grand Valley defeated again

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Michigans oldest college newspaper

Vol. 135, Issue 2 - 15 Sept. 2011

www.hillsdalecollegian.com

Students, faculty, soldiers honor 9/11 victims

new grad school accepting applications

Emily Johnston Senior Reporter This summer, the Hillsdale College Graduate Program of Statesmanship earned its official accreditation. Now, it can officially start accepting applications for its first class, which will enroll fall 2012. Though applications arent due till mid-January, the school has already received several, said Ronald Pestritto, graduate dean and associate professor of politics. I have received an encouraging number of inquires, Pestritto said. Early indications are very promising. The school will graduate students with a masters or doctorate in politics. Pestritto said the first graduate class will most likely consist of four to six doctorate students and 10 masters students. While these students will attend classes on the main part of campus, they will all have to find their own off-campus housing. Provost David Whalen said the effect on campus will be minimal, with the small size of the program making it easy to integrate it into ordinary campus life. The primary difference is that the campus will be overrun with facial hair, Whalen said. Graduate students and facial hair seem to go together. Other than that, Whalen said his job as adviser and consultant will remain unchanged next year. Pestritto said once the graduate program starts next fall, he will shift his focus to the admission process and teaching courses. Over the past few years, the politics department has expanded its faculty slowly to increase the number of courses it can offer, so that no classes will be taken away from undergraduate students. Our undergraduate work will change very little, Pestritto said. Assistant Professor of Politics John Grant said his undergraduate students will remain his focus. He will only teach one graduate class per year. Some professors have specific jobs associated with the graduate program. Grant defined his job as the departmental bibliographer. Grant compiles lists of the primary and secondary texts the politics professors plan on using in their classes next year. He has

Morgan Sweeney Copy Editor Nearly 3,000 American flags lined sidewalks in front of Central Hall on Sunday, setting the tone for the Sept. 11 memorial service. This year marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a day commemorated every year at Hillsdale College. This years ceremony made its mark in new ways. The themes of unity through remembrance and honoring those who sacrifice to preserve Americas institutions and freedoms ran through the event. It is only through joining together, as millions of Americans are doing today, that we can preserve what is true and good about America, said junior Baillie Jones, president of College Republicans. It is essential that we commemorate -- that we remember together -- that terrible day, said Assistant Professor of History Paul Moreno, the ceremonys keynote speaker. Moreno recalled lessons from Lincoln and the Civil War, one of the most critical points in United States history, and likened it to challenges that America faces today where, once again, precious liberties have been threatened and again, must be defended. Lincoln defended the progress of our arms in his second inaugural address. Moreno emphasized that America remain ever vigilant and prepared. It was the warriors of Athens who made all the rest of Athens possible philosophy, art, history, democracy. And our warriors,

fallen and fighting, make all that we do in America, and especially all that we do at Hillsdale College, possible, Moreno said, referencing Pericles famous funeral oration. If theres one person on Hillsdales campus who shares Morenos convictions about the sacrifice of military men and women, it is Assistant to the Dean of Men Jeffrey Rogers, or Chief as hes affectionately known for his 26 years of naval service. He and College Republicans invited members of the state and city police, EMS, local firemen, and veterans from the American Legion to be a part of the ceremony. I wanted as much of the community involved as possible, Rogers said, an idea with which College Republicans wholeheartedly agreed. Rogers especially wanted those who served on 9/11 to take part. Perhaps the most moving feature of the service was the moment of silence. Three student soldiers freshman Eric Hodgdon and seniors Kelly Field and James Markman, representing the marines, navy, and the army marched in step with Rogers as taps echoed from Central Hall. Everyone looked on as they raised a holiday flag, the largest flag flown on navy ships. Later, they lowered it to half staff, in somber recollection of those who lost their lives that day, and those who since have sacrificed their lives for freedoms sake. I can only say, on this 10th annual commemoration of September 11, that I hope the future annals of Hillsdale College record the hundredth and the thousandth annual commemoration of September 11, Moreno said. So it is to promote memoryhistorythat I speak. see a4

new rush for a new house

Marieke van der Vaart Editor-in-Chief After a year of upheaval and disciplinary measures, Alpha Tau Omega will participate in a delayed rush this year as the fraternitys new leadership tries to rebuild the houses image. ATO will recruit pledges the week after other Hillsdale fraternities host their rush from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30. The fraternitys new president, junior Spenser Murphy said he hopes the delayed rush week will attract the attention of men who might not find a home in the other Greek houses on campus. Were not taking away from other houses, Murphy said. The delayed rush week is a significant step for the chapter that had two classes of men resign from active status last year because the fraternity broke its own rules and leadership members lied to the administration about initiation practices, Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said. Only 11 members of the fraternity are left, mostly sophomores. Those men are trying to address the problems in the house and rebuild it, Murphy said, focusing on the ideals of the fraternity, of brotherhood and molding men to be virtuous. ATO is a values-based fraternity and its values are rooted in Christianity and thats really something were striving to get back to that standard of what a fraternity is supposed to be, Murphy said. Petersen said the fraternity must prove to campus leaders

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Updated core to add science, humanities, logic, and rhetoric

Michael Blank Collegian Freelancer Last spring, Hillsdale Colleges faculty voted on and passed a new core curriculum, which the college will implement in stages as funding becomes available. Intended to strengthen weaknesses of the old core, the revised core modifies old course requirements and adds several new courses, including classical logic and rhetoric, wellness dynamics, and a senior capstone course. The process of revising the core curriculum has taken a long time. Talk about revisions to the core curriculum began not long after Dr. Arnn became president, said Provost David Whalen. Over two years ago, the college put together a task force to address shortcomings in the old core and to examine possible modifications. The object of the task force was to try to address weaknesses in the core, to make the core more fully, more completely fulfill the responsibilities entailed in the mission statement. This task force worked for two years before rolling out to the faculty at large a proposed plan, Whalen said. In January, after feedback from the faculty, the task force proposed their plan to the Education Policies Committee, which reviews academic proposals, and then to the faculty assembly. In April, the assembly approved the revisions to the core. Implementation will take a while, Whalen said. Its dependent on funding, and because there are increased faculty positions, youll have to do some hiring. Whalen said that the additions to the core will be put into bundles, and then implemented one or two bundles at a time. He also stressed that the new core will not affect any students already attending the college. Some as yet unmatriculated entering freshman class will be the first to encounter the core. The changes to the core requirements occur in many different disciplines. In the sciences, three threecredit science classes: biology, physics, and chemistry, will replace the old four-credit courses: physical science and biological science. The three new courses will rely on lectures, with some lab components. Professor of Chemistry Christopher Van Orman, dean of sciences, said that under the current system, physics and chemistry receive only seven weeks of teaching time, which does not give professors the opportunity to integrate the sciences with other aspects of the core curriculum. Having the three new courses

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that its intention to change is genuine. They have a credibility problem, Petersen said. Theyre trying to break free of their reputation. Petersen said his office has tried to help support the new leaderships claims. Sophomore Cody Eldredge, the fraternitys secretary, philanthropy chair, and alumni relations chair, said Petersens involvement has been encouraging and necessary. Contrary to what people might have heard, the administration is not trying to hinder our progress, Eldredge said. Its trying to help us. Petersen said he hopes the fraternity will develop strongly this semester. The house has been on social probation for almost a year. I want to seem them thriving on campus thriving visibly on campus from their principles, Petersen said. Not just survive in a charade. When two classes of ATO men deselected for disciplinary reasons within six months of each other, Murphy said president Larry Arnn sat down with the active members last semester to talk seriously about the future of the fraternity. Murphy said Arnn gave them a choice. If we stuck with it and it didnt change, the consequences were going to be very big for everyone in the house, he said. They could either leave the fraternity, or commit to reforming it. All but two members stayed.

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