(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)
Freshmen raise the bar
4% transfer students
(Carsten Stann/Collegian)
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper Breana Noble Assistant Editor
Admission to Hillsdale is more competitive than ever, and the class of 2019 faced the highest odds of being accepted than any other class currently on campus. The acceptance rate dropped six points from last year’s to 49 percent, as the college had almost 100 more applicants, according to Senior Director of Field Recruitment Zachary Miller. “We were more selective in who we admitted and better at the back end of those we thought would eventually matriculate,”
Vol. 139 Issue 1 - 3 Sept. 2015
Miller said. Of the students that were accepted to Hillsdale, 41 percent chose to attend the college, up from last year’s yield rate of 38 percent. “We gave it our best effort in trying to reach those students and help them see, after they’ve been admitted, to see why Hillsdale is a great fit specifically for them,” Miller added. “I think we did a good job, a better job with postadmission recruitment, and that allowed us to be a little more selective on the front end.” While the high school GPA mean remained consistent with the preceding three years at 3.81, the ACT average increased from
Hillsdale to leave GLIAC, join G-MAC
After competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for 42 years, Hillsdale College has decided to leave the conference after the 20162017 academic year. Effective July 1st, 2017, Hillsdale, along with four other GLIAC schools, will join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. “As a college, we have always been committed to partnering with like-minded institutions,” Director of Athletics Don Brubacher said. “These schools have academic and athletic environments similar to our own, which
INSIDE
(Courtesy of Abi Wood)
Traveling into one of the most dangerous regions discussed in modern news never phased junior Ramona Tausz. When Tausz first heard of the opportunity to earn a summer journalism internship at the Times of Israel, one of the top English-language publications in the multilingual country, she jumped at the chance. With John Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program, she assembled her application and made plans to spend the summer in a far-away country as the program’s first overseas journalism intern. Tausz wrote and edited as an “Ops & Blogs” intern, living in Jerusalem with Abigail Wood ’14 and taking full advantage of her unique opportunity. Israel’s small size allowed Tausz to visit many
A welcome guide to Hillsdale Mapping off-campus houses and places to study around the campus and community. A3
Chargers ready for kick off Football season begins Saturday night as Hillsdale hosts the University of Findlay at 7 p.m. A6
Hillsdale alumna wins award Jillian Melchior wins fellowship for foreign correspondance. A2
‘Pure Photography’ comes to campus. Syracuse University art exhibit offers chance to debate the nature of photography. A4
(Courtesy of Jillian Melchior)
“Our core focus in what we look for in students hasn’t changed,” Miller said. “Our students remain academically prepared to be successful at Hillsdale, naturally curious, but they’re also involved in their schools and communities. They want to be involved in Hillsdale, and they’re men and women of good character who want to come to Hillsdale for the right reasons.” The faculty are eager to see the impact the freshmen will have on the school as students have already showed interest in being involved on campus following a “great turnout” at The Source on Tuesday, said Anthony Manno, Director of Student Activities.
“They have a diversity of interests and talents that they’re going to bring to campus,” Miller said. The students took a survey following orientation, and while the orientation schedule did not differ much from last year’s, the responses from students were “positive,” according to Miller. Sophomore orientation guide Megan Michaelis told The Collegian, while entering college is a “whirlwind” experience, the freshmen appeared “more relaxed than I think was.” “[They felt] that they’ve been taken care of,” Manno said. “They felt they were welcomed, and that’s a really great compliment.”
A summer among legends
will allow our students to prioritize their studies.” University of Findlay, Lake Erie College, Ohio Dominican University, and Walsh College will also leave the GLIAC in favor of the G-MAC. The GLIAC headquarters provided a prepared statement when asked to comment. “The GLIAC appreciates the contributions made by these institutions throughout the years in making our league one of the top Division II conferences in the country. We look forward to the process of restructuring the GLIAC
See G-MAC A5
tries are represented in the class. Michiganders make up 33 percent of the population and are joined by international students from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Iceland, and Kenya. While home-schooled students are a larger portion of the class with 16 percent this year, public school students account for a majority at 54 percent of the group. Private school attendees experienced an eight point drop from last year, now down to 30 percent. Transfer students make up 4 percent -- half of last year’s rate. Though the group was selected more acutely, what the admissions office looked for in incoming freshmen remained constant.
Chris McCaffery Columnist
{
Stevan Bennett Assistant Editor
29.06 to 29.22, breaking the class of 2018’s bar as having the second highest average. “The decreased acceptance rate and impressive academic profiles of the incoming students point to a strong fit for our campus and classroom,” Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell said. “But just as all students who have come before them, this incoming class will have to work hard and apply themselves to truly benefit from their Hillsdale experience.” The only students to have outmatched the current freshmen in this area are those who graduated last May, whose average was 29.32. In total, 41 states and six coun-
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
places in the area, such as Nazareth, the West Bank, Jericho, and the Sea of Galilee. Tausz said these locations’ connection to her Christian faith shaped her experience of the land. “As a Christian, it was fascinating to visit the Holy Land and walk in the steps of Christ,” Tausz said. “When you go and visit places like the Western Wall, you want to enter into a historic reverie and join in communion with the generations of people who have been in that place.” Though Jerusalem and the landscape of Israel have been shaped by the centuries since the men described in Christian scripture walked in the city, Tausz learned that the rich tradition acknowledged by the inhabitants makes the accumulated legends and myths of the city alive and active in places like Zion, claimed and fought over by Jews and Christians, or the Temple Mount, in Mus-
lim hands but sacred to the Jews. “The thing you hear all the time in Jerusalem — it’s told constantly — is that it’s a city where ‘the legend is stronger than the fact,’” Tausz said. “It’s the larger reality we have to deal with. They cling to those myths and those legends because they realize that there’s more to truth than mere fact.” Miller said Hillsdale College aims to provide a regular opportunity for a student from the college to intern in Israel under the mentorship of writer and editor Lela Gilbert, who helped Tausz acclimate and settle into Jerusalem this summer. The potentially recurring program was organized by Hillsdale College General Counsel Robert Norton, who acquired funding and contacted Gilbert about her role. Tausz said the summer presented some practical difficulties. Since Hebrew is the native tongue, she
said she found reporting with a language barrier difficult, though working with the opinions section made things easier, and provided the opportunity for a young journalist to engage with the area’s issues and events from the inside. “I got to work with the huge outpouring of submissions following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” Tausz said. “The outrage following that announcement was just incredible.” Tausz remembers other cultural differences too, such as the harsh memories of the summer of 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, the accompanying missile attacks from the Gaza strip and the common fear of Christian proselytization. “There’s a complex web of different fears, different dreams, different hopes that you sort out when you’re in a journalism position over there,” she said.
‘Twelfth Night’ rehearsals get underway. Professor of Theatre George Angell stages Shakespeare in 18th-century Bermuda. A4
(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)
Check out articles online at www.hillsdalecollegian.com
NEWS
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
A2 3 Sept. 2015
Alumna wins fellowship for foreign correspondence Breana Noble Assistant Editor The Steamboat Institute recognized alumna Jillian Melchior ’09 for her achievements in journalism with the Tony Blankley Chair for Public Policy and American Exceptionalism Friday. Melchior was honored at the institute’s Seventh Annual Freedom Conference in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as the second individual to receive the title. The collaboration will provide her opportunities to make television appearances, do more public speaking, and connect with people in the conservative movement. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Melchior said. “I was really impressed at seeing grassroots conservatives, business owners, entrepreneurs that want to make a difference in their country. It’s definitely mainstream American.
I’m thrilled about that.” Recognized for similar principles promoted by the late press secretary of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the journalism fellow is deemed by the selection committee to espouse values such as strong national defense, free market capitalism, and limited government. “We are incredibly proud to have Jillian Melchior as our 201516 fellow,” Steamboat Institute Chairman Jennifer Schubert-Akin said in an email. Melchior does investigative reporting on fraud and abuse, environmental and energy issues, and organized labor for National Review. She has also worked as a foreign correspondent, reporting from China, Iraq, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Though these are locations of which most do not typically think as strongholds for freedom, Melchior says these places can show the importance of American ideals for which Blankley
(Courtesy of Jillian Melchior)
advocated. “As a foreign correspondent, it’s become very evident to me
that when the United States is not playing an active role in global affairs and retreats, it creates a
vacuum,” Melchior said. She said her experience in the Ukraine “brought it home for” her. “The United States has not stepped up as of late to help them out,” Melchior said. “I met so many young people who wanted freedom, want an end to corruption, want democracy and speaking for their country. I mean, clear expression of values that I learned at Hillsdale.” Ultimately, this brings to light the United States’ uniqueness, according to Matthew Spalding, Hillsdale’s Associate Vice President and Dean of Educational Programs in Washington, D.C. “Where better does America’s exceptionalism become apparent but in contrast to places like China and Iraq?” Spalding, a member of the Steamboat Institute’s Board of Directors, said. “Her work there broadened and strengthened her application beyond the abstract idea to the real world meaning of American exceptionalism.” Becoming involved with the
Steamboat Institute also provides a Hillsdale connection for Melchior through Spalding. “It feels like it has come full circle,” she said. “It’s also interesting studying Aristotle and Plato, looking at regime structures. That’s a really helpful one for me because I’m certainly not an expert in every country I travel to, but just having that way of looking at what a government is helps me catch up.” Previously, Melchior was a Robert Novak fellow and a Bartley Fellow at The Wall Street Journal Asia. Her work has also been published in Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, The Weekly Standard, Commentary, TechCrunch, The Detroit News, and elsewhere. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything she’s doing,” Melchior’s brother Matt, who graduated last spring, said. “My sister is a rockstar when it comes to journalism.”
Campus Match staff Princeton Review networks selfies with upgraded gives Hillsdale high marks their shelfies Vivian Hughbanks News Editor
Vivian Hughbanks News Editor
The Princeton Review ranked Hillsdale College as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation in their 2016 edition of “The Best 380 Colleges,” published last month. In the Review’s assessment top 20 categories, Hillsdale placed No. 5 for “Professors Get High Marks,“ and No. 17 for “Most Accessible Professors.” In noncompetitive categories of The Princeton Review’s assessment, Hillsdale received a score of 99 for professor interest. “In old colleges, and in the best ones today, the distinction between teaching and research is not sharp: rather we learn together, all learning, all helping to teach,” said College President Larry Arnn. “We are blessed with a learned and dedicated faculty that understands this and thrives here because of it. And they help to make the whole place thrive.” Only 15 percent of the 2,500 four-year colleges in the United States are included in The Princeton Review’s list. “We want very much to attract and to retain those faculty who are brilliant and expert and generous with their interests,” Provost David
Whalen said, “and who like nothing more than sharing all that -- living all that -- with their students. It’s not just a point of hire, it’s on campus, we’re very consistent about being a teaching institution.” Hillsdale also scored highly in the categories of “Quality of Life,” “Students Most Engaged in Community Service,” and “Academics.” “Hillsdale’s outstanding academics are the chief reason we chose it for this book, and we strongly recommend it to applicants,” Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president and author of “The Best 380 Colleges.” The Princeton Review also placed Hillsdale at No. 10 in the category ranking the “Happiest Students.” “Students here, even though they may be worrying about an exam that’s coming up, they recognize that they are in a kind of eudaimonic exercise here, that they’re doing something good for its own sake,” Whalen said. “To do that, and then to recognize that you’re doing that is a very grand thing, and I’m afraid it’s unfortunately pretty rare in our day. But our students do get that -- they sign on for that.” U.S. News and World Report ranked Hillsdale College No. 1 Best College for Veterans for a second consecutive year in their report released this summer.
U.S. News has ranked Hillsdale in the top three in that category since 2013. “I’m sure there are other schools that are particularly friendly to veterans, but in Hillsdale’s case, we cannot accept any GI Bill money,” Whalen said. “However, we have very generous donors who have facilitated the education of veterans at Hillsdale by providing scholarships, including fullride scholarships for people who have served in the U.S. military to come to Hillsdale, in other words, they’ve replaced the GI money with private money that allows the veterans to come and study here.” Veterans who come to Hillsdale can then save funds provided by the GI Bill to use them later for graduate school or other post-degree programs. Kiplinger also ranked Hillsdale highly in their costeffectiveness assessment of schools across the nation, placing Hillsdale No. 1 in best value colleges in Michigan, and No. 2 best value colleges in the Midwest. Hillsdale was ranked No. 17 best value of liberal arts colleges nationally.
Voted best coffee for the last four years!
Vivian Hughbanks News Editor Ever wanted to shelf-read your favorite professor’s library? Well now you can, if you can guess which shelf is theirs. This month, the Mossey Library is hosting a “Match the selfie to the ‘shelfie’” competition, where students can peruse pictures of 24 different professors’ bookshelves and guess which prof the books belong to. The most successful “selfie to shelfie” pairs will win a $20 gift certificate to the campus bookstore. “Some of them do have clues in them,” Public Services Librarian Brenna Wade said. “Some are easier to determine than others. Some are rather tricky. My office isn’t within the line of sight, but I’ve heard that there’s been a lot of interest.” Inspired by a project found on Pinterest, Wade contacted faculty and staff over the summer, asking for “shelfie” submissions.
Author and columnist Linda Chavez will visit campus Thursday, Sept. 10, to give a speech titled: “A Conservative Approach To Immigration.” The speech will be at 8 p.m. in Dow Room A&B.
Hours Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m. -7:30 p.m. Sat. 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Sun. 8 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. 28 S Howel St, Hillsdale, MI 517.439.5488
Campus Wi-Fi networks got an upgrade Aug. 25 -- the first major change in campus Internet systems since the creation of ResNet last year. The update included encryption of the two wireless networks on campus, ResNet and CampusNet, as well as installing a password for greater system security. “Encrypting traffic from a device to the access point is always a good idea to prevent people with freely available utilities from snooping on unencrypted traffic traveling through the air,” Network Systems Manager Patrick Chartrand told the Collegian by email. “There was no incident prompting this, it’s just an industry standard that we are implementing.” The project was announced several times over the summer, as the change affected everyone on campus. The Information Technology Services team discussed merging the two wireless networks into a new, larger CampusNet and also debated creating a third network specifically for guests staying at the Dow Center. “It only took about 10 minutes to program and then required a restart of CampusNet,” Chartrand said. “All the 144 CampusNet Access Points were given their new programming, and the upgrade was complete. The total time was about 15 minutes -- including the 10 minutes of programming the head end.”
Arnn welcomes class of 2019 Phil DeVoe Assistant Editor
The class of 2019 packed the Biermann Athletic Center Sunday alongside their parents, student peers, and college faculty for their formal welcome at Freshman Convocation. Seniors Marie Wathen and Kyle Cooper joined College President Larry Arnn at the matriculation ceremony, bringing their four years of lessons at Hillsdale
Guitar strings sold here!
“There’s a school in the U.K. that did it, and their tagline was ‘match the selfie to the shelfie,’” Wade said. “I wondered if I could pull that off.” Participating profs submitted photos of bookshelves either from their offices on campus or at home, and Wade assembled them together into an exhibit, now displayed in the library lobby. Interested students can pick up a form at the library and submit their best guesses. The contest is open until 9 a.m. on Sept. 14, when Wade will score the submissions and identify the answers on the display. “It’s a variety of academics,” Wade said. “We have all three divisions represented, and I think 19 different departments, including Bishop [Peter] Beckwith and Alesia Aumock with sports studies. I was really excited with the variety.”
College to the students beginning their first. Wathen spoke about her experiences with friendships at Hillsdale, and how they reflect a care for a higher good. After a fall on slippery ice while walking to class landed her in a wheelchair last winter, Wathen said her friends helped without question. “They became famous for kicking people off of the couches in the Heritage Room for me,” she said with a chuckle. Wathen also emphasized the journey of higher education, reminding freshmen they signed up for a challenge and that the first paper is not reflective of the rest. “As you begin your first year at Hillsdale, immerse yourself in this community, which will show you truth and beauty,” Wathen said. Cooper shared his understanding of time management with the new students.
As a member of the Hillsdale basketball team, he reminded freshmen that it’s important to stay focused on their goals throughout their college career. “You’re either moving, or you’re falling behind. Learn to make time in a day to go to class, do your homework, call your parents,” Cooper said. “We are a very small college, as you probably know. A lot of the people here will become a second family.” Arnn closed convocation with a reminder that while Hillsdale is a challenge, the difficult task of pursuing the higher good at this college is worth the effort. “[Students] have this huge jigsaw puzzle, and they don’t know where any of the pieces go,” Arnn said. “It’s hard. You’ve got work.”
A3 3 Sept. 2015
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
A Guide to Campus Life Places to Study
Lake Baw Beese Find a picnic table, bring a blanket. It’ll be cold soon Career Services The board room’s table is open for studying after hours Downtown Coffeeshops Serve the addiction when campus is too distracting The Writing Center Hide in a study cubby when you really need to focus Bridge between Strosacker and Dow Science It’s intimidating for a non-science major, but the people are kind, and the space is great Off-Campus houses — With permission, of course
Tips & Tricks
Bring coffee mugs to the on-campus coffee shops It counts as a coffee refill, so it only costs $1 Never go to the weight room between 3-6 p.m. Unless you want to breath humidity made of sweat Always use office hours Scary the first time, but always rewarding Raid the Salvation Army Sweater supply The most stylish way to stay warm this winter
Montgomery St.
Summit St.
1
Hillsdale St.
30
3 2
4 5
6
Barber Dr. Galloway Dr.
9
E College St. 10 11 12
18 19 29
23
20
24
21
13
14
15
McClellan St.
17
Fayette St.
16
Oak St.
Manning St.
22
Union St.
Hillsdale St.
N West St.
Park St.
8
7
27 28
River St. Howder St. 26
25
. St en rd
Ga
Mead St. Vine St.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 21.5 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
The Fort Rushmore Brookhaven Wessex Pi Beta Phi Sigma Alpha Iota Chi Omega The Donnybrook Kappa Kappa Gamma Mu Alpha The Boardwalk Delta Tau Delta Sigma Chi Alpha Tau Omega Brooklyn Casablanca The Womb Graceland The Wormhole The Waffle House The Gallery The Dudeplex The Cantina Skyfall Manning Stables Plum Creek Corinth The Yellows Delta Sigma Phi The West Bank Lax
OPINION 3 Sept. 2015 A4
Newsroom: (517) 607-2897 Advertising: (517) 607-2684
Online: www.hillsdalecollegian.com Editor in Chief: Macaela Bennett News Editor: Vivian Hughbanks City News Editor: Kate Patrick Opinions Editor: Sarah Albers Sports Editor: Nathanael Meadowcroft Arts Editor: Ramona Tausz Features Editor: Amanda Tindall Design Editor: Meg Prom Web Editor: Evan Carter Photo Editor: Anders Kiledal Associate Editor: Micah Meadowcroft Circulation Managers: Sarah Chavey | Conor Woodfin Ad Managers: Drew Jenkins | Patrick Nalepa Assistant Editors: Stevan Bennett | Phil DeVoe | Andrew Egger | Jessie Fox | Madeleine Jepsen | Breana Noble | Tom Novelly | Joe Pappalardo | Emma Vinton Photographers: Joel Calvert | Elena Creed | Stacey Egger | Anders Kiledal | Ben Strickland | Laura Williamson Faculty Advisers: John J. Miller | Maria Servold The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, length, and style. Letters should be 450 words or less and include your name and number. Send submissions to salbers@hillsdale.edu before Saturday at 3 p.m.
RAND STILL STANDS Tyler Groenendal Special to the Collegian Rand Paul, the self-described “libertarian-ish” Senator from Kentucky, is not the presidential frontrunner—he’s even fallen in recent polls. He is not the most heavily-covered in the news. Some pundits proclaim his presidential campaign is already over, despite Time magazine’s description as “the most interesting man in politics” (‘The Reinventions of Rand Paul,’ Oct. 16, 2014). Ultimately, this is just another symptom of primary politics. Rand Paul has been prominent on the national stage for years. Candidates like Carly Fiorina or John Kasich are relative newcomers to most Americans. It’s natural for the electorate to fixate on the shiny and the new for a while, but that doesn’t amount to substance.
‘Rand Paul is running a campaign of ideas, not of noise and blind rhetoric.’
Despite recent poll data from Public Policy Polling showing Paul at 1 percent among Republican candidates, he has staying power. The rumors of his political death are being grossly exaggerated. His strong grassroots support, unique policy positions, and his wide cross-party appeal means he will stick around to the bitter end. Ultimately, Paul provides a rallying point for the growing liberty movement: politically active and rabidly passionate, the small movement could well tip the election. Samuel Adams is thought to have said, “It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” His falling numbers are caused by the sheer size of the Republican field. While he has a small, dedicated libertarian core, other candidates are chipping away at more mainstream support—Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, even Donald Trump. In order to survive in a presidential primary, a candidate needs either vast sums of money or strong grassroots support. While Paul has low fundraising totals, roughly seven million in the second quarter of 2015, half of that was in small contributions. That means that he’s attracting a core group of supporters who passionately support him. Passion is key in primaries, and Paul supporters have a lot of it. He has focused primarily on nurturing and growing this grassroots support, much in the vein of his father Ron Paul’s 2008 and 2012 presidential bids. In addition, the Paul campaign has showed the most social media savvy, and with some of the most ardent supporters. Social media is quickly becoming one of the most important campaign tools, and a solid strategy is a great aid to a campaign. Presidential primaries are highly unstable, especially early on. Few voters have made up their minds, vacillating from one candidate to the next depending on media coverage, name recognition, and noise. Most voters have yet to settle on the boring policy proposals and budget plans. They determine their support by weighing rhetoric and stump speeches. At this stage in the primary, polls are unreliable, volatile, and heavily skewed. The first chance to win delegates is at the Iowa Caucuses, Feb. 1, 2016. That’s five months away. Polls five months out are a poor gauge of what the field will look like at caucus time. This time in 2011, Rick Perry was leading by double digits. Six weeks later, it was Herman Cain. A month after that, Newt Gingrich. The polls reflected their perceived electoral strength at the time, but not in reality. Many candidates will drop out by Iowa, and their supporters will flock to the remaining candidates. Rand Paul stands to benefit from that, because he provides a legitimate and viable alternative to the status quo. Rand Paul is running a campaign of ideas, not one of noise and blind rhetoric. His strength is in his individuality and uniqueness. On foreign policy, civil liberties, and genuine budget reform, he stands alone. The challenge for Paul is to convince voters to support his “libertarian-ish” alternative. Tyler Groenendal is a junior studying economics.
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Debate with decorum The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff
Class of 2019: welcome. You have come from all over the country and the world with varied educational backgrounds—public, private, charter and home schools, to name a few—to be united by this college in the common task of higher education. You’ve likely already begun to engage in some of the inevitable, inexhaustible Hillsdale debates as you find a home among your new peers.
Awkward gaps in conversation are often filled by topics such as predestination and free will, conservatism and libertarianism, or the antics of various presidential candidates. These conversations, and those like them, are debates. As debates progress, arguments are made and sometimes the conversation becomes heated. Be careful that debate does not devolve into mere argument, a battle of wills that
sets truth aside for the sake of a victory. Debate within our common inquiry, while vital, is no excuse for poor manners. College is “collegial,” an organized community united by common purpose and responsibility. Mere argument prevents us from encountering the truth. It shifts the end of the debate from pursuit of truth to pursuit of victory and self-vindication. It is vital to have these
conversations. They are steps toward taking ownership of your intellectual life, acknowledgements of your responsibility to the truth. They must be undertaken in a spirit of charity, with a focus on what unites us first and foremost, so that we may better reconcile what divides us. That’s what we’re doing here: pursuing truth, defending liberty, in good charity. We’re glad you have joined us.
Photography: pure and simple? ‘Pure Photography’ from Syracuse University to offer snapshot into photo history Ramona Tausz Arts Editor What makes a photograph a piece of art? Must it be manipulated and stylized to deserve the word, or can it simply be a realistic image? It’s a dilemma that’s sparked raging debates in the art world since photography’s inception in the early 1800s — but a question that, in an era of Instagram, Snapchat, and today’s general overabundance of photos, continues to remain relevant. Hillsdale College students will have a chance to re-examine that dilemma afresh when the Daughtrey Gallery in the Sage Center for the Arts hosts the exhibition “Pure Photography: Pictorial and Modern Photographs” from Sept. 13-Oct. 2. The collection, borrowed from the Syracuse University Art Collection, contains photographs from the 1880s through the 1940s, and, according to Lecturer in Art Doug Coon, captures an important period of transition in the development of modern photography. As Coon puts it, today’s society is “bombarded with images.” “We live in a post-language era,” he said. “And it just didn’t get that way out of the blue.” This exhibition provides a glimpse of the genesis of that bombardment — a look at how photography got to be where it is today. According to Coon, after the first photographers tired of the initial novelty of the camera, they began asking whether the new medium could truly produce art. “They began wondering, what is the purpose of this?” Coon said. “Is it just to record reality? And if so, is it really worth bothering with in terms of art?” Associate Professor of Art
“Prague - The Old Bridge - Winter” by Drahomir Josef Ruzicka, 1930, provides an example of pictorialism’s more stylized approach. (Courtesy Syracuse University Art Collection)
Barbara Bushey said questions like these engendered a movement termed “pictorialism” around the end of the 19th century -- a movement that attempted to make photography mimic painting.
lenses, they printed on really soft paper, or they moved the camera a little.” The photographs from this time period are airy, dreamy, and atmospheric, often with heavy use of tonality and models in fan-
“Church Door, Hornitos, California” by Edward Weston, 1940, exemplifies“pure” photography. (Courtesy Syracuse University Art Collection)
“You have this new technology, photography, now how do we make art with it?” she said. “So they put Vaseline on their
tastic poses. As Coon explains it, “You’re not just recording reality, you’re enhancing it.” But as time went on and tech-
nology advanced, photographers began asking whether photography shouldn’t be more realistic and “true to itself,” in Bushey’s words. They started what’s known as “pure” or “straight” photography. “After pictorialism, there’s a great move toward straight photography,” Bushey said. “That’s even a greater interest in just the forms and the crispness.” Pure photographers — and most modern photographers today — no longer imitated painting, but simply tried to capture reality. The art exhibit captures that fascinating transition period between pictorial and pure. “It’s this weird time frame where these two sides in a way are almost fighting it out,” he said. “Which is really the true nature of photography? I think largely speaking, the modernists (or the pure photography) won out.” Pure may seem to have won the day, but as Oscar Wilde once quipped, truth is never pure — and rarely simple. “The interesting part is, things like this never get settled,” Coon noted. “Even if you’re not necessarily an art major or minor, I think it’s a good way to maybe analyze how we got to where we are,” he said, explaining why Hillsdale students might have an interest in the show. “There’s a reason photography got to be so dominant. And this is sort of the beginning of it.” But why should non-art majors make an effort to get over to Sage and stroll through the exhibit? “You get to just walk in here and there’s all this groovy stuff!” Bushey said. “Because it’s there — it’s free.” The exhibit kicks off with a reception in Sage from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sep. 13.
Shakespeare meets Bermuda
Tower Players kick off ‘Twelfth Night’ rehearsals Sarah Chavey Collegian Reporter The Tower Players are bringing Bermuda to Hillsdale as they begin rehearsing Shakespeare’s classic comedy “Twelfth Night” this week. While Shakespeare set the scene in Illyria, on the Mediterranean coast off of Italy, director and Professor of Theatre George Angell will set the play in 18thcentury Bermuda. He said he believes the new setting fits the play extremely well, since the drama begins with a shipwreck. “There are a few things in the play that apply specifically to Illyria or to Italy, but by and large I thought the play applies to the English sense of romantic global spots,” Angell said. He set one character as a British governor of Bermuda, others as merchants, and another as a pirate. The set will consist mainly of two ships. Facing a rehearsal period two weeks shorter than usual, the cast plunged into preparations on Monday to prepare for their Oct. 7 opening night. “If you had asked me two nights ago, I would have said I didn’t know if I was excited,” Angell said on Tuesday. “But after working with the cast last night and tonight, I know things are going to work out.” An earlier calendar year led to a shorter rehearsal period. Typically, theater productions run either during homecoming or another weekend, and the orchestra per-
forms during Parents Weekend. But this year, since Parents Weekend is only a month after classes begin, the orchestra doesn’t have enough time to prepare an entire performance, so “Twelfth Night” will run during Parents Weekend instead. Because of the change, Angell held auditions in the spring for the first time and tasked characters with memorizing their lines over the summer. “It was really easy to forget about,” junior Dani Morey said. “A lot of people memorized at the beginning of summer and then forgot them. I put it off until the last minute, which probably wasn’t a good idea, but at least they’re fresh now.” “The biggest challenge right now is that we were supposed to have all of our lines memorized right off the bat,” junior Grace Link said. She will be playing Viola, the heroine in a complicated love triangle. Though Link chose not to comment on her memorization, Angell insisted he was optimistic about the work the actors did over the summer. Link said she believes the challenge will bring the actors closer together. “It will be a lot of time and really focused in a short period,” she said. “That’s what I’m excited for. Every day with the same people working your butt off.” “The cast just gels really well together,” Morey added. “Everyone is perfect and very professional and on top of their game.” According to Link, the comedy
Senior Micah Meadowcroft, junior Andrew Egger, Professor of Theatre George Angell, juniors David Whitson and Dani Morey, and sophomore Chandler Lasch gather for a readthrough of “Twelfth Night.” (Courtesy Tower Players of Hillsdale College Facebook page)
attracted several new actors. “It’s kind of an interesting group because a lot of the people that were cast aren’t ordinarily in the plays,” she said. “I think George was really interested in getting this kind of diverse type of people — some who are more experienced and less experienced — but the talent was all there.” Angell said the group is highly energetic. “People have an interest in doing Shakespeare that they might not have in other or more modern genres,” he said. “The theatre majors are always out, but Shake-
speare always draws both big audiences and large numbers of people to auditions.” Link, Angell, and Morey all expressed their enthusiasm for the fight scene choreographer, who is a Hillsdale alumna, as well. She has studied at a stunt school in Las Vegas, spent a year in a China stunt show, and toured the country as a stunt choreographer. “Twelfth Night” runs Parents Weekend, Oct. 7-11.
SPORTS
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
A5 3 Sept. 2015
Follow @HDaleSports for live updates from home games
Freshmen provide spark for women’s tennis team Hannah Leitner Collegian Reporter
While other students enjoyed the last couple weeks of summer break, Hillsdale’s women’s tennis team geared up for the start of their season which begins this weekend with home matches on Saturday at 11 a.m. against Walsh and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Ashland. This year the team welcomed four new freshmen to their roster and retained five veteran players, bringing their team total to nine. Team captains are seniors Sydney Delp and Lindsay Peirce. “We approach each new season differently because we are always working to adapt and improve upon the existing tennis program,” Delp said. “This year, we are challenged to utilize the strengths of our returning teammates in combination with our newest members.” Head coach Nikki Walbright said the freshmen add a new dimension to the team and could be a real asset this season. “The freshmen have brought a new intensity just because they are new people to hit
Volleyball
{ From A6
“Our whole senior class has gotten pretty close and we have all become leaders in our own way on and off the court, so that creates a really good team base and team dynamic to help lead the underclassmen,” Wolfert said. “The underclassmen are stepping up as leaders too, so when we’re all on the same page that makes things a lot easier.” Wolfert and Gravel agreed that the team’s biggest strength will be their versatility in offensive lineups. “We have more people this year who can represent on a game day. If something’s not working we can change everything and still be a strong team. Most other teams are not going to be in that situation,” Gravel
Junior Jada Bissett hits a forehand during Wednesday’s practice.
against and they’re all really strong players.” Walbright said. Walbright said that while she is still working on the doubles lineup for the year, she is excited to see how the depth of the team will contribute to the strength of the team overall.
said. After finishing last season with a 10-8 record in the conference, the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll predicted the Chargers to finish third in the South Division this season behind Findlay and Ashland. Over the course of the twoweek preseason, the Chargers were able to scrimmage Calvin College, Grand Valley, Saginaw Valley, and Wayne State. These scrimmages allowed the Chargers to scope out some of their GLIAC competition before officially playing them later this fall. “The other teams all looked really good too,” Wolfert said. “This year is going to be really competitive and we’ll have to work our butts off during every game but I think we’ll be able to compete well in the conference.”
“It’s fun this year because although we will have to have designated doubles teams for the matches, I do feel like I can interchange people if we need to and we will be just as strong.” Regardless of the talent possessed by the team, the women The scrimmages also allowed the chargers to discover some of their own weaknesses. Gravel said that he hopes to reduce miscommunications by focusing on one or two lineups before their first tournament at Clarion University of Pennsylvania this weekend. Tomorrow, the Chargers will play Clarion as well as Gannon University, ranked first and second respectively in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. On Saturday, the Chargers will match up against the North Alabama Lions who won the Division II National Championship in 2003. “The first three matches will test us but I expect us to do well,” Gravel said. “We just need to play at a certain level and the wins and losses will take care of themselves.”
(Anders Kiledal/Collegian)
continue to practice hard in preparation for their upcoming matches. Coming back to campus two weeks early on August 17, the team began a two-week preseason. During those weeks the team held three-hour morning
cross
will especially miss All-Region runners Jack Butler, Josh Mirth, and Luke Hickman. Mirth was the men’s sole All-American last season. The team will rely on juniors Joe Newcomb and Caleb Gatchell as well as sophomores Tony Wondaal and Sam Phillips. Junior Luke Daigneault, who was out all of last year with hip injuries, is also expected to have a solid season. “Nationals is definitely not out of the question,” Newcomb said. Lynn believes that although the men lost a number of top runners, they will still be competitive this season. “We’re younger than we’ve been,” he said, “but I think we
c a n be every bit as good as we were last year.” The team has eight meets this year broken up into five “regular season” meets and three “championship season” meets. Although the first five meets are important, the team’s main focus will be the final three meets - the conference final, the regional meet, and the national meet. The team also has two home meets this year, on Friday, Sept. 4 and Friday, Oct. 9. Tomorrow’s “dual meet” versus Saginaw Valley State University will be held at Hayden Park, starting at 5 p.m. Although the coaches don’t put too much focus on what other teams are doing, the teams enjoy the competi
“ Tr e v e c c a Nazarene is in Nashville. That’s a long drive for a conference game,” baseball head coach Eric Theisen said. “For us it might mean a few more missed classes and reworking the budget a bit, but those are just things you take care of as they come.” When the change happens, however, the G-MAC may not look like what it looks like now. Conference administrators have said that they are committed to setting up the conference in such a way that will best harbor success both in the classroom and on the field. “As it evolves, I really don’t think that as we sit here in 2015 that when we open the football season of 2017 the makeup of this league is going to be the same,” head football coach Keith Otterbein said. Another common concern
was the loss of long-standing rivalries from the GLIAC, but both coaches and administrators have assured that an effort will be made to keep these rivalries through non-conference scheduling. Despite the excitement on the horizon, the athletic programs still have two more years of GLIAC play on which to focus. “I’m excited about it moving forward,” Otterbein said, “but we’re not discounting or disregarding the 2015 and 2016 season as members of the Great Lakes Conference.” The players feel that the change has given them an opportunity to do something unique. “Obviously we would love to win a GLIAC title before we leave,” said sophomore baseball player Ryan O’Hearn, “but it would be awesome to do that and then win a title our very first year in the G-MAC. Not many people can say they’ve
{ From A6
G-mac
{ From A1 and are excited about our future opportunities as a conference.” The new members from the GLIAC will join Cedarville University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Trevecca Nazarene University, Ursuline College, Alderson Broaddus University, Davis & Elkins College, Ohio Valley University and Salem International University to form the new G-MAC. Malone University is set to join the G-MAC in the 2016-2017 academic year. The move will not change the school’s NCAA Division II status or the current athletic programs offered by the school. While nearly everyone is excited about the change, there are some concerns as to the extra travel that could come with the shift, especially for sports which don’t make trips to the Upper Peninsula.
practices, followed in the afternoons with either an hour of strength and conditioning or a video review. Madeline Bissett, freshmen and younger sister of junior team member Jada Bissett, said that while preseason practices were long and challenging, it gave the team a chance to bond. “The juniors and seniors on the team made it extremely easy to adjust to the team. The other three freshman and I always felt welcome and comfortable around the rest of our teammates.” Bissett said.“ The upperclassmen have shown us what it’s like to be a good leader, and how to work hard but still have fun together.” Now as they shift from preseason into the regular season, the team is setting their goals high. Delp said she believes with Walbright’s guidance the Chargers can become a “deadly threat in the GLIAC this year.” “We believe we have the potential to be the best team in the GLIAC. We want to beat everybody.”
SCHEDULE Friday, Sept. 4
Cross-Country vs. Saginaw Valley 5:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Gannon, at Clarion, PA Tony Banner Invitational 1:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball at Clarion Tony Banner Invitational 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5 Women’s Tennis vs. Walsh 3:00 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball vs. North Ala., at Clarion, PA Tony Banner Invitational 3:00 p.m. Football vs. Findlay 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6 Women’s Tennis vs. Ashland 1:00 p.m.
tion. And, coming off of their runner-up finish at last year’s national meet, some on the women’s team are excited to be on other teams’ radar. “We can walk into these meets with swagger,” senior Kate Royer said. “People will be afraid of us.” According to Emily Oren, this season could see Hillsdale break Grand Valley State University’s 14-year conference championship streak and threeyear national championship streak. “We have the girls to run them down and it’s exciting because we see them at all three championship season meets,” she said.
won a title in two different conferences.” Hillsdale administrators stressed that the level of athletic competition played no part in the decision, but some players are still happy to distance themselves from some of the bigger schools. “We love playing Grand Valley, but they are 15 times our size,” O’Hearn said. “It can be tough to compete with that on a consistent basis.” Tom Daeger, league commissioner of the G-MAC, believes that this move will benefit all of the schools involved in a variety of ways. “Findlay, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Ohio Dominican, and Walsh embrace similar ideologies to those of current G-MAC members and are a tremendous fit,” Daeger said. “They also share the desire of seeking excellence in academics, athletics and in the personal development of student-athletes.
Charger SportS 3 sept. 2015
returning chargers ready to compete for gliac crown Chargers host Findlay on Saturday at 7 p.m. to kick off season Nathanael Meadowcroft Sports Editor
Senior starting quarterback C.J. Mifsud practices with sophomore wide receiver Joe Kutil. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)
chemistry and that synergy gives a little bit of continuity on the offensive line that we haven’t had in the past, whether it was due to injuries or just inexperience.” Karmie recognizes the impact that a good offensive line can have on a football team. “It really helps the offense as a whole gel,” Karmie said. “When you have more time up front because the offensive line is playing well, the running backs can get their holes better, and the quarterback has more time.” Karmie will start on the offensive line alongside sophomore
left tackle Jake Bull, senior center Aaron Price, sophomore right guard Danny Drummond, and senior right tackle Matt VanOpstall. Hillsdale’s experienced players have been a positive influence on the team’s underclassmen, according to Otterbein. “We’re getting great leadership from our upperclassmen, so they’ll keep a calm around the others,” Otterbein said. “They’re doing a great job of taking the young guys under their wings and teaching them the work ethic
National title ‘expected now’ of women’s cross-country Evan Carter Web Editor
(Photo Courtesy of Sheridan Markatos)
“I don’t think there’s anyone on the team that has any doubt that we have the talent and the ability to be a playoff team.” -Justice Karmie, senior left guard.
EXTRA WEEK OF PRACTICE HAS VOLLEYBALL SET FOR SUCCESS Jessie Fox Assistant Editor
Senior Emily Oren earned All-American status last season. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian)
year and will especially miss Amy Kerst and Chelsea Kilgore. The women will lean on seniors Emily Oren and Kristina Galat as well as junior Molly Oren. Emily Oren also believes that the team’s four sophomores will have a big year. “The sophomores are doing so awesome in all their workouts this summer,” she said. Lynn is confident in what the women can accomplish, but emphasized doing the little
things that led to the team’s success last year. “We’re just looking to take care of the process day to day,” Lynn said. “We know we’re talented and we know we’re pretty deep.” The men’s team has returned seven runners and picked up four freshmen. The team graduated five runners last year and
See CROSS, A5
{
Expectations are high this cross-country season as the women look to claim the national team title after placing second last year and the men look to make the national meet for the first time in 11 years. The Charger women will be returning all four of last year’s AllAmericans. Men’s and women’s crosscountry coach Andrew Towne said a national team trophy has always been the team’s goal. “Four years ago, when I first said that to the women’s team, I think the girls liked hearing that, but they may have thought it was a little bit out of reach,” he said. “That is expected now.” The women were ranked second in preseason polling, while the men fell outside of the top 25. After a coaching shake-up at the beginning of last year, Towne believes that the team’s consistency in coaching staff will benefit the team. Last season was Towne’s first as head coach and distance coach Joe Lynn’s first year at Hillsdale. The women’s team has returned nine runners and picked up three freshmen. The team graduated three runners last
any other position is a possibility. “We’ve got enough bodies that are capable at those positions but the other spots if things work out there might be some young guys playing,” he said. Otterbein said he has “no idea” how his team will perform this season until he sees them playing GLIAC opponents, but he said the biggest factor for his team’s success will be how his guys stack up physically against their opponents. “Our challenge is always going to be how we’re going to match up physically,” Otterbein said. “Every week it’s going to be a question of are the guys across the line bigger, faster, stronger, but that doesn’t always necessarily mean success or failure, because if there’s any sport that the collective effort overcomes the individual abilities it’s in the game of football.” With only two more seasons in the GLIAC, the Chargers want to finish strong. “I don’t think there’s anyone on the team that has any doubt that we have the talent and the ability to be a playoff team,” Karmie said. “Especially now that we’re getting ready to leave the GLIAC, we want to make a statement these last couple years while we’re here, that we’re not leaving because we can’t compete.” Hillsdale’s playoff pursuit begins Saturday at 7 p.m. at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium against the University of Findlay.
After an intense and successful preseason, the women’s volleyball team is scheduled to start their season tomorrow at the Tony Banner Invitational at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. The women reported to campus on August 14 to begin their preseason training period. In contrast to past seasons, this year’s preseason lasted for two weeks instead of one. Senior outside hitter Emily Wolfert said she was impressed Freshman outside hitter Paige VanderWall hits the ball by her team’s high level of play while junior outside hitter Sam Siddall and senior outside hitter Emily Wolfert go for the block. (Anders Kiledal/Collegian) during the first two weeks. “I think we’re all on a differ- coming in we set a different are going to be representing us ent level than we have been in tempo, so there was definitely a on game day on a regular basis previous years,” Wolfert said. breaking point where I felt like I as long as they keep improving. “Everyone has good ball han- wasn’t playing as well as I could They fit right in, they’ve been dling skills and everyone is and then finally it just clicked. working hard, and they came at a higher level of play which I think that’s what it’s like with into preseason in good shape.” makes practice really enjoyable all the freshmen. We’ve all had Bennett said the upperclassand we’re able to push each oth- our moments where it finally men on the team have done a er a lot more.” clicked.” great job “taking the freshmen Freshman setter Taylor BenThe Chargers have added under their wing” both on and nett said she was thankful for four freshmen to their roster off the court. Of the nine rethe additional week because it this year: Bennett, Christine turning players, the Chargers allowed more time for the new Siddall, Paige VanderWall, and have four seniors and recently players to adjust. Kara Vyletel. voted Marissa Owen and Hay“I think it allowed our team “They add some much-need- lee Booms as co-captains for the to grow more than we could ed depth, and they’re doing re- season. have in just one week,” Ben- ally well,” head coach Chris nett said. “For me personally Gravel said. “Several of them See VOLLEYBALL, A5
{
It’s been three years since the Hillsdale College football team last finished atop the GLIAC North Division. Last season, the Chargers struggled to a 4-7 overall record, due in large part to injuries and inexperience. But injuries to experienced players led to more playing time for those lacking experience, and surviving a season of youth birthed maturity. With a veteran offense at the helm, the Chargers hope to end their three-year drought this season and make it back to the top of the GLIAC. “We have as many guys on offense that we think are GLIACcompetitive ready that we’ve ever had,” head coach Keith Otterbein said. “I’ll be surprised and disappointed if we’re not able to be a fairly effective offense.” Every starter on the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers has seen significant playing time in the past. Hillsdale’s attack will be led by senior quarterback C.J. Mifsud and junior tailback Bennett Lewis. Mifsud and Lewis will benefit from a veteran offensive line, something the Chargers have not enjoyed in the past couple seasons. “We’ve clicked really well. Everybody on the offensive line played last year,” senior left guard Justice Karmie said. “Having that
that we have.” On defense, the Chargers don’t benefit from as much experience as they do on offense, but Otterbein likes the way his defense has competed in practice. “On the defensive side of the ball, I like the way we’re running around. Certain spots we’ve got some depth,” Otterbein said. “There’s a lot of capable football players on the field practicing.” Sophomore linebacker Jay Rose, along with sophomore wide receiver Brian Newman, was originally intended to be redshirted last season but injuries forced Otterbein to give him playing time on defense. Rose and Newman enter this season more prepared for what’s ahead. “Last year compared to this year at this time, I’m a lot more calm and confident,” Rose said. “Last year I was freaking out getting thrown in like that but that experience of actually playing a game means a lot.” Otterbein recognizes the importance of that experience for Rose and Newman. “They’re further ahead in the curve and know what Saturday afternoon is about,” Otterbein said. “They’re playing at a little higher level.” Otterbein generally redshirts all his freshmen, but he said “a couple” freshmen might play this season. He said he won’t play a freshman at quarterback, tailback, or on the offensive line, but
Junior tailback Bennett Lewis cuts through Findlay’s defense in Hillsdale’s season opener last year. Lewis will start at tailback for the Chargers this season.