The Students Against Cancer GOAL

program held the frst annual 'Students

Against Cancer Dance-a-thon in the
Knorr Family Dining Room on March 30.
SAC student coordinator, junior Amelia
Kerton, said the event drew more than 90
people and raised more than $600 for a
local cancer care center.
All proceeds from the Dance-a-thon
will be donated to the Hillsdale Commu-
nity Health Centers Infusion and Chemo/
Hematology Center. The center provides
an out-patient service for chemotherapy
patients, in addition to other services.
The infusion center, junior Nathan
Knapp said, will use the donated money to
purchase blankets and 'cuddly things Ior
chemo patients.
Kerton said she created the event to
bring students together to fght cancer,
regardless of their feelings toward the
American Cancer Society.
Internationally-acclaimed
writer and pundit Mark Steyn
spoke at Hillsdale College April
4 on America`s fnancial crisis
and what he called the 'Utopian
Myopia denial of the countrys
Iederal defcit.
'We have not just outspent
America, we have outspent the
entire planet, Steyn said.
Some 750 students,
professors, and friends
of the college attended
the lecture in the
George Roche
Sports Complex
Tuesday night.
Steyn spoke for 45 minutes to
laughter, applause, and aIfrma-
tive shouts.
His talk highlighted Ameri-
cas national debt and
the entitlement think
ing that contributed
to it. Paul Moreno,
associate professor of
history, said the talk
was benefcial Ior
any student of
United
States
history since 1945.
'Few make so clear the
suicidal nature of the entitlement
state, and nobody does it with
such wit, Moreno said. 'I loved
it.
Students and professors both
said his points paired humor
with policy observations that
were as funny as they were
earnest.
'Steyn was, as usual, a stitch,
and, as usual, what he had to
say was serious, said Professor
oI History Paul Rahe. 'As he
pointed out, we cannot continue
to live beyond our means. Either
we get our act together (which
will be painful) or we go down.
Steyn directed many of
his barbs at current president
Barack Obama, and his profi-
gate spending. He said Obama
justifed government spending
by using a language of rights.
'In our world, it`s not a real
human right unless someone
else pays for it, Steyn said.
Students who attended the
talk said his section on the slew
oI 'awareness-raising eIIorts
With the constant infux oI
large freshmen classes, Hillsdale
College has started converting
off-campus houses into mens
residences.
In 2012-2013, two new mens
dormitories will be added to the
list oI oIfcial residences: the
Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house,
and the apartments behind Simp-
son Residence.
Dean of Men Aaron Petersen
said 17 to 20 sophomores will
move to the DSP house which
will be called the Watkins House
at least for the next year.
Freshmen Phil Wegmann and
Garrett West, who will be the
Watkins resident assistants, said
the college is planning to 'drop
some serious money to fx up
the house while leaving the feel
and character of the building
intact.
'What Garrett and I want to
fnd in the house is just a chill
place to hang out, Wegmann
said. 'Get a good group oI guys
together to really build some
community and study and have a
good time.
Although the house is expect-
ed to return to DSP control in
2013, West said that will depend
on the fraternitys actions.
'Right now |the Watkins
House] is just full of so many
possibilities, Wegmann said.
'The house has to determine
what its character is going to be
like. But weve recruited some
really great guys right now, and
we`re looking to fll a Iew more
spots.
For the apartment complex
behind Simpson called Park
Place, Petersen hired junior Alex
Tiren to be the head RA. The col-
lege purchased the building after
it was foreclosed on last year,
and Petersen said he plans on
moving 16 upperclassmen plus
two RAs there next semester.
Ginni Thomas is an entrepreneur
and activist in the Washington, D.C.,
area. She has worked at The Heritage
Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Com-
merce, and in numerous legislative and
executive ofhces. After working as an
associate vice president of Hillsdale
College to establish the Allan P. Kirbv
Jr., Center for Constitutional Stud-
ies and Citizenship, she founded the
powerhouse non-proht Libertv Central
as an information hub for citizen activ-
ists. She visited Hillsdale College this
week to orient upcoming interns on the
intersection of principle and practice
in Washington.
How did your relationship with
Hillsdale College begin?
|President| Larry Arnn and Penny
Arnn are friends to my husband and
me from when they were at Claremont.
We`ve known them a long time and
were excited when |Dr. Arnn| had the
opportunity to start here about 12 years
ago. We admire what his work has
always been, and we are really excited
about what hes brought to Hillsdale.
I came back and complimented him
on the changes that are happening,
the goodness that is happening here.
You can see it architecturally and that
means that development is going well.
And kids are just thriving and growing
and learning.
:KDWZDV\RXUUVWLQYROYHPHQW
with the college?
Dr. Arnn asked me to join the Board
|oI Trustees|, which I did Ior Iour
years. I loved interacting with them,
but I told him that if he was interested
in starting something in Washington, I
could help him more as a full-time
staffer than on his board. I was getting
more out of it than I was giving to the
school. I loved helping them full time
to establish a presence in Washington.
When the Tea Party came in Septem-
ber 2009, I looked out and saw these
people. These are my people and I
really connected with them. I love the
mission of the school, but I really felt
like the calling right now was to come
to the service of the country in a more
immediate, political way than in what
Hillsdale was doing in a long-term
academic way. I had to leave to start up
my own political entrepreneurial web-
site. And I loved doing that. I used the
connections and the ideas that I found
here at Hillsdale.
&RXOG\RXWHOOPHDERXW\RXU
series with The Daily Caller?
Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel run
The Daily Caller, so its a fun, fun
group of people. They talked with me
about coming over. I video interview
people who give hope and inspira-
tion to the center right. Its a lot of
Iun. What I try to do is give air time
to someone on the center right who I
think is a leader and showing courage
and principle in the Washington area.
We are getting more and more traIfc.
Its just a fun way to provide hope and
inspiration to the right.
:KRDUHVRPHRIWKHSHRSOHWKDW
\RXHVSHFLDOO\HQMR\HGPHHWLQJDQG
LQWHUYLHZLQJ"
Well, I have to say Andrew Bre-
itbart. I aired it two weeks before he
passed away. I just did Mark Steyn
this morning. One that I really loved
was Reverend C.L. Bryant, who was
Vol. 135, Issue 22 - 5 April 2012 Michigans oldest college newspaper
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
B4
In News...
A5
B1
A6
TWITTER.COM/
HDALECOLLEGIAN
FACEBOOK.COM/
HILLSDALECOLLEGIAN
Senior Art
Shotgun
takes gold
Gingerbread
House
See A2
In Arts...
Spaces...
See A2
See A4
Q&A: Ginni Thomas
Houses to Dorms
Caleb Whitmer
Copy Editor
Dance-a-thon unites campus against cancer
Shannon Odell
Features Editor
Humor with a
dash of scathing
Marieke van der Vaart
Editor-in-Chief
Patrick Timmis
News Editor
New mens residences to
open Fall 2012
See story below
See A3
Steyn: Weve outspent the planet
Hope for conservatism
Students danced the night away to raise money for a local cancer care center.
The event was sponsored by Student Against Cancer. (Elena Salvatore/Collegian)
(Shannon Odell/Collegian)
(Alex Cothran/Collegian)
(Bonnie Cofer/Collegian)
GINNI THOMAS
For the frst time this semester,
the Student Federation tabled a
request Ior Iunding, on the basis
oI needing more inIormation.
Praxis, the political economy
club, submitted the request. The
club`s president, Junior Andrew
Koehlinger, spoke to Student Fed
on Thursday, March 29, seeking
Iunds to buy a new camera.
The Iederation did not imme-
diately grant the request because
it wanted to know the exact
amount Ior the camera beIore it
gave Iunding to Praxis.
Student Fed has been rela-
tively quiet, with Iew debates
over fscal requests this year,
said junior Esther Ashmore, the
Iederation president.
Tabling a request is unusual.
'It`s not that we didn`t want
to give him the money, Ash-
more said. 'He just wasn`t clear
enough.
'Student Fed wants to attach
the Iunds to a specifc item,
Koehlinger said. 'It makes a lot
oI sense.
Praxis uses a video camera to
record the speakers who come
to campus and they upload the
videos to their website, www.
hillsdalepraxis.com, and their
YouTube channel.
'Having our videos online is
good publicity, Koehlinger said.
Their current camera has is-
sues with sound and quality when
the videos are posted online.
'It is just not a high quality
camera, said Jake Adkins, sopho-
more and Praxis secretary.
Adkins, who records the
videos, has begun researching
cameras to bring beIore Student
Fed. He estimates that the quality
oI camera Praxis needs would
cost anywhere Irom $100 to $200,
but the price is not yet fnalized.
'It is very hard to work
without a camera, Adkins said.
'I`ve had to use diIIerent Iriends`
cameras and they are not high
enough quality. The club needs
something better.
Praxis receives an $8,000
grant Irom the Koch Foundation
each year, and thereIore has never
asked Student Fed Ior money,
Ashmore said.
'The grant, like many grants,
has strings attached, Koehlinger
said.
The Iunds are only to be used
Ior paying speakers who come
to campus, unless Koch gives spe-
cial permission, Koehlinger said.
NEWS A2 5 April 2012 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Student Fed
denies Praxis
Emmaline Epperson
Collegian Reporter
was especially Iunny. Steyn
criticized recent diaper-aware-
ness days across the coun-
try, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro
(D-Conn.) who put Iorward a
Diaper Investment and Aid to
Promote Economic Recovery
Act last year.
'That ship has sailed, Steyn
said. 'That diaper has flled.
'At one point, I just lost it,
senior Catherine Sims said. 'I
was laughing so hard, I couldn`t
breathe.
Sims also said she was
impressed by Steyn`s dynamic
speaking style, as well as his
reIerences to literature and his-
tory.
'He was able to appeal to the
mass oI listeners while at the
same time while citing people
like |Johann WolIgang| Goethe
and |Edward| Gibbon.
!
STEYN
From A1
Students for Santorum
Sam Gilman
Collegian Reporter
Twelve hours oI driving,
10,000 phone calls, 1,000
yard signs, single digits oI
sleep, and spending time with
Wisconsin senator and GOP
hopeIul, Rick Santorum: not
your average weekend.
Santorum lost the Wiscon-
sin Republican Primary on
Tuesday, April 3, to Mitt Rom-
ney by about 7 percent, but not
Ior a lack oI hard work on the
part oI six Hillsdale College
students.
Senior Elliot Gaiser, junior
Ryan Bolyard, sophomores
Melika Willoughby, Mary
Coran, and Giana Schena, and
Ireshman Madeleine Cooney
drove to Milwaukee on Friday
night to help make the fnal
campaign push beIore the
primary.
The Wednesday beIore
they leIt campus, Willoughby
received a call Irom a regional
campaign coordinator. When
she said that she was a student,
the coordinator asked her to
bring as many students as she
could. The trip would be all-
expenses paid. The campaign
needed help.
'I decided to go because
Wisconsin is a critical state in
the race, Willoughby said,
and, with the help oI Gaiser,
The Collegian`s opinions
editor, she recruited a band oI
experienced campaigners.
'Santorum needs the
continuation oI the grassroots
campaign that he has had, she
said.
The group arrived in Mil-
waukee, Wisc., at midnight.
Santorum`s staII put them right
to work.
'They received us with
enthusiasm and proIessional-
ism, Cooney said. 'They
had things Ior us to do and
they were excited Ior us to be
there.
AIter two or three hours oI
sleep, they were back at the
campaign headquarters by 7
a.m. on Saturday to prepare Ior
a volunteer rally.
While Cooney and Schena
waved signs at the street corner
in Iront oI the headquarters to
direct volunteers to the right
place, Willoughby handed out
donuts and coIIee. The others
conducted crowds oI people
inside the oIfce. The students
organized literature, distributed
signs, and made sure every-
thing was in order Ior the rally.
'The campaign manage-
ment really treated the Hill-
sdale students like a SWAT
team, Willoughby said.
AIter the rally came the
phone banking. And more
phone banking. With only a
20 minute break Ior lunch,
the students spent nearly 10
hours calling constituents to
get the vote out Ior Santorum.
Altogether made about 10,000
calls.
Coran said she personally
called 1,200 people, and was
able to convince many people
'on the Ience to vote Ior
Santorum.
'I didn`t really stick to the
script, and it was much better
that way, she said.
Gaiser said he had phones
Ior each ear, and would some-
times balance two conversa-
tions at once.
'We were phone-calling
animals, he said.
Meanwhile, Bolyard and
Willoughby ran Irom door to
door, knocking and ringing
bells to bring the homeowners
out to the driveway where they
could meet Santorum.
Santorum treated voters
like they mattered, Willoughby
said.
When one homeowner
mentioned an aging parent
with Alzheimer`s, Santorum
engaged on a personal level.
'It was like you were
listening to the conversation oI
church Iriends, Willoughby
said. 'Never once was there a
political comment. Never once
did he turn it to health care or
anything except their Iamilies.
When Bolyard and Wil-
loughby returned to the
headquarters that aIternoon,
they helped the others make
phone calls. By the end oI the
day, Willoughby said, she had
lost her voice and everyone
was 'chugging hot water with
honey and lemon.
That night, Santorum spoke
aIter Mitt Romney at a Lincoln
Day dinner in Milwaukee.
The students flled the lobby,
coordinating volunteers and
distributing material.
'We did everything Irom
Iending oII Romney support-
ers Irom stealing our stickers,
to barricading the door so that
we could oIIer stickers and
signs to everyone who leIt the
event, Bolyard said.
Gaiser was the only student
to sit in on the speech, which
he said was 'the longest and
loudest that night. Although
Romney`s speech was 'Iunny
and powerIul, he said that
Santorum was 'potent. When
he addressed the audience
about what it means to be an
American, 'there was not a dry
eye in the audience.
Coran said oI the weekend
that 'meeting |Santorum| was
very reassuring oI why I sup-
port him. He was very genuine
and humble in person, and you
can tell. I was very impressed.
Cooney said she was en-
couraged by what she saw.
'There`s actually a whole-
some side to politics, and
there are people who actually
believe in what they say they
believe in, which I didn`t think
existed beIorehand.
In the past, the only cancer-
fghting events under SAC on
campus were tied to the Relay
Ior LiIe. The GOAL program
reinvented itselI last semester in
response to student criticisms oI
the ACS.
'|The Dance-a-thon| started so
that people who don`t support the
ACS can support something they
don`t really oppose, Kerton said.
In 2010, Student Federation de-
nied Iunding Ior Hillsdale`s Relay
Ior LiIe event aIter concerns were
raised regarding the ACS, Relay
Ior LiIe`s umbrella organization,
and its connections to Planned
Parenthood and hospitals that
provide abortion services.
Last Iall, GOAL began Iunding
Relay Ior LiIe. To encompass
changes and additions within the
program GOAL changed Relay
Ior LiIe`s name to 'Cancer Sup-
port Program.
To avoid sounding like they
were actually supporting the
disease, program leader`s decided
to again change their name, to
'Students Against Cancer.
As part oI the changes to the
reinvented program, a second
Iocus was added to the SAC`s
mission: local cancer support.
Freshman Tessa Betz, a com-
mittee member oI SAC, said
members oI the program were
thrilled to fght cancer on a local
level and give back to the Hills-
dale community.
'It just helps bond the college
students to the area which is
something that hasn`t happened
in the past, Betz said.
Junior Jacob Nieuwsma, a
member oI the 2010 Iederation
and critic oI the ACS, said he Iully
supports the GOAL program`s
local Iunding eIIorts.
'For an event that the Students
Against Cancer GOAL program
supports, Nieuwsma said, 'I`m
glad it serves that end that it`s
against cancer.
Attendees said that most oI the
students who attended the Dance-
a-thon had been to other Relay Ior
LiIe events.
Organizers said attendance oI
the event was reduced by several
Iactors: the Kappa Kappa Gamma
sorority held an initiation event
that night, the Sigma Alpha Iota
music Iraternity held their spring
concert, and the baseball team was
traveling.
Overall, Kerton said that, Ior
the event`s frst year, the turnout
was very good.
Betz said the spring event is a
'great opportunity Ior those who
have problem with the Iunding
and hopes it will build support
Irom the students who don`t sup-
port ACS in Iuture.
'We hope next year will be
bigger and better, Ireshman Kasie
Marie said. 'It raises money Ior a
great cause.
!
CANCER
From A1
Leadership weekend draws
ambitious prospectives
Phil Morgan
Collegian Reporter
Homecoming kings and
queens, class presidents, all-
Americans, and other accom-
plished high school students
visited campus last Thursday,
May 29, ready to compete Ior a
Iull ride to Hillsdale College.
Leadership Weekend, a
spin-oII oI Hillsdale`s Distinct
Scholars Weekend, was de-
signed by Admissions Coun-
selor Andrea Clark `06 in order
to give students with stellar
extracurriculars a chance to
earn a Iull-tuition scholarship.
'During Distinct Scholars
Weekend, we look primarily
at academics in the applicant
pool, Admissions Counselor
Shannon McCleary `10 said.
'For leadership weekend, we
looked at the strongest resume,
strong leadership qualities, and
involvement in their schools,
communities, and churches.
The original group had 20
students but aIter one dropped
out at the last minute, 19 stu-
dents competed.
They didn`t disappoint.
'They`re the type oI people
everyone wants to be Iriends
with, McCleary said. 'They`re
really charismatic. They`re the
type that gets things done.
The schedule oI the compe-
tition is designed similarly to
DSW.
AIter arriving on campus
Thursday, the students met Ior
a mixer to meet each other and
their hosts. Junior Scott Rhode,
who hosted one oI the students,
said he was impressed by all 19
oI them.
'These people were involved
in everything, Rhode said.
The competitors spent Friday
attending lectures by ProIes-
sor oI History Burt Folsom,
Assistant ProIessor oI History
Terrence Moore, ProIessor oI
Business Law Bob Blackstock
and Associate ProIessor oI Eng-
lish Stephen Smith, who spoke
on historical Hillsdale leaders,
George Washington, Alexander
the Great, and Hamlet.
Then the competition
began. Students were asked to
write an essay on the lectures.
Shortly aIterward they were
divided into Iour groups and
posed questions such as 'What
problems do teens Iace today?
and 'What are problems leaders
Iace?
That night senior Josiah
Hersey, the NiedIeldt Residence
house director and Iormer Delta
Tau Delta Iraternity president,
adressed the group.
'My speech was about
looking at leadership Irom an
academic standpoint, Hersey
said. 'How it helps enrich you
and those around you. |The
students| said it resonated well
with the things they were hear-
ing.
The students spent the rest
oI the weekend presenting their
projects, having interviews,
and hanging out with President
Larry Arnn. Arnn invited the
group over Ior dinner and col-
lege basketball Saturday night.
Admissions is still reviewing
its results, and no scholarship
has been awarded to date.
The stakes are high, as the
applicants` current tuition pack-
ages range Irom halI scholar-
ships to none at all.
McCleary highlighted the
innovative approach to the
new event, which Iocused on
extracurriculars rather than
academics.
'It`s unique to invite
students based on resume, Mc-
Cleary said.
McCleary said the event is
also smaller than comparable
events at many other schools,
which oIten invite as many as
100 students.
While not all the applicants
have confrmed they will be at-
tending in the Iall, Rhode hopes
they will.
'Things they stood Ior will
make them a great part oI Hills-
dale, he said.
Group of College Republicans
campaigns in Wisconsin primary
Sophomore Melika Willoughby phone banks in Wiscon-
sin for GOP hopeful Rick Santorum over the weekend.
Willoughby was part of a group of students who cam-
paigned in the primary. (Courtesy of Ryan Bolyard)
NEWS A3 5 April 2012
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
DSP united
after weekend
retreat
Marieke van der Vaart
Editor-in-Chief
The men of Delta Sigma Phi
fraternity will write a chapter
constitution this week as part of
their efforts to rebuild the chap-
ter, after two days of talks with
campus and fraternity authorities
this week, said the president of
the Tau chapter, senior Daniel
Loy.
The 32-member fraternity met
with Hillsdale College adminis-
trators, alumni, and the national
fraternitys leadership on March
31 and April 1 for almost eight
hours in Curtiss Dining Hall.
It was a little strenuous but
we got it done, Loy said. The
best part of this weekend is that
we got everyone on the same
page.
The sessions were led by
Jeff Reynolds, a DSP alumnus
who was part of the Tau chapter
during a similar crisis almost 30
years ago.
Loy said one of the most
important tasks of the weekend
was laying out expectations for
the chapter, especially for under-
classmen who will be working to
regain the fraternitys off-campus
house.
[Dean of Men Aaron Peters-
en] said he wanted an exemplary
chapter, Loy said. That seemed
fair to ask.
Practically, that means ac-
creditation, Loy said, the national
fraternitys measurement of high
standing. Sophomore Brett Miller
said the chapter would try to
climb what the national fraternity
calls the pyramid of excellence.
Theyre attainable goals that
were all striving for, Miller
said. Its going to take work, but
if the work is put in, its not an
overwhelming task.
Accreditation is a year-long
paperwork process that measures
everything from grade point
average, to volunteer hours, and
chapter involvement on campus.
Loy said in years past, the
chapter never fnished the paper-
work to qualify.
Before members nominate
and elect next years leadership,
they will write a constitution
for the fraternity, a document
Loy compared to a DSP honor
code, for members to sign, so
everyone knows exactly whats
required of them.
The conIerence is the fnal
step in the chapters tumultu-
ous struggle to restore itself on
campus this year. In February,
Petersen announced that the
fraternity would lose its house
next year for alcohol infractions
and problems with membership
dues. After many discussions, a
petition to save the house, and a
formal membership review by the
national fraternity, Loy said this
week`s meetings solidifed the
relationships between chapter and
administration.
The main objective was to
encourage the rest of the mem-
bership who might not get to talk
to Dean Pete or Jeff Reynolds,
who might not get to see all the
conversations behind the scenes,
he said. That was good to hear
and that gives accountability to
both sides.
Miller said he was surprised
during last weekends conversa-
tions to see the administrations
support for the chapter.
Theyre not here to shut
us down, Miller said. The
administration actually wants this
to work.
Miller said he thought the
chapters plight came across as
more extreme that it really is.
Its not as bad as it was made
out to be, he said.
Only three members have
decided to deactivate, opting
for alumni status this semester.
Miller said he was one of the
other students who considered
deactivating in February.
I wish they would have stuck
out the process, Miller said.
Theres a lot of hope for where
this is going.
Loy said the chapter is not
discouraged.
If everything goes well and
we implement our new strategies
and accomplish our goals, we can
be back in the house in the fall of
2013, he said.
CHI OMEGA SIGN
ALMOST HOME
The sign in front of the Chi Omega
sorority house has been missing
since last semester. Within the next
week, Chi Omega will be getting a
new sign placed at the front of the
path leading to the house. The Chi
2PHJDVKDYHQDOO\SODFHGDQRUGHU
to replace the vandalized sign. It will
be similar in style to the old sign,
reading Chi Omega and estab-
lished in 1924 with the sororitys
crest on it. It will most likely be of the
same durable redwood oak as the
last sign.
Junior and Chi Omega president,
Ashley Heath, said the sorority will be
giving the sign a fresh face.
Last semester the Chi Omega sign
was torn down and stolen.
Heath said [It] was one of those
iconic parts of the outside of the
KRXVHDQGDUVWLPSUHVVLRQRIWKH
sorority.
The sign was not in place for rush
at the beginning of the semester,
and Heath said this affects [what]
parents, administrators, and potential
students think about the school.
According to Heath, the amount
that Chi Omegas insurance com-
pany will pay to replace the sign
depends on the outcome of this
investigation, but as of right now the
case is still open.
We dont have the rowdiest Greek
system, so we dont typically have
to deal with this, Heath said. [We
hope to] heal some old wounds and
make a healthier Greek system.
Heath added that the Chi Omega
sisters hold no contempt for anyone
on campus and hope [others on
campus] will return the sentiment.
Megan Showalter
Tiren said the goal is to give
men who couldnt get off cam-
pus another option. Park Place,
which will have a new name
by next semester, is made up of
suites with full bathrooms and
kitchens, but will cost the same
as the dorms.
Its basically nicer than
the Suites for cheaper than the
Suites, Tiren said.
Petersen said hiring Tiren,
currently an RA in Niedfeldt
Residence, out of the dorm
opened up the opportunity to
hire and train a new, younger
RA in his place. In fact, Tirens
move is one of a slew of changes
for Niedfeldt, which will have
an expanded staff next year, with
four half RAs, one full RA, a
head RA, and junior Greg Barry
as the new house director.
Senior Joe Hersey, the current
Niedfeldt house director, said
moving to a system with more
half RAs instead of a smaller
number of full RAs allows the
college to train underclassmen.
It also gives younger students a
chance to prove themselves be-
fore moving to a more full-time
position.
The one thing that we had to
deal with last year was we had
[junior] RAs who literally were
just doing nothing, he said. So
the half RA seems like a way
to see if people are doing well
before you give them a larger
[job].
Another incentive, Petersen
said, is that a good RA is usu-
ally the type of person heavily
involved elsewhere on campus,
so at times the full RA job can
become burdensome.
Its just more hands on
deck, Petersen said. We get
more guys involved in the lead-
ership.
!
NEW DORMS
From A1
Students spread
science love
at Olympiad
Emily Johnston
Senior Reporter
On March 31, 28 teams of
students competed in the an-
nual Region 9 Science Olym-
piad competition at Hillsdale
College. Christopher Hamilton,
assistant professor of chemistry
and the regional Science Olym-
piad director, said the competi-
tion was again a great success.
This was the smoothest
Science Olympiad weve had.
Sure, its work and there are
headaches, but its rewarding
and fun, he said.
Division B winners were
Hudson Middle School and
Emerson Middle School. Divi-
sion C winners were Saline
High School and Pioneer High
School. Only the top two teams
move on to compete at the state
Science Olympiad competition.
Hamilton said without the
120 student volunteers and 20
faculty volunteers, the event
would not have gone so well.
It really tells what kind of
students we have at Hillsdale
that they give up their time for
little more than a T-shirt and a
pizza lunch, Hamilton said.
Senior Sean McDade, vice
president of the American
Chemical Society chapter on
campus, was responsible for
coordinating student volunteers
and ACSs involvement in the
events.
Its very satisfying to be a
part of such a great event, he
said. Its good for the col-
lege, good for the kids that
compete and a lot of fun for the
volunteers. Where can you go
wrong?
RED CROSS
STRIKE POSTPONES
BLOOD DRIVE
The Chi Omega/American
Red Cross blood drive, sched-
uled for April 5 at Hillsdale
College has been cancelled
due to a strike amongst Red
Cross workers.
The American Red Cross
Great Lakes Region was noti-
HGODVWZHHNRIWKHLPPLQHQW
strike. This will be the third
time in two years that union
strikes have hit the Red Cross.
Slightly over 200 workers
are participating in the strike.
They stopped work for the
Great Lakes Blood Services
Region at 8 a.m., March 30.
These Michigan strikes are
occurring after more than 400
Red Cross employees in Ohio
refused to work in February
of 2012.
The union workers are
accusing the Red Cross of
unfair labor practices.They
are also working on collective
bargaining issues, health care
negotiations, and pushing for
better blood-safety practices.
The effect of the strike is
far reaching, causing blood
drives across Michigan to be
cancelled and rescheduled.
With already low amounts of
blood donations in the Great
Lakes region, the burden is
IDOOLQJRQRWKHUUHJLRQDORIFHV
to up their blood collection to
FRXQWHUHYHQJUHDWHUGHFLWV
from the Great Lakes region.
A negotiation between
union representatives and Red
Cross management is set for
April 11.

Kelsey Drapkin
Hillsdale volunteers help run
annual science competition
(Elena Salvatore/Collegian)
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
NEWS
A4 5 April 2012
!
KATES TAKE
KATE
OLSON
Friends
and Lovers
A question for
the Masters
Dear Kate,
I need some advice. I need some serious advice. I
fnd myselI in something oI a pickle. I have these
two Iriends. They`re both really great people but they
have this crazy notion that they belong together. I
disagree completely with this notion. I suppose my
opinion shouldn`t matter, but honestly, this is the
worst idea ever. How do I prevent it Irom happening?
Thanks,
Concerned Friend
Dear Concerned,
I`m aIraid I don`t have any advice Ior you. This is
largely due to the Iact that only one thing concerns
me right about now, which makes it very very diI-
fcult to care about your adolescent drama.
Today, something beautiIul begins. This beauty
involves majestic landscapes, calm music, and a
competition unlike any other: the Masters. Some oI
you might be criticizing my lack oI piety as you ask
yourselves what kind oI person could be so excited
about the Masters in the middle oI Holy Week. I sim-
ply reply that nothing allows you to celebrate Easter
like watching golI`s greatest coming down the back
nine on Sunday aIternoon. That`s right, I`m talking
about golI. I`m obsessed, and you should be too. II
you can`t stand the actual sport, don`t worry, you`ll
be swept away by the beauty oI the greens and the
lovely music. The melodic voices oI the commenta-
tors will lull you into the best nap you`ve ever ex-
perienced. All oI your cares will be swept Irom your
mind, including crazy Iriends who should never ever
date one another, or more importantly, the hundreds
oI pages you need to write beIore next Tuesday. At
least watch a little on Sunday. I promise, you won`t
regret it. It`s a tradition unlike any other.
Hillsdale College`s website is
getting a makeover.
A group oI staII and stu-
dent designers are work-
ing together to build a new
design and to switch to a new
content management system.
They hope to have 90 percent
oI the website done by July 1.
'The website has remained
static Ior a Iew years, said
Instructor in Art Bryan
Springer. 'We want to reIresh
the Iunctionality, make inIor-
mation more accessible, and
keep the content Iresh on our
home page.
Springer is part oI the team
working on the project, and
leads the web design aspect
oI the team.
Director oI Marketing Wil-
liam Gray said the website
has looked the same Ior about
Iive years.
'It was time to reIresh the
site, Gray said.
The team that Springer
oversees is composed oI six
students who are responsible
Ior creating the new look oI
the website. Springer gives
art direction, coordinates the
graphic design, and discusses
the project with the students.
Junior Kelly Chisum is a
member oI the design team.
She said she Iirst heard oI the
opportunity Irom Springer in
her design class.
'It sounded like a good op-
portunity, Chisum said. 'I
Ieel like I am learning a lot
through this process.
Chisum said all oI the
student designers comes up
with their own design. The
group then comes together
to discuss existing websites
that the designers like, and
the components they want to
include in their own work.
Springer sends the designs to
the marketing team, and the
students then receive Ieed-
back and continue to tweak
and improve their ideas.
'Doing our own designs and
then looking at other people`s
has been really helpIul,
Chisum said. 'We get ideas
Irom each other. It is really
good to be able to design
individually and also collabo-
rate.
The marketing department
collected responses Irom
a survey it distributed to
students, Iaculty and staII,
alumni, and Iriends oI the
college. The results are also
inIorming their plans Ior the
site.
'Overall, the response was
good, Gray said. 'The re-
sults reIlect a need Ior a new
site and design.
Gray said the biggest com-
plaint was that the site was
hard to navigate.
Springer said he gives some
verbal art direction, oIIers
ideas, and establishes some
standards based on his own
knowledge and standards.
But the students are primarily
working on their own.
'We had design students
come up with very good and
very strong designs, Gray
said. 'We were impressed.
Springer said it has been
a great opportunity to be
involved in a real-world
project.
'I am getting a Ieel Ior all the
behind-the-scenes work oI
a website, Chisum said. 'It
has been a great experience.
MORENO TO RETIRE FROM DEAN OF FACULTY
Associate Professor of History Paul Moreno is stepping down as the
dean of faculty at the end of this semester.
Paul Moreno has served as Dean of Faculty for several years now, and
KLVZRUNLQWKDWRIFHKDVEHHQDEOHLQVWDQWDQGDGPLUDEOH3URYRVW'DYLG
Whalen said in an email to Hillsdale College faculty and staff. Much as
VRPHPLJKWZLVKWKHRIFHZHUHDI[HGWRKLPOLNHDEDUQDFOH'U0RUHQR
LVLQH[SOLFDEO\HDJHUWRUHOLQTXLVKLW>3DXO@LVDQGKDVEHHQDJUHDWERRQ
IRUWKHFROOHJHDQG,DPSURIRXQGO\JUDWHIXO
7KHSRVLWLRQKDVQRW\HWEHHQOOHGIRUQH[W\HDU:KDOHQVDLGSUHUHT-
XLVLWHVIRUWKHMRELQFOXGHFRXUDJHWHPSHUDQFHMXVWLFHDQGIRUWLWXGHDQG
DGGHGWKDWIDLWKKRSHDQGFKDULW\KDYHEHHQNQRZQWRFRPHLQKDQG\DV
ZHOO
Bailey Pritchett
and principle in the Washing-
ton area. We are getting more
and more traIfc. It`s just a Iun
way to provide hope and inspira-
tion to the right.
Who are some of the people
that you especially enjoyed
meeting and interviewing?
Well, I have to say Andrew
Breitbart. I aired it two weeks
beIore he passed away. I just did
Mark Steyn this morning. One
that I really loved was Reverend
C.L. Bryant, who was a Iormer
NAACP leader who became so
Tea Party-esque that the black
elites in the church that he was
with took his church away Irom
him. He had a powerIul tale. He
also has a movie coming out
called 'Runaway Slave in June.
It is a story about how many in
the black community and the leIt
can be deceived and ensconced
in government dependency and
not fnd the richness oI indepen-
dence and entrepreneurship and
selI-reliance. I love his movie
and I loved his interview. Marco
Rubio; Jim DeMint; Ann Coulter
is always Iun. I`m just blessed
by all the people I`ve gotten to
talk to.
Do you have any favorite
questions to ask them, or one
that you ask everyone?
I have started asking every-
one what it is that gives them
hope. You can so easily get
bogged down in the problems,
yet one oI the main purposes oI
my interviews is to give hope
to the people out there who are
engaged in the battle. It can get
discouraging, so I want to put
out hopeIul messages. It`s been
Iascinating to ask that question
. I just love being blown away
by courageous and principled
people in Washington. They are
Iew and Iar between.
What is your vision for the
future and for what you can
do as a citizen of this country?
What do you hope to accom-
plish?
I am a political entrepreneur
and a catalyst. I nudge people
that I know in power towards
principle, conviction and bold-
ness because I think we`re in
desperate straits. Practically, I
think you can be more engaged.
Any oI us Irom any place on
this map can be engaged locally
with your school board, with
gathering people to learn about
the Constitution in their homes.
I really do believe that it`s the
local grassroots movement that`s
going to save this country, and I
don`t think anyone in Washing-
ton will do that. I know that we
need a change in Washington,
and I hope that whoever it is, we
can aIIect Irom the outside. We
have to build a citizenry that is
inIormed and active more than
relying on leaders.
!
GINNI THOMAS
From A1
Website gets facelift
Students contribute to
Hillsdale website revamp
Obesity is an extra-large
problem in Hillsdale County.
According to the Michi-
gan Department of Com-
munity Health, Hillsdale
Countys weight statistics
place it on par with the state
of Michigan, with 37.9 per-
cent of its adult population
identifed as overweight and
26.1 percent classifed as
obese. Michigan, which has
a 35.1 percent obesity rate,
is the eighth fattest state in
the U.S., as reported by the
Center for Disease Control.
Childhood obesity is also
on the rise in the commu-
nity. In a Michigan Profle
Ior Healthy Youth survey in
2010, high school students
in Hillsdale County reported
a 36.1 percent obesity rate,
more than double the na-
tional rate of 17.4 percent.
Denise Lovinger, a
registered dietician and
certifed diabetes expert, has
observed the prevalence oI
obese children increase over
her 20 years at the Hillsdale
Community Health Center.
I see junior high and
high school students with
Type 2 diabetes, high cho-
lesterol, and heart prob-
lems, she said. 'I never saw
conditions like this until the
last few years.
Many of these problems
will become life-long health
concerns.
'These kids will live
with these conditions for
the rest oI their lives, she
said. 'Instead oI developing
high cholesterol in their 40s
or 50s, they have it in their
early teens.
The high frequency of
obesity in both the county
and the state are an enor-
mous weight on the econo-
my. The estimated cost of
caring for obese patients in
Michigan was $3.1 billion.
An obese persons medical
costs average about $1,429
more than those of a person
oI average weight. The
state government estimates
that, if trends continue,
obesity-related healthcare
will cost $12.5 billion in
2018.
This issue has not gone
unnoticed by local health
care professionals. In July,
the Hillsdale Commu-
nity Health Center joined a
statewide movement called
the Healthy Food Hospital
Initiative.
The health centers
staII also gives talks about
healthy food choices at local
school functions and works
individually with patients
and their families. Another
hospital initiative Iocuses on
teaching local families how
to cook and eat healthy food
on a budget.
The local and state
government agencies have
also taken notice. Theresa
Christner, director of health
promotion and education
for the Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joeseph Community Health
Agency, believes education
is the key to reversing the
obesity trend in Hillsdale
County.
Education is one of the
most important things we
can do to reduce obesity.
Christner said that the
the Community Health
Agency initiatives seek to
unpack the obesity prob-
lem in order to combat it
in a variety oI ways. One
recent program was cre-
ated to increase the number
of women who breastfeed
through the frst year oI
their children`s lives.
Breastfeeding has
been shown to have posi-
tive eIIects on pediatric
weight: The longer the
child is breastfed, the lower
the odds are of that child
becoming overweight, said
Christner.
Another program, called
the Six Weeks to Well-
ness, aims to encourage
adults to live healthier, more
active lives.
Six weeks is about the
amount of time it takes for
people to form new habits,
Christner said. Through
this program, we hope to
modiIy the behavior oI the
participants and make a
long-term impact on their
future choices.
The Hillsdale City Council
voted to send discussions about
the operating hours of the
citys compost site back to the
public services committee at
the April 2 council meeting.
After discussions about
the renovations to State Street
and the 2012-2013 budget, the
council turned their attention to
the compost site.
'Paying to have someone
down there all week its
ridiculous, Councilor Brian
Watkins said.
Watkins suggested that the
committee discuss having the
site open only on Saturdays
to cut costs. The compost site
is currently open Tuesday
through Saturday Irom the frst
week oI April until Thanksgiv-
ing.
Once a week once
people adjust to it would be
plenty, Watkins said.
While the city is preparing
to spend money on the renova-
tions of State Street, Watkins
said the council needs to seri-
ously consider where it can cut
costs.
We need money for
streets, he said. At the same
time, if were going to be
asking for money, we need to
show were making cuts where
we can make cuts.
Director oI Public Services
Keith Richards spoke at Mon-
days meeting against cutting
down on the hours the site is
open.
'For ten years, we`ve taken
a lot of abuse out there, he
said.
Richards asked for the
committees understanding in
reviewing the hours. II the city
were to cut back on the hours,
he said he foresees problems
between city residents and the
city.
You dont understand what
its like, he said. People
become very passionate about
getting into the compost site.
It sounds funny until you get
someone standing in your face
literally threatening your life
saying, I`m going to drive
through the gate iI I have to.`
Richards said the city
has already cut down on the
frequency of brush and leaf
collection.
Councilor Mary Wolfram
asked Richards what he would
suggest to solve the problem.
'The quest is to fnd the
least expensive way to provide
the service, obviously, she
said.
It just bothers me to think
were paying someone to stand
out there and to wait until
someone comes by.
Richards suggested staIfng
the site during the busier times
of the year and installing an
automatic gate, since the em-
ployee who monitors the gate
gets paid close to $100 a day,
Richards said.
Richards also pointed out
that the costs of running the
compost site last year were
much more than normal be-
cause oI events such as the ice
storm. Last year, bulldozers,
as well as two wood chippers,
were brought to the site to
clear it out.
Normally, wood chippers
are brought in every three or
four years. Bulldozers are also
brought in every three to Iour
years to grind up the concrete
slabs from old sidewalks. But
because of the excess wood
from the ice storm, the con-
crete could not be ground up.
So, they had to grind up the
wood as well as the concrete in
the same year.
In addition to the annual
costs oI turning the leaves
at the site about $40,000
the concrete grinders cost
about $25,000 and the wood
chippers cost about $7,500.
All the costs you see, he
said, thats all rolled into what
it cost to man that site last
year.
Richards said the costs
could be signifcantly less this
year.
I think last year the costs
were more than any of the
other years we`ve been there,
and we can reduce those
costs, he said.
The following is a list of calls
compiled and reported by the
Hillsdale County Sheriffs Depart-
ment.
Hillsdale City Police
April 2
A 35-year-old Hillsdale man was
arrested on suspicion of felony as-
sault. No bond was allowed.
Hillsdale County Sheriffs De-
partment
April 2
The Hillsdale County Sheriffs
Department responded to three
breaking and entering calls, two
larcenies, two car-deer accidents,
Iour animal control oIfcer actions,
one suspicious situation, and one
animal at large.
April 1
A 26-year-old Hudson woman
was arrested on a felony warrant
for larceny in a building and on
two civil bench warrants Ior con-
tempt of court. A $10,000 bond
and a $400 bond were not posted.
The Hillsdale County Sheriffs
Department responded to one
domestic violence call, Iour civil
disputes, two suspicious situations,
and one car-deer accident.
March 30
A 19-year-old Angola, Ind., man
was arrested on two misdemeanor
warrants for larceny. A $4,000
bond was not posted.
The Hillsdale County Sheriffs
Department responded to one
suspicious situation, one harassing
communication, and one animal
control oIfcer action.
March 29
The Hillsdale County Sheriffs
Department responded to one
assault, one larceny, two civil
disputes, one animal control of-
fcer action, and one suspicious
situation.
March 28
A 39-year-old Jerome man was
arrested on suspicion oI driving
with a suspended license and
operating and maintaining a lab
involving meth. No bond was
allowed.
The sheriffs department re-
sponded to one larceny, two civil
disputes, fve suspicious situations,
one animal control oIfcer action,
and one car-deer accident.
Compiled by Sarah Leitner
CITY NEWS
A5 5 April 2012
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Police Blotter
Sarah Leitner
Sports Editor
James Block
Collegian Freelancer
City council may cut hours of compost center
Obesity epidemic hits Hillsdale hard
Childhood obesity rates in Hillsdale are twice the national average. More
than 35 percent of Hillsdale children are obese. (Joelle Lucas/Collegian)
Those who attended Mark Steyns
lecture in the Sports Complex on
Tuesday night encountered something
of a surprise: Standing out in front of
the building, several neon-green-shirt-
clad locals protested wind turbine
development as Steyn`s audience Iiled
into the Arena. He even spent the Iirst
few minutes of his speech talking
about them.
The protesors were affiliated with
a group called the Interstate Informed
Citizens Coalition, Inc., which attempts
to focus opposition to projects such
as wind turbines. The organization
was Iounded by Kevon Martis, a
former Vice Chairman of the Planning
Commission for Lenawee County,
Michigan. Martis says that watching
wind turbine developers change zon-
ing regulations [for wind turbines] got
his attention.
'To sum it up: the developers are
telling us, yeah, theyre 50 feet tall, but
theyre a 1,000 feet away, so you wont
even notice.
When Martisterm on the commis-
sion ended, he reached out to others
concerning what he saw as some of
the drawbacks, such as the noise, the
disturbance of sleep, danger to wildlife,
and decrease in property values.
Both Martis and fellow Lenawee
County resident and coalition member
Josh Vancamp said wind energy is im-
practical. Martis said that wind energy
only exists with a $52 per megawatt
per hour subsidy, versus 66 cents per
megawatt per hour for coal.
According to Martis, Duke
Energy Renewables, a part of Dukes
Commercial Businesses, is seeking
to establish wind turbines in Reading
Township, a nearby locality. Vancamp
also says that the nearest of these wind
turbines would be established less
than Iive miles Irom the Roche Sports
Complex.
Gretchen Oberdick, a Reading
resident, was also at Steyns speech.
She is a member of a group called
'Save Reading Township which
wants stricter zoning regulations for the
windmills, citing concerns similar to
those of Martis.
Were a group of people with the
same goal: proper siting of the wind
turbines. Duke has requested them
closer to residences than our research
suggests is safe, she said.
'We`re dedicated to preserving
Reading Township.
Another Reading resident, Walt
Sinzer, disagrees. He supports the
project thoroughly.
There are a number of reasons I
support these turbines, he said. I like
the looks of them, theyre big, majestic,
and provide non-polluting electricity.
Whether or not global warming is true,
we`re polluting every time we burn oil
and gas into the atmosphere, and these
turbines provide an energy source
that`s Iree, we just have to pay Ior the
machine.
Sinzer also cited economic benefits
for the town.
'The township receives tax money,
and the school and the landowners re-
ceive money, all to be spent right here
in Hillsdale County. Christine Bow-
man, who used to promote Hillsdales
economic development, said that Ior
every one dollar spent on the windmill,
seven dollars will result. It snowballs.
Sinzer said that the Save Reading
Committee has the wrong idea.
'Save Reading Committee.to
save Reading, it needs a real shot in the
arm. It was once a thriving little town,
now theres really not much going
on here. What you need is money. I
respect those people and their opinion,
but I am disappointed.
Sinzer`s views are similar to those
of Duke Energy Renewables. Afact
sheet provided by Tammie McGee oI
Duke Energy Corporate Communica-
tions details various misconceptions
they say people have about wind
energy. For example, in response to the
charge that wind farms are harmful to
humans, the sheet rebuts that wind
energy is a benign technology with no
associated emissions, harmful pollut-
ants, or waste products.
The official website of the project
says, Community benefits include
a new source oI tax revenue that the
community can count on year after
year, a large number of construction
jobs (and a smaller number of opera-
tions jobs), and emission-free electric-
ity generated locally.
All interviewed parties mentioned
a Reading Township Council meeting
on April 16, at which a discussion of
the projects merits are to be held.
For now, this debate shows no
signs oI blowing over.
Wind farms create
controversy in area
Jack Butler
Collegian Freelancer
T
he homeless in New York
City arent eating enough
fber.
Or so Mayor Bloomberg seems
to think.
Once again, Bloomberg`s admin-
istration has proven its overbearing
nature by banning Iood donations to
the city`s many homeless shelters.
Apparently, the homeless need
their intake oI fber, salt, and other
nutrients to be monitored by the
government. Bagels donated by lo-
cal synagogues might not ft neatly
into the most recent Iood pyramid
touted by the FDA. According to
Bloomberg, charities should never
have even thought oI burdening the
penurious with high blood pressure
Irom overly salty, Iree Iood. It`s not
like they were short on Iood beIore.
Bloomberg`s campaign to dictate
what and where New Yorkers
eat, drink, and smoke echoes the
Iederal government`s attempts to
micromanage our bodies. We get to
choose, but only aIter the govern-
ment has chosen Ior us. American
stores advertise hundreds oI brands
but all products are siIted through
the bureaucratic regulation oI the
USFG beIore they hit the shelves.
And now, charitable groups and
companies with excess Iood in New
York cannot put it to good use.
The mayor`s decision is an-
other symptom oI a greater prob-
lem. America is addicted to the
ever-powerIul administration: the
Environmental Protection Agency,
the Food and Drug Administra-
tion, and so on. The administration
sticks its Iat fngers into every area
oI American liIe, slowly grating
away our Ireedoms. We have traded
liberty Ior warning labels.
Fortunately, we have not sac-
rifced our Ireedom in vain. The
nanny state has obviously proven
its ability to best care Ior the health
oI the American people. They`ve
protected us Irom the sinister
Amish who dared to peddle their
unpasteurized milk across state bor-
ders. They`ve saved us Irom primi-
tive small Iarmers who sold organic
products and turned us over to the
hands oI massive, GMO promoting
companies like Monsanto. And only
35 percent oI us are obese. Clearly,
government knows best.
Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg,
Ior continuing that mission by pro-
tecting the delicate constitutions oI
New York`s homeless.
H
ere in Hillsdale, a great many oI us think
ourselves pretty good about asking the 'why
questions. We all need to remember a Iew
things, though.
First, we must remember that not everyone in
the world beyond is good at this, cares, or is even
aware that people like us ask these questions. Some
oI these Iolk are our comrades here in the Dale. Per-
haps you even count yourselI among those ambiva-
lent to or even annoyed by these incessant inquiries.
You ask, 'Why can`t we just get on with it? Those
oI us who have been questioning these marvelous
imponderables since we had the vocabulary to think
them into sentences (such as 'Mom, why did God
make us? and the like) might not be able to under-
stand how anyone could not ask such things. There
are a great many oI you though, who don`t.
I have recently come to the realization that, while
I think most people should question things more than
they do, those who don`t are a lot better at doing a
certain something than I am namely, just living.
While I wholeheartedly agree that education is good
Ior its own sake and that dwelling upon things inher-
ently beyond our grasp is one oI the primary ways
that we live out being truly human, they are not the
whole story. They may be ends in themselves, but
that is not all they are they are also means to
accomplishing something greater this thing we
glibly call 'liIe.
Since my
Ireshman year I
have been hear-
ing wise upper-
classmen telling
the Irantic up-till-
three-every-day
study-a-holics
that 'it`s all about
the relation-
ships, we are
here to enjoy liIe
and to do it with company. Man is designed to live
in a polis. The frst two things we learn about God in
Genesis are that he`s creative and relational. I have
Iound myselI, as a junior, saying the same things to
underclassmen because I`ve very much Iound them
to be true.
My second point is that this, however, is not the
Iull picture either. 'It whatever that is is not
just about relationships, but also about what kind,
what you are doing in them, and where they will take
you. 'Oh well, at least I`ll be going to Hell in good
company. Isn`t that still Hell? C.S. Lewis` defni-
tion oI 'phileo Iriendship discusses people who
are striving in the same direction, thus they become
closer to each other as they become closer to their
mutual goal. They also encourage each other towards
that end. II we accept that some goals are better
than others, then we ought to be conscientious and
intentional about the direction our Iriendships will
lead us.
My frst point, then, is directed at those similar
to me the questioners. My second is to those who
live, laugh, and love without questioning. Lastly,
I will address us all. I encourage you, my Iellow
Hillsdalians, to simply be aware oI your tendency,
whichever way it trends, and try to maintain that
Aristotelian mean between the two. Both can be
strengths, and both can become terrible weaknesses.
We must always maintain that childlike wonder
questioning liIe so that we know how to live and
why but we must also make sure that we actually
get around to living as well.
A
s the diver stood at the edge
oI the diving board, we all
held our breath. One, two,
three bounces. She jumped, twisted,
and entered the water. The scores:
6, 7, 6.5. The swimmers relaxed, let
out a collective sigh oI relieI, and
clapped Ior the surIacing diver. That
fnal dive secured the dual-meet
win.
This uncertainty in the outcome
oI the meets was oIten one the
Hillsdale College swimming and
diving team Ielt during their regular
season. The team fnished the regu-
lar season this year with seven wins
and one loss. Last year, we went
5-5. The most obvious diIIerence
was the addition oI a diver to our
swimming and diving program.
Yet iI swimming and diving were
scored separately, our record could
have been a lot closer to 7-1 last
year. The NCAA should separate
these two sports.
There were several dual swim
meets last year that came down
to diving. But because Hillsdale
lacked a diving team, we would
automatically start out nine or more
points behind our competition. We
made up a lot oI those points last
year, but we could not always over-
come the defcit.
Swimming and diving both
require a pool but are two totally
diIIerent sports. II the location oI a
sport makes it the same, then why
not have a fgure-skating competi-
tion at the intermissions oI a hockey
games and count those points as
hockey goals?
The training Ior swimming and
diving is also totally diIIerent.
Swimming requires more endur-
ance and strength training. Diving
is more acrobatic and requires more
fexibility. Good divers oIten start
out as gymnasts. But swimmers
and divers rarely cross over Irom
one sport to the other. World-class
swimmers don`t practice pike dives
in their Iree time.
Swimming and diving are
recognized as two diIIerent sports
in the Olympics as well as in club
competition. But the NCAA has
combined them. The swimming and
diving team travel together to help
keep down the costs, and swim-
mers beneft Irom the diving breaks
during meets. But swimming and
diving could still be scored sepa-
rately. That way neither is helped
nor harmed by the perIormance oI
the other. A diving team could win
while the swim team lost and vice
versa.
When a swim meet comes down
to whether or not a diver can com-
plete dive 104C with 20 or more
points, that`s not Iair. And when a
diving competition comes down to
who wins the last Ireestyle relay,
that`s not Iair either. It takes away
Irom both sports.
M
r. Gaiser, I disagree with
the argument oI your re-
cent article 'Choose Good
Principles, not Good Men. Your
Iundamental belieI unless I`ve
misread you is that man need
only believe in the right principles
and all will be well. I would argue
that we need good principles, yes,
but these principles need great men
to have any value.
There is the sense in your article
that the principles oI 'national
strength, individual liberty, and
Iamily liIe have their own inherent
power an ability to mold society
oI their own accord iI we would
simply believe them. But consider-
ing that 'a good man has |always|
been hard to fnd, I fnd it ques-
tionable at best that simply voting
Ior men who proIess belieI in these
principles will save our country.
Good principles will not maintain
a good society oI their own accord.
They demand great men to enact
them.
Indeed, history is a struggle. It
is man`s fght against the degen-
eracy within himselI and with his
Iellow man. It is man`s war with
a Iated selI-destruction. Thus we
do not 'have a lot to be optimistic
about. The Romans rose and Iell,
just as the Greeks and Egyptians did
beIore them. So too will America
Iall into ruin one day. Republicans
won in 2010, but there`s still 2012,
and church attendance could soon
enough begin to trend downward.
But look at great men. Who
can rival Cicero, Washington, and
Churchill?
These men take their principles
and act upon them; they grasp what
is good and reIuse to allow it to slip
away. Failure doesn`t lessen their
achievements. Even in Iailure there
is nobility.
What we need are not simple
principles, but men with the
strength oI will to enact them. We
need men who are not only good,
but great. We need men who will
not stop at knowing truth, but exert
their entire will in whatever they
do to actualize what ought to be.
We need great men, men oI truth
and will.
Until we have those men not
only in politics, but in all Iacets
oI liIe we will continue to lose
the nation, slowly, yes, but without
Ialtering. II we know what is true,
then we must will its existence in
our own lives and in the social and
political liIe oI the nation. Good
principles can do nothing without
us.
O
ne oI the
most beauti-
Iul aspects
oI Hillsdale Col-
lege is that learned
conversation takes
place both inside
and outside oI
the classroom.
UnIortunately, in
many instances the
educative value oI
our collegiate discussion is lost
because oI the strong opinions oI
the participants that can verge on
doctrinarism.
Indeed, some students only pay
lip service to Hillsdale`s motto,
preIerring impassioned debate to the
pursuit oI truth through reasoned,
dialectical inquiry. While it is not
vicious to deIend one`s belieIs,
Montaigne would note that, 'To
change one`s opinion and correct
oneselI, to give up a Ialse position
at the climax oI a heated exposition,
is a rare, strong, and philosophi-
cal virtue. As Hillsdale students
should know better than others,
education lies not in argumentative
victory; rather, it is the successIul
discovery oI truth.
A more dangerous outgrowth oI
this problem is religious conde-
scension. Hillsdale`s ostensible
support Ior the First Amendment
does not always translate to toler-
ance oI other religions. Theological
disagreement is bound to occur, but
to argue that one`s denomination is
inherently superior
to another is preten-
tious at best. Any
religion is worthy
oI respect as a
Ioundation oI moral
development, so it
is wrongheaded to
condemn one Ior
mere dissimilar-
ity oI rites and
unconscionable to decry any as
a machination oI the Deceiver.
Adamantine insistence that one`s
religious belieIs are the only path
to righteousness shatters dialectical
discourse on the subject oI moral-
ity, the most important Iacet oI the
search Ior ultimate truth.
Because no human has perIect
knowledge oI what is right, we
must learn Irom others others
with whom we disagree. Synthesiz-
ing apparently disparate ideas in
the pursuit oI truth is required iI we
are to rise to selI-government.
Zero-sum debate inhibits the
achievement oI that end: where
both parties to an argument are
correct in part, dialectics is the
only method that allows us to fnd
truth on both sides. To best attain
an education, we must realize our
own ignorance and the value oI the
knowledge oI others.
OPINION
5 April 2012 A6
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
THE COLLEGIAN WEEKLY
THE OPINION OF THE COLLEGIAN EDITORIAL STAFF
33 E. College St.
Hillsdale, MI 49242
Newsroom: (517) 607-2897
Advertising: (517) 607-2684
Online: www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Editor in Chief: Marieke van der Vaart
News Editor: Patrick Timmis
City News Editor: Betsy Woodruff
Opinions Editor: T. Elliot Gaiser
Sports Editor: Sarah Leitner
Features Editor: Shannon Odell
Arts Editor: Roxanne Turnbull
Design Editor: Bonnie Cofer
Design Assistant: Aaron Mortier
Web Editor: Sally Nelson
Ad Manager: Will Wegert
Circulation Manager: Emmaline Epperson
Copy Editors: Tory Cooney | Morgan Sweeney
Caleb Whitmer | Abigail Wood
Staff Reporters: Emily Johnston
Phillip Morgan | Teddy Sawyer | Sarah Anne Voyles
Photographers: Joe Buth | Elena Salvatore
Shannon Odell | Caleb Whitmer
Joelle Lucus | Sally Nelson
Faculty Advisers: John J. Miller | Maria Servold
The editors welcome Letters to the Editor but reserve
the right to edit all submissions for clarity, length and
style. Letters should be less 350 words or less and include
your name and phone number. Please send submissions
to telliot@hillsdale.edu before Sunday at 6 p.m.
Education lies not
in argumentative
victory; rather, it
is the successful
discovery of truth.
While I think most
people should
question things
more than they do,
those who dont
are a lot better at
just living
T
his week the Collegian
editors are Ieeling nos-
talgic. Indulge us, iI you
will, in a quick fashback.
With only a Iew papers
between us and the void that is
the rest oI our lives, it`s Iunny to
remember our frst assignments
and tests at Hillsdale College,
along with our burning desire to
impress our Rhetoric and Great
Books proIessors and then to
remember the subsequent horror
at those frst paper grades. Was
that your frst C? We Ieel your
pain. How many passive verbs
did we use? How many dangling
modifers? Oy vey.
The scars have almost healed
enough Ior those stories to be
Iunny; that frst C-, and its Iellow
grades Irom Jackson`s English
class are now standby party
anecdotes.
Looking back, we can`t help
but notice how the college`s
rhetoric changes when we are
prospectives and when we be-
come Ireshman.
This week, our memories oI
this diIIerence seemed especially
humorous as a group oI 19 prom-
ising prospectives visited campus
to vie Ior leadership scholarships.
They hailed Irom CaliIornia to
New York, with stories oI high
school conquest and achievement
behind them. They were accom-
plished and exuberant, and treated
accordingly.
Seeing our gracious admis-
sions staII accommodate these
eager youths reminded us oI our
frst conversations with admis-
sions staII. We Iondly remember
when 'Artes Liberales and 'Sie-
gel midterm meant nothing to
us. We harken back to the age oI
innocence when we could rattle
oII the names oI our frst-semes-
ter proIessors without getting a
sentimental catch in our throat.
These prospective leaders
were doted upon, enjoying dinner
aIter dinner and the fnest enter-
tainment Hillsdale had to oIIer on
a rainy weekend.
'You are the best and bright-
est, they were told, 'You are
the Iuture! the epithets oI
accomplishment fowed like
the sparkling apple cider at Dr.
Arnn`s house.
The sharp contrast between the
prospectives` dinners and our frst
meals at Saga were all too obvi-
ous. Upper classmen`s words still
ring in our ears: 'The C` stands
Ior Congratulations, you`re in
college.` 'We don`t hand out As
to Ireshmen.
It seems like an inside joke,
Irom one class to the next to the
next.
OI course, the two kinds oI
rhetoric can and should coexist.
Success and accomplishment
in one season oI liIe translate
into great challenges and higher
expectations in the next.
Our Iaculty and staII know
that too.
We hope many oI this week-
end`s guests decide to attend
Hillsdale and we hope they
aren`t crushed by their frst report
cards.
And even though the school`s
language to prospectives is diIIer-
ent Irom the one it uses to correct
and mold its students, the respect
and love that underly both sets oI
communication remains the same.
It`s one oI the best things
about this college.
THE GOVERNMENT IS
WATCHING OUR HIPS
Sally Nelson
Web Editor
Bridget Ervin
Special to the Collegian
Sarah Leitner
Sports Editor
E. Garrett West
Special to the Collegian
Wes Wright
Special to the Collegian
QUESTION
LIFE
AND
LIVE IT
DIVING INTO THE DEBATE
WE NEED
GOOD MEN
CONDESCENSION
ON CAMPUS
SPORTS
A7 5 April 2012
www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Wahoooooooo!
Sophomore Andrew Smith
could not contain his enthusi-
asm. He was a national cham-
pion.
Smith is one of the seven
members of the Hillsdale Col-
lege shotgun team that won
the Division III Association
of College Unions Interna-
tional National Shooting Team
Championship last week in San
Antonio, Texas.
A $15,000 endowment also
accompanies the prestigious title
and will be used for the col-
leges shooting program.
Shooting coach Bart Spieth
started the program just one and
a half years ago, mostly with
members who learned the sport
at Hillsdale. These members
include senior Nate Oberholtzer,
senior Kyle Jazwiecki, Smith,
junior Blake Scott, and senior
Dan Klimas. Freshmen Ed Tran-
cik and Joe Kain were recruited
to shoot for the college.
Winning a national title this
soon into the programs his-
tory is rare and an admirable
accomplishment for the college
community.
Last year we did not take
a full team down, so that we
could scope out the competi-
tion and see what it would take
to win, Spieth said. We came
back with a plan and put it into
place.
The national title came from
the accumulation of the top
three individual places in each
event throughout the week-
long competition. The Chargers
took frst place in the fve stand
event, where a shooter shoots
fIty targets, and in sporting
clays, which is out of 100 tar-
gets. They snagged second place
in American skeet and interna-
tional skeet, and third place in
American trap and international
trap, which were all out of 100
targets.
Although individuals on the
team did well especially
Scott, who placed 12th out of
303 competitors in international
trap the national title came
from a complete team effort and
consistent achievement through-
out the week.
Without any one of us, we
would not have won the champi-
onship, Jazwiecki said.
The team will continue to
grow and depend on a well-
rounded effort from all its
shooters next year. Spieth plans
to actively recruit the best and
brightest junior shooters in
the country. Three recruits are
already coming in next year,
and he said he is still working to
recruit more.
Heading into the competi-
tion, the Chargers were feeling
confdent Irom their indi-
vidual meet the week before
in Arkansas, where they fared
extremely well against world-
class shooters. Despite this
confdence, there was a moment
when Hillsdale was in danger of
losing the title.
As the competition drew to a
close, the Chargers only led by
a mere eleven targets. How-
ever, the team fnished strongly
with 1,402 targets, securing the
outright victory and creating
history in a new and inexperi-
enced program.
With the win in Division III,
the Chargers will automatically
move up to Division II next
year, where they will be chal-
lenged by bigger teams with
even better shooters. But Spieth
said he is confdent that they
will rise to that challenge with
the support of the college com-
munity.
Hillsdale College has taken
the shooting program seriously.
Many other schools do it as an
activity, but Hillsdale wants a
championship team, and the
support we get from the college
is full, Spieth said.
The Chargers are excited
about the challenge and oppor-
tunity, as has been the mindset
of the dedicated team all year.
They are not settling with their
title, as they look onto greater
things.
We will have the nicest
facility and building in the
country, bar none. As the facility
and program grows, our success
grows, Spieth said. Given
another years work, Im look-
ing Ior a top fve fnish next
year, possibly higher than that.
In two-to-three years, Id like a
Division II national title.
The Hillsdale College rugby
squad came away from their
road trip to Bowling Green State
University with a 24-22 win last
Saturday, their frst oI the season.
Senior captain Gabe Buneks
try with less than fve minutes
remaining in the matchup put the
Chargers ahead, and the team
managed to stave off a last-ditch
effort by the Falcons to score by
keeping solid possession until
time ran out.
The Chargers were led by
tries from sophomores Jake
Stratman and James Defontes,
as well as senior Deuce Mor-
gans try and two conversion
kicks. But it was Buneks try
that ultimately gave Hillsdale the
lead, which the team defended
tenaciously.
We were pushing the ball up
the feld Irom ruck to ruck, and
we shifted to more of a crash-
ball approach, bulling our way
forward, Bunek said. DeFontes
moved the ball up the feld a
bit, and got high-tackled. I just
picked up the ball out of the ruck
and ran it in off the advantage.
The win was the frst oI the
spring season for the Chargers,
and the frst since their triumph
over Bowling Green last spring.
Hillsdale had been competitive in
the majority of their games last
year but had fallen short in the
fnal minutes oI the game.
Weve been on the losing
end in the close games, but I
thought the team showed a lot
of character in getting over the
hump and getting a win, Bunek
said. Weve been hanging tight
in every game weve played,
but now that were getting more
experience, we have confdence
that we can hang on to win,
which is huge.
The team is using a more
balanced offense, with a mixture
of power play by the forwards
and more distribution out to the
backs. Stratmans score to open
the game was representative of
the squads strategy.
[Senior] Christian Mull
dished off to me, I cut inside and
dodged their fullback, and then
broke a really long run, Strat-
man said. For the most part,
each team kept their possessions
out of the rucks, and we were
able to get the ball out to the
backs.
Hillsdales tackling through-
out the game was outstanding,
and although they gave up four
tries, they kept the Falcons scor-
ing to the corners, which made
conversion kicks nearly impos-
sible for Bowling Green to make.
The Chargers will face Grand
Valley State University next in
an away game this Saturday in
Grand Rapids.
We know we can win, and
were optimistic going into
GVSU, DeFontes said.
Morgan Delp
Collegian Freelancer
David Gordon
Collegian Freelancer
Shotgun team takes DIII national championship
Rugby club defeats Bowling Green 24-22
Basic Shotgun and Basic
Pistol and Rife are among
the most popular classes
come registration time,
Irequently flling within the
frst couple seconds students
are able to click submit.
Outside of the military
institutes, Hillsdale College
is one of just a few colleges
with a shooting range and
classes that allow students to
learn how to shoot safely.
These classes, range
manager and lecturer Bart
Spieth said, are generally
flled with students who
have little to no shooting ex-
perience. He said the classes
are oriented toward more
inexperienced students to
give them an introduction to
gun handling and shooting
in a safe environment.
Ive never shot before,
said freshman Carrie Blan-
ton, a student in the basic
shotgun class. Theres not a
shooting facility close to my
current residence so I dont
have much opportunity to
go shooting. But now I
feel comfortable handling a
gun.
After the introductory
classes, there are advanced
classes and the shotgun club
team for students who wish
to continue shooting.
'Many new shooters fnd
that they love this sport
and look for opportunities
to take their shooting with
them, Spieth said. Some
have asked me for advice on
gun purchases.
Current team mem-
bers who started shooting
because of the class include
junior Blake Scott, and se-
niors Dan Klimas and Nate
Oberholtzer.
They have become very
good shooters in just two to
three years, Spieth.
The construction of
Hillsdales range began in
2008, on the 77-acre plot
purchased in 2006. The frst
event at the range was held
on Sept. 19, 2009 in honor
of Constitution Day.
There are plans to add an
Olympic standard skeet feld
and a club house in the next
few years.
The guns at the range are
from Browning, Beretta,
and Winchester, which have
either been donated or pur-
chased by the school from
the manufacturers. Guns
have been added annually as
the program becomes more
popular.
The Hillsdale College shotgun club won the Division III
national cwhampionship last week in San Antonio, Texas.
They will now be allowed to compete in Division II. (Joe
Buth/Collegian)
Shotgun classes teach
gun handling and safety
Kelsey Drapkin
Collegian Freelancer
that Armstrong threw six in-
nings against the No. 20 team
in the nation.
I havent thrown in a high
profle game besides that one,
Armstrong said. Knowing
their track record was nerve
wracking but also a good test
to see where I was against
some of the nations best.
Theisen said that Armstrong
is one of the teams better
pitchers because he can throw
his fastball where he wants it
to go.
He more or less just at-
tacked the hitters without
fear, he said.
In the fnal inning, senior
pitcher Kris Morris replaced
Armstrong and shut down
Grand Valley.
Shane got the win and Kris
got the save, Lantis said.
This past weekend, Lake
Erie College swept the Char-
gers in a four-game series. The
Storm won the frst game on
Saturday 11-6.
The Chargers opened the
game with a run when junior
Scott Lantis singled to center
feld and Blanchard scored.
But Lake Erie batted in 8
runs in the second inning and
Hillsdale was unable to regain
the lead.
In the second game, the
Chargers narrowly lost 8-6.
The men gained the lead in
the frst inning when Lantis
scored, unearned, after junior
right felder Mike Vanchieri
singled to right feld and ad-
vanced to second on a felding
error. They extended that lead
into the sixth inning when
Lantis fied out to centerfeld
and senior center felder Pat
OHearn scored.
The sixth inning proved
disastrous for the Chargers.
Lake Erie surged into frst
aIter scoring fve runs.
Vanchieri and Blanchard
had two hits each. Lantis and
Blanchard each had two runs
batted in.
Theisen said that the team
is focusing on the little aspects
of the game.
We need to continue try-
ing to be perfect in the things
that we can control, he said.
We talk about that a lot to
our guys: taking care of the
little things and letting the big
things happen.
Hillsdale lost 3-0 in their
third game against Lake Erie
on Sunday. No one on the
team had any hits, except Lan-
tis with two. And sophomore
pitcher Colin Gerish struck out
fve players.
Hillsdale started the fourth
game when Blanchard scored
oII oI a felder`s choice. Lake
Erie countered that lead,
though, with two runs in the
frst and concluded the game
with a 4-1 victory.
Breymaier and Lantis both
had two hits. Freshman catcher
Sean Bennett had a hit and a
run batted in.
On Friday and Saturday,
the men play four games at
the University of Findlay.
Next Tuesday, the Chargers
will play Grand Valley State
University again in a double-
header.
Beating such a good team
was a huge momentum builder
for us, Lantis said. We hope
to continue that momentum.
!
BASEBALL
From A8
The Health and Wellness
Club along with G.O.A.L
Hillsdale Buddies Program
held the Day of Champi-
ons event in Hillsdale last
Saturday.
The triathlon was com-
posed of three athletic feats:
a 750-meter swim, a 5-ki-
lometer run, and a 20-kilo-
meter bike ride. Men and
women were both ranked
separately and divided into
three heats. Sophomore
Hayley Johnson placed frst
among the women com-
petitors while junior Doug
Williams placed frst Ior the
men.
For Johnson, the competi-
tion was nothing outside of
her athletic comfort zone.
It helps that Im a swim-
mer. That puts me at an
advantage. For the triathlon
we had to swim 750 meters
and Im used to swimming
6,000 yards in practice,
Johnson said.
Johnson swims the 50-
and 100-yard freestyle for
the Hillsdale swim team.
The hardest part is get-
ting off the bike and starting
to run. My legs get really
wobbly. So thats what I did
to practice. But I do a lot of
cross training for swimming
anyway, Johnson said. I
didnt even really know my
time last year, I competed
just to see how well I could
do.
Student Activities Board
President Michael Peters said
that the money raised came
from participants as well as
local businesses.
All of these donations
went right to the Hillsdale
Buddies. The triathlon itself
was paid for out of the
Campus Health and Recre-
ation budget as well as the
G.O.A.L budget, Peters
said.
The Day of Champions
raised over $300 for the Hill-
sdale Buddies program.
Bailey Pritchett
Collegian Freelancer
Triathlon raises $300
for Hillsdale Buddies
Seniors Gabe Bunek and Deuce Morgan bring down a
Bowling Green State University ball carrier. Hillsdale won
the game 24-22. (Courtesy of Ali Cervini)
driving Homan home and getting
an RBI.
In the second game, the Char-
gers couldnt hold off the Lakers
again, though they put up a fght.
Grand Valley earned all three
of their runs, Abraham said.
We didnt give them anything.
Even though Grand Valley
is one of the top teams in the
nation, Abraham said all of the
teams in the GLIAC are very
competitive this year.
Thats the way the GLIAC
has been this year, he said. Lit-
erally anybody can beat anybody.
Grand Valley State is really,
really good, but we played two
close games with them.
Over the weekend, the Char-
gers went 3-1 in a series against
Lake Superior State University
in their frst home games oI the
season.
On Saturday the Chargers
took the frst game 3-0 but were
defeated in the second 9-1.
We just didnt hit the ball [in
the second game], sophomore
catcher Mary Depner said. The
GLIAC is a long-ball conference.
If youre not hitting well, youre
not going to do as well as youd
like.
But in Sundays doubleheader,
the Chargers came back strong
and shut out Lake Superior State
4-0 and 2-0.
'We came back with fre in
our eyes, and we knew what we
needed to do, Depner said. Go-
ing out there, we knew we were
the better team.
Homan had another standout
pitching performance, throw-
ing two shut out games over the
weekend. And in Sundays 4-0
victory, she threw a no-hitter.
'Our pitching is on fre,
Depner said. As a catcher be-
hind the plate, I didnt have to do
a lot of work back there.
Depner said the atmosphere of
playing at home was also helpful.
She said with the new outfeld
fence and batting cages, a game-
day crew to tidy up the feld, and
an announcer, the team had a lot
of fun.
It was different, she said.
Weve never really gotten that
kind of attention as a team.
The Chargers will face Ferris
State University in away games
on Friday and Saturday.
!
SOFTBALL
From A8
Students enter with minimal experi-
ence, leave with love for the sport
The Hillsdale College soft-
ball team, led by senior Laura
Homans strong pitching perfor-
mance, split a doubleheader with
nationally-ranked Grand Valley
State University yesterday, bring-
ing their GLIAC record to 8-4.
The Chargers shut out the
Lakers, ranked No. 14 in the
nation, 3-0 in the frst game. But
Grand Valley came out on top in
the second game 3-2.
'The whole key to the frst
game was how Laura pitched,
head coach Joe Abraham said.
She pitched her way out of a
couple tough jams.
Homan said her pitching felt
right in last weekends series
against Lake Superior State
University.
I felt that in my pitching I
was hitting my spots, she said.
I think its just an adjustment
and it takes a while to get back
on balance. I just clicked.
Homan also commended
freshman pitcher Katie Ardrey
on a strong performance in the
second game.
Homan also had a big game
offensively with three hits in four
at-bats and two runs scored. Se-
nior frst baseman Jen Berlet also
had an outstanding game with
three hits in four at-bats and two
RBIs. Abraham said the Chargers
also played solid defensively.
Abraham said the team has
been batting in two to four runs a
game. He said he hopes the team
will improve its batting in prac-
tice, while also noting the women
have shown improvement in base
running.
We ran the bases really well,
and we were aggressive, and that
got us one oI our runs in the frst
game, he said. We played a
very good mental game in both
games.
It was the aggressive base
running that helped secure one
of Hillsdales runs in the third
inning oI the frst game. Senior
Jessica Guertin doubled, send-
ing Homan to third base, and
then kept running on the throw,
For the frst time in six
years, Hillsdale Colleges base-
ball team beat Grand Valley
State University.
It was just one win, but its
a big win for us, junior third
baseman Scott Lantis said.
The Chargers split a double-
header against rival Grand
Valley on April 3. Though Hill-
sdale lost the frst game 6-4,
they won the second 5-2.
We played with them the
frst game and overcame them
in the second game, freshman
pitcher Shane Armstrong said.
That showed that we can play
anybody if we put all of our
skills together.
Hillsdale led Grand Valley
4-3 until the sixth inning oI the
frst game. The Lakers scored
three times in the following
innings.
Lantis said the men made a
few small errors that cost them
the game.
Senior outfelder Mike
Blanchard had two hits, an
RBI, and one run. Senior catch-
er Chris Stephens, sophomore
frst baseman Matt Pochmara,
and freshman shortstop Nolan
Breymaier had one hit apiece.
Grand Valley opened the
second game with a run but
Hillsdale responded with two
when Blanchard and Lantis
scored. By the Iourth in-
ning, the teams were tied
2-2. Blanchard scored oII oI
Pochmara`s bunt, and Stephens
scored off of Vanchieris single
through the right side.
Assistant coach Eric Theisen
said Pochmara`s bunt was the
turning point in the game.
We pride ourselves on
playing small ball and moving
runners with bunts and steals,
Lantis said. Its something
weve struggled with in the
past. It makes such a big differ-
ence when you can get a runner
in a scoring position.
The Chargers cemented
their win when Lantis doubled
to right feld and Blanchard
scored.
Armstrong pitched six
innings and three strikeouts.
After he allowed two runs in
the frst two innings, he shut
out the Lakers in the last four
innings he pitched. Lantis said
!
BLAKE
SCOTT
Junior Blake Scott is studying international business and
Spanish. He is also the president of the hrearms club and captain
of the Hillsdale College shooting team, which fust won the Divi-
sion III national title.
Tell us about the national competition.
There are six diIIerent events, one per day. We won enough oI
them to win the division title and we also won $15,000 of endow-
ment money for the college. The best part of the team is that only
two of us were competitive shooters before coming to Hillsdale.
So we all started from scratch and have gone to a level where we
can compete nationally and win a Division III title.
What is the format of the tournament?
The events are skeet, international skeet, American trap,
international trap, sporting clays, and fve stand. You do one
each day. Most events are out oI 100 targets, but some oI them
are out oI 50. You can`t just be good at one event. You have to
be well-rounded shooters in every event, and thats why we do
well. Weve been with each other for two weeks straight, so its
been a long trip. We had early mornings. We were up at 5:30 a.m.
several days of the week. Sometimes the competitions last for
two hours. You have to Iocus and ... make that decision: 'I`ve got
to go shoot right now. And then you can take a break, but right
after that youre back into competition again, sometimes twice a
day. We won the title by four targets. So every target mattered.
How did the team hold up?
Most oI us are used to shooting several thousand rounds a
week, so we`re used to that. It`s defnitely mentally taxing more
than anything. Your eyes you have to concentrate Ior a long
amount of time.
What is the difference between events?
Sporting clays and fve stand are targets with diIIerent sizes
and speeds that you get presented on the spot. You have to make
on the spot decisions. Thats a lot harder of a game. Other games
require a lot more precision you know where your target is
going to be generally, but you need a lot of precision. The winner
in that kind of event will be 100 out of 100. Theres a wide range
of skills needed for these events.
How does competitive shooting compare to other sports?
I was on the track team Ior two years. With injuries, I realized
that was physically taxing on the body and that it wasn`t Ior me.
So I chose something where I can compete on the same level.
Shooting has allowed me to do that. It`s pretty similar. You`ll be
practicing many days a week. Even though it`s not a ftness-ori-
ented sport, it still requires a lot of practice. I think that its just as
much of a commitment as any sport on campus, and I think thats
the way the college views it too. You have to practice Iour oI fve
or six times a week, oIten Ior several hours, rain or shine, iI you
want to compete.
Compiled by T. Elliot Gaiser
The Hillsdale College mens
and womens track teams trav-
elled to the Toledo Collegiate
Challenge in Toledo, Ohio, on
March 31.
Coaches said the teams used
the meet as a tune-up for the
season ahead. Good perfor-
mances were turned in by many
athletes on the team, led by
senior Jacob Secors win in the
3000-meter run.
Secors time, 8:31.23, set
both the meet and stadium
records in the 3000.
Freshman Matthew Per-
kins, who also competed in the
3000, fnished third in a time
of 8:40.97. Senior Jeff Wysong
fnished fIth in the 2000-meter
steeplechase in 6:13.98.
Men`s head coach JeII
Forino said sophomore Maurice
Jones continues to do well in
the 200-meter run, fnishing
third place in the event. Senior
Jerry Perkins fnished third in
the 800-meter run and ran close
to a personal record, Forino
said.
'Jerry Perkins had an awe-
some 800, Matt Perkins said.
He looked really strong in
the home stretch and so did
Wysong in the steeple, so when
they are prime they should look
great at conference.
Junior SteIan Bernardi
placed second in the javelin
throw. Bernardi continues to
have strong throws, Forino
said.
Times and fnishes Ior the
meet are not all currently
known. Womens head coach
Andrew Towne said those who
managed the race did not do a
good job. Towne emailed a race
oIfcial to discern the correct
results.
There are people who are
not in [the results], Forino
said. 'People who won events
who are not ranked.
According to the results,
senior Chelsea Wackernagel
placed frst and junior Kayla
Caldwell sixth in the pole vault.
Actually, Caldwell fnished frst
and Wackernagel fnished fIth
for the Chargers.
Everything is hand-written
so it is a bad entry problem,
Forino said.
Besides the results` being
recorded incorrectly, Forino
said that there was a slight
delay because a hammer had
hit one of the judges during the
hammer throw. Because oI the
delay, Senior Catherine Nass
said that she was only able to
have two warm-up throws.
'This was my frst outdoor
meet of the season because I
had an interview last week,
Nass said. I had to let the fact
that I didnt have my normal
amount of throws to warm-up
get to me, but I was able to im-
prove on each of my throws.
Nass fnished Iourth with
a throw of 47.95 meters and
sophomore Shannon Neby
fnished seventh with a throw
of 45.89 meters in the hammer
throw. Sophomore Grace Leu-
theuser set a personal record in
the event with a throw oI 43.76
meters. Forino said that she is
making great improvements.
Junior Victoria McCaIIery
fnished eighth in the 3000-me-
ter run in 10:27.53. McCaIIery
was named GLIAC Track Ath-
lete of the Week last week for
her perIormance in the Black &
Gold Invitational at Vanderbilt
University. Towne said it is
great she is being rewarded for
the hard work she has put forth
and she is becoming a great
leader for the team.
'McCaIIery looked better
and more aggressive, Assistant
Coach Amanda Mirochna said.
She got out strong and you
can tell when she is locked in
because she gets this face that
she is going to kill someone.
Assistant Coach R.P. White
said since this was a smaller
meet, he wanted to use it as a
tune-up for his runners.
It was a good week for
consistency, Nass said. There
were not very many personal
records set, but people were
very close to them and showed
that we are solid athletes.
Sarah Anne Voyles
Collegian Reporter
Sports
5 April 2012
Q & A
Hillsdale splits doubleheader with GVSU
Sally Nelson
Web Editor
(Caleb Whitmer/Collegian)
!
See Softball, A7
Sarah Leitner
Sports Editor
Homan shuts down GVSU hitters
Senior Laura Homan pitched three shut out games
against Lake Superior State University and Grand
Valley State University. (Joe Buth/Collegian)
Secor sets meet, arena record in 3,000
!
See Baseball, A7
The baseball team played their first doubleheader at
home against Grand Valley State University on Tuesday.
(Joe Buth/Collegian)
Although few of the sixteen Hillsdale College
art majors graduating this year plan on investing
their futures solely in traditional art, most plan on
keeping art as a part of their lives for personal en-
joyment or to aid the pursuit of different careers.
Among those continuing their art education,
seniors Nell OLeary and Emma Curtis are attend-
ing traditional art schools in the fall.
OLeary was recently accepted into Studio
Incamminati, a four-year intensive atelier program
in Philadelphia. Only twelve students are accepted
into the program each year.
The schooling is more intense than a grad
school, but I dont receive a masters degree. Its
strictly four years of painting, OLeary said.
The exclusivity is to allow for the very intense
mentor-mentee relationship that the program of-
fers.
In the future, OLeary hopes to stick to
traditional art, but, unlike some of her fellow art
majors, she does not share the same enthusiasm
about a possible career in teaching art.
Its especially hard to teach in the arts because
you have to see what the students see through
their eyes. To them, they are trying to understand
basically what art is. They have to challenge what
they see versus what they know, OLeary said.
I would really just love to become a professional
artist.
Curtis, like OLeary, plans on attending an
atelier program but at Georgetown Atelier, a small
traditional art school located in Seattle.
Its a really small school, so its a little ex-
clusive. There arent many schools like it in the
country, Curtis said. It focuses on very tradi-
tional technique, which is a really good basis for
anything I want to go into afterwards.
Curtis hopes to teach as a source of income
after attending Georgetown.
Id like to teach art at the high school level,
but Im not entirely sure. I know that I would
love to have my own studio and do commission
works, Curtis said.
Other art major seniors are taking a practical
approach to continuing their love of traditional art
rather than an academic one. Senior Natalie Knud-
sen will continue to refne her sculpture skills by
hopefully working with Associate Professor of
Art Anthony Frudakis as an assistant or student at
his studio in Saline, Mich. Last summer, Knudsen
interned with Frudakis, and worked on the Liberty
Walks Ronald Reagan statue together.
I worked on the little details like the buttons
and the shoelaces of the Reagan statue, Knudsen
said. It was a great experience. I feel honored
and privileged to have gotten to work with him
because he is an amazing sculptor and an even
better human being.
In addition to interning, Knudsen hopes to
continue with her art business.
I have an art business on campus, and I have
my own website, Knudsen said. On campus its
mainly airbrushing and wood burning. I do a lot of
wood burning for fraternity and sorority crests for
initiation. For airbrushing, I did a cape for the pep
band leader, and I airbrush at fundraisers.
Knudsens passion, however, is teaching.
I would love to be an art teacher at some point
because of Professor [Associate Professor of Art]
[Barbara] Bushey. She is just really awesome.
Knudsen recently had an interview with Hills-
dale Academy pertaining to an art teacher position
for ages K-12 and hopes to start in the fall as an
art teacher for them.
There are also art majors who have decided to
pursue careers outside of art, but they intend on
keeping art as a way of relaxing. Senior Anna Wi-
ley, a double major of chemistry and art, will be
going into the feld oI chemistry aIter graduating.
Currently, chemistry is something Im ex-
cited about. I would love to work in the natural
products industry in research and development or
quality control, Wiley said. I guess long term
Im looking towards transitioning to a career in
art. While doing research, you have a million
problems, which can be really stressful, and art is
a great way to relax.
Wiley believes her education in art will help
her in the feld oI chemistry: 'Art heightens your
ability to pay attention to details, which is an es-
sential skill in chemistry.
Whether they have the passion for becoming a
professional artist, teaching art, or even for a dif-
ferent career path, the art majors are determined to
use their creative talents in their everyday lives.
I owe everything that I have accomplished
to my Hillsdale career, OLeary said. My time
here has defnitely nurtured my Iondness Ior the
arts.
sscorzo@hillsdale.edu
Senior Natalie Knudsen works on her sculpture of a hunter killing a lion. Knudsen
worked with Associate Professor of Art Anthony Frudakis last summer and hopes to
work with him again this summer as an assistant. (Joe Buth/Collegian)
A culmination oI Iour years oI work. The fnal
test of mettle and skill. The last hurrah of every art
major: the senior art show.
It is essentially our senior thesis, senior
Alyssa Morrin said. Im kind of nervous because
I dabble, but I like it. Its good to take account and
see what Ive done for four years.
The senior show acts akin to the comprehen-
sive exams in many other subjects, senior Nell
OLeary said. It requires you to pick the best of
your work, in and out of class, as well as to show
a well rounded skill set and also to be able to set
up and show work under pressure.
For some, the show will be the frst time that
their art has been shown to the general public; for
others Iamily will be fying in to see examples oI
art that, living far away, they hadnt yet seen.
Im excited, and Im kind of stressed out
about it because I have German Comps the same
week. My Iamily is fying to see the show Irom
California, senior Natalie Knudsen said.
Four senior women are showing work in the
exhibit opening April 10: Natalie Knudsen, Alyssa
Morrin, Nell OLeary and Theresa Whalen.
Weve got some incredible power, and were
pretty diverse, OLeary said. As a whole were
a great representation of the Hillsdale Art Depart-
ment.
One of Knudsens favorite parts of the show is
seeing the works of her peers from outside of the
classroom environment.
'Some oI the pieces I fnd most interesting
are the ones artists do outside of class, she said.
Its kind of cool to see how they branch out how
they fnd things they are so proud oI to put in their
senior shows. They are taking what they learned
and going further with it.
Each artist fnds some source oI inspiration and
mediums that ft individual tastes. For O`Leary, oil
painting is her medium, and people inspire her.
People. People, faces and bodies because
people are so fascinating, she said. People are
beautiful, I cant help myself. They are my inspi-
ration.
Senior Alyssa Morrin fnds inspiration in more
abstract concepts.
I really like shapes and lines, she said. I
love high contrast things because they are black
and white, and I really like color like bright
colors.
An art show is more than a room of creative
self-expression. It represents the artists own inspi-
ration and perception of the world, which can be
focused for the appreciation of others.
If you like to have professional people watch
you can do that through my paintings because
you can stare at them, and they wont stare back,
OLeary said. It another reason to come to an art
show: to stare and say oh.`

tsawyer1@hillsdale.edu
B1 5 April 2012 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
Painting by Maxine DAmico
Sculpting their futures: art majors after Hillsdale
Samantha Scorzo
Collegian Freelancer
Teddy Sawyer
Collegian Reporter
1. The Prelude
As an art majors senior year approaches, so
does a gargantuan graduation requirement unique
to their department: prepare and participate in a
senior art exhibit that displays the best work of
their entire undergraduate careers.
Theyve been preparing for four years by pro-
ducing work, Professor of Art Sam Knecht said.
But that is just the beginning.
The show will highlight work done in the
program, but also include work done indepen-
dently, Knecht said. 'It`s a balance that refects
the character of the art department as well as
what they are doing independently that might lie
outside of our scope.
Projects currently on display range from serene
landscapes and delicate portraits to a feathered
black cocktail dress by senior Maxine DAmico
and hand-bound books by senior Megan McNeil.
Students get the professional experience of as-
suming primary responsibility for senior shows,
Knecht said. The professors provide a good deal
of coaching and cheering, but its entirely their
project.

2. Senior year
All art majors take a senior capstone course
ART-500, formally titled Senior Exhibit and
Portfolio to acquaint them with business
practices of freelance artists, Knecht said. This
includes specifc projects that have application to
the senior show.
In addition to designing a home studio on a
$5,000 budget (That would be nice muttered
DAmico) and a website, seniors also design busi-
ness cards and write artists statements that are
displayed at the show. Furthermore, they create
online portfolios that represent their best works,
generally corresponding with those displayed in
the show.
Its all about how to approach graduation and
continue to work as an artist, DAmico said.
Thats when we really begin to get our ideas
together, senior Frances Anderson added.
Over the course of the class, students learn
the gallerys mechanics, including how lights are
positioned, walls are moved, and works are hung,
Knecht said.
'They need a unifed, individual look Irom the
placement of the walls down to the title card,
Knecht said. We encourage them to think of their
exhibit as one huge three-dimensional design
problem.
Seniors should also begin considering adver-
tizing, the reception, and most importantly
framing early on. All of these tasks have to be
accomplished independently and are not covered
in the capstone class.
Above all, Iraming poses the most diIfculty
for students. Knecht recommends art majors begin
having their works framed as underclassmen to
avoid eleventh-hour panics.
Students can order frames online, have them
proIessionally done in specialty stores, fnd in
second-hand or craft stores, or make them from
scratch.
But its really expensive and time consuming
no matter how you go about it, DAmico said.

3. The Mad Dash
Were all going crazy, senior Moriah Mor-
gan said. Well, I am.
But we have it under control, DAmico
added.
Its just . . . busy, Morgan said.
Seniors only get 48 hours to load in work, get
it all arranged, presented, and attached to walls,
Knecht said.
In the two-day dash to assemble the exhibit,
students frst run around and pull nails out oI the
walls, hang their pictures, and set the lights. They
then add and adjust details ranging from title
cards and guest books to Iresh fowers.
I remember seeing friends all stressed out
over it, DAmico said. So were working slowly
and steadily, making the process of assembling
everything much easier.
Tory Cooney
Copy Editor
ARTS
!
See B2
Senior Art Show
From Inspiration to Fruition
Second group prepares show
(Joe Buth/Collegian)
Above and below: Students from the first senior art show prepare their exhibition. The shows
exhibits students to hang and frame art as well as their artistic abilities. (Joe Buth/Collegian)
ARTS
5 April 2012 B2 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
!
IN FOCUS
PATRICK
TIMMIS
The value of Dickens
Mocking Charles Dickens is a commonplace among the
commonplace. He is sentimental, they say. His prose is too
fowery; his protagonists are impossibly good; navigating
the intricacies oI his storylines is like swimming in molas-
ses. 'Can I have a little depression with my tea? one very
American man said to sum up Dickens. And then comes the
inevitable knockout blow: 'Dickens was paid by the word,
the scoIIer says with fnality, and thereby dismisses the value
oI each and every one oI poor Charles` little breadwinners.
Which is a damn shame, because Dickens was a genius. A
'popular one in his time, true, and marketed to the unwashed
masses. But so was Shakespeare, to whose nostrils daily
ascends incense Irom every academic (and pseudo-academic)
in the West.
To have a respectIul distaste Ior Dickens is Iorgivable.
He was no Hemingway or Steinbeck, and those who exalt
the lean muscle oI the American realist as the peak oI literary
evolution, which drives into extinction the ancestral British
dinosaurs, may underappreciate Dickens` lovely, complicated
tapestries. He was the master oI twists and turns, weaving plot
and subplot with the skill oI a virtuoso composer. His charac-
ters were equally rich, especially the striking supporting casts
surrounding Dickens` Irank, sympathetic heroes. The creeping
Uriah Heep; the despairing Lady Dedlock; the brutal Bradley
Headstone; the unattainable Estella Havisham; and the heart-
breakingly chivalric Sidney Carton all people who, to the
receptive reader, become more real, developed, and memora-
ble than many we encounter in the fesh. When Dickens takes
fIteen or twenty oI these his complex children and turns them
loose to wend their circuitous ways through his thousand-page
maze, he creates a volume that can Ieed the mind and viviIy
the imagination. And yes, Dickens can be sentimental, his
heroes oIten verge on inspirational, and sometimes the body
count oI starving orphans is hard to stomach. But to fippantly
dismiss him and his lurid, comic, joyIul London is a crime,
perhaps even equal to skimping on the Bard`s daily libation.
ptimmmis@hillsdale.edu
Junior Josh Rice cannot re-
member the details surrounding
the frst time he got the idea to
make hand-craIted diner glasses
out oI old wine and beer bottles.
He thinks it was a picture on the
Internet that caught his Iancy.
'I didn`t make them right
away, Rice said. 'I put it oII
because I thought glass cutters
would be too expensive.
The process requires sever-
ing the neck oI the bottle Irom
the wider, sturdier base. Glass
cutters were the obvious tool
to use, but ,in their absence,
Rice researched other options.
One method, Rice remembered,
required tying alcohol-soaked
twine around the place where the
cut would be, lighting the string
on fre, and then dunking the
whole contraption into ice water.
The rapid change in temperature
causes the glass to break, leaving
a somewhat ragged edge.
ThankIully Rice never had
to try this method. He stumbled
upon a Iour-dollar pair oI glass
cutters at a store in Hillsdale,
Mich., and was thereIore armed
to start working.
His method is similar to the
string method in that it, too, uses
rapid change in temperature.
However, rather than lighting
an alcohol-covered string on
fre, Rice scored the glass with
his glass-cutters, then held the
bottle over a candle Ior a Iew
seconds beIore dunking it in ice
water. This time when the top oI
the bottle snapped away it leIt a
much cleaner edge.
Rice said he still sands the
rim oI the bottle aIter cutting
it to make certain no rough
crevices or glass shards will give
Iuture drink-guzzlers a painIul
surprise.
The fnished glasses are pri-
marily lined up on a shelI in his
room, minus a Iew that he has
given away as giIts to Iriends.
There is an extensive variety.
The basic beer bottle, brown and
smooth and simple, the Iancier
bourbon bottle clear glass
with a heavy base and the
dark green gin tonic bottle with
the thickest glass of all. The
glasses that Rice makes out oI
the gin tonic bottles are shaped
more queerly than the rest,
because the thick glass makes a
perIect cut almost impossible,
but the bite-sized swoops in the
glass give character and add
interest.
'Ordinary beer bottles aren`t
really that interesting once you
take the label oII, Rice said.
But he has two sets oI Iour
glasses craIted out oI the dark-
brown, Guiness Black Lager
beer bottles that have the logo
oI the company etched along the
base oI the glass. Rice said these
sets are Ior sale between fve
and 10 dollars a set Ior any
creative soul who wants to leave
dish-ware normalcy behind Ior
a time.
Senior Luke Sanders, one oI
the lucky Iew who has received
one oI these unique drinking
glasses Irom Rice, said the giIt
was custom-made and personal-
ized.
'Each is distinct, he said.
'Here we are just drinking all
this alcohol and throwing the
bottles away or stacking them
on the counter. Then Josh comes
along and fnds a creative use Ior
them.
Rice said that until now he
has had little experience hand-
crafting things.
'I`ve been a largely unartistic
person, he said.
The glasses, however, tell
a diIIerent story. Rice turns
trash into something that is not
only useIul, but interesting and
beautiIul as well. A new kind oI
recycling.

awood@hillsdale.edu
Abi Wood
Copy Editor
A new kind of recycling
In my mind, Tarsem Singh
was one oI the most creative
directors oI my generation. His
2006 flm 'The Fall relies on
unknown actors, rich colors,
eclectic settings, and bril-
liant writing. We`re talking
about stories within stories on
par with 'Primer and 'The
Prestige and an 'every shot a
pearl quality that makes the
entire piece like an uninter-
rupted music video.
When I heard there were
dueling remakes oI the classic
Iairy tale Snow White posed
Ior release, I must admit, brand
loyalty biased me in Iavor oI
Tarsem`s 'Mirror, Mirror over
Rupert Sanders` 'Snow White
and the Huntsman. This time,
Tarsem`s latest flm would
Ieature huge names like Julia
Roberts and Sean Bean. He had
a budget. He had a storyline
riIe with possibilities Ior cre-
ativity.
He blew it.
The dialog was one string
oI 'believe in yourselI cli-
ches, making any connection
between the characters and
audience utterly impossible.
The flm suIIered Irom George
Lucas` Jar-Jar Binks syndrome
in 'Phantom Menace: not only
was it not Iunny, but it thought
it was Iunny. There were not
one, not two but fve distinct
instances oI various characters
standing about in their under-
wear. In two oI these scenes,
the queen is trying to avoid
being attracted to the under-
wear-garbed prince. It wasn`t
Iunny the frst time. The horse
was not only dead, but he was
lying in the ditch beside the
road with fies and mangy buz-
zards circling and the hazmat
crew already on call when they
started beating the humorless
carcass.
The trope-erifc predict-
ability continued bludgeoning
the audience, scene aIter scene.
One oI the dwarves is attracted
to Snow White, and, in no
Iewer than six reeking scenes,
he mutters some line about get-
ting together with her, beIore
getting elbowed by another
dwarI. At a wedding scene
replete with huge hoop skirts,
guess where the dwarves were
hiding?
II this movie were a box oI
cereal, it would be as iI Tarsem
and Co. went down Predictable
Aisle and pulled tasteless boxes
oI Captain Trope and Frosted
Motifs, repackaging them in
colorIul branding in order to
spring them upon the unsus-
pecting audience.
Worst oI all, the overt
preaching oI what Hollywood
seems to think the American
consensus is only ended up
demonstrating how utterly out
oI touch leItist Hollywood
actually is. Its attempt at
cultural relevance was limited
to starving villagers protesting
taxes, led by a local magistrate
dressed in Tea Party-esque
tricorn hat, a reference to the
2008 bailouts 'too small to
Iail. There is repeated lam-
basting oI the queen`s use oI
taxes Ior 'greed and vanity.
But the queen is hardly the
terriIying fgure oI Disney`s
classic. Instead oI portray-
ing evil, the queen is stupid,
incompetent, and crazy. It`s as
though her personal insecurity,
not any Iorm oI moral corrup-
tion, drives her to have Snow
White killed.
The whole flm is a hol-
low edifce without creativity,
artistry, or value.

tgaiser@hillsdale.edu
Nothing to see in
this mirror
T. Elliot Gaiser
Opinions Editor
Junior Josh Rice uses a glass cutter to transform an old
beer bottle into a stylelized drinking glass. His variety of
handmade glasses are for sale. (Elena Salvatore/Collegian)
Auditions were held last weekend Ior the opening musical oI
the Hillsdale Community Theatre`s 2012 season. The play, Sweet
Charity, is a classical American musical comedy by Neil Simon, said
Director Trinity Bird.
Bird, who is also the assistant editor at the Hillsdale Daily News,
has volunteered at the Sauk Theater and with HCT Ior fIteen years.
Sweet Charity will be his 21st show.
'Sweet Charity tells the adventures oI Charity Hope Valentine,
a girl who wants to be loved,` Bird said. 'The play begins with
Charity on a date in Central Park. AIter her date throws her in the
lake and steals her money, Charity begins to wonder what she must
do to fnd true love.
She meets an Italian movie star and fnally a sweet, shy man
named Oscar Lindquist.
'It`s the heaviest dance show we`ve done in quite a while, Bird
said. 'It`s an emotional journey both Iunny and heartbreaking.
Rehearsals begin the week oI April 9. PerIormances run June 7-10
and 14-17 at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville, Bird said.
Bird said during auditions he was looking Ior actors with depth
who could also sing and were coordinated while dancing. He said no
experience is necessary to participate in any HCT play.
Bird said he encourages anyone, including college students, to
participate regardless oI experience.
'I love working with people who have never done a show be-
Iore, he said. 'I love teaching and molding them.
Although HCT and the Hillsdale College theater department oIten
borrow costumes and props Irom each other, Bird said not many
students participate, especially Ior summer productions.
In the late 70s, HCT and the Hillsdale theater department per-
Iormed a couple oI joint musicals.
'I would like to do that again, Bird said. 'It`s just a matter oI
time and scheduling.
Emily Sarver, `10, started participating in HCT productions the
summer aIter she graduated. She started by playing piano in the pit
orchestra Ior Bye Bye Birdie in the summer oI 2010 and The King
and I in May 2011. She then acted in The Drowsy Chaperone in
August 2011.
'I didn`t really know about it as a student, said Sarver, special
assistant Ior research and programs Ior External AIIairs. 'It`s been a
wonderIul experience. I never had the opportunity beIore.
Sarver said it would have been hard to ft in rehearsal time while
in school.
Michael Jordan, proIessor oI English, agreed.
He said he would encourage students to get involved in HCT
productions only iI they have extra time in their schedules. Rehears-
als run Ior at least a Iull month Irom 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Iour nights a
week.
He said these late-night rehearsals oIten keep his 13-year-old son,
John William Jordan, up late, but the late nights are worth the experi-
ence.
John William Jordan has acted in Iour HCT plays and hopes to
participate in the last play oI the 2012 season, It`s A WonderIul LiIe:
A Live Radio Play.
'I got into it because I thought iI you were in a play you were
instantly Iamous, he said. 'Then it just stuck. I would have started
sooner iI I knew how Iun it was.
Sarver said participating in HCT is a wonderIul part oI her liIe
and allows her to see valuable aspects oI the community.
She said she enjoys participating in the community theater in part
because oI the interaction with people Irom all walks oI liIe.
'The people there have more personality, more oI an age range,
and a broader range oI experience than you fnd at Hillsdale |Col-
lege|, she said. 'The Hillsdale community is rich and vibrant. You
don`t see that going to Walmart.
Sarver said she wishes Hillsdale students could get involved to
know more about the community.
Auditioning Ior most plays includes singing 16 bars oI a ballad
or up-tempo song, preIerably Irom a Broadway musical. Auditions
also include a cold reading Irom the script and, in the case oI dance
productions like Sweet Charity, a short piece oI choreography.
'The Sauk Theater is a little more laid back without sacrifcing
quality, Sarver said. 'I know I`ll stay involved as long as I`m in
Hillsdale.
The rest oI the HCT season includes The 25th Annual Putnam
County Spelling Bee in August, ProoI in September, 1776 in October
and It`s A WonderIul LiIe: A Live Radio Play in December. Tickets
Ior each show go on sale two weeks prior to opening.

ejohnston@hillsdale.edu
SAUK THEATER
HOLDS AUDITIONS
Emily Johnston
Senior Reporter

4. The Display
But the night or very early morning beIore the exhibit
opens, senior art majors can leave the gallery proud oI a proIes-
sional job beautiIully done. And all they have leIt to Iret about is
the reception, which, comparatively and oIten literally, is a piece
of cake.
'It`s tons oI time, said Anderson, whose parents travelled 12
hours to attend the show. 'The amount oI time I spent on title
cards alone is impressive.
II a statistician included the amount oI time spent produc-
ing the artwork, the hours that go into each and every show are
countless, Morgan said.
'You can`t attach a number to it, senior art major Rebecca
Brill said.
But the senior shows do exactly what the Art Department
wanted to do, Knecht said.
'It shows oII the program and makes evident the individual
creativity oI each graduating arts student.

vcooney@hillsdale.edu
!
ART SHOW
From B1
The movement had its hay
day from approximately
1820 to 1850.
It took a while for an
East coast trend to make
its way into the boonies in
Michigan, Sam Knecht said.
The house typifes many
traits of the architectural
movement. The steep gables,
for example, echo elements
of gothic architecture from
the Middle Ages.
In 2006, the Knechts
added an art studio for
Sam Knechts work. When
building it, they attempted
to mimic the style of the
original building.
The major natural light
source has an arched top that
echoes the windows in the
main house, Sam Knecht
said.
The freplace across Irom
the main window - not just
the many paintings in the room - shows
Sam Knechts careful handiwork.
'He built the freplace Irom rocks he
collected in Hillsdale County, Melissa
Knecht said.
The outside of the house required
close detailing and a tremendous amount
of work in order to restore the brick,
porch, moulding, and so on. It took Sam
Knecht an entire summer to repaint and
redo each side of the house.
snelson1@hillsdale.edu
Mike Harner reminisces about dating, the origins of the Hillsdale Sigma Chi chapter,
and the difficulties of getting a couch onto the roof of a campus building
SPACES
B3 5 April 2012 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
In Their Eyes
Sarah Leitner
Sports Editor
A
ssistant to the President
Mike Harner 82 received a
lot more than an education
when he chose to attend Hillsdale Col-
lege because of what he described as a
fortuitous accident.
Harner said he had been planning
on attending the Air Force Academy,
but after a visit to campus, decided to
attend Hillsdale instead. Now Harner
looks back fondly on Hillsdale as the
place that gave him his wife, his educa-
tion, his career, and his friends.
I trace every good thing in my life
from that point forward to my educa-
tion here, he said.
An English major and history minor,
Harner said he thought the academics
were just as hard then, though he said
the demands of the core requirements
have increased.
As an English major, I could spend
a lot of time taking English courses
without having to take Bio 201, he
said.
Harner pointed to two of his profes-
sors at Hillsdale that took an interest in
him and pushed him to be the best he
could be.
You should go into the Navy,
one said to Harner. Youre cut out for
that.
And Harner was in the Navy for 20
years after that.
[Those professors] gave me a love
for the written word, and a love for this
countrys history, he said.
Harner also met his wife at Hills-
dale. Harner said he noticed her the
second or third week of school and
from then on was always aware of her
presence.
Nancy, whos that? he asked one
of his friends.
About a year-and-a-half later, Harn-
er said they were in a class together
when he formed a plan.
Harner was injured at the time and
on crutches, so he went down to Olds
Dormitory to borrow notes. When he
asked if he could stay in Olds and copy
them hoping to buy more time with
her she said she would come back
for them later.
The plan didnt go well, he said.
I wasnt able to work my magic.
The following fall, Harner asked
her to a Halloween party. Although she
couldnt attend then, she suggested they
try to get together another time.
That was all the encouragement I
needed, Harner said.
Harner said the way people date on
campus was different than it is now
there was no courting going on.
We actually went on dates back
then, he said. Im of the opinion that
most guys in Hillsdale [now] are idiots
and the girls are just slightly smarter in
this regard.
Harner said he has Hillsdale to thank
not only for his wife, but also for some
of the best friends and the best men he
knows.
It was with some of those men that
he reestablished the fraternity Sigma
Chi on campus. With a group of 11
men, Harner went to the administration
and presented why they thought there
should be another fraternity on campus.
The idea was we could do this a
little better or a little differently, he
said.
So, they began the process of decid-
ing which fraternity they wanted to
establish on campus. They reached out
to friends at other schools in differ-
ent fraternities. When they traveled to
Evansville, Ill., to talk to the Sigma Chi
chapter there, they brought out Hills-
dales original charter. Harner said that
Sigma Chi also seemed to match up
with the ideals that they had discussed.
That kind of made it a kismet, he
said.
The Hillsdale chapter was chartered
in September of Harners junior year
and welcomed 33 members. The house
they lived in was not the current house
but one across campus. They lived
there one year and then bought the
current house when the resident living
in it passed away and the house became
available through the estate. In order to
buy the house, the members sold bonds
to friends and family.
Harner said the social scene really
revolved around fraternities when he
went to school, though he said what
students do for fun has really not
changed that much.
The alums that say, They dont
have fun anymore, Im not seeing
that, he said. Im just not seeing
that.
Some changes that Harner said
he has seen on campus are the Greek
system becoming less prominent
shrinking from about 50 percent of
campus to 25 percent and the music
program expanding from only 50
students. Faith, he said, has also taken
a much larger role on campus. When
he attended school, he said the Catholic
student group was about 30 kids, and
InterVarsity had probably nine mem-
bers.
Harner said one thing that hasnt
changed is the thrill of exploring for-
bidden areas on campus. One building
in particular, Worthing Hall, provided
a temptation for students, he said. The
building stood between where Central
Hall and the Dow Science building
are today. The school was planning on
knocking it down and had removed the
staircases.
They thought that was the solu-
tion, he said. But what it became
was, Can you get to the roof of Worth-
ing Hall? Some industrious students
actually got a couch up there.
Harner was also involved in several
other areas of campus during his time
as a student. He was on the football
team for two years and the golf team
for three, he worked at Saga, wrote
for the Collegian, and also worked as
a student driver and bartender for the
Dow Center.
Harner said his total football experi-
ence consisted of three plays and he
quit after getting injured. The team was
not very good when he played, he said,
but it got consistently better.
We had good talent, he said. It
was very young, and as it grew up it
turned into a pretty good program.
Harner said his experience working
with the Collegian was also something
he enjoyed. At that time, the staff had
to go to Hudson, Mich., on Wednesday
nights to set the typeface.
I cant remember it ever not being
an early morning endeavor, he said.
The paper is so much better now, but
Collegian reporters are the exact same
people that I worked with on the Colle-
gian. The people who want to write for
papers and do journalism I believe
thats a type.
Harner said all of the activities he
was involved in on campus as well as
the people he met and the classes he
took really defned his college experi-
ence and made him love Hillsdale.
College is such a great experience
for most people that when you look
back on it, you tend to revel in those
things, he said. Im sure bad things
happened to me in college, but I cant
recall what they were.
sleitner@hillsdale.edu

Mike Harner, as pictured in the

1982 yearbook. (Courtesy of the
Winona)
plicity of papers.
How much better to have Hopkins
own language bouncing around in your
head, she said.
Despite her Ph.D., Condict loves
teaching high school students. She said
even as she pursued her doctorate, she
knew that she would stay teaching at
the high school level at least part of the
time. When asked why she liked high
school so much, she said:
Im probably just overly sarcastic.
That works brilliantly well with teenag-
ers. I fnd them tremendously amusing.
I dont necessarily recommend treating
ones class in the cavalier way I do.
She said one of the big differences
between college and high school is that
college students are there because they
want to be there. High-schoolers are
required to attend class.
I have to earn their respect, she
said. It keeps me from getting compla-
cent.
And earn their respect she has. Lantis
and Brady both admitted that the classes
they took with Condict were challeng-
ing, but the rewards were worth the
work.
She makes it easy to love what
youre doing in class, Brady said. She
dares you to match minds with these
people you are reading. Her overwhelm-
ing confdence makes you think you can
do it, and somehow you do.
Brady remembered going through
The Jungle in high school. She said
the book was grueling, but Condict
encouraged the class to forge through
despite that.
We didnt read the last 20 pages be-
cause she said it was a socialist tract and
not worth our time, Brady said, Even
though everyone in the book was dying
off, somehow we survived because of
Miss Condict.
Once, a student who didnt want to do
one of the assignments Condict handed
out threatened to complain to the head of
the Academy, Brady said.
[Miss Condict] replied: Oh, please
do. Rage against the machine! And then
she kissed him on the forehead.
Condicts Ph.D. doesnt change the
way she behaves in the high-school set-
ting. In fact, she doesnt like for her high
school students to call her Dr. Condict.
To the Academy students, she is simply
Miss Condict.
She wants the focus to be on the
students education, not on hers, Brady
said. Obviously [her doctorate] is an
incredible accomplishment, but it is not
like she lets that defne her. We are being
taught by Ellen Condict, whether she has
miss or doctor in front of her name.
awood@hillsdale.edu
!
CONDICT
From B4
!
HOUSE
From B4
(Sally Nelson/Collegian)
SPACES
B4 5 April 2012 www.hillsdalecollegian.com
LIVING IN A GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Hillsdale Academy teacher Ellen Condict discusses the poetry of
Gerard Manley Hopkins during an honors seminar held at her home.
(Shannon Odell/Collegian)
Sally Nelson
Web Editor
Hillsdale Academy professor challenges and charms
students at both the high school and college levels
Artist and professor Sam Knecht and his family rennovated and now enjoy one of Hillsdales most unique houses
A
rt professor Sam Knecht did a painting
of a white house with a red roof in the
mid-1980s.
Now, Sam and Melissa Knecht - associate
professor of music - live in that house on Union
Street with their 10-year-old twin daughters Lydia
and Katherine. Sam Knecht completed the paint-
ing almost 20 years before he bought the house
with Melissa Knecht.
I personally was enchanted by the house
long ago, he said. I like to call it capricious or
whimsical.
The now green with red and yellow trim house
looks remarkably like a gingerbread house, with
its gables, ornate trim, arched window frames,
and columns.
People in the town hall have remarked that
its the oddest, most interesting house in the city,
Sam Knecht said.
The couple purchased the home in 1998 after
they were married. To the best of their knowl-
edge, the house was built in approximately 1867.
Its been owned by four families, Melissa
Knecht said.
But by a series of MacRitchies, not just one,
Sam Knecht said.
After only a few years in the home, the
original owner decided to move south for health
reasons. On the train, the owner met a member of
the MacRitchie family. The men struck up a deal
on the train and traded houses on the spot.
And thats how the MacRitchies came up
from Georgia, Melissa Knecht said.
Or so weve been told, Sam Knecht said.
A few siblings were the last of the MacRitchie
dynasty to live in the house. The Knechts said
the siblings divided the house amongst them-
selves and turned most of the closets into bath-
rooms to keep their zones divided.
The Wallace family moved into the house after
the MacRitchies moved out in the mid-1980s.
Melissa said that the family took back the ceil-
ings the MacRitchie siblings lowered and added
wood foors. AIter the Wallaces, two men turned
the house into a bed and breakIast briefy during
the 1990s.
By the time the Knechts acquired the house,
Melissa Knecht said, most rooms were pink:
bright pink, purple pink, orange pink, etc.
The master bathroom had a heart-shaped tub
with mirrors on the walls, Sam Knecht said.
Sam Knecht, as an artist and a handyman,
took the home to a new level with renovation and
restoration, Melissa Knecht said.
Inside the house, the Knechts replaced the gau-
dy paint from previous owners with less obtrusive
colors that now accent the hardwood foors and
original wood doors.
Using his skills as a painter, Sam Knecht
simulated many materials through various faux
fnishes. On the wooden doors, Ior example, he
simulated the original burl wood veneers. Under-
neath the living room mantle and in one of the
bathrooms, he imitated the look of marble with
his painting techniques.
The faux marble in the bathroom probably
took 40 hours, Sam Knecht said.
The plaster moulding in the music room is one
of the features that distinguishes the house as part
of the Victorian Gothic architecture movement.
S
he met me at the door with her
hair piled high on her head, mi-
nus the few escapee curls that
had sprung down against her shoulders.
Her dark glasses perched in a scholarly
manner upon her nose.
She welcomed me in, pointing me to
the green settee in her living room, and
asked, May I offer you some tea?
Beloved by her students, Ellen
Condict, a high-school teacher at the
Hillsdale Academy, has the ability to
teach at a college level, but remains in
highschool because she loves inspiring
students at that age.
She loves tea, fnds nail polish
wretched, and has an eye for interior
design as evidenced by her tastefully
colorful and eccentric little home. She
talks faster than most people, and daily
she inspires her students to love both
literature and learning.
Condict switched trajectories early
in life she didnt always desire to
spend late nights with her nose buried
in books and student papers.
She went into college to be a busi-
ness major, but switched to English
halfway through her undergraduate
degree because she realized literature
was her passion.
She didnt think she would love
teaching, but was launched into the
world of high-school education directly
after graduating from college. Soon,
she grew to love it.
Condict entered graduate school
with the intention of getting her
masters, and ended up pursuing and
achieving a Ph.D. in medieval English
literature.
She has lived all over the U.S., from
Alaska to Texas, and brings the scent of
that variety with her to Hillsdale, where
she has now lived and worked for the
last four years.
Sophomore Elizabeth Brady, a
former student of Condicts, described
the frst day Condict taught class at the
Hillsdale Academy.
It was just an average classroom,
she said. But she came in with her
blue, satin pillow and set it down on
her chair before she took a seat. She
sits there with her teapots and teacups
lined up on the desk in front of her and
discusses literature. She was the frst
teacher who ever really brought us into
her world. She seemed to bring this
kind of fantasy; it was really enchant-
ing.
This semester Condict started teach-
ing at Hillsdale college, beginning
with a seminar on the English poet
Gerard Manley
Hopkins. She
brings the col-
lege students
into her world
in the same
way Brady
described her
welcoming the
high-schoolers.
'The frst
order of class is
tea, said junior
Elizabeth Anne
Odell, who is
taking the seminar.
She described a typical class,
beginning with reading the poems and
moving on to discussing the literature.
Odell said Condict is always very pre-
pared, coming to the frst lecture with
pages of single-spaced, well-researched
notes. But she also encourages students
to voice their opinions and observations
in class.
The way she presents the mate-
rial is so rich that you realize you have
to be really serious about it to grasp
everything, Odell said.
Freshman Heather Lantis, another
former Hillsdale Academy student, said
Condict was indeed strict, but she had a
way of inspiring students to rise to the
challenge of her class. Condict requires
her students, both high-school and col-
lege, to memorize and recite portions
of the literature they study. She prefers
this to having students write a multi-
A love for literature and tea
Abi Wood
Copy Editor
In 1998, Professor of Art Sam Knecht and his wife Associate Professor of Music Melissa Knecht discovered this little gem of a house in Hillsdale. They learned about its history,
scraped the pink paint off the walls, and lovingly transformed the house. Sam Knecht used his paintbrush to both restore various parts of the house, and to create faux finishes on
some parts of the house, such as marble in the bathroom. (R) He and his wife stand with their twin daughters in his studio in the house. (Sally Nelson/Collegian)
!
See HOUSE, B3
!
See CONDICT, B3