MLB Draft:
THeatre:
Parliament:
Hillsdale alumnus Zane Barnhart was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.
The Hillsdale Theatre Department will host an open-invite picnic tonight.
Hillsdale students experience life in London for a summer.
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Courtesy | Facebook
Courtesy | Olivia Kroh
Courtesy | Erin Osborne
Vol. 147 Issue 1 – August 23, 2023
Michigan’s oldest college newspaper
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Princeton Review awards Hillsdale with top rankings By Carly Moran Assistant Editor Hillsdale College received multiple top-five scores in the 2024 edition of the Princeton Review’s Best 389 Colleges, including second place for best college newspaper, friendliest students, most engaged in community service, and most religious. Other rankings include third most conservative students, fourth best counseling and student support services, fifth most loved by students, and tenth most engaging professors. “We are grateful for the recognition of our efforts to provide an excellent liberal arts education,” Provost Christopher VanOrman said. “The sense of partnership between students, faculty members, and staff members is what makes Hillsdale College so successful.” The list includes 15% of American universities. Close to 165,000 students answered an 85-question survey to create categorical rankings. “These rankings are a confirmation that a college offering a liberal arts education focused on forming successful, virtuous students and citizens is a place where students can flourish,” VanOrman said. The Hillsdale Collegian is ranked the second best student paper in the nation, reaching the best ranking in its history with the Princeton Review.
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Students celebrate the start of the fall semester at Welcome Party. Erik Teder | SAB
Incoming class boasts competitive admissions statistics By Moira Gleason Assistant Editor Hillsdale’s freshman class matched last year’s admissions statistics with a preliminary acceptance rate of 20% and yield rate of 62%. The yield rate, one of the highest in the country according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller, is the percentage of admitted students who choose to attend Hillsdale. The 375 students who make up the class of 2027 come from 43 states and 10 countries. Though the class size is smaller than last year’s freshman class of 404 students, it is within the range the admissions department aimed for, Miller said. “There is a high interest in students wanting to attend Hillsdale College,” Miller said. “I think we do stand out from a
lot of colleges across the country for the type of education that we give and the principles that we stand for. The yield rate has gone up significantly in the past five years. And so I think those reasons are attracting more and more students.” Now ranked in the top 100 most competitive colleges in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hillsdale maintained high admissions standards this year with an average GPA of 3.95 and ACT score of 32 among freshmen. Admission to Hillsdale is about more than scores, Miller said. The college wants students who have pushed themselves in academics, but there are several other factors. “We also want students who are going to be contributing members of the campus com-
munity, who are going to be involved leaders and serve the community,” Miller said. “We want them to be active and engaged. And then third, we want students who are conscientious citizens, who understand the Honor Code, and who will choose to abide by it and add to the culture that’s already been created by that, creating a really strong ethos for the place.” The admissions department makes an effort to get to know each applicant and understand their fit for the college through the admissions interview, Miller said. “I would say one of the things that we really think is important is getting to meet the students that apply,” Miller said. “The interview is an important part of the evaluation process when we have that available.” Freshman Evelyn Freedman
said the application process for Hillsdale felt much more personal than applying to other schools and gave her the chance to get to know her admissions counselor and the campus culture. “The interview really felt like chatting with somebody who had similar interests,” Freedman said. “I really felt like she had my best interests in mind.” Freedman said after visiting campus, she realized Hillsdale would offer her the challenge she wanted through her classes, peers, and professors. “Ultimately, I came here because I think I will be humbled here,” Freedman said. Freshman Lillian Ferrell said she was attracted to Hillsdale because of the variety of programs and opportunities it offered. “I felt like I didn’t have to
compromise on anything that I love doing and wanted in my college education,” Ferrell said. “I wanted to be able to study music while doing journalism and English and still pursuing possibly a track or career path in law. Hillsdale was able to perfectly combine those all at once and also provide opportunities that I didn’t know existed.” Though Hillsdale was not her first choice, Ferrell said she made the decision to attend after meeting Hillsdale students and professors on a statesmanship weekend in Washington, D.C., in February. “I fell in love with the student body and what the school stood for when I really interacted one on one with them,” Ferrell said. “I feel like I learned a lot about myself throughout the admissions process and what matters to me in a school.”
College community honors Calli Townsend Newberry '21 By Elizabeth Troutman Editor-in-Chief Hillsdale College plans to honor alumna Calli Townsend Newberry ’21 with memorials in an athletic department building and The Collegian office.
Newberry, 24, died June 6 from injuries sustained in a car accident. She was a wife, mother, sports journalist, and runner. While at Hillsdale College, she participated in track and field and served as The Collegian’s sports editor. But above all,
her friends, professors, and coaches remember her for the vibrant love for Jesus she shared with everyone she encountered. “I honestly don’t remember a conversation with her where faith didn’t come up,” Newberry’s track and field teammate
Calli Townsend Newberry married her high school sweetheart Chance Newberry after graduating from Hillsdale College. Courtesy | Ag Community Relief
Arena Shelley ’20 said. “It was quite obvious that her faith was strong, and she was joyful and ready to share about it.” Andrew Towne, former track and field head coach, said Newberry would encourage her loved ones to find hope in Jesus during difficult times. “She would revert to God right away and speak to her faith and how we don't know why we have these hard times, but there’s always a plan, and we just have to lean on him and trust his plan,” he said. During her time at Hillsdale, Newberry was an all-conference hurdler and 2019 G-MAC champion on the women’s track and field team, as well as an editorial staff member of The Collegian. She majored in sports management and minored in journalism. Newberry led the track and field women’s Bible studies throughout her college career and wrote a devotional called “Semester Together” to help teen girls “find their purpose and confidence in God’s love.”
After graduating from Hillsdale, Newberry returned to her hometown in Michigan’s Thumb and married her high school sweetheart, Chance Newberry. She gave birth to Ellie Marge Newberry on Feb. 11, 2023. The 3-month-old was in the backseat of the car during the accident but sustained only minor, treatable injuries. Newberry is survived by her husband, Chance; daughter, Ellie; parents, Jodi and Steve; and brothers, Curtis and Jake. A GoFundMe for Newberry’s family has so far raised around $69,000 of the $75,000 goal. “It's tough to put into words how much she meant to me,” Jake Townsend, Newberry's younger brother, told The Times Herald. “She was not just my sister, she was a friend to me. I could talk to her about anything and she was always so supportive of me. She meant everything to me.” Newberry’s faith animated every aspect of her life, said Carmel Richardson ’21, who was on The Collegian staff with
Newberry for three years. While many college students allow academics or extracurriculars to define them, Newberry’s faith was her defining characteristic, she said. “Her faith was the most important thing in her life, and it was evident to everybody that she interacted with, and I think that’s really exemplary,” Richardson said. Katie Hall, a former Athletes Intervarsity staff member who had weekly discipleship meetings with Newberry and remained close friends with her after she graduated, said Newberry’s love for God was central to everything she did. “She shined his light so bright that it would light up every room she was in,” Hall said. “She had strong convictions that she was always bold enough to act on. She was passionate about everyone on her team coming to know Jesus which drove her involvement in and leadership with Athletes Intervarsity.
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