Local News in Hillsdale County
Community news from our local sources
Hillsdale County 41 storiesWiden to Greater Hillsdale
‘Full of charm’: Charlie Brown musical opens
The “Peanuts” Gang looks up at the stars. Courtesy | Austin Thomason The “Peanuts” crew comes to the stage of Markel Auditorium in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” Sept. 23-27. The musical, with music by a live orchestra, centers on a day in the life of Charlie Brown with…
Q&A: Craftsman talks God, work, and YouTube
Courtesy | Scott Wadsworth Scott Wadsworth is a carpenter and blacksmith with decades of experience. His YouTube channel, “Essential Craftsman,” where he uploads videos of himself building, repairing, and giving advice on craftsmanship, has nearly 1.9 million subscribers.…
Don Tocco to put on 25th annual challenge this fall
Don Tocco throws a football at his sports competition in 2022. Courtesy | Linnea Shively Businessman and friend of the college Don Tocco will host his 25th annual challenge, giving student clubs a chance to compete for their share of up to $100,000. This year’s “Tocco Challenge”…
Meet the students who make homecoming
When homecoming week arrives, students see the banners hanging, teams rehearsing, and the competitions ready to begin. For the Student Activities Board team, it has been months in the making. Sophia Rome ’25, director of student activities, knows both sides of that experience.…
Students visit Cedar Point
A camel and a coaster. Courtesy | Electra Fire Some students petted camels while others screamed on some of the world’s tallest and fastest roller coasters during the Student Activities Board’s Cedar Point trip Sept. 12. Cedar Point is an amusement park next to Lake Erie in Ohio.…
‘Some sort of whimsy’: Students start bird club
Birds, birds, birds. For a new student club, the bird is the word. Led by president and junior Brandon Meeks, the group of 20 began assembling last semester when Meeks placed posters around campus to generate interest. Every Saturday, members go on a birding expedition, usually…
Babysitters build mudpies and sing Gregorian chants
From left to right: Britta Slayton, Sylvie, Clara, and Luke. Courtesy | Britta Slayton When junior Britta Slayton started babysitting in Hillsdale two years ago, she didn’t expect the kids she watched to tell stories about her. “I watched one of my families around three weeks ago…
Students drive in style
Ross Phelps’s parents with their Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Courtesy | Valerie Ellis Students bought snazzy hot rods and rare classic cars by working around the clock and selling baby calves. Junior Ross Phelps has a 1992 red Chrysler LeBaron convertible. It was most recently…
Quick Hits: Jared White
White and Jason Yancey conduct puppets. Courtesy | Kate Berry In this Quick Hits, Associate Professor of Spanish Jared White talks soccer, puppetry, and Halloween. What’s your favorite part of teaching Spanish at Hillsdale? I’ve taught at other institutions, and I’ve had some…
Ruins, cathedrals, and mountains: Students earn credits in Italy
Senior Ellie Fromm and junior Georgie Tillman at the Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum. Courtesy | Phoebe Warren The best two credits I’ve ever earned at Hillsdale College I got by spending three weeks in Italy. Assistant Professor of History Anna Vincenzi and independent study…
Council debates BPU appointment
Tensions rose at the Hillsdale City Council meeting as council members debated Mayor Scott Sessions’ suggestion of himself as a candidate for an open poistion on the Board of Public Utilities. At the Sept. 21 meeting, the council considered the self-nomination of Sessions to the…
From Hong Kong to MI: Hope College professor reflects on ‘Ode to Joy’
Samuel Pang conducts students. The Collegian | Elizabeth Caneday In a Musical Forum lecture, students sang “Ode to Joy” in two-part harmony and watched a video of gang violence in Hong Kong. Samuel Pang, assistant professor of music and director of orchestras at Hope College,…