. Sept. 11, 2001. And Jan. 6, 2021.” Do you remember exactly where you were on Jan. 6, 2021? Were you stopped in your tracks? It is irreverent to compare this day to ones that carry immense significance in our country such as Dec. 7, 1941, or Sept. 11, 2001. The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 not only took the lives of over 2000 people but also launched America into WWII in which 416,800 Americans

died. On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3000 people lost their lives. At most, 4 people died as a result of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Two of those deaths were deemed natural causes, and 1 was due to an overdose. Harris continued with her reflection on the heaviness of the day and its impact on history. “You know, I wonder, how will Jan. 6 come to be remembered in the years ahead?” Harris asked. “Will it be remembered as a moment that accelerated the unraveling of the oldest, greatest democracy in the world, or a moment when we decided to secure and strengthen our democracy for generations to come?” Harris presents two options, but Jan. 6 is not a fork in the road that determines the future path of our country. Perhaps, Jan. 6 will be remembered as a day on which another riot occurred. Many riots and protests have occurred throughout America’s history–none of them are marked by a special annual memorial. Let’s not forget the riots of the summer of 2020. I don’t remember any memorial days for those attacks on property, citizens, or businesses. Because Harris marks this

memorial as a crucial turning point in our country, she uses the day to turn to her agenda. “And the work ahead will not be easy. Here, in this very building, a decision will be made about whether we uphold the right to vote and ensure free and fair elections,” Harris asserted. “Let’s be clear: We must pass the voting rights bills that are now before the Senate.” To be clear, the memorial of Jan. 6 was used to advocate action for more power to be granted to the government. Painting Jan. 6, 2021, as an unforgettable, crucial day in history begs people to grant the government whatever power they want to fix our problems. They want us to panic and yield to them. In a few years, Jan. 6 will be another normal day at the start of a new year. It is only now that it is being remembered and falsely depicted in an effort to persuade more to support our current leaders. Jan. 6 is not a day that should be celebrated. It has left a stain on our country. It was not a good day. But it should not be compared to tragic days in our nation’s history. We should simply admit our wrongs and move forward.

Jan. 6 is old news, it is time to move on. Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons

shain told The Collegian. “Both sides got to try out their best weapons to see how they work and how to defend them.” Democrats and McAuliffe attempted to turn Youngkin into a Trump figure, but it failed miserably. “They tried to paint Glenn Youngkin as a Trump-clone, but people looked at him and realized that this vest-wearing northern Virginia businessman doesn’t seem like what the democrats were portraying him as,” Obenshain said. Youngkin, in reality, could not be a kinder, more faithful man. Youngkin is, as Obenshain attested, a sincere, humble man. “With Glenn Youngkin what you see is what you get. The sincerity factor is low amid politicians,” Obenshain said.

Yet, a Trump-centric campaign will be the Democrats’ strategy in 2022. “They think Trump’s so radioactive that people will ignore that gasoline costs $4 a gallon and that their kids haven’t been in school for two years,” Obenshain said Youngkin’s victory demonstrated that a positive, disciplined campaign backed by a good, personable candidate will win the ticket on the national stage in 2022 against negative, nasty, and out-oftouch opponents. Republicans around the country should take notes and Democrats should take heed. Lucy Griffin is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Stop ‘bean’ a heretic By Christopher Dick

peppers, and wild onion. This frontier did not have Chili was never meant time to grow beans. They to have beans. This may only had time to make a be the first time you are beautiful meal. hearing this, but I think In 1880, there arose a it’s important to know that form of “girl bosses.” The your life has been a lie. Chili Queens of South That thing you call “chili” Texas, pillars of San Anis not. tonio culture, took this Unfortunately, the perdish and made it into a vasive sin of putting beans local staple. They set up in chili infects the minds stands in the Mercado of people outside of Texas with cast iron planchas and even some inside the and chili pots to serve the confines of God’s chosen bustling city at the crest of state. the West. They would sell Before you start to chili, tortillas, and a side protest, you should know of beans to all who had a I’m not making an arbidime. They did not, howtrary claim here: this is the ever, mix beans with chili. standard of the ancestors I implore you. Respect the of this meaty menagerie of queens. love. If history isn’t your Chili, as we know it, thing, allow the present was created by immiday to convince you. The grants from the Canary Terlingua Chili Cookoff, Islands that settled in my widely respected as the hometown of San Antotop chili contest in the nio, Texas, in 1731. These world, prohibits beans in immigrants combined chili. “No beans, pasta, their Spanish heritage with rice or other similar items a Moroccan influence to are allowed” Don’t put turn Chili Colorado into filler where there should something new and lovely. be beef. Chili Colorado set the That is not to say standard for beef covered I’ll turn up my nose at in a chili paste, but San bean-filled meat slop. I Antonio Chili took it to won’t. I’ll eat meat slop new heights. Though the anytime, anyway-even land was adapted into an in the gloriously insane area suitable for commerCincinnati way. But don’t cial farming, the settlers call it “chili.” Call chili still needed food. Rather with beans by its properly than corn or wheat, the demarcated name, “chili readily available food with beans.” source was beef. The original recipe was Chistopher Dick is a sophsimply a spicy stew with omore studying history. meat, cumin, garlic, chili

Opinions

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January 20, 2022 A5

Workout your problems By Christian Peck-Dimit

All year long you make and break promises to yourself: I’ll start going to the gym, I’ll stop saving my essays until the night before, I’ll finally eat healthy. On New Year’s, though, these aren’t just promises, they are dedications to improve yourself, resolutions to be better. That is, until February rolls around. This year, make a resolution worth keeping: start working out, and not just to look good. While getting a gym membership is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, many don’t realize that the effects are far more than simply physical. When you think about going to the gym, losing weight and adding pounds of muscle are the first things that come to your mind, and rightly so.

Working out is an effective way to control your weight, whether increasing or decreasing. Adding or dropping a few pounds can be an excellent motivator and it’s often the main reason why people start going to the gym. That being said, whether you’re walking a mile on the treadmill or lifting weights, working out also has a slew of mental benefits as well. First and foremost, it can help battle depression. “Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression,” a study in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry stated. Perhaps even more significant, a Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health study found that “running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of

major depression by 26%.” More than 20% of teens in the U.S. will have some level of depression before they hit adulthood, even just a short run can drastically drop those chances. A study conducted by doctors in Norway’s Department of Public Health concluded that “given the demonstrated dose-response association between inactivity and both poor mental health, self-harm, and suicidal attempt, there is a need to facilitate college students to become more physically active.” Anxiety, commonly coupled with depression, can also be treated, in part, though working out, a study by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke claims. The endorphins, or hormones, released during physical exercise can boost your

concentration and memory, and they can even stimulate the growth of new brain cells. A study at the National Taiwan University and Hospital also linked benefits in sleep to regular exercise. A decline in symptoms of ADHD and PTSD is also associated with working out. In addition, one must not overlook the physical benefits of exercise, as they stretch to far more than simply what the scale reads. Though I am quite far from a bodybuilder, I have added more than 20 healthy pounds in my time since taking up working out on campus, and liking what you see on the scale or in the mirror is far from a fringe reward. For many, the main drawback to these positive effects is simple: going to the gym is hard. This, I won’t argue against, in fact, difficulty is such an inherent part of

COVID-19 restrictions increased the week before the march. According to the D.C. Health department, Mayor Muriel Bowser is mandating proof of vaccination for entry into virtually any business or restaurant. “Beginning on Jan. 15, 2022,” D.C. Health writes, “specific D.C. public businesses will require all patrons aged 12 years old or older to show proof that they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before they are allowed entry.” These public businesses include food and drink establishments, indoor cultural and entertainment establishments, indoor exercise and recreational facilities, indoor event and meeting establishments, and “any other indoor establishment

designated by the director of the D.C. Department of Health.” This means everything is closed to the unvaccinated, unless you provide documentation of medical or religious exemptions and a negative PCR or antigen test within the last 24 hrs, which, of course, is nearly impossible to get. Is it pure coincidence that these harsh restrictions begin six days before the scheduled March for Life? I think not. Already, school trips have been canceled, flights dropped, and plans changed because of the inability to meet these requirements. However, this is the exact opposite of what we should be doing. We must not give up because of the restrictions. That only tells the

government that their manipulation works. Is it more important to eat and sleep in D.C. or to protect the lives of millions of unborn children? Work around the restrictions and go to D.C. Speak for the unborn. The feminist pro-abortion movement is scared. They know the relevance of this issue, especially with the Dobbs vs. Jackson Case. It is time to push harder than ever before and overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Generation Z, especially, must rise. Make a stance. Attend the March. Speak for those beating hearts. Defend their lives and defend the future of this country.

Hillsdale College has a gym available to its students. Courtesy |Collegian

exercise that it, in itself, is a benefit. Not only that, but to me, many of the mental benefits come from embracing the difficulty inherent in a trip to the gym. Whether you’re running a new personal best mile time or hitting a new one-rep max on bench press, these successes came along with prior failures. Having, in just the past month, alerted the entire gym to my presence by loudly sliding the weights off the side of the barbell after failing a max attempt on the bench

without a spotter, I can attest to that as well as anyone. They may not always be visible to the naked eye, but the gym helps everyone who sets foot in it, in more ways than one. This year, set a resolution that will improve your well-being, both physically and emotionally. And who knows, maybe this one will last until March. Christian Peck-Dimit is a junior studying English and journalism. He is the sports editor at The Collegian.

Be a voice for the voiceless Say no to By Michaela Estruth The fight against abortion has been a long–and at times discouraging–one. Many of those who began the fight 50 years ago are in desperate need of reinforcement. It’s time for young, strong voices to step up and defend life. Generation Z, adults aged 18 to 25 years old, are the future of this country. We are at a turning point on several cultural issues: one of the most significant being the pro-life movement. It’s time for us to step on the scene. They will be the ones invested in and experiencing the results in years to come. They must be a voice for the voiceless, the innocent in the womb. Fight for their future. Defend life, truth, and morality. The March for Life is returning to the streets of Washington, D.C., this year on Friday, Jan. 21. This annual March began on Jan. 20, 1974, a year after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Citizens took to the streets to protest the legalization of abortion. The March for Life became an annual event in which thousands of Americans from across the country travel to D.C. to speak and walk on behalf of unborn children whose lives are taken before their first breath. However, last year, for the first time since 1974, the March for Life was canceled. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the unrest from the Jan. 6 riot, pro-life advocates were told to stay home and watch a virtual promotion of the March. Yet again this year,

Many Hillsdale students are planning to attend the March for Life. Courtesy | HCFL Instagram

The harms of TikTok By Alexandra Hall TikTok has an iron grip on cultural trends, fashions, and nearly every industry. What started as a silly app filled with lip-syncing clips and dances has evolved into a platform that praises alien-like beauty standards, shortens people’s attention spans to that of mice, and further propels culture into an insatiable and superficial mess. Social media affecting young people’s mental health is no new problem. Parents and psychologists alike have blown the whistles and spread the news. But nothing is quite as disturbing as the TikTok filters that have completely warped the basics of human anatomy. Snapchat used to be criticized for its dog filter that adorned users with a long tongue and puppy ears. TikTok graduated to making its users look like anything from a Disney character to a Botox-ed Beverly Hiller. With the increasing number of young people spending countless hours on TikTok, it is no doubt their perception of basic human features, let alone a healthy appreciation of their

Michaela Estruth is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

own beauty, will be entirely warped. As screen time usage increases, the attention span of users decreases. Videos can be 15 seconds, 60 seconds, or three minutes long. TikTok’s success poses the question of value when it comes to content. If something can be condensed into a bite-sized snack and give you the same feeling of fullness, why eat a full meal? This puts pressure on creators to keep pushing content with little regard for its quality. The music industry has also been particularly affected by TikTok. Artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Glass Animals have both seen massive success in their work when songs like “good 4 u” and “Heat Waves” get swept up in trends. On a smaller scale, it has allowed independent artists to grow their audiences. One small band from Reno named Surf Curse saw their 2013 song “Freaks” blow up on TikTok, eventually landing them a record deal with Atlantic Records. Every other social media platform is adopting some version of TikTok, like Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. Even though TikTok provides

opportunities to both new creators and informed professionals, there is a rapacious nature to its never-ending For You page and eerily informed algorithm. What comes next in this pipeline of content creation and what else it will take

Alexandra Hall is a junior studying biology.

By Josh Hypes New Year’s is a time for change. Yet, there’s one tradition of change I could never get behind: New Year’s resolutions. Many draft goals or probations for themselves to ring in the New Year, often with shaky success. These resolutions take the form of blanket statements like: “I will be healthier this year,” “I will go to the gym,” or “I will not use social media.” The issue with many of these goals is that they are unrealistic. It is difficult to change an unhealthy habit. While it’s good to reflect on the past year and realize that change is necessary, New Year’s resolutions end up being vague virtue signals that trend in a somewhat positive direction. Those who say they want to be healthier will often flood the gym for the first two weeks of the New Year until suddenly they drop off the face of the earth. More than 80% of people forget their New Year’s resolutions by Mid-February, according to Business Insider. Why do these resolutions fail? It is often for psychological reasons. For instance, many overthink the difficulty in executing their resolutions, thus, granting themselves an escape from their goal. While in some rare cases resolutions succeed, the vast majority fail. Resolutions are not a tenable measure of enacting change. Instead, people should pursue setting themes for the New Year.

For example, instead of saying, “I will go to the gym x number of times for y number of hours,” why not establish a “Year of Health” where you consider making healthy choices when given the option? During your year of health, you might begin by thinking of going to the gym until you realize you’d instead like to hike or backpack; thus, the journey of the theme. The theme system accomplishes getting you to think about making the small changes to your overall life when it makes sense, leading to a positive growth trend. It also ends the discouragement that accompanies the inevitable failure of a resolution. Themes are not restricted by a measure of time, meaning that you could have a “winter” of learning during your “year” of health. A year is a long time, often too long for the human mind to fully comprehend; creating shorter themes during specific periods of the year could increase the overall success rate. The you that establishes the theme changes, and why shouldn’t the measure of growth change as well? Seasonal and yearly themes are a manageable way to achieve personal growth throughout the year. Regardless of the means, it is a success if you accomplish the end of growth.

Josh Hypes is a sophomore studying politics and journalism. He is the assistant city news editor at The Collegian.

The benefits of TikTok By Jillian Parks Despite the way Baby Boomers and Generation X talk about Tik Tok, this innovative app encourages people from all careers and demo-

TikTok is the rising social media. Courtesy | pngimg

from its users is unclear. It would seem TikTok’s takeover is inevitable, but that makes user moderation even more imperative.

resolutions

graphics to create videos that others can enjoy. Its ability to encourage creativity, widen the audience of an artist’s work, and expand user’s exposure to different ways of life, trains of thought, and definitions of “funny” makes the app an excellent tool.

TikTok is a quickly expanding, quick-moving app, which has negative implications for sure. However, its exponential growth means more content can reach more people. Small businesses can show up on the pages of people who would normally only turn to Amazon. Budding musicians can end up on the playlists of thousands of kids who would otherwise be stuck with the Top 40 hits. TikTok gives the average Joe a chance to strike gold without millions of dollars in advertising. Not only does TikTok benefit producers, but it’s better than other forms of social media for the consumers. TikTok is the very essence of capitalism. The presence of millions of kids, artists, and future influencers increases competition and forces the product to be better. TikTokers are fighting for attention and influence by increasing the quality and frequency of content that they post. Finally, contrary to the belief of boomers and fundies, TikTok is not simply an app full of dancing videos and girls in swimsuits. TikTok is an online encyclopedia if one chooses to use it that way. Users curate

their own algorithm by interacting with content they deem worthy of a like, comment, or share. A myriad of dermatologists, lawyers, engineers, and even author Hank Green himself camp out on TikTok offering information and insight to those that will listen. Similar to how the men liking pictures of women in bikinis are the ones complaining about women “having it easy,” one’s TikTok experience is not at the mercy of anything but their own two hands. “But TikTok is consuming teenagers’ lives and imposing impossible beauty standards on them!!” If they aren’t old enough to know how to regulate how much and what they consume, they aren’t old enough to be on the app. Parents need to step up at some point– add time limits or downtime– until their child is old enough to know that seven hours a day is not a healthy habit. Just as working and sleeping are two objectively good things but can be turned into vices when overused or abused, TikTok is good in moderation.

Jillian Parks is a freshman studying the liberal

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City News A6 January 20, 2022

Redistricting Commission splits Hillsdale County into two state Senate districts in new political map

By Josh Hypes Assistant Editor

Hillsdale County will be split into two different state Senate districts under a plan approved by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission on Dec. 28. On the new map, Hillsdale and Jonesville are in district 16 and Allen and Reading are in district 17. The new maps enacted by the commission give Democrats a chance of flipping the state legislature by creating several competitive districts in suburban areas, according to Bridge Michigan. Colin Brown, a Van Andel graduate school student who worked as a researcher for Hillsdale’s Markman Report, said the redistricting commission evaluated several factors: partisan fairness, compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Michigan State Constitution, contiguity in crafting districts, and communities of interest. The Markman report raised questions about the communities of interest requirement, according to Brown. “The introduction of communities of interest had not played a role in previous redistricting efforts,” Brown said. Brown said the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy penned a report interpreting the communities of interest requirement to be expanded to encompass issues of public policy such as special tax assessment districts and media markets. Hillsdale College responded to the

report with the Markman Report, written by former Michigan Supreme Court Justice and Professor of Constitutional Law Stephen Markman. The Markman report interprets communities of interest as organic counties, cities, towns, villages, and townships. Markman writes that the University of Michigan report’s interpretation of “communities of interest” could risk bringing elements of gerrymandering and political partisanship into the redistricting process under a different name.

“In some of the early versions of the maps, Hillsdale County was sometimes split into two or three.” “It is very clear that the commission used communities of interest as a way of moving away from traditional geographical and pre-established political boundaries,” Brown said. “In some of the early versions of the maps, Hillsdale County was sometimes split into two or three statehouse districts.” Voters established the Michigan Redistricting Commission by approving an amendment to the Michigan State Constitution in 2018. This transferred the legislature’s power to draw state and congressional districts to an independent redistricting commission of citizens selected by lottery, according to the Michigan State Constitution. Josh Barker, a junior and George Washington Fellow

who assisted with research for the Markman project, said Democrats often argue that the number of votes and the number of seats awarded during an election are unproportional. “By looking at partisan fairness during redistricting, people will complain about the amount of seats held by Republicans being higher than those who actually voted for them,” Barker said. “The fact lines are drawn means that it has to happen. The winner takes all, unless you bake partisan parity into the system.” Associate Professor of Politics Joseph Postell, who closely followed the redistricting of the Michigan congressional map, said the winnertake-all system causes the “wasted vote phenomena” where every vote over the 50% threshold does not achieve more representation for that district. “What Democrats want to do is redraw the districts so that they win each district by the smallest number of votes possible, thereby evenly distributing their voters throughout all the districts and translating their votes into as much political power as possible,” Postell said. Hillsdale College graduate student Sam Lair, who led a petition against the county split, said the commission fundamentally changed the redistricting process with its new maps. “The issue with the commission is that of elected officials and the original conception of the American Constitution,” Lair said. “It should be the representatives and the people duly appointed for those positions that are accountable to the people.”

According to The Detroit News, two nonpartisan members of the commission who applied as independents were later traced to Democratic causes. Brown said this was one example of difficulties with independent commissions drawing district maps with minimal experience. Lair said there was no member appointed to the redistricting commission from Southern Michigan. Sophomore Luke Spangler, who has closely followed the redistricting process, said the commission’s efforts produced maps that better represent all aspects of Michigan under the requirements of the state Constitution. “The maps saw much improvement to competitiveness in districts, where as much as 25% of the statehouse could easily switch parties in any given election according to previous results in those new districts,” Spangler said, citing Bridge Michigan. “While on paper the boundaries look rough, the people are picking the politicians instead of the other way around for the first time in Michigan history.” Both districts will elect a new state Senator as Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, and Dale Zorn, R-Ida, will be term-limited after serving two terms of four years, according to their Michigan Senate bios. Unlike the state Senate map, Hillsdale County will remain intact in the new maps for U.S. Congress and the state house of representatives. The Cook Political Report predicts the county will easily re-elect state Representative Andrew

The new state senate districts for Michigan (top) and Hillsdale County (bottom). Courtesy | MICRC

Fink, R-Hillsdale, and U.S. Congressman Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. Fink was elected in 2020 by a margin of more than 40 points, while Walberg was elected by a

17-point margin, according to election data compiled by the Michigan Department of State.

City Council discusses new Update: Judge postpones TIFA member, land deal hearing for hit-and-run suspect

who are not vacinated will also face monetary penalties following the Jan. 1 policy. ese penalties could be pu ot $60 per year, he said. Hourly ow rkers will not be eecet d yb the penalties. Employees who have re By Sofie Kellar Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale City Council appointed a county commissioner to the Tax Increment Finance Authority and took steps toward saving money and increasing revenue in the city at its meeting this week. TIFA is a city board committed to creating economic opportunity, providing support for small businesses, and preserving property values in the community, according to Mayor Adam Stockford. Mary Wolfram held the position on the board before county commissioner Douglas Ingles’ appointment and worked on improving properties owned by the city, Stockford said. “Mary has done a wonderful job. Those buildings needed attention,

desperately,” councilman Ray Briner said. “TIFA saw that, had the funds to purchase them, and saw a vision. And Mary was kind of the driving force behind that vision.” Stockford said the city recently sold land to private individuals for farming and business, which he said hopes will be a significant source of revenue for the city. “It’s a big deal, guys, it’s huge,” Stockford said. “I was so happy to put my signature on the biggest land deal in Hillsdale’s history,” Stockford said on Facebook. “We have successfully sold the entirety of our industrial park land for development. We put nearly 200 acres of public land into private hands, and with one stroke, doubled the revenue in our industrial park. I can’t overstate what a big win

this is for the people of Hillsdale. Working local, spending local, a win for everyone.” The city will oversee the zoning of the new properties. The spokesman for the deal, Dave Williams, said, “the city would recognize the revenue and we will be putting it into private hands.” Stockford said,“This is a big win for us to start off the new year. I was dancing around in my kitchen when this first fell together.” The council also approved guidelines for poverty exemption to be used by the city Board of Review for exemptions from paying property taxes for poverty reasons. The new guidelines have been updated to meet new Michigan state standards, according to the resolution.

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Dylan Lee Jones is the suspect in a fatal August hit-and-run. Courtesy | Facebook

By Hanna Thompson Collegian Freelancer The trial of Dylan Lee Jones, accused of a hit-andrun incident in August, was delayed until Jan. 27, after Circuit Court Judge Sara Lisznyai on Monday rescheduled a motion hearing. Kimm Burger, defense attorney for the 24-year-old Jones, said the motion hearing was supposed to decide whether a witness would be allowed to testify in Jones’ jury trial. “But the hearing on Monday was about whether or not Mr. Jones’ parole agent would be allowed to testify as to what Mr. Jones told her during an interview,” Burger said. Before going to a jury trial, the court must first determine if the agent violated Jones’ constitutional rights during this interview, according to Burger. Lisznyai adjourned the hearing after Jones’ parole agent called in sick and was unable to attend the hearing. Court Administrator Cindy Webb said the motion hearing has been rescheduled for Jan. 27 at 11 a.m.

A preliminary hearing took place on Jan. 10 regarding Jones’ charge of reckless driving causing death and failure to stop causing death. This hearing determined that there was enough information to proceed to a jury trial. Currently, according to Webb, the case is in First Judicial Circuit Court.

“The hearing on Monday was about whether or not Mr. Jones’ parole agent would be allowed to testify.” “At that hearing, it was determined there was enough information to proceed to trial on the felony offenses in that file,” Burger said. “At this point, we are waiting for the court to start scheduling trials again.” Once the motion hearing takes place, the next step in the case will be a bench or jury trial to decide Jones’ guilt or innocence, according to Burger. Jones has three addition-

al charges against him for which he is awaiting separate trials. Jones was charged with one count of fleeing and eluding in a stolen motor vehicle and two counts of possession of methamphetamines, according to Burger. Lt. Jason Stiverson of the Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Office confirmed that deputies found Jones with methamphetamines at the jail, but could not provide further comment because the case is currently in the judicial process. All charges are in similar stages of court procedure, according to Burger. “Each file has had a preliminary exam and it was found there was enough information to proceed to trial on all charges,” Burger said. The dates for these trials have also yet to be determined. The Michigan State Police arrested Jones in September as the primary suspect in an Aug. 21, 2021, hit-and-run that resulted in the deaths of 56-year-old Kevin Brewer and his dog. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Michigan State Police reports. Jones had his arraignment before Hillsdale District Court Judge Megan Stiverson on Sept. 7, 2021, where county prosecutors charged him with reckless driving causing death and failure to stop at the scene of a crime resulting in death, Burger said. Jones and his defense team rejected the plea deal that was offered to him by the county prosecutor’s office, opting instead for a trial by jury, according to Burger. At the time of publication, no court dates have been determined for a bench or jury trial.

City News

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January 20, 2022 A7

City denies tax exemption for Hillsdale Justice Project, judge dismisses case By Olivia Hajicek Collegian Reporter A judge dismissed Hillsdale Justice Project, Inc.’s case against Hillsdale County and City of Hillsdale on Jan. 10 after the city had denied the organization’s tax exemption. Hillsdale Justice Project filed a motion asking the Hillsdale County First Judicial Circuit Court to issue a judgment recognizing its status as a nonprofit in good standing, which would exclude it from taxation. The defendants were Hillsdale County Treasurer Stephenie Kyser and Hillsdale City Assessor Kim Thomas. “Our mission statement

is ‘Citizens helping citizens help themselves,’” said JonPaul Rutan, the founder and president of Hillsdale Justice Project. “You can assert your rights in a civil manner and still retain those rights, and that’s what we teach.” Besides teaching classes on important documents from American history, Rutan said the group helps people who are “caught in the criminal justice system.” “They’ll come in, we’ll help them research the law, we’ll help them understand the situation,” Rutan said. “We don’t go ourselves as lawyers, nor do we give legal advice. All we do is

we help people help themselves.” In March of 2020, the organization brought its case before the City of Hillsdale Board of Review, which denied the organization’s exemption, according to the city board’s minutes from the meeting. In August 2021, Hillsdale Justice Project filed its motion for a declaratory judgment with the Hillsdale Circuit Court. The defendants asked the court to dismiss the case. They argued that the circuit court did not have the authority to decide the case because a final decision by a Board of Review could only be appealed to the

Michigan Tax Tribunal. The Hillsdale Justice Project responded in a brief arguing the case remained within the circuit court’s jurisdiction because the Board of Review hearing did not comply with Michigan law. Hillsdale Justice Project alleged the Board of Review denied its exemption 1-1, without a majority vote. Circuit Court Administrator Cindy Webb said that both Circuit Court Judge Sara Lisznyai recused herself from the case because both Lisznyai and one of the defendants, County Treasurer Stephenie Kyser, are county employees. According to Webb, it

would have been wrong for Lisznyai to preside over the case. Two other county judges, Michelle Bianchi and Megan Stiverson, also recused themselves. The case was then assigned to Lenawee County Circuit Judge Anna Marie Anzalone. Anzalone heard the case remotely on Jan. 10. “At the conclusion of Monday’s hearing, Anzalone granted the city and county’s motion, and dismissed the lawsuit,” Thomas L. Thompson, the attorney representing the city and the county, said in an email on Jan. 13. The Hillsdale Justice Project filed with the state

tax tribunal following the judge’s decision to dismiss the case, Rutan said. The Hillsdale Justice Project’s property is currently in forfeiture and will be foreclosed if 2019 taxes are not paid in full by March 31, according to a letter Rutan received shortly after the hearing. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15, when the Hillsdale Justice Project plans to contest the forfeiture on the grounds that the organization is tax-exempt, Rutan said.

Refuge Coffee takes ministry-oriented business approach By Lauren Scott Circulation Manager A coffee shop in Quincy aims to end human trafficking by taking a ministry-oriented approach to business. Refuge Coffee is a family owned business that opened last March. Owner Dawn Bracy said the idea for it came, “straight from the Lord.” “We started to get many confirmations that this is exactly what God wanted,” Bracy said. “He gave me the name and told me very clearly.” Refuge Coffee aims at bringing awareness to human trafficking through the mission of their store and through community outreach. “We started a human trafficking awareness group for our community,” Bracy said. “We trained the hotel staff around the Coldwater area to know what to look for in human trafficking.” They also contribute to the fight monetarily. “Every cup that we sell ends up helping the fight against human trafficking,” Bracy said. Refuge House buys its coffee from Bella Goose, a roaster in Wisconsin that raises money to fight human trafficking and hires

survivors of trafficking at their stores, according to Bracy. Faith is a central element of their business, Bracy said. The store creates opportunities to open conversations about faith with customers. “We offer to pray over people,” Bracy said. “We pray over people pretty much daily. You would be surprised by the amount of amazing conversations we have had.” While praying with customers is central to Refuge Coffee, Bracy is careful in how she goes about it. “I don't feel like it's in your face, but it is available and people know,” Bracy said. Bracy said support from the community has brought many opportunities. “We have had a lot of support from the community and it’s branching out. We do worship nights once a month,” Bracy said. The business utilizes the whole family’s talents. Bracy said the whole family learned how to bake when they first opened. Rachelle Bracy, Dawn Bracy’s daughter, works as a barista and decorates the coffee sleeves with encouraging phrases and drawings.

“When I have free time I try to put as much time into them as I can,” Rachelle Bracy said. Aside from designing the coffee sleeves, Rachelle Bracy said she enjoys watching the younger crowd gather. “My favorite thing is having the kids come in after school,” Rachelle Bracy said. “There are two little boys that will sit up there and drink their hot chocolate and talk to us like little adults. It’s really cool to see how they enjoy it here.” Refuge Coffee not only attracts younger customers after a long day at school, but local Mariah Johnson often visits to work on coursework for her master’s degree. “Having another coffee shop in the area that is family-based and familyowned is really good, too,” Johnson said. “I am working on my master’s, so having somewhere to go to do homework that’s not my house has been good.” Johnson said her favorite thing about Refuge Coffee is the welcoming environment. “It’s almost like an outreach in my mind and having an outlet to feel comfortable in my faith,” Johnson said.

Dawn Bracy and Rachelle Bracy behind the counter at Refuge Coffee. Collegian | Lauren Scott

Hillsdale Hospital opens Center for Wound County’s only RV dealership to expand in February Care and Hyperbaric Medicine By Josh Newhook News Editor Hillsdale Hospital opened a new advanced wound care center becoming the only facility in the county to treat non-healing wounds with oxygen. Hillsdale Hospital opened its Center for Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine on Wednesday. According to Hillsdale Hospital Director of Marketing Rachel Lott, the center will increase the hospital’s services in treating non-healing wounds such as foot ulcers, wounds caused by pressure, and surgical wounds. Underlying conditions such as diabetes, circulation problems, or previous radiation treatment may complicate non-healing wounds, according to the hospital’s website.

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This will be the only center like this in the county, according to Lott. “We know there is a need in our community for wound care. We already had a wound care program,” Lott said. “And we wanted to be able to expand that and offer additional services to our community and our patients.”

“This will be the only center like this in the county.” One of the new features offered is a pressurized oxygen chamber, which can promote healing wounds through a process known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. “Patients can walk, watch

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TV, and listen to music in the chamber,” she said. Patients who are prescribed HBO typically require treatment five days a week for two-hour sessions, according to a hospital press release. Lott said the hospital has worked on the project fort for more than a year. The center will occupy a newly renovated suite on the third floor, according to Lott. Besides a few hires for support roles, the hospital will use existing personnel to run the center, including Norris March, a general surgery specialist; Abedelkarim Abushmaies, who specializes in vascular surgery; and Maria Bidny, a podiatrist. “We have a multipledisciplinary approach to this, which is part of what makes it a more advanced

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form of care for our patients,” Lott said. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, which will give a lot more access to patients, according to Lott. Currently, all appointments are for patients who have already worked with the hospital through their provider, she said. Nevertheless, Lott said that potential new patients can call the center directly with any questions. "We are continuing to bring specialty care to our community,” she said. “This center is just another example of our commitment to our community."

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By Elyse Hawkins Opinions Editor

The only recreationalvehicle dealership in Hillsdale County will open fully in February, its owner said. “We are just now really getting things up and running,” said Kenneth Joswiak of Southern Michigan RV. Joswiak and his wife Stacy, who also own Hillsdale Buick GMC on Carleton Road, started to sell Gulf Stream RVs in September and they expect to offer servicing by Feb. 1. The dealership has nine new and pre-owned RVs on the lot for sale, said Joswiak. Joswiak said they hope to keep between 20 and 25 RVs on the lot, but supply-chain problems have prevented them from meeting this goal. “We should have started to see some of these units at the end of the year,” he said. “A lot depends on availability

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because that’s so tough right now.” Hillsdale’s Buick GMC dealership opened in 1950, and the Joswiaks bought it five years ago from its previous owner, Eric Leutheuser. Outside of Hillsdale, the next closest RV dealership is located in Coldwater. “We don't have a lot of other stores around us, but we do have a lot of campers, campsites, and campgrounds in the area,” Stacy Joswiak said. “If someone breaks a hose or something, now they can get what they need from us.” There has been a lot of interest from the community already, said Kenneth Joswiak, but he hopes to continue expanding. “We are going to grow from here, but availability is key,” Kenneth Joswiak said. “We’re obviously going to take everything we can get just because of demand right now, but it’s just so slow.”

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A8 January 20, 2022

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Sports

Men's Track and Field

Chargers take second place against Ashland and Findlay By Luke Morey Assistant Editor The Hillsdale College men’s track and field earned its first NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark of the season in a home tri-meet against the defending DII Outdoor champion Ashland University and Findlay University. Freshman thrower Ben Haas had his furthest throw in the weight throw on Friday, notching 18.84 meters to take third place. This mark gave the Chargers their first NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the season. “It feels great being the first provisional mark on the team,” Haas said. “But I know that there are plenty of my teammates who are also competing at the National standard and there will be more to come.” After only two meets as a Charger, Haas earned G-MAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. “In my first two meets I performed much better than I expected when I first came to Hillsdale,” Haas said. “I think

that the key to my success is that I am confident in my abilities, and I just show up to the meets to have fun and throw as far as I can.” 2021 All-American senior Ben Raffin won the pole vault title with 4.68 meters and sophomore Josh Nichols won the triple jump with 13.83 meters. “My jumps weren’t anything special and I didn’t really care about placement, I was just focused on form and technique,” Nichols said. Nichols said he has two goals by the end of the indoor season. “My goals are to hit provisional in indoor in triple jump, which is 14.44 and I would like to hit 6.80 in long jump,” Nichols said. Several Chargers placed during the weekend, with Nichols getting fourth in the long jump, freshman Cass Dobrowolski earning fourth in the high jump and sixth in the long jump, with sophomore Charlie Andrews grabbing sixth in the high jump. Freshman Ross Kuhn was

one of three Chargers in the top six for the 800 meter run. Kuhn took second with a personal-best 1:58.20, with senior Mark Miller in fifth with 1:59.40 and sophomore Benu Meintjes in sixth with a time of 1:59.41. Sophomore Alex Mitchell and freshman Donnie McArdle took second and third in the 3,000 meter run with times of 8:51.17 and 8:57.34 respectively. Junior Isaac Waffle won the 400 meter hurdles and earned fifth in the mile run. For the weekend, the Chargers got 82.5 points, good enough for second behind Ashland’s 148.50. Findlay took third with 76 points. “Ashland is obviously the team to beat in the conference at the moment, and I think the team did well overall going up against them, especially since it was our season opener and we have a long way to go until conference,” Nichols said. The Chargers now host the Hillsdale Winter Classic on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21-22.

Freshman Kendall McCormick drives to the basket against Ashland. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Sports Opinion Tom Brady led the league in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns this season. Courtesy | New York Times

The MVP case for Tom Brady

By Josh Newhook News Editor

Basketball from A10 The team bounced back with a 72-63 win against the Tiffin Dragons, who made it to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season. “I think we battled the entire game,” Splain said. “When they went on runs, we didn't let that affect us. We stayed focused throughout our free throws and we kept it tough even in that ending battle. We kept our effort up

the entire time.” The win came despite sudden scheduling issues. “The location actually moved at the last minute, but it didn't affect us because we were ready,” Touchette said. Touchette led the team in points again, scoring a gamehigh 18. Both junior forward Sydney Mills and sophomore forward Arianna Sysum trailed her closely with 16 and 17 points respectively. “You have got to look at Ari, right off the bat,” Head Coach Charlie Averkamp said. “She's coming into her own, she can guard anyone

on the court and offensively she’s been growing so much, which is fun to see.” The Chargers game against Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday, Jan. 20 was postponed due to health and safety protocols from Trevecca. This game will be played at a later time. “It’s exciting to get a chance to compete with this team on our home court,” Averkamp said. “Every game is important, so we want to go out and just play our best game.”

When Tom Brady first took the field in September 2001 to fill in for the injured Drew Bledsoe, few people viewed the clumsy backup as anything special. After 20 years and 10 Super Bowl appearances, however, the story of the six-round pick has captivated sports fans everywhere. He is not only the greatest NFL player ever, but also the most valuable player in the league today. “No player in recent memory has been more analyzed or debated, more beloved or reviled," said Gotham Chopra, director of ESPN+’s new film series “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady”. The series, which aired on ESPN+ from Nov. 16 to Dec. 28, exemplifies the public interest in the quarterback by breaking down each of his seven Super Bowl victories, and what led up to them. Brady is already a legend. Just look at his crazy quarterback records, including most passing yards, touchdowns, regular-season wins, playoff appearances, and both playoff and Super Bowl wins. Most impressive of all, he remains a force in the NFL today. The 44-year-old is coming off his seventh title and fifth Super Bowl MVP. Last year, Brady did the unthinkable: after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite adjusting to a new team in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brady led a wild card team to defy the odds by winning three straight playoff games on the road and capturing a Super Bowl victory. To get there, he routed

the Washington Football Team on a short week, and then defeated Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in an away game in the divisional round, after having lost to them twice in the regular season. He then traveled to Lambeau Field in wintry January and beat MVP Aaron Rodgers and the 1st-seed Green Bay Packers. Finally, he won his title against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, acclaimed as the Brady of his generation, by double digits. While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 13-4 record this season doesn’t look like anything special for Tom Brady – he has, after all, never had a losing season as a starter – Brady is also second place in the NFL MVP race, according to ESPN's end-ofthe-season outlook on Jan. 4, behind only Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Despite what the Associated Press decides, Brady had a better regularseason than Rodgers. Some quickly pass over Brady as a candidate because of a few trivial stats. For instance, his twelve interceptions this year look a lot worse than Rodgers’ four. Additionally, his 68.2 quarterback rating falls second-ranked to Aaron Rodgers’ 68.9 QBR. But in almost every other category, Brady leads Rodgers by a long shot. Brady leads the league in passing attempts and completions, both NFL records. He also leads the league in passing yards, the second-most in NFL history, and passing touchdowns. Brady threw for 1,200 more passing yards than Rodgers while throwing an additional 100-plus passing attempts, with six extra touchdowns.

More football touches usually lead to more mistakes, but for Brady to still lead in so many important categories is remarkable. Not only that, but Brady has done this despite losing his number-one wide receiver, Chris Godwin, to a knee injury on Dec. 19 against the New Orleans Saints, and two weeks later, his friend and wide receiver Antonio Brown, who walked out of the game in the third quarter against the New York Jets. Since then he overcame these adversities to win the final three games of the season, with six touchdowns and zero interceptions without these players on the field. Finally, his ability to operate at this extremely high level of play despite being 44 years old, an age where no other quarterback has even started a game, is beyond impressive. Many of Brady’s closest competitions in the MVP race are close to twenty years younger than him. For instance, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who is 25 and was in the top-five odds to win the award most of the year, wasn’t even in kindergarten when Tom Brady was drafted. As Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians commented, it would be a “travesty” if Tom Brady does not get the award. "I think if he doesn't get it, it's a travesty," Arians said on Jan. 10, the day after the last regular season game, according to The Associated Press. "Most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns – the whole nine yards. To me, it's not even a close race." The facts don’t lie. Tom Brady isn’t just the greatest player of all time. He is also the best in the league right now.

A9 January 20, 2022

Men's Basketball

Sports

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Men's basketball one game behind first in the G-MAC

Junior Patrick Cartier makes a move to the basket against Ashland. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

By Christian Peck-Dimit Sports Editor

The Hillsdale College men’s basketball team fell just short in the final seconds at home to Ashland University before grabbing a win against Tiffin University to move within a game of first place in the G-MAC. At 11-4 overall and 6-3 in conference play, the Chargers sit in third place in the G-MAC standings, though they are just half of a game behind Walsh University in second place and one game behind Malone University in first. “Those types of games are what you play for, and obviously the end didn’t go the way we wanted it to, we weren’t able to finish it out,” junior forward Patrick Cartier said. “You live and you learn and I’m glad we bounced back on Saturday the way we did.” The Chargers began their week on Thursday at home against the Ashland Eagles. The first half was a defensive battle, with Hillsdale holding the lead at halftime with a score of 18-16. “We were beautiful defensively in the first half,” Head Coach John Tharp said. “We were tough as can be and executed our game plan defensively to a T. We just missed a ton of opportunities on the offensive end, we knew it was gonna be a street fight.” The second half was entirely different, with 70 points scored combined between the two teams. Cartier scored nine of his 15 points in the second half on three and-ones to counter a hot post-halftime Eagles team. Then, with the Chargers down by eight with three minutes left, junior guard Kyle Guessler knocked down three threes on three straight possessions to pull Hillsdale within one. “They were trying to

matchup zone us, so we started overloading and KG banged some shots,” Tharp said. Cartier and senior forward Austen Yarian then each missed close, contested looks in the final three seconds to give Ashland the upset. “We had a play called and we had one timeout left and I didn’t want to use the timeout for them to change their defense up, we just got the ball into Cartier’s hands and tried to have him just go,” Tharp said. “I thought the officials, it was a bloodbath how they officiated the game, it was a tough way to lose.” The Chargers now have an even 4-4 record at home, a far cry from their undefeated home record during last year’s regular season. “It’s not something we want to get accustomed to and it’s not something we’re used to, the last few years we’ve been really good at home, and obviously you want to put on a show for the fans,” Cartier said. “It’s been a little weird, there’s not really anything specifically that I can put my finger on, a lot of time at home you expect to shoot better than on the road, and we haven’t been shooting great at home for whatever reason.” Despite their home struggles, the team has rebounded from each of their losses this season, having never lost two games in a row. That trend continued as the team posted its highest single-game point total in a 96-69 win over Tiffin. “We moved the basketball on the offensive end, with this team we have to move the basketball,” Tharp said. “We’re not dynamic enough, we don’t have Connor Hill and Davis Larson making plays off the dribble, we have to move the ball and make the defense guard us in a variety of different scoring actions and I thought we did

a pretty good job of that.” Cartier posted his third 30-plus point outing of the season, dropping 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and added 10 rebounds and six assists, both season-highs. Junior guard Jack Gohlke was close behind Cartier in the scoring department, putting up a season-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting including seven made threes in his first collegiate start. “Once I got onto the court, it just felt right, the shots were falling and whenever that happens everything just seems a little easier,” Gohlke said. “It was just one of those nights where things were going my way and the team’s way and those are always the most fun games.” Gohlke replaced junior Tavon Brown in the starting lineup, who had started his previous 38 games. Brown dropped five points, eight rebounds, and two assists off the bench. “We had to make the decision because I didn’t like our rotation with some things off the bench, and with Tavon they were daring him to shoot the basketball and it became a psychological type of thing,” Tharp said. “Everyone just took a deep breath and made the adjustment of spacing with Jack on the floor. Tavon so called coming off the bench, just played a great game on Saturday.” The team now looks ahead to a pair of home games against Trevecca Nazarene University and Kentucky Wesleyan College on Thursday and Saturday respectively. “We’ve just got to go in and try to be as focused as possible and not look ahead to anything else on the schedule, just focus on these two teams that we’ve got this week,” Gohlke said. “Hopefully we can build a winning streak at home like we have in past years.”

Sophomore Margaret Scheske runs the anchor leg of the 4x400 meter relay. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Women's T&F From A10 Hillsdale placed five runners in the top six for the 800 meter run, with sophomore Gwynne Riley, freshman Nicole Marshall, and sophomore Dakota Stamm in the top three with times of 2:20.02, 20:20.40, and 2:22.56

respectively. Senior Zalonya Eby won the 200 meter dash with 25.77, and the Chargers won the day with a score of 114, with Findlay in second with 106 and Ashland with 102. Gerdin said she is excited for all the freshmen to compete this season. “We have a lot of freshmen this year, all of whom bring a

huge amount of talent so I’m excited to be able to compete with all of them,” Gerdin said. The Chargers host the Hillsdale Winter Classic on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 2122, with Friday holding the pentathlon and heptathlon and the rest of the meet on Saturday.

The men's basketball team has an even, 4-4 record at home. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

CHARGER CHATTER Cooper Peterson

Dream World Do you have What's a Favorite Series to have any pre-game funny baseball or been there superstitions? sports movie? memory from for? this season?

Cooper Peterson, an outfielder for the baseball team, is a senior financial management major from Traverse City, MI. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Atheletic Department

Rookie of the year. If it’s any sports movie then Miracle on Ice. There’s no really good baseball movies. I’ve never been a huge Sandlot guy.

When our assistant coach chased an umpire out past second base. It was his last year and he thought the umpire got a call wrong. Actually that was just a weird game, our head coach had gotten ejected for the second time ever.

I would have loved to see the Cubs win in 2016. The city probably just exploded after that.

I came into college with none, but now my left batting glove needs to go on before the right.

Compiled by Claire Gaudet

Set to make a splash, the Swimming team is undefeated in dual meets this season. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

Charger Sports

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A10 January 20, 2022

Swimming

Swim wins Senior Night tri-meet By Madeline Welsh Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale College swimming team earned two impressive wins at a tri-meet against Ashland University and Saginaw Valley State University, finishing at 15174 and 114-113 respectively. “I don’t know if we’ve ever beat Saginaw Valley,” Senior Carissa Henderson said. “They’re not a conference rival, but we did see them at Davenport earlier in the season and we did lose to them.” Henderson said the one point advantage over Saginaw came down to a few swimmers who pushed themselves

and had some excellent swims, particularly sophomore Amy Mills. “Amy Mills came from behind and passed two Saginaw Valley people to get second in the 400 I.M. to another Hillsdale person,” Henderson said. “That event won the meet. Every single person counted.” Freshman Joanna Burnham came first with a 4:44.70 and Mills finished second with a 4:49.42, out-touching the third and fourth finishers by hundredths of a second. Illness and injury took six swimmers out of the rotation this weekend, which means only 17 women competed, making the wins even more

remarkable. “It was kind of crazy, I had no idea we were going to be able to do that,” Senior Taylor Boyle said. Head Coach Kurt Kirner also said he was excited about the win. “It was one of the most memorable performances I’ve had in my thirty-plus years of coaching,” Kirner said. “To be down with 6 significant athletes, give up diving points, and be 15 points out with two events left and pull it out is outstanding.” The Chargers came into the meet with a disadvantage since both Saginaw Valley and Ashland had divers com-

Women's Basketball

peting in the meet. Ashland’s scores in the diving events put them 32 points ahead of the Chargers, but they finished 151-74 against Ashland regardless. Hillsdale swimmers topped a number of events, including both the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay, finishing at 1:51.34 and 1:39.74 respectively. Junior Marie Taylor finished first in the 50 yard freestyle at 24.50. Freshman Megan Clifford won the 200 yard butterfly with an eight second lead at 2:10.25. The team also celebrated senior night at the meet, their last home meet of the season.

The Hillsdale College Women’s basketball team played two conference games this week, losing at home against the Ashland University Eagles and grabbing a win over the Tiffin University Dragons. The Hillsdale women’s basketball team has dropped to fourth in the G-Mac standings, losing to the Ashland Eagles 80-55. “I think that obviously they're coming from the GLIAC and they've just come off of having super good teams in the past,” senior guard Grace Touchette said. “They

have the experience over us and there was just a discrepancy between knowing the college game and playing that game really well.” Touchette led the Chargers with a total of 12 points for the game. She was closely followed by freshman guard Dani Salenbien with 10, and freshman forward Carly Callahan with nine. Others found the loss to be less about experience, and more accurately attributed to Ashland’s gameplay. “I would say that for most of the game we had a lot of energy and were fighting back, but some of their punches hit a little too hard and we let the game slip away

each other's backs and bring out the best in each other.” Boyle and Henderson said the conclusion of their college swimming career is bittersweet, but they have confidence in the younger girls, especially the freshmen. “I have faith in them. Every year is just getting faster and faster,” Boyle said. “We’re leaving the team in very capable hands,” Henderson said. “They’re fantastic, and I think they can take it from here.” The Chargers swim in another tri-meet against Calvin University and Davenport University on Friday, Jan. 21.

Women's Track and Field The Chargers put five runners in the top six of the 800 meter run. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Chargers drop to fourth in the G-MAC By Claire Gaudet Social Media Manager

The six seniors on the team include Boyle, Henderson, Maddie Breay, Becca Briskey, Stefanie Walker, and Anna Clark. “It is always sad to see those who have been so integral to the program in their very last meet,” Kirner said. “The team truly stepped up this weekend in honor of this great group of women.” He reminisced on the meaningful moments they’ve shared over the past four years. “I can remember how well they have bonded from practically the first day they stepped on campus,” Kirner said. “They have always had

from us,” freshman guard Caitlin Splain said. Players found that, despite the loss, the Chargers were still able to improve as a team, referencing the team’s prior loss to the Walsh Cavaliers. “As a whole team there was a difference between the Ashland and the Walsh games,” Touchette said. “When someone came in who was talented and very physical, we fought back and didn't give up on the effort side. That was a big step forward for all of us.”

See Basketball A8

The Chargers put five runners in the top six of the 800 meter run. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Led by freshmen, women’s track and field earns first win of the new year By Katherine Miller Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale College women’s track team won first place in a tri-meet against Ashland University and University of Findlay. With help from their freshmen, the Chargers dominated in most of their events scoring first through third allowing them to take the win. They also had two athletes earn their first career NCAA DII provisional qualifying marks. Freshman Katie Clifford cleared 3.69 in pole vault in her second meet as a Charger, earning sixth place overall. Junior Nikita Maines earned second place in both weight throw and shot put, throwing

for 17.73 meters and 13.85 in shot put. Freshman Katie Sayles placed fourth in weight throw with 17.11 meters. Sophomore Emily Gerdin took second in triple jump with 11.32 meters and third in the long jump with 5.08 meters. “I feel that Friday was a really good starting point for me,” Gerdin said. “I didn’t hit the marks I specifically wanted but that just drives me to work even harder for this coming week.” Freshman Reagan Dahlquisrt placed third in the high jump with 1.63 meters, while freshman Louisa Klaserner earned second in the 60-meter hurdles with 9.28 and third in the 400 meter hurdles with 1:09.90.

“Something I’m trying to work on this year is building my confidence in my own event and my abilities as a hurdler,” Klaserner said. “I’ve been working a lot on my start and I thought it went a lot better.” Four Chargers won events on the track, with freshman Liz Wamsley taking first in the mile run with a time of 5:13.22, a personal best by nearly 20 seconds. Junior Claire McNally won the 3,000 meter run with a time of 10:47.14, with junior Natalie Martinson and freshman Kayla Loescher close behind in third and fourth.

See Women's T&F A9

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January 20, 2022 B1 The Hillsdale Art Department features WWII posters from the Detroit Historical Museum. Collegian | Phoebe VanHeyingen

C U L T U R E Hillsdale showcases Detroit WWII posters The latest Professional Artist Series exhibit hosted by Hillsdale’s Fine Arts department, “Propaganda Posters of WWII,” opened Friday, Jan. 14 and features pieces on loan from the Detroit Historical Museum. According to the hillsdaleart.org website, visual advertising was the best way to reach large numbers of people before television became popular. During World War II, the artists behind these advertising campaigns turned their skills to creating propaganda posters at the behest of the U.S. government in order to mobilize civilians to assist in the war effort. “The posters may remind people that countries go through trials throughout their history, and often come

out stronger in the end,” said Roxanne Kaufman, a visiting assistant professor of art who oversees Hillsdale’s art gallery.

The exhibit features posters that urge Americans to cut down on travel, to grow and preserve their own food, to be careful about what they do and say, and more. Many

of the posters were aimed at women, and encouraged them to support the war effort at home and abroad. One poster advertised that women who signed up to be “cadet nurses” could have the entirety of their nursing school paid for by the U.S. government, among other benefits. A majority of the posters encouraged American families to aid in the war effort in seemingly small ways that would make a difference. Professor of art Barbara Bushey said that she was particularly charmed by one poster that explained “Savings Stamps” to children. “This was a way for the less-fortunate and for children to buy war bonds; ten cents or twenty-five cents at a time,” Bushey said. “The poster explains what the government can purchase with your tencent contribution.”

Senior Reagan Linde, an art major who attended the exhibit, said that she has always loved 1940s-era graphic style. “[The posters] gave the country a unified image to gather behind,” Linde said. “They make you feel as if you are a part of something bigger.” Kaufman also said that the posters were meant to unify people behind a common cause. “They represent real things people did to help during a very difficult time,” she said. “They hung out there, on doors and walls, promoting how to help, no matter who you were or how old.” This exhibition of propaganda posters sparks comparisons between government messaging during World War II and government messaging today. According to Linde, the exhibit brought to mind

The art gallery will be open between Jan. 14 and Feb. 15 in the fine arts building. Collegian | Grace Umland

public health posters used throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “The images and message

of the signs changed as efforts moved from staying inside and washing your hands to masking and getting vaccinated,” she said. “These posters were used to unify the nation

Collegian Critique

By Megan Williams Assistant Editor

how exhausting such expectations can be on those who bear them. Encanto reminds everyone–regardless of status,

age, or magical abilities–that they can use their wit and determination for the benefit of others. Diving into the nuances of the teenage mind, Disney created characters who have subtle weaknesses that everyone can relate to. One of the Madrigal children has super-strength–she never tires or struggles to physically assist those around her. Despite this power, she still feels the pressure to live up to expectations, to never let anyone down, and to always make herself useful. This reality is something that many young adults struggle with today. In a world where everything is so accessible and success is simply expected, it’s overwhelming to figure out one’s place in society and how we can make a difference. We feel the same pressure depicted in this movie, and we must also learn that we cannot act alone. There will always be some fear of failure, but we can accept disappointment, grow, and understand that we will make mistakes. The valley the Madrigals live and work in is a direct reflection of our society today. Disney set aside their political agenda and ulterior motives to present a story of the balance between family, duty, and perfection. It’s a good reminder, especially at the beginning of a semester, that there is more to you than what you can achieve.

Fantastical colors, adorable animals, relatable characters, and songs that will play in your head on repeat. Disney’s newest movie, Encanto, has all the staples of a classic animation film–with some added features that catapults it over the edge. Encanto revolves around the Madrigals–a seemingly perfect Columbian family who are each gifted their own magical power when they turn of age. The Madrigals use their talents to help support the other members of their village, displaying true self-sacrifice for their neighbors. However, one of the children, Mirabel, does not receive a magical power. She thinks she’s useless, always in the way, and disappointing those she loves. Mirabel attempts to prove herself to her family over and over again, but cannot seem to do anything worth recognition– especially in comparison to the stellar feats of her older siblings. Mirabel’s time comes when her family begins to lose their powers. She is the only one willing to acknowledge that they are growing weak and cannot assist the town like they are expected to. Mirabel is confronted with the unrealistic standards her family holds themselves to and has to find a way to save their magic. This movie highlights the

responsibility and duty that people have to help one another with the talents they’ve been given, but it also shows

Disney’s “Encanto” is set in the mountains of Columbus. Courtesy | Twitter

K N I O R

Disney’s ‘Encanto’ encourages duty and escaping perfectionism

to collectively act in a certain way.” “It is an exciting opportunity to see original, historical posters so close to home,” Kaufman said. “Not to mention the graphics are amazing: bright colors, humor, emotion.” Bushey said that she hopes by visiting the exhibit, students will learn about the sacrifice and unity that characterized the American people during this era. “It was clearly understood that supporting the war effort meant sacrificing–not eating meat, for instance–and changing behavior, not just going to fight,” she said. “Also, how proud everyone was if they had a family member fighting.” The exhibition will run through Feb. 15.

E WEE

By Ashley Kaitz Collegian Reporter

PENNY’S MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE By Rachel Kookogey Associate Editor This one is not for the faint of heart. For those who don’t know, Mexican hot chocolate is made of milk, chocolate syrup, and a kick of chili pepper and cinnamon, which is an excellent flavor combination. If you need a caffeine boost, like I did, just ask the barista to add espresso to make it a Mexican mocha. The texture is foamy and the flavors are phenomenal, but warning: the spice will definitely clear your sinuses. I’m not the best with spicy things, so I’d give it a 3 out of 5.

C U L T U R E B2 January 20, 2022

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Violinist John McLaughlin performs on campus

By Aubrey Gullick Assistant Editor Last Saturday evening, Director of Keyboard Studies Brad Blackham and guest violinist John McLaughlin Williams collaborated to bring the chamber music of modern composers to Christ Chapel. “I think John and I were both hoping that most of the works on the program were going to be new for many people,” said Blackham. “It’s always great to open the minds and ears of the audience.” Blackham and Williams met while in graduate school at The Cleveland Institute of Music. “The funny thing is, we never got the chance to perform with one another while there, so that made this recent performance extra special,” Blackham said. Williams is an award-winning conductor who has made world-premiere recordings of orchestral works by both well-known and obscure composers. He received a Grammy for his recording of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Exotiques in 2007 and received further

Grammy nominations in 2009 and 2011. Outside of his conducting experience, Williams is also an accomplished pianist and violin soloist and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra as well as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, among others. Blackham and Williams share an interest in the works of modern composers, and the program included works by composers Somei Satoh, Nikolai Kapustin, Maurice Ravel, and Pancho Vladigerov. It explored the different colors and styles of modern music written for violin and piano. “It was exciting that the pieces were newer pieces; it certainly made it intriguing,” said senior Helen Murdoch. “It is always good for me to be exposed to new kinds of music.” The program opened with Birds in Warped Time II by Satoh, a composer who is still living. The piece is almost otherworldly, creating that sense using expressive vocalistic slides on the violin offset by a rolling and consistent piano line mimicking fluttering wings.

“There is a certain stillness in the work, there is no time signature,” Williams said. “It’s up to the musician to place

but it’s an extremely difficult work, especially the first time you perform it,” Blackham said. “That one was both fun

Vladigerov, who was trained in Germany, wrote many works based on Bulgarian folk tunes.

Brad Blackham and John McLaughlin perform together in Christ Chapel. Chapel. Collegian | Aubrey Gullick

the notes in a way that gives them meaning.” Nikolai Kapustin’s Sonata, Op.70 provided a sharp contrast to Satoh’s work, mixing classical and jazz style’s in a unique and unpredictable way. “The Kapustin was fun,

and scary. It’s one of those pieces that can come apart at the seams very easily.” The second half of the program included Ravel’s Sonata No.2 in G and ended with Vladigerov’s “Horo” from “Two Bulgarian Paraphrases.”

“If you’ve heard Bulgarian music before, it’s insane. It has crazy time and all the strangest time signatures,” Williams said. “This work was based on a Bulgarian round dance.” The work featured a conversation between piano and

violin, the time signatures and accent lending to a feeling of unpredictability while maintaining a steady sense of movement and regularity. The program closed with the Theme of Schindler’s List, which Williams and Blackham dedicated to all of the lives unnecessarily lost due to COVID-19, Williams said. “I like that they wanted to set apart a moment to think about the specific lives that have been lost,” Murdoch said. “I had some questions about the wording of how it was dedicated, but I thought it was good to remember the individuals.” Blackham believes it is an important part of the role of a musician to seek out and to promote new music. “At the very least so that students who are studying music can get a sense of what’s out there currently,” Blackham said. “We should be aware of new voices in the music world especially if those voices connect with us.”

Collegian Critique

How he rose from the dead: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ By Josh Hypes Assistant Editor Star Wars returns once more to the dust-coated deserts of Tatooine to see the gritty rise of the intergalactic crime lord and former bounty hunter, Boba Fett. The Disney+ exclusive began streaming on Dec. 29. “The Book of Boba Fett” is a spin-off of the wildly popular “Mandalorian” series. As of publication, Disney released four episodes of the seven-part series. The latest addition to the franchise opens with Fett on the brink of death, trapped inside of the stomach of the Sarlacc, a giant tentacled monster, suffocating on the gastric fumes. Fett claws his way out of the beast, using the last of his strength to torch a path through the Sarlacc’s stomach using his flamethrower and dig his way back to the surface. The series opening is a call back to what many fans believed to be his death in “The Return of the Jedi,” the third Star Wars film. After escaping the monster, Fett loses his strength and passes out, becoming subject to the harsh desert world. During the night, Tuskan

Raiders, a group of nomadic barbarians known for their viciousness, take Fett prisoner. The story jumps forward five years, resuming where the wildly popular “Mandalorian” series left off, where Fett has taken over Jabba The Hutt’s criminal enterprise on Tatooine. Fett and his master assassin partner Fennec Shand must collect tribute over their charges in Mos Espa, the nearby city, to keep their criminal organization afloat. The story of “The Book of Boba Fett” is split between his near brush with death five years ago and his rise to power as a crime lord. The world of Star Wars is further fleshed out by exposing the viewer to the intergalactic criminal underground full of backstabbing mafiosos and danger lurking behind every corner. The setting and story flesh out Fett’s motivations and ambitions, bringing color to Fett’s backstory. The show’s pacing draws some concerns. While most of the story is focused on the slow gains Fett made during his past, the show’s seven-part listing could prove to hinder Fett’s story development in the present. Already, interactions

among characters in the present seem mechanical to a degree, where personality appears to be the driving factor in how the cast relates to one another. For instance, while Fett is, to all degrees, an anti-hero, he rarely makes choices that cause the viewer to revolt against him or his motivations explicitly. The action sequences and the design of the show also draw concern. The choreography in fight scenes often appears rushed or carried on for way too long, likely resulting from the show’s rapid pacing. Additionally, the show moves away from the series’s traditional rustic broken-down set design in favor of a more vintage cyberpunk look, spurring confusion in the viewer with the show’s visuals. Overall, “The Book of Boba Fett” builds a compelling story around a side character from the main movie trilogy and expands upon the Star Wars galaxy with a dive into the deeply complex crime syndicates on Tatooine. While some concerns result from the show’s pacing, the exploration of a fan-favorite character’s backstory and motivations faithfully delivers its overall contribution to the Star Wars franchise.

Temuera Morrison stars as Boba Fett in “The Book of Boba Fett.” Fett.” Courtesy | Twitter

TikTok stars dive into the internet on new podcast By Alexandra Hall Collegian Reporter Two TikTok sensations have made the move to longform content. Britney Broski and Sara Schauer have started their podcast entitled, “Violating Community Guidelines,” on which they explore the

strange nooks and crannies of the internet. What started off as features on their Youtube channels, like “Zillow Gone Wild,” has now evolved into a more intense deep-dive into internet culture. If you’re not chronically online, the name Broski might

not ring any bells. She’s most known for her viral meme in 2019 coined “Kombucha Girl,” which is based on a video of Broski trying kombucha for the first time. Since then, the internet star has made waves in pop culture. She’s been featured on countless other podcasts and has graced the

covers of Lucid Magazine and Paper Magazine. The first episode, released on Jan. 10, breaks down Facebook Marketplace. The two discuss random purchases, including soiled clothes, firearms, and food items that oddly resemble video game characters. Amidst a sea of

unverified sellers and buyers, Broski and Schauer make a very clear point that, with the great power of anyone being allowed to sell anything, there is still great responsibility. They also highlight the dangers of the platform and almost all things internet. Culturally, we’ve reached

a point in which kids who have grown up spending too much time on the internet are now adults. Broski and Schauer plan to use “Violating Community Guidelines” to navigate their perspectives about the Internet in all of its disturbing and wondrous glory.

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The Spring 2022 Washington-Hillsdale Internship students pose in front of the Kirby Center Courtesy | Jennifer Lessnau

WHIP welcomes largest class since the pandemic began The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program is full, but Washington, D.C.’s recent vaccine mandate poses challenges for students. By Haley Strack D.C. Editor Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center welcomed the largest Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program in two years this month, despite Washington, D.C.’s new indoor vaccine mandate. The city’s vaccine mandate for indoor venues went into effect Jan. 15, just three days after the spring 2022 WHIP class arrived in the city. All patrons of indoor restaurants, bars and nightclubs, indoor exercise and recreational establishments, and indoor event and meeting facilities now must show proof of vaccination to enter. The city also instituted a vaccine requirement for students ages 16 and older. Starting Feb. 15, citizens are required to show proof of full vaccination.

Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center will not require vaccinations from students interning through WHIP, graduate students, or staff members. “Hillsdale in D.C. is carrying on in spite of the vaccine mandate. We are continuing our operations as usual and are not requiring that our students be vaccinated,” said Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Jennifer Lessnau. “Per the vaccine mandate, our building and operations do not fall into the category of organizations or businesses that must comply.” The spring 2022 WHIP class has 20 participating students. Lessnau said the program will function as ordinarily as possible. “Our WHIP semester looks pretty much the same as it has in the past, but with a

couple changes,” Lessnau said. “The only real big bummer about our semester is that we won’t be attending a Shakespeare performance, since all of the theaters require proof of vaccination and we don’t believe in asking for medical information, regardless of vaccination status. We are hoping to replace the performance with a supplementary event, however.” The mandate does not extend to places of worship, grocery stores, medical offices and establishments, private meeting places, or socially-distanced retail establishments. Junior WHIP student Meghan Schultz is interning at the National Catholic Register on Capitol Hill, which does not require proof of vaccination. “I’m not going to let the mandate take the choice away

from me, because there is still a choice to get vaccinated,” Schultz said. “But it’s become a very black and white one of, ‘if you’re vaccinated, you can do these things, but if you stay unvaccinated, you lose access to those things.’” Schultz added that the mandate will not derail her semester in the city. “I’m still very much looking forward to the semester,” she said. “I don’t feel at all deterred by the mandate and I still plan to do good work, study well, and have a great semester. Even though the mandate can control a certain amount of activity citizens are allowed to do, it doesn’t have to control you, your attitude, or how you think about things — unless you let it.” Junior Marleigh Kerr is interning on Capitol Hill with

WHIP students Thomas Curro, David Swegle, and Hunter Law converse with Congressman Mike Gallagher. Courtesy | Jennifer Lessnau

Kirby Center hosts ‘Woke Warriors’ By Mikela St. Jon Collegian Freelancer Diversity, equity, and inclusion movements hurt the military’s ability to recruit, retain, and promote good talent, Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher said at the Kirby Center on Jan. 13. Gallagher delivered a lecture titled “Woke Warriors: How DEI Risks Destroying America’s Military” as part of the Andrea Waitt Carlton Family Foundation Lecture Series last Thursday. Gallagher identified China as America’s biggest threat, particularly the Wolf Warrior strain of the Chinese Communist Party, which refers to the CCP’s aggressive social media presence. According to Gallagher, the CCP regularly pushes out anti-American propaganda, such as the second highest grossing film in China, Wolf Warrior 2, in which one of the characters claims “Americans are good for nothing.”

The CCP regularly discredits democracy by painting the U.S. as an imperial racist power, promoting socialism, and excusing Chinese human rights violations by pointing out America’s own, like the Black Lives Matter organization, Gallagher said. CCP’s propaganda reinforces critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion movements that are already present in America. Gallagher is a Marine veteran and prior to being elected to the House of Representatives in 2016, he served as a lead Republican staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where he is a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. The military is approaching CRT and DEI as tools that should be adopted, Galagher said. DEI is implemented in the military across all branches, mainly through top-down initiatives. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin identifies some

Donald Trump voters as extremists. Admiral Michael Gilday added “How to be an Antiracist,” a book published by author and anti-racist activist Ibram X. Kendi, to the naval reading list. The military is pushing DEI under the claim that diverse teams led inclusively work better, the congressman said. Gallagher used Task Force 1 Navy as a primary example. The Navy is more diverse than the U.S. as a whole, but Task Force 1 Navy recommends 60 DEI initiatives that are based on individuals, civilian situations, and subsets of data. Additionally, they assume that diversity leads to successful companies, not vice versa. Gallagher argued that business-related DEI in the military is an “assault on common sense.” Diversity is a strength for the U.S., but it cannot be an organizational guide for the military. The military should be focused on winning, not on looking good, Gallagher said.

Gallagher’s interest in the military stems from a class on terrorism he took while studying at Cambridge University. He majored in Middle East Studies and graduated from Princeton University in 2006. He later got two M.A.’s and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University, all focused on global security and government. DEI stifles intellectual diversity, instead replacing it with woke antiracist theory, Gallagher said. Intellectual diversity strengthens the military, unlike DEI requirements. Gallagher also attributes a loss of public confidence in the military to DEI. The two jobs of the military are to wage and prepare for war, but DEI does not help with either, so it is not a justifiable concern for the military, he said. DEI teaches the lie that the U.S. is systemically racist, Gallagher emphasized. “Why volunteer to fight for a country that’s racist?” he asked. “Why die for a country if you don’t believe we’re the good guys?”

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. Jordan, a known critic of vaccine mandates, does not require vaccinations in his office either. “I’m glad my office doesn’t require vaccines, because I can be sure of the fact that they respect my choice to get vaccinated or not,” Kerr said. “While they have made it clear the resources are here should we choose to get vaccinated, that’s a personal choice and not the choice of the office.” Kerr said the mandate may place some setbacks on her semester in D.C., but added that her and her classmates are finding ways to stay busy. “Obviously the mandate will have some effect on our semester here — how could it not?” she said. “But I choose to remain optimistic about how much more there is to do

here other than sitting inside restaurants. I might even save some money.” Many students in Washington, D.C., attend colleges that require a vaccine. Kerr said she was grateful that Hillsdale, both the main campus and the D.C. campus, is giving students a choice. “It’s important that Hillsdale doesn’t require vaccines because part of what Hillsdale does require of its students is self-governance,” she said. “That is impossible if you mandate something like a COVID-19 vaccine for students who do not want it. If students want the vaccine, great, they know where to get one. But if a student doesn’t want the vaccine, they should be treated the same for making the decision that was best for them.”

By Josh Evan Barker Collegian Freelancer

bill, she said his failure with “the border, Afghanistan, and inflation” stand out. David Azerrad, assistant professor at Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, said Biden has not delivered on his promises. “He was going to be notTrump. He was not going to divide us and use unpresidential rhetoric in the White House, and he’s proven to have this nasty streak,” Azerrad said. Instead of uniting, when “speaking about fellow Americans who disagree with his political agenda who are not on board with what he’s selling, Biden has deemeed them domestic terrorists.” Azerrad also pointed to the Biden administration’s attack on northern Virginia parents last year, when Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the FBI to investigate parents who were lobbying their school boards to stop teaching critical race theory. At the close of Biden’s first year, Azerrad said the state of America is devastating. “Inflation is at a 40-year high. The COVID-19 restrictive measures seem like they’ll never go away. We’ve lost control over our southern border. The Afghan pullout was a complete debacle. Our country is deeply divided,” Azerrad said, pointing to Biden’s sinking approval rate. Hemingway also said she expects that “Republicans are going to do extremely well in November” with a strong likelihood of taking back the House, adding that “they might even take the Senate.”

D.C. profs react to one year of Biden As President Joe Biden’s approval rating sank to 33 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll, Hillsdale’s Washington, D.C. faculty offered explanations for his troubles and predictions on what’s to come. Michael Anton, lecturer in politics, research fellow at Hillsdale’s Kirby Center, and White House national security spokesman under former President Donald Trump, said the greatest failure of Biden’s first year was the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. “We lost 13 people unnecessarily, billions in equipment, and severely damaged our international prestige and relationships with allies,” he said. “None of that had to happen.” Almost as shocking, Anton said, is that the Biden administration has not held anyone accountable for the incident. Anton said it is “inexcusable” that “no one in power suffered any consequences.” Mollie Hemingway, senior journalism fellow at the Kirby Center and senior editor at The Federalist, said that this year has “been marked by just massive amounts of failure.” When analyzing the president’s first year on Fox News, Hemingway said the year started out with great optimism as Biden “promised to unify the country, pledged to defeat the coronavirus, and said that he would help the middle class out.” While Biden did see some small wins, like the passage of his $1.2 trillion infrastructure

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January 20, 2022 B4

I moved to a city with a vaccine mandate so you didn’t have to

Alumnus Kaylee McGhee White on Fox News’s ‘Gutfeld!’ Courtesy | Fox News

By Haley Strack D.C. Editor

Alumna spotlight: Kaylee McGhee White By Alexa Robbins Collegian Reporter When Kaylee McGhee White graduated high school, she thought she’d become a lawyer. Now, the 2019 Hillsdale alumna makes headlines on national news weekly as a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner. White began her journalism career writing for the Collegian her freshman year at Hillsdale and served as an editor for two years. “[Writing for the Collegian] saved me from going through years of torture in law school, which I thought I wanted to do when I was in high school. I ended up enjoying writing stories for the Collegian and it sent me on my path towards journalism.” White participated in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program the first semester of her junior year and interned for the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard. During her time at the Weekly Standard, she met writers at the Washington Examiner, a journal owned by the same company as the Weekly Standard. After graduation, White joined the commentary team at the Washington Examiner. The journalist attributes her position to networking and connections found on WHIP. “One of the reasons I think that WHIP is so good for college students is because it forces them to meet people in the profession you want to go into, and then you already

have those connections in your back pocket,” she said. Close friend of White and fellow Collegian writer Isabella Redjai ’20 said she admires White’s work ethic. “From the moment I met Kaylee, she struck me as sharp-witted and accomplished, but most of all, she was down-to-earth and relatable,” Redjai said. “Kaylee was a mentor who showed me how to clearly and logically think and present this thinking in an editorial, but more importantly, how to prioritize the right people and things in life.” White writes two to three opinion pieces per day, as well as occasional editorials for the Washington Examiner. She also has a consistent television presence on Fox News shows such as “The Greg Gutfeld Show” and “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.” The transition from the written word to the camera was natural, White said. “It was scary at first, but I am following the news very closely and writing commentary about news of the day already for my job, so I usually am able to prepare things as I go,” she said. One of White’s favorite articles to write was “Overturning ‘Roe v. Wade’ is not enough,” which was published in early December. In the article, White makes the case for human rights, writing, “Returning abortion policy to the states would be an excellent and necessary step in the right direction. This might make for a good political solution, but it would be nothing more

than a temporary fix, because it doesn’t get to the root of the issue. At its very core, the abortion debate is about whether one human being gets to decide the dignity and personhood of another.” Additionally, one of White’s favorite articles was her “I was wrong about COVID-19” article, which was circulated thousands of times on Twitter. In this article, White admitted that many of her early opinions about the COVID-19 pandemic were wrong. “For the first few months of the pandemic, I was wrong on just about everything regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” she wrote in December. “I supported the initial twoweek lockdown that turned into six months of forced isolation. I encouraged people to wear cloth masks that don’t work. I argued that the threat posed by the pandemic required collective sacrifice. I even defended Dr. Anthony Fauci. These positions were the biggest failures of my career so far.” White said it was important for her to admit her mistakes. “People in journalism don’t do that anymore,” White said. “They don’t admit when they’re wrong.” Her transition from collegiate level journalism and to a major newspaper relied on proper experience, White said. Anyone entering the professional world must be prepared to work hard. “At any new job or internship, be prepared to put in as much work as you possibly

can because it will make a good impression on your bosses,” she said. “You have to be prepared to fit your schedule around the news.” The Director of Hillsdale’s Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller gave the journalist high praise. “Kaylee is a smart, talented, and hardworking writer,” he said. “We saw it on campus when she was a student, and we see it now that she’s a professional. She’s one of the journalism program’s best and most promising young alumni.” To improve writing ability, White said students looking to enter the world of journalism should practice writing “over and over and over again.” White also advised young journalists to inform their own opinions by reading other journalists’ work that have more experience. “When I was in college, I would read the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and National Review opinions every day. Their opinions informed mine as I was coming to form my own opinions.” White also emphasized the importance of humility, especially for students who want to work and live in Washington, D.C. “In a city where people are obsessed with their careers, and they think that they are what defines them, having the humility to understand that it is a very long ladder to climb is what makes the difference,” she said. “Even to this day I tell myself this.”

WHIP students in front of President George Washington’s former home and final resting grounds, Mount Vernon. Courtesy | Jennifer Lessnau

WHIP class visits historical site Mount Vernon By Haley Strack D.C. Editor Twenty students received a guided tour of Mount Vernon on Jan. 14 as part of the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program. “As he was the founder of our nation, this is a very important trip,” said senior WHIP student Cal McNellie. “The Washington Monument is beautiful and very impressive, but you don’t get to know George Wash-

ington as a person. What’s more intimate than where someone lived, where they slept, where they ate, where they took visitors, how they decorated, where they died? You get a real sense of what kind of person he was and an intimate look into his everyday life.” The visit followed a lecture on statesmanship by the Vice President of Washington Operations Matthew Spalding. The tour featured a look

at where Washington’s guests, including many foreign emissaries, slept, where Martha Washington would entertain guests, where the family ate twice a day, where the former president conducted his business, and where the family would spend leisure time. According to Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Jennifer Lessnau, a trip to Mount Vernon is a hallmark of the WHIP experience. Every semester, the college

takes students to the first president’s abode. McNellie joked that the experience made him appreciate modern comforts. “I feel very blessed to live now, and not in 1776 like some of our founders,” he said. “It’s not insulated, there are no indoor bathrooms, the kitchen is separate from the house — it’s very different from what we’re used to.” The mid-18th century plantation-style house is on the banks of the Potomac

calendar, and dance parties in front of the Lincoln Memorial aren’t as cringy A minute before as they sound. midnight on Jan. 15, my Despite what corporoommates and I huddled rate media spews, people together at the Hillsdale are still good. Even when house in Washington, D.C., they’re masked, vaccinated, expecting a siren to blare or unvaccinated. The recent like the one in the Purge mandate is reprehensible, movies. but we can’t just sit by and We expected the worst: complain until it’s overThe Walking Dead. Conta- turned. Such inaction is a gion. Infinity War. disservice to the soul. That didn’t happen. But Mandates are usually the next morning, a woman presented as a stark choice at the coffee shop asked to between getting the vaccine see my papers. and saving millions from I turned and walked exposure, or selfishly away, without my latte. ignoring the health of your District of Columbia fellow citizens. Mayor Muriel Bowser The draconian measures announced an indoor vac- Washington, D.C., has cine requirement last year, placed upon its citizens claiming it would slow the turn a medical decision spread of COVID-19. You into a harsh ethical one — now must time travel back but the choice doesn’t have to Nazi-era Germany and to be so absolute. show proof of vaccination Indeed, life, happiness, to enter most places in the and college persist, even city. After years of govern- when the government tries mental overreach, Bowser’s to tell us what to do. move didn’t shock anyone, Some of the 20 stubut it does pose problems dents who are currently on for city life. WHIP are vaccinated, some Gyms, restaurants, and are not, and some might be event venues now require in time. All of us — regardvaccines. I was no gym ex- less of race, sex, national traordinaire before WHIP, origin, or vaccination but this was my semester status — are here to listen, to get fit. If you see me on observe, and learn how to main campus with a little make choices wisely. extra pudge in the fall, no Some of us are in posiyou didn’t. tions to fight the mandate Thursday nights are while others are planning especially tricky with the ways to keep life normal. mandate — good luck Both are worthy pursuits — crawling from happy hour but mindlessly complaining to happy hour without the about the mandate just jab. Don’t get me started restrains life further. on the Two Friends concert As for this unvaccinated for which I’m desperately leper, my choice is fixed: no trying to get a refund. pandemic, vaccination, or The mandate has ruined imprudent government can everything — except what halt God’s love. Hopefully makes Hillsdale home: the his love extends to re-openpeople. ing D.C. happy hours soon A yogi friend is taking — but if not, we’ll learn to me on an outdoor yoga trip manage. (And don’t worry. to substitute a gym session, It’s the second week, but my roommates and I deI’ve already learned how to vised a “Cocktail Monday” make a mean mojito.)

River, across the water from Prince George’s County, Maryland. When an oil tank farm threatened the house’s scenic backyard view in the 1950s, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association acquired 500 acres of land in Maryland to ensure no smoke billows would cloud the mansion’s piazza. Senior WHIP student John Pearson said he was glad they organized the land trust. “What surprised me most was the house’s view of the waterfront. It was beautiful — it looked like it was on the lake, like Lake Michigan back home,” Pearson said.

McNellie’s favorite part about the trip was seeing the bed in which Washington slept and died. Students were also able to touch the president’s tomb and lay a wreath in his family’s mausoleum, where more than 20 Washingtons are buried. “It was very humbling. We hold him up as this great statesman, and as someone who was very important to our nation, but at the same time, he was still a man — and people die,” McNellie said. “It was interesting to look at his life from that perspective.”

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Darwin Kinney smiles in front of a Navy aircraft. Courtesy | Facebook

January 20, 2022 B5

Haunting a grave place Hillsdale students frequent Oak Grove Cemetery

By Tess Owens Collegian Reporter

Honoring a Hillsdale war hero By Logan Washburn City News Editor Darwin Kinney served on the famed USS Intrepid and won an award previously given to legendary aviators such as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Yet, he originally chose to join the Navy because it was the only branch that didn’t require wearing a tie. A Hillsdale County native, Kinney was inducted to the Hillsdale County Hall of Valor in November. He is remembered for his service in World War II, the Korean War, and on the USS Intrepid, a World War II aircraft carrier that NASA later used to recover crews of the Mercury and Gemini space missions, according to Business Insider. According to military documents, Kinney was born in Reading on Jan. 9, 1922. He grew up on a farm and only left Hillsdale County once before enlisting with the Navy in 1941, according to former U.S. Air Force Captain Rachelle Williams, who sits on the Hillsdale County Hall of Valor Board of Directors and who has researched Kinney’s life. “I figured if we got into a war because of what was going on in Europe, if I had a bed in the Navy, it would be dry,” Kinney said, according to Williams. “If I didn’t have a bed, I’d have other problems.” After enlisting, Kinney went to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in

Coffee from B6 aging it, and eventually created

Chicago for boot camp, after which he was trained as an aviation metalsmith. He then went on to serve in World War II. Kinney later served on aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean near Asia during the Korean War. According to Williams, he said aircraft takeoffs and landings were the most difficult thing he ever did. During the war, Kinney flew more than 19 types of aircraft, including the F4U Corsair, the F9F Panther, and the T28 Trojan, along with seaplanes like the Albatross.

He could still feel the cold from that night in his bones for years afterward. “I’ve yet to meet another naval aviator or pilot with that number,” Williams said. Kinney was on an unarmed reconnaissance mission on April 25, 1953 when he encountered a Russian MiG fighter jet, Williams said. Taking fire, he escaped the Russian jet, but not unscathed. The plane was hit, and lost fuel quickly. According to Williams, Kinney the brand Café Coronel. “It is the authentic flavor of Colombian coffee,” Andrea Hernández, Juan’s mother, said.

Juan Vargas (left) and his family roast coffee for the first time. Courtesy | Juan Vargas

couldn’t make it back to his aircraft carrier in time. He ejected from the cockpit, and after struggling to open the parachute, reached the ground safely. Fortunately for Kinney, a South Korean family rescued him that night, and a helicopter from his unit recovered him the next day. Kinney said he could still feel the cold from that night in his bones for years afterward. By the end of his career, he had won awards such as the Naval Reserve Medal, the American Defense Medal with China Service Star, and the United Nations Service Medal, according to Kinney’s Certificate of Release. Additionally, he won the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Korean and Philippine Independence Medals. After Kinney’s retirement, he returned to Reading with his wife Alice, where the couple were devout members of North Reading Baptist Church. Williams said Kinney worked as a carpenter and often volunteered in the community. According to the Hillsdale Hall of Valor, assistant professor of history Jason Gehrke remarked on Kinney’s legacy at the induction ceremony. “He seems to have been a long-lived and remarkable man, a naval aviator, and a real man of courage,” Gehrke said. The Vargas family is hoping to expand their business into the United States. “I’m the one that has

A graveyard might seem at first like a strange place to go for a stroll. Yet, Oak Grove Cemetery is a favorite among some Hillsdale students. Nestled away from campus on Montgomery St. and covered in nearly 40 acres of winding paths and woods, the historic site is beloved for its natural beauty and for its local significance. Senior Anne Rolfe said rather than finding the cemetery unsettling, she goes there specifically for its peace and beauty. “I find it very calming and peaceful,” Rolfe said. “I especially like to walk here and pray and to just collect my thoughts.” Junior Gennie O’Gara said she enjoys walking over to Oak Grove. O’ Gara first discovered the cemetery last November when she walked there with friends to pray a rosary for the departed on All Souls’ Day, in accordance with Catholic custom. Now, O’ Gara still continues to visit the grounds. “It’s only a little bit off campus, so it’s easy to reach, and I love it since I can walk over there with friends,” O’Gara said. “It’s also great if I just want to have a one-on-one conversation with a friend or to be myself if I need a break. I especially like to be there by myself in the fall, with all the rich colors of the red and gold leaves of the trees.”

Junior Gretchen Birzer noted that the site’s natural beauty eased the sense of morbidity one might easily get from being in a cemetery. “ It’s an objectively beautiful cemetery, and I think that’s why people like it so much,” Birzer said. “It can become more of a peaceful reminder of death.” Birzer, who grew up across the street from Oak Grove, said that her family loved living so close by, even if some friends and visitors found it rather unusual at times. “There is a lot of Hillsdale history buried in the cemetery,” Birzer said.“My family would walk in it all the time, and we still do. We would admire some of the unique graves, or notice interesting names and epitaphs. It was always fun to see a lot of really old dates.” Established in 1859, the site for the cemetery was chosen for its proximity to the city and “for the undulating beauty of the ground and the variety and luxuriance of its foliage,” according to the Hillsdale County Historical Society. In 1861, Hillsdale also designated a portion of the cemetery for those who had died in the service of the Union during the Civil War. During this same period of war, however, the grounds became neglected and overgrown. This in turn prompted the formation of the Ladies’ Oak Grove Cemetery Association in 1867. These women of the town worked over the next few

decades to beautify Oak Grove and give the cemetery more dignity. Their efforts were rewarded with the installation of the graceful iron fencing which can still be seen today—and the erection of large stone pillars flanking the original entrance, portions of which remain today. By 1882, the Association was also able to construct certain marble slabs dedicated to the unnamed fallen of the Civil War. These memorials can still be visited and honored today. “There are many Civil War vets buried there, and I know he would often take his students as part of their class,” Birzer said about her father, professor of history Brad Birzer. Birzer said living near the cemetery also served as “a constant reminder to pray for the dead,” apart from offering a constant opportunity to learn about and honor the past. “I know it may sound morbid, but we’re all going to die. We live in this bubble right now that is college, full of 18 to 20-year-olds, so that reality can be easy to forget,” O’Gara said. “But walking through the cemetery, we can see names we recognize, whether because of a dorm or because we’ve heard stories. Some of the people died young, having lived ordinary lives, but good lives. Walking there, we can take a step back and pray for them, and maybe they can pray for us.”

A tall obelisk gravestone stands out among others in the Oak Grove cemetery. Collegian | Tess Owens

to open the store,” Vargas Hernández said. “That’s one of my goals after graduation: to be able to distribute my family’s coffee and help small coffee producers in the region.” Although it wasn’t always his plan, Juan hopes to assist his family in any way possible once he graduates. His brother Thomas has the same commitment to the family business, despite it not being his main focus. Thomas is currently in law school and said he plans to continue his education by earning an economics degree once he is done. He said he wants to specialize in criminal litigation but will always be available for his family when needed. “Living in Columbia is basically living with our family business,” Thomas said. “Doing all of the things I want to do does not mean that I will not continue to help my family business. It is something that will always be a priority for

me.” Socorro boasts many local coffee producers. However, not all have the same access to land or production facilities as Café Coronel. The Vargas family hopes to impact the bureaucratic process of exporting coffee in order to make it easy and accessible for other Colombian farmers. “You need a lot of permissions to import and export; it’s very difficult.” Vargas Hernández said. “A lot of people end up losing money because they are forced to sell it for the cheapest price instead of dealing directly with someone overseas.” Working in such a small town, the Vargas family said they want to uplift their neighbors and friends who need an extra hand. Vargas Hernández said the farmers do not see each other as competition because they understand they must work together to sell their coffee; if not, they’ll all go bankrupt.

This same principle applies to Juan’s relationship with local coffee roasters in Hillsdale. Many people have offered their support and assistance in getting Vargas Hernández involved in the coffee business, most of all Patrick Whalen, owner of Ad Astra Coffee. “I actually brought some coffee beans from my farm in Columbia that Patrick roasted in Ad Astra,” Vargas Hernández said. “We’re trying to figure out the business details, but my goal is that the first shipment of our coffee into the United States will be sold through Ad Astra so that they can distribute it or serve it in Bon Appetit.” Juan believes God gave his family this opportunity for a reason and he is committed to seeing this process through. “I think this is an opportunity that came out of nowhere,” Vargas Hernández said. “If God put it in my life, it’s for a reason.”

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January 20, 2022 B6 A worker on the Vargas farm packages coffee beans. Courtesy | Juan Vargas

Columbian student to bring his homegrown coffee to Hillsdale By Megan Williams Assistant Editor

Tucked away in a small valley in the Northern hills of Columbia lies fields teeming with coffee beans and sugar cane plants. This is the home of Café Coronel, a coffee company named after Colonel Ariel Vargas, better known in Hillsdale as senior Juan Vargas Hernández’s father. Seven years ago, the Vargas family traded the bustling streets and the high-rise build-

ings of Bogotá for his mother’s hometown: the quiet village of Socorro. “My dad was preparing for retirement from the army,” Vargas Hernández said. “We’ve always been attached to my mom’s hometown because most of our extended family lives there. It’s a very small, Spanish village, and we were tired of the city.” His parents purchased a 135-acre farm and debated how to use the property. Eventually, they agreed it would be best to

grow sugarcane, following in their ancestors’ footsteps. “I grew up running through my family’s sugarcane fields,” Vargas Hernández said. “I would grab a machete and cut the sugarcane in half so I could drink the juice that came out of it.” Vargas Hernández said his family grew to appreciate the property while exploring the land on a morning walk. “One morning, we woke up at 5 am and just walked around,” Vargas Hernández

said. “We fell in love with it because it’s quite hilly, and at the very top of the property you can oversee two different towns and you can see the churches– big, old Spanish churches.” The family started off growing sugarcane, but Ariel Vargas eventually realized their farm had the perfect soil and climate for a more lucrative crop: coffee. They planted their first seeds in 2016 and reaped their first harvest in 2019. “Coffee takes forever to grow,” Vargas Hernández said.

Fleece, please: Local llama farm flourishes By Elizabeth Troutman Assistant Editor Kent and Tahny Lowry initially bought 30 acres of land in hopes of raising their sons and a few animals as best as they could. Before they knew it, they became the owners of a small farm and an alpaca fiber business. Lowry’s Little Flock Farm is home to alpacas and llamas, as well as cows, goats, donkeys, pot-bellied pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese. Their primary product is alpaca fiber, a natural fiber harvested from alpaca fleece. Lowry’s shears the animals in the spring and uses the yarn from the alpaca fleece to make socks, mittens, and hats to sell to the community. They hope for their “hobby farm” to be self-sustaining, Kent Lowry said. The Lowrys moved to the Jackson property five years ago. Both Kent and Tahny grew up in the countryside, so they jumped at the opportunity to return to their roots. “My older son Max had mentioned that he would like some alpacas and then we had an opportunity to get our first two and we just said, ‘Well, why not?” Tahny Lowry said. “So that was really it.

We didn’t really plan on it. We didn’t plan on setting out to be a fiber farm.” Unsure how to use the land, they started buying animals, beginning with alpacas. After purchasing two alpacas, the Lowrys learned they had to shear the animals. As their garage became overrun with alpaca hair, they decided to get the hair made into yarn. “We learned how nice the fiber is and the qualities of it,” Kent Lowry said. “We had all these sacks we were selling at shows and then COVID-19 came and we shut down all the shows. So, we put up this little farm shop, started selling baked goods, and kind of developed the farm into a destination place.” Visitors come to see the animals, buy baked goods, and learn about the farm’s alpaca products, Kent Lowry said. Tahny, who has a background in catering, bakes croissants, sugar cookies, and other pastries to sell at the farm. “We make an almond croissant that people really like, and I make a strawberry cream croissant,” she said. “It has great homemade custard in it and then homemade

A llama enjoys the greenery on Lowry’s Little Flock Farm. Courtesy | Kent Lowry

heavy whipping cream and then fresh chopped strawberries.” The cutest animals are the baby alpacas in the springtime and the farm’s bull, Teddy, Kent Lowry said. “He was raised on the farm and people like him a lot,” he said. “He’s big, but he’s still pretty cute.’ “I like animals that just kind of tend to stay to themselves,” Tahny said. “I feel like I relate to them.” Tahny said her favorite animals on the farm are the llamas and alpacas, Nelly the Jersey Cow, and Rhonda the sheep. The farm hosts a series of events for children in the community throughout the year, such as a free cider and donuts day in the fall, a unicorns and rainbows day, and a dinosaur day. Little Flock Farm has also provided animals for several on-campus events at Hillsdale College, such as Goat Yoga and Founding Fest. Gabrielle Bessette, planner of the Student Activities Board’s fall Goat Yoga event, worked with Lowry’s Little Flock Farm to make her dream SAB event come true. “I contacted many different local farms to partner

with for this event, but no one was as kind, receptive, and excited as Lowry’s,” Bessette said. “It is a family business, so Lowry and his son pulled up excited and helpful the morning of Goat Yoga. They had just as much fun as we did making this event possible.” Sophomore Marlow Canady said she enjoyed seeing the farm’s alpacas at the 1844 Society’s Dec. 4 Founding Fest. “Seeing the family of alpacas was a sweet and comforting addition to such a stressful and busy time of the semester,” Canady said. Tahny recommends Hillsdale students come to the farm to visit the animals, take pictures with them, and feed them. Food is provided, or visitors can bring their own chips, crackers, fruit, or vegetables. If you’re looking for a local farm experience, a new pair of winter mittens, or some homemade treats, consider stopping by Lowry’s Little Flock Farm this weekend to pet an alpaca and say hello to the Lowry family. “They are wonderful people with wonderful goats,” Bessette said.

“It takes one year to produce these useless seeds. You’re only going to get useful seeds three to five years after you plant.” The first year was a learning process as they discovered how to collect, dry, and separate the pulp from the coffee beans. They accomplished the first harvest with the help of their workers, yet still faced significant setbacks along the way. “We left 500 pounds of coffee drying out in the sun, which was a quarter of our production for that year. After they

were dried, we put them in coffee bags, but they were stolen overnight,” Vargas Hernández said. “It was a big deal for us because it was the first time we were harvesting, and it started out like that.” Vargas Hernández said the harvests have only gotten better year after year. Their family began by selling the coffee beans to a local buyer who would purchase all of the seeds. But last year, the family began roasting their own coffee, pack-

See Coffee B5

QUICK HITS: Jason Gehrke

Gehrke poses with his wife, Erika ’06. Courtesy | Jason Gehrke

By Isaac Green Collegian reporter Jason Gehrke ’07 is an assistant professor of history at Hillsdale College. This interview has been edited for length and style. If you were stranded on an island and could choose three items to have with you, what would they be? The “Confessions” of Saint Augustine and, assuming that there would be a source of water and an animal population, a water purification device and KABAR knife. Who is your favorite movie villain? Cruella De Vil from “101 Dalmatians.” If you were not a history professor, what would you be? An amateur backpacker in Europe. Who are you rooting for in the NFL playoffs? My kids love the Packers on account of the fact that we lived in Milwaukee for a little bit. So I hope the Packers do well. If you could get rid of one state, what would it be? I don’t know that I would get rid of a state, but I would probably divide California into two states.

If you were a professional baseball player, what would your walk-up song be? Probably “Jump” by Van Halen. What is your favorite and least favorite food? My favorite food is a PB&J because it is practical and good. My least favorite would have to be most things Chinese. What are some hobbies that you have had? I have enjoyed coin collecting, language study, and doing things outdoors. You inherit $1 million: what is the first thing that comes to mind that you want to do with it? I would love to have a small vineyard in France between Strasbourg and Kaysersberg in the Alsace region of France. Aside from the regular options, what is your favorite pizza topping? Artichokes. Do you prefer dogs or cats? Dogs. I had a couple of Australian Shepherds growing up. What is your favorite musical genre? I would just say the Beatles, in general.