The Hillsdale Collegian 10.3.19 by The Hillsdale Collegian

Vol. 143 Issue 6- October 3, 2019

Michigan’s oldest college newspaper

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Christ Chapel officially opened its doors on Thursday morning. Regan Meyer | Collegian

Hillsdale welcomes 800 guests for 175th anniversary gala By | Alex Nester Opinions Editor

Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn said he wishes he had planned this 20 years ago. But he didn’t. It just came together that way. On Thursday, Hillsdale College will celebrate the school’s 175th Anniversary with a gala, the dedication of Christ Chapel, and the launching of the Four Pillars capital campaign. The events will be attended by faculty, staff, students, and more than 800 visitors.

Not many colleges can really celebrate their anniversaries anymore, Arnn said, because they are not really the same institution their founders created them to be. Hillsdale, unlike other colleges, has not changed, but has developed and grown further into its mission. “175 can only be meaningful if it’s the same,” Arnn said. “Old colleges aren’t what they were. It’s within human competence to change, but you can’t change the thing and expect it to be the same. 175

here means a lot, more than other places. And we had to mark the occasion.” The gala, which began Wednesday morning, includes tours of campus and the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center and a dramatization of the historical figures on the Liberty Walk. Lunches and dinners will feature lectures from historian Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Journalism Fellow Mollie Hemingway, author and journalist Mark Steyn, Chairman of the Board

Students participated in the Liberty Walk on Wednesday morning. See A2 for coverage

Hillsdale launches partnership with USA Shooting, Olympians to train at Halter Center It’s not every day an Olympian comes to campus, but on Saturday, Hillsdale College welcomed six of them. On Sept. 28, members of USA Shooting’s National Team and friends of Hillsdale College gathered at the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center to launch Hillsdale College and USA Shooting’s newly formed partnership. The United States Olympic Committee chartered USA Shooting in 1995 to promote shooting sports, train Olympic shooters, and oversee international shooting in the United States. In partnering with USA Shooting, the college’s John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center has been designated a Certified Eastern Regional Training and Competition Center for USA Shooting’s National Team and shooting sports development programs. Rich Péwé, chief administrative officer, said the partnership is a natural fit because Hillsdale College and USA Shooting share similar values. Both are keen on promoting shooting sports and the principles it enforces. Follow @HDaleCollegian

“We’re excited to do something with USA Shooting because we believe shooting develops good character: it requires ethics and learning good habits,” Péwé said. “We want people to be responsible and rise to self government. USA Shooting promotes character and sport through

Sharee Waldron, USA shotgun team manager, at the event on Saturday. Madeleine Miller | Collegian

shooting sports.” USA Shooting’s Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, sees about 100,000 visitors per year. Péwé anticipates that, through the partnership, USA visitors will learn of Hillsdale College’s Imprimis publication and online courses. Meanwhile, Hillsdale College’s dorms and shuttle services make its John

dinner with dancing to follow. The events and presentation of the gala demonstrate some of the purposes of the Four Pillars campaign, which seeks to raise $686.85 million for the endowment by 2024. Péwé said the gala, in conjunction with the chapel dedication and campaign launch, provides the opportunity for donors and others to learn about the college’s other new efforts, like the Four Pillars campaign. The Four Pillars are character, high learning, faith, and

freedom, and they come from Hillsdale College’s founding documents, including the mission statement and the Articles of Association, according to Arnn. Arnn said that while the actions and the way the college lives out its mission has changed, the mission itself remains the same. “We’ve been talking about the Four Pillars for a long time. Dr. Arnn’s always talked about the

See Gala A3

Surrounding counties affected by deadly mosquito-borne virus

Ethan Greb | Courtesy

By | Madeleine Miller Collegian Reporter

of Trustees and Four Pillars Campaign Co-Chairman Pat Sajak, Vice President of the Board of Trustees and Four Pillars Campaign Co-Chairman Stephen Van Andel, and Arnn. There are also presentations on the new classical education master’s program, the Barney Charter School Initiative, and a theatre department presentation of selections from Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Thursday night, the college symphony will perform after

Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center an ideal location for USA Shooting to hold competitions, camps, and clinics. Six Olympic athletes, including Vincent Hancock and Kim Rhode, along with USA Shooting staff members Robert Gambardella, interim chief executive officer; Chad Whittenburg, chairman of the board; Stacy Weiland, director of licensing and strategic partnerships; and Sharee Waldron, shotgun team manager visited Hillsdale Saturday to launch the partnership. They joined college guests at the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center to shoot sporting clays, skeet, and bunker trap, and later had dinner at President Arnn’s residence, Broadlawn. Hats, athletic tops, and other merchandise bearing the Hillsdale College and USA Shooting logos were displayed in the range’s AcuSport Lodge. Waldron, a former Olympic shooter, coordinates athletes’ schedules, including competitions and appearances. She travels with the team to ensure athletes have access to nutrition, physical therapy, and other resources that enable them to maintain peak

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By | Kate Pipher Collegian Freelancer A deadly mosquito-borne virus has not threatened Hillsdale County as of yet, but neighboring counties have been declared high-risk areas for the virus. Jackson, Kalamazoo, and Calhoun counties are all considered high-risk areas for EEE, a mosquito-borne virus found mostly in the eastern regions of the United States. Sixteen Michigan counties have been declared high-risk areas for the virus. The danger is ongoing, as nine human cases have been confirmed and three people have died to date. As of Oct. 2, 33 animal cases have been confirmed in 16 counties. Hillsdale College Professor of Biology and resident virologist Silas Johnson said EEE is part of a group of viruses known as “alpha viruses.” “They’re all very similar in terms of their structure and function,” Johnson said. “They share a common transmission mechanism

via an insect vector.” Johnson said EEE infects humans when a mosquito bites an animal, most commonly birds, that hosts the virus. The mosquito then delivers the virus to humans where it goes straight to the bloodstream. A human is “a dead-end host,” according to Johnson. The virus will not spread further than its human host, so the disease is not contagious. “Most people infected with EEE will be completely asymptomatic,” Johnson said. “A super tiny fraction — 3-5% of people — will actually show signs of any virus. And it’s usually not that severe: fever, chills, malaise, kind of like the flu. And then a very small fraction of those people actually come down with a really severe form.” Johnson said the severe form of EEE mimics meningitis and encephalitis, which are both forms of inflammation of the brain and surrounding tissues. About 30% of people who contract the neurologic infection will die.

There is no cure for EEE. People under the ages 15 and above 50 are the most susceptible. EEE also threatens animals, especially horses. Public Information Officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Lynn Sutfin explained that this disease pops up in this region about once a decade. The weather and rainfall this year have both been factors, she said, but there is no specific reason it has occurred this year. It is difficult to predict where it will appear next and in what volume. While the state has confirmed nine human cases, there are a total of 42 combined people and animal cases throughout 15 Michigan counties. Due to the unpredictability and severity of the EEE virus, local Michigan high school athletic departments have had to postpone and reschedule athletic events.

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Freshmen retention rates hit 96% By | Nolan Ryan Editor-in-Chief

Hillsdale College’s freshman retention rate for this year matched the previous highest rate from 2014. This year’s retention rate is 96% for students who began in fall 2018 and returned this semester, according to George Allen, director of institutional research.

It matches the figure of students who entered in fall 2014 and returned the next year, which was the highest percentage on record. Allen said the average for the past five classes of students is 94%, while the average for the last 10 is 93%. “High retention and graduation rates are one indicator of a happy, suc-

cessful, and well-supported student body,” Allen said. “Conversely, lots of students transferring out, dropping out, or being expelled might indicate a less successful and less satisfied student body.” Allen said in an email that he runs a report and checks it against the records from

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UAW strike from GM begins to affect locals By | Rachel Kookogey Assistant Editor The United Auto Workers’ strike from General Motors has impacted Michigan’s economy, and Hillsdale County is no stranger to its effects. The strike has delayed, and in some cases, stopped the production of auto parts, affecting the businesses of both auto part manufacturers and car dealerships in Hillsdale

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County. The Collegian reached out to a representative of Martinrea Steel in Jonesville, Michigan, who said the strike has made an impact because GM is 40% of their business. They declined to comment further. Owner of the Hillsdale Buick GMC Ken Joswiak said the main impact on their dealership has been the availability of parts. “We usually get our parts

from General Motors,” Joswiak said. “We’re still receiving the majority of items, but some things are hard to get. There are certain parts we’re losing.” The main problem, Joswiak said, is that GM is behind on shipping the dealership the parts they need to repair cars. “What is now happening is we’re experiencing a lot of delays,” Joswiak said.

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News Benzing, Sigma Chi flooded by heavy rainfall, student property damaged

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October 3, 2019

By | Rachel Kookogey Assistant Editor Rainwater flooded Benzing Residence on the morning of Monday, Sept. 30, soiling the basement flooring and damaging the belongings of several residents. The basement of the Sigma Chi fraternity house also flooded — an occurrence which Sigma Chi House Man Michael HagEstad said happens at least once a year. Around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, the water began leaking through a back door that leads into the basement of Benzing. The water flowed up the hall and into a study room, a workout room, and about eight residential rooms. Head Resident Assistant Jolene Estruth said the water got up to about four inches at the deepest point. “The water started coming up the hall, coming towards me kind of like in the film ‘Titanic,’” Estruth said. “It wasn’t too deep, but enough to cover the ground and damage any items that were on the floor.” Estruth said the college already had a crew on the way by the time somebody woke her up at 6:45 a.m., and within the following 15 minutes, the personnel had arrived, evacuated the residents, and begun resolving the issue. During the remainder of the day, Hillsdale College maintenance personnel and Servpro, a professional water removal company, extracted the water from the floors. With the aid of

college custodians, they also shampooed the carpet, deep-cleaned every surface in the rooms, and provided laundry services for any soiled bedding or clothing. Maintenance will also be conducting moisture tests for the three days following the flooding. Estruth said the whole situation was stressful, but the college handled it in the best way possible. “The college has been very generous to make sure that everything is taken care of,” Estruth said. “They responded very promptly and very well, especially considering that the gala is this week and they have a million other things to do.” Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell gave residents the option of staying in another room in Benzing or another dormitory until the cleaning was complete. Dell has also begun the process of compensating students for any significantly damaged items. Benzing resident sophomore Shelby Dorman said she and her roommate had no damaged items because they were able to get their belongings off the floor and onto their beds before evacuating. “A custodian came into our room that morning to tell us there was water coming in, so we started moving things off of the ground,” Dorman said. “But then she came back and said, ‘No, you have to evacuate!’ So I guess we had no damages because we didn’t quite follow instructions.” As of Tuesday, Dorman

said she was sleeping in another room in Benzing because her belongings were still on her bed as the room was cleaned. Because Benzing is located at the bottom of the hill on which campus sits, there are catch-basins with drains on both the north and west sides of Benzing. The basins have filled with water during previous rainfalls, but Dell said this was the first time in at least 30 years that the basins have overflowed and flooded the dormitory. Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said that because there had been significant rainfall in the four days leading up to Monday morning, the ground was saturated and all the drains up the hill of campus and down to the “bowl” behind Benzing were full. “The basins have gotten full and subsided before,” Péwé said. “But there was a lot of rain in a short period of time, so the water did not have time to evaporate or drain away.” Péwé also said the Slayton Arboretum was almost completely flooded, which he had never seen happen before. Péwé said the recent construction on campus has most likely caused a greater water run-off. “Now that we know there seems to be more water coming down the hill, whether because of how we renovated Galloway or because other surfaces are smoother now. We will make an effort to adjust and make sure this doesn’t

Students reenact historical speeches on truth, liberty

happen in the future,” Péwé said. In an email to the residents affected, Dell said the college had a contractor on site Monday morning and is taking active steps to ensure the “bowl” behind Benzing doesn’t overflow again. At the Sigma Chi house, the basement flooded to the extent it does at least once a year, according to HagEstad. “We’ve done some hodgepodge things to fix it. We’ve covered some of the windows that are at ground level, but we suspect that its actually a foundational issue,” HagEstad said. According to HagEstad, there was a similar flood over the summer, which caused clothing stored in the basement to get moldy. Hagestad said the fraternity is now starting to address this recurring issue and will possibly conduct a fundraiser to remodel the house. The water that leaked in Monday damaged everything on the basement floor, including books, clothes, and even some electrical equipment. HagEstad said the fraternity has cleaned up the water on their own in the past, but this year the maintenance department helped them out. “This year, maintenance was fantastic,” HagEstad said. “They came in and cleaned it up in about 20 minutes. When I returned to the house after my classes, the area was all dry and smelled nice, too.”

By | Virginia Aabram Collegian Reporter The rhetoric department brought history to life on Wednesday morning with reenactments of famous speeches from the individuals commorated by campus statues. The speaking tour, entitled “Historical Figures of the Liberty Walk: Speeches of Statesmen,” was part of the chapel dedication festivities. Nearly 200 attendees listened to students of Hillsdale College and Hillsdale Academy recite declamations from the most famous speeches of the seven figures as well as present narrative backgrounds to the excerpts. The event was initially planned as a walking tour, with the speeches delivered in the vicinity of the statues, but due to rain, the event was moved inside the gala tent. Professor Kirsten Kiledal began working on the project last spring after she was approached by the director of the Four Pillars campaign, who pictured the event as being both a tour of campus and a walk-through of the Western tradition of statesmanship for guests on campus for the gala. “Thematically, we want them to take away that these figures, in their own times and statesmanship, had to deal with the four pillars that are central to this campaign faith, freedom, learning, character - and that we can see the way that is manifested in their words and in their actions,” Kiledal said. The event opened with a poetry prelude by Ned Wyse, husband of music professor Debbi Wyse, who is recog-

nized for his talent in poetry recitation. He talked about and recited the works of Robert Frost and Will Carleton, the purpose of which was to set a contemplative and appreciative tone for the audience to receive the rest of the speeches. The presentation was divided into three categories: Founding (both of America and the College), Civil War, and the 20th Century. Some of the orations sampled included George Washington’s Farewell Address, Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches,” and Hillsdale College’s first President Edmund Fairfield’s Cornerstone Speech. Junior Taryn Murphy was asked to be one of the student speakers because of her participation in the Everett Oratory Competition last year. She delivered Margaret Thatcher’s address on the passing of Ronald Reagan. “It’s a really great way to be a part of a meaningful event on campus and to share with the friends of the college why Hillsdale means so much,” Murphy said. “I’m hoping that people get to see the rich history that Hillsdale celebrates and that we still champion the values of those who came before us.” Audience members were touched by what they saw. “It was done with a lot of passion,” said Edward Drum, a President’s Club member visiting from Washington. Rita Drum, who is also a President’s Club member said, “Some of the moments in history I lived through, so to hear them come alive again was amazing.”

Student Federation upholds reduced Tower Light budget By | Virginia Aabram Collegian Reporter A group of about 70 students and faculty attended the Sept. 26 Student Federation meeting to express their support or opposition to a funding request to reinstate the funds which were cut from the Tower Light budget last spring. The Student Federation voted 9-4 to uphold the current, reduced Tower Light budget in a contentious meeting that lasted two and a half hours. The Thursday meeting was the third time since April 2019 that the Tower Light’s budget had come up for a vote, the first being the initial decision to cut $5,500 from the regular allotment of $11,000. With the addition of a $31,000 discretionary surplus the federation discovered in an emergency fund over the summer, the issue was brought up again at the suggestion of Dean of Women Diane Philipp and some members of federation leadership to reinstate the $5,500 in their meeting on Sept. 12. The April budget was upheld 11-2 at that meeting. The argument revolved mainly around the aesthetic of the publication and whether that was possible on a reduced budget. The federation had previously reduced the budget as the result of a decision to have the Tower Light printed in-house for a quarter of the cost at the expense of glue binding, embossed printing, and sharper images. Some of the objections at the Sept. 12 meeting were based on the fact that the motion did not proceed through normal committee channels. Typically, a funding request for any of the publications would require meetings with the finance and publications committees, with a vote more likely to succeed based on their recommendations. Representatives from the Tower Light met with the finance committee on Sept. 22, before the most recent Federation meeting, to formally request that the funds be reinstated. Between the finance meeting and the Sept. 26th federation meet-

ing, an examination of the reasonably and responsibly, showing the Tower Light to Tower Light account revealed but everyone involved in the prospective students. that there were $2,000 more actual making of the Tower “We have a lot of prospecin discretionary funds than Light has created a budget tive students interested in previously thought, which that produces a respectable, studying English who take decreased the amount the beautiful, and professional literature very seriously,” publication requested to work. All we ask each year is Andrew said. “Every time $3,000. simply what it costs.” I get to show a prospective When the Sept. 26 meetWhen Boyle and Servold student the Tower Light, their ing opened with reports finished their request, the reaction is always priceless.” from each committee, the meeting moved into a period The other half, who finance committee did not of public comment in which spoke against the proposal, recommend that the Tower the audience had time to stressed that there is a middle Light receive the additional voice their opinions on the ground between financial money. This was not the final matter. The commenting peresponsibility and aesthetics, decision, as that would come riod was limited to a total of though several of the “con” down to a vote by the whole federation after all discussion had been heard. The Tower Light saw support early in the form of three letters read aloud during the secretary’s report. One was from a 2010 alumnus and former federation president, another from the Collegian’s Editor-in-Chief Nolan Ryan, and an open letter by Assistant Professor of English Elizabeth Fredericks in solidarity with 13 members of the English and fine arts departments that had been published in the Faculty and students packed the formal lounge. Virginia Aabram | Collegian earlier that Collegian day. After these reports, Mary 15 minutes, with a maximum statements were used to ask Kate Boyle, editor-in-chief of of two minutes per comment, questions clarifying the exact the Tower Light, and Maria and moved in a pro/con alter- financial situation of the Servold, faculty adviser to nating format. Tower Light. publications, made their case The 18 people who spoke “It’s what’s on the inside as to why they should receive during this time included that matters,” sophomore the funding. some faculty, students, and Jacob Hooper said. “I expect “If you increase our Tower Light editors speaking each and every one of you to budget, we can print the in support of the funding be fiscally responsible, and Tower Light well,” Boyle said. proposal, with emphasis on I have a hard time justifying “We’re a school that prides the need for good aesthetics how a printing cost could itself on excellence, and our to match the quality of work be so large for such a small publications should be no within the pages. Some also publication.” exception. If we say we can explained the importance of When public comments offer an education equal to or having an exceptional literary finished, discussion moved better than any other school magazine to aid in recruiting within the Federation. in the country, that should students to come to Hillsdale, Representative Matthew be clear through the work we as the Tower Light’s polished Montgomery opened by voicpublish.” presentation proves that ing support for the reduced Servold reminded the Hillsdale takes the arts seribudget. Montgomery said federation that it is required ously. Some students noted that he doesn’t believe that per its constitution to provide this was influential in their paper quality is the only thing funding for all student publi- decision to attend Hillsdale. that makes art. cations that fall under its pur“Aesthetic is not some“Art does not require large view and noted the apparent thing that is intuitive; it’s budgets to flourish and exist lack of respect on campus for something, like conscience, so long as a culture that honthe Tower Light. that needs to be cultivated ors art is present, and we have “You’re required by the and can be poorly cultivated,” that culture here at Hillsdale college and your own conjunior Colm Maines said. College,” Montgomery said. stitution to fund the Tower Junior Kailey Andrew, Vice President Madeline Light,” Servold said. “Obviwho works in the college Peltzer countered by pointing ously that needs to be done admissions office, described out that the federation is re-

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quired to allocate money and that they are currently working with double their typical budget. Additionally, the average funding request from groups that come before the federation is about $1,500, and what the Tower Light was requesting is equivalent to only two of those. “Why have we chosen this hill to die on?” Peltzer asked. Representative Owen Macaulay weighed in on the side of those supporting the current budget by pointing out that Hillsdale’s most far-reaching publication, Imprimis, is printed like a brochure, and yet no one would doubt the quality of its content. Delta Tau Delta Representative Joel Meng pointed out that the majority of those arguing over the Tower Light’s print quality — including himself as a newly sworn in member of the federation — had never been presented with an example of how the journal would look if printed by the copy center. When the Chairman of the Publications Committee Braden VanDyke’s turn came to speak, he requested that the time limit of two minutes imposed on other federation members be lifted for him to fully explain the rationale behind the initial decision to cut the Tower Light’s budget. The request was granted by a federation vote. VanDyke made the same recommendation that the funding request not be approved as he did at the last regular federation meeting. He brought in numerous examples of print products produced in the college’s copy center, including The Forum and the Bon Appetit magazine. VanDyke also described examples of the student-produced literary journals at Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago. He pointed out that their journals tend to be simple, and mostly online. He stated that his ultimate goal was to make the Tower Light intrinsically respected again by solving what he believed to be a problem with outreach and campus presence. After a five-minute recess there was a motion to end the discussion and move to

a vote, which was overruled by federation President James Millius. Discussion continued but moved into debate over the proper handling of the federation’s discretionary budget surplus, which Millius halted on the grounds that it was not pertinent to the topic of the Tower Light budget. What followed was a flurry of debate over the surplus, the Tower Light budget, and Robert’s Rules of Order. When it came time to vote, Tower Light’s funding request was denied 9-4, with representatives VanDyke, Phil Berntson, and Nick Oxaal abstaining. The floor was then reopened to general public comment in which both supporters and those in opposition of the budget spoke. Dutton Kearney, associate professor of English defended the large number of faculty present at the meeting. “I’m disappointed that you are intimidated by our presence,” Kearney said. “College is a partnership. I just came to support the Tower Light. Our point is education and counsel.” Secretary Victoria Schmidt and Berntson encouraged those in attendance to be civil with those they disagreed with after leaving the meeting. At the close of the meeting, Millius took a step back from his position as president and chair of the discussion to say, as the most senior member of the board, that he strongly disagreed with the vote due to what he described as the federation’s inconsistent application of fiscal responsibility principles. Meng had the last word, reiterating that it would be beneficial to actually see the differences in aesthetics at the heart of the debate. “It’s hard for us new members of the board to really gauge the quality difference because we weren’t here last semester,” Meng said. “It would be helpful to see price quotes from different printers, as well as to hold sample booklets. I just want this to be the best blend of fiscal responsibility and aesthetics for students at Hillsdale to enjoy.”

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October 3, 2019 A3

Women’s soccer club clinches first victory in eight years By | Austin Gergens Collegian Reporter It’s been barely over a month since the Hillsdale College Women’s Club Soccer team kicked off their season, but thanks to freshman talent, they’re already off to a strong start. The team ended its eightyear losing streak during homecoming weekend after clinching a victory over University of Michigan-Flint. Freshmen Lydia Barrows and Cate Kelley scored the four goals of the game to secure the win. The team was halfway through its third game of the season and University of Michigan-Flint was up by one goal. With several minutes remaining before half-time, Barrows blasted the ball from the left side of the net and sent it flying low to the right side of the goal, sailing right between the goalie’s legs. Barrows said that leveling the score made her feel good because the team was down. “The goal was even more exciting because it was my first college soccer goal,” she said, “and the team’s first goal of the game, so everybody was really excited about it.” During halftime, coach Juan Vargas, a junior, told the team to change their strategy and gave a rousing pep talk, according to senior and team captain Mikayla Dove. “I changed the lineup and we were now going to play aggressively,” Vargas said. “I

told them that they need to take the shots rather than just passing the ball around all the time.” Barrows would go on to score two more goals, earning

enormous first for the team, it’s not the only “first” the team has achieved this season. Gena Grant, the team’s academic advisor and coach for the past three years, had to

Rates from A1

the registrar’s office and Student Affairs. His calculation is based on the number of students who re-enroll for their second fall semester, so the report only tracks “non-transfer students who began full-time, in the fall.” For schools in Hillsdale’s Carnegie Classification, Allen said public data as of fall 2017 show that these schools — other four-year, liberal arts institutions — have an average retention rate of 80%.

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Articles of Association, the type of education we provide, and what that education is built on and what it is for is really character, faith, and freedom,” Péwé said. “It made sense the capital campaign be named the Four Pillars because that resonated with everybody.” The $686.85 million raised from the campaign will fund various college needs. $260.2 million will fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships, $201.7 million will go to general operations including campus improvements, classroom materials, and student extracurricular activities. Program endowments will receive $121.6 million with 20 million going to the development of online education. The remaining $103.3 will go towards capital projects including new dormitories and student professional development. It will also help for some beautification and restoration projects around campus, like fixing the back of Central Hall and the Dow Hotel and Conference Center. “The key to raising money is to remember you don’t,” Arnn said. “A lot of people think you talk people into it, but most Americans have a charitable impulse. If you reach widely enough, lots will like what you do.”

Over the summer he sent the team a workout routine. A large emphasis of the practices are on conditioning and running. One way he would help accomplish better team

The Hillsdale women’s soccer team celebrates their first win. Mikayla Dove | Courtesy

herself the rare achievement of a hat-trick, an occasion when a player scores three goals during a single game. “The second the whistle blew to end the game and we freaked out,” Dove said. “We all ran off the field jumping up and down, it was incredible.” While this victory was an

step down from the coaching position in spring 2019, which left an opening for the position. Dove and Associate Dean of Men Jeffrey “Chief ” Rodgers sought a new coach and found Vargas. “We’ve met and talked a lot about the direction the team

1844 Society to host annual mixer

By | Ben Wilson Collegian Reporter Free cocktails and a personalized sidewalk brick are two of the potential perks available to attendees of 1844 Society’s informational meeting on Friday evening from 5-7 p.m. at Rough Draft. The organization is focused on engaging students in networking, teaching the importance of philanthropy, and immersing them in alumni life. Through monthly talks, exclusive dinners, and meetings with alumni, members prepare to become

should take,” Vargas said. “She has been so supportive and given me a lot of good advice about the team.” Vargas is well suited for the position as he grew up playing

valuable assets to the college upon graduation. “The 1844 Society is a branch of the alumni relations office,” President Braden VanDyke said. “The society prepares you for what it’s like to be an alumnus and shows what it means to be an alumnus even before you leave campus.” The Day of Thanks, Thanksgiving Dinner, and Founders Day are among the events hosted by the group for the student body. Members attend many more exclusive events with notable alumni. Colleen McGinness is the Dean of Women Diane Philipp noted in an email that strong retention rates are a result of team effort. “It’s an all-campus effort coming from the work of our professors, maintenance, administration, security, business office, food service, student services, everyone who works here, and especially Dr. and Mrs. Arnn,” she said. Philipp said good retention indicates that students are happy at Hillsdale, and she expressed her gratitude for The last fundraising campaign raised $250 million from more than 400 million gifts, Arnn said. He initially announced the beginning of this campaign at the 2019 commencement ceremony. “We hope that even though it’s a big crowd, the college is in a position where it can advance those four pillars and sustain the college long term,” Péwé said. “This is a big deal. It’s important for the long term of the college to be stronger and better and solidify the curriculum and fund as many scholarships as possible.” Péwé added that while the events and construction impact students now, the end result is important for perpetuating Hillsdale College and its mission. “I know it’s happening around the students, and the quad is gone, but when it comes back it will be glorious. It’s important for the long term of the college.” Arnn said the chapel’s architect, Duncan Stroik, said a chapel like Christ Chapel has not been built on a college campus for decades. The chapel was built in a classical style with pillars, white walls, and dark wood fixings on the walls that point toward the altar. “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Arnn said. While meeting with Stroik and others to discuss the

executive director of alumni relations and faculty advisor for the society. “We are planning a great year of events, including partnerships with SAB, the Alumni Advisory Board, and the Senior Class Officers as they support the Class of 2020’s transition to alumni life,” McGinness said in an email. The group enables students to meet and maintain relationships with alumni during and after their time on campus, making it easy for them to utilize the vast network Hillsdale has across the country.

soccer daily in Columbia and was also on the varsity team at his high school in Texas. He coached several youth and club teams back in Columbia, as well as his old high school team. “I have coached many teams, but this is the first college experience,” Vargas said.

endurance would be making the team practice three days a week, rather than only twice a week as they have done in the past. “I think that before you’re trying to use the ball, you need to have your body ready to handle 90 minutes of active game time,” Vargas said.

Dove said she and the team enjoy the fun drills that Vargas creates and appreciates how purposeful they are. Depending on how the team performs during scrimmages, Vargas tailors practices to enhance skills the team does well and address weak spots. Vargas said the team’s greatest strengths include their communication skills and ability to maintain possession of the ball. “I’ve realized that during the game, we have possession of the ball a lot, but we don’t take the shots,” Vargas said. Consequently, he designates several drills each practice to help the team hone their shooting skills. This year the team has also had its greatest number of freshmen join the roster of 26 women, with 10 new players. This season is also the first time that the team entered a new conference, which includes teams such as the University of Michigan-Flint, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Oakland University, and Washtenaw Community College. By joining the new league, Hillsdale will play University of Michigan-Flint a second time this coming weekend. While the Chargers will be playing on Flint’s home turf, Dove said that the team is optimistic and hopes for another win.

SAB holds first ever Maker’s Market

By | Elizabeth Bachmann Wandering Jew plants. Chef ’s Way, a local organAssistant Editor “I am having a blast,” Bryls- ic farm, provides produce ki said. “This is the time of my for Bon Appetit. Owner and This Saturday, Hillsdale’s life. Adrianne and I just love classically trained chef Ezra bakers, jewelers, farmers, Bertakis also offers cookseamstresses, and horticultur- plants so I am so excited to sell plants here today.” ing classes and events at the alists emerged from their seThe two heard about the college. cluded alcoves of study, taking Makers Market this summer The farm has another time away from academics to unique connection with the share their specialties with the and began planning and planting immediately. Brylscollege. Ezra Bertakis’s uncle community. ki said that they both began David Spence just retired Hillsdale hobbyists gathfrom his custodial job at the ered under the colonnade out- breaking branches off of their sports center Sept. 20 after side Mossey Library to peddle larger Snake and Wandering Jew plants, which they then eight years of service. Spence their wares at SAB’s first transferred into small planters said that when he heard about annual Makers Market. Most for purchase. the Markers Market, he was of the vendors were students The pair also offered sumac delighted to have the opportuselling goods baked, grilled, tea, which they made simply nity to come back. sewn, crafted, or grown. by dipping a sumac branch “My great nephew heard In the food department, into hot water. about the market and I said Juniors Danielle Lee and “It tastes like Lipton Iced ‘Let me come down. I can everyone who plays a role in Trevor Vogel sold grilled visit’,” Spence said. creating a good atmosphere Mexican street corn, “Everyone meant for students. while senior Bridgso much to me Dean of Men Aaron Peters- id Majmudar and here. This was en said faculty and upperKatie Sorensen ‘15, my life. I want to classmen have a big part in both members of come back and making Hillsdale a great place Hillsdale’s Greek they let me come for the incoming freshmen. Orthodox communiback here.” “The little things upperty, united to not only Senior Avery classmen do to help encourintroduce campus Lacey also said she age freshmen can really make to Greek spanakopwas thrilled that a difference,” Petersen said. ita but also to Greek the Makers Mar“It’s the same for the faculculture. Greek music ket provided her ty. I’m grateful for the little blaring, the vendors the opportunity to things they do to reach out to danced the kalamashare her fervor freshmen.” tiano before intrigued for fermentation— passersby. of the tea variety. Sorensen, dressed Lacey and in traditional Greek design of the building, Arnn Rosemary Pynes garb, represented the insisted the exterior comple‘19 assembled yia, or Greek grandA student sells her wares the first Maker’s Market. ments the rest of the buildand sold do-itmother, for the group. Elizabeth Bachmann | Collegian ings on campus. yourself kombu“I wear funny “Classical is right, and cha starter kits, clothes like this, enright means to fit its purTea,” Brylski said. “I just want complete with instructions courage people to eat things poses. It’s directional and and baby scoby — a yeast that are mildly unhealthy, and people to know how cool that transcendent, but fits this I did bring bread for everyone is. You can literally just rip off and bacterial culture used to campus. It needs to look like ferment tea—-all bundled toto eat, because it was my sour- a branch and stick it in, and it goes here,” Arnn said. “I’ve I just really want people to gether in a miniature ball jar. dough starter’s first birthday,” been effacing the red buildknow that they can do that be“I thought it was a great Sorensen said. “Those are ings ever since I’ve been here. fore they all go out of season.” event and hope they do it basically all my duties as yia.” All the buildings should look Further down, the only again,” Lacey said. “There A few tables down, past like Central Hall, duh.” non-student vendors, Mary were a lot of people who came the homemade banana bread, The structure, Arnn said, and Ezra Bertakis and David by, who realized ‘Oh, I could candles, and retro earrings, was larger than Central Hall, Spence of Chef ’s Way farm, make this,’ or ‘ I could make seniors Madeleine Brylski and therefore proposed chaloffered students a selection of that.’ I think there could be a and Adrianne Fogg brought lenges in proportionality and watermelon, cherry tomatoes, lot of opportunities for next their green thumbs together, height to other buildings on and an abundance of leafy year.” offering a selection of baby campus. To make the chapel greens. succulents, Snake plants, and proportional to Central Hall, designers decided to include two shorter spires at the front of the building. Shooting from A1 bigger competitions, such as enhancing its offerings by To account for costs, Stroik mentioned that one performance. the World Shooting Grand building facilities for more way to save money would be “We are very excited Prix and national Olympic specialized shooting sports. to eliminate the second-floor about the opportunity to events. “I’ve been blessed to be balcony seating. But Arnn have a relationship with The college also intends in shooting sports for a long said he was partial to it, and Hillsdale,” Waldron said. “It’s to construct a building that time and understand how kept them, because they a win-win opportunity to will contain indoor pistol, they work together,” he said. make the interior look “powhave this kind of range on rifle, and air gun and archery Shotgun Team Captain erful.” the East Coast in proximity ranges to expand opportuLucas Pieraccini said the The chapel currently has to a major airport. This is a nities for high school and organizational skills and one of its organs, but the beautiful range, and we want college students. mental discipline he devellarger organ, which will be to expand.” Bart Spieth has been oped from shooting sports fixed to the back wall, will According to Péwé, the Hillsdale College’s shooting are applicable to many facets be completed within two or John Athony Halter Shooting sports coordinator since of life, and anticipates the three years. Sports Education Center is 2009 and helped guide the planned expansions will en“The chapel fits the purone of the nicest compreestablishment of its current able more students to learn pose of faith, high learning hensive ranges in the nation. facilities. He recalled that all from shooting sports. about God be it in the pagan But Hillsdale College plans the range had to offer when “I sincerely hope that or Christian way,” Arnn said. to add four combination he started was one trap field the partnership does well, bunker trap and skeet fields and a porta-potty, and said because it will be great for to allow the range to host he now looks forward to students,” he said.

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October 3, 2019 A4

The Weekly: Thank you, Donors (517) 607-2415

The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff

With the dedication of Christ Chapel and the events on campus this week, it’s a good time to thank all who donate their time and money to improve Hillsdale College. The college isn’t changing. But our understanding of the college’s mission and how best to live it out improves every day. That mission, which is to better the minds and hearts of young people through education, character development, and faith, has been the same since 1844. And this mission could

not be achieved without the support of our donors. The real cost of a Hillsdale College education is more than $70,000, Chief Administrative Officer Richard Péwé said. But the ticket price for students is $37,000, and that’s before financial aid — most of which is given through scholarships provided by private donors. Many of the buildings on campus are named after individuals who helped donate the funds needed to build them. Jack and Jo Babbitt led

the charge for chapel fundraising, and many others pitched in as well. Donors and friends of the college, we thank you for your support of faith and spiritual life at Hillsdale College, and for all of your support during our four years at this college. No other school provides the same opportunities for learning and growth that Hillsdale does, and that’s because no other school has the support of such generous friends. Students, reach out to your donors and thank them for

their support. You can do so on Hillsdale’s Day of Thanks, or earlier by contacting the Financial Aid Office. You can also help raise funds through becoming a member of the 1844 Society. We should live each day at Hillsdale with the awareness of sacrifices many make to provide this school community to us, and live and learn with gratitude for our donors. Thank you.

Christ Chapel inspires ‘a posture of wonder’ Christian faith fulfills the purpose of a liberal-arts education

Ed Feulner should give 2020 commencement address. | Flickr

Invite Ed Feulner to give address at commencement

By | Alex Nester When Ed Feulner wrote his final Washington Times column in June, he told his readers never to rest in the pursuit of great things. “We can’t afford to become complacent,” he wrote. “Your opponents will try again, and if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up back where you started.” Ed Feulner should speak at Hillsdale College’s 168th Commencement Ceremony in May. Hillsdale College is unique in higher education. Within this community, we fight to preserve the foundational principles of a truly beautiful life, and we endeavor to live them out. Hillsdale College commencement speakers, then, should embody this unique mission. Feulner knows our mission. And it wouldn’t be his first time giving the commencement address at Hillsdale: he gave a speech at the 152nd Commencement in 2004. Feulner, a longtime president of the Heritage Foundation, spent his career ensuring the survival of conservative thought, in the same way Hillsdale, through its liberal-arts education, has taught to generations of young minds since 1844. After establishing the Heritage Foundation in 1973, Feulner served as the foundation’s president from 1977 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2018. He helped build the institution into the beacon of conservative thought many know today — or as the New York Times dubbed it, “the Parthenon of the conservative metropolis.” The think tank boasts its publication, the Daily Signal, and its experts research and write about policy for members of Congress and other politicians. Unlike the leaders of other think tanks in the latter half of the 20th century, Feulner wanted the foundation’s work to shape decision-making. Instead of writing large volumes to collect dust on shelves, or publishing studies on policies after they were voted into law, Feulner wanted the Heritage Foundation’s reports to be short and digestible for policymakers. Their work influenced many of Ronald Reagan’s policies as well as Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Feulner’s group fought communism through the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to advocate for free markets and small government.

Though Feulner earned degrees in English, business, and politics, his wealth of knowledge and wisdom comes from his fifty years of experience working alongside great thinkers, statesmen, and policymakers. Like the educational community at Hillsdale College, Feulner’s organization partnered with influential minds like journalist William F. Buckley and economist Milton Friedman. He learned from them and preserved their ideas to educate later generations. Today, as Democrats on debate stages and in Congress call for grandiose government expansions, Feulner remains optimistic about the future of conservatism. After former president Barack Obama was elected to his second term, and when Feulner retired from the Heritage Foundation for the first time, Feulner wrote in the Wall Street Journal that conservatives “should never despair.” “Our situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust it will again,” Feulner said. “If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to the exigency of the times.” Feulner’s message aligns with the journey all students — including myself — undertook when we decided to attend Hillsdale College: the pursuit of the good. No matter the field or location, or the opposition we face, this pursuit is unending. Here, we learn about true and beautiful things, and we develop faith and character. Here, we learn that for something to be good, it must fulfill the purpose for which it is created. Here, our lives begin to take shape, and with our exceptional education, our lives form around the pursuit of good things. In May, my classmates and I will walk into Christ Chapel as students. But we will leave as graduates with the knowledge, and more importantly the responsibility, to protect and keep the ideas we worked so hard to understand here. Ed Feulner stands for Hillsdale College’s mission. He spent his life working to protect freedom, the fabric of our republic. And at the end of my college journey, there is no person whose hand I would rather shake at graduation than that of Ed Feulner. Alex Nester is a senior studying economics and is The Collegian’s opinions editor.

By | Reagan Cool This summer, I stayed in Hillsdale and worked at the college. One morning, when my uncle offered to drop me off at work, the construction around campus quickly sparked a heated conversation. “So tell me, Reagan, what does a chapel mean to a liberal-arts education?” he asked. My uncle didn’t give me a chance to respond. “Exactly. Nothing.” Proud of his rant-monologue, he sat back, slurped his coffee, and comfortably forgot about it. I sat in silence for the last thirty seconds of the car ride, scrambling to compose a response. I was bewildered, angry, and frustrated. On the contrary to my uncle’s swift dismissal, a chapel is central to a liberal-arts education. The liberal-arts education is our path to self- governance, our instruction to living a happy life, and the key to unlocking human fulfillment. The liberal arts, if we engage with them, will free us, and we can live pleasant, virtuous, and successful lives according to their lessons. Unless the good at which

this education is aimed is our The magnificence of Christ eternal happiness, refuge, Chapel reminds us of the and treasure, even the most posture of wonder. In the decorated student at comGarden of Eden, God created mencement can step off the Adam and Eve in the posture stage with the sad awareness of wonder. As senior Michelle that something is missing. Reid so wisely explained The chapel is important in her convocation speech, to our education because it “Wonder is the declaration reorients us toward God, our that there is something to be only true fulfillment. The delighted in. Wonder begins stature of the chapel reminds with humility at the goodness us of our smallness. in something else.” In our smallness, we In man’s fall, the natural rememdisposi“The most rigorous moral tion of ber to hope and intellectual education wonder for was lost. somewe will never fulfill us if we Now, thing, must work someit. forget the one to whom all to recall one, so It is up much to us to things are aimed.” greater remember than us. We, in our smallness, how to live with the humilare like the clay thrown on a ity of wonder, taking in the potter’s wheel, feeble and full particular beauties encounof potential and dependent tered in our daily life. Our on a good Creator. Only when gratitude ought to overwhelm the Creator is able to shape us us at the lives we have been are we able to change, grow, given: our education, our and become fulfilled. When friends, the beauty of the seawe recognize our smallness, sons and the ability to behold we can identify the universal them. Pause. Wonder at them. human-longing within each Give thanks for them. Let of us, which is for ultimate yourself gaze at the details of reunion with God. the chapel, and the changing Admitting this need withleaves, and the way your best in each of us requires and friend’s laugh lifts the room. fosters humility. These are all intentional,

delicate, and sure gifts of our good and merciful God. Delight in them. The chapel is important because it exists for its own sake. The chapel will not make it easier for us to get a job, help us to start our careers with a high salary, or increase our odds of getting into graduate school. Nor do the liberal arts. But the chapel, like the liberal arts, invites us to prepare ourselves for each of those things. Asking the hard questions and making time for wonder teach us about ourselves through the process of learning about things and people other than ourselves. Most importantly, the liberal arts will never be enough without God. The most rigorous moral and intellectual education will never fulfill us if we forget the one to whom all things are aimed. Christ Chapel reminds us of God: our first beginning, our last end, and our only fulfillment. And the chapel is a sacred space to meet Him, in the silence of our hearts and in the community of those on our campus. Reagan Cool is a senior studying theology and a columnist on faith and religion.

Emergency risk protection orders: Point of compromise on gun control By | Julia Mullins A man in Washington state posted on Facebook in June that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a synagogue and that he was “shooting for 30 Jews.” He previously posted photos of himself with firearms and Nazi salutes. Law enforcement officers in Washington obtained an emergency risk protection order (ERPO) and removed an AR-15 and 11 other guns from the man’s home. An ERPO is one form of a “redflag” law. As radical white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and people with mental health issues gain more attention in America, lawmakers should support a federal red-flag law that removes guns from dangerous people while maintaining due process of the law and preserving fundamental Second Amendment rights. Red-flag laws differ from state to state. Generally speaking, however, law enforcement, family members, and other individuals have the right to file a petition in court asking for a judge to order a dangerous person to hand over his firearms to law enforcement. As of September 2019, 17 states and the District of Columbia have various forms of red-flag laws. Although ERPOs have the potential to prevent mass shootings, like the case in Washington, they are most effective for preventing gun suicides and homicides. A 2017 study by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine found for every 10 to 20 firearm removals under Connecticut’s and Indiana’s extreme risk laws, approximately one life was saved through an averted

suicide. Another study by the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis found at least 21 cases in which ERPOs in California were used to disarm people who threatened mass shootings. At the time of the study, none of the threatened shootings occurred, and no other homicides or suicides by the people in question were identified. “Our expectation — and this is still true — is that the orders will mostly be used to prevent suicides,” said Dr. Garen Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis told the Ventura County Star. “What we weren’t expecting... was the frequency with which orders arose because the public provided tips about mass shootings.” Pro-gun groups worry that ERPOs won’t protect the individual’s right to due process. In a statement issued in January of this year, the National Rifle Association said that it supports ERPOs laws in states where due process is protected, and the ERPO process should allow an individual to challenge or terminate the order. The NRA also holds that there needs to be a mechanism in place for the return of firearms upon termination of an ERPO. “The NRA believes that any effort should be structured to fully protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while preventing truly dangerous individuals from accessing firearms,” the NRA’s legal team wrote. Additionally, the NRA laid out very specific requirements for ERPO processes that it could support. One of the requirements directly addresses

mental health issues. If an ERPO is granted, the NRA holds that the person should receive community-based mental treatment. Some gun owners are concerned that left-leaning judges will be more willing to order the removal of an individual’s firearms. Allison Anderman, the senior counsel at Giffords Law Center — which specializes in researching, writing and defending laws to protect lives from gun violence — said most ERPOs follow the same legal procedures as other types of restraining orders and are consistent with America’s democratic system. The House Judiciary Committee recently advanced three gun-control bills in its first week back from recess after 38 people died in mass shootings during the month of August. Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee expect these bills to reach the House floor in the next few weeks. One bill is a federal red-flag law, the other bill would outlaw large-capacity magazines, and the third bill would prohibit those convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime from owning a weapon. Of all the bills that could possibly make it to the floor for arguments, the most reasonable is H.R. 1236: Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 — what would become the federal red-flag law. This federal ERPO is the best point of compromise for Democrats and Republicans as Congress tries to figure out the best way to respond to recent mass shootings. In 13 of the 17 states with red-flag laws, family members are allowed to file a petition for an ERPO. Anderman, however, said her research

shows that law enforcement officers file far more petitions than family members across those 13 states. The District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, and New York have some of the strictest gun-control laws, allowing non-family members to file a petition. Florida, Rhode Island, and Vermont, however, allow only law enforcement or other state officials to petition. After 31 people died in the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 voters found that a record-high number of voters believe the United States needs stricter gun-control laws. Breaking the previous high of 57% in June 2016, 64% of 1,000 voters support stricter gun control laws. In an interview with the Washington Post, the Dayton shooter’s ex-girlfriend said the killer heard voices, suffered troubling hallucinations, and battled psychosis from his youth. The El Paso gunman published a racist manifesto before the shooting in which he described his attack as a “response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” While red-flag laws won’t stop every mass shooting, homicide, or suicide, they can prevent the frequency of such tragedies. Congress should pass a federal red-flag law to prevent dangerous people from possessing firearms. Had Ohio and Texas had some form of a red-flag law, it’s possible that both the Dayton and El Paso shooters could have received a court order to give up their firearms. Julia Mullins junior studying politics and is The Collegian’s city news editor.

Opinions Market-run healthcare system puts profits over patients

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By | Cal Abbo

Jesy Scherer-Radcliff probably didn’t think a Friday in June would be his last day on earth. Scherer-Radcliff passed away on June 28, 2019 at 21-years old from “complications of his diabetes,” according to his obituary, but the true story remains buried in interviews with family members: Scherer-Radcliff, a diabetic diagnosed 11 years ago, was unable to afford the insulin required to keep him alive. His tragic death reminds poor diabetics of the threat they face every day. According to his mother, Scherer-Radcliff was a hard worker who wanted to prove to his family that he could be responsible for himself. He “wanted to be a positive influence for his younger brothers and sisters,” she wrote in a blog post reflecting on her son’s death. She also disclosed that Scherer-Radcliff had just been promoted and, for some time, took on a second job to help cover his cost of living. “Insulin deaths,” as they’ve been branded, don’t happen in other wealthy countries. This phenomenon represents the kind of American excep-

October 3, 2019

tionalism we often try to tune out. America is exceptionally indifferent to the adverse effects of its unwavering commitment to a commodified, for-profit healthcare system. It would be easy to write a column explaining the various advantages of Medicare for All, including lower costs, better health outcomes, more effective research, less administration, more competition, and higher productivity. Instead, I’ll offer a simple moral premise that you can contemplate on your own: No American should die of an easily preventable health condition. But Scherer-Radcliff is far from the only victim of marketized healthcare. Estimates vary, but we know tens of thousands of Americans die every year because they are uninsured. Cases range from those like Scherer-Radcliff to patients who avoid early cancer screenings because they can’t afford them. One can imagine Scherer-Radcliff walking into a pharmacy, staring at hundreds of bottles of insulin waiting behind the glass just a few feet away. The pharmacist probably smiled at him, too. Unfortunately, Scherer-Rad-

cliff didn’t have the required amount of dead presidents in his pocket. That is why he died on that fateful June day. In a different society, this story is a horror novel. The terrifying government death panel from your nightmares is here in the form of unseen market forces. In that society, an event like this might be called something like “dystopian,” “totalitarian,” or “murderous.” In the United States, we call it the invisible hand of the market. How could this have happened? Fundamental market economics can help us understand what happened to Scherer-Radcliff and why his death was both necessary and profitable for insurance companies and insulin manufacturers. Insulin, along with most healthcare, is an example of what market economists label an extremely inelastic good. As the price of insulin changes, demand for it remains virtually the same. In the context of insulin, this is easy to understand. It’s a unique hormone that users can’t substitute with anything else. For a diabetic, the choice is insulin or death, which explains

why demand is so unresponsive to price changes. Those who control insulin prices — there are three total manufacturers in the U.S. who appear to fix prices together — are left with an interesting choice: They can provide insulin at a low cost and forgo a certain amount of profit, or they can maximize profit. Companies choose the latter because its owners want to make as much money as possible. But what are the consequences? If a few dozen of the 7 million Americans who use insulin die every year, but the firm is able to charge 100 times the cost of production (as of writing, this is the ratio of cost-to-market value), why wouldn’t it do so if its only responsibility is to profit? This is not a thought experiment, but a sober analysis of the current insulin market conditions. The market has no capacity to account for these deaths. The invisible hand closed Scherer-Radcliff’s coffin. There’s another side to the story. Scherer-Radcliff actually did have health insurance when he died. He just couldn’t afford the copays on the insulin he needed to

survive. A health insurance company, similar to an insulin manufacturer, finds itself in an interesting situation: the more coverage it can deny, the larger its profit margin at the end of the quarter. Thus, a profitable health insurance company’s incentives are directly at odds with its express mission, which is to provide healthcare coverage to its customers. Taken further, it would be disingenuous to continue calling our healthcare system “good.” A good healthcare system would exist for the purpose of providing healthcare. Instead, it serves the interests of those who own the company. Those interests are almost always directed toward profit. Thus, we don’t have a good healthcare system, but a good profit system. Behind the facade of “insulin manufacturer” and “health insurance provider” lies the true nature of our economy: it’s composed of profit-seekers. Health insurance and insulin are simply the mechanisms through which companies facilitate this profit. If you need a reminder of the consequences of this, talk to Scherer-Radcliff’s mother.

We created the system of capitalism and profit-seeking that dominates our access to healthcare. Our passivity, nonchalance, and refusal to critically analyze its effects allows a system like this to perpetuate even in the face of clear, lifesaving alternatives like Medicare for All. “Who killed Scherer-Radcliff?” is a tough question for even the best philosophers. Nicole Smith-Holt attended Scherer-Radcliff’s funeral. Her son, Alec Smith, passed away in 2017. He was another so-called “insulin death.” Since then, Smith-Holt has advocated for Medicare for All and other solutions like emergency insulin programs. Who killed Scherer-Radcliff? Smith-Holt has an answer. “My son and Jesy, they were murdered,” she said. “They were killed by Big Pharma. The cause of death should actually be on their death certificates: corporate greed.”

For starters, the speaker took the President out of context. The President did say Article II of the U.S. Constitution “allows me to do whatever I want,” but he said it only in the context of firing leaders within the executive branch such as Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller and former FBI Director James Comey. Though the President could have phrased it better, the President was correct. According to the Constitution, the legislative branch’s “advice and consent” role applies only to the appointment, not the firing of the president’s staff. As the sole elected leader of the executive branch, President Trump reserves the right to fire any appointee he deems an impediment to faithfully executing the laws of the United States. As for the basis of the impeachment inquiry, “the essence of it,” Pelosi said, is that the President “has admitted that he brought up the investigation of the Biden family in his call” with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “He is asking a foreign government to help him in his campaign.” “Don’t get caught in the trap of ‘oh, there is no quid pro quo’ with regards to the president’s ask,” she told her caucus, according to NBC News. Never mind that Pelosi had not yet read the transcript of the call. Never mind that

former Vice President Biden boasts of pressuring the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor investigating his son’s Hunter’s company for corruption. Never mind that Biden flew with his son on Air Force Two, where Hunter Biden attended a business meeting with one of the wealthiest men in China.

foreign agencies and obtained the FISA warrants necessary to wiretap the 2016 Trump campaign. For Attorney General William Barr to inquire about the origins of the Russia collusion investigation is totally inappropriate and demonstrates the attorney general has “gone rogue,” says Nancy Pelosi.

quid pro quo in the letter the senators wrote, “We have supported [the] capacity-building process and are disappointed that some in Kyiv appear to have cast aside these principles to avoid the ire of President Trump.” Directly after they urge the Ukrainians to “reverse course and halt any efforts to impede cooperation with this important investigation.” Democrats fail to articulate how lawmakers requesting cooperation from foreign governments on an investigation into Trump is any different than Trump requesting foreign cooperation on an investigation into Biden. Both are contenders for the presidency in 2020, the only difference is that one has emerged innocent after a two-year long, $32 million investigation has concluded. Truth be told, this impeachment battle has very little to do with Donald Trump. The impeachment proceedings are really about the actions of 62 million Americans who cast ballots for any candidate but Hillary Clinton. In the same way Democrats inflicted permanent damage to the judicial system during the spectacle of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, they now threaten to do the same to the presidency. Just like Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would oppose any Trump Supreme Court nominee with

everything he had, Rep. Waters and many others called for Trump’s impeachment within the first few months of his presidency. In addition to destroying the long-established assumption of confidentiality presidents and foreign leaders reserved for effective communication, the Democrats have turned impeachment into nothing less than the means for Congress to reverse the outcome of a presidential election. “If you’re looking for a fair process, you came to the wrong town at the wrong time,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. “Boy, y’all want power. God, I hope you never get it.” Unfortunately for America, Graham’s statement proves as valid now as it did a year ago. For two-and-a-half years and counting, Democrats have shown they see no reputation too well-respected, no constitutional precedent too sacred, and no group of citizens too large, for them to debase and strengthen their power. As Pelosi suggested, despotism corrupts the D.C. air. But the swampish odors are not coming from the White House.

Cal Abbo is a columnist on Democratic politics and is The Collegian’s assistant features editor.

Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats seek to undo 2016 election

By | Ben Dietderich Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would impeach 62 million Americans if she could. But unfortunately, her office only allows her to pursue impeachment of a single deplorable. Pelosi announced the beginning of an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump last Tuesday. Portraying herself as a strict constitutionalist, she said to the nation, “Our republic endures because of the wisdom of our Constitution enshrined in three co-equal branches of government serving as checks and balances on each other.” Pelosi continued, saying, “The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the Constitution, especially when the president says Article II says ‘I can do whatever I want.’” Pelosi wants Americans to believe dire circumstances have called for her party to assume the duties as noble guardians of our republic. “A republic, if you can keep it,” Pelosi reminded Americans as she looked upwards and past the news cameras. “Our responsibility is to keep it.” The House Democrats, Pelosi claims, are all that stands between self-government and a despot of a president bent on destroying the nation. Americans should reject her twisted rhetoric.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi leads the charge to impeach President Donald Trump. | Wikimedia

Who cares if less than two weeks after the trip, the Chinese government invested more than $1 billion into a business co-owned by the son of the U.S. Vice President. No further investigation is required, the lack of media coverage tells us, because Biden claims no mal-intent behavior ever occurred. Democrats argue the American people do not need to know how the Obama administration interacted with

Meanwhile, Democrat lawmakers have engaged in eerily similar behaviors, and few seem to spot the hypocrisy. The Washington Post’s Marc Thiessen reported that in May three Democrat U.S. senators wrote a letter to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, and threatened the Ukrainian’s to reopen investigations that could impact the Mueller probe. Unlike President Trump’s phone call, there is a clear

Ben Dietderich is a George Washington Fellow and a senior studying political economy.

Media ignores journalists’ court battle Letter to the Editor: Journalists uncovered Planned Parenthood’s illegal tissue-selling practices

By | Quin Calhour Most Americans are unaware of the fierce battle that took place as Sandra Merritt and David Daleiden defended themselves in mid-September. With a majority of this case being based upon the criminal prosecution of two pro-life journalists, this story is just the type of thing CNN wouln’t air on TV. The media ignored the case because they do not want to face the truth about the cruelty of abortion. Both individuals are associated with an organization called the Center for Medical Progress, which brought allegations of Planned Parenthood’s illicit activities to light. Merritt and Dalieden posed as prospective buyers of fetal tissue in order to expose Planned Parenthood in its most uncomfortable, natural, and vicious state. And expose them they did. The daring journalists captured video and audio evidence of employees at Planned Parenthood casually discussing the sale of fetal body parts in a “shocking” tone, as spectators who heard the undercover video played in court proceedings described the abortionists’ language. The accusations of those prosecuting the two journalists have a political motive. The defense attorney pointed out that Merritt and Da-

leiden are the first undercover journalists to be prosecuted in California history. On an even more controversial note, Daleiden has testified that current presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used her political sway to order a raid on his apartment with intent to seize his camera equipment. Most of America doesn’t understand exactly what is at stake in this case. Given the obvious unwillingness of liberal media outlets to cover the story, America is being shielded from the horrific reality of a policy that provides for hundreds of thousands of murders a year. Through the brave work of activits such as Deleiden and Merritt, however, we are coming closer to a reality where those who believe abortion is a women’s rights issue are forced to face the consequences it has on human life. “It’s unconscionable for the Health and Human Services department of a pro-life administration to be every month basically setting these abortion quotas, having a number of orders of fresh fetal body parts,” said Dalieden in January. “These are their own words in their own contracts, that they’re ordering and expecting to receive from abortion clinics every month for taxpayer-funded experimentation.”

There is something inherently jarring about seeing the members of an organization like Planned Parenthood, who claim to be providing a caring and conscientious service to society, sit around and talk about fetal tissue as if it is nothing more than pieces of merchandise. There’s something intrinsically revolting about companies such as StemExpress, who take the tissue, perform tests on it in cold, sterile labs, and dispose of it carelessly. If this story was on every newspaper’s front page in the country, then America would be faced with the reality of what happens within the country on a daily basis, and no one would feel at peace about it. Merritt and Daleiden’s actions were illegal, but the real question is why Planned Parenthood finds themselves on the opposite side of the law. If the Planned Parenthood advocates are correct, and the fetus isn’t a valuable individual but merely a collection of cells, then why is it that selling the tissue is illegal? And maybe a better question, why does it make us feel sick to see such things being done? When I asked Protect Life Michigan member Trevor Pollo this very question, he said, “The fundamental value of human life means human

life should not be taken and used for the financial benefit of others.” The law prohibits Planned Parenthood from trafficking human body parts, thus defining the fetus as human. The fetus may not be a well-developed human, it may not yet be a born human, but whether it is convenient for us or not, the undeveloped fetus is a human. If we really believe that abortion is healthcare, and nothing more than the right of the mother to remove a pest-like growth from within her body, then we should be able to look at pictures of this growth used for testing, and then thrown away like garbage, without sickness in the pit of our stomachs. If we really believe that a fetus is just a mass of cells, then the law should allow Planned Parenthood to do whatever it wants with the fetal tissue so long as they have the mother’s permission. However, the fact remains that it is illegal to sell human body parts. Will we protect those who can’t protect themselves, or in the words of Pollo, become indifferent to a group who “murdered for money?” It is up to us to decide who we want to become. Quin Colhour is a freshman studying biology.

Class of 2019 thanks fountain contributors By | Nicholas DeCleene

This week, hundreds of people will be on campus to partake in the dedication of Christ Chapel. As this momentous occasion transpires, so too does another: the installation of the fountain. The class of 2019 knew the quad before there was a chapel, and before there was any thought of a fountain residing on the place where ultimate frisbee games once took place. The quad will soon be back to normal — a new normal. The chapel will be in full use, and the fountain will have running water. I, for one, can’t help but reflect and be thankful for all of those that made this project possible. College means partnership, and in this case, it extends well beyond the class of 2019. Thank you to Samuel and Marjorie Muscarella, who generously partnered with us in a $10,000 dollar-for-dollar match campaign. To Alice Arnn, who designed a timeless piece of art which pays homage to the college’s original fountain and improves the beauty of our present campus. To Mary Ewers, who gave us the opportunity to connect with parents over Parents

Weekend, and to all of the parents who contributed as a result. To William and Janet Brodbeck, who generously hosted a wine-tasting to help us raise money from our classmates. To the alumni who supported from afar and helped spread the word about our efforts. And last but not least, to all the students, who made up more than 65% of the contributors to the fountain project. I could continue, but the list of people to thank would take pages. We know that the money we raised was only a small portion of the overall cost of the fountain, but we are thankful for the opportunity to contribute to a lasting gift. As the next group of officers lead the charge in giving a gift to the college, and subsequent classes participate in the years to come, I challenge each of you to give something back to the college that has given you so much. Your support will not go unnoticed. Nicholas DeCleene is a 2019 graduate of Hillsdale College and served as the co-fundraising chair for his class.

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Hillsdale County Historical Society Museum: A look into the county’s history and early period By | Joshua Newhook Collegian Freelancer When most people think of the Hillsdale County Fair, they might think of the mouth-watering fried food, the many farm animals, or the unforgettable rides. Nevertheless, there is another attraction that should not be overlooked. Atop a small hill amidst a parade of tractors, there sits a small white house that captures life as it was in the past. It’s the Hillsdale County Historical Society Museum. Both the museum and its building have a long history of being at the fair. The museum has been around for more than 100 years and has been in its current residence since around the 1960s. Before that, the building acted as a dining hall and an office for the fair board, and earlier still, it was the groundskeeper’s home. Inside the museum, knowledgeable and gracious hosts informed guests about Hillsdale’s past. One such host was Jean Letherer, who has worked off and on with the

Hillsdale Historical Society for around 40 years. As of Sept. 27, she said around 400 people had been in the museum and signed the logbook throughout the week. One of the things she mentioned about the museum is how it is always changing. Each year, new artifacts make their appearance. “I find it interesting to see what is new each year,” Letherer said. This year, two of the major additions included an oarsman exhibit and “A Farm Wife’s Work” exhibit, along with displays on “Historical Hillsdale” and “The Military.” The oarsmen display featured an original oar, along with various ribbons from competitions. The oarsmen, an amateur local rowing team who competed internationally in 1879, was a four-man team, led by Captain Clarence Terwillinger. Their success took the team all the way to the Thames River in England, where they were barely defeated due to the coxswain’s seat collapsing during

the race. “A Farm Wife’s Work” exhibit focused on past and present fair preparation and showcased various canning materials and other items that would be used by wives to prepare for the fair, even ones from 2019. Museum worker and historical society member Brad Ziegel mentioned that the “Art Smith Story” was his favorite display. Art Smith and his fiancee eloped by plane in 1912, becoming the first recorded couple to do so. They crash-landed in a field near Hillsdale College and were married that night at the Smith Hotel in downtown Hillsdale, where Jilly Beans is today. The display featured a model of the plane that Art flew. “I really like the story behind it,” Ziegel said. Other interesting displays include Chief Baw Beese’s chair, where the native tribal leader once sat on during his visits to a local man’s house. This is probably the oldest artifact in the entire museum,

according to Jean Letherer, probably dating back to the early 1800s. Guests enjoyed and appreciated other exhibits. Michelle Bowen, a Michigan native now living in New York, said the kitchen display and the various maps from the “Historical Hillsdale” display were her favorites. The kitchen, which is meant to reflect a kitchen from the 1920s, includes an icebox, a washing machine, churns, a wood stove, and other intriguing items. The “Historical Hillsdale” display, on the other hand, had an assortment of pictures and other records of the town. “We were trying to find the house I grew up in on one of the older maps,” Bowen said. The Hillsdale Historical Society museum might look like any other little white house on a hill, but inside it is filled with interesting historical items found nowhere else.

The kitchen display in the Hillsdale County Historical Society Museum. Courtesy | Joshua Newhook

Historic Seagrave Firetruck prompts Hillsdale Historical Society to build new museum By | Julia Mullins City News Editor The Hillsdale Historical Society will have a new barn and museum to hold the 88-year-old original Seagrave Firetruck on the Poor House grounds. According to Hillsdale Historical Society board member Darin Sheffer, the City of Hillsdale purchased the 1931 Seagrave and it was delivered to the city in January of 1932. “It has a vignette of Chief Baw Beese on the hood, and it was called the ‘Baw Beese,’” Sheffer said. “It’s very cool that it honored the Natives of Hillsdale County when it was ordered.” Hillsdale Historical Society member Kathy Fowler added that the Seagrave was one of the first mechanical firetrucks that the City of Hillsdale owned. “Older residents who remember it being here originally have such fond memories of it,” Fowler said. Due to the vintage character of the Seagrave, the

Historical Society knew it ily and the society agree that would need to build a clishe would be proud of this mate-controlled barn to store structure and how it’s going to the artifact. look, that it’s keeping in line When the society first with the historic nature of the acquired the Seagrave, Sheffer property.” said, it looked into building Sheffer said the new barn a small climate-con- Volunteer firemen with the 1931 Seagrave in trolled front of the fire station located on the lower barn. When level of City Hall. Courtesy | JoAnne Miller one family, however, heard about the Society’s need for a new building, they offered to donate the funds necessary to complete the project. “It’s been over a-yearand-a-half process of dealing with the will have metal siding but donor family and agreeing on have a similar appearance the structure,” Sheffer said. to barns from the early “We certainly appreciate the 20th-century. donor for doing this in memMatt Taylor, the projory of the society member. ect manager from Foulke She passed away, but the fam- Construction, designed the

building. The Historical Society gave him 18 different historic building images to work off of as inspiration for the new museum, according to Sheffer. “We didn’t want a stan-

dard pole barn sitting there,” Sheffer said. “Our long-term plan for the site is to have other historic buildings there, to have a small depot, a one-room classroom, like a mini-village. We wanted this

City to celebrate 150 years of history By | Joshua Newhook Collegian Freelancer

A banner designed by Nick Zemaiduk for Hillsdale’s 150th anniversary celebration. Courtesy | Michelle Loren

When Jeremiah Arnold arrived in Hillsdale as the first Europen-American settler, it’s likely he had hopes that the city would continue prospering more than a century later. The City of Hillsdale will be hosting a sesquicentennial celebration to commemorate its 150th anniversary as a chartered-city. The event will take place from 12 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 at City Hall. Throughout the afternoon, local historian Dan Bisher will be giving tours of City Hall. The public will get the chance to tour rarely seen parts of this 108-year-old building which once housed the fire department in its basement. Decade-displays will also be out for guests to view, along with a display of the Dawn Theater. Additionally, the fire department will be grilling for the public from 12 to 3 p.m. and has invited the community to join them for some food. “We welcome anyone,” Hillsdale Recreation Director Michelle Loren said. “It will just be a casual open house for anyone over the course of the day to just come and walk through and look at the building.” At 2 p.m., 10 students from Hillsdale High School’s Advanced Placement U.S. History class will be dressed as historical figures from the city’s founding as they give a presentation on the founders of Hillsdale.

Dean Potter, who has taught AP History at Hillsdale High School since 2006, has enjoyed conveying the significance of some of Hillsdale’s former residents to his class. “My students have been working very hard on getting to know the different people,” Potter said. “It’s been a neat project for the students to really get some enrichment and dive deep into Hillsdale’s history.” At 3 p.m., local artist Nick Zemaiduk, who created the graphic for the celebration banner, will be selling numbered commemorative art prints and notecards of the 1911 building. There will be a final ceremony at 5 p.m. Hillsdale City Manager David Mackie will give a brief speech, and Mayor Adam Stockford will hand out keys to the city to certain deserving businesses. City Assessor Kim Thomas will also present a long-awaited plat book to the Hillsdale Historical Society. In addition, Heather Tritschka and Connie Sexton of the Heritage Association, a non-profit organization founded in 2016 to preserve the local heritage of Hillsdale, will present a portrait of Henry Keefer to C.L. Real Estate. The portrait will be showcased at City Hall and other businesses downtown and eventually displayed in the Keefer Hotel upon its reopening. Hillsdale native Rep. Eric Leutheuser will give the final remarks for the evening.

barn to fit into the era of the turn of the 20th-century type structure.” Taylor said he incorporated as many historical aspects into the museum’s design based on the images. “We’re just happy to be involved with the project because we see ourselves as a community member,” Taylor said. “We appreciate the historic society allowing us to be part of this project.” In addition to the Seagrave, Fowler said the Historical Society will also store the Deal Buggy, which was originally made at the Deal Buggy Factory in Jonesville, in the new museum. The museum will also house other historical dis-

plays. “Things that we currently have sitting in the barn we can get put into a better storage facility, we’ll get those moved in and can hopefully accommodate other donations as they get moved in, easier and better,” Fowler said. “Our house right now is full. When people do want to donate, we can’t always display something because we don’t have room for it.” Sheffer said the society does not have a specific date set to begin construction. Once Foulke Construction begins ground-breaking, Taylor said the project is expected to take eight to 10 weeks. “We are very hopeful, and Foulke is as well, that it will happen this year,” Sheffer said. “Matt was going to make calls immediately after the check was deposited, we gave him the go-ahead. Hopefully, we should know quite soon if it’s going to commence building this year.”

EEE from A1

According to Sutfin, the state treated 128,000 acres in several counties during the night of Sept. 30. The state treated more high-risk counties on Oct. 1, but the process was cut short because of weather conditions. Sutfin added that the spraying should be completed in all 15 counties by Oct. 2, weather permitting. After all of the counties have been treated, Sutfin said state officers will have treated 186,000 acres of land. The spraying process uses Merus 3.0, an organic pesticide. There are no health risks expected from the use of this chemical. It is not expected to impact drinking or surface water, according to the press release. The counties being sprayed are: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Livingston, Montcalm, Newaygo, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Washtenaw. Although there is no cure for EEE, there are several tangible ways to prevent contracting it. “Wear long sleeves and long pants when you’re outdoors, particularly at dusk and dawn,” Sutfin said. “Avoid being outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. You should also be looking at your house to make sure your window screens and your door screens are shut and in good repair so you aren’t getting mosquitoes inside. Every couple days, dump out any standing water, a mosquito’s breeding ground.” For those interested in learning more information, Sutfin said they can go to Michigan.gov/EEE to view a map of affected counties.

Athletes who are likely to sweat with skin exposed are easy targets for the EEE-carrying mosquitoes, so the virus may infect a cross country or football athlete. Fans attending athletic events are also susceptible. Schools have taken measures such as moving games scheduled for night hours to earlier afternoon times. John Johnson, the director of broadcast properties for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, said the association has been busy “determining if there’s anything that needs to be done in terms of rearranging schedules and educating constituents.” The department has kept in contact with and is receiving information from local athletic departments. Johnson praised the local communities for how they have dealt with the situation. “Schools have really stepped it up in identifying risk and taking the necessary steps to keep everyone safe,” Johnson said. Johnson added that he has never dealt with this virus on this level in his 32 years at his position. According to a recent press release issued Sept. 27, aerial-spray treatment was conducted in 15 counties to combat the EEE virus. The treatment concentrated on lowering the mosquito population. Because of the number of cases and the continuation of warm weather, the state has decided this is the best measure to take. The spraying will take place at night, when mosquitoes are most active.

City News

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‘It’s the People’ sign on M-99 here to stay By | Reagan Gensiejewski Collegian Reporter “It’s the people” is more than just a slogan to the town of Hillsdale, it is a lifestyle and attitude embraced by its residents. When the “It’s the People” sign on the property belonging to Frank Beck Chevrolet off of M-99 was in jeopardy of being torn down, many people were frustrated. But after lots of phone calls, paperwork, and a big check, the sign will get to to stay. In September of 2018, Hillsdale citizen Ted Jansen played around with the idea of building a sign of Hillsdale that displayed the town’s slogan. When people heard of the idea, they started donating money to Jansen to build the sign. Soon enough, the sign was built with the help of Hillsdale College students, and Frank Beck Chevrolet worked out an agreement with Jansen to allow him to put the sign on its property. In March 2019, Michigan’s Department of Transportation informed Jansen that his sign violated the state’s Highway

Advertising Act. Jansen’s sign required a commercial sign permit because his sign is neither an “on-premises sign” or a sign owned by the city. Jansen had 60 days to make a decision: take the sign down or buy a permit. The 30-year Hillsdale resident remembered that when the original “It’s the People” sign was torn down, many citizens were upset because it meant so much to them. “It’s the people that keep me here,” Jansen said. Jansen made his decision. He wrote a check for $2,552 to purchase a permit from an existing permit holder in Empire Township, Michigan, with an $80 monthly fee. Since then, a brick wall has been added to the structure of the sign and Smith’s Flowers added landscaping. Jansen also said he hopes to add illumination to the sign in the future. Katie Kish ’19, a current resident of Hillsdale, said she believes the people of this community make an impact, and she’s glad that the sign is here to stay. “It is most definitely the

people that make Hillsdale feel like home,” Kish said. “Here I have found friends, mentors, and role models who have become family and who I know will maintain a significant place in my heart for the rest of my life.” The slogan rings true for many, especially around campus, Hillsdale College junior Madison Rathbun agreed. “The small campus, combined with the expectation to become your best self, holds students sometimes subconsciously to a higher standard, Rathbun said. ”We expect others to also uphold those standards and it forms an unparalleled community in the most natural way.” Jansen says he is very appreciative of all the support and help he has received from the town, especially the help from the students of Hillsdale College. In the end, Jansen said he is happy to have brought back something that means so much to the residents of Hillsdale. “I don’t do it for the glory,” Jansen said. “I do it for the people. It really is the people, the people appreciate it.”

tax pushed by Whitmer. “Legislators were able to fund 99% of what the governor recommended in school funding, and 93% of what she recommended in transportation funding,” he said. Rep. Eric Leutheuser of Hillsdale and Branch counties said the gas tax was meant to fund a “wish list” of programs that were too expensive to be included in the budget. However, increased gasoline prices would have disproportionately impacted people living in rural areas, who often drive long distances to get to work, Leutheuser added. “When we did this budget, we had record amounts of

spending for schools, record amounts of spending for roads,” Leutheuser said prior to the budget approval. “These are very good budgets. We think they address people’s priorities, and we’re doing it within our means.” Whitmer did not express the same concerns as her Republican colleagues. Despite the fact that education is one of Whitmer’s priorities, she made cuts which included a $38 million decrease in higher education tuition grants and vetoed a $35 million allowance for charter schools. Whitmer cited that these cuts in education were made “to protect … classroom

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“It’s The People” sign on M-99, which was installed in 2018. Reagan Gensiejewski | Collegian

State passes budget, but Whitmer vetoes 147 line-items By | Ashely Kaitz Collegian Freelancer Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state legislature passed a budget during the final hours of Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown, but Whitmer vetoed 147 line-items from the budget proposed by Republicans, resulting in almost $1 billion in cuts. According to James Hohman of the Mackinac Institute, the budget that the Republicans submitted was meant to fund budget priorities without raising taxes. The Republicans specifically wanted to avoid a 45-cent gas

spending for our children,” according to a press release published on Sept. 30 from the Office of Gov. Whitmer. The press release said Whitmer vetoed $128 million in school aid funding that she claimed was “pork barrel” spending, or money that was going to private companies rather than classrooms. Leutheuser said the money was meant to be spent on things like literacy coaching and special education. “We were padding money for literacy coaches because literacy is truly a big indicator for success,” Leutheuser said. “Local school districts desperately need special education.”

As for Whitmer’s other vetoes, “some of them are questionable,” Hohman said. “She ran on more road funding, and then vetoed more road funding.” Although these cuts may seem drastic, Hohman took an optimistic view. “The items vetoed by Whitmer are really a very small part,” he said. “She only vetoed 1.6% of the budget.” As for the $1 billion decrease in spending, Hohman said that the number should be viewed in comparison to the total yearly budget, which is $550.7 billion. Hohman said he doesn’t think it’s likely that Republi-

cans will try to renegotiate. “There’s not a good impetus to make the thousands of decisions that are necessary in order to compromise on a budget,” Hohman said. “Since we have an ongoing budget and the deadline has passed, there’s a sense of urgency. The time to compromise has vanished.” At the end of the day, the budget will still increase by $543 million this year in spite of Whitmer’s cuts, Hohman added. “Vetoing the spending doesn’t mean vetoing revenues,” he added. “They can still decide how they want to spend those in the future.”

Rep. Leutheuser will host Oktoberfest fundraiser, says ‘next logical step’ is state senate race in 2022 election By | Carly Fisher Collegian Reporter

Religious nonprofit to host second annual fundraiser at Johnny T’s increase that number.” According to Fawley, there are currently 54 auction items available with an estimated total value of $7,000, from which Love INC. hopes to earn at least $4,500. Last year they raised $3,200 from action items valued at $6,250. “This branch has been five years in the making,” Fawley said. “We just started our clearinghouse office in May. Our goal is to raise funds to cover our resources and administration costs and expand out network.” Chappell is returning to Hillsdale after his performance at Love INC.’s first Fall Festival of Love last year. According to Love INC’s Facebook page, Chappel is a well-known comedian who has traveled all over the world

The Oktoberfest will be a family affair, as Leutheuser’s cousin and his wife, Steve and Adrienne Meckley, run the farm –– which has been in the family for two generations. “We often host events for many different people and events and are a convenient location with a family friendly atmosphere,” Adrienne Meckley said in an email. Special guest Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey will also be in attendance. Those interested in attending the event can RSVP to EricLeutheuser@gmail.com or (517) 295-3840. Tickets are $25 per person or $60 per family and the event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“As a representative, I want to make sure I can do all I can before I leave to keep the Republicans in the majority,” Leutheuser said.

The Love INC. office of Hillsale County. Courtesy | Jessica Hurley Fawley

By | Calli Townsend Assistant Reporter Local nonprofit Love in the Name of Christ will host its second annual Fall Festival of Love on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Johnny T’s Bistro. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the night will include dinner, a silent auction, and a performance by comedian Tim Chappell. Early bird tickets are being sold for $40 each or $70 for a pair until the evening of Oct. 4. They can be purchased in the Love INC. office located at 55 Barry St. or by calling (517) 253-5299. Tickets will also be available at the door for $50 each. “It went well last year. We made a little over $6,000 last year,” clearinghouse coordinator Jessica Hurley Fawley said. “We definitely want to

State Rep. Eric Leutheuser is eyeing a run for the state senate in 2022. “The next logical step for me would be to run for the state senate,” Leutheuser said. “But a seat will not open up for another two years, when Mike Shirkey leaves office.” On Oct 10, he will host an Oktoberfest Birthday Party to fundraise for 2020 Republican house candidates and a potential campaign for the state senate in the 2022 election. “As a representative, I want to make sure I can do all I can before I leave to keep the Republicans in the majority,” Leutheuser said. Currently, the Michigan GOP holds the majority in

the house, but only by six seats. Leutheuser cannot run for his house seat again in 2020 due to term limits. Under the Michigan constitution, representatives are limited to three two-year terms.

and performed alongside Tim Allen, Jeff Foxworthy, and Al Ernst. Prizes in the silent auction include gift baskets from local churches, a car wash bucket from Jim Knox Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, and even a day with the mayor of Hillsdale where the winner can tour all the office buildings and meet city employees. Love INC. is a national nonprofit with 134 locations that seeks to bridge the gap between the community and the churches by teaching lifeskill classes such as budgeting, helping people get plugged into a local church, and donating clothes, food, and other resources to families in need. The nonprofit was established in 1997 and opened an office in Hillsdale in 2015.

GM from A1

“It may be a door panel or a corner panel, either way, the shipping is taking longer than usual. And we’re hearing the same story from others across town.” Joswiak said that his dealership had an 80-day supply of cars when the strike began, so they have yet to have any issues with car inventory. If the strike continues for another month, however, it will begin to significantly impact inventory. “The longer the strike goes, we’re going to see more and more things affected,” Joswiak said. “As it goes on, nothing stays the same. It just gets worse and worse. I hope

Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford announced his candidacy for the 58th district seat that will open up when Leutheuser’s term ends. He will be running as a Republican. Steven Soward, of North Adams, has filed to seek the Democratic Party nomination for the 58th district. the strike ends this week.” Zeke Adams, a sales consultant at the Frank Beck Chevrolet in Hillsdale, said the strike has not seemed to affect him yet, but he has talked to some GM employees still working who said it has made it harder on them. The employees that he talked to said they were not worried, however, and thought it was fair for the UAW members to go on strike. According to a Wall Street Journal article by Kris Maher, the prolonged strike will hit the economy of Michigan hardest because it has about 15 GM manufacturing facilities that employ tens of thousands of workers, which is more than any other state. “Michigan relies far more

on the automotive industry for wage and salary income than the U.S. as a whole,” Maher reported. “The sector accounts for 7% of such income, compared with less than 2% nationally, according to Moody’s Investors Service.” The strike does not just affect the auto industry, it also impacts the restaurants, shopping centers, and other businesses near GM plants. “Lost earnings to workers will result in lower sales-tax and income-tax revenues for the state, and some local businesses near idled GM plants are already reporting lost sales,” Maher wrote. According to Joswiak, there have already been some layoffs happening in Hillsdale County.

SPORTS

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Volleyball

No. 18 Chargers open conference schedule with pair of home sweeps By | Liam Bredberg assistant editor The Hillsdale College Chargers opened G-MAC play against Alderson Broaddus and Ohio Valley state without a loss last weekend. Even with multiple star players injured, the Chargers won both of their games without giving up a single set. The Chargers remained the 18th ranked team in the nation for the second week in a row. The wins over the weekend strengthened the Chargers reputation and rank as best in the G-MAC, beating two conference rivals even without a number of starters. With vital players being out in the match versus Alderson Broaddus, many of the healthy players got an opportunity to step up and prove their skills on the court. “I thought the younger players played well,” said head coach Chris Gravel. “But that is exactly what they are supposed to do. They did in the game what they had been doing in practice and I was happy with that.” Hillsdale swept Alderson Broaddus with set scores of 25-13, 25-16, 25-16, respectively. The win lifted the Chargers to 10-2 on the season, cementing their rank as first in the G-MAC. Alderson Broaddus fell to 6-7 falling to 10th in the G-MAC, respectively. Hillsdale led in virtually every statistical category in the game.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

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score

Alderson Broaddus (6-7, 0-2 g-mac) 0 18 H illsdale (10-2, 1-0 g-mac) 3 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

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Ohio Valley (3-5, 0-2 g-mac) 18 H illsdale (11-2, 2-0 g-mac) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 18

| findlay, oh

Hillsdale (11-2, 2-0) at Findlay (5-9, 2-0)

Ten players recorded kills versus Alderson Broaddus. Sophomore Karoline Shelton led the team with nine kills. Freshman Megan Kolp followed Shelton in kills with 6 while senior Hannah Gates and senior Dani Jones each added 5. The team recorded an impressive 39 total kills in the match. Senior libero Taylor Wertz put up an impressive defensive performance with 19 digs, raising her career total to 1,821 and making her second on the all-time leaders list for digs at Hillsdale. On Saturday morning, the Chargers hosted an impressive sweep of Ohio Valley. With multiple starters still sitting out, multiple Freshmen players stepped up to add another conference win to the Charger’s record. Hillsdale shut down the Fighting Scots in the first set with a score of 25-12, and won two narrow sets each

score

0 3 7:00 P.M.

with scores of 25-22 to win the match. The Chargers led Ohio Valley in hitting percentage, blocks, digs, and aces. “This weekend was only a small step toward big goals we have made for ourselves this season,” Gravel said. “We have many more steps to take and a lot of the season left ahead of us to continue to work and get better.” The win against the Fighting Scots lifted the Chargers to 11-2 on the season and 2-0 in the G-MAC, even further confirming Hillsdale’s dominance in the conference. Ohio Valley fell to 3-5 on the season and 0-2 in the G-MAC, placing them 9th in the conference. Freshmen Madeline Zenas, Audrey Riley, and Megan Colp took over the bulk of the playing time of the upperclassmen that sat the match out. Zenas fin-

ished the match with 3 kills, 2 digs, and 10 assists, while Riley contributed two aces and two kills. Kolp had a respectable three kills and two blocks playing far less than Zenas and Riley. Karoline Shelton led the Charger offense with 13 kills and 11 digs. Seniors Emily Lachmann and Hannah Gates added eight and six kills, respectively. Wiese added another impressive defensive performance with 15 digs. Junior setter Lindsey Mertz had an impressive 25 assists, three aces, and four digs in only two sets of play. The Chargers will play an extremely important match at the University of Findlay this Friday at 4 p.m. The Oilers began the season with eight consecutive losses, but bounced back to win five of the next seven. Findley beat Alderson Broaddus and Ohio Valley in September, matching the record of Hillsdale in the G-MAC. Both teams stand undefeated in conference play and the winner of the match will likely move to first in the conference while the other falls. The Chargers have won five of their last six meets with the Oilers and have a 42-game win streak in G-MAC play that will be on the line in Friday’s meet. The Chargers play at Tiffin and Cedarville during Fall Break before travelling to Indianapolis for the Midwest Crossover Tournament in mid-October.

G-MAC STANDINGS SCHOOL

t1. 18 HILLSDALE t1.

CEDARVILLE

t1.

FINDLAY

t1. TIFFIN

t5. WALSH t5.

KENTUCKY WESLYAN MALONE 8. TREVECCA NAZARENE t9. ALDERSON BROADDUS t9. OHIO VALLEY t9. LAKE ERIE t9. URSULINE t9. OHIO DOMINICAN t5.

G-MAC

OVERALL

2-0 11-2 2-0 7-5 2-0 7-7 2-0 5-9 1-0 7-4 1-0 6-6 1-0 6-9 0-1 9-7 0-2 7-8 0-2 4-5 0-2 4-11 0-2 0-12 0-2 0-13

NCAA DIVISION II RANKINGS SCHOOL

1. CAL STATE SAN BERNADINO 2. WESTERN WASHINGTON 3. MINNESOTA DULUTH 4. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 5. WASHBURN 6. LEWIS 7. CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 8. SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 9. NORTHERN STATE 10. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE 11. ROCKHURST 12. ST. CLOUD STATE 13. CENTRAL MISSOURI 14. TARLETON STATE 15. WAYNE STATE (NEB.) 16. FERRIS STATE 17. REGIS 18. HILLSDALE 19. SIOUX FALLS 20. WHEELING 21. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 22. UPPER IOWA t23. COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES t23. WINGATE 25. BARRY

RECORD

11-0 1 12-0 2 11-1 4 12-0 3 11-1 5 12-1 6 9-3 7 10-2 9 10-2 8 11-1 11 12-3 13 11-1 15 8-4 14 8-4 10 12-1 17 10-3 16 10-3 12 11-2 18 11-1 19 11-3 21 9-3 20 10-2 23 10-2 t25 14-0 24 8-4 t25

charger chatter: Stefanie Walker Q: What sorts of things are you looking to accomplish both as a team and personally this season? SW: As a team, our goal is to beat Findlay because they are the only team that's really competition to us in the GMAC and we have never won GMAC. Personally, I am just trying to go best times and contribute as much as I can to the team. Q: What are your best events?

Sophomore swimmer Stefanie Walker hillsdale college athletic department

SW: My best event is 100 Fly. My coach last year put me in the 500, 1000, and the mile, which I had not swam really at all before. I don't really like them except the 500. I did really like that. The 1000 and mile hopefully I will not have to swim this year and will get to focus on other events. Q: What is your favorite memory of being on the team?

Charger Chatter compiled by Amelia Teska

SW: My favorite memory is last winter we had a training trip to Key West, Florida. It was so fun. We trained a lot and it was really hard, but then we had the rest of the day to just explore Florida. It was the best time of my life and was so fun to go with my teammates. Q: What do you plan on majoring in and what would you like to do once you graduate? SW: I am planning on majoring in Math and Economics, but I still have no idea what I am going to do with that. Hopefully, I will figure it out soon.

Q: Where are you from? What attracted you to Hillsdale? SW: I am from Arizona and I came to Hillsdale mostly because of swimming, but I did really like the Liberal Arts aspect of Hillsdale. Q: How long have you been swimming? SW: I have been actually swimming for six years. This is pretty short compared to a lot of the girls on the team. Q: When did you know you wanted to swim collegiately? SW: I always wanted to, but I never thought I was good enough. But Hillsdale is DII, and by my senior year, I knew that I really wanted to swim even if I had to go DII. Q: Why did you want to swim in college? SW: I just couldn't imagine living life not swimming. I know it would be really sad if I kept seeing the swim team and was not a part of it. Q: How has college athletics differed from your previous swimming experiences? SW: A lot of things are the same. The main differences are the weightlifting and just swimming indoors because I was used to swimming outdoors. So, that was a big adjustment. Hopefully, I am over that adjustment period and this year will go smoothly.

Sports

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Scoreboard

FOOTBALL

Swimming

september 28 Walsh Hillsdale

0 0 0 0 0 0 13 7 10 30

Luke Keller Ty Cox

12-28 191 3-7 32

passing

rushing

1 2 3 4 FINAL

c-a yds td int long

1 0

56 13

att yds avg td long

David Graham Scott Lowery Alex Giampietro Luke Keller Christian Shepler Jake Umholtz Josef Hissom

20 65 3.3 1 9 1 21 21.0 0 21 1 16 16.0 1 16 12 14 1.2 0 17 4 13 3.3 0 8 4 3 0.8 0 3 3 3 1.0 0 3

receiving

rec yds avg td long

defense

tkl tfl sack ff/fr int

K.J. Maloney David Graham Michael Herzog Joey Bentley Javon Barr Ben Genedics Scott Lowery Will Syrus

5 96 19.2 1 56 3 42 14.0 0 18 1 25 25.0 0 25 2 15 7.5 0 10 1 13 13.0 0 13 1 13 13.0 0 13 1 13 13.0 0 13 1 6 6.0 0 6

Zach Herzog Alex Anschutz Drake Temple Wain Clarke Derek Branyan Nate Canterbury Nate CHambers Max Torbert Nate Jones Dan Shanley Matt Gray Schuyler Snell Joe Royer kicking

Bryce Sealock

september 27 Alderson Broaddus 18 Hillsdale

Karoline Shelton Megan Kolp Hannah Gates Dani Jones Veronica O'Connor Lindsey Mertz

september 28 Ohio Valley 18 Hillsdale

6 0 0 0/0 0 4 1 0 0/0 0 4 0 0 0/0 0 3 0.5 0 0/0 0 3 0 0 1/0 0 3 0 0 0/0 0 3 0.5 0 0/0 0 3 1.5 1 0/0 0 2 0 0 0/0 1 2 0 0 0/0 0 2 0 0 0/0 0 2 0 0 0/0 0 2 0.5 0 0/0 0 fg long

3/3

VOLLEYBALL

Karoline Shelton Emily Lachmann Hannah Gates Veronica O'Connor Madeline Zenas Megan Kolp Audrey Riley Lindsey Mertz

October 3, 2019 A9

xp pts

3/3

1 2 3 SCORE

13 16 16 0 25 25 25 3

kill ast dig bs/ba pts

9 1 7 0/2 14.0 6 0 1 1/3 8.5 5 0 2 0/5 7.5 5 0 0 0/1 5.5 4 0 1 1/1 5.5 1 21 1 0/2 4.0 1 2 3 SCORE

12 22 22 0 25 25 25 3

kill ast dig bs/ba pts

13 0 11 0/1 15.5 8 0 2 0/3 9.5 6 0 1 1/4 9.0 4 0 0 0/2 6.0 3 10 2 0/0 4.0 3 1 0 0/2 4.0 2 1 0 0/0 4.0 1 25 4 0/0 4.0

Chargers host Davenport to begin regular season By | Rachel Kookogey assistant editor The Hillsdale College Chargers will host Davenport University on Saturday for their first official meet of the season. This 16-event meet is the longest dual meet format and gives each of the swimmers the opportunity to participate in four events. Head coach Kurt Kirner said that since it’s a long meet and the girls have not yet raced against outside competition this season, he will focus mostly on the effort the girls put in. “We aren't looking as

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

| hillsdale, mi

Davenport vs. Hillsdale much at times as we are looking at effort,” Kirner said. “We challenge the swimmers to give every bit of effort in each of their performances in this meet.” Junior Emma Rao said the first meet of the year is a good way to show off the work that the team has put in over the past month. “The first meet of the year is always fun, there’s good team energy and it’s nice to see what all the freshmen can do,” Rao said.

1:00 P.M.

Freshman Madison Pyhel said that after over 5 weeks of training, she feels adjusted to the team and is excited to start competing against outside teams. “I haven’t had a chance to go against other teams in college yet, so I'm looking forward to that” Pyhel said. Davenport is a fairly new team, this is only their second year competing in Division II of the NCAA, but Kirner said the team has some strong swimmers. The

team also has three divers and the Chargers have none, so the Chargers will automatically enter the meet 32 points behind. Kirner, however, said he is not worried about their disadvantage. “In the past 12 years, we’ve been able to compensate for the lack of divers and still come out with a winning record through some strong swimming performances,” Kirner said. Rao also said she feels very prepared for the meet. “We do so much racing in practice that by the time the first meet comes around we’re ready to go,” Rao said.

Cross Country

Chargers to split squad for two meets on Friday By | Calli Townsend assistant editor After a few weekends off, the Hillsdale College Chargers will be back in action on the cross country course this Friday. The team will be splitting into two groups, one heading to Lansing and one to South Bend. The Chargers competing in Lansing will race at the Lansing Community College Invitational at the Grand Woods Park. The women’s 5k race begins at 12:30 p.m.,

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

| south bend, in

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

| lansing, mi

Joe Paine Invitational

Lasing CC Invitational and the men’s 8k race is to follow at 1:15 p.m. The rest of the Chargers will be racing at Notre Dame University’s 64th annual Joe Paine Invitational on the Burke Golf Course. The women will be racing a 5k while the men will be

1:00 P.M.

12:30 / 1:15 P.M.

running a five-mile race, just a little bit longer than the traditional 8k distance. The race is broken up into three divisions: open, blue, and gold. Both of the Hillsdale men’s and women’s teams will be racing in the gold division, which for the

women, begins at 3:15 and for the men, begins at 4 p.m. In just two meets so far this season, the Chargers had earned several awards and moved up in the conference rankings. Senior Joey Humes earned conference and national awards after his race at the Calvin College Knight Invitational, sophomore Sophia Maeda was the G-MAC cross country athlete of the week, and the women’s team is now ranked 10th in the nation.

ACCORDING TO HILLSDALE: WHO WILL WIN THE WORLD SERIES? JAKE MCKIE

JULIA MULLINS

DR. THOMAS BURKE

Astros def. Braves in 6

Yankees def. Dodgers in 6

Yankees def. Dodgers in 7

MARCUS LOTTI

SAM CATRON

PROF. SCOTT BERTRAM

Astros def. Dodgers in 6

Dodgers def. Astros in 5

Dodgers def. Astros in 6

LIAM BREDBERG

NATHAN GRIME

DR. ERIC HUTCHINSON

Dodgers def. Astros in 4

Cardinals def. Astros in 5

Twins def. Braves in 7

JULIA HUEBNER

SEAN COLLINS

PROF. JOHN MILLER

Twins def. Dodgers in 6

Twins def. Braves in 7

Cardinals def. Yankees in 6

RYAN LANIER

SCOTT LOWERY

DR. MICKEY CRAIG

Astros def. Dodgers in 7

Yankees def. Braves in 6

Cardinals def. Astros in 6

ALLI MATTI

WARREN BARTLET

Astros def. Dodgers in 6

Charger A10 October 3, 2019

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Football

Chargers move to 2-0 in G-MAC as defense shuts out Cavaliers By | S. Nathaniel Grime sports editor

The Hillsdale College Chargers evened their record to 2-2 this season on Saturday with a commanding 30-0 shutout against the Walsh University Cavaliers at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium. The win also puts Hillsdale at 2-0 in the G-MAC. Only Tiffin University (3-1, 2-0) is also unbeaten against conference opponents. The Chargers’ defense limited the Cavaliers to just 93 yards of offense and five first downs. Walsh’s offense advanced the ball past midfield just three times, and the deepest it got into Hillsdale’s territory was the 43-yard line. Head coach Keith Otterbein said the defense’s commitment to its game plan led to the stellar group performance. “It’s hard to get a shutout. We felt like we were in control and moving around really well and putting pressure on the quarterback,” Otterbein said. “We were real comfortable with our gameplan. Guys were just trusting their instincts and trusting the game plan. That goes back to having a really good week of practice.” The defensive unit made four tackles for loss, five pass breakups, seven quarterback hits, and forced one turnover. Eight players made at least three tackles. “We did a nice job of maintaining our rush lanes and collapsing the pocket on [the quarterback],” Otterbein said. “In the secondary we were just pinning our ears back and breaking on some balls, and that makes a difference. They didn’t challenge us deep very often.” On offense, the Chargers’ first two drives ended in a punt and an interception thrown. But on its third drive, the offense moved the ball 49 yards on ten plays for

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

| hillsdale, mi

Walsh (0-4, 0-2 g-mac) Hillsdale (2-2, 2-0 g-mac) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

| hillsdale, mi

Concord (0-4) vs. Hillsdale (2-2) a touchdown to get Hillsdale on the board early in the second quarter. The Chargers converted three third downs on the drive, and possessed the ball for more than five minutes. Senior running back David Graham rushed the ball in from two yards out for the score, his fourth touchdown of the season. Graham finished the game with 65 yards rushing on 20 carries. Hillsdale rushed for 133 yards total, and junior wide receiver Alex Giampietro scored on a 16-yard endaround run for the Chargers’ second touchdown of the game near the end of the third quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Keller completed 12 of 28 passes for 191 yards. He connected with junior wide receiver K.J. Maloney for a 56-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the Chargers’ lead to 26. Maloney, who missed the first game of the season after sustaining an injury on the first play from scrimmage, has caught 14 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in the previous three weeks. He caught five passes for 96 yards on Saturday. “We’ve got a lot of good wide receivers. They’re all fresh when we come in,” Keller said. “They all have their different style and they’re all unique and that makes it more challenging for defensive backs to guard them.” Eight different Chargers caught passes in the win.

final

0 30 1:00 P.M.

Through four collegiate games, Keller has completed 43 percent of his passes and thrown five touchdowns and six interceptions. “I’ve always been comfortable with the offense, but the game has kind of slowed down the past weeks,” Keller said. “I know what I’m doing out there, but it’s just slowed down in the game. I’ve been confident these past few weeks and let the game come to me.” In special teams, senior kicker Bryce Sealock, who has been filling in for junior Joe Philipp while he recovers from injury, went 3 for 3 on field goal attempts on Saturday. He nailed field goals of 25, 34, and 31 yards for his first three field goals of the season. He also went 3 for 3 on extra point attempts, and has made 12 of 13 extra points this season. “He’s done a good job and his demeanor has changed,” Otterbein said. “He was a little nervous early putting pressure on himself and I think he’s become a little more comfortable with that. As you gain experience the game slows down and you can do your job.” The Chargers will take

a two-week hiatus from conference play beginning Saturday, as they host Concord University (0-4) at 1 p.m. Concord is a member of the Mountain East Conference, which former G-MAC school Davis & Elkins College moved to this season. Notre Dame College, which defeated Hillsdale in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs last November, is also a member of the MEC. Otterbein said the Chargers’ preparation for a non-conference team they normally don’t play wouldn’t be any different than for a G-MAC team. “We generally would watch all of our opponents the same way,” Otterbein said. “The fact they’re a new team creates a different environment for us. It really puts a premium on us defensively being assignment sound and taking care of our individual jobs and responsibilities.” Next weekend, the Chargers travel to Midland, Michigan to play the Northwood University Timberwolves (0-4). The Timberwolves are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which the Chargers were members of from 1975-1989 and 19992017. Northwood lost to G-MAC teams Tiffin University and the University of Findlay in its first two games of the season by a combined 13 points. The Chargers resume conference play on Oct. 19.

t1. TIFFIN t1.

HILLSDALE FINDLAY t3. OHIO DOMINICAN t3. LAKE ERIE t6. ALDERSON BROADDUS t6. KENTUCKY WESLYAN 8. WALSH t3.

G-MAC

0 30 Hillsdale Chargers

Walsh Cavaliers

FIRST DOWNS

TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE

356

NET YARDS PASSING

223

NET YARDS RUSHING

133

THIRD DOWN EFFICEINCY

13% (2 of 15)

45% (9 of 20)

FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY

0% (0 of 2)

50% (1 of 2)

PENTALTIES/YARDS

4/48

5/44

FUMBLES/NUMBER LOST

1/0

0/0

INTERCEPTIONS: NUMBER/YARDS

G-MAC STANDINGS SCHOOL

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

OVERALL

2-0 3-1 2-0 2-2 1-1 2-2 1-1 2-2 1-1 1-3 0-1 0-4 0-1 0-4 0-2 0-4

1/0

1/22

SACKS/YARDS

4/18

1/5

TIME OF POSSESSION

22:25

37:35

Luke Keller looks to pass in a game earlier this season. Keller completed 12 of 28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's win against Walsh. courtesy | camryn olson

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

October 3, 2019

Hillsdale College Chamber Choir rehearses for chapel dedication. Regan Meyer | Collegian

‘Merchant of Venice’ open now By | Ashley Kaitz Collegian Freelancer Like any good Shakespearean comedy, “The Merchant of Venice” ends with a wedding. However, this comedy might not be what you expect. Loneliness, vengeance, and prejudice pervade this play just as much as romance and hilarious one-liners. The Tower Players will perform “The Merchant of Venice” in Markel Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. from Wednesday through Sunday with additional performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. “‘The Merchant of Venice’ has always bothered me,” said James Brandon, who directed the play. “It doesn’t give any easy answers.” The action of the play is divided between two cities: Venice and Belmont. In Venice, a young man named Bassanio, who is in debt, hopes to win the hand of Portia, a rich heiress. To do so, he needs the help of his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant. But Antonio has invested all of his money in shipping ventures and cannot afford to help his friend. In desperation, Antonio

turns to Shylock, a rich Jew who is both the villain and the victim of this play. Shylock despises these Christian men who look down on him for his religion, so he agrees to lend Antonio the money on the condition that if he cannot repay it, Shylock will claim one pound of the flesh closest to Antonio’s heart. Meanwhile in Belmont, Portia laments the fact that she cannot choose her own husband. Instead, her father determines that the suitor who correctly chooses between three caskets will win her hand. Men from all over the world come to try their luck, but none succeed. The play culminates in a court scene, where Antonio begs an implacable Shylock for mercy after all of his ships fail to come back and he cannot repay the loan. It seems that Antonio is doomed, until the arrival of a mysterious doctor changes everything. Beneath the drama, suspense, and comedy lie serious questions. “Shakespeare is asking his audience to question how they think about other people,” Brandon said. “What are the limits of friendship? What is

the duty of a daughter to her father?” More obvious to the modern viewer, however, are the obvious questions of prejudice. Throughout the play, Shylock is verbally abused by Antonio, Bassanio, and their friends. They despise him for his usury but are all too willing to borrow his money. For his part, Shylock actively hates the Christians and schemes to avenge himself. It’s tempting to try to divide the characters into “heroes” and “villains,” but Shakespeare’s characters are hard to pin down. Johannes Olson, who plays Shylock, gave some insight into his character. “I saw him as lonely,” Olson said. “Wherever he is, he’s alone. People leave him, and that pushes him over the edge.” Olson said preparing to play the role helped him understand what it’s like to be an outsider. “Something I’ve been looking at is, what does it mean to be in a community?” Olson said. “I’ve been doing method work with solitude and being emotionally alone. I’ve learned a lot about where

I belong in a community after seeing where Shylock is in this artificial community.” Research assistant Madeline Campbell, who investigated medieval Venetian culture in preparation for the play, revealed more about the meaning of community in “The Merchant of Venice.” “James [Brandon] told me that Venice was like New York,” Campbell said. “Everybody there is looking to use you or profit off of you. There is no one in New York City that wants to be your friend unless you already know them. And that’s why Antonio and Bassanio are so compelling, because they have such a true friendship.” “The Merchant of Venice” doesn’t give any easy answers. What it does give are deep questions, a forbidden romance, and a lot of laughter. “I think this is one of the funniest plays ever,” said stage manager Sarah Nolting. “Every time Old Gobbo walks across the stage, I can’t help laughing.” Who is Old Gobbo, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to see the play and find out for yourself. Highclere Castle in Hampshire England. | Wikimedia Commons

Downton returns for one long episode By | Abby Liebing Associate Editor The release of the new Downton Abbey movie on Sept. 20 sent scores of white, middle-aged moms into a tizzy. The movie, which didn’t even have the courtesy of giving itself a real title besides “Downton Abbey,” was practically one very long, very undramatic, and almost-plotless episode of the original series that ran from 20102016. But with enough good costumes, lots of pretty shots of the house, and the extreme beauty of Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery), it gave enough period-drama junkies happy feelings of nostalgia to get an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (“Tah-mah-toes,” as the Crawleys would say). The movie, picking up a few years down the road from where the series ended, opens with a letter delivery: the most intense and dramatic letter delivery imaginable. This breathtaking piece of mail is from Buckingham Palace, announcing that the King and Queen of England

will be coming to spend the night at Downton Abbey as a part of a royal tour of the country. Approximately the next 30 minutes of the movie consist of dramatic house cleaning. Dramatic dusting. Dramatic grass-cutting. Dramatic grocery-shopping. Lady Mary even has to get the beloved-but-retired butler, Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) to help temporarily with the dramatic fiasco. What ho! Finally the king and queen arrive. There is tension downstairs among the estate’s staff when the royal staff tell them to get out of the way. The Downton wait-staff manages to play an elaborate prank, locking royal staff in their rooms, so they can have the privilege of serving dinner to the king and queen. Upstairs, the Crawley’s Aunt Violet (played by Maggie Smith — yes, she’s still alive and surprisingly agile for an 84-year-old) contrives to get her son Count Grantham another inheritance via a cousin who has also arrived with the king and

queen’s entourage. The movie also updated viewers on the lives of all the main characters from the cast. When the series ended in 2016, Lady Mary was remarried and pregnant. In the last episode, Lady Edith finally got married and was happy and Count and Lady Grantham were happily presiding over the family. In the movie, Grantham’s daughter Lady Edith has gotten a nice haircut since we last saw her in the finale of the show’s sixth season. She’s pregnant now, and happy with her husband the Marquis of Hexham. Tom Branson is conveniently not missing his late wife, Lady Sybil anymore, and makes eyes at a pretty maid who is enamored that the former-chauffeur knows what it’s like to be a commoner. Lady Mary sports an array of cool dresses that make every female audience member want to be tall, thin, and from the 1920s. Her husband Henry Talbot (played by Matthew Goode, one of the better actors in the cast), on the other hand, is only in the

movie for about five minutes. Shockingly, and unlike the original series, no one died. Rather than attempting something new, it’s a happy return to the good old Downton days. The movie was bland, though well-shot and nostalgic. Matt Seitz put it perfectly in his review for RogerEbert. com. “Every element you expect to see, you see. The movie knows what it is and is on top of its game,” Seitz wrote. Everyone gets a happy ending. The king doesn’t get get shot by the radical who wants Irish independence. Tom Branson is falling in love, and so are a couple of maids. For those who were already married, the king and queen’s visit seems to spark new life into Downton, and the movie ends with literally everyone dancing. As SNL’s mock trailer said, it was “exciting for the people who liked the show.” If nothing else, it proved that Maggie Smith is still alive and snarking.

The Weekly Culture Corner:

On Donald Miller’s ‘Scary Close’ By | Sofia Krusmark Assistant Editor

Donald Miller spent 42 years acting. “I didn’t act in a theater or anything,” he wrote. “I’m talking about real life.” In his book “Scary Close,” Miller writes about the pressure to impress people. At forty years old, Miller took that risk and he decided to write about it.

A New York Times Best-Selling memoirist, Miller takes readers through his journey to true intimacy. He’s a conversationalist, and you won’t feel like you’re reading this alone. He prods the question: would someone be willing to impress fewer people to honestly connect with more? It’s a scary close result.

‘Brushes and Bubbly’ to pop the champagne By | Reagan Gensiejewski Collegian Reporter From Concert on the Quad to Makers’ Market, the Student Activities Board has already put together a variety of events this semester to add excitement to students’ routines. Brushes and Bubbly, on Oct. 8 from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Grewcock Student Union, looks to do just that. Brushes and Bubbly is modeled after Paint and Palette, where customers paint a picture while enjoying a nice glass of wine. The event will consist of a master painting class with either an art teacher or art major, where students can mingle, paint, and sip on drinks. Alcoholic beverages will be provided at Brushes and Bubbly for students over 21 and mocktails for those who are underage. Junior Clare Nalepa, SAB creative team member, had the creative vision for Brushes and Bubbly and has been heading preparation for the event. “I wanted it to be something where people could take something [home] that they got to paint with their

friends. They get to have a fun, social, safe event,” Nalepa said. Senior and SAB’s promotions team leader, Ian Brown, said that in addition to getting to taking home a picture they’ve painted, students will have the opportunity to meet new people. Brown said the point of having this kind of event is to target more specific, smaller groups of people based on a common interest — in this instance, in painting. “One of the big things about SAB in general is trying to grow community, creating events for people that are going to grow friendships,” Brown said. “And that happens more in the smaller events. Small events are where you get to meet people a little bit more intimately.” Brushes and Bubbly provides a nice, relaxed environment for a Tuesday night, perfect for a study break and to unwind with new people. Students can sign up in the SAB newsletter. Spots are limited and will go quickly, Brown said.

‘Hollywood Bleeding’ addresses insincerity By | Ben Wilson Collegian Reporter The cheapest ticket to see Post Malone on his Runaway Tour in Detroit cost a staggering $170. The highly anticipated tour comes after the release of his third studio album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” in September. Post Malone entered the rap scene in 2015 at the age of 20 with the overnight success of his song “White Iverson.” The track racked up a million listens in a month and led to collaborations with rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent. He made his mark with his first full album, “Stoney,” in 2016. His unique style has led him to perform in sold-out arenas across the globe and to collaborate with Aerosmith at the 2018 Video Music Awards.

Staying true to Malone’s form, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” mixes styles and genres. He raps and sings over original hip hop tracks, rock riffs, and pop beats. The album had the fifth-largest streaming debut week in Billboard history and currently sits at number one on the Hot 200 for the third week in a row. The 17-track album features raw and emotional lyrics, and welcomes fans into the hardships of fame. Malone recently moved away from Los Angeles to Utah, saying he didn’t like the Hollywood culture. “I feel like, in L.A. and Hollywood, there’s such a strange vibe to where it just feels like there’s a lot of vampires out there that just want to suck the life from you,”

See Malone B2

B2 October 3, 2019

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I went to Kanye West’s Detroit Sunday Service concert By | Ben Garfinkle Collegian Freelancer The concept of a gospel concert led by an icon as hip and profane as Kanye West is strange enough, but even as a member of the Jewish faith, I found myself to be one of the least unusual attendees in the crowd. Last Thursday afternoon, I noticed a few of my housemates giddily focused on their computers and phones. They were talking about a concert dubbed “Sunday Service” that had been spontaneously advertised across social media and would be held in Detroit the very next day. The mere notion of attending a gospel concert had never appealed to me before, but my time at Hillsdale College has broadened my understanding of the Judeo-Christian faith, and I found myself intrigued by the modern interpretation of gospel. I doubted I would ever have the chance to experience this again. The allure of a free Kanye West event was enough to convince me. I sped to my computer, waited in the online queue, and successfully obtained two of only about six thousand tickets available. In the span of just fifteen minutes, all of the seats had been taken. I had hardly realized how esteemed this event was. I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with West’s Sunday Services, a concept the Chica-

go rapper developed this past year which consists of gospel music combined with electronic elements. I first heard of them from my housemate, and I had thought that it would be a rap concert with a few elements of gospel music. I was wrong. Held in the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit, an airy venue right along Detroit River, the event proved to be a combination of traditional gospel music, the talent of West and his choir, and a diverse crowd, the members of which held only a love of

nondescript hoodie, Kanye maintained his iconic appearance despite branching off from his typical style of music. Rather, the group of colorfully-dressed singers, called the “Sunday Service Collective,” seemed to be the focus of the show as they surrounded West and began singing gospel hymns. The communal power of more than 50 members on stage amplified the meticulously-clear tone of their voices. They started the show with a performance of “Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory.” This

“I thought it would be a rap concert with a few elements of gospel music. I was wrong.” music in common. Advertisements said the show would begin at 12 p.m. Almost two hours after my housemate and I arrived, the concert finally started at 2 p.m. A large crowd of colorfully-dressed performers walked on stage and warmed up their instruments. When West finally arrived, he was greeted with massive applause. To my surprise, he didn’t seem to be the center of attention. Dressed in a large,

wasn’t the debut of new music. Instead, it was a beautiful tribute to great, old songs. For me, a practicing Jew, it was an education in Christian culture as well as an unforgettable musical experience. That’s not to say that the event was uninfluenced by Kanye’s signature touch. West performed more conservative renditions of “Father Stretch My Hands” and “Ultralight Beam,” two of his more famous songs, both of

The Local Eatery, not the new Palace By | Alex Nestor & Abby Liebing Opinions Editor & Associate Editor When I sat in the booth at the Local Eatery, my bottom hit the gray-painted wooden booth with an audible clunk — just as it would at The Palace. Grungy as they were, I loved those old booths and the pink-topped tables. The Palace was an oldtimey diner, known for staying open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Emphasizing classic diner food, The Palace was known for its giant cinnamon roll pancakes and comforting breakfast platters. A latenight haven for students on the weekends, it was one of the best spots for breakfast in Hillsdale. After The Palace closed in the spring of 2019, the building was empty for several months as its new owners renovated. The Local Eatery opened the doors of the renovated space for a soft opening on Monday, Sept. 23. Walking into the Local Eatery, it felt fresh. The floors were clean, the air was clean, the tables and booths were

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Malone said in an interview with Spotify. “You gotta get out and take a step back and look at the whole situation and you realize that Hollywood itself is kind of dying in itself because of all of the blood-sucking vampires.” The opening track shares its name with the album and sets the mood for the ensuing tracks. It paints the difficulties of living in Hollywood. “We’re running out of reasons, but we can’t let go/ Yeah, Hollywood is bleeding, but we call it home.” A little later in the album, “A Thousand Bad Times” hits on the difficulties of finding real relationships in the celebrity world. Malone comments on the lack of sincerity in how women treat him. He suggests that the feeling of being used doesn’t affect him anymore, because he’s so used to insincerity. “It’s gonna take a lot more to kill me/So thank you for the grave/I needed me a place to sleep,” he sings. One of the best beats on the album is “Circles,” a track in which Malone continues to explore his relationship struggles. Now, Malone taps into the classic love-gonecold narrative as he sings

clean and new. In contrast to its beloved predecessor, the decor at the Local Eatery is bland. It’s gray. The entire Local Eatery, from the floor to the walls to the booths and the ceiling, looked a bit like something out of “The Giver”: simple, colorless, precise. There’s less room for big groups now, since they put in more booths where there used to be bigger tables in the back. The menu at The Palace was grubby, and it was fitting. The food was greasy, and the floors were too. The Pepto-bismol-pink walls with old-timey murals and a Penn State pennant were weird and comforting, like an old sweater you would find in your grandmother’s closet. And you left The Palace the same way you left grandma’s — happy, full, and feeling loved. As a part of its soft opening, The Eatery has only rolled out a partial menu so far, which consists of roughly twenty items. Not included: platter-sized pancakes, the only thing that could cure a heartbreak late on a Saturday night or a hangover on Sunday morning.

Will this year’s freshmen, and every class that follows, never know the joy of sitting at a bubble-gum-pink table and eating a giant pancake at 2 a.m.? The new “Palace in Grayscale” leaves a different taste in your mouth. The menu is smaller, but the dishes are complex, gourmet even: French toast with rum custard. Chicken and Liège waffles with sugar crunches. Both, by the way, are delicious, though the opening-week wait was long. I’ll miss the classics. The scrambler, with eggs, sausage gravy, sausage, green peppers, and onions, the cinnamon swirl pancakes that were bigger than my head. My first three years of college wouldn’t have been the same without these weekend staples. The Palace served the ultimate comfort food. Simple, like a warm hug, it was the best thing to take the sting out of the bitterly-cold days and eternally-long winters Hillsdale is famous for. The Local Eatery’s menu is certainly more artisan, and it was delicious. It serves a different purpose.

about how he and his girlfriend keep doing the same things without any change. “Seasons change and our love went cold/Feed the flame cause we can’t let go/ Run away, but we’re running in circles,” Malone sings. “Die for Me” has a star-studded lineup — including Future and Halsey — but not only are Malone’s romantic relationships suffering, he also can’t seem to find genuine friendships. “Said you’d take a bullet, told me you would die for me/I had a really bad feeling you’d been lying to me,” the lyrics read. The depressing realization that his friends don’t have his back seems to cause deep pain. Malone works through the reality that his friends may be there for the perks and not for him. His reaction to these feelings plays out in track 10, “I’m Gonna Be.” “Some people think I’m livin’ wrong/We live this life but not for long.” Malone has an obsession with artists who died young and has tattoos of many including Elvis, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. With all his struggles, Malone seems to find some

solutions later in the album. The shortest song on the album, “Internet,” is a reaction to the fakeness and addiction involved with social media. “Well if ignorance is bliss, then don’t wake me up/ And I’ll prolly be the last to know/Cause I don’t get on the internet no more,” Malone says. Punning on the word “instalove,” meaning Instagram and the instant love felt on social media, Malone comments on the false reality we indulge on Instagram and the instant gratification people crave. Throughout “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Malone struggles with the famous life. Not all of it is sad; “Wow” takes the listener into the flashy party lifestyle and in “Saint-Tropez” Malone flexes his wealth. “The roof go down when I hit switch/ I moneyball like Bradley Pitt,” Malone raps. However, the overall album shines a light on the not-so-glamorous celebrity lifestyle. With addictive beats, catchy choruses, and real lyrics, Post Malone knocks it out of the park — and into the realm of serious reflection — with “Hollywood’s Bleeding.”

which typically use electronic elements. Nearly every piece was performed with vocals, brass, drums, and an organ, staying true to each hymn’s authenticity, filling the airy amphitheater with booming percussion and piercing trumpet notes. I even felt the voices of the choir resonating through the seats, as though as an audience member I was inside of each song. The few exceptions involved West live-mixing eccentric samples while accompanied by the energetic dancing of the Sunday Service Collective that inspired most audience members to get up and dance. It was a comprehensive expression of music in which everyone could participate. Attending a gospel concert had been a new enough experience for me already, but the legitimacy of the Christian elements imbued in Kanye’s music was solidified when Pastor Adam Tyson walked on stage halfway through the 90-minute concert and delivered a sermon to the crowd. While I wouldn’t know how the sermon compared to typical ones, it certainly seemed authentic as proven by the rise in the crowd and the occasional “hallelujah!” shouted by the singers and echoed by a few audience members. Even the concert-goers were inspired by the pastor’s raspy and echoing voice, letting

More than 6,000 people gathered for Kanye West’s Sunday Service conert in Detroit last Friday. Courtesy | Ben Garfinkle

their arms rise above their heads in an expression of inspired faith. His speech emphasized the importance of The Lord among other topics of Christianity and gave me an intimate view of the passion behind the Christian faith. Overall, Kanye West’s Sunday Service was nothing short

of an unforgettable — dare I say, religious — experience, from the dynamic music to the focus on worship. West proved that modernity doesn’t have to stray from tradition and that the importance of praising God has not been forgotten. Wikimedia Commons

Still Rock ‘n’ Roll: Tom Petty By | Carmel Kookogey Culture Editor When I was about 13, my dad went through a phase of playing Tom Petty in the car on Sunday mornings. As we drove down the highway to our Presbyterian church in Middle Tennessee, I would whine in the back seat about how annoying Petty’s voice was. The rest of my siblings enjoyed Petty; I couldn’t wait to switch back to Toto. “He’s too nasal” was my complaint. Ironically, it was the song “I Won’t Back Down” which I adamantly opposed. My dad told me Petty, like olives, coffee, alcohol, was an acquired taste. Give it some time to grow on you. He was right, of course. “Love is long, long road,” Petty sings in the song of the same title. Over the years, I found myself craving the smooth opening chords of “I Won’t Back Down” just as much as the instantly-recognizable metallic guitar strum that opens “Free Fallin’.” If there’s one thing Petty knows, it’s how to start a song. Though Petty’s place on the rock ‘n’ roll spectrum is a lot closer to roll than rock, there is no question it’s classic. We all know the story of the good girl who loves Jesus and her boyfriend, too, and when in 2018 Petty released a live album with folk artist Mudcrutch called “An American Treasure,” no one batted an eye. It made sense, after all, that one of the defining artists of the American rock scene would answer to folk influence. That’s America’s gig. Produced by Jeff Lynne,

Petty’s got the earmarks of many of Lynne’s greats: “Feel A Whole Lot Better” could be ripped off a Beatles album with it’s groovy harmonies. Like Bob Dylan, Petty often talks his lyrics rather than singing them, and he tells dark stories about weird characters (see “A Mind With A Heart of It’s Own”). But what makes Petty distinctive is that nasal voice I once hated. A little sentimental, a little southern, a little of something you can’t put your finger on — it’s the perfect companion to butter-smooth guitar picking and a slow-marching drum. His original 1989 album “Full Moon Fever” is Petty’s most well-known, but I think his third album, “Highway Companion,” released in 2006, is his best. The cover art depicts an astronaut and a gorilla in the desert, staring at a rocket. That just about sums up the album’s theme — and much of Petty’s music, too, as a lyricist who often wrestles with the rock star life and its implications. Like America, despite incredible economic success that should mark a success story, Petty still struggles to know who he is. The album opens with “Saving Grace.” “It’s hard to say who you are these days/But you run on, anyway, don’t you baby?/ You keep running for another place/To find that saving grace,” Petty sings. Later in the song he alludes to the modern American tendency to claim religion without changing our behavior: “There’s a guard on every door/And a drink on every floor/Overflowing with

a thousand ‘Amens.’” Instead of offering solutions, Petty pivots. In “Down South,” he sings about “chasing ghosts,” a musing on the idealized American south as the soft antidote to the “harsh north” and the reality that it’s just as broken as anywhere else in the country. In one verse he decides to recreate himself in the South to “impress all the women/Pretend I’m Samuel Clemens/Wear seersucker and white linens.” In the next verse, he turns it on its head. “Spanish moss down South/Find the heroes of my childhood/Who now can do me no good,” he sings. Petty’s America is a lot like the America of the Southern Gothic literary movement, but with a distinct rock ‘n’ roll flavor. Where Springsteen embodied the rustbelt of America, and the Eagles were unmistakably south-western, Petty is the military brat who’s been all around the U.S., but always comes back to the South. It’s a place full of mystery and brooding and — like most hometowns — you might say you don’t belong there, but for some reason you keep coming back all the same. Rinse and repeat. In Petty’s signature style, “Jack” repeats one line over about 15 times: “You say what you want to Jack/I’m gonna get my baby back.” In the last verse, he defines soul. “If you give me half a chance/I will make her sing and dance/I’m gonna give her all my soul/I’m gonna play her Rock’n Roll,” he sings.

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October 3, 2019

Campus ultra-runners test endurance limits

Churchill prints are hanging in the Mossey Library, the Dow Hotel, and the Searle Center. Alexis Daniels | Collegian

Churchill prints donated to college on permanent display By | Alexis Daniels Assistant Editor For years, Hillsdale College has held Winston Churchill as an embodiment of liberty and justice, and now it honors him with a series of photographs and drawings, located in Mossey Library, the Dow Hotel, and the Searle Center. “We wanted it to be some place on campus for permanent display, and since we have been doing renovations and redecorating in the Dow Center, we thought it was the perfect place to utilize those pieces,” Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell, who is in charge of the decor, said. As for the library and the Searle Center, she said they had more pieces than they did space. The Churchill Project worked with Canadian lawyer Norman Bascal, who gifted the display to the college. The artist, Curtis Hooper, used to be one of his clients, and Bacal wanted to donate his works to a place where they would be used and not sent to storage. “He called us and said that he and one of his partners were in possession of a highly unique set of drawings done by an English artist, Curtis Hooper,” Churchill Project coordinator Soren Geiger said. “We talked with them, and they fairly quickly decided that

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learn what my grandfather teaches, and kindergarteners too,” Ju said. “I was keeping track of the behavior of these students.” Not only was Ju getting valuable field experience for her minor course of study, early childhood education, but she was also honing the skill that spans all the social sciences: The ability to observe, without bias. Associate Professor of Psychology Benjamin Winegard sees the value of experiences like Ju’s. “I would say the most important thing is to know the research methodology well,” Winegard said. “That translates across disciplines.” He said there are intersections between spirituality, tradition, and philosophy everywhere in psychology. Any student who finds these intersections is just a bit better equipped to observe objectively and creatively. Ju had to apply that creativity when she saw one student was becoming progressively more disruptive. “She would intentionally block the view of everyone behind her during our, say, gratitude songs,” she said. “She would pick on the class role model; he was then at the brunt of the blame.” Ju said even the smallest

Hillsdale College would be the best place for this collection, and we accepted that with gratitude and enthusiasm.” There are 28 pieces in the series, which is titled “A Visual Philosophy of Winston Churchill.” Hooper had coordinated with Churchill’s daughter Sarah in the 1970s to find and use famous photos and quotes either spoken or written by Churchill on which he based his artwork. The title of each piece is a short quote from Churchill. “You can kind of understand from that title that his goal was to show you, with these 28 drawings together, a complete picture of the very complex man whose career spanned 5 decades and who lived until he was 90 years,” Geiger said. “ [He was a] statesman and an orator, but you will also see him as a soldier and a very old man. You will see him as a lover of animals and a man who cared very deeply for people.” Geiger said it is important to note that each piece has been used to create a series of lithographic prints. Lithographs are an old method of “copying art in a way that allows you to retain a lot of the details of the original and do it for a lot of copies,” Geiger said. The college has the largest and most complete collection of lithographs on the series. behaviors, like repeatedly taking apart and then reassembling her pencil, were indicative of problems with the student’s Chi — problems she could resolve with guidance. This student was ill; there was a reason, in mind or body, for her not to pay attention. Freshman Meghan Dudzic said she recognizes the necessity of observing the whole person to help them best. “I’ve done a lot of work with younger kids, specifically disabled kids with down syndrome in local schools,” she said. “Connection with other people is so important, either in a career or understanding the human person.” Ju was able to resolve the situation with the student. She attributes it to a unique combination of Chinese medicine exposure, Assistant Professor of Psychology Collin Barnes’ reminders not to “deconstruct the man” when observing, and her grandfather’s guidance. Ju said her return to Hillsdale would provide parallels to her learning — even if she did not always agree. There were already parallels she took with her to China. “I heard a similar story in an education class,” she said. “There was a child with a lot of behavioral problems — he would put children up against the wall, knocking things down from the shelves — and teachers could not understand

Each one is signed by Sarah and numbered because they’re limited additions. The artist, Hooper, is still alive, he added, and is “taken seriously.” “I think he’s produced some impressive works, and I think this series, ‘A Visual Philosophy of Winston Churchill,’ is his most famous work and most recognizable,” Geiger said. “I know that David Cameron, former prime minister of the UK, had one of these lithograph prints hanging in his office above his desk.” Churchill’s daughter Sarah also made her mark upon the prints. If you look closely at the print, Geiger said, you can see an embossed sketch of Churchill that is based on one of Sarah’s sketches. “It’s kind of a cool hidden feature,” Geiger said. “It’s right there in the paper.” Associate Director of Research for the Churchill Project Colin Brown said Hooper’s drawings “are a wonderful depiction of Churchill and of the many facets of his personality and life.” “It is an honor to be able to display them about campus, for not only do they serve as a reminder of this great man,” Brown said in an email, “but also of the College’s special relationship with his legacy.”

what was wrong.” As it turns out, the child suffered birth complications that resulted in reduced oxygen reaching the prefrontal cortex, where all decision-making begins. Again, a student was ill, and listening to parents, teachers, and doctors gave insight that would frame a proper solution. Ju’s return to Hillsdale was a return to Western medicine, she said. “Western science has no starting point in studying what Chniese medicine tries to describe about the human body,” she said. “It doesn’t really have a theory about how the human body as a whole is supposed to work. What is the man?” According to Winegard, psychology provides processes to study all of them. “I’m interested in big-picture, synthesizing research,” he said. Ju aims to continue pursuing her major in psychology and minor in early childhood education, her summer enriching and nuancing the two fields more than ever. She hopes to follow her grandfather’s daily mantra. “If you want to do great things, you first have to learn how to be a person,” Zhixun said.

By | Dylan Palmer Collegian Freelancer When imagining an ideal diet and workout schedule, many picture green smoothies and protein shakes, cutting down on sugars and carbs, hitting the gym a few times a week, and maybe even the weekly three or four mile walk-and-jog. None of these, however, cut it for senior Karissa McCarthy or Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele. Over the summer, McCarthy and Steele raced in the Woodstock Festival’s ultra-marathons located in Pinckney, Michigan. McCarthy ran the 50-kilometer ultra-marathon. Steele competed in the 100-mile race, in which he dropped out around the 75-mile mark. McCarthy, a distance runner since her first year of high school, said she has always loved to push herself to her physical and mental limits. She raced and completed her first marathon one year ago, but she finished the event feeling as if she hadn’t eaten or hydrated enough to support her grueling effort. McCarthy learned from her mistake and came back strong for a 50-kilometer race this year. “I really focused on getting in a lot of calories and a lot of liquids; I took in roughly 200 to 250 calories per hour,” she said. “That made the race feel a lot better because I didn’t bonk at all.” A runner “bonks” when they feel a sudden onset of fatigue during a race. McCarthy spent time training over the summer, which prepared her for the longest race of her life so far. When asked what she enjoyed most about ultra-marathons, McCarthy didn’t hesitate. “Ultra-running has an awesome community,” she said. “You get to talk to these people you’re running with, and it’s really cool to hear

their story. They’re just so enthusiastic about pushing their minds and bodies to do something that means a lot to them.” McCarthy also said she believes anyone, with enough training and the right diet, could run an ultra-marathon. She said it’s just a matter of the right preparation, consistency, and mental fortitude. “Humans are meant to run,” she said. Freshman Mark Sprague, who currently runs an average

and you can. It doesn’t require you to be superhuman, just really dedicated.” Steele said “minimalist” training is important for ultra-marathons. For him and many of his friends, shorter interval workouts accompanied by weekly long runs are the optimal way to stay conditioned for long race days without running themselves down. “I think that’s what keeps you in the game for a long time and prevents you from

“McCarthy also said she believes anyone, with enough training and the right diet, could run an ultra-marathon. She said it’s just a matter of the right preparation, consistency, and mental fortitude.” of 60 miles per week as a member of Hillsdale’s cross country team, spoke about the long races ultra-marathoners endure. “It seems crazy to me that they can do all those miles at one time,” he said. Steele also participated in an ultra-marathon totaling 75 miles. Steele has been running ultra-marathons since 1983, and he said he loves the sport just as much as the day he started. He appreciates the interesting crowd ultra-marathon running draws, the euphoric experience of running for multiple hours in the wilderness and great outdoors, and the humbled state of being ultra running requires. “It just kind of changes your definition of fitness,” Steele said. “You have this hope that you can go out and do something for 12 hours,

getting burnt out,” Steele said. Steele runs with two titanium hips in place of his own, the deterioration of which were congenital, not resulting from overuse in ultra-marathons. Neither replacement has dampened his spirit or passion. Instead, it has only seemed to amplify it. “I think people should occasionally take on things where they don’t know if they’ll succeed or not,” he said. “When I was driving over for my 100-mile run I was thinking, ‘this is actually scary, I have no idea how far I can get into this thing.’” Steele said running ultra-marathon is just one way to push oneself. “It doesn’t have to be running, but whatever you do, you should find stuff to challenge you. I think that’s what makes life exciting.”

The Agony Column fostered gossip By | Callie Shinkle Columnist The Collegian has seen its share of gossip columns, fashion columns, and currently a history column for its lucky readers, but in the 1920s, the newspaper printed a column that may top them all: The Agony Column. The Agony Column, published without a byline (adding to the agony: the author never got proper credit for their brilliance), ran weekly in the early 1920s. Premiering on Nov. 11, 1920, The Agony Column laid out its purpose: “Few realize the unlimited possibilities that lie in our freshman class more than we do. Until we grow tired of it, the Agony Column will be a source of never-ending wealth to this department.” A column with the sole purpose of pointing out embarrassing moments of freshmen? I could have been a campus celebrity if this was still around two years ago. From gossip to grievances, this column published it all. It especially excelled in the insult department. “Tom is the meanest, most hypocritical sneak that ever entered this college. He hasn’t a decent thought in his head. I wouldn’t trust him with a brass nickel,” the column read on March 24, 1921. “If there’s anything crooked going on, you know jolly well that Tom is in it, and if there isn’t anything it keeps you wondering what

he’s up to. He’s the biggest liar in Michigan. He’s worthless; I wouldn’t waste the lead it would take to shoot him.” I’d like to think that the author wrote this soliloquy with a quill pen. It was written in 1921, which exponentially raises my hopes for this majestic occurrence. Also a platform for poetry, on March 22, 1923 the column read, “It’s wrong for me to go to school, And try to make my prof a fool, but I like to.” Poetic brilliance at its finest. Another fantastic piece of literature was published on May 7, 1925. The Agony Column read, “Back in the days when men were men, The Agony Column flourished then, for hazing then was not a sin, Flashlights had not invented been.” Both morals and English grammar took a steep hit in those lines of poetry. The column also published jokes, or “proofs” as they were referred to by the author. On Nov. 25, 1920 the column read, “A doctor was advertising some medicine on a street corner. Doctor: ‘I have sold these pills for twenty-five years and never heard a complaint. What does that prove?’ Voice from the crowd: ‘That dead men tell no tales.’” I can only assume that the author of this column was actually a young Jerry Lewis. In fact, the column was too good for editing. On Oct. 28, 1920, The Collegian published, “President Larson

announces that applications will still be considered for entrance to the Cosmopolitan Club. This is a misplaced notice and is not intended for this column.” More importantly, when did Hillsdale have such a posh club, and can we bring it back? In addition, The Agony Column delivered some great life tips, including this May 24, 1923 tidbit: “Some people like to eat but this is unnecessary to success.” Dying from starvation might be more of a success than the way my life is going, so this author is not entirely wrong. And the column was very well-received. In classic Agony Column fashion, the author asked his readers what they thought of his column — and published only the responses praising him on Jan. 28, 1926. “A. Jay Moron, ’29 — It keeps me awake during classes.” “Susie Picklefoot — “The Agony Column is too perfectly thrilling!” “George Washington down at Marties — ‘They always write up my Banquet Swell and they never lie because they do it with their little hatchet.’” Ok, that one may have been fake. Regardless of its credibility, The Agony Column proved successful for over six years and continues to provide laughs to its readers.

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October 3, 2019

Contruction workers building the stairs of the Christ Chapel. Sofia Krusmark | Collegian

A tribute to last a lifetime: Thank you, Christ Chapel construction workers By | Sofia Krusmark Assistant Editor When the chapel construction workers arrived at the Christ Chapel construction site at Hillsdale College, they knew it would be a project they’d never forget. Mark Shollenberger, construction superintendent, has been in the construction business for 40 years and was working on the project even before construction began. They’re ready to be done with this chapel, he said. “Our crews have been working overtime for probably the last year and a half,” Shollenberger said. “My guys are pretty well worn out.” Most days, Shollenberger doesn’t even have a chance to sit down for lunch, he said. He told me he had only seven minutes for an interview. I glanced down at my timer and, with 30 seconds to spare, asked him one more question. “How did the guys’ expectations change after coming here?” I asked. “I’ve had guys who are sent up and are supposed to be top-of-the-line and they

struggle here,” Shollenberger said. “They’re not used to seeing the prints and being forced to be so detailed. Everyone is constantly depending on someone else to get answers and solutions, so we keep moving.” I asked if I could go inside, and the answer, I thought, would be no. “As long as you aren’t distracting these guys from their work, go for it,” he said. Wearing a hard hat and a construction vest, I entered the chapel to meet the top-ofthe-line. Their efforts were written across the massive building. Crevices of the looming pillars were etched with limestone design. There’s no room for procrastination here — or mistakes. Everyone was fixed on their tasks, but some workers stopped so I could ask a few questions. Others were so busy they couldn’t finish their interview. “I’m going to have to let you go. I got to go help Mark finish his project,” said Darren Handshoe, a carpenter who has been on the project since early 2017.

Emily Ju and her family practiced Chinese medicine together this summer. Courtesy | Emily Ju

Handshoe has his hourand-a-half commute from Fort Wayne, Indiana, down to a science. “With the 10-hour days for the last six months,” Handshoe said, “I go home, eat, and sleep to come back ready for the next day.” Turning to the right, I see Gary Williams walking toward his next task. As a “steam-fitter” for the chapel, he’s been in charge of installing the heating and cooling system for the entire building. He showed me the entire system, hidden in a back room on the top floor of the chapel. “This fan is blowing that cold water across this foil and that’s what creates your cooling,” Williams said. “Nobody ever is going to see this part, but this is something that at the end of the job, you can look at and say, ‘Wow, that looks great.’ I can look at my kids and say, ‘Daddy did that.’” This system, Williams said, has been two-and-a-half years worth of work. Chad Morgan drives 25 minutes to get to the site. Just as I was about to ask him a few questions, Shollenberger came up to Morgan’s worksite.

By | Alex Mulet Collegian Freelancer Junior Emily Ju has been shaping her understanding of Chinese medicine — and all types of psychology — since the age of 12. This summer, spent at her grandfather Yang Zhixun’s Chinese medical clinic in Beijing, was the intersection of her Hillsdale education and her own psychological perspective. She has something to show for it: During the interview, she conducted acupuncture. Ju spent her days at Qingxin Chinese Medicine Clinic learning to practice acupuncture, observing kindergarteners and adults jointly learning the fundamentals of Chi, and growing under Zhixun’s continual mentorship. “His clinic is unique because of the treatment he provides,” Ju said. “It’s based on research invented by my great-grandfather.” The goal of Zhixun’s clinic is combining the foundations of early Chinese medicine

with external medicine. It retains the ultimate goal of the practice, combining mind and body for the healthy cycling of energy — Chi — with the advantage of being noninvasive. “In order to be the healthiest we can, we should stay in harmony with our environment,” Ju said. “The problem happens when we act out of harmony and create an imbalance in our body.” Chi is just as important now as it was a century ago to Ju, her family, and Chinese culture. All of Ju’s work at Qingxin involved that interaction between mind and body, in which each part helps or hurts the other. Specifically, she delved into precise observations of children, four-year-olds to fourth-graders, who came to the clinic for instruction in all manners of traditional medicine. “There is a curriculum my grandfather created for young children — preschoolers can

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He has four daughters, and his one-year-old went in for open-heart surgery last December. “This is the only building I’ve ever gotten emotional about. It was tough because you want to be with your family, but you’ve got a job to do,” he said. “But you know, God provides and he doesn’t give you more than you can handle. So you know, the money that was provided from overtime. It was a blessing. ” Jason Hess has worked on every roof on campus — even the very top of Central Hall. As we sat in the lift right next to the dome roof, his hands ran along the copper pieces, hand-cut and ready to be laid down. It was time, he said with a laugh. “You usually put on shingles and a rubber roof,” Hess said. “I’ve roofed probably 90% of this campus. The design is a sphere, and it’s a difficult roof to craft. It’s a roof of a lifetime.” Swygart dusted off his gloves and took a long look at the building. A construction worker in charge of driving the crane that lifted more than 88 semi-loads of limestone,

Swygart reminisced about the moments he came in on a Saturday, or stayed until 8 p.m. in the middle of the winter to grout black walls. “I’m sure it being a chapel helped. It wasn’t just a regular building. It wasn’t just a ‘slamming in, move on to the next one.’ People put their best foot forward on this jo,” Swygart said. “It was more than a building. It stood for something. I’m sure there were some blessings from up above to get something like this. I mean, look at it.” Today, we look at this building, and we look at it with gratefulness. Swygart noted that amidst the struggles and the long-hours, it’s a project that’ll be remembered forever. “You go to any other school, you’re a burden,” Swygart said. “Students thanking you, faculty thanking you. We got goodie bags one day. People usually look down on you. You’re a crummy construction worker, but here, it’s special.”

From Barstool to Bloomin’ Onion:

How one Hillsdale student used Twitter to achieve his dreams By | Lily McHale Collegian Reporter

A Beijing summer: Student, family practice medicine

Morgan has three kids, and while he said the company is family-friendly, sometimes work affects family life. “Has it taken a toll on my family and what I do on the weekends? A little bit,” he said. “But we are almost there. The finish line is in sight and we are pushing forward.” The community, he said, is unlike those at other projects he’s worked on. “You don’t get this everywhere you go,” Morgan said. “To have this much stress on everybody and to maintain friendships throughout this whole thing is saying a lot.” But friendships didn’t just stay on site. After one worker had fallen and hurt his back, Allen Swygart said he and his buddies drove down to his house. “We went down there to cut up some wood for him and got some money together so he could survive. It was family. It is family,” he remembered fondly. Swygart, known to his co-workers as the “hero” of the construction project, made a family with his co-workers while balancing his own family life at home.

Jake Sievers has been striving to become the next Bloomin’ Onion since his discovery of the Outback Steakhouse mascot. Sievers said the inspiration behind his new project came from watching the Outback Bowl, an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida on New Years Day. “On the SEC sideline is a person that wears a Bloomin’ Onion mascot uniform,” Sievers said. He attested that the Bloomin’ Onion itself was “delicious.” Jake Sievers, a senior from Jenison, Michigan, is a marketing management major with a journalism minor. He runs three radio shows on Radio Free Hillsdale titled “Locker Room Talk,” “Charger Rundown,” and “Out of Context.” “I’ve always been interested in sports media. I realized at a young age I wouldn’t be going professional in anything so I decided the next best thing was to talk about the people who did go professional in those things,” Sievers said. “My first semester here I started working for the radio station.” However, Sievers’ most recent social media project has attracted the attention of the famous Austrailian restaurant chain, Outback Steakhouse. Since January 2019, Sievers said he has been tirelessly working to grab the restaurant’s attention and become their Bloomin’ Onion mascot. Sievers walked through the timeline of his campaign. “I was watching the Outback Bowl with my mom and they showed the mascot. I

looked over at my mom and I said I want to be that person.” Sievers used the power of social media to realize his new goal. “I took out my phone and tweeted out ‘My only goal of 2019 is to be the Bloomin’ Onion mascot. Outback, how can we make this happen?’ It started out as a bit, but then I got three weeks into it and I thought let’s see this through,” Sievers said. “And now here we are.” Sievers saw quick results after his initial tweet. “I first realized I might have a chance when the Outback Bowl Twitter account followed me 20 days in,” Sievers said. “A couple of weeks later, the Outback Steakhouse account followed me. Then I started direct-messaging them everyday. Finally, one day they responded ‘We’re loving your daily tweets mate.’ I didn’t have any real contact with them until day 200 when they direct-messaged me that they wanted to talk.” From there, things got more serious. They sent him a non-disclosure agreement and asked to set up a call with him. “They said they were going to send me a gift and I had to participate in a competition,” Sievers said. “The whole message was ‘keep doing what you’re doing and your hard work will pay off,’” Sievers said. “Then I asked if there was any way this doesn’t work out and they said, ‘no.’ I got really excited.” According to Sievers, Outback Steakhouse will give him the position as long as he follows through with his end of the deal. So what is the agreement that will land Sievers his

dream job? Since the initial call, he has been in closer contact with the Outback Steakhouse team. Last week in the mail, Sievers received forty dollars a month for twelve months to the Jackson Outback Steakhouse along with a social media challenge. Outback Steakhouse offered Sievers the role if he could make a video that reached 10,000 retweets. Sievers has been very active on Twitter, trying to reach his goal. When Sievers began his social media journey back in January, he lost hundreds of followers. However, people have slowly returned as Sievers’ campaign has grown in popularity. Since tweeting his video, he has gotten some great exposure. According to Sievers, Kat Timpf, Michael Knowles, and Kyle Kashuv have all retweeted his video. “I don’t know how they picked it up but I’ve gotten in with right-wing politics,” he said. At the time of the interview, Sievers’ video had 800,000 views with 5,054 retweets. The retweet count is now up to 6,713. There is no deadline for the 10,000 retweet goal but Sievers is still working to gain exposure. Sievers is dedicated and said he will do whatever it takes to achieve Bloomin’ Onion status. “If it starts to lose traction, I’ll just start making 40 burner accounts a day.” Sievers has been able to share the experience with family and friends. He sees the humor in the situation. “It’s such a weird thing. My family will just ask ‘How’s

the Bloomin’ Onion going?’ I text my grandparents about it. They probably don’t understand but they think it’s funny. People have been supportive almost to a fault. They’ve been enabling me.” Senior Laura White said Sievers’ efforts have been a refreshing change of pace for a Hillsdale student. “I’ve never seen Jake so motivated in his life,” she said. “It’s nice to see a student pursuing something outside of school.” Sievers has a sense of humor about the situation, but that hasn’t stopped him from being invested in succeeding. “This would be the best day of my life,” Sievers said. “It would be unbelievable. I love college football and I would love to be right there. The thing that has pushed me to see this through is the picture I would have for Instagram. An ESPN screenshot of me on the sideline next to a bunch of Division 1 football players wearing a giant fried onion.” Sievers has plans for after graduation and believes his project will only benefit him. He is considering a future in social media managing or managing a brand for a company. “This shows how dedicated and motivated I am.” When asked if he had anything to say to Outback Steakhouse, Sievers had a short but passionate response. “It’s been a lovely journey and it’s not over yet,” he said. “I’ll see you in Tampa, and if you need my measurements let me know.” To retweet Sievers’ video and help him accomplish his goal go to @JakeTheRake on Twitter.