Students gather for the banner drop Sunday night to kick off homecoming week. Jack Cote | Collegian
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
Vol. 146 Issue 7 - October 6, 2022
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Andrew Maxfield debuts composition at Choral Evensong By Thomas McKenna Collegian Freelancer The voices of the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir rang through Christ Chapel during Sunday’s Choral Evensong service, debuting music Andrew Maxfield composed for the service. “Everything came together: the building, the spirit, the vision, the music,” said Professor of Music James Holleman, who conducted the choir during the
Betsy DeVos to deliver Drummond Lecture on Monday
service. College President Larry Arnn, who attended the service, said he was impressed with the music and the choir’s performance. “Professor Holleman was right that the composer is talented,” Arnn said. “The choir performed brilliantly. They brought a beautiful composition to life. The whole thing was a tour de force.” College Chaplain Adam Rick officiated the service which consisted of hymns,
readings, and prayers. Rick said the evensong service originates from the tradition of daily prayer in the church, sometimes referred to as “the liturgy of the hours.” “It was gorgeous,” Rick said. “It was great to hear the sound bounce off the ceiling and fill the space.” Holleman said plans to commission music for an evensong service began before the pandemic. “As we were building the chapel, I approached Dr.
Arnn about commissioning an evensong,” Holleman said. “Evensong is his passion and is one of his visions for the use of the chapel for music and sacred music. It got delayed a little with COVID and shutdowns, but it finally came to fruition.” A Brigham Young University graduate with experience in the composition of sacred and other styles of music, Maxfield was commissioned by the college to compose the pieces for the evensong service.
He set the traditional text of the prayers to new music, including the Magnificat (song of Mary), the Nunc Dimittis (song of Simeon), and the Anthem, best described as a song of praise. Only the opening and closing hymns were already set in text and tune. Maxfield said he had never written music for an evensong service before. “I've written choral music, but I hadn’t done an evensong service,” Maxfield said. “I was excited for the
The Simpson team competes in trivia Wednesday night. Hannah Cote | SAB
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CCA I addresses Russian culture, history By Sarah Katherine Sisk Collegian Reporter
By Elizabeth Troutman News Editor Former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will discuss learning and the state of the education system on Monday at 4 p.m. as part of the Drummond Lecture series in Christ Chapel. “Betsy DeVos was a champion of choice in education long before she became the U. S. Secretary of Education,” Chair of the Education Department Dan Coupland said. “As secretary, she challenged the dogma of the education establishment, and its leaders vilified her for it. Regardless, she has steadfastly stood on the side of students and their families.” The Drummond Lecture series is designed to address matters of faith, learning, and current events, according to Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Whalen. DeVos will touch on her recent book, “Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child,” which covers critical race theory in education, COVID-19 pandemic school lockdowns, and how to fix America’s schools.
chance to add a little tiny link in the chain of other composers that have done that.” Maxfield said he approaches sacred music with an extra degree of caution compared to other types of music. “It’s not about me,” Maxfield said. “My job as a composer of sacred music is to hold up the text, to serve the text, and to get out of the way.”
BLOC leads homecoming week after trivia win By Thomas McKenna Collegian freelancer A trivia victory Wednesday night launched the BLOC – an alliance of Mauck Residence, Benzing Residence, and the Suites – into first place overall in homecoming standings. Behind the BLOC, the Off-Campus Coalition is in second, followed by South Side Sweethearts and Greek Row tied for third, and Kappa and WhitWatWay tied for fifth. “I think if we can place in mock rock and at least one other event, we’ve got a really good shot,” said junior Truman Kjos, who described himself as the “unofficial captain” of the
BLOC trivia team. The homecoming festivities began late Sunday night with a banner drop in the center of the student union. OCC took first place, followed by the Bloc in second and WhitWatWay in third. Senior Allie Spaccarelli, captain of OCC, said the coalition almost didn’t form this year and wasn’t started until after the Student Activities Board announced the theme. She said one of the strengths of OCC is its voluntary nature. “One of the things we have on our side is we are a group that has chosen to participate,” Spaccarelli
said. “There’s no top-down force making this happen. We’re a group of people that want to be here and are in it to have the most fun with the people we have.” Senior Joe Coleman, who helped produce the OCC video which placed fourth, said the first place finish to kick off the week was a confidence boost for the team. “That was visual proof that we are a force to be reckoned with,” Coleman said. The OCC music video was a “Twighlight Zone” parody which depicted the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the faking of the moon land-
ing. Coleman said the idea “Once the theme dropped, we thought ‘the ’60s, we have to reenact JFK's assassination,’” Coleman said. “‘We just have to. The moon landing, too.’" Spaccarelli and Coleman said they owe a lot of credit to their team members, including senior Hannah Cheng, their banner designer, senior Stephen Pearson, their videographer, and senior Nick Treglia, their video editor. “We can pull off some next-level stuff,” Coleman said. “When we come together, we can make some great things.”
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While tensions between Russia and Ukraine heightened with President Vladimir Putin’s hint of nuclear warfare, Hillsdale College hosted its first Center for Constructive Alternatives from Oct 2-5 to discuss Russian history, culture, and modern politics. “The theater we are entering has been, in the last century and a half, the single most violent military theater on the entire planet,” said Christopher Caldwell of the Claremont Institute, who spoke at the CCA on Tuesday night. Professor of European History and Culture at Bard College Sean McMeekin began the series with “Russia from 16961917: An Overview,” examining Russian history and the changes it experienced under rulers such as Alexis I, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. McMeekin used these historical figures to draw parallels to modern Russia. Stephen Kotkin, author of “Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941,” spoke Sunday night on “Russia from 1917-1991: An Overview.” After a childhood of poverty, Stalin committed himself to social justice, according to Kotkin.
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Legacy Board reveals senior class gift, Slayton Arboretum renovations By Josh Newhook Digital Editor The Legacy Board announced that the 2023 senior class gift will be a renovation of the Slayton Arboretum in honor of its 100th anniversary. The class of 2023 gathered in the Searle Center last Friday to hear details about the project which will include a restoration of the firepit, the pond, and the small stone house on the property called the “Little Stone Lab." Legacy Board member Madison Pyhel said the project could help the Arb become a place where
more students can study, gather, and rest. “Class of 1872 alumni George and Abby Dunn Slayton gifted Hillsdale the land for Slayton Arboretum to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their graduation,” Pyhel said. “It’s only fitting that on the centennial anniversary of the Arboretum’s founding we uphold their legacy and furnish our own.” Braden VanDyke, assistant director of alumni relations, said there is not an official finalized cost estimate due to supply chain issues and continued project research. “However, we believe
the project will land within the $15,000 to $20,000 range,” VanDyke said. Senior Legacy Board member Tom MacPhee said the Legacy Board wanted to give something that students could enjoy every day but also something beautiful. “We wanted something beautiful, something that might one day find its way onto a Hillsdale postcard or catalog. We wanted a gift that would be memorable,” MacPhee said. MacPhee said the Arb is an important part of Hillsdale’s past. “One hundred years ago, the Arb was the social
spot for Hillsdale students,” he said. “Somehow, over the years, the Arb lost its importance to our student body. In short, we forgot and lost a piece of our tradition.” The “Little Stone Lab” is a stone building near the waterfall, down the hill from the Arb's main gate. The stone lab was probably the first stone structure built in the Arb in the early to mid-1920s, according to Associate Professor and Biology and Director of Slayton Arboretum Jeffery L. Van Zant.
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The "Little Stone Lab" in the Arb will have furniture and a fireplace after the renovations. Courtesy|| Brayden VanDyke Courtesy