Hillsdale Collegian 3.11.2021 by The Hillsdale Collegian

Men's basketball #1: Chargers selected at No. 1 Atlantic Region seed for NCAA Tournament

Who is Dob? Meet the man who became a Spirit Week sensation

Ice cream is back Udder Side, Coneys and Swirls reopen for season

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Q&A: Whit Stillman

By | Madeline Welsh Collegian Freelancer Whit Stillman is an American writer and director. He earned a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his 1990 film “Metropolitan” and directed “Love and Friendship,” an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel “Lady Susan.” He spoke Wednesday night at the Center for Constructive Alternatives lecture series “Jane Austen on Film.” Q: How did you get into the film business? A: When I was at Harvard, I went in wanting to be a novelist. But then I got very intimidated at the thought of writing at length and being all alone, so I thought, “well, I’m more gregarious, maybe I could work in TV comedies.” I had no way of getting into it, so I followed my resume into book publishing for four years, very anxious to get into film. I found a way to represent Spanish films for their sale. Some of the Spanish directors asked me to be in their films. There’s actually a film out now I had a role in called “Memories of my Father” that just won an award in Spain. So, I got into the film business in Spain. Q: What got you so interested in Jane Austen? A: I initially hated Jane Austen. I read Jane Austen when I was really depressed my sophomore year. I was in this totally funky state — I had just been dumped by a girl, and someone told me to read “Northanger Abbey.” I really hated the book and I told everyone how awful Jane Austen was. I was encouraged

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Vol. 144 Issue 22 - March 11, 2021

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Davidson wins 21st Everett Oratory Competition

The Suites Residence is currently a co-ed dormitory. Andrew Dixon | Collegian

The Suites to become men's dorm next year College Park Townhouses to become a women's residence By | Meghan Schultz Collegian Reporter The co-ed Suites Residence will become a men’s dormitory this fall, according to Dean of Men Aaron Petersen. In addition, the College Park Townhouses, which the college has used as a quarantine location throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, will become a women’s residence. The change was made, in part, to accommodate the large number of rising senior women who requested to live off campus, Petersen said. Eighty-five rising senior women applied for the permission for next school year. “We’d like to give at least all the seniors off-campus permission,” Petersen said. “We need to take away beds to balance it out. If we didn’t make any

moves, half of those senior girls wouldn’t have gotten off-campus.” The townhouses hold about 40 beds for residents compared to the 60 beds in the women’s portion of the Suites. Because of the decreased number of beds in women’s housing on campus, all the senior women who requested it received off-campus permission. The cost of the Suites will also be reduced next year to $3,550 per semester, while the Townhouses will cost $3,800 per semester, which was the price of the Suites. The meal plan offering 10 meals per week, typically only open to students living off-campus or in the Suites, will be available to residents in both locations. Even if the Suites had remained a co-ed dormitory, Petersen said the decision to

lower the cost had already been made. Because so much effort went into helping the Suites work as a co-ed dorm, Suites RA and sophomore Regina Gravrok said she’ll be interested to see how the environment changes as a men’s dorm. “The key with the Suites for a lot of the residents is that it’s a very chill, respectful dorm,” Gravrok said. “We understand that a lot of them are either upperclassmen or athletes, and they have their own lives, and they’re very busy lives, so we respect that and keep offering support.” Gravrok described the Suites as a support system for students who need it. “It was definitely a regretful situation, because you put a lot of work into a dorm, and you really like what’s happening,”

Gravrok said. “But it’s understandable, and once I spent some time thinking about it, it seemed more logical.” While junior Faith Linton said she will miss her home in the Suites, she added she’s thankful for the townhouses as an alternative to other dorms. “I realized I didn’t want to go back to a dorm,” Linton said. “In the Suites setup, I loved that I could host people, and it was a smaller group of girls.” Since the Townhouses have some of the intimacy of living in a house, while still being college property, Linton said they remind her of the Suites. “I grew a lot and learned so much just by living in the Suites and being with the

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By | Evalyn Homoelle Collegian Freelancer Sophomore Andrew Davidson took first prize at the 21st annual Edward Everett Oratory Competition Tuesday. The five finalists, juniors Jean-Luc and Mattis Belloncle, sophomores Andrew Davidson and Ethan Tong, and freshman Caleb Sampson responded to the competition prompt: “The proper role of government in a pandemic.” Sophomore Rachel Warren was chosen as an alternate and was recognized as a finalist during the competition. The students addressed various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the American government’s response to it as well as their idea of a conservative response to a pandemic. The orators each presented 10-minute, memorized speeches in front of Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, Professor of English David Whalen, and Paul Oehlke, a visiting judge from Saint Cloud State University. The event is named after Edward Everett, an American statesman and orator best known for his two-hour speech at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The first place prize was $3,000, second was $2,000, and third was $1,000. Judges scored the finalists on several criteria: time management, clarity of ideas, adaptation to the audience, logical flow, presentation, ap-

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COVID-19 on campus 0 active cases 0 students in contact isolation 410 students tested 41 students recovered In contact isolation

Active cases

Students filled the bleachers of the football stadium on the evening of March 6 for the crowning moment of spring Spirit Week. Seniors Jonathan Burton and Michaela Stiles were announced as king and queen. Simpson Residence won Spirit Week overall. Stiles, a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, said she was shocked to be nominated for queen in the first place. “When I found out I was nominated by Pi Phi to be on the court, I was very surprised,” Stiles said. “I love my house, I love the values that we stand for, and I felt so honored to represent my house on homecoming court.” Stiles said she felt very supported by her friends and family and was honored to stand alongside so many outstanding people.

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of the royalty, the much-anticipated Mock Rock dance competition began. Each team got a chance to display its stunts, tricks, and synchronization in hopes of swaying judges Jeffrey “Chief ” Rogers, associate dean of men; his wife Roma Rogers, the program manager and internship coordinator for Career Services; and Mindy Poole, special programs coordinator. Juniors Aidan Cyrus and Jane O’Connor also took the floor to emcee the evening. “I had fun. Jane and I are good buds so that doubled the fun,” Cyrus said. “And some people thought our dumb jokes were relatively funny so, you know, that tripled the fun. All in all, Mock Rock is a great activity for the family.” Team Dob, a new team this year, took third place. Their dance included a battle between

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“For all those who voted for me, I just want to say a sincere thank you,” Stiles said. “I am so proud to be a Hillsdalian, I am so proud of the quality people at this school, and am beyond honored to represent my school as Spirit Week queen.” Burton, a linebacker on the football team, also said he was honored to be nominated to the court. His family was excited for his accomplishment, he said, and now jokingly calls him “Your Royal Highness.” “I couldn’t really tell who was going to win. I had a couple front runners in my mind, but it was really cool being recognized by my classmates,” Burton said. “The student section cheering in the bleachers was the first thing I heard after my name was announced, so I’d say I was pretty thrilled. I definitely had some adrenaline going.” Following the announcement

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Burton, Stiles named Spirit Week king and queen

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Simpson wins Spring Spirit Week

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After losing their streak last year, Simpson Residence took the Spirit Week trophy once more. Courtesy | Alaura Gage

Data reported as of March 8, 2021.

Radio Free Hillsdale's 'The Loft' won a national broadcast award last weekend. For coverage, see A2. Andrew Dixon | Collegian

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'The Loft' wins IBS radio award for best comedy show By | Josh Hypes Collegian Reporter

Radio Free Hillsdale’s “The Loft” won first place for Best Comedy show in the college-radio equivalent of the Academy Awards. “The Loft” is a weekly comedy variety show hosted by junior Rachel Kookogey, senior Caleb Ramette, and sophomore Nick Treglia and produced by freshman Josh Camp. The show, as Kookogey put it, “covers anything we find interesting or funny.” Familiar segments from the show include its iconic opening segment, “Wacky World,” where a host will read a bizarre or funny article; the “Florida Man,” a game in which the hosts must determine which one of three headlines featuring a Florida man are fake, is also popular among listeners. The show was entered into the 2020 Intercollegiate Broadcasting Services Awards by Scot Bertram, the general manager of WRFH. Bertram submitted nine minutes worth of the show’s best clips that the hosts put together. Usually, finalists attend a summit in New York City where they participate in various radio broadcasting panels and receive awards. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was made virtual this year. In place of the summit, Bertram hosted the students at his house for dinner and the award ceremony. “We were hyped,” Treglia said. “On the ride home from the digital screening we were playing ‘We Are the Champions’ and DJ Khaled’s ‘All I Do Is Win.’” Kookogey, a finalist last year for a sportscast, said she was surprised by the results. “Going into this, I was honored that we were finalists,” she said. ”But I honestly didn’t think we were going to win first place.” Treglia agreed, saying the group’s first show was not well-received. “Our pilot show was so horrible last year we started calling ourselves the ‘Project Bootstrap of Radio Free Hillsdale.’ It’s amazing to see where we are at now. Last

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to try again and I read “Sense and Sensibility.” And then I really got to like them and began to read more and more. When I was writing the script for my first film, “Metropolitan,” I’d read parts of “Pride and Prejudice” to clean my palate. An argument I had with a friend about “Mansfield Park” became part of the story of that movie. Q: What is your favorite Austen novel? A: I have three favorites that are subject to change. “Mansfield Park,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Persuasion” all do different things that are really interesting and really sympathetic with different coloration. Q: What is your favorite film adaptation of an Austen novel? A: I really like our comic version of “Lady Susan,” called “Love and Friendship.” I think the great one is Ang Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility” with Emma Thompson, as well as the “Pride and Prejudice” TV long form. I’m so totally biased, though. The others might be good, but since I want to do them myself I just can’t bear them. Q: Do you have plans to do more Austen adaptations? A: Yes, I do. Q: What are you thinking about adapting? A: One thing I've learned about film projects is never tell people what it is. I’ve already said too much. Q: What do you think makes Austen so special and so long lived over two centuries after her life? A: There’s a writer whom she greatly admired, a dominant figure in the 18th century, Samuel Johnson. Jane Austen's kind

year, we spent several chaotic hours in the recording booth struggling to make a pilot we could put on air. But now, we bring strong, entertaining content in our show,” Treglia said. Kookogey noted the irony in “The Loft” receiving an IBS award after a satirical conversation with Treglia. “Last year when I was a finalist, I went to the library and saw Nick there. I told him I was headed to New York in March for the awards, and he said, ‘No fair! Can you imagine ‘The Loft’ traipsing around New York and becoming an award-winning show?’ And so that was the event where we decided we wanted to pursue this seriously. We worked on improving the quality of our segments and getting feedback,” she said. “The Loft” faced difficulties in its first season, since students did not return to campus after spring break last year due to the pandemic. But despite the challenges, the group was able to pick up where it left off. “What was amazing was that when we came back to campus in the fall, we just got into the groove,” Ramette said. “Our best content was easily the Halloween Harbor Basement segment. We recorded ourselves stumbling around, acting like weird things happen down in the basement of the Harbor, an off-campus house. But the punchline is the fact that there’s not a ghost.” Treglia credited the team’s chemistry as the reason for the show’s success. “Our show plays off each other’s personalities and we built a program that only goes up from here,” he said. “Even though we won the award, we’ll still be back in the studio recording because I think it’s something each one of us genuinely enjoys doing.” Scot Bertram said it’s an honor for any program to win an award at IBS. “‘The Loft’ brought together four students from different classes with great chemistry to succeed in creating a comedy program with genuine humor,” Bertram said.

of the fictional version — the culmination of the Johnsonian point of view in fiction. One of his theories was that people working at the beginning of a new form have all kinds of advantages. There's room for greatness that people working in later periods have a very hard time equaling or surpassing. Jane Austen really was present at the creation of a certain kind of novel form. And also you have her excellent moral character, her humor and her judgement, and the fact that she was working from this beautiful, very profound, Johnsonian tradition. Her work is like a garden that has been beautifully fertilized, and she's the firstgrowth oak in this terrain. She looms really large in that way. Q: You’re a filmmaker, but you've been involved in journalism as well. What have your education and career looked like? A: I studied U.S. history at Harvard and I had two passionate interests there. One was the school paper. They had a very brutal, tough, masochistic competition to get on the paper. It was a horrifying experience, but it was a good experience. It was a great education, and it was actually one of the best practices I had for film directing. The other thing I was very interested in doing were these sort of varsity shows — the stupid musicals they do with males playing female parts. I wrote two of those and I was really interested in it. And then I realized later when I made the film “Damsels in Distress” that it was essentially me getting to make the silly musical comedy I couldn’t make in college.

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Kalthoff spoke at the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship's lecture series on the history of American education. Andrew Dixon | Collegian

Producing Christian gentlemen: Kalthoff speaks on original aim of education, where we are now By | Alexis Daniels Senior Reporter

John Adams asserted that the constitution “was made only for a moral and religious people” and is “wholly inadequate to the government of any other,” according to Professor of History Mark Kalthoff. This meant colleges had an important role to play in inculcating virtue in the American republic. The Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship hosted their third event in a four-part series titled “Liberty in Education? Curriculum Battles, Academic Reform, and the Making of Modern American Higher Education” on Thursday, March 4. In his lecture, Kalthoff detailed the history of higher education in America, from its conception to the existence of today’s universities. Kalthoff began with the 18th century, when government—and values—were being established in America. According to Kalthoff, Adams’ greatest achievement was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, in which he said that “religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools in the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” In the colonial era, America had nine colleges. By 1860, the number rose to 203. Despite denominational differences, the American education focused on the Christian tradition and classical culture, with the goal of producing earnest Christian gentlemen to lead in American society. “We should acknowledge right away, however, that while this was the high and noble goal of the early American colleges, it was only a goal, not an empirical description of a golden lost age,” Kaltoff said. “That it was the goal is significant, however, for if never

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an alien and the team members and ended with the alien defeated. Whit-Wat-Way won second place and surprised the crowd when each member pulled out a flash light at the same time to transition to a space-themed track. Numerous teams featured a Taylor Swift throwback, and Whit-Way-Way danced to “Shake It Off.” The kicker of their performance was bringing out cardboard cutouts of a futuristic Central Hall, which tied in with the futuristic theme they painted on their banner. Finally, after a historic loss last year, Simpson came back better than before to reclaim the Spirit Week trophy. They won first place and already have their eye on starting a new streak of victories. “We wanted our trophy back badly; that definitely was a driving force for those competing for our dorm this year, especially the guys who remember losing last year,” said Caleb Lambrecht, a senior and four-year Simpson resident. “However, the dorm’s purpose is not winning trophies, and our guys understand that.” Simpson started its dance with a tower of men meticulously stacked on top of each

fully realized, it maintained the stated end toward which learning aimed.” The scientific revolution of the 17th century, however, had challenged traditional liberal education. According to Kalthoff, two events brought this to bear on American education: America had become “an expanding nation of practical hustlers,” who wanted useful knowledge that was applicable to their goals, and the Second Great Awakening in religious life led men to distrust authority in the political sphere as well. The mid and late 19th century saw the rise of the scientific democrats, who believed science offered a basis for a cohesive modern culture. British polymath and architect of social Darwinism Herbert Spencer asserted that utilitarian education should dominate because of its use during the post-Civil War years, Kalthoff said. This movement attacked American education by seeking to discredit the traditional method. Edward Livingston, a disciple of Spencer, published anonymous editorials in his magazine “Popular Science Monthly” with titles such as “Dead Language Studies Necessarily a Failure,” where he insisted that “Greek is not so ennobling as the study of sewerage.” Other articles said the classics should be abandoned because their study was “insufficiently masculine for men aspiring to become America’s leaders,” according to Kalthoff. The new education devoted its focus to practical skills, creating research universities, and introducing the elective credit system to do away with a fixed curriculum. The Democrats urged support from the federal government for these utilitarian schools, which they got in the form of federal land grants. Meanwhile in Germany,

higher education had already introduced the concepts of “Lehrfreiheit,” the freedom to teach, and “Lernfreiheit,” the freedom to learn, in which professors could choose what to teach and how to teach it, while the students could choose what they wished to learn. This caught on in America, especially with Harvard president Charles William Eliot, who abolished all required tracks for seniors in 1872. “It presumed the college youth present possess sufficient self-knowledge regarding scholarly aptitude and personal preference,” Kalthoff said. “Moreover, it assumed that students would not simply elect the path of least resistance and choose coursework requiring the least effort, which is in fact what happened by 1898. The majority of Harvard graduates graduated having taken only introductory classes. The curricular response was to create this new thing called the college major.” The elective system assumes that every subject is of equal dignity and equal educational value, according to Kalthoff, and thus the classics were forced to stand on their own merit in the education battlefield of survival of the fittest. In 1870, Harvard had a total of 73 courses with 32 professors. By 1910, it offered 401 courses with 169 professors. The loss of a unifying education for the students led to a lack of common mission which is present in many research universities today, he said. “Liberal education could be found, but only by those sufficiently educated to know where and how to look,” Kalthoff said. “For the rest, liberal education had become, as one of my former Hillsdale colleagues liked to say, ‘A freefor-all of open curriculum, where the dazed and confused spend irreplaceable years browsing among survey courses, taking bites out of whatever

other, spinning around to the beat of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. Their routine included several waves, stunts, outfit changes, colored powder, and even Irish dancing. “These guys love each other and worked so incredibly hard to win for one another,” Lambrecht said. “That made rallying

to celebrate with the dorm. “Initially, I was absolutely shocked,” Lambrecht said. “I’m pretty sure I came across as completely incoherent and crazy for about ten minutes. I wanted to get this win for them, to reward them for all their hard work and to put a seal on the community and camaraderie we

Seniors Michaela Stiles and Jonathan Burton were crowned homecoming king and queen. Courtesy | Student Activities Board

the dorm an absolute joy. To see our guys display enthusiasm and spirit rooted in an appreciation and care for our community was incredible.” Lambrecht said he was at first surprised that Simpson had won but quickly rushed the field

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had built up over the past two weeks.” Though homecoming is typically a fall event, the Student Activities Board was able to provide students with a spring Spirit Week that still accomplished its typical events. Even

nuggets randomly lie among the crumbs, learning little or nothing in particular.” Graduate student Stephanie Helmick said she appreciated that Kalthoff highlighted the problem of disunity in most public colleges. “You have science majors and English majors who can't talk to each other because they don't think that either one knows anything that's useful to the other and they don't feel like they can understand each other,” Helmick said. “But it used to be an education where these disciplines could talk to each other, and to me that was the big takeaway, the disintegration of college life and the community between different areas of study.” Retired Professor of History and William P. Harris Chair in Military History Thomas Conner said Kalthoff was well-equipped to present on the topic. “He has very thoughtfully analyzed and reflected on what he was describing today, which is basically the evolution of higher education,” Connor said. “Ultimately, it's declined in this country. So it was very informative and enjoyable. Just what I was expecting.” Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship and Professor of Politics Ronald Pestritto said Kalthoff explained the development of modern education well, adding that the lecture was part of the PhD curriculum at the graduate school so that students will understand why Hillsdale is what it is. “I hope they'll understand more about the context of what makes the education that we provide here at Hillsdale are so important and so unique,” Pestritto said. “My graduate students will be going out into various colleges and universities, so they need to learn something about the nature of the modern university and how it came about.”

with changes like holding Mock Rock on the football field rather than inside the Roche Sports Complex, many students participated and enjoyed the week. “All things considered, I think it went really well,” Zane Mabry, director of student activities for the SAB, said. “There were enough people that showed up and enough of a crowd that it made it really fun. The students made it a better atmosphere.” The evening ended when Simpson was announced as the Spirit Week champion. Mabry said he was excited to see so many groups rally together throughout the week. “It was really rewarding to see that everyone put aside their busy schedules and participate and really give it their all,” Mabry said. “It’s a good bonding experience for campus, and a good bonding experience for SAB.” Homecoming 2021 is scheduled to take place this coming fall as usual, though this decision is open to change, Mabry said. “Hopefully it will look more normal, and as far as I know at least right now that is what we’re fighting for,” Mabry said. “But it’s very up in the air.”

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CCA speaker lectures on Jane Austen and the 'moral moment' By | Emma Cummins Senior Reporter “I may be wrong, but I doubt that Jane Austen would have quite approved of the movies.” That’s how James Bowman, film critic at the American Spectator and author, kicked off the much-anticipated “Jane Austen on Film” Center for Constructive Alternatives lecture series on Sunday, March 7. Bowman’s lecture focused on the major moral theme in Austen’s novels: the “I was wrong” moment. This moment is crucial to the success or failure of any Austen film adaptation. “As I see them, her novels all focus on a moral moment that can only be called dramatic, which is why they are adapted to the screen so well and have taken on a moral cogency,” Bowman said. “This is what I call the ‘I was wrong moment.’ All her charac-

ters have to suffer through them.” Austen’s moralism is particularly relevant today in a time of ideological zealousness and unwillingness to admit error, according to Bowman. Austen can then be seen as a moral guide in an age of ideological “wokeness,” Bowman said. Junior Aidan Cyrus said he thought Bowman made a compelling point. “Bowman's understanding of Austen's catalog of virtues is really compelling, particularly his account of wrongness and the struggle our modern sensibilities have with being wrong on occasion and then admitting that failure,” Cyrus said. “He presented Austen as an important moral thinker, who is a part of a tradition that, if recovered, could prove useful in changing the moral discourse.” Austen’s moral theme emphasizes the virtues of self-command and self-awareness, especially in

her heroines, Bowman said. “There’s another reason why she might not have approved of the movies. This lies in the central paradox of Jane Austen’s novels,” he said. “She certainly approved of sincerity. But there was another virtue that she prized even more highly — the antithesis of sincerity — that is, the virtue of self-command.” Bowman said self-command was especially important for women because the expression or giving away of their feelings would often lead to “unchastity and ruin.” Marianne Dashwood, in Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” is an example. Instead, women in Austen’s time had to be cautious in how they expressed themselves in order to protect their reputations. “Our first requirement in appreciating her either on page or on screen is to try to understand the importance of the kind of moral seriousness that Jane advo-

cates: the repression of powerful emotion,” Bowman said. Thus, many of Austen’s heroines possess this characteristic. Elinor Dashwood in the same novel, “Sense and Sensibility,” expresses the self-command of which her younger sister, Marianne, is incapable. However, self-command is not the same as self-assurance, as Bowman pointed out. “Self-assurance is self-command but without the other great Austenian virtue of self-knowledge. Self-doubt is the trial through which all Jane Austen heroines have to pass through,” Bowman said. “Just as self-assurance is characteristic of all her villains, self-doubt is characteristic of her heroines.” Bowman said that Austen’s novels “Emma” and “Pride and Prejudice” have been adapted to film the most because they contain so many “I was wrong” moments. The 1940s adapta-

tion of “Pride and Prejudice” lacks a certain depth, precisely because the moments in which self-awareness dawns on the character are comical, rather than convicting. “The film skates over all the emotional depths of the novel,” Bowman said. “It treats it as something like a rollicking comedy of manners.” Bowman was careful to point out that Austen was not a social satirist. Her novels are meant to be moral guides, particularly to a woman’s task of acting prudently in matters of love and marriage. “Austen would have envisaged her characters as more stiff than we see them today. People see her as a satirist of social class difference,” Bowman said. “But Jane Austen has no political axes to grind. She takes distinctions of social class for granted.” Associate Professor of English Dwight Lindley asked a question about Jane Austen as a moralist

during the Q&A portion of the lecture. “There’s moralism and then there’s moralism,” Lindley said. “And with Jane Austen, you don’t really feel her moralism as a burden. Why do we like Jane Austen's moralism and don’t feel it as sermonic? There are many other kinds of films and novels that are trying to do something similar but we can’t sit through them.” Bowman replied that Austen, unlike other filmmakers and writers, is “so obviously sincere” that it doesn't feel like moralizing. “She’s engaged in these issues,” Bowman said. “She’s showing how people actually make decisions, good and bad, and showing it in a way that’s sympathetic. She understands how minds are working. She’s not laying down the law and saying, ‘Oh, that’s terrible.’ It’s not preaching.”

In Brief: Hillsdale College shooting teams recruiting new members Politics department By | Elyse Hawkins Collegian Freelancer Two Hillsdale College shooting teams, Olympic-Style Rifle and Pistol, are now accepting applications from students looking to join the competitive team for its upcoming shooting season. Bart Spieth, rangemaster of the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Center, who led the college’s shotgun team to its first national championship in 2012, said now is an advantageous time to join one of the shooting teams, due to its recent partnership with USA Shooting. “Our growing partnership with the USA Shooting Team will offer many opportunities to shoot side-by-side with our nation's best,” Spieth said.

Mary Kate Brox, a junior and the captain of the rifle and pistol team, has been involved with the team since freshman year and recently placed fifth in an air rifle competition at the 2021 Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference (WIRC) Championships at Akron University. Brox said there are many different routes that students take when considering whether to join a shooting team. While most join after taking the college’s introductory shooting class, the class is not a requirement for joining. “Most athletes simply commit to coming to practices and competing in the various local and national competitions we attend each year,” Brox said. Andrew Traciak, coach of the rifle and pistol team and instructor of the introductory rifle and

pistol classes, added that students interested in becoming more involved with Hillsdale shooting sports need not participate in competitions. “Students who are simply looking to improve their individual skills do not have to shoot competitively to receive coaching and shoot with the team,” Traciak said. No matter their skill level, there are opportunities for all students interested in becoming more involved with shooting sports, according to Traciak. “If you are not sure what area of the shooting sports fits you best, or if you want a fun one-credit class, I highly recommend checking out one of the credited classes offered at the Halter Center,” Traciak said. Brox said that she has appre-

ciated the opportunity to join the shooting team and improve her skills. “Being on a team helps you experience that sense of community at home and at matches in a very different way,” Brox said. “It is also wonderful to practice with young individuals who can look over your position and help you make adjustments and become a better athlete.” Senior Barrett Moore, a member of the shotgun team who walked on sophomore year, said his experience shooting competitively for Hillsdale has taught him many life lessons. “Being able to shoot at Hillsdale has been a surprise and blessing,” Moore said. “Every practice has been a highlight. I am grateful.”

Andrew Davidson waves to the crowd after winning the Edward Everett Oratory Competition. Evalyn Homoelle | Collegian

announces first annual essay contest

By | Madeline Peltzer News Editor The Hillsdale College Politics Department is hosting its first-ever essay competition, the Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Essay Contest in Politics. Undergraduate students of all majors are invited to submit essays with a maximum word count of 1,500 words on the topic of “Socialism and the Challenge it Poses to Freedom.” The first-place winner will receive $5,000, with second and third prize being $3,000 and $1,000, respectively. Entries are due April 1. “The topic of socialism was chosen because it’s clearly an ideology that is gaining popularity among the young, and our donor is curious to see how a Hillsdale student might go about reflecting about it,” said Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib, who is helping to coordinate the contest. “It’s an invitation to weigh in on a very important issue that impacts us all.” According to an informational sheet provided by Institutional Advancement, the contest is sponsored by Susan M. Rewoldt, who has estab-

lished an endowment to fund the contest in honor of her late husband, Robert. The Rewoldts have been dedicated supporters of the college, funding the Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Endowed Merit Scholarship in Politics for students with a declared major in politics as well as the Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Scholarship for the George Washington Fellowship. The essays will be judged by politics faculty and copies of the winning essays will be forwarded to Rewoldt. While there is no set rubric, Habib said judges will be looking for several qualities in a winning entry. “Obviously, the essay has to be well written,” Habib said. “But ultimately we will be looking for the most rigorous and coherent arguments. Given the word limit, it cannot be a long academic dissertation or a senior thesis, but it should be clear, direct, and well-argued.” Habib encouraged students of all majors to participate. “Students interested in sharing their views and testing their ability to write persuasively should enter the competition,” Habib said.

Oil change: Bon Appetit swaps canola for olive oil at the salad bar Everett

By | Haley Strack Assistant Editor from A1

pearance, and persuasive merit. At the awards ceremony, Arnn noted that competition was especially strong this year, as the top speakers’ scores were only separated by three points, with Davidson placing first, Tong second, and Sampson third. “I think the Oratory competition's best qualities perfectly reflect the larger mission of Hillsdale College itself: it's open to anyone, and the most successful orators are the ones who put the most work into it,” Davidson said. One of the factors that contributed to his success was his family’s presence during the finals. “I was satisfied with my own performance, but my biggest comfort while waiting to hear back from the judges was my family's presence in the room,” Davidson said. “More for them than for myself, I was overjoyed to win and give them something exciting to see.” Davidson’s speech focused on the economic effects and regulatory overreach of America’s COVID-19 response. He addressed the unsound science behind a lockdown on a na-

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people that were there,” Linton said. “It will be sad not to have that anymore.” Suites House Director Haakon Santaella, a senior, said he’s

tionwide level and explored the larger philosophical issue of the government's role in deciding the balance between liberty and safety. “No one should live in a society where the government gives and the government takes away, blessed be the name of the government,” Davidson said, eliciting laughter from the audience. Davidson went on to describe that it is a government’s responsibility to take an active role in a pandemic but that ultimately, “government should be people’s best and most honorable servant. Our leaders have no right to capitalize on our fear.” He then proposed that the ideal governmental response to a pandemic would be to assess the threat, present findings on safety to the people, and allow the people to make their own decisions while employing regulatory power to protect the vulnerable. Davidson also suggested that the federal government should have used the funds from the second and third rounds of stimulus checks to advance vaccine research and protect those most at risk. Tong’s speech took a different

approach, citing theological and philosophical responses to a pandemic. He proposed the idea that statewide lockdowns are inefficient and unnecessary, and quoted scientists who feared that lockdowns were being used for social and political control, rather than for the safety of citizens. Ultimately, Tong said the government’s response in a pandemic is to provide TLC: truth, liberty, and containment. He said the government “needs to bridge the gap between fear and coddling, and that’s truth.” Allowing citizens to know the facts, make a decision about their personal wellbeing, and appropriately using the power of consent to regulate the situation is what a good government should do. Sampson’s speech focused on the concept of integrity and the government’s twofold purpose: to protect the citizens and ensure their happiness and flourishing. He cited research showing that citizens were unhappy with the pandemic guidelines and how politicians violated their own policies. Mattis Belloncle’s speech

addressed the negative mental, emotional, and economic side effects of government lockdowns. He asserted that the government should “inform, not enforce.” “If we want to be a truly free nation with liberty and justice for all, that comes with a responsibility,” he said. “That means trusting people to be free.” During a pandemic, Jean-Luc Belloncle argued, there is an inherent conflict between protecting life and preserving liberty. He contrasted liberty and license by using the analogy of the known risk associated with driving a car. “There’s a difference between a risk you have accepted and a risk you haven’t accepted,” he said. Kirstin Kiledal, professor of rhetoric and public address and the competition’s director, noted that the events of the past year impacted the tone of the contest. “While the competition proceeded much as usual, there was a difference in the atmosphere,” Kiledal said. “The salience of the pandemic to each audience member deepened engagement with the speeches as well as the speakers themselves.”

enjoyed helping to establish a more engaging and meaningful culture at the Suites. “It’s an honor to have been a part of the team for the last two years,” Santaella said. “I’m excited for the team they’re going

to be bringing in next year.” The new arrangement of the Suites may not be permanent, according to Petersen. “We try to avoid abrupt changes to housing arrangements or drastic changes,”

Petersen said. “We think these are reasonable, and we hope students weren’t too inconvenienced by them.”

Students who are worried about the negative health effects of canola oil no longer need to be concerned. Starting this week, the salad bar in Knorr Family Dining Room will serve olive oil instead of canola oil. “We think it’s the right product to have at the station,” said David Apthorpe, general manager of Bon Appetit. “As we move out of pandemic mode we’re looking at all aspects of our service and while safety is paramount, returning to the core values of our business is critical.” Canola oil is a vegetable oil derivative of rapeseed oil, which contains an exorbitant amount of erucic acid, a toxin that is harmful to humans and may cause heart disease. Although canola oil contains significantly less erucic acid than rapeseed oil, some studies have found that canola oil can be toxic. Graduate student Brian Freimuth is a self-proclaimed social crusader against processed foods. Based on what he has studied, Freimuth said it seems vegetable and canola oils are not meant for human consumption. “They have been shown to weaken the immune system and damage white blood cells,” Freimuth said. “I encourage everyone to look into the blogger and nutritionist, Ray Peat. Companies continue to use them in processed foods

because of the high-profit margins they deliver by making products cheaper.” Like with any processed food, Freimuth added, there’s something unnerving about the amount of chemicals funneled into canola oil. “Our ancestors did not eat canola oil. It is a processed food product that can require many chemical processes to do things like remove unappetizing odors,” he said. “Vegetable oils were only used as industrial lubricants until the Big-Ag lobby pushed for them to be allowed in processed foods.” Sophomore Kalli Dalrymple has paid close attention to her nutrition and eating habits ever since she developed chronic migraines years ago. She said she much prefers olive oil to canola oil. “Olive oil has antioxidants and other qualities that are better for your overall health, your heart, your hair, your nails, your skin,” Dalrymple said. “Also, bottom line, it just tastes better.” Senior Claire Lupini, an avid salad eater, concurred. “I once watched a documentary that talked a lot about olive oil,” Lupini said. “It adds more fragrance and flavor to the food than other types of oil. I also think it’s better for cooking.” Although Lupini never partook in the canola oil while it was offered, she said she may diversify her taste in salad dressing in the near future. “I knew it wasn’t good oil,” she said. “But now, I’ll probably try the olive oil once or twice.”

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A4 March 11, 2021

The Weekly: Standardize the Spirit Week judging (517) 607-2415 Online: www.hillsdalecollegian.com

The opinion of the Collegian editorial staff

Spirit Week’s finish this weekend left dreams fulfilled and hearts broken. The Simpson team won, once again, with a strong competitive drive throughout the week and a climactic dance performance. When it was over, students debated the merits of the winner and the order of final rankings. To all the contestants involved in Spirit Week and for the effort you put in, congratulations. Representing your respective group in a competition as public as Spirit Week is no simple task and takes a lot of courage. Second, we aren’t here to dispute the results. So, a special

Jordan Peterson speaking at the 2018 Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida. Wikimedia Commons

Invite Jordan Peterson to speak on our campus By | Sarah Weaver “As you can see the opponents of free speech are capable of making a lot of inarticulate noise,” Dr. Jordan B. Peterson quipped. The University of Toronto Professor of Psychology was at a rally — the “U of T Rally for Free Speech” — after Leftists criticized some videos he had created opposing Bill C-16 in Canada. The bill would classify refusal to use an individual’s preferred pronouns as hate speech. Peterson argued this took a dangerous step down the road toward authoritarianism. At the rally, Peterson was constantly disrupted by campus Leftists. But while the circumstances surrounding the event were gender politics, Peterson explained that this wasn’t his “primary concern.” Between blasts of deafening white noise from the disrupters behind him, Peterson defended the fundamental right to freedom of speech. When Leftist activists unplugged his microphone, Peterson raised his voice. “There’s a reason I’m defending freedom of speech,” he shouted. “And the reason for that is quite straight forward. The reason I’m defending freedom of speech is because that is how people with different opinions settle their opinions in a civil society.” Bill C-16 became law, but Peterson’s memorable opposition had left its mark. Unfortunately, Peterson recently suffered a cycle of medical conditions that kept him out of the public eye for the better part of a year. During his hiatus, Peterson wrote a companion volume to his bestselling book “12 Rules for Life,” called “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life.” In the wake of the book’s recent release, Peterson has appeared on several podcasts and YouTube shows. As soon as his health permits, Hillsdale College should invite Peterson to speak on campus. Before he was clashing with Leftists, Peterson was

transmitting his message of personal responsibility via YouTube. Although a prominent academic intellectual in his own right — he is the author of more than 100 scientific papers along with the book “Maps of Meaning” — his popular appeal is found in his succinct and relevant videos on the importance of assuming responsibility for your own life. Peterson encourages his listeners to “stand up straight with your shoulders back” and “accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open.” A good deal of young men find his work particularly helpful, but for some this fact is evidence of his supposed “chauvinistic fear-mongering.” In reality, Peterson has lifted many disillusioned young men — and women — from the sloughs of depression. In his videos, he emotionally recounts the letters he has received from those who have been rescued from the resentful pitfalls of the radical Left or Right through his videos. I personally know many of these individuals who have been changed by his work. The controversial public intellectual would be right at home at Hillsdale College. Our school has been maligned as all manner of things — a haven for QAnon conspiracy theorists, a repository of misogynist white males, perhaps even a front for President Larry Arnn’s attempts to make “what is the good’’ a question on the United States citizenship test. But the fact is, Hillsdale College has a history of standing out in the midst of controversy — from refusing to accept federal funding and the accompanying educational chokeholds, to opening for in-person classes last semester. And Peterson, for his defense of free speech, encouragement of personal responsibility, and tackling of Leftist identity politics, has, like Hillsdale, stood firm in the midst of controversy. Peterson excoriates the “made-up pronouns” of the

transgender movement as, “the neologisms of a radical PC authoritarianism.” In a viral interview that Claremont Review of Books called a “cultural milestone,” British journalist Cathy Newman asked Peterson, “why does your right to freedom of speech trump a trans person’s right not to be offended?” Peterson replies, “Because in order to think, you have to risk being offensive.” This left Newman speechless. More than a “gotcha” moment, the exchange served as a clear example of both the feminist Left’s opposition to, and Peterson’s succinct defense of, free speech. In many ways, Peterson’s opposition to identity politics sounds much like Hillsdale’s own mission to “[value] the merit of each unique individual, rather than succumbing to the dehumanizing, discriminatory trend of so-called ‘social justice’ and ‘multicultural diversity.’” Some students may not want Peterson to come to campus, citing his views on feminism or critical race theory, his unconventional exegesis of the life of lobsters, or some argument claiming he has “sold out” by becoming too famous. But as the professor himself put it, “The way that you make people resilient is by voluntarily exposing them to things that they are afraid of and that make them uncomfortable.” Peterson’s appeal to the younger generations is rooted in many of the principles of Hillsdale College — values like free speech and responsibility to yourself and others. I have no doubt many Hillsdale students have already benefited from Peterson’s work. If Peterson were to speak at our campus, we could extend his message to the wider student body. Sarah Weaver is pursuing a master’s degree in the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship.

congratulations to Simpson and the effort those men put into Spirit Week. In the wake of defeat, though, many of the losing teams seemed to think theirs had the best photo, banner, and dance, all of which are subject to determinations made by three judges. Take an evening stroll through the Grewcock Student Union and you’ll hear almost every real entry into the artistic competitions suggested as the one that “should have won.” We distinguish real entries from joke entries such as Sigma Chi’s photo. These wanna-be win-

ners aren’t wrong, either. The quality of the photos, banners, and dances this year were, in general, stunning. One solution to the campus divide involves clearer standards and criteria for the judgment of each artistic piece. Each team produced a vastly different interpretation of this year’s theme, “The Year 3000.” Many were excellent, but only one can win each category. In such a competitive environment, standardized criteria helps competition in three specific ways. First, it would ensure the artistic pieces aim toward

the same end and are similar enough that judges can rank them somewhat objectively. Second, it would rein in the subjectivity of evaluating the artistic pieces and leave less room for bias in judgment. Third, it would alleviate post-Spirit Week tension and allow for students to further appreciate the beauty their peers produce. Clear standards make space for better and more spirited competition. In their tiring efforts to outperform others, students could use more guidance.

In defense of skipping class By | Victoria Nuñez

This is written for the hustlers, the strugglers, and the overachievers. The ones who feel like they can’t catch a break. Instead of cutting sleep, food, exercise, or time with God because of stress or fatigue, we should consider cutting class. This is a fine line to walk. I’m not promoting irresponsibility and I don’t take for granted the privilege of going to a school that holds in-person classes. We are called to be students. However, that is not our whole identity. I know students who have walked to class with a fever, afraid of infracting the attendance policy; students sitting stone-faced in class only a few hours after a break-up, trying to “hold it together”; students who take a insane amount of credits, and run from place to place, unable to start homework until after 10:00 pm. Some could say that in each of these situations, the student has agency to prevent such circumstances: Be healthier, decide it’s not best to break up on a Sunday night if you have an 8:00 am on Monday, take a more manageable class load, and so on and so forth. But we can’t always choose our situations. Some of us struggle with poor health despite our best preventative measures. I guarantee you that there is never a great time to break up.

And sometimes 21 credits a semester is simply a necessity in order to graduate on time. Taking a day to collect your wits is a more effective and helpful use of time than drudging through each class, unable to absorb information because of the stress you are under. I’d rather be in a group project with someone who is honest with me about what is going on and their own limitations, than just assume everyone has the same level of productivity and health and is just choosing to be lazy. The negative consequences of running your body and soul into the ground aren’t hard to understand, especially during our COVID-19 era. The recent COVID-19 procedures have removed some stigma from staying home for a sick day, but even so, the attendance policies of many classes seem arbitrary. Some of my classes have a strict three-excused-absences policy, others have no attendance policy at all. Most professors at this college are reasonable and understand when we go through particular trials, but even so, I think this should be a conversation we continue with our professors, and vice versa. I think this same principle should apply to instructors as well. I realize the concept of a “self-care” day is unpopular among those who have worked through pain, discom-

fort, mental instability, and stress. I applaud all instructors and people who make the education here at Hillsdale possible at great sacrifice to their own comfort. However, I would much rather have a professor who canceled class and then came back refreshed and able to teach at a higher level. We all know that overwhelmed professors are difficult to follow and perform for. This could open up a better channel of communication between professors and students, and allow us to help each other be better at the things we’re called to do. This could bring a more accurate understanding of the person on the other side of the classroom. College is a partnership, after all. Maybe it’s arrogant to assume we can package ourselves into Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedules. Sometimes, providence has other plans. And I’ve never heard of stoicism heralded as the most emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy way of life. Some of us are limping to the finish line every day, and that’s okay. We, as an educational community of learners and instructors, can help each other by considering the reasons for skipping class. We are students, but we are humans first. Victoria Nuñez is a junior studying English.

Paying for college is an individual responsibility By | Genevieve O’Gara

During the spring of my senior year, my high school band director asked me about my post-graduation plans. “I’m going to a liberal arts college and majoring in English,” I said. “Good. That way you’ll be grammatically correct when you ask people ‘Do you want fries with that?’” he replied. Insulting, yes. But also a fair point. It’s one which Biden and supporters of student debt cancellation are ignoring: Actions have consequences. At a CNN townhall on Feb. 16, Biden said that student loans can be “debilitating,” and underlined his administration’s goal of $10,000 student loan forgiveness. Student debt is a burden for many adults. People drag debt with them throughout their lives, and put off marriage or families in order to get their finances under control. These are legitimate concerns for the health of our country and its economy. But Biden’s $10,000 is an arbitrary line that will not solve the root of the problem. By forgiving the consequences of people’s actions, the president will encourage an entitled and dependent society. It is the continuation of decades of progressive philosophy, reiterating Franklin Roosevelt’s claim that “Necessitous men are not free men.” Seeking to attain freedom from want and fear is an attempt to escape human nature. We all have needs, but

the government cannot solve everything for us. Instead, it should protect each man’s freedom to deal with necessity the way he sees fit. The Declaration of Independence states the natural right of all humans to work toward the pursuit of happiness, but it does not elaborate on what constitutes this pursuit of happiness: that is something each person must decide for himself. Many young adults, such as myself, decide that pursuing happiness involves attending a college to gain knowledge, form friendships, and, practically speaking, to gain a degree that will help us earn a substantive income. Other adults chose to enter the military or workforce directly after high school. College is not a requirement, nor is it a right. Students must decide how much a college degree is worth to them. Many students determine that the degree is worth going into debt for, particularly if it will aid them in making more money later in life. According to the Brookings Institute, the five degrees responsible for the most student debt in the United States are: medical and law, master’s and bachelor’s in business, and bachelor of science for nursing. These degrees all open doors to well-paying careers, which is why the top 20% of earners owe 35% of the debt. As with every reward, there is a risk. After four years of wonderful English classes, I will find myself

searching for jobs, none of which are likely to be particularly well-paying.Working minimum wage jobs is a real fear for many students without a “practical” major. But it would be immoral to use the money of taxpayers — many of whom made the choice not to go to college even if it resulted in a lower income — to foot the bill for students who took this risk. Of the 331 million people in the United States, only 45 million share in the $1.7 trillion of student loan debt. Asking society to pay for an individual’s decision is stealing. Many college graduates worked hard, setting aside money and sacrificing activities to pay off the student loans to which they agreed. Others made the sometimes-heartbreaking decision to not attend college because it was not financially prudent. We should respect the American taxpayers’ choice to attend or not attend college, to accumulate or work to avoid debt. It is the student’s choice to go to college, and the government is not responsible for the consequences. So if in a few years I am using my English degree to ask you the grammatically perfect question “Would you like fries with that?” know that I respect the choice I made, and will pay what I owe. Genevieve O’Gara is a sophomore studying English.

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March 11, 2021 A5

Change the Homecoming Week volunteering competition

By | Rachel Kookogey According to the Hillsdale College website, the GOAL program “promotes service above self, thereby providing unity and focus to existent campus-wide volunteer activities.” Is it really “service over self ” if the reason you’re volunteering is to help your team win a campus-clout-earning competition? “Homecoming Week volunteering is about giving a marketing boost to GOAL programs,” GOAL Community Health Leader Bryna Destefani, a senior, said. “It’s supposed to give volunteers a taste of something they can do on the regular.” We often forget this objective during a week already overwhelmed by extra commitments and competitions. It’s hard for volunteers to get a taste of what regular volunteering looks like when the programs are overloaded by students seeking any way to

get a certain number of hours, in order to earn points, just one week of the year. Perhaps we should take volunteering out of the Homecoming Week festivities altogether. Or at least change how the competition is run. Every year during Homecoming Week, teams exhausted by the copious competitions complain about how the week operates. We’re worn out by trying to outdo each other in daily competitions that take more than a day to prep for. On top of this, students lose sleep and even skip classes to get more volunteer hours than other teams. This is not how volunteering should be. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, a volunteer is “a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it.” But if we’re writing letters to the elderly, raking leaves, or bowling with handicapped teenagers during Homecom-

ing Week just because our team leaders told us to and it earns points for our dorm or Greek house, we’ve lost sight of the purpose. If it’s really not about the competition, then the students who volunteered last week should continue to volunteer however they can after the competition is over. According to Destefani, GOAL volunteering has a different atmosphere during Homecoming Week. The competition puts a lot of pressure on leaders to make work for students seeking to fill hours. “For the rest of the year it’s not about getting enough hours, it’s about volunteering and getting the job done. Whereas for Homecoming Week, you get rewarded if it takes longer to do the job, and I think that creates a weird psychological dynamic,” Destefani said. “As a GOAL leader, I didn’t want to make more hours of a job that could take less just so I had opportunities to get people involved,

but I didn’t want to turn anyone away from volunteering either.” I can imagine how a recipient of these volunteer projects might find it discouraging and even insulting to get a ton of extra attention during just one week of the year when those helping were also getting points for it — and then never seeing or hearing from those students again. A good way to improve the system would be to calculate the average volunteer hours, days, or tasks per person per week from the beginning of the semester all the way to Homecoming Week. This way, we can still raise awareness for GOAL while decreasing stress during the competition week. Although Homecoming is usually early in the semester, this would at least spread the competition out by a month or so in order to encourage consistent volunteering. Once dedicated competitors make volunteering a habit over the first month of the semester,

and have formed relationships with GOAL leaders and others in the program, they would be less likely to drop the task after the winners are announced. This format would also give students more opportunities to volunteer, as some GOAL programs require training and thus can’t take volunteers on a one-time basis. Junior Zack Niebolt leads a GOAL partnership with Love INC, a nonprofit organization that assists churches in helping those in need of physical or spiritual aid. Niebolt said new volunteers must undergo training to participate, so he’d prefer if the Homecoming Week competition was based on time spent volunteering the entire semester up to that point. “It takes a few weeks to train new volunteers, so we couldn’t take on volunteers just for one week,” Niebolt said. Moreover, a longer calculation of volunteering fulfills the

ultimate purpose of Homecoming Week: building community. At the beginning of the year, dorm leaders could use this as an opportunity to teach new residents about the GOAL programs and the dorm could bond as they serve the community together a few hours each week. If we want to include GOAL volunteering in Homecoming Week to show students how they can incorporate it into their everyday life, we should have a competition that rewards consistency, dedication, and concern for the community. Not one week of insanity. “I think that there can be a frantic energy sometimes of ‘find something to do!’” Destefani said. “You don’t want volunteering to be frantic. You want it to be a joyful competition.”

an essential component of the student diet), and study space. “Is it the distance from the main hub of campus?” I ask myself. No, for if that were the case, no one would ever go to the George C. Roche Sports Complex (and there are plenty of men there). When I brought the matter up with one of my few friends of the opposite sex, he told me that according to the male psyche, Penny’s is an “estrogen fest” and no self-respecting man would be “caught dead” in Penny’s. “It’s for babes, betas, and boyfriends,” he said. This was quite a devastating revelation. So I resolved to write a treatise to convince my male colleagues that Penny’s is indeed worth their time. My argument is as follows: 1. The coffee at Penny’s is without a doubt superior to that of AJ’s Cafe and Jitters. The espresso is smooth and

the drink options are expansive. The scones and cookies are incomparable (normally hot out of the oven). Also, there are bagels. 2. (I started with food because, I am told, that is the way to men’s hearts, but now I move to love). The women at Penny’s are very attractive and many are single (!). How do I know this? Many women plan coffee dates with their girlfriends at Penny’s. A woman would not plan a coffee date if she had a boyfriend as she would obviously want to spend time with him instead. This makes Penny’s a great place to meet a potential romantic partner (and bring your guy friends, for there are enough women to go around). 3. Penny’s is also close to the sports complex. Need a boost of caffeine before your workout? Penny’s can fulfill that need. 4. My fourth and final point is the most important:

Go where no man has gone before. Conquer the seemingly unconquerable. Obtain glory, fame, and honor for having the courage to breach the unbreachable. Go down in Hillsdale College history as the man who changed Penny’s culture for the better, making it accessible to your fellow band of brothers. You happy few. Replace the chaos of the feminine and the subsequent matriarchy of Penny’s with the order of the masculine and the patriarchy. Not only will your fellow male students thank you, but female students will, too. It is time that order be restored to Hillsdale’s coffee scene, and that means more men must frequent Penny’s. My Wednesday afternoon ritual will be that much more enjoyable.

and 1980s. By | Marcus Lotti In terms of Hillsdale’s The average softball fan or history, it may behoove the player loves the game for what curious reader to go read two it is: an intense, fast-paced editions of the Hillsdale Colleteam game that is a good and gian from early April 2009, exciting spectator sport. The which show what happened average baseball fan or player the last time someone made loves the game for what it is: fun of baseball and the basea complex game noted for its ball players on this campus. extraordinary difficulty, its (Hint: they deserved it.) uniqueness, and its profound True sports fans know impact on American history. that the excellence of a sport I will not entirely discredit extends beyond the stadiums softball, a baseball-like game in which the sport is played, called “kitten ball” in its early perhaps the aforementioned days, but baseball and softball incident aside. It is clear to are not comparable games. see that baseball is America’s One only has to look as far as game, and America is the only stadiums, history, and actual place for baseball to be. performance to see this. Enough about history. Look at the fields and Let’s look at the game itself. stadiums that encompass soft- Baseball demands a variball and baseball. All college ety of physicalities, unlike softball fields have to have many other sports. Compare outfield dimensions within 5-foot-6-inch Jose Altuve of a certain range, according to the Houston Astros to 6-footthe NCAA’s official softball 8-inch Aaron Judge of the field diagram outline. On New York Yankees to 6-foot, the contrary, college baseball 285-pound “Big Sexy” Bartolo fields only have “recommend- Colon himself, each worthy ed” numbers for the outfield of the Hall of Fame after they dimensions, and in Major retire. League Baseball, no two stadiA baseball game contains ums are alike. swathes of time in which Each MLB park reflects not unconditioned eyes get only the uniqueness of the bored. What those eyes miss game, but also the uniqueis tension, suspense. Thankness and character of the city fully, some sports still have in which it is being played. room for contemplation and A drowsy fly ball could be a conversation, which other home run in the sports might high-altitude “Each MLB park have if there was Coors Field in anything to talk Denver but an reflects not only the about besides out in almost all uniqueness of the the game clock other stadiums. (which baseball A 375-foot line game, but also the doesn’t have), drive to right uniqueness and brute athletic field at Chicago’s force, and tacWrigley Field character of the city tics better suited could be an easy war than art. in which it is being for out because of This can make Lake Michigan’s the action, when played.” winds, but the it happens, blissame line drive could scream teringly fast — faster than the over Yankee Stadium’s 314blink of an eye. foot right field wall by 60 feet. On the more physical level The variety of stadiums alone of hitting and pitching, the act make baseball strategically of throwing a baseball is one more difficult, architecturally of the most unnatural and viomore unique, and aesthetical- lent momentary strains on the ly more pleasing than all other body in sports. While softball sports. players might have slightly less Let’s zoom out. Baseball’s time to react to a pitch (.1-.15 history is vast and important seconds, an eternity in these to America’s own history. games), the longer distance The first mention of the word between the pitcher’s mound “baseball” in print was back in and home plate in baseball 1744. The oldest written rules only makes pitches that move date back to 1845. But go look harder to hit. The highest up the major league players single-season batting average that contributed extensively between 2008 and 2018 in to the world wars. One source NCAA DII baseball averaged says that 38% of major league at .406. In DII softball, it players at the time fought in averaged at .539 over the same WWI, including future Hall of time span. Softball pitchers, Fame players. Hank Greeneven great ones, cannot make berg and Bob Feller were the their pitches move as much as first professional athletes in baseball pitchers can. In the America to be enlisted in the MLB, no one has had a higher 1940 peacetime draft and the single-season batting average 1941 draft after Pearl Harbor than Ted Williams’ .406 in respectively. Ted Williams, 1941, and nowadays it takes arguably the best hitter to around a .340 batting average ever live, gave up four years to to be the best in the league. fight in WWII and the Korean Success is harder to achieve War, earning ten medals while because the expectation is doing so. higher because it is just more Baseball was a precursor difficult. to the civil rights movement. The fields and stadiums are Go read about people in better. The history is richer. 1940s to 1960s baseball like The players are more unique. Branch Rickey and Jackie Everything happens faster. It Robinson, who helped break isn’t even close. the color barrier in the MLB, Softball is hard. Baseball is Buck O’Neil, the first Afriharder. Almost all sports have can-American manager in the something that they do well. MLB after playing in the NeBaseball just happens to be gro Leagues for 18 years, and better at almost everything. Curt Flood, who was a pivotal figure in striking down the Marcus Lotti is a senior reserve clause and the MLB’s studying English. antitrust status in the 1970s

Rachel Kookogey is a junior studying rhetoric and public address. She is the Opinions Editor for the Collegian.

More men should hang out at Penny’s coffee shop Baseball is America’s game By | Victoria Marshall

Every Wednesday at around 2:31 p.m. EST I pack up my bags in Mossey Library, say goodbye to my fellow library fiends, and make my way down to Penny’s, the campus-run coffee shop in New Dorm. This ritual is my favorite of the week. I order a 10-ounce oat milk latte from Sam the Barista, sit myself down at the long wooden table by the window (the natural lighting is prime there), and resume my work with a renewed energy and frame of mind. As I sip my cuppa and listen to the friendly pitter-patter of coffee shop conversation and the drone of Morrissey from The Smiths, I am confronted with a stirring realization: There are no men here. This strikes me as somewhat odd as there are plenty of attractive female students, coffee (which, I am told, is

Victoria Marshall is a senior George Washington Fellow studying politics. She is the Science & Tech Editor.

Hillsdale should offer a CCA on Audrey Hepburn’s films By | Isabella Redjai I am a senior, and this week, I took my first and last Center for Constructive Alternatives lecture series ever — one featuring films inspired by the novels of Jane Austen. One of my favorite pastimes is watching old films or those inspired by old books. Hillsdale’s film CCAs come in handy for those who are like me. After all the years of waiting for the CCA that is right for me, I have been disappointed that no one has thought of a CCA series to feature the films of one Belgian actress who made her way to the United States and became an American sweetheart of the cinema: Audrey Hepburn. I’ve always had a slight obsession with the actress-turned-humanitarian who has embodied what it means to be “classy” for generations. I’ve read three biographies on her, watched a documentary, and over quarantine alone, watched 12 of her films. According to biographer Pamela Keogh, when Hepburn came on the scene, she was a sheepish, doe-eyed waif who was insecure about her nose and large feet, yet spoke softly and eloquently, drawing directors in with her charm and receiving her first lead role in “Roman Holiday.” But it’s not just Hepburn’s acting skills that make her an extraordinary icon worth watching and studying. Only a slight look into Hepburn’s childhood will tell you that the actress, originally from Brussels, lived through the tragedies of World War II and the German occupation of the Netherlands, where she eventually moved as a young child. The people of the city of Arnhem, where she lived during German occupation, suffered from starvation. Due to her malnourishment during this time, Hepburn suffered health complications throughout the remainder of her life. During Hepburn’s childhood, her parents divorced and her father abandoned the family. In a biography by Hepburn’s son, Sean Ferrer, he

Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” | Pixy

says that this broken relationship caused grave emotional pain for his mother, even in her adult life. Nevertheless, the young Hepburn continued to develop herself into a cultured and well-read young woman. As a child, Hepburn would create pencil drawings of her mother and scenes of her childhood. Due to her family’s regular moves across Europe, she learned six languages. Hepburn also loved to dance, and hoped as a young girl to someday become a prima ballerina, but this was an impossibility due to the malnourishment she suffered during the war. Hepburn’s shattered dreams of becoming a ballerina eventually guided her to become an actress, a job that would bring joy to the hearts and tears to the eyes of moviegoers everywhere. Her first notable role as Princess Ann in “Roman Holiday” would christen Hepburn as movie magic royalty for the remainder of her life. The film tells of a young princess who is exhausted with her structured schedule and royal duties, only to run away for a

day in Rome. She gets a short haircut, eats gelato, explores the Roman sites, rides around on a moped, and dances with strangers, all alongside a charming reporter played by Gregory Peck. Hepburn’s character in the film is in search of her identity apart from her inherited position in life — a message that is prevalent in her films. In “My Fair Lady,” Hepburn plays poor flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who learns from a phonetics professor how to properly speak and act like a lady. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” features Hepburn as a gold-digging and emotionally disrupted Holly Golightly, who is running away from her old life and constantly distancing herself from those who care about her in order to be what she believes is “free.” In “Two for the Road,” she plays Monica Mancini, a woman who relives her love story with her husband as they travel through Europe while preparing for a divorce. The films featuring Hepburn also include those based on classic books that have impacted culture over the years, like “War and Peace” and “Green Mansions.”

A common theme among Hepburn’s films is the act of running away from one’s present identity or circumstances. It gives a perspective that was prevalent among those who suffered through the tragedies of World War II and searched for identity after the world they once knew had been marred by the tragedies under Nazi Germany. Hepburn worked with some of the best in the business, whether it be Billy Wilder, who directed her film “Sabrina,” fashion designers, like her good friend, Hubert de Givenchy, and her leading men, like actors Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, and William Holden. Hepburn’s influence as an actress didn’t end with movies. She believed in giving a future like hers to other young people. As Hepburn’s movie-making career came to a close, she committed herself to humanitarian work with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) by traveling to foreign countries to help those in underprivileged communities. “Immediately after the war, an organization, which later became UNICEF, instantly came in with the Red Cross and brought relief for the people in the form of food, medication, and clothes,” she said, according to Ferrer’s biography. “All the local schools were turned into relief centers. I was one of the beneficiaries with the other children. I’ve known about UNICEF my whole life.” The story of Audrey Hepburn is the American story. Her films explore the lives of many who struggle with everyday troubles and want to escape to a new reality. She has forever left a mark on Hollywood and what it means to “do it all” with style, class, and grace. Audrey Hepburn deserves her own CCA film series at Hillsdale, because I don’t know who tells the American story in a more fantastic way. Isabella Redjai is a senior George Washington Fellow studying political economy.

City News

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A6 March 11, 2021

Sunrise at Hemlock Beach Park in Hillsdale County. | Facebook

Former state senator assists in parks commission project By | Austin Gergens Senior Reporter When an outside group proposed to create a plan to save the Hillsdale County Area Parks for $12,000, the Hillsdale County Parks Commission ask a favor. Bruce Caswell, former state representative and senator, offered to assist in the parks project for no cost whatsoever after he thought the cost was high, he said. “That was ridiculous for that amount of money, it wasn’t worth it and I would do it once I was no longer on the board of commissioners,” Caswell said.

After spending a decade in Michigan state politics, Caswell was active in local politics as a county commissioner from 2015 to 2020. When his term ended in 2020, Caswell began working on the parks recreation project. The Hillsdale County Parks Commission tasked Caswell with creating a five-year recreational plan for Hillsdale County’s five area parks: Lewis Emery, Hemlock Beach, Bird Lake, Kathe-Cali, and the Courthouse Lawn, to eventually be submitted to the Department of Natural Resources in a grant application

process. “The State of Michigan has available every year, typically between $25 to 30 million in grants,” Caswell said, “But to apply for these grants and get them, you have to have a five-year recreational plan.” According to Caswell, the county has not used such grants for park renovation since the late ‘90s when they constructed a community building Lewis Emery park. During this project, the county had to provide a 25% local match, but the Natural Resources Trust Fund provided roughly $175,000 for the building. The main method of

A pond at Lewis Emery Park in Hillsdale. | Facebook

providing local input for the proposal came from an extensive survey that Caswell and the Hillsdale County IT Director, Dave Holcomb, put together. “The survey was trying to get a handle of what people think of the parks and whether they feel they need further renovations of the parks,” Holcomb said. While there was no target number of participants, by the time the survey closed on Feb. 19, there were a total of 194 participants. By comparison, Branch County only had approximately 200 participants several years ago when conducting their own survey for a recreation plan said Caswell. In an article, Parks Commissioner Mike Parney claims that the recreational plan is necessary mostly to fund Lewis Emery Park and keep it open to the public. In the absence of county funds and income from the closed community center, the park is in danger of being shut down completely. Creating the recreational plan involved many other people besides Caswell, and

Bruce Caswell, former state senator, offered to assist in the parks project for no cost at all. | Facebook

he expressed his gratitude for Hillsdale County IT Director, David Holcomb; Equalization Department Staff Appraiser, Anita Myers; and Hillsdale Parks Commission Secretary, Marilyn Kilpatrick. The ideal timeline, Caswell said, would be to gain local approval by May and then ready the proposal for the

state to approve. Assuming the state approves it, then the city of Hillsdale would begin seeking grants immediately. “These people need to be congratulated,” Caswell said. “They’ve done a really good job and spent some time putting things together, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Hillsdale Municipal Airport has seen increased traffic since opening in 1963. Courtesy | Hillsdale Muncipal Airport

Hillsdale Municipal Airport plans construction for summer By | Aubrey Gulick Collegian Reporter Hillsdale Municipal Airport will begin construction on the second phase of a parallel taxiway in July. “These projects have been on the books for probably 15 years,” Ginger Moore, the airport’s manager, said. The construction of a taxiway running parallel to the existing east-west runway is a three-phase project

that will be funded through a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The aviation business in Hillsdale has increased over the years. On a day with good weather, Hillsdale’s airport can see anywhere between six and ten single-engine, private aircraft, and one or two jets using the facilities per day, Moore said. “When the airport was built in 1963, it was mostly just single-engine airplanes

with people who own their own little airplanes and flew for fun,” Moore said. “Over the years, business aviation has found that it’s a good way of travel, where you don’t have to worry about schedules and different things.” The airport has also begun to see more business from donors at Hillsdale College who are unwilling to fly into Detroit. The increase in business has meant that creating a mod-

ern airport is a necessity, Moore said. “It’s dangerous to be taxiing out on the runway if an airplane were to come in, and they’ve only got one runway,” Moore said. “The taxiways are just to keep the people that are on the ground off the active runway.” The first phase of the taxiway project was a partial taxiway constructed two years ago which runs from the terminal to the west end

High: 61 Low: 33

and moving the airport terminal to a concrete pad which was built two years ago. As of yet, the airport does not have a date to begin the third phase of the project. “Now you know I’m talking with the FAA asking, ‘Hey you have any more money because I would love to put a new terminal over there,” Moore said. “So we’ll keep our fingers crossed, but we don’t know when the next project will be after the

The airport sees between 6-10 single engine aircraft and 1-2 jets daily. Courtesy | Hillsdale Municipal Airport

Phase 2 of construction on the new taxiway will begin in July. Courtesy | Hillsdale Municipal Airport

Thursday

of the runway. Since the runway can be used in either direction, depending on the direction the wind is blowing, the airport is extending a second partial taxiway to the east end in the second phase of the project. “The way it is now, the plane’s gotta back taxi out to the east end,” Scott Curry, the airport’s line manager, said. The third phase will be connecting the two taxiways

Hillsdale Seven-Day Forecast: Don’t put your coat away just yet Friday

High: 53 Low: 23

Saturday

High: 45 Low: 28

Sunday

High: 47 Low: 26

Monday

Tuesday

High: 40 Low: 28

High: 45 Low: 28

Wednesday

High: 48 Low: 28

Information courtesy of the National Weather Service

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March 11, 2021 A7

Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office considers renovations By | Logan Washburn Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Office is considering repairs. According to the Hillsdale Daily News, part of the building is suffering from cracking, water damage, and exterior deterioration. Lt. Jason Stiverson, the Superintendent of the Hillsdale County Jail said a recent structural analysis identified

problems in the building. “We have some brick that looks like it’s about to fall off the front of the building,” Stiverson said. “So we had a company come in and do a structural analysis to figure out what’s causing the brick to fail. Obviously, there’s water getting behind there and causing some issues.” The Hillsdale County Sheriff commissioned the Foulke Construction Company to perform an analysis of the damage. The Sheriff ’s

Office was initially authorized to use a budget of up to $7,000 on the structural analysis. However, by the time Foulke Construction had finished, the analysis ended up only costing the city around $4,600. According to Stiverson, the problem area was confined to part of the brick facade on the southern portion of the building, just outside the offices of the Sheriff ’s Department. Lt. Stiverson elaborated on con-

struction plans for the Sheriff ’s office going forward. “So we had a company do a structural analysis and give us the reasons why, and now we currently have a company working on putting a bid together to give quotes to get it fixed,” Stiverson said. Commissioner Doug Ingles is the chair of the Hillsdale County Facilities Committee. Upon inquiry regarding potential bids from construction companies, he explained, “Bids

are still in process and have not been returned. We are hoping to hear soon.” Commissioner Brad Benzing provided more background as to the deliberation behind this project. “It is my understanding that we have not received a quote yet on the renovations of the façade at the sheriff ’s department,” Benzing said. “It is my understanding that the request was not sent out until January of this year although it was approved

in the previous term of the commission.” Restoration plans for this historic building may be unsure, but its significance to the town is not, according to Benzing. The current sheriff ’s office has stood for 67 years, providing security to the people of Hillsdale County. If all goes according to plan, this building will continue to stand.

fied. They just want to be loved and in a home where they can call forever.” Bauer said. The Society operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on providing shelter, care, and nutrition to abandoned and abused animals, in an attempt to relieve the suffering inflicted upon them. Most of the abandoned animals come from Hillsdale County. Bauer said they also take in the overflow of some shelters across the United States. “There is a Trello board that has shelters needing help. We heard about it through the Bissell Foundation. Other than our shelter helping the southern states, 99% of our animals come from Hillsdale County,” Bauer said. The shelter picks up stray cats but is only allowed to receive dogs specifically

brought in by their previous owners. Bauer said this is due to a contract Hillsdale County has with the Branch County Animal Control. “Unfortunately, there is a ten-year contract between the counties and it’s only been four years. So, they are bound to that contract for six more years.” Bauer said. The Humane Society is funded solely through donations and operates with the help of regular volunteers. When COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020, the shelter was forced to close down its volunteer applications, which also affected its renovation plans. “COVID-19 affected everyone, as for funding, we were fortunate enough to keep getting donations through all of this,” Bauer said. “We did have to close for volunteers,

but the director did make appointments for adoptions and surrenders if we had space. We returned to normal on Oct. 6, 2020, with a few restrictions.” The renovations were completed, but according to their website, they were unable to begin fundraising to pay for some of the more costly improvements. Sophomore Meera Baldwin recently volunteered at the shelter and she said was able to see the difference the new renovations made. “When you think ‘humane society’ you think dog pound, or at least I do,” Baldwin said. So, I was expecting a bunch of dogs in cages and it to be kind of grim, but they had it painted really nicely, it was like a very modern-looking building.” Bauer mentioned the shelter is now open and hoping to welcome new volunteers to help socialize the animals better. “It helps the animals to trust people and find a home that fits them,” Bauer said. Baldwin added that all the A volunteer embraces a dog at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society. | Facebook dogs were friendly and the puppies she played with were very sweet. day, they are given playtime contributing to daily needs for “It’s just nice to be around in the play yard or volunteers both the animals and the regnew animal life,” Baldwin said. come and walk them,” Bauer ular employees at the shelter. Bauer went on to describe said. “Cats are put into the cat Such needs include dog and the everyday process of playroom while their cages are cat food, cat litter, chairs for working in the shelter, where being cleaned. Once they are volunteers, and laundry soap. the dogs are first given their cleaned, they are put back so “Our most pressing needs medications and then fed. they can eat and usually they besides volunteers are daily “After feeding, they are let supplies which can be found outside while their kennels are nap afterward.” In addition to volunteeron our website,” Bauer said. being cleaned. Throughout the ing, Bauer also recommended

Hillsdale Humane Society seeks volunteers, supplies By | Meg Patrick Collegian Freelancer In light of renovations and the decline of COVID-19, the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society is now more accessible to both animals and volunteers. Located at 3881 S. Tripp Road in Osseo, Michigan, the humane society serves the community by sheltering abandoned cats and abused dogs. According to its website, the shelter was founded in 1974. It is dedicated to the welfare and protection of animals. Julia Bauer, president of the humane society, spoke about how the dogs and cats taken in by the shelter often are brought through no fault of their own. “When you see an animal that has been part of a family for a few years and they bring it to us, the animals are terri-

The Greater Hillsdale Humane Society is located in Osseo. | Facebook

Emergency Management Department constructs new facility for PPE storage By | Josi Cuddeback Collegian Freelancer

Hillsdale County Emergency Management Department plans to commence construction of a new facility this spring. Led by Doug Sanford, the new facility will create storage for personal protective equipment, which there was dire need for in the height of the pandemic, according to Sanford. “We quickly realized we didn’t have any place to store anything, so we made due, but we also made note that, if we could do so, we needed to build a storage facility,” Sanford said. According to Sanford, the

COVID-19 pandemic generated a significant demand for personal protective equipment for first responders and civilians alike. What local governments all over America quickly realized was that a large amount of space was required to house the equipment. Hillsdale was one of the many counties to find themselves lacking storage, and so is now taking steps to increase storage space by building a 30 x 40 foot pole barn to house emergency equipment. Over $35,000 has been dedicated to this task, and the county has contracted with Poole Construction of Osseo to build the facility,

says Sanford, and he anticipates breaking ground by spring, weather permitting. This facility will be used to house PPE and other emergency equipment and keep it on hand in case of another emergency of this scale arising, Sanford said. Being wholly unprepared for the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis, Hillsdale County was forced to keep emergency supplies in a small structure behind the sheriff ’s office. Although the primary motivation to build this facility was to house pandemic-related supplies, it will be used to benefit the county in other areas as well.

Hospital allows grandparents to visit newborns By | Virgina Aabram Assistant Editor Hillsdale Hospital is now allowing two healthy grandparents to visit laboring mothers and newborn babies as of Feb. 25. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitors to the birthing center were restricted to one adult support person throughout the duration of the laboring mother’s stay for most of 2020, according to a press release. As the number of coronavirus cases has dropped and remained low through the beginning of 2021, the hospital decided it could now allow “extra visitation without creating any significant risk for our patients or

our caregivers,” according to Rachel Lott, director of marketing and development. Lott said the visiting restrictions were relaxed last June when cases decreased, but stricter guidelines were reinstituted in November when cases increased again. “There was a point in the pandemic where we did open up again to allow two healthy grandparents along with the designated support person for the laboring mother,” Lott said. “Then we went back to only allowing the support person when the numbers got really high in the fall, but we’ve seen those numbers drop again significantly.” She said the decision to limit visitors was never an

easy balancing act for hospital administrators. “We know the importance of folks having their family members with them for their health care, and particularly in the birthing center because it’s such a major milestone in someone’s life to bring a new child into the world,” Lott said. “Now that we believe that we can do that safely. We always have to balance the safety and the risks related to visitation with the importance of that for the patient and their family, so we’ve had to make some difficult decisions over the course of the pandemic related to that, but we are thrilled that we are able to do this again and to open that back up.”

they were located across the street from their current location as Jonesville Dairy Treat. “Every other little town has an ice cream place with a name like that. We were moving to the other side of the street, and our venue was pretty much cow-themed. One day, I just jokingly said, we’re moving to the udder side,” owner Julia Bauer said. They are open eight months a year, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12

to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Sitting in the drive thru, guests see a collection of signs along the walls and fence. Kast has been collecting signs for 15 years, finding some on her travels, while others were made in town. They have 32 ice cream flavors, each age group having a different favorite. The ice cream is a mixture of Ashby’s and Handmade. “If you’re an older person, you’re going to say, ‘butter

pecan’ or ‘black cherry,’” Bauer said. “If you’re my age, you like all the flavors but my favorite is carrot cake,” Bauer said. “Kids love superman and one of our newest ones, unicorn. Probably our most popular overall right now is Michigan pothole. Chocolate peanut butter is very popular and since we’ve reopened lemon cheesecake has been huge.”

Udder Side, Coneys and Swirls reopen for the season By | Elizabeth Troutman Collegian Freelancer

chili, mustard, and onions. They have six flavors in addition to “Flavor Bursts,” vanilla Coneys and Swirls in Hillsice cream swirled with another dale and The Udder Side in flavor. Jonesville reopened for the Coneys and Swirls offers season on March 1. outdoor dining and takeout. Julie and Julian Kast have “Business actually really owned Coneys and Swirls picked up in the summer,” for 13 years, but it has been owner Julie Kast said. “A lot of in business since the 1950s people came here because a lot as a Dairy Queen. It became of the other restaurants were Coneys and Swirls in the ’80s. closed.” Their most popular item is the Longtime Hillsdale resi“Coney’s Dog,” a corn dog with dents have fond memories of

the restaurant’s many years of business. “People talk all the time about how they would go visit somebody at the jail when it was downtown and their parents would give them a nickel to come down here and get ice cream,” Kast said. “A lot of the older people recall coming here getting ice cream as a kid, their parents sending them with a nickel.” The Udder Side has been open for 32 years. For 14 years,

The Udder Side in Jonesville has reopened for the season. | Facebook

Coneys and Swirls in Hillsdale opened for the season on March 1. Facebook

A8 March 11, 2021

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Science & Tech

Hillsdale’s sociology department takes a humanistic approach to the discipline, according to Director of Sociology and Social Thought Peter Blum. Pixabay

Sociology department tailors program to students Senior Cal Abbo is the only sociology major who will be walking at spring commencement By | Allison Schuster Associate Editor One of the smallest majors in both course offerings and student enrollment will only be listed on one diploma at this spring’s commencement: sociology. Senior Cal Abbo, the only senior in the sociology major graduating this semester, entered the program late. Beginning with the intention of studying politics, Abbo first declared a psychology major before choosing to add sociology as an additional area of study. Abbo said he finds his knowledge of sociology interesting and relevant in his everyday life. “It’s basically studying human social interaction at different levels of abstraction. For example, you can have individual interactions like us, then you can study the family, then you can study neighborhoods, schools, then you can study Haitians and other people groups,” Abbo said. “So you can kind of traverse the ladder of abstraction up and down to literally this conversation. Researchers will analyze conversations like this one.” Due to his understanding of sociology, Abbo said he’s capable of more fully grasping what’s going on around him, including his Hillsdale College experience. One can’t understand the college as a whole by solely understanding

the people or the things that are involved in it, Abbo asserts. One must study how the people and things manifest on a different social level, in what is considered to be society. “It penetrates that level of life that we weren’t able to fully understand before without studying society as a real thing itself, and a real thing that people interact with. I’m actually interacting with groups, societies, organizations, and institutions, right,” Abbo said. “That’s why it adds another dimension to the liberal arts that we really needed to have by analyzing social life.” Senior Emma Alberts, who will be graduating next fall, also entered the major after toying with other options. Alberts originally came to Hillsdale to study politics, but after taking the core sociology course she completely changed direction. “I realized that the so-

ciology reading was the only reading I looked forward to doing,” she said. “I was excited to talk about it in class. Even if I didn’t fully understand it I really wanted to discuss it.” Class style is in part what attracts some students to sociology. The major is uniquely situated to be adapted to what

Blum said. Blum commonly offers courses that are relevant to what sociology students are interested in. For example, this fall Blum offered a course on the social behavior during pandemics and other catastrophes. “Blum ties courses to political events I see in everyday

political figures were students of sociology, such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Ronald Reagan. When combined with another area of study such as psychology, philosophy, or economics, Alberts said sociology provides insightful experience into world events. Described by Alberts as a combination of psycholSenior Cal Abbo is the only sociology major in the Class of 2021. ogy and Cal Abbo | Collegian philosophy, the study of sociology runs the gamut of different types of students who may be interested because of the vast amount of social classes offered on family and kinship, popular culture, and personal relationships. Often courses are dual-listed with psychology classes. According to Alberts, the more “cerebral” courses that focus on the emerstudents want, Professor of life,” Alberts said. “So sociolgence of sociological thought Philosophy and Culture, as ogy seems more relevant than are very philosophical. well as Director of Sociology politics to me.” Sociology students regularand Social Thought Peter Alberts said many famous ly take courses with a total of

three to five students, which Blum said makes it possible to tailor course material to students’ needs and interests. And just as the field of sociology is largely considered unique to the college, the sociology major is distinguishable from other programs across the country in its style. According to Blum, sociology classes at Hillsdale take a humanistic approach, or an approach that is well suited as part of the humanities. “I’m not the kind of sociologist who wants to wear a white lab coat and tell everybody that I’m a sciencist. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on in sociology that is scientific, but not everything is,” he said. “Some classes that I teach in philosophy are relevant, and there are a couple of our classes listed under religion, but their perspective is sociological.” Blum said the sociology program aims to familiarize students with the scientific mainstream as part of sociology, but leans more in the “interpretive or meaning-based direction.” “Understanding interaction and social structure may be a specialized science, but it’s important to emphasize the connections with the other liberal arts disciplines.”

culture. “The use of animals as a technology in food production is, by a huge margin, the most destructive technology on earth in the history of our species,” Brown told CBNC in an interview in August 2020. My time had come to experience the grandeur of the meatless, meat-like wanna-be hamburger. Burger King is two minutes from campus down West Carleton Road. “One Impossible Burger, and one Whopper please.” Five minutes later I was home, and once my friend had taken both burgers out of the wrappers and laid them out nicely on a plate, he served both to me. I was sitting at the head of the dining table, the place for a food critic at her finest. I took one bite of the left burger. We’ll call it Frodo. Juicy, tender, and slightly moist. There was a thickness to it, too. The texture looked off—the burger almost looked too moist and undercooked. It certainly wasn’t the typical compact burger you see. It was tasty, but it was the pickles and ketchup that did it for me, not the patty itself. The meat simply seemed like a side, but there was nothing particularly special about the burger. It was the second burg-

er’s turn. We’ll call it Roger. Roger was thinner—the runt of the slim burger pickings of the day. Not as juicy, but there was still a moistness to him. I couldn’t chew too long without swallowing. And it certainly wasn’t the type of savory bite that normally accompanies the typical burger. It tasted like a regular, cheap hamburger. Maybe they gave me two normal hamburgers, I began to think. But at least it looked like the real deal, and channeling the more generous food critic in me, I said a quick, “Not bad.” Then I made an executive decision: “This is the actual hamburger.” “Wrong.” My eyes widened. “They tricked you,” he repeated. “That’s the Impossible Burger.” But after researching the facts—as any good journalist should—it all made sense. Whatever is inherently different about both burgers is concealed through the textural replication of the burger. But how is the texture replicated? According to leading scientists in the field, it’s an ingredient called heme. It was this secret ingredient that Impossible Foods first discovered as what makes meat taste the way that it does. Heme, a molecule contain-

I’ll let him be impressed. But for those meat-lovers who truly appreciate the incommensurable qualities— and beauty—of the hamburger, don’t put too much stock in fermented, plant-based heme that you could have traded for the real deal. But who am I to be the judge? Go to Burger King yourself. And with the limited things to do in Hillsdale, it’s hardly impossible (let’s hope you just laughed) to do. I dare you.

The classic burger is ‘Impossible’ to replicate By | Sofia Krusmark Culture Editor I was tricked. And for the carnivore that I am, I was slightly disappointed in myself. Whether I’m eating rice or beans or cheese or bagels or just about any other random food, there’s always a piece of meat. Pork. Chicken. Carne Asada. Chorizo. Hamburger. The list could go on—I’ve once had a squirrel quesadilla. I thought I was ready for the Impossible Burger. It’s been around for a while, I know. I’d be foolish to act like I’m hopping onto a new trend, when in reality, I’m 10 steps behind my hippie friends who tried the burger back in 2019, when Burger King first launched the “Impossible Whopper.” But I figured it was finally time for me to catch up. It wasn’t Burger King who started it though. According to the New York Times, the company Impossible Foods, has been rolling out these plant-based vegetarian patties for other fast-food restaurants, including Carl’s Jr. since January 2019 and White Castle since late 2018. Impossible Foods, founded in 2011 by Pat Brown, professor emeritus of biochemistry at Stanford University, was created for the purpose of decreasing a dependence on animal agri-

ing both iron and protein, is in practically all living things. The heme in one’s blood grabs oxygen from your lungs, and carries it throughout the entire body. Ironically enough, it’s heme’s “bloody” flavor that accounts for the savory taste and distinct red color of meat. So began the task to extract soy “leghemoglobin” from soyplants, which is responsible for carrying heme throughout the plant. While Impossible Foods first began extracting heme from the root nodules of soybean plants, they created a different tactic:

extracting DNA from the plants and inserting it into a genetically engineered yeast. Once the yeast is fermented, more heme can be produced. If the key ingredient that makes meat taste like meat can be recreated, then it’s no wonder this plant-based burger is not as impossible as people think—and maybe just as tasty. Here’s my take: Some may think it’s cool that both burgers taste the exact same. My friend was bewildered and impressed. He experienced the “wow” factor firsthand.

Impossible Foods created a faux burger patty from plant proteins. Flickr

Sports

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Baseball

March 11, 2021 A9

UIS sweeps Hillsdale before conference opener By | Calli Townsend Sports Editor

The Hillsdale College baseball team dropped a fourgame series against the University of Illinois Springfield over the weekend. The team now sits with a 4-4 record against non-conference opponents, but is looking to change that next weekend with its first G-MAC game against Ohio Dominican University. “We just struggled to get ahead of the count over the weekend and their hitters did a good job of making us pay for that,” head coach Eric Theisen said. “It was a bit of a complicated weekend, but it was also kinda straightforward to be honest. We just didn’t play as well.” After opening the season with a sweep over Maryville, the Chargers had high expectations going into their games against UIS, but between injuries and the talent UIS brings to the Midwest Region, Hillsdale had a lot to overcome. “We played really, really well against Maryville, and we

played pretty poorly against Springfield. I think our true nature lies somewhere in the middle,” Theisen said. “They’re a good team. They’re one of the top teams in the region and they’re in the GLVC so they’re a Midwest Region foe of ours.” Friday, March 5 (Game 1): UIS, 11, Hillsdale, 2 Back-to-back singles by sophomore third baseman Cody Kanclerz and freshman DH Joe Hardenbergh, followed by a throwing error, put them on second and third when freshman first baseman Steven Strachan came up to bat in the top of the fourth. He hit a double for two RBI. This evened the score to 2-2, but the Prairie Stars answered with five runs in their next at-bat. From there, UIS continued to chip away a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, and two more in the seventh. “I think they were probably the best team in the region, and probably the best team we’re going to see until the regional,” senior left fielder Rob

Zurawski said. “Obviously we didn’t come out and perform up to our standards, but it was difficult to hold that standard against a team like that.” Saturday, March 6 (Game 2): UIS, 13, Hillsdale, 0 Hillsdale’s lineup struggled to get going the next day with three batters up and three batters down for the first four innings. Freshman right fielder Lewis Beals finally singled and stole second in the top of the fifth. Strachan singled, moving Beals into scoring position, but the UIS pitcher recovered quickly striking out the next three Chargers. Saturday, March 6 (Game 3): UIS, 13, Hillsdale, 4 The Chargers seemed to come alive by the fifth inning with five hits to score three runs, narrowing the score to 4-10. Freshman first baseman Jeff Landis singled before freshman shortstop Aiden Brewer homered for 2 RBI. Then freshman catcher Jaekob Sallee and sophomore third baseman Cody Kanclerz hit a pair singles to put runners on

first and third when Zurawski came up to bat. He singled to left center to score Sallee. “The consistency is what makes good players great. It's been good to see it out of Brewer the last two weekends, and Landis as well,” Theisen said. “Both those guys have been doing a great job for our first two weeks. I think they’re very locked into the process. That’s one of the things that makes most of our guys what they are is that they’re not too shaken up by failure.” The Prairie Stars came back with another run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to end the seven-inning game with 13 runs total. Sunday, March 7 (Game 4): UIS, 11, Hillsdale, 4 Both teams were at a standstill until the fourth when Beals singled and Brewer hit his second home run of the weekend for two RBI. Landis hit a double on the next atbat, followed by another double by Hardenber who scored Landis. The Chargers had their first lead of the weekend

heading into the bottom of the fourth. The UIS lineup came back to score five runs against junior pitcher Sawyer Allen, and then six more in the fifth inning. Landis was the last to score from either team with a single-run homer in the top of the sixth. “Allen threw well on Sunday for a few innings, and then ran into some tough waters. But prior to that he was going really strong,” Zurawski said. “Nick Stepke had a good game on Sunday too. He got an opportunity to play with some guys hurt and he had four really well hit balls. He had zero runs unfortunately, but he had a really good game.” Up Next: According to Theisen, Stepke’s opportunity seems to be one of many available to his players as his team’s depth is challenged by injury. “We’ve got like seven or eight guys hurt right now. We’ve got guys playing hurt and guys who can’t play because they’re hurt,” Theisen

said. “That’s where depth comes into play and where some other guys come in and get some opportunities.” One of those players making the most of his opportunity is Sallee. “We’ve got two catchers out which is never a position you want to be light in. Notably, Sallee has done a very good job,” Theisen said. “We’re asking a lot of him to catch that many innings. Our catchers normally wouldn’t catch all three or four games in a weekend, and he’ll have to do it again this weekend.” The Chargers will have their home opener with a four-game series against Ohio Dominican University starting Friday, March 12 at 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will begin at 11 a.m., and Sunday’s double header will start at noon. “We’re excited to get going. We’ve been fired up for G-MAC play for a while,” Theisen said. “Last year we were getting ready to open up conference play when things got shut down. It’ll be fun to open up with ODU.”

Men's Tennis

Men's Tennis beats SIU 6-1 By | Luke Morey Collegian Reporter

Junior Karoline Shelton serves in a game versus Lake Erie earlier this season. Anthony Lupi | Collegian

The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team bounced back from its first loss of the season, beating Southern Indiana University at 6-1 on March 7 in the Biermann Center. The Chargers got off to a strong start, with both their No. 1 and No. 2 doubles winning 6-1 and 6-4, securing the doubles point. While head coach Keith Turner mentioned considering changing his doubles teams, he stuck to the original lineups, with sophomore Tyler Conrad and freshman Sean Barstow at No. 1, freshman Brennan Cimpeanu and senior Gabe Katz at No. 2, and junior Brian Hackman and freshman Daniel Gilbert at No. 3 doubles. In singles, three out of the six matches went to three sets with the Chargers winning two of them. “Every time we compete against a more difficult team, we seem to be getting stronger ourselves as a team,” said Cimpeanu. “We are getting better

at reading each other and connecting on the court.” Conrad and Cimpeanu dominated, winning 6-1, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-0, respectively. Hackman won a marathon match 6-5, 5-7, 11-9. “I just had to do my best to keep focused and have a plan for every point,” said Hackman. Turner said the freshmen haven’t changed much, and they’ve all been playing well. “Cimpeanu continues to play at a very high level every match,” said Turner. “Barstow was probably going through some confidence issues as he's had to play high in the singles lineup and No. 1 doubles and with our tough early schedule he was playing strong players every match, I thought he looked much better in singles and doubles yesterday.” Barstow won 6-2, 6-1, while Gilbert lost a long match 1-6, 7-5, 10-5. Katz won 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 to bring the Chargers the win. “Gilbert continues to play great singles but probably needs to continue to gain some experience in doubles,” said Turner.

Hackman said he has been impressed by the freshmen’s discipline and hard work in practice. “They have quickly become really strong doubles players, which is hard because before college tennis almost every tournament is singles only,” said Hackman. Cimpeanu said his team and coach have helped him improve his doubles play. “For sure something I wasn’t expecting is how much my doubles game has improved,” said Cimpeanu. “In my time playing doubles before college, I was the person who would always stay back and expect my partner to control the net.” Before playing their next five games on the road, the Chargers play Michigan Tech on Saturday at noon at home. “I don’t consider most of the teams we play to have much of a home court advantage,” said Turner. “We do need to get some extra off days that we'll get in the upcoming couple weeks. We're a little beat up so hopefully after break the guys that are playing will be close to 100%.”

Swimming

Volleyball

Chargers head to the semifinal One last win before conference By | Hannah Cote Assistant Editor For the fourth year in a row, the Chargers have come out as champions of the G-MAC regular season, and are now ranked as the topseed of the playoffs. Before earning the title, the team hit the road to compete against Cedarville University and Ohio Valley University, and both teams put up a good fight against the No. 5 ranked Chargers. After a tough loss against Gannon, the Chargers were eager to take back a victory. They pulled through against Cedarville in a 3-1 win on March 5. The next day, they swept Ohio Valley in three sets to receive the G-MAC title. “After the Gannon match I think everyone took some time to do a bit of reflecting on themselves as a player and on the team as a whole,” senior and middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen said. “Last week in practice we all worked hard on taking those things and really putting them into practice.” After winning the regular season title, the team was eager to get back to work and focus on the upcoming G-MAC tournament. “We allowed ourselves to be excited about it the day we won but we knew once we got to Monday we still had work to do in order to win the postseason tournament, instead of just the regular season conference title,” junior and outside hitter Karoline Shelton said. Head coach Chris Gravel

also said that the team would need to invest hard work as the playoffs begin. “The real work comes when it’s in playoff time and every match is super hard because it’s the playoffs,” Gravel said. “Everyone’s just playing for their lives. It doesn’t matter what seed you are. All the other teams just want to give up a good fight.” Ever since winning the G-MAC regular season title, the Chargers were named as the top-seed in the playoffs and will be hosting all of the tournament matches, including yesterday’s quarterfinal match against Ursuline College. “Post-season is such a fun time since all the teams that you are playing at this point have earned their spot in the tournament,” Shelton said. “The level of play is normally higher since everyone is trying to bring energy to try to keep their team advancing.” The team fought hard against Ursuline, and once again swept their opponent in three sets, this time in 25-18, 25-22, and 25-20 “Ursuline came and put up a fight,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “They’re one of two teams that I feel very much improved this year. And they made us earn our points for the most part. It was a good match.” Senior setter Lindsey Mertz suffered a wrist injury a few weeks ago, but was able to play in the back row of the quarterfinals. “I think everyone including me was very excited for the quarterfinal,” Mertz said.

“Some nerves do kick in especially being in a tournament that is single elimination. It was nice to win but now we have to focus on Cedarville.” Though the team has been regular season champions the past three years, Mertz echoed the sentiment that the team must still work hard in practice each day. “There are some great teams in our conference this year so to be champions this year was very exciting,” Mertz said. “We celebrated some after the game but it didn’t last long since we have the G-MAC tournament already starting with some tough games this weekend.” Hillsdale hasn’t lost a conference match since joining the G-MAC in 2017, and if the Chargers advance to the finals, they could win their fourth straight G-MAC championship. “Going into this weekend we all have a sense of excitement,” Shelton said. “We’re all so grateful that we have the opportunity to host another conference tournament. There might be some nerves but I think that all goes away once we step onto the court.” Next up, the team will compete against Cedarville University on Friday, March 12, at 5 p.m. If the Chargers win, they will advance to the finals on Saturday, March 13. “We’re hoping that hard work pays off, “Gravel said. “We want to put it to good use, come together as a group, and be selfless in our approach. I think we’ll be okay.”

By | Merrit Pope Collegian Freelancer Last weekend, the Hillsdale College swimming team traveled to Greencastle, Indiana, to compete in the final meet before the G-MAC championship. The Chargers beat both DePauw and Butler Universities in the two-day invitational. Freshman Caroline Holmes won the 200 IM in 2:10.09, and split a lifetime best time in the B-relay of the 200 freestyle in 24.83 seconds. She won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:54.21, the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:04.67, and the 100 backstroke in 58.38 seconds. Holmes set pool records with her 200 freestyle swim, her 200 backstroke swim (which was a lifetime best time), and her 100 backstroke swim. Holmes went on to win G-MAC Swimmer of the Week for her impressive performance. She said she was excited about her performance last weekend as well as the performance of the team as a whole. “It's nice to know that all the hard work, soreness, and exhaustion are paying off,” Holmes said. “We did really well as a team. We won and most people, if not everyone, got season best times which is really important leading into G-MAC’s.” The Chargers achieved 1-2-3 finishes in both the 500 freestyle and the 200 backstroke. All three swimmers in the 500 freestyle finished within a second of each other,

with sophomore Leah Tunney finishing first in 5:14.52, followed by sophomore Madison Pyhel (5:14.89), and sophomore Sarah Clark (5:15.50). Holmes finished first in the 200 backstroke, with senior Katherine Heeres placing second in 2:07.01, and Tunney placing third in 2:08.50. Sophomore Sarah Clark placed first in the 1000 with a lifetime best of 10:42.81. Pyhel placed second and also set a season-best time in 10:43.40. Tunney placed fourth with a time of 10:58.64. Freshman Cecilia Guadalupi placed first in the 200 backstroke in 2:27.97 and junior Madeline Breay placed second in 2:30.21, improving by more than seven seconds and setting a season-best time. The Chargers excelled in the relays with the 400 freestyle A-relay of sophomore Marie Taylor, Tunney, Heeres, and Holmes placing first with a time of 3:34.60. The 200 Medley A-relay of junior Taylor Boyle, Heeres, Taylor and senior Emma Rao finished a close second in 1:48.73. The 400 Medley A-Relay of Boyle, Heeres, Tunney, and Pyhel finished second in 3:59.90, and the 200 freestyle A-Relay of Taylor, Tunney, Rao and Guadalupi placed second in 1:38.32. Taylor said results of this meet will improve the seed times of the G-MAC championships. “It put our seed times for the conference meet a lot higher than they were before. We got to see a sneak peek for what's gonna happen in the next few weeks,” Taylor said.

“This is definitely an individual-heavy sport but the team aspect is still super important.” Head coach Kurt Kirner was proud of his team’s hard work and compared the meet to a “dress rehearsal” before the G-MAC championships. “In three weeks we’re going to be at the conference championship and you just need an experience like this to get ready,” said Kirner. “It’s like a dress rehearsal. They got a chance to go to a 10-lane pool, first day two other teams, second day only DePauw. Because of that, we were able to build time between every event.” Looking to the G-MAC championship at the end of the month, Kirner emphasized the importance of the team’s health. “They need to get enough rest,” Kirner said. “The most important thing is for them to stay healthy. They can’t afford to get sick.” The Chargers will not be competing in any meets until March 30, when they head to Canton, Ohio, to compete in the four-day long G-MAC/ MEC Championships. The Chargers will be entering the meet with an undefeated record and looking to defend their title as the reigning team champions. “Right now, our minds are just focused on G-MACs,” said Holmes. “One more push of training then we hit taper, back down on yardage, and focus more on race plans, pace, and getting fast.”

Charger

A10 March 11, 2021

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Men's Basketball

Sophomore Patrick Cartier drives to the basket in the Chargers' quarterfinal game versus Trevecca Nazarene last week. Cartier received the G-MAC Player of the Year Award for the 2020-2021 season. Anthony Lupi | Collegian

Chargers selected as No. 1 Atlantic Region seed for NCAA Tournament night with the idea that we By | Christian Peck-Dimit were all together as our famCollegian Reporter ily.,” Tharp said. “To see our name come up as the one seed was cool. I’m proud of these The NCAA announced guys and the work they’ve Sunday that the Hillsdale done.” College Chargers will be the Sophomore forward Tavon No. 1 seed in the Atlantic ReBrown said that getting togion for the Division II Men’s gether was a great experience Basketball Championship for the team. tournament. This marks the “It was nice to be together first time Hillsdale has been and get our minds off of the selected as No.1 in program loss,” Brown said. “It was good history. to be around each other and This year’s DII tournaeat dinner together.” ment field has been reduced The loss Brown mentioned from 64 to 48 teams due to came two days before SunCOVID-19. The bracket is day’s selection show. The split up into eight regions Chargers’ comeback attempt made up of six teams each. fell just short as they suffered As the No. 1 seed in its region, Hillsdale earned a bye to their first loss since Jan. 2, the round of 32, and will await falling to the Malone University Pioneers in the semifinals the winner of Mercyhurst of the G-MAC tournament, University and Fairmont St. 64-74. University on Sunday March “It was obviously tough, 14, with a trip to the Sweet 16 but that happens, not evhanging in the balance. ery game’s gonna go well,” The team gathered at head sophomore forward Patrick coach John Tharp’s house on Cartier said. “I can’t really Sunday night to watch the point to one particular thing selection show. that we did wrong on Friday, I “I took their cell phones think it was a combination of away at 9:15 p.m. on Sunday a lot of different things. They

punched us in the mouth. They were hitting a lot of shots and we weren’t.” The Chargers trailed for much of the game, a unique situation for them this season. The lead was as large as 14 points in the second half, and sat at nine points with just under five minutes left to play. That’s when Hillsdale really turned it on. Huge threes by senior guard Connor Hill and sophomore guard Cole Nau, and back-to-back buckets by Cartier, cut the lead to just one point as the clock dropped below two minutes to play. The Chargers, however, would not score for the remainder of the game, giving up a 9-0 run to end the game. “We knew how talented they were, they’re very talented and they’ve been hot,” Tharp said. “They had a variety of guys that hurt us at different times throughout the game, and we self-inflicted some of those things on ourselves. We cut it to one with a couple minutes left, but I didn’t think our composure was good. I don’t think we handled ourselves quite the

right way.” Malone has now won 15 of its last 16 games, and is currently on a 10-game win streak. The team went on to beat Cedarville University in the G-MAC championship, earning an automatic bid to the national tournament. “You’ve got to give Malone a lot of credit, they’ve really picked it up in the second half of the season,” Cartier said. “They’re gelling really good at the right time right now, obviously they went on to win the whole thing.” Tharp said he sees the game as a possible learning opportunity as the team looks ahead to March 14’s game. “We met Sunday afternoon to talk for a few minutes and to watch some film,” Tharp said. “They needed to see the bad of us, which is what we were on Friday, and we’re going to figure out if we’re going to get better because of it or not, I hope we get better because of it.” Before the team made history with its tournament selection and was upset by Malone, it made even

more history as the G-MAC regular season awards were announced. Both Cartier and senior forward Austen Yarian made the All-Conference First Team. The fifth-year senior backcourt of Hill and Davis Larson both made All-Conference Second Team, and Brown was selected to the All-Defensive Team. To top it all off, Cartier won G-MAC Player of the Year, and Tharp won G-MAC Coach of the Year. “I think it was awesome just to see all of our guys get All-Conference awards,” Cartier said. “It was really cool and an awesome day for us. It’s just really a testament to all the work our whole team has put into this. I think everyone has done a great job filling their role and the coaches, week in and week out, have gotten us really prepared for our opponents, which has translated to a lot of Ws.” The Coach of the Year award is Tharp’s second in a row, and he is the only coach in program history to win two conference COTY awards

during his tenure at Hillsdale. “I don’t flinch with that stuff to be honest with you,” Tharp said. “That type of award is something that’s really a team award, it’s a representation of what the whole team has done the entire year, since October. The players and assistant coaches make that award happen, I believe that.” The team is in a unique situation in NCAA history. Unlike most years, with the reduced field, Hillsdale will have a bye for the first round, and won’t know its opponent until the night before the game. “We’ve got to take care of figuring us out,” Tharp said. “It gives us time to get back to the basics and know where we’re at, that’s what our focus will be, it has to be about us and what we’re doing. We’ve already started to kind of look at these teams and figuring out the interesting things that they do, we’ve just got to get mentally tougher and physically tougher and focus on the things that we’ve got to get cleaned up.”

Track and Field

Six Chargers travel to Alabama for nationals By | Meghan Schultz Collegian Reporter

To end their indoor season, six qualifying Hillsdale track and field athletes will compete in the NCAA Division II National Championship on March 11-13 in Birmingham, Alabama. Senior Kajsa Johnasson will race in the 60 and 200 meter dashes before joining her teammates junior Alanna O’Leary, freshman Shura Ermakov, and sophomore Dakota Stamm in the 4x400m relay. “I’m really confident going into nationals,” Johannson said. “I’m in a good place in terms of all the rankings.” Johannson ran 7.58 seconds in the 60 meter dash at the Hillsdale Tune-Up meet and 24.16 seconds in the 200 meter dash at the G-MAC Conference Championship, earning her the trip to the national meet. “This is the biggest group I’ve experienced going to nationals with here at Hillsdale, which is really fun,” Johansson said. “The goal is to get more people there, so I’m excited.” The track and field team brought her solid community at Hillsdale as a freshman, Johansson said.

“Getting to grow with those people has been cool,” Johnasson said. “Seeing all the younger kids come in every year has been really fun as well.” Junior Ben Raffin will compete in the pole vault at Nationals after qualifying with a mark of 5.01 meters at the G-MAC championship. “I feel excited. I’m not going to change anything in my preparation, really,” Raffin said. “It’s going to be interesting because of COVID and all that, so I’m probably going to get tested a lot. But other than that, I’m feeling good, and I’m healthy, and I’m ready to compete.” Raffin has been competing in the pole vault since his freshman year of high school and said it’s been his best event so far. He became more competitive in the event during his junior and senior years of high school and was a 16-foot jumper his freshman year. “My growth has been exponential so far,” Raffin said. “I don’t plan on changing anything, just getting faster and stronger, but also I have a good team culture there at Hillsdale. I have a good path to grow.” Competing in the shot put,

junior Nikita Maines qualified for nationals when she threw a mark of 14.77 meters at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic. “I’m just trying to go in very open minded and just really give it my all,” Maines said. “I haven’t ever competed in a situation like this so I’m just going to go out there, have fun and throw my heart out, and we’ll see where I end up.” Competing since her freshman year at Hillsdale, Maines made indoor nationals her sophomore year but couldn’t compete due to COVID-19-related cancellations. “I just feel really grateful,” Maines said. “I think a lot of people don’t really see how our school is different from other schools, or our division, because some schools can’t compete, and they don’t have nationals. So more than anything, I’m just grateful that I actually can do something that I love.” The meet will begin on Friday, March 12 with Johansson, Depies, and Maines competing in their respective events. Raffin and the women’s 4x400m relay will compete on Saturday, and if Johansson makes finals in her events, she will race Saturday as well.

Junior Nikita Maines prepares throws shot put earlier this season. Maines is among six Chargers travelling to Birmingham, Alabama, to participate in the NCAA Division II National Championships. Courtesy | Gwendolyn Buchhop

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

March 11, 2020

The women of Olds Residence performing their Mock Rock dance at Spring Spirit Week on March 6. Andrew Dixon | Collegian

Anatomy of a Mock Rock routine: Behind the winning choreographies By | Michael Bachmann Collegian Freelancer For the audience, Mock Rock is a treat. It’s an hour of high adrenaline flips, tumbles, and aerials all provided free of charge. But what does it take behind the scenes to choreograph such daring stunts? What makes a winning Mock Rock routine? Step one: plan in advance. Far in advance. “If we go from the start date from when I was first putting things together, it was immediately after homecoming of fall 2019,” said senior Caleb Lambrecht, who choreographed Simpson’s winning Mock Rock routine this year. “I got a lot of inspiration from different videos from professional dance routines and from random videos of popular high school dance routines online.” Whitley resident assistant sophomore Carter Floering also began choreographing WhitWatWay’s second place dance months in advance of the competition, completing the routine’s basic outline in his dorm. His main inspirations: past Mock Rocks and “too much k-pop”. “I’m also a big fan of ‘America’s Got Talent’ and of

all of their light acts“which is combining taekwondo and ahead of time according to why we had the clicking lights dance movements and took Lambrecht, it’s almost imon our hands for the futuristic what I thought would be easi- possible to figure out where theme,” Floering said. est to teach in a short amount those dances will go without Not all teams had the luxu- of time,” Kintz said. figuring out what the mix will ry of prolonged preparation. Once all the relevant Yoube first. Crowd favorite A member of Team Dob fights a robot during Team DOB, which is Mock Rock. composed primarAndrew Dixon | Collegian ily of the ultimate frisbee team, formed a month before homecoming and the group’s titular leader, Robert “DOB” Kintz, only choreographed the routine two and half weeks before the competition. “My original idea was to start a team DOB, except it would be only me,” said Kintz. “Then at a bowling night, my friend Logan mentioned it and there was a lot of interest in it. I said, ‘This is a funny idea,’ and we kinda just put it together.” Like Lambrecht and Floering, Kintz relied Tube videos have been culled For some teams, picking heavily on videos he found on through, step two begins: music is an exact science. the internet for inspiration, choosing the music. “I talked a lot with Avery especially for the climatic Music is the determining Helms who had done our robot fight. factor in a routine’s structure. Mock Rock last year,” said Flo“For our Megolavania While a team needs to have ering. “He has a whole rankroutine, I looked up videos a lot of dances picked out ing system for songs based on Students made art for seniors in the community during a GOAL event. Courtesy | Emily Brickey

Giving to Grandparents: Students create art for Hillsdale nursing home residents By | Elizabeth Troutman Collegian Reporter What started as an art night in the Student Union turned into a surprise delivery to cheer up elderly residents in the Hillsdale community. The “Adopt-a-Grandparent” GOAL program held an art night on Friday, Feb. 19 in the Student Union TV lounge. Junior Emily Brickey, who leads the GOAL program, brought the finished paintings to the Hillsdale County Medical Care Facility to distribute to residents. “Anyone could come, grab some paint, brushes, and a canvas then paint whatever they wanted,” Brickey said. “The nurses in the facility passed the paintings out to whichever residents they thought could use something to cheer them up.” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, students were

not able to visit the residents last semester. Brickey held a similar event before Christmas to spread holiday cheer even though the usual

up tables and chairs, and promoted the event. Brickey has been the AAG program leader since January of 2020. She has

cards. Some put the cards beside their beds, while others pinned their cards to the bulletin board. “We’re just now starting to have in person visits for family, but even then there are restrictions. Having something to brighten their room a little bit means a lot,” Newell said. “Each time they look at it, it represents that somebody made something for them. They’re still important and people still know they’re here.” “It’s just a nice way to say hey, we know you’re still there and we still care about you,” senior volunteer Aaron Jacobson added. He believes receiving a card that someone had put a lot of time into would raise the residents’ spirits in this See Adopt B2

whether they are too slow or too fast to dance too.” Songs are ranked on a tier from F to S that also takes into account lyrics. For example, Floering said that “Cake by the Ocean’’ by DNCE would be an A for danceability, but it’s vulgar language drops it down to D tier. Despite entering the Mock Rock game later than their competitors, Team DOB decided to add their own musical creation to their routine for comedic effect. “For part of the music we had me playing the violin, DOB playing the obo, and Sebastian playing the trumpet — all as badly as we could of course,” said Team DOB member junior Allie Spaccarelli. After choreography is planned and music is picked, the teams are finally able to begin step three: practice. “We started practicing two weeks before the event every night,” said Floering. “As things got closer, we added two hours practices. It really came down to the last day. We started practicing at 11, took a lunch break, and then ran

it again with props until 2:30. We met again at 5:30 and ran through it a final time.” While Simpson’s practice schedule was similar to WitWatWay’s, Team DOB once again broke with convention when rehearsing for Mock Rock. Kintz said the team practiced two hours a night two weeks before the competition and only one hour a night the week of. According to Lambrecht, homecoming week practices are emotionally and physically taxing on the whole team. “There’s always that point in homecoming week where practices start to get stressful and tension rises, but as long as you have guys who are willing to push through that you will be fine,” Labrecht said. “One night all the basketball courts were taken up and we literally had nowhere to go, so we parked our car at Simpson field, put on our headlines, and practiced. It was freezing with the wind chill, but we had them doing routine to make sure the dance routine looked good.” While each routine was planned in advance, all the choreographers agreed that practices provided opportunity for See Mock B2 dances

By | Alexa Robbins Collegian Reporter

At first, Schmidt didn’t see the appeal of taking care of so many plants, but after going home for the summer, she discovered how interesting and enjoyable tending plants could be. Her summer break consisted of “waking up, working out, and landscaping all day,” she said. Schmidt said she continued her agricultural skills and knowledge of plants while working in the green house on campus last year. In one short semester, she developed her green thumb to that point that she pursued a position as assistant horticulturist.

Student grows green thumb through job

It all started at three in the morning for Mattie. “My love for plants kind of happened. It just took off from one night over the summer,” Mattie said. “I started researching plants and landscaping until three in the morning. Then I began landscaping my parents’ yard back home.” Schmidt, a junior and rhetoric and public address major, is now one of the assistant horticulturalists in Hillsdale College’s maintenance department. Schmidt said her affinity for plants only began

“Having something to brighten their room a little bit means a lot. Each time they look at it, it represents that somebody made something for them.They’re still important and people know they’re still here.” in-person visits were not possible. “The residents were thrilled, so I decided to do another one this semester so we could be involved with the facility, without actually going there in person,” Brickey said. To prepare for the event, Brickey ordered art supplies, picked out snacks, recruited volunteers, set

volunteered with AAG since the fall of her freshman year. “I loved the program and the residents at the facility so, when the GOAL office started looking for a new leader, I applied right away,” she said. Laurie Newell, life enrichment director at the facility, said the residents love receiving the handmade

Junior Mattie Schmidt is one of the assistant horticulturalists for the college. She is pictured in the Strosacker Greenhouse. Courtesy | Mattie Schmidt

her sophomore year. Before getting a job with the maintenance department, Schmidt worked in the green house on campus. Her roommate kept a lot of plants in their room.

“I enjoyed my time working in the green house and it definitely helped prepare for my work on campus this year,” Schmidt said.

See Schmidt B2

B2 March 11, 2021

Bob Dylan released “Bringing It All Back Home” on March 22. Wikimedia Commonse

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HAIM’s ‘Women in Music Pt. III’ is your new spring soundtrack By | Carmel Kookogey Editor-in-Chief The temperature is above 40 degrees in March, the sun is shining, and absolutely no song fits the mood better than the smooth, breezy melodies of “Cruisin’” by Huey Lewis and the News feat. Gwyneth Paltrow. That is, until musical sister trio HAIM’s “Gasoline” entered the scene last month and presented itself as a serious contender for your spring soundtrack. Fifth on their 18-track album, “Women in Music Pt III,” released Feb. 19, 2021, “Gasoline” comes in two equally-pleasant varieties: one featuring Taylor Swift, and one without.

whole album is a meditation on seasons, taking on heavy issues like isolation and emptiness and putting them to light, gentle tunes. The sisters seem to be seeking belonging in this particular phase, such as in “Los Angeles,” the first track on the album. The opening notes are distinctly jazz. “New York is cold/I tried the winter there once/Nope./ Clearly the greatest city in the world/But it was not my home/I felt more alone.” There’s a hint the narrator’s troubles are not of her own making. Some lines seem to allude to the economic travesty wreaked on major American cities in the past year. “It’s killin’ me/Hometown

alone/And I like what we got/But I’m scared of what it’s not/So won’t you let me know/If I’m not alone/Leaning on you.” Not every song is great; many make for pleasant studying background music, like “Up From A Dream” and “Another Try,” but probably won’t be the first you select when you pop in your headphones on the way to class. At the end of “I Feel Down,” — a clear riff on 2020 stereotypes, with lines like “I’ve been watching too much TV/Staring up at the ceiling” and “I’m wakin’ up at night/Tik Tok killing time,” the jazzy saxophone motif returns, this time ready to serenade you through an

The band HAIM is composed of three sisters. Wikimedia Commons

Bob Dylan, conservative? By | Sarah H. Weaver Collegian Freelancer Bob Dylan’s classic album “Bringing It All Back Home,” celebrating its 56th birthday is on March 22, should become an anthem for a generation of conservatives who find themselves preserving things so radically counter-cultural, they seem altogether new. Millennials will know Dylan for “Make you Feel My Love,” a song beautifully covered by Adele. Country music fans will know his unforgettable duets with Johnny Cash, such as “Girl From the North Country.” Neither of these songs are on “Bringing It All Back Home,” but everyone knows a track that is: “Mr. Tambourine Man,” the folk classic covered by The Byrds. The album is pure Dylan excellence, with a dose of anti-establishment protest which today’s conservatives can find relatable. Take “On the Road Again,” the sixth song on “Bringing It All Back Home.” Young people—including those who would rather live their lives than demonstrate—are forced to take sides in an ever-escalating culture war. In “On the Road Again,” Dylan writes, “Well, there’s fist fights in the kitchen/They’re enough to make me cry/Then the mailman comes in, even he’s gotta take a side/Even the butler, he’s got something to prove.” The song has a nihilistic chorus: “Then you ask why I don’t live here/Honey, do you have to ask?” In a culture dominated by progressives injecting politics into every sphere of private and public life, the song seems refreshingly prophetic. In 2016, Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Dylan skipped the Nobel Prize Banquet but in a recorded

Mock from B1

to grow and evolve. “The dance changed a lot,” said Foerling. “I planned on 15 people participating, but we had 25 people, so we had to change some of the formations. Every now and then in practices people would have cool ideas like aerials which we would add in here and there.” One of the most memorable parts of Simpson’s Mock Rock — the Irish Step Dancing interlude — wasn’t even included in Lambrecht’s original vision.

Adopt from B1

lonely time. “There are some very good artists who stopped by and painted cards,” Jacobson said. Brickey is a firm believer

speech later, he mused: “When I received the Nobel Prize for Literature, I got to wondering how exactly my songs related to literature.” While he credits his roots in folk music for much of his songwriting, the folk rock legend says there was something else behind it all. “I had principles and sensibilities and an informed view of the world, and I’d had that for a while.” Across his decades-long career, Dylan has earned his place as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. In his autobiography Chronicles, Dylan said of Bringing it All Back Home, “What I did to break away, was to take simple folk changes and put new imagery and attitude to them, use catchphrases and metaphor combined with a new set of ordinances that evolved into something different that had not been heard before.” Throughout the album, Dylan builds on his legendary folk music with a new electric twist. He builds on his roots, even as he’s outgrown them. Young people entering an economy wrecked by endless government-enforced lockdowns will find the rap-like, “Subterranean Homesick Blues’’ relatable. “A man in the coonskin cap, in the pig pen/ Wants eleven-dollar bills, you only got ten.” It is the cry of the young disillusioned with the leadership that decides their fate. Or take this line, reminiscent of last summer’s riots: “The pump don’t work/’Cause the vandals took the handles.” In other words, sometimes your headstrong political activism means people don’t get their water from the well. Writers of protest music tend to issue many complaints but no solution. But this album is different. Sprinkled in the protest music are examples of quiet responses to the establishment’s reason“There was a junior Kappa, Vera Mackyntoich, who had taught a couple of our guys some Irish dancing, and they got so attached that they wanted to include it in the dance,” said Lambretch. “We only threw in Ben Hinrichs and the kilt earlier during homecoming week because we had seen him dancing around the dorm and knew that we had to include him.” Occasionally, inspiration will even strike during a performance. “Drinking the chocolate milk in the middle of the dance was planned, but at the end when I finished the rest,

in the value of connecting students and grandparents through art. “Painting seemed like a fun way to get more people involved, connect us on campus, as well as do something sweet for

less rules. In “Outlaw Blues” a man is in love with a “brownskinned woman” in Jackson, Mississippi, which at the time banned interracial marriages. Later, Dylan promises (almost threatens?) to speak the truth—the simplest, and most effective, protest. “Don’t ask me nothin’ about nothin’/I just might tell you the truth.” “Love Minus Zero,” one of Dylan’s most beautiful and touching love songs, is about a woman who is true, wise, and gentle—the antidote to political opportunism and corruption. More than a love song, “Love Minus Zero,” is a cry for authenticity—a cry which conservatives can echo. In the dime stores and bus stations, People talk of situations, Read books, repeat quotations, Draw conclusions on the wall. Some speak of the future, My love she speaks softly. Sometimes the quietest voices are the best remedy to what you find objectionable in the world around you, not the cacophonous, often narcissistic, world of political activism. “She Belongs to Me” the album’s second track, is, at first listen, a song written from the standpoint of an infatuated lover. It is that, but on closer reading, Dylan is telling us something about himself, and what drives his music. “She’s got everything she needs, she’s an artist/She don’t look back.” This line could be said about Dylan himself as much as the woman in the song. The song may even seem counterintuitive as the second track in an album titled “Bringing it All Back Home,” but it helps us understand why Dylan’s musical relevance has lasted so long. Even as the demands of the present are such that we need not look back, home is always the destination.

that was not,” said Kintz. “I saw that there was still half of a half gallon left and I just went for it.” After two weeks of intense practices, the winning teams delivered entertaining performances each with a defining moment that earned them their victory: a rotating tower of men, a Daft Punk DJing jam, and a robot dance battle. “The biggest priority is it being fun and making something people can really get into,” said Floering. “Couple that with a dedicated team and you have a winning Mock Rock routine.”

the residents,” she said. “It brings a little more color to the facility, and shows them that we’re still thinking of them, even if we can’t be with them in person.”

“Gasoline/Hit it please/I wanna get off/But you’re such a tease/Throw the keys/Back to me/Go on and kick off your boots/In the passenger seat,” the sisters sing. If “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo hit the global zeitgeist just right in January, with its fragile description of 16-year-old life at a time when so much of the world was engulfed in nostalgia at the end of wild year, “Gasoline” hits it afresh. Day is breaking and we’re emerging seasoned but not jaded, going for a warm Saturday afternoon drive and ready to pick up the pace again. “You say you wanna go slow/But I wanna go fast” — the lyrics aren’t deep in this willfully-indulgent vibe track. The narrator and her beau are taking a drive (surely it’s a convertible; you can almost taste the blowing wind and see the sunlight flickering through tall oak trees). Like the fickle March weather, he’s a tease, but the tone suggests headway is being made and the warmth will eventually stay. It’s not just “Gasoline”; the

Schmidt from B1

As assistant horticulturist, Schmidt said she works in the Maintenance Department under Angie Girdham, taking “care of all of campus — all landscaping, irrigation, tree pruning, taking care of the arb — everything except the grass.” Because it’s still winter, she spends most of her time creating plant labels for the summer sale conducting research on the history of the Arb. In the future, she explained, the Arb might become a museum, so she reads many of its documents to uncover its history. In the spring and summer, Schmidt said, the department resumes more hands-on interaction with plants, more representative of a horticulturist’s duties. Schmidt has done a lot of work in the Children’s Garden, located between Olds Dormitory and the Barbour House. As the weather grows warmer, she intends to resume her work in the garden, including pulling weeds and sowing new plants once the weather allows it. “She is certainly passionate about plants and her responsibilities in the garden,” Girdham, Schmidt’s boss, said. “That drive is very obvious to all of us around her. She

of mine/Just got back from the boulevard, can’t stop cryin’/The guy at the corner shop gave me a line and a smile/I know he was tryin’/ But a lie is a lie.” “Don’t Wanna” and “The Steps” are the obvious radio tracks. The latter was released in 2020, with five other songs that would also find a place on “Women In Music Pt III,” as an EP under the title “I Know Alone.” Moodier and more techno, “I Know Alone” was the most popular song on the initial release. None were hits, but the EP’s subtle flavor, having aged another handful of months, comes out strong and sweet in the full album. One example is “Leaning On You,” which harps back to a key theme in “I Know Alone,” namely that the narrator is better at being alone than in a relationship (“I know alone like no one else does”). In her search for belonging, she seems to have found a cornerstone in the combination of a stable companion and a traditional Spanish guitar. “It takes all that I got/Not to [mess] this up/So won’t you let me know/If I’m not

evening stroll. “The love of my life/Sleepin’ by my side/But I’m still down/But I think that we need to come together/I think that we need to come together (you know I’m down).” For some artists, the bonus tracks are better than many of the album’s key songs. This is true for HAIM’s “Hallelujah,” in which the narrator sings about “two angels in disguise.” A meditation on sisterhood, the threefold cord which comprises the band, it’s warm and thankful. “Old fears, helped to ease them in my mind/New tears say that they will dry in time/ Why me? How’d I get this hallelujah?/Hallelujah.” The last track, “Summer Girl,” picks up the crooning saxophone right where “Los Angeles,” left off, giving the listener a sensation like sliding into a ritzy New York hotel to beat the June afternoon heat. Somewhere between jazz, elevator, and street music, it strikes a chord.

is especially wonderful about getting people into the gardens — giving impromptu tours and introducing them to all the beautiful and often unnoticed details.” Last fall, Schmidt worked in the Children’s Garden, growing produce like lettuce, kale, and radishes. In the future, she said, the garden hopes to add more plants and flowers to encourage more children to enjoy the garden in the warmer weather. Schmidt doesn’t leave her green thumb at work. She enjoys growing plants at home with her roommate, junior Lauren Benson. “We’re living in the Nest next year and we’re super excited to garden at the house,” Benson said. “Currently, our dorm room is filled with plants and dried flowers.” Luciya Katcher, a fellow plant enthusiast and Schmidt’s friend, said their friendship grew through their mutual love of plants. “We took shooting class together this past fall and the fall semester of the year before,” Katcher said. “While driving together, we would talk about our love of plants, and it became a special bonding experience for us. Mattie and I share the passion of making beautiful spaces

and using plants in our own creative ways.” Schmidt enjoys planting a wide variety of species and has become very familiar with all sorts of planting techniques while working on campus. She said her favorite types of plants are perennials. “Perennials will not die in the fall and then rebloom every year like annuals,” Schmidt said. “They bloom in six to eight week periods, so you don’t have that color all summer long. I love perennials because they have such varied colors and provide such a beautiful setup with other plants based on how they fill in.” She also especially enjoys peonies for their big blooms and sweet smell, as well as the challenge they present her. “I always have trouble getting them to grow, because I tend to plant them too deep. So, it feels like an accomplishment when I get them to grow,” Schmidt said. Mattie said that college is very academic and mental, so it is relaxing and balancing to have a contrast of producing something tangible. “My love of plants grew from the love of having something you can see the actual outcome of,” Schmidt said. “It’s about being able to yield something.”

“I’m your summer girl...”

Features

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March 11, 2021 B3

English alumna turns prof By | Victoria Marshall Science & Tech Editor When Kirsten Hall ’15 arrived on Hillsdale’s campus as a freshman, she knew she wanted to study English and go for a Ph.D. Hall said she was attracted to Hillsdale’s robust English program but knew she also wanted a well-rounded education. “I wanted my education to be a liberal-arts education,” Hall said. “I didn’t want to narrow myself too much. A big university was not appealing to me.” Now, six years later, Hall will graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Ph.D. in English. She has been hired by Ave Maria University — a small, Catholic liberal arts school in Ave Maria, Florida — as an assistant professor of English. Hall credits Hillsdale’s English department with preparing her for graduate school. “I came out of Hillsdale a strong writer and researcher,” Hall said. “The adjustment into the Ph.D. program was not that big of a push academically. A 400-level seminar in the English department at Hillsdale is like a grad student Ph.D. class.” Hall also appreciated the mentors she had as an undergraduate. “I had a very good experience with all of the English professors,” Hall said. “All of the teaching was highly individualized and everyone actually cared about what you were working on. At a big university, you might go to a professor and they wouldn’t care about your goals.” Associate Professor of English Dwight Lindley taught Hall as a student and still keeps in touch with her. “In her first class with me she wrote such a great paper that I recommended she revise it, and she got it published in an academic journal,” Lindley said. “We had a working relationship

Picket from B4

sources stems from the college’s long-standing refusal to accept any form of federal aid,” one editorial reads. “The reason given for this rejection is that we would lose our independence of action were we to accept governmental assistance. In the America of today, a small college existing solely on contributions from private sources simply cannot hope to compete with rival institutions in acquiring the best facilities and best teaching talent available.” 62 students signed the letter. Others were moved to a noble altruism, and proposed a philanthropic solution. “I think that there is a way by which we, the students, can substantially raise the salaries of the teaching faculty, whether the administration agrees with us or not. We could accomplish this by having the Federation pass on a fee. This fee would go into a fund that would be handed out to the teaching faculty at the end of each semester,” student Edgar B. Roesch Jr. wrote. Roesch went on to propose a fee of $20 per semester from each of 850 students. That would add up to $300,000 a year, which

Dob from B4

should be Homecoming King, however, that has never been a real option,” Kinz said. “Originally, I thought it would be funny if I started a team with just myself and competed in Spirit Week. However, as time went on, my friends started to join in, and before I knew it, we were a full-fledged team.” Senior Team Dob member Logan Baer noted that “Dob has a certain gravity to him. He is the type of guy who doesn’t take himself extremely seriously but still is thoughtful of others and understands others’ percep-

that went beyond the class with that project.” Lindley and Hall maintain a professional relationship to this day. Lindley recently wrote for the Genealogies of Modernity, an academic journal for which Hall is an editor. Now that Hall’s time at University of Texas at Austin is coming to a close, she is thankful that she can return to a small, liberal-arts college like Hillsdale. “I have no interest in teaching at a R1 institution,” Hall said, referring to UT Austin. “It’s too much of a factory, pushing students through. People care too much about researching and writing.” Hall noted that public

prestigious university.” Hall sees another troubling trend in higher education: academics are too focused on research. “The humanities are trying to become more like the sciences, which means you push out as much research as possible early in your career,” Hall said. “And a lot of good work in the humanities comes after people have spent years and years teaching and thinking on a topic. But the way the system works now is that you have to be publishing a lot early on in your career, before you have anything interesting to say.” This research pressure in academia has created a

Kristen Hall is an English professor at Ave Maria University. Courtesy | Kristen Hall

universities are overly commercialized, which harms both the professor and student. “Grad school forces you to sacrifice the intellectual life for professional utility,” Hall said. “I meet very few people who are actually interested in the topic they’re studying. Their real motive and interest seems to be oriented around scholarly ambitions — to get a tenure track job at a

glut of research that “no one reads,” because it’s more about whether you can add it to your CV line, Hall said. Now after her experience at a big state school, Hall is ready to return to her liberal arts roots. As a professor at Ave Maria University, she hopes to use the same approach as the Hillsdale English department. “The English depart-

ment is quite small right now. And I want to build Ave Maria’s English department into the kind of department I had at Hillsdale,” Hall said. “English is one of the most popular majors at Hillsdale, and there are tons of people who take literature classes who are not literature majors.” Hall wants to instill the same love for English that Hillsdale cultivates among non-English majors. “The word dilettante and amateur get a bad reputation, but they actually come from the Latin words meaning to love and to delight,” Hall said. “I want accounting majors in my classes who will cultivate a lifelong love of reading, and when they are tired at the end of a long day of work, to know that that is something they can turn to.” This desire to delight in education is a reason why Ave Maria found Hall such an attractive candidate, Lindley said. “She’s a more attractive candidate because she knows more than just her area of specialty. And I know that the people where she got a job were impressed by her ability to do more than her specialty. And that was partially because they were drawn to her love of it,” Lindley said. “If you don’t love it, it’s actually hard to move your students. It’s hard to make other people love it.” Lindley said he is convinced Hall will go far in her professional career pursuing English, and he is thankful Hall has stayed in touch with him. “I’ve really enjoyed maintaining a relationship with Kirsten after her graduation. And it’s the kind of thing I often hope will be the case with students, but it’s not often the case. A lot of people leave and then I never see them again,” Lindley said. “So I’ve really enjoyed having a continuing professional friendship with Kirsten.”

would be dispersed to professors. Roesch emphasized that the student body must respond immediately. “The administration is now looking for replacements for the professors who are leaving,” Roesch wrote. “If these people learn that the student body here at Hillsdale is willing and able to correct a situation in which it feels that the administration has been derelict in its duty, then this may very well mean the difference between the administration hiring an excellent professor rather than one that is simply average.” The whole thing came to a crux when the picketers gathered at the steps of Central Hall that Tuesday morning in late April. An April 27 article in the Hillsdale Daily News noted that while some held signs like “Yes, Academic Freedom” and “Why Have All Our Teachers Gone?”, they were hardly unanimous. Some students were motivated by their stomachs rather than their minds. One held a sign that read “We Want 99.9 Percent Pure Peanut Butter.” The administration decided to hold a mass meeting that same afternoon to diffuse rumors and outrage. However, their responses were vague and contradictory. President J. Donald Phillips said that Moore left it up to “the prerogative of

the administration to make the decision” about his contract in a Q&A printed in the April 22 issue of The Collegian. At the assembly, though, Phillips said “the error with respect to the return of a particular professor was an honest one. Since early in the year he has indicated a desire to return, and all that remained was an ironing out of terms,” according to the April 27 Hillsdale Daily News article that covered the meeting. During the meeting, Moore passed out mimeographs of a statement: “The reason given for the non-renewal of my contract was the alleged difference between my own philosophy and that of the College … At no time was there any intimation or open statement to me of any other reason for letting me go… I am not aware that I have been teaching anything but history since I came here, according to my own professional training and liberal arts background.” It is worth noting that Phillip said in the Collegian Q&A that the decision was not a matter of differing philosophies. Moore did not return the following year. We may never know conclusively what happened. Perhaps it was because he held a different philosophy. Perhaps it was

because he spoke out against the college’s transformation. Perhaps it was for some more nefarious, unknown reason. It took the college several years to right its economic and academic footing following the turbulence of the 1964-65 school year. The college updated its tenure policy and raised faculty pay by 8% in October 1965. But these attempts still left Hillsdale’s faculty salary “low” compared to an average salary at 822 comparable liberal arts colleges, according to Gilbert. The turnover problem persisted, forcing the college to hire 17 new professors in 1967. However, Hillsdale managed to finish with a balanced budget at the end of the 1966-67 school year. According to Gilbert, Phillips also began taking steps to regain Hillsdale’s academic rigour. On April 27, 1967, the editor of The Collegian wrote that “Happydale” was gone forever and Hillsdale’s reputation for being a “country club” campus of partying and drinking began to subside. Though it did temporarily resemble a “country club” business school more than a liberal arts college, that Hillsdale resurfaced from those tremulous adolescent years with its honor and liberal arts core intact is a testament to its transcendent, founding values.

tions. His eccentricity brings people together. Because of his attention to other peoples’ perceptions, we were able to do so well. We organized our Mock Rock to play to the audience of Hillsdale compared to other teams with more sexually provocative dance moves.” Kinz noted how the team’s Mock Rock performance was a group effort. It combined the different skill sets of the individuals on the team to mix the track, provide choreography, and design costumes. On the topic of the team’s song choice, Kinz said, “Our first song, ‘Sick of Being

Honest,’ connected back to fake horror youtube video memes. Later down the line, when we decided to include ‘Megalovania,’ we knew we had to run with the boss battle idea. The storyline for the rest of the routine just formed naturally,” Kinz said. Kinz was grateful for the opportunity to participate in this year’s Homecoming and for the team’s competitive position. “My biggest advice to future teams is to take a step back and not take things as seriously; we are all enjoying Homecoming so let’s make the most of it,” Kinz said. Team Dob’s success

caused a stir on campus. For the first time, a non-affiliated group of students placed above greek houses, dormitories, and the Off-Campus Coalition at Mock Rock. As Niedfeldt Head RA Colton Duncan wrote in an email, “Spirit Week was no longer just an expression of inter-dorm rivalry. For the first time, students could give their loyalty to a personality rather than to a community,” Duncan said. “I do not know whether the Team Dob phenomenon will continue in future Homecomings. But if it does, we should know that Homecoming will never be the same.”

Ferry Farm cows each have their own space to chill. The Collegian | Maggie Hroncich

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things, no preservatives or MSG, they’re gluten-free and there are no antibiotics or hormones. It’s clean. And we are raising the animal right from birth so we are in control of the entire supply line. We can keep that quality there.” On the beef and dairy side of the operation, the Ferrys own 600 dairy cows, 250 beef cows, and 550 young growing stock. A new calf is born almost everyday. Rows upon rows of cows greet visitors to the farm, each with their own space to relax and eat. Like humans, Scott said, cows need a healthy diet, sleep, space to move, and a lowstress atmosphere. The Ferrys keep their livestock healthy by monitoring the cows for sickness before symptoms even show. They are the first farm in Michigan to use Smartbow technology’s complete system to monitor their cows. Each cow is equipped with an ear tag that monitors location, chewing habits, and ovulation and sends the data to Scott’s computer, often allowing him to address issues before calling the vet. These measures help the Ferrys balance cost effectiveness while maintaining ethical treatment and environmental responsibility. The farm is MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program) and FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) certified. Both are voluntary programs that audit farming practices to ensure animal welfare, cropping systems, and farmstead footprint. “We take that very seriously. We have zero tolerance for the mismanagement or mishandling of an animal. Zero tolerance,” Scott said. “Those aspects are very, very important to us and the foundations we’re trying to set for the next generation. We want to be progressive to our industry, our family, children, and community and set the right foundations looking forward to make sure we’re doing things right.” All of these factors contribute to the finished product: antibiotic-free, tender beef, and fresh dairy without the packaged taste. Along with their retail locations, the Ferrys sell products at a self-serve style storefront, where customers can pick up online orders or drop off cash using an honor system. While the store sells typical cuts of meat, like skirt steak and ribeye, Scott said they like to spice things up by selling novelty cuts typically found in other countries, such as picanha. “Our friends from Venezuela have really influenced us a lot in how we cut meat like South Americans,” Scott said. “It’s been fun to work with the butcher closely, really right next to the knife, so we can say ‘OK,

this is the muscle that we’re talking about, this is the one that we want to do, this is how we want it to cut, this is the thickness of the fat cap that we’re really looking for.’ And they get excited. It brings a purpose back into their daily activity.” Multiple Hillsdale students have ventured out to tour the farm and buy their products. Senior Trevor Vogel bought ribeyes and a 21-pound standing rib roast that he aged over winter break with his housemates. “Their farm is very nice. You can drive up and see the baby cows and kids are running around all the time,” Vogel said. “It was really nice for us because when we did the big roast we were able to custom order with Scott, which is something you couldn’t do at a big supermarket. He gave us a good price on it so it was a good connection to have.” Senior Andrew Shaffer visited the farm with several of his fraternity brothers, and said he plans to go back for more. “The owner was fantastic. He was just really friendly, a great salesperson, and outgoing. He was really good about connecting with the students too,” Shaffer said. “It’s a local community thing, and it’s a really cool business to support because here’s a guy who has all of this great product that he’s selling, and frankly some of it is cheaper and better than what they sell at the store.” In addition to the friendly customer service, Shaffer said he could taste a difference in the quality of the meat. “Compared to storebought ground beef, it has a lot less water in it,” Shaffer said. “With store-bought beef in general they’ll inject water or serum in it to make it look bigger than it is. This ground beef tasted more like a steak than just ground beef.” The Ferrys value customer satisfaction and the ability to change with the times, especially in a pandemic. “It’s no-contact, very COVID-friendly,” Ali said. “It got really crazy last year about this time, when people were scared to go to grocery stores and there was all of this talk about meat shortages and the packers and butchers were all backed up. And we’re no contact, so it was busy.” Scott said in a time of uncertainty, Ferry Farms provides a space for customers to feel safe when picking up food. “We were already set up so people could be in the open air, grab their groceries, and leave,” Scott said. “We have lots of people that made their very first trip out into the world and they came here to get some food. We heard from so many folks that this was their first time out and they thanked us for having a space they could come to and feel comfortable. That really gave us a lot of purpose and drive and feeling that we were doing the right thing.”

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

March 11, 2021

Features

Hilldale students picket on the steps of Central Hall in 1965. Courtesy | The Hillsdale Daily News

Students battle for Hillsdale’s soul

By | Elizabeth Bachmann Features Editor

On a brisk morning in April, 1965, about 20 Hillsdale College students gathered on the steps of Central Hall with posters reading “Yes, Liberal Education,” and “Where Have All Our Teachers Gone?” They were picketing against the college’s low professor salaries. But they were also picketing for the very soul of Hillsdale College as it was founded in 1844 and as it exists today. They fought against the strong arm of technology, to keep Hillsdale from jettisoning its liberal arts roots and descending to

a mere trade school. It all began when the college ran short on cash in the 1950s. A host of donors cut significant checks to the college, but only for specific areas of development. Herbert and Grace Dow, for example, offered $1 million for a new Leadership Development Center complete with a two-story conference and dining room that seated 200 people. It was surrounded by a soundproof, one-way viewing gallery. Dean of Students Mickael Kolivosky called it a “laboratory in human relations,” according to Arlan K. Gilbert’s history of the college entitled “The Permanent Things.”

Farm to Fork: Ferry Farms feeds Hillsdale By | Maggie Hroncich Assistant editor You may never have heard of Ferry Farms, but if you’ve ever had a burger in the cafeteria, you’ve eaten their products. The local Litchfield farm, spanning nearly 2,000 acres, supplies ground beef and fresh butter to Bon Appetit as part of its local food mission. But Ferry Farms is not just your average beef and dairy supplier: the farm is revolutionizing modern farming while treasuring its rich history. Fourth generation owners Scott and Ali Ferry run the farm along with their fourteen employees. Ali is a 2007 Hillsdale graduate and Scott is a Michigan State alumnus. Both are from Hillsdale County and have lived here most of their lives. “We’ve always known each other. Our families are friends so we ended up reconnecting,” Scott said. “I grew up right here on the farm my whole life.” The couple now has three children — the fifth generation — who are ages 9, 7, and 4, according to Ali. “The oldest just loves animals. Our son in the middle loves farming. He wants to drive all the equipment and be in the fields,” Ali said. “And our youngest child just loves everything, she’s a spitfire.” Sustainable farming and environmental awareness are top priorities for

the Ferrys. Their farming process is a harmonious cycle: they plant feed for their livestock, use the cows’ manure as fertilizer for future feed, and then repeat the loop. The first step, according to Scott, is planting “cover crops” to cover the ground, which reduces nitrate pollution, prevents phosphorus from getting into streams, and creates a root system to bring nutrients from deep in the soil to the surface. Like the engine of a vehicle, these crops slowly warm up and prepare the soil for the spring planting months. “Everything we grow we can feed back to our animals and our livestock,” Scott said. Growing their own feed allows the Ferrys to control the entire supply chain and know exactly what their animals eat, which affects the quality and taste of meat. In the farm’s warehouse, they store shelf-stable goods, including snack sticks, jerky products, and charcuterie products, which are up for sale in local retail locations as well as parts of Chicago and Florida. “What’s really nice about these is they’re all clean labels,” Scott said. “So you’re not going to have a lot of additional ingredients or added-on

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Even the college’s new slogan, “Preparation for Leadership Through Learning and Experience,” smacked of focus groups and productivity rather than liberal education. Zealous, young liberal arts professors and some students began to voice their fears that all this “development” would lead the school to abandon its founding liberal arts principles to become a more lucrative business and technical school. Michael Moore, a professor of history beloved by students upon his arrival to the college in 1963, championed this cause. He delivered a convocation speech in 1964 expressing these concerns.

“We are members of a College which by its very nature says it wants to utilize scholarship toward certain goals that would not interest, say, a specialized technical institute,” he said. “Liberal education is for those who would ‘shun the slavery of ignorance for the freedom conferred by knowledge.’” Moore tread carefully. Though he did not directly criticize the college, his topic and word choice swept a spark on campus into a fullfledged forest fire. The college did not renew Moore’s contract for the following year. Students were outraged. In their outrage, they

began to investigate deeper and realized that Hillsdale’s professors had some of the lowest salaries in the nation. An April 1965 issue of The Collegian reports the administration admitted, after student inquiry, that the salary scale for professors was significantly below the national average due to financial difficulties. This brought to light another alarming development: many faculty members could not live with these low salaries and were forced to leave the college after a year or two. From the 1964-1965 school year to the 1965-1966 school year, 14 out of 63 faculty members left and were

replaced. That is a turnover of 22% of the total faculty. Students responded with compassion not only for their professors, but for the life of their institution. They worried that Hillsdale would not attract high quality, liberally-trained faculty members with such low salaries. Multiple student responses are preserved in the April 22, 1965 issue of The Collegian. Some students claimed that accepting federal aid was the only solution. “The administration frankly admits that our chronic lack of financial re-

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Dob led his team to a third place victory in Mock Rock. Courtesy | Student Activities Board

The man behind the milk Dob takes Spring Spirit Week by storm

By | Josh Hypes Collegian Freelancer Muddy Waters Stadium erupted into emphatic chants as Dob Kinz chugged a gallon of chocolate milk in the middle of the field. “Dob! Dob! Dob!” rang out across the stadium following an energetic Mock Rock performance given by the now-notorious Team Dob. Last week, Team Dob stole the hearts of spectators during Spirit Week events through their energetic participation and eccentric style. On Monday, the team unveiled a banner that detailed a cybernetic President Larry Arnn protecting Central Hall from hordes of zombies

while armed with an energy blaster and downing a jug of chocolate milk. “Team Dob’s banner didn’t initially put their team on the radar. As the week went on, their participation in Homecoming slowly gained momentum,” said Homecoming participant and freshman John Ritchy. After the photo competition, the team gained campus-wide recognition. Their photo of an apocalyptic militia trudging through the wilderness quickly inspired a cult following on social media. Instagram accounts such as @hillsdale_eagle and @hillsdalememes all shared content about the team’s cultural impact on campus.

When Saturday rolled around, the team took Mock Rock by storm. The performance used a mix of popular internet songs, storytelling techniques, props, and various choreography styles to secure a third-place victory. “Team Dob’s entertaining storyline along with a strong synergy between its teammates ultimately earned its place as a crowd favorite,” said Assistant Dean Aaron “Chief” Rogers, a judge at Mock Rock. “The ‘Not-Good Robot’ was a clever use of a costume to improve the overall performance. In general, I think Team Dob accomplished their mission in bringing so many people together under a charismatic

label.” Dob Kinz, a senior studying biology, is the name behind the team. He is frequently seen around campus with the Ultimate Frisbee Club or playing volleyball at Hayden when the weather is clear. As a self-identified “eccentric,” Dob once ran across campus during a polar vortex in short sleeves and shorts, for which he received an email from Dr. Arnn. Yeah, he was that guy. He also wore a dress to Garden Party and “jorts” to the 2020 SAB Welcome party. “It’s been a long-running joke in my friend group that I

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