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Athletics department to replace Otter’s Army shirts in the fall By Jamie Parsons Collegian Reporter A campus tradition has ended: the athletics department will replace the familiar “Otter’s Army” t-shirts it hands out in the fall. “Starting at the Source in 2024, we will hand out the new shirts to unify our brand and vision,” said Regan Monnin, director of marketing and community relations for the athletics department. The decision follows the retirement of Keith Otterbein last fall, who served as Hillsdale College’s head football coach from 2002 to 2023, and is the namesake for the shirt and its logo.
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Police arrest man in predator sting By Logan Washburn Associate Editor Jonesville police arrested a Hillsdale man after an anti-trafficking group confronted him in a sex predator sting. The Jonesville Police Department arrested Mark Shemwell, 45, on Tuesday evening, according to Jonesville Police Chief Mike Lance. Shemwell faces charges of solicitation of a minor for immoral purposes and using a computer in commission of a crime. “I run an organization that exposes child predators,” Christopher Abercrombie said to Shemwell in a video posted to Facebook. “Who is the girl you’ve been having a conversation with?” “I think her name is Skylar,” Shemwell said. “How old is Skylar?” Abercrombie asked. “I think she said she is 15,” Shemwell said. Shemwell was an English teacher at North Adams-Jerome Public Schools, according to LinkedIn, and part owner of Shemwell’s Academy of Martial Arts in Jonesville. Abercrombie is part of an Indianapolis group called “Exposing Predators of Innocent
Children,” which creates profiles on social media platforms as bait to catch sex predators. Shemwell reached out to one of these profiles — which appears as a 15-year-old girl named Skylar — on a platform called “Tagged” on Jan. 4. “They have to message us first,” Abercrombie said. Shemwell asked if the girl had a Snapchat account, according to documents obtained by The Collegian. “Skylar” said no, but offered her phone number, and Shemwell reached out to the girl — actually members of EPIC — by text. The two spoke for more than two weeks, acting as if they were in a romantic relationship. The documents appear to show they eventually planned to meet and have intercourse in Shemwell’s car. Lance said the department would provide a thorough investigation, and officers are still working to verify the messages and evidence that EPIC provided them. Abercrombie and Donnie Clifford, both with EPIC, confronted Shemwell in Jonesville at Shemwell’s Academy of Martial Arts on Tuesday evening close to 7:30 p.m. EPIC posted a video of the interaction on
Facebook, which showed them speaking with Shemwell as they waited for police to arrive. A Jonesville police officer then arrived, Abercrombie and Clifford provided the evidence, and the officer arrested Shemwell. “On the scene, he did a preliminary investigation based on the information he had and information from both EPIC and from initially talking to the suspect, Mr. Shemwell. He made a custodial arrest,” Lance said. “The investigation is ongoing.” Shemwell faced arraignment for the charge of solicitation of a minor for immoral purposes on Jan. 24 and is set for a probable cause conference Jan. 31 at 11 a.m., according to JailTracker. He has a $15,000 full cash bond. Lance said police will pursue a forensic investigation, and Shemwell and his family will be given the same legal protections as anyone else. “People can jump to the conclusions based on what’s been put on Facebook or livestream,” Lance said. “The suspect who was arrested and the family, they’re entitled to due process under the law.”
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Radio students named finalists for major awards, winners to be announced in March By Ty Ruddy Collegian Reporter The Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System nominated twelve Hillsdale College students for radio awards. “It’s always exciting and gratifying to have industry professionals acknowledge the outstanding content created by our students at WRFH,” said Scot Bertram, general manager for WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. The IBS is a national radio and audio organization, meaning industry professionals judge student entries and compare them to other student entries from every state. The student broadcast awards from the MAB go to Michigan students only, and will be announced March 18 in Lansing, Michigan. Students received nominations for special reports, musical specials, daily shows, and interviews among other
categories. Alumni Josh Barker ’23 and Abigail Snyder ’23 were nominated under the category “Current Events Story.” Barker earned two nominations for episodes of “The Policy Corner,” one about Michigan tax reform and the other about the repeal of the state’s “right to work” law. “The goal of The Policy Corner was to provide listeners with a balanced overview of legislation in Congress and the Michigan state legislature that could impact them — what it would do and what people on both sides of the aisle are saying about it,” Barker said. “Each episode that was nominated was Michigan-focused, so I think that appealed to the MAB, and both bills covered later became state law.” Snyder’s special report on the war in Israel earned her the MAB nomination. Hillsdale nominees under “Daily Newscast/News Feature” were senior Therese
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Vol. 147 Issue 15 – January 25, 2024
Boudreaux for “Spotlight on PFAS” and junior Lauren Smyth for her show “Lauren Smyth News.” Smyth was also nominated for best “On-air Personality or Team.” Junior Gavin Listro and Snyder were nominated for “Editorials.” Junior Gwen Thompson’s “The Timbrel and the Lyre” was nominated for “Music Feature or Special” along with “I’ve Got Aux” produced by Listro and juniors Bella Dix and Ally Hall. Juniors George Accola, Joe Colaizzi, and sophomore Patrick Scott received a “Promotional Announcement” nod for their “Wall Street Weekly Promo.” Sophomore Evan Mick received nominations under “Sports Feature” for two interviews. Mick works as the assistant sports director. After former head football coach Keith Otterbein retired at the end of last season, Mick interviewed current head football coach Nate Shreffler.
Radio Free Hillsdale hosted a grand opening for its new radio station last fall. Courtesy | Scot Bertram
He also interviewed sophomore Julian Lee, a kicker for the Chargers. “My interview with Julian was a lot of fun because I am a kicker myself so I understand much of what he said,” Mick said. The IBS also nominated Mick and sophomore Julius Graber for a broadcast of a Chargers women’s basketball game. “The girls ended up winning by one point so it was an exciting game,” Mick said. “Julius Graber did such a phenomenal job as the play-byplay announcer that we were nominated.” According to Bertram, Radio Free Hillsdale offers students the opportunity to produce shows while improving their craft in leadership roles. “The student leadership structure helps ensure that students are holding each other to high standards year after year,” Bertram said. “We have a dedicated group of students who are committed to producing the best content possible and who are determined to improve over time.” Barker’s graduation marked the end of “The Policy Corner,” but he said he believes his time at the radio station served him well. “From a personal perspective, my hope was that writing and producing ‘The Policy Corner’ would help me gain a better understanding of the political and legislative climate and I think that was certainly successful,” Barker said. Bertram said he is excited about the recognition the students will receive for their work. “I’m lucky to work with broadcasters and journalists who are willing to learn, listen to suggestions, and respond to constructive criticism about their shows and features and newscasts,” Bertram said.
Legacy Board announces glass conservatory as 2024 senior class gift
The drawing shows a conceptual rendering of the Conservatory. Courtesy | Reagan Linde
By Logan Washburn & Lauren Scott Associate Editor & CIty News editor The 2024 senior class gift will be a glass conservatory, the Legacy Board announced on Jan. 19. The structure will serve as a year-round study and social space, surrounded at all angles by greenery. “It is a gift that is timeless and timely,” said Braden VanDyke ’21, associate director of alumni relations. “A place to ponder the good, learn about the truth, and enjoy the beautiful. It’s a space that brings education to life, in a way. Timely in that campus has never needed such a space more than it does now.” The class of 2024 gathered in the Searle Center Friday for the unveiling of the Conservatory, where students will be able to study indoors surrounded by plants between the Mary Proctor Randall Preschool and the Howard Music Hall. “As a gift, it’s nice to see something that will be tangible and you can look back on,” senior Chris Dick said. The college has raised more than $12,000 of the
$50,000 needed for the project, according to VanDyke. He said the college would not begin construction on the project until it secures enough funding. “We hope to engage the senior class and specific partnerships with the senior class to see this project begin over the next few years,” VanDyke said. “I am unsure of how long it would take to erect the building once construction begins, but cannot imagine it being more than a six month process.” College President Larry Arnn delivered remarks at the ceremony and said the plans are impressive considering modern construction costs. He said the Conservatory would help the college in its plans to beautify the campus. VanDyke said he imagines the Conservatory will be able to hold a dozen or so students. “The size and footprint of the Conservatory will depend on how much is fundraised for it,” he said. “Obviously, the more that is raised, the larger and more developed the building might be.”
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Transfer class boasts competitive statistics By Carly Moran Assistant Editor Seventeen transfer students joined the college this semester, up from 14 last year, according to the Hillsdale College admissions office. The new group enters with an average GPA of 3.81 and an acceptance rate of close to 18%. It includes 11 men and 6 women from 12 states. “When students apply as transfer students here, there’s no separate applicant pool,” Senior Director of Admissions Zach Miller said. “They’re competing along with all the other students for either the fall or the spring semester.” The number of spring transfer students largely depends on how many beds are available, according to Miller. “There has been a steady increase of spring transfers over the last few years since COVID-19,” Ben Strickland, assistant director of admissions, said. “Most of the spring transfers I’ve talked to over the years are because of dissatisfaction with their current ex-
periences at other colleges and are seeking a more serious and rigorous curriculum and experience.” Sophomore and spring transfer student Erin Freidenfeld said the transition to campus has been easier than she thought it would be. She said students from her hometown of Austin, Texas, have helped her adjust. “Having friends already on campus has helped me significantly,” Freidenfeld said. “Something as simple as seeing a familiar face across Saga during lunch hour makes me feel much more at ease and ready to tackle all the challenges of being a new student.” According to Freidenfeld, a transfer from Furman University in South Carolina, the weather has been one of the biggest adjustments. “I’ve been warned I will definitely get sick of it, but for right now I’m enjoying my bubble of optimism and appreciating how pretty the snow is,” Freidenfeld said.
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