1.26.17 Hillsdale Collegian by The Hillsdale Collegian

Rep. Walberg named chairman of House Subcommittee Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the committee overseeing Walberg’s, named him to his first House leadership position last week. A6

‘La La Land’ Two perspectives on the hit new musical featuring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone about jazz musicians in Los Angeles. B1

Heart, soul, and surf Junior Nainoa Johsens is an informally sponsored surfer. He’s brought his surfing culture and slang to Hillsdale and now to Washington, D.C. B4

People from across America converge on the National Mall to witness President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Evan Carter | Collegian

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Vol. 140 Issue 15 - 26 January 2017

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Students celebrate Trump inauguration By | Evan Carter and Madeline Fry Web Editor and Social Media Editor Washington, D.C. — As Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Jan. 20, he promised to renew the country’s former greatness in an appeal as a champion of the common man. “We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great

national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people,” Trump said. The potential for rain and numerous organized protests didn’t stop several hundred thousands of onlookers, including numerous Hillsdale students, from attending the historic event. Some Trump supporters stood for as long as six hours, huddled in coats and ponchos, waiting to hear the

inaugural address. The crowd on the National Mall resembled an ocean of red because of the “Make America Great Again” hats. Freshman Sam Barke, a volunteer on the presidential inauguration committee, stood on the press risers at the White House. While many people attending Friday’s event only saw President Barack Obama and Trump on a screen, Barke saw them in person, leaving

the White House together after coffee. “That was probably the highlight for me, seeing Obama leave the White House for the last time as president and see Trump enter the White House for the last time as president-elect,” he said. Chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump,” and “USA!” echoed as Trump’s inauguration address drew near. In a continuation of election animosity, the crowd

booed when President Bill Clinton and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton were introduced. When Trump took the oath of office, the sea of Trump supporters raised their hands, waved American flags, and roared with cheers. Junior Victoria Watson recalls the moment Trump was sworn in as surreal. “There was a point when Trump had his hand on the Bi-

ble, and the whole capital was silent except for the protestors,” Watson said. “I was just overwhelmed with the fact that I was part of history.” Right from the beginning of the speech, Trump thanked his supporters, promising to defend them in Washington and fight the political establishment. “Today, we are not merely transferring power from one admin- See Trump A3

Community unites to find missing 9-year-old boy Jace Lyon found hiding in neighbor’s home By | Thomas Novelly Editor-in-Chief As Chuck Bianchi cooked breakfast for his wife and daughter around 6 a.m. on Jan. 19, he saw someone dart past his front door in between the driveway and his attached garage. Bianchi glanced out his back window to catch a glimpse of the person running through his yard. But he was long gone. “I saw a human being run through there that morning,” Bianchi said in an interview with The Collegian. “I went to look, but I didn’t see anything. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it.” On Jan. 20, less than 36 hours later, Chuck Bianchi said that his wife — Probate Judge Michelle Bianchi — found 9-year-old Jace Lyon in their basement, crammed under a

tiny white desk, terrified for his life. Lyon ran away from home late the night of Jan. 18. He stayed hidden in the Bianchi’s basement for two days as the local police, county sheriff ’s office, dogs, helicopters, hundreds of community volunteers, and even the FBI searched for him. “When we found him, he was...he was just so scared,” Chuck Bianchi said. “He was shaking. My wife coaxed him out and carried him upstairs to our couch. He was looking at us with this expression that just said ‘Help me. Please.’” According to court documents obtained by MLive.com, Jace was a foster child, adopted by Tanya Lyon, an unmarried nurse who works all-day

See Runaway A7

Jace Lyon, 9, was found Jan. 20 in a neighbor’s home after going missing for two days. Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office | Courtesy

Violent protests plague Trump inauguration

Firefighters attempt to put out a blaze in a black SUV on 13th Street after being lit on fire by rioters moments before. Philip H. DeVoe | Collegian

By | Philip H. DeVoe City News Editor Washington, D.C. — Protesters at Logan Circle and 13th and K streets celebrated President Donald Trump’s inauguration Friday by breaking windows, damaging police cars, and igniting vehicles on fire. Metropolitan police managed to contain the rioters in small pockets around the city through the use of the Special Weapons and Tactics team and lines of policemen on motorcycles. “Members of the group in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property,” Washington, D.C., metro police said in a statement. “More specifically, the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple busi-

nesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars, hammers, and asps.” The riots come months after President Barack Obama told Americans to stand together and support Trump and the peaceful transition of power. “The presidency, the vice presidency is bigger than any of us,” Obama said in an address on Nov. 9. “We’re actually all on one team. We’re not Democrats first. We’re not Republicans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country.” In the hours before the inauguration began, however, rioters damaged a McDonald’s and burned Trump signs before being subdued by police. At around 4:20 p.m., rioters ignited a black SUV on 13th Street near K Street, and firefighters extinguished it by 4:23

p.m. While blocking spectators from the rioters gathered at Franklin Square and managing the flames, police fired tear gas deterrents into the crowds of rioters, according to a police officer on the scene. By 5 p.m., the SWAT team and local police had blocked protesters from advancing east on K Street toward the Capitol. At Franklin Square, rioters dressed in bandanas and goggles — both to conceal their identity and protect against tear gas — were smoking marijuana and listening to a band and several speakers, including a Native American woman who commended “standing up to the police state” and instructed them to “destroy the police.” Peaceful protesters, on the other hand, marched and held signs in the Penn Quarter and Downtown, west and north

of the White House. Most protesters spoke out against Trump’s statements toward women, while others expressed concern with his stance on the environment. Jared Goldstein of Providence, Rhode Island, traveled with his son and daughter to speak out against Trump, as well as join the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday. “I’ve seen a real hostility coming out of people since the election,” Goldstein told The Collegian. His son, Sam, said he was a Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., supporter throughout the Democratic primary and general election and that he opposes Trump for similar reasons to his father’s. “He is giving hate a megaphone,” S a m See Riots A2

were men. Bojan Furlan and Eva Mueller from New York had planned on joining the march since they first heard about it. Furlan said they hoped the march would attract more people than Trump’s inauguration on the mall Sunday. An estimated 160,000 people attended Trump’s swearing in. Mueller, a German native, said the United States is not as progressive as her home country, and she said she is concerned about diminishing women’s rights. “The clock is being turned

back again,” she said. Their friend — Uta Brauser, who was providing free face painting of the female gender symbol for marchers — also held up a cardboard sign of a uterus, saying it was a symbol for women’s power. “We as women have power over life,” Brauser said. “We say yes or no to life, and we should decide our politics.” Junior Macy Mount, who is participating in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program this semester, attended t h e march See March A2

Students attend D.C., Ann Arbor women’s marches By | Madeline Fry Social Media Editor Washington, D.C. — More than 500,000 people gathered on Capitol Hill Saturday to voice their concerns over women’s rights. The Women’s March on Washington, which took place in D.C. and dozens of other communities across the United States, contained men and women demonstrating against a slew of issues, including abortion restrictions, climate change, and sexual assault. Hundreds of women in pink Follow @HDaleCollegian

hats gathered on the National Mall to sign a giant copy of the Constitution. The hats, knit caps with ears on each side, referenced President Donald Trump’s comments about sexually harassing women. Signs ranged from feminist phrases, like “Girl power,” to proverbs: “A woman’s place is in the revolution.” Other signs referenced the Trump administration more generally, decrying Trump’s ties to Russia or declaring that America is already great. Most protesters were women of all ages, though many brought their children or

Women’s March on Washington participants carry signs to demonstrate against abortion restictions, climate change, and sexual assault. Madeline Fry | Collegian

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A2 26 Jan. 2017

In brief:

Spalding first Kirby Center endowed chair Matthew Spalding, associate vice president and director of the Allan P. Kirby Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., was named the center’s first endowed chair this month. Hillsdale College Provost David Whalen said the college recognized Spalding with the position of Allan P. Kirby Jr. endowed chair for his excellence as a public face of the college in the capital. “The Kirby Center is Hillsdale’s campus in Washington, and as such, teaching is its primary purpose. The endowed chair is designed to promote and facilitate this central function,” Whalen said. “Dr. Spalding’s experience, keen understanding, and dedication equip him perfectly for his role at the Kirby Center and to be its first endowed chair.” Spalding thanked Kirby for his support of the college in a news release. “The work of supporting and communicating the ideas and purposes of constitutional self-government is needed now more than ever, throughout our country but especially in the nation’s capital,” Spalding said. “This endowment will allow Hillsdale to have that voice permanently.” Senior Jacob Thackston, a former student in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, said although he never had Spalding as a professor, the Kirby Center director always reached out to help him make decisions about his future. “He introduced me to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at daily mass once,” he said. “It was just a casual thing — the two struck up a conversation after mass and he said, ‘Hey, here’s one of my students.’” Junior Noah Weinrich, a current WHIP student, said he appreciates the way Spalding conducts his classroom. “I like the fact that he really challenges his students in class,” he said. “He’s the most socratic professor I’ve had — he tries to make us come to conclusions ourselves.” Weinrich also said although he has not known Spalding as a professor for very long, he recognizes his importance to the college. “Dr. Spalding bridges the gap between the theoretical world of Hillsdale and the down and dirty world of D.C.,” he said.

Grace DeSandro | Collegian

By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter

Junior Nainoa Johsens, junior Mark Englert, and junior Peter Flynn with Lindsay Osbourne at Hillside Lanes bowling alley with the Hillsdale Buddies GOAL Program. Elly Guensche | Courtesy

Hillsdale Buddies earns $1,700 grant By | Stevan Bennett Jr. Assistant Editor In late October, the finances of Hillsdale Buddies, a Hillsdale College GOAL Program, were running low for its weekly bowling initiative with special needs community members. The Hillsdale County Community Foundation, or HCCF, came to the program’s aid. The Youth Advisory Council of the the HCCF awarded Hillsdale Buddies a $1,700 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Youth Advisory Fund in December, to help the program continue to serve the special needs community of Hillsdale County. “I never really expected it, but helping with the Buddy Program has been one of the best parts of college,” junior Nainoa Johsens said. According to its mission statement, the Buddy Program is committed to enhancing the lives of those with intellectual disabilities by providing social opportunities. Through its weekly Best Buddies Bowling program, local residents with special needs can join Hillsdale College students for bowling at Hillside Lanes. Director of the Buddy Program senior Elly Guensche said the money from the grant will be used to pay for the games of bowling, which keeps the program cost-free for participants. “We want to be able to pay for the games because we think it’s a great way of thanking them for coming as well as just being another way to serve them,” she said. “It makes it so everyone is able to come, and

invite their friends, and never worry about if they need to pay for the bowling or not.” The Buddy Program received a similar grant from the Youth Advisory Council — which is made of local students ages 12-21 — last year. Guensche said she and Johsens, co-leaders of the program in the fall, realized they could once again apply for the grant only a week before the November deadline. After submitting the written application, the council asked the program to make a presentation before the council. “The factor that really moved the council was that they serve the disabled population, and there aren’t a lot of those opportunities in Hillsdale County,” HCCF President Sharon Bisher said. “Also, they saw the relationship the college students develop with these individuals and how important these relationships become to the individuals.” For Guensche, this gratitude comes with excitement, as she looks forward to the opportunities it will provide for both participants and volunteers. “It is such a joyous and loving atmosphere. For us, it is so meaningful that members of the community want to come spend their time with us,” she said. “For them, I think it is really meaningful to know that students want to spend time with them and keep them going...I think they can really see how deeply we care for them.” Those interested in volunteering with the Hillsdale Buddies can contact Guensche for more information.

‘Resume Olympics’ Monday By | Tim Pearce Assistant Editor February and March are busy months for students applying for summer internships, jobs, and graduate school. Hillsdale College’s career services office is holding a “Resume Olympics” to help them prepare for the couple of busy months ahead. Career services staff and Student Affairs Mentors are offering quick, one-on-one resume help sessions Monday from 1-5 p.m. in the Grewcock Student Union. “Students come into our office all the time and don’t have any idea of what a resume is and don’t know where to start,” Assistant Director of Career Services Sophia Carr said. “Really anyone has something to put on a resume. It’s just a lot of students don’t know where to start.” Carr said she hopes the event will help with three job fairs the office is advertising in February: Job Pursuit in Lansing, the Classical School Job Fair in Hillsdale’s Searle Center, and the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Career services is also collecting students’ resumes to send to employers in advance of the job fairs.

Junior Peter Flynn with Cassandra Stuckey at the Hillside Lanes bowling alley with the Hillsdale Buddies GOAL Program. Elly Guensche | Courtesy

March from A1

but did not participate. “As I observed all the men, women, and children who were participating in the march, I was trying to figure out what their mission was,” Mount said. “There was no cohesive message. I think the vulgarity of their language made more of a statement than anything else did.” Other students attended marches in Michigan to show their support. Seniors Lauren Melcher and Rachael Reynolds joined a sister march in Ann Arbor. “What I saw at the march was thousands of other women and men in a peaceful demonstration, and it proved to me that there was more to it than what I was seeing in my little bubble in Hillsdale,” Reynolds said. “It truly was amazing seeing and hearing all of the positive and encouraging thoughts coming alive as we marched. I am prouder than ever to be a woman.”

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By | Breana Noble News Editor Student workers are getting a boost in pay this semester, after Michigan’s minimum wage increased from $8.50 to $8.90 per hour Jan. 1. “It means they’re getting paid more,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said. After Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed the Workforce Opportunity Wage Act into law in May 2014, the college’s departments have budgeted for the changes, as the minimum wage gradually raises to $9.25 by Jan. 1, 2018. The increases led to a temporary halt on the semesterly wage made previously available to students and decreases in hours for some. Many departments, such as Mossey Library, rely upon student employees to function. Knowing when the minimum wage is increasing allows them to submit their budgets to the college with the raises factored in, a luxury missed in 2014 when the law passed after the departments had already submitted their budgets, rendering it too late to factor in the increase. “We had to make cuts,” Public Service Librarian Linda Moore said. “We need our student workers.” But for departments independent of the college’s financing such as the college

bookstore, which runs off what it makes, the minimum wage increase means it has to make cuts to keep expenditures low. The bookstore had to cut some student hours, as it did last year, said Cindy Willing, the bookstore’s director. It may even eliminate a student employee in the future, once the seniors graduate, Willing said. “I don’t want to,” Willing said. “I love having students in the store. They’re good workers.” Junior Erin Wonders is a cashier in the bookstore and said her and her colleague’s hours were cut in the less busy mornings and late afternoons. Although Wonders said she likes the extra money from the minimum wage, it makes it difficult for employers to reward their workers. “I think it’s hard that if you get promoted and then the minimum wage gets increased, it’s hard for employers to continue that [difference in pay] for doing the same thing you were doing before,” Wonders said. That shows in the college’s decision last year to suspend 10-cent semesterly wage increases until further notice. Although some students can get paid extra for working unfavorable hours, holding supervisor roles, or using unique skills, most student employees are being the same minimum

wage, regardless of longevity. “We’re holding off until we stabilize and look at that again over time until the market is where it needs to be,” Péwé said. Other students expressed concerns about the effect of the minimum wage increase on prices. “I’m really unfavorable,” said junior Holly Irmer, a library reference worker. “It doesn’t matter that I get paid more. I have to pay more for things.” Irmer said this became evident to her when she returned to Michigan from winter break when she worked at Shoe Sensation in Nebraska, making a $9 minimum wage. “Here, I can buy milk for $1.29,” she said. “I couldn’t find anything cheaper than $2.30 at home.” As for salaried employees, a U.S. Department of Labor rule under the Fair Labor and Standards Act looked to double the overtime threshold, increasing those eligible for overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476 a year, starting Dec. 1. Péwé said some employees of the college would have been affected by the law, but an injunction by a federal judge has prevented the law from being enacted while the courts determine if the federal department’s rule is valid. “We were prepared, but it didn’t go into effect,” Péwé said.

email. “The stories and experiences of American Indians, explorers, pioneers, and settlers contributed greatly to the character of America, and their legacy is part of what makes America great today.” Part of this societal inheritance from the Old West comes from the culture of the times. Unique to this CCA is a musical performance by Sourdough Slim, the “last of the Vaudeville Cowboys.” He will be performing at 8 p.m. on Monday, singing, yodeling, and playing the guitar, harmonica, and accordion. “I think hearing the music of the time really adds to the experience of the West and gives a good perspective on where cowboy culture comes from,” Rick Crowder, or “Sourdough Slim,” said. In addition, audience mem-

bers will hear from Peter Hassrick, director emeritus of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West; Nathaniel Philbrick, an expert on the Battle of the Little Bighorn; and more. “Taken as a whole, we think that the program will give students, faculty, staff, and visitors a good introduction to the American West,” Bell said. Gaining a better understanding of what life in the West was like in comparison to how it is portrayed in films and TV is what sophomore Alexander Green said he is most looking forward to about the CCA. “The American West is kind of a nostalgic thing for me,” Green said. “I grew up watching westerns with my family, and I thought learning more about it seemed really interesting.”

CCA takes audience to the Old West By | Clara Fishlock Collegian Freelancer Hillsdale College is taking campus to the days of cowboys, accordions and banjos, and the California gold rush. The third Center for Constructive Alternatives seminar for the academic year Sunday to Wednesday will take its audience to the American West. Combining presentations from historians, authors, and a musical performer, the CCA will focus on the Old West, spanning roughly from Lewis and Clark’s journey in 1804 until 1890. “The American West is important to the character of America as a whole, not only geographically, but also politically, culturally, and anthropologically,” Director of External Affairs Matt Bell said in an

Riots from A1

A medic among the protesters uses eye drops to clean tear gas out of another protester’s eyes. Philip H. DeVoe | Collegian

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Goldstein said. Jared Goldstein said he supported Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because she is competent, has experience, and has supported Obama’s healthcare and immigration platforms. He also said he just wanted to oppose Trump. Eva Munt of the Bloomington, Vermont, area said she supported Sanders during the primary and Clinton for the general election. She, however, said she recognized Clinton’s faults. “I have an issue with some of her dealings in money, that she was paid by Wall Street for speeches, for example,” Munt said. Her friend Lynn Holbein, a Clinton supporter throughout both elections, said her issues with Trump emerge from his lack of character and temperament. She said his brash and blunt attitude toward America’s allies worries her. “The leader of the free

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world shouldn’t act like that,” Holbein said. “Clinton, on the other hand, is even-tempered and smart.” Tia Ma and Kathleen McKee from Gainesville, Florida, were protesting in Penn Quarter, with signage reading, “We the people say not legitimate” and “Oval Office is for public servants.” “I am also concerned about his business deals, and I don’t know that he really cut ties with his businesses,” McKee said. Ma said her main issue is with Trump’s stance on the environment, especially his pick for the Environmental Protection Agency’s director, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. “Our planet is on the crux of a tipping point, and I am severely concerned about the state of the Earth,” Ma said. “President Trump doesn’t care enough and won’t be able to fix this problem.”

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A3 26 Jan. 2017

Zemel, Parker zap awards for bug research By | Madeleine Jepsen Assistant Editor Although people typically consider wasps, flies, and mosquitoes to be pests, seniors Joel Parker and Ryan Zemel spent part of their summer trying to attract the insects. Parker and Zemel both won cash awards from the Michigan Entomological Society for their presentations on LED lighting in traps and a survey of specific insects present at Hillsdale College’s G.H. Gordon Biological Station in Luther, Michigan. The two won first and second place at the society’s annual conference in June, and their research was published in brief in the society’s annual newsletter in December. Professor of Biology David

Houghton, the former president of the Michigan Entomological Society, said the conference provides students with an opportunity to present their work in a professional but friendly environment. Zemel’s project tested the effectiveness of LED lighting, or light-emitting diodes, in attracting insects. His traps, which he designed and built himself, featured lights of different wavelengths of UV, or ultraviolet light. Many insects can see wavelengths of UV light, which are invisible to the human eye, and many flowers emit certain wavelengths that attract specific insects. Zemel said he hoped to find a specific wavelength of light to attract mosquitoes. “We found for sure that ul-

Senior Ryan Zemel sets up his bug trap using LED lights. Ryan Zemel | Courtesy

Sororities welcome home new sisters By | Brendan Clarey Assistant Editor Hillsdale College’s sorority houses added nearly 60 women during formal spring recruitment earlier this month. Starting Jan. 14, formal recruitment of new members began with open houses in all three dorms and continued for three days. Chi Omega welcomed 16 new members, Kappa Kappa Gamma greeted 20, and Pi Beta Phi received 22 new members. “The Greek system is strong; it is doing well,” Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell said. “This is a testament to three healthy houses.” After formal recruitment ended, the sororities gained more members by continuous open bids, or COBs, intended to help average out the size of the houses by extending bids to women who have expressed interest in joining a house but did not attend formal recruitment, Dell said. Chi Omega extended four COBs, Kappa Kappa Gamma offered one COB, and Pi Beta Phi gave out two COBs. Dell said the bids could continue indefinitely, but they will probably be accepted or rejected by Friday. President of Kappa Kappa Gamma Maria Theisen said she was surprised to see the

general interest in the Greek system as a whole, a possible effect of the coordination between the three sororities in the fall homecoming competitions, she said. “This year in particular was really great, because of how many girls were interested in joining the system rather than individual houses,” Thiesen said. “From the conversations that were had, the girls are interested in making the Greek system better.” Dell said the Greek system creates a community of diverse interests. “Sororities are unifying factors,” Dell said. “They bring 83 women from all over campus into one gravy, a mini-picture of the whole campus in one house.” Hannah Schultz, a freshman Pi Phi pledge, said she found that aspect appealing. “I really liked the sisterhood aspects and lifelong connections that form as result,” she said. Senior Catharine Pearsall, who joined Chi Omega her sophomore year, said sorority sisters become family. “I see a lot of girls looking for a community,” she said. “A lot of the girls are far from home, so a lot of them are excited about joining.”

The new pledges for Hillsdale College’s Rho Gamma chapter of the Chi Omega sorority pose with Recruitment Chairwoman junior Erin Wonders during bid night on Jan. 16 in the sorority’s house.

things to know from this week

-Compiled by Brendan Clarey

traviolet LEDs attract insects, which is something that hasn’t really been studied before since LEDs are so new,” Zemel said. “They know black light has always attracted insects but not the LED type of bulb.” Although Parker and Zemel are still working on identifying and counting the specimens from their traps, Zemel said his preliminary results generally show certain wavelengths of light attract certain groups of insects. His trap design also gives future researchers additional portability, since the batteries of traditional light traps can weigh as much as 15 pounds. Zemel’s traps, which run on AA batteries, only weigh about half a pound. “What happens is the insects go to the light, and fumes from the ethanol will knock out the insect, or they’ll just land in the ethanol and die,” Parker said. “Then you can collect all the insects and identify them.” Parker’s research involved several methods of trapping insects to identify different species present at the biostation. Parker focused on the order Hymenoptera, a classification group which includes insects such as bees, wasps, and ants. Parker said wasps and bees tend to fall into one of two categories: pollinators, which carry plant pollen from flower to flower, and parasitoids, which lay their eggs in another organism that eventually dies. Different parasitoid species choose specific species on which to prey, and determining these relationships can help scientists to try and control invasive species. Parker

Senior Ryan Zemel created a bug trap with LED lights. Ryan Zemel | Courtesy

said identifying the parasitoid species in an area can help researchers match it to specific prey that live in the same area and habitat. “What I was trying to do was take a survey and understand why those particular species to figure out why they show up in a particular habitat, which can tell us what kind of thing it’s parasitoiding,” he said. “There’s this idea of biological control, which is where you bring in another insect to counteract the

effect of an invasive species.” Both Parker and Zemel are continuing the identification of the specimens from their traps, a process Parker said can be extremely tedious and specific, since identifying a species can require as much detail as counting the tiny hairs on a specimen. Parker’s project has spanned the course of two years, and Zemel said he will probably make another improved design for LED-based traps for fun.

Student Federation members take their oaths at the governing body’s first meeting of the semester Jan. 18. Emily Blatter | Collegian

Student Fed reps inducted By | Emily Blatter Collegian Reporter Fifteen new members of Hillsdale’s Student Federation were sworn in Jan. 19 at the governing body’s first meeting of the semester. Almost the entire federation consists of new members. Aside from the four officers, only two 2016 representatives returned: sophomore Thomas Ryskamp and junior John Gage. Student Fed also introduced its new faculty adviser, Assistant Director of Student Activities Ashlyn Landherr, who is replacing Student Activities Director Anthony Manno. “I want to encourage you all to transcend your position,” Landherr told the federation. “Don’t just do what’s asked of you; go above and beyond. Always remember that you’re students serving students.” The federation also selected the chairmen and members of its eight committees. Sophomore Ross Hatley is Student Fed’s treasurer and will

serve as the Finance Committee’s chairman in accordance with the federation’s constitution. The committee’s six members are the first to hear funding requests from campus and decides whether to recommend full, partial, or no funding to the full body. “I’m looking forward to helping develop the wonderful club proposals that make Hillsdale’s student life so vibrant,” Hatley said. Student Federation Vice President junior Maria Theisen will chair both the Philanthropy Committee and Elections Committee, as also required by the Student Fed constitution. “For Philanthropy Committee, my goal as chairman is to clarify this committee’s role and hold two events per semester,” Theisen said. “In regards to elections, I hope to streamline the process a bit more, and encourage a larger portion of campus to vote.” The Rules Committee examines the Student Federation constitution and bylaws to

ensure that the federation follows proper procedure. Freshman Rep. Matthew Clark is its chairman. “As chairman of the committee, I will continue to hold the members of the federation accountable to the rules we establish for ourselves,” Clark said. The Club Oversight Committee regulates clubs currently active on campus and investigates proposed new clubs. Ryskamp, the committee’s chairman, said he hopes to compile a list of all of the college’s active clubs and encourage a diverse and vibrant student community. Student Federation President sophomore Andres Torres is responsible for overseeing all of the committees. He said he hopes to make Student Fed more efficient and transparent by publishing meeting agendas earlier, enabling students to know ahead of time which funding requests Student Fed will consider at each meeting.

See HillsdaleCollegian.com for a full list of Student Federation committee chairmen and members

Trump from A1

istration to another or from one party to another,” he said. “But we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.” Not straying far from his campaign speeches, Trump repeated promises to bring back American jobs, put America first in foreign policy, strengthen the country’s borders, and heal the divisions in American society. Much of the event also had a religious tone, with five Christian ministers and one Jewish rabbi offering prayers and readings from scripture. Trump also didn’t shy away from religious sentiments. “There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected,” he said. “We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.” Supporters came from all over the country to attend the inaugural ceremony. Jamie Morrison of Boston, Massachusetts said he is hopeful for the president’s promise of restoring American prosperity. “I think the jobs will be very key,” Morrison said. “If he does that in the first year, he has a very good chance of being re-elected in four years.” Friday’s inauguration was the second for Allisa Redwick of Houston, Texas, who said she previously attended the inauguration of George H.W. Bush in 1988. “I just want to see the Constitution protected,” Redwick said. “I want to see our First and Second Amendment rights empowered and protected. To me, that’s the most important thing.” The inauguration attracted thousands of protesters, including Black Lives Matter activists, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters, various anarchist groups, and preachers calling those in line for the inauguration to repent for their sins. More than 200 protesters were arrested, and some reportedly “antifascist” protesters smashed windows and burned a limousine around the intersection of 12th and K streets in downtown Washington, D.C. Barke said so many protesters amassed near the White House that many guests couldn’t get into their seats to view the inauguration parade. Later, he said, protesters harassed people in line for inauguration balls by shouting profanities at women and squirting those in line with water guns. Barke attended the official inaugural ball. “Walking by the protestors, I couldn’t help but think, ‘You guys are the reason Trump won,’” Barke said. Numerous other Hillsdale College students, including senior history major Drew Jenkins attended Friday’s inauguration. Jenkins said he thought the crowd on the mall was mostly tame but that he appreciated all of the law enforcement providing security at the event. “That was one of the biggest things that stood out to me today, that there were so much law enforcement there,” he said. “There’s no way all those [police officers] were Trump supporters.” Junior John Speer, along with juniors Macy Mount and Gionna Eden, appear in the background of Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” morning program. “Ed Henry of Fox News interviewing people right next to us definitely helped to pass the time waiting for the inauguration to start,” Speer said. “It made the whole experience even more enjoyable.” Looking forward, Tim and Vicki Swallows of Palm Beach, Florida, said they are confident about the future under Trump’s administration after hearing the inaugural address. “We will back in four years to watch him swear in again,” Vicki Swallows said.

Josephine von Dohlen | Collegian

Trump signs Mexican wall executive order Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Wednesday that will initiate construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. The orders also call for more border workers and detention centers, as well as denying funds to cities that do not comply with immigration laws.

Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches new high The stock market saw the record highs as the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached more than 20,000 points for the first time Wednesday. The DJIA represents the trading activities of 30 companies during one session of trading.

Man killed at child’s school in Detroit Wednesday A man was killed in front of a Detroit elementary school Wednesday morning, after dropping off his child. Keenan Beard was in his car, when he was shot to death. Police are still looking for the gunman whom they believe to have known Beard.

Former ‘Dick van Dyke Show’ actress dies at 80 Mary Tyler Moore died on Wednesday. Moore was an actor in the “Dick van Dyke Show” as Laura Petrie. She also starred in her own show, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” as Mary Richards. Moore had diabetes and poor health for some time.

Taco Bell starts selling fried chicken Thursday Taco Bell is releasing its Naked Chicken Chalupa this week. The chapula features shell-shaped fried chicken patty holding taco meat, lettuce, and sauce. The Naked Chicken Chalupa is the first time that Taco Bell has explored fried chicken. They will cost $2.99.

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A4 26 Jan. 2017

Crises shouldn't be only call to community action

The opinion of the Collegian editorial staff

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Women's March in Ann Arbor drew marchers hoisting profane and practical picket signs. Madeline Hedrick | Courtesy

When 9-year-old Jace Lyon went missing on Jan. 18, the community was simultaneously heartbroken and united in searching for him. Thankfully, after being unattended and alone for three days, Jace was found alive and well on Jan. 20. Local and state police pooled resources, concerned residents and college students spent most of their day on Jan. 20 walking through fields hand-in-hand, and local businesses donated coffee and doughnuts to more than 200

volunteers. Hillsdale County Sheriff Tim Parker said it best: “This is, on a global scale, the most involved I’ve seen the community. We’ve seen the community involved with other events, from fires to lost loved ones, but this was incredible.” Hillsdale residents and college students have at times had a rough relationship, the “town and gown” conflict deepened by the “It’s The People” sign debate. But nothing shattered that

stereotype more than seeing a dozen college students mixed in with law enforcement, residents, and college administrators, all united at Field of Dreams park early in the morning on Jan. 20 to help find Jace. Coming together in times of crisis is important, but this shouldn’t be the only time to volunteer with members of our community. There are organizations that are constantly battling crisis in this community. Whether it’s

helping sort clothes for Salvation Army, doing construction and odd jobs for elderly residents in the city through A Few Good Men, or helping fundraise for Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness, there is always a way to give back. The community took notice when the college dedicated its resources and time to finding Jace last week — let’s make this a permanent habit.

Women’s March breathes new life into Democratic Party By | Madeline Hedrick special to the collegian The Women’s March on Washington was not a protest against the inauguration of our 45th president. It was a response to it. While President Trump’s shadow loomed large over the proceedings of the most local outpost of the event, The Women’s March Ann Arbor, the atmosphere was more joyful and less vitriolic than one might’ve expected. As the marchers wound their way through downtown Ann Arbor, the chants that normally dominate demonstrations like these — “My body, my choice,” “Keep your tiny hands off my underpants,” etc. — seemed muted, drifting briefly over the crowd and fading, to be replaced by the chattering of the crowd, the cheering of spectators, and sometimes even music. As we began to march, I was gratified to hear the women behind me sing

a rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” The signs the protesters held offered more Protestors in Women's Marches around the world donned pink crocheted cat ears to insight into the protest President Trump's lewd comments about women. Wikimedia Commons motivations purpose was unintelligible, or a whole this election, and not just of the marchers. These ranged that there wasn’t one at all. On of Hillary Clinton. from the winkingly profane the contrary, this march proved The Women’s March is a direct (“Hands off my...” followed by an itself to be more than a simple rejection of this hypothesis. oversized picture of Hello Kitty) complaint: It was the rallying of Around 500 cities hosted to the steadfastly practical (one a generation, and a new source Women’s Marches last Saturday, sign simply said “Mobilize for of hope for the Democratic and an estimated 3.3 million Midterms Nov. 6, 2018”). Signs Party. Hillary Clinton failed, people attended — around touched on issues ranging from not because of her disputed 11,000 showed up at the Ann abortion to the ongoing water record, or the vindictiveness Arbor Women’s March, and crisis in Flint, from immigration of her opposition (President over 500,000 marched in D.C. to LGBT rights. These people, Trump faced both obstacles, Speakers and celebrities rallied it was clear, were not drawn and overcame them, seemingly, the troops, reminding them to the Women’s March by one through sheer force of will), but what was at stake, in the hopes specific issue, but by a variety of because she failed to excite her that they’d come back for the experiences and opinions that, constituents. Her campaign next march, donate money to somehow, they felt the march apparatus, in its hubris, put no the next fundraiser, and, most effort into stirring up Democrats importantly, come out to the represented. This aggregation of issues in states it thought secure. As a polls for the next election. and individuals have led some result, some pundits believe the Ms. Hedrick is a freshman to write off the Women’s March American people repudiated the aims of the Democratic Party as studying political economy. altogether, saying that its

March for Life is the true cry for human rights By | Kathleen Russo special to the collegian On Jan. 21, half a million people flooded the streets of Washington to participate in the Women’s March on Washington to advocate for, as one not-so-eloquent marcher put it, “just in general, women's rights.” The March was used as a demonstration for a laundry list of concerns, some legitimate and some abstract and vague to the point of meaningless, all united by a strong belief in universal human rights. The March organizers state in their “Guiding Vision and Definition of Principles” that “human rights” are the “basic and original tenet from which all our values stem.” Marchers and media alike

knowledge and virtue, of people striving for goodness, truth, and beauty, what did our response to such humor communicate to these performers? If we are going to make grand speeches about the evils of society and the need for change, why do our actions tell such a different story? We criticize our leaders for participation in lewd behaviors and then immerse ourselves in music, television, and other entertainment that glorifies, excuses, or minimizes all manner of immorality. Am I merely overreacting? It was simply a night of fun. Why can I not

human rights, they succeeded only in promoting their own self-serving agenda. Laughably, Pastor Sylvia Baker-Noren of Tompkinsville, Kentucky’s First United Methodist Church told reporters that the women marching “want to be able to remember that all persons have human rights. All persons… regardless of their situation.” It is because of my firm conviction in these principles that I have utter disregard and borderline disgust for the Women’s March, which fails to accomplish its even most basic objectives: to promote human dignity. I instead choose to turn my effort and attention to the March for Life, taking place this Friday in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 43rd year of demonstration in support of basic human rights

indulge in an evening of humor without constantly analyzing what I am watching? The answer is brief but poignant. If we, who claim to be different, indulge in the same behaviors that we criticize in others, how can we expect to change society? When the world sees us, what incentive does it have to alter its behavior? The change must start with us, and it must start with the little things. In light of that conviction, do I regret my decision to stay seated? Not in the least. Sincerely, Molly Schutte

at the March for Life, which draws just as many, if not more, marchers. The peaceful protest set a record in 2013, with 650,000 people in attendance. Hillsdale College’s Students for Life club alone will be bussing in an incredible 97 students this year. The March for Life is the true cry for human rights. The pro-life message is incredible: choosing life is the ultimate extension of love, charity, and selflessness. The rejection of abortion means that women must put their own position and feelings aside and think of someone else, someone who is innocent and at their complete mercy. Is there any higher expression of love? Yet, Women’s Marchers tromped around, toting “Love Trumps Hate” posters in one hand and “Abortion for All” in the other. Not to mention that life is an

actual human right, whereas abortion is a human right only in the imagination of the very creative. You simply do not have the right to take away someone else’s human right to life. Thankfully, us women have the opportunity to walk in the March for Life this Friday, supporting actual human rights and showing true love; demonstrating that women do have the power to change the world for our daughters — and without wearing vulgarities on our heads. Ms. Russo is a sophomore studying American Studies and is the Event Coordinator for Students for Life.

This will ruffle some feathers

The last song ended, the audience burst into applause, and I had to make a decision. Despite the crowd’s standing ovation, I chose to remain seated, and I have been asking myself why ever since. The impressive performance by the cast of Broadway’s Next Hit Musical was unlike anything I have ever seen, but despite the humor of the first half, I became increasingly perturbed as the show progressed. The disappointment I felt as it drew to a close, however, was not directed at the performers.

The barrage of sexual jokes, arguably the only humor incorporated in the second half, elicited a positive response from the audience, whose encouragement of such humor naturally perpetuated it. One line delivered by the emcee at the beginning echoes in my mind: “If you don’t like the show, it’s probably your fault since you are the ones giving the suggestions.” In one of his later passing remarks, he expressed surprise at the similarity of the Hillsdale audience to that of Vermont. Although said in jest, the comment revealed a deeper issue. If we claim to be a bastion of

“apparently they don't believe in a right to choose what [women are] going to believe." The March’s overwhelming and widespread support for abortion completely undermines its “moral imperative.” Science proves again and again that human life begins at conception. Abortion advocates have even conceded the point. So why are the unborn being excluded from what claims to be the most inclusive demonstration in history? Not only are they being excluded, but Marchers danced on their graves, in a tragic and blatant disregard for the innocent. Women no longer want “safe, rare and legal” abortions, they want babies ripped from the womb just to show they can, and they want you to pay for it. The Women’s March completely and utterly failed to promote

By Joel Haines

Dear Editor,

paint the protest as though it was the dawn of the fight for human rights. Any facet of the March that can be used to highlight the “never before seen” turnout is being exploited, including the strain put on the D.C. mobile networks. While the media was busy drooling over cell phone coverage, they failed to cover the irony undermining the integrity of the Women’s March. And where irony wasn’t punching holes in the fabric of the marchers’ brand new pink crocheted hats, tragedy was making up for it. While the Marchers did seek to advance a variety of causes, the most consistent was the demand for abortion and birth control. Despite their claims of inclusivity, the March excluded a number of pro-life groups because, as former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said,

A5 26 Jan. 2017

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Save Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ for Trump’s first address, first ‘The Last Dance,’ not the first week equally ambitious indulgent,” she said. “He didn't By | Thomas Novelly Collegian Editor-in-Chief like it. That song stuck and he couldn't get it off his shoe." “My Way” may be As President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania braggadocious, but it is not glided across the dance floor to a bad song. What makes the Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” at the pompous and proud lyrics with audiences post-inauguration Liberty Ball, resonate they probably thought the tune depending on the situation. was fitting for the politically- “My Way” is a song reserved for incorrect candidate that rocked epic and earned conclusions, not new beginnings. Just look the nation. But by selecting Sinatra’s at the lyrics. “I've loved, I've laughed and classic as the song for the first presidential dance, Trump cried/ I've had my fill, my share started the administration off of losing.” Ironic lyrics for the president on the wrong note and proved to be the very reason for why who said in his inaugural Ol’ Blue Eyes grew to despise address just hours before the first dance that, “America will his own song. “My Way” was written for start winning again, winning Sinatra by friend and songwriter like never before.” Americans Paul Anka. It debuted in 1969 should hope that Trump hasn’t and immediately began topping given up on them that fast. “And now, the end is near / the charts in Canada, the UK, and the United States. But after And so I face the final curtain.” President Trump has just singing the lyrics for barely a year, Sinatra said it quickly started his show on the world stage, and curtain call isn’t for became his most hated song. In a conversation with four more years, maybe even songwriter Ervin Drake in longer. He should slow down. With lyrics about “living a 1970, he confessed that he “detested” singing “My Way” life that’s full” it’s hardly a song and thought audiences would the nation would want the view it as “a self-aggrandizing commander in chief to embrace. With lyrics about reflecting life tribute.” Sinatra’s family has said on and remembering all the hard numerous occasions that the times, it’s no wonder that it is singer hated boastfulness, and most often heard at funerals, saw the song as the antithesis of retirements, and memorials. In 2005, a survey by Cothe pet peeve he so desperately Operative Funeralcare put despised. In an interview with BBC this tune at the top of songs in 2000, Sinatra’s daughter most requested at funerals in Tina said because of the song’s the U.K. The inauguration ball immense popularity, it began to shouldn’t carry the somber, reflective tone of a funeral, but feel like a curse. "He always thought that rather the good that comes song was self-serving and self- from the winds of change.

By | Garrison Grisedale class which shows them only Special to The Collegian disdain, Trump realizes “what truly matters is not which party “The forgotten men and controls our government, but women of our country will be whether our government is forgotten no longer,” Trump controlled by the people.” He thundered in his inaugural presents a clear dichotomy address. “From this moment not between Republican and on, it’s going to be America Democrat, but good and bad. All those who said he was First” — as if an American president could rule by any unfit for office were right. He is other creed. But the people unfit for their system. But that’s erupted, hearing a pledge the point. The crowd erupted yet again foreign to their ears. when Trump uttered three With this simple promise, words all Americans know but Trump espoused a visceral understanding of the our last Commander-in-Chief Constitution in a way his Ivy refused to say: radical Islamic League predecessors did not: terrorism. The enemy’s impetus Power resides in the people. has been named, a sword has Trump’s campaign centered been driven through the heart around one “crucial conviction: of political correctness. No that a nation exists to serve its more will our dialogue bend reality to accommodate a false citizens.” And on Jan. 20, we witnessed vision. In his first week, Trump has not a transfer of “power from one administration to another” advanced boldly. Obamacare but a transfer of power from has been gutted, awaiting a final an out-of-touch political death blow from Congress. He class to an administration has withdrawn the U.S. from championing the “just and the Trans Pacific Partnership, reasonable demands of a a 5,000-page supposed “free trade” deal which jettisons righteous public.” Trump’s conservatism is not our sovereignty to foreign one of airy platitudes. It is tied institutions and undermines to real people and a particular our working class. In the same spirit, reports nation. He seeks to conserve something concrete in our say Trump is drafting an republic by reestablishing the order to cut funding to people as sovereign masters of international institutions such as the U.N. The Mexico City government. He lambasted the squirming Policy has been revived: no politicians sitting around him. more American dollars will go But he was not speaking to overseas to nongovernmental them; he looked out over the organizations that encourage crowd of citizens, and to them abortion. He ordered a freeze alone he spoke. He pointed out on all new regulations and their observations: Washington federal hirings, as well as EPA has thrived, but they have not. grants. The Dakota Access In light of the people’s and Keystone pipelines have Mr. Novelly is a senior studying righteous anger at a political been approved, and Trump has politics and journalsim. The lyrics of “My Way” truly mean something when the good fight has been fought and the hard work is finished. “To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels/ The record shows I took the blows and did it my way.” Sure, President Trump has plenty of reason to celebrate. The political outsider took on 17 politically seasoned Republican challengers to secure the party’s nomination. Then, he defeated fundraising giant and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in perhaps the biggest presidential upset in United States history. But it’s been more than two months since Election Day. The pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day is supposed to reflect the optimism of the peaceful transition of power, not the complacency of a wellfought campaign. As Trump said in his inaugural address, our work as Americans has just begun. “We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country,” Trump said. “And to restore its promise for all of our people.” With immense challenges such as domestic terrorism, crippling national debt, and border security on his agenda, Trump should save “My Way” for the end of his hopefully successful career.

announced his hopes to cut taxes and slash regulations by up to 75 percent. Most importantly, Trump has kept true on the defining issue of his campaign: immigration. He ordered the construction of the wall, and is moving to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding. Reports say he plans to unveil a temporary ban on immigration from seven volatile Middle-Eastern countries. In all of these actions, Trump has been careful to issue only executive orders in conformity with the law as it currently exists. Everything he has done has been within his just and legal authority. Trump’s first inaugural address was ruthless and optimistic, and his first week has been equally ambitious. With an unapologetic reliance on God and a heartfelt appeal to patriotism, he cleanly broke from the status quo. The political class, the “experts,” writhed at that sacred guarantee: “From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.” Thus far, Trump has kept all of the promises he made on the campaign trail. It appears Donald Trump is going to govern as Donald Trump. All of his predictions are coming true, except perhaps for one: No, Mr. President, We the People are not tired of winning. Not quite yet. Mr. Grisedale is a sophomore studying politics.

Obama’s midnight clemency exposes Democrats’ double standard By | Josh Lee Collegian Reporter

The Temptation of St. Anthony Salvador Dalí | Wikiart

The Persistence of Dalí’s vision in 2017 By | Nicolas Rowan Collegian Reporter Picture a gaggle of gangly elephants gyrating about on a desert landscape as a lone man, naked and unprotected, attempts to resist the gilded promises they offer him. This is not a metaphor for how the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential victory — which at first appeared to free the American people from their Bush and Obama-era bureaucratic enslavement — will actually only bind the nation further into the thralls of technocratic liberalism, primarily because of our new president’s obsession with deals, costs, and efficiency. This is just Salvador Dalí’s 1946 painting “The Temptations of Saint Anthony.” Dalí, the Spanish surrealist best remembered for “The Persistence of Memory” — a 1931 painting of melting clocks drooping on a desertscape — died 28 years ago on Monday, but his life and works remain an artistic backdrop for the absurdity of the modern project. Always the eccentric, during his life Dalí tried to distance himself from society in which he lived — mustachioed and old, in 1969 he once hobbled up the stairs of the Paris metro so he could give his pet anteater a breath of fresh air. Another time, at the opening of the London Surrealist exhibition in 1936, he dressed in a wetsuit with a billiards cue stick in hand and gave a lecture on “plunging into the depths of the human mind” while walking a pair of

Russian wolfhounds. Actress Mia Farrow, who starred in Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror film “Rosemary’s Baby” about the birth of the anti-Christ, recalled that later in life Dalí would send her a telegram every year on Palm Sunday that read “Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday.” But Dalí was not the avantgarde clown he often made himself out to be. The artist had a keen fascination with how modern science and how the invention of the atomic bomb affected the way men live in society. Dalí considered modern atomic theory — and all the intellectual efforts of the 20th century — a threepart attempt to understand humanity in strictly material terms. “The specialized sciences of our time are concentrating on the study of the three constants of life: the sexual instinct, the sentiment of death, and the anguish of space-time,” he said in a 1968 interview. Dalí’s belief about the human condition pervades the bulk of his works. Early paintings depict the dictators Hitler and Lenin distorted in a Freudian sexual imagery. Middle works, such as “The Persistence of Memory,” depict a fascination with time trapped in the material world. Later in life, Dalí embraced Catholicism, and his work reflects a despair at modern science’s attempt to define man’s meaning in purely material terms. “Corpus Hypercubus” (1954) presents Christ crucified on a tesseract and “The Temptations of Saint Anthony” (1946) depict

the hermit repelling a host of elephant-borne lusts with a cross. This final image — St. Anthony warding off sensual desire incarnate in the longlegged elephant — remains one of Dalí’s most well-known images. For in it, the artist uses all of his absurdities, his optical tricks, to present a man desiring holiness yet assaulted by a world that wants him to focus only on selfish and material desire. It’s an image that everyone, whether they stand on the left or the right, should be viewing right now. In the now over-a-century long struggle between Marxism and capitalism in the American political scene, we have forgotten that neither ideology gives us meaning. The Reagan-era conservatives can shout controlling a people’s destinies with a technocratic government won’t give us fulfillment, and they would be right. But then — come on — neither will the free market. The rough beast that came slouching toward Washington this past week was just Dalí’s old elephant. It never mattered if the Republicans or the Democrats won in 2016 — that spider-like elephant would come marching in just the same, bearing Dalí’s vision of the modern project — a society obsessed with sexual identity, racing against the melting clock to make America great again. Raise your crucifix high and resist the temptation to join in. Mr. Rowan is a sophomore studying history.

In his final hours as president, Obama exposed the fallacious justice by which liberals operate. Chelsea Manning, the Army intelligence analyst who was convicted of espionage for leaking over 700,000 classified documents to Wikileaks, had her 35-year sentence commuted. After serving seven years behind bars, Obama said he felt “justice has been served” and set her release for this May. The hypocrisy of this clemency, compared with the Democrats newly restored outrage at the DNC hacker, is stunning. Obama announced this grant of clemency after weeks of Democrats complaining of the injustice inflicted on them by the alleged “Russian hacking” of the 2016 election. There is no question of a crime committed. The thief responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee and Clinton adviser John Podesta’s emails would certainly see the inside of a jail cell. So, why does Obama feel Manning’s case is different? Manning’s crimes compromised America's national security and placed the lives of her fellow servicemen in danger. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton’s comments highlight the magnitude of Manning’s crimes against the military where the senator was serving as an army officer. “When I was leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Private Manning was undermining us by leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to Wikileaks.” He continues, “I don’t understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies. We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr.”

In contrast, the DNC hacker did not put anyone’s life in danger, no national secrets or assets were compromised, and their actions can’t be proved to have changed a single vote in the election. By celebrating Manning’s release are liberals signaling that the DNC hacker should be granted clemency as well? No, that can’t be right. It is difficult to understand why this leaker is suddenly worthy of “special compassion” from liberals; that is, until her transgender status is taken into account. She was Bradley Manning when she gave classified documents containing the “Iraq war logs”, “Afgan War Diary”, and over 250,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables to Wikileaks. This made Julian Assange’s group a household name and was most likely the inspiration for Edward Snowden’s leak three years later. Bradley became Chelsea while in prison and the Army recently agreed to pay for gender reassignment surgery after two suicide attempts last year. The transgender community has repeatedly called for her release, saying her imprisonment at an all-men’s penitentiary is in violation of her rights. When Obama announced he was commuting Manning’s sentence, the transgender community erupted in celebration. Human rights researcher Adam Frankel wrote in The Hill that the commutation was a “momentous occasion” for the rights of transgender people. But after the Democrats aimed their wrath at the DNC hacker, Manning’s clemency sends a dangerous message. This message sent by Obama is that actual espionage by demographic allies of the left will be forgiven, but embarrassing the president’s party and his chosen successor is a high crime against democracy. Letting off people who deliberately exposed our nation's secrets when they had a obligation to protect them

is always a bad idea. Doing so for apparently personal and political reasons compounds the offense. The American people could simply overlook this if it was an isolated event, but it’s not. The other notable commutation was Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera. In the 1970s, Rivera led a violent but futile struggle to win independence for Puerto Rico by carrying out more than 120 bombings at banks, government offices and military facilities that killed Americans. He has expressed no remorse for his actions and actually had additional years added to his sentence for coordinating a failed escape plan with his followers. Again, it is difficult to understand why liberals have sympathy for Lopez Rivera until surveying the many celebrities and activist like Lin-Manuel Miranda, South Africa’s Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Senator Bernie Sanders who see him as a martyr for liberal causes. Sanders called him “one of the longestserving political prisoners in history — 34 years, longer than Nelson Mandela.” Releasing unrepentant criminals might make liberals feel good for showing mercy to their friends but only at a high cost to society. There is no justice in Obama’s midnight pardoning of individuals like Manning and Lopez Rivera who happen to fit the demographic of progressive political interest groups. The special pleading of liberals calling for mercy upon their friends but punishment for their enemies is nothing short than a double standard. Without a doubt these last acts of Obama’s presidency constituted a raw and authentic display of liberal’s distorted sense of justice. Mr. Lee is a junior studying politics and journalism.

City News

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Tyler Groenendal delivering an introduction for Joshua Hall at the economics department of West Virginia University. Tyler Groenendal | Courtesy

City of Hillsdale set to go bankrupt in 2020 By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter

Economic regression or economic development? Groenendal discusses pros, cons of government grants in Hillsdale By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor 42 Union — a recently developed apartment complex — took under a year to build and open, largely due a $785,000 grant given to the city of Hillsdale. According to senior Tyler Groenendal, this is the latest example of Hillsdale’s participation in crony capitalism. Those involved with the city government, however, argue these grants are not only a necessity, but are beneficial to the community as a whole. In a lecture delivered on Nov. 17, Groenendal took an in-depth look at crony capitalism — where a government inordinately involves itself with businesses — in Hillsdale, specifically in regard to grants and subsidies. These government hand-outs, he argued, do not lead to economic development. According to Groenendal, they lead to economic regression, and are detrimental to the city’s commercial health. His conclusion was that the city of Hillsdale — and millions of other towns across the nation — are addicted to cronyism. Hillsdale’s addiction to crony capitalism is evident due to the city’s repeated pattern of behavior in its application for government-funded grants, Groenendal said in his lecture. Though it may be driven by good intentions, this insatiable hunger for money from the state is ultimately misguided, he said. In his first example of what he said was crony capitalism in Hillsdale, Groenendal returned to 42 Union, which peaked his interest in cronyism. The apartment complex was developed due to a $785,000 grant, he said, and will take 33 years to recoup the initial investment. The first was Mar-Vo Mineral, which received a $82,685 grant to promote economic growth, and has provided Hillsdale with a four new jobs. “I see this failure every day out my back window,”

Groenendal said. These examples, among many others, he said, point out an irreconcilable flaw in the system, but others claim they are necessary to the city’s economic development. Groenendal argued that regardless, the city should not pursue grants. “Instead, we should be marketing the city by its strengths — the cheap cost of living and the college,” he said. However, this solution is not feasible to others in the community. “Everyone in the room agreed that it’s not the best or most efficient way to spur economic development,” Mary Wolfram, director of Economic Development, said. These government programs will exist regardless of whether or not Hillsdale takes advantage of them, she argued. By applying for these federal grants, the city of Hillsdale is able to get some of its tax dollars back, even though Mary Wolfram acknowledged it’s inefficient. According to Mary Wolfram, our tax dollars are funneled through several government agencies until they are eventually returned to the states, and then given back to cities in the forms of grants — a process which can take several years. “If this is the only way to get our tax dollars back, then we should be doing it,” she said. Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram agreed and said if the the opportunity is there, Hillsdale should take advantage of it. Gary Wolfram said Groenendal is focusing on the wrong thing. The question is not about whether or not Hillsdale should take the money, but it is about why the money is there in the first place. Groenendal disagrees, and thinks the city is motivated to solicit grants in times of desperation. “They see crumbling roads and a lack of economic development and think it’s an easy answer,” Groenendal said.

Mary Wolfram, however, said grants can be an incentive for private investment. Last year alone, private investment in Hillsdale due to grants were over $1 million. This simply means that when a grant is invested into an area of the city, the private sector responds by spending more money, fostering the development of the city’s struggling economy. Relying on her experience, Mary Wolfram said she found Tyler’s critique of the city ironic. “I come here every morning and do economic development. I don’t get to sit up there and theorize. The real world is different than the theoretical world,” she said. Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele, however, sided with Groenendal and asserted these grants are not beneficial to the community as a whole. “It’s difficult for me to see how someone can claim this is good for all of Hillsdale. I can see how it’s the other way — people get hurt,” Steele said. Steele claimed that is the problem with crony capitalism. Special and connected interests benefit, while the average citizen does not. As an example, Steele cited government interference in the sugar industry, in which the government props up the industry, hurting individual consumers. Groenendal also emphasized this point in his presentation. It is an unbreakable trend — the taxpayers and residents lose, while the government and crony businesses thrive. The overarching problem, Groenendal said, is that once a town gets involved in crony capitalism there’s no way out of it, and it is accepted as the new economic system. And it is this, according to Groenendal, that leads to the inevitable addiction that plagues the city of Hillsdale. Steele asserted that those who try to defend this cronyism are preaching against the free market and advocating for government interference. This reality, he said, is what

the Wolframs have become caught up in. “I don’t think the Wolframs believe that,” Steele said. “But what they argue for does.” According to Steele, Gary Wolfram has long been an advocate of the free market, but in his defense of Hillsdale’s insatiable craving for grants and subsidies, he is defending crony capitalism — even advocating for it. “My impression is this: it seems that the city of Hillsdale is engaging in the very thing Dr. Gary Wolfram has spoken against. This became an issue because there was an attempt to after-the-fact claim it’s economically warranted,” Steele said. “It’s not.” Steele said that the justifications for these grants are contradictions. “I get the idea that he’s gotten himself into a corner and now he’s flailing. If this is really a benefit why couldn’t it be handled by the market? Because I believe it could,” Steele said. “It strikes me that if our city council would take a different approach to economic development, it could be quite successful.” The general mentality in Hillsdale is different than in other places, however. Steele argued that an entrepreneurial attitude is lacking here, and the go-to question is ‘How do I get more hand-outs?’ “That’s why so many are hesitant to frequent businesses in Hillsdale — they don’t like the attitude,” Steele said. Councilman Adam Stockford agreed that the root cause of crony capitalism lies in the heart of the community. “It’s a cultural problem. We don’t have a willing workforce — this has to be a communal effort to revitalize, not a governmental one,” he said. Groenendal believes this recurring trend of reaching for government hand-outs will ultimately hurt the city of Hillsdale. “We can’t solve all the problems in the city of Hillsdale overnight,” Groenendal said. “But taking grants definitely won’t solve them.”

Walberg named chairman of House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions By | Kaylee McGhee Assistant Editor

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., posing for his Congressional portrait. Walberg won re-election in 2016 and will face election again in 2018. Wikipedia

On the brink of a new political season in Washington D.C., Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., was recently appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions for the 115th Congress. According to Walberg’s Communications Director Dan Kotman, chairing this subcommittee provides Walberg a leadership role in shaping important policy decisions — from health care to employment and other pocketbook issues. “It’s a prominent platform to advance solutions that increase opportunity and make life more affordable for Michigan students and families,” Kotman said in an email. This is Walberg’s fifth term serving on the House Committee on Education and Workforce, giving him the expertise and experience nec-

essary to play an influential role in the sweeping changes this subcommittee intends to make. Rep. Virginia Foxx R-NC, who also serves as the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, announced she had selected Walberg to head the subcommittee, and described him as a dedicated public servant. “I am delighted we will continue to benefit from his knowledge, experience, and strong leadership,” Foxx said in a statement. According to Foxx, Walberg will be at the forefront of the the Republican party’s efforts to push back the regulatory onslaught crushing families and small businesses. “He will also play a leading role as we advance responsible solutions that benefit the best interests of workers and employers,” Foxx said. Foxx believes Walberg’s experience serving on the House

Committee on Education and the Workforce makes him an excellent choice for the position. “Congressman Walberg has spent years—both on this committee and in the Michigan state legislature—working to advance pro-growth policies aimed at helping more Americans climb the economic ladder,” she said. “This experience, along with his deep understanding of the challenges facing today’s workers, small businesses, and retirees, makes him uniquely qualified to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.” According to Kotman, one of Walberg’s main priorities will be to fix the broken health care system imposed on citizens under the heavy weight of Obamacare. “He’s studied these issues in-depth and is recognized by his colleagues as a thoughtful policy leader,” Kotman said.

The city of Hillsdale’s general fund will be completely empty by 2020 unless it finds new ways to raise revenue, according to its latest budget report. “We are where we are not because the city was poorly managed, but because of a confluence of things that were out of the city’s control,” Professor of Economics Gary Wolfram said. Due to a mixture of a decline in state revenue sharing — which is when the state government distributes income from sales taxes to cities and townships within the state — and the increase in non-taxable land, the current budget projects the city will have to continue to cut its services. Wolfram said the city was able to stay out of debt last year because it cut things like road repair and shrank the size of its public services. “The state’s revenue sharing in 2014 was 26 percent below what it was in 2001. And it’s not just Hillsdale — it’s everywhere in the state,” he said. Wolfram also said that the state constitution is another cause for the decline in the city’s revenue. An amendment made in 1994 limits the annual increase in taxable value of property sold to no more than the rate of inflation or five percent, whichever is less, until the property is sold. Wolfram said this amendment was not designed for a decline in property values. “When you get a substantial decline in property values, like we did in 2008, these property values can’t come back at the rate they went down — they can only come back at like one to two percent,” he said. “So you get a substantial decline in property tax and revenue all at the same time.” The city collects most of its revenue from property taxes, which have been declining in the past few years because the city’s major land holders — the college and the hospital — are non-taxable. However, several parcels of land the college has purchased in the past few years are taxable because they do not specifically pertain to the college’s academic mission. These properties, located on N. Manning St. and West St. are part of an effort led by the college’s Board of Trustees to build a neighborhood in which donors and friends of the college can reside. City councilman Adam Stockford said the city of Hillsdale is already benefitting from the college’s new real estate developments. “The college is taking initiative to put property back on the tax role,” he said. “Those five lots that the college bought paid $5,000 year in property taxes. Now the Brodbeck house alone pays $20,000 a year in taxes.” The Brodbeck house is a large house located on N. Manning St. built by Hillsdale alumnus William Brodbeck ’66 as the first installment in the donor neighborhood. Chief Administrative officer Rich Péwé said in an email some buyers have expressed interest in the other properties, but no one has made an offer yet. Péwé did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the college’s intent toward the city’s revenue by building the new neighborhood. Wolfram said regardless of the college’s intent, if its building initiative works, the city of Hillsdale will more likely become an affluent place. “If we build the community the college is proposing, it will improve property values all around,” he said. “If Hillsdale becomes the cool place, the place where people want to be, you will see happen exactly what is happening in downtown Detroit — rich people will move here, pay taxes, and become customers at businesses in the city.” City councilman Bill Zeiser said accusations that the college does nothing for the city and that it is buying more

non-taxable land are unfounded. “I’ll call it a zombie fact that keeps coming up from the dead — that the college seems to take more from the town economically ostensibly because it is not a source of tax revenue,” he said. “With regards to the houses that it has been purchasing, since they don’t fulfill the educational mission of the college, we’re taking in more revenue on those properties than we would have.” Regardless of the college’s contributions to the city, the budget for the upcoming year does not predict increased revenue. In fact, if the city of Hillsdale outspends its revenue at all in the next few years, the city’s general fund is projected to bottom out by 2020. The general fund is revenue the city receives from its property taxes. The fund provides revenue for public services, most notably the police and fire departments. Other services receive funds from state revenue sharing programs. The city’s current revenue is about $4 million dollars, $1.9 million of which come from property taxes, according to city manager David Mackie. The City of Hillsdale’s 20162017 budget shows that the general fund has been declining since 2012 — with the exception of a balanced fund in 2016 — and projects a steady decline to zero by June 2020. The budget does, however, note that these projections are for demonstration purposes only and reflect what the general fund will look like if the city is unable to balance its budget in the coming years. Mackie said the city will have to balance its expenditures with its revenue and keep the city debt free, as it did last year, to keep from dipping into the general fund. “If we spend more of the revenue we bring in, we would have to dip into the fund balance proportionally, then it will be depleted in four years,” he said. The city’s success last year in balancing its budget came only after it pared down the city’s staff and cut equipment and personnel updates for public services. For example, the city of Hillsdale has cut the fire department’s staff from seven to four full-time firefighters. The fire department also owns the oldest operating fire truck in the state of Michigan. “The oldest fire truck in the state — that’s not a badge of honor,” said city councilman Brian Watkins at a Jan. 24 city council meeting. Former fire chief Kevin Pauken also said he was concerned with balancing the budget at the expense of public services. “I think cutting staff to pay for a truck is fixing one problem only to create another problem,” he said at the same meeting. “And I would like to see Hillsdale College pay for a new one. Other communities have done this — the University of Michigan paid for a new station and trucks for its fire department.” Mackie said things like cuts to the fire department are not enough to solve a bigger problem — the city of Hillsdale will need to find new ways to generate revenue in the coming years. “There’s not much more meat to cut off the bone,” he said. “We’re going to need to get creative with how we create revenue.” Stockford said the city will have to take responsibility for its own problems, regardless of who is to blame. “We’ve got to focus on economic development, but especially educational development for the next generation, so we can recruit companies to come here and face the tide of decline,” he said. “That’s only way to solve this. We can’t go running to the state or federal governments for long-term help — they’re not going to help us. We have to handle this problem at a local level.”

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Top to bottom: The field across which Jace ran after escaping from his home; the port cochere under which Jace ran after crossing the field and before entering the home; property owner Chuck Bianchi points to the outside wall of the house directly adjacent to where Jace was hiding and where the dogs failed to smell him. Hannah Kwapisz | Collegian

Runaway from A1 shifts at a hospital in Marshall, Michigan, and typically stays overnight. Jace would frequently be left home alone and learned to fend for himself, MLive reported. Hillsdale County Sheriff Tim Parker said in a public video following Jace’s disappearance that Jace could be described as “a very smart child, a very intelligent child, and very resourceful.” The Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s Office said Jace had run away numerous times before, but this was the longest he had been missing. Police said they received a call from Tanya Lyon at 9:04 p.m. on Jan. 18 saying she had just returned home from work and her son Jace Landon Lyon was missing from their residence at 1611 E. Moore Road, in Fayette Township. Tanya Lyon told police she received a call from Jace around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 18 to tell her he was home, and he was going to make himself

some dinner. Parker said Tanya Lyon typically calls her son every 30 minutes to check in, but he didn’t answer the phone when she attempted to call back several times. Jace was already gone. Attempts to reach Tanya Lyon have been unsuccessful. Jace was indeed resourceful, and told Chuck Bianchi that shortly after calling his mother, he ran away from their house on Moore Road with just the clothes on his back and a small pack. The Bianchi’s home on N. Hillsdale Road was less than a mile away, just a short cut across an open field frequented by locals for deer and coyote hunting. Once arriving at the Bianchi’s house, Chuck said that the 40-pound, 4-foot-tall child nestled into the corner of their largely empty garage, hiding behind an old, rusted wheelbarrow. Early in the morning on Jan. 19, as the Bianchis were waking up and starting their day, Jace made his move from the garage to the side of the house — that’s when Chuck said he caught a glimpse of

someone. But as Chuck walked towards the back window, Jace lodged himself between the air conditioner and the side of the house. On Friday, Jan 20., as the Bianchis and Jace waited for the police to come to their house, Chuck cooked Jace five eggs and three slices of toast. Jace hadn’t eaten anything in more than 48 hours. As Jace gobbled away the food, Chuck said he asked the 9-year old if he saw him early Thursday morning as he ran from the garage to the side of the house. Jace said he saw them. The Bianchi’s went about their normal routine on Thursday, Jan. 19. Chuck and Michelle’s daughter Elizabeth went to school at Hillsdale Academy. Probate Judge Michelle Bianchi spent her day working through the docket at the county courthouse. Chuck retired from his job as an administrator for the Hillsdale hospital in 2007. Now at age 75 and retired, he spends most of his time with hobbies around the house. Chuck said that sometime throughout the day on Jan. 19, Jace made his way from behind the air conditioner to the front door. Jace then snuck down into the Bianchi’s basement where he hid behind the door and under a tiny white desk. While Jace kept out of sight in the Bianchi’s basement, news of his disappearance spread around town, and the Hillsdale County Sheriff ’s office and Hillsdale College security were hard at work. The police had paused their initial search around 5 a.m. on Jan. 19 and resumed their search at noon. Director of Security William Whorley searched throughout Hayden Park and nearby facilities with his officers throughout Jan. 18 and 19. At 9 a.m. on Jan. 20, nearly 100 volunteers, as well as 10 Hillsdale College students, gathered at Field of Dreams Park to search for Jace. But after nearly eight hours of searching, they still hadn’t located him.

Hillsdale community gave time, money, and resources to find Jace By | Jordyn Pair Assistant Editor It wasn’t just law enforcement who found Jace Lyon on January 20, it was the entire Hillsdale community. As police scoured the area for the 9-year-old, they were aided by nearly 200 volunteers from the community, in addition to an anonymously-donated $5,000 ransom. “You see missing kids all the time and of course it makes you feel sad, but this one being so close to home made my heart sink,” community member Kathryn Watkins said in a Facebook message. “As a mother of two myself, I started to panic thinking that could be one of my babies.” Watkins attends Hillsdale Beauty College, which gave students the day off if they wanted to help with the search. “It was cold and rainy but I didn’t even care,” Watkins said. “All I could think about was Jace curled in a ball somewhere scared and, if he was, then he was colder and wetter than me.” Watkins was just one of many volunteers who trudged through rain to search for Lyon on Friday. After hearing of the missing child, Director of Campus Security and Emergency Management William Whor-

ley activated the Hillsdale College Emergency Response Team, sending 21 students out on college property to search for Jace. Led by Whorley and senior Hank Prim, the search gave the team real-life experience, said Whorely, and involved

“Within probably 15 minutes, our community stepped up and started bringing donations for the people who were out searching.” them with the community. “While the student population may not be transient,” Whorely said, “they’re still a part of the Hillsdale community.” More was donated than just eyes and ears, though. Donations of food, water, and hand warmers poured in for volunteers. Some of these donations landed at Key Opportunities, the home base for those

searching due to its close proximity to Field of Dreams. “Within probably 15 minutes, our community stepped up and started bringing donations for the people who were out searching,” said Julie Boyce, executive director of Key Opportunities. Among the businesses that donated were Bigby Coffee, Market House, Godfrey Brothers, Inc., McDonald’s, and H and R Block. Individual citizens also donated. Lisa Nave, manager of H and R Block in Jonesville, Michigan, said she was worried and scared when she heard Jace was missing. “I couldn’t imagine a nineyear-old being out there by himself,” she said. Still, many expressed awe at the community outpouring. “I think so many times we go and push through our dayto-day lives and don’t think about what’s happening with other people,” said Boyce. “This is a time when there was a time of need and everybody just stepped up.” Watkins wants Jace to know his community loves him. “I hope he can see that after the search efforts and never forgets it,” she said. “So often these situations don’t have a happy ending and it was very relieving that this one does.”

Parker said he was inspired by the number of volunteers who came out to help. “It just confirmed my knowledge of Hillsdale County and the residents, this is the outcome that can happen when the community comes together to aid one another,” Parker said a day after they found Jace. “Hillsdale College and the police put so much time into this search.” Parker said a vast amount of public resources were dedicated to finding Jace. The Sheriff ’s Office alone paid more than $2,500 in overtime salaries for the search. “We tallied 75 hours of overtime for staff, those don’t even go into the other hours that the other sheriffs put in as well,” Parker said. “I had about 14 or 15 hours myself. You could easily stack another 1215 hours with the other members that helped.” While local and state law enforcement searched throughout Hillsdale, the Bianchis sat down for dinner and wondered if the person they saw running past their door earlier that morning may have been the missing boy they heard about throughout the day. “My wife said ‘I wonder if what we had saw was the little boy,’ and I agreed with her,” Chuck said. “So we called the sheriff ’s office. But by 10 p.m. that night no one showed up. And by the next morning no one came.” As the Bianchis were lounging around their house on Thursday and Friday evening, they noticed a strange smell near the basement door. “We usually throw random junk back there,” Chuck said. “My wife and daughter were blaming me for it. They thought it was a sandwich or old gym clothes. I even went back by the desk a couple of times. And I didn’t see anything.” Chuck Bianchi said he stood right by the desk, less than a foot away from Jace at least two times before they discovered him.

A7 26 Jan. 2017 Left to right: The desk under which Jace hid during the search; the spot in the Bianchi’s garage where Jace spent his first night in hiding. Hannah Kwapisz | Collegian

By Friday afternoon, no police had shown up to the Bianchi’s house. Chuck said he called the Sheriff ’s office and they told him they sent several officers to look around the property when he wasn’t there. Chuck said he was suspicious, but later saw a paw print left in the mud right by the garage and the front dog, most likely from a police canine. The paw print was less than 5 feet away from a wall, where Jace was hiding on the other side. Chuck, who said he has personally bred and raised nearly a thousand hunting dogs in his life, was shocked they couldn’t smell out Jace. “This experience taught me three things,” Chuck said. “That dog has a terrible nose, we should start locking our house, and most importantly, this is a kid who deserves a break.” Around 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan 20, two FBI officers arrived at the Bianchis’ house. Chuck said he walked them around the property and showed them the short trail across the field connecting his house to the street Jace lives on. As Chuck walked the police around, he saw a sneaker print in the mud on his lawn. “They agreed that it looked similar to Jace’s shoe,” Chuck said. “I marked it for them and they left soon after.” Around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, Chuck and Michelle Bianchi gathered at their table for dinner. Chuck said they talked about the community searches and the officers that stopped by their house. They said grace, and prayed that Jace be found safe. Sheriff Parker said it was shortly after their dinner that they found Jace beneath the desk in the basement. “Ironically enough, I was told that the people who found him prayed before supper that they would find him, and shortly after they did,” Parker said. After dinner, Michelle Bianchi went back down to the basement to investigate the smell. There she found Jace,

shaking and shivering under the white desk. The Bianchis calmed him down, sat him their couch, cooked for him, and put on a TV program for him. “Who would expect that this kid would come to a house with an ex-hospital administrator and a county judge,” Chuck said. “He just came to the right place.” While Michelle called the sheriff ’s office to tell them they found Jace, Chuck sat with him on the couch. Chuck said Jace rested his head on his arm, and thanked him for the food. They started to talk, and Chuck asked him about his disappearance. “I asked him ‘Why here? Why our house?’” Chuck said. “He just replied, ‘It was the first place I saw.’” Once law enforcement officers pulled up to the Bianchi’s house, and red and blue lights filled their driveway, Chuck said Jace started to panic, thinking they were going to hurt him. “One of the worst things that a parent can tell their child is that if they are disobedient law enforcement will come for them,” Parker said. “We’re their protectors. How tragic is that, we’re here to serve them and that we’re the bad guys.” Chuck said he was nervous to let Jace go. When asked if Jace told him anything about his home life or why he ran away, Chuck was hesitant. “I probably shouldn’t say that,” Chuck said. “He thought he was in trouble.” There will be a bench trial for Jace starting in late February, and Chuck said he wants to be involved with this child in any way possible. “I told him that ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you,’” Chuck said. “And I meant it. I don’t get emotionally involved with kids, but I’d take this kid in a New York minute. He is smart, he is polite, he is one of the most amazing kids I’ve ever met. He just needs attention.”

Hillsdale Natural Grocery, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary in Hillsdale. Google Street View

First opening 45 years ago, Hillsdale’s natural grocery still sells unique foods, vitamins By | Anna Timmis Collegian Reporter

A small shop located on Hillsdale’s Broad Street smells spicy, a mix of herbs and handmade soap. The shelves are filled with food from gluten free bread to lollipops, packed beside essential oils, homemade soaps, and vitamins. It’s reminiscent of a small party store. But in Hillsdale Natural Grocery, kombucha replaces beer, and dried fruit, available in bulk, stands in place of potato chips and pretzels.The food co-op has served local clientele for over 40 years, first opening in 1971. Since then, it has grown as to its full capacity. “We’ve expanded a lot, to the point where we can’t go any further because we don’t

have any room.” said the store’s manager Pauline Salyer. If a larger building becomes available, Salyer said the co-op would change locations, allowing the successful business to expand. Since Salyer has begun to work as manager 17 years ago, people have become more aware of healthier lifestyles. “With the interest getting high, people are starting to do their own research and coming in here to get what they need,” she said. Salyer herself did not have knowledge of organic products and a natural lifestyle until she was hired as manager. Everything she has learned about the products has changed her thinking. One employee said she first found out about the co-op when her health issues weren’t

being well taken care of. Her grandmother, who had raised her, was interested in vitamins, so the employee had gone to shops like this one all her life. Looking for a solution to her bad health, she walked into Hillsdale Natural Grocery and her interest was renewed. Before Hillsdale Natural Grocery was established, people had to travel to Lansing or Ann Arbor to find specialty products such as the selection of fresh herbs, oils, and multi-vitamins sold at the coop. As a result, Hillsdale Natural Grocery has a good client base. The employees said they are blessed to have a store like this one in Hillsdale. “We are thrilled to be able to serve the local clientele,” said employee Reenie Coughlin.

A8 26 Jan. 2017

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Sports

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Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball THURSDAY, JAN.

Hillsdale

Walsh

77 79

Upcoming

Thursday, jan. 26 at lake erie 7:30 pm saTurday, jan. 28 vS. oH Dominican 3:00 pm

StatS Nick Czarnowski Nick Archer Rhett Smith Nate Neveau

SATURDAY, JAN.

Hillsdale

Tiffin

31 ptS, 2 reb, 1 Stl 13 ptS, 9 reb, 2 blk 10 ptS, 3 aSt, 2 reb 8 ptS, 7 reb, 1 aSt

Allie Dewire Makenna Ott Maddy Reed Morgan Blair

SATURDAY, JAN.

Thursday, jan. 26 at lake erie 5:30 pm saTurday, jan. 28 vS. oH Dominican 1:00 pm

Tiffin

69 51

Allie Dittmer Allie Dewire Morgan Blair Jessica DeGree

Results

Jan. 21 Hillsdale-141 Case Western-151

Jan. 28 Mike Lints Alumni Open Allendale, MI 1:00 PM

Hillsdale

StatS 19 ptS, 7 reb, 5 aSt 13 ptS, 5 reb, 1 aSt 11 ptS, 5 reb, 3 Stl 9 ptS, 3 reb, 3 aSt

Women’s Swimming

Upcoming

Lowry said. “That was the same thing I tried to go into this game with.” Lowry’s quick start gave him and his team confidence. “When Stedman Lowry shoots the ball that way for us, we’re so much more dangerous,” Tharp said. “With Stedman hitting those shots,

Walsh

Upcoming

StatS

Stedman Lowry Nick Czarnowski Rhett Smith Ryan Badowski

Track and Field

Men’s from A10

Hillsdale

80 62 60 68

StatS 16 ptS, 8 reb 13 ptS, 4 reb, 4 aSt 12 ptS, 5 aSt, 2 reb 8 ptS, 6 reb, 3 aSt

THURSDAY, JAN.

14 ptS, 10 reb, 5 aSt 13 ptS, 10 reb, 7 aSt 13 ptS, 4 reb, 2 Stl 11 ptS, 10 reb, 1 aSt

Upcoming

Feb. 8-11 2017 GLIAC Championships at University Center, MI 10:30 AM

Hillsdale-201 Ohio Northern-83 everybody took a deep sigh and just said, ‘OK, we can just go play now.’ Every possession wasn’t such a stressful possession.” While Lowry carried the Chargers on offense, a complete team effort on defense helped the Chargers hold the Dragons to just 33 percent field goal shooting (23-of-69) and 21 percent shooting from beyond the arc (4-of-19).

“We played defense together,” Tharp said. “We were all in our gaps. Our bigs did a great job of blocking some shots. But we were there for each other and that was the big key.” The Chargers have shown some inconsistency on the defensive end this season. They’ll need to keep up the form they showed Saturday as they play 5 of their final 8 games on the road.

“We’ll do everything we need to do to keep this momentum going on the defensive end. Shots aren’t always going to fall, but defense travels,” Czarnowski said. “As long as we keep working in practice, I think that’ll keep it going.” Tonight, the Chargers will face the last-place Lake Erie Storm at 7:30 p.m. in Painesville, Ohio. The Storm have

struggled this season, having won just 3 games, but the Chargers know they have to play the game with the same intensity as Saturday against Tiffin. “We can’t take deep breaths when we relax because when we do that we put ourselves in a tough situation,” Tharp said. “We’ve got to play with an edge and at the same time have a little fun and enjoy our-

selves.” The Chargers will return home Saturday to host Ohio Dominican at 3 p.m. “We know that every game in the GLIAC is a tough one,” Lowry said. “We’ve got to string a couple in a row together and I think we have some confidence going into this week after a big win.”

A PAGE FROM THE LOWRY PLAYBOOK Stedman and Dylan Lowry team up as starters on the Charger men’s basketball team By | Chandler Lasch Collegian Reporter Some say being part of a team is just like being part of a family — especially if some of the players are actually family. Stedman Lowry is a junior, and his brother Dylan Lowry is a redshirt freshman. Both are starters on the men’s basketball team. Despite the age difference, the brother’s started playing basketball at the same time, although even this isn’t something they easily agree upon “I started playing actual travel basketball in second grade, so age 7 or 8,” Dylan said. “We started about the same time.” “I’ve been playing for 15 years, since about fourth grade,” Stedman said. “So I’m more experienced,” his younger brother interjected. “Well, no, you just said we started at the same time, so not really.” “Oh, true.”

The brothers were homeschooled for three years, and would spend their days quickly finishing their schoolwork so they could shoot hoops at their mom’s tennis club. “Basketball was pretty much all we did as kids,” Stedman said. “When I first started playing, I was not good; but the second Dylan picked up a ball, he was great. I had four points in a season at the beginning, and he had 30 in one game.” Despite his knack for basketball, Dylan’s first athletic experience wasn’t as successful. “I played soccer first, but I was terrible,” Dylan admitted. “Since my dad played basketball his whole life, it just clicked. It’s the most fun sport for me.” Stedman quickly agreed. The two brothers have been playing on the same team long before they were Chargers. “People always ask us if it’s weird to play with my brother, but it’s not, really,” Stedman said. “We’ve kind of been

playing together for almost 20 years. It’s fun. I can read his face. He knows when I won’t pass — which is most of the time.” The two recall only one instance of playing on different

have their own playbook. No one else is sure what they’re doing, but those two are on the same page.” The brotherly competition doesn’t end when the guys leave the gym. Stedman and

“They get after each other, but they’re great kids and fun to be around.” teams against each other. “At junior high camp one time,” Dylan said. “I was in sixth grade and he was in eighth. His team destroyed mine.” Head men’s basketball coach John Tharp noted the Lowrys’ ability to work together. “Stedman and Dylan both have incredibly high basketball IQs,” Tharp said. “They

Dylan compete against each other in just about every other area, from videogames to ping pong. “We’re competitive in anything where there can be a winner, and especially a loser,” Stedman said. “It’s not even about winning — just not losing.” When it comes to school, however, the brothers don’t plan on there being a loser.

“We’re in this one together for sure,” Stedman said. They are both majoring in accounting, following the lead of their father, a certified public accountant. The decision to become his older brother’s teammate once again was not a difficult choice for Dylan, especially with his big brother talking in his ear. “I was here for a year or two, and really liked it,” Stedman said. “I encouraged him to go.” “I was pretty sure I was going to end up here by the time I hit my junior year,” Dylan said. “I was here all the time, watching games and visiting, and I became friends with the guys on team, so it was an easy decision.” Tharp described the Lowrys as great representatives of the basketball program. “I got to know Dylan while he was in high school,” Tharp said. “I was really hoping he would pick Hillsdale.” Tharp also praised the brotherly love the two have for each other, even if they don’t

LEFT: Junior guard Stedman Lowry brings the ball up the court during Hillsdale’s matchup with Northwood. RIGHT: Redshirt freshman Dylan Lowry shoots a free throw during the Charger’s season opener against Valparaiso. BELOW: Stedman (left) and Dylan (right) pose with their cousin Cody (middle) after a youth basketball game.

Brendan Miller | Collegian

Stedman Lowry | Courtesy

Brendan Miller | Collegian

always show it. “They get after each other,” Tharp said. “But they’re great kids and fun to be around.” The two certainly know how to have a good laugh about a bad situation. “I always joke about this,” Dylan said. “It was his junior year of high school, and my freshman year. He’s coming down, and I’m way ahead. It was an easy pass to me. It would be an easy lay-up. But he didn’t pass, and he fell and tore his ACL.” Their competitive nature certainly comes out on the court. Stedman recalled an instance of brotherly competition in a practice at Hillsdale. “He got mad at me and I just pushed him down,” Stedman said. “Everyone broke us up, and said, ‘Alright, back to practice.’ Within 10 seconds, we were back on the same team, like it never happened.” “Hold no grudges,” his brother agreed.

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THE BOYS WHO RIDE THE BENCH Charger swim team Meet the men on the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team By | Katie Scheu Assistant Editor Sixteen players on the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team have never stepped onto the court for a single game. Despite their dedication in practice, their support from the sidelines, and their official status as NCAA athletes, these sixteen are always on the bench. This might be because their bench is in the middle of the student section bleachers, and they happen to be men. Though the men don’t get any action on court while the clock ticks to zero, the women’s basketball practice squad helps the team succeed every time they show up to practice for a round of drills or a fiveon-five scrimmage with the ladies on the team. “Our squad feels like a

group of guys getting together to play basketball, but for something more important,” senior Luke Robson said. “Being a part of their team is super fun. It’s a cool bridge into that community I wouldn’t have been a part of otherwise.” The practice squad helps the women train several times a week, prepping them for their upcoming games, and getting a workout themselves. “If you can compete against these guys, you can hold your own in a game,” junior guard Maddy Reed said. “Since they’re bigger, faster, and stronger, you can’t take a play off against them. Practice seems more like a game because you have to be going 100 percent.” Head coach Todd Mitmesser also noticed the motivation the practice squad brings to his players. “The competitiveness gets

richer when the guys are around,” he said. “That helps us develop each day both on an individual level and a team level.” Reed said practicing against the squad also acquaints the team with their future opponents. The men study film of the competition to learn their strengths and strategies, and then bring those into action during scrimmages. “It helps us in games, because it’s not the first time we’re seeing those plays,” Reed said. “We’re not as surprised because we’ve gone through it before.” As the squad uses its size and strength to refine the women’s game, the unique personalities and goofy attitudes it puts into play increases the energy level when the team needs a boost, both in practice and during actual games, Mitmesser said. The men attend nearly all of

the women’s home games, a presence they announce to the players with furious cheers from the sidelines. Perhaps the best example of the squad’s shenanigans is Robson’s latest scheme, challenging the “legendary” Harlem Globetrotters to match up against his practice team. He said the event’s proceeds could even benefit a charity. Robson called the manager of a Michigan-based Globetrotter team, but he has yet to hear back. Whether the practice squad athletes challenge their teammates to a more precise play or a more enjoyable workout, their impact on the court is always appreciated. “I can’t say enough good things about having them,” Reed said. “They’re like a part of the team.”

Although members of the practice squad never touch the court on game days, they make their presence known by being the most spirited, and often loudest, fans in the student section. Luke Robson | Courtesy

sees success in Saturday’s tri-meet By | Morgan Channels Collegian Reporter The Hillsdale swim team split a tri-meet against Case Western Reserve and Ohio Northern University on Saturday, Jan. 21. Case Western Reserve used their home advantage and beat the Chargers 150-141. The Chargers were valiant against ONU, however, soundly ringing in victory with a final score of 201-83. Sophomore Suzanne DeTar swam an excellent meet, coming in first for the 100yard backstroke and 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle races. “I was extremely happy with my performance in last weekend’s meet,” DeTar said. “Although these weren’t my best times in those events, they set me up nicely for our taper starting later this week.” Senior Emily Shallman claimed two first-place spots in the 1000-yard free and 200-yard IM races. Sophomore Anika Ellingson also swam two first places in her strongest races, the 100-yard and 200-yard breastroke. Sophomore Grace Houghton won first in the 200-yard fly race, and freshman Danielle LeBleu won the 200-yard freestyle. Sophomore Tiffany Farris also won a 200-yard backstroke. “I’m right where I want to be at this part in the season. I was able to get first place in the 200 back, and I’m really proud of my 200 medley relay for getting first as well,” Farris said. Farris, freshman Victoria Addis, freshman Catherine Voisin, and Ellingson teamed up and took home another first place in the 200-yard medley relay. All these victories totaled 11 individual wins for the Chargers, as well as one team relay first place. It was an impressive day for the team despite the loss to Case Western.

“Overall, the team did really well,” Farris said. “As a team, we took first place in almost every event. Each member of the team gave their best, and I’m proud of what we accomplished together.” Head coach Kurt Kirner said he was very happy with the progress the team has made in even this past week. He continued to say that he was impressed by the quality of many of the women’s performances at Case Western. “We are always challenged by the fact that we give up 32 points by not fielding a diving squad. We did an excellent job with our front line swimmers to almost pull a victory out against Case Western. Ohio Northern was a bit down this year but still provided a challenge for our secondary event swimmers,” Kirner said. Now nothing stands between the Chargers and the GLIAC championships at Saginaw Valley State University. on Feb. 8. “Our total focus is rest and refinement. We are building our best race plan to challenge for NCAA qualifying cuts,” Kirner said. DeTar said she hopes to get an NCAA B-cut time in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events, and she hopes to see records broken by the Chargers. “We want 100 percent lifetime bests out of our athletes. If we swim what we are capable of we should be able to score in every event except diving,” Kirner said. Farris said she looks forward to being rested for the races of the GLIAC championships. “I’m excited to see not only what I can accomplish individually, but also what my team can accomplish together,” Farris said. “We’ve all worked hard this season and I can’t wait to see all of it pay off.”

The 16 men on the squad attend practices, run drills, and scrimmage the team to prepare the women for their upcoming competitions while also getting a good workout. Katie Scheu | Collegian

CHARGER CHATTER: COLBY CLARK What brought you to Hillsdale? I wasn’t really planning on running track in college, but I came here for a regular visit just to check out the school and just happened to talk with the coach and got the recruiting process off the ground. What was your high school career like?

Colby Clark | Courtesy

Colby Clark is a junior sprinter on Hillsdale College’s men’s track and field team. He is from Stevensville, Michigan, and is majoring in psychology.

It was a lot of fun. I’m a 400 runner and I kind of stumbled into that as well. I started off my high school career as more of a distance person, but one time my coach was like “Oh just run a 400,” and I ended up doing that, and I ran a pretty fast time. I went to state several times, and then senior year I ended up being state champ in the 400, so it worked out well.

How did it feel being named the GLIAC athlete of the week over break? It’s great. The GLIAC is a really tough conference and to be selected is definitely an honor. You have to do something good, because there is a lot of competition. Is Hillsdale what you expected in both the academic and athletic aspects? When I got here I didn’t realize that track was going to be such a time commitment or so rigorous. I just remember the first week of school being extremely sore because I wasn’t prepared for this type of intensity, athletically at least. But now I’ve really come to love it. Academically, I knew it was going to be pretty tough, and, I mean, that’s what you get at Hillsdale, so I feel pretty

good about it.

the best mental approach.

When did you first start running and why were you drawn to it?

What’s the hardest part and the best part about running for you?

I guess my first memory of running was an elementary school track and field day. I found out I was pretty fast, so I just kind of always did it. I actually started running cross country, because I broke my arm during football season my eighth grade year, and then I never looked back since then.

The hardest part is definitely all the hours that you put in in the fall in late afternoons where it’s getting cold, and there are not a whole lot of chances to showcase what you’ve done. But when you finally do get a chance to put it all out there and run a really fast time, that’s a great feeling.

How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race?

Do you have any interests outside of athletics and academics?

I think the biggest thing for me is just not overthinking it, just relaxing, and realizing that my body is where it needs to be. I mean, it’s kind of generic to say, “Just go out and do it,” but I think for me, that’s

I really like hiking and visiting national parks. This semester I got to backpacking in Isle Royale National Park, which is an island up in Lake Superior. That was a blast. Just being outdoors is a really good time.

What are some of your expectations and goals for the coming season for yourself and your team? This is a big year for the guys’s team. We’ve kind of been overshadowed by the success of the girls in the past couple years, but I know the coaches and athletes feel that this is kind of a breakout year for the men’s program on a national scale. I think we can go to the national championships and do really well as a team. Personally, my 4x4 relay team is hoping to continue to be all-Americans in the relay, and I also also hope to be an individual all-American in the 400. — Compiled by Brooke Conrad

Charger Brothers in blue The Lowry brothers — Stedman and Dylan — team up as starters on the men’s basketball team. A8

Brendan Miller | Collegian

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Charger Chatter: Colby Clark This junior sprinter was named GLIAC Athlete of the Week last month. A9

The hidden faces of women’s basketball Meet the 16 men who make up the women’s basketball practice squad. A9

Luke Robson | Courtesy

Colby Clark | Courtesy

HILLSDALE CHARGERS SLAY TIFFIN DRAGONS

After a 1-1 weekend at home, Hillsdale is 4-8 in GLIAC conference play

By | Nathanael Meadowcroft Tiffin, strong bench play again helped the Chargers keep the Senior Writer Dragons from ever making a It wasn’t a perfect weekend, serious cut into their deficit. “It was a tough loss on but it was certainly a positive Thursday but it was a good one for the Hillsdale College team week for us,” head coach men’s basketball team. On Jan. 19, the Chargers John Tharp said. “There was a erased a 14-point deficit late in lot of good things happening.” In the first half against the second half before falling Walsh, Hillsdale’s bench 79-77 to the Walsh Cavaliers erased an early 8-0 deficit. on a last-second jumper. Hillsdale bounced back on Satur- Hillsdale’s bench unit scored day with a comfortable 80-62 26 of the Chargers’ 33 points win over the Tiffin Dragons as in the opening period. “We wouldn’t have gotten junior guard Stedman Lowry into that game on Thursday scored 31 points on 9-of-12 if it wasn’t for those guys that 3-point shooting. With a 4-8 record in con- came off the bench,” Tharp ference play, Hillsdale is 2.5 said. Sophomore forward Nick games out of postseason posiCzarnowski led the Chartion in the GLIAC with eight games remaining. The Char- gers with 8 points at the half gers can’t afford to keep split- and finished the game with a ting weekends, but their play team-high 16 points on 8-oflast week laid a solid founda- 12 shooting and 8 rebounds in just 14 minutes. Against Tiffin, tion for the final stretch. In Hillsdale’s loss to Walsh, Czarnowski was Hillsdale’s bench production shined second-leading scorer behind through a tough defeat. And Lowry with 13 points on 5-ofwhile Lowry’s hot hand was a 6 shooting and 9 rebounds in big factor in Hillsdale’s rout of just 19 minutes off the bench. “He just keeps on getting

better and better and better,” Tharp said. “He’s scoring around the rim at an incredible rate and he’s rebounding the basketball at an incredible rate.” Czarnowski said being able to learn from and go against senior center Nick Archer in practice has helped him improve. “A guy with his experience is just really helpful for me,” Czarnowski said. “I’ve got a little bit better understanding of what it takes out of me in order for our team to be successful and what I need to do to contribute.” As the Chargers try to climb up the GLIAC standings, strong bench production will continue to be a factor. “When your name is called you’ve just got to be ready to do whatever coach is expecting out of you,” Czarnowski said. “However many minutes you get, just do everything you can to help the team.” Hillsdale’s bench might not have to do much if Lowry continues to shoot the way he

did Saturday. After struggling from the floor against Walsh Thursday when he missed all six of his 3-point attempts, Lowry made his first seven 3-pointers on Saturday and finished with nine makes from beyond the arc. “It’s really important to me to see my first one go in because then that just gets me going a little bit,” Lowry said. “I was able to just get going pretty quick.” In Hillsdale’s first game this season on Nov. 11, Lowry made just 2-of-11 3-point attempts. A few days earlier, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry set an NBA record with 13 3-pointers made in a game just one game after going 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. That motivated Lowry, a Warriors fan. “I thought, ‘OK, well I’m going to come out with the mentality that I’m going to break a record today.’ And I made my first four that game,”

Against Tiffin, sophomore forward Nick Czarnowski was Hillsdale’s secondleading scorer with 13 points. Brendan Miller | Collegian

See Men’s A8

Women’s basketball bounces back to defeat Tiffin By | S. M. Chavey Features Editor Following a tough 8-point home loss to Walsh on Thursday, the Hillsdale College

women’s basketball team fought hard to beat Tiffin by 18 on Saturday. “We made a concerted effort to compete, every play, every part of every play,” Head

coach Todd Mitmesser said. “Our team — every individual — competed and I think that was lacking a little bit in the Walsh Game. It showed in the Tiffin game that we were more

Sophomore forward Brittany Gray handles the ball during Hillsdale’s matchup with Northwood. Brendan Miller | Collegian

mentally determined.” During the Walsh game, the Chargers struggled defensively both in guarding shots and in rebounding. The Cavs hit nine 3-point shots and utilized their subs; bench players scored 21 of Walsh’s 68 total points, in contrast to only 4 bench points out of 60 for the Chargers. While the two teams almost shared shooting percentages from the field, the Cavs put up 7 more shots toward their eventual win. And though rebounding is typically Hillsdale’s strong point, Walsh outrebounded the team 44-26, 15 fewer rebounds than Hillsdale’s average. “We didn’t do a good job of adjusting during the game when certain players and their team started to hit shots, and we should have paid them a little more attention. Secondly, we didn’t react very well to them doubling the post. We did some nice things, but we just didn’t have the consistency we needed to beat them,” Mitmesser said. Sophomore guard Allie Dewire played the entire game and led the team in points, rebounds, assists, and personal fouls. “We definitely needed to focus on what we scouted people to do, and just play more of

our game and not play down to their game,” Dewire said. But on Saturday, the entire team entered the court with energy that lasted through the whole game. Though the teams ended the first quarter tied at 17 points, Hillsdale outscored Tiffin by 9 in the second quarter and by 12 in the third, giving them a hefty lead into the fourth quarter. The Chargers also outrebounded the Dragons 50-34. “In the Tiffin game we did a pretty good job of improving in a lot of areas. Our transition offense was much better. We also had a really good inside-outside game where we posted the ball and got some easy baskets, which also opened up some easy shots on the perimeter. It was a well-balanced game and we had the nice performance from a lot of different players,” Mitmesser said. One of these players was junior forward Jessica De Gree who finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and an assist — her first career double-double. “I felt ready to play and confident that our team could succeed. We didn’t want to accept that loss from Walsh. I think we all had better ball movement and we all played really aggressively. We shut them down on defense and could

do whatever we wanted on offense,” De Gree said. Though Dewire only played 22 total minutes, she still ended with 13 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. Still, she saw ways to improve. “We played really well and moved the ball around well. It was just a really good team effort,” Dewire said. The team played an inside-heavy game, and junior center Allie Dittmer led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Next week, the Chargers will battle Lake Erie on the road and Ohio Dominican back at home. Lake Erie only lost to No. 1 Ashland by 7 — in contrast to Hillsdale’s 19-point loss — and Ohio Dominican’s 13-6 record is just above Hillsdale’s 11-8 mark. “We’ve got two tough games this week,” Mitmesser said, but added that he looks forward to the home court advantage on Saturday. “It’s always nice not to be on a bus. We’ve got a nice crowd. The student section does a good job of showing up to our games. We really appreciate that and hope there’s even more this Saturday.”

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Katie Scheu | Collegian

After 6 weeks, 7 Golden Globes, and 14 Oscar nominations, ‘La La Land’ prevails New musical creates ‘world of perpetual possibility’ By | Nicholas Rowan Collegian Reporter

A nod and a faint smile, that’s all. In a world as small as Hillsdale, this happens every day. You walk down the hall in Kendall — and oh! — there’s that guy you thought was cute in freshman year. You’ve only spoken to him once, but every time you see him, you glance up and smile. It may happen every day, but each time it’s a fresh experience because that awkward eye-contact jolts your mind into potentiality — a world of perpetual possibility that will always be just out of your reach. In the same way, “La La Land” lets its audiences enjoy a moment of pure potential. Critics love it for that, and the film just scored 14 Academy Award nominations — a big accomplishment for a musical. But “La La Land” does more than give its viewers a cute two-hour diversion from the real world. “La La Land” helps us understand ourselves as beings bent on escaping from ourselves, only to recognize when it’s far too late that there’s no escape from the self. The film centers around a scene where Mia (Emma Stone), a hit movie star, is stuck in Los Angeles traffic with her husband. But she wasn’t always here — five years ago she was a barista working on the Warner Brothers lot, dating Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a luckless jazz musician. She didn’t love him and he didn’t love her, but they awakened in each other the desire to pursue their dreams. She wanted to be an actress. He wanted to open a jazz club. Over the course of the film, we watch their relationship unravel as their respective passions lead them in different directions. If you think you’ve heard this story a million times before, good. You have. “La La Land” takes everything

about the millennial experi- the crowded LA highway and ence — from the colorful way find a dingy joint for a dinner we dress to our internet-era date at a new jazz club. And habit of spouting pseudo-sci- she’s a lady who sits down in a ence about electronic car keys Singer-Sargent-like repose as causing cancer — and turns it a ragtime band in an underinto a musical imbued with 80 ground club plays improvised years of film tradition. jazz. True to modern chic, the But it’s just Mia, unprefilm does not present its he- pared and girlish, who looks roes as commendable people. up and meets eyes with her Sebastian is annoying about former lover as he awkwardly his passion — if the writers plays their song on the piano. had replaced every one of his In that final moment — lines about music with Barry the awkward-eye-contact beBenson from the “Bee Movie” tween Mia and Sebastian — saying, “But do you like jazz?” “La La Land” blends past and the audience would have future into an eternal present gotten the point. And Mia is as the audience sees the endunrealistic about herself. She less possibility of the imaginadropped out of college after tion: what could have been if two years — for what? — the Mia and Sebastian’s relationchance to work across the ship had not ended. street from the remnants of But this isn’t a final toss the “Casablanca” set and revel at romance — Mia and Sein the LA sunsets. bastian can’t get back togethBut that’s not the point. “La er now. They have become La Land” may be a punctual themselves. Mia is a sucpiece of social commentary cessful actress and Sebastian and a terrific riff on a tired owns his own jazz club. The genre, but these are just but- best the two can do when they tresses for the universal — look into each other’s eyes for and truer — story the film that brief moment all is fainttells. ly smile and nod. For in that It happens when we meet moment, they understand Mia in the film’s epilogue, themselves as themselves. five years after the action. We Everything else is just an absee her get out of her Mer- straction — a world of uncedes-Benz and walk out onto tapped and untappable posthe Warner Brothers lot. She’s sibility. no longer that cartoonish girl Best not to dwell on it. cutting work to audition for a role she knows she won’t get. As she walks the lot now, the firmness in her calves matched with the confidence in her step give her the grace of a lady. And she’s a lady when she decides that her husband should get off Ryan Gosling stars as Sebastian in a new musical about love and loss and jazz. Imdb

Jazz ensemble performing Brazilian music like a ‘bossa nova’ in first concert of semester By | Nolan Ryan

presents the Brazilian Avatar Faculty Recital at 8 p.m. in Markel Auditorium. Playing both classical and “Bossa nova,” the genre of jazz music that began and jazz music, Director of Jazz developed in 1950s Brazil, Ensembles Chris McCourry means “new trend.” Students will perform on the trumpet. will be able to hear some of The recital will also include this new music Friday as the performances from other Howard Music Department faculty of the music department: Piano Professor Brad Blackham; Guitar Professor Dan Palmer; and Jazz Bass Professor Hank Horton. McCourry said the recital will include mostly Brazilian music with the exception of Steve Rouse’s “The Avatar.” “This is my yearly solo recital,” he said. “I chose Brazilian music because I was unfamiliar with it and want to learn more about it.” McCourry encourages students to attend the event “to Jazz ensemble director Chris McCourry performs with the Hillcats. [enrich] their life experiences.” The South McCourry | Courtesy American theme is Collegian Freelancer

an exciting way to begin this semester’s musical events. The recital will be a great way to appreciate this music that is not often performed in this area and perhaps to learn something new. “Even though Hillsdale College is very small, its music faculty is composed of people who are both amazing teachers and musicians, making this recital something not to be missed,” said freshman Christopher Scheithauer, a student of McCourry. “The program for this recital is very unique. Not many people think about South American music in America even though the continent has a rich musical culture, and we rarely get to hear it in this setting. This is a great event to get a taste of something new and exciting.” The recital will feature music from several Brazilian composers and an American composer, Zequinha de Abreu, a 20th-century composer known for his song “Tico-Tico no Fubá.” Jose

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Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling take on Mia and Sebastian, two aspiring talents who sing and dance their way to fame across a pastel-colored Los Angeles. Imdb

Lessons on love and life from ‘La La Land’ By | Madeline Fry

Social Media Editor

During an audition, aspiring actress Mia recalls her aunt dancing in the frigid waters of the Seine for no other reason than to experience the potent medley of water and snow. She had a cold for the next month, but, she told her niece, it was worth repeating. The movie “La La Land” is much like the story told by its leading lady: a passionate exploration of the choice to participate absurdly in life for the sake of the experience. When Mia (Emma Stone) meets Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), she’s a barista and aspiring actress, and he’s a parttime pianist with dreams of opening a jazz club. Their relationship, initially challenged by her hatred for jazz and his surly disposition, develops slowly but becomes essential to their growth as individuals and as artists. The movie, while not exactly a classic, combines the star-crossed melancholy of “Casablanca” with the old-fashioned charisma of “Singing in the Rain.” Whenever the leading characters become disheartened, they encourage each other to follow their respective dreams. Sebastian advises

Mia to create a one-woman show because he sees her talent when no one else does. And Mia believes that he will open his own jazz club someday even when he gives up the dream himself. The melancholy comes in the end — don’t read on if you mind spoilers — when Mia and Sebastian choose their respective dreams over their relationship with each other. But despite the ending, the

And it invites the viewer to see their relationship as they come to see it: worthwhile even when it ended. Choosing between a love and following your dream is not always necessary, but the movie reminds us that we have the choice to do either, and the consequences of our choices are not neither as permanent nor as unkind as they seem. Mia and Sebastian learn to appreciate a moment rather than anticipate its outcome; the result of the decision, it seems to say, matters less than what happens on the way there. “La La Land” is a movie about finding the positive in sad situations. The movie takes a while to germinate. You might not appreciate it at first. Watching the movie is almost like going through a breakup of your own: it hurts at first, but soon enough you can look back and see everything that was wonderful without feeling the pain. In the end, the image that will stick in your head is not that of the couple going their separate ways, but that of Mia and Sebastian dancing together, unmindful of crowds or consequences.

“The movie resonates with anyone who’s ever lost a friend or lover: the relationship is beautiful, but so is moving on.” story has a more hopeful message than if they had ended up together. A happily ever after is not something that all of us have experienced, but most of us have been in relationships that ended. So the movie resonates with anyone who’s ever lost a friend or lover: the relationship is beautiful, but so is moving on. The movie embodies the spirit of its main characters in all the best ways. It’s idealistic like Mia. It feels like as much of an old soul as Sebastian.

CULTURE CORNER Junior Glynis Gilio and Voice Professor Karl Schmidt share their thoughts on musical theater: Gilio | Courtesy Schmidt | Courtesy What is the best musical you’ve ever seen?

Gilio: My hands-down favorite musical is “Phantom of the Opera.” I have seen this musical performed live before, and I can’t think of another show that surpasses the quality of the score, the story, the sets, the costumes, the characters, and the special effects. I think that it’s just one of those shows that is timeless and always leaves its audiences entertained.

Schmidt: I saw “Sweeney Todd” by Stephen Sondheim when it was first opening in 1979, and it blew me away. It’s a masterpiece of incredible music, near-operatic singing, and a powerful story. The only trouble with it is that unlike most musicals, it does not have a happy ending.

Gilio: I’ve always loved thinking about playing anywhere from Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” to Eva Perón in “Evita,” Christine in “Phantom of the Opera,” and even Velma in “Chicago.”

Schmidt: I would choose Jean Valjean, the lead from “Les Misérables.” The role has such incredible range, not only vocally but acting-wise, and the musical is one of my favorites, with a powerful, emotional story line.

Gilio: I would love for Hillsdale College to perform “Sweeney Todd.” It is a complex and gritty musical about the division between social classes in 19th-century London. It is a complex piece that I feel Hillsdale could master while also challenging both the actors and their audience.

Schmidt: “Little Women.” It’s a wonderful show that makes you laugh and cry, and it has a great score and timeless characters. Plus, unlike most musicals, it has more parts for women than men.

If you could play any role in any show, which would you choose?

Which musical should next take Hillsdale’s stage?

Compiled by Katie Scheu

Culture www.hillsdalecollegian.com

B2 26 Jan. 2017

on campus this week . . .

Concerto competition strikes a chord with student musicians By | Jordyn Pair

Assistant Editor

This Sunday, 23 musicians will each take the stage of Markel Auditorium, all vying for the opportunity to perform a solo accompanied by the orchestra in their March and May concerts. But only a few will strike a chord with the judges. “It’s one of the few things we do in the music department that is at a competitive level,” Music Department Chair James Holleman said. “This is one of the few just flatout competitions.” The annual concerto competition started in the early 2000s as a way to honor select-

ed seniors, but evolved into a competition as the music department grew. The competition is open to any non-freshmen registered for private music lessons at the school. Even students who are not music majors have a chance at winning, something which Holleman said is unique. The competition brings in outside judges, chosen by their area of expertise, based on the competitors that year. This year the judges come from the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. “If I know we’re going to have a large number of vocalists for a given year, I want to

SOPRANO VOCALIST: Sydney Orndorff Sydney Orndorff is a sophomore majoring in English with a minor in music. She started singing around age 12, after an interest in the art prompted her parents to enroll in her lessons. Orndorff will sing “So Anch’io la Virtù Magica” by Donizetti and “Addio del Passato” by Giuseppe Verdi. The two pieces contrast, she said, describing one as an “upbeat, flirty piece,” while the other is about a young woman’s death. Orndorff said she’s concerned about her voice acting up. “The voice is such a fragile instrument and you have to do so much to keep it in the right state,” she said. “Especially this time of year, I don’t know, I could get sick between now and Sunday.” Regardless, she looks for-

Sophomore Sydney Orndorff. Jordyn Pair | Collegian

ward to competing. “I’m nervous,” Orndorff said. “At this point, I’m going in to have a good time and a good experience of competing. I’ve only competed in a high-caliber voice competition once before, so it’s really good to have the performing experience and to get up there and have a good time on the stage.”

make sure we have a vocalist as a judge,” Holleman said. “It varies from year to year just on who we can get to come in,

music department of Hillsdale College. “That’s been a great way for us to get the word out that

“It’s been a really positive thing, a real motivating factor for our students ... It’s been a great way to bring in outside people to see the quality of the students and the quality of the teaching.” who we approach in a given year.” Having outside judges allows music professionals to see what is happening in the

there’s positive things going on here at Hillsdale College in the music department,” Holleman said. Outside judges also elim-

SOPRANO VOCALIST: Susena Finegan Susena Finegan is a junior majoring in music and minoring in Christian studies. She is performing as a vocalist. Finegan began singing as a young girl and started competing in eighth grade. “I haven’t won a concerto yet, but I’m hoping to win this one,” she said. Finegan is performing “Tornami a Vasseshiar” by Handel and “Recitativo e Ruggiero” by Bellini. Finegan doesn’t struggle to convey the meaning of the songs, even when she has to sing them in a different language. “I love to act,” she said. “I just pretend that I am Italian, that I am that character.” Despite her long career, she is still nervous about the

Junior Susena Finegan. Finegan | Courtesy

competition. “I’m also very excited,” she said. “This is my passion and I want to portray it in a way that [the judges] know it’s my passion, but also that I’m doing my absolute best and giving them what they came to hear.”

inate the chance of bias. Although Holleman listens to the discussion between the judges, he does not participate in choosing the winners. How many winners are chosen each year also varies by judges. “If any given year they agree unanimously on four students, but can’t agree on the fifth, well, then we pick four,” Holleman said. The number of choices must fit with the rest of the concert programming, however. “But that also has to be in balance with how much space we have in the concerts for the pieces they’re playing, how difficult the accompaniments

are for us to learn, what other repertoire are we playing on those concerts,” said Holleman. Still, even just participating is beneficial for students. “It’s been a really positive thing, a real motivating factor for our students. It’s been a motivating factor for our faculty,” Holleman said. “It’s been a great way to bring in outside people to see the quality of the students and the quality of the teaching that’s going on in our music department.” Results from the competition will be announced early next week.

TIMPANIST: John Russell John Russell is a senior majoring in biochemistry. He plays the timpani, an instrument similar to a kettle drum, which he started learning in his sophomore year of college. “It’s my last chance to compete in the competition, and I won’t have this particular kind of experience again.” He is playing Timpani Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra by Lee Actor. Russell says competing is more about the experience, not the win. “If I can play the concerto well, I will feel like it’s been good,” he said. Still, having such a unique instrument would set a precedent, he said. “Hopefully there will be more [timpanists] that will

Senior John Russell. Katie Scheu | Collegian

compete,” Russell said. “It would be kind of fun to have a solo timpani player for an orchestra concert. Whether it is me or not, we will have to see.”

Karaoke emerges from the Underground this evening By | Jordyn Pair

Assistant Editor

Get ready to sing your heart out tonight at the first karaoke night of the year. Join the Student Activities Board tonight from 9 until midnight at Broadstreet Underground for food, friends, and, of course, karaoke. “The environment just makes for a cooler, more casual place to hang out,” said Bridget DeLapp, Media Officer for SAB, in an email. “Underground has the perfect equipment, with the

availability and accessibility of food and drinks.” SAB expects around 100 students at the event. “We wanted to get a better environment for the students and expand our reach into promoting the town,” DeLapp said. Although country music is a popular choice for the latenight crooners, students can also expect throwback songs. “Karaoke is a classic,” DeLapp said. “Who doesn’t love to sing to your favorite songs with a stage and mic?”

Sophomore Dylan Strehle shows off his shades and his singing skills earlier this year. Strehle | Courtesy

Jazz from B1 Ursicino da Silva is a Brazilian composer, whose works include “Concertino para Trompete”; Antonio Carlos Jobim was a Grammy Award-winning composer and singer who won the first Best Album Grammy Award for a jazz album in 1965; Jobim was a major component of the bossa nova genre of Brazilian music; Steve Rouse

is a Rome Prize-winning American classical composer whose best-known works include “The Avatar.” This event features more instruments than would be expected from a solo recital,” Scheithauer said. “I anticipate it will be an event that will demonstrate the fun and versatility of the trumpet.” Admission is free and tickets are not required for the performance.

Scuba diving in the Red Sea was ‘literally like living a scene out of Finding Nemo,’ Hillsdale alum Liebing said of an experience featured in his upcoming travel book. Liebing | Courtesy

‘How to get gone’ — and back again Hillsdale alum to self-publish travel book this spring By | Josephine von Dohlen

Collegian Reporter All alone, yet surrounded by 12 million people, a 22-year-old man began to immerse himself in a foreign culture while teaching English at a local school in South Korea. This young man is Ben Liebing, a 2008 graduate who will self- publish a book “How to Get Gone” through Amazon Creative this spring. The book will encapsulate his travel experiences and his reflections on traveling as a whole. “The book is about the art of traveling and what people are really looking for,” Liebing said. “It’s more than just going somewhere different.” Liebing first traveled abroad his junior year at Hillsdale. “We went on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Nicaragua with Hillsdale College, which was my first time out of the country in a meaningful way,” Liebing said. His experiences in Nicaragua kicked off a spirit of adventure that eventually led to Liebing’s acceptance of a teaching job in Seoul, South Korea, following his graduation in 2008. “Venturing into the unknown was a concept new to me,” Liebing said. Liebing didn’t always possess an adventurous spirit. “When he was younger, he was not the adventurer of the family, even though he was

the oldest. He was more of the shy one, not really wanting to try new things,” Ben Liebing’s sister, Hillsdale freshman Abigail Liebing, said. “Then he had this flip in college when he wanted to try more things, becoming more outgoing.” Hillsdale History Professor Tom Conner, Liebings’s advisor during his years in college, said, “He was a prankster, a practical joker, in a loveable way. He lived the whole Hillsdale experience to the fullest.” After spending almost two full years abroad, and running out of money, Liebing headed home and began to build the framework of what would soon become his book, “How to Get Gone.” “I took my scattered thoughts and old journal entries combined with old emails I wrote to my parents, and I began to work through all the old memories,” Liebing said. “It was therapeutic to get those thoughts out, and there were some things that I had never told anyone.” Living in Seoul fresh out of college was, for Liebing, “like college with even less rules or money.” He remembers the culture shock and going out for Korean barbecue his first week with a fellow co-worker from Scotland. Liebing remained in Seoul for a year before heading back to the United States. “I started feeling a little homesick,” Liebing said. “I felt like a different person, which created within me the idea that I wanted to see more.”

Trying to settle down, Liebing came back to an office job but he quickly realized that his adventurous spirit could not be tamed. Liebing then landed another English teaching job in Saudi Arabia, which provided yet another culture change, quite different than the shock he experienced in South Korea, mostly due to major cultural differences such as no booze and no women, Liebing said. After another year of teaching, Liebing packed his backpack and began to travel around Eastern Europe: Greece, Istanbul, France, England, slowly moving North to Ireland. Through reflection on his experiences, Leibing encountered a philosophical twist on the concept of traveling. “There are a lot of disillusioned people out there in the world, many are sad, lost travelers, people without a home, out searching for something that they don’t always know what that is, they may have been gone for so long that they don’t know to go back home.” “Some people become addicted to travel, and it’s fun until you realize that you have no real life mission, you’ve just been jumping from rock to rock,” Liebing said. Libeling set up an online fundraising campaign through Indiegogo, and 128 sponsors have raised over $3,600 in pre-orders and donations so far. Liebing will

Ben Liebing’s story of his post-college travels is funded through Amazon Creative. IndieGogo

self-publish the book through Amazon Creative this Spring. “Several of my family members are reading through the entire book and just critiquing it in every aspect — grammar, style and content,” Abigail Liebing said. “I am really proud of his decision to just really buckle down and write this book.” Reading through the book, Abigail was touched by one story in particular. “There are a couple pages where he’s talking about this time in South Korea where he was really homesick and unsure what to do, when he finds a hymn book in his boss’s car,” Abigail Liebing said. “It’s this beautifully written episode where he describes that he was able to find a little piece of home.” “If anyone his age might write a successful book, I would think it might be Ben,” Conner said.

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

B3 26 Jan. 2017 Collegian Archives

Hillsdale’s founding role in the UFO craze The four Johsens siblings have bonded by surfing. From left to right, Kapailani (13), Leahi (17), Nainoa (21), Kauwila (20). Nainoa Johsens | Courtesy

Surfing from B4

going surfing … it’s 6 a.m., the sun is rising over the water, it’s really beautiful, and you talk to these people — most of the time they’re your neighbors.” That sense of community, born of shared experience and enlivened by surfer slang, strengthened sibling bonds in the Johsens family, too. “Surfing ties you all together, it comes with a lot of encouragement and camaraderie,” said Leahi, the fifth overall surfer in Santa Cruz County (an achievement Nainoa proudly pointed out). But it wasn’t always feelgood: She and her three brothers, Nainoa, Kapailani, and Kauwila Johsens, also bonded over their long, grueling beach days and weren’t afraid to push each other to surf better. “Surfing, the sport itself, is a lot of work,” Leahi said. “The water is super cold; you have to put on a wetsuit, it’s kind of gritty.” She noted that surfing requires patience and etiquette, qualities she said she sees in her older brother. “Nainoa is persevering, diligent, and polite. Surfing helped shaped that,” she said. While Nainoa gave up

Gilbert from B4

her junior and senior year at Hillsdale, Gilbert had very minimal experience in graphic design — only a crash course from fellow editors who designed the page, she said. Gilbert had never flown out of the country, but she said yes and left on her birthday in October 2014. Gilbert knew a little about Israel through stories from her grandmother, who loved the Israeli culture so much she visited Israel every year and kept a binder with pictures from each of her trips. “I grew up with the knowledge of Israel, keeping tabs of what was going on and current events over there and who was the prime minister at the time,” Gilbert said. But even with her grandmother’s stories in the back of her head, Gilbert said she didn’t anticipate the vibrancy of Israeli culture. “I had this idea of Israel as sort of a war zone,” she said. “But it is a beautiful, thriving, alive country. It’s not the kind of place you go for an adven-

closeness to the water for college, the waves followed the Californian surfer — with his Volcom T-shirts and Vans — to southern Michigan, where he said his surfing brands and laid-back style screamed weed-smoking hippie. “I didn’t know what boat shoes were until I came to Hillsdale,” Johsens said. “I would get one pair of Vans every year and would wear them until it was time to get a new pair. Formal wear? I had no idea what that consisted of. Then at Hillsdale, there are people wearing full suits to class.” Miles from the nearest shore, Johsens still finds ways to apply his California style and lasting lessons surfing taught him, especially on Inauguration Day. “I’m here in D.C. for WHIP, and people are losing their minds on both sides,” he said. “To me, it’s hilarious. In a thousand years, people will not care what happened today.” For him, history and politics roll like the waves of the ocean. “It might be a California thing,” he continued. “The competitive attitude at D.C.? It’s taken to a whole new level. In the back of my mind, I’m saying, ‘You know, we need to take it easy.’”

ture, it’s the kind of place you could go to live. Part of what I did while there was try to paint that picture for people.” Gilbert got to paint that picture through her graphic design work, occasional news stories for the web, and feature stories for the organization’s publications. During the year she stayed in Jerusalem, Gilbert said she fell in love with Israeli culture. She traveled around the country and said she found it “surreal” to be in the places where Jesus walked. She helped out in local schools. She joined a church choir. And she made a deal with her neighbor: she would iron laundry in exchange for Hebrew lessons. “That was such a gift to be able to learn from her and at the same time to have that picture into their culture,” Gilbert said. “They invited me into that. Although that wasn’t hard to find. Everyone invited you into their culture.” Gilbert herself invited people into the culture: senior Ramona Tausz interned in Israel during the summer

By | Nic Rowan Collegian Reporter Most people remember Gerald Ford as the president who pardoned Nixon — few know he was once a UFO investigator. Ford was a United States congressman representing Michigan’s fifth district when people all over Michigan started reporting unidentified flying objects in March 1966. Sightings occurred first in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Dexter, Michigan, on March 20, 1966, and caught the attention of the local press, but it was not until 19 Hillsdale College students living in the McIntyre Hall along with the house director and her husband, Civil Defense Director Bud Van Horn, saw flashing lights over Slayton Arboretum on March 21, 1966, that Ford took interest in the phenomenon. In an eyewitness account written for the Collegian several days after the sightings, Gidget Kohn ’69 said what she and her classmates saw resembled the popular conception of a UFO. “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.” The women of McIntyre were not the only ones who saw the object that night. Harold Hess, a Hillsdale police officer on duty that night, told the Collegian in 2015 he recalls seeing bright lights over the arboretum and driving over to investigate. When he arrived, Hess found the object was the source of the flashing lights. He tried to radio it in to headquarters, but he only got static. “It’s one of those things that runs your hair up on the back Gilbert was there, and the two shared an apartment. Tausz said she was impressed by Gilbert’s kindness and hospitality, (besides offering her a place to live, Gilbert helped her navigate the bus system and find a cellphone) and also by her passion for the Jewish culture. “She had this zeal to learn the language, get to know the people, just to serve and be of service in any way she could,” Tausz said. “She was continually educating me and

One of the custodians in Olds, Pam Petrie, spent hours twisting and braiding wire to make a sign for the girls living in Olds. S. M. Chavey | Collegian

Petrie from B4 diately clicked. With children the same ages and a shared affinity for animals, Petrie and Kirby became fast friends, even after they were no longer working together. Now in library acquisitions, Kirby was possibly the first person to receive a wire-crafted gift from Petrie: a flower. Kirby now has that flower and many others from Petrie in a vase on her desk. “I’ve seen blisters on her hands, but she loves doing it,” Kirby said. “She’s very caring, very kind, very humble. Would do anything for anybody. I’ve been in tough situations and I know I can call on her. You couldn’t ask for a

better best friend.” Ever since Petrie found out that Kirby’s father is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, she asks Kirby about her father every day. Petrie’s first big project, however, was for her sonin-law. When he told her he wanted a wire dragon for his birthday, she prepared for the challenge. “I just made the head of it, but the shadow of it looked like it was a raptor and it would have just jumped right off the wall and ate you,” Petrie said. Petrie has made 25th anniversary wedding bells, headbands for her daughter’s bridesmaids, a giant lion head, and more, but her favorite gift was the train for her father-in-law.

For half a year, Petrie twisted, braided, and sewed wire together — sometimes for as long as eight hours a day — to build the train. Though she ran out of the free wire from her boss, she bought a partial spool of wire from an electrician friend for only $300, and she hasn’t run out since. Most of the wire she uses arrives covered in plastic, so she first strips it down to twisted copper wire underneath. Petrie untwists the wire to separate it into thin, individual wires before twisting two back together again. In the past, she twisted all wires by hand, an arduous task that took hours just to complete one. One day, she realized she could use a drill to complete several hours of work in just two minutes, and she

of your head just thinking about it,” he said. Since so many people in different places had seen the same inexplicable phenomenon in the same place, Hillsdale became the center of a national news storm. Rep. Weston Vivian, D-Mich., called for an investigation of the sightings in Hillsdale and Dexter, since these were the locales where the most people had reported UFOs. The Air Force sent in Josef Hynek, an astrophysicist at Northwestern University. But even as Hynek arrived in Michigan, other Michigan towns like Clinton and Saugatuck were reporting UFO sightings in the night. Kalamazoo UFO historian Will Matthews said the Hillsdale UFO sightings kicked off a national UFO craze. “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.” By the time Hynek investigated the swamp in Dexter where the first UFOs had been sighted, he was greeted by people who believed the UFOs had extraterrestrial origins. The Grand Rapids Press reported that as Hynek conducted interviews, a man began playing his fiddle “hoping the phantom pilots would come to the earth,” while another man used the headlights of his car to blink pi in morse code at the swamp, saying that this was a number understood across the universe. Hynek met similar belief in the veracity of the UFOs in Hillsdale. He interviewed the students and came to the conclusion that the Hillsdale UFO was “swamp gas” — a term he coined which has since become a popular explanation for UFO reports.

Ford, however, said Hynek’s report was unconvincing. In a public radio broadcast, he demanded that the Air Force conduct a more thorough investigation of the Hillsdale UFO sightings, so the public would not have to fear the government might be hiding something. “These are incidents which many reliable good citizens felt were sufficient to justify some action by our government. And not the kind of flippant answer that was given by the Air Force where they passed it off as ‘swamp gas,’” he said. Some Hillsdale residents were not satisfied with Hynek’s assessment either. Van Horn wrote a 15-point rebuttal in the form of an open letter to Hynek and said he would lead his own research team, recruiting students from the college to do a soil test on the area where the UFO was sighted. These tests revealed unusually high levels of boron and radiation present in the arboretum’s soil and showed that all microscopic life in close proximity to the spot where the UFO had been seen was dead. Meanwhile, UFO reports came in from all around the midwest — Green Bay, Wisconsin; Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis, Missouri; Sandusky, Ohio — and Ford petitioned Congress to investigate the Air Force on the grounds that they should be transparent with the American people. The press mocked Ford and his UFO-plagued state — one writer called Michigan “the three-martini-before-dinner state” — but the congressman insisted Congress investigate the UFOs, if only to assure the American people of their safety. “I have never said that I believe any of the reported UFO sightings indicate visits to earth from another planet. Apart from

pranks and natural phenomena, some of these objects may well be products of experimentation by our own military,” Ford said in a 1966 press release. “If this is so, why doesn’t the Air Force concede it and in this way reassure the American people? There would be no need to go into the nature of the experiments.” Vivian, on the other hand, said a research university, not Congress, should investigate the UFOs so as not to turn the incidents into a circus. In the end, Vivian’s reasoning beat Ford’s, and Congress passed on the project to the University of Colorado, which in turn investigated UFO sightings in the United States. The university came up with negative results and the Air Force shut down Project Blue Book, its official UFO investigation chapter. Ford never got a public investigation and the source of the Hillsdale UFOs remains a mystery. Although Vivian said his memory is failing him, he may have an answer to why the UFO sightings began in the first place. A former radar researcher at the University of Michigan, Vivian said the University would operate government-funded test aircraft out of Willow Run Airport nearby in Ypsilanti, Michigan. “I vaguely remember the University of Michigan launching synthetic aircraft to test our radar systems. That could have been the cause for at least the first few sightings,” he said. Vivian also said that despite his differences with the future president, he remembers Ford positively. “I only talked to him sporadically after I was in Congress in 1966, but he was a good man,” he said.

helping me to understand things better.” Gilbert said her time in Israel gave her a “wider lense” for viewing the world — appropriate, perhaps, for a photojournalist. Now covering crime stories and the legislative beat for Channel 8, Gilbert said she enjoys her work. TV is unlike print, she said, but it’s just another way to tell a story. She said she is happy to be back in Lincoln, too, and

she recently married Hillsdale graduate Colton Gilbert ’15. Professor of English John Somerville, who became friends with Abigail after teaching her in several classes, said he’s not surprised that she is doing well at her job. “She’s naturally good with people and would be the sort of person who would become at ease in front of a camera and would make those she’s interviewing comfortable,” he said. He added that Abigail was

an excellent student and a good friend. “I think of all the students I’ve had here, she’s probably one of the two or three I’ve enjoyed the most,” he said. “She had almost the perfect attitude of a student: eager to learn, hardworking, open.” Somerville summed up the uniqueness and excitement of Gilbert’s post-Hillsdale life and career: “Who would imagine that would happen to anybody?”

Olds Custodian Pam Petrie made some wire chickens for her mother-in-law. The wings of the rooster and hen can move up and down. S. M. Chavey | Collegian

embarked on her next project with enthusiasm. Even with the drill, however, Petrie’s projects were still incredibly time-consuming. It was her husband who had the idea to sew the pieces together rather than twisting them. The sewn wires covered much more space, allowing Petrie to build larger portions in a smaller period of time. Still, she must first make the frame, then sew the seamless piece of braided wire through it, and even very small projects take hours, days, or weeks of her time. Petrie often has multiple projects going on to allow her a break from some of the bigger ones. “I would get frustrated with the train because I would work on it eight hours and

get nothing done, so I’d start working on my hens,” Petrie said. She finished the hens for her mother-in-law around the same time she finished the train. Next, she hopes to construct a large Charger horse for the college. She’s given all of her creations away for free so far, but said she hopes to begin taking orders. Though she devotes hours and hours of time to her wire projects each week, Petrie also finds time to create giant vases out of special rocks, to work in the Dow Leadership Center, and to form relationships with the girls in Olds Residence. Petrie made a birdhouse (complete with a bird) and a cross for the Olds Housedirector Linda Gravel “Mama G.,” and over Christmas, she made a sign saying

“Olds” for all the girls in the dormitory. “She’s very good to the girls, and very kind and understanding,” Gravel said. “She worries about the girls if they’re sick. Right now, she’s worried about the mold we might have in one room. She brought plants in for this courtyard. She just all-around cares about Olds and the girls.” Though Petrie works more on the lower floor of Olds, Gravel said her extroverted personality befriends all of the girls. “Pam’s all over, she knows everybody,” Gravel said. “I just want to thank her for her good work and her loving spirit in Olds.”

www.hillsdalecollegian.com Junior Nainoa Johsens is informally sponsored as a surfer. He receives free gifts of gear, such as wetsuits. Nainoa Johsens | Courtesy

B4 26 Jan. 2017

Catching waves and life lessons By | JoAnna Kroeker Opinions Editor When junior Nainoa Johsens was a “young and reckless” 16-year-old, he found himself thrown to the bottom of the ocean, wrapped in kelp, asking, “Is this it?” Tangled in seaweed and thrashing against the turbulent seawater, Johsens learned a valuable lesson from surfing: respect the power of the ocean and its control over him. “Surfing is one of those sports where you’re not shaping the field, the field has to shape you,” he said. Johsens’ field, the Pacific Ocean, and surfing it as an in-

formally-sponsored surfer has shaped and continues to shape him, from his casual California style to his laid-back life philosophies. But before Nainoa was even a thought, the Johsens’ family story followed the waves: Karl Johsens, his father, let his love of surfing choose his medical school — the University of Hawaii — where he met his future wife, Hualalai. When their son was born, they named him after Nainoa Thompson, who navigated the Pacific from Hawaii to Tahiti by constellations to prove the ancient Hawaiians could have done the same. In Hawaiian, “Nainoa” means “the names,” and represents a

commitment to protecting the island people’s traditions. After both Johsens completed their residency in Denver, Colorado, they moved to Santa Cruz, California, a beach town with a tight-knit surfing community. Close to the water now, his father took Nainoa surfing for the first time when he was 6 years old. It wasn’t until Johsens was 14 that he dove headfirst into the sport, surfing every day once his family moved into a house two blocks from the shore. While Johsens surfed primarily for the love of it, in high school he began participating in contests hosted by the National Scholastic

Surfing League. In this competitive environment, surfing brands noticed his skill and informally sponsored him with monthly gifts of gear, from wax to wetsuits. Selah Bartlett, a family friend and close neighbor who grew up surfing alongside Johsens, said she fondly remembers beach days with him and his younger sister Leahi Johsens, her best friend, goofing off in the water and all scrambling onto one surfboard to ride back to shore. Bartlett is also a sponsored surfer, representing multiple brands including Reef shoes and Oakley sunglasses. Bartlett said in the competitive surfing world,

everyone who does well gets something. “You’re not really getting money,” she said. “You get fun stuff.” While the free gear certainly saves surfers a lot of money, it’s also a motivational tool. “You want to represent the companies well,” she said. “It motivates you to have a good attitude in and out of the water because there are more people watching.” More than the sponsorship and competitions, Johsens loves surfing for its close community, where waves match personalities and everyone speaks the surfer lingo.

“The bigger, heavier waves, you get more aggressive personalities,” he said. “Where it’s calmer, you get people there who like surfing more to just relax instead of to get amped.” Excitable or chill, all surfers know the slang lexicon: clichés like “rad” and “stoked,” but also lesserknown ones like “kook,” a newbie who gets in everyone’s way, and “steezy,” when surfers are in their own world after catching a good wave. Nainoa said surfers have a strong sense of shared experience. “The getting up early, the

See Surfing B3

Zooming in on Israel By | Nicole Ault Collegian Reporter

Olds Custodian Pam Petrie made some colorful animals out of plastic-covered wire. S. M. Chavey | Collegian

Pam Petrie, a custodian in Olds, stands behind a wire train she made by hand for her father-in-law. She also made a wire gift for the house director at Olds and another gift for the girls there. S. M. Chavey | Collegian

Wire wound with love By | S. M. Chavey Features Editor

Two men stand on the first car of the train: one waves, the other holds a shovel. Black steam billows out of the engine in a spiraling gray cloud. The second car, securely hinged to the first, carries blocks and blocks of hard black coal. Against a copper background, the name PETRIE is written in large silver

letters. Apart from the engine, the entire train — wheels, hinges, and clasps — functions. About a yard long and just under a foot high, every centimeter of the train is doused in thoughtfulness, love, and sincerity, and it’s formed entirely from wire. Hillsdale College Custodian Pam Petrie spent six months making the train as a Christmas present for her father-in-law, a retired cot-

ton rail conductor, and he received it with tears. It was a gift meant to be as special as Petrie’s father-in-law is to her. “There’s blood, sweat, and tears in [my creations],” Petrie said. “I get blisters in my hands from straightening out my wire. I’ve cut myself with tools. It’s a dangerous job: I’ve almost put my husband’s eye out from pulling on a piece of wire. But it’s

still amazing what the results are, and it’s worth every blood drop and tear and every blister — every bit worth the time.” Petrie first began crafting wire in 2004. Working as a drywall sander, Petrie sat waiting for the drywall mud on the walls to dry so that she could sand and paint them. She absent-mindedly snagged a nearby piece of colorful, plastic-covered scrap wire and began forming it into flowers. The hobby stuck enough that Petrie asked her boss if she could take some extra wire home for doodling, and she’s been crafting ever since. In 2009, Petrie started working the night shift at Hillsdale College as a custodian, where she and thencustodian Lori Kirby imme-

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Abigail Wood ‘14, formerly Abigail Gilbert, didn’t expect to end up on camera when she interviewed for a job at Channel 8 News in Lincoln, Nebraska. She’d studied English, journalism and philosophy at Hillsdale, but she’d only done print journalism. So she was surprised when the editor at the station said he hoped she didn’t just want to appear on TV to have “face time.” The thought hadn’t crossed Gilbert’s mind. “That was the first time I realized I was going to have my face on TV,” she said. But, ever adventurous and willing, she took the job as a photojournalist, filming stories and appearing on camera every day. “I would never have

thought that I would be a photojournalist because I love print. And I was kind of snooty about the superiority of print,” she said. It wasn’t the first time Gilbert ended up doing the unexpected. When she interviewed for the job, she had recently returned from a yearlong stay in Israel, where she volunteered for a charitable organization’s publication. A Nebraska native, Gilbert had planned to return to Nebraska after graduation and work in journalism, but a family friend asked her to volunteer as a graphic designer for Bridges for Peace, a charitable organization that runs food banks and other ministries in Israel. As the arts editor for the Collegian during

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Abigail Gilbert ‘14 worked as a graphic designer and reporter in Israel after graduating. Abigail Gilbert | Courtesy

Zach Pastorius: WHIP edition By | Madeline Fry

What’s the main difference between on-campus attire and intern attire? On campus, everybody dresses so differently. You can see someone who is still in their pajamas sitting in class next to someone wearing a suit. For me, it depends on the day: sometimes I just wear sports shorts and a T-shirt but some days I try to dress up a little more. Here, you have to dress up as an intern to earn respect and show that you care.

What’s your favorite article of professional clothing? The socks. They make or break the outfit. What has been your greatest fashion faux pas? I can never keep my shirt tucked in when I am walking around, so I constantly have to re-tuck, which is awkward if there are a lot of people around. What has living in Washington, D.C., taught you about style? Living in D.C. has taught me that what you are wearing is super important for good first impressions. Look good, feel good. Madeline Fry | Collegian