3.31.16 Hillsdale Collegian by The Hillsdale Collegian

Softball off to winning start The Chargers are currently 5-1 in the GLIAC — their best start in 25 years. A6

Sheriffs discuss platforms for upcoming election The three candidates for Hillsdale County Sheriff advertise their strengths ahead of August election. A6

Vol. 139 Issue 21 - 31 Mar. 2016

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

Trump not a winner at Hillsdale

Only 35 percent of students will vote for GOP frontrunner if he wins the nomination By | Vivian Hughbanks News Editor While 58 percent of Hillsdale students believe that GOP front-runner Donald Trump will be selected as the 2016 Republican presidential nominee, only 35 percent say they plan to vote for him in the November general elections. Out of more than 300 students who participated in a Collegian poll conducted this week, 25 percent plan to vote for a different party’s candidate, while 14 percent will write in another candidate rather than vote for Trump if he becomes the GOP nominee. Eighteen percent of poll respondents said they are not sure how they will vote in November, and eight percent plan not to vote in November if Trump becomes the Republican nominee. “If Trump is the nominee, I will support a third party conservative candidacy,” sophomore American Studies major Michael Lucchese said. “I believe Donald Trump is unfit for the Presidency, and I morally cannot vote for him. Ultimately, each voter has to look themselves in the mirror the next day. Don’t do something you find dishonorable.” While many consider a Trump presidency as something to be avoided, some said

they will cast their ballots for the billion8% Wouldn’t vote aire to prevent 35% a Democrat 9% Would vote of Hillsdale from taking Democrat the White students would House. vote for Trump 16% Would write in “If Dona new candidate ald Trump becomes the GOP nomi16% Would vote nee, I will use Libertarian my one vote for him and 17% Were unsure use my feet to solicit more,” senior politics major Christy Allen said, who added that the Supreme Court More than 300 Hillsdale College students responded to a poll conducted by the seats the next Collegian this week on their voting plans in the November 2016 general presidenpresident will tial eletions. Meg Prom | Collegian fill are one of the Hillsdale College Republi- ognized front-runner for the her chief concerns. “Trump’s suggestions for cans, I, along with our chapter GOP nomination. Of the 1,237 who he would pick to fill spots as a whole, have the obligation delegates needed to secure the are just fine,” Allen said. “Dem- to support the GOP nominee nomination outright, Trump ocrats will assuredly nominate as a branch of the Republican has won 736. Sen. Ted Cruz, liberal ideological radicals if Party,” College Republicans R-Texas, has won 463, and given the chance. Trump is not President Brant Cohen said. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has my ideal candidate, but I care “If Donald Trump wins the 143. The next major Republican too much about those SCO- nomination, I have not decidTUS seats to even consider not ed whether I will personally primary is in Wisconsin on supporting him as the nomi- fully support his candidacy April 5. New York will follow or not. I will most likely sup- on April 19. Voters in Connee.” Others say they will support Donald Trump if he wins necticut, Delaware, Pennsylport Trump for the sake of the the nomination but more as a vania, Maryland, and Rhode means to prevent the Demo- Island will cast their ballots on Republican party. April 26. “As the current president of cratic candidate.” Trump is the widely-rec-

More than 300 student respondents

Career services welcomes new executive director By | Sarah Chavey Collegian Reporter After dreaming of a career at Hillsdale for several years, Ken Koopmans landed the position of the Executive Director of Career Services in mid-March. Following former Career Services Director Michael Murray’s transfer to the planned giving department in institutional advancement, Koopmans began working in Hillsdale’s career services office March 11. Koopmans said he discovered Hillsdale about a decade ago while was complaining to a friend about higher education. “My friend mentioned Hillsdale College, and I had never heard of it,” Koopmans

said. “I started to explore it, and as I read more and more on the website, I thought, ‘This is an educational utopia.’ I didn’t think education existed in this country.” A bulky pile of old Imprimis issues on his shelf — clearly all read — prove his long-standing interest. Koopmans said he first stumbled into career services involvement as a junior at Oswego State University of New York, when he worked as a peer adviser. He said he never had considered a job in career services before, but through that first opportunity — particularly his senior year when he trained incoming peer advisers — he came to consider that type of work as an ideal balance between his two childhood interests:

psychology and teaching. “Working in career services, I discovered there’s a lot of teaching and psychological aspects, including how people are perceived, what drives them, what their interests are, and self-awareness,” Koopmans said. After graduating from Northeastern University graduate school, Koopmans worked in careers services at Yale University and Amherst College before coming to Hillsdale. Koopmans said he loves finding and following processes and enjoys helping students figure out the process required in order to achieve their dreams. At Hillsdale, Koopmans said he has found the job with an added bonus: rela-

tionships. “There’s so many employers who love Hillsdale and alumni who are looking to give back,” Koopmans said. He said he hopes to tap into the expertise of the alumni, facilitating connections between them and current students and forging relationships to bring about good outcomes. Koopsman said he intends to place Hillsdale students in leadership roles everywhere, adding he believes Hillsdale graduates are the type of people that should be running the country and the world. Director of Career Services Joanna Wiseley said Koopmans is capable of accomplishing this goal. “Ken has experience in

See Koopmans A3

Senior accepted to graduate screenwriting program Faith Liu will attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts after graduation. B1

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Former trustee Hazel Hare left a Hillsdalian legacy By | Thomas Novelly Assistant Editor

The last new student words Hazel programs, Hare spoke and donated to me were, thousands of “Carry on the dollars that torch, kiddo.” enriched the I never met lives of stuHazel Hare, dents. And but I spoke with she was humble her on the phone about it all. once. During a During our con20-minute phone Former Hillsdale College versation, Hare interview regard- trustee Hazel Hare died on said what she ing her resignawould miss the March 22. tion from the most was simBoard of Trustees External Affairs | Courtesy ple. It was the and her diagnosis people — the with ALS, I caught not only students and her fellow board a glimpse of her long history members. with the college but also her “I’m going to miss all the love for Hillsdale’s mission. friends I’ve made over the Hare served on the Board of years,” Hare said. “The board Trustees for over three decades was a whole new friendship and was chair of the Academic group. We were all united in and Student Affairs Commit- one common goal, growing tee. Many of the facilities that and maintaining the mission students love and use today of the college.” are a direct result of her efforts That was the torch to which such as the Grewcock Student Hazel Hare was referring: the Union. According to President mission of Hillsdale College. Larry Arnn, it was a labor of Hare may no longer be with love. us, but her legacy is forever “She adored that work,” around us. It is in the pleasArnn said in an email. “She ant meals students share in adored meeting students and the Knorr Dining Room, it is faculty and deans. She loved to in the relaxing conversations report to the board about what classmates have in A.J.’s Café, she had heard. She wished the and it is in the beautiful works that audiences enjoy in the Howard Music Hall. Her legacy is now our legacy: to carry on the torch and to glorify the mission of Hillsdale College. Hazel Hare, a former member of the Hillsdale College good of the college with all her Board of Trustees, died March heart, especially the central as- 22 in Arizona after battling Lou pect that has to do with teach- Gehrig’s disease. ing and student life.” Hare became a member of When I was on the phone the college’s Board of Trustees in with Hare, she talked about 1986 and served as a member each accomplishment candid- for over three decades. After bely, almost nonchalant. During ing diagnosed with a severe case Hazel Hare’s time with the of Amyotrophic Lateral Scleroboard of trustees she had built sis, also known as ALS or Lou campus buildings, created G e h r i g’s See Hare A2

“Carry on the torch, kiddo.”

Mauck dorm to be renovated this summer

By| Philip H. DeVoe Assistant Editor

Renovations to Mauck Residence Hall are set to begin after commencement this year and continue until second semester in the 2016-2017 school year.

“We are excited and thankful to get the renovations,” Mauck Head Resident Assistant Katie Scheu said. “They are much-needed and mean a lot to all the people living here.” Plans for renovations throughout the dorm include

new plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating systems, and the rooms themselves will receive new carpeting, sinks, ceilings, walls, and floors. Changes include moving bathrooms to a central location on each floor and stacking them so that the plumbing lines up more neatly than it currently does. “Most of the dorm has not been

well-maintained,” Chief Administration Officer Rich Péwé said. “Because of its age, it needs a gutting and modernization, making it costly to renovate per room.” The college built Mauck in the 1940s, and Péwé said the cost of renovation is about $3 million. The high cost is necessary, though, since many of Mauck’s facilities have nearly degraded to a point of intolerance by residents, Scheu said. “The old system of heating is loud and always keeps people up in the dorms,” Scheu said. “We’ve been trying to revamp Mauck’s reputation, since fewer people have wanted to live here than in past years because of the issues.” Assistant Dean of Women Rebeckah Dell said the Mauck RA staff has done a good job of keeping residents patriotic about their dormitory, since she said she agrees the outdat-

ed facility is the cause of the lower demand. “It used to be one of the places everyone wanted,” Dell said. “It used to draw the studious woman, who was very involved up the hill, but we’ve seen fewer requests for rooms there recently.” She and Péwé said they hope the renovations will return the dorm to the esteemed place on campus it used to have, something she said she has already seen. Even though renovations have not even begun, Dell said there is high demand for living in Mauck next year. She said Mauck’s RA staff have also helped make the many challenges that accompany the renovations run smoothly. Chief among these challenges is arranging living accommodations for the women who are assigned to live in Mauck during the 2016-2017 school year.

The renovations are comprehensive throughout the dorm, meaning the women set to live in Mauck during next year’s fall semester will have to move into off-campus housing. So far, the college has reserved the Park Place and Boardwalk residences for these women, and the RA staff at Mauck reported a confident attitude toward the move among Mauck residents. “People are looking at it as an adventure,” Scheu said. “I haven’t heard any negative attitudes. It’s a good opportunity for people to live off-campus and on-campus. They get to live in an apartment with their friends, but then get to return to the dorms afterward.” “There are a lot of big challenges, but Mauck’s staff has made them run smoothly,” Scheu added.

Vivian Hughbanks | Collegian Follow @HDaleCollegian

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Look for The Hillsdale Coll egian

News

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

From A1: Hare from A1 disease, she resigned from the board Feb. 16. “After being diagnosed with an advanced case of ALS, Hazel was unanimously voted the status of emeriti trustee,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said in an official statement. “She was always loyal to the cause of liberty and learning and was a delightful person filled with hope, wisdom, and humility.” Hare’s main role on the board was the chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. In this capacity, she advocated and fundraised for campus additions that would improve student life, such as the Grewcock Student Union and the Howard Music Hall. “She always had a kind word for everyone,” board member Cleves Delp ’86 said. “She had an infectious smile and laugh. She was so positive in meetings; she would go out of her way to verbalize the positive aspects of how a decision would impact the students.” At Hare’s request, there was no funeral service. “We grieve the loss of our dear, sweet friend and offer our prayers and deepest condolences to her family,” Péwé said. Condolences can be sent to Hare’s niece, Tracey Kane, at 25 Parkview Ave., Bronxville, New York 10708.

A2 31 Mar. 2016

Executive director of ITS retires David Zenz steps down after 24 years of service to the college By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor After bringing the Internet to the city of Hillsdale and serving Hillsdale College’s technology department for 24 years, Executive Director of Information Technology Services David Zenz retired this week. Friends and faculty gathered to celebrate his retirement Tuesday. Zenz first joined the college as the director of academic computing, during which he ran an Apple computer store, kept the college’s two computer labs up and running, and oversaw the program. “The faculty were pioneers,” Zenz said. “They had a vision for something they wanted but no provision for it. So when they hired me, they laid out a set of things they wanted to have accomplished, so I basically worked through that list.” His first day on the job, he attended a conference hosted by Merit Network at the University of Nevada, making the connection that would ultimately result in Hillsdale’s Internet connectivity. Zenz was able to convince Merit Network to place a point of presence at the college and at the The Rockwell Lake Lodge in Luther, Michigan. “That has been one of my

great, fun projects,” Zenz said. “That was a collaboration. That was not me. We figured out how to get this small college a great connection on the digital frontier. It’s been just amazing to be a part of this.” Later on, Zenz’s position on Merit Network’s board allowed Hillsdale to make an additional connection to an Internet service provider in Ohio. Pat Chartrand, network systems manager for ITS, said the connection to Merit has been an incredible asset for the college and the surrounding area, including the cities of Hillsdale and Coldwater. “We’re connected to the two largest Internet service providers in the states of Ohio and Michigan,” he said. “It’s crazy — and that was all Dave. He also helped spearhead the fiber loop that goes around the entire city of Hillsdale. It’s through

friendships he formed with the bright student workers. “Those were fun days because they had ideas to try, and I would say, ‘Yeah, go ahead,’” he said. “There was a tremendous amount of trust between the students and me and a lot of exploration of ideas.” In addition ITS Executive Director David Zenz celebratto the serious ed his retirement on March 29. work Zenz did David Zenz | Courtesy for Hillsdale, his colleagues said server to the Internet and he creates a fun work enarranging for fiber cables vironment. Bobbie Brown, to run to the Roche Sports aide to the executive direcComplex. In the spring of tor of ITS, said Zenz occa2000, the academic and sionally brings in doughadministrative computing nuts from Hinkley Bakery departments merged to in Jackson, Michigan, and

“Several people in the department have Nerf guns, and every once in a while, if it’s nice and quiet on a Friday afternoon the nerf guns will come out. The Nerf fights are always fun.” that loop that other places in Hillsdale are able to get connected.” Over the course of two decades, Zenz worked on expanding Hillsdale’s networking capabilities, connecting the school’s email

form information technology services, for which Zenz became the new director. Prior to the merge, Zenz relied on students and recent graduates to help him maintain the computers. Zenz said he enjoyed the

participates in the Nerf gun fights that take place once in a while. “Several people in the department have Nerf guns, and every once in awhile, if it’s nice and quiet on a Friday afternoon the nerf

guns will come out,” she said. “The Nerf fights are always fun.” Outside the office, Zenz is an avid outdoorsman. He participates often in yearly kayak trips with other members of the ITS department. “We would go kayak down the Au Sable, and Dave would go, and we’d take a bunch of people from the office — student techs and whoever wanted to come,” Chartrand said. “Dave would always go, and we’d dunk him, tip him over, and it’s been great fun.” Zenz said he’s looking forward to fly-fishing and backpacking during retirement and may travel with his wife or do some mission work. “I want to take life at a different pace,” he said. “I want to get some dirt under my fingers, read the newspapers more fully. There are books on my office bookshelf. Some are textbooks. I always said when I get some time, I’m going to read them.” Although Zenz is moving on, he said he will cherish the friendships he has made over his 24 years at Hillsdale. “I’m going to miss it,” he said. “It’s going to be tough to set all this aside, but there’s opportunities for me out there.”

Author to speak on women’s health By | Natalie C. McKee Senior Reporter Marilyn Shannon — author of “Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition” — will speak to Hillsdale College’s women on normal and abnormal menstruation and how women can improve their periods through nutrition. Students for Life and the Catholic Society are holding the speech entitled “A Spin Around the Cycle” on April 4 at 4 p.m. in Dow A & B, and Shannon will lead an informal discussion at 7 p.m. in Dow A & B. Shannon will talk about how women can take care of themselves and improve their cycles. She said many women aren’t aware their problems can be helped, and she said she wants to solve that. She will show natural family planning charts of normal, healthy cycles as well as those of women with

problems, such as low progesterone in the second half of the cycle. These charts track fertility signs, including cervical mucus or basal body temperature, that help women know when they are ovulating, when they will start their next period, and when they are most fertile or infertile. “I want to focus on self-acceptance of one’s body and confidence that a young woman can improve her health,” Shannon said. In the evening, there will be a less formal chat, which she has called a “dorm talk” at other colleges. There, Shannon will act more as a moderator than a speaker and see where the questions and discussion goes. “I want women to be as healthy as they might be,” Shannon said. Shannon was introduced to charting one’s cycle and fertility when a fellow student in her medical science program asked Shannon to

participate in a study on women’s calcium levels before and after ovulation. She later married her husband Rod, to whom she has been married for 39 years now, and con-

better cycles with lighter blood flow and less pain. In 18 months, she wrote her book. Shannon is now the mother of nine children — three of whom she still

Marilyn Shannon

Author, “Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition” “A Spin Around the Cycle” April 4 at 4 p.m., Dow A & B Informal discussion April 4 at 7 p.m., Dow A & B

tinued charting her cycle. She used her self-taught natural family planning for 18 months, dropped out of her doctorate program, and later became pregnant with their first child. She said she simultaneously became interested in nutrition. Through a variety of circumstances, Shannon was asked to write a pamphlet on how women could have

homeschools — and nine grandchildren. She had her last biological child at 47, which she attributed to “good nutrition and the grace of God.” Shannon came to Hillsdale two years ago after Kelly Cole, wife of Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lee Cole, invited her to talk to female Hillsdale students and faculty.

Senior Nichole Chaney attended the talk and said Shannon had a lot of insight into how the individual woman’s body works and how girls can understand their bodies better without a doctoral degree. “I think it’s helpful to get knowledge you wouldn’t have from the media’s push for the [birth control] pill,” Chaney said. Cole agreed. “Many young women have cycle irregularities that their doctors, be it pediatricians or OBGYNs, ‘treat’ with the pill, which only masks the symptoms and doesn’t address the underlying issues,” Cole said in an email. “It’s been likened to going to the cardiologist with heart pain and being told to take aspirin until you don’t feel the pain anymore — that is not a solution.” Shannon is currently working on the fifth edition of her book, focusing on microbiomes, vitamins and

mineral supplements, and new research on preventing endometriosis. “Possibly preventing it is better than improving treatment,” Shannon said. The book will also include information on polycystic ovaries, one of the most common reproductive issues in women. “There’s not one magic bullet,” Shannon said regarding improving a woman’s cycle. She said there are a number of steps, including exercise, body weight, and sleep. ”Although Mrs. Shannon is not a doctor, she has spent decades compiling data on how women can naturally improve their health and treat many underlying reproductive issues,” Cole said. “Her book has helped thousands of women achieve better health through nutrition and selfcare.”

Bon Appétit ‘to-go’ no more? By | Jessie Fox Assistant Editor After seeing an increase in to-go cup costs, Bon Appétit Management Company cracked down on the enforcement of its previously-set rules regarding students taking food to-go from the dining hall. In this stricter enforcement, the food service company asks students to use to-go cups for beverages only. “It’s not really a new rule,” Bon Appétit General Manager David Apthorpe said. “It’s just more enforcement of a rule that we’ve had, and it’s pretty standard in all-you-care-to-eat environments.” Apthorpe said Bon Appétit managers compared to-go cup costs from the first eight weeks of the school year to the first eight weeks of the spring semester. They observed a 20-25 percent increase in to-go cup costs, he said. “It was gradual. We should have done a better job of enforcing the policy from the

get-go, but as a new company, we wanted to test the waters,” Apthorpe said. “We felt that there is a small percentage of people who are blatantly tak-

printed and hung by the exits in the Knorr Dining Room. “Take-out cups are for drinks only,” the signs said. “Food of any kind is not in-

altercations with us and our managers,” Brennan said. “One person yelled at our manager and accused us of a marketing ploy. One employ-

were told, ‘We have to cut you guys off.’” Apthorpe said that incidents like this put Bon Appétit staff in a tough spot, as their

How to get a to-go box: — Have a reason that restricts you from spending your mealtime in the dining hall (e.g. sickness or a sick roommate, recurring classes) — Make your case to the worker at the front desk, fill out class schedule form —Receive your container and take your food to-go

ing food to go in a manner that it’s not designed for. That adds to our costs, and it takes away from the dining experience for a majority of people.” Apthorpe said one problem has been finding the right way to publish the official rules. In order to educate students on the rules, signs have been

tended for them at all. You can take a beverage and a cookie or fruit to go.” Senior Bon Appétit employee Maylin Brennan said, as a student worker, the hardest part about the strict enforcement has been stopping students at the door. “There have been verbal

How to: Advertise with the Collegian If interested in placing an advertisement in the Collegian, please contact ad manager Patrick Nalepa at pnalepa@hillsdale.edu.

ee was reduced to tears when a student yelled at her. It’s been really difficult.” Bon Appétit faced a similar problem earlier this semester after switching from Tazo tea to a new, more upscale tea variety. “We put out the new tea and $300 worth of new tea was taken in one lunch shift,” Brennan said. “We were literally out of tea for the rest of the month because that was not in our budget. That was when we

primary concern is maintaining positive relations with the student body. “We want to offer this upscale product and increase the cache of things that we offer, but if we can’t keep it in stock and we’re causing shortages, then we’re in a strange place asking, ‘What do we offer, and how do we offer it?’” Apthorpe said. “We also want to have a great relationship with the students because at the end of the day, that’s how we base

our performance. We’re not doing this simply to cut costs. The value that we see is a longterm relationship and a good relationship with the students.” Bon Appétit works with the college administration to make these policies, Apthorpe said. In these efforts, the goal is to promote communal meal time that fosters conversation and strong relationships. “Rather than people grabbing something to go sit on the lawn or go back to their dorm room or the library, mealtime is part of the college experience,” Apthorpe said. “That’s why the dining hall is set up with big tables for eight to 10 people, so it can foster that discussion.” In special situations, students are able to receive to-go containers at the front desk, Apthorpe said. “We do take-out boxes. If you’re sick, you have a sick roommate, or if you have a conflict where you can’t physically get to the dining room,” Apthorpe said. “We want to make exceptions for that, but we also want there to be a reason.”

News

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A3 31 Mar. 2016

Religion department hosts lecture series By | Emma Vinton Assistant Editor Jon Ruthven, professor emeritus of Regent University and charismatic minister, is this year’s lecturer for the religion department’s Faith in Life Series on April 6-7. “It’s a series in which we try to get speakers who will give lectures that are theologically rich and nevertheless directed toward living the Christian life,” said Tom Burke, professor of religion and department chair. A graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Marquette University, where he received his doctorate in theology in 1989, Ruthven pastored a church for 12 years, spent two years founding a ministry training school in Nairobi, Kenya, and served as professor of theology at Regent

University Divinity School for 18 years. He taught 26 different classes there. During the last four years, he established a doctor of ministry track at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, graduating 47 students during that time. Research in this track focused on replicating the healing mission and message of Jesus as emphasized in the New Testament and observing the results of these training programs. Ruthven now works with with a large missions organization to create a Christian worker training program. He said this theology emphasizes training like that the disciples of the Gospel received in order to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons through the powers of the Holy Spirit. Ruthven said when he tried to develop a ministry training program that conformed more

closely to the methods and standards of Jesus, he found that he did not understand the Gospel as well as he thought.

al intimacy with God and his practical mission. “The typical minister today don’t go around healing people and cleansing lepers and raising Jon Ruthven Professor emeritus, Regent University the dead, but some of my students were “The Quest for Authentic Theology” doing exactly April 6 at 4 p.m., Phillips Auditorium that,” Ruthven said. “The Original Mission of Jesus” Ruthven April 6 at 8 p.m., Phillips Auditorium said one of “The Original Mission of Jesus for Us” his students helped found April 7 at 4 p.m., Dow A & B what may be some of the most successHe returned to a more biblical ful missionaries in Christianemphasis and quest for an au- ity, converting 2 million over thentic Christianity from Jesus 20 years and producing 18,000 — not just about Jesus. pastors and Christian workTraditional ministry train- ers in Eastern Africa. Ruthven ing programs, he said, focus said missionaries have been on an academic grasp of infor- especially successful in at least mation rather than on spiritu- three provinces in Mozam-

bique, where many have converted from Islam to Christianity. “What they do is exactly what I had in mind for training Christian ministers and workers,” he said. Ruthven will lecture on “The Quest for Authentic Theology” April 6 at 4 p.m. in Phillips Auditorium; “The Original Mission of Jesus,” April 6 at 8 p.m. in Phillips Auditorium; and “The Original Mission of Jesus for Us,” April 7 at 4 p.m. in Dow A & B. Ruthven said he hopes the lectures encourage students to experience for themselves the original commission of Jesus to his disciples in the Gospels. “Pray for people, and see what happens,” he said. “Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel because when you try it, it works.”

Mammal skeletons, plant fossils, and turtle shells donated to Daniel M. Fisk Museum of Natural History By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor An array of ornate turtle shells and rare mammal skeletons will soon bedeck the shelves of the Daniel M. Fisk Museum of Natural History for visitors to admire. The museum, located in Strosacker Science Center, received a sizeable donation from the personal collection of Brian Johnson, an exhibit builder for Indiana State Museum. Johnson’s donation included turtle shells from around the world and skeletons of a marmoset, great fox, badger, and a hornbill bird. Other specimens he donated include zebra and horse skulls, Triassic plant fossils, and a cast of an early human Australopithecus skull. Johnson said starting a museum with his natural history collection interested him, but he didn’t have the time to undertake such a large project. When he heard about Hillsdale College’s museum of natural history from a colleague, he decided to donate a large portion of his collection. “Dr. Swinehart showed me the museum, and it was perfect,” he said. “It was headed in the right direction, and he had made a lot of improvements already. I was more excited when I saw it than I was even just hearing about it.” Anthony Swinehart, professor of biology and museum curator, said a case near the entrance to Strosacker temporarily will display the turtle shells and a few representative skeletons and fossils until the permanent display case in the museum is ready and he and his students have

Koopmans from A1 employer relations at Yale. He will bring a strategic plan to career services to enhance the way we reach out to employers,” Wiseley said in an email. “He is passionate about the liberal arts, career services activities, and especially the mission of Hillsdale College.” It’s the mission of the college that makes Hillsdale stand out, Koopmans said. “At other schools, they don’t have such a clear mission; there’s not necessarily a commonality,” Koopmans said. “That’s one thing that brings everyone together here: We’re all philosophically working towards the same goal.” His positive attitude has impressed the staff and students he has met so far, they said. “In the short time we’ve

things to know from this week

Tony Swinehart, professor of biology and curator of the Fisk Museum of Natural History, holds one of the tortoise shells donated by Brian Johnson. Madeleine Jepsen | Collegian

Brian Johnson, exhibit builder at Indiana State’s museum, donated over 10 boxes of specimens from his personal collection to Hillsdale College’s Fisk Museum of Natural History. Tony Swinehart | Courtesy

documented all the pieces. “Each specimen has to be given a unique number, and then that has to be entered into a database,” he said. “That way, if we ever lost the box, or if someone uses it for a class and they don’t know what it is or where it’s from, they can always go to the database and get the location.” Swinehart said some of the

rocks containing fossils may also hold more specimens deeper inside. “Almost every rock in those boxes is just full of cycads and other early plants,” he said. “A lot of those are just what I call farm fresh — they haven’t been prepped, which means you might see a plant on the surface, but there’s more underneath. We can go

been working together, I have been energized by his experience, ideas, and passion for career development,” Assistant Director of Career Services John Quint

component of managing the players on the field, making quick decisions under pressure, and having the pressure to make decisions in intense situations — that was a challenge that was fun to work through, and it’s a character builder,” Koopmans said. In his free time, Koopmans said he is becoming acquainted with the city, its restaurants, and coffee shops; planning his wedding with his fiancée; and attending the many speakers Hillsdale brings to campus. “I’ve interacted with different students here, and there’s a level of intelligence and a level of professionalism, maturity, and respect among the students that I don’t see on a consistent basis,” Koopmans said. “It makes my job much easier, and I’m so excited to see how invested everyone is in the success of the students.”

“I thought, ‘this is an educational utopia.’” said. “Everyone should be enthusiastic about the future of career services under his leadership — I know I am.” Koopmans also said he hopes to encourage students to make the most of their transferrable skills, something he has done as a national referee for U.S. soccer. “I loved the psychological

Detroit Public Schools officials arrested

Twelve Detroit Public Schools officials were arrested for their partnership in a $1 million bribery and kickback scheme through a school supplies company vendor. They purchased school supplies with public money, and the vendor returned profits to -Compiled by Philip H. DeVoe them. The supplies were never delivered.

into that rock and prep them out, and there may be things in there that we didn’t even know — there might even be early dinosaur teeth in that stuff.” Swinehart also said the skeletons in the donation are high-quality specimens, which would be very expensive to purchase. “It is so difficult to get

clean skeletons because you have to basically culture your own dermestid beetles, which is a type of beetle that cleans flesh from bone,” he said. “These are all beautifully cleaned. If you were to go out and buy a skeleton, even a skeleton of a rat, it’s not cheap, let alone some of these rare mammals.” In addition to the paleontological value of the specimens, professors also can use them in the classroom. Professor of Biology Dan York said he plans to use them in his comparative vertebrate anatomy class. “The strength of comparative anatomy has to do with relating structure with function,” he said in an email. “Seeing variations in the form of such anatomical structures as the skull, vertebrae, or limb bones allows students to better understand the functional significance of how the animals utilize their anatomical parts in their natural environment.” Swinehart said Johnson’s donation appeals to both visitors and professors in its wide variety of specimens. “The turtles are great for crowd-pleasing because they’re really neat and colorful, but in terms of value to education and research, I really like the Triassic fossils and skeletons,” he said. Johnson said he still has a sizeable collection of fossils, which he plans to maintain in future years. He has donated almost all his skeletons and turtle shells to the Fisk Museum. “I’ve been collecting for 25 or 30 years, and I think I’ve found a good home for it now,” he said.

In brief: Campus to heighten security for graduation By | Vivian Hughbanks News Editor For the first time, Hillsdale College will require tickets for entry to the 2016 commencement ceremony in the Biermann Athletic Center. Representatives from career services and student activities said because the commencement speaker — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — sits on the nation’s highest court, the college is taking a few extra measures to ensure attendees are affiliated with the college. “Tickets and I.D.s allow us to know all of the guests attending the ceremony,” Student Activities Director Anthony Manno said. “This was a security precaution in response to Justice Thomas’ presence.” In addition to campus security, U.S. Marshals — who regularly provide security services for Supreme Court Justices — are scheduled to be in attendance, working in conjunction with local police. To gain access to commencement, guests must be a member of the graduating class, a guest listed as affiliated with a graduate, a current Hillsdale College student, or a staff or faculty member of the college. If non-graduating current students have guests who wish to attend, they may submit names to Manno for ticket registration. “If someone would like to attend, they simply need a connection to Hillsdale College,” Manno said, explaining that the event will not be open to the public. “That way, we are able to track who will be attending the ceremony as well as who reserved the ticket for them.” According to an email to graduating seniors from career services, graduates and their guests may pick up tickets at the Farewell Reception in the Grewcock Student Union between 9 p.m. and midnight on May 13 or prior to the ceremony in Grewcock between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 14. An I.D. is required to pick up tickets for graduation. Tickets are free of charge, and there is no limit to the number of tickets a graduate may reserve. The class of 2016 is the first class in many years to know weeks in advance the location of the commencement speaker. In previous years, graduation has occurred on the east lawn behind the Grewcock, with Biermann or the Roche Sports Complex as an alternate location in case of rain. According to John Quint, assistant director of career services, commencement will take place in a controlled location — the Biermann Athletic Center — because attendees are required to be affiliated with a graduate, faculty, or staff member. Graduates will use their student I.D.s to access Biermann for the ceremony.

Ken Koopmans joined Career Services this month as Executive Director. Vivian Hughbanks | Collegian

Primary results March 22 and 26

Trump campaign manager charged with battery

Obama makes historic visit to Cuba

SCOTUS ties 4-4 on labor union decision

GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump won the Arizona primary for 58 delegates and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won Utah gaining 40 delegates. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., won Idaho, Utah, Hawaii, Washington, and Alaska gaining 90 delegates, and Hillary Clinton won Arizona, gaining 44 delegates.

The Police Department of Jupiter, Florida, has charged Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, with misdemeanor battery after he allegedly grabbed and yanked former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields by her arm. Lewandowski denied the claim, calling Fields ‘delusional’ on Twitter.

President Barack Obama returned last Friday from a two-day trip to Cuba. Obama is the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years. He met with Cuban President Raul Castro, with whom he had a state dinner and attended a Cuba-U.S. baseball game. While in Cuba, Obama visited a Che Guevara monument.

Without the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s conservative vote, the Supreme Court deadlocked on a union law case this week. If overturned, public-sector unions would not be able to collect dues from workers who left unions in right-towork states. As is, the lower court decision will stand.

A4 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Let's get this party started Newsroom: (517) 607-2897 Advertising: (517) 607-2684

The opinion of the Collegian editorial staff

The Grand Old Party is very nearly the Grand Dead Party. This presidential primary has revealed deep rifts in a polarized Republican party that appear every bit as extreme as those dividing the nation. The lack of leadership and the disconnect between the party’s establishment and an enormous faction of its base now mobilized for Donald Trump means that there is little chance the GOP will do anything but limp along after this election, forgotten if not quite gone. Conservatives must face this reality, and the choice between attempting a Republican rebranding and founding a new party entirely. Hillsdale College played a prominent role in founding

the GOP, and the Hillsdale community should lead in building its replacement. Edmund Burke Fairfield, Hillsdale’s second president, and professor Ransom Dunn led an 1854 convention in Jackson, Michigan, that created the first Republican platform and nominated the party's first candidates. It was that platform’s central plank of opposition to the spread of slavery, and the centrality of the Hillsdale community to its formation, that led to Frederick Douglass’ two visits to the college. Should Trump receive the Republican nomination, the party will split when #NeverTrump conservatives who cannot stomach it back third-party candidates, all but guaranteeing a Democrat

in the White House. A probable eight-year exile from the presidency would destroy whatever cohesion congressional elections or legislative victories might provide. Should Trump be rejected in convention, his supporters will never forgive the party, perceiving such an event as proof positive of every grievance they profess. Whether that guarantees a Republican loss in the general election or not, it would kill what is left of working-class loyalty to the GOP. Rebellion through congressional elections will follow. We members of the Collegian’s editorial board recognize the responsibility we have to share Hillsdale’s gifts to us and perpetuate the college’s legacy as we sail forth

into our careers. Part of that gift is an appreciation for tradition and heritage and an understanding of politics centered around man in community. We cannot sacrifice our principles for victory, nor can we fail to hear the voice of the people and understand their needs. We can neither support Trump nor the Republican establishment, and have no desire to resuscitate a dead political faction. Today Hillsdale students and faculty have the opportunity to take the lead at a crossroads of organized political conservatism in America. We can help provide a platform for statesmen like Lincoln. After all, we have done it before.

I spent Lent in the drive-through lane By | Thomas Novelly Assistant Editor

The Collegiate Scholars program is worth keeping By | Daniel Slonim Special to the Collegian The recent changes to what was known as the "Honors Program" and is now known as the Collegiate Scholars have been seriously detrimental. The changes Joe Pappalardo proposed (“Collegiate Scholars should change more,” March 17), while well intentioned, would finish the job of getting rid of what is good about the program. Pappalardo suggests making “‘Collegiate Scholar’ status pursuable in the same fashion as a specialization.” This proposal would effectively reduce the program to a line on a resume indicating a good GPA, completion of a few honors seminars, and a thesis. The changes that have already been forced on the program and the changes Pappalardo proposes come from the same misunderstanding of the purpose and nature of the program: the assumption that it exists to recognize academic merit. The honors program I joined as a freshman was a small, close-knit community of friends bound by a common intellectual interest. I bonded with the honors students in my class by studying for midterms in the core classes we all took together, by reading Virgil aloud in the amphitheater, by making jokes about xenia, kleos, and dulia, and by fighting a Nerf-sword duel over the honor of our beloved professors. Needless to say, this is not how I bonded with the men in my dorm or my fraternity. Even

Forester McClatchey

Thomas is a junior studying politics and journalism.

A group photo of honors scholars, taken August 2015. Courtesy | Noah Weinrich

Uses of a Liberal Arts Education

During the Catholic Church’s 40 days of Lenten sacrifice, I broke all the rules. I gained weight, ate out more, and indulged in a new guilty pleasure as I went on a quest to find the fast food industry’s best fish sandwich. According to a survey by Christianity Today, fast food placed ninth on a list of things Americans gave up for Lent last year. Unlike many of my fellow Catholics, I took a hard pass on that sacrifice. Every Lenten season, 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide engage in fasting and prayer to prepare for Easter. Part of this observance involves fasting from snacks and avoiding the consumption of meat every Friday, with the exception of fish. Faith and free markets are often seen as being at odds with each other. But the ocean of fish fillet choices offered during lent is an example of the market accommodating a group instead of trying to push their other products on them. McDonald’s and other fast food chains are, in a way, creating a sense of community amongst Catholics during the Easter season. When the Catholic Church limits more than a billion Catholics’ diets to seafood for six Fridays a year, it doesn’t restrict the fast food industry’s ability to market, it actually fuels it. It started in 1962. A McDonald’s franchisee from Cincinnati noticed how his sales decreased during the Lent. So he created an alternative to the hamburger in the form of the Fillet-O-Fish sandwich. This not only generated new revenue, but new meal offerings and advertisements for the fast-food industry. Now, fast-food restaurants advertise their fish-fillet sandwiches heavily, and many chains put them on the menu only for the two-month Lenten season. I couldn’t resist the temptation to sample the fast food-fish. Every year during Lent, the seafood offerings at different chain restaurants grow, like the multiplication of loaves and fishes. As a hungry Catholic, I felt like Jonah being swallowed helplessly into the belly of corporate advertisers. While the result of this targeted advertising led me to gain a few pounds and lose money from my pocket, it most noticeably garnered significant profits for fast-food chains worldwide every year. “During Lent, we see 25 percent to 40 percent increases in our weekly unit volumes,” Long John Silver’s chief marketing officer, Charles St. Clair, told Quick Service Restaurant, an industry magazine. “The awareness that gets generated this time of year helps throughout the year.” I took the bait and decided to try the biggest contenders, starting with chains that keep the fish sandwich on their menu all year long: Burger King, Long John Silver’s, and McDonald’s. Even though these three chains offered the best price overall — usually in the form of the “two for $5” good Catholic special — the quantity surpassed the quality, giving me even more calories to regret. They managed to place four, five, and six on the list respectively. Oddly enough, restaurants that sell the fish sandwich only during the Lenten season had better taste and creativity. Arby’s rolled out the “King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe sandwich,” advertising a “wild caught, breaded Alaskan Pollock” on a sweet Hawaiian roll. Alaska and Hawaii couldn’t differ more geographically speaking, but the sandwich managed to land a number three spot on the list for its ingenuity. Carl’s Jr. unveiled its newest fish sandwich this season, complete with a “Redhook Ale beer-battered crust.” While the $7 price tag was steep, it was also the most flavorful. The taste and crispiness of the sandwich was reminiscent of a local parish fish fry without the need to schmooze with that one obnoxious Sunday-school pal from seventh grade. Ultimately, the Wendy’s “Premium Cod Fillet Sandwich” came in first. It managed the affordability of the chains that carry the sandwich year round without compromising the taste. The light panko breading, dill pickles, and minimal amount of tartar sauce made for a more guilt-free Catholic observance. In the book of Matthew, Christ said to his disciples, “Come with me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Perhaps fast food America took this passage literally, calling upon billions of Catholics yearly to indulge in their new products in the name of their faith. While the fast-food industry’s motive may have been profit driven, they meet the need of a community of Catholics, and make my jeans fit less comfortably.

“The honors program I joined as a freshman was a small, close-knit community of friends bound by a common intellectual interest." at Hillsdale, I could not have found such a community apart from the honors program, because I could not have been put in four core classes with one group of like-minded students. The retreat at the beginning of the year, in which we discussed C.S. Lewis and played Frisbee with friendly upperclassmen who were as nerdy as we were, set the tone for the rest of the year. Over multiple semesters we strengthened these friendships with juniors and seniors — friendships that were not based on living together or having the same major, but truly based on our shared love of learning and on the conversations we had about the books we read together. So what was the purpose of the honors program? Because it provided a unique way to create friendships that were truly rooted in the contemplative life, the conversations that it fostered cut across disciplines as well as classes, and the program helped to encourage a culture for all of campus in which majors in all fields could come together to discuss human nature, the common good, and the meaning of liberal education. Fulfilling this purpose is now more difficult for the Collegiate Scholars, but it is still being done. The program never existed to recognize academic merit, and it certainly does not exist so that its members can enjoy

impressing other students with their status. If this were the purpose of the program, then surely the limited spots in the program should go to students who have proven themselves at Hillsdale, since success here is a better test of academic merit than success in high school or on the SAT. But by forbidding the program from having its members begin at the start of their college experience, we cut off all freshmen from the benefits of the program, even though they are the ones who have the most to gain from it. It is true that under the old system, more “deserving” students — by GPA measurement — might have been denied admittance while those with slightly lower GPAs remained members, but this is only a serious problem if the main purpose of the program is to recognize merit, and it is a problem that was fixed by only sacrificing a large part of the good of the program. It is certainly true that the program, as it is currently structured, may have to turn away qualified and deserving applicants. This is unfortunate, but it is also true of virtually every worthwhile academic program in the country, including Hillsdale itself, which puts some qualified applicants on a wait list. Pappalardo is wrong to assume that any program that must limit its membership cannot contribute

something worthwhile to the college. Pappalardo’s statement, “It should concern students that the program will not admit just anyone who meets the academic requirements,” misses the true purpose of the program. If it admitted all the students with GPAs over 3.4, it would no longer be an intellectual community, because it would not be a community at all. The Turkey trip and the yearly retreats would become too expensive and would therefore be eliminated. The monthly dessert gatherings would be seen as unnecessary, especially as the program became nothing more than a line on a diploma or resume. Ultimately, the “Collegiate Scholar” designation, as Pappalardo envisions it, would serve no purpose that is not already fulfilled some other way. Students may already write a senior thesis in their own discipline. And if what we want is a line on a diploma indicating academic achievement, we already have three honors that do this quite well: the Cum Laude honor, the Magna Cum Laude honor, and the Summa Cum Laude honor. But the Collegiate Scholars program exists for a different and higher purpose, and it is well worth keeping. Daniel is a senior studying mathematics.

A5 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Donald Trump isn't Hitler, he's Andrew Jackson By | Morgan Brownfield This, in part, is due to Trump’s excessive media coverage and Special to the Collegian 2016’s high turnouts at polling booths. Pew Research Center Despite accusations to the data indicates that, in the first contrary, Donald Trump is no 12 primaries of 2016, 17.3 Hitler, nor is he a fascist. percent of eligible voters came Unlike Hitler, Trump out to vote — the highest focuses on the individual turnout since 1980. rather than the collective. Trump’s simplistic and Instead of championing abbreviated rhetoric assures equality among working men the voters that their future like Bernie Sanders, Trump leaders are speaking for the campaigns for the interests of people and in terms the people the common man. He is not can understand. If the people emphasizing redistribution desire a "a total and complete and the welfare state, but shutdown of Muslims entering promoting capitalism and the United States until our substantially cutting taxes for country's representatives the rich. At least for now, we can figure out what is going don’t need to worry about on” and "maybe in certain Trump ushering in a new areas closing that Internet fascist regime. up in some way" to prevent But we should be concerned online radicalization, that’s about Trump’s shocking what Trump will give them. similarities to another Populist sentiments of fear historical figure: Andrew and anger are fundamentally Jackson. Jacksonian political at the heart of both Trump’s techniques and rhetoric have and Jackson’s America. They convinced Trump supporters are both intent on proving to “Make America Great that they will fight to give the Again.” Whether intentionally people what they want. or not, Trump is working from Furthermore, Trump shows Andrew Jackson’s playbook. Jackson’s same “spiritedness” Like Jackson, Trump that many believe is necessary promises to fight for the for being a successful political common man, not the leader. Back in January, economic, social, or political Trump claimed that he “could monied elite. He projects the stand in the middle of 5th voice of the majority in the Avenue and shoot somebody political national arena. He and I wouldn't lose voters." In does not appeal to ideas, but 1806, Jackson shot and killed to the interests of the common a man who wrote an insulting man: disgust with the newspaper article about him. ineffectiveness of Washington, This decisive and dominating fear of ISIS and its ever- attitude convinced his looming threat that continues supporters that he would not to move closer to U.S. soil, let himself be steamrolled and concerns about personal by or mystified by political debt, the economy, and job opponents. He claims that he loss. By convincing voters that will get things done, even if it his presidency would result involves overreach of power in the protection and success or unconstitutional action. of their beliefs, projects, and Like Trump, Jackson utilized ideologies, both Jackson and the “art of the deal” to build Trump claim to express and his wealth through buying stand for popular opinion. and selling tracts of land in

the South, even if it meant kicking Native Americans out. Trumps recommends a similar strategy nationally, allowing him to secure jobs and economic stability by deporting illegal immigrants. Trump’s supporters believed that this “winning” ideology will carry over into politics, allowing him to negotiate his way to the best outcome for the American people. Even so, what is the value of his spirited, ultra-patriotic, populist campaign if at its core it is inconsistent with the laws of the country and his own statements? Both Trump and Jackson recognize that America is a democracy and, accordingly, that the government should in part be directed by the interests of the people. What both fail to recognize is that America is also a republic, and therefore limited by the rule of law. Both of them fail to understand that the role of the president is to be the executor of the law, not the representative of the people. In 1824, Jefferson said of Andrew Jackson’s candidacy, “He is one of the most unfit men I know of for such a place. He has had very little respect for laws and constitutions … His passions are terrible … he could never speak on account of the rashness of his feelings … He is a dangerous man.” Perhaps, however, although Trump is unfit, dangerous, and imprudent, he is a prudent political option in comparison to all the others. Morgan is a junior studying politics.

The building at 42 Union St. is being renovated by Marty Hubbard and repurposed into an apartment building. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation disbursed a $785,000 grant for the project. Courtesy | Hillsdale Collegian

A political pamphlet recounting the process by which Andrew Jackson, then a General, was labeled a "military despot" for his arbitrary arrest of a judge and fined $1,000 to be paid to the United States. During Congressional session in 1842, Senator Linn of Missouri introduced a bill for refunding the money to Jackson, with interest. The repayment then totaled $2,700. American Memory Collections | Wikimedia Commons

Hillsdale students ought to oppose local corporate welfare By | Tyler Groenendal Special to the Collegian Corporate welfare is alive and well, even here in Hillsdale. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the institution responsible for organizing and directing corporate welfare in the state of Michigan. According to their website, the MEDC offers “business assistance services and capital programs for business attraction and acceleration.” In practice, this amounts to allocating tax dollars as direct subsidies to businesses, often coupled with special tax breaks. The MEDC recently funded two projects in Hillsdale. The first was an $82,865 subsidy to Mar-Vo Mineral Company to purchase the old FW Stock and Sons Mill (“Mar-Vo moves in, ‘breathes life’ into abandoned mill,” September 17, 2015). The second was the heftier $785,000 “community development block grant” for the purposes of renovating an old factory into apartments (“Former fur factory fitted for flats,” March 17, 2016). Proponents trotted out familiar arguments to justify the taxpayer subsidy of private enterprise, noting that the projects would revitalize downtown Hillsdale, as well as create jobs and housing. While these are certainly benefits, the arguments ignore the costs. For one,

similar arguments are made across the state to justify corporate welfare, resulting in almost $600 million doled out in “grants, programs, and projects” in 2015. Organizations like the MEDC are an affront to the free market, and little more than a vehicle for crony capitalism. Unlike a private investor, the MEDC can only get funds through taxation. So taxpayers from across the state of Michigan, from Houghton to Detroit, are obligated to subsidize businesses to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Despite the gross injustice of being forced to subsidize projects that most receive no benefits from, corporate welfare persists. Why? The answer is simple. Businesses and private individuals realize that, rather than trying to succeed or fail in the market, it is easier to get help from the state. Under the guise of “economic development,” or “jobs,” or “revitalization,” they can earn subsidies from the MEDC, and stick Michigan taxpayers with the bill. The benefits are concentrated to businesses and politically-connected individuals, while the costs are dispersed over millions of Michiganders. Frederic Bastiat, a 19thcentury French political economist, noted that economics involves looking at the seen and the unseen. In terms of corporate welfare, the

seen effects are the projects they fund. New apartment buildings, bustling factories, and so on. The unseen is more complicated. Think of what $600 million could have done in the hands of Michigan residents, rather than in the hands of government bureaucrats funneling the money to special interests. Private individuals, working in the free market, fund projects they think will be profitable, and decline those which seem likely to fail. In this system, businesses only profit by providing what the consumers want, and not by lobbying the government for subsidy. All of these potential opportunities are necessarily unseen, because they never came to be. Instead, taxpayers are stuck with a bill of almost a million dollars to build apartments in a small, outof-the-way city in southern Michigan. Students of Hillsdale College, an institution that stands for defending liberty, should oppose this great injustice. The MEDC is nothing more than dressedup corporate welfare, existing to benefit special interests at the expense of the state as a whole, and the taxpayers that have to foot the bill. Tyler is a senior studying economics.

America is the only sane Western nation remaining Whatever happens to our government or to the West, the American spirit must carry on By | Nathan Steinmeyer Special to the Collegian I, like most of my fellow Hillsdale students, grew up hearing about Europe’s — and the Left’s — deepseated hatred of capitalism, the right to bear arms, and everything else. When I was a kid I could never completely understand the reasons for this hatred. Now that I am studying abroad, and have had the opportunity to meet countless Europeans and Israelis, the reason for this is as clear as day. Europe does not hate us because of our capitalism, or our army, or anything else that we as Americans tend to be so proud of. Europe hates the very thing that makes America America: the American spirit. The spirit of self-reliance, pride, and strength. It is this spirit that makes us say “give us guns and let us protect ourselves,” or “if you want something, you have to take it.” What makes Europe hate us, and what makes them so afraid of us also, is our fight, our rugged determination, and our refusal to ever give up.

There is a major problem in the world. Western civilization as we know it may be coming to an end. America may have very well have hit its zenith, and now is approaching a painful fall. This does not mean that America will cease to be a country. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it certainly didn’t fall in one either. Western Europe, however, is currently falling and it has been for a while now. They realize that their glory days are over and done. The only way they see now to postpone the inevitable is to give the people what they most want: bread and circuses, so to speak. This is why Europe has given into socialism. Not because socialism is the almighty moral lifestyle it passes itself off as, but because it serves as a stalling tactic, a way to make the populace ignore the real problems. As long as the population is fed and entertained, it will never realize the truth. After all, why would anyone question a system of government that

spoon-feeds them? The western world is falling apart, yet America clings to hope for survival. This is why the rest of the first world now hates us. Our struggle, our continued battle against receding into the dark, only serves as a reminder to Europe. They seek so desperately to hide their heads in the sand and ignore the world around them. They now hate any and everyone who tells them the truth, and the number one teller of truths right now is us. The civilized world hopes to pacify militant Islam, just as the Romans hoped to do with the barbarians. They seek to civilize lunatics like Kim Jong Un and the Mullahs of Iran. But they hope to do this while allowing them to keep their cultures and customs that put them at odds with the West to begin with. Western Europe tries so hard to make it seem like America has gone crazy. We are not the ones that have lost our minds. We are one of the few that are still fighting. America sits on the ledge, trying to make up her mind whether she should join

her European brothers in a fantasy world or if she should continue fighting for what she believes, without any assurance that this is a battle she can possibly win. The stakes are higher than they have ever been. We can no longer give in, we can no longer walk the line between Europe and reality. America has problems, but underneath all of the filth and corruption the American people still keep the fire burning that made this country so great in the first place. Even if our government were to fall, and Western civilization crumble, our spirit must fight on. We as Americans must take a stand, not just for capitalism or for our guns, but for the American Spirit. Nathan is studying at BenGurion University of the Negev in Beersheva, Israel.

"Uncle Sam," popularized during the War of 1812. | Google Images

City News

A6 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Sheriff candidates share their platforms

In preparation for the August election, three candidates discuss their qualifications to be Hillsdale County Sheriff By | Philip H. DeVoe Assistant Editor Hillsdale County will elect a new sheriff in August, and three candidates are vying for the position, including a lieutenant in the sheriff ’s office, a veteran officer of the sheriff ’s office, and a staunch Constitutionalist military veteran. While the three candidates — Lt. Tim Parker, Tammy Dow, and Jon-Paul Rutan respectively — all have plans for improving the county, each has a different strategy. Parker has worked at the Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Office since 1985 in animal control, road patrol, marine patrol, and dispatch and is now a lieutenant, where he oversees the dive team and the day-today of road patrol officers. “The sheriff is very unique, since anyone who is a resident of the county can run for sheriff. If you have great popularity, and win the election, the state will certify you as a police officer to run the sheriff ’s department,” Parker said. “I, however, believe the chief law enforcement officer in the county should have law enforcement experience. A good sheriff, in my opinion, has to have experience.” Parker said he believes his experience across a broad range of duties within the sher-

iff ’s office makes him a strong candidate. He spoke highly of the current Hillsdale sheriff, Stan Burchardt, whose nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement Parker said made his 20 years as Hillsdale sheriff marked by strong leadership. “It takes experienced leadership in law enforcement to know how to use that money and what crimes we have to investigate,” Parker said.

better, through things such as Amber Alerts, and the sheriff ’s department should establish a means to keep the public informed with what’s happening,” Parker said. “Communication is everything.” Though not in law enforcement now, Dow previously worked for the Branch and Hillsdale County sheriff offices, as well as in Bronson, Michigan, as a police officer,

done.” Dow said her goal if elected is to improve coverage by road officers. She said Hillsdale’s small-town atmosphere reduces the number of officers available in the case of an emergency. “People truly feel better if they have enough deputies on the road,” Dow said. “We don’t have a lot of state police on the road, and everyone feels safer

worked in law enforcement, but he believes that gives him an edge and is indicative of how the sheriff ’s office should run. “What the job of sheriff is all about is that it is the only elected law enforcement position in the U.S. All others are appointed,” Rutan said. “The Founding Fathers knew it was important to have that one elected guy whose first con-

“The Founders wanted to make sure the sheriff understands the Bill of Rights and that the sheriff had the authority or power to protect those rights.”

If he is elected, Parker plans to improve communication throughout the county, in order to keep citizens aware of what is happening. He works with many community groups, keeping them up on trends and what’s happening throughout the county. According to Parker, the sheriff ’s department only has one means of communication with the county, which is through the website. “I want to improve that, whether it is through a Facebook or Twitter page. The state as a whole has made that

Tammy Dow, a law enforcement veteran, is running for Hillsdale County Sheriff in the fall. Facebook | Courtesy

and has served as an EMT. She has associate’s degrees in law enforcement and corrections. Most recently, she worked as an animal control officer in the Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Department, and now she owns her small business, Dow Kennels. “I am well-rounded, and I have been a part of the community all over the county for many years. I’ve talked to people and I know what they like,” Dow said. “I have a lot of background with people, and I know how departments are run. I would like to see it

if there is enough coverage. There should never be a time when someone says ‘I need an officer’ and there’s nobody there to help.” Dow said some small cities where she has worked lacked 24-hour police coverage, which resulted in dispatch going to other law enforcement divisions. “If we don’t have that coverage, that isn’t a good feeling. It wouldn’t give you a good feeling if you had to ‘call back tomorrow,’” Dow said. In contrast to the other two candidates, Rutan has never

Lt. Tim Parker, who is running for Hillsdale County Sheriff, has worked for the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office since 1985. Facebook | Courtesy

stitutional job is to protect the rights of the people from incursion of the government.” Rutan served in the military for 12 years, working as a weapons instructor for the state of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team. He has also taught classes at Jackson Community College. Rutan is a passionate supporter of the Constitution, and uses the Hillsdale College Constitution classes in a community education program. He said he believes the sher-

iff should be someone who is more directly a representative of the citizens, instead of a representative of law enforcement. “The Founders wanted to make sure the sheriff understands the Bill of Rights and that the sheriff had the authority or power to protect those rights,” Rutan said. “When we elect law enforcement officials as our sheriffs, we don’t see that. You don’t want someone protecting your rights who is part of that law enforcement brotherhood.” Rutan has run for sheriff before, and said he has been called “radical” for his support of the Constitution, which is something that confuses him. Hillsdale County residents over the age of 18 without felony charges can sign up to be on the ballot for Hillsdale County sheriff at the Hillsdale County Courthouse. Local residents who still want to run for sheriff may submit their names to be featured on the ballot on April 18 and 19. The election will be held Aug. 2.

Hillsdale County Sheriff candidate Jon-Paul Rutan is a military veteran. Facebook | Courtesy

Local brewery aims to raise $200k for fall opening Jonesville’s Ramshackle Brewery hopes to break ground for new building in June By | Andrew Egger Assistant Editor After a final winter of preparation, the Ramshackle Brewing Company is pushing a final fundraising kick with a plan to open their Jonesville brewery in the fall. Brewery co-owners Joe Kesselring, Zack Bigelow, and Jessy Bigelow, who have turned heads with their unorthodox crowdfunding strategy, have set a goal of raising half of their $200,000 goal by April 18. “It’s not a hard-set deadline,” Kesselring said. “It’s just the faster we can get these funds, the faster we can start building, and the faster everybody gets their brewery.” As of Wednesday, backers had pledged $30,000 of the $200,000 goal. If the crowdfunding goes as planned, Ramshackle’s contractor will break ground at their location next to Olivia’s Chop House in Jonesville in June. For Bigelow and Kesselring, crowdfunding tactics are an ideal way to marry the need for startup capital to a desire to ensure that the whole community will profit from their success. Ramshackle is making use of the Michigan Invests Locally Exemption legislation passed in 2014, which allows

small businesses to sell equity directly to individual, unaccredited lenders. “The government’s made it even easier for us since then,” Kesselring said. “We’re now able to accept out-of-state investments, and if people hold onto their equity shares for five years or longer, when they go to sell it is tax-free.” “When we first started our project, most everybody thought automatically of GoFundMe, where we’re just asking for money,” Bigelow added. “We’re totally not doing that; we’re actually offering ownership of the brewery. And it helps us get the community involved in that way.” In addition to the crowdfunding, Ramshackle managed to secure a partnership and an additional $200,000 loan with the Brewers Professional Alliance, which provides business and legal counsel to fledgling breweries. “They’ve taken on 87 different breweries in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and since 1997 all 87 of those breweries are still open, still profitable,” Bigelow said. Dan Slate, the founder of the Brewers Professional Alliance, said they had invested in Ramshackle because the brewers’ technical expertise, unique

vision, and willingness to learn set them apart. “There aren’t any other breweries in the immediate area and thus there should be,” Slate said in an email. “The equity offering on the table for Ramshackle is probably the best I have ever seen. People should be running to get in on the deal.” The community-based financial approach is not the only thing that distinguishes Ramshackle from other breweries. The brewers hope to carve a special niche out for themselves by focusing on resurrecting dead beers from the pages of history. “I’m a real big history nerd,” Bigelow said. “And the biggest thing for me since we started brewing was, ‘What did they drink?’ Because back before purification days, water was dangerous. So that was one of the big ideas where a lightbulb kind of came on in my head.” “And then we started finding journal entries and stuff like that,” Kesselring added, “where people might just mention some sort of beverage. And then down the rabbit hole he goes, and then we try to make it a reality.” The pair made their first homebrew in Bigelow’s garage in 2010. “We didn’t do any research, and it was one of

Co-owners Joe Kesselring and Zack Bigelow are using crowdfunding tactics to raise half of their $200,000 goal by April 18 so they can break ground on their new building in June. Facebook | Courtesy

the worst,” Bigelow said. “It felt like it peeled the enamel off your teeth. So that’s when the library of books started being purchased.” They’ve brewed a keg or

two every Sunday since. “We first started brewing looking in the recipe books and trying to mimic all the new styles when we were learning,” Bigelow said. “And

then once we started coming up with these historical ales, that’s when it really started becoming, ‘We need to do this for a living.’”

City News

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

A7 31 March 2016

Local law enforcement skeptical of posting scanner info to social media Using police scanners for news may misconstrue facts, according to emergency responders By | Breana Noble Assistant Editor Posting unverified information from a police scanner to social media can lead to misinformation, which is why local law enforcement is reminding consumers to be skeptical of social media pages acting as news sources. Staff Writer Corey Murray, who covers court and emergency services for The Hillsdale Daily News, published “A Mysterious Place Called ‘Scanner Land,’” a piece criticizing social media pages marketed as news sources and defending The Daily News’ reporting, on March 5 in The Daily News. Local emergency response officials agreed with the opinion article that information broadcasted over scanners is not always accurate since the preliminary content is meant for police, fire, and emergency medical services to have an idea of what to expect when arriving at a scene. Hillsdale County Police Lt. Phil Parker said many times, police scanner listeners will not hear the complete story because they are not present at the scene, and officials investigating do not always communicate their findings over police scanners afterward.

“Just because law enforcement is sent to a particular incident doesn’t mean once the law enforcement officer gets on scene, handles the incident, clears from the incident, that that’s actually what the incident was,” Parker said. Murray said unverified information from police scanners in Hillsdale County

audience of followers, which can garble the truth of what actually happened. “If they hear it on a scanner themselves or somebody is posting that it was on the scanner, they believe it; that’s human nature,” city of Hillsdale Chief of Police Scott Hephner said. “Until you’re there, you can’t know 100 percent what’s correct

posts can mislead. One Hillsdale Watch post about an “explosion” on the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds caused some local Hillsdale residents to panic after someone used the term over the scanner, Murray said. A transformer had caught fire and was not an immediate threat to the public, but the post caused

enforcement. This, too, can create problems, Wright-Waldron Assistant EMS Chief Stacie Shamplo said. “If a family member reads that, a lot of things can go into an uproar,” Shamplo said. Sharing everything from police scanners can also cause unnecessary suspicion

“If they hear it on a scanner themselves or somebody is posting that it was on the scanner, they believe it; that’s human nature. Until you’re there, you can’t know 100 percent what’s correct going over the scanner.” on social media come from at least two Facebook pages: Hillsdale Watch and WrightWaldron News. Hillsdale Watch said it wished to remain anonymous, but Wright-Waldron News’ administrator John Tanner said via email he posts what he hears on the scanners. “The Wright-Waldron News does not gather information by driving to fires, accident scenes, or other emergencies, nor follows up with fire personnel,” Tanner said. Posting scanner information onto social media can make misinformation or incomplete information about an incident known almost instantly to a broad

going over the scanner.” Posting scanner information in real time can cause an inherent danger for police, Hephner said. It can attract people to fire and accident scenes, which could crowd the area and make it more difficult for police and firefighters to do their job. “We get there, and our first job is to de-escalate and make everything safe,” Hephner said. “We do that, and all of a sudden, people show up who are angry, mad, and upset, so there’s a safety concern for officers, and it makes it more difficult to keep the situation calmed down.” In addition to passing on misinformation, Murray said unverified social media

an unnecessary freakout. Tanner said for these reasons, he does not go out to emergency response call locations and typically waits to post about incidents until after he hears the scene has cleared. “Originally, I did post as fires and accidents were still active,” Tanner said. “However, I quickly realized the negative effect of people getting instant notifications and traveling to the scenes, filling the roads, blocking emergency crews from doing their jobs.” Murray also said in at least one instance, a family learned about a relative’s injury through social media before hearing it from other family members or law

of law enforcement, Parker said. When a call turns out to be false, the county typically does not publish a press release for the information. If social media pages post something about the incident, however, and law enforcement does not release anything about it, people can think it’s a “monster,” Parker said. “We’re not hiding anything,” Parker said. “There was nothing; there was no complaint.” For these reasons, emergency responders tend to try to limit what is said over the scanners to only the pertinent information, Shamplo said. Posting information from police scanners, even

if not verified, is not illegal, Hephner said. “Anybody can have a scanner, so once it hits the airwaves, it’s public information,” Hephner said. Sometimes sharing information like vehicle accidents to these social media sites can benefit the community, Shamplo said. In instances of wanted persons or kidnappings, posting pictures can help solve cases, Shamplo added. “It’s one more way to get that information out there,” Shamplo said. Reporters arriving on accident and crime scenes have been a nonissue, Hephner said. Emergency response personnel must be careful about providing information to reporters due to the 1996 federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which protects medical patients. A selected police or fire official usually can provide the accurate information law enforcement has once the incident is under control, Shamplo and Hephner said. Police can publish a press release later, as well. “Everybody needs to find out what happened for themselves,” Hephner said. “We’re happy to share that any time anybody asks, after the fact.”

Lack of public transportation prompts local employers to brainstorm solutions By | Katie Scheu Collegian Freelancer A lack of affordable and reliable public transportation leaves residents of Hillsdale County searching for rides to work, including work destinations like Hillsdale Hospital and Wal-Mart. To respond to the need and a demanding market, local resident Charles Ferguson launched new taxi service Call and Go Now in hopes that it will help solve Hillsdale’s transportation crisis. Ferguson attended a meeting in Jonesville on March 17 with employers from different areas of the county, such as Hillsdale’s city manager, the owner of

Nylon Craft and the director of Dial-A-Ride, where they discussed the logistics of Hillsdale’s transportation problem and brainstormed possible solutions. They plan to meet again after they’ve gathered more data about the cost of possible transportation plans and the different needs in the community. “I didn’t start this company light-heartedly,” Ferguson said. “I started it to make a living, hire some veterans that needed jobs, drive cabs, take people to work, the doctor, where they need to go.” At the meeting, Ferguson presented a detailed version of how his taxi service can help Hillsdale County’s

transportation problem. “I worked on this very thing everyday for the last six months,” Ferguson said. “I’ve researched every way to provide transportation around here.” Many local employees have tried borrowing cars from relatives or starting a carpool in order to get to work, but several members of the transportation meeting decided these solutions would not provide a reliable source of alternate transportation. Despite their effort, employees without their own cars may not arrive at work if their ride falls through. “We’ve got tons of jobs — we’re just having trouble getting people to them,”

said Susan Smith, who led the meeting and serves as the Executive Director of Hillsdale County’s Economic Development Partnership. “If I could have a hundred people that could drive to work everyday, I could place them today. We’ve got plenty of jobs right now, and we’ve got to find a way to make sure that employers get those jobs filled with people that show up.” Employers are not alone in facing the ramifications that this lack of transportation has caused. Hillsdale County residents who need to go to Hillsdale Hospital for a simple doctor’s appointment have been calling ambulances when in need of a ride. The responsibility of

returning patients to their homes falls on doctors, maintenance men, and nurses, since ambulances cannot provide that service. Hillsdale Hospital representative Alicia Shewman said the lack of transportation is so widespread that pregnant women without cars have walked to the obstetrics unit of the hospital after going into labor. “The more we provide, the more they look at it and the more they know,” Shewman said. Citizens in Hillsdale County currently have paidaccess to transportation services provided by Dial-ARide and Key Opportunities. However, those services

must run at different times in different areas, as they are both funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Business representatives at the meeting plan to assess transportation needs at the workplace through surveys, and Smith will draw up a matrix of costs for possible solutions. Ferguson said that he has finished his research — all he needs to do is craft a formal plan. “People need to get where they need to go,” he said. “I don’t need a study to figure that out.”

State Street Market closes after three years Professor’s wife found running sandwich shop to be ‘more time and energy’ than expected By | Breana Noble Assistant Editor Hillsdale’s State Street Market permanently closed its doors after running the business took more time and energy than what owner Vivian Frudakis said she expected. Frudakis announced the market’s closure Feb. 28 on its Facebook page, adding that she is looking into continuing the food service portion of her business. The building at 146 State St., which was renovated when Frudakis purchased it in 2013, is for sale, and several people have expressed interest in the property. “I’m sad; I loved going there,” Frudakis said. “At the same time, I’m relieved.” She said she learned about the challenges of starting her own business and just how time-consuming it could be. Daily, she spent nine to 10 hours at the market. “It’s just much more than we anticipated,” Frudakis said. “For me, personally, it took too much time and energy.” In particular, Frudakis said she found running the business with both a deli and convenience store to be more than expected. Nonetheless, Frudakis said she loved making and

serving food, adding that even since State Street Market closed its doors, she’s had several requests to cater events. She said she will not unless she has a commercial kitchen. “I’m keeping my options open,” Frudakis said. “I do

mint. “I put a lot of care in what we made there and how we treated people,” Frudakis said. “It was like a little complete meal presented in a loving manner.” Frudakis quoted from a commenter on the shop’s

“I put a lot of care in what we made there and how we treated people. It was like a little complete meal presented in a loving manner.” miss the food aspect part of it.” State Street Market’s products and services were inspired by its community, Frudakis said. She made all her sandwiches and desserts in house and from fresh ingredients, favoring locally grown foods. She named several of her creations for cities in Hillsdale County, including the Mosherville and Moscow sandwiches. The owner said she took pride in her product from start finish, serving sandwiches in a clear container on checkered paper with a pickle and a

Facebook post about its closure: “It gave a big-town feel in a small-town place.” Carrot cake and chicken salad — which people wanted to “buy by the pound,” Frudakis said — were house favorites. When Frudakis purchased the building that formerly was a shop selling mostly cigarettes and liquor, she updated it, adding counters and indoor seating. The white storefront received a color splash when Frudakis’ husband — Anthony, associate professor of art at Hillsdale College — painted a mural of a gas station.

Owner Vivian Frudakis closed State Street Market Feb. 28 when running the sandwich shop proved to be “more time and energy” than she expected. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Anthony Frudakis said he loved to hear from people how much they loved his wife’s food. “I am extremely proud of the wonderful food Vivian made for the community and incredibly impressed with how quickly she learned a new business and how hard she worked,” Anthony Frudakis said. “It was a terrific experience for me learning more about the food business as well as

the opportunity it gave me to meet some wonderful people.” Frequenters of State Street Market said they would miss Vivian Frudakis’ food and the small-town restaurant feel. “Her food was delicious,” said Claudia Gillette, aide to the athletic director. “She’s very professional, but she’s just a really nice woman. I’m sad to hear it’s closing. I wish her well.”

Although State Street Market closed, Frudakis, who has almost 10 years of experience in catering, said she is thankful for the patrons who have supported her. “The memories are always seeing the joy in people’s faces or hearing the wonderful comments from people on how much they enjoyed it,” Vivian Frudakis said.

A8 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Sports

Follow @HDaleSports for live updates and news

Baseball

Softball Friday, Mar. 25 Lake

Hillsdale Superior St.

Saturday, Mar. 26

Tuesday, Mar. 29

Friday, Mar. 25

Saturday, Mar. 26

Hillsdale Northwood

Hillsdale

Tiffin

Hillsdale Wayne St.

Hillsdale Northwood

Hillsdale

Tiffin

Hillsdale Wayne St.

06 03 03 08 Lake

Hillsdale Superior St.

10 01 07 04

04 01 03 02

05 04

01 10

SEASON LEADERS

Upcoming

AVG OBP HR W SV

Ainsley Ellison - .483, Bekah Kastning - .432, Kelsey Gockman - .389 Ellison - .500, Kastning - .480, Amanda Marra - .460 Kastning - 2, Cassie Asselta - 1, Haley Lawrence - 1 Sarah Grunert - 6, Sarah Klopfer - 4 Klopfer - 1

20 10

06 15

SEASON LEADERS

Upcoming

AVG OBP HR W SV

Luke Ortel - .423, Connor Bartlett - .400, Ethan Wiskur - .368 Bartlett - .489, Chris McDonald - .481, Ortel - .468 Bartlett - 4, McDonald - 2, Michael O’Sullivan - 2 Will Kruse - 3, Phil Carey, Jacob Gardner, Mitchell Gatt - 2 McDonald - 9

Saturday, Apr. 2

Sunday, Apr. 3

Wednesday, Apr. 6

Saturday, Apr. 2

Sunday, Apr. 3

At Walsh

At Malone

Vs. Ashland

At Tiffin

1:00 PM 3:00 PM

12:00 PM 2:00 PM

3:30 PM 5:30 PM

1:00 PM

Upcoming

Monday, Mar. 21 Hillsdale - 2 At Palm Beach Atl. - 7

Tuesday, Mar. 22 Hillsdale - 0 At Fla. Atlantic - 7

Results

Saturday, Apr. 2 At Cedarville 1:00 PM

Track and Field

Saturday, Mar. 19 Hillsdale - 2 Vs. Grand Valley - 7 Sunday, Mar. 20 Hillsdale - 0 Vs. Ferris St. - 9

Wednesday, Mar. 23 Hillsdale - 6 At Erksine - 3 Thursday, Mar. 24 Hillsdale - 1 At Flagler - 8

Golf

Results

Upcoming Friday, Apr. 1 Stanford Invite At Palo Alto, CA

12:00 PM

3:00 PM

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis Results

4:00 PM

Saturday, Mar. 19 SVSU Spring Invite 1st - Tiffin 2nd - Ohio Dominican 3rd - Hillsdale

Friday, Apr. 1 Miami Invite At Oxford, OH

Friday, Mar. 25 GLIAC Spring Invite 1st - Grand Valley 2nd - Tiffin 4th - Hillsdale

Upcoming

Saturday, Apr. 2 At Lake Superior St. 10:00 AM Sunday, Apr. 3 At Michigan Tech 10:00 AM

Upcoming

Saturday, Apr. 2 The Jewell at Elks Run Batavia, Ohio

was good most of Baseball, from A10 the“Pitching weekend, but at times we

Stevan Bennett Jr.:

The greatest holiday Everyone has been posed the question, “What is your favorite holiday?” Since I was a munchkin, my answer has always been, “MLB opening day.” The inquirer almost always scoffs at this answer and offers the standard refusal that opening day isn’t a holiday. After all, class is in session, markets are open, and mail is delivered. To me, however, a holiday is any day where we honor something important and impactful in our lives, and, for so many, opening day is about much more than baseball. Opening day is the commencement of summer, which is appreciated by even those without the slightest interest in hard ball. A time of relaxation and reprieve, summer makes common the joyful faces that are scarce in the bleakness of January. There is something about climbing onto the roof on a clear June night, looking up into the heavens, and hearing the clear yet distinctive voice of play-by-play announcers like Pat Hughes detail the every movement of the game being played hundreds of miles away that puts the mind at ease. It is a scene that seems so trivial, but those moments provide an opportunity to escape the fast-paced life we live. Opening day is a promise that this type of escape is near, and that no matter what is happening in your life, soon you’ll be able to escape, even if just for a couple of hours, and allow yourself to be enveloped by the most beautiful sport in

the world. In a world in which people seem to have an allergy to hope, opening day causes a surge of the opposite. Yankee great Joe Dimaggio explained this feeling when asked about the nation’s excitement for opening day. “It’s like a birthday party when you’re a kid,” he said. “You think something wonderful is going to happen.” Indeed, opening day makes us all feel like children again. No matter the different stressors in our lives, opening day gives everyone a chance to see their team tied for first with their best pitcher on the bump. They see the rugged faces of their favorite veteran players mingling with the baby-faced kids getting ready to make their debuts. At that moment everybody has a clean slate. It doesn’t matter if you’re the reigning MVP or if you failed to hit above the Mendoza line the year before, the only thing that defines you is what you do in the next 162 games. So, no, we don’t get the day off, and maybe it doesn’t appear in tiny letters on a standard calendar, but opening day is a holiday. It brings the promise of summer and reprieve, and it gives us hope in a world that often seems bleak. While some look forward to the excitement of Christmas morning, I will continue to focus my attention on early April, when we all sit in anticipation for the most beautiful pairing of words in any language: “Play ball!”

selves tied at four after four innings. From that point the Chargers took control, scoring five runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, and 10 in the seventh. The Warriors would strike twice in the sixth, and four times in the seventh, but the Charger offense was overpowering. Sophomore starter Phil Carey gave up four earned runs on six hits over four innings to record the win. The final game of the series went to the Warriors 15-6. After an RBI from Bartlett and two from freshman catcher Chris Ackerman gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead after two innings, the Warriors offense kicked into gear, scoring in every inning after that. Five different Chargers pitched in the game, and each gave up at least two earned runs.

just have to work to be more efficient,” Theisen said. Wiskur and Bartlett both recorded an RBI in the final five innings. McDonald explained that, although it has been overshadowed, the Chargers defense has been a key part of the team’s success. “The offense once again showed its strength this weekend, but the defense was great as well,” he said. “It is definitely one of the most underrated parts of our game.” Hillsdale will travel to Tiffin this weekend to face the Oilers in doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. The Chargers are confident going into the series. “Preparation for this weekend is business as usual,” Theisen said. “Personally I expect us to win all four games.”

Senior Tad Sobieszczanski connects with a pitch during Hillsdale’s series against Wayne State. David Bartlett | Courtesy

Top: Sophomore second baseman Alex Walts takes the throw from home on an attempted steal. Bottom: Senior reliever Mitchell Gatt threw a perfect inning in Saturday’s 5-4 victory over Wayne State. David Bartlett | Courtesy

A9 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

GOLF SCORES TWO TOP-FOUR FINISHES OVER SPRING BREAK

By | Christy Allen Collegian Freelancer Spring break treated the Hillsdale College golf team well. The Chargers racked up not one, but two top-four finishes during their week away in Kentucky. The Chargers finished tied for third out of 15 teams in the SVSU Spring Invitational at Cherry Blossom Golf Course in Georgetown, Kentucky. Sophomore and co-captain Joe Torres led the Chargers with scores of 73-71 to finish tied for sixth in the tournament. Freshman Joel Pietila shot 2-under par in the first round, ultimately finishing four strokes behind Torres and tying for 11th place. Freshmen Liam Purslowe and Peter Beneteau both shot 155, tying for 39th, while freshman Andy Grayson and sophomore Steve Sartore shot tournament scores of 160 and 164, respectively. The team then moved to Andover Country Club in Lexington, Kentucky, where they carded their best GLIAC performance to date. Hillsdale

finished in fourth place – and a mere one shot out of third – among 13 teams. Beneteau had a personal collegiate best, leading the team with a 152 and finishing tied for 10th. Pietila finished one stroke back, tied for 15th. Purslowe followed with a 154 while Torres shaved off 13 strokes between rounds to card a 155. Freshmen Andy Grayson and Henry Hitt shot 160 and 176, respectively. The Chargers capped off their hard work in the offseason with a training week in Houston, Texas, earlier in March. “Houston was the first time the entire team was able to be outside and practice for a couple consecutive days,” head coach Nate Gilchrist said. “Each player was able to see where they had weaknesses and identified what they needed to continue to work on.” Torres added that the difficult courses they played in Houston, including the famed Champions, was good preparation for the tournament courses they recently faced. Torres believes the first

tournament was “a big confidence booster for the team” and for himself. His hole-out eagle from 130 yards on the 13th hole at Cherry Blossom G.C. likely contributed to that. “His success this spring is a direct result of his commitment to becoming great,” Gilchrist said of Torres. Gilchrist noted that this progress can be seen throughout the entire team. “The program is very excited about the success that is starting to occur,” he said. “Everyone knew we would get to this point and that it would take time and commitment to hard work. The team has proven to themselves that they belong in a winning environment.” Beneteau echoed these sentiments. “The team is more motivated than ever to perform and it has really shown over these last two weeks,” he said. Pietila believes that the team is close to taking their performance to the next level. “It’s only a matter of time before this team makes the jump from good rounds to

Men’s tennis drops first two conference matches By | Amanda Tindall Features Editor While students were spending time at home or vacationing in exotic locations, the Hillsdale College men’s tennis team spent part of their break battling through difficult matches in beautiful weather in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The trip began a few days after losses to Grand Valley and Ferris State, in which the Chargers lost 7-2 and 9-0 respectively. “Those were our first league conference matches and they are consistently the top of the conference, not necessarily one and two,” sophomore Dugan Delp said. “We played well, competed well, and lost both. We have a better idea now what they’re like.” With the cold weather and the loss behind them, the Chargers headed to matches against great competition. Despite the difficulty of the

match, the Chargers took a 6-3 win against Erskine, but suffered an 8-1 loss against Flagler. “The goal was that we were hoping to get the win against Erskine, and we did,” head coach Keith Turner said. “It’s good going forward because we had some really good competition. Coming up we have seven conference matches with teams we know we can complete with.” Turner also noted that Flagler was most likely the most difficult team they will play all year. Despite the overall loss, Delp came up with a strong win against No. 34 Lukas Storck, 6-4, 6-2. “Their team was No. 14 overall, and so we were really excited about my win and how well Justin Hyman played and his match,” Delp said. “His opponent was around No. 20.” “The best teams aren’t necessarily at the top of their line up, they’re just deep with good

players.” Delp said the the warmer South Carolina weather was a bit of a challenge for the team. “We’ve been conditioning pretty hard,” Delp said. “Pat Gifford, the strength and conditioning coach they just hired, has been good, so we were ready.” Turner was far from pessimistic about the weekend, noting some large strides he has already seen his team take. “We have a really good base, we have some pieces. We’ve been getting lots of praise that we’re as good as we are as a first-year team,” Turner said. “Honestly, with the competition that we played — our doubles have improved — but it’s hard to get a true evaluation of where we’re at with the tough matches, but definitely going to be a positive thing. We don’t play teams as hard as that in the future. It bodes very well for us with matches in the future.”

Sophomore Dugan Delp defeated Flagler’s 34th-ranked Lukas Storck over spring break. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Freshman Henry Hitt tees off in a practice round last semester in Chicago. John Quint | Courtesy

great rounds,” he said. “We are so close to bringing together a complete tournament where all five guys play well.” The Chargers hope to place themselves in a position to win this upcoming weekend at the Jewell Regional Invitational in Batavia, Ohio, before taking

on the GLIAC Championships in mid-April. As they make a play for the Super Regional at Grand Valley in May, the Chargers will continue working on consistency and mental toughness. Gilchrist credited his players for the rapid advancement

of the program. “We’re very proud of the strides this team has made in a year and a half,” he said. “We have a remarkable group of young men that are reaping the benefits of commitment to hard work.”

Women’s tennis travels to Florida over break By | Hannah Leitner Collegian Reporter Like most college students, the Hillsdale College women’s tennis team headed south for spring break. But instead of lazing on the beach, the team was hard at work preparing for their spring season. During their four-day trip to Florida, the Chargers’ training took the form of beach workouts as well as competing in two matches against highly-ranked opponents that count towards the team’s spring record. On Monday evening, Hillsdale fell 7-2 to their first foe Palm Beach Atlantic, which is nationally ranked. “They were a strong team and were just able to outlast us on a few singles courts. The match was a lot closer than the score made it look,” head coach Nikki Walbright said. The two wins can be attributed to doubles matches. At No. 2 doubles, freshman Corinne Prost and senior Sydney Delp pulled out an 8-6 victory. At No. 3 doubles, junior Dana Grace Buck and freshman Madeline Bissett also won 8-6. Walbright said she was

proud of the girls’ strong performances in doubles. There were no other wins for the Chargers on Monday, but both freshman Julia Formentin and Delp stretched their single matches into three sets, losing in tiebreakers at 4-6, 6-1, 12-10 and 6-2, 4-6, 10-8 respectively. “I had a very long match and ended up losing in a tiebreak,” Formentin said. “Sydney also had a great performance in singles. She lost in a tiebreak, but fought hard for every point.” The following day, the Chargers were shut out 7-0 by another challenging foe, Florida Atlantic. Each singles match ended in straight sets. Again, Walbright said she was impressed with the team’s doubles matches on Tuesday. “Their team was just a higher level and it was tough to keep up,” Walbright said. “But the girls did great and it showed us a lot of good things to work on.” While she wished they could have won the matches, Formentin said her favorite part of the experience was training and traveling with the team. “The team is very fortu-

nate to have this opportunity,” Formentin said. “Traveling together is a great bonding experience and competing in a different climate against different types of teams is very beneficial and helps to improve our game.” While Hillsdale is just kicking off their spring season, Buck said many teams in Florida are mid-season, making the competition even more stiff. A native of Florida, Buck said she enjoyed playing teams and previous opponents from her home state. Training alone on a club team back home, she said the chance to come back to Florida and compete with a team made the hard work worth it. “It’s just you versus everyone else. It was really fun to be back where I grew up, but to be experiencing it with a team shows you what you were working for growing up,” Buck said. “It really is about the team.” Overall, Walbright said their week in Florida will serve as a guide for the rest of the spring season. “It definitely helps guide our spring goals and remind us of what we need to work on,” she said.

Senior Sydney Delp (right) hits a forehand as senior Lindsay Peirce (left) prepares for the return in a match last semester. Carsten Stann | Collegian

CHARGER CHATTER: AMANDA MARRA four years old. My parents both played baseball and softball so I’ve been playing my entire life. My first year of travel ball, though, when I got serious, was when I was ten.

Brad Monastiere | Courtesy

Amanda Marra is a freshman on the softball team from Anchor Bay High School in Chesterfield, Michigan. She has been starting for the Chargers at second base. Amanda is pursuing a finance major with a math minor. When did you start playing softball? I played tee-ball when I was

What attracted you to the game? My parents introduced me to every sport, I’ve played basically everything. But softball was always my favorite sport growing up. I was always so excited to go to softball games and practices so I knew that was the sport that I wanted to stick with. What is your favorite part about the game of softball? I love the whole team atmosphere of it. Everyone just wants everyone to do so well, and everyone is so supportive and I love that part of the game.

How did you first hear about Hillsdale? From Miriam McKay, she graduated from here a little while ago. I played high school softball with her sister. So the first time I actually heard about it was when I heard that she was going there. Then I was doing my recruiting and I knew I wanted to go to a smaller school with high academic standards, and Hillsdale was everything I was looking for. What have been some of the differences between high school softball and college ball? Definitely that everyone cares a lot more. The coaches care more, the players care more, and it’s just a lot more intense and it’s a lot more fun when everyone is so driven to win.

Has the experience of playing college ball met your expectations, or have there been some surprises? No, it actually exceeded my expectations. I just love everyone on the team, everyone is so great and our coaches are so great. Definitely good surprises, if there have been any. What has been your favorite part about playing at Hillsdale so far? Probably just getting to know everyone on the team and being able to play softball so much because we practice almost every day. Just being able to get better and work with new people and learn new things from everyone has been awesome. What are your individual goals for this season, and for the team? With any role that I’m given,

I just want to perform to the best of my abilities. I just want to help my team win, whether it’s making defensive plays or offensive plays I just want to be able to help my team to be better. A big team goal is that we definitely want to win the GLIAC tournament this year so we can go to the NCAA tournament. That would be amazing. We really just want to play as hard as we can every single game, that’s really our goal. Do you have any pre-game rituals? I always listen to music before every game, and it’s always changing but I try to listen to something that pumps me up. I have a certain routine between every pitch that I have to do. I take a swing and I rub my bat and then I get back in the box — it just helps relax me when I do the same

thing over and over again. I don’t have any weird things, just subtle things.

What do you like about second base? Have you played other positions? For as long as I can remember my main position has been second base. Coming into college I knew that I could get moved around, you never know. But Coach Joe told me that he wants me to play second, and that’s where I’ve been playing. I’m really comfortable there. I wouldn’t want to play a corner because they’re so close to the batter, but at second we have so many chances to dive for balls and we’re basically involved in every play even if it’s just backing up a base. -Compiled by Jessie Fox

Charger Anders Kiledal | Collegian

Men’s tennis travels to South Carolina Chargers drop first two conference matches before splitting two matches in the South. A9

31 MARCH 2016

Charger Chatter: Amanda Marra Amanda, a freshman on the softball team, discusses her transition to Hillsdale and playing for the Chargers. A9

Brad Monastiere | Courtesy

Golf takes two top-four finishes over spring break Chargers show improvement as GLIAC tournament approaches. A9 John Quint | Courtesy

David Bartlett | Courtesy

BASEBALL SPLITS GLIAC OPENER By | Stevan Bennett Jr. Assistant Editor The Hillsdale College baseball team opened up GLIAC play this past weekend, splitting doubleheaders with the Wayne State Warriors on Friday and Saturday in Detroit, Michigan. “A split is OK, but we feel like we could have done a little better than that,” assistant coach Gordie Theisen said. “That said, it is a decent start to our conference season.” The Chargers won game one on Saturday 5-4, the only game of the weekend in which neither team scored double digits. Hillsdale opened up the scoring early, plating three runs in the top of the first, with senior third baseman Chris McDonald and junior first baseman Ethan Wiskur both recording an RBI. In the bottom of the second inning the Warriors tied the game, stringing together four hits to score three runs off senior Hillsdale starter Jacob Gardner. In the top of the fourth — after a walk by senior leftfielder Tad Sobieszczanski and a single by senior rightfielder Connor Bartlett — sophomore second baseman Alex Walts recorded an RBI groundout to give the Chargers the lead. Wayne State responded in the bottom half of the inning with an unearned run, tying the game once again and ending the day for Gardner, who

threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs — three earned — on eight hits. The bullpen was fantastic in the effort, with the senior trio of Evan Chalker, Mitchell Gatt, and McDonald combining for 3 1/3 innings, in which they allowed no runs on only one hit. “One big takeaway is that our one-inning guys were incredible, as usual,” Theisen said. The Chargers took the lead for good in the top of the sixth

inning when Walts knocked an RBI single to score Sobieszczanski. “Those close games are the one’s where everyone is excited and yelling. They are a lot of fun,” senior catcher Joe Gentile said. “It reminds you why you love the game.” McDonald notched his ninth save of the season, giving him the Hillsdale single-season saves record. “Those kinds of records are always in the back of your

Senior third baseman Michael O’Sullivan throws to first after fielding a ground ball. David Bartlett | Courtesy

head, and so it is nice to be recognized,” he said. “But saves, more so than any other stat, is a team stat, and they had to put me in position for it, so we all deserve the credit.” Gentile explained the confidence the team has in McDonald. “As soon as he takes the mound, it’s shutdown. We’re going to win the game,” he said. “All that is left to do is shake hands and say, ‘See ya.’” The Warriors topped the

Chargers in game two on Saturday, but the game was much closer than the 10-1 final score indicates. Sophomore starter Will Kruse continued his string of solid starts, allowing only two runs in his first seven innings of work. In the eighth inning, however, the Warriors got to him, ending his day after 7 1/3 innings, in which he allowed five runs — four earned — on ten hits. “It won’t show on that stat

Junior Ethan Wiskur contributed from both the mound and from the plate in this weekend’s split. David Bartlett | Courtesy

sheet, but Will was outstanding in his game,” Theisen said. “He got hit a little in the eighth inning, but to be fair, it was his eighth inning.” In the top of the eighth, trailing only 2-1, Hillsdale was close to adding two runs to their tally. With two men on and two outs, however, a hard line drive from Wiskur was hauled in by Wayne State’s shortstop, ending the threat. The Warriors then exploded for eight runs, and the Chargers went quietly in the top of the ninth. McDonald explained the team’s mindset after the tough loss. “One of our team philosophies is that the only pitch that matters is the next pitch,” he said. “So we have all the confidence that we can come back from anything.” The first game on Sunday proved this, when the Chargers won a 20-10 shootout. Nine different Chargers had at least one hit in the game. Senior centerfielder Luke Ortel, McDonald, Wiskur, Sobieszczanski, Bartlett, Gentile all had multi-hit games, seven recorded RBIs, and 13 scored at least one run. Sobieszczanski and Bartlett both hit towering home runs which were “far from cheap,” according to Theisen. The Chargers opened up the scoring, as they so often do, scoring three runs in the first inning, but found them-

See Baseball, A8

SOFTBALL SWINGS TO BEST CONFERENCE START IN 25 YEARS

By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor The Hillsdale College softball team made history over spring break with its best conference start in 25 years. The Chargers swept Lake Superior State Lakers in their GLIAC opener, defeated the Tiffin University Dragons on Tuesday, but split their games against the Northwood University Timberwolves, putting them at 5-1 in conference games and 10-4 overall. The opening victory against Lake Superior State was an uphill battle, with the Chargers pulling ahead in the last three innings of the game. The strong team effort carried into the second game against the Lakers, which ended in the fifth inning 10-1, invoking the NCAA’s mercy rule. Head coach Joe Abraham said the fifth-inning victory was rewarding for the team, especially after the more difficult opening game. Junior first baseman Cassie Asselta, freshman second baseman Amanda Marra, and sophomore catcher Kelsey Gockman each scored two runs for Hillsdale, contributing to the high score of the second game.

“We jumped out to a big first-inning lead and came out hitting the ball,” Abraham said. “Some games you hit and some you don’t, and from that first inning we just hit their pitcher hard and that pretty much put the the game away right there. That was nice for us because we had to struggle to win game one that day.” Despite three runs in the second half of the opener against Northwood, Asselta said the team showed perseverance, earning them a 7-4 victory in the second game. “The first three innings were kind of rough on the defensive aspect,” Asselta said. “We just weren’t quite there. Our bats weren’t alive yet. Halfway through the game we pulled it together. Coming back and winning the second game was huge. Even though it wasn’t a sweep like we wanted, at that point it was still 3-1 instead of 2-2.” The Chargers swept Tiffin University on Tuesday, with senior pitchers Sarah Gruenert and Sarah Klopfer giving up only one earned run in 14 innings. “Both of our Sarahs — Klopfer and Gruenert — have

had fantastic pitching,” Abraham said. “They both have a lot of pressure and no margin for error because it’s just the two of them pitching. They’re keeping us in every single game, and they’re making great pitches, and they’re both using all three years of their experience and bringing it to the table.” Well-timed hits by Asselta and Marra also contributed to strong games against Tiffin, as Asselta had a four-hit game and Marra hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning. “Amanda can be counted on to hit the ball — and hit the ball hard — almost every atbat, no matter who’s pitching,” Abraham said. “She’s a great person to have in the middle of the order because she drives in runs at key times over and over.” Although both games against Tiffin were low-scoring, Abraham said players’ batting strategy served the team well at critical points in the game. “Sometimes it’s not a matter of hitting — sometimes it’s being smart and figuring out a way to get on base,” Abraham

Junior Bekah Kastning is hitting .432 and has 11 RBIs so far this season. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

said. “So just standing up there and not swinging at bad pitches played a big role in winning that second game.” Junior Bekah Kastning said patient hitting paid off against Tiffin, allowing the Chargers to take the lead in the sixth inning of the second game. “Both games, we just continued to hit the pitcher really well,” she said. “It didn’t matter if they were getting caught, or

if we were grounding out, we just hit really well and never gave up. That was really important the second game, because they were beating us 2-0 for six innings, and we were hitting really well, but we were just hitting it to people and they were making really good plays.” Abraham said the team’s strong offensive lineup bodes well for the challenging sched-

ule ahead. “We have almost our entire lineup hitting really well. We’re scoring almost seven runs per game on average, which is just unheard of. That won’t continue — there’s no way to average seven runs a game for a whole season, but we just have hitters up and down the lineup who are getting the job done.”

B1 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Arts

Broad Street student planners organize musical events

By | Scott McClallen Collegian Freelancer

What do line dancing, a finish-the-lyrics challenge, and a Cinco de Mayo celebration have in common? All are upcoming events for Broad Street Underground’s Thursday College nights. Hillsdale’s newly-organized Event Planning Team, which has the task of organizing College Night and improving college attendance rates through marketing and social media, has a slew of fun activities planned for this semester’s remaining College Nights. Junior Kelli Eddie, one of the four members of the planning committee, shared a few goals set during their first meeting. “Our goal for Broad Street was to make sure everyone knows that we have a fun College Night event going on every Thursday,” Eddie said. “Sometimes people have a crazy week, but during the more manageable ones, we want them to always have College Night to look forward to.” The team plans to provide a better college atmosphere by extending kitchen hours and offering more drink specials, encouraging students to stop by for a study break and a meal. “We are working with Broad Street to provide kitchen hours catering to college students’ schedules, allowing for the Underground to be utilized as a college spot similar to A.J.’s or Jilly Beans,” senior Danielle Adams, the committee’s live music coor-

dinator, said. “We want to integrate college students with the town of Hillsdale while also providing a concert venue for aspiring, young musicians.” The team is continuing Broad Street’s tradition of College Night jazz, and will also host a blues- and bluegrass-themed night, holiday celebrations, and more. The members are open to the input of other students as they choose future events and performers. For example, one of their most recent events, Finish the Lyrics, is returning in April due to popular demand. “We aimed to pull students from different social groups by offering various event types rather than just relying on regulars,” Adams said. “Interactive and club-sponsored events expose newcomers to Broad Street as an option to hang out, play pool, and enjoy being off campus.” Mills said the team’s goal is to give Broad Street the reputation of a guaranteed good time, whether it be through live performances, interactive game nights, or just as a place to hang out. “I want to incorporate Broad Street into the cultural experience of Hillsdale College so that students regularly attend College Night,” junior Timmy Mills, the group’s social media coordinator, said. “In short, I want to make Broad Street the best bar in Hillsdale.” Broad Street will host events throughout the remainder of the calendar year, while the Event Planning Team will arrange events just until graduation week.

Sophomore gymnast revamps tumbling program at local dance studio

Kirk Williams, former Junior Olympics competitor, doubles size of tumbling program at Studio 55 By | JoAnna Kroeker Collegian Reporter In a long stretch of hallway lined with mats, sophomore Kirk Williams drills the members of his tumbling class in backbend-walkovers in time to upbeat music, making corrections and encouraging them as they go. B e fore his

“I really do like teaching the little kids, they really do say the darnedest things.”

sophomore y e a r, Williams, a three-time qualifier to junior nationals in gymnastics, had never taught a tumbling class before, let alone seven, in a studio of his own. Now, he works at Hillsdale’s Studio 55, teaching tumbling (a set of floor exercises in gymnastics such as handstands, cartwheels, and forward rolls) to girls and boys ranging from 5 to 14 years old. “It’s been hectic, for the first time ever teaching,” Williams said. “I’ve had half of my classes double in size.” Studio 55’s office manager and hair and makeup stylist

SAI to take ‘Adventure’ on Sunday

Erin Reinker said once Williams joined the program, the studio began needing more mats to accommodate growing class sizes. She attributed the growth of the program to Williams’ ability to diagnose the needs of the tumblers and develop their skills. “I came there, and they knew how to do certain things, but they were doing them improperly,” Williams said. “So, if they were ever to continue to try and do tumbling, it’d be more difficult because they’d be continuing to learn it wrong. It could ac-

tually hurt them in the future, possibly.” Wendi Graham, the studio’s custodian for six years, said she has seen Williams both inspire confidence in the tumblers and become more s elf-conf ident as an instructor. “I knew with his past and everyt h i n g that he’d be overqualified to be an instructor here,” Graham said. “He’s going to be awesome for us.” While Williams said he never anticipated becoming a teacher, the community and mentorship he’d experienced in gymnastics naturally equipped him for the job. “It’s a thing that you learn in gymnastics without even knowing it,” he said. “You learn how to verbalize to younger kids because you’re always trying to give little kids pointers on how to do things better.” Nevertheless, when he started teaching he still found he had to work to develop a more understandable method of explaining new concepts. “It’s not the same to try and describe to a gymnast what they need to be doing as to a tumbling person who hasn’t had gymnastic experience,” he said. “I have to give it to them

in examples that they know. It’s like starting from a clean slate as opposed to already knowing what those words mean.” Instead of using gymnastics language, such as remembering to have a “hollow body” when executing a forward tuck, he tries to use examples with which students would be familiar, like imitating a diving position. Along with adjusting his vocabulary, Williams said he has been working on a template of skills tumblers in each level need to master in order to progress to the next level. When he first began teaching, no such system existed. Williams enjoys the challenge of teaching levels four and five, the upper levels, because he can walk into class, come up with a challenging new sequence, and see if the girls can do it. While the challenges make higher level tumbling classes interesting, he said he still enjoys teaching the younger tumblers. “I really do like teaching the little kids, they really do say the darnedest things,” he said. While little kids may make him chuckle, the older girls bring out Williams’s inner sass. Since mostly girls take his classes, he said he has had to become more confident in handling their sass — by dishing it right back. “Whatever they give you, you have to give it right back if you want their respect,” he said. “If they say ‘Your face looks stupid,’ you have to say, ‘So does yours, now do a kick-handstand-forward roll.’”

By | Brendan Clarey Collegian Freelancer Sigma Alpha Iota plans on whisking audience members to distant lands with exciting musical performances centering around the theme “adventure” at 8 p.m. this Sunday, April 3 in McNamara Rehearsal Hall in the Howard Music Building. Almost half of the active members of SAI are seniors and the concert is intended to celebrate the adventures they will have once they graduate. According to SAI senior Faith Liu, the performance will also be a thrilling experience for the audience. Liu, SAI’s Program Director, said the audience shouldn’t expect typical instrumentation. She indicated guest appearances from instruments such as harp, accordion, and a guzheng, a traditional Chinese zither. “It’s not going to be your standard guitar and

two people singing all the time,” she said. “It’s a bit expanded.” This musical expansion offers audiences a wide range of genres. Liu has written an arrangement that will be sung by the ladies of SAI accompanied by a string quartet and piano. Along with group performances, there are individual acts spanning the range of musical styles. Liu said, “We’ve got a lot of pop song renditions, we’ve got Broadway, we’ve got film soundtracks. We’ve got tons of stuff.” Everyone is invited to attend SAI’s adventurous musical performance. “Definitely get there early because we fill up super fast, and we always end up filling way more than we have space for,” Liu cautioned. “We’re going to break a fire code!”

Sophomore Kirk Williams studied at the International Gymnastics Academy and competed at three Junior Olympics National Championships before coming to Hillsdale. Kirk Williams | Courtesy

Sophomore Kirk Williams is a tumbling instructor at Studio 55 School of Dance in downtown Hillsdale. Studio 55 Facebook page | Courtesy

Senior pursues graduate degree in screenwriting Faith Liu will attend the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts after graduation

By | Andrew Egger Assistant Editor Senior Faith Liu walked away from her high-school pastime of filmmaking when she enrolled at Hillsdale in the fall of 2012. As soon as she finishes her time at Hillsdale, however, she is diving back into it. This week, Liu committed to a graduate program in screenwriting at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. “Ever since I was very young I’ve always been attracted to stories,” Liu said. “Film is a very different medium in that the story can be told visually. But someone has to conceive

of that; someone has to set up the outline from which that film is made. And scriptwriting is a huge part of that.” Before attending Hillsdale, Liu, along with her friends Joshua Jackson and Brian Tang, did a number of film projects, ranging from parody trailers to entire short films, under the name StopMotionClub (although, as Liu points out, “we did absolutely no stop-motion whatsoever”). “Our first project was a 35-minute long film that I wrote and produced,” she said. “That was a drama about someone who was deaf, but could hear music. For others, we took popular apps on the iPhone and turned them into fake movie trailers — we had one for Temple Run that went

Senior Faith Liu has committed to the graduate screenwriting program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Nathanael Meadowcroft | Collegian

viral in a week.” Parted from her collabora-

tors upon arriving at Hillsdale, Liu focused on other things

during her college years, majoring in English and participating in the music and theatre departments. “People here are very busy and don’t really have time for that sort of thing, so I had to kind of put it to once side,” she said. Her prior collaborators, however, who in the meantime both moved to Los Angeles, never stopped pestering her to pick cinema up again. “Both of them kept telling me, ‘You have to come out here, we have to do movies again out here!’” Liu said. “So I filled out an application, sent it in, and didn’t think about it after that point until I got the email.” Paul Wolff, a USC film professor whose own screen-

writing resume includes such shows as “Little House on the Prairie” and “Home Improvement,” picked up Liu’s application and liked what he saw. “What happens is everyone on the faculty gets about 35 applications to read, and all of us get to choose our top 5 out of the 35,” Wolff said. “A tennis pro can watch 10-year-old kids play tennis and see who’s going to be a professional. It’s like that with professional writers — we’ve been around a long time, and we can just spot them. Reading Faith’s work, you can just see that she’s a natural-born writer.” So after receiving her acceptance email, Liu flew to USC See Liu, B2

Arts

B2 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Jazz faculty to perform original compositions Saturday

By | Emily Blatter Collegian Freelancer The Hillcats Faculty Jazz Ensemble will move off the beaten track and into uncharted territory at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, in Markel Auditorium at the Sage Center for the Arts. The performers include Director of Jazz Studies Chris McCourry on trumpet and adjunct faculty instructors Arlene McDaniel on piano, Jonathon Gewirtz on saxophone, Larry Ochiltree on drums, and Ed Fedewa on bass. The group will perform a concert, featuring one or two original compositions from each member of the group. The compositions include a wide range of styles: McDaniel’s “Brazil Nuts” incorporates Cuban and Latin American influences, while

McCourry’s “The Dig” is a free-jazz piece, based on improvisation rather than structure. Unlike their last concert, which only featured pieces by renowned jazz artist Chick Corea, the originality of this program allows the performers to put their own stamp on the music. “Most of the material you hear in these concerts, where you’re emulating someone else’s material, has already been recorded,” Ochiltree said. “With this, you can get more experimental.” Joining the group is guest artist Rob Smith, head of the jazz department at Central Michigan University, who plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and tenor saxophone. He is primarily a teacher, and wrote two of the pieces for the program. Adjunct Voice Instructor

Sunny Wilkinson, who frequently performs at Hillsdale as a guest artist, will also be joining the group. Ochiltree said he is excited to work with both artists. “Working with Rob and Sunny is like working with the top professionals in their genres,” he said. Sophomore jazz musician Giannina Imperial said she is looking forward to the concert to see “how they make jazz new.” “I’m looking forward to seeing how they improvise, because they each have their own really distinct styles,” she said. While jazz students can look forward to new interpretations of traditional jazz themes, nonmusicians can expect an enjoyable experience as well. Ochiltree said this concert is a great way to experience

March -April  The Sauk Theatre presents “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” 8 p.m. March 31-April 2 3 p.m. April 3 Phillips Auditorium Searle Center

April 1 Adjunct Voice Instructor Sunny Wilkinson joins The Hillcats Faculty Jazz Ensemble this Saturday for a concert featuring original compositions. Sunny Wilkinson | Courtesy

jazz for the first time and develop an awareness for a new kind of music. “For people that don’t have an understanding of jazz, I think it would be a way for

them to come and have a nice experience of getting wrapped up in music that might be new to them,” he said. “If we move them some way, that’s great.”

In Review: ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’

Meadowcroft says nothing sets Zack Snyder’s latest apart from the myriad of other superhero films flooding theaters

By | Nathanael Meadowcroft self too seriously. It’s your average superSports Editor hero storyline. Americans If you’re a fan of superhe- are afraid of the unchecked ro movies with predictable power that Superman, played storylines, no humor, cliche by Henry Cavill, possesses, so themes, and drawn-out action Bruce Wayne, played by Ben sequences, then “Batman v Affleck, takes it upon himself Superman: Dawn of Justice” is as Batman to stop Superman the perfect movie for you. using Superman’s one weakIf you prefer a fun superhe- ness: kryptonite. Superman’s ro flick, then don’t waste your archnemesis Lex Luthor, who time on Zack Snyder’s latest is played by Jesse Eisenberg, action film, which is too long, enters the mix, and Luthor too predictable, and takes it-

Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck star in Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” hitfix.com | Courtesy

Arts News

pits Batman and Superman against each other before they finally unite to fight a stereotypical monster that Luthor creates. But rather than make a predictable plot easier to enjoy with punchy one-liners and clever dialogue, Snyder makes a 2 ½-hour movie feel even longer by foregoing any attempt to make the film fun for a failed attempt at a serious message: Should Superman be allowed to act with unchecked power and authority? “The world has been so caught up with what Superman can do that we’ve forgotten to ask what he should do,” Senator Finch says in one of the many hearings throughout the film. Both Batman and Luthor think that Superman should not be able to act above the law, and both try to use kryptonite to stop him. But Batman tries to stop Superman because he believes people are ultimately good and don’t need a savior like Superman to intervene. “Man is still good. We break things, tear them down, but we can rebuild. We can be better, we have to be,” Bruce Wayne says near the end of

the movie. Nevertheless, Bruce Wayne is weary of Superman’s power. “He has the power to wipe out the entire human race and if we believe there is even a one percent chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty,” Bruce Wayne says. Snyder goes even more over-the-top with Luthor, who seeks to destroy Superman because he doesn’t believe an all-powerful being can be all-good. “I figured out way back if God is all-powerful, he cannot be all good. And if he is all good, then he cannot be all-powerful. And neither can you be,” Luthor says to Superman near the climax of the film. And earlier in the movie, when Luthor meets with Senator Finch, he shows her a painting of judgment day with demons rising from the hell below. He tells Finch that the painting should be flipped because our demons come from above (referring to Superman’s advent from Krypton). At the end of the movie, after Luthor is defeated, the painting is shown flipped over so that hell is above.

There is nothing inherently wrong with these themes. After all, these are real questions that real people wrestle with today. Should unchecked power be invested in one person? Can someone keep that power without using it for evil? Nevertheless, these themes are too cliche for a superhero movie. Every superhero deals with how far they can go with their power, and plenty of superheroes in various comics and movies actually turn into villains. Snyder does not execute these themes well enough to make “Batman v Superman” enjoyable. When viewers are not bogged down in this repetitive dialogue, they are left to slug through too-long action scenes. All that said, “Batman v Superman” is not a terrible movie. The costumes are well-done, the settings are pleasing to the eye, the acting is up to par, the special effects are good. Nevertheless, the movie lacks anything to set it apart from the myriad of other forgettable superhero films flooding theaters because it doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

Faculty Recital: Kristi Matson, soprano, and Brad Blackham, piano 8 p.m. Friday McNamara Rehearsal Hall

April 1 Centralhallapalooza Showdown 7-10 p.m. Friday Broad Street Underground

April 2 The Hillcats Faculty Jazz Ensemble presents “Home Cookin’” 8 p.m. Saturday Markel Auditorium Sage Center for the Arts

April 3-8 Senior Art Exhibit No. 1 features the artwork of seniors Jordan Denmark, Faith Lamb, Elizabeth Davis, and Tricia Clarey Artists’ Opening Reception : 2-4:30 p.m., Friday April 3 Daughtrey Gallery Sage Center for the Arts

Kendrick Lamar’s album ‘untitled unmastered.’ delights By | Chris McCaffery Columnist The unannounced release of “untitled unmastered.” from hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar was a surprise gift to fans who’d assumed it would be years before Lamar followed his 2015’s Grammy-winning “To Pimp a Butterfly” with new music. “Untitled unmastered.” fills the void less than a year after the last release, but it also offers something new in Lamar’s discography: unlike “Butterfly” or 2012’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. City,” this is, perhaps, music cut for listening, not dissecting. The album’s eight tracks are only numbered with recording dates (hence “untitled”), and don’t cohere thematically as tightly as his previous albums do. “Butterfly’s” long bathetic spoken word interludes and obvious dialogue with Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and black

American culture, or “good kid’s” drama of sin and baptism in Compton, California, are missing here. This doesn’t mean that “untitled unmastered.” suffers from lack of polish or consideration. These unfinished demos from recording “Butterfly” are total musical accomplishment, and don’t lyrically downplay the social commentary for which Lamar has become so well known. For example, “untitled 01” starts the album with jazzy, dreamlike tones under a deep voice addressing some sort of undefined female partner — “little lamb” — before Lamar’s voice begins rapping and prophesying an apocalypse taken from St John: “Life no longer infinity this was the final calling / No birds chirping or flying, no dogs barking / We all nervous and crying, moving in caution / In disbeliefs our beliefs the reason for all this.” Classically, Lamar’s apoca-

Liu, from B1 over Spring Break to visit her friends and scope out the college for herself. “We spent a good portion of a week out there, visiting professors and looking around campus,” Liu said. “I got to work on a music video Brian and Josh are working on with a bunch of other people, so that was very fun.” For their part, Tang and Jackson are thrilled to reunite with their former partner. “I’m proud of Faith for taking a leap with herself

and jumping into what many consider an unstable career, albeit an exciting one,” Jackson said in an email. “She’s writing a good story for her own life, and I’m incredibly excited to continue collaborating with her again.” Although Liu did not focus on film during her undergraduate years, she still thinks Hillsdale has set her up to succeed at USC — in particular, by helping her develop a sense of something about which to write. “As cheesy as it sounds,

lypse brings destruction and confusion along with the end of war and hate as the judgment begins and many attempt to cling to the world. The “symphony / Thunder like number four” sounds (a reference to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Movement No. 4, “Thunderstorm”), marking “war from heaven” and Lamar hears: “What have you did for me,” forcing him to scramble for his “resume” with predictable results: “confident I had glory in all my past endeavors / Close my eyes, pray to God that I live forever / Dark skies, fire and brimstone, some of us sent home / Some of us never did wrong but still went to hell.” The solution Lamar finds recalls his first album: “Crucifix, tell me you can fix” and as the darkness drops again, he addresses a sardonic challenge to repent at his “Backpedaling Christians settling for forgiveness. Later songs on “untitled”

are equally confessional. The second track comes from Lamar — “Stuck inside the belly of the beast / Can you please pray for me?” — as he struggles with his double nature torn between his fame and his humble origins, between phone calls to “Top” (his label’s CEO), and to God. “Untitled 03” is one of the most polished songs, featuring vocals from Anna Wise and saxophone from Terrence Martin (both are featured on many of the “untitled” tracks) as Lamar plays racial stereotypes off each other in a long verse that culminates with an indictment of white executives for their exploitation of black talent. “Untitled 07,” the longest song on the 34-minute album, split into three parts and apparently put together piecemeal over years of recording, is where the “unmastered” part of the title becomes apparent, with sections of unedited studio conversation between musi-

Hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar. Wikimedia Commons |

cal sections. Musically, “untitled” is clean and fun to listen to, more testimonies to the talent Lamar commands. Lamar’s collaborators give the entire album bright and vibrant music, especially on tracks like “untitled 06,” with its chorus

from Cee-Lo Green and jazz and soul instrumentals. For fans of Lamar’s music, “untitled unmastered.” is a welcome addition to the sound of one of the most talented and interesting writers and performers in popular music today.

knowing the good, the true, and the beautiful — that’s very important in film,” Liu said. “People can very quickly tell if your film is about nothing, very quickly get bored and leave. There’s a difference between good in quality and good in content. And I think Hillsdale’s given me a lot of content with which to work.” Senior Faith Liu, shown here in the Tower Players’ production of “Mother Courage and her Children,” will pursue screenwriting at the University of Southern California after graduation. Anders Kiledal | Collegian

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Features B3 31 March 2016

Garnjobst to attend ‘Living Greek in Greece’ program

Professor of Classics Joseph Garnjobst, teaching an intermediate Latin class, shared with his students that he will spend two weeks in Greece speaking its ancient langauge. Josephine von Dohlen | Collegian

By | Josephine von Dohlen Collegian Reporter “You have been admitted to participate in the ‘Living Greek in Greece’ Program. Admissions this year were extremely competitive, but your application showed a strong background in Greek and a love of humanistic learning,” Joseph Garnjobst, chair of the Hillsdale College Classics Department, read in an acceptance

letter addressed to him. “We are looking forward to spending time with you this summer in the Garden of the Muses.” Garnjobst will attend The Paideia Institute’s “Living Greek in Greece” course this summer, July 30 to Aug. 14, 2016. “Living Greek in Greece” is a two-week, intensive course in which participants fully immerse themselves in the Ancient Greek language. Open to both faculty members and undergraduate students, the Paideia Institute re-

quires that its students complete one year in Attic Greek, reaching the ability to read the language, which is no problem for Garnjobst, who has had three decades of experience with Greek. “I am glad that the Paideia Institute saw fit that there was a place for someone like me there, as opposed to limiting it and saying that I’m overqualified,” Garnjobst said. About 15 students in attendance will take two seminar-style classes in conversational Greek, as well as read parts of Homer’s “The Iliad” in Greek. The institute will offer supplemental courses in addition to the main courses. These Greek classes will be something entirely new to Garnjobst. “I have discussed ‘The Iliad’ in English plenty, and talked about Greek grammar in English, but never in Greek,” Garnjobst said. Founded by Father Reginald Foster, a Latinist for the Vatican, the Paideia Institute offers six different immersion courses in Latin and Greek throughout Europe. “Paideia’s programs have two goals: to provide rigorous and intensive periods of study of Latin and Greek from all periods and to inspire participants to form a close personal relationship with the classics through extraordinary learning experiences,” the Institute’s website stated. Despite the fact that Garnjobst will be staying at a resort in the Peloponnese, he plans to use his experiences to enhance his own teaching of Greek at the college. “I am going to work 12 to16 hours a day composing Greek everyday and coming up with lesson plans. I’m going to come back and scare the daylights out of my incoming freshman,” said Garnjobst. “Once they get over that initial shock, I hope that it is a real game changer for

them.” Garnjobst said he hopes to enhance students’ overall performance by immersing beginners in the Greek language. With the study of “dead” languages, Garnjobst recognized the difficulty when it comes to the actual speaking of the language. “I think one of the things that makes the study of Greek and Latin so difficult is that it isn’t spoken, that looking at words on a page without that spoken element really has you studying that language with at least one arm tied behind your back,” he said. “It becomes more of an intellectual puzzle or distraction, rather than a language that is actually spoken and understood.” One of Garnjobst’s Greek students sophomore Emily Barnum agreed that the speaking aspect will benefit the classroom approach to the language. “The idea of bringing spoken greek into the beginning classes is a great idea,” Barnum said. “I just started my first spoken language this semester, German, and what I have noticed is that speaking a language does help you learn the reading and writing part and it is so much more natural. It turns it from being a more analytical endeavor and makes it more intuitive.” Garnjobst is open to the possibility of either himself or a fellow colleague taking a similar Paideia Institute course in Latin in the future for the enhancement of the college’s Latin program. “I hope that this is something that will affect the way that I teach for the foreseeable future” said Garnjobst, “I am going to take this opportunity and make the absolute most of it.”

Hillsdale College Press expresses college mission to millions By | Kaylee McGee Collegian Reporter Hillsdale College may be a tiny school in the middle-of-nowhere Michigan, but millions of people from across the nation have discovered the mission of the college because of Hillsdale College Press. In 1974, the Hillsdale College Press published its first book — the first volume of “Champions of Freedom,” which was a collection of speeches from the first Ludwig von Mises Lecture Series, held on campus in January 1974. Since then, the press has gone on to publish materials such as our course readers for classes such as Western Heritage, American Heritage, and Constitution. The books are printed off-campus at book printers located in the Ann Arbor-Saline area. “Current Hillsdale College Press publications include course readers, the official biography of Winston S. Churchill, and our ‘Champions of Freedom’ series. Other books still in print include books by President Arnn and Professor Emeritus of History Arlan Gilbert, and two Imprimis anniversary collections,” Associate Vice President for External Affairs Timothy Caspar said. The Hillsdale College Press is a limited operation. Although many of our professors publish books, they do not do so through the Hillsdale College Press, but through larger academic and commercial publishers. “It is not a traditional academic press,” Caspar said, “The press does not seek out books to publish. Nor does it accept manuscript submissions.” The two ongoing series of books that the press has published are President Arnn’s official Churchill biography series and “Cham-

pion of Freedom” series. These series have reached the shelves of hundreds of bookstores across the nation, further spreading the aim of the college. Many people outside the college also purchase the course readers, both directly and through Amazon. Imprimis is another publication released by the college, though it its own entity. Published ten times a year, Imprimis arrives in the mailboxes of nearly 3.5 million homes, in hopes that they will support the College and its mission. “Imprimis is usually an insert of different speakers’ speeches, whether they were on campus or not,” List Management Coordinator for Imprimis Wanda Oxenger said. “It publishes the type of speakers and messages that the college likes to publicize,” Over the past few years, Imprimis has reached a growing number of people who support the mission of Hillsdale College. “It appeals to those who agree with its conservative message,” Oxenger said, “especially since that’s not often heard. People either love it or hate it. There’s no in-between.” The press is being used primarily to publish the official Churchill biography collection. “The main work of the press currently is to complete production of the official Churchill biography, and to keep all of the volumes of that biography in print,” Vice President for External Affairs Douglas Jeffrey said. “There are no plans to expand operations of the press.” As with all of the College’s activities, the Hillsdale College Press is meant to further the teaching mission of the college. Through the publication of the Churchill biography collection and our course readers, the press, in part, spreads the recipients of Hillsdale’s intellectual tradition from 1,400 students to 3.5 million households.

HOUSES FOR RENT The following houses are for rent for the 2016-2017 school year: 85 East Fayette Street – This is a very spacious, 5-bedroom, 1 ½ bath, full furnished, and recently renovated Victorian that is one and a half blocks from campus. It has a large eat in kitchen with a garbage disposal and dishwasher, separate dining room, living room, parlor, large front porch, and deck off the back. Also, it is centrally air-conditioned and is equipped with a washer and dryer. The rent is $410 per student per month based on one student per bedroom. 173 West Street – This is a 3-bedroom, 1 bath Victorian, that is only two blocks from campus. It has recently been updated, is fully furnished, has a separate dining room and living room, and is equipped with a washer and dryer. The lease is $395 per person per month based on one student per bedroom. A 4th student may be added at a reduced rate if desired. If you are interested please call Berry LeCompte at (847) 381-25114 (home); (847) 381-2549 (office); (847) 809-4843 (cell); (847) 809-4829 (cell); or email at cblecompte@aol.com

Some of the new cutting boards, creatd by senior Cole Benzing and Sophomore Nathan Putrich who have starrted their business — Baum — which sells boutique cutting boards, as well as coasters, desktops, and other custom items. Andrew Egger | Courtesy

Students make a buck with Baum cutting boards By | Andrew Egger Collegian reporter

Students can always appreciate a little extra money. For some, that money could be earned through starting a small business. For senior Cole Benzing and sophomore Nathan Putrich that business might be an unorthodox market, but it’s the niche market of boutique cutting boards that they are hoping to corner with their new startup, Baum. The heart of the project is the pair’s conviction that people want products that are, as Putrich puts it, “as much aesthetic as they are functional.” “People are into things that are green, things that are recycled, things that are refined but at the same time rugged,” Benzing said. “This is a good opportunity to be green and to recycle wood that doesn’t have any other purpose, and also an opportunity for us to make some money and get some real business experience.” At present, the fledgling company’s inventory is a bit nebulous — in addition to cutting boards, Benzing and Putrich also make custom coasters, desktops, and other custom items, with hopes of expanding further in the future. But the boards, which are cut to display the beauty of the raw wood, are undoubtedly Baum’s specialty. “I noticed from the start of what Cole was doing that he was onto something special, because it’s a very niche market,” Putrich said. “It’s certainly not a necessity, but it’s a luxury that really does add a lot to the environment of a room or a kitchen.” So far, their customers seem to agree: when Putrich set up a table in the union over Parents Weekend, he sold out their entire inventory — more than $700 worth — in less than six hours. “All of that money went towards a fundraiser to support my German study abroad trip,” Putrich said. Junior Sarah Reinsel said she counts herself among those satisfied customers. “I bought some beautiful coasters with the outline of Michigan carved on them,” she said. “They were made out of smoked cherry wood, and they smelled like Christmas Time.” Hillsdale residents Jared and Stephanie Maxwell also praised the craftsmanship of their cutting board, which they received as a gift from Putrich. “He gave it to us kind of as a late Christmas gift,” Jared said. “It’s a beautiful board — my wife

refuses to use it to cut anything on because she doesn’t want to mark or damage it. It has a laserembossed little logo that they created for their company, and he even made a burlap packaging sack for it. I think they could sell a fair number of wood products like that.” While Baum itself is only a few months old, it has its roots in Cole’s Blocks, a previous project that Benzing started two years ago. Benzing’s grandfather owns a company, American Specialty Hardwoods, that supplies templates to guitar companies. This gave Benzing the opportunity to start a business of his own. “I was working with my grandfather in his woodshop, and the standards of the wood that is required is very high,” Benzing said. “What typically happens is that a lot of the wood doesn’t get used; it either gets burned or recycled or thrown in the corner. So I figured there’s got to be a better way to use this wood. I did some research, and stumbled on cutting boards.” Although Cole’s Blocks enjoyed some success, appearing in multiple retail stores in and near Adrian, Michigan, Benzing started to feel like he had lost his autonomy with the business. “It kind of got sucked into my grandfather’s business, so basically I didn’t feel like I was able to do some of the things that I wanted to do,” Benzing said. So this year, Benzing started from scratch, partnering with Putrich, who shared his love for both woodworking and entrepreneurship. “We buy the wood wholesale from my grandpa, pay hourly to use all his equipment, and pocket the profits,” Benzing said. “After taxes, of course.” While job descriptions are flexible in a two-man operation, Putrich gravitates towards sales tasks while Benzing leads up production. “It’s not like he or I are exclusive to the other; we both chip in,” Putrich said. For now, Benzing and Putrich are indefinite about how far they want to take their budding company. “It’s really more of an experiment for both of us: trying to have some fun, get some experience, learn a little about sales and business management and working with a friend, a business partner, and just trying to see what we can do,” Benzing said. Of course, woodworking figures to play a role in both lives going forward regardless.If they do move on to other projects, however, it won’t be for lack of a solid product. “We told them that when we showed the board to some of our friends that they would be re-

B4 31 March 2016

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Features

50 years since Hillsdale’s extraterrestial encounter By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter Multiple UFO sightings in Dexter and Hillsdale, Michigan in March 1966 triggered the most documented UFO chase in the United States since the first reported “flying saucer” in 1947. Several girls living in MacIntyre Residence of Hillsdale College looked out their back windows and noticed flashing lights hovering over the Arb on March 21 around 10:30p.m. Gidget Kohn ‘69 detailed the event in a Collegian article written three days later. “I ran to my window and there it was, radiating intense silver-white light and heading directly for the dorm,” she said. “A brief flash of lightning illuminated it for just a second and in that second I saw what appeared to be a squashed football or basketball.” When more of her dorm mates reported seeing the object, Kohn called the Civil Defense Director, Bud Van Horn. Nineteen girls in the dorm witnessed the incident. They watched the flashing object whirl and dive up and down until about 5:10a.m. when it disappeared for good. “It is not necessary to describe all the movement,” Kohn said. “Let it suffice to say that it moved like nothing earthly and Mr. Van Horn was seeing it too.” In the days following, a number people reported seeing a similar lights and flying objects in Vicksburg, Frankfort, and Battle Creek. The rash of sightings made national news, and the Air Force sent J. Allen Hynek, a professor at Northwestern University, to Hillsdale to investigate on behalf of Project Blue Book, the Air Force’s UFO research program. In his report, Hynek dismissed the event as a phenomenon caused by “swamp gas” and said it was also possible the girls had been

fooled by “pranks with flares.” Hynek’s reported caused an outrage among many who had reported UFOs. In defense of the girls who had seen the Hillsdale UFO, Van Horn published a 15 point rebuttal seeking to discredit Hynek’s opinion as uninformed and lazy. “It was my considered opinion that Dr. Hynek had his mind made up as to what his findings would be before he ever reached the City of Hillsdale,” he said. “I also observed that his main line of questioning was relative only to that which would fit the Marsh Gas Theory.” Van Horn also organized lab tests on the soil in the Slayton Arbo-

I ran to my window and there it was, radiating intense, silver-white light and heading directly for the dorm. A brief flash of lightning illuminated it for just a second, and in that second I saw what appeared to be a squashed football or basketball. retum which revealed unusually high levels of boron and radiation present in the soil. The report also showed that all microscopic life in close proximity to the spot where the lights had been seen was dead. The flimsiness of Hynek’s report combined with the massive volume of Michigan UFO sightings in 1966 has given the Hillsdale incident the distinction as one of the most notable UFO events ever reported.

“It would not be overstating it to say that the sightings in Dexter and Hillsdale two nights in a row each with a large number of witnesses are amongst the top two or three most publicized UFO events of all time,” said Will Matthews, a historian from Kalamazoo. “It resulted in Gerald Ford, who was a senator in Michigan in 1966, to call for congressional hearings. The hearings in turn prompted the University of Colorado project, which was when the Air Force allowed the University to conduct its own UFO research. They came up with fairly negative results, making it possible for the Air Force to close down Project Blue Book. All this happened because of the sightings in Michigan.” Matthews explained the outpouring of UFO reports in Michigan as a combination of both genuine sightings and mass hysteria caused by the news coverage surrounding the Hillsdale sightings. “Once a couple of reports get a lot of publicity, then the dam breaks.” he said. “After Hillsdale in 1966, reports came in from all over the country.” Jack Butler ’15, a UFO enthusiast, said although the 1966 events are fascinating, they are ultimately inexplicable. “By most conventional explanations, there is no reason why Hillsdale, or even Southern Michigan would play host in such prominent UFO sightings,” he said. “Even fifty years we’re still wondering what exactly happened.” Hynek himself acknowledged this fact, years after he made his “swamp gas” assessment. Professor of Religion and Humanities Tom Burke reported that when he took a class with Hynek at Northwestern University, the professor once shared his thoughts on the incident during a lecture. “Hynek said he had no explanation at all, but the Air Force kept

A shot of the strange lights (top right) seen in March 1966, explained away as Marsh Gases, but without any true explaination. UFOCaseBook.com | Courtesy

bugging him to come up with an one, so just to get them off his back, he said what he considered the most ridiculous explanation he could think of, one they would clearly recognize as silly and so just leave him alone until he came up with a realistic explanation,” Burke said. “So he said the sightings were caused by swamp gas, knowing this was not only not the

case, but on its face a silly, absurd, impossible explanation.” Neither Hynek nor anyone else has been able to scientifically explain exactly what happened in Hillsdale, but Butler has his own interpretation: “Maybe the aliens were just attracted by all the freedom.”

Sam Grinis

By | Kayla STetzel

Describe your style. I like spending a lot of money to make it look like I went thrift shopping.

beach who goes to fashion school in Paris. What inspires your look? I heard once that you never know who you are going to meet, so you should dress accordingly. I dress to insure that whoever I meet will never forget me.

Now describe your style in three words. Tired Ralph Lauren. What is your favorite clothing item? These polka dot pants I stole from my girlfriend. Who are your fashion icons? Ralph Lauren, Kirk Williams, and this girl I met on Pebble

Where do you shop? Cotton On, Polo Ralph Lauren, and H&M Kayla Stetzel | Collegian

Kayla Stetzel | Collegian