Collegian 10.20.2022

Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos champions school choice in Drummond Lecture

By Josh Newhook Digital Editor

The American education system has put a generation at risk, Betsy DeVos said in the Drummond Lecture last week.

DeVos, the 11th Sec retary of Education who served under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021, made her third visit to campus in three years, this time to address school choice. She argued that a pluralistic approach to ed ucation is the path forward for the United States.

“This dynamic gives us better restaurants and better businesses. An open market will give more empowered education options," she said.

DeVos said coming to campus is always like com ing home.

“Hillsdale is a sane oasis in a world that feels not so sane,” DeVos said.

In her lecture, she said that today’s public educa tion is fighting against what G.K. Chesterton called the “triangle of truisms”: the natural family built around father, mother, and child. Even though the current culture is at war with it, DeVos said it cannot be destroyed.

"It can only destroy those civilizations which disre gard it," she said, quoting Chesterton

She cited how Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia won his election last year.

Parents revolted against critical race theory, fueling his victory.

DeVos said the people found out the “emper or” does not always have their best interest in mind.

During the COVID-19 pan demic lockdowns, she said she heard constant echoes of parents worried about their kids.

“Their children were suf fering,” she said. “It was one of the biggest health failures of our lifetime.”

Through Zoom meetings at kitchen tables across the country, parents witnessed the curriculum schools were teaching their children.

DeVos said this revealed the longtime failures of the education system.

She gave examples of identity politics, such as “math-ethnic” studies in Se attle’s public schools, which claims that “mathematical theory and application is rooted in the ancient histo ries of people and empires of color.” In addition, she said that elementary school students learned about the fundamental difference between gender and sex and how to choose an identity.

“I could keep us here all evening reciting them,” she said. “It is force-fed identity politics.”

DeVos cited worsening test scores as an example of failed education. In a ranking of all nations, the United States dropped a rank in math scores for the

By Aubrey Gulick Senior Reporter

After purchasing 50 acres in Fayette Township in 2017, Meijer will finally come to Hillsdale, poten tially as early as the spring of 2024, City of Hillsdale Zoning Administrator Alan Beeker said.

The company plans to begin construction in the spring of 2023 on a site between Beck Road and

Frank Beck Chevrolet, according to Beeker.

“We’re always excited to welcome new development that supports the needs of the City of Hillsdale and surrounding areas,” City Manager David Mackie said. “The addition of Meijer represents a sizable investment in commercial property and job creation.”

The new grocery store will create as many as 300 jobs and draw shoppers to Hillsdale, Beeker said.

first time.

“A generation is at risk,” she said, alluding to the 1983 report by the United States National Commission on Excellence in Education, titled "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform."

To fix the education sys tem, DeVos suggested edu cation should be conducted in a pluralistic manner.

DeVos challenged the government's use of tax payer money to fund only public schools instead of also supporting indepen dent charter schools.

She said this is like allow ing citizens to shop only at places that accept “Medicare for All” and food stamps. While there is a need for public schools to educate many, it does not mean that all education comes from there, DeVos said.

“There are many rea sons you want to choose a different grocer or doctor,” she said. “I would argue that any school that provides education to the public is a public school.”

She gave a hypothetical example of a high school student who is an appren tice at John Deere, plays community football, and takes self-paced online classes instead of attending a traditional public school. She argued that the choice to participate in this type of non-traditional education should belong to the family and to the student.

“Imagine if we gave each student a standard amount,” she said. “That’s what it should look like: everyone getting educated by the best of the best.”

Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Wha len said DeVos’ comments on education were wonder ful and timely.

“Her experience and principles both shed real light on what has become a crisis,” Whalen said.

Assistant Professor of Education David Diener said DeVos’ argument revealed how American education will be stronger if parents have the choice of where to educate their children.

"In a time when educa tion is increasingly being controlled by centralized government bureaucra cies, the essential role that parents should play in their children's education needs to be highlighted,” Diener said.

Master’s student in clas sical education Brendan La Voie said DeVos' discussion of the political implications of education is particularly compelling.

“Having done both undergraduate and master's work in politics, much of her talk of the institutional failures of our education system aligned with my aca demic experience, especially the progressives' emphasis on 'expertise,’” he said.

K-12 Program expands to include 23 schools

By Lauren Scott Assistant Editor

There are now 23 Hills dale-affiliated schools after the K-12 education office accepted three new schools to the program.

The new member schools are located in Fargo, North Dakota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Capstone Classical Academy, located in Fargo, is the first private school to be Hillsdale-affil iated aside from Hillsdale Academy, said Jordan Ad ams, director of curriculum at K-12.

“All three of these schools serve different communities but they are all serving the same mis sion and teaching the same academic program,” said Becky Lincoln, director of teacher support at K-12.

According to Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education, the K-12 office takes on three to five new member schools each year. The K-12 office works closely with them for a full year before the affilia tion becomes official.

“The curriculum is really important in a K-12 school, but also having the right people in the classroom is equally important,” O’Toole

said. “We take some of the things we teach in the education department here and we provide lessons for schools across the country.”

Most of the member schools start out no bigger than kindergarten through 6th grade, but a grade is added every year until they become a K-12 school, Adams said.

“The goal is for them to start small, so you can build a culture and foun dational knowledge over time,” Adams said.

The member schools use the K-12 Program Guide, a 700-page sequence for ev ery grade and every subject K-12, according to O’Toole. The K-12 office also sends teachers to member schools to provide pedagogical training.

“Our team is traveling across the country visiting our schools to do teacher training and observations,” O’Toole said. “We're con sistently working with the principals and headmas ters by helping them think through things and giving them guidance and advice.”

By Linnea Shively Circulation Manager

Several incidents of van dalism and theft occurred during fall break at student residences, according to senior and ATO president Bennett Nichols.

Over the weekend, un known individuals vandal ized the annex of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house. They spray-painted offensive and explicit mes sages on the inner wall and inside the women’s bath room door, Nichols said.

Nichols said he saw the vandalism when he re turned to campus Sunday

“I get that it’s a small college campus, and we want to have fun, but at the same time, please respect people’s property,” Nichols said. “We respect other people’s property, so we expect them to do the same to us.”

According to Nichols, ATO members quickly painted over the messages.

“It will bring people into the community that would normally not have come here, and they may see other businesses that intrigue them,” Beeker said. “That will drive some economic development.”

Meijer purchased 50 acres in Fayette Township, adjacent to Bullhead Lake, in 2017 to build a new location. The township and city signed an agreement that made the property a part of the City of Hills

dale and extended city services.

The agreement gave Meijer 10 years to begin construction on the new building, and in 2018, the city approved a plan to fund a new water line to service the building.

Meijer must now seek city building and construc tion permits, along with permits from the Michigan Department of Environ ment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the Department

of Transportation, and Department of Natural Re sources by the end of the year, according to Mackie.

“It is Meijer’s intent to have all their permits in place by the end of this calendar year and to start construction in the spring once the ground thaws,” Beeker said.

The arrival of the new store may also encourage the city to build its first roundabout. If construct ed, it would be at the

entrance of the store’s parking lot on M-99.

“It makes sense for sev eral reasons. Roundabouts don’t stop traffic, they slow traffic down,” Beeker said. “There have been several accidents because of speeding, especially during inclement weath er. A roundabout would slow the traffic down, but it wouldn’t stop traffic, so you would never have traffic backups.”

Michigan’s oldest college

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos meets a student after her lecture in Christ Chapel. Courtesy | External Affairs

Jack Cote

The

Jack Cote | Collegian

Former professor speaks at Democrats for Life press conference against Prop. 3

By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor

Former Hillsdale history professor Lucy Moye urged voters to reject Michigan’s pro-abortion Proposal 3, at an event in Lansing orga nized by Democrats for Life on Oct. 13.

“Proposal 3 is a bad proposal, even for people who are moderately prochoice. It doesn’t restore in Michigan’s Constitution the basic rights of Roe v. Wade. It goes much further,” said Moye, chair of the American Solidarity Party, a Christian-democratic political party.

Democrats For Life Executive Director Kristen Day said Proposal 3 would remove all regulations that protect women, allowing teenage abortions without parental notification and non-licensed providers to perform abortions.

“Prop. 3 is dangerous for women whether you support abortion or not because it would overturn reasonable laws passed with bipartisan support to en sure the safety of women,” Day said, refering to laws the Michigan Legislature passed before the Dobbs decicion.

Day said she believes the government has a respon sibility to protect citizens, but Proposal 3 denies wom en this protection.

“We are putting the decision not in the hands of women, but in the hands of providers who stand to make a profit,” she said.

Sarah Burchart, state chapter leader of Demo crats for Life of Michigan, discussed the deceptive wording of Proposal 3.

“The reality is the word ing of this proposed consti tutional amendment would give the abortion industry free reign to self regulate far beyond what Roe ever established,” Burchart said.

“The loopholes in Proposal 3 do not put women first. They were crafted by those who profit off of abortion

to keep their money-mak ing beyond scrutiny or accountability.”

Moye said the American Solidarity Party is a “prolife for the whole life” party, and they would support the 1931 abortion ban in Michigan, which restricts all abortions except to save the life of the mother.

In September, the Michigan Court of Claims declared the 1931 ban as unconstitutional, keeping abortion legal in Michigan, according to CNN.

Moye said many falsely believe there is no middle ground between Proposal 3 and the 1931 abortion ban.

Moye said the ballot summary is deceptive and does not reflect the actual text of the amendment, especially the proposal’s re definition of fetal viability.

Proposal 3 defines vi ability as the point deter mined by a professional when the fetus can survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical intervention, according to Moye. She said almost any fetus born before 32 weeks in utero requires medical intervention.

“This proposal pushes back viability basically to birth,” Moye said. “There are all kinds of possibilities this opens up if you say that a baby who requires medical intervention is not entitled to protection of the law.”

Caroline Smith of the Protect Life Michigan Advocacy Fund said at the press conference Proposal 3 removes protection for women and families.

“This is not a left or right, Christian or atheist issue. It's about common sense and understanding that women deserve better than Proposal 3,” Smith said. “Michigan does not want gruesome late term abortion. Michigan does not want dangerous and unregulated abortion facil ities. And it does not want Proposal 3.”

College Dems host lecture on Irish abortion laws

By Michael Bachmann Assistant Editor

Irish literature about abortion has an intense focus on women as real people with real stories, said As sistant Professor of English Elizabeth Fredericks at a lecture on Oct. 5.

College Democrats hosted the lecture as part of their exploration of a post-Dobbs world. Frederick’s lecture, “Ireland & the 8th Amend ment: A historical and literary tour,” focused on the Irish literary and poetric tradition surrounding abortion and other women’s issues.

“We're looking at kind of history and literature in relation to this particular topic, not as a prognostication of what would happen in the United States and not as a lit mus test on right and wrong,” Fredericks said at the start of her lecture.

She presented a historic and legal overview of the 8th Amendment, which guaran teed the equal right to life of an unborn child and mother in 1983.

In her speech, Freder icks focused on the historic alternatives to abortion Irish women had, such as the Magdalene Laundries, run by the Catholic Church starting

Young Life, a Chris tian ministry and GOAL Program for middle and high school students, plays dodgeball in the annex every other week.

According to Nichols, the deans are aware of the situation, but the suspects have not been identified because the annex lacks security cameras.

On Oct. 15, junior Paul Miller intervened when a group of individuals at tempted to steal a grill from Duplex, an off-campus residence on North Man ning Street.

“I saw four people walk ing away from Duplex with the grill and asked them what they were doing,” Miller said. “They said they were moving the grill for us. They left it on the ground and walked away.”

According to Miller, he moved the grill inside the residence after the incident.

Around 8 p.m. on Sat

Adams said there are almost 50 non-member schools in the country using the K-12 curriculum, even though they don't get ongo ing pedagogical support.

As new member schools grow, they can continue to seek help from the K-12 office, Adams said.

“We've added a num ber of people to the office, including a new school project manager to develop

in 1765.

According to Fredericks, the Laundries quickly became an unofficial part of the penal system in Ireland.

“Because they are not officially part of the prison system, women don't have sentences that fix their time there,” Fredericks said. “You could have women who were in the Magdalene Laundries for decades.”

In the 20th century, Moth er and Child Homes largely took the place of the Magda lene Laundries, according to Fredericks. She said mothers and children faced horrifying abuse in these homes.

Irish film and literature has wrestled with the legacy of the two institutions since the last Mother and Baby Home closed in 1998, Fredericks said.

“Ireland is a small country. Its population to this day is around five and a half million people,” Fredericks said. “A lot of people know people who passed through the system or had parents or grandparents who passed through it.”

According to Fredericks, Irish abortion laws contribut ed to the prominence of Mag dalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes long before the 8th Amendment passed. She said the amendment

urday evening, a composite fraternity photo of ATO’s active members from 2010 was stolen from inside the ATO house.

“It’s rare for composites to be stolen, but we still spend a lot of money on those,” Nichols said.

Other thefts over the weekend include a sorority sign from a residence on North Manning Street and a fraternity flag from 186 N. Manning St, where a sign was previously stolen at the end of September.

Senior Meera Baldwin, who lives on North Man ning Street, said she and her friends are being more careful after hearing about the thefts.

“We started locking our doors,” Baldwin said. “I was pretty shocked that some thing like that happened on my safe little street, but it sounds like it was other students trying to be funny. I’m still pretty confident in my safety on Manning.”

and manage the starting of all our new schools,” Adams said.

Lincoln said their office is available anytime through email, phone, or Zoom for any questions or support needed by teachers or ad ministrators of the member schools.

“We're seeing an incred ible amount of demand and working hard to keep up with it,” O’Toole said.

merely placed additional legal structures on an 1861 law that criminalized abortion.

By recognizing the equal right to life of a mother and her unborn child rather than an equal right to health care, Fredericks said the 8th Amendment pitted the life of the fetus against the life of the mother.

“In an abortion, the risk to the life of a fetus is 100%, but that means in order to take care of the mother, the risk to the mother’s life needs to be 100% as well,” Fredericks said.

“She needs to be actively dy ing for her health to supersede that of the fetus.”

Fredericks said several na tional controversies contrib uted to the repeal of the 8th Amendment in 2018, like the death of Savita Halappana var, a young Indian woman who began to miscarry while on vacation with her hus band in County Galway.

Hapapannavar requested the termination of her preg nancy, but because doctors could detect a fetal heartbeat, they were barred from doing so by the 8th Amendment. A few days later, Halappanavar and her child died.

“This is a real pivot al moment because she’s Hindu, she's not Catholic, she's not Irish, she's married. This is a pregnancy that is

wanted, and she dies because of Ireland's abortion laws,” Fredericks said. “If you could get a perfect victim, Savita Halappanavar is that for the Irish, and protests broke out across the country.”

Fredericks concluded the lecture by reading a poem dedicated to Halappanavar by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.

Hillsdale College for Life President and junior Sabrina Nardone said she knew nothing about abortion in Ireland before attending the lecture, but quickly noticed a difference between Amer ican and Irish preganancy care.

“Knowing how wonderful our pregnancy resource cen ters are, especially Helping Hands in Hillsdale, it was sad to see that that was what women had as their alterna tives,” Nardone said.

Junior Avery Noel, College Democrats vice president, said he was happy to see the members of the pro-life club at the lecture.

“On this campus, it's really important to have dialogue,” Noel said. “We're in a college that is very con servative. I think it's nice to have at least a history of the issue, specifically one that is so closely tied to religion at a very religious institution.”

Career Services hosts jobs in media fair on Thursday

By Carly Moran Collegian Reporter

Career Services will host its first journalism and media mini job fair today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Grewcock Stu dent Union

The event will feature national news organiza tions such as The Feder alist and National Review, as well as state outlets like The Detroit News and Michigan Talk Radio.

“This is the second of three mini job fairs planned for fall semester, the first being the finance and accounting job fair held back in September,” said Sharon Rupp, assistant director of Career Ser vices. “Career Services is pursuing a new approach to attract top organizations on campus to recruit Hills dale students by offering mini job fairs to employers that align with our mission and/or who have visited and hired in the past.”

A collaboration be tween Career Services and the Dow Journalism Pro gram, the mini job fair will be an opportunity to build potential employment connections, according to John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program

“I'm grateful to career services for putting on this event,” Miller said. “I've never seen a better job market for young people in the media and journalism. There is a huge demand for Hillsdale students because they know how to write and think.”

Junior Jacob More said he is excited to attend.

"I have been interested in journalism and media since my junior year of high school,” More said.

“The job fairs are a good way for me to be able to become better acquainted with the areas of work I am interested in, so I am excited when ones like this come up."

Senior and digital editor of the Collegian Josh Ne whook said he is treating the job fairs as an oppor tunity to find work after graduation.

"I think the journalism job fair will give students a great chance to network in-person, which is less stressful and difficult than meeting with someone online," Newhook said.

"As a senior who is in the market for a job after graduation, I appreciate the chance to connect with a variety of publications all at once."

Mock trial team places in first tournament of the 2022 season

By Evalyn Homoelle Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale College Mock Trial program began its 2022-2023 competitive season last weekend, with one of the program’s teams taking fourth place at their first tournament invitational of the season.

“Our opening weekend was exactly what we wanted: tough competition and a great first run of our cases,” program coach Jonathan Church said.

All three of the program’s teams competed at tourna ment invitationals from Oct. 15-16. Team Blue placed fourth at the Penn State Happy Valley invitation al, winning five and a half out of eight possible judge ballots.

The program’s other two teams, White and Charger, competed at Case Western

Reserve University’s Spartan Throwdown invitational last weekend.

The two-day tournaments featured four rounds and required competitors to compete on both the plaintiff and defense side of the year’s case. The mock trial team is a part of the American Mock Trial Association, which set this year’s civil case as a charge of negligence against an airplane company.

“We are attending more difficult tournaments across the board than we used to attend,” Church said.

Senior Ethan Tong is a member of Team Blue and won an outstanding plain tiff attorney award at Penn State’s invitational, with a score of 19 out of 20 possible ranks. He said he is proud of how well Team Blue per formed against some of the nation’s top teams.

“Placing fourth at this tournament was impressive,

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especially since according to the tournament directors, 65% of the teams there went to Nationals this last year,” Tong said. “It was a really good competition field, and coming out of it with five and a half ballots was exactly the momentum we wanted going forward.”

Competition was especial ly intense in the last round of the tournament because Team Blue went up against Tufts University, ranked 2nd in the nation, Tong said.

Tong said the round against Tufts motivated the team to continue to work hard.

“We might have done well, but we know we’ll need to win the big rounds like the one against Tufts in the future if we want to make it to Nationals this year,” he said.

Lindsey Church, coach of the program’s new member roster, Team Charger, said

the fall invitational season is a less-stressful environment designed to perfect case materials and team perfor mance.

“In the fall season, the tournaments are all practice for the competitive spring season,” she said. “While winning is great, our biggest priorities are developing case theories, helping new members understand the fundamentals of mock trial, and working with return ing members on advanced skills.”

Lindsey Church said she is proud of the new member team’s performance at their first tournament.

“I have been impressed with how hardworking they are,” she said. “Most of them knew little to nothing about mock trial a month and a half ago but were able to hold their own against seasoned opponents this weekend.”

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Lucy Moye speaks at the Democrats for

press conference in Lansing.

| Christen Pollo

Team Blue earned fourth place in its first tournament.

Courtesy | Allison Dillow

Students launch new powerlifting club

By Carly Moran Collegian Reporter

At the start of this semes ter, sophomore Sophie Pfaff and junior Kevin Rybka co-founded the Powerlifting Club.

The club meets four days a week and includes three different skill levels. The officers said they hope members with various levels of experience can improve their health and confidence.

“If you're brand new, it's a pretty simple program,” Rybka said. “It takes you through the three main lifts, which are squat, bench, and deadlift. We basically do those solely until you become proficient, and then you can work up to the intermediate.”

Pfaff and Rybka said they come from different levels of experience. Pfaff was a dancer for 11 years before she began powerlifting last January. Rybka has been weight training for multiple years but didn’t compete until this summer.

“We're definitely not the most advanced. I started lifting less than a year ago,” Pfaff said. “Being a dancer, I had practically no upper body strength.”

Assistant Professor of Classics Carl Young serves as the club’s adviser and made the program outline. Young served as the head coach of a powerlifting gym and was a state champion in North Carolina.

“We had talked to Christie Whalen about how there used to be a power lifting club on campus,”

Rybka said. “We were like, ‘Oh! There used to be one? There’s precedent. Maybe we should do it.’ So we started it about a week before school ended last year.”

Club secretary and sophomore John Woracheck said it’s important to distin guish between powerlifting and other types of weight training.

“Many people have mis conceptions about our sport, particularly in regard to how hard we train,” Worachek said. “There has been a joke going around that powerlift ers lift for maybe 5% of their workout and sit around the other 95%, but that is simply not true.”

Worachek and his team mates average four to five hours per week in the gym, alongside additional hours researching, recovering and dieting to ensure their great est chance at success.

“Powerlifting is about progressive overload for squat, bench and deadlift. Basically, how much you can lift in one rep,” Rybka said. “You could put down on pen and paper, a graph, a spread sheet of progress. It makes for much more incremental growth over long periods of time.”

The club officers said powerlifting is a sport open to anyone.

“You don't have to look like Dean Pete or Dr. Young to lift a lot of weight,” Rybka said.

While competing over the summer, the club mem bers found a variety of body types– some lifting twice their weight, Pfaff said.

“These really skinny guys are squatting 500 pounds, and it's insane,” Pfaff said. “Their body composition does not match what they're actually physically capable of. Your body is so much more capable than you actu ally think it is.”

For interested students, there is flexibility when to exercise.

“The majority of our club will work out at 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednes day, and Thursday in the JAM Weight Room because the plans are for four days a week,” Pfaff said. “The workouts take an hour, or an hour and a half. You could do it with a four hour time commitment. That's not bad.”

Anyone interested in the club can email Pfaff or Rybka for workout plans and complete them in dependently in the JAM Weight Room or Founders Gym. For personal instruc tion, students can attend the meetings with the club.

“Socrates once said, ‘No man has the right to be an amateur in the mat ters of physical training,’” Worachek said. “I think our club considers this quote seriously and strives diligently to improve our bodies and minds. Power lifting is as much mental as it is physical. It requires putting insane pressure on one's body and mentally overcoming the pain to achieve success and in the end, self-mastery.”

Admissions department begins outreach progam for underserved communities

By Aubrey Gulick Senior Reporter

In September, the admis sions department hosted several pastors and nonprof it leaders from around the country to build long-term relationships with under served communities.

“These pastors and non profit leaders have a network of students so that, when the right student comes along who might be a good fit for Hillsdale, they can reach out to us, and we can take it from there,” said Jolie Bal lantyne, associate director of admissions.

The college hired Ballan tyne last fall to help develop a program to reach out to underserved communities.

“These are essentially low-income students who have experienced tougher challenges in their life—the first generation to go to col lege, the students who have experienced foster care,” Bal lantyne said. “Just kids that really need that extra hand to get to college.”

Community leaders who visited said they were impressed by the campus, classes, and the students they met.

“The most eye-opening experience I had the whole weekend was walking into the lunch room and seeing that students were saving their seats with cell phones,” said Ashley Wambach, presi dent and executive director of Compelled to Care, a Washington state ministry serving foster families.

Wambach and Cyndi

Noski, vice president of Compelled to Care, said they believe Hillsdale has much to offer the students they serve.

“Hillsdale is a smaller, safe environment with an emphasis on integrity and accountability, which will help mold the character of students who first enter adulthood,” Wambach said.

“Kids who have experienced foster care often need a predictable environment with consistent, trustworthy leadership to succeed, which Hillsdale provides.”

The program seeks to select qualified students in these communities and of fers them the chance to pur sue a Hillsdale education. It will allow community leaders to connect students with the admissions team, after which the students will continue with the standard process for admissions.

“It’s important to know that they must have the same academic abilities,” Ballan tyne said. We do the same application process; they still work with an admissions counselor. We’re here as an additional resource, but they still go through the whole process.”

Ballantyne said students from these communities have important perspectives to contribute to the Hillsdale community.

“These students will bring a different life experience – every student here at Hills dale has their own back ground; they have their own story,” she said. “By reaching out to communities that are typically underrepresented,

we can also help share their stories. I think that can help contribute to their intellec tual conversations and how they approach problems, which can help educate oth er people around them.”

For Ballantyne, the program is an important part of the college’s Christian duties toward underserved communities.

“We’re a Christian insti tution, and we are called to serve those with less than us,” she said. “We have an obligation, with the gifts we’ve been blessed with, to go out and help those less fortunate.”

Forming long-term rela tionships with these com munities presents unique opportunities to prospective students, Noski said.

“College offers a stable environment for students to transition from foster care and gives them hope and purpose for the future,” Nos ki said. “The offer of college gives students a sure path, even with the challenging circumstances that can come from aging out of the foster care system.”

According to Ballantyne, the program may only help a small number of students, but that does not make it fruitless.

“My job is to go into schools where, out of 1,500 students, we might only have one kid who will qualify, but we’re going to try to find that one,” Ballantyne said. “Is that the most efficient use of re sources? Probably not. But is that student worth fighting for? Yeah, absolutely.”

Documentary about a Hong Kong journalist's fight for freedom shows

By Christina Lewis Collegian Freelancer

Jimmy Lai risked his life for Hong Kong’s freedom, and on Oct. 5, College Republicans, the Alexander Hamilton Society, and the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship showed a documentary about the en trepreneur and journalist.

Lai, the founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, organized protests in Hong Kong in 2021 against the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. His involvement in these protests led to his arrest. He currently awaits his date of release. Apple Daily’s final print was on June 24, 2021.

“Hong Konger” showed Lai’s life through interviews and testimonials from friends and activists, while emphasizing the spiritual aspect of his effort to fight for freedom.

Edward Chin, a former columnist at Apple Daily, gave a short talk after the documentary.

“Lai built his business during the British colonial days when there were free markets,” Chin said. “There

was freedom, but there was no real democracy because people in Hong Kong still could not choose who the next governor of Hong Kong would be.”

Chin said his faith is very important to his mis sion of fighting for freedom in Hong Kong.

“I believe that it is also a very spiritual war,” Chin said. “You need faith so strong that it can move mountains against tyranny. As the saying goes: 'you do your best; God will do the rest.'”

According to Chin, China used the COVID-19 pandemic to make people download a health app that tracks their movements and location. The app tracks the number of people in a given location. If more than four people are outside at a public gathering, the gov ernment takes note of it as a possible demonstration. This app is still being used in Hong Kong, Chin said.

People are no longer free to criticize the government after the national security law was passed, he said.

Chin said he encourages Americans to watch “Hong Konger” to understand the problems people in Hong Kong face.

The Committee for

Freedom in Hong Kong sponsored the screening and talk. The CFHK is an organization that seeks to spread awareness about the current political prisoners in Hong Kong.

“The national security law resulted in the jailing of many pro-freedom, pro-democracy advocates. CFHK is pushing for the release of these political prisoners who are currently being held in Hong Kong,” said Olivia Enos, CFHK’s Washington, D.C. director.

Senior Conner Bolanos said he gained an appre ciation for the fight for freedom in Hong Kong.

“I think one of the big takeaways is probably that it's still an ongoing issue,” Bolanos said. “There tends to be a narrative where things happen and it's a super big deal, and then it falls out.”

Enos said since freedom in Hong Kong disappeared so quickly, Americans should be thankful for what they have.

“That should call upon students to cherish and safeguard the freedoms we have here in the U.S.,” Enos said.

College to host fourth Fireside Lecture Series

By Moira Gleason Collegian Freelancer

Hillsdale professors will speak on topics including the holy family, Russell Kirk and T.S. Eliot, and Jonathan Edward's view of the Atone ment at the fourth annual Fireside Lecture Series at Rockwell Lake Lodge in Luther, Michigan.

Friends of the college can attend the series one weekend per month from December through May. According to Director of Guest Relations at Michin doh Conference Center Kris Healy, who develops and facilitates the program, the Fireside Lectures allows friends of the college to expe rience Hillsdale’s academics and community.

“They’re not long pe riods of time,” Healy said. “They’re kind of condensed, but they’re absolutely filled with academically enriching information, with really won derful fellowship with each other, with the best food, and the warmth of the fire.”

Over the course of the weekend, guests enjoy meals together, attend a series of

lectures in the great room of the lodge, explore the scenic grounds of lodge, and conclude with a meal and an evening of live music on Saturday.

“The environment makes people feel like they’re taken care of,” said Professor of Re ligion Don Westblade, who has lectured for the series since it started. “It’s just that sort of up north lodge feel that is really comfortable and inspiring for people to think about big things like nature and God and so on.”

According to Professor of History Brad Birzer, who will be lecturing on Russell Kirk and T.S. Eliot in February, the small setting of the seminar gives the weekend a personal feel.

“We’re in this big room,” Birzer said. “There’s a beau tiful fireplace, and it’s very nicely decorated, and has cushy couches. And it’s just a really relaxed atmosphere. It’s one thing to stand up in front of a group of 50 people, but to have a group of 15 to 20 is really nice. It really does give that sense of intimacy.”

The setting always pro vides a sense of warmth and community, Westblade said.

Each weekend, the lodge welcomes a maximum of 20 guests.

“We’ve filled up the lodge every single time,” Westblade said. “The people come be cause the topic is interesting to them and they ask interest ing questions. We get all ages, from high school kids up through retired people, so the mix of people is always very interesting. The numbers are limited to who can fit into the lodge, which means that there’s a lot of room for con versation and for discussion.”

In future years, Healy plans to increase the number of lectures offered from six to 10 so more people can experience Hillsdale.

“For many of these folks, this is one of the few times each year where they can get together with like mind ed people, folks that love Hillsdale,” Healy said. “They come up, and they feel like they’ve become friends with a professor. They leave having developed relationships with other guests, and they feel the absolute warmth of not only the fire but of just that sweet fellowship that only a place like Hillsdale could offer.”

Off-Campus Coalition wins homecoming 2022

By Thomas McKenna Collegian Freelancer

Off-Campus Coalition won the annual homecom ing competition after a second-place finish in mock rock on Oct. 8.

“We are in shock, happy shock,” said senior Allie Spaccarelli, captain of OCC. “Our goals throughout all this have been to entertain campus, to grow friendships, to create some killer mem ories, and to have a good time doing it. The fact that we went on to win the whole competition just blows my mind.”

New Dorm took first place in mock rock with a performance that featured a mix of clips from “The Office,” Lady Gaga’s “Bad

Romance,” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Senior Rachel Warren, head resident assis tant of New Dorm, said the victory was a surprise.

“It was definitely super shocking,” Warren said. “As far as we know, this is the first time in the memorable past that an all-women's dorm has won mock rock.

For the freshmen, this being their first experience of mock rock and homecom ing, it made them proud to be in New Dorm.”

OCC’s mock rock featured a live depiction of Wii bowling, an intro to the Disney Channel voiced by College President Larry Arnn, and a quote from former President George W. Bush.

Senior Joe Coleman, one of the choreographers of the mock rock routine, said the team put a lot of effort into following mock rock’s 2000s theme.

“Because we all grew up in the 2000s, we had plenty of suggestions and material to work with,” Coleman said. “Honestly, almost half of our efforts went into just brain storming and making the mix alone. This left us with just the week of homecom ing to practice, though our Mock Rock team did a great job staying focused.”

Warren said she was grateful for the ability to lead the dorm through home coming week.

“It’s an exhausting week,” Warren said. “But it’s worth it in every way.”

Friends of the college sit around the fire at the Rock well Lake Lodge. Courtesy | Kris Healy

Sophomore and club treasurer Colin Smith deadlifts at powerlift ing club. Courtesy | Sophie Pfaff

Opinions

The Collegian Weekly

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

celebrate will carleton day

Oct. 21 is Will Carleton Day, but you probably don’t have plans to celebrate.

The name Will Carleton may sound familiar if you’ve wandered around the city of Hillsdale. You may have driven on Carleton Road or seen the Will Carleton Poor house on Wolcott Street.

But he used to be known for more than just that. In the late 19th century, Carleton was a famous poet known across the nation.

You do not need a new iPhone

By Alexandra Hall

The new iPhone 14 can detect when you’ve been in a severe car crash, in case you aren’t aware it happened.

In early September, Apple Inc. announced the release of the fourteenth iteration of its signature smartphone. What began as a simple, brick-like distant relative of the flip phone has now evolved into a vital limb most people rely upon. But what has also become normalized is the pressure to constantly up date your device every year, despite the mind-numbing cost.

A standard iPhone 14 will cost $799, with its Pro coun terpart at $999. There are only minor differences in the laundry list of features both phones have like increased battery longevity, larger display size, and advanced camera technology. This launch is similar to every other launch in the past, of fering very few features that haven’t been seen before.

If you’re a normal per son and don’t have many extravagant photoshoots lined up, you probably don’t need what Apple claims is its most “impressive iPhone camera system yet.” The video that launched the release features a model surrounded by hundreds of colorful flowers, posing in front of the phone mounted on a tripod. Although this shows the iPhone’s ability to capture complex scenes, it is doubtful it affects the average person’s photo skills. If you’re

running a shoot as high-tech as the one they featured, maybe just invest in a proper camera.

The crash detection update uses sensors to detect a serious impact when it occurs near the phone, connecting the user to emergency services. There is a 20-second window to dismiss the call before the phone starts recording audio of the surrounding area and sends the person’s location to emergency responders.

If the features of this new release excite you, then by all means go upgrade your device. Apple offers some trade-in programs that allow you to give your old device and receive credit toward a new model. But if you’re stuck in the consumerism cycle and upgrading for the sake of upgrading, maybe take a break for a few years until something necessary becomes available.

After all, as the new iOS updates circulate and people work on swapping out their old models for the newest and the shiniest, Apple workers are probably already planning the release of the iPhone 15. They’ll use the same buzzwords and the same features only slightly altered in order to lasso their devoted consumers into yet another edition.

Alexandra Hall is a sophomore studying rheto ric and public address and journalism and biology. She is an assistant editor at the Collegian.

He was born and raised in Michigan and graduated from Hillsdale College in 1869. He worked as a journalist in Hillsdale at the Hillsdale Standard before pursuing his lifelong pas sion, poetry.

Many of his poems achieved critical acclaim. He traveled to recite them to captivated audiences across the United States. The story of his most famous poem, “Over the Hill to the Poor

house,” was based on his visits to the local poorhouse as an undergraduate at Hills dale. The house has since been renamed in honor of Carleton.

This poem and all his others were largely inspired by his life in rural Michigan, even though he lived the latter part of his life in New York. His skill for stirring the hearts of average people is why Will Carleton’s legacy prevails today.

In 1919, the Michigan legislature dedicated Oct. 21 as Will Carleton Day. It also required teachers in Mich igan to teach at least one of his poems to their students on this day.

Instead of letting the 21st pass without acknowledging one of Hillsdale’s most famous graduates, take some time to read some of Carleton’s poetry.

Return to tradition: A Hillsdale student should be the commencement speaker

By Jane Kitchen

Hillsdale seniors don’t need to invite a commence ment speaker. Instead, they should speak for themselves.

Many students think of their graduation ceremony as the end of their time in college. It comes after they’ve completed their courses, packed their things, and pre pared to say goodbye to their friends. So it’s surprising that the official term for the cere mony—“commencement”— is defined as “a beginning or start.” Nevertheless, the name was chosen for good reason.

Commencement ceremo nies have been around for centuries. Harvard Univer sity held its first commence ment in 1642. It originally served as a way to welcome graduates into an upper echelon of academia. Gradu ation marked the beginning for students of a new intel lectual life, one where they enjoyed closer proximity to professors and other learned people. In the early days of commencement, speakers comprised members of the graduating class who gave speeches to demonstrate their oratory competence and mastery of languages such as Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Students some times participated in formal philosophical debates called disputations. Regardless of the specific content, com mencement speeches allowed graduates to demonstrate the skills they’d developed during their years at college.

Guest speakers occasionally contributed to commence ment ceremonies alongside students but were not consid ered the primary speakers.

As time passed, the importance of oration and classical languages in college education diminished, and guest speakers began to replace student speakers. It is now standard practice for colleges to invite well-known artists, politicians, and entre

debate. There is no one better equipped to deliver a com mencement speech to the Class of 2023 than one of its own members.

A commencement address given by students better ad heres to the original intent of commencement. Graduating students have spent the past four years listening to and learning from gifted speakers in the classroom, and they’ve done so partly in accordance with an academic hierarchy that designates professors as speakers and students as listeners. There is no better way to signify the softening of those boundaries than by allowing students to take the mic and demonstrate their gifts with an attentive audience of their own. A tradition like this would help convey the privileges and responsibilities the graduates take on as they enter this new phase of their life.

ments of the graduating class rather than those of a speak er unaffiliated with them. Rather than looking outward to find brilliance, the Hills dale study body would look inward.

The senior student body president already delivers a speech at commencement. Although it isn’t the main attraction, it shows that host ing student speakers at the event is a viable idea.

Additionally, watching graduates show off their skills would be more interest ing than listening to a speech delivered by a stranger. It’s always a joy to see people you care for do something they’re good at and pas sionate about. Allowing the student body to get together and watch fellow students take on the task of delivering such an important speech would foster an environment of support and appreciation.

preneurs to deliver com mencement speeches in lieu of students. Barack Obama, David Foster Wallace, and Steve Jobs are among the most famous commence ment speakers in recent history.

Hillsdale should subvert this trend and return to the tradition of entrusting students with commence ment addresses. They should revive the practice of having students deliver the speech in a classical language and engage in philosophical

A student-delivered commencement address would align with Hillsdale’s commitment to classical education. It would bind our traditions to those of great universities of the past while reasserting the importance of oration, classical language, and philosophical debate in the modern world.

It would also be consistent with Hillsdale’s emphasis on community and self-gover nance. Rather than asking an outsider to deliver such a meaningful address, students could decide among them selves who is best suited to speak. The ceremony would celebrate the accomplish

Watching a famous person give an address isn’t the once-in-a-lifetime opportu nity it once was. The ubiquity of the internet means that more and more people have unprecedented access to any given speaker’s body of work, meaning that com mencement speeches garner less enthusiasm than they once did. Hillsdale should try something different by returning to the roots of commencement and giving students the opportunity to represent themselves.

Jane Kitchen is a junior studying the liberal arts and journalism.

California is not as bad as people think

By Megan Williams

Arriving in Hillsdale my freshman year of college, I was expecting to answer lots of questions about my home state of California. Yes, I’d grown up seeing celebrities. Of course I celebrated New Year’s Eve at the beach. No, I’d never learned how to surf. So I was surprised when Hillsdale students spat out the word California like it left a bad taste in their mouth.

Most Hillsdale students condemn the state because it isn’t Republican, it legal ized marijuana, and they’ve heard horror stories about the streets of San Francisco. But almost none of their dislikes are actually based on evi dence. Hillsdale students need to step off their high horses and acknowledge all the good the Golden State brings to the United States of America.

The main argument students have against Cali fornia is the state’s affiliation with the Democratic Party. Students claim California is run by communists and

suppresses freedom, which is simply ridiculous. According to party registration identifi cation in 2020, six states have a higher ratio of Democrats to Republicans than California: Hawaii, Maryland, Massa chusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Most students wouldn’t venture to say that Americans should stop going to Hawaii on vacation or condemn Boston for its repression of Repub licans, yet these are the kind of attacks California faces every day. In fact, California has a higher percentage of registered Republicans than Alabama, so there is no lack of conservatives. The Golden State was home to one of the best Republican presidents: Ronald Reagan. He began his political career as the Gover nor of California.

Living in California for 19 years, I wasn’t even able to experience all of the grandeur it holds. But from post-finals beach trips to camping excur sions in Joshua Tree National Park, I could not imagine growing up without access

to these glorious, God-made beauties.

California is the third largest state in the U.S., and arguably the most natural ly diverse. Starting at the

Japanese, and Chinese food is enough to make Michigan ders realize the error of their ways. San Diego, California is one of the southernmost cities in the state, and was the

local airbase. It will make you take off your hat and start singing the national anthem.

California possesses nine national parks–the most of any state. From the lowest point in the continental U.S. in the deserts of Death Valley to the world’s tallest trees in the lush forests of Sequoia National Park, California is recognized by the National Parks Service for its natural beauty and record-breaking features.

There are authentic, hole-inthe-wall restaurants at every turn, giving you the chance to try Indonesian food, or any other cuisine, for the first time.

bottom of the west coast, visitors often forget they’re not vacationing on a tropical island. The white, soft sand, lapping ocean, and array of mouth-watering Mexican,

film location for the classic movie “Top Gun.” While walking around the island of Coronado, eating authentic gelato, tourists can witness naval flights landing at the

Moving north, you might be inclined to skip Los Angeles because you’ve heard stories of the uncontrollable homeless population and high crime, but I urge you to actually experience the city itself. Los Angeles is about 475 square miles, making it the largest city in the United States. Within it, you can hike up to the Hollywood sign, see the stars at the Griffith Observatory, and peruse paintings and sculptures at the Getty Museum. You can visit Disneyland, walk along the Santa Monica pier, and strut down Rodeo Drive.

Because of its natural di versity, you could start your day surfing in Santa Cruz, drive two hours east, and finish your day night skiing in Lake Tahoe. California offers world-class hiking and backpacking in Yosemite on the John Muir trail, crystal lakes perfect for boating, and deserts made for dirt biking.

Next time you think about discussing how California is the worst and should secede from the Union, think about the beauty and natural diversity it brings to the country, and stop categorizing things as right or wrong based on how you think they fit with your political views.

Megan Williams is a senior studying rhetoric and public address and journal ism. She is an editor at the Collegian.

California welcomes millions of tourists yearly.

Courtesy | Pixabay

As time passed, the importance of oration and classical languages in college education diminished .

Jordan Peterson is wrong: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

By Chris Dick

Aesthetic Beauty is entirely subjective, and no person has the power to de termine what is universally beautiful.

“Sorry. Not beautiful. And no amount of author itarian tolerance is going to change that,” Jordan Peter son, a clinical psychologist, shouted his opinion about model Yumi Nu over the twittersphere in May 2022. I’m sorry, Dr. Peterson, her objective beauty is not for you to decide. Just because you do not find her beauti ful does not mean that she is not beautiful to anyone. Truth in a math equation is objective but a person’s beauty is not math.

Peterson’s views are several months old, yet their incendiary remarks still remain relevant as ever.

First, ground rules must be established. Is there a standard of beauty at some level? Yes. In the macro, there is a way we can judge between what is beauti ful and what is not. The universe has a beauty that we can see, but people are more complicated than that. If you want to discuss beauty in “the All,” read Plato’s “Ti maeus.” If you want to talk about the beauty of a person, read on. The entire scope of the argument has to do with

Aesthetic Beauty. Peterson is a clinical psychologist who has risen to fame for his advice on self-actualizing and his conservative bent. What right does Peterson have to determine one’s beauty? Just because Yumi Nu does not fit into his standard of beauty does not mean she is not beautiful.

The standard of beauty that Peterson claims to preserve the free world from “authoritarian tolerance” has not been the standard for beauty. 30,000 years ago, the standard of fertility was a woman with features very similar to Yumi Nu. Would Peterson walk up to this tribe and tell them, “Sorry, not beautiful.”? What right would he have to tell them what is beautiful? The Taureg women in Saharan Africa are fed more to en courage them to become fat, and therefore more desir able for marriage. To them, women with more weight are more beautiful. Who are we to tell them that they have the wrong conception of beauty? Let’s look at the western tradition. Peter Paul Rubens painted women very differently from Edgar Degas yet they both were painting their own view of beauty..

The standard of beauty has changed throughout

time, and it is objectively false to act as if the celebra tion of Yumi’s body is a de parture from God’s standard of beauty.

The common expression is that we are innately bound to an objective standard of beauty that is directly linked to health, and for this reason, those who are “overweight” will never meet that objective standard of beauty. This line of argument does not hold up for many reasons. For one, the same people who might argue that Yumi is objectively “not beautiful” have probably had no issue with many of the malnourished models who have graced the covers of magazines in years past. The ballet world is another example of a community in which “objective beauty” and health are often at odds with each other. In talking with my sister, who has been in the ballet world for 20 years, it is clear to me that this idea of objective beauty can often lead to the pursuit of dangerous practices, all in an attempt to achieve that standard:

“At 12 or 13, I was given the ‘weight talk.’ At 14, I had a teacher directly instruct the class to try throwing up as a ‘stress relief method,’” my sister explained.

When I first saw Peter son’s tweet, I was angry, dis

Vote no to prevent abortion extremism

By Grace Marks

Advertisements in support of Michigan’s Proposal 3 have described the measure as a “mid dle-ground solution.” But this proposed amendment to the state constitution would create the nation’s most extreme pro-abor tion law. It would do much more than simply “restore protections” from before the Supreme Court’s over turning of Roe v. Wade. Instead, it would enshrine a nearly unlimited right to abortion, permitting the procedure throughout all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason and without restriction.

Everyone should vote against it.

In the name of “repro ductive freedom for all,” this amendment would permit abortion for rea sons of “mental health,” among others, which in practice would mean for any reason at all.

It would wipe out parental consent and notification laws, enabling children to obtain abor tions without the approval or knowledge of their parents. It claims to allow regulation after “viability,” but leaves the determi nation of when that is to abortion providers. If passed, this amendment will end the conversation about abortion in Mich

igan, with the final word being that anyone can do as they please, so long as it is in the name of reproductive freedom.

This amendment would prioritize abortion accessibility at the direct expense of women—even pro-choice voters should see that Proposal 3 goes too far. It would weaken health and safety standards for abortion clinics, and make it virtually impossible to prosecute abortionists who endanger women, encour

3 would also have broader implications for society’s treatment of women. What do we tell women is most important when we allow this on our ballots? Perhaps that access to abortion is more important than their wellbeing. That abortion assists their mental health rather than cripples it, yet that they couldn’t handle the truth of their own ultra sound?

heartened, and some small part of me wondered if he was right. I have appreciated Peterson’s perspectives on some things, and I love and respect many people who follow his work. I have also felt, until recently, that there was a standard of beauty that I, unfortunately, would never be able to meet. It gets extra complicated as a Chris tian, when you tie beauty to truth and truth to morality, because then, to hate oneself for not looking a certain way becomes almost holy.

I say all this to caution against grandstanding about an issue you don’t fully understand. Holding onto our current standard of beauty ostracizes thousands of people whose body type does fit into the strict grade that American society has demanded. If we loosen that standard, fewer people will look in the mirror and hate themselves. Instead of seeing themselves as people whose weight determines they are unworthy of love, they can start to see themselves as beautiful. Beautiful, not be cause they cause a reaction in a person’s brain called attraction, but beautiful be cause they’re made in God’s image.

Chris Dick is a junior studying history, religion, and classical education.

Hillsdale students should not celebrate Halloween

By Evalyn Homoelle

The beauty of a mid western fall is at its peak in October: the flaming colors of the autumn leaves, the crisp air, and the clear sapphire skies are a perfect celebration of the autumn season.

Yet one of the most popular days in October is Halloween.

While many think of Halloween as a oneday event for children to dress up in costumes and scour their neigh borhoods for candy, it is a holiday that inherently glorifies and celebrates death, darkness, and evil.

The early histori cal roots of Halloween highlight the dark spir itualism of the holiday. Halloween began in Ireland as the Celtic festival of Samhain on Oct. 31, the night before the Irish new year. The Celts believed Oct. 31 was the night the spirits of the dead returned to haunt earth, and wore costumes to protect themselves from venge ful spirits. The tradition continued when Pope Gregory III declared Nov. 1 to be All Saints’ Day, a church-consecrated reformation of the pagan Celtic celebration. The Oct. 31 celebrations of the dead morphed into All Hallow’s Eve, and eventually Halloween.

Over the years, All Hallow’s Eve became less about memorializing and praying for the souls of departed friends and family and more about embracing a fascination with the afterlife, witch craft, and violence.

While I’ve had my fair share of fun dressing up to go trick-or-treating when I was little and watching spooky movies with friends, I believe that the widespread devotion to celebrating “spooky season” demon strates that something is desperately wrong with our society. Just drive by one of those houses that goes all-out with Halloween yard displays boasting zombies, ghosts,

witches, skeletons, blood, and crime-scene tape and you’ll see that the root of Halloween far transcends a bit of innocent fun and spooky jumpscares.

Current-day Hallow een celebrations aes theticize and normalize our culture’s obsession with death, violence, and darkness. Many today obsess over horror films, crime podcasts, and vio lent video games, and are intrigued by accounts of spiritualism and witch craft. Halloween glorifies and encourages this fasci nation with evil.

While families, churches, and schools have sought to redeem this holiday and tone down the dark under tones of Halloween, we should consider whether a holiday so steeped in paganism and the occult should be celebrated by anyone, especially young children.

It’s easy to see the lighthearted aspects of Halloween and dismiss the holiday as a cultural norm, especially when our only exposure is hosting trunk-or-treat for local children, watch ing spooky movies, or dressing up in fun group costumes for Halloween parties. But we should ask ourselves: As students who claim to love good ness, truth, and beauty, should we truly be cele brating the antithesis of these virtues?

While it’s not immoral or necessarily wrong to participate in Halloween festivities, it’s important to understand that at its heart, Halloween is a day where death, evil, vio lence, and darkness are glorified and celebrated.

In a culture that’s growing ever darker and more vio lent, perhaps we should reclaim Oct. 31 as a day to celebrate the beauty, goodness, and truth we have come to know and love at Hillsdale.

Evalyn Homoelle is a junior studying politics and journalism. She is an assistant editor at the Collegian.

Vote yes for reproductive freedom

By Avery Noel and Emmie Gilchrist

Michigan voters should support ballot Proposal 3, which would guarantee the right to reproductive freedom under the state constitution, to adhere to the principles of limited govern ment, oppose conservative abortion extremism, and support religious freedom.

of whom are not adequately equipped to handle these decisions.

aging unsafe practices. It would eliminate laws requiring that women have “informed consent,” which includes looking at an ultrasound before having an abortion. It also would also eliminate Michigan’s 24-hour waiting period, taking away the opportunity for second thoughts before a grave choice.

Proposal 3 isn’t prochoice, it is pro-one choice. A person who supports this amendment is pro-abortion, at any cost.

The passage of Proposal

Proposal 3 also allows men to be irresponsible, creating an incentive for them to abandon vulnera ble women. It makes birth entirely a woman’s bur den, and entrenches such attitudes in our culture. If a woman has a baby in her arms nine months after sleeping with a man, it is solely because of her weak ness for not getting rid of it when she had the chance. She had nine months to deal with it, right? This amend ment would contribute to a society that refuses to hold men to any standards, thus revoking their opportuni ty to meet them; one that purports to set women free, but turns around and tells them that there is no choice for them but abortion.

We can do better for everyone.

Grace Marks is a soph omore studying the liberal arts. She is the secretary at the Hillsdale College for Life.

This amendment to Michigan’s consitution would guarantee bodily autonomy for women throughout the state and prohibit legislation restricting abortion until “fetal viability.” The proposal comes after the landmark Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned decades of legal precedent surrounding abor tion rights and sent the issue back to the states.

Many pro-life advocates have painted this amend ment as extreme, arguing it allows an unlimited and un regulated right to abortion. However, those who have actually read the proposal will quickly recognize that the amendment is quite limited in scope. Unlike most restrictions on reproductive freedom, the proposal makes very clear the definition of fetal viability, putting the decision in the hands of medical professionals instead of promoting a subjective principle administered by government officials, most

The amendment allows for doctors and nurses to do their jobs without fear of legal action being brought against them. Since the Dobbs decision, countless stories have been in the news exhibiting the newfound fear put into doctors when tasked with handling miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, or other reproductive issues. This proposal would follow the principles of limited gov ernment, allowing women, aided by their physicians, to make their own decisions on pregnancies. Women do not take these decisions lightly, recognizing the socioeco nomic factors of birthing a child as well as those in raising a child. Lawyers and legislators, the vast majority of whom are men, should not be inserting themselves into these decisions.

The proposal is also vital for the principle of religious freedom already established in the Michigan Constitution under Article I, Section 2. While many oppose the idea of abortion based on their faith, not all believers share these views. The National Council of Jewish Women, in their advocacy resource “Ju daism and Abortion,” argues that abortion is compulsory if the life of the mother is at stake. If Michigan’s legis lature were to restrict all abortion without exception,

as has been proposed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, it would violate the religious freedoms of Jewish people in the state.

Abortion extremism, a huge danger to Americans all over the nation, is on the ballot for Michiganders this fall, not in their response to Proposal 3, but in their vote in the gubernatorial race. If Dixon gets her way, a 10-year-old child who is a victim of rape would be forced to carry her pregnancy to term. This is extreme and unthink able, but it is the future the Republican candidate en dorses, and we have already seen in Ohio that situations such as these occur, forcing women across states lines to have abortions. Pro posal 3 would oppose this extremism, and leave the decision where it should be, with the women affected by the legislation. The limited scope of the amendment and the clearly established recent tendency of Repub licans toward extremism on the issue makes this a no-brainer for Michigan ders. Vote yes on Proposal 3 for freedom, equality, and medical expertise.

Avery Noel is a junior studying economics and Emmie Gilchrist is a senior studying exercise science. They are both co-presidents of The College Democrats.

Courtesy

Pixabay

Car part thefts increase across county

By Carly Moran Ad Manager

At least three catalytic converters are stolen per month in Hillsdale County, according to the sheriff’s office.

“We deal with catalytic converter thefts on a regular basis, which have been going on for years across the country,” City of Hillsdale Police Department Detective Brad Martin said. “We had three stolen in the month of September, and more in preceding months.”

This specific car part is stolen with frequency due to its ease of access and lucrative platinum composition, according to Martin.

Catalytic converters change gasses like carbon monoxide into safe gasses like carbon dioxide or steam. Thieves typically steal catalytic converters because they contain rare earth metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium, the presence of which allows

stolen converters to sell for $50 to $250.

Martin said car owners should be vigilant, as the theft of a catalytic converter can happen very quickly.

“Now with the advent of battery powered reciprocating saws, they can get it done in minutes,” Martin said.

Dean of Men Aaron Petersen was one of the most recent victims. Living outside city limits near the Hillsdale County Municipal Airport, he has been relying on the help of the sheriff’s office.

“It made everyone in our neighborhood a little uneasy that people are prowling about, seeking the ruin of catalytic converters,” Petersen said.

Around 1 a.m. on Aug. 15, one of Petersen’s collegeaged kids came home and parked the family van outside.

“My daughter Mary Ellen went out in the morning to go to work and it sounded like a tank,” Petersen said.

Absentee voting begins

By Victoria Wagner Collegian Reporter

Michigan voters have started voting in this year’s general election by absentee ballot.

Nearly 1.6 million Michiganders have requested absentee ballots so far for the Nov. 8 general election, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, which began mailing absentee ballots on Sept. 29.

This year, Michigan voters can request an absentee ballot online through the Secretary of State’s office. Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast said around 20% of registered voters in Hillsdale County typically vote by absentee ballot.

In addition to the traditional method of turning in a ballot through the mail, voters can also choose to drop off their ballot at the local clerk’s office. The Hillsdale City Clerk’s Office is in city hall, located at 97 N. Broad St.

“A voter can turn in their absentee Ballot to their local clerk by 8 p.m. on election day,” Kast said.

This method of absentee voting was adopted in the 2020 election during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, Michigan has allowed the adoption of a permanent

absentee voter roll. By signing up for this list, voters would automatically receive an absentee ballot every election.

“Voters are now allowed to be put on a permanent absent voter list if their clerk maintains one,” Kast said.

Junior and Michigan native Grace Hearne said she has already turned in her absentee ballot.

“I voted absentee when I was home over fall break,” Hearne said. “I was able to go in, pick up my ballot, cast my vote, and then go turn it in.”

Kast explained the role of the clerk’s office in the absentee ballot process.

“As county clerks, we work with the local clerks in ordering all ballots including absentee ballots,” Kast said. “Local clerks are in charge of issuing and receiving the absentee return ballots. Returned absentee ballots are then taken to the precinct on election day for processing.”

Every year, many voters who sign up to receive absentee ballots don’t turn them in on time for their votes to be counted.

“I had tried to vote absentee last election, but the ballot never arrived to me in Hillsdale last year,” Hearne said.

UPCOMING IN THE CITY:

Oct

The Hillsdale American Legion is hosting a "Fall Freedom" 5K walk/run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Cars with missing catalytic converters make loud noises, as the part quiets the exhaust system. Replacement parts and installation can cost upwards of $2,000, according to Autozone.

“Our local mechanic in town was the one who told us we had it stolen,” Petersen said. “I didn't know what was wrong with the car. The insurance doesn't cover everything, so there was a financial burden. We had to share cars for a while.”

The theft from Petersen’s van resembled many others, as it targeted a lifted vehicle parked outside in a rural area.

“It's a big Ford 350 van, it has a big truck chassis that was easy to get under and it's parked outside,” Petersen said. “There was an exterior motion sensor light, which made us think it happened around 3 or 4 a.m.”

The car part is frequently stolen due to its lack of identification and ease of

access. Petersen said he experienced this first hand when reaching out to his mechanic.

“Seeing as they don’t have serial numbers, it’s not good enough to say whose car is whose,” Martin said. “Make sure to park your car in a garage, or add lighting to deter thieves.”

A similar theft occurred on Sept. 24 outside the village of Waldron in Hillsdale County. A man, yet to be identified, cut off a passenger van’s catalytic converter. Numerous residents said the suspect’s car was a beige or silver Dodge Caliber.

“We are seeking information regarding thefts in the Waldron area,” the sheriff’s office said. “If you recognize this individual or the light colored passenger car please contact Deputy Edmonson with the Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office at 517-4377317.”

In order to prevent further thefts, any person

interested in the re-sale of catalytic converters should be required to show a vehicle title, according to Martin, who said many junk yards are ignoring the new initiative.

In the meantime, if

residents are looking to protect their vehicles, police recommend they park in a secure, well-lit area. Catalytic converters may also be painted or stamped with an identifying number at an auto repair shop.

County emergency radios unreliable, official says

By Anna MacPhee Collegian Freelancer

Hillsdale County’s emergency radio system is years behind that of other counties, according to a local official.

“We have a lot of dead spots in the county, where officers can’t communicate back to us,” said Hillsdale County 911 Dispatch Director Thomas Whitaker. “We have areas and even buildings that they go into that we can’t communicate to them. That creates a big safety concern, not only for the officers but for the general public.”

The county’s current emergency communications system is a VHF, or Very High Frequency radio. According to Whitaker, the upgrade of the county’s radio systems to 800 MHz radios is necessary.

Whitaker said that there are many problems with VHF radios, as they are outdated.

Whitaker also said VHF radios cannot communicate with 800 MHz radios. This could pose problems if there was ever a large-scale emergency that required assistance from other

counties, Whitaker said, because most of Hillsdale’s surrounding counties and the Michigan State Police use 800 MHz radios.

“When those agencies come in, we can't communicate with them because the federal agencies use the 800 MHz system as well. So that creates a lot of problems if something did happen,” Whitaker said.

would be expensive, but worth the cost.

“It is a hefty, hefty price. The original quote that we got was just under $10 million.” Whitaker said.

County Commissioner Brad Benzing, a firefighter and medical first responder, said the 800 MHz system would be better than VHF radios. 800 MHz radios offer clearer communications both in the county, and with agencies in different counties, Benzing said.

it’s cheaper to upgrade now. And the state, rather than the county, maintains 800 MHz radios,” McNett said.”In the long run, we’re going to end up saving the taxpayers’ dollars.”

VHF radios are not always faulty, according to David Morris, Hillsdale College senior and EMT for Reading Emergency Unit.

20 Oct

Solo acoustic guitarist Michael Gulezian will perform at Hillsdale College as part of the Professional Artist Series. The performance will take place in Plaster Auditorium from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Oct .

The Hillsdale Daily News and The Collegian are hosting a "Meet the Candidates Forum" at 8 p.m. in Hillsdale College's Plaster Auditorium. The event will cover mayoral and two city council races. Admission is free, and residents are welcome to attend.

The Hillsdale County Commissioners proposed an upgrade from the VHF system to a new 800 MHz system and placed it on the August primary ballot, but voters rejected the idea, which included a tax increase.

According to Whitaker, replacing the communications systems

22 Oct

The Gospel Barn is hosting a concert with Higher Vision, a band from Booneville, Ky. Tickets will cost $6. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 6 p.m.

28 Oct

The Halter Shooting Sports Center is hosting a Family Archery Night from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event is for families from the community. One must purchase a season pass, which includes bow and arrow rentals, for $50 to participate.

“After 9/11, we discovered that when many departments came together, they can’t talk to each other because all of their radio equipment doesn’t communicate well. The 800 MHz system came from that idea,” Benzing said. “800 MHz is what the Michigan State Police use and is the accepted standard throughout the nation. That was the whole intent of going to that system: to have much clearer communication.”

Wright-Waldron Fire and EMS Chief Dennis McNett said the upgrade, while at first expensive, could ultimately save money.

“The state's going to mandate this, and when they mandate it, everybody is going to jack their prices. So

MDOT hasn’t made the final decision concerning the roundabout, but Beeker said he is hopeful one could be installed.

“They used to be very foreign to people in the Midwest, but they’re not foreign anymore,” Beeker said. “I think it’s a very good alternative to a traffic light, and I think it’s a good location for one.”

Hillsdale Mayor Adam

“I haven't personally experienced any problems with the radio, either to dispatch or the hospital. As far as I know, it's been fine,” Morris said. “Occasionally, I’ll hear something and won't know what they said. But my partner will know what they said because he’s been in the field longer, and his ear is trained for the radio.”

McNett said the upgrade is necessary for the safety of first responders and residents alike.

“We tried to keep it amongst ourselves, so we don't have people in the county freaking out. But there's a point that we need to let people know what we struggle with,” McNett said. “When they call 911, why did it take 20 minutes to get somebody there? Well, because we didn’t get the first few pages.”

Stockford said in a July Facebook post that his first act as mayor was to approve the original agreement.

“How fitting at the end of my first term, it is coming to fruition,” he said.

Beeker said that the new store represents a $20 million investment in the community.

“It’s one of the larger developments we’ve had in the city in recent years,” he said. “It’s certainly an exciting development.”

Meijer is planning to build a new location on W. Carleton Road.

Surveillance cameras caught a man stealing a catalytic converter outside Waldron.

Courtesy | The Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office

“We can’t communicate... That creates a big safety concern.”

Officials sue county GOP’s ‘America First’ leadership

By Logan Washburn City News Editor

Local Republican officials have filed a lawsuit to gain control of the Hillsdale County Republican Party. “We seek a declaratory judgment putting to rest the controversy over who has control of the Hillsdale County Republican Party,” attorney Jonathan Lauderbach said.

When the HCRP’s “America First” executive committee officers barred more than 61 delegates from the August county convention, County Commissioner Brent Leininger led a group in an Aug. 25 meeting, where he and other local officials claim to have been voted in as the party’s new leadership. The original executive committee officers refused to yield control, so according to Lauderbach, Leininger’s group sued them on Oct. 12. The plaintiff group includes Leininger, Zoning Board Member Penny Swan, County Clerk Marney Kast, Prosecutor Neal Brady, recently-defeated

County Commissioner Kathleen Schmitt, and Bambi Somerlot. The lawsuit names the party’s original executive committee officers as defendants, namely Daren Wiseley, Jon PaulRutan, Lance Lashaway, Josh Gritzmaker, Belle Steier, and Jon Smith.

“I’m not fighting with that many citizens. If you go look at the group of people that’s fighting us, every single one of them is governmentrelated,” Smith said. “Why do officials want to be in charge of the Republican party anyways?”

Plaintiffs take issue with an HCRP “America First” executive committee meeting on July 28, in which officers voted to disavow party members before the county convention.

“These guys committed a crime, held an illegal meeting, they relied on a section of the bylaws that does not apply,” Lauderbach said.

The lawsuit alleges the HCRP’s executive committee broke state election law, along with state and local party bylaws. Plaintiffs claim their Aug. 25 meeting,

however, complied with all requirements and therefore counts as valid.

Smith said in a Facebook post that he considers the plaintiffs a part of the “good old boys club,” and he thinks they are ineffective at carrying out party business.

The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction, Lauderbach said, which they hope would speed up the judge’s decision so they can take party control before the November county convention.

“After the November general election, there will be a county convention to elect a new executive committee,” Lauderbach said. “There have been some statements made by the defendants in this case that they intend to disrupt that process.”

Smith said he thinks the lawsuit will only complicate the county convention.

“This lawsuit is a waste of time, because the leadership steps down in a couple weeks,” Smith said. “What was the purpose?”

Lauderbach said if the plaintiffs win, party members would vote on their leadership status at the

county convention.

The case is set to appear before Judge Sara Lisznyai in the Hillsdale County Circuit Court on Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. for a motion hearing.

Background

Officers of the HCRP’s “America First” executive committee held a meeting on July 28, in which they voted to disavow more than 61 county convention delegates. In early August, they sent disavowal letters to the delegates, including state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, state Rep. Andrew Fink, and Hillsdale College Professor of Economics Gary Wolfram, calling them “Trochky [sic] International Socialists.” Party officials barred the delegates from attending their Aug. 11 county convention.

While the official convention took place in Sozo Church, Leininger led an alternate convention of disavowed delegates in a downtown parking lot. The state party ruled in favor of the alternate convention on Aug. 19, and accepted their nominees to represent

Hillsdale at the state Republican convention.

Smith raised concerns that the delegate election was rigged, and County Clerk Marney Kast dismissed these accusations as an HCRP error when filing paperwork.

Twenty Republicans, many of whom took part in the alternate convention, met on Aug. 25 to remove the original HCRP executive committee officers. Leininger said attendees voted to replace them with himself

Some businesses face staff shortages, while others have returned to normal

By Thomas McKenna Collegian Freelancer

Some local businesses in Hillsdale said they are struggling to find workers, while others said they have recovered from the shortage they experienced during the pandemic.

Lisa Slade, who has owned Finish Line restaurant since 1996, said she now works every day because she has had trouble finding workers to fill jobs.

“It's really hard to find workers,” Slade said. “I've been working here longer than I've owned it and I've never seen anything like this. We've been looking for another cook for well over a year and I need another management person.

Servers aren’t too hard to find but it is still harder than it should be.”

Nationally, the number of unfilled jobs dropped by 10% in August from 11.2 million to 10.1 million, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

John Spiteri, owner of Checker Records, said he thinks a cause of the worker shortage is the higher unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

“It started during COVID and it has just carried over,” Spiteri said. “The government paid people more money to stay home than they were paid to work.”

The federal government supplemented state unemployment benefits by $600 per week for the

POLICE

first three months of the pandemic, and $300 per week until September 2021. Spiteri said ending the boost for unemployment

“We are having trouble finding the right workers,” Spiteri said. “People who want to work weekends, have a good background

“It's a generational thing, like a cycle,” Slade said. “We're going through something all over, not just here. People we've hired will

shortened his business’ hours during the pandemic but doesn’t foresee extending them to where they were previously. He said he has seen other businesses take similar actions.

“There are a lot of people with businesses here that I talk to,” Spiteri said. “We're all kind of in the same boat right now.”

One business in a different situation, however, is the sandwich shop Handmade. John’s son, Derek Spiteri, owns the business.

“We've been pretty fortunate to have a solid crew for the last six to four months,” Derek Spiteri said. “A lot of that is that we have a good environment here to work in and we all get along with each other.”

and other county officials. The Michigan Republican Party ruled in favor of the HCRP’s original leadership in an Aug. 27 letter, recognizing the group they had previously ruled against. Leininger said he and the other Republican officials would not comply with the state party’s ruling.

Both groups had been preparing for a legal battle since September.

Police, firefighters respond to house fire

By Michaela Estruth Assistant Editor

Fire departments from Hillsdale and Jonesville responded to a house fire on Sunday morning.

City of Hillsdale Police got a call at 7:52 a.m. that a house at 12 West St. was on fire, according to Hillsdale Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner.

Hephner said both the City of Hillsdale Fire Department and the Jonesville Fire Department responded quickly.

“We requested Litchfield to respond with a rapid intervention team,” Hephner said. “There was a possible chance that someone was in the house.”

benefits still hasn’t solved labor shortages.

“It hasn’t brought the workforce back,” Spiteri said. “Just go to Kroger at 6 o’clock any night of the week and you’ll see what Kroger and every business is going through. There are not enough qualified people out there.”

Robin Spiteri, wife of John Spiteri, said because workers are now searching for jobs with more flexibility, especially at businesses that let employees work from home, she and her husband are having difficulty finding workers that fit the needs of a coffee shop.

check, have a vehicle. There are a lot of checkmarks and sometimes they just don't make it through the checkbox.”

Spiteri also said she has noticed a mindset shift to immediate gratification among the current workforce.

“They are just jobhopping,” Spiteri said. “The resumes and applications that I get show people have had five to seven jobs in less than two years. It didn’t use to be like that. You’d see a person be loyal and stay at a job.”

Slade also said the mindset of the workforce has changed in recent years.

work a few days and not come back. I truly feel like people just don't want to work very hard.”

Slade said she has had to raise wages to keep up with inflation, which hit 8.2% last month according to the Department of Labor, but hasn’t raised her menu prices enough to keep up with inflation.

“I don't feel like I can raise my prices to take into effect as much as they went up,” Slade said. “Between that and trying to raise wages to keep people, we definitely don't make the profit that we have in the past.”

John Spiteri said he

Derek Spiteri said his business type may help explain why he is not struggling to find workers.

“One thing that might make us an outlier is that we're a small business,” Spiteri said. “That attracts a particular kind of person. We haven't been the victim of people that are just kind of bouncing around from job to job. That has helped us keep a solid crew.”

Slade said it feels like every business is facing challenges.

“I enjoy what I do,” Slade said. “Don't get me wrong. I’ve worked here a long time, but right now is very challenging. You feel like you're getting hit from all sides.”

“The house was full of smoke and our men had to knock down visible flames.”

Hillsdale police sent in a search team to make sure the house was clear, and the rapid intervention team was there for backup in case the search team got trapped inside, Hephner said.

“The house was full of smoke and our men had to knock down visible flames,” Hephner said.

Though two adults live in the house, Hephner said, no one was inside during the fire and the rapid intervention team was not needed.

The fire started in the basement and rose to the main floor, according to Hephner.

Oct .

- The Jonesville Police Department arrested a Camden woman for retail fraud in the third degree. Bond was posted.

- Michigan State Police arrested a Waldron man for domestic violence in the third degree, and interfering with telecommunication. No bond was allowed.

15 Oct .

- The City of Hillsdale Police Department arrested a local man for burglary/entering without permission. A $1,000 bond was posted.

- Michigan State Police arrested a Jonesville man for making a false report, and a parole violation. No bond was allowed.

Sources: City of Hillsdale Police Department, Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office

16 Oct .

- The City of Hillsdale Police Department arrested a local man for methamphetamine possession and failure to appear in court. No bond was allowed.

- The Somerset Police Department arrested an Akron, Ind. man for felony assault. No bond was allowed.

“The flames started back up in the kitchen, and we went back in and down the basement to stop the fire,” Hephner said.

After subduing the flames, Hephner said responders checked the walls for hot spots to prevent the building from reigniting. The walls lacked fire breaks, which means if flames caught again, they could shoot up to the attic. Hephner said the structure is still standing, and police performed an investigation Wednesday to determine the cause of the fire.

The investigation results were not available in time for publication.

The Collegian has compiled a selection of arrests from the City of Hillsdale and Hillsdale County in the past week.

The lawsuit aims to settle the HCRP controversy. Courtesy | Brent Leininger

‘I’ve been working here longer than I’ve owned it, and I’ve never seen anything like this.’

John and Robin Spiteri stand in front of merchandise at Checker Records coffee.

Thomas McKenna | Collegian

Golf takes fifth in Augusta, Monaghan ties for third

By Thomas McKenna Collegian Freelancer

The men’s golf team finished fifth out of 10 teams at the Panther Invitational in Augusta, Michigan over the week end, with senior Darragh Monaghan tying for third individually.

“I don't think there's any way to describe it but disappointing,” said head coach Mike Thompson. “Everyone felt like we had a chance to go in there and win a tourna ment. It just did not go that way.”

The Chargers carded a 308-298 for a total of 606. Monaghan performed best out of all the Char gers, shooting a 74 and an even-par 71 to fin ish 145. He said he still wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

“It was a bit of a bittersweet ending,” Monaghan said. “I had a feeling of where I was on the leaderboard, and then just had a bit of a sloppy ending which left a bitter taste in my mouth after ward.”

Monaghan said the cold and windy condi tions affected his perfor mance on the first day, but that it felt like he was playing golf in England, where he grew up.

“It kind of felt like home,” Monaghan said.

“It felt like I was playing golf at Christmas time. It didn’t really faze me. I actually kind of enjoyed it. It’s just fun.”

Thompson said Monaghan is anxious to compete again next week after coming up short with second and third place finishs earlier this season.

“He's been playing some really good golf,” Thompson said. “He’s knocking on the door of an individual title and I’m sure that keeps him hungry.”

and then just not doing it collectively.”

Thompson said he is trying to help players diagnose flaws in their game to improve their performance.

“As a coach with more of a bird's eye view, I can figure out where guys need to work,” Thomp son said. “I need to do a better job of relaying that to the guys so that we can diagnose the problem, fix the problem, and get ready for the next event.”

The team will travel southeast to Hickory, North Carolina for their last tournament of the season, the Lenoir-Rhyne Fall Invite at Lake Hickory Country Club. Monaghan said he is ex pecting good competition as the team heads south.

“I would assume they're going to be pretty competitive,” Monaghan said. “I think it’s going to be good for us to com pete against some good teams.”

Junior Will Verduzco said the team knows they are able to preform well.

“I think collectively as a team, we haven’t put together good team scores in the rounds,” Verduzco said. “That's just one of the disappointing parts – knowing everybody's capable of getting those good rounds together,

Women's Cross Country

Verduzco said the team will be ready to compete in North Caro lina.

“We’ve got to just finish strong,” Verduzco said. “As the last tourna ment of the fall, it will set the tone for the spring.”

Volleyball

Chargers conclude eight-game road stretch, Shelton wins offensive award

By Isaac Green Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale volleyball team split six away matches over two weeks of play as senior Karoline Shelton earned G-MAC North Division Offensive Player of the Week honors for the 10th time in her career.

The set of games included three conference matches against the Tiffin Drag ons, Ashland Eagles, and Northwood Timberwolves. Although the Chargers were able to take two of the three matches, the Eagles swept them on Oct. 8, dealing the team its second in-conference loss of the season.

“In our match against Ashland we started out very strong with an early lead in the first set, but once they picked it up we were caught off guard and couldn’t recover quickly enough,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “We are excited to hopefully play them again later in the season.”

After splitting against Tiffin and Ashland, the Chargers competed at the Midwest Regional Crossover in Ham mond, Indiana, on Oct. 14 and 15, where Shelton earned her offensive award. The senior

outside hitter averaged 4.15 kills per set during the week end and tied her career best of 22 match kills in a five-set loss to the Lewis University Flyers.

“At crossover, some of our goals were to start strong in the second set, because we had struggled with that early on in the season,” assistant coach Taylor Wiese said. “We also wanted to work on earning our points and going on ser vice runs.”

The Chargers fought hard in their first day of play at the crossover, taking both the Grand Valley State Lakers and the Flyers all the way through five sets. The team was unable to secure a win in either case, however.

“This weekend, teams were able to take advantage of scor ing runs and scoring multiple points at a time, especially when we could only score one or two at a time,” Gravel said.

Despite the disappointing couple of matches on Friday though, the Chargers swept the Northern Michigan Wild cats the following day to close out the crossover.

The team had a quick turn around coming off the week end as it prepared for its next match against the Northwood University Timberwolves on

Oct. 18. The Chargers had already beaten the Timber wolves in a four-set home match earlier this season and were able to secure a second win against the conference op ponent in a closely contested five-set match Tuesday night.

“It was a really good win, and Northwood put up a great fight,” senior setter and outside hitter Madeline Zenas said.

“They had some big hitters on their side, but we really worked hard on focusing on what we could control and earning a point quickly after we had lost one. I think we came out really hard in the fifth set and really wanted to finish and that was really effective.”

The team now holds an overall record of 18-6 — 10-2 in conference — and prepares to return home for two more weekend matches against Lake Erie and Ursuline.

“We are excited for the weekend to be able to try a few new line-ups and show the depth of our team on game day,” Gravel said. “This is the second time playing these teams in conference, and we expect them to play at a high level against us.”

Women's XC places sixth at Lucian Rosa Invite

By Tracy Wilson Design Editor

The women’s cross country team took 6th at the 6k Lucian Rosa Invite in Keno sha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 8th. Having competed in a tough race the prior weekend, the women approached this race with some reservation.

“The girls executed our race plan well,” coach R.P. White said. “We raced extremely hard in Louisville

the previous weekend, so the objective was to start conser vatively, stay packed together and race home hard the final mile.”

According to sophomore Liz Wamsley, the course was extremely difficult to run.

“The course has a lot of rolling hills and one long, steep hill right at the start of the course,” Wamsley said.

“It’s certainly a gritty one.”

Junior Meg Scheske fin ished first for Hillsdale, taking

22nd overall with a time of 22:38. Junior Gwynne Riley followed close behind, finish ing 25th overall with a time of 22:44. Riley and Wamsley finished almost simultaneous ly, with Wamsley taking 26th only .51 seconds after Riley.

“My favorite moment was about half way through the race when I caught up to my teammates and ran with them as a pack,”Wamsely said.” The hardest part was when we got to the back portion of the race

which has constant rolling hills all the way to the finish.”

Sophomore Natalie Mar tinson finished fourth for Hillsdale, taking 41st overall with a time of 23:16.

“The best moment of the race was sticking together as a pack for the first few miles,” Martinson said. “It was fun to get to run alongside all of my teammates, because we’re usually much more spread out during a race.”

As the women prepare for

the upcoming championship races, the workouts are begin ning to change, White said.

“We are continuing to make some of our workouts longer,” White said. “The overall mileage is essentially plateauing but the amount of volume within each workout is increasing. Other than that, we need to emphasize rest, recovery and managing our time so we can perform in the classroom as well as on the cross country course.”

Wamsley said one of her goals for the end of the season involves improving upon her performance from last year.

“Team goals for this season focus on improving from last year in every race we run, especially GMACs and Regionals,” Wamsley said.

“We also are trying to keep a mindset of constant growth and goal-setting throughout the season and always looking for ways to be more competi tive,” Wamsley said.

Swim team sweeps only home meet

By Maddy Welsh Assistant Editor

The first two meets of the swim season saw a new pool record, tough competition, and senior celebrations.

The Chargers swam at home for the first and last time this season on Oct. 8 and grabbed a win to start the year off right. They hosted Indiana Wesleyan University and Davenport University who they beat 123-95 and 125-111 respectively. Both competitors put up a few divers each, but even the points they earned weren’t enough to take down the Chargers.

“I think the team set a great benchmark at the first meet for the rest of the season because we started with a high energy, positive environment in our home pool with our friends and families watching,” senior Sydney Slepian said. “ It had us energized and uplifted on deck and ready to push through the next few meets.”

They opened the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 200 yard medley relay. The A team –comprised of junior Caroline Holmes, sophomores Emma

Dickhudt and Megan Clifford, and senior Marie Taylor – took the top spot with a time of 1:50.33. The B team – Slepian, sophomore Joanna Burnham, senior Anika Fassett, and freshman Julianna Weir – fin ished just a second after their teammates in 1:51.62.

Sophomore Elise Mason, who was named G-MAC swimmer of the year and com peted in the NCAA Division II championships in the spring, took third place in the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11:01.60. Senior Sarah Clark came fifth with an 11:22.16.

The 200 yard freestyle and the 50 yard freestyle saw more 1-2 finishes for the Chargers –in the 200, Clifford came first with a 1:58.18 and Holmes came second with a 1:59.82. In the 50, Weir led the pool with a 25.16, just out-touching sophomore Lilly Golladay who swam a 25.60.

The headline race at the home meet was Clifford’s 100 yard butterfly. She out-touched the second place finisher by almost two seconds – the wid est margin in that race – and swam a 58.29, breaking the pool record set in 2004 – 18

years ago.

Taylor came first in the 100 yard freestyle – her signature event – with a time of 54.86. Golladay came seventh with a 56.97 and junior Nickaylah Sampson, who walked on to the team this year after not competing since high school, came tenth with a 1:03.00.

In the 100 yard backstroke, captains Holmes and Slepian placed third and fifth with times of 1:00.58 and 1:02.32 respectively.

Dickhudt came first in the 100 yard breaststroke with a 1:09.60 and Burnham finished second just hundreths of a second behind her (1:09.90).

To close out the only home meet of the season, Taylor, Slepian, Golladay, and Weir topped the 200 yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:40.28. Weir’s split time was a 24.63 –half a second faster than her individual 50 free earlier in the day. Golladay’s split was also faster than her individual swim – in the relay she swam a 24.93, more than half a second faster than earlier.

The team celebrated its seniors at the meet, too, since it was the last time racing at

home for the eight women. Holmes organized the celebra tion as the junior captain.

“The class of 2023 is amaz ing. They are unique in that their class has stayed together throughout their four years here (ie. no one has left the team), so it was really import ant to celebrate them on their Senior Day,” Holmes said. “Their class is very diverse in both event lineups and personalities, and they bring a special energy and sense of leadership to the team that is simply unparalleled. They each have grown up so much during their time here, and I'm so proud of them all.”

Slepian said she enjoyed her last home meet experience.

“It was nostalgic and a bit surreal to race at Hillsdale for the last time,” she said. “I remember celebrating the previous senior meets with our alums on the team, and it was hard to believe I was in their shoes. I will forever cherish being on this team, as it has brought my closest friends and fondest memories to me, and this uplifting environment re vitalized my love for the sport after high school.”

Tunney reflected on what she’s gotten out of the team.

“Being a charger has given me the greatest gift of lifelong friends, and has also made me appreciate living in the moment, soaking up the little memories that makes all the hard work we do worth it,” Tunney said.

The following week, the Chargers headed to Grand Rapids to face off against Calvin University and Grand Valley State University. Nei ther teams compete against Hillsdale in the GMAC and provided tougher competition than typical Charger competi tors. They lost to Grand Valley 191-45 and Calvin 131-105.5, but didn’t lose their morale.

“I was so proud of what we were able to do in the water this past weekend,” Tunney said. “Every race I watched I knew that our girls were not giving up and fought till the last yard.”

Holmes said she agreed.

“I think it's good to some times ‘swim up’ and meet teams who are nationally ranked to provide additional challenge and give our team something to chase,” Holmes

said. “We were in the middle of a pretty intense training block both in and out of the pool at the time of that meet, so it was a significant physical challenge to get up on the blocks and push through the pain.”

Many individuals improved upon their times from the pre vious meet. In the 1000 yard freestyle, Mason came third and swam a 10:59.64, about two seconds faster than a week before. In the 100 yard butter fly, Clifford went a little faster than her record breaking time a week earlier and finished fourth with a 58.26.

Taylor swam the 100 yard freestyle in 54.11, finishing fourth. Holmes tied for fifth in the 100 yard backstroke with a 1:01.27. Mason swam the 500 yard freestyle in 5:23.55, faster than the week prior, and placed fourth.

The Chargers’ third place 200 yard freestyle relay beat their own time from the week before (1:39.62).

The swimmers get a weekend off this week, but on October 28 they travel to Albion College for a Friday evening meet.

Shelton earns 10th G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week award.

Anthony Lupi | Co LL egi A n

“He's knocking on the door of an individual title and I'm sure that keeps him hungry.”

-Mike Thompson

Club rugby wipes the floor with Michigan Wolverines

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

After beating the Univer sity of Michigan, 43-15, in September and playing against Notre Dame last weekend, it is clear that Hillsdale club rugby takes the game seriously amid the obstacles club sport status presents.

Senior Luke Turnbow and senior coach Sam Thoele founded the club during their freshman year with about eight guys showing up to practice consistently — just enough to compete in sevens games. Now, membership stands at about 30 members, allowing them to compete in 15 games.

“I decided to bring back the rugby team because it had been such an impactful part of my life in high school,” Thoele

said. “Starting the club at Hillsdale has been so amazing because of the community the club has built, going from me and a handful of friends freshman year to now over 30 guys has been one of my favorite parts of my Hillsdale experience.”

Rugby is a fast-paced, non-stop game where players do not wear helmets or pads. They can compete in either sevens, in which teams are made up of seven players play ing seven-minute halves, or 15s, in which 15 players play 40-minute halves.

Senior Christopher Koperski described rugby as a sport that combines the fluidity of basketball or soccer with the physicality of other contact sports like football and hockey.

“It’s the closest thing to

combat that civilians have,” club vice president, sopho more Robert Brandau said.

“There’s something to that. I think men bond very well over intense, very physical sports.”

The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. Members who show up to the practices the most consistently get the most playing time. The team plays for the Allegheny Rugby Union, competing against teams mostly from Indiana and Ohio.

“It’s a rough sport, but it’s generally a rough sport played by gentlemen,” Turnbow said. “So, just between other teams, we often get a meal with the 15s teams that we play with afterward. It’s a good time and then on our team, generally, there’s some animosity that

comes with hitting each other all the time, but that actually builds a lot of community once you’re actually playing a game and it comes off as a lot of fun.”

David Ard and Brandau are working to find donors or rug by enthusiasts to help sponsor a coach, new equipment, and registration fees for the league.

Until then, the team will continue to play, bond, and bruise for the love of the sport. The team will be playing at-home tournaments against Tiffin University and Tay lor University on Oct. 22 at Hayden Park.

fun thing.”

Kickoff is at 1 p.m., and they recommend people bring lawn chairs.

As with any club sport, the team is always looking for new and creative ways to fundraise money for the club.

Currently, junior President

“We got a lot of guys from all over campus, so I'm sure you’re friends with some of them,” Turnbow said. “Come on, support people that you know. Also, it’s a club sport, so support the guys who have put in a lot of effort for very little gain other than just to play the sport even if you don't really get it. It’s a good thing to come watch and support people who you know and who are doing a

“We want to get people out there to watch a cou ple of our games before the home football game, which is of course important to us as well,” Brandau said. “The sevens games are only 15 min utes long. With halftime and everything else included, it’s a 30 minute thing.”

Koperski agreed, saying parents’ weekend is the perfect time to come and support the team.

“It’s something new that you can use to show your parents how diverse Hillsdale’s culture is with such an awe some club like rugby thriving,” Koperski said.

Charger Chatter

If you could be the absolute best at some thing, what would you choose?

I used to play the cello, but I think I’d choose to be the best at video games, especial ly FIFA football–or soccer, as you call it here. Nowadays you could also even win some money from gaming tournaments.

What is your favorite book or film?

I’m going to go with a TV show, “Brooklyn NineNine.” It’s just so funny, and I love the main actor, Andy Samberg. I think my favorite episode of the whole show has to be where they have the Halloween heist.

What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

About five years ago I visited the U.S. from Europe for the first time with my parents and my sister, so that was special. We flew into Las Vegas, and then we drove to the West Coast, where we visited all the national parks and saw San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

What is your spirit animal?

Mine are not very flattering — I remember looking at people in class with my friends in high school, and just talking about what kind of animal they reminded us of. They decided that I was either a wood-pecker, or worse, a hyena. It’s not good, I’ve seen “The Lion King.”

C ourtesy

eleti

Lennart Kober is a freshman on the men's tennis team from Paderborn, Germany.

Rugby players huddle before match against Bowling Green.

Anthony Lupi | Co LL egi A n

Hillsdale fights against Bowling Green at home.

Anthony Lupi | Co LL egi A n

“It's a rough sport, but it's generally a rough sport played by gentlemen.”

-Luke Turnbow

C harger S port S

Football Chargers split games, stay third in G-MAC

By Christian Peck-Dimit Associate editor

The Hillsdale football team stays above .500 after splitting a pair of lopsided games over the past two weeks. The Chargers followed a 41-0 homecoming loss to the Tiffin Dragons with a 41-7 away game victory, trouncing the Northwood Timberwolves and leaving them 4-3 overall, and third in the G-MAC.

During the Chargers’ victory, senior running back Michael Herzog posted the best statisti cal game of his career, earning his first G-MAC Offensive Play er of the Week award with 159 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. He now leads the conference in rushing yards with 680 on the season.

“I feel pretty honored, ” Her zog said. “I’ve been not playing for two seasons and being able to come back this year and win an award like that, it’s pretty cool to me. I’m proud of myself. That’s not happening without the help of everybody else, especially those guys on the line of scrimmage.”

Sophomore wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa continues to stay near the top of the nation’s lead erboards in receiving statistics. He sits at fifth in receiving yards with 808, and is tied for second in receiving touchdowns with nine.

At the Chargers’ Homecom ing game, they were unable to get anything going offensively, finishing with just 164 yards of offense to Tiffin’s 419.

“We didn’t play very well against Tiffin in a lot of phases, and we got dominated in the line of scrimmage,” head coach Keith Otterbein said. “We didn’t execute very well, we didn’t block them very well, and didn’t block the right guys very well. We couldn’t get off man-toman coverage, so there wasn’t anywhere to throw the ball, and defensively we had really poor tackling.”

The game marked Hillsdale’s first shutout loss since 2004 and its first home shutout loss since 1998. Tiffin scored 20 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half, effectively putting the game out of reach.

“When you go through a game where you get your tail whipped a little bit, negativity and doubts and pointing fingers can start to creep in, and that’s what I’m really proud of our kids and our coaches for, that we blocked out all of the, as Nick Saban says, rat poison,”

freshman places

said.

By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter

Hillsdale College freshman Jordan Sapp shot 117 out of 125 possible targets and placed sixth at the International Shooting Sport Federation Ju nior Mens’ Skeet Competition in Osijek, Croatia.

Sapp competed in his third international competition from Sept. 19 to Oct. 12.

“The competition is a world championship of the Olympic discipline,” said head coach of the Hillsdale shotgun team Jordan Hintz.

Caitlin Connor-Royer, assistant coach of the Hills dale shotgun team and the junior team for USA shooting, coached Sapp during the eight days he competed.

“We left the U.S., had an off-day for jet lag, and then the next day was a range day, with out practice,” Royer said. “The third day was official training, and then we went into four days of competition.”

The first of these days consisted of qualification for the finals, and was followed by three days of finals.

“There was an individual

event, a mixed team, and a three man team event, which each had a final,” Royer said.

The competition lasted from 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on qualifying days, and until 6:00 p.m. during finals compe titions.

In preparation for the event, Sapp shot more than three days a week. He was also able to draw on his previous experiences from competing internationally.

“I competed in a World Cup in Germany this year, and I competed in a world champi onship in Peru last year,” Sapp

Sapp has also competed at the national level.

“I like meeting a whole bunch of people, and I get to try new foods overseas,” Sapp said. “In the U.S., it’s less stress ful because you know every one that you’re with and you all speak the same language.”

Shooters are sometimes squadded internationally in groups of five or six.

“It’s hard because people don’t really know what you’re saying,” Sapp said.

In the competition, Sapp competed against Krzysztof

Otterbein said.

The team’s next game was wildly different, nearly flipping the score of its Homecoming game. The Chargers finished just shy of 500 yards of offense while holding Northwood to 202.

“I thought it was great that we bounced back and had a great team win this week against a good team in Northwood,” sophomore defensive end Riley Tolsma said. “It’s the first time this season we’ve really put together two great halves of football. All season we’ve had good halves, like the first half versus Truman, or the second half against other teams, but this is the first game where we played a complete 60 minutes of good football.”

Tolsma came up with three of the team’s seven tackles for loss, a sack, four total tackles, and the game’s only interception on a batted ball.

Herzog finished off each of the team’s first three scoring drives in the end zone, more than doubling his season total of touchdowns.

“It’s not like we had a set of bad plays against Tiffin and a set of good plays that we decided to call this week,” Otterbein said. “They worked better, we blocked them better, but a lot of the success we had in the run game was on run-pass options, so we’re reading the secondary and depending on how they filled or didn’t fill, we either hand it off or throw the ball.”

The Chargers continued their dominant play into the second half, scoring touch downs on each of their first four drives in the second half. Herzog’s third touchdown, two passes from senior quarterback Luke Keller, and a one-yard run from backup quarterback Garrit Aissen made up the team’s 28 second-half points.

“I thought we executed very well, blocked them well, threw it well, protected, tackled, broke on the ball,” Otterbein said.

“The difference one week to the next was 75 points on the scoreboard, a pretty significant rebound for us.”

Hillsdale will now begin a three-game homestand with a 2 p.m. kickoff against the Findlay Oilers. The Chargers’ rivals are 3-4 overall with a 2-2 record in conference play.

“We’ve got to play well, we’ve got to play physical, we’ve got to play fast,” Otterbein said.

“They’re athletically gifted, cer tainly we have our hands full.”

in Croatia

Antoni Buniowski of Poland, Arytom Sedelnikov of Ka zakhstan, and Martin Vcelicka of the Czech Republic in the second ranking match. His squad included shooters from China, Georgia, India, and Italy.

“You compete not just against your squad, but against everyone else in the com petition as well,” Sapp said.

“Competition makes shooting a shotgun more interesting,”

Sapp placed first for the team competition. He shot with the other two Americans in the junior mens’ competi

tion, Aidin Burns and Benja min Keller.

“We’re all friends,” Sapp said. “We went to Germany together.”

Sapp was the only Hillsdale student to compete across all events, including trap and skeet.

“He shot very well in qualifications and the finals,” Royer said. “He got gold in the team event, and it was a great match.”

Sapp plans to enter qual ification matches again in February 2023.

TeSlaa

Anthony Lupi

Culture

Gillian Ruch’s art tackles the topsy and turvy

By Jillian Parks Social Media Manager

For a lot of people, children’s authors like Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, and Dr. Seuss form their elemen tary memories and their budding sense of whimsy and storytelling. For junior Gillian Ruch, exposure to these books formed the basis of her entrepreneurial endeavors, her spiritual life, and her artistic passion.

After a successful run selling prints, stickers, and greeting cards at SAB’s Maker’s Market, Ruch will be launching her website, www.mamiegillian.com, after about two years in the works.

“I think my first thought when I met her was: how did Hillsdale manage to bring someone straight from ‘Little Women’?,” junior Helen Schleuter said. “Even though I didn’t see Gillian’s art until later in our friendship, I was able to see her artistic vision in our friendship quite early on. Gillian’s art really does reflect her personality. She is an incredible storyteller, with a special ability to see humor in ordinary events and to understand and mimic the motley characters of the human race.”

Born and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, Ruch grew up the third in the lineup of six children. Imaginary play, dressing up in costumes, and going on adventures with her parents

out in nature marked her idyllic childhood.

“Looking back, my childhood is just this colorful, rich experience, and I really want to capture that in my art,” Ruch said. “I love to draw children and capture their characters and what they teach us in their childlikeness. I think this comes from having young er siblings and enjoying childhood. Like truly living a childhood.”

Set in natural landscapes, Ruch’s personal art projects usually feature woodland

discomfort. I don’t know how she managed to capture dormice body language, but she did.”

That personal style is not the focus in her classes, however.

and was awarded an art scholarship by submitting a portfolio and has been a part of the department ever since.

creatures, often accompa nied by a hot beverage, a mushroom, or a tree.

“If you look closely, every picture is a subtle story fro zen in time,” Schleuter said.

“For example, in one of my favorites there is this rodent bagpiper who is majestically standing on a hill surround ed by these cute dormice. At first you think, ‘aww that’s very quaint and imaginative’ and then you realize that all of the dormice are holding their ears and making these very human expressions of

“You know, what we focus on here at Hillsdale is the fundamentals of learn ing the language of drawing and painting, and we focus on and learn that very deeply,” Art Department Chairman Julio Suarez said. “This idea of style will develop and will come with time. It’ll be a natural thing that will happen as you work. More and more. It’s not real ly some thing that I can clarify. What is her style? Her style is that she’s a really good student who works really hard to get good at drawing and painting and learning these very chal lenging skills.”

“They have to submit a portfolio with a little bit of writing about art, and that’s when I got I was able to see what a really great prospect she was,” Suarez said. “There were some beautiful illus trations that she had done, and I was very impressed. It was really one of the most impressive portfolios that I’ve seen so far.”

Her habits and skills as an artist bleed into her every day experienc es as well in her consistent people-watch ing. Suarez also explained how artistic skills can be useful assets in the workplace.

can get good at anything. You’re not good, you get good. The other was that in order to draw and paint in the way that we teach it, you have to be able to see things in different ways and change your perspective of how you see something. You have to be able to hold different ideas in your mind at the same time. Also the idea that everything is relational

thing alive from creation, and I just feel like I’m get ting to enjoy something he’s made. I get this contact with beauty, and which is such a door to the Lord. I feel like it’s just like these expressions of my longing for the Lord and for beauty.”

In addition to her dreams of writing and illustrating a children’s book in the future, Ruch is launching her web site tentatively by Christmas. She hopes to eventually include wrapping paper, recipe cards, and gift tags.

“I think the work that I do on my own time is something that’s just welling up in my heart,” Ruch said.

“It can be something that I saw, like a moment between people or a funny situation that I witnessed. I just want to express this moment in color.”

Gilmore Girls Fall

By Hannah Cote Outreach Coordinator

Countless times this Oc tober, you’ve seen Instagram mers replacing their “hot girl walk” selfies with a coffee cup and fuzzy blanket in hand, ready for another Gilmore Girls Fall.

For those of you who grew up watching “Gilmore Girls” — or binged it during your freshman year of college — you already know it’s the quintessential fall TV show. But many don’t know why that’s the case.

Each season of “Gilmore Girls” cycles through fall, winter, and spring, but they always end the show before summer. This may be the first reason viewers associate the show with autumn, as each season begins with a beautiful orange and yellow New England backdrop.

Tucked away in a corner of Connecticut, Stars Hollow is home to Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother-daughter duo that constantly dish up fast-paced, witty commen tary to each other and the whole town, all with a cup of coffee in hand.

If there’s anything that screams nostalgia, it’s the cozy quiet town atmosphere of Stars Hollow. Each episode draws you into the town’s family, and by the end of season one, you’ll feel like a Gilmore Girl yourself, sipping coffee in Luke’s Diner and sitting in on a town meeting.

Not only that, fall is nota bly a season of change, which is why “Gilmore Girls” is the perfect companion during

this time of year. Whether Rory is headed off to a new school or Lorelai is stirring the pot with her parents, we get to experience transitions alongside the pair.

An added bonus for us is that Stars Hollow is just like Hillsdale — you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone you know, every thing is practically in walking distance, and it’s the people.

Next time you walk to Rough Draft, remember that Rory’s house was also a hop skip and a jump away from a great cup of joe. You’re already living a perfect Gilmore Girls Fall.

And if you need an au tumnal playlist for studying, “Gilmore Girls” has an iconic fall soundtrack. “There She Goes” by The La’s is the per fect start.

If all else fails, simply remember that the Gilmore Girls are old friends to us. Lorelai always has heartfelt advice for Rory, even if it’s served with that Gilmore sass. This show is nostalgic, heartwarming, and just what we need to ease midterm stress.

Best of all, “Gilmore Girls” will prepare you for the first snow that is soon to sneak up on us. Each year, Lorelai is amazed at the first snowfall, reminding us that everything is magical when it snows. Instead of despairing over the dropping temperatures (guilty as charged), try to find the beauty in these sim ple moments, because before you know it, you’ll have to say goodbye to our own little Stars Hollow.

Courtesy | Gillian Ruch

Ruch visited Hillsdale as a prospective student and was captured by the art department and by the glimpse she got of Suarez’s classroom. She applied for

“The abil ity to receive feedback and be open to criticism, and be open to knowing that that is how you get better is so import ant when you go out into the real world,” Suarez said.

“That’s where employers are looking for, right? The other is the idea of hard work. I want them to develop grit and the work ethic that you

in drawing or painting, ev erything is interconnected.”

For Ruch, art is not limited to an academic or a passionate pursuit but is an important aspect of her spiritual life.

“I definitely feel a con nection to the Lord when I’m doing art as a subcre ator,” Ruch said. “It influenc es every piece of art that I make. Everything that I am drawing is usually some

In anticipation of this project, she places her gratitude with the influence of Suarez, the guidance of Lindsey Bergsma and her graphic design publishing house, and, ultimately, the pursuit of beauty and the divine.

“I think art has this capacity to point to some thing so much greater and so much more beautiful,” Ruch said. “I want to point to that which is greater than with the hopefulness of just knowing like there is a beauty and there is a good ness that is untouchable by everything that is ugly and topsy turvy in the world.”

‘The Most Reluctant Convert’ returns

By Alexandra Hall Assisstant Editor

Hillsdale students are known for many things— getting married young, clutching their Western Heritage readers like holy books, and being strange enough to pick rural Michigan as their dream destination for college. Atheism isn’t one of our identifying traits.

But it’s easy to forget that some of the most beloved Christian au thors and thinkers began their religious journeys as atheists. That’s what the Fellowship for Perform ing Arts hopes to remind students of next week.

The not-for-profit the atre company founded by actor Max McLean strives to produce plays and mov ies from a Christian per spective. McLean is known for his roles in C.S. Lew is-centered works, most recently in “The Most Reluctant Convert,” which premiered last November. The film is coming back to Hillsdale next Wednesday, but instead of at the local theatre, it’ll be directly on campus.

The showing is a part of FPA’s campus ministry initiative, a branch within the company that works with colleges all over the

country to share the pro ductions.

“Lewis didn’t believe that rational argument created belief,” McLean said. “But he did think that the lack of argument destroys convictions. What is not defended is soon abandoned. That is what is happening on American campuses. It’s not that they think Christianity is nefar ious. Rather, they think it is irrelevant and therefore the case is not made.”

“The Most Reluctant Convert” chronicles Lewis’ spiritual journey as it unravels throughout his life. Strained familial dy namics, tragic losses, and scenes of war composed the writer’s life, and the film shows it all. Directed by two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Norman Stone, the biopic breathes life into a previously unex plored tale.

“It’s very logical,” Cam pus Initiative Manager Courtney Menking said. “It follows a path. I believe it is very good for college students because college students are very logical. They want to know why. And they want questions to be answered– as do I. So this is just a really interest ing, logical, exciting take on one man’s journey to faith. It doesn’t ask any body to come to the altar.

It doesn’t make anyone take a huge leap of faith. It plants a seed and causes people to ask questions.

And that’s what we love about it.”

Menking previously ran a Broadway booking agency where she was tak ing Broadway stars around the country to do master classes. She saw the play version of “The Most Re luctant Convert” and was determined to work for FPA. To Menking, it was the perfect combination of her passions: theatre, career, and faith.

The initial goal for the campus initiative was to bring the play to large, secular universities. As the word spread and the de mand for FPA’s showings increased, the pandemic pressed the pause button on the operation. Through 2020 though, the FPA team had access to tons of film resources since very few productions were continuing the filming process. A year and some change later, “The Most Reluctant Convert” saw its own conversion, this time into film.

Since a lot of schools are unable to support a full Broadway production, the movie version of the story provides the ability to share it with ease.

“We want to reach

students on a new level,” Menking said. “This is a unique way to present not only Lewis’ story, but also the gospel.”

FPA sends along a study guide with the movie in order to encourage stu dents on campus to engage with the movie fully.

University Coordinator Erin Reed commented on what is lost and gained in the story’s transformation from Broadway to screen.

“The best thing about the film is that it has the ability to reach so many more people than a stage production,” Reed said.

“Something Max has men tioned in other Q&As is that this will outlive us all. It’s like that stage produc tion exists with people on stage at that moment, but the cool thing about the film is that it does con tinue on. The hope is that future generations beyond the people in our company right now will still be able to see it.”

“The Most Reluctant Convert” makes the case for Christianity’s relevance and importance in modern times. It will play in Plas ter Auditorium on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. Admission is free for students, but RSVP is required.

Opera presents ‘Romance on the Rocks’

By Moira Gleason Collegian Freelancer

This weekend, the Hillsdale College Depart ment of Music will present its annual opera workshop entitled “Romance on the Rocks.” Student vocalists will perform a compilation of scenes from various operas in Markel Audito rium.

Each vocal selection centers around the themes of love and its trials. Opera director and voice instruc tor Emily Douglass will be directing the production.

“With many operas, there’s people falling in love, but there always seems to be someone or something that pulls them apart,” Douglass said.

Douglass said she hopes the workshop, especially the finale “Broken Pieces,” will make the genre of opera more accessible to the audience. This final piece tells a love story set in modern day New York City and follows the main character Pamela, who lives alone in her sham bled apartment. Needing repairs, she is visited by a

man named Antonio and shares a romantic mo ment.

“You’re immediate ly intrigued,” said voice instructor and co-director Kristi Matson. “I think the fact that it is an everyday situation and it is in En glish makes the piece more approachable.”

Rachel Dunphey, a freshman performer, hopes the audience will come away from the performance with a new appreciation for opera.

“I’m excited to see how people react to a differ

ent music style than they probably listen to on a reg ular basis,” said Dunphey. “It has a very different tone and tonal color.”

Performances will take place Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Markel Audi torium located in the Fine Arts Center.

The Hillsdale College Symphony Orchestra will also be performing Satur day at 8:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel. Tickets for both may be reserved at boxoffice@hillsdale.edu.

Ruch

Stars

Courtesy | Mcsweeney’s

‘Our Town’: a trip through time with the Tower Players

By Megan Williams Culture Editor

About 100 years after Hillsdale College’s found ing, a student theatre troupe was founded, and Tower Players was born.

As the performing branch of Hillsdale Col lege’s theatre department, The Tower Players present several productions to the student body and local community every year. This year, they’re paying homage to their heritage by performing “Our Town.”

Directing the play, associate professor of the atre Christopher Matsos researched the history of the Tower Players over the summer by looking through old editions of “The Collegian.”

“I spent a couple of days reading old Collegian articles from 1947 to 1950,” Matsos said. “I tried to look not only for informa tion about the Tower Play ers, but also about campus life in general: what the atmosphere was like, what the students were like, and what they were interested in.”

Matsos drew several parallels between Hillsdale College in 1947 and 2022, explaining how both were periods of tremendous growth for the college.

“This was immediately following the war and the college was growing faster than they knew how to cope with,” Matsos said. “They were building tem porary housing and setting

up trailers for students who were married and veterans.”

While the college tried to find ways to house its stu dents and faculty, a professor named George Hale gath ered a group of students to begin performing theatre productions.

“There wasn’t really a theatre department at the time, it was just this one professor,” Mat sos said. “In 1947, he decided to make a club and they met in Central Hall on the top floor, right beneath the tower.”

As described in old articles, the students would practice and per form their plays in this small space that they called the “Little Theatre.”

Students would build their own sets, design their own costumes, and practice four to five nights a week in order to prepare for their productions. A review of their play, “Night Must Fall,” was published in the April 1, 1947 edition of “The Collegian,” and describes the audience, set design, and student performances.

“The opening night of the play, Night Must Fall, Thursday, March 27th.,

saw a small but intellectual group of first-nighters,” the piece read. “At the rise of the curtain, the set was noticeably far superior to that of the play presented last season.”

Puth releases longawaited album ‘Charlie’

By Micah Hart Collegian Reporter

I haven’t been the big gest fan of Charlie Puth’s work in the past and thought I wouldn’t enjoy his new album, “Charlie,” but as one of the songs is called, “There’s a First Time For Everything.”

Despite some of my hesitations going into it, Puth’s album is incredible.

The singer dually portrays genuine persever ance and pain throughout the record, which is his first release in four years.

Puth grabbed my “Attention” with his vivid storytelling in “That’s Hi larious.” The pop beat that pervades throughout a majority of the song after the somber intro doesn’t correlate to the lyrics but still works perfectly. The song clearly indicates the singer’s pain, with him ex pressing: “You didn’t love when you had me / But now you need me so badly / You can’t be serious / That’s hilarious.”

What makes “Charlie” stand out is the singer’s incredible awareness and power of his vocals and the incorporation of a wide variety of genres.

Puth doesn’t box himself into one type of music. Each song spans over many genres, whether that’s the rhythm of R&B, catchy pop beats, and the heartfelt and passionate tone of soul.

As an avid pop fan, I expected to hear the typ ical music singing points of sex, alcohol, and bad decisions. Some of these themes make an appear ance, but the emotional context of “Charlie” reigns supreme. There is a signif icant emotional impact in each song that elevates the album as a whole.

Songs like “Light Switch ‘’and “Left and Right” bring an upbeat spin to the album and are your typical

dance songs. However, they’re not absent from the weight of navigating complex relationships.

Puth drops a gut-wrenching piano ballad near the latter half of the album titled “When You’re Sad I’m Sad.” This anthem holds just as much, if not more, power than the other songs on the album. In the song, Puth showcases how hard it is to leave a relationship, singing, “It’s the last, it’s the last time / Oh, that’s what I keep sayin’ about us / In the past, put you back there / I try movin’ on, but I just give up.”

Even if you’ve never felt the push and pull of a romantic relationship, “When You’re Sad I’m Sad” transcends experience and grants listeners insight into the finer details of the experience. Puth is able to connect even those of us who have never gone

through experiences as he has to his music in a powerful and catchy way, which is a rarity in mod ern pop music. Puth turns on the “Light Switch” and exposes what sincere pain and struggle are. From dance songs to power ballads, “Charlie” shines a light on what often is a dark time.

Most albums are able to tell a story, but “Charlie” feels like pages of Puth’s diary. The singer reveals how relationships have ups and downs through dif ferent tempos and lyrics. Puth brilliantly executes both a cohesive story and a memorable album.

There is a first time for everything, and this will not be the last time that I listen to “Charlie.” Don’t be a “Loser” and go take a listen.

The following semester, in the fall of 1947, Hale, along with several stu dents, formed an official organization, the Hillsdale College Dramatic Club. The club gave students the chance to learn about stage

techniques and provided a social opportunity for those interested in drama.

“The purpose of the group will be to get all persons on campus who have a genuine interest in any phase of the Theater together as a single body,” Hale said in The Collegian.

After perform ing several smaller, regional plays, Hale took a risk and cast Thornton Wilder’s play, “Our Town.”

“‘Our Town was probably the first larger, modern play they performed,” Matsos said. “At the time they did it, it was only about 10 years old. So to them it was a new play, and by all accounts, according to the reviews in the papers, it was really well done and very memorable.”

Finding a space larger than the “Little Theatre” in Central Hall, the Tower Play ers performed “Our Town” at the Hillsdale High School audi torium. The set was designed by students and the costumes were borrowed from Mr. Hugo Friedrichs, a Hillsdale local.

Acknowledging the dedication and foresight of Professor George Hale and the students who founded the Tower Players 75 years ago, James Brandon, the

chair of the theatre de partment, and the theatre faculty chose “Our Town” as the second fall produc tion for this year.

Brandon said it was a production that he was more than happy to pres ent again. When Matsos mentioned he would like to direct the play at Hillsdale College, it just made sense to honor the Tower Players anniversary with this show.

Over the last 75 years, Matsos and Brandon agreed on the amount of growth the Tower Players, and theatre department as a whole, have experienced.

“Tower Players is thriving, really, and it seems to only be getting better,” Matsos said. “We had almost 60 people come to auditions for the Fall shows, and we only have about 30 roles to give out. But we’ve taken great strides at finding opportu nities for everyone.”

As the Tower Players celebrate their history and development, they hope to continue addressing cul tural concerns, issues, and identity through theatre for years to come.

“I hope the Tower Play ers are around for another 75 years,” Brandon said. “I think it will be because it’s such an integral part of the liberal arts experience. The Tower Players will always be a part of Hillsdale Col lege.”

No Rush: Birzer revises Neil Peart examination

Bradley J. Birzer re-releases book on star drummer

By Sarah Katherine Sisk Collegian Reporter

Bradley Birzer’s re cently revised book, “Neil Peart: Cultural Repercus sions,” pulls Neil Peart, renowned drummer of the legendary ’70s band Rush, back into the lime light.

“While many would agree that Peart is one of the greatest drummers of all time, he might also justly be considered one of the best living essayists in the English language,” said Birzer.

Birzer published the expanded version of his book June 13. It offers insight into the mind of one of the most insight ful lyricists, according to Birzer.

Professor of history and the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale Col lege, Birzer said the book has elements of scholastic work intertwined with his personal interpreta tions.“Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions” is an act of reminiscence on how Peart’s work formed him as a person.

While working as the Visiting Conservative Scholar at the Universi ty of Colorado Boulder, Birzer said he reached out to science fiction writ er Kevin J. Anderson to speak for his program.

Anderson was a close friend of Peart’s and had co-authored three books with him.

“We became pretty good friends,” Birzer said. “We were talking at an Indian restaurant in Boulder one night, and I mentioned to him that I’d love to do a biography of Neil Peart.”

Anderson gave the go-

ahead, offering services from his own publishing firm, WordFire Press. In addition to his own re search, Birzer used Power Windows, a Rush tribute website, containing tran scriptions of every Rush interview and concert review.

“Peart cherished the

a degree of distance between himself and indi vidual audience members.

“He was not, as some have claimed, anti-social,” Birzer said. “Rather, it was skepticism towards those who admired him solely as a projection of their own grand delu sions.”

Rush’s 1975 sophomore album, “Caress of Steel,” houses the track “The Fountain of Lamneth,” which Birzer says was their best song at that point in their discogra phy.

Birzer offered three reasons for its greatness: Peart’s golden age of lyri cism, synchronicity with Lamneth’s journey, and Geddy Lee’s vocals.

“Peart loved the story of journeys,” Birzer said.

“In this, Peart followed the western tradition of Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Tolkien. The music fit the story at every level and helped to tell it, augment ing the words with the time signature changes and chord progressions.

His [Geddy Lee’s] voice, while perhaps not beau tiful, is uniquely full of purpose and truth”

word, in whatever form,” Birzer said. “This proves equally true in his book and essay writing, his lyrics, and even his interviews. He cherished the opportunity to make those words incarnate, to give them tangible and physical form.”

Peart was direct in his approach to the audience, submitting his ideas in a Socratic style, according to Birzer.

“Every thought that he presented, he did so as a question, an invitation to enter into a long-term conversation,” Birzer said.

Birzer said Peart kept

Birzer reflected on the impact that his favorite rush album “Grace Under Pressure,” had on his 16-year-old self.

“‘Grace Under Pres sure’ taught me that once I knew myself, I had the high duty to go into the world and fight for what’s good and right, no matter the cost,” Birzer said. “I was ready to follow Peart into Hell and back for the right cause.”

As they celebrate their 75th anniversary, the Tower Players and theatre faculty reflect on their history

“ He cherished the opportunity to make those words incarnate, to give them tangible and physical form.”

The Tower Player’s legacy has continued from 1948 to 2022.

Courtesy | Christopher Matsos (top) and Anthony Lupi (bottom)

Charlie Puth poses for his newest album cover. Courtesy | People.com

FEATURES

Sophomore pursues passion for health and fitness

By Hannah Tully Collegian Freelancer

Whether she’s shooting a basketball, spiking a volley ball, or lifting weights, Anna Eddy has always loved to exercise.

“My family was just very athletic, very active,” Eddy said. “I have always loved working my body really hard and pushing myself in the physical aspect.”

Now a sophomore at Hills dale, she spends time working on transforming her passion into a profession. Over the course of the year, Eddy will prepare herself to become a certified personal trainer this summer.

“I’ve always just had a desire and an inspiration to work with people on their physical bodies and in athlet ics,” she said.

She believes working as a personal trainer will be the perfect combination of exercise and service and is excited to pursue this career at Hillsdale.

To achieve her goal, Eddy is studying exercise science and is enjoying interacting with the faculty in her department.

“The professors are great, and the community is awe some,” she said. “I like to be able to go and speak with them and see what I can learn from them.”

To share her love of exer cise with women on campus, Eddy started the Ladies in Fitness Training with a friend, sophomore Tatum Linde. The group meets from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday nights in the Founders Gym and fo cuses on learning the proper techniques of weight lifting in a fun environment. By getting her personal trainer certification, Eddy hopes to help a wider range of women in the club.

“I think it would be help ful if I do have my personal trainer certification,” she ex plained. “So that I can help those women who are either more advanced or beginner on the correct techniques.”

Freshman Penelope Campbell, who joined the club to learn the basics of weight lifting, appreciates Eddy’s leadership.

“I’m a beginner, so it was intimidating at first,” Camp bell said. “But Anna and the other girls at the club show

everyone how to do all the workouts which is great for those of us who don’t have any prior experience.”

In LIFT, Eddy inspires the girls around her not only to

the lift group. “Anna makes the whole experience really fun,” she said. “Her smile is so conta gious, and it’s easy to have a good time whenever you’re

Eddy plans to complete her certification this summer so that next fall she can begin working as a personal trainer on campus.

For Eddy, a major part of preparation is collaborating with student athletes and athletic trainers on campus.

“It’s all about your con nections, and so I’m trying to rely a lot on that and who I can talk to,” she said.

To gain experience, Eddy is working with the Charger football team and travels with them to assist during games.

“I’m trying to learn more from the athletic trainers there,” she said.

Additionally, she has also worked at several gyms over the past few years, leading workouts and learning from other trainers.

Eddy also stressed the im portance of something often forgotten in fitness: quality nutrition.

As part of her degree in exercise science, Eddy will take classes in nutrition, which she can use to help future clients achieve their fitness goals.

In addition to personal training, Eddy also is con sidering getting certified as an athletic trainer, which requires graduate studies. Her long term goal though is to open her own gym and work with a variety of differ ent people, from beginners to college athletes.

In addition to working with athletes, she sees herself helping elderly people main tain their physical wellness at her gym. This could look like building up strength and stability or helping them function in their daily envi ronments.

For students just begin ning their fitness journeys, Eddy recommends finding a form of exercise that’s enjoy able.

challenge their bodies but also to enjoy exercise. Soph omore Maggie Potwardowski thinks Eddy’s enthusiasm brings a special dynamic to

around her.” Eddy’s degree will prepare her to take her certification course, which consists of online classes and an exam.

“A lot of times people don’t really know how that affects their bodies and their daily lives. And that has a huge impact on how you per form and how you do daily activities,” she explained.

“Just get your body mov ing in a way that you find is fun,” she said. “Honestly, any way that you can move your body is going to help you in every aspect of your life.”

‘The farm was a lighthouse to the community’

By Isabella Helms Collegian Reporter

Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm is a Michigan apple orchard that has successfully combined its love of delicious tasting apples with lasting family memories. What began as small family operation in 1956 has developed into an orchard, bakery, and cider mill that Michiganders have known and loved for years.

Owner Steve Meckley started working on the farm shortly after leaving his job in the business industry.

“Coming home from col lege, I went to work for Gor don Food Services and Sam’s Club,” Meckley said. “I was working in the Detroit area, managing stores for them, but I was not happy working in the corporate environment. My father was looking for someone to help him out with the farm and so I ended up quitting my job in the corpo rate world, came home, and have been here ever since.”

When none of Meckley’s five siblings showed interest in taking over the farm, he knew that he wanted to be there long-term. And so, 10 years ago, Meckely decided to purchase the farm from his mother after his father passed As much as the fruit farm has expanded in the past decade, Meckley has always prioritized the preservation of the farm’s heritage and tra dition. According to Meckley, the orchard’s name has not

changed since the farm’s first opening.

“Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm was the name of the business that my mother and father purchased in 1956,” Meckely said.

With a total of 375 acres of land, Meckley’s houses more than 20 varieties of apples, several miles of corn maze, sunflower fields, cherry trees, pumpkin patches, raspberry bushes, a bakery, cider mill, and small market. In 2022, Meckley’s celebrates its 66th year in the orchard business, selling top quality apples, do nuts, cider, and other specialty items.

Four generations later, this local institution still main tains a small business appeal while also producing fresh fall goodies and a fun family experience. As Meckley put it, being a small business means that the decision-making process is “instantaneous.”

Meckley said he believes in the importance of a fami ly-oriented operation where employees meet as a team to make decisions. Meckley said the farm flourishes with a familial approach.

“We politely refer to the farm as the goose,” Meckely said. “You keep the goose hap py and she lays golden eggs. She needs to be happy and she needs to be healthy which means you need to reinvest in her and you need to keep her up to speed on current things.”

Meckley’s sources all of its

products locally for a unique spin on all of their homebaked classics. Make sure to come hungry, because the shop has more than a dozen specialty items to choose from like hand-dipped caramel apples, freshly baked donuts and pies, seasonal treats, and of course, plenty of apples.

Head brewer and gener al manager Andrew Scoby grew up going to church with Meckley. Scoby was good friends with the Meckley fam ily before coming to work for them at 14 years old.

Even though Scoby eventually moved away to Alaska, it was not long before he returned to Michigan and became a Meckley’s employee for the second time.

“Steve has always recog nized a good work ethic,” Sco by said. “Within a few years, I was running the whole back of the barn. I became the head brewer and general manager all in the blink of an eye.”

While every day looks different for Scoby, he can count on a consistent routine of gravity readings, kegging, and canning. “Most of it is just following recipe prompts and directions, and then you get to experiment again. It’s really fun,” Scoby said.

Scoby’s favorite part about working at Meckley’s is ob serving the joy of visitors. He pointed out how the gener ations of returning people make Meckely’s Flavor Fruit Farm that beloved place that it is.

One cool, fall Saturday, Paul Rezkalla, assistant pro fessor of philosophy, visited the orchard with a group of friends. A Brooklyn native, Rezkalla thought it was only proper that he bring his Flo ridian friends to do “the most Midwestern thing” possible: visiting an apple orchard.

“I grew up in New York City and we would drive hours just to go to corn mazes and apple orchards. So it’s nice to have something just 20 minutes away from where I live,” Rezkalla said. “Meckley’s makes life more enjoyable.”

Above all, Meckley said, the farm is a Christ-centered company which strives to uphold Chrisitian values.

“Everything we do is all for God’s glory,” Meckely said. “That is what our principles are based on and it affects how we are to our staff and team. You live through Christ and you have him live through you. We pray about staffing, we pray about the weather, and – some people think I am a lunatic – but I have prayed over pieces of equipment before.”

Meckley said he is proud of the place Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm has become today.

“My parents themselves always said that they felt like the farm was a lighthouse to the community, drawing people in to create memories and enjoy family visits,” Meck ley said. “Here we are four generations later, and that’s a reality.”

1950s style inspired artistic creativity for top homecoming banners

By Erin Osborne Collegian Reporter

In one of Hillsdale Homecoming’s more artistic competitions, the banners of Off-Campus Coalition, the Bloc, and Whit-Wat-Way took the top three spots. The creative process used inspi ration drawn from the 1950s, in line with the overarching “Through the Decades” homecoming theme.

OCC’s banner was based on the golden age of Holly wood and Western movies.

“I love the graphic design of the ’50s because every thing’s so iconic,” senior and banner designer Hannah Cheng said. “Westerns were a

huge thing in the ’50s and we wanted to incorporate Hills dale’s mascot, so we made a movie poster.”

The banner features As sociate Dean of Men Jeffery “Chief” Rogers on a horse and used ’50s-style typography.

“I was thinking about iconic Hillsdale people and thought that Chief would love to be on a horse with a pistol. It just fit perfectly,” Cheng said. “The brush-lettering and angular exclamation points are part of a very distinctive visual style. It feels like it’s from another time.”

Using acrylic paint and permanent markers, about 10 OCC members constructed the banner over two weekends

of painting.

“AJ Freeland, a senior and veteran banner painter, led the painting,” said Cheng. “Any one can fill in lines, but an incorrect color throws off the entire banner.”

Freeland also wrote the names of everyone who con tributed to the banner in the upper left-hand corner.

“We were lucky because we had a lot of people that are looking forward and are kind of driven and independent but also want to enjoy the life that we have at Hillsdale now,” said Cheng. “We’re not in a dorm, there are no resident assis tants. We’re actually sacrific ing time that could be going to school or a career but instead

we worked on the banner.”

The Bloc poster also drew inspiration from the movie posters of the ’50s.

“We went with a movie poster design where we adapt ed ‘Singing in the Rain’ to be in Hillsdale,” said senior and banner designer Emily Braus ch. “We wanted to personalize the banner to Hillsdale, and it’s always fun to see everyone’s takes on the same theme.”

Brausch inserted Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn’s face in place of Jean Kelly and replaced the original lamp post with the quad fountain. She spent three hours in Pho toshop designing the banner.

Senior and head resident assistant Kate Lawson led a

five-person team through 2030 hours of acrylic painting.

“My favorite part was when I would paint, and people would stop by and say hello,” Brausch said. “The positive feedback was very encourag ing and made me feel like I was contributing something to our homecoming group.”

Brausch said she was sur prised to see the Bloc place in the competition.

“When all of the banners dropped, I saw so many good banners,” said Brausch. “I think that we did a really good job this year.”

Whit-Wat-Way’s banner was based off of Queen Eliza beth II’s coronation portrait.

Senior Colman Rowan said

the sheets provided by Student Activities Board were absor bent enough to make preci sion challenging.

“The banner’s execution was very good,” Rowan said. “It was very technically accu rate.”

In his first year working on a banner, Rowan focused pri marily on the background of Whit-Wat-Way’s banner. The 11-person painting team put brush to canvas a couple of days before banner drop and spent a full day working on it.

“I wanted to help with homecoming, and couldn’t do Mock Rock, but I like to paint,” said Rowan. “I was very happy to have an excuse to do that.”

Eddy helped start a weightlifting club for female students.

Courtesy | Anna Eddy

Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm first opened in 1956.

Isabella Helms | Collegian

Local orchard Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm’s history extends through decades of familial love and hard work

FEATURES

Students hit the road for fall break Mackinaw City, Michigan

By Megan Williams Culture Editor

My first trip to the Midwest was one I can’t remember.

When I was three months old, my mother’s extended family held a reunion in their home state of Michigan. We boarded a plane in Los Angeles and ended up traversing the state of Michigan in July 2001.

Though I may not remember the summer heat, the glisten ing surface of Lake Michigan, or all the kisses I received from my great aunts, I do remember one thing: my mom’s navy blue, cotton, zip-up jacket with

My mom wore that sweat shirt all around the house. It was the coat she wrapped her self up in during those misty January mornings. Whenever she was sitting at the comput er, sipping coffee and doing taxes, my mom was wearing that jacket. I grew up connect ing that coat with the comfort of our home and the love of my family, which is why I began borrowing it before I even knew how to pronounce Mackinac.

I distinctly remember the night my mom described Mackinac Island to me. This storied little island off the

around town. It seemed so quaint, like the little French villages you hear about in fairytales.

So, when the conversation of where to spend my final fall break at Hillsdale College occurred, there was only one place I wanted to go: Macki nac Island. Thankfully, I had a few friends who indulged my little dream and helped me plan a trip to northern Michigan.

Departing Hillsdale after classes last Wednesday, we began our four and a half hour drive to a little cabin in Mack inaw City. Traveling under the cover of golden and amber leaves, I couldn’t help but rem inisce over my last four years in a state that means so much to my family.

Four years ago, my grand father and mom flew out with me for move-in weekend my freshman year, and before we

niscent few days, my grandfa ther carried my boxes up the stairs of McIntyre, drove us to church Sunday morning, and held my mom’s hand when she had to say goodbye.

All of these memories and

as many streets as we could, and take hundreds of photos to send to our mothers. We visited St. Anne’s Catholic Church – a stately, white building with ornate stained glass creaky floors on the in

smelling strongly of soil and wood. As we wandered, we happened upon a cemetery and decided to visit the graves. We pointed out veterans’ tombstones from the 19th century and took a moment

coast of Michigan where people still drove horse-drawn carriages and rode their bikes

Atlanta, Georgia

By Elizabeth Crawford Collegian Reporter

Despite the six blisters on my feet and the 20,000 steps I walked per day, my fall break was well-spent knocking on doors and speaking with peo ple about pro-life gubernatorial candidates in their state.

During my time away from campus, I went on a deployment with the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life activist organization that campaigns for pro-life candidates in bat tleground states.

They recruit students from different colleges across the country all committed to one goal: the end of abortion in America.

Juniors Emma Burbach and Ben Kennedy, SBA’s student ambassadors at Hillsdale, recruited myself and some of my friends for the fall break deployment to Atlanta, Geor gia. SBA List pays for students’ room, board, and transpor tation. After flying out of the Detroit airport, we arrived late Wednesday evening and found hot food waiting for us.

After falling into bed exhausted from a long day of midterms and traveling, we all got up around 7:30 a.m. to eat breakfast and learn the ropes of door-knocking.

SBA List uses an app called i360 Walk, which gathers and records people’s data, such as voting history and consumer habits. This helps political organizations, such as the SBA List, in target ing their campaign efforts to people who are either inactive or independent voters.

Our work as door-knockers involved tconducting sur veys on people’s opinions on abortion and how their views on abortion would affect their vote in the upcoming election. Our hope was to inform people of the radical positions of Senator Raphael Warnock and gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams, who according to the SBA List wanted abortion access up until nine months gestation.

Herschel Walker, the GOP challenger for the Senate seat, and Governor Brian Kemp were the two candidates en dorsed by the SBA List. Walker has come under fire, however, for allegations that he paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion.

The days on the trip with Susan B. Anthony List seemed identical to each other because

arrived at the college, we did some much-needed touring around the state. After a remi

my family history flooded back to me as I drove up north with a few friends for fall break. Arriving at our cabin, we settled into our small cabin on Paradise Lake and got a good night’s rest to prepare us for the next day.

While driving into Mack inaw City the next morning, we grabbed coffee, purchased our ferry tickets, and climbed up to the top floor of the boat to begin our day on the island. As we pulled into the boat dock, the captain identified different buildings, forts, and houses along the island. The smell of chocolate, a row of brightly-colored shops, and a horse pulling a wagon full of supplies greeted us in town. It felt too good to be true.

We were on a mission to stop in every shop, walk down

side. Walking along the island’s shore, we decided to visit The Original Mackinac Butterfly House & Insect World, an indoor garden filled with hun dreds of live butterflies.

Large, royal blue butterflies fluttered in a circle above our heads. With the “Downton Abbey” soundtrack playing in the background and butter flies landing on our bags and shoulders, the experience was truly ethereal.

We stopped back in town for a bite to eat, sharing a pizza and snacking on famous Mackinac Island fudge. Trek king up the hill to the top of the island, we walked around Fort Mackinac, past the governor’s house, and down a road leading to other sights. After some morning rain, the trees, dirt, and roads were wet,

to rest in the peace we found there.

With the weather predict ing showers in the next twenty minutes, we quickly made our way back to the main street and continued to search for souvenirs to take home with us. While my friends looked for stickers, sweatshirts, and shot glasses, I was on the hunt to find a replica of my mother’s Mackinac Island jacket that I could keep as my own.

I left the island with a smaller bucket list, feeling all the more prepared to enjoy my final few months in Michigan. As the ferry chugged away, I looked back at the island, holding my new purchase close: a navy blue, cotton, zip-up jacket with “Mackinac Island” embroidered on the left-hand side.

the schedule was unvaried. I woke up around 7:30 a.m. so that I could have enough time to get dressed, and time to rest became more valuable after so much exercise.

I knew this trip would in volve a lot of walking, because I had done a deployment with the SBA List before, but the hills of northern Atlanta took me by surprise.

Aside from climbing steep driveways, my interactions with the citizens of Georgia were varied. Some families were happy and supportive of the work we were doing. I met a Catholic mother of seven children who was a proud donor to both Hillsdale and the SBA List.

However, others were nervous about having their political views recorded.

When I became frustrated with people’s apathy towards the issue, I took consolation in Georgia’s beautiful weather. The sky was a robin’s egg blue, and the dappled leaves of the trees shone in the sunlight. The wraparound porches, colonial brick, and shuttered windows of Southern homes made a charming nieghborhood.

One of the members of my group, freshman Maggie McGee, expressed her disap pointment with most voters’ knowledge concerning the issue of abortion.

“Beyond just what’s wrong or right, so many people don’t

know truly what a late-term abortion is or that a baby is viable in the third trimester,” McGee said. “They assume all abortions to be the same in every case.”

Ella Witt, the national di rector of the student program, maintains a positive view on the program’s efficacy.

“So far, the Georgia de ployments have been a great success,” Witt said. “Our students have already knocked on 66,000 doors in October alone. The student program is on track to reach 100,000 Georgians this month. When we share the truth of abortion extremism at the door, our efforts are effective and I know we will see that reflected on election day.”

While the polls seem to

favor incumbent Brian Kemp, the polls do not look so kindly on Walker. Very few indepen dent and Republican voters were enthusiastic supporters of him, and the enthusiastic few were so because he had former president Donald Trump’s endorsement.

When I talked to Hillsdale junior Truman Kjos the last evening of the trip, he said he was optimistic about Georgia’s future.

“I think Herschel Walker is a controversial candidate even among those who would vote Republican,” Kjos said. “I still think, however, that Republicans have a good shot at reclaiming the governor and Senate seats.”

But after a long hard day of walking up rolling hills, stand

ing in the sunshine, and talking to strangers, nothing hit better than an eight count chicken nugget meal from Chick-Fil-A and a large sweet tea.

In the evenings I met stu dents from different colleges as well as other Hillsdale stu dents whose paths I had never crossed. We hung out in the lobby after the day was over, playing MadLibs and laughing till we were crying and out of breath.

Everyone agreed, though, the trip made the physical discomfort worth it. .

“I would encourage them to try something new,” Witt said.

“This is a great opportunity to make a huge difference, get out of your comfort zone, and meet other like minded students from across the country.”

Mackinac Island embroidered in red thread on the left-hand side.

Senior Megan Williams spent her break reminiscing about her years in Michigan by visiting a place close to her mother’s heart

Crawford poses with a mother and daughter she spoke with in Georgia.

Courtesy | Elizabeth Crawford

Williams’ mother often wears this blue Mackinac Island jacket. Megan Williams | Collegian

Williams spent a long weekend in northern Michigan with friends. Megan Williams | Collegian

Junior Elizabeth Crawford flew across the country to knock on strangers’ doors and advocate for the pro-life cause

Williams smiles with friends senior Mercedes Bryan and junior Hannah Allen. Megan Williams | Collegian