Hillsdale College for Life brought students to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24. Courtesy | Meredith Vanderweide
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
Vol. 148 Issue 16 – January 30, 2025
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Suspect arrested in Students march for life in DC school threat case Attendees heard JD Vance and Donald Trump speak at rally By Michaela Estruth Senior Editor Police arrested Kevin Noah Minder in Lucas County, Ohio, Wednesday, for recent threats against Hillsdale Community Schools, Hillsdale County Prosecuting Attorney Jamie Wisniewski announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon. “On Jan. 28, the Hillsdale County prosecuting attorney’s office issued charges for threat of terrorism, malicious use of a telecommunications device, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm against Kevin Minder,” Wisniewski said in the press release. “On Jan. 29, law enforcement advised that the suspect had been apprehended in Lucas County, Ohio.” Lucas County includes Toledo. It does not share a border with Hillsdale County. Hillsdale Community Schools received a threatening voicemail against a staff member at Gier Elementary Monday, according to Ted Davis, superintendent of Hillsdale Community Schools. “The message not only indicated the caller knew the staff member’s home address, but also included a series of threats to come to the school with a weapon and cause harm to students and staff,” Wisniewski said in the press release.
The school district immediately contacted the City of Hillsdale Police, who then included Michigan State Police in the investigation. “Any time we receive any type of threat or threatening communication, we implement our response protocol and contact city police,” Davis said. Davis said after meeting with the police and school board, the district decided to cancel Tuesday classes for safety measures. The school communicated this cancellation to parents via text, call, email, and the Hillsdale School District website. Schools remained closed Wednesday. In her press release, Wisniewski said Minder will return to Michigan to face charges and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Hillsdale Community Schools announced on its website thanking law enforcement and said school will resume Thursday and have police presence and counselors available. “The Hillsdale Police Department will have an increased and visible presence on campus to provide additional supervision and help maintain a safe and comfortable school environment for all students and staff,” the announcement read.
By Michaela Estruth and Tayte Christensen Senior Editor and Assistant Editor Nearly 90 Hillsdale College students heard President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance speak at the 52nd March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday, Jan. 24. “There were some big names speaking this year, which was exciting,” Vice President of Hillsdale College for Life and senior Maddie Hornell said. She said she most appreciated the speakers who boldly proclaimed their Christian faith to thousands of people. Hornell specifically mentioned OBGYN Catherine Wheeler and abortion survivor Josiah Presley. “They were so unabashedly Christian — of course, that’s where we get the value of life,” Hornell said. “Hearing someone speak to thousands of people, not only about life, but about why we care about it — as rooted in our faith — was so encouraging. To be in the capital city and hear God’s name resounding through the streets was so profound.” Hornell said it was encouraging to see solidarity nationwide after the overturn of Roe v. Wade — the supreme court decision that legalized abortion in 1973. Despite the reversal of this decision in 2022, Hornell
said the fight to defend life is as important as ever. “The local and statewide ‘boots on the ground’ work is so important,” Hornell said. Freshman Maddie Hanson said she has been involved in pro-life work in her hometown but this was her first time attending the National March for Life. She said one of her favorite speakers was Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer who lost her left arm from a shark attack at 13 years old but continued to compete. “She talked about how hard it is to have kids for anyone, and how important it is in crisis pregnancies to consider the mom and encourage her and help her in caring for her new child,” Hanson said. Hanson said she was surprised by how many young students and college groups were present at the march. The students traveled to D.C. overnight Thursday and spent Friday night in a hotel, The Collegian reported last week. With this schedule, students had free time Friday evening and Saturday to explore D.C. Hanson said she visited the National Gallery of Art and connected with some friends currently living in D.C. for the Washington Hillsdale Internship Program. Hornell also said she connected with some Hillsdale
Blake Center hires new director
The Blake Center hosts Hillsdale College events in Connecticut. Courtesy | Scott Galvin
By Tayte Christensen Assistant Editor Alan Crippen started as executive director and chaplain of the Hillsdale’s Blake Center for Faith and Freedom this month. Crippen previously served as rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Parish in Hillsdale from September 2021 until Jan. 15 of this year. In his new role at the Blake Center, Crippen said he will work with External Affairs, Institutional Advancement, and Marketing to plan and program events at the center. The Blake Center for Faith and Freedom, located in Somers, Connecticut, is a satellite campus of Hillsdale College. The center, which the college opened in 2020, is named
in honor of S. Prestley and Helen Blake, who donated the property to the college in 2019. “New England is a place that needs the presence of the Blake Center and needs an institution like Hillsdale and the Blake Center to help recover an understanding of the relationship between faith and freedom,” Crippen said. The 100-acre property is home to a replica of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and according to the Blake Center’s website, hosts invite-only lectures and seminars focused on “Christianity, Western Civilization, and America,” featuring Hillsdale faculty and other speakers. Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said the center enables the college to reach
more than 1 million Imprimis readers living on the East Coast through in-person instruction at the center. “The Blake Center is a resource for these people,” Péwé said. “Regional access and over 30,000 square feet of facilities allows the college to host a variety of in-person programs designed to educate friends of the college about the core principles of American civilization and its heritage.” The center can hold as many as 150 people for events, and Péwé said several thousand people attend programs each year. He said the center’s most popular events are dinner-lecture programs with Hillsdale professors and other Hillsdale-affiliated lecturers. “Hillsdale reaches its na-
tional audience both virtually and through in-person instruction,” Péwé said. “As a teaching institution, Hillsdale knows that both modes of instruction are effective, and in combination more effective. The potential exists for Hillsdale to reach and teach many more people by strategically distributing its teaching capacity.” Crippen said the center’s location in Connecticut helps to reach friends of the college on the East Coast and further promotes the college’s mission, but the center’s distance from Hillsdale can make it difficult to stay synchronized with the main campus.
See Blake A2
alumni and friends while in the area. Afterward, she said she visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Senior Hannah Arends, who lived in D.C. on WHIP in spring of 2024, said it was fun to return to the area and meet up with friends and co-workers. After spending Friday in the city, Arends said she visited the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Saturday. The zoo had reopened the panda exhibit the day prior. “A ton of people flocked to the zoo to see them,” Arends said. “I love being a part of events where everyone comes together and is excited about the same thing. D.C. is the best place to find random fun experiences like welcoming pandas back to the U.S.” At the march, Arends said she met President of Live Action Lila Rose. “While marching, I got to meet Lila Rose, which was so exciting for me as someone who has looked up to her as a role model of a strong but compassionate woman leading the prolife movement,” Arends said. “But what was more special than meeting her myself was seeing three young girls filled with joy because they saw Lila, and then they ran up to her to meet her smiling ear to ear.”
Arends said she has been to the march a number of times and was encouraged to see all the people and the speakers who came. “The energy of young people excited about the pro-life movement and excited about seeing their role models in the movement gives me great hope for the continued success of the pro-life cause,” Arends said. Junior and HCFL Social Media and Graphic Design chair Meredith Vanderweide said this year was her third time attending the march and she appreciated the presence of pro-life political and religious leaders at the rally. “As a Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod Lutheran, I was super excited to see Reverend Matthew Harrison, the president of the synod, speaking and leading the opening prayer,” she said. “Seeing my church and state leaders standing up for life was a great comfort.” Vanderweide said she enjoyed having Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers lead chants and cadences during the march. “Spirits were high,” Vanderweide said. “Though there are so many lives to mourn and abortion is nowhere near abolished, there is still hope and faith that the pro-life movement will not stop fighting until abortion is unthinkable.”