The Hillsdale Collegian 2.10.22 by The Hillsdale Collegian

Valentine's Day:

Student Bakers: begin business on campus See B1

Faculty and staff share stories See B4 Courtesy | Mark Kalthoff

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Car Shortage: continues in Hillsdale car dealerships See A7

Courtesy | Emily Hardy

Vol. 145 Issue 18 - February 10, 2022

Josh Newhook | Collegian

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

New classical education master's program to begin in fall By Erin Osborne Collegian Freelancer The education department will offer the first classes in its new master’s program this fall. The Higher Learning Commission accredited the residential program in January, which will serve up to 20 students per year. “I am incredibly excited about this master’s program in classical education,” said David Diener, former headmaster of Hillsdale Academy

and lecturing professor of Education at Hillsdale College. Diener will become a full-time faculty member of the education department this fall. Diener said he hopes to bring his administrative expertise to the program. “One of the greatest challenges that classical Christian schools and classical charter schools face today is finding qualified headmasters and administrators,” Diener said. “This program helps to meet the need for trained headmasters by providing administrative training as part of

the offered coursework.” The master’s program seeks to benefit teachers, administrators, and other candidates interested in classical education. Chairman and Professor of Education Daniel Coupland said schools need leaders both inside and outside of the classroom to thrive. “This includes a mentor teacher, a dean of students, an athletic director, all the way up to a headmaster,” Coupland said. “Leadership is the biggest need in education, but we’re not limiting the

master’s program towards a particular group.” Diener and the existing education professors will not be the only professors who teach the program's students. “We’ll be hiring at least one new faculty member,” Coupland said. “That search is ongoing right now. The idea is that as the program continues to grow, we’ll continue to add faculty.” Some of the classes may also be taught by current faculty members outside of the education department, Coupland said. The classes will be

Outstanding Senior award finalists

spread out over two years: a core curriculum the first year and electives the second. “At the graduate level, there will be a historical strand, a philosophical strand, and then a literary or humane letters strand. All students will take the same courses in their first year,” Coupland said. “This includes classes in the history of liberal and American education, the philosophy of education, and classical pedagogy.” Assistant Professor of Education Benjamin Beier said the Humane Letters class will

Greta Dornbirer

Major: English Hometown: Traverse City, MI Favorite Class: The most formative class I've taken is Great Books I with Dr. Whalen Favorite place you've traveled: Grand Teton National Park, WY

Major: English Hometown: Marengo, OH Favorite class: Shakespeare with Dr. Benedict Whalen take it if you get a chance! Favorite place you've traveled: The English Cotswolds countryside

Grant Boyes

Nick Schaffield

Major: Politics Hometown: Springboro, OH Favorite class: Homer's Paideia with Dr. Beier Favorite place you've traveled: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

Major: Philosophy Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Favorite class: Classical Metaphysics with Dr. Cole Favorite place you've traveled: Jekyll Island, GA

Rachel Kiti Major: Economics and Mathematics Hometown: Kilifi, Kenya Favorite class: Greco-Roman Lit & Culture with Dr. Young Favorite place you've traveled: Logan, Utah

David Strobach

Major: Philosophy and Religion, History Hometown: Racine, WI Favorite class: Reformation with Dr. Gaetano Favorite place you've traveled: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Reagan Linde Major: Art and Politics Hometown: Billings, MT Favorite class: Physics 100 with Dr. Hayes Favorite place you've traveled: West Virginia - it's my second favorite state.

Cliff Yang Major: Chemistry Hometown: Pewaukee, WI Favorite class: Organic chemistry Favorite place you've traveled: Sedona, AZ

Rhetoric and public address department to offer media studies minor this fall By Elizabeth Troutman Assistant Editor Students will have the opportunity to minor in media studies beginning this fall. The new minor will replace the rhetoric and public address department’s mass communications minor, offering a broader study of media. Media studies will be included in the 2022-2023 course catalog. “I want students to think critically about their media environments, to learn the analytic tools for mak-

ing sense of a world that is increasingly complex and mediated,” Stoneman said. “I also hope that they will be inspired to find ways — with or against or alongside technology — to fortify and sustain the integrity of the human being and to extend the power of the individual in harmony with an equally strengthened community.” The coursework for the minor covers media history, theory, and criticism. Theoretical courses include classes like Media Ecology, Propaganda, Social Control, and Conser-

vative Critics of Technology. Media criticism courses study narrative film, documentary, and television. Though most of the coursework contains a historical element, specific history classes like History of Broadcasting will be offered, Stoneman said. “When I joined the faculty, we had a few media courses on the books,” said Ethan Stoneman, assistant professor of rhetoric and public address. “I wanted to expand those offerings into something that would be more broadly serviceable to Hills-

dale students.” Stoneman suggested the idea of the minor. The provost and the promotion and tenure committee asked Stoneman to submit a plan to address his “dream department” as part of his tenure application. After producing a plan, the RPA department proposed the changes to the faculty, which were well-received and passed, according to Department Chairman Kirstin Kiledal.

See Minor A2

See Master's A2

More than fifty schools attending largest Classical School Job Fair By Tess Owen Collegian Reporter

Jaime Boerema

give students the opportunity to read the Great Books of the Western tradition through the teaching practices of classical education. The class will enable the students who have taught previously to experience classical education from the student perspective. In addition, several handson opportunities will be available to graduate students. “There will be a teaching apprenticeship, where a

The annual Classical School Job Fair will host 60 schools this Thursday. “The main goal of the event is to connect excellent classical schools with some of our top Hillsdale students,” Career Services Project Manager Hadiah Ritchey said. The event will take place in the Searle Center from 1 - 6 p.m. “All schools given a spot at the job fair are aligned with Hillsdale College’s mission and have a serious interest in hiring Hillsdale College graduates,” Ritchey said. Representatives of the schools will travel from all over the country. Trinity Classical Academy of Minnesota, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School of Boston, Golden View Classical Academy of Colorado, and Seven Oaks Classical School of Indiana are among the schools that will attend the fair. According to Ritchey, more than 130 students registered to attend the event. “Every year, we have more students who are interested in teaching the good, true, and beautiful things they have learned here on campus,” Ritchey said. “Similarly, there is an ever growing classical education movement throughout the United States, and schools all over the nation want to hire Hillsdale graduates.” Senior Jaime Boerema, a classical education minor, said she plans to attend. “I’m going because I’m definitely interested in

teaching and because I’m passionate about teaching and wanting to invest in the next generation,” Boerema said. “And I know this is an incredible opportunity to connect with schools.” Ritchey, along with Operations Coordinator Amelia Lawson of the K-12 Education Office, organized the event. While Ritchey was responsible for arranging the campus end of matters and managing student registration, Lawson coordinated with the schools. According to Lawson, the event is open to all college students, but the invitation is only open to schools who wish to attend. While schools officially affiliated with the college automatically receive an invitation, a panel composed of the K-12 Education Office, the education department, and Career Services processes other school’s requests to attend the fair. “More than 200 schools were interested in attending, but it was not possible to invite them all,” Lawson said. “This year we have 60 schools represented at the fair, which is the most we’ve ever had.” “Classical schools want to come to this job fair because they want teachers who are liberally educated, mission-focused, leaders, and models of excellent character,” Lawson said. “This certainly describes the profile of a Hillsdale College student.” This will be the 17th year the college has hosted the classical school job fair, Ritchey said.

See Fair A2

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

February 10, 2022

Politics professors explain history of Olympics, discuss Biden's choice to boycott By Beth Crawford Collegian Freelancer

Chiropractor Christopher Netley. Elyse Hawkins | Collegian

Health Center offers chiropractic services By Elyse Hawkins Opinions Editor Hillsdale students now have the opportunity to visit a chiropractor on campus since Christopher Netley, D.C., started as a chiropractor at Hillsdale College Health Services last year. Netley has served the college community since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester and he is the first chiropractor to fill this new position at the Health and Wellness Center. “Dr. Netley helps us to fill out a wider array of services at the Health and Wellness Center,” staff nurse Kari Coupland said. “He is a nice addition to our team and a joy to work with.” Netley and his family fled California because of the COVID-19 policies and moved to Hillsdale in the spring of 2020. “Things in California at the time, early in the pandemic, were looking pretty bleak,” Netley said. “We didn’t know how long the state was going to make it last, so it just seemed like a good time to leave. So we just decided, let’s move back to Michigan.” Even though Netley did not have a job lined up before moving, he chose Hillsdale because Marissa, Netley’s wife and an alumna of Hillsdale College, has family living in the area. Netley had a long journey toward becoming a chiropractor. After receiving his undergraduate degree in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside, Southern California University accepted Netley into its Ph.D. program. However, he decided to join the Marine Corps instead. He served eight years as a captain and was primarily stationed in San Diego. He spent 2010 and 2011 deployed in Afghanistan and his last three years in Chicago. “I decided I didn’t want to make the military my career. So, when I decided to leave the military, I wanted to make the switch into a profession that I thought was going to be worthwhile,” Netley said. He said he felt the medical field was a good fit, and his early experience with good chiropractors inspired him to pursue the profession. Netley’s focus in graduate school at Southern California University of Health Sciences was college health centers. When he heard of the Hillsdale Health and Wellness Center’s search for chiropractic care, he offered his services and was eventually granted the newly-formed position. “When we came out here, I was primarily working in a more traditional chiropractic office, but I wanted to get back to what I was doing before because I really enjoyed doing it,” Netley said. Brock Lutz, director of Health Services, said Netley is a great addition to the current team. “I think he is a great fit with the services we currently offer and complements our current

medical and psychological staff well,” Lutz said. Netley also said he appreciates the ability for integrated care for patients that the Health and Wellness Center offers. “In a more integrated setting like this, I’m working with nurses, doctors, and mental health professionals,” he said. “You get the patients better care and it’s easier to provide the care when you are working in an integrated team setting.” Netley said his patients resemble the demographics of the patient base he is used to seeing in private practice: about half students and half staff and their families. Netley primarily sees patients for neck and back pain. These are issues that he thinks are exacerbated by the anxiety caused by a stressful school environment. “I think a lot of it is lifestyle-based,” Netley explained. “Psychological issues are also heavily linked with spine pain, so it’s not unusual for someone to come in and be dealing with lower back pain and there’s some kind of stress going on.” To avoid these issues, he recommended students to be conscious of being active on a regular basis. “Once things get stressful and time runs short, physical activity usually goes down and that tends to be when you see a lot more issues,” Netley said. “Make time to go to the gym, or play a sport, or do something active whether it’s just walking or swimming, or going on a treadmill, or just anything to get you up and moving around.” Netley is helping students form those habits by recently adding a program to assist that portion of the student body that aren’t athletes and don’t have access to fitness coaching. “When the pain is starting to go down and we're trying to get them back moving again, and a lot of people just don't know what to do at the gym or they don't know how to program fitness routines, so I'll take them to the gym for about an hour,” he said. “We go through a workout and then the next day, I’ll get their feedback and then, based off that, I can build programs for them.” Netley said this project acts as a transition in care for his patients and is something he hopes to expand. “I think it’s something that is needed on campus and we are working on some ideas to potentially expand the program and make it more affordable,” he said. “It’s a way to blend fitness and healthcare.” Netley encouraged students to also reach out to him with any questions about general health, exercise, and fitness. “I can be a really good source of knowledge, especially if you have those general questions and just don’t know who to ask,” he said. To schedule an appointment with Netley, call the Health and Wellness Center’s front desk. Netley charges $50 for the first appointment and $30 for follow-ups. He also offers personal therapeutic exercises for $60.

How to: Advertise with The Collegian

To advertise in The Collegian, please contact Zach Herzog at zherzog@hillsdale.edu.

The Biden Administration’s decision to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics demonstrates that America’s governing elites are “the biggest bunch of fools and knaves ever brought together in history,” Associate Professor of Politics John Grant said in a Feb. 3 lecture. The Alexander Hamilton Society hosted a discussion between Grant and Professor of History Paul Rahe entitled, “Diplomatic Boycott: The China Olympics.” Rahe opened his talk with a historical analysis of the games. The first Olympics in 706 B.C. focused on foot races. A few centuries later, Grecians favored chariot racing as a means of attaining political honor and glory. “These things have always had a political bent of the kind we’re seeing today,” Rahe said. Refusing to send diplomats to this year’s games in Beijing means refusing to send first lady Jill Biden or Vice President Kamala Har-

ris, Grant said. As a result, America’s attempt to send a message to the Chinese concerning their treatment of the Uyghurs comes across as mere posturing, in part due to the complete economic interdependence between America and China. The American elites in both parties are intimately connected to China: the Bidens have extensive business connections, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is married to the daughter of a Chinese shipping magnate, Grant said. “All of our meaningful or most important problems with China are of our making,” Grant said. The boycott comes further into question when examining the blind eye that the United States has turned toward other countries with major human rights violations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Grant said. Regardless of the status of the Uyghurs and China’s human rights violations, both Rahe and Grant agreed

America’s interests should come first. “We have to disentangle economically,” Grant said. Eighty percent of America’s pharmaceuticals are made in China, Grant said, and China has a monopoly on fertilizer, which is causing a 200% increase in its price. Rahe affirmed Grant’s assessment of the current situation, and suggested this posturing is a result of the quick turnover in American government. “Many of the things that John Grant pointed to seem to me to derive from the fact that the current administration’s only concern is the next election,” Rahe said. The four-year election cycle, which naturally leads to foreign policy changes with incoming administrations, hinders America from playing the same long term game that other countries, such as China play, Rahe said. This is most notable in view of the recent events surrounding China’s aggression toward the island of Taiwan. Taiwan is the leading producer of semiconductor

microchips, making the tiny island in the South China sea an important player on the geo-political scale. Freshman Joseph Claeys enjoyed the points on Taiwan. “I think the point about Taiwan and semiconductors was really interesting,” Claeys said. “It’s another reason like we should defend the island, or at least try since it’s kind of almost out of reach.” While intervention in the case of Taiwan relates much more to American interest, Grant and Rahe said intervening in China’s affairs with the Uyghurs does not apply in the same way to American interests or sovereignty. “I’d say it’s not our business because our American rights and independence are not at stake,” Grant said. Without a direct challenge to American rights and sovereignty, intervention is hard to justify, making the boycott of the Olympics another example of political theater, Grant said.

Theatre professor speaks on Aristotle's 'Poetics' By Maggie Wackenhut Collegian Freelancer One of the best ways to learn about theater is to read a philosopher, said Professor of Theater James Brandon in a lecture on Feb. 3. Brandon spoke on the impact of Aristotle's writing on the development of the theatrical arts. Playwrights still adhere to the rules he described in “Poetics,” written around 330 B.C., he said. Brandon recalled his time studying theater as an undergraduate student at Eureka College in Illinois. "I asked my adviser what book I should read, or reread, and he handed me a battered, dog-eared copy of Aristotle's ‘Poetics,’” Brandon said. “I discovered that much of what I had been learning and read-

ing over the last few years came straight from Aristotle's ‘Poetics.’” One of Aristotle's major theatrical concepts that separated his work from others' in his time is the notion of mimesis, or an imitation of the real world in art, as a form of entertainment, according to Brandon. There is a reason humanity enjoys the performative arts, such as theater, television, and movies: humans “enjoy watching other people do it," he said. Brandon's interpretation of Aristotle is that imitation is natural to man from childhood, that humans are the most imitative creatures in the world. Sophomore Holly Stover said her childhood love of plays and musicals drew her

to Brandon's talk. "It makes sense that we like watching plays,” Stover said. “People are nosy and we like watching other people's lives." This lecture was the third in a series of public lectures presented this year by the Van Andel School of Statesmanship in conjunction with its Doctoral Humanities Seminar, an interdisciplinary course for Ph.D. students consisting of lectures and seminars on central themes in the humanities. Assistant Professor of French Anna Navrotskaya said she saw Brandon’s lecture as a fitting occasion to get more ideas for her writing on performance practices in contemporary theater and everyday life. "I really appreciated the

logical way Dr. Brandon presented the concept of mimesis and related it directly to performance, considering the fact that not only do we imitate but that we also enjoy seeing imitation," Navrotskaya said. The inner workings of theatrical production are still rooted in the elements of tragedy prescribed by Aristotle: plot, character, theme, language, music, and spectacle all play together to create an art form designed "to teach, to move, and to make us feel," Dr. Brandon said. "A clear understanding of the ‘Poetics’ helped me understand how various elements in theater developed over the years and fit together," Brandon said.

Students talk to classical school personnel in 2019.|| Collegian archives 2019.

Fair from A1 The college gives this event to further its mission of offering an excellent education dedicated to developing

Master's from A1 teacher will work closely with another teacher,” Coupland said. “We’ll also have an administrator apprenticeship class where students will shadow an administrator and help with tasks.”

Minor from A1 Stoneman said he received input from Kiledal, Lecturer in RPA Brita Stoneman, Dean of the Humanities Stephen Smith, and Senior Advisor to the Provost Mark Maier. Kiledal said since the minor is not in the 2021-2022 course catalog, an estimate of the number of media studies minors is not yet available. However, specialized media studies courses this semester have included approximately 25 students. Kiledal explained the need

both the minds and hearts of students, Ritchey said. “Hillsdale College cares about good education for college students, but also for human beings in every stage

of life,” Ritchey said. “This is clearly demonstrated through the Hillsdale K-12 curriculum, among our numerous other initiatives. The classical school job fair serves our

graduates and families all over the United States who trust our alumni to teach their children.”

The second year of the master’s program will also offer topical classes in addition to the apprenticeship. “There’ll be a pedagogy and curriculum class, and then there will be a sequence of classes for those who are interested in being school leaders,” Beier said. “There

will also be some topical classes, including classes on the trivium and quadrivium.” Diener said Hillsdale is the “perfect institution” to offer a graduate degree in classical education because the program aligns with the college’s identity as an institution, its mission, and the classical

education program already offered to undergraduate students. “I believe that Hillsdale College can offer a program that becomes the industry gold standard,” Deiner said.

to rename the former mass communications minor. “The changes to the minor reflect developmental changes within the field, growth in academic rigor, reduction in the number of credit hours for the minor, and significant areas of faculty knowledge and interest,” she said. Students could minor in media studies for many reasons, according to Kiledal. “Some are interested in careers in or overlapping media generally, or in journalism and some seek contemporary study and outlets in critical methods and analysis skills

across the spectrum of communication,” she said. In the fall 2022 semester, the media studies minor will offer courses in Media and Culture, Propaganda and Social Control, Media Theory & Criticism, and Film: History and Form. No prerequisites are required for any of the classes. “The minor really is something special,” Stoneman said. “There’s not another program of study anywhere else that’s quite like it. That’s because we developed it with the Hillsdale student body in mind.” Junior Carson Brown said

he took his first media studies course, Media Ecology, at the beginning of his sophomore year. “I found it to be one of my first classes that truly connected all of the humanities together in a comprehensive manner,” he said. “I decided to pick up the media studies minor because it felt like one of the few classes I had taken that gave me a practical look at the way I live from the liberal arts perspective I came to Hillsdale for.”

How to: Subscribe to The Collegian

To receive weekly issues of Hillsdale College’s student newspaper, please contact Lauren Scott at lscott@hillsdale.edu.

How to: Join The Collegian

To find out more about how to contribute to The Collegian through writing, photography, or videography, please contact Ben Wilson at bwilson@hillsdale.edu.

February 10, 2022

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Illinois State Representative urges students to consider local government involvement By Ashley Kaitz Collegian Reporter Illinois State Representative and Hillsdale alum Tom Morrison ‘97 urged Hillsdale students to get involved in local government in a Feb. 3 talk hosted by Citizens for Self-Governance. “An advantage of going to Hillsdale and getting a good liberal-arts education is what really prepares you to do a lot of different things,” he said. Morrison himself had a less-than-traditional path to civic leadership. “When I first ran for office, I was running a cleaning business,” he said. He decided to run for office because the Illinois state government was planning to raise taxes, and as a business owner, he was concerned about the issue. “Local and state governments have a way bigger impact on your day-to-day life,” Morrison said. Junior Conner Bolanos, who organized the talk, agreed with Morrison that local government is incredibly important. “Here at Hillsdale, and in the country at large, much of the focus of the media and academia is on the federal government and federal politics. Many students here at Hillsdale also place great emphasis on getting involved in federal politics as a career,” he said. “Yet, as Morrison explained, it is local government, like school boards, library districts, and state

governments, that have the most impact on one's day to day life, affecting everything from property taxes to public school curriculum to building ordinances.” According to Morrison, in state and local government, every vote counts. “In the last few elections, I’ve won by very, very narrow margins,” he said. “In 2018, I won my election by 43 votes.” To ensure as many votes as possible, Morrison said, it’s essential to actually talk to people and listen to their concerns. “Every year, I would personally talk to thousands and thousands of residents, calling them back, or texting them, or responding personally to their emails,” he said. In fact, with this strategy, Morrison said he was able to change the minds of several constituents that usually voted Democrat. “Because I showed them that personal touch on voter issues, they would end up voting for me,” he said. During the Q&A portion of the talk, junior Noah Schleusener, a member of Citizens for Self-Governance, said that while he wasn’t interested in getting involved in federal or state government, he wanted to know more about local politics. “The one downside to local government is that these are typically volunteer positions or have a very, very nominal salary,” Morrison said. "You could be working 15, 20, 30 hours a week at times, but it

is so important.” Morrison said one of the primary issues concerning local governments right now is the issue of school board elections. “Some of the curriculum that’s being pushed onto young people, it’s propaganda, it’s brainwashing,” he said. “People of good character should run for these positions, because you’re really making a massive impact on the next generation.” Bolanos said as a result of the talk, he more fully grasped the importance of local government not only in people's daily lives, but in the country at large. “The federal government in many ways does not decide the curriculum of your state or town's schools, it is local school boards consisting of parents or state legislatures consisting of local residents,” he said. “By becoming involved with, or even running, in local government, individuals are able to make great impacts on the lives of those within their communities and best express their right to self-governance.” According to Morrison, the best way to set yourself up for success in politics is to be tough while keeping your ultimate goal in mind. “You just have to go into it with your eyes wide open, and have a thick skin, but just know that you’re doing very,very important work,” he said.

Scott Walter testifies before a Georgia sub-committee in 2020. Courtesy | WXIA-TV, Atlanta

Q&A: Scott Walter, Capital Reseach Center By Josh Hypes Assistant Editor Scott Walter is president of the Capital Research Center, a research organization in Washington, D.C., that studies how foundations and nonprofit groups spend their money. What is the goal of modern education? In my day, in the 1980s at Georgetown University, my good professors would complain that the kids thought education was a means to an end. You go to school to get the skills for a job and then make money. It’s D.C., after all. But then, education became worse, becoming simple indoctrination. Now it exists to train the student to be a passive consumer of the regime's demand, to obey the structures of authority, and comply with its decrees. Who are the members of this ruling regime in education and government? The regime is what governs our way of life. Take, for instance, your atrocious governor of Michigan. What does she want out of the college kid who comes to Michigan? She wants somebody who will passively submit to her regime. That's what she wants. For example, say I want to start a business and make money. She can’t tolerate that because I might use my resources and become rebellious against her vaccination

mandates. Ultimately, you need to be a passive submitter to the regime’s demands. Who is giving to higher educational institutions? The average donor may look back fondly on his beer-swilling college days and decide to donate to his alma mater. While there might be some crazy radicals teaching at his beloved alma mater, he believes they’ll do something worthwhile with the money he is going to give them anyway. Although the average donor may have good intentions, the whole campus is run by radicals, and his dollars are going to go to terrible things that he doesn’t want. If you endow a chair at the average modern university, it will end up in the hands of radicals. Take chairs of free enterprise, for example. You have some rich, libertarian old guy, and he thinks, “By God, I'm going to endow a chair in free enterprise at the enormous state university where I went. If I do that there’s no way they can ever teach communism!” Actually, virtually every single holder of a chair, labeled free market or free enterprise, was actually held by some whacked person who hates markets, free economy, and free enterprise. Why is it that higher education is usually dominated by leftist ideology? Antonio Gramsci was one

of the great theorists of this in the 20th century and he said: “We have kept the long march through the institutions.” Marx was really a crude materialist in the 19th century. He thinks that money is the key to everything. The smarter leftists in the 20th century came to realize that cultural institutions are the way to take power. It's not going to work through economics because socialist economics doesn't work at all. So the left must take them over, whether it's the churches, the universities, and the rest. They had an enormous amount of money. Because of the big foundations in America: Ford, Carnegie, Rockefeller, MacArthur Foundations provided the money. The radicals hired their own and rose higher and higher until they had control of institutions. How does critical race theory fit into leftist control of educational institutions? Who did the 1619 project? Nikole Hannah-Jones. What was she before that? She was a MacArthur Genius fellow, she got a $600,000 grant as a genius fellow from afar, which you can be sure didn't hurt having on her resume when the New York Times just decided whether to hire her. That's another central thing to this, everything they understand comes from a lust for money and power above all, but money's really helpful to get the power and it's obviously a happy circle there.

Students gamble during President's Ball in 2021. | Collegian archives

SAB to host Moroccan-themed President's Ball Saturday night By Isaac Green Collegian Freelancer Students are invited to dance the night away at the President’s Ball this Saturday, Feb. 12, in the Searle Center. Hosted by the Student Activities Board, the theme is inspired by Moroccan and Mediterranean cultures. The evening will open with the Hillsdale Hepcats Swing Club at 8:30 p.m. and continue until 12 a.m. This year’s President’s Ball will return to the traditional format, after SAB altered last year’s event to accommodate COVID-19 regulations. “Last year, SAB planned Casino Night to try to do something different than the typical President’s Ball dancing,” said Riley Arlinghaus, student activities program assistant. “We talked about bringing that back but elected to return to the more traditional model this year.” The dress code is formal attire. “It's like prom but for everyone,” Arlinghaus said. Director of Student Activities Zane Mabry said the chance to dress up was one

of his favorite aspects of the event during his time as a Hillsdale student. “It's a unique thing that happens once a year and it's just a fun opportunity,” Mabry said. “Going over with a

“You make so may fun memories, have good conversations, get some dancing in, and grab some good photos.“ bunch of guys from the dorm every year was always a really fun thing to do.” The menu for the night includes beef kofta kebabs, chicken tenders, pita chips with hummus, dried fruits, desserts, and mocktails.

A Michigan band, Skyline and the Backstreet Horns, will provide live music. “It’ll be a lot of older classic songs and newer classic songs, so a good mix of stuff,” Mabry said. Around 10:30 p.m., SAB will announce the king and queen of the ball, who will dance with the Arnns to “Moonlight Serenade.” “The President's Ball court is selected by faculty nominations,” Arlinghaus said. “The court members will be interviewed this week, and that interview panel will select the President’s Ball king and queen to be announced at the event.” The ball presents a great opportunity for busy Hillsdale students to unwind for an evening of food, fun, and dance. “It's a nice little break and a fun event to throw a little curveball into the regular doldrums,” junior Ava Helms said. “You make so many fun memories, have good conversations, get some dancing in, and grab some good photos.”

Hart discusses Ben Franklin's Protestantism in talk, book By Linnea Shively Collegian Freelancer

Distinguished Associate Professor of History Darryl G. Hart lectured on Benjamin Franklin’s unexpected spiritual life on Tuesday evening. “Benjamin Franklin: Cultural Protestant” is the second book in his series on the spiritual lives of the Founders. According to Hart, readers may be surprised the spiritual series features the seemingly secular Franklin. “He was steeped in Puritanism in Boston, so he carried around a lot of religious ideas and Biblical language,” Hart said. “Plus, he was a keen observer of colonial life and there was a lot of religion happening in the colonies so it wasn’t that hard to place him in developments within colonial religious life.” Franklin was a nominal Anglican, according to Hart. He attended services at Christ Chapel in Philadelphia, the namesake of Hillsdale’s chapel. He encouraged his wife Deborah and children to follow the teachings of the church and receive communion, but rejected the divinity of the trinity. Although he took a religious oath of office during his public service in England, he advocated against similar oaths in the American government. Sophomore Mary Ruth Oster attended the lecture to supplement her learning in her American Heritage class.

“I found it interesting that although Ben Franklin was not particularly devout, those core virtues and beliefs of Christianity influenced him and his contributions to the founding of the United States,” Oster said. Part of Hart’s inspiration

“Franklin is part of the furniture of the Philadelphia area,“ Hart said.

“He's always been part of my mind in a way.“

for the book came from growing up in Philadelphia. He attended Benjamin Franklin Junior High School and visited the Benjamin Franklin Institute on field trips. Now, Hart teaches Franklin in American Heritage. “Franklin is part of the furniture of the Philadelphia area,” Hart said. “He’s always been part of my mind in a way.” Freshman Kody Richards said she attended the lecture because her American Heri-

tage and Constitution classes are discussing Franklin. “It was interesting to hear about the religious practices of American founders from the perspective of social class and social climbing,” Richards said. “I also enjoyed learning more about how Franklin's autobiography was written.” Hart began writing books during his teaching position at Wheaton College. A senior faculty member encouraged Hart to write every morning before other duties of the day. “I try to write a page a day, and if you can do that, it does add up,” Hart said. “I had no idea that I would do this, but I do still get a lot of energy from writing.” Currently, Hart is working on a book exploring whether Presbyterians were responsible for the American Revolution. The book combines both national politics and church history. Since the book was published out of the London Office of the Oxford University Press, the Hillsdale bookstore has struggled to get copies of Hart’s book due to supply chain issues. Regardless, Hart said he enjoyed writing the book and planning his lecture. “Franklin is a really charming and enduring fellow in my estimation,” Hart said. “When I have a chance to look at him again, I enjoy it.”

Opinions

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A4 February 10, 2022

(517) 607-2415

Don’t criticize land battles of self government, because they create opportunities for If you have walked by the the men’s dorms to come quad and seen dozens of men together as a unified body. in costumes beating each He continues, “They are a other with weapons, you may form of play which attempt have scoffed and thought, to satisfy the male thumotic “Wow, what stupid children.” energy. Land battles allow You could not be more friendships to grow and deepwrong. en in this way: by bonding Dorm culture is a thriving men together through a parcommunity on campus, and ticipation in the same spirited one respected, time-honored activity,” Buehrer said. tradition is the land battle. Upon entering the battleIn a land battle, dozens field, one may feel fear and of men from the five mens’ snowy wind whip across his dorms on campus come toface. Their weapon may be gether to prove their greatness shaking in their hand. They in a contest of pure strength may be contemplating if they and testosterone. look stupid to the common by Some see the quad as a passer. grassy turf to throw a frisbee, These thoughts will be but for these dorms, it is the quickly ripped away. It is in perfect arena to demonstrate battle that brotherhood, bravthe brotherhood of dorm ery, and virtue are cultivated; culture. where real men are made. Many students disapprove On this battlefield, scores are of such an event in the name settled. Bonds are made. of maturity. Their criticism War stories written in the clearly comes from a place of snow of that field are passed ignorance about the benefits down through the years, of a land battle. forever preserving the tales of “Maturity in self governbravery and brotherhood. ment does not mean leaving So to the person who says behind the lessons and virtues we should do away with land we learn as children for the battles, I simply say this: So sake of a new, adultish way of long as land battles contindoing things,” senior Ethan ue, virtuous men of bravery Buehrer said. “Rather, our lib- and dorms of brotherhood eral education ought to build will continue to exist on this and develop our childhood campus. as we leave it and enter into adulthood.” Justus Hume is a freshman Buehrer makes clear that studying the liberal arts. land battles are an outgrowth By Justus Hume

Value the community By Elizabeth Crawford Community is a key aspect of any college experience, and it is especially important at Hillsdale. Bound together by the Honor Code, virtue, and the improvement of the mind through education, I appreciated how the students lived out these ideals during my visits. As a transfer student, I came from a school that lacked a cohesive sense of community. To be fair to my previous institution, I was a freshman during the height of COVID-19; I graduated from high school during quarantine and began freshman year during the fall of 2020. Perhaps my experience was unique or not representative of the broader student body, but the toll of school-wide shutdowns, mask mandates, contact tracing, and wild social distancing measures wreaked havoc on campus life and campus culture. Most clubs and organizations had limited numbers of people who could attend in person, and they often sent out Zoom links so we could participate virtually. Regardless of the varying COVID-19 restrictions, I desperately wanted to feel like there was a great unifying force amongst the students – some sort of ideal that we were all striving for. Ultimately, I did not find it at my previous school. People were not as enthusiastic about participating in campus life, and the clubs and orga-

nizations I joined had sparse attendance. While there were a variety of factors in my decision to transfer to Hillsdale, I knew I wanted to come here because I fell in love with the community and the campus life during my visits. I also admired the mission and Honor Code, since they seemed to be the unifying force that the students rallied around and sought to exemplify in their everyday lives. The people were warm and welcoming and everyone seemed so grateful to be at Hillsdale and participate in the student life on campus. There was a certain zest and zeal that was so marked and so different from the experience I had from my previous experience. In my first few weeks here, I have been so pleased to see that my initial impressions of campus and student life have proven to be true. The people have been even more warm and welcoming than on my visits, and attending events like the Re-source has continued to demonstrate the robust variety of campus clubs, organizations, and participation. I hope these attributes of Hillsdale never change; I hope that the students here always remain involved in this wonderful community and that we may always recognize how lucky we are.

Elizabeth Crawford is a sophomore studying the liberal arts.

The Collegian Weekly

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

You don’t need a date for President’s Ball You don’t need a date at President’s Ball in order to have a party. President’s Ball is one of the few campus-wide events during the spring semester. This dance should be spent with your friends, not babysitting a date. Featuring a live band playing all of your favorite classics, President’s Ball is remembered for the mosh pits, chicken tenders, and

giveaways. Walking into the Searle Center, students are greeted by their peers singing and jumping to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. The mob welcomes you, inviting you to spend the rest of your evening screaming, sweating, and seizing the moment. You spent a significant portion of your day showering, styling your hair, and

slipping into your nicest dress or suit. You might think that going with your friends is a waste of all this swagger, but do not be mistaken. There will be no romantic slow dances, no cinematic moments in the chicken tender line. President’s Ball is not your high-school prom — it’s not a conducive environment for a date. Do not waste the night

worrying about a date. Don’t spend the whole night overthinking your every move and nervously awaiting the chance for a chivalrous gesture. You have 364 other days in the year to trouble your mind with romantic ventures. Enjoy the moment and spend President’s Ball with your friends.

C.S. Lewis should be on the Liberty Walk By Claire Gaudet The Inklings CCA detailed the work of the greatest Christian apologist of modern times — a man who is an obvious candidate for the next statue on the Liberty Walk: C.S. Lewis. In its mission statement, Hillsdale College describes itself as being dedicated to the “immemorial teachings and practices of the Christian faith.” Since 2019; however, Christ Chapel has faced the outside world as the lone physical testament to the college’s Christian values. There is no statue among those on the Liberty Walk who is first and foremost known as a theological figure. Principally recognized as an author and theologian, C.S. Lewis played many roles within his lifetime. He was a scholar, soldier, and professor before he found his faith at the age of 31. Once he embraced the teachings of the Anglican church, he began a life of spreading nonsectarian Christian theology to the world through literature. Since its publication in 1950, Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” has sold more than 100 million copies. In this, his most popular book, Lewis presents themes of fortitude, devotion, and the battle between good and evil. In the seven volumes of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” readers are encouraged to

support the efforts of the good, led by Aslan, Narnia’s own Christ-like champion. Lewis describes Aslan as “the King of Beasts,” “the son of the Emperor-Over-theSea,” and “the King above all High Kings in Narnia,” all of which parallel the names for Jesus in the Bible. Jesus Christ undeniably represents the good in Lewis’ eyes, which makes it difficult for anyone enchanted by Narnia to deny the compelling arguments and plot lines of the Christian narrative. Although his fame comes as a result of his “The Chronicles of Narnia,” Lewis also wrote apologetics. Because he converted from atheism to theism, Lewis gained a special ability to sway his skeptics; he understood their objections because they were once his own. In his book “Surprised by Joy,” Lewis describes his conversion. “I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England,” Lewis writes. “I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet.” The conversions caused by Lewis’ apologetic and fictional works are numerous, a fact which Hillsdale has already commemorated in more

C.S. Lewis is one of the most prominent thinkers of the modern age. Courtesy | Wordpress

ways than one. The college has, in fact, acknowledged his work time and time again. The recent CCA was not the college’s first time exploring the works of Lewis. There are currently online and undergraduate courses detailing his impact on the world through literature. Any person who has walked through the buildings of this campus can attest to the fact that the student body has much to say about religion. In this day and age, it is rare to find an example of a college’s founding principle being so upheld by modern students. A statue

such as this would not only remind its onlookers that God is good, but would also revitalize the spirit of every student who has ever believed in that message. In the same vein in which Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s statues look toward the Civil War memorial, a bronze C. S. Lewis should gaze upon the chapel, which so often brings together people of all denominations. Claire Gaudet is a sophomore studying rhetoric and public address and journalism. She is the social media manager at the Collegian.

Take more roadtrips

By Sean Callaghan

I don’t know if it was the weird smells after 12 hours of driving, the salty snacks that filled the gut, or the people sharing the whole row with me in the back seat, but family road trips always develop strong memories. For the Callaghans, they started at 4:30 a.m. My brothers and sisters and I grabbed our pillows and piled into the 12-passenger 2003 Chevrolet Express, ready to sleep as Dad started the engine. Next came spontaneous adventure. Remember the scene from “The Truman Show” when Truman and his wife are sitting in the car and Truman suddenly starts driving away? He says, “Where shall we go, where shall we go?” That’s the thing about road trips: there doesn’t have to be a destination. Just start driving. Road trips give us the chance to escape feeling all the stress of constantly needing to plan everything. At around the age of 6, I was playing in the yard with my siblings one afternoon. All of a sudden, my parents came outside and said we were going on a road trip. Within 15 minutes, all eight of us

were snuggled in the van and on our way. You’ll also discover new things along the journey. One time, my family was passing through Springfield, Illinois, on a trip down to Kansas. As we drove through the town, we passed by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum that caught our attention. Without hesitation, we put our trip on hold, and spent a few hours perusing through the contents of the place. It’s now on my top 10 list for best museums. Another time, I was driving with friends through southern California. About midway through, we decided to stop for gas and find a beefstick or two to calm the hunger pains. To my delight, I discovered a homemade burrito stand inside the shop. I went home with a giant burrito that still ranks in the top three for best burritos. See what

marvelous places or treats you stumble upon when you get behind the steering wheel? Road trips also become a great way to bond with other people. Are you dying to become buddy-buddy with someone? Hit the road. Over a break, I rode home to Chicago with another Hillsdalean I hardly knew, and by the end of the drive, I had one of the most riveting conversations in the world. Sitting in the same space with the same people forms a certain familiarity. It’s that shared experience of driving together to the same destination that creates this bond. Find someone to ride with and I’ll bet you’ll be pals by the end of it. Road trips give you time to reflect and digest life. I’ve done some of my deepest thinking while driving to and from Chicago. Cruising on the same stretch of road for several hours creates a certain rhythm

“That’s the thing about road trips: there doesn’t have to be a destination. Just start driving.”

that puts your mind at rest. The long drive helps you relax. Talking about relaxing, road trips are the best time for jam sessions, whether that’s blasting “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley or “Let It Go” from Frozen. Who knows, you may find yourself becoming acquainted with a new artist, even if it’s Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber. Once, my friends and I were road tripping down to Washington, D.C., from Chicago. About 30 minutes into the drive, I started to hear, “What do you mean? Oh, oh, When you nod your head yes...What do you mean?” and so on. Swift made it into the mix on the ride back as the karaoke sing-along with “I Knew You Were Trouble.” You may discover that you actually have a voice or can keep a beat even if that’s only with the door handle and windowpane. It doesn’t have to be 4:30 a.m. and you don’t have to be half-asleep as you climb into the vehicle. Get gutsy, and take a road trip. Sean Callaghan is a junior studying English and journalism. He is assistant news editor at the Collegian.

Opinions

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

February 10, 2022 A5

Increasing violence is a sign of the deterioration of society By Katherine Miller Homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, and arson charges in the U.S. have steadily increased over the past few years, according to the FBI. This increase is ignored by mainstream media but should concern us. While violence has always been present in the U.S., there has been a significant increase of violent acts in the past few years. Since the nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd in May 2020, the Jan. 6, 2021, incident, and the lockdowns related to COVID-19, violence has become an even bigger and more widespread issue. Is this rise simply a random anomaly, or does it

speak of something greater happening in our country and culture? While the exact cause of increased violence is hard to pinpoint, the nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns had a negative impact on the entire nation, worsening the already increasing trend of violence. As a country, we seem to have lost our ability to interact with people, especially during conflict. Being separated from other humans for long periods of time degraded our sense of right and wrong. We are no longer able to simply disagree with someone and remain their friend. We have lost the ability to have civil conversations. We are entering a phase where any disagree-

ment is taken as a personal attack. Criticism has been painted as being rude and insensitive to other people’s feelings. Society is veering away from friendly and respectful interaction to hateful and inconsiderate speech and actions to others. This is just one more way that shows our culture is not just dealing with a rise in physical violence, but a shift in the very moral character of our nation. We are also witnessing lawmakers who are also no longer able to deal with conflict unbiasedly. Now more than ever the opinions of individuals in power are making their way into the law that serves to create order. With this infiltration into order, the line between

what is right and wrong has become blurred and those in power cannot make definitive decisions on the right course of action. With so many unknowns, our culture is at a tipping point. As a society, we are allowing violence and anger to be the most effective ways to be heard. Consideration for the other person goes out the window and you are either on their side or you’re not. It will take a strong people to stand against that tide, stand up for what is right, and redirect the culture back to that which is good and true.

ers, they were divided in two by heavy barricades and watchful guards. Exhaustion seemed to set upon all, for many protesters had spent the previous night keeping vigil and had now spent almost 30 hours exposed to the elements. After such a long period of discourse, the senators’ voting seemed abrupt. The electronic voting system gave an instant result: 31 had voted in favor of the depenalization, and 38 voted against. Abortion remained illegal in Argentina. Disbelief shook both sides. The “Blue Handkerchiefs,” as they were called, celebrated ecstatically. The “Green Handkerchiefs” remained in silence for some moments. It was not long, however, before a chant arose amongst them: “Será ley!” “It will be law.” In spite of the temporary setback, a feeling of

inevitability with respect to abortion loomed over Argentina. I remember hearing people of both persuasions admitting to a rapid and widespread change of opinion regarding abortion, with the pro-choice cause finding new allies almost daily among celebrities, the upper classes, businessmen, and politicians. It did not take long for new elections and legislation lead to the legalization of abortion, which passed in 2020. The Argentinian scene seems to oppose the current state of abortion politics in the United States. For the crowds at the Washington, D.C., March for Life this year, the spirit was anything but pessimistic. Many of the protestors, some of whom have attended the March for years or decades, seem convinced that this “could be the year,” the last time they will protest the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Though the March for Life retained many of its staples–Catholic and Orthodox bishops invoking God and calling down his blessing, a mother who regretted her abortion, an adult child who had nearly been aborted but now has proven a gift to society, a pastor recalling the regrets that many have felt due to abortion–a special and a peculiar hope, a hope that once seemed forbidden, dominated the narrative. The change of attitude is stark, and merits our attention. As informed citizens, we ought to contemplate the possibility of an “abortion rollback,” and recognize how such a thing can impact our local communities, which is ultimately where we can be the most effective.

dent body so unworthy they decide to take on more work for their employees – particularly so during the busiest of times for them, lunch and dinner – because students are breaking their trust. Where are the bastions of the ideals of Hillsdale College, those who respect the rights of a private business on campus, and who rebuke those who do not? We all put our names on a piece of paper when we got here on which were the words: “A Hillsdale College student is honorable in conduct, honest in word and deed, dutiful in study and service, and respectful of the rights of others. Through education the student rises to self-government.” Our honor code is only

as meaningful as the people who keep it. The idea of self-government is one not of “I say what I ought to do,” or “I must be able to do the things I want,” but, more importantly, having the integrity to do the things you ought to do. How can a student possibly rise to self-government if we choose to do those things which we ought not to do? Along with signing the honor code, every student chose to enter this community. As part of Hillsdale College, each student is subject to the rebuking of professors in terms of work and education, deans and the administration for behavior, and even other students for ideas and actions. In Matthew 18:15-17, we are called by Jesus to hold

one another accountable. We are all brothers and sisters here at Hillsdale. As part of this community, we have all promised to uphold honor, honesty, and the rights of others. If you should find a brother who sins against our community, go to him and tell him his fault. Restore the sanctity of Hillsdale and gain for yourself a brother. I end, then, with this. Be honest, follow God, and love your neighbor. This is a sacred place, different from all others because of our promise to each other and our community. We must not let our community and the morals that Hillsdale is built on crumble.

Violence is on the rise across the nation. Courtesy | Flickr

Katherine Miller is a freshman studying the liberal arts.

Biden, stay The pro-life movement is winning out of Ukraine By Colton Duncan

It was two in the morning in the Argentinian winter in 2018, and rain poured down upon the tens of thousands of protesters. Large projectors showed the senators as they debated long into the night, a debate that had meant to end in the mid-afternoon. The argument: the depenalization of abortion, which in turn meant its acceptance as a medical practice. Yet, the current scene in America on abortion is very different and, ultimately, a hopeful one. The Plaza del Congreso, where Argentinian representatives meet, spans about 7.5 acres. Protesters for both the pro-life and pro-choice causes packed into the space and sprawled outward through the blocks beyond. Defined by the color of the handkerchiefs they wore, sky-blue for the pro-lifers and green for the pro-choic-

Colton Duncan is a junior studying international business and classics.

Honor the honor code, even in A.J.’s

By Josh Camp

I find myself at A.J.’s Cafe three or four times a day, either getting some GrabN-Go or ordering myself a Chai London Fog. On a recent visit, I was greeted with an ugly black cover where usually pleasantly packaged sandwiches and wraps normally reside. On the cover was taped a paper that says, “Please ask for assistance for Grab-N-Go.” I asked a barista about it and was informed that A.J.’s has been having some problems with theft, leading them to cover the Grab-N-Go. Hillsdale, we need to stand against these actions that are causing this disintegration in our student body. How have we fallen so far? A.J.’s finds us as a stu-

Josh Camp is a sophomore studying applied mathematics.

By Victoria Wagner

Russia could invade Ukraine any day now – and if it happens, the United States should stay out. The Biden administration needs to remain as neutral as possible while ensuring peace between the dueling countries. The last several weeks have seen increasing tensions in eastern Europe. Russia has escalated its military presence near the Ukrainian border, with more than 100,000 troops in the region – almost half of the size of Ukraine’s entire military force. It has also moved massive amounts of military equipment closer to the Ukrainian border and stated that it has no plans to retreat anytime soon. In response to this increased display of military power, the United States has increased its presence in the region as well, sending 3,000 troops to Poland and Romania. Russian President Vladamir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for more than 13 hours on Feb. 6 before releasing a joint statement that they stand in solidarity with each other in their countries’ ventures in Ukraine and Taiwan. Matters of foreign policy are often interconnected with others and the fight over Ukraine is no exception. The introduction of Russia’s ally China into the situation certainly further complicates things, given the U.S.’s dicy relationship with China. With this increased show of military strength and rhetoric, other world leaders have gotten involved and have made attempts at de-escalating tensions in the region. French President Emanuel Macron said he plans to have separate in-person

meetings with Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt to find a mutual path to de-escalation. Their peace talks began on Feb. 6 and will go on throughout the week. Zelensky has urged world leaders to tone down the talk of war, as this military display isn’t anything new in the region. He and other world leaders worry that, if things get worse, war could break out. The United States, as well as Germany’s newly elected chancellor Olaf Scholz, have threatened sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, including ceasing construction of a key natural gas pipeline. On January 27, Biden gave a press conference explaining the U.S.’ position. He stated, “I think what you’re going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do.” Unfortunately for the United States, the time has passed for offensive action. The U.S., with its weak leader, is now left to play defense. The situation would be different today if we had attempted peace talks or sanctions earlier on in the conflict. Instead, Biden took his sweet time crafting a messy response. His administration needs to stop the needless rhetoric and poorly timed threats of sanctions. We need to bring our troops home. Nothing we are doing is helping Ukraine. It is only putting our servicemen and women in harm’s way. We should remain neutral in this conflict and not let Biden drag the U.S. into another world war.

Victoria Wagner is a sophomore studying politics.

Professors: Return books you don’t use By Josh Newhook Researching is hard. Finding the right books for a topic is tough enough, but retrieving books from the library at Hillsdale can add an unnecessary layer of difficulty. Last semester, when I was working on a paper for a history course, four of the five books I wanted to borrow and read were already checked out. This happens on occasion, and it just requires patience: students can expect the lenders to return their books sooner or later. But in this case, all the books I needed were borrowed for the rest of the school year. How can these books be checked out for so long? It is a long-standing privilege afforded to faculty and staff, who do not have to renew a book for even each semester but can take a whole year with a single work. Mossey Library provides

an outstanding resource to students. It has an excellent collection, a helpful staff, and great places to study. But one single change would make it even better: apply the same check-out rules to professors as students. On the current system, this isn’t the best use of the library’s resources. Books should always be in the hands of those who need them most. Why should a bookstore employee or even a professor get the privilege of holding a book without renewal for such a long time? It’s hard to believe that faculty and staff who keep books for that long are using them. They have probably just forgotten about returning them. Students who face this problem have options, such as MelCat or Interlibrary Loan, two loaning systems that allow Hillsdale students to borrow books from other libraries in the state. These take extra time, however, with books arriving weeks later, and on top of that, the MelCat system at the

library has been suspended since last spring, according to Library Director Maurine McCourry. Even with MelCat running, there are many books in the collection that are rare,

it’s available, but even so, I ultimately never found two of the books the library had, and rather than asking the library to bug faculty members about returning the books, I gave

Professors often check out books for an entire school year Courtesy | Flickr

and it might not be easy to find a second copy. MelCat is great when

in to buying them myself for convenience. Maybe professors should be the ones to buy

if they plan on spending 10 months with a book. Why not just ask professors to return books to give back books in a reasonable amount of time? If professors were to play by the same rules as students and community patrons are – by having to renew their books every three weeks – it would solve the problem of them forgetting about a book they are no longer using. And if they are still using the book, they need only to renew it from the online portal, and they can continue to use the book. This would put more books on shelves in the library, available for study. The time restraints students feel when researching would drop dramatically, with books would be ready to read and check out all during one visit to the library. McCourry said the goal in this longer time frame for professors is so they can conduct research that is a year or years long. But topics and theses change over time. There are books that might be relevant

to their research that they no longer need, or they found to be not particularly important to their subject. This new system will also help alleviate the library staff ’s stress at the end of the semester. “We have a little bit of a scramble at the end of the semester to get the books back,” McCourry said. Instead of having to remind professors to turn in books and gather them together all at once, professors would bring books back when they are no longer using them, leading to a natural circulation flow. It’s time to change this long-standing tradition to ensure order and an easier researching experience for students.

Josh Newhook is a junior studying the German and journalism. He is the news editor at the Collegian.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A6 February 10, 2022

City News

Michigan population decline threatens Hillsdale county’s economic future By Olivia Hajicek Collegian Reporter

The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in Hillsdale County and the state of Michigan in 2020, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Hillsdale County clerk. Declining population may have long-term impacts on the county’s economy, said Susan Smith, executive director of the Hillsdale County Economic

Development Partnership. County Commissioner Brad Benzing said the death rate was significantly higher in 2020 than in the three preceding years—too much higher to be explained by COVID-19 deaths alone. Benzing said he asked the county medical examiner about it. “His position was that our significantly higher death rate was due to the portion of our population, at least here in Hillsdale County, that was simply avoiding going to see their doctor, going to the emergency room,

Michigan House passes Fink-sponsored bill to attract skilled lawyers

By Josh Hypes Assistant Editor

Michigan will allow prospective attorneys to use out-of-state bar exam scores to practice law in the state if a bill sponsored by state Rep. Andrew Fink ’06 becomes law, Fink said in a statement. House Bill 5541, known as the Revised Judicature Act, passed the Michigan House of Representatives unanimously on Jan. 25, according to the Michigan legislature. It will allow individuals to use a Uniform Bar Examination score and a $400 fee to become licensed to practice law in Michigan. “House Bill 5541 would allow for the Universal Bar Examination to be an option to be admitted to the State Bar of Michigan,” said Caleb Lambrecht ’21, Fink’s legislative aide, in an email. John Nevin, communications director for the Michigan Supreme Court, said in an email the bill will allow for UBE scores to be considered by the Board of Law Examiners. Currently, the law does not specify anything about UBE scores, according to Nevin. In October 2021, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Law Examiners could accept UBE scores. In a concurring opinion, Justice Megan Cavanagh wrote UBE scores would provide a national standard of competency. “This change seeks to ensure a standard level of competency for lawyers across the country, allows for score portability, and makes the practice of law more accessible to law school graduates facing employment challenges and rising debt,” Cavanagh said in the opinion. The $400 fee will cover processing costs required by the Michigan Board of Law Examiners, according to the bill. The fee may be waived if the individual practices law actively in Michigan or

teaches law full-time at a Michigan law school. Michigan will join 41 other states and territories in allowing UBE scores, Nevin said. Lambrecht said UBE is a relatively new innovation in the legal field, which only gained momentum in the last 10 years.

Fink represents Hillsdale in the Michigan state House. Courtesy | MI House GOP

“The key benefit is score portability which benefits new law school graduates so that they don’t have to take multiple bar exams when seeking a job,” Nevin said. “Most importantly, the public benefits because they can be assured that those who pass the bar have achieved a standard level of competency.” Lambrecht said the bill will benefit all Michiganders. “By allowing the Universal Bar Examination, it allows attorneys who have taken the exam to have fewer barriers and more freedom to practice law,” Lambrecht said. “Implementing the Universal Bar Examination allows Michigan to attract talented attorneys from around the United States to practice in our state, which will also lead to better legal representation in the long run for its citizens.” Nevin said allowing UBE scores also will attract younger lawyers to the state due to the transferability of their scores. Opponents of UBE scores are concerned that UBE will lead to lawyers less familiar with Michigan-specific law, Nevin said. However, Fink’s bill does not prohibit the Michigan Board of Legal Examiners from adding a Michigan-specific component to their licensing process, Nevin explained.

because they were concerned about possibly contracting COVID,” Benzing said. “They didn’t die of COVID, they died of their underlying health conditions instead.” Benzing said this is consistent with his experience working in emergency medical services. “We had patients that we would run a call on, and they were very adamant

they didn’t want to go to the hospital, because, ‘they have COVID up there,’” he said. According to 2020 census data, the county’s population decreased by about 2% from 2010. Deaths in Hillsdale County outnumbered births in 2020 by 161, according to data from the county clerk. Statewide deaths exceeded births in 2020 by almost 13,000, according to data from the MDHHS.

“We don’t have the people to do the jobs.”

Susan Smith, executive director of the Hillsdale County Economic Development Partnership, said a declining population could affect the local job market long term. “We’re losing work to other countries,” Smith said, “because we don’t have the people to do the jobs.” Smith said the loss of jobs has long-lasting economic effects. “When we don’t have the population to fill jobs, we lose the jobs permanently,” Smith said. “Employers have to find a way to get the work

done, and if people aren’t willing to work, they have to find an alternative way to get the job done.” Smith said employers may take jobs elsewhere or increase the use of technology, reducing the need for entry-level workers. County Commissioner Brent Leininger said the decrease in county population could also affect funding the county receives on a per capita basis.

Police arrest local man for alleged stabbing By Logan Washburn City News Editor The Hillsdale City Police Department arrested a local man who allegedly committed a stabbing on Tuesday evening. Police arrested 39-yearold Shaun David Helton after 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, Hillsdale City Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner said. Helton allegedly used a folding knife to stab Jimmie Clouse multiple times, according to a warrant request from the county prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors are charging Helton with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less then murder.

Police responded to a call at O’Reilly Auto Parts on W. Carleton Road after someone reported a fight, Hephner said. “One party was gone when the officers arrived, the other party was still present,” Hephner said. “Medical personnel were on scene with an ambulance and the fire department.” A medical team brought the victim to the hospital after officers responded to the scene, Hephner said. Prosecutors identified the victim as Jamie Clouse, according to the warrant request. Police soon found the vehicle Helton used to flee, according to Hephner. After speaking with several

Shaun David Helton. Courtesy | JailTracker

individuals, police located Helton in his Beacon Hill apartment. “We got additional officers there,” Hephner

said. “We couldn’t get anybody to the door, so we began working on a search warrant.” Before police obtained the search warrant, officers convinced Helton to leave the apartment, according to Hephner. “He was taken into custody, charged with attempted murder,” Hephner said. “We still got the search warrant to search for evidence.” Helton faced arraignment at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, according to the court website. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 16, according to JailTracker.

Hillsdale County Jail offers inmates chance to earn high school diploma By Elyse Hawkins Opinions Editor Inmates at the Hillsdale County Jail will gain the opportunity to earn General Equivalency Diplomas as part of a new educational program that begins on March 1. Giving this opportunity to inmates has been a goal of Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire since his election. “During my campaigning for sheriff, I knew we had to do some rehabilitation,” Hodshire said. “Not only are we seeing the same people here, but we're also starting to see their children. We need to break that chain.” The program allows inmates access to a full range of adult education services offered through the statefunded program Michigan Works! Southeast. According

to Hodshire, inmates will soon have the opportunity to earn a GED from Hillsdale High School, while also accessing various career services. Executive director of Michigan Works! Southeast, Shamar Herron, said the team is looking forward to helping inmates create longterm plans to achieve their career goals. “Lifelong learning is one of our agency’s core values, which ties perfectly with this collaboration,” Herron said. “We are excited to afford this opportunity to residents that are currently in the Hillsdale County Jail as a way to increase their skill sets and earn their

high-school completion certificates.” Hodshire said the program will require longterm commitment from participating inmates. “We have to give the incarcerated individuals the opportunity to better themselves,” Hodshire said. Hodshire said he had been waiting to partner with Michigan Works! for a long time. The partnership was in the works for about a year, Hodshire said, until COVID-19 put everything on hold. “It’s always been a top priority for me. It was just waiting for the right time and opportunity to take place,” Hodshire said.

“Lifelong learning is one of our agency’s core values.”

Nicole Bell, communications manager of Michigan Works! Southeast said the program will use one of Michigan Works! Mobile One-Stop Centers, a mobile training bus, on Tuesdays and Thursdays for classes. The bus gives inmates access to technology and resources necessary to complete their education. Hodshire said the jail will be required to provide power for the bus. Ultimately, Bell said, this program provides more than just the opportunity for an education. “After completing their educational credentials,” Bell said, “our dedicated team members will continue working with them on creating and following a career path and creating connections to a better future.”

City News

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

February 10, 2022 A7

Local car dealers struggle to maintain inventory

By Josh Newhook News Editor

Both new and used car dealerships in Hillsdale are struggling to maintain inventory as the worldwide microchip shortage continues. Cronin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Hillsdale had 85 new cars in stock last May, but only 17 this week, according to general manager Steve Rosenberg. “This month’s allocation will give us a whopping 16 more,” Rosenberg said. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a fire at a Tokyo Reneasa Electronics Corp. semiconductor factory in March 2021, which accounted for 30% of the global market for microcontroller units, contributed to the global chip shortage. Combined with an increased demand for vehicles among people who recieved stimulus money in the past two years, this has put pressure on new car inventory, according to Ivan Drury, Edmunds.com senior manager of insights. “It’s a shortage of epic proportions,” Drury said in an interview. “Some used vehicles are appreciating in value, which is unheard of.” While Rosenberg said Chrysler is in better shape than Ford and General Motors, it is still hard to get cars. “A lot of people are just happy with what they get,” he said. “Before the pandemic,

we got what we wanted, not just what we could take.” Ram Promaster vans and Jeep Cherokees are in high demand and difficult to stock, but the Chrysler Pacifica minivan has been the hardest to get, Rosenberg said. “They are built in Canada, which is more shut down than we are,” he said. “It has made it really challenging to get those vehicles. We have had customers wait five to six months.” Additionally, manufacturers are foregoing some advanced safety features in vehicles because of the additional microchips they require. “They would rather build a truck without it than not build the truck at all,” Rosenberg said. “Some of the more popular features are often unavailable.” Garin Ellis, sales manager at Frank Beck Chevrolet in Hillsdale, said it takes up to 20 weeks to get new vehicles. Only about 50% of people are willing to stick out the wait, he said. Nevertheless, he said used car sales have improved, and the dealership currently has about 170 used cars in inventory “Used car sales have been awesome,” Ellis said. Dealerships that sell only used cars, like Hawkins

Visitors to Hillsdale have a new place to stay just a few minutes walk from campus with the opening of The Hillsdale Bed and Breakfast, one of the newest lodgings in the local community. Owned by experienced bed and breakfast operators Christine and Joel Shull, the house at 352 Hillsdale St. currently has three bedrooms and bathrooms. The bed and breakfast officially opened in September, in time for hosting visitors for Hillsdale College’s Center for Constructive Alternatives. The Shulls originally planned on opening in October, but the college asked them if the bend and breakfast could open by the first CCA in order to house attendees. “We had to go and get the final furniture, and the painters were very good,” Joel Shull said. “They moved us up on the schedule so we could be ready.” Before moving to Hillsdale in 2019, the Shulls owned the Painted Turtle Inn in Saint Joseph, Michigan, for eight years. After running the old Cape Cod style home next to Lake Michigan, the family heard of Hillsdale Academy and wanted their children to attend. The Shull family commuted between Hillsdale and Saint Joseph for two years before finally selling their home and moving to Hillsdale in November 2020. Seeing the need for lodging in Hillsdale, the Shulls began looking for a place to start their business. “We were hoping for one of the big, historical houses close to downtown. But there’s not much for sale, and if they are, they need so much work that it’s cost prohibitive,” Christine Shull said. Once the current house came on the market, Christine Shull said she knew it was perfect.

Car dealers in Hillsdale have suffered from the global microchip shortage. Collegian | Josh Newhook

“It’s a shortage of epic proportions.”

Hillsdale Bed & Breakfast provides visitors with lodging near campus By Megan Williams Assistant Editor

Motor Sales in Hillsdale, have struggled to stock inventory, according to salesman Jim McCormick. “We are having a hard time getting inventory because of the supply chain issues that are holding up the production of new cars,” McCormick said. McCormick said the used car market works in unison with new car dealerships: fewer new cars means fewer used cars available. “Sales of new cars drive the entire car market,” he said. “When they are not getting as many trade-ins because they don’t have the new ones to sell, there are fewer used cars on the market.” Over the past two to three years, the price for the dealership to buy used cars has increased nearly 50%, McCormick said. At the same time, inventory has dropped from nearly 150 cars to between 60 and 80 on the lot at a given time. Without the advantage of getting car trade-ins off of a lease, it is tough to get SUVs and cars with low miles. Even half-ton crew-cab diesel trucks have been extremely expensive to get. “When you want to sell it, you are so far over book that the banks don’t want to finance it,” he said. “It’s a really hard situation for us.” This corresponds with

“The location is so good, so close to the college, and it was large enough for us to do something with it,” Christine Shull said. “It had a big kitchen and that’s what’s important. It was the best house we found for what we wanted to do.” Walking into the house, guests are greeted by a living room, furnished with couches and a television. Three bedrooms line the perimeter of the house, each with their own private bathroom. At the center of the home is the kitchen and dining room, with a bar for patrons to dine and commune with one another. The Shulls, after working in a resort town, are confident in their abilities to adapt to any dietary restrictions and needs. “In Saint Joseph, there used to be a triathlon, and all the athletes would come needing a paleo diet, low carb, gluten free,” Christine Shull said. “We would have five different people on five different diets, so we can do those accommodations pretty easily.” This past weekend Jennifer Vaughan, a Hillsdale College mom and CCA attendee, stayed at the Hillsdale Bed and Breakfast and said she enjoyed her experience. “I’ve stayed at a lot of bed and breakfasts in a lot of different countries, and they do a beautiful job of making you feel very welcome,” Vaughan said. “They include details for the guests that I’ve never seen before. They are so generous with the coffee and tea, leaving it out all day, and in the evening, you can have a drink if you wanted, it was just on the honor system.” With their kids at Hillsdale Academy and Christine Shull working at Hillsdale College Business Office, the couple said they wanted the Hillsdale Bed and Breakfast to be a continuation of the mission of Hillsdale College, providing a home for those who came to visit.

“They wanted The Hillsdale Bed & Breakfast to be a continuation of the mission of Hillsdale College.”

CarGurus.com used car price trends, where the market index price on used cars has increased 47% in the past two years, and more than 36% since February 2021. The size of the dealership has made it easier to deal with market prices, but they are investing in inventory that is going to move off the lot, according to McCormick. “We are making sure that we get stuff that is selling,” he said. McCormick has seen people looking for new vehicles shift to the used market when they could

not buy something new, especially in commercial van sales. “They were going to buy new, but they can’t get it,” he said. Edmunds predicts that the automotive industry will face another challenging year of shortages amid steadily increasing consumer demand. Analysts say consumers were paying $662 above MSRP on average by the end of 2021. “It doesn’t look like it will return to normal any time soon,” McCormick said. “There is still all of the

supply chain stuff going on that is still affecting the car industry.” Nevertheless, people have been understanding despite the problems, according to Rosenberg. “Overall, people have been pretty positive. We are glad our customers are understanding. It’s our saving grace,” he said. “We just hope the market will get back to normal at some point.”

The Hillsdale City Council debated a TIFA appointment. Collegian | Sean Callaghan

City Council approves funding for new police car, appoints new TIFA member By Sean Callaghan Assistant Editor The Hillsdale City Council approved funding for the police department and made a new appointment to the Tax Increment Finance Authority board at its meeting Feb. 7. The council approved a proposal presented by Police and Fire Chief Scott Hephner for a new undercover vehicle for the department. “We’d like to get our vehicles replaced before they undergo catastrophic failure,” Hephner said. He explained the need for a new unmarked vehicle, as the department’s current unmarked vehicle is 12 years old. He proposed the

city purchase a 2022 Ford Explorer. The council unanimously approved the winning bid of $29,953.40, which was recommended by the public safety committee. In a 5-2 vote, the council also approved the appointment of property owner David Hambleton to TIFA, to replace Mary Wolfram, whose term expired in July 2021. TIFA is a city board committed to creating economic opportunity, providing support for small businesses, and preserving property values in the community, according to Mayor Adam Stockford. Stockford said he wants business owners to fill the

TIFA board moving forward. “Nobody’s being singled out or picked on,” Stockford said. “There is a method to how I would like to move forward, with the council’s permission. I want to end the practice of representatives of organizations on the board that don’t have a business in the district.” Councilman Greg Stuchell said he disagreed with the mayor’s appointment and argued that Mary Wolfram should remain on the board. “Nobody has brought in the money that she has,” Stuchell said. “Nobody. It’s unprecedented, mayor. I understand why you want to do this. The time will come when you can slowly replace everybody with business

Upcoming in the city: as

owners.” Stockford ended the debate by thanking Wolfram for her service on the board, while maintaining his support for Hambleton. “I want to get past the idea that I am removing her from the board,” Stockford said.“She still has an opportunity to put her skills at work with the city where her expertise would be very helpful.” The council also unanimously approved the annual budget proposal. Finance director Karen Lancaster explained the need for budget amendments in accordance with the state.

A8 February 10, 2022

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Sports

Sports Side-by-Side Matthew Stafford spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Courtesy | Sharpfootballanalysis.com

Joe Burrow won a National Championship with Louisiana State University in 2019. Courtesy | NJ.com

Why the Rams will Why the Bengals will win the Super Bowl win the Super Bowl

By Christian Peck-Dimit Sports Editor

It’s been 13 years coming. The Los Angeles Rams have dominated the NFC, beating the Arizona Cardinals, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and finally their division rivals, the San Fransisco 49ers, to advance to the Super Bowl LVI. While it has only been two years since the Rams were last on football’s biggest stage, this year’s team is completely different. The Rams have compiled a star-studded, high-powered, win-now roster that perfectly suites L.A.’s big market. And this time, for just the second time in NFL history, they will be playing in their home stadium. In the last year, the team has acquired QB Matthew Stafford from the Lions, along with Odell Beckham Jr., and Von Miller. Matthew Stafford spent 12 years as a Detroit Lion. As a die-hard Lions fan, I can tell you those were 12 long years, full of hope, rebuilds, and heartbreak. What his time didn’t have, however, was a playoff win. Entering this year, Stafford had capitalized on exactly zero of his three chances to win an NFL playoff game. All of that changed this year, as Stafford has now won three straight playoff games,

and has made it to the first Super Bowl in his career. How, after a blockbuster trade, he has thrived with the Rams, finishing fourth in the league in QB rating, and top three in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also joined superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The two of them have become the best QB-WR duo in the NFL. Kupp finished north of 1900 receiving yards, the second most single-season receiving yards in the history of the league. Mid-season additions Beckham and former Super Bowl MVP Miller have immediately produced, giving themselves one last - and for Beckham, first - chance at a title. Beckham owns the best catch in NFL history and still boasts the stickiest hands in the league. He helps to balance out a passing attack headlined by Kupp, Van Jefferson, and TE Tyler Higbee. In the backfield alongside Stafford is second-year TB Cam Akers, who has proved to have perhaps the most inspiring comeback in the league this year. Akers tore his Achilles tendon during training camp, and was back within five short months. That is less than half of the average time it takes to recover from similar injuries. He has rushed for at least

48 yards in each of the three games since his return. Along with this highpowered offense is one of the best defenses in the league. Miller, who has had a sack in six of his last seven games, is joined names like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, both of whom are first team all-pro this year. The DonaldRamsey pairing has crushed opposing offenses on their way to a relatively improbable Super Bowl run. Speaking of improbable, the Rams opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, are as wild of a story as they come. Joe Burrow and his buffs have shown more swagger than the league has seen since Lamar Jackson’s MVP season. He has continued to find incredible, improbable ways to win. That being said, their run stops here. Burrow is in his second year, and Ja’Marr Chase, the team’s leading receiver, is a rookie. They don’t have the experience for as big a moment as the Super Bowl. Their time is coming, but it isn’t this year. The Rams are filled with aging stars preforming well at just the right time, perhaps for the last time. Their window is closing soon and they know it, with his career on the line, Stafford will lead the Rams to a Super Bowl win.

Women's Tennis

By Luke Morey Assistant Editor

Who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story? In one of the biggest shocks in sports this year, the Cincinnati Bengals made their way through the American Football Conference to enter the Super Bowl. Led by second-year quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals were expected to be better than their 4-11-1 record in 2020, but they were given the third-worst odds in the league of making the Super Bowl. And yet, they’ve made it this far mostly by the magic of Burrow and his offensive weapons. In a shootout against the Los Angeles Rams, Burrow will lead the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. After his rookie year was cut short due to an ACL tear, Burrow had a stellar sophomore season, with 34 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions. Rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase posted a Bengals rookie record 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, joining Burrow on the Bengals after their two seasons at LSU in college. He also broke the rookie receiving record in a game in Week 17, with 266 yards on 11 catches. Already one of the shiftiest wide receivers in the

league, he always gets open when Burrow needs a big play, but the weapons don’t end with Chase. Second year receiver Tee Higgins has been taking advantage of the extra attention Chase gets, catching contested balls for big plays, with Tyler Boyd being the veteran of the group in his sixth year with the team. Tight end C.J. Uzomah takes advantage of all these talented receivers by splitting the middle of the field for easy completions. To make matters worse for opposing defenses, Burrow has a deadly backfield teammate. Fifth year running back Joe Mixon was third in the league in rushing this year, he has also caught at least three passes a game during the playoffs. Their one offensive weakness is their offensive line, but Burrow has been able to mitigate that issue with quick passes and magician’s moves to avoid sacks. Even when he wasn’t able to avoid pressure, he beat the Tennessee Titans after taking nine sacks to make it to the AFC Championship game. The Bengals aren’t just an offensive team; their defense is underrated, with stars like safety Jessie Bates III and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson flanked by solid linebackers in Logan Wilson

and Germaine Pratt, as well as cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie. They were able to shut down QB Patrick Mahomes last week by dropping eight men in coverage, eliminating almost all passing lanes. They will face yet another great QB in Matthew Stafford, but look for the Bengals to use similar tactics to make the Rams either run the ball or find short passes underneath the coverage. Even if the defense can’t stop Stafford, Burrow along with the rest of the offense, is built for a shootout. Burrow has been averaging 280 yards per game in the playoffs, and only thrown total two interceptions across three games. The Bengals also have the best rookie kicker in the game, Evan McPherson, who has only missed five field goals this whole season and has kicked two straight game winners. Look for this game to go to the last drive, with Burrow leading the Bengals down the field for another McPherson game-winner, to bring a Super Bowl to Cincinnati for the first time ever. While they’re up against one of the most star-studded teams the NFL has seen, the Bengals will complete one of the best Cinderella stories football has ever seen.

Women's tennis takes down Purde Northwest to open Spring season By Tracy Wilson features Editor The Chargers aced their first tennis match of the season, winning 6-1 against Purdue Northwest on Feb. 6. “We dominated in all aspects of the match,” junior Canela Luna said. “The team was really good about cheering each other on. No one gave up in any of their matches. Everyone really fought hard. We definitely

took advantage of the home court.” Senior Sarah Hackman played doubles with freshman Melanie Zampardo, who is playing with the team for the first time after being ineligible last semester. “I think everyone showed up honestly to play and everybody was really motivated to win. I was really excited to play after not being eligible in the fall,” Zampardo said. “The team atmosphere was really good. Everyone was super

positive and playing really well.” Hackman said even though this was her first time playing doubles with Zampardo, she thought they were a good pair. They won their doubles match 6-3. “I thought Sarah and I complimented each other,” Zampardo said. “If I messed up, she’d be right there to save me.” Purdue Northwest was persistent, which made the match challenging, Zampar-

do said. “We had to scramble to keep the ball in play and keep it in our favor,” she said. If given the opportunity to change something from her performance on the court, Hackman said she would slow down, slice more, or try playing from other angles. “I tried to change up my style of play too late in my singles match,” Hackman said. “I really didn’t do as much as I should’ve until the second set. I think I played

pretty well overall but it just didn’t go in my favor. It only gave me more to work on.” One of the best parts of the match, Luna said, was the team spirit, which she said has suffered in the past. At the end of the competition, for example, the team cheered on Ellie Chawner, who ended up winning her match. Luna said it stood out to her because the exact same thing happened last year. “Everyone was cheering and making it feel like, ‘Yeah

we’ve got this,’” Luna said. “It was great to witness that because in the past sometimes we’ve struggled with that team dynamic. It was really cool to see that this past weekend.” The Chargers take on Grand Valley State University on Feb. 12 at 4:00, who beat Findlay University 6-1 last weekend.

A9 February 10, 2022

Men's track and field

Men’s T&F gears up for G-MAC Championship in coming weeks By Luke Morey Assistant Editor With the G-MAC Championships only two weeks away, the Hillsdale College men’s track team completed one of their biggest challenges of the season last weekend. With the whole team going to the Jud Logan Open for both Friday and Saturday, Friday’s events were pushed back to Saturday. “Basically we had no choice but to practice on Friday once we arrived,” Head Coach Andrew Towne said. “I thought we did a good job managing that, especially because a lot of what we planned was, we’ll do this on Friday and this on Saturday.” Freshman Sean Fagan said the events being crammed into one day ruined the effect of a two day meet. “We were hoping to feel that effect to prepare our bodies to compete back to back days at conference, but in general it didn’t change much,” Fagan said. Fagan placed fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with his best time of the season at 8.27. “Fagan continues to make nice strides for us,” Towne said. “He was a freshman last year that did a lot for us and just narrowly missed going to the NCAA Championships and he’s really started to get into that form again recently.” Fagan, along with sophomore Jamahl Burke, junior Ian Calvert, junior Benu Meintjes earned third in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:20.94. “I’m getting confidence because I’m seeing the process pay off just like it did last year,” Fagan said. Freshman Ross Kuhn took seventh in the 800 meter run with his collegiate best time of 1:55.78, while freshman Donnie McArdle nabbed eighth in the first 5,000 meter run in his college career, with a time of 15:28.18. Senior Mark Miller took 12th in the mile run with a time of 4:16.01, while freshman Oliver Samuelsson finished 14th in the 200 meter dash with a 22.48 time. Kuhn, junior Sean Hoeft, Meintjes, and Calvert placed fifth in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:16.40. Sophomore Charlie Andrews matched his college personal best in the high jump with a jump of 1.95

meters to finish fourth. “It was a confidence boost to get a couple of nice clearances,” Andrews said. “I haven’t changed much besides my mental prep. I’ve just been focusing on really enjoying the experience and being the best athlete I can for my team instead of worrying about personal scores and status. Getting myself out of the way has really changed the way I approach the sport in the last month.” Junior Ben Raffin took sixth in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.88 meters. “Raffin continues to do a good job for us,” Towne said. “I was impressed with him, he was a good example of managing what could have been chaotic events, where he had to wait until 7:00 at night.” Sophomore Josh Nichols took sixth in the triple jump with 13.33 meters. The Chargers will split up to take on the Great Valley State University Big Meet on Friday, and then the Tiffin Dragon Invitational on Saturday. “We have a couple different goals, it’s something that we address on a regular basis,” Towne said. “We’re actually getting ready to meet tomorrow night. One of the things I think is really important is not only talking about those things but keeping things updated as well. There’s more work to do. This is really the last full weekend for us before the conference championship, so we’re hoping to get a lot of good things done this weekend.” Fagan said the team is exactly where the coaches want it to be. “We talk often about how our training is geared toward having us at the top shape to perform during the championship season,” Fagan said. “This is the best part of the year, because as long as we’re taking care of our bodies outside of practice time, we’re going to consistently see our performances getting better.” Fagan said he is excited for next week. “Our training is starting to pay off, which is exciting, and only motivates me to prepare even more thoroughly for these next couple weeks until conference,” Fagan said.

Sports

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Women's Basketball Grace Touchette finished with a game-high 20 points against Findlay on Saturday. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Women's basketball loses pair of games to Findlay

By Claire Gaudet Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale College women’s basketball team has kept their G-MAC lead over the Findlay University Oilers, despite losing two games to them this week. The first of the two rivalry games, 81-67, was played in Findlay, but one Charger was met by a familiar face on the court. “We were hype, obviously, it was a rivalry game,” junior forward Maverick Delp said. “Our freshman Carly’s twin plays for Findlay which is a really cool element going into the rivalry.” This was Charger forward Carly Callahan’s first time playing against her twin sister, Chloe Callahan, at the collegiate level. The team’s start was shaky, causing a lead which the Chargers never quite caught up to. The score was 21-6 by the end of the first quarter, with the Charger’s only points being scored by senior guard Grace Touchette. “Unfortunately, we started pretty slow,” Delp said. “We didn’t really have bad movement, we just weren't hitting shots. We ended up winning the second, third, and fourth quarter, but that first one just couldn’t be beat.” The game did heat up after the first quarter. The Char-

gers were led by senior guard Lauren Daffenberg, who had season highs of 20 points and six rebounds, including 12 points in the second quarter. “Lauren had an unbelievable game,” junior forward Sydney Mills said. “She came off the bench strong and ready to shoot, and she really showed that her strength is three pointers. She was ready to knock down shots which is exactly what we needed. Lauren kept us in that game.” Mills played an intense game as well. After suffering a fall which knocked out her two front teeth, in the fourth quarter, she came back onto the court ready to play. She finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds. “My teeth got knocked out, I looked up, and a player on the Findlay team was yelling ‘Her tooth is on the floor! Her tooth is on the floor!’” Mills said. “I went out for a little bit but subbed back in with two missing teeth. At that moment I really just wanted to do whatever I could to help the team. I think getting back in the game was my top priority.” Mills said both teeth have been filled since the game and is playing through recovery. “It shows her character and her toughness on the court,” Delp said. “The first thing she did when she got up was smile at the bench and at the

crowd.” The Chargers played the Oilers again on the following Monday, this time at home, which ended 55-53 after a tough battle from the Chargers. “We were looking for revenge, we had a sour taste in our mouths after that first game,” Mills said. “We wanted to play them a little tougher, and I think we did just that. We cut it down to the wire and really came back at them.” The team had worked over the weekend to build defensive plans against Findlay’s strong offensive players. “I think we gave them a really great game,” Mills said. “We had a slower start offensively, but it was probably the best defensive game we’ve had all year. Findlay is really big in size and we don’t match up there, so keeping them down to 55 was great.” The Chargers defense held strong through the game, with sophomore forward Arianna Sysum blocking Findlay’s tallest player, sophomore Sydney Kin, three times, and forcing her to shoot 1-of-9 from the field. “It was one of the best battles I've seen from Ari,” Delp said. In the second half, the Chargers were led by their offensive skills, outscoring the Oilers in both the third and fourth quarters.

“I have to give credit to Grace,” Mills said. “In the first half she was struggling, but in the second half she really battled us back into the game. She hit a ton of huge shots for us down the stretch.” After starting 2-of-9 from the field in the first half, Grace Touchette finished the game with 20 points, half of which came in the fourth quarter, as well as four assists and four rebounds. Second to Touchette in scoring was Mills, who collected 13 points and 12 rebounds, notching her eighth double-double of the season. “Sydney had a double-double again,” Delp said. “That’s become so normal and regular for her that it's easy to forget how amazing that is.” Despite the efforts made by the team in the second half, the Oilers led by two with four seconds left, though the Chargers had the ball. After missing a three in the final seconds of the game that would have given Hillsdale the lead as time expired, the buzzer sounded. “Obviously that last shot didn’t go in for us, but there’s no one I’d rather have taking that shot for us than Grace,” Averkamp said. “I think our fight that we showed was really something to admire,” Mills said. “We’re ready to go this Thursday against Malone.”

CHARGER CHATTER Jonathan Burton

Jonathan Burton is a senior Spanish and politics major on the football and men's track and field teams from Baroda, MI. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor?

What's something from your childhood that shaped who you are now?

What is something fun that you and your housemates do together?

All young kids had sports heroes, but when I was growing up, I wanted to be the strongest man ever alive. So my dad, in his infinite wisdom, had me doing push ups and sit ups and pull ups as a kid.

I don’t eat ice cream. Going back to being the strongest man alive, I didn’t think ice cream would be good for me so I never ate it as a kid. Now I would eat it socially, but I never developed an appetite for it. My favorite snack — this might sound really bad — but I’m a big fan of tuna. You can mix it up, have it with some quinoa, add some sriracha and have it on a bagel. It’s really lean protein, which makes me sound like a total meathead.

Well, being an RA I learned to take care of people and resolve conflict. But when I was a kid I started the conflict. I was four and my brother and I were in my dad’s garage and I grabbed the fishing pole and was like, ‘I’m like my dad! I’m going fishing!’ Somehow I cast the line and was tugging on it and I just heard my brother’s sharp cries behind me. I turned around and the fishing hook was stuck in his head. My dad and I cut the hook out together and took him to the hospital. So like that really sparked my taking care of other people and being more responsible

This semester we’ve been doing the Burt House olympics. Dan Ambul set it up, and every week we’ll do a new tournament into late nights and early mornings — we’ll do Smash and FIFA with a partner. I’ve really enjoyed our group.

Compiled by Hannah Cote

B F

w it se ho N Su

th pi 20 cu

sh ha ag sh n fo

pl th ev ye I’v at da Lu

A10 February 10, 2022

www.hillsdalecollegian.com The Chargers are preparing for the preseason, which starts this week. Courtesy | Summer Fields

Charger Sports

Softball

Softball projected to finish 2nd in the G-MAC

By Jillian Parks Collegian Reporter

The Hillsdale College softball team begins its preseason games this weekend with five games in Portland, Texas. “I’m so excited to see the way this team performs together because our chemistry right now is so good,” senior 3rd baseman Elaine Townley said. “The freshmen mesh with the team really well. Everyone's getting along great. We’re hanging out in all our spare moments, and we’re not tired of each other yet, even though we practice

three times a day most days. I’m just excited to see how everything we’re doing in practice and together off the field translates into games.” The team will be playing against St. Mary’s University, Texas A&M International, and Texas A&M Kingsville with a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday and one final game on Sunday. All three teams they are playing against were described by Coach Gross as “Top 25 teams.” I think definitely the physically taxing nature of traveling and getting thrown

into the season will be difficult,” 5th year senior catcher Natalie Stepanenko said. “We had a scrimmage on Tuesday, and that went super well, but the whole team was a little drained after, myself definitely included. I think that that’s going to be a challenge but also the adrenaline and just the electricity of actually getting to play for the first time is going to help push us through that physical exhaustion.” The team is projected to tie Ohio Dominican University for second place in the upcoming Great Midwest

Athletic Conference. “I think the younger girls have just as much impact on the team as the older girls do this year,” senior pitcher Camryn Olson said. “It’s fun because we have 20 really solid players. Good players are gonna be sitting on the bench. It's a good problem to have.” Practices happen every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6 a.m. in the Biermann Athletic Center. Additional practices for lifting and hitting happen throughout the week with Sunday usually serving as their off-day.

“Having a ceiling is limiting, but we do what we can,” Stepanenko said. “This is kind of the hardest part of this semester because we're so close to actually getting to play and reaping the benefits of what we've been putting in for the whole year. It’s challenging because it’s all inside, and we play outside. But practices have been good. We really are honing in on strategy and preparing for the gameplay.” Coach Kyle Gross said he anticipates five games per weekend leading up to their official National Collegiate

Athletic Association season for G-MACs. “One thing we’ve already talked about a little bit is our three c’s- compete, confidence, and compassion,” Gross said. “We’re excited for a potential this year to win our conference or win a tournament regionals. Returning players are excited to do it again and even better, and the freshmen are excited to experience it for the first time.”

fWomen's Track and Field

Personal bests mark Chargers events at Jud Logan Light Giver By Katherine Miller Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale College women’s track team set several personal bests during the Jud Logan Light Giver Open on Saturday, February 6th. The meet was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday but due to weather conditions the meet was pushed to Saturday. “It was a little bit harder for us on Saturday with everything jammed into one day but at least we still had everything,” Head Coach Andrew Towne said. Towne said he feels the team is really balanced this season and is excited to see how the team improves. The Chargers dominated in the distance medley, weight throw, triple jump, high jump, shot put, and 3000-meter run. In the distance medley, the four member team consisted of sophomores Gwynne Riley and Meg Scheske, along with freshmen Josee Behling and Reese Dragovich. The team took first finishing with a time of 12:01.44 minutes, with the 16th fastest time in

the relay in Division II. In the weight throwing event, junior Nikita Maines took first throwing a distance of 18.99 meters, a new personal best. Maines was followed by freshman Katie Sayles, who took fourth throwing a distance of 17.90 meters. Sophomore Emily Gerdin took first in the triple jump, reaching a distance of 11.53 meters. Gerdin said she redirected her nerves for the meet to excitement because the meet was so big and she wasn't sure what to expect. “I was really focusing on being aggressive in my jumps and fine tuning different aspects of the jump,” Gerdin said. Gerdin also said her biggest challenge was dealing with a hurting ankle. “I didn't end up jumping what I wanted to but I had a season best and was .03 centimeters off my lifetime personal best, so I can’t complain,” Gerdin said. Gerdin said she is hoping to jump 12 meters or more and hit a provisional mark and set a school record.

Men's Basketball

Finishing strong again from last week, Reagan Dahlquist took third in the high jump reaching a height of 1.65 meters. Dahlquist was followed by junior Alexie Day who finished tenth with a height of 1.55 meters. In the shot put event Maines continued to excel as she took third finishing with a distance of 14.37 meters. Maines was followed by Sayles again who took eighth reaching a distance of 12.77 meters. In the 3000 meter run freshman Elizabeth Wamsley took fourth finishing with a time of 9:44.87, the 11th fastest time in G-MAC history in this event. Wamsley, who earned G-MAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, said her goal for this race was to set a good pace and to beat her seed time of 9:50 minutes. “During the race, I was just trying to settle into an aggressive, but sustainable pace,” Wamsley said. “I had feedback from my coach at every lap, so that was helpful to focus on as well as the cheering from my team-

Freshman Liz Wamsley ran the 11th fastest time in G-MAC history in the 3000 meter run. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

mates.” Wamsley also said that her biggest challenge was finding a good pace and holding that pace for the needed time. “I was pretty nervous beforehand,” Wamsley said. “Originally, I was supposed to run a 5k that weekend, but the plan changed last minute. Because of this, I felt less mentally prepared for the 3k. It helped to have a goal and plan in mind though.” Placing in the 400 meter dash, freshman Shura Ermakov took fifth with a time of 58.15 seconds. In the 200 meter dash,

sophomore Dakota Stamm took sixth finishing with a time of 25.58 seconds. In the 60 meter hurdles Freshman Louisa Klaserner took seventh with a time of 9.16 seconds. Klaserner was followed closely by sophomore Judith Allison who finished eighth with a time of 9.31 seconds. In the 800 meter run freshman Nicole Marshall took eighth with a personal best time of 2:17.49 minutes, followed by sophomore Kaitlyn Rust taking ninth and finishing with a time of 2:17.58. In the 1 mile run fresh-

man Abby Scherer placed tenth with a time of 5:06.89 minutes. In the 5000 meter run sophomore Natilie Martinson took twelfth with a time of 18:50.32 minutes. In pole vaulting, freshman Katie Clifford placed seventh with a height of 3.70 meters. Clifford was followed by freshman Mogan Iverson in ninth with a height of 3.70 meters. The Chargers now move onto the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Friday, and the Tiffin Dragon Invite on Saturday.

Chargers can't complete comeback against Findlay

By Christian Peck-Dimit Sports Editor

Despite a game-high 25 points from junior forward Patrick Cartier, the Hillsdale College men’s basketball team was unable to complete a second-half comeback against the Findlay University Oilers in its only game of the week. After some early struggles, the Chargers found themselves down by more than 20 points to their conference rivals, whom they had lost to 85-68 at home earlier this season. The Chargers scored just 17 first-half points, shooting 1-of-10 from three, while the Oilers knocked down

five of their 11 triples before halftime, putting Hillsdale in a hole that was ultimately too large to overcome. “Saturday, I don’t think we came out with the edge we needed to come out with on the road, we need to have an edge coming out of the locker room, and that’s ultimately my responsibility, and that’s the disappointing thing about it,” Head Coach John Tharp said. The second half saw the Chargers climb back from a deficit as large as 22 points early in the second frame. A 15-2 run over the course of six minutes dragged Hillsdale back into the game, slicing the differential to single digits. Cartier and freshman

guard Joe Reuter each had six of that 15, while junior forward Tavon Brown knocked down the Chargers first three of the second half. “I think in the second half, we definitely showed fight,” Cartier said. “I think we played OK defense in the first half, but in the second half we started really locking down. In the second half, I was able to get going a little bit and Joe was able to get going, we had some guys making plays.” After the Oilers pushed their lead back to 13, an 11-4 flurry from the Chargers had Hillsdale within two possessions for the first time since eight minutes into the game. A side-step three from

Findlay’s freshman Nathan Bruns with 30 seconds left iced the game, ending the Chargers’ revenge tour before it started. “Saturday was obviously a tough loss for us but I think we learned a lot watching film of that game on Monday,” Reuter said. “We had 16 turnovers, we’ve got to take care of the ball more, and we only shot 17% from three, I think those are the two big takeaways there.” The Chargers have yet to lose back-to-back games this season, and have followed each of their conference losses so far with double-digit wins. “This is the best the conference has been by far and

we’re in a situation where every single night is a dog fight and if we don’t defend and rebound and bang shots, we’re gonna get beat,” Tharp said. “I think it’s just the overall approach of our guys, they deserve the credit in regards to responding to losses.” Hillsdale drops to 15-5 overall, with a 10-4 record in conference play. Though the team fell from second to third in G-MAC standings, it remains just a half game out of first. Malone University and Walsh University are tied for first, both holding 10-3 in-conference records while Ashland University is tied with the Chargers at 10-4. Cartier said this just serves to add weight to the team’s

upcoming games, against Malone on Thursday and Walsh on Saturday. Winning both games this week would mean Hillsdale would move into, at the very least, a tie for first place in the G-MAC. “I’m hoping we can get a little revenge game against Walsh,” Cartier said. “Both Walsh and Malone are playing really well, they’re scoring the ball at an extremely high rate, we’ve just got to trust in our defensive identity and preparation. I think transition defense and rebounding are two things that are going to be really important to us this week.”

Culture

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

February 10, 2022 B1

Gage loves film photography, digital photography, graphic design videography, and painting. Courtesy | Alaura Gage

STUDENT ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Q&A: Alaura Gage dives into film and digital photography Senior art major Alaura Gage has spent years honing her skills in an often forgotten medium: film photography.

Gage is a senior art major. Courtesy | Alaura Gage

no pun intended. Something about having those four corners makes a moment special, it takes an image away from reality for a second.

bit of painting on the side.

When did you start taking photos? Well if you don’t count whenever I had my first iPod, I started off doing a lot of film, like video, my freshman year of college. I went to Kenyon College at the time and took an intro to film course where you watched movies and also made movies. That’s where I started seriously using a camera.

What’s your favorite part of the Hillsdale art program? It’s a very tight knit group of people. The students are close to each other, the students are close to the professors, and the professors are close to each other. If you want to see a specific change in the department, or you want to see something happen in the department, all you have to do is ask. They’re more than willing to help you make something happen.

How did you get into art? I’ve always had an affinity for photos. Going into the photos section of museums always kind of captured me,

Do you use any mediums other than film photography? I do digital photography, film photography, graphic design videography, and a little

Freshmen open baking business, deliver fresh bread across campus

ucts,” Vander Wall said. “We’re both very artsy people and

we wanted to do some type of arts and crafts thing at school, but we also love baking, so we decided to give it a go by selling bread here.” By the end of Maker’s Market, they knew that it wasn’t just Molter who appreciated their work. “The bread that we had sold out in about 45 minutes or an hour,” Hardy said. “We were like, ‘Wow, Hillsdale loves bread!’” Since the business has only been up and running for a week, they aren’t sure how much time it will take out of their schedules. However, they both agree that it will be flexible with their routines. “We’re planning on doing the baking mostly Saturday mornings and then delivering the bread in the afternoon,” Vander Wall said. “It’s not too inconvenient because we can do homework while it’s baking and rising. Last semester that was just time I was sleeping, which sleep was great, but I don’t need twelve hours of sleep Friday night.” According to Hardy, it doesn’t feel like work. “I enjoy baking. It’s a stress reliever for me,” she said. “It’s kind of the same thing with

Vander Wall and Hardy offer multiple types of bread. COURTESY | Kate Vander Wall

my art: I love art, I’m gonna be making art anyway, so I might as well make art I love and sell it and share that with people.” Both Hardy and Vander Wall already had entrepreneurship experience before the bakery. “We both also have other small businesses: I have a sticker shop, and Kate has a card shop,” Hardy said. For Vander Wall, business has always been a family affair. “Me and my siblings were always the kids who didn’t just have the lemonade stand. We had the lemonade stand with the frozen grapes and the cookies and the popsicles and everything. We had the whole business plan,” she said. “My dad is a business owner who worked his way up and we inherited that entrepreneurial mindset, I guess.” If you’re looking to support a small business on campus, make sure to reach out to their Instagram page or email address listed below. Orders must be placed by 10:00 pm on Friday nights, and are both baked and delivered on Saturdays. Prices range from $4 to $10, and custom orders can be negotiated. Sales can be made through their Instagram page, @hillsdale.st.bakery, or email at hillsdale.st.bakery@ gmail.com.

If you find yourself walking through McIntyre Residence on a Saturday morning, you’re bound to be greeted first by the smell of fresh baked bread and, shortly afterwards, Emily Hardy and Kate Vander Wall. Last week, these two freshmen started their own baking business, “Hillsdale St. Bakery. Although they haven’t been running the company for long, they are already experiencing success. “I bought two bundt cakes and I ate them both within two days,” Sophomore Danny Molter, one of their first customers, said. “They were scrumptious.”

Molter had purchased the cake during the Student Activities Board Maker’s Market, but said he looks forward to purchasing food from them again. “As for Kate’s soup, I destroyed a can of that,” Molter said. “It was delicious, some of the best broccoli cheddar soup I’ve eaten. Same goes for the pound cake. Delicious.” Hillsdale St. Bakery’s genesis is simple: two like-minded people and an opportunity. “It started when we heard about the Maker’s Market last semester. We were both interested and already selling prod-

If you could thank any art professor from Hillsdale who would it be? Professor Kaufman has been so willing to help us build the film photography

If you could have a nat geo level photo, what would you want to capture? A portrait of a person I didn’t even know. I just caught them at the right time at the right place, and it’s a beautiful moment that we got to share. Gage, along with seniors Grace Cool and Ashton Mills, will highlight the power and importance of femininity in their upcoming gallery. The “Eternal Feminine” gallery will hang April 8-10 in the fine arts building.

K N I O R

By Carly Moran Collegian Freelancer

What is your favorite medium? It really bounces around. There are phases where I only want to take digital photos because it’s a lot easier to edit, and they’re easier to shoot in general. Other times, I love how complicated film photography is. All I want is to be in a dark room and working with chemicals. And then sometimes I want to be more illustrative and that’s when I find myself doing graphic design or painting. It really just depends on what season of life I’m in.

class. She gives a lot of time and effort to the department in general. She has a very good attitude and is very maternal. She treats her students like her own children, which is very kind.

E WEE

By Claire Guadet Social Media Manager

Almond Brown Sugar Latte (Hot)

By Elyse Hawkins opinions editor

A creature of habit, this is the first time I haven’t gotten my go-to at Rough Draft: a chai latte. I decided to experiment with something different and ordered an almond brown sugar latte. On the first sip, there isn’t a significant difference from your normal latte. In the following sips though, the nutty flavor of the almond really begins to come through, followed by the sweetness of the brown sugar. The flavor is rich and reminiscent of Christmas flavors, but not overpowering. If you are like me and looking for something new to try, this drink is a great option and one I would highly recommend.

C U L T U R E B2 February 10, 2022

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

The Sauk performs “Cheaper By The Dozen” this past weekend, a show they have been planning since 2018. Courtesy | Trinity Bird

The Sauk’s ‘Cheaper By The Dozen’ opens over weekend By Ciaran Smith & Aubrey Gullick Collegian Freelancer & Assistant Editor The Sauk theater opened their 2022 season with a classic for the whole family, “Cheaper By The Dozen.” “It felt like the right story, themes, and cast composition for this moment in the world,” Executive Director Trinity Bird said. The themes of friction

between children growing up and the importance of wellspent time seemed especially important to today’s audience, he said. Meg Smith, a sophomore, agreed that “Cheaper By The Dozen” is an important show in the current political climate. “Its emphasis on strong families is a great message for today’s world,” Smith said. Brent Falke, a teacher at Hillsdale Academy, plays the

role of Mr. Gilberth, the lead character. He has been acting in Sauk since early 2000, and enjoys the community surrounding the theater. “I think it’s such a treasure to have in our little community. It’s such a wonderful chance to be in shows and meet new people from all over the county,” he said. Two of Falke’s children are also performing in the show. They decided to audition after reading the book.

Sliding into Sweetwater: AV visits music retailer By Olivia Hajicek Collegian Reporter Showrooms full of pianos, guitars, and violins, venues for live musical performances, remarkable customer service, and a slide—don’t forget the slide. Hillsdale College students took a trip to the Sweetwater Sound Inc. in Fort Wayne, IN on Feb. 5. “The best way to describe Sweetwater: It’s an IKEA for music,” junior Michael Thelen said. “You go inside, and there’s musical stuff everywhere. There’s other stuff that’s not music, but it works.” Instructional Technologies and Applications Manager Heidi Bargerhuff, who headed up the trip, said her Academic AV Team and the Event AV Team had planned to visit and see what Sweetwater had to offer. She thought it would be fun for students to go too. Thelen said Sweetwater gave him the rare opportunity to try out multiple guitars

he had seen online or from companies he follows on Instagram. “My favorite part was the guitar room, because I’m a guitar player,” Thelen said. “I got to see the ones that are cool, grab them, bring them to a practice room and try them out.” The pianos were the highlight for junior Matthias Rhein, who says he will probably play piano until he dies. “They had pianos out, and so I got to play on a really nice piano,” Rhein said, “and I got to play on a keytar. It’s like a guitar but instead of strings it has piano keys. I think I need a keytar now.” Sophomore Jonathan Abrantes plays the violin in the college orchestra, but the highlight of the trip for him had nothing to do with music. “My favorite part was the slide,” Abrantes said. “They had all the music stuff, then, in a separate part, there was a slide going from the second story to the first story. The

slide gave me such a visceral surge of energy and excitement that I’ve never felt before in my life.” “It looked like a lot of fun,” Bargerhuff said. “I would have gone down the slide myself had I had time.” For Bargerhuff the best part of the day was spending time with the students. “Our students are a lot of fun to be with,” Bargerhuff said. “That was the highlight of my time, to talk to them all, see what’s interesting to them and how what we did maybe grew them or at least opened their eyes to something a little bit different—and it was away from campus for a cold February day.” Bargerhuff said she’ll see about organizing the trip again next year if there’s interest. “I think the whole school should go,” Abrantes said. “Sweetwater is something everyone should experience.”

“While this is my fourth show with my son, Parker, my daughter, Sadie, has not gotten to be in a play since her first-ever play opened and closed the same night due to Covid. It’s fun to watch her be on stage and enjoying every minute of it,” he said. “My real kids get to play my kids in the show and the show’s message is all about saving time for what’s important in life, so there are some very poignant moments for me personally

up on stage.” Although the 16-person production was originally scheduled for the 2018 season, the Sauk postponed it after acquiring another title. It was only recently chosen as a part of this season’s schedule. “[‘Cheaper By The Dozen’] drives home the question of how we use our time,” Falke said. “I find this question to be very pertinent today when one thinks of how many ways we can be distracted from the

important things due to our immediate and instant access to various forms of media.” Upcoming performances are Feb. 10-12 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 55 and up, $10 for students with an ID, and $8 for children 12 and under.

Sweetwater is the largest online retailer of musical instruments in the U.S. Courtesy | Michael Thelen

Hillsdale students tried out instruments at Sweetwater. Courtesy | Michael Thelen

Collegian Critique

Cents per stream: the real Spotify experience By Alexandra Hall Assistant Editor Spotify just lost another musical giant. Last week, Joni Mitchell followed Neil Young in removing her discography from Spotify. The boycott of the platform is centered around artists’ discontent with “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The podcast began in 2009 and has since grown to be Spotify’s most famous podcast. “The Joe Rogan Experience” amasses nearly 11 million listeners each episode, according to a Newsweek report.

On December 31, 2021, an open letter was signed by over 270 scientific and medical professionals calling out Rogan’s episode with Dr. Robert Malone (#1757). The letter claimed that the episode promoted “baseless conspiracy theories” surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the letter was published, Young worked with his label, Reprise Records, to remove his work from the platform. Some artists like Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Nils Lofgren, and even famous podcast hosts like Brené Brown followed suit, the newest addition being

Mitchell. Since Young’s exodus from the platform, Spotify has lost $4 billion in market value according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Regardless of where one stands on the censorship debate, Young has spearheaded an interesting discussion within the modern music industry. Young said that 60% of his music’s streaming income came from Reprise Records’ deal with Spotify, according to statements on his website. Although Young certainly isn’t an up-and-coming musician whose livelihood depends on the cents he can make each stream, reclaiming

control over who is able to own his music is significant. The fact that Reprise Records allowed and even encouraged Young in his demand is even more surprising. But just because Young and Mitchell were able to pull their music does not mean it’s a sustainable option for most musicians. Although noble in idea, separating from the most popular streaming service is unrealistic for the majority of creators. With Spotify dominating nearly 31% of the market according to Forbes, it’d be remiss of musicians not to upload their content onto the platform.

On average, Spotify pays $0.003 per stream to the artist’s rights-holders, which are usually the labels and distributors of the artists. The payouts for artists, in the end, are abysmal. For as much as music plays a role in people’s lives, the popularity of streaming has lessened people’s perception of paying for the content they consume. When a subscription service like Spotify offers users the world on a silver platter for a flat monthly rate that ends up being cheaper than buying an entire album, it is difficult to understand that musicians are suffering on the other end.

Whether you think he’s a prophet or a dunce, Rogan is Spotify’s sweetheart. The two struck up the most expensive podcast deal ever in 2020. There’s no way a few artists pulling away from the platform is going to make a dent in the $100 million deal that separates Rogan and Spotify from those who are upset with his content. A call to action to leave Spotify is not viable for most artists, so the discussion should shift from abandoning the platform to bettering it.

Features

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Boarders from B4 dinner several times. Lindley said the decision came after the family had just delivered their 9th child and needed help tending to the other eight children. “Tess is a civilizing force in the house,” Lindley said. “We often joke by calling our house the ‘Testostrodome’ just because of how many males there are. She came just at the right time when we needed extra help with the new baby.” As a student boarder, Owen helps take care of Lindley’s three youngest children and tidies up around the house. “There’s a big joke that I’m just like a cleaner,” Owen said. “That’s definitely something I can do without worrying.” Owen said the position was a natural fit given that she comes from a large family. “I’m familiar with the patterns and the rhythms of the naturally chaotic life that comes with the big family,” Owen said. “It’s necessary to just be able to be flexible, you need a lot of flexibility and patience.” Lindley described the role student boarders play in managing the home. “In pre-modern society, you would often have maids or a grandma help out around the house with the kids or housework,” Lindley

said. “We’ve moved away from that with the modern family, so there’s not a lot of support for having a bigger family. In a funny way, having Tess stay with us just for this year has been a taste of that older way of life.” Owen explained that the most powerful experiences are created by living in someone else’s home environment. “There’s just these little moments like something funny the kids said, to hear Dwight wax on about some poetry or a book, or Emma giving me wisdom and advice about being married or raising kids,” Owen said. Lindley said boarding students get the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and to see the bigger picture. “I think you come away with a sense of what to do with little kids,” Lindley said. “When I was younger, I had no idea how to deal with them.” Several other staff and faculty members have also boarded students for semesters or breaks, including Professor of Theology Don Westblade and Director of Health and Wellness Brock Lutz. Westblade said he and his wife have boarded students for over 25 years, including Lutz when he was a student. “We appreciate the connection to students, and when our kids were younger, it was valuable to have students around to just sort

“We recognize that our home is not ours, and we look at it as something that we can use to be a blessing to someone else.”

Valentine from B4 Hillsdale, which was providential. She would not have been as enamored of underclassman Nick Mac, who believed that dorm shenanigans were a character trait. Butter knives, glitter bombs, and opossums make a poor romantic backdrop. Instead, we first met officially on the Hayden volleyball courts where I was impressed, i.e. humbled, by her skill.” What was your first date with your spouse? Kátia Sherman: “It was no more than a meeting at his office to talk about details pertaining to renting the rooms. The universe had other ideas for us: he proposed, and I accepted immediately. This meeting happened only a few days after I visited the house and realized he was the man from the cafeteria. It was just meant to be! He was 57 and I was 22, and yet, we knew it was right!” Ken Calvert, Professor of History and Director of the Oxford Program, married to Beth Calvert for 31 years: “Pizza, beer, frozen yogurt, a drive in my 1972 Volkswagen Bug, and lots of laughs.” Jolene Macaluso, admissions counselor, married to Nicholas Macaluso for 7 months: Beth and Ken Calvert at Delphi. Courtesy | Ken Calvert

Sophomore Tess Owen reads to two of the Lindley boys. Courtesy | Tess Owen

of model to look up to,” Westblade said. Westblade said the connections he made with students while they lived in his home have lasted a lifetime. In particular, his relationship with Lutz led to Lutz’s eventual position as the director of Health. “When I learned that the administration was looking for somebody to do some kind of staff work either in the Dean’s office or for this wellness need, I called him up and said ‘Are you interested?’ and providentially, he was just at the point of making transitions at his old position, and it kind of fell into place,” Westblade said. Lutz said over summer sessions or break, him and

his family board students whom they formed relationships with at College Baptist through the Adopt-A-Student programs. Many students may choose to board with staff because they live far from campus or because they do not want to return home for shorter breaks. “We recognize that our home is not ours, and we look at it as something that we can use to be a blessing to someone else,” Lutz said. “My wife is amazing at hospitality and welcoming people and cooking. If we can use it to be a blessing to someone else, we’re really happy to do that.”

“Nick asked if I would like to ‘get a meal’ with him sometime. He earnestly added that I was one of the only head RAs he didn’t know terribly well and that it might be good to get to know each other better — you know, as head RAs. We sat on the ‘stage’ in Saga at the table next to the far pillar for two hours talking about everything…except our dorms or serving as head RAs.” Nicholas Macaluso: “Our first date was a walk to Rough Draft. A friend who spied us walking together noted that we left enough room between us not only for Jesus, but for all twelve disciples as well.

feisty horses, around in the woods. Neither of us felt the glamorized pressure of dating — it was more that we learned just how wonderful being together is. That was the summer I think we truly fell in love.” Justin Fawley: “We were on a trip through Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Part of the trip included getting coffee and brunch in Düsseldorf, then sitting 5 rows back, midfield at a Borussia Dortmund v. Bayern Munich match in Dortmund, Germany.”

What’s the most memorable date you’ve been on with your spouse?

Cheryl Clawson, aide for Institutional Advancement, married to Ken Clawson for 45.5 years: “The day we first met he warmed my freezing toes while we sat on a ledge of a church window watching a Thanksgiving parade. He thought it was funny that I worked in a shoe store and didn’t own any boots. He took a pair of his socks off, and put them on my feet. He likes to tell people that he picked me on a street corner in Detroit. We re-created that scene at the same church on our 40th anniversary of meeting each other.” Kátia Sherman: “Our idea of ‘sweet’ might be a little different from most people’s given our history. Tom became catastrophically ill with heart problems and needed a heart transplant in 2001. Before the transplant we were ‘worried’ that, when they changed his heart, he would come back not in love with me anymore. After surgery, we were happy and relieved to know that was

not the case!” Maria Servold: “On our first date, we went mini-golfing and I ‘won.’ I genuinely believed I won until years later, when Ryan revealed to me that, no, he most definitely rigged the score sheet to let me win. Now that I know how athletically talented he is, I’m not sure how he managed to ‘lose’ so well!” Bill “Wild Bill” Lundberg, Hayden Park fitness director, married to Sharon Lundberg for 38 years: “I pulled off a great surprise and celebration for Sharon’s 40th birthday. We went over to a friend’s house after church, and they just so happened to live next door to the Munro House Bed & Breakfast. The moment we stepped out of the car, everybody came out of the house yelling, ‘Surprise! Happy birthday Sharon!’ Even almost all of Sharon’s bridesmaids from our wedding day were able to be with us.” Paul Rahe, Professor of history, married for 23 years: “We had dinner together one night. Still no romance, just friends. After dinner, she asked me whether I thought that she ate too much. I laughed and did not answer. Had I answered, well… who knows what would have happened?”

Ken Calvert: “Our 5th anniversary. A man with a sailboat named ‘Amazing Grace’ took us out for an afternoon of sailing happiness. We were eating lunch on the dock, and he just said ‘hop in.’ Never saw him again.” Jolene Macaluso: “Summer of 2020, I drove eight hours to Senoia, GA to surprise Nick with an early visit. We drank steaming black coffee together with his parents in the early morning. I gathered eggs from their hen house to make omelets. We rode Cheyenne and Ariella, their

What’s one funny or sweet memory you have with your spouse?

“She said yes. I said, ‘Well, do you like the ring?’ She said, ‘. . . I could learn to like it.’ So we spent the rest of the day getting a replacement ring.”

What is your proposal story? Maria Servold: “Ryan proposed at the Garden Party during my senior year, in the fall of 2009. He was not a Hillsdale student, but flew to Michigan and got to my brother’s dorm room without me knowing. I was called on stage during the Garden Party, and he snuck up behind me and popped the question.” Ken Calvert: “We traveled to Altoona,

February 10, 2022 B3

Chronic from B4 stood,” he said. “Hopefully, they can find ways to improve their situation with the help of others who share their plight.” Piornack said he also hopes to use this organization to fundraise for different foundations that raise awareness for medical conditions. Senior John Ethan Baldwin, vice president of the Medical Awareness Network, said he hopes this group will help people struggling in many different areas. “I hope this group is able to support students suffering from any medical condition primarily by connecting them with others who relate to their struggles, and also through sharing experiences with diet, medicine, or habit changes that were helpful,” Baldwin said. Baldwin encouraged those who are interested in joining to reach out to him or Piornack. “If you are interested in joining, talk to me or Jake Piornack, the president of the group, or just send an email,” he said. “We both enjoy meeting people and would be happy to explain more about the group.” Frandle, treasurer of the Medical Awareness Network, said involvement can look different for everyone. “Involvement can really be whatever you wish to have,” he said. “We understand that for many people with diseases and autoimmune issues, it’s hard to stay strict to a certain schedule, especially during flares. So, to mitigate that, we decided that participation should really be dictated by the needs of its members.” The Medical Awareness Network meets once a week at the health center. “We meet every other Sat-

urday from 2-3pm and every other Tuesday from 8-9pm. This way there’s always at least one meeting a week and at two times to make meetings more accessible,” Piornack said. Frandle said the group is a “unique space” where people can come and relate to others who are struggling with the same conditions. “If you’re coming to be supportive for a friend or just to educate yourself, I think it will be a very eye-opening experience and it will put into perspective the difficulties that others around you have to face,” Frandle said. Piornack said it has been rewarding to see people getting the help and support they need, including himself. “I’ve had Crohn’s disease myself for 9 years, and having already helped two close friends of mine avoid the unnecessary pitfalls I’ve encountered along the way has been incredibly fulfilling,” Piornack said. Frandle said he was able to talk to Piornack when he received his diagnosis, and it affected him more than anything else had at that point. “Having a friend that was there to talk to me and help me through the confusion and adjustment when I was first diagnosed with my autoimmune last year was an amazing resource that helped me manage my stress and made me feel understood and heard when I felt like no one could be there for me,” he said. Frandle said he hopes he can do the same for other people struggling with medical conditions. “I want to be able to help others with something that brought me so much comfort and aid when I needed it. Giving it forward,” he said.

Kari and Daniel Coupland pose while on vacation. Courtesy | Daniel Coupland

Pennsylvania and drove up to Mount Wopsononock where my father had asked my mother in 1955. Mom said yes. So did Beth. Still amazed that they did.” Jolene Macaluso: “January 4, 2021, Nick asked me to dance. ‘I realized that we’ve never danced together before, and I want to change that.’ As the song died away, Nick looked down at me, smiling. ‘That was on my list of things to do together before I propose,’ he said. Laughing, I teased, ‘Well, what else is on that list? Let’s knock it out!’ He said, ‘Just one more thing: kneeling.’ And he knelt. This was the easiest question I had ever answered.” Dwight Lindley: “In my wife’s family, you are expected to get the father’s permission before proposing. I had to labor long and hard to get that permission, and when I finally did, I took her out to hike a small mountain outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Near the top, I knelt down, but because I was higher on the slope than she was, I actually ended up being slightly above her to propose! She said yes. I said, ‘Well, do you like the ring?’ She said, ‘... I could learn to like it.’ So we spent the rest of the day getting a replacement ring.” Bill Lundberg:

“Sharon was babysitting for a great young family that we both knew through our church and the parents were out on a date. I went over to see her and help her with the kids before she got them settled down for bed. We were just going to watch a movie, but instead I had a bouquet of flowers ready to give her with her engagement ring hidden inside the bouquet on one of the rose stems so I could bring it to her attention when the time was right! As I gave her the flowers, she went to smell them, and I pointed out to her, ‘Hey Honey, what’s that on one of the flowers?’ And as I got down on one knee, I asked her, ‘Sharon - will you marry me?’ She said yes, and the rest is history!” Paul Rahe: “We dined at a place in Tulsa where I was then on the faculty of the University of Tulsa, and I talked about our future together. Laura responded, ‘Well, then you would have to ask me to marry you.’ I replied, ‘Consider it done.’” Daniel Coupland: I proposed to Kari in front of her entire family — only her father knew that the proposal was coming. She covered her face with her hands and cried for two (long) minutes before she finally said yes.”

February 10, 2022 B4

F-e-a-t-u-r-e-s

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

New club on campus comforts students with chronic illness

Living with the Lindleys, and more:

Nicholas ’21 and Jolene Macaluso ’21 shortly after their engagement. Courtesy | Nicholas Macaluso

Student boarders share lessons learned

By Lauren Scott Collegian Reporter When junior Daniel Frandle was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2021, he felt the most comfort from talking to senior Jake Piornack, a friend who also suffered from a chronic illness, he said. This year, Piornack, working with Frandle and others, started the Medical Awareness Network, a group dedicated to providing other students with that same support as well as raising awareness about the struggles that come with having a chronic illness. Piornack, president of the Medical Awareness Network, said he was inspired to start the group because he noticed there was no organization on campus dedicated to assisting students with medical conditions. “While Lighthouse does great work for mental conditions, I thought it would be beneficial to campus to create a parallel club to help with more physiological conditions,” Piornack said. Piornack said he intends to welcome and support all those with a chronic illness and to provide “a place where someone suffering from an illness that affects their quality of life can feel comfortable and under-

See Chronic B3

By Josh Hypes Assistant Editor

Valentine’s Day: The hearts of Hillsdale In honor of Valentine’s Day, Hillsdale faculty share favorite memories By Tracy Wilson Features Editor These responses have been compiled and edited by Tracy Wilson. How did you meet your spouse? Kátia Sherman, Assistant Professor of Spanish, married to Tom Sherman for 30.5 years: “He was teaching at Oberlin College, and I was an undergraduate student there. He had rooms to rent in his big house, and my sister and I came to check out those rooms. I had already seen him in the cafeteria and could hardly stand how gorgeous he was but did not know he was the landlord I was about to meet. Surprise!” Maria Servold, Assistant Director of Dow Journalism Program, married to Ryan Servold for 11.5 years:

After cultivating a close relationship with Associate Professor of English Dwight Lindley and his family in her first year at college, sophomore Tess Owen chose to spend her second year at Hillsdale living with the family instead of returning to an on-campus residence hall. “I knew this would be a very unusual situation,” Owen said. “But I really felt it was very clear that that’s what I should do.” Twenty years ago, Lindley started working at the Owen family farm. After Professor of English David Whalen, a former classmate of Owen’s parents, encouraged Owen’s brother-in-law to work at the farm, Lindley joined him soon after. “We often joke that we sent Dwight to grad school because he realized digging ditches wasn’t for him,” Owen joked. After Lindley went to grad school, the families became distant until ten years ago when one of Owen’s sisters went to Hillsdale and became good friends with the Lindleys. When Tess arrived at Hillsdale last year, she grew close to the Lindleys after they hosted her for

“We were introduced by my brother. He and Ryan worked together at a smoothie shop and my brother and my mom thought Ryan and I would like each other.” Dwight Lindley, Associate Professor of English, married to Emily Lindley for 16 years: “We got together long distance over AOL Instant Messenger, then went on our first date at a restaurant called The Trout, outside of Oxford, in the U.K.” Daniel Coupland, Professor of education, married to Kari Coupland for 27 years: “As college undergrads — because, oddly enough, I resembled my wife’s roommate’s boyfriend.” Justin Fawley, assistant coach of Men’s and Women’s Track & Cross Country, married to Jessica Fawley for 4.5 years: “We met on the Hillsdale

College track team while we were both student-athletes.” Nicholas Macaluso, admissions interviewer, married to Jolene Macaluso for 7 months:

“Jolene and I did not cross paths until our junior year at

believed when you were younger that you still believe today? Frogs are beautiful. Nobody believes me. My nickname for years has been “frog.” When I was married, if my husband called me “frog,” I knew everything was great between us, but if he called me Anna, I knew something was fishy. What is your favorite French word? Rivière (river) is one of the words that I really do like. I like anything related to water, and it has this “r” sound in it, twice. What is your favorite French name? “Guillame,” which in English is William. Maybe because of William the Conqueror, but also because of one of the most beautiful art pieces in France, the Tapestry de Bayeux. What popular foods do you dislike? I don’t like anything sweet. My son doesn’t either. For several years, on his birthday, he would ask for a cake. He would have a very

specific idea of what that cake should look like, and I would spend more than a day making it. And then he would not touch it because he doesn’t like cake. It’s a matter of principle — there has to be a birthday cake. If you could go back in time and change one thing from your life, would you change anything? When my father passed away, I was 16. As a kid, I was really attached to him, then my parents divorced and I didn’t see him for a few years. The next time I saw him was his funeral. I wrote my father a letter before he died, basically accusing him of not making the first step. It showed him clearly that I loved him. I had no idea he was sick at the time — he died of cancer. If what my aunt told me was true, he died with that letter in his hand. If I knew that was the last letter, I would’ve written a different text. What other career paths have interested you? I wanted to be a Stone Age archeologist. I studied

archeology and French as an undergraduate degree. Sometimes the only option you have is to work in the museum, and I wanted to be out in the field. I do miss my time sitting in a dig. Have you ever been told you look like any celebrities? In Paris, there was an exhibit of fayum mummy portraits from Egypt which my friend saw and said, “It looks Navrotskaya’s friend thought this fayum mummy portrait looked like her. exactly like you.” It Courtesy | Wikipedia did look like me. To check it, he put this photograph on an envedebating. lope, and I sent the letter to What is one thing you my aunt in Ukraine. My aunt wish other people knew called me later and said, about you? “Why do you put your phoI am very talkative. I tograph on the envelope?” absolutely enjoy telling stoIf you could visit any ries. My students know a lot fictional city, which would about me because I tell them you visit? stories constantly. Camelot. What is one piece of adIf you could have any vice you try to live by? historical figure give a My grandmother said if speech at Hillsdale College, you want to do something, who would you choose? do it. It sounds obvious, but In Russia and Ukraine, if you think you want to sing there was a similar tradition in the choir but you’ll do it to the Arthurian tradition. next year because you’re too There are stories about busy, do it this year. Because Prince Vladimir, who was next year you will be busy, similar to King Arthur. and the next year you will be I would love to see King busy as well. Arthur and Prince Vladimir talking to each other and

Sharon and Bill lundberg on their wedding day. Courtesy | Bill Lundberg

See Valentine B3

See Boarders B3

QUICK HITS: Anna Navrotskaya, Professor of French By Tracy Wilson Features Editor Anna Navrotskaya is a professor of French at Hillsdale College. This interview has been edited for length, clarity, and style.

What is the most interesting place you’ve been? As I come from a Jewish family, it was Jerusalem. When I went there for the first time, I got off the plane and started crying. There is a concept of a “mitzvah,” a good deed, in the Jewish tradition. Every step in the land of Israel is a “mitzvah,” so I made my first “step” stepping into the airport. I spend my whole life being a minority and all of a sudden

you are surrounded by people like you. What were some of your favorite fashion trends growing up? I grew up in the Soviet Union and your choices were really limited. I was one of the lucky ones when I was a teenager because my father, who was a captain, sometimes sent things to me and my sister. He sent me a pair of jeans which were too small because we hadn’t seen each other for a few years. I had to rework them. I took bits and pieces from old clothes, even part of a tent. It was a mosaic of all colors, and I wore it from when I was 12 or 13 until I was about 20. What is something you

Navrotskaya loves both cats and frogs. Courtesy | Anna Navrotskaya

“When I was married, if my husband called me “frog,” I knew everything was great, but if he called me Anna, I knew something was fishy.”