Collegian 04.09.2026

Lacrosse is back: Students resurrect the club after 35 years.

Return of the bushes

By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor

The maintenance crew planted new boxwood bushes along the path to Central Hall April 8, replacing the ones removed March 27 due to damage from the winter’s cold, snow, and high winds, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé.

Chamber choir packs its bags for DC

By Adriana Azarian Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale College Chamber Choir will sing for a prayer event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 17.

President Donald Trump announced the upcoming event, “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving,” at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5. Freedom 250, an organization honoring America’s 250th anniversary, with the White House Task Force, is planning the event to include prayer and speakers on the mall. According to the Freedom 250 website, it “is the national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday…that connects, aligns, and amplifies nation-

al and local efforts to deliver the defining presidential moments of this anniversary year.”

Trump said the prayer event will “rededicate America as ‘One Nation Under God.’”

of music and conductor for the chamber choir, said he is excited to have the opportunity to perform on “such a big stage.”

Arnn sends letter to Department of War

By Thomas McKenna and Moira Gleason Editor In Chief and Executive Editor

“It makes me very proud to be a part of something that is asked to do something of this magnitude.”

Chief Staff Officer Kyle Murnen said the invitation is a “great compliment to our music program.”

“It’s a fitting and beautiful thing, because the college was founded in gratitude for the blessings of civil and religious liberty in America,” Murnen said. “This is a great moment to be grateful, to rededicate ourselves, and remember the great blessings of liberty.”

James Holleman, professor

Sophomore scores No. 15 in the NCAA Division II

By Francesca Cella Assistant Editor

‘All

By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor

“My enthusiasm is mostly for the students to have this experience and this opportunity because they’re very excited about it. So I’m excited about it as well,” Holleman said. “It’ll be fun to travel. Anytime we travel together, our bonds grow. We have good fellowship together.”

Holleman said the choir will include current members of the chamber choir as well as two choir alumni living in D.C. The choir tentatively plans to sing “The Lord’s Prayer,” “America the Beautiful,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the event.

College President Larry Arnn thanked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth last week for including Hillsdale College on a list of potential partners for active-duty military graduate fellowships after the War Department announced it would cut ties with many elite schools and education nonprofits.

“I admire your mission to equip our military with the lethality necessary to protect our national interest, while providing them with an education that instills a deep knowledge and love for the principles of the Founding,” Arnn wrote in a March 30 letter first obtained by Fox News. “The College has been committed to providing an education that preserves ‘civil and religious liberty and intelligent piety’ in America for more than 180 years now.”

Arnn said the college would be “honored” to educate U.S. military officers through the program but also clarified that the college would not accept any government money, in keeping with its longstanding policy.

“We have nothing to gain financially in this effort,” Arnn said in the letter. “Hillsdale College refuses all government money to preserve its independence and guard against the anti-American ideologies that you have noticed infecting so many of our colleges and universities. Whatever we do in this program will be funded through private sources.”

The letter comes after a Pentagon memo dated Feb. 27 announced 93 Senior Service College fellowships at 22 institutions — including Harvard University, MIT, and Yale University — would be terminated at the end of the academic year. Hillsdale is listed among 21 potential new partner institutions, as previously reported by The Collegian. The program provides funding for outstanding active-duty senior officers and select civilian government employees to pursue graduate studies and research beneficial to the military, according to the Army War College website.

“We will no longer invest in institutions that fail to sharpen our leaders’ warfighting capabilities or that undermine the very values they are sworn to defend,” Hegseth said in the memo.

Sophomore Ally Kuzma and junior Tommy Flud broke the school and Great Midwest Athletic Conference records in the outdoor 10K and javelin throw, respectively, at their meets April 3. Kuzma won her heat at the Stanford Invitational in California in 33:10.83, the 15th fastest time in NCAA Division II history, and was named G-MAC track athlete of the week. The previous school record of 34:05.75 was set by Kristina Galat in 2016 at the same meet, and the G-MAC record of 33:57.06 was set by Findlay’s Hannah Thompson in 2022.

Students pressed up against a crowd rail. On stage, a group of nervous sophomores readied their instruments. Neon lights flashed, smoke filled the air, and the lead singer, now-senior

Kuzma said she’s hit her stride in track after training with Coach R.P. White for the last two years.

Daniel Doyle, clutched his microphone and shouted: “All Aboard!”

The barricade rattled as students pounded it and cheered. Runaround, the last band to perform at Centralhallapalooza in 2024, launched into its set with “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne.

thought I broke my hand because I was hitting it really hard.” Runaround, an all-senior band, could perform at its final CHP later this month if it earns a spot at this year’s CHP Showdown on April 10, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Phi Sig Pavil-

Holford on drums, Judah Newsom and Ezra Phillips on guitar, and Aidan Quirk on bass, the band’s last run could mark a three-peat.

“It’ll be a nice way to kind of cap off senior year and the Hillsdale experience altogether,” Es-

freshmen in Simpson Residence in the spring of 2023 for Simpson Date Party, according to Doyle. Initially, they called their band One Night Band.

“I was banging the stage on rhythm, because I just got a huge surge of adrenaline,” Doyle said. “I was banging to the sound of the kick drum. And I legit

lion. The seniors have played at the past two CHPs. With Doyle and Rachel Dunphey as the band’s lead singers, Mikey Berry on violin, Joel Esler on trumpet, Jake Hamilton on piano, Jeremy

ler said. “This is a really special group of guys, and I was very lucky to be a part of it, and I’m gonna definitely miss playing with them.” They formed the band as

“We kind of just formed on a whim,” Doyle said. “We knew Ezra played guitar, we knew Jeremy drummed, we knew Mikey and Jake played instruments. Joel was one of our friends. He played trumpet. We knew Quirk played bass. So we collected together, and then we played a gig, and we really liked playing with each other.”

Anglican priest explains ‘New Christian Zionism’

By Ethan Savka Collegian Freelancer

The mainstream view of Israel among some Christians could lead to another Holocaust, an Anglican priest warned in a lecture last week.

Rev. Gerald McDermott called this group “supersessionists” in a talk delivered in the Hoynak room March 30, titled “How My Mind Has Changed on Israel.”

Supersessionism, McDermott explained, is the view that Jesus “superseded” the old covenant and is the only salvation of all people. McDermott was hosted by the theology and history departments, with support from the Davenant Institute, the Hillsdale Jewish Mishpacha, and the Chaplain’s Office.

“It is no wonder that when my Jewish friends hear the words ‘gospel,’ ‘Jesus,’ ‘church,’ or ‘Christianity,’ they start smelling the fumes of Auschwitz,” McDermott said.

“Supersessionism taught that God is done with the Jews because they’re stiff-necked and stubborn. The next cause which followed logically was, ‘Well, we should be done with the Jews, too.’ This was inculcated in European minds and hearts, and it influenced the philosophers, who were tremendously antisemitic.”

The ideas of those philosophers, McDermott said, led to tragedy.

“Martin Luther wrote ‘On the Jews and Their Lies,’ which recommended that Christians attack synagogues, and Adolf Hitler purposely had it published in the millions and spread around Germany to convince the Lutherans in the north and Catholics in the south that they should support his anti-Jewish laws and eventually his Holocaust,” McDermott said.

McDermott explained supersessionism as replacement theology.

“So once upon a time, I was a supersessionist,” he said “It’s also called replacement theology. According to Christian supersessionists, the Old Testament God cares only about a little people called the Jews in a little land called Israel, but Jesus cares about the whole world. They believe that when most of Jewish Israel failed to embrace their Messiah in Jesus, then God transferred the covenant to the Gentile church, which then became the new Israel.”

McDermott said it took him years to realize Jesus did not fully fulfill the covenant.

“Not everything was fulfilled after the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven,” McDermott said.

For example, the land promise of God to Abraham —

“to your offspring I give this land” — remains unfulfilled, according to McDermott.

“Contrary to what I was told by my professors and what I read in most Christian theologians and Christian New Testament scholars, the land promise shows up explicitly in the New Testament,” McDermott said. “Jesus predicted that Jerusalem would continue to be trampled upon by the Gentiles until the end of the times of the Gentiles. And that’s Luke 21.”

McDermott said this promise is relevant amid rising antisemitism.

“The massive Nazi-like antisemitism exploding around the world is motivating more and more Jews to return to the land of Israel,” he said. “The land is intrinsic to the covenant, and you can’t separate God and his progeny, Abraham, from the land itself.”

McDermott said as a new Christian Zionist, he believes the Bible guarantees them this protection.

“New Christian Zionism says that the return of Jews to the land in massive numbers, starting in the late 18th century, is a fulfillment of biblical prophecies,” McDermott said. “Because recent history has proven that the Jews need a state to protect them, we would say it’s an obligation of natural law for us Christians to support the State of Israel.”

When attendees disagreed with him, McDermott said “welcome to the club.” Assistant Professor of History Jason Gehrke belongs to that club.

“The talk exemplified a kind of pro-Israel rhetoric that counterintuitively undermines reasonable support for the U.S.-Israel alliance and reasonable opposition to bigoted attacks on Jewish people,” Gehrke told The Collegian in an email. “The speaker represented a false dichotomy: Christian Zionism or Nazism. But those alternatives are neither normatively Christian nor normatively Jewish.”

Hillsdale Professor of Theology Mickey Mattox helped organize the talk.

“It was wonderful to see such a good turnout, from students and faculty, and to hear so many probing questions after the talk,” Mattox said. “I agreed to help arrange this event in part to enable our students to engage in free and respectful discussion of the situation of modern-day Israel from the perspective of Christian faith and theology, and then to think it through for themselves.”

Mattox said he also disagrees with McDermott, instead favoring Jewish theologian David Novak, who argues both Jews and Christians fall

under supersessionism.

“To be sure, this leaves Christians and Jews in a somewhat unresolved and thus uncomfortable situation,” Mattox said. “But that discomfort reflects an honest and charitable assessment of the status quo. As we live out that reality, we should all ‘Pray for the peace of Israel; they shall prosper that love thee,’ from Psalms 122:6.”

First-year graduate student Paul Marselus said he appreciated the opportunity to hear from an expert on Zionism, and said it’s an important issue on the political right.

“It’s important for Hillsdale students to encounter this topic, because what one believes about this issue profoundly impacts his biblical exegesis and interpretation of historical and current political events,” Marselus said.

Professor of History Wilfred McClay, who invited McDermott to speak, said in an email he was impressed by their questions.

“I’ve never been prouder of our students than watching them engage McDermott with the utmost grace and civility, and when they sought to challenge him, doing so with utmost respect and substance,” McClay said.

McClay said he invited McDermott so that Hillsdale students could enjoy a learning opportunity.

“Since his interpretation would appear to challenge some of the key claims of Christianity — e.g., that salvation is possible only through faith in Christ — it is naturally of concern to our students, and I wanted them to have a chance to hear McDermott and judge the plausibility of his claims,” McClay said.

Bands to face off this Friday

By Charlee Amason Collegian Freelancer

Campus bands will battle at CHP Showdown tomorrow, April 10, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Phi Sig Pavilion.

Students at the event will receive three pebbles to cast votes for their favorite bands during the night, and the top three will perform at Centralhallapalooza on Saturday, April 25.

Bands competing this year include South on 75, Warm Christian Biscuits, Dis Band, Jett Cruz and the Bahama Mamas, Backspace, Runaround, Plastic Frog Bank, and GoodTime.

“We have a showdown so it’s fair, and students are getting to choose who they want to hear from,” said Emma Kate Mellors, senior and Student Activities Board member.

Each band will have 20 minutes to impress the audience.

“Showdown’s tough,” junior Daniel Sturdy, lead singer of Plastic Frog Bank, said. “You are going against eight other bands and you only get 20 minutes. With every other gig you get 45 minutes to convey your message. So it’s not a lot of time to garner support.”

Sturdy said the time constraint makes preparation important for competing groups.

“If you mess something up in a 20-minute set, that’s kind of it — you don’t have time to recover,” he said.

He noted that many bands aim to create setlists that immediately connect with students, often choosing recognizable or nostalgic songs.

“We’re focusing a lot on throwback songs this time,”

Sturdy said. “We wanted songs that everybody knows but maybe they haven’t heard in a while. We’re probably going to open with ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by Walk the Moon.” Mellors said CHP Showdown reflects emerging changes in campus culture, especially as well-known bands have graduated and new groups emerge.

“In past years, we had bands like the Schizmatics,” Sturdy added. “Not having them is sad, but it opens space for new bands. Runaround is the big name now.”

Mellors said the event highlights both competition and community, giving students a chance to hear a wide range of campus talent.

“Hillsdale is a very musically talented school,” she said. “It’s really cool to see so many students you sit next to in class who perform in bands.”

She said showdown stands out because it gives students a chance to see that talent all in one place, often in unexpected ways as new or lesser-known bands take the stage.

“You never know what new band is going to break out and actually be really good.” Mellors said.

“I would recommend staying the entire time because it’s really fun to see new bands.” For example, Schizmatics won as a freshman band and had its break at CHP Showdown, winning, and going on to open at CHP in 2022, according to Mellors .

“It’s really fun to see students playing and see how hard they’ve worked,” Mellors said. “And you get to see it all in one place.”

Halter center offers public memberships, discounts for faculty and staff

By Christina Lewis Assistant Editor

The Nimrod Complex, the newest addition of the John A. Halter Shooting Sports Center, is now welcoming the public to apply for memberships.

“We offer all of the shotgun disciplines and competition, as well as air precision, smallbore, centerfire rifle and pistol opportunities, archery, and action shooting practice and competition,” said Action Shooting & Training Coordinator Zechariah Steiger. “We have several membership opportunities available tailored to specific interests with a 50% discount for staff and faculty.” The Nimrod Center in -

“Sometimes plants bounce back, but these could not be restored,” Péwé said in an email. “Replacement plants are going in this week.” Kevin Tarner, head greenhouse grower, estimated that the boxwoods the maintenance team removed were 20 to 40 years old. Since then, the breeding of boxwoods enhanced their cold-hardiness, so the new bushes, Korean boxwood-derived cultivars called “Green Mountain,” should survive harsh winters better, according to Tarner. The grounds and horticulture departments received the new boxwoods April 8 between 9 and 10 a.m., and transported and installed the plants all day Wednesday, ac-

cludes 60 indoor precision lanes, 20 indoor archery lanes, 24 smallbore lanes, 12 covered retractable centerfire pistol lanes, a 24-person classroom for Concealed Pistol License and college courses, seating for 300 in the main room, storage space, and a viewing area overlooking the ranges, according to the college’s press release.

Steiger said visiting the Halter Range is a great way to get a feel for what the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center has to offer.

“It is also home to our partner pro-shop, Liberty & Co., which can help you with all of your firearm and firearm accessories purchases, questions, or needs,” Steiger said. “It also has 12 covered

cording to Tarner. Grounds Keeper Larry Frank was out digging holes and planting bushes with around 9 other members of the maintenance crew Wednesday morning.

“They’ll be in the ground today,” Frank said.

Tarner said the living stem tissue inside the old boxwoods was killed because the temperature hit negative 9 degrees. Hillsdale’s temperature dropped below negative 9 degrees Jan. 24, according to the Weather Underground website.

“When that happens, the plant is completely dead,” Tarner said. “The early warning sign is when they turn kind of brown or bronze on the top of the plant, and that happened across all the upper Midwest.”

and heated outdoor firearms lanes that will be particularly handy in the winter when the weather turns cold.”

Guests will receive an initial safety brief and are required to fill out a waiver, according to Steiger. New members will also receive a walk through to help them get a feel for the range.

“The Halter Center has a fantastic range of capabilities for anyone interested in the shooting sports disciplines, whether practice, competition, or recreation, and we look forward to helping facilitate any questions or opportunities people have interest in,” Steiger said.

Junior Zakira Masslich, a member of Hillsdale’s precision shooting club, said she is grateful to have more

In addition to the harsh winter, Tarner said moths are attacking boxwoods in nurseries, which makes it harder to buy the plants.

“If Hillsdale didn’t get in and get an order of size this early on, the boxwoods would collapse the rest of the way,” Tarner said. “The leaves would transition to the whole plant dying over time by graduation, which we couldn’t have because they’d all be brown and dead. It would be embarrassing, and then to find that boxwoods have been sold out, because everybody in the upper Midwest is going for them.”

space to practice with her team in the complex.

“It’s been helpful, just to have extra space so we can all shoot at one time,” Masslich said. “Last year, we were having to have half the team practice for a few hours and then switch so then the rest of the team could practice, just because we did not have enough lanes.”

With the addition of the Nimrod Complex, Masslich said her team is able to host matches and events, which have brought more interest in shooting, both at the college and in the surrounding area.

“We even have space for a locker room. It just makes the whole overall practice a lot more efficient,” Masslich said. “We also have a small-

bore range, so we can shoot smallbore in addition to the air guns that we have. So it’s really nice to have another discipline.”

Additionally, the Nimrod Center has electronic targets, according to Masslich.

“The electronic targets make it very important for practicing and being able to just to get immediate results and see how our shooting has been,” Masslich said. “It’s been able to help everybody on the team improve. I think pretty much everybody saw immediate improvements to the shooting and basically just learned about what they’ve been doing wrong, what to do right as soon as we switched ranges. And also a lot of the matches we shoot at are electronic, so it’s

good prep for that.” The Nimrod Center also has a locker room and classroom that can be used for various gun classes, Masslich said.

“The Nimrod Complex allows us to offer even more opportunities for education, training, competition, and recreation for shooters of all levels,” Range Director Matt Little said in the press release. “We hope that these new membership options will enable even more people to enjoy the shooting sports at the Halter Center.” For more information, contact the front desk of Halter at 517-610-5593 or stop by the range.

Students to premiere documentary on Hillsdale’s ‘A Christmas Story’ director

By Skye Graham Social Media Manager

The director of the cult movie “A Christmas Story” went to Hillsdale College, and students will tell the tale of Bob Clark in a documentary that screens for the first time next week.

“We have gotten to learn so many things about him that honestly weren’t very well known,” said sophomore Lonán Mooney, a writer for the documentary. “Especially in the case of ‘A Christmas Story,’ he was so well-liked and trusted by the cast, including the kids who were in the film, which speaks so much to who he was as a person.”

Students in the Documentary Filmmaking class will premiere their documentary “A Bob Clark Story” April 14 at 7 p.m. in Plaster Auditorium. The documentary tells the story of Hillsdale alumnus Bob Clark, who directed the movie “A Christmas Story” and more than 20 other films.

“Bob Clark came to Hillsdale to play football, but he really found his voice as a writer and storyteller here,” Moorehouse said.

lamater, Christina Lewis, Sami Mandel, and Jamie Parsons, and sophomores Savana Greb, Mooney, and Grace Novak.

Delamater, the director of the film, flew solo to Idaho to interview Peter Billingsley, the actor who played Ralphie in “A Christmas Story.”

“My 24 hours in Boise were a true whirlwind, but extremely rewarding nonetheless,” Delamater said. “The opportunity to interview a Hollywood actor was once in a lifetime.

“Let’s just say there are some major plot twists in Bob Clark’s life story that nobody has heard until now.”

“A Christmas Story” is a 1983 comedy film, now acclaimed by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant. The movie tells the story of a young boy named Ralphie, who dreams of getting a BB gun for Christmas. It is most known for the famous “leg lamp” prop that appears in the film.

Eight students collaborated on the documentary: seniors Adriana Azarian, Quinn De-

The film pays special attention to what Clark learned during his time at Hillsdale, said Lecturer in Journalism Buddy Moorehouse. Clark was the quarterback of Hillsdale’s football team, starred in several Tower Players productions, and taught a one-credit scuba diving class.

It was a very professional experience that I will always think fondly of and never forget.”

The documentary aims to show an interesting and unique story of someone who went to Hillsdale College, according to Mooney.

“It not only gives insight into the types of people who come out of Hillsdale, but it’s very interesting how few people know he went here,” Mooney said.

Anyone who is a fan of “A Christmas Story” will enjoy

Clubs to host ‘Hootenanny Shindig’ for special

By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter

A Western-themed prom for young adults with special needs, called “A Hootenanny Shindig,” will feature a live band, line dance lessons, and snacks in the Hoynak Room April 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The event will be hosted by the Great Opportunities for Assistance and Leadership Special Education Assistance in collaboration with the Honky Tonk Club.

“We get so many opportunities to do things like this, we have formals, and we have President’s Ball, and literally any weekend you can go to a party or something,” said junior Abriana Badalamenti, the program’s leader. “But these adults don’t have that opportunity. People don’t plan things like this for them often.”

Anyone is welcome to come to the Hootenanny Shindig, and no experience is required to attend, according to Badalamenti.

“It’s really fun to dance with them and hit a balloon around and line dance,”

This will be Holleman’s last performance during his time at Hillsdale College, as he anticipates his retirement after 29 years in Hillsdale’s music department, as previously reported by The Collegian.

“It’s kind of fun that that’s

Badalamenti said. “It’s just innocent, wholesome fun. They just radiate joy, and that is contagious.” Dressier clothes are requested, and cowboy hats and boots are encouraged, according to Badala menti.

get opportunities to dress up, to get all dolled up and have an event to go to with their friends. A lot of them have boy friends and girlfriends, and there aren’t a lot of opportunities for them to do some thing special to geth er,”

the documentary, said Mooney, who watched it as a child growing up in Ireland.

“Everyone I know says it’s a family favorite and a classic, and that they watch it every year,” Mooney said. “I certainly did, and I’m not even American.”

Students in the class also interviewed other actors who worked with Bob Clark on “A Christmas Story” and his ex-wife, which Moorehouse said helped them understand Clark’s story better.

“Let’s just say there are some major plot twists in Bob Clark’s life story that nobody has heard about until now,” Moorehouse said. “Bob Clark is one of the most acclaimed alumni in Hillsdale history, and now we are finally getting to hear his story.”

needs community

ing when you have no idea what you’re doing, according to junior Amelia King, president of the Honky Tonk Club.

Badalamenti said. “So prom is a great opportunity for them to get dressed up, look all nice, and feel like they’re invited to something really special for them.”

The line dancing lessons will be simple. Part of the fun is doing line danc -

there and be a witness, which is great, especially in a place like D.C.,” McDowell said. “So, I’m probably going to cry at some point. It’s such a great opportunity. I kind of can’t believe it.”

Sophomore Symeon Clark, a tenor in the chamber choir, said the White House’s invitation makes him “proud to be a Hillsdale student.”

“It’s amazing that the leaders of of the free Western world want our little group of like 30 or so people to sing for them.”

my last high-profile event,” Holleman said. “And I’m excited for the college to have the profile and for the students to be part of that.”

Junior Ariel McDowell, an alto in the chamber choir, said everyone is “very excited” to perform at the event.

“It’s amazing that the leaders of the free Western world want our little group of like 30 or so people to sing for them, and we get to celebrate America and hopefully praise the Lord while we’re

“It speaks to the status of the college in particular. It makes me very proud to be a part of an institution that is asked to do something of this magnitude,” Clark said. “It’s something that I’m going to be able to flex on people afterward.”

“Line dancing is really fun,” King said. “It’s different from something like swing, where you need a partner, or you might need some level of skill or dancing, versus line dancing, everyone can do it at the same time.”

Students should attend the Hootenanny for the music, dancing, and food, but more importantly to create a fun experience for those the event serves, according to King.

“Come line dance, because it’s an opportunity to do that, and also to hear live music, but also to get to be

a part of something bigger and help bring some of these people joy at the same time as getting to do something that they love,” King said.

The participants are always very excited to come to prom and to be on Hillsdale’s campus, and they love meeting and talking to Hillsdale students, according to junior Jesse Custer, who attended the prom last year.

“You don’t have to have any experience with this population, you just have to know how to have a good time,” Custer said. “Just sing and dance and laugh.”

Badalamenti said she has loved participating in bringing joy to the special needs community since she began volunteering with this program freshman year.

“Every time I hang out with them, I leave feeling so joyful. It’s kind of like seeing a friend that you haven’t seen for a long time who’s really close to you,” Badalamenti said. “I just leave feeling like that was such an amazing, joyful experience.”

Power outage hits campus Easter Monday

By Christina Lewis Assistant Editor

A damaged powerline forced a campuswide power outage on Monday. While some dorms lost power for a few minutes, Dow Science and Knorr Family Dining Room lost power for a couple of hours.

Campus Executive Chef Adam Harvey said Metz did not have to throw out any food because the outage was brief.

“Our team monitored food temperatures closely and kept items within safe holding parameters, so we were able to continue service without discarding food,” Harvey said. “We did make limited adjustments to how lunch was executed during the outage, but guests still received a full lunch service and normal operations resumed quickly once power was restored.”

AJ’s remained closed until the power was restored because its ventilation and point-of-sale system depends

on electricity, according to Harvey.

“Once power returned, we safely transitioned back to normal operations and were prepared for lunch on time, with only minor temporary use of disposables while ware-washing systems were reset,” Harvey said.

Freshman Kathryn Madden said the power went out at Olds Residence for about 40 minutes and she lost Wi-Fi connection.

“Though I didn’t really notice as I didn’t have my overhead lights on,” Madden said. “I only noticed when I saw my fan wasn’t running.” Senior Anna Teply said Mauck Residence also lost Wi-Fi.

“The power went out for a minute and then came back on fairly quickly,” Teply said. “We didn’t lose power for very long at all.”

Library hosts display for America 250

By Faith Miller Collegian Reporter

A letter written by Thomas Jefferson and a spoon made by Paul Revere are on display in the Heritage Room to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.

The collection will remain on display until July 4. It includes an exhibit from the college’s coin collection exploring the history of the U.S. dime, the military appointment certificate of Peter Tappan, a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, and letters from prominent figures in the founding. The display was arranged for a meeting the President’s Office hosted in the Heritage Room.

“When you see their handwriting, their name on documents, or you hold something, it reminds you that these aren’t just stories from the distant past. The people were real, the events were real, this was a real struggle, and that’s why we’re here today,” said Lori Curtis, archivist and special collections librarian.

The library puts together special displays like the

America 250 display to support Hillsdale’s curriculum, according to Maurine McCourry, director of Mossey Library.

“It’s so important for the nation to remember our history and Hillsdale’s involvement in that,” McCourry said. “And it’s important to make these connections between what we do here and the country’s founding — the college’s founding connected to the country’s founding.”

The display boasts a letter from General Nathanael Greene, Peter Tappan’s military appointment certificate, and a map of the plan of action at Bunker Hill, according to the Mossey Library website.

Curtis said her favorite piece in the display is Peter Tappan’s military appointment certificate, because it is signed by Nathanial Woodhall, President of the Provincial Congress of New York.

“This was also a gift to us, and when the gentleman who said he found it in the basement of a hospital in Boston,” Curtis said. “Peter Tappan’s brother-in-law was George

Clinton, vice president of the United States from 1805 until 1812. It’s very important.”

To see the handwritten letters from such prominent figures is a remarkable opportunity, according to sophomore Peter Kaiser.

“I find it really interesting to look at their writings and to examine some of the finer details of what actually happened during the founding of this country,” Kaiser said.

Friends of the college donated almost everything in the special collections and archives, according to Curtis.

“When we have the incoming freshmen orientation, I’m usually in here, and I have all kinds of stuff pulled out of special collections. And someone will see Thomas Jefferson’s letter, and they’re going, ‘OK, these are facsimiles, right?’ I say, ‘No, these are actual real letters,’” Curtis said.

Jefferson’s letter, written Nov. 20, 1793, asks about a shipment of books to Monticello, according to the display sign in Mossey Library.

The display, specifically the silver spoon made by Paul Revere, characterizes

important figures of history as it displays their lives outside of their heroic stories, such as Paul Revere’s ride to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming, according to Kaiser.

“It portrays the Founding Fathers as actual people, not just figures of history. These people actually had lives, and they had work that they dedicated themselves to,” Kaiser said.

It is important to come view this display as it acts as a tangible link to America’s founding, right here in Hillsdale, according to McCourry.

“It gives you goose bumps. It will make you understand better, even just reading about these things, you say, ‘Oh, OK, I read about that,’ but actually seeing it and being a foot away from it is a different kind of experience,” McCourry said. “So I very much encourage people to come see these things.”

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Editor in Chief | Thomas McKenna

Executive Editor | Moira Gleason

Design Editor | Anna Broussard

Senior Editor | Catherine Maxwell

News

Opinions Editor | Caroline Kurt City News Editor | Alessia Sandala

Sports Editor | Elaine Kutas

Culture Editor | Ty Ruddy

Features Editor | Tayte Christensen

Social Media Manager | Skye Graham

Circulation & Ad Manager | Henry Fliflet

Assistant Editors | Christina Lewis | Sophia Bryant | Elijah Guevara | Jayden Jelso | Adriana Azarian | Gemma Flores | Christian Papillon | Jamie Parsons | Francesca Cella | Grace Brennan

D.C. Correspondents | Lauren Bixler | Megan Li | Lewis Thune

Web & Puzzle Editor | Matthew Tolbert

Illustrator | Maggie O’Connor

Faculty Advisers | John J. Miller | Maria Servold Online : www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Do your dishes

By Caroline Kurt Opinions Editor

In 20 years, will you have to do the dishes?

It’s a legitimate question. Developers of artificial intelligence seek to liberate us from mundane work of all kinds: skimming long documents, drafting endless emails, and constructing study guides. Currently, AI’s capabilities are largely non-physical — but that will change.

In an eerie, viral moment, first lady Melania Trump strode into the East Room of the White House last month alongside Figure 3, a humanoid robot she praised as the future of childhood education.

“Very soon, artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility,” Trump said.

According to Trump, Figure 3 could spare us the trouble of teaching multiplication tables and world languages to squirrely, snotty schoolchildren — supposedly freeing adults for higher concerns.

Last year, the NEO home robot hit the market. For a mere $500 per month subscription, the AI-powered robot can act as your personal, camera-eyed housemaid.

“NEO takes on the boring and mundane tasks around the house so you can focus on what matters to you,” the website proclaims, “creating space for us to enjoy our time at home, instead of coming home just to do more work.”

One of AI’s main selling points is this message of liberation, which presumes that mundane work stands between us and a happier, more dignified life.

We should be skeptical.

By many accounts, Americans have more free time than ever before. But what do we do with it? A 2024 survey by Harmony Healthcare IT found that Americans spend an average of five hours and 16 minutes a day on their

What’s more conservative than conservation?

By Carver Means Collegian Freelancer

“You will live in the pod, and you will eat the bugs.”

This widespread meme is not a verbatim quote from Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates, or another globalist shill. Nonetheless, it encapsulates the fears of many conservatives: Environmentalism is a Trojan horse for communism. They fear that when left-wing policy wonks call for public transportation, their real goal is not walkability or efficiency, but an Orwellian dystopia ruled by the World Economic Forum.

Indeed, the very term “environmentalism” conjures images of pink-haired Just Stop Oil protesters tossing soup at Van Gogh paintings. But there is nothing inherently left-wing about protecting nature. In fact, conserving America’s wilderness and protecting God’s creation is a fundamentally conservative goal.

der the open skies. The grasslands of Yellowstone and the vast swamps of the Everglades make America what it is.

Conservatives want to protect the American way of life, but if the forests and prairies that make this country beautiful are gone — if the rivers are full of pollution and the landscapes are covered in concrete — is America really the same country?

For some so-called conservatives, even the slightest concern for animals or the environment is “anti-human.”

the ent was created to protect all growing things. Saruman’s orcs, who ravage Fangorn Forest and destroy the trees, represent the excesses of industry. In the end, Treebeard destroys Isengard, killing the orcs and saving the forests from destruction.

Most conservatives care about nature. In 2024, a crucial part of President Donald Trump’s eclectic coalition was the Make America Healthy Again movement. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

phones. Gen Z spends an average of six hours and 27 minutes. “What matters to you” is, for many Americans, more time with their screens — a leisure that often doesn’t encourage rest or creativity.

Chores wrench us from our screens, forcing us to make a tangible contribution to the real world, one which often benefits others. They’re often unpleasant. But so are many of the best things in life.

Work is good in itself. And work is good for us.

Simple, repetitive tasks allow our mind to wander while our body labors, an enduring source of curiosity, creativity, and introspection. Physical work reminds us that we aren’t brains in a vat but embodied beings. Adding friction back to our lives makes us more patient, more deferential, more human. Do boring things. Scrub the dishes, reorganize your room, or fold your laundry without a playlist or podcast to fill the silence. Let your mind roam. Who knows — you might turn into a better writer, musician, or entrepreneur for it. In fact, find more chores to do. We at Hillsdale work with our minds all the time. Like Samuel Sadler reminded us in his April 2 Collegian article, “Don’t kick your ox into the pit,” students need to Sabbath with their hands. Your roommate will probably be grateful when you voluntarily clean the bathroom. Reject AI’s intrusion into mundane work. You needn’t be a ChatGPT teetotaler, but you should develop a habit of scrutinizing its advances. By the time Figure 17 arrives to teach little Jimmy’s kindergarten classroom, you need to be the kind of parent who can say no — and defend yourself. So get lost, NEO. I’ll be doing my own dishes.

Caroline Kurt is a senior studying English.

Traditionalist philosopher Russell Kirk wrote that “There is nothing more conservative than conservation.” Conservatism means protecting beautiful things, preserving what is good and sacred in this world. That means upholding tradition, but it also means conserving forests and saving endangered species.

Kirk wrote that “humankind is proud of ‘conquering nature,’ by tools that vary from the bulldozer to insecticides. But like other merciless conquests, this victory may end in the destruction of the victor.”

At his home in Mecosta, Michigan, Kirk planted hundreds of trees. This was more than a hobby — it was conservatism in action.

America has always been a nation of rugged wilderness and vast frontiers. Generation after generation, we retreat into the untamed forests, hunting and fishing un-

In their minds, plowing down forests to build strip malls and crushing fragile habitats is not just a necessary evil, but a positive good, an assertion of human supremacy. However, “Humanity First” does not mean “Humanity Only.” For one thing, protecting nature has substantial benefits for humans, too. A clean, flourishing environment makes us healthier, while National Parks provide a peaceful escape from the ennui of modern life. In economic terms, nature is a positive externality.

On a deeper level, though, we cannot reduce the value of nature to mere utility. If conservative philosophy teaches us anything, it is the poverty of utilitarian calculus as a measure of value.

In “The Abolition of Man,” C. S. Lewis argues that mankind has forgotten the innate value of nature: “We do not look at trees either as Dryads or as beautiful objects while we cut them into beams.”

As Martin Heidegger wrote, mankind sees nature as mere “standing reserve,” raw materials to be extracted.

J. R. R. Tolkien, another great conservative, cared profoundly about nature. He grumbled that cars were destroying his peaceful Oxford countryside and insisted on biking everywhere. In “The Lord of the Rings,” Treebeard

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., backed by a legion of crunchy moms, made three key demands: healthy food, healthy medicine, and a healthy environment.

Despite his alliance with MAHA, Trump’s environmental record has been abysmal. Last year, he signed an executive order forcing federal agencies to use plastic straws. Of course, we all remember the early days when paper straws dissolved in your mouth, but in cities like Seattle, Vancouver, or Washington, D.C., that have banned plastic straws, paper straws have become ubiquitous and perfectly functional. There is no excuse for the federal government to actively fill our oceans with destructive single-use plastics.

In January, Trump ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to stop considering health benefits in terms of dollar value when regulating two types of pollutants, fine particulate matter and ozone. The deadly side effects of fossil fuels, such as lung cancer, now count less than before. In fact, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” gave special tax breaks to the oil and gas industry for “intangible drilling costs” — while simultaneously removing tax cuts for electric vehicles.

Trump ordered the military Feb. 11 to start buying electricity from coal-powered plants. Coal is the single most

inefficient, environmentally disastrous form of power. I understand the libertarian belief that private companies should be allowed to burn coal, but here, the government is actively supporting it, paying these companies to destroy the environment. Trump even held an event at the White House called “Champion of Coal,” in which the CEO of a coal company gave him a trophy, “Supporter of Beautiful Clean Coal.” That is not the free market. That is corruption. Pew Research found that 86% of Republicans supported planting “about a trillion trees to absorb carbon emissions,” 75% supported tax credits for energy-efficient homes, and 69% supported tax credits for carbon capture. If conservatives are already conservationists, why are they so averse to environmentalism as a movement? There seems to be a language barrier between the left and the right. Conservatives care about nature, but the term “environmentalist” rubs them the wrong way. Young conservatives have a chance to start fresh, put aside semantic squabbles, and work with Americans across the political spectrum to save our planet. On an individual level, we can bring our own bags to grocery stores, buy reusable water bottles, and avoid single-use plastics. On a collective level, we can push for MAHA policies such as banning harmful pesticides, stopping deforestation, and protecting endangered species. In the spirit of Kirk, Lewis, and Tolkien, we should make the planet a priority. There is nothing more conservative than conservation.

Carver Means is a junior studying history.

Trump’s Iran threat was reprehensi ble

By Elijah Guevara Assistant Editor

President Donald Trump made one of the most alarming threats of his presidency in a Truth Social post this week.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump wrote Tuesday morning. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

The post referred to Trump’s deadline of Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz — the crucial waterway for oil and natural gas that Iran has controlled since the war began Feb. 28. But, especially coming from the president who campaigned on peace and avoidance of foreign entanglements, Trump’s threat to wipe out an entire people was nothing short of repugnant.

Immediately, global figures reeled back in shock, with people from Pope Leo XIV to members of Trump’s own party condemning his words.

“Today, as we all know, there was this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” Leo said. “There are certain-

ly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the world’s people.”

Within two hours of his 8 p.m. deadline, the president backed down from the colossal threat of civilizational demise, agreeing to a tentative two-week ceasefire while reviewing a 10-point plan by Iran.

Trump has been known to make use of hyperbolic and so-called “maximalist” claims to gain the upper hand in negotiations, even if he doesn’t intend to follow through with them. The strategy is a topic of his own book, “The Art of the Deal,” in which he explains that starting with extreme positions — such as offering an unrealistically low price

for a plane — helps press negotiators to settle on prices that may have been harder to reach otherwise. Trump has used this strategy before in politics.

There is no situation in which the world's most powerful man should threaten to destroy a civilization of 93 million people.

But even as a scare tactic to gain leverage in negotiations, there is no situation in which the world’s most powerful man should threaten to destroy a “civilization” of 93 million people. Iran is not just the bad actors in government, military leaders, or hostile religious rulers. It includes an entire people, both those innocent and guilty of unprovoked violence, civilian and military alike. Iran’s civilization also includes its people’s heritage: the geographic boundaries of a nation as well as a cultural identity and

millennia-long history that spans from ancient Persia to now.

Make no mistake: Even if Trump only intended his ultimatum for the clerical leadership or heads of military who hold the power to make national decisions, his actual wording put millions of innocent civilian lives in the crosshairs of the war. We should be glad that the U.S. and Iran reached a ceasefire after six weeks of bombing and thousands of casualties in the region. But even though the U.S. and Iran have agreed to review a peace deal under fragile circumstances, Trump’s blatant disregard for the Iranian people shatters trust in any purported efforts toward peace. The world has seen the dangerous, irresponsible, and inhumane lengths Trump will reach to make a point to world leaders. Even if the war gradually ends somewhat in the U.S.’s favor, it will be difficult for the U.S. to regain any sort of moral high ground in the war — if it even held that ground in the first place.

Don’t write off the social sciences

By Widley Montrevil Collegian Freelancer

The social sciences, especially sociology and psychology, are neither soft nor indoctrinating disciplines. We should stop dismissing them as such. Register for these courses at Hillsdale to develop your critical thinking skills and gain a richer understanding of human behavior.

Affirming the intellectual rigor and legitimacy of sociology and psychology is bound to provoke strong reactions. On campus, these subjects carry a reputation. They are often treated less like fields of study and more like ideological territory. You either step into them or steer clear.

That framing is the problem.

Strip away the labels. The questions at the center of these disciplines are disarmingly simple, yet fundamental. Why do people act the way they do? What shapes our decisions, our habits, our beliefs? How much of what we call “individual” is actually social? Those questions do not belong to the left or the right. They belong to anyone willing to take them seriously, as Aristotle did when he described human beings as inherently social creatures.

In “The Sociological Imagination,” American sociologist C. Wright Mills extends an invitation to sociology: “Neither the life of an individual

nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” It is a simple claim with uncomfortable implications. Your life is not just yours. Society is not a distant abstraction. The two are tied together whether you notice it or not.

Once you recognize the link between personal experience and social structures, however, you can’t ignore it. The struggle to find affordable housing, the pressure of a competitive job market, and the challenge of adjusting to a campus culture very different from home can take on a meaning beyond the purely personal. They can come into clearer focus when placed within the social, economic, and cultural contexts that shape the opportunities available to everyone.

That shift in perspective is not ideological. It is analytical.

Social psychology turns the lens inward. It asks how attitudes shape behavior, why we hold onto certain beliefs, and why we double down when challenged. It is less about labeling others and more about interrogating ourselves. In other words, there is no overt political program at work here. There is simply a demand for honesty. In that light, judging an entire discipline by its most controversial interpretations is a mistake. Sociology is often reduced to left-wing theoretical framework, like Critical Race

Theory or Marxist analysis.

Psychology suffers a similar fate when it is dismissed as cold experimentation that reduces human complexity to quantified data points. Both are far more than the narrow snapshots critics sometimes use to define them. As a result, writing off an entire discipline because of a few flawed examples is both shortsighted and misguided.

The social sciences also help us to better understand the liberal arts. If the goal is to stay within a set of comfortable ideas, then avoiding the social sciences — especially sociology and psychology — might make sense. If the goal is to sharpen perception, test assumptions, and better understand human life, they are hard to ignore, and this is precisely what the liberal arts demand of us.

The liberal arts are meant to give students a well-rounded and well-ordered education. This is why Hillsdale’s core curriculum spans courses from theology to mathematics to biology. The aim is not just breadth but depth: to wrestle with the highest questions of what it means to live well, to be just, and to orient oneself toward the good.

Properly understood, sociology and psychology do not turn away from these questions. Instead, they often examine how these ideals can take shape in lived experience and human behavior.

Sociologist and Lutheran theologian Peter L. Berger situated sociology at the heart of a liberating education. By revealing the hidden forces that shape our beliefs and behaviors, sociology demonstrates how a liberal education can free the mind from unexamined assumptions. Its purpose goes beyond mere curiosity: It rests on the conviction that “it is better to be conscious than unconscious and that consciousness is a condition of freedom.”

This kind of consciousness is not easily won. Berger is equally clear that it “entails a certain amount of suffering and even risk.” To see more clearly, then, is to unsettle what once felt stable. This very tension, where greater awareness brings both freedom and discomfort, is what gives sociology and psychology their place within the liberal arts.

In practice, registration is where this understanding gets tested. You are not just filling time slots. You are deciding what kinds of questions are worth your attention. Sociology and psychology ask some of the oldest ones there are. You can dismiss them with a label. Or you can take them seriously and see where they lead.

Widley Montrevil is a junior studying politics.

Sometimes crime is pretty sweet

By Catherine Maxwell Senior Editor

A delivery vanished somewhere between Italy and Poland. Twelve tons of cargo were stolen. The motive remains unclear.

The victim? Nestlé. The target? More than 410,000 limited-edition, Formula 1 KitKat bars. It’s a crime that was made to be memed.

Every headline begs for attention, but this one deserves it. In a world of social media addicts and conspiracy theorists, be the KitKat heist expert. Crime doesn’t get any sweeter than this.

Stop counting, start living

By Adriana Azarian Assistant Editor

The sun was shining for the first time in a long time over Hillsdale, Michigan. My legs in need of stretching and blood in need of pumping, I went for a walk with my best friend. We caught up on our days as the birds chirped and a gentle spring breeze moved us along.

Allow me to re-explain.

The temperature was 68 degrees after a week in the 30s (though the windchill made it feel more like 61 degrees). I had only taken 5,456 steps that day and needed to hit my 10,000-step goal. I went for a 30-minute walk and brought my best friend along to distract me from the next 90 or so calories I was intending to burn.

weather app, despaired, and then stepped outside to say: “Hey it’s nicer than I thought”? Or have you ever experienced the endorphins and energy boost after a solid run? Here’s one. Have you ever eaten a gooey, rich chocolate brownie with ice cream and caramel sauce? What an absolute damper it would be if someone came along with a number to remind you how cold it truly is, how much of a slowpoke you actually are, and how much heavier your indulgent dessert will make you. So why do we do this to ourselves?

News of the heist — perhaps the most daring since the robbery at the Louvre Museum last year — hit the internet just before April Fools’ Day. Other companies published faux press releases denying involvement in the heist while announcing new, KitKat-themed foods.

Domino's Pizza shared its “condolences.”

“On a completely unrelated note, we’re pleased to announce we’ll now be selling a new Kit Kat [sic] pizza,” the statement said. KitKat, meanwhile, rushed to assure its customers the heist was real and not an April Fools’ prank, announcing a “Stolen KitKat Tracker” so chocolate connoisseurs can see if they’re accidentally trafficking stolen goods. Still, the heist raises

The truck with the chocolate left a factory in Turin March 26, headed for regional warehouses across Europe, according to Forbes. The thieves, disguised as police officers, intercepted the truck and made off with the candy. Although law enforcement has yet to find the truck or the KitKats, the driver was found unharmed.

questions. How are the thieves hiding 410,000plus KitKats? What’s the going rate of chocolate on the black market? Is there a sketchy alleyway where F1 fans can buy under-the-table candy from seedy dealers in trenchcoats?

The F1 KitKats were set to be available only in Europe, with their release timed for the European races later this year. Unlike crown jewels, chocolate is pretty easy to resell, per Forbes. Thieves could distribute the pilfered chocolate across the continent and sell it at small shops, pop-ups, or online.

The heist’s timing might suggest inside knowledge of the shipment, which wasn’t publicly disclosed. Interest in F1 is on the rise nationally, thanks to Netflix’s show “Drive to Survive” and Apple TV’s “F1: The Movie.” The thieves — who might

belong to an Italian organized crime ring, per Italian authorities — are probably looking to profit off of the sport’s popularity.

What kind of self-respecting criminal goes after chocolate bars? These guys, apparently, and they’re good at it.

There are plenty of situations to monitor, but following the KitKat heist should be at the top of the list. It’s bizarre and laughable, a daring plot drizzled with enough incredulity to feel like a fancy PR stunt.

Even if no one finds the chocolate, the publicity will more than make up for Nestlé’s loss — so sit back and have a break from the chaos by enjoying the KitKat heist.

Catherine Maxwell is a senior studying history.

In an age of ubiquitous fitness trackers and health apps, it’s no wonder our relationship with the natural world has become skewed. We are now able to quantify aspects of our lives — like calories, cardiovascular age, sleep efficiency, steps, stress levels, etc. — that our ancestors merely experienced. Oura sold more health tracker rings in 2025 alone than it had in the years since its founding in 2013.

But health isn’t the only thing we obsessively quantify. Grades, money, and even attractiveness all come with numbers. We would find the world a much more pleasant place if we spent more time experiencing it than tallying up what good it might do for us.

When we reduce everyday activities and circumstances to numbers, we relegate the gifts and pleasures of this world to figures that meet or fail our arbitrary standards. But the world wasn’t given to us merely for use. It exists also for our enjoyment, so that we might also look at it and, with our creator, call it “very good.”

Have you ever checked your

I’m not telling you to swear off numbers and counting. It is of course one way we make sense of the world. But I am calling on us, myself included, to be more aware of how much we rate our quality of life with numbers on a scale. They’re part of the picture, sure, but certainly not the whole thing. Your education at Hillsdale College will hopefully leave you a truth-loving, self-governing human being, not just the 21st in your class with a 3.865 GPA. Your eating and exercise habits should make you a balanced, fit, energetic person able to perform your daily duties, not just a 160-pound. individual with 12% body fat who never exceeds 2,400 calories a day. Your job should be something meaningful that serves others well and brings you satisfaction, not just six figures a year. Take off your Oura ring, delete your health app, and see how much more in tune you can become with your body and the senses the good Lord gave you. See how much happier you’ll become. Happiness — now that’s something you can’t quantify.

Adriana Azarian is a senior studying politics. Illustrated by Maggie O'Connor.

Reality is real: Believe in fewer conspiracy theories

Jayden Jelso Assistant Editor

There are plenty of valuable things to spend your time on. Conspiracy theories aren’t one of them.

My church at home has some members who love their conspiracy theories, so I’ve heard it all — the earth is flat, Gavin Newsom is the Antichrist, and the British royal family are lizard people in disguise (I would’ve liked to have seen that on “The Crown”). During my impressionable youth, I often found myself lying awake at night, sweating over when the Democrats would stamp the Mark of the Beast on American citizens in the form of a QR code.

My family and I often poke good-natured fun at this, but

even with the humor, it can get tiring when a new conspiracy theory makes the rounds every other week.

While I believe we are fighting a spiritual war, these kinds of conspiratorial claims are not rooted in fact. They are based on ideas that live primarily in the murky corners of Instagram and Facebook, requiring an unbelievable amount of mental gymnastics to come up with something that even resembles a valid argument.

More often than not, theories like these aren’t driven by a desire for truth. They’re driven by emotional reactionism disguised as investigation.

As Catherine Maxwell wrote in her March 25 Collegian piece, “Candace Owens is not real life,” many pundits

who push such conspiracy theories pretend to meticulously analyze facts, even basing their ideas in some truth, but ultimately dig up nothing-burgers that rake in millions of views. They are simply another flavor of demagogue: leaders who seek validation through emotional appeal instead of logic.

For example, I was once told that if you switch the letters of NASA around and add a T, it spells Satan, which somehow proves the demonic nature of America’s space agency. I hope I don’t have to explain how ridiculous this is. They’d be better off hyperanalyzing “Santa.”

But it sounds cool, so it must be true. Right?

Though deeply annoying, the phenomenon of believing some-

thing just because it sounds credible is not new. It’s simply another form of groupthink. Take the popular narrative that violent video games cause kids to commit acts of violence in real life. After the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, “60 Minutes II” aired a segment called “Rage,” in which they insinuated that the video game “Doom” might have inspired Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to commit the shooting. Though no evidence supported this, the idea that video games cause real-life violence seeped into the minds of American citizens.

But studies have debunked these claims, including one published in 2019 by Oxford University, which used both parent testimony and game rating systems to achieve the

most accurate results. But despite this, a great amount of people still believe that video games cause violence. This is because it feels true despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary. Many “conspiracy theories” have, in fact, been proven true. The Epstein files in particular signal a horrific side of humanity that few of us can imagine. This leads many to rightly wonder what else the elites are hiding.

But while entertaining suspicion is one thing, entertaining stupidity is another.

The media controls what, when, and how we see certain material, but that does not mean that every outlandish conspiracy theory has merit.

Righteous calls for justice get lost in the noise when we start

claiming that the moon is a home base for matrix-controlling aliens. We cannot allow emotion to cloud analytic judgment. Far-fetched conspiracy theories distract us from carrying out real-world justice. They distract us from resting in the biblical truth that Christ will care for His flock, regardless of how scary the world seems. In the words of our Lord: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And no, the Illuminati did not pay me to write this.

studying English.

City News

Fayette Township adopts new rules to stop solar panels

By Adriana Azarian AssistAnt Editor

The Fayette Township Board adopted an ordinance to restrict the Heartwood II solar project at its April 1 meeting.

The township’s new Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance allows the board to limit the installation of renewable energy projects. The Heartwood II project, if approved, would cover more than 1,380 acres of Fayette Township. The state can still override the township’s requests per Public Act 233, a 2023 law signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Brady Friss, a development manager from Ranger Power, told The Collegian in March that the company intends to comply with the ordinance, though it is not “a 100% certainty that it is totally off the

table” for Ranger to get the project approved through the state.

“We’re bound by the local zoning regulations, and if we’re looking to permit under the local process, as we are, we’re bound by that, so when the ordinance is in effect, it goes through the channels it needs to go through, and that’s the ordinance we’ll have to follow,” Friss told The Collegian.

Ranger Power, the Chicago-based solar company planning the solar panel installation, is currently building the Heartwood I solar project and intends to build Heartwood II on the east side of the township and north of the City of Hillsdale, along U.S. 12 and White Road. The solar projects are part of the state of Michigan’s plan to rely on 100% clean energy sources by 2040.

Steve Oleszcowicz of Fayette Township said the approv-

al of the Heartwood II solar panel project would result in 21% of the township — and 26% of the township’s agricultural land — being occupied by solar panels.

croachment. This is no longer a special land use permit. This becomes a major land use pattern, and once land use patterns reach this scale, they are very difficult to reverse.”

“We need to preserve the rural landscape we have left instead of turning our community into an industrial hub.”

“At what point does cumulative conversion become a change in the character of a township?” Oleszcowicz said at the meeting. “Agricultural zoning exists for a reason to preserve farmland, to preserve rural character, to prevent incompatible industrial en -

Linda Mudge of Fayette Township said the approval of Heartwood II will hurt the environment and property values.

“We currently have a largescale solar farm in this community, and another one will create even more displacement

Mayor launches citywide Day of Service

By Gemma Flores AssistAnt Editor

Mayor Scott Sessions declared April 11 a citywide day of service at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

Day of Service, a Hillsdale College tradition, will now be observed by students and citizens alike. In a proclamation, Sessions called on citizens to help beautify the community.

“Whereas, acts of service both large and small contribute to the beauty, safety, and well-being of our neighborhoods, public spaces, and shared institutions,” Sessions said, reading the proclamation.

“The City of Hillsdale recognizes the value of bringing

together citizens of all ages to work side by side in a unified effort to care for and improve our community.”

Sessions invited business owners and community members to get involved in philan-

make it look the best they can,” Flynn said.

Flynn also mentioned the possibility of doing a citywide junk pick-up, as Hillsdale had done in the past.

“I’ve been approached by a

“Everyone should take a little pride in their property.”

thropic projects this Saturday to foster a sense of community and civic pride.

Ward 3 Councilman Bob Flynn said he supports the mayor’s proclamation.

“Everyone should take a little pride in their property and

number of people in the past six months or so wondering if the city would entertain looking at bringing back the trash pick up,”

Flynn said. “We did it a long time ago, when people would put their stuff out in the street. It ended up being a free week-

end of garage-saleing. And then whatever was left was picked up. I know that Jonesville still does it, some other places do it.

I’ve just been approached by a number of people saying, ‘Is it possible that the city could do that again?’”

City Manager David Mackie said other council members had raised the idea before, but the cost of the junk pick-up had stopped city staff from continuing the project.

“It is very costly, and that’s why we haven’t chosen to do it,” Mackie said. “It is something that would be a benefit to the community and is something that could still be considered down the road.”

Silos Fun Park hits the market

By Grace Tykocki CollEgiAn FrEElAnCEr

The owners of Silos Fun Park have decided to sell the business they bought six years ago. They’ve listed it for $1.3 million.

Donna Olmstead, who coowns the park, said her husband Brad’s declining health is the reason they are selling.

“It’s time for me to make that transition and start to care for him long term,” she said. The business includes attractions such as go-karting, axe-throwing, laser tag, and a Cottage Inn Pizza franchise.

The Olmsteads say they will wait until they find a buyer who will keep the park running.

“That’s the reason we started so early,” Olmstead said. “Officially, I wouldn’t be able to retire for two or three years, but you don’t know how long this will take if we’re looking for the right person. So we’re committed to stick with this until, Lord willing, you bring me a buyer.”

There are currently three interested parties, Olmstead said, which she feels is encouraging since the couple announced the sale less than two weeks ago.

Olmstead said they are making this decision with nothing but gratitude for the community and goodwill toward whoever ends up buying Silos.

“More than anything, thank you. Thank you for the tremendous support that we have had getting up and running. We just absolutely love

being able to give back to the community,” Olmstead said. “Whoever chooses to buy this industry, we will support them. We’re from this community, we know how it’s supposed to run, and we can help them.”

Olmstead said she believes that it would be in the best interest of the buyer to keep

part of their family, Olmstead said.

“As a person who came from a corporate world where I was working for 12 or 13 hours a day away from my family, to be able to enjoy this and work with my family and play with my family has just been a big blessing,” Olmstead said.

Silos Fun Park as it is, rather than turning it into a different business.

“What are you going to do with it if you’re not going to run a fun park?” Olmstead asked. “There’s a lot of cement. What are you going to do with it if you don’t continue to run go-karts, and why wouldn’t you want to? It’s been very profitable for us. It’s been a good family business.”

The Olmsteads originally purchased Silos Fun Park to expand their Cottage Inn location, but it has become a vital

The Olmsteads bought Cottage Inn because Donna Olmstead’s commute to her corporate job was a 35- to 40-minute drive each way, which was taking up too much time to be sustainable for herself and her family.

In order to prevent Hillsdale residents from having to make a long trip to have a fun night with friends or family, Donna and Brad purchased Silos Fun Park and continued to add new exhibits to make it as enjoyable as possible for their customers.

“To watch the people experience the newness of it has been wonderful, espe -

of local flora and fauna, as well as altered migration patterns, additional habitat loss, soil erosion, and thermal light effects on local wildlife. We need to preserve the rural landscape we have left instead of turning our community into an industrial hub,” Mudge said. “Please consider the land-use impacts before allowing the alteration of our landscape, decreased property values, and all that is at stake with this Heartwood II or any other proposed solar project. Enough is enough.” Friss said the company conducts environmental reviews before installing the solar panels.

“We do a lot of work early on to minimize concerns of wetland or threatened and endangered species habitat impacts,” Friss told the Collegian in February. “The projects do field surveys of the whole project area.”

Fayette Township resident Nancy Ashton read an email at the April 1 meeting from fellow residents Scott and Angela Manifold that said the community “has already given up enough” agricultural land for the solar panel project.

“You [the township board] have received community input on this proposal and struggle to ensure transparency and allow residents to have our questions answered,” the email said. “It would be in our township’s best interest to advise against continuing with further industrial solar complexes.”

There will be a public hearing with the Fayette Township Board to further discuss the potential installation of the Heartwood II project at Jonesville High School April 16 at 7 p.m.

Civil Air Patrol to practice search and rescue

By Daniel Johnson CollEgiAn rEportEr

Local teenagers and young adults will practice responding to plane crashes and searching for missing persons at Hillsdale Municipal Airport and potentially Hayden Park April 12 at 9:30 a.m.

cially with the new laser tag and axe throwing,” Olmstead said. “Being able to bring that to Hillsdale, you’re not seeing our population move over into Coldwater to look for laser tag or into Jackson to look for something to do there. They’re staying local.”

Born and raised in Hillsdale, freshmen Caroline Roberts and Ava Fosdick said they have been going to Silos Fun Park for as long as they can remember.

“I’ve had some good laser tags there and one time my whole extended family — even my grandparents — played laser tag and it was pretty fun,” Roberts said. “It was my cousins, aunts, uncles, everyone. I really like the variety of things you can do, you can go with just one friend or a whole big group.”

Fosdick also fondly remembers her experiences at Silos.

“My favorite memory was my class senior lunch where we all went to Silos and played laser tag together. It was a lot of fun,” Fosdick said. Silos Fun Park is really important for the entire community, according to both Fosdick and Roberts.

“It’d be pretty sad if it were to shut down,” Roberts said. “It’s nice for college or high school students to have something to do.”

Fosdick said she hopes the park can remain open.

“It would be so sad if it shut down,” Fosdick said. “We would have nowhere fun to go in Hillsdale.”

The event, called Operation Classical, is hosted by the Hillsdale Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol Michigan Wing and will involve a simulated emergency response exercise in which Air Patrol cadets will work alongside local emergency services personnel to respond to simulated emergencies, including aviation accidents and missing person scenarios.

“The purpose of this exercise is to equip cadets to meet the requirements they need to help emergency services,” 2nd Lt. of the Hillsdale Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol Grace Hambleton said. “There’s a long list of requirements before cadets can help in emergency situations. This training provides those qualifications.”

Hillsdale Composite Squadron is the local chapter of the Michigan Wing of the Air Patrol. As a composite squadron, the group includes both cadets ranging from 1221 years old and senior members who are over 18, according to Hambleton.

“Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the Air Force,” Hambleton said. “Which means that we participate in in-land rescue missions, and, when asked by local first response services, we can be a force multiplier. We can come in as support to emergency services in emergency situations.”

Hillsdale College’s Student Activities Office posted a notice that military and emergency personnel will be in Hayden Park for the training exercise.

“Our plans are currently being solidified so we may be in Hayden Park, but that might change,” Hambleton said.

Senior Kellen Pollock, who leads the Hillsdale College military mentorship GOAL program that works with the Air Patrol, said the event will help cadets prepare to respond to real emergencies by simulating emergencies alongside local first-responders.

“They get to see people whose job it is to save lives do their jobs in action,” Pollock said. “Of course it’s just an exercise, but that’s what you need before participating in a real emergency.” Hambleton said that all local first responders are invited to the event, including the sheriff’s office, the police department, the fire department, and emergency medical teams.

“It’s open to anyone who would like to attend,” Hambleton said. “We’ll have the Wing Director of Emergency Services there, Captain Reign Bell.”

According to Hambleton, the cadets will likely simulate rescuing a missing person alongside a K-9 team, an exercise they’ve done before.

“The scenario was that a local nursing home resident had gone missing,” Hambleton said. “We were tasked with finding them. With this madeup scenario, we send out teams to go find this person. Often, we’ll have a person who’s hiding.”

Hambleton added that the event will also include downed aircraft scenarios.

“What we typically do is locate the downed plane and find all the debris,” Hambleton said. Hambleton added that Civil Air Patrol cadets have recently helped emergency services personnel respond to natural disasters.

“Last April, during the bad ice storms, CAP squadrons were deployed to assess damage on roads and waterways,” Hambleton said.

According to Hambleton, the CAP has close official ties to the Air Force, though they are not an official military force, and they are not deputized to arrest people.

“We’re given permission to wear the Air Force uniform,” Hambleton said. “But we have to comply with all Air Force standards, because it’s a privilege.”

According to Hambleton, the goal of the Hillsdale Composite Squadron is to equip cadets to lead wherever they go — not just in the Air Force.

“We don’t just want them to be leaders in their squads, we want them to be leaders in their community,” Hambleton said.

Gas prices reach highest point since summer 2022

By Skye Graham

sociAl MEdiA MAnAgEr

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared an energy emergency amid rising gas prices, but Hillsdale County is seeing relatively lower gas prices compared to the rest of the state.

“The Iran war has disrupted global oil markets and shut down the Strait of Hormuz, formerly one of the biggest global shipping corridors for fuel that processed up to 21 million barrels of oil per day,” a press release from the governor’s office said.

Whitmer’s Executive Order 2026-4 waives certain vapor pressure requirements, which allows gas stations to sell cheaper fuel blends without a waiver, according to the press release. This change will affect eight counties — Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne.

In other counties, including Hillsdale, there was never a waiver requirement to sell these blends.

According to the AAA Fuel Prices Index, Michigan’s average gas price for a regular gallon was $4.08 on April 8, which is lower than the national average of $4.16 for that day.

Gas on Wednesday afternoon was $3.95 at Hillsdale’s Meijer, $3.89 at Marathon, and $3.99 at Citgo.

Michael Van Beek, director of research at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said the state government should not get involved in the gasoline market.

“Markets, through supply and demand, are the best tool we have for creating price efficiency,” Van Beek told The Collegian. “Whenever governments try to reduce the price of some commodity, they typically make matters worse.”

If the state does anything at all to reduce prices, it should be to loosen restrictions on the fuel sector, Van Beek said. In an April 7 blog post, he said Whitmer overstepped by declaring an energy emergency without good reason.

State law gives the governor power to declare an energy emergency when there is “a

condition of danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of the state due to an impending or present energy shortage.”

“The governor’s executive order declaring the emergency makes no mention of a threat to the supply of gasoline in Michigan. It only references relatively high gas prices,” Van Beek said. “That is not the same thing

gy shortage.”

Michigan State Sen. Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe) said he believes the price increase will be temporary.

“I’ve gone through a lot of different fluctuations of gas and oil prices in my life,” Bellino said. “I think when the strait opens up in a few weeks, when we get a little more help protec-

ting ships, the price of oil will go down dramatically.”

Bellino said he understands the economic burden of high gas prices, but he is confident that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen within two to three weeks, as President Trump indicated in a speech April 1. “This is what we gotta live through because the president wants to make the world a safer place,” Bellino said. “Iran having nukes, having Islamic terrorists running the country and threatening everybody else does not make the world a safer place.”

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (DMichigan) criticized the Trump Administration for its involvement in Iran and the impact the war will have on the Michigan economy.

“It’s been one month since Trump put us at war with Iran,” Peters said in an Instagram statement. “Since then, Michiganders have watched gas prices skyrocket. Yet still no clear goal or exit strategy coming from the Administration.”

Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram said consistently high gas prices may impact other industries.

“Gasoline is an input into an enormous number of goods,” Wolfram said. “For example, to get a box of cereal from Kroger, the corn has to be moved to the cereal manufacturing plant, then the cereal has to be moved to the distribution center, then it has to be moved to the various Kroger stores. All of this takes gasoline, and thus cereal becomes more expensive.”

Amazon has raised prices for third-party sellers as a result of the higher gas prices, Fox Business reported. Amazon will be imposing a “fuel and logisticsrelated surcharge” on its sellers later this month, which may affect consumer prices if it remains.

Wolfram said this is not the only economic impact of higher prices.

“It reduces the amount that people can spend on other goods and services, so they feel like their income has declined,” Wolfram said. “It is a matter of what Sherlock Holmes talked about, seeing and observing.”

Hillsdale Rotary Club to build new fitness park

By Sophia Bryant AssistAnt Editor

The Hillsdale Rotary Club is currently fundraising to build a new park in downtown Hillsdale.

The Rotary Fitness Park will be located at the corner of East Bacon and East Carleton streets, just east of Stock’s Mill. The club plans to construct pickleball courts, a pavilion, playground equipment, soccer fields, and ninja warrior fitness training equipment, according to Heather Tritchka ’98, former president and current board member of Rotary Club.

“There’s really something for everyone at this park,” Tritchka said. “We really want it to be as community-inclusive as possible. It’s going to

be open, it’s going to be free for everyone, it’s going to be a community park.”

Richard Moore, president of Moore Insurance Services and a board member of the Rotary Club, said the group has raised more than $200,000, but hopes to raise around another $150,000 before beginning work on the park.

“We have a long history, and it’s important that we’re prudent with people’s money,” Moore said. “They give us their money. We want to make sure we put it to good use. And we bring value with the amount that we spend, and we do it the right way.”

Tritchka said she initially had the idea to build a new playground in Hillsdale when she was president of the Ro-

tary Club, since she noticed a lack of parks designed for young families.

“When my girls were little, we would walk around Hillsdale, and they would ride their bikes, and I would walk, and we would go find little parks,” Tritchka said. “And the little parks that we would go and find have all been taken down at this point.”

Carleton streets because it was visible from the road and along the Baw Beese Trail. David Wheeler, who owned part of the property, donated his land, and the city donated the other part of the land, ac-

“The little parks that we would go and find have all been taken down at this point.”

cording to Tritchka.

Tritchka said the Rotary Club picked the land at the corner of East Bacon and East

“We put it all together, did a land split, and then donated it back to the city with the idea that Rotary would develop the park,” Tritchka said. Nolan Sullivan ’22, a financial adviser and the Rotary

Club president-elect, said he is excited to have a park with pickleball courts and soccer fields, as well as a high-visibility park downtown for families.

“I think that Hillsdale is a community that cares so deeply about family, and I think that our facilities should reflect that,” Sullivan said.

The club will break ground on the fitness park once it has the funds to complete the project, according to Sullivan.

“We want to be very calculated and precise about how we get started,” Sullivan said. “And no, we have not broken ground yet, but we’ve made a lot of headway on the fundraising.”

Moore said everything Rotary does is funded by gifts from people and businesses

in the community.

“There’s a lot of generosity in our community, and we’ve been very fortunately blessed to have received large gifts in the past,” Moore said. “And we continue to receive large gifts, and we just need to get a little bit more here so we can get this ground broken.”

Moore said the Rotary Club’s purpose is to serve the community.

“I love our saying, which is ‘service above self,’” Sullivan said. “Isn’t that what we’re called to do? To serve one another. What I like about Rotary is that it aligns with what I think. This is not about me, and the sooner we realize our lives are not our own, the happier we’ll be. We’re made more ourselves by giving away.”

Michigan bill would limit license plate data use

By Frederick Woodward collEgiAn rEportEr

Michigan could soon join 16 states that restrict how long law enforcement can keep data collected by license plate cameras springing up across the state.

State House lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation this March to establish a 14-day limit on data retention. The bill limits the amount of data that can be accessed to specific law enforcement actions and requires public reports on data usage to be released by each agency using the technology, according to

rently, regulations governing data usage and retention are determined individually by the more than 180 local and state law enforcement agencies that already use the technology.

The small cameras are positioned at intersections and traffic stops across Michigan, recording the license plates of passing cars. License plate readers have been a cause for concern for Michigan residents, in particular after independent journalist Benn Jordan and 404 Media revealed how the opensource AI for certain models of cameras could be accessed and retained by members of the general public.

The readers are intended to capture images of license plates which are then stored in government databases and cross-referenced with other data points available to authorities, according to the Detroit

News. The stated purpose is to assist police in solving crimes, standardize ticketing, and locate missing people.

State Rep. Jennifer Wortz, a Republican who represents Hillsdale County, said the House legislation represented a good first step towards regulating agencies’ retention of collected driver data.

“Any time we seek to protect people, privacy is a good thing to consider,” Wortz said. “This legislation is trying to ensure that the data is not being stored if it’s collected and used. There needs to be due diligence in any investigation project process on the side of law enforcement. It just has to be with good guardrails. I think that’s the point of these bills, to provide better guardrails.”

State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) said he favors the House legislation because of its potential to protect the privacy of Michigan drivers.

“I support these types of efforts,” Lindsey said. “People are always willing to trade off and say, somehow this is going to make us safer. But most of the time, the legislature is not thinking about things like whether people have a right to privacy if they’re not breaking any laws. And they’re also not

thinking about some of the dangers of this data.”

State Sen. Joe Bellino, a Republican who represents part of Hillsdale County, said the privacy concerns were not as important a concern as the potential infringements on personal liberty.

“We don’t have privacy right now,” Bellino said. “But it’s different when you shoot my license plate and send me a bill. I’d be all for a mandate that says you can’t do it.”

The proposed legislation, even if incomplete, would be worth passing, according to Lindsey. But, he continued, a determinative solution would need to go even farther.

“I think this legislation from the House would be better than having no rules about these things,” Lindsey said. “But, what I think would be far better would be legislation that actually protected people’s rights that should be protected under the Constitution against unreasonable search and seizure and the government indiscriminately collecting images and data about people just living their lives when they’re not committing crimes. After all, doing so is inherently a violation of those basic principles that should be protected under the Fourth Amendment.”

According to Lindsey, the cameras themselves are potentially detrimental due to their manufacturing history.

“There are some very serious concerns to be raised concerning China’s connection to these surveillance cameras,” Lindsey said. “A lot of these traffic cams are either produced by or have components that come from China, and at least one recent study suggests that a significant percentage of data collected is actually being transferred back to and retained on servers in China. It’s not just license plate images, either. These cameras are potentially capable of capturing people, even pedestrians, walking in cities.” Lindsey said he supported local measures such as those enacted by Bay City and Ferndale, which reject the camera systems entirely.

“It’s fully appropriate for local jurisdictions to decide that they aren’t going to employ any systems that do blanket data collection, absent crimes being done,” Lindsey said. “There are layers of how we’ve organized our law enforcement efforts in the state of Michigan that appropriately established these local systems and push a lot of the responsibility for the admin-

istration of the law down to a local level. I would encourage it, frankly.”

Hillsdale City Manager, David Mackie, told The Collegian that license plate readers were not coming to Hillsdale — at least for now.

“Hillsdale has not considered and is not slated to consider implementing license-plate readers,” Mackie said. Lindsey said the main issue is protecting the citizens of the state of Michigan from what he describes as new ways of infringing on their rights.

“My default is always protecting against government overreach in these areas,” Lindsey said. “While I can’t say that I’m just objectively against any of these measures ever at any time, I can say that what I believe is that we need to go in the direction of protecting people’s rights more, not inventing new ways to infringe on those rights. Are people trying to grow the surveillance state? Yes, that’s usually what’s going on. Is it a healthy instinct for everyone, including local governments, to push back as much as possible against the growth of the surveillance state? Yes, it is a healthy instinct to do that.”

More than skin deep: the words that inspire athletes SportS

By Elizabeth Caneday Collegian Freelancer

Before running onto the basketball court for a game, senior Payton Adkins pulls out a marker and writes “AO1” or “FTGOG” on the back of one hand. Her notes stand for “audience of one” and “for the glory of God”.

Adkins is one of several Hillsdale athletes who write on their hands, arms, and shoes during competitions. These messages serve as personal reminders and encouragement.

“I started writing a verse on the sides of my shoes last year to start reminding myself why I do this sport and why I live the way that I do,” Adkins said. “Then starting this year I was like, ‘I want more.’ I can’t always see my shoes or take the time to bend over to the side and look down. So I wanted something that I could constantly see and remind myself as I played. It was a way to keep myself anchored or calmed.”

Adkins said she is the only women’s basketball player who writes messages on her hands,

but other athletes in track and field and softball also use this practice.

Freshman Mavis Banks said she’s written on her hands for track meets since her freshman year of high school.

“The messages I write tend to be the same as when I started,” Banks said. “The first time I did it, I remembered writing ‘get out hard’ for an outdoor track meet. While varying, they consistently set reminders for race tactics — things I typically forget.”

Runners often write time splits to keep themselves wellpaced, as well as motivational quotes, according to Banks. She said she notices a difference in performance when she writes notes to herself on her hands.

“I tend to panic when I get to the start of a race and forget the tactics behind doing well,” Banks said. “When that happens, I end up racing poorly. However, when I have a reminder to race smart, I tend to do a lot better.”

Banks said her messages remind her to have a strong

and fast start, breathe evenly, and maintain good form.

Banks added that occasionally she also writes her goal paces so that she doesn’t have to do

mental math during longer races.

“Most of my motivation comes from my teammates cheering me on,” Banks said. “Writing on my hand serves to remind me of the things they cannot always remind me of, but I will always draw the most motivation from those around

messages help her remember her motivation and perform at her best.

“I feel free in knowing there are no expectations or standards I have to meet other than being me and honoring Him,” Adkins said. “In that comes such a drive and motivation, because how cool is it that you can do that in playing something that you so deeply love.”

me being so positive.”

While Banks’ notes on her hands serve more as reminders for her performance, Adkins said her hand-written

Men ’ s Tennis

Senior cross country and track and field runner Anna Roberts said she began writing on her hand for similar reasons.

“I started doing it my sophomore year of college as a way to stay focused on Christ and as a reminder to myself that God is the one who has given my body the strength to com-

pete, so he deserves all the recognition and glory,” Roberts said.

Roberts said she typically writes one of two things on her hand: “Run the Race,” an idea from Hebrews 12:1-2, or “For his glory and my good.”

“The inspiration for this comes through a song I heard by City Alight and it also has echoes of Romans 8:28,” Roberts said. “I chose it to remind myself that I was created to bring glory to God and ultimately glorifying him is for my good.”

Several of Roberts’ teammates, including her sisters, Megan Roberts and Caroline Roberts, also write on their hands, and she’s noticed some of her competitors also write themselves notes for motivation.

“One time, a competitor noticed the writing on my hand and pointed to a Bible verse written on her hand,” Roberts said. “She asked me if I wanted to pray for us before the race. It was a really special moment and something I will never forget.”

Chargers sweep weekend road trip

By Patrick Matteson Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team picked up two conference wins over the weekend, defeating Ashland University April 3 and Cedarville University April 4 on the road, moving to 2-3 in conference play and 7-8 overall.

Against Ashland, Hillsdale won all three doubles matches, starting off with an early 1-0 lead. Juniors Henry Hammond and Ellis Klanduch won 7-6 on court No. 1.

“Ellis and I have played together for about two years now, so with that experience comes a better partnership,” Hammond said. “This weekend came down to both of us stepping up on the points that really mattered. ”

Sophomores Sam Plys and Ryan Papazov won 6-1 on court No. 2, and freshman Jackson Clements and sophomore Alex Cordero Lopez won 7-6 on court No. 3.

“Alex and I are both consistent baseliners,” Clements said.

Softball

“We always know how to fire each other up, which helps a lot with our chemistry on court.”

In singles play, Plys lost at No. 1 singles, which evened the score at 1-1. But, the Chargers went on to win the next three singles matches, jumping to a 4-1 lead that clinched the overall win.

Papazov and Cordero Lopez both won their singles matches in two sets, on courts No. 2 and 4, respectively. Klanduch returned to the lineup after an injury sidelined him last week, and he won 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, on court No. 3.

Clements lost on court No. 5, and sophomore Rintaro Goda lost on court No. 6, but the Chargers had already secured the win, defeating Ashland 4-3.

The Chargers then travelled two hours south to Cedarville University to face the Yellow Jackets, where they won 6-1.

“We had our full team playing and we put on a really good performance, so that gave us confidence,” Clements said.

Hillsdale started off the

match by claiming the doubles point, winning on doubles courts No. 1 and 3. In singles, Hillsdale won five of six matches. Cedarville’s only point came on court No. 6. On singles court No. 4, Hammond dominated with a 6-0, 6-0 win.

“I was just relaxed and focused on each point, one at a time,” Hammond said. “It came down to never letting go of the focus I had from point one all the way to the very last point. I was happy that I maintained that concentration, because sometimes that is the difference between a win and a loss.”

The Chargers will continue conference play as they host Kentucky Wesleyan University April 19 and Thomas More University April 20 at The Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center.

“It was great to get a couple of wins after enduring a tough schedule,” head coach Keith Turner said. “Hopefully we can keep the winning streak going this coming weekend.”

Four losses snap winning streak

By Blake Schaper Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale College softball team lost all four of its games in Ohio, two against Tiffin University April 3 and two against the University of Findlay April 6, dropping its conference record to 8-4.

Despite losing the second game against Findlay 14-10, the Chargers scored six runs in the third inning thanks to senior Taylor Lewis, sophomores Nathalie Hagle and Olivia Liguori, and junior Sydney Davis hitting consistent shots that brought home runs. Additionally, Lewis homered to left field in the fourth inning.

Head coach Kyle Gross said Findlay has had some of the top pitching in the conference, and has the best record overall for the season, largely due to its star player.

“Findlay’s strongest player is senior Annika Bredel,” Gross said. “She is on the top national player watchlist, and has had an overall good season.”

The Chargers lost the first game against Findlay 15-10, with Lewis and junior catcher Medleigh Danchak hitting home runs. Sophomore Ronnie Craft said the loss was due to the team’s weak defense.

“We worked hard at the plate battling back and answering to the runs they scored on us, but defense was a bit shaky all day and pitchers struggled as well,” Craft said.

The Chargers lost their first game against Tiffin 11-6, which Gross attributed to Tiffin being one of the strongest offensive teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

“Against Tiffin, we left pitches over the plate and they took advantage,” Gross said. “We had good hits but they had the big flies — the home runs. They hit six home runs in one day, four in a game.

The difference between us and Tiffin was that they had more of an offensive threat that was able to overwhelm us.”

The second game against Tiffin resulted in an 8-0 loss. Craft said the loss was due to

the offense losing momentum.

“Our offense struggled against their pitcher, and we swung out of the zone a lot which ultimately led to us struggling to find gaps in the field and get those hits we needed,” Craft said.

Sophomore Grace Harris said all four losses were due to weak pitching, threatening the core of the team’s defense.

“The strategy going into these games is obviously to limit the run damage,” Harris said. “Unfortunately, we had to make many pitching changes to try to stop Tiffin and Findlay and none of them truly worked. Right now, we as a team are struggling to find a way to limit the runs. Our goal as a bullpen is to figure out what it is that isn’t working and fix it.”

The Chargers will return to Ohio to play Malone University and Ohio Dominican University April 11 and 12.

Track and Field

“I feel like it always takes a year to transition from high school to college,” Kuzma said. “My coach has just been amazing. He’s done a great job with us. You look at junior Eleanor Clark, she has had huge jumps too, and a lot of the other girls are making a lot of progress too. He has it down, he knows his stuff, and you just have to trust the process.”

At the Michigan State University Spartan Invite in East Lansing, Flud’s throw of 62.62 meters beat his own record of 62.17 meters from freshman year by approximately two feet.

“To be honest, it hurt,” Flud said, who recently recovered from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.

“The NCAA changed the rule that affects our warmups, so we don’t get the same warmup that we’ve had the last few years. That’s been something that we need to adjust to, and last weekend was the first meet that I’ve been at that actually enforced that new rule. And it was cold and windy again, and with the cold in general, just everything’s tight and it’s going to hurt a little bit.”

with a personal best throw of 40.77 meters. Junior Amelia Lutz set a personal best in hammer throw with a mark of 53.32 meters, followed by junior Olivia Newsome in ninth with a mark of 50.32 meters.

On track, Clark took fourth in the 5K with a time of 17:50.87. Sophomore Evelyn Overlease took third in the 400-meter in 58.42, and freshman Jessica Church took sixth in 1:00.31. Sophomore Sarah Chappelle came in fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.56, followed by sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann in sixth with a time of 15.65.

At the Stanford meet, senior Ross Kuhn took fourth in the 1500-meter in 3:44.25, just one second off the school record he set in 2025.

In men’s track at MSU, freshman Wyatt Widolff won the 400m and set a new personal best time of 48.82, followed by freshman Jack Polizzi, who took third with a personal best time of 49.36. Widolff also took second in the 100-meter with a time of 10.87.

“It was fun to get out there and be at a school that’ s nearby.”

Javelin throwers previously began warmups with everyone lining up and throwing 10 to 15 meters, but the NCAA banned what is known as “picking” for safety reasons. Now athletes can only throw longer distances on the runway during warmups.

“The analogy that I’ve heard someone use is it’s kind of like if you’re thrown into a weight room and told to put two plates on the bar and bench press it,” Flud said.

“You don’t really have that build up to the higher intensity reps like you used to.”

Junior Ethan Dorrell took third in javelin, setting a new personal best with a throw of 52.26 meters.

In the hammer throw, sophomore Dominic Scharer came in second with a personal best throw of 62.21 meters. Senior Matthew Belanich also set a personal best in hammer with a throw of 57.14 meters.

In women’s javelin, freshman Devan Foster took first

In field events, senior Alfonso Garcia won the triple jump with a mark of 13.63 meters, just a centimeter short of his personal best. Garcia said he was not planning on competing in the meet due to poor weather, but assistant track and field coach Brian Thill changed plans when the weather turned.

“I wasn’t really prepared for a meet, but you’ve got to take the weather as it comes and stay prepared whenever,” Garcia said. “It was fun to get out there and be at a school that’s nearby. There was a lot of good competition just because MSU is Division I.”

Senior Tara Townsend placed third in pole vault with a clearance of 4.15 meters. In the men’s pole vault, senior Connor McCormick placed 10th with a clearance of 4.60 meters.

The Chargers’ heptathlon competitors participated in Hillsdale’s Outdoor Midweek Multi April 8-9 and the rest of the team will compete in the Al Owens Invited hosted by Grand Valley State University April 10-11.

From Charger blue to Baysox orange and teal

By Ethan Savka Collegian Freelancer

Zane Barnhart ’24 will begin the 2026 season as a pitcher for the Double-A team of the Baltimore Orioles.

“I couldn’t be more happy where I’m at,” Barnhart said. “Great, great organization technology-wise, and a good environment for pitchers.”

The right-handed Barnhart will start the year with the Chesapeake Baysox. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 17th round of the MLB draft in 2023, and is the highest-selected baseball player ever taken from Hillsdale.

At Hillsdale, Barnhart transitioned from a two-way player to exclusively pitching. Barnhart became a closer for the Chargers, recording six saves in 20.1 innings of work with a 2.21 ERA in 2022. Barnhart’s 13 career saves remain the second-highest all-time by a Hillsdale pitcher, a record he set in his junior year.

“Some of the most important times in my development were at Hillsdale,” Barnhart said. “Going into Hillsdale, I was throwing 85 miles an hour, and I got out of there throwing up to 98 my junior year. Huge leaps.”

Assistant coach for the Chargers, Cody Kanclerz, played with Barnhart for three years and witnessed his development.

“He came in as a young, quiet kid, and left as a leader, as someone to look up to,” Kanclerz said.

In the minors, Barnhart has a 3.18 ERA and six saves in nine

Club Feature

opportunities through 110.1 innings pitched. With one of the youngest rosters in the MLB — an aver age age of 28 — the Ori oles are looking to rebound from a down year after back-to-back play off appearances in 2023 and 2024.

Barnhart played on the Balti more Orioles spring training team and struck out two batters during their Feb. 24 game. In three spring training outings, Barnhart struck out three batters across 2.1 innings of work. He also earned a save. In one appearance for the Baysox so far this year, Barnhart struck out two in a scoreless inning of work.

Barnhart said the Hillsdale team culture was critical to his de velopment as a player during his time as a Charger.

“It’s really like a brotherhood,” Barn hart said. “You’ve got 30 guys you can

count on at all times. It’s like no other program I’ve heard of.”

Echoing Barnhart’s sentiment, Kanclerz said the players act as each others’ family.

“You’re with somebody from the baseball team at all times,” Kanclerz said. “You go to class together, eat lunch together, practice together, go home and study together. Everyone is super tight.”

Barnhart faced some challenges in spring training, finishing with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 1.71. Hillsdale’s motto, he said, still holds a personal significance.

“You’re not going to go out there and perform as you’d like to every single outing,” Barn -

hart said. “So you’re going to struggle, and it’s about how you bounce back from that struggle.”

Hillsdale baseball head coach

Tom Vessella said he has confidence in Barnhart, who he said was “one heck of a competitor.”

“He had a constant drive to be first and be the best in everything we did,” Vessella said. “Whether it was conditioning, time in the weight room, or stepping on the field, he brought a laser-like focus and an edge that elevated everyone around him. That competitive mindset and attention to detail are exactly what will serve him well now — he’s built to embrace challenges and push through them.” Vessella credited Hillsdale’s vigorous approach to academics and athletics as key to success stories like Barnhart’s.

“Hillsdale College as a whole is a special place that challenges our players to grow on and off the field,” Vessella said. “We focus on developing the whole person, helping them become the best versions of themselves as athletes and as men.”

Kanclerz agreed that Hillsdale offers athletes a formidable challenge.

“You have to have a ton of discipline,” Kanclerz said. “Athletes don’t get to cut any corners, so they have the same academic responsibilities as everyone else. So whether they have 15 or 20 hours of practice per week, they still have to manage their time and perform well.”

Club volleyball returns after 6 years

By Christina Lewis Assistant Editor

Students are reviving the women’s club volleyball team, holding informal practices with the goal of competing next school year, according to sophomore and club co-president Julia Caspar. Hillsdale had an active club volleyball team until 2020, but engagement slowly died out until a group of women decided to hold a more consistent practice schedule and compete in a tournament last spring, Caspar said. Although the team has not been able to go to a tournament this school year, it plans to compete more in the fall.

“We meet twice a week for

practices throughout most of the year,” Caspar said. “They’re more like open gyms, just very informal practices where we do lots of different drills. It’s usually twice a week — Monday and Wednesday nights — and then our goal is to have a couple of tournaments to go to to compete each semester.”

Club volleyball practices on Court 2 in the Sport Complex on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 8:30 to 10 p.m., according to Caspar. Since a lot of college teams have their regular seasons in the fall, the club volleyball team likes to take advantage of the open gym space in the spring.

“Last spring, we went and played a tournament at Siena Heights, which is a local col-

lege, and we played against some other club teams, and also some various collegiate junior varsity teams,” Caspar said. “We’re kind of hoping to have some tournaments to go to every semester.”

Practices typically consist of a warm up and drills that cover skills such as serving, hitting, and passing drills, and ends with a game such as Queen of the Court, according to sophomore Maggie Schaer.

“We welcome anyone with any level of volleyball experience,” Schaer said. “So if you’ve never played before, or if it was your sport in high school, it’s a great place to learn and grow and make some new friends.”

Schaer said she has been playing volleyball since she was

Charger Chatter

Sometimes people hear “Dima” and they hear “demon.”

What’s your least favorite movie?

“The Little Engine That Could.” I watched that movie on repeat when I had a fever once. I could not get to the TV, so I maybe watched that movie four times in a row, but in the same sitting.

in elementary school.

“Volleyball is my favorite sport, and the chance to play with girls from Hillsdale seemed like a wonderful opportunity to keep playing and meet some new people,” Schaer said.

Sophomore and club co-president Ava Caggiano said she likes to play club volleyball for the competitive and social aspects.

“All levels of experience are welcome,” Caggiano said. “It’s mostly full of people who have played in high school or had some experience with it in high school and really enjoyed it, and just want to keep doing it because it’s fun and they enjoy the competition.”

What would be your death-row meal? Probably like around

C harger S port S

Northwood bests Hillsdale in 3 of 4 Baseball

By Christian Papillon Assistant Editor

The Hillsdale baseball team lost three out of four games against Northwood University April 3-6 before falling to Davenport University 16-11 April 8, moving its season record to 13-18 and its conference record to 8-8.

After losing 8-4 in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Chargers won the second game 7-1 behind five innings of one-run ball from junior

run in the second on a sacrifice fly from junior Aaron Jasiak. Two sacrifice flies from sophomore Jake Figman gave the Chargers a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

“In terms of the entire weekend, the offense was pretty good,” Swenson said. “Each game we were able to get the same amount of hits, or more, as Northwood. We will continue to work at hitting with runners in scoring position, but we did hit well overall.”

er’s choice in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Senior Patrick MacLean pitched a scoreless sixth and sophomore Josh Novak pitched a scoreless seventh to close out the game.

we didn’t have good starts on the mound. It’s very difficult to play from behind for a majority of the game, as when we start to fight back, we run out of time.”

Tennis

Winning streak resumes outdoors

By Sophia Bryant Assistant Editor

The Timberwolves got their lone run of the game on an RBI -

“Being able to get ahead in the count was huge,” Pallo said. “We made some great defensive plays, and we were able to put up a few runs early as well, which helped our whole team stay loose. When I was ahead in counts, I was able to get them to chase some pitches and get weak contact. Our relievers came in and kept their foot on the gas as well, which was awesome.”

The Chargers lost both games on Monday, 8-3 and 9-5.

“Overall we didn’t play well,” head coach Tom Vessella said. “It took us a while to get going offensively and

Pallo said the team needs to take advantage of more scoring opportunities.

“We were within two runs in three of four games, but we struggled to score with runners in scoring position,” Pallo said. “We had many opportunities to add on but never got there. I think if we just execute a little bit better it will turn those close losses into wins. We all believe we can play much better than we have been.”

The Chargers will next face Lake Erie College for a fourgame series in Painesville, Ohio April 11-12 before returning home to face Wayne State University April 14.

Lacrosse resurrected after 35 years

By Nathan Furness Collegian Freelancer

The Hillsdale College Lacrosse Club took the field at Hayden Park last Saturday, about to play the first competitive lacrosse on campus in over 35 years with only four players having prior experience competing in the sport.

The team played two games on Saturday, March 28, against Oakland University and Northern Michigan. Although they lost both, players said it’s an important first step.

“To me, it didn’t matter how the game went; the fact that we built a team, and we were competing against other colleges was a win for me,” said co-founder and student-coach senior Patrick Hamilton.

According to Hillsdale College graduate and former club lacrosse player and coach Jeff Emery ’79, the road back to having a club lacrosse team has been a long one.

“The club lacrosse team was first founded by current Vice-President of Hillsdale College John Cervini in 1972,” Emery said “I played and coached at Hillsdale from 1975 through 1990. When I moved from the area, no one picked up leadership, and the club died.”

The club stayed dead for the following 35 years. Hamilton thought of resurrecting the club in his sophomore year and officially brought it back his senior year.

“Bringing back lacrosse to Hillsdale was a conversation senior Marc Ayers and I had in our sophomore year,” Hamilton said.

Although the motivation was there, Hamilton encountered troubles early on.

“The biggest problem was just getting guys to commit,” Hamilton said. “Lacrosse is not an easy sport to pick up. The first step is getting guys up to a college-level proficiency in their stick skills, being able to have the endurance to play, and then you just build up a pain tol erance for taking big hits.”

Freshman Carson Brow er emphasized the physical component of the sport.

“When I got hit for the first time in-game, I folded like I was a toy in Toy Story when Andy walks in,” Brower said.

Sophomore Jack Strickler pointed to

practice, I was hooked.”

Despite this positive response from some, not all beginners echoed positive sentiments.

“The first time I played lacrosse was in our off campus house, Boondocks’ upstairs hallway a few weeks ago,” said senior Tommy Smith. “I kept

the physicality as something he really enjoyed about the sport when he played for the first time.

“I started playing lacrosse in the spring last year without having ever touched a lacrosse stick before,” Strickler said.

“One thing that really bought me in was the physicality. You get hit really hard, and you get to hit people really hard, and that’s a lot of fun. By our first

playbecause Patrick asked me to play goalie. He forgot to mention that people launch a rubber ball at you at 75

Despite his little practice, Hamilton said Smith outperformed expectations during

“I remember the Oakland goalie and defenders in awe over the fact that Smith, our goalie, had first put pads on the Wednesday

before our Saturday games,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton and Ayers did their best to prepare the team regardless and were beyond excited to play their first games.

“There was a lot of emotion when we first took the field,” Hamilton said, “I’ll admit I was very nervous, but as we were doing the warm-ups, I had a big smile on my face and

was very proud of what we had just accomplished.”

Strickler agreed with Hamilton, adding the team still learned a lot from the losses.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with how we played,” Strickler said. “Over half of the team had never seen a lacrosse field before Saturday, and although we lost, we really needed those first in-game experiences to grow as players and as a team.”

Despite the losses, there were a few highlights for the club during Saturday’s games.

“Patrick and Crush scored two absolutely electric goals, and we created a lot of opportunities for goals that we just didn’t capitalize on,” said Strickler. “We looked like a legit lacrosse team, which is really exciting because Hillsdale hasn’t had that in 35 years. The future is very bright.”

Current president of the club, freshman Boden Starr, said he loves seeing new people get into the game and wants to grow it as much as possible.

“I love seeing people getting into the sport after never having played before,” Starr said. “I want to continue the program so that those who still want to play after high school can still take advantage of the opportunities Hillsdale has to offer.”

Hamilton said he is confident the club can and will build on this momentum during its away games on April 11.

“This Saturday, we play Ferris State and the University of Chicago, and Hillsdale will be victorious,” Hamilton said.

The women’s tennis team broke its losing streak this weekend by beating Ashland University 5-2 and Cedarville University 5-2 on April 3 and 4, improving to 8-8 on the season and 2-3 in the conference.

Freshman Dimitra Papastavrou at No. 4 singles, and senior Bella Spinazze at No. 6 singles, both beat their Cedarville opponents in a third set.

“We were in a really tight sit uation where we were up 3-2, so we were in a good spot. We only need one more match win,” head coach Mela nie Zampardo said. “But both matches that were out were Bella and Dimi, so No. 4 and No. 6 singles, who were both in third sets.”

Zampardo said. “We’re not acclimated to playing outside. We’ve had a very long indoor season so far. Playing in that wind was a shock.”

Junior Ané Dannhauser also said playing in the wind was the toughest part of the weekend.

“We had to be very patient and smart, because we couldn’t hit all of our normal shots while it was at its peak,” Dannhauser said.

Papastavrou won her singles match 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, and Spinazze won her singles match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Zampardo said Papastavrou stayed confident and composed, and Spinazze stayed focused and persistent.

“I was really proud of both of them for pulling that out,” Zam pardo said. “They gave us the 5-2, but you see where it could have gone either way at any given moment.”

Spinazze said Papastav rou winning her singles game, which clinched the match, was the highlight of the day.

The Chargers defeated Ashland University in all three doubles matches. At No. 1 doubles, Dannhauser and sophomore Briana Rees won 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Spinazze and sophomore Julia Zlateva won 6-4. At No. 3 doubles, freshman Esther Sura and Papastavrou won 6-2.

“We never really know what to expect from Ashland and Cedarville, but they came out and played super well,” Dannhauser said.

“The weekend’s matches were competitive but good wins,” Spinazze said. “We enjoyed traveling as a team and were grateful to be able to play outside on Saturday.”

The match against Cedarville was difficult because of the wind, according to Zampardo.

“Wind is a great neutralizer, and it was a great challenge for us, because we’re not used to those conditions,”

Next weekend, the Chargers will host two games at the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center. The first game is against Kentucky Wesleyan College April 10 at 4 p.m., and the second is against Thomas More University April 11. The team will celebrate seniors Megan Hackman and Spinazze at their senior day April 10. Hackman and Spinazze will play a doubles match together, according to Zampardo.

“Afterwards, we’ll have a very nice dinner with family and friends,” Zampardo said. “And so it’ll be just a really nice celebration of the two seniors who have dedicated their time in college to leading this team and just being great examples for the younger girls.”

You’ve never heard of these artists

By Henry Fliflet Cir C ulation & a d Manager

New photos of paintings appear on the corkboards in the Sage Center for the Arts every month. Most of the time, they feature obscure artists or lesser-known works by wellknown painters. It’s these little-known artists and works that junior Margaret Cole, social media and graphic designer for the art honorary Alpha Rho Tau, wants students to appreciate.

Cole said she hopes that the revived “Artist of the Month” display will help students engage with the visual arts of the Western tradition by highlighting these lesser-known works.

“I thought it would be nice to pick art that’s either obscure, to show people that they can always dig deeper into their favorite artists’ work, or by artists who are very good but not widely known,” Cole said.

This month, Cole is showcasing 19th-century Italian painter Antonio Mancini, who was born in Rome and trained from a young age at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples. His career, during which he painted working class people on the streets of Naples.

“Antonio Mancini was one of the greatest painters of the late 19th and early 20th century,” said Chairman and Associate Professor of Art Julio Suarez. “He bridged rigorous academic drawing with impressionist seeing and a love of the material quality of oil paint.”

While Mancini was a great painter, Suarez and Cole think that he’s underrated.

“He really isn’t that popular,” Cole said. “But one of the artists we do study, John Singer Sargent, was friends with him and thought Mancini was the greatest living artist. We’re hoping to push more people into his world, because he really was good.”

When Cole joined Alpha Rho Tau, she noticed the old “Artist of the Month” corkboard and decided to revitalize

it. She started with photos of art she had taken at museums so she could highlight details or aspects of paintings people might not notice.

“I’ve thought about writing bios for the artists, but I end up running out of time,” Cole said. “Besides, there’s something to be said for letting the work speak for itself. It’s all about the visual.”

The printed copies of his portraits and urban scenes in the art building do just that. Cole, who grew up in Hillsdale, said she began drawing at a young age but started pursuing it seriously in a dual-enrollment drawing class with Suarez. She recommended anyone interested in art take a drawing class to gain a deeper appreciation for the craft behind the Western visual tradition.

“We have this rich Western tradition in art, and we don’t pay as much attention to that here at Hillsdale as we do to the philosophical traditions or English literature,” Cole said.

Suarez agrees. He recommends students test themselves by going to a museum, setting a timer, and simply looking at a painting for two minutes.

“It will be 10 times longer than most people look,” Suarez said. “If you find yourself not knowing what to do for that long, it’s a sign that you need to take an art class.”

Sophomore Huba Bodor-Gosztony said he’s always excited to see the paintings when he goes into the art building.

“They always pick great artists, and I really appreciate seeing beautiful paintings,” Bodor-Gosztony said. “I haven’t been drawing for that long, but the pictures are always so inspiring.”

Freshman art major Helen Hickman said Cole’s effort to get people more interested in these paintings has worked.

“Every time I go past I just wish I knew more about the artists,” Hickman said. “It’s so tantalizing to see these pictures because I want to learn more.”

Art seniors ‘Form’ final display of their work

By Faith Miller Collegain reporter

Senior art majors Abigail Cool, Ella Rose Klein, Ellia He, Kathrine Edison, and Phaedra Kelley will put their art from the past four years on display this Friday, April 10, at their exhibition, “Formed.”

The show will be held in the Daughtrey Art Gallery in the Sage Fine Arts Building and will include 20-25 pieces from each artist’s portfolio. A reception from 6-8 p.m. on Friday will begin the show, and it will run until Tuesday, April 14, at 5 p.m.

Art majors use this as an opportunity to show their best work from their time at Hillsdale, according to Cool, who said more than half of her work that will be on display has been created during her senior year.

Part of Cool’s display will include “Lemons, Still Life,” a watercolor she painted in her freetime this semester, and “Complementary, Still Life,” an oil painting she created in class this semester.

“I’m just excited to see it on the walls,” Cool said. “I feel like the art show has taken over my life. It’s all I think about from the moment I wake up to when I lay down.”

Even though it was one of her first creations at Hillsdale, Klein said a graphite self-portrait from Drawing I is her favorite piece in the show, because it was pivotal to her becoming an art major.

“Our final project for Drawing I was to make a self-portrait,” Klein said. “I made mine, and I sent my mom a photo, and I asked her, ‘Can I please be an art major?’ And when she saw it, she finally said yes. So there was no going back.”

Cool said that Drawing I with Julio Suarez, chairman of

the art department and associate professor of art, persuaded her to switch from a biology major to an art major.

“Suarez opens up your little eyes, and you see the world differently,” Cool said. “I think that’s so cliche, but you learn how to be disciplined, while also trying to figure out, ‘What the heck is Suarez trying to get me to see, like, how does he want me to draw?’”

Although she hopes to continue to grow her talent as an art major after college, Cool said she is excited for others to view her current work.

“When you put so much time into something, it takes away from other areas of your life, especially your friends and your family,” Cool said. “So, this is kind of an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, look, this is what I’ve spent all this time creating.’”

Klein and Cool both said they have gained a sense of discipline from the art major.

“It is tough doing art, and you have to be in the right mindset,” Klein said. “So it’s

given me patience for sure, and discipline.”

The discipline Cool has learned as an art major has been carried into all areas of her life, making her the person she is today, she said.

Viewing “Formed” will be more than just pretty art. It will be a source of inspiration, according to Klein.

“Any art major or minor, anybody who’s taken an art class, will know how hard it really is,” Klein said. “But I am super proud of my work, and everybody else involved, their work as well.”

“Being in the art department, you become more confident in yourself and in the work you’re producing,” Cool said. “At any stage, it’s like an open wound, and anybody can come walk by.”

What do you do when you can see the sun again?

By Ethan Savka Collegian FreelanCer

As winter fades and warmer weather returns, students across campus are heading outside to enjoy the increasingly warm Michigan spring.

“Generally, just being outside on a regular basis as much as possible is great,” said senior Oliver Bieser, a member of the running club and the Sigma Chi fraternity. “Sig always plays volleyball the first week when it’s warm enough to. It always feels like such a relief after a long winter.”

That sense of relief is felt across several clubs on campus, especially run and pickleball.

“Running club meets four days a week rain, snow, or shine, but we definitely see a lot more people out running as it gets nicer out,” Bieser said. “I’d guess that one in every three students runs with some regularity, which is an increase over the last few years for sure.”

Bieser said the change of seasons plays a major role in getting students to show up for runs, but the weather at Hillsdale is not ideal for the activity.

“Generally speaking, Hillsdale is not a good place for spring activities, just because winter seems to last for so long and nice weather is so irregular,” Bieser said. “But when it finally is warm out, people feel ready to take advantage, so you see just about all of campus outside.”

Outside of running club, Bieser enjoys many other spring campus activities.

“I’ve only been to pickleball once, but I do enjoy a beach volleyball game, especially at the start of fall semester or during fool’s spring,” Bieser said. “There’s nothing quite like feeling like you’re on the beach when it’s February and 60 degrees out for some reason.”

Junior Alex Mooney is not a part of running club, but he said he runs for fun.

“Running is challenging during the colder months. Spring is especially difficult for that,” Mooney said. “When I stayed for summer session a few years ago, people were much more active outside because the weather is extremely nice then and people have more free time.”

Mooney said he also notices students taking advantage of the temperatures in more creative ways.

“I know lots of people enjoy just taking a walk around campus or visiting the arb. Statue golf is big, as well as chilling Baw Beese,” he said. “I think running is more popular than people usually give it credit for, but more people should probably do it.”

Coming off a semester spent in D.C., Mooney said he notices how the weather keeps people inside at Hillsdale.

“During WHIP, some of us would get up and do sprints at the park before getting ready for work, which was actually one of

our favorite things to do when the weather permitted,” Mooney said. “I think that shows that Hillsdale students would do more outdoor activities – specifically running – if the weather and schedules permitted.”

Pickleball has also emerged as a major force in the campus recreation scene.

“Pickleball is an all-season sport,” junior Nathan Furness, president of the Pickleball Club, said. “Greatness doesn’t fit in a box, and as the greatest sport of all time, pickleball proves it can be played and enjoyed anytime, anywhere. That said, it can be difficult to play outdoors when it’s -10 outside.”

For Furness, spring is the turning point where the club really takes off.

“Spring is a perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy nice weather for the first time after four months of arctic conditions,” he said.

C U L T U R E

Professors Picks:

Jon Balsbaugh Visiting Assistant Professor of Education

“City of Gold” by The Dixie Hummingbirds

That’s what I’m going with today, anyway. This version is featured at the end of the film “Masked and Anonymous” with a voiceover by Dylan’s character, Jack Fate. Runners up: Dylan’s 8-minute Civil War ballad, “Cross the Green Mountain,” and “Tempest,” his 14-minute waltz about the sinking of the Titanic.

“Godric” by Frederick Buechner

Books have been one of my main ways of thinking and feeling my way through the world, and there are so many that have helped me do both. But if you ask me, “What is one book you might want to have with you on your deathbed?” I’m going to say “Godric.” It’s a modern retelling of the life of Godric of Finchale, a medieval hermit and popular saint.

“Wings of Desire” by Wim Wenders

I call this film my “insomnia movie” because I put it on when I can’t sleep at night. It is a lyrical film, by Wim Wenders, telling the story of an angel in Berlin who wants to know what it means to be human. Even dozing in and out, every scene is worth having caught even pieces of, no matter the order.

Compiled by Lonán Mooney

He’s him: Gen Z men get real about the heartthrob and the hero

By Evelyn Shurtliff Collegian FreelanCer

Is Ryan Gosling really a great actor? Maybe it’s the mystery of his personal life or his easy-going, almost nonchalant style of acting that makes Gosling “literally him.” That’s certainly what draws young men to his new character Ryland Grace from the breakout film “Project Hail Mary.” And it seems that Gosling’s characters have captivated the hearts and somehow embodied the spirit of manhood for Gen Z. While millennials loved Leonardo DiCaprio, this generation has chosen Gosling as its icon.

Although “The Notebook” began Gosling’s path of fame in 2004, he’s become a favorite for Gen Z especially since his interviews for “Project Hail Mary” in which he embraces Gen Z slang and makes himself ever more relatable to the younger generation.

“In Hillsdale terms, any given Ryan Gosling character is, in a way, the Platonic form of Gen Z men because it seems that, oftentimes, not a lot of things are rooting for him,” freshman Blaine Connelly said. “He has to figure out a lot of things on his own. But Gen Z is really good at turning even serious problems into jokes, perhaps to a fault. We

By Hershey Hackberry Collegian reporter

Fresh berries don’t come around much in Michigan this time of year. But the Student Activities Board managed to find them for its first High Tea event April 1. This British teatime-inspired event was hosted in the Dow Hotel and sought to bring students in spring attire together over fresh tea.

“I had a great time,” senior Catherine Graham said. “I thought that the tea sandwiches were particularly lovely. I was re-

can take a serious issue that men have and make it into a joke, and Ryan Gosling represents this in a way.”

Gosling encapsulates a light-heartedness coupled with real intensity of feeling that our generation appreciates. As a result, social media explodes with clips demonstrating his relatability.

“When you watch all the reels and shorts and everything, there are always edits of somebody saying, ‘oh, that’s literally me,’” Connelly said. “The way in which Gosling plays his parts is definitely relatable, but there is also a part of him that is just cool.”

Gosling is certainly unique in the range of films he has acted in, such as “La La Land,” “The Notebook,” “Drive,” “Barbie,” and the recent “Project Hail Mary.” From heartthrob to hero, Gosling has managed to keep his audiences captive.

“He is all over the place in his roles, and if he likes his role, he is going to commit to it,” senior and co-head resident assistant of Simpson Residence Jonathan Williams said. “I read an article the other day about how we are always trying to categorize men today, and how a lot of actors are trying to be ‘categorized’ in a certain way. And I think that is what is most notable about Gosling.

ally excited that I would get to go to a tea party on a Wednesday afternoon, it made my week a little brighter.”

SAB member and junior Devin Houts first pitched the idea last December during SAB’s biannual planning meeting.

“I like getting these smaller, more intimate events where you get an opportunity to know people on a more personal level,” Houts said. “I think sometimes that can be lost in the bigger events. I liked having something classy and something springy. Something relaxing in the middle of a school day.”

Gosling doesn’t play that game.”

Gosling’s originality, passion, and work ethic contrast the listless, apathetic attitude that Gen Z is sometimes accused of having.

But, what is it about Gosling’s breaking the mold that really

good way that it enlightens the male experience,” Gallagher said.

“Men can yearn in many awful ways, ways that are not constructive or healthy — or they could yearn like Ryan Gosling, in the way he looks at Emma Stone’s

Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor

captures his audiences? According to junior Nate Gallagher, Gosling makes himself most relatable in his romantic endeavors on screen.

“He represents the perfect yearning man in all his movies, but especially in ‘La La Land,’ where he yearns so fundamentally and in such a pure and

SAB partnered with Metz Catering to host this event, according to Director of Student Activities Ingrid Dornbirer.

“Metz has provided all the food, but we did all of the decorations,” Dornbirer said. “We communicated with them at the beginning of the semester to see what they were capable of and if they fit in our budget, but they honestly have gone above and beyond with the room settings, and providing us with the china that we didn’t have.”

The SAB team worked together to implement Hout’s vision.

“I am a drawing person,”

character, Mia, in ‘La La Land,’ because it’s pure love. And then of course, he’s also beautiful, which helps.”

Gosling’s on-screen yearning is not selfish or pointless, either.

“Gosling does sacrificial things without anyone noticing it and is not even the main character in all his movies,” Connelly

Houts said.

“I drew out the tables and asked, ‘How can we bring flowers and spring colors into this?’ Then, we came as a team and we put it all together. There’s always an element that you figure out on the day of.”

SAB requested a semi-formal dress code for the event.

“I think having a dress code does make it an occasion,” Houts said.

“I feel like that’s always a fun thing to do with your friends, because it’s so different from what you normally do and coming together in a formal environment is always a fun change of pace.”

Students played Mad Libs and Bingo to get acquainted with other students at the High Tea.

“We were able to really lean into our mission of fostering friendship on campus,” Dornbirer said. “People were interacting and introducing themselves to each other when they played bingo at the beginning, which was a really cool element that we don’t always get to use.”

Students hope to come back to events like this one next year, junior Mercy Franzonello said.

“It was so much fun and I recommend this event 100%,” Franzonello said. “I really liked sipping tea while it was gray outside, and I liked the berries, because it’s rare to get beautiful, fresh berries around here.”

said. “So in a sense, he is just a small part in the bigger picture of things.”

Not only does Gosling play the unpretentious character, but he also has perfected the composed and unconcerned posture men today are apparently trying to achieve.

“Gosling also has a casual attitude in the characters he plays and is a bit of a loner at times, which makes him relatable for today’s men,” Connelly said.

Despite his looks, Gosling seems to delight the viewer through his charisma rather than his appearance.

“There are lots of other actors who are better looking, so it must lie in his suave and demeanor,” junior Michael Bogumill said.

But most of all, students find a depth and sincerity in Gosling’s acting that is somewhat bewitching.

“‘La La Land’ is such a good example of how you can sometimes want things that you can’t have and there is a conflict of desire that can lead to despair,” Williams said. “He won’t ever let himself compromise on either of the things he loves, though. He’s got to be full in, all the way. And I think that is admirable, especially for men in this age, who watch Ryan Gosling be unapologetically himself and refuse to compromise for the demands of

“Good weather is always better when you’re doing something. Pickleball just happens to be the perfect way to soak it in.”

The club itself has grown rapidly since its founding, according to Furness.

“Pickleball Club was founded nearly two years ago by myself and a few other students who fell in love with the sport and started playing constantly,” Furness said.

“Over the last year of being an official club, we have grown into being one of the most popular clubs on campus, boasting the largest GroupMe on campus, and averaging 40 members present during good weather meetings in the fall.”

Looking ahead, the organization plans to expand further, Furness said.

society.” Williams said he believes Gosling to be unique in this across his films, and that the energy and passion with which he acts reflects the purpose and confidence he has in himself. This energy, he said, is evident in the struggles that he overcomes and the counter-cultural fidelity and adamant steadfastness he often portrays on screen.

“For example in ‘The Notebook,’ you see how love is something that never expects anything in return,” Williams said. “Even when your wife doesn’t remember who you are, you’re going to get up everyday and say, ‘I love you,’ and ‘Nice to meet you,’ because you remember everything you had together. So in this way, Ryan Gosling is the epitome of selfless love in a world that struggles to understand what love means, and with Gosling, it’s always done well.”

It seems that Hillsdale has managed to find the good in Ryan Gosling, too. His staunch character and willingness to suffer and sacrifice in love have made an appeal to the ardent and ambitious hearts of Hillsdale men. Gosling’s debonair manner holds the self-confidence and authenticity for which they strive. Or maybe it’s because he was homeschooled. But that’s a different story.

Furness attributes much of pickleball’s appeal to its accessibility and social atmosphere.

“Pickleball appeals to everyone because of its low barrier to entry,” he said. “Because of that, it’s become just as much a social hub as it is a place to play. Imagine a club where the greatest sport in the world is played alongside one of the best environments to meet people and connect on campus.”

“If you’re not playing pickleball,” he said, “you’re missing out.”

“The club will be moving into becoming an official club sport and officially competing with other schools in the following year, while still keeping the recreational element of the club alive, to include all levels of players,” Furness said.

Contact Advertising Manager Henry Fliflet with questions or proposals! Hfliflet@hillsdale.edu

Runaround

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Doyle said when the set went well at Simpson Date Party, they decided to continue playing as a band at student events in the fall semester. They toyed with the band names “Fling” and “Date Party Band” before settling on Runaround, according to Quirk and Doyle.

“We’re all very busy, and we all do our own various different things on campus, so it’s been very difficult to organize sometimes,” Quirk said. “So when we do organize, we’ll show up at

Mother Amata Veritas has been the prioress general, the head of the Sisters of Mary, for five years, and said a digital presence allows the sisters to fulfill their mission of evangelization.

“There were Dominicans that would preach on the street corners in England in the 1900s, but now kind of the common square and one of the ways to preach is to get on social media,” Mother Amata Veritas said. “We have the formation, we’re all trained in teaching –– that’s part of our formation. We most of the time teach in a

different times. So we say we’re gonna meet at 7:45, and we plan to start practice around 8:15.”

Phillips said at his freshman CHP, he wondered if the newly formed band could play the following year.

“That was our whole goal,” Esler said. “The whole year leading up to CHP Showdown, that date was circled, and we almost missed it.”

The band almost forgot to sign up for CHP Showdown in 2024, Doyle said.

classroom, but in some ways, social media allows you to have a worldwide classroom and to seek audiences that might not necessarily seek us in a Catholic school.”

Although the sisters embrace the opportunity to spread their joy through a reel of them teasing each other about playing Ultimate Frisbee, their goal is to draw people to Christ.

“The Dominican charism is to preach the truth,” Mother Amata Veritas said. “Part of that is, ‘Where are people to preach? What needs to be preached?’ People need to know who Jesus is, and they need to know the truth. They need to know that he loves them. They need to know that the Father created

Throughout their years at Hillsdale, the Runaround guys have played at other major campus events such as Battle of the Bands, Jukebox, and Olds Glow. They hope to play their last set at Centralhallapalooza April 25.

“At this point to have been the Simpson Date Party band, and then be one of the rising bands, and now be for all intents and purposes the band on campus, to have this be our last big set is just gonna be amazing,” Phillips said.

Phillips said instead of

them. There’s so many teachings of the faith that lead people to God and a life of acknowledging that God created them out of love and wants them to return to him in love.”

They pray, teach, podcast, and play frisbee all while wearing the traditional Dominican black and white habit.

“We value the habit because this is a sign to the world and a reminder to myself, ‘I belong to Christ totally,’” Sister Joseph Andrew said. “When somebody sees me they think of God — they don’t know who I am.”

Although they may all dress the same, each sister has been handpicked by God to fulfill a particular role.

“When people look at religious and they think we’re all the same, they don’t have the beginnings of understanding,” Sister Joseph Andrew said. “God creates variety, and he likes variety, and his spouses are very varied.”

feeling sad about the bands that are leaving after graduation, younger students should start forming their own groups to carry on band culture.

“There’s gonna be a bit of a hole after this year, but I think it’s something that this campus can definitely fill,” Phillips said. “It’s gonna be amazing to see who takes that mantle up.”

Christ arose. Hillsdale never slept.

By Elaine Kutas Sports Editor

It’s 4 o’clock in the morning, but the celebrations haven’t slowed down. Easter in Hillsdale is an all-night affair.

Students who stay on campus celebrate the Resurrection in full-force — often attending multiple church services during Holy Week leading up to the pinnacle: the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services. At St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, the 3-hour vigil starting at 9 p.m. attracts hundreds of attendees (almost 400 this year), Catholic and not, for Mass and the annual Greek Feast that follows after midnight.

“It is a way of drawing out the anticipation of Holy Week and the celebration of Easter,” junior Devin Houts said. “You kind of have this all-week energy building up to Easter, and that allows for such a huge celebration.”

At the feast, Mass attendees indulge in a meal of traditional Greek food and fellowship after the service. But this isn’t the end of the feasting. For many students, this is just the beginning.

Easter celebrations carry long into the night and early morning hours of Resurrection Sunday, extending beyond the church lawn to backyard parties.

“It started at the off-campus house, Egypt, three or four years ago,” senior Dominic Taranto said about the 2-7 a.m. party his house, Boondocks, hosted this year. “It was at Boondocks last year so we did it again this year. I don’t think it has a super long history, but we want to continue doing it as long as we can.”

Unlike a typical college house party, this is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection for people of all denominations.

The toughest students who celebrated throughout the whole night heralded Easter Sunday with morning prayer at 7 a.m.

Sophomore Pierce Leaman said the party itself felt different from average house parties, allowing for a greater apprecia-

out of college, others out of the business world. One CEO of two car dealerships in the Bronx. You never know who’s going to come through the door.”

After coming to a retreat at the recommendation of Sister Joseph Andrew, current vocations director Sister Mercedes left her dream job in Manhattan and joined the sisters in 2011, making her final profession in 2019.

Women who enter as postulants come from very different walks of life.

“We have such beautiful variety,” Sister Joseph Andrew said. “Some right out of high school, some homeschooled, others

“When I got here, I saw the sisters with retreatants and how they loved them,” Sister Mercedes said. “And I saw the sisters with each other and how they loved them, and I was like, ‘I can do that.’ Then I saw how they prayed with the Lord in divine office and before the Eucharist and I was like, ‘Gosh, I’m actually made for that type of love — to give myself entirely to Christ and then just get to receive him and receive others with that love.’”

Ann Arbor residents of 11 years, Melissa and Nathan Manni moved their family to Michigan from Whidbey Island, Washington, because they wanted their children to study with the Sisters of Mary, whom Melissa Manni discerned joining post-college. All seven of their children have attended Spiritus Sanctus Academy, and the Mannis are frequent attendants at Sunday Vespers in the

tion for the sacred holiday.

“People have a perception of off-campus events as always being a party, and sometimes they are,” Leaman said. “But this was like a peaceful bonfire with some people talking inside. I got to see a lot of my friends there who I was too occupied to see during the actual Easter Vigil and feast. So it was a great time.”

Taranto, who attended the Easter Vigil at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, said he did not stay up until the morning prayer, as he was attending another service on Easter Sunday.

“I went to bed at like 4 or 5 in the morning and got a couple hours of sleep,” Taranto said. “I had to serve at one of the morning services for Holy Trinity this year, but last year I stayed up all night, which was a ton of fun. I guess I’m getting too old to stay up all night.”

Leaman was one of 31 people who entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil and said he rode an emotional high all night at the Boondocks party.

“Last year I didn’t feel like going to Boondocks after Greek Feast and staying up, but this year, it was my confirmation,” Leaman said. “I really needed some extra time to take it all in. I credit the Boondocks guys with being willing to throw. It was a great celebration.”

Houts, who also entered the Catholic Church this Easter, joined in the festivities and said the nature of the holiday calls for much celebration.

“For me, especially with converting this Easter, it was this really culminating moment,” Houts said. “So having the joy of my conversion at the vigil, drawing that out into a celebration with my faith community at Greek Feast, and then expanding that throughout the night and spending time with people at Boondocks, and sitting in that joy and rejoicing on the day and making that a longer celebration is such a great tradition.”

motherhouse, which is a convenient 6-minute drive from their home.

“In the summers we’re able to ride bikes to evening prayer, and it’s such a beautiful thing to share in their being part of the heart of the Church,” Nathan Manni said.

According to Manni, the sisters are a force for evangelization — not just in their preaching and teaching, but in the beauty of their lives.

“Yes, there’s truth, but the world is full of relativists,” Manni said. “There’s goodness, but people argue about what’s good or not. But beauty’s hard to argue with. Authentic beauty and

the joy of the sisters witnesses by itself back to God, and I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

Although the sisters give to the world, their religious vocation ultimately allows them to grow in relationship with Christ.

“This is where I can give my gifts,” Sister Joseph Andrew said. “This is where I’m built up. This is who I am, and every day, every minute, it’s making me more who God wants me to be. When he calls me home, I will be who I am because of my fidelity to my vocation.”

FEATURES

By Francesca Cella Assistant Editor

Ann Arbor Dominicans are among the

When four religious sisters set out to found a Dominican congregation in 1996, they lived in a renovated barn with a former horse stall for a chapel.

Now based only 90 minutes away from Hillsdale in Ann Arbor, Michigan, their congregation is known as the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. It’s one of the fastest-growing religious communities in the United States, with more than 140 sisters.

“It was all of God. Evidently he wanted it because it was like he took over,” said foundress and former head of the congregation Mother Mary Assumpta Long. “I don’t know what we were thinking. We couldn’t even have begun to do what we were able to do.”

Hillsdale College students have attended Vespers at the sisters’ chapel, and the sisters

have visited campus several times. The sisters will be on campus April 13 and will offer spiritual direction, eat dinner with students in the dining hall, and host a women’s night.

Originally members of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee, Mother Assumpta, Sister Mary Samuel Handwerker, Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, and Sister John Dominic Rasmussen wanted to start a congregation of Dominicans that answered Pope St. John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization.

While serving in different parts of the country, each of the four sisters realized God was calling her to found a new congregation. After discovering the other sisters were also praying about this, they left their community together.

“We’ve often said, ‘How did God pick the four of us?’” Sister Joseph Andrew said. “Each one was called in a different

manner. And if you look at the four of us, we have such different personalities and different gifts, and all of them were needed. Without any one of us, we would have had a huge hole in the system.”

The sisters met at the convent of the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word in Birmingham, Alabama, before driving to a renovated barn in Purchase, New York, which a family had offered to them as living quarters while they prepared to start a community. An out-ofthe-way route through Ann Arbor and a providential stop led the sisters to Tom Monaghan, then the multimillionaire owner of Domino’s Pizza.

“We stopped to get gas and Sister John Dominic got a newspaper,” Mother Assumpta said. “There was an article in there about Tom Monaghan and she said, ‘Could we just go by and speak to him?’ I said, ‘Sure, he’s probably not there,

but we can go.’” Monaghan left a board meeting to speak with the sisters and hear about their mission before they continued on to New York. Days later, the phone rang as they were going into the chapel for Vespers.

“It was Tom Monaghan,” Mother Assumpta said. “He said, ‘I want to go to heaven, and I want to take as many people with me as I can. And I want to build these schools for children. I’ll build these schools and just give them to you.’ Really, I remember thinking, ‘Is this of God or is it a temptation?’”

The sisters’ plans to build a community in New York changed when Monaghan flew them to Ann Arbor on his private plane to look at property. Mother Assumpta told Monaghan she wanted somewhere with fields for the young sisters’ recreation, so he purchased a 20-acre plot and told the sisters to “set the budget”

for the motherhouse he soon began building.

One convent wasn’t enough. Thirty years later, the sisters are partway through building the Our Lady of Guadalupe Priory in Georgetown, Texas, which will house 115 more sisters.

With an average age of 38, the young community follows the Dominican apostolate of preaching and teaching the truth. The sisters founded and run two branches of Spiritus Sanctus Academy — grade schools in the Ann Arbor area — and groups of sisters teach at 30 schools across the United States from preschool through college and seminary.

The sisters don’t just teach in the classroom — they’ve also gone viral. Since the “Dominican Sisters Open Mic” podcast began in January, its clips have received millions of views on TikTok. Host Sister Miriam Holzman’s interviews with fellow Dominicans cover

Quick Hits

Compiled by Elizabeth Caneday Collegian Reporter

In this Quick Hits interview, Associate Provost Mark Maier ’98 discusses Hillsdale culture, telepathy, and the “cult of Christy Maier.”

How many times a day do you walk with purpose from Moss to Delp?

However many times it takes for a “chance” encounter with Dr. Lee Cole. Seriously, I only walk to Delp a few times a day, usually to meet with the academic deans or with Dr. David Whalen.

What’s your favorite thing about Christy Maier? Too many things to say. I routinely make fun of the “cult of Christy Maier,” but she’s seriously my favorite person in the world. She deserves whatever adoration she gets.

What’s the weirdest difference between Hillsdale in 1998, when you graduated, and 2026?

It’s weird how little has changed since I graduated. Hillsdale students, no matter the time period, seem to be cut from the same cloth. Did you anticipate staying in Hillsdale after graduation?

$1.99. Being at Casey’s at 2 a.m. was an education in itself.

What’s one of the funniest

dren next door — particularly Gus. But if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with my oldest son, who interpreted my ex-

things your kids have ever said? This won’t surprise my kids, but most of the funny things I remember being said were spoken by the Lindley chil-

anything from the joys of 5 a.m. holy hours to a sister giving up speeding for Lent, and one sister’s talent in Ultimate Frisbee. It’s not the first time the sisters have been in the spotlight. After hearing about the sisters’ growing community, Oprah Winfrey sent her crew to film the sisters’ final profession of vows, which they call their “wedding day,” and hosted them on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010.

The “Dominican Sisters Open Mic” podcast is one of the sisters’ many forms of digital outreach on Openlight Media, where they produce online courses and video series such as “Manners Monday” and “Cultivating the Virtues” that seek to develop the whole person and foster relationship with Christ.

What’s the best Maier family tradition?

Literary tourism. All family vacations involve a reading list and some connection to what we are reading. I have lots of stories. We visited Larry McMurtry's bookstore in the middle of nowhere Texas, met the author, and then had to leave quickly after one of the boys had an accident on the floor. We once took a nearly 7-hour detour to visit Ezra Pound's birthplace and Ernest Hemingway's grave. Both were in Idaho, and we were really trying to get to Nevada from Wyoming. Not on the way at all.

What’s the best dorm on campus and why?

I lived in both Simpson and Niedfeldt residences, but Niedfeldt was where I met the friends I still keep in touch with 28 years later.

What’s the most annoying thing students do?

I mostly interact with faculty, but if I had to choose, I’d say that it’s annoying how obsessed students seem to be with taking professors rather than classes.

planation of the “facts of life” to mean that Kathy Petersen (Dean of Men Aaron Petersen’s wife) was present at the moment of his younger brother’s conception. She was the labor and delivery nurse for one of the Maier boys, and my son thought that the entire process from conception to birth took place in one day.