the

Thinking outside of the

box since 2003

hillsdale
forum
.

March 2013

optimism and
ideology - page 8
women on the
front lines - page 10
rhinos rampant in
washington - page 22
novelists on
campus - page 23

October2012

Contents

Volume XIII, Issue III, March 2013

Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Wes Wright

Conservative Features
4 A Biblical Critique of Liberal Arts Rachael Wierenga
As her time at Hillsdale comes to a close, a former
editor-in-chief reflects on faith, philosophy, and the
liberal arts.
6 Intervention in Mali James Inwood
Should the United States intervene in Malis civil
war? Inwood says it would be a bad idea.
8 Conservative Optimism Sam Ryskamp
Ryskamp argues that conservatives should embrace
their irrationally hopeful view of the world, rejecting
the movement towards pragmatism and pessimism.
10 Women in the Military Lauren Wierenga
Feminist cries for fairness ignore the multitude of
physical differences between men and women on
the battlefield.
12 Women on the Front Lines Emma Vinton
The Pentagon recently changed its policy regarding
women in combat. Vinton argues that women should
have the right to pursue their vocation, be that on
the battlefield or elsewhere.

Campus Features
15 Professors iPod Chris McCaffery

What melodies inspire such harsh grading? Dr.

Stephen Smith shares his go-to listening material.
16 Campus Smackdown: Dressing for Class
Two campus fashionistas explain their sense of style
and their philosophies on attire.
18 Americana in My Mouth Micah Meadowcroft
Meadowcroft visits Rays Tavern, eats delicious food,
and has a great time.
22 Reuss on RINOs Andy Reuss
War correspondent Reuss checks in from the
savannahs of DC with observations on the plight of
local wildlife.

Staff Writers

Sam Ryskamp
Corrie Beth Hendon
James Inwood
Rachael Wierenga
Savannah Tibbetts
Chris McCaffery

Editors

Chelsey Schmid
Matt OSullivan

Photographers
Laurie Barnes
Jacob Shalkhauser
Shaun Lichti
Caroline Green

Head Designer
Lauren Wierenga

Business Manager
Ryne Bessemer

Advertisement
Manager
Nate McBride

Photo Editor
Lauren Wierenga

ger

Letter from the Editor: Wes Wright

illsdale College takes pride in the fact that

it is educating the future leaders of the
conservative movement. Students of all disciplines
leave Hillsdale with a firm grounding in Western
heritage and the principles of liberty, destined
to spread the Judeo-Christian, Greco-Roman
truth across the land. Unfortunately, the cultural
homogeneity that makes Hillsdale special also
impedes fulfillment of this goal.
While it is an exaggeration to say that all
Hillsdale students have the same beliefs, it is a
claim based heavily on fact. At Hillsdale, political
disagreement is more often between conservatives
and libertarians (or even monarchists) than the
ideological split common throughout the country.
Our population of Christians is disproportionate
to America as a whole in both number and fervor.
Such demographics create an environment in
which liberals and their beliefs are the subject of
open ridicule.
Mocking liberal beliefs is not the same as
refuting them, however. Building a straw man
and then laughing at it is fallacy masquerading as
superior argument. Insofar as Hillsdale students
surround themselves with like minds, they risk
becoming trapped in their own ideology. The
problem is twofold: first, if other viewpoints contain
elements of Truth, the Hillsdale student will not be
able to pursue that Truth. Second, if one does not
argue, debate, and philosophize with people of
opposing beliefs, one will less effectively critique
ones own ideas. This loss of nuance indicates a

Mission Statement
The Hillsdale Forum is an independent, student-run Conservative
magazine at Hillsdale College. The Forum, in support of the
mission statement of Hillsdale College, exists to promote a
return to limited government as outlined in the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution. We publish Conservative
opinion, editorials, and campus news. The Forum is a vehicle to
bring the discussion and thought of the intelligent students and
professors at the heart of the Conservative movement beyond the
classroom and beyond Hillsdales campus.

failure in the pursuit of Truth.

All too often, Hillsdale students are shocked or
horrified by the policies and basic principles of
those with whom they disagree. Such reactions
reveal the depth of this problem. If one cannot
understand the logic of a particular view one
cannot hope to refute it, let alone convince those
who hold it that it is incorrect. Further, those who
refuse to engage with opposing ideas will be
unable to understand peoples basic motivations in
the public sphere.
Though The Hillsdale Forum is a magazine
of Conservative political thought, it still offers
students a chance to critically engage with
perspectives they might not encounter otherwise.
Take Emma Vintons article, for example. It defends
the Pentagons decision to open front-line combat
positions to women while simultaneously rejecting
the feminist arguments for doing so. Rachael
Wierenga also makes a case seldom heard at
Hillsdale: that Christianity and the liberal arts are
fundamentally at odds. We hope that The Forum
will enable you to pursue truth and defend liberty
during your time at Hillsdale.
We admit that reading this magazine is not the
only road to Truth. Writing, taking pictures, and
helping with Forum layout and design are all good
ways to gain understanding of Truth. Further, if
you are interested in being a future leader of the
conservative movement, working for The Hillsdale
Forum would be a good way to build your resume.
Interested? Contact us at wwright@hillsdale.edu.

Religion & Education

The Bible and the

Liberal Arts, Part II

Photo: dctim1

The over-arching theme of

this three-part series is that the
biblical account should counterbalance
and correct the habits of thinking encouraged by
Hillsdales liberal arts education. Part one noted
the between human wisdom and Gods wisdom.
Part two observes a similar tension between the
classical humanism of the liberal arts and the
Bibles account of human sinfulness. Central
to classical humanism is the belief that man
can do good through his own action an idea
that impedes the full understanding of sin.
Without a full awareness of sin, one cannot fully
comprehend ones need for a Savior, let alone
the proper relationship between man and God.
The liberal arts conflict with the biblical
account of man because they are founded on
the idea that man can limit his own sin. The
premise behind a liberal arts education is that
the soul has faculties that need to be developed
and improved for one to live the good life,
reaching the ends for which he was created.
Education is the method by which one develops
the soul. The liberal arts teach what it is to be
fully human because they are intertwined with
the improvement of the soul. An article in a past
issue of The Hillsdale Forum commended Sir
Phillip Sydneys conception of education (the
end of all earthly learning [is] virtuous action.),
4

By: Rachael Wierenga

writing that Unless we learnthat success lies not only in the
souls enlightenment but in its mending, we will have fallen short
of the goal [of a liberal arts education]. Classical humanism
claims that education can mend the soul.
The liberal arts also claim to limit sin, not just improve
the soul. Hillsdales honor code best phrases this argument:
Through education the student rises to self-government. The
liberal arts are a method of developing and training the soul so
that reason rules over passion. This idea appears throughout
Hillsdales courses of study. For example, one fundamental
facet of American government is the system of checks and
balances that limit the harmful effects of mans imperfection.
Tracy Lee Simmons occasionally teaches a class about
The Classical Humanism of Thomas Jefferson. Classical
Humanism is a philosophy that studies history to understand
mans place within it. The classical humanist sees all of the high
things that humans have done, sees sparks of goodness and
greatness in man, and concludes that man is not corrupted and
sinful. Instead, the classical humanist argues that education can
help fan those sparks into flames. Jefferson, the quintessential
classical humanist, rejected Christ as the Son of God and
interpreted the Bible as a system of moral rules designed to
promote good behavior. The liberal arts, then, say that action

e
II

studying, doing noble things, developing ones reasoncan

help man limit sinful actions and tendencies.
The Bible, on the other hand, says that no action can
attain the perfection that God expects from humans. Limiting
sin is not enough; one must be completely free from it. The
basic doctrine of the Christian gospel is that man is a sinner
who cannot achieve righteousness without putting his faith
in a Savior who has worked to bring about righteousness
on his behalf. Four fundamental facts revealed in the Bible
contradict the liberal arts conception of sin.
First: man is sinful. Man brought sin into the good
world God created, and sin removes man from his proper
relationship with God. In the Garden, Adam and Eve
recognized that God was superior to themthe Creator had
knowingly made them weak and dependent on Him. When
Satan said Adam and Eve would be like gods, this tempted
them, because they wanted
to be more like God and
less like weak humans.
Their action destroyed
the natural relationship
between man and God:
weakness and strength,
need and sufficiency,
asking and receiving. The
liberal arts further strain this relationship because they act
on the belief that man can improve himself of his own will.
Second, Gods standard for humans is perfection.
Christians are supposed to be perfect as [their] heavenly
Father is perfect, not merely limit their sin. In Matthew 5,
Jesus expounds upon the standard of perfection. He says
the person who has looked at a woman with lust in his heart
has committed adultery, the person who feels hate for his
brother in his heart has committed murder, and the person
who loves only those people who please him does not love
at all. Gods standard of perfection is crushing: no amount of
human effort can achieve it.
Third, God is God and man is not. Perfection can only
be realized when man achieves the end for which he was
created: to be in a relationship with God. As Deuteronomy
18:13 says, You shall be perfect with the Lord your God.
Without Gods life in us, we can neither be good nor do good
without faith it is impossible to please him. I Corinthians
13 says any action committed without Gods love at its root
is a dead work. In John 15:5 Jesus says, Without me you
can do nothing.
Fourth, the gospelbelief in Jesus Christ as the Son

of God whose death and resurrection freed man

from sinis Gods way of making man perfect and
righteous on the principle of faith and grace. Only
when one realizes, through the Mosaic Law, that man
cannot achieve perfection through human action,
can one be led to Christ. Paul says in Galatians 3
that the Law is a tutor meant to bring man to Christ.
The Old Testament is a lesson in mans inability
to achieve the Laws standard of perfection. Christ
promises that His work on ones behalf will yield
perfect righteousness if one has faith as opposed
to striving to fulfill the Law through our will alone.
To understand the Old Testament one must interpret
it as an account of Israels repeated failure under
the law-principle and Gods promise to bring them to
righteousness by the strength of his own arm (Isaiah
59:15-16). The tutor that is
the Old Testament guides
people to Christ by showing
the failure of the Israelites
to attain perfection one
cannot become perfect
without faith in God. Those
who come to Christ without
the Law as a tutor often try
to mix the two covenants (law and faith). Paul writes
in Galatians that if one adds law to faith, one never
understood the gospel in the first place. One cannot
know Christ fully without understanding how He
fulfills the law system outlined in the Old Testament;
one cannot fully depend on Him if one ignores the
tutor of the Mosaic Law. One must be crushed by the
standard of perfection, understanding that works do
not please God.
A student who embraces the liberal arts without
critically interacting with them will come to believe
that human action can limit sin. Thus, a liberallyeducated person will be less likely to abandon
the law-principle of doing to be good for the faithprinciple of dependence on anothers work to be
good. It is impossible to come to Christ as a sinner
in need of a Savior while believing that human action
can limit and contain sin. God wants to free us from
sin completely, not help us be good, pure people
who choose good actions and abstain from bad
ones. Our Savior does not want us to act he wants
us to rest that he may work.

Without Gods life in

us, we can neither
do good nor be
good . . .

Imperialism

America and

The War for Mali

By: James Inwood

Photo credit NPR

nyone with even a summary knowledge of

modern Africa knows that it consists of one part
optimism and nine parts hopelessness. Mali has
been no exception over the past year. For those who
are understandably ignorant of African geopolitics,
Mali is an awkwardly-shaped nation in West Africa
that once was home to the wealthiest man in history,
Mansa Musa. Today, Malis only boast is demographic
diversity: myriad ethnic groups, Moors, and nomads.
While this diversity is beloved by Western progressives,
in practice it led to the secession of the northern Tuareg
minority. By April 2012, the National Movement for
the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) had established
control of Azawad, including the ancient cities Gao
and Timbuktu, and the governments incompetent
response to the crisis had provoked a military coup. The
new government began a more aggressive campaign
against the rebels that drew talk of economic sanctions.
Up to this point it had been a typical African war,
but enter the Islamists, the Movement for Openness
and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) and Ansar Dine (a
militant Islamist organization). Originally minor figures
in the rebel army, they seized a few cities in their own
right and imposed a strict variant of Sharia Law. This
independent conquest created a schism between
nationalists and Islamists. The MNLA found itself
between a rock and a hard place in the three way-war
for Mali. They made peace with the Malian government
in exchange for limited autonomy, allowing both to
focus on fighting the Islamists. France which used to
hold Mali as a colony has contributed ground and air
forces, and the United Nations has agreed to a West
African intervention force. The government has made
considerable gains, forcing rebels into the mountainous
northeast where experts anticipate a long guerrilla war.
Conflict anywhere in the world spurs superpowers
to wonder about their response. As of this writing,

Washington has committed only to logistical support,

leaving American options open. But what does the
United States stand to gain or lose in this situation?
The presence of Islamist militants might imply that Mali
is part of the greater War on Terror. According to this
approach, it is just another battlefield in which the forces
of Jihad are attempting to impose Sharia, terrorize
innocents, and destroy freedom.
To a certain extent, such claims are true. When
MOJWA seizes control of a region, it imposes Sharia
law. The Islamists have publically executed people for
everything from petty theft to having a child outside of
wedlock. Whenever Islamist forces approach a city,
thousands flee before them. They are brutal enemies
of freedom which is actually why the War on Terror
argument does not hold. Islamists have but two paths
to victory, bullets or ballots. Only the moderate can
achieve the latter; they must reserve atrocities for
minorities, as demonstrated by Egypt and Libya.
The coalition between former rebels and the Malian
government has consistently defeated the Islamists.
With foreign intervention backing the coalition, an
Islamist conquest of Mali is unlikely. Ansar Dine and
MOJWA are not Al Qaeda affiliates, so the threat is
local at worst. They want to establish Islamic law, not
destroy the Great Satan. The nations of West Africa
have demonstrated the will to restore order should the
need arise. Mali is far from being a new front of the War
on Terror, so it offers little promise for the United States.
An American intervention in Mali would also be a
bad geopolitical move. West Africa quite Western in
outlook: it has strong relations with Europe, is active
hostile to Jihad, and is no pawn of China or Russia. The
war is going well; neither Mali nor necessity demands
our involvement. The United States should not risk
alienating a friend.

The most compelling argument is not what the

United States cannot win, but what it might lose. While
Mali has been successful in securing its territory,
Islamist forces are likely to wage a long guerrilla war.
The Pentagon can wage another such war, but the
American people are weary of counter-insurgency.
Further, the burden of deficit and debt is ending the
days of unlimited military spending. Popular distaste
and scarce resources could easily force the United
States into a premature withdrawal.
Such a scenario harkens back to 1993, when the
Black Hawk Down incident turned the American people
against the intervention in Somalia. Osama bin Laden,
observing the frailty, weakness, and cowardice of U.S.
failure in Africa, was inspired to pursue the 9/11 attacks.
The decidedly Texan response bombing, invasion,
and saber-rattling sent a clear message: the former
paper tiger is now a vengeful warlord. In dealing with an
enemy that respects strength alone, this tactic is more
useful than any dose of democratization.
Though this image has atrophied since the
deposition of Saddam Hussein, it remains in part. But
Somalia erased memory of far greater victories in the
Cold War and Desert Storm; a display of weakness in
Mali could do the same, inviting terrorist aggression. In
this day and age, the United States must not commit to
war unless it can guarantee a swift conclusion.
Americans should applaud Mali: her factions have
united against tyranny and are winning. Regardless
of whether the French or West African interventions
were necessary, Mali does not need American help,
especially when such assistance does not serve the
interests of the United States. That Mali has fallen
into war is tragic, but the war promises a victory for
the United States and all of the West so long as
Washington resists the temptation to interfere.

Conservative Values

Conservatism and
Unreasonable Optimism
By: Sam Ryskamp
We must revive the fine tradition of conservative pessimism. In this
age, optimism is for children and fools. And liberals. - John Derbyshire
In light of last falls elections, how optimistic should we be about Americas future? The melancholy state
of the Republican Party has led many to associate optimism with liberalism, but the GOP is floundering
precisely because we let go of the unreasonable optimism that was once a hallmark of conservatism.
Its time to put the rose-colored glasses back on and revive the fine tradition of conservative optimism.
Most of us maintain that we are realists, splitting the difference between unreasonable
optimism and hopeless pessimism. We claim to look at the facts without rose-colored glasses,
making rational judgments about the future. Conservatives should not allow themselves to
fall into this trap, however. We have become too reasonable. Conservatives have always been
and should always be the most hopeful, unreasonable, starry-eyed optimists in the world.
Admittedly, the basic values of conservatism do not appear to be very optimistic. At its core,
conservatism understands that humans are fallen creatures, that men are not angels. It is in this
respect that conservatism garners its reputation for reasonability. Conservatives recognize original
sin and realize that humans always look out for their own interests first. In this sense, conservatism
is brutally realistic. No one understands the darkness of humanity like a true conservative.
Unfortunately, the modern conservative narrative halts abruptly at this principle. If the sinfulness
of man were the whole story, conservatism could not justify its own existence. If men are inherently
evil, it is futile to try to form a good government from them. The logical extension of this point is
apathy: those who believe that men are sinful and selfish think good government impossible.
Though conservatives acknowledge the self-interested, fallen state of man, they still devote
vast quantities of resources to the hopeless cause of building a good government out of bad
people. Conservatives try to build a sturdy house out of faulty bricks. Its one thing to refuse to
acknowledge the faulty brick; its another thing to see the faulty brick and keep building. History
reveals that governments, like houses, tend to decay. Greece, Rome, and even America
followed the natural pattern of good government destroyed by bad men. Thats what men
do: they make things go downhill. Conservatives know this fact, but continue
their Sisyphean endeavor. We cling to an unfounded hope that we
might somehow counteract the general trend of nature.
8

Photo: S

Nowhere is this hope more evident than in the early years of the
Revolutionary War. Had the Founding Fathers been reasonable, had they looked
at the facts, they never would have fought the British. George Washington would have
realized that the puny American colonies stood no chance against the strongest military in
the world. James Madison would have seen that no revolution in history had ever formed a
successful government, and no written constitution in history had ever lasted more than a few
generations. In truth, the Founding Fathers understood these facts; they did not have their heads
in the sand. Nevertheless, they fought. They faced the facts and made decisions based on them, but
held tightly to an unreasonable hope. The Founding Fathers built a government knowing that all
men themselves included were born in sin and naturally self-interested. They entrusted those
same people with the governance of a country, knowing full well the danger of entrusting anything
to mankind. The day before the signing of the Declaration, John Adams wrote, I am well aware
of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support
and defend these States. Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory.
He saw as clearly as anyone
that the odds were
against the young nation. The Founding Fathers built a It is also important to
note that Adams did not government knowing that all justify his vision of
ravishing lights and glory.
He admits a thoroughly
men

themselves
included

unshakable optimism, which

he did not lose no matter
how ridiculous it seemed. were born in sin and naturally It was this optimism
that enabled the Founding
Fathers to capture the
self-interested.
imaginations of thousands
of young men, inspiring
them to fight an impossible war to establish an infeasible country. Their belief in the impossible
made it possible.
That sentiment sounds too much like the theme of a Disney movie for conservatives to accept
it. But it is this exact paradox, the tension between the brutal facts and belief in a happy ending,
that gives conservatism its motivating energy. In his bestselling book Good to Great, Jim Collins
describes the importance of this tension to successful business ventures. He writes that what sets
apart successful businesses from mediocre ones is a powerful psychological duality. On the one
hand, they stoically accepted the brutal facts of reality. On the other hand, they maintained a . . .
commitment to prevail as a great company despite the facts. This is the road that conservatism has
walked throughout its history. Now is not the time to abandon it.
In the words of GK Chesterton, Rational optimism leads to stagnation: it is irrational optimism
that leads to reform It is the rational optimist who fails, the irrational optimist that succeeds.
The modern Republican Party stagnates because our optimism is too rational. We should follow the
example of Biblical patriarch Abraham, who hoped against hope. Conservatives must choose both
hope and fact, synthesizing optimism and realism without degenerating into pessimism. The men
quoted in this essay Adams, Chesterton, and Father Abraham are giants of history. To become a
giant, one must put ones head in the clouds.
Photo: Strawbleu

Morality & Values

Why Women Shouldnt

Fight in Active Combat
By: Lauren Wierenga

quality. Diversity. These words are

twenty-first century clichs that
elicit feelings of justice and progress.
As such, it seems natural that the federal government and major portions
of American society believe it is necessary to force these concepts onto
every aspect of American life, including the military. President Obama has
said that allowing women to serve in
combat marks another step toward the
countrys founding ideals of fairness
and equality and that the decision will
strengthen the armed forces. Feminists
cry out: Why cant women fight on the
front lines? Thats unfair! Women are
just as good as men and can do anything that men can do!! Unfortunately
for the feminist position there are many
differences between men and women.
The physical, chemical, and cultural differences between the sexes mean that
women on the front lines would compromise the American military.
Women cannot do everything that
men can for two basic reasons: First,
men and women are physically different. For example, a mans center of
gravity is in his shoulders; a womans
center of gravity is in her stomach. It is
for this reason that women throw like
girls. Even a woman in peak physi-

10

cal condition could never throw, say,

a grenade, as far as a man of equal
training her basic anatomy prevents
it. Further, a females femur and kneecap are narrower than a males, and
they are at a more extreme angle from
her hip socket, because of her wide,
child-bearing pelvis. That difference
puts extra stress on a womans joints,
making females more prone to knee
injuries, even in civilian life. Basic understanding of anatomy reveals that
female soldiers are at a greater risk of
physical injury in the harsh conditions
of battle than males. Soldiers should
be the cream of the crop. Even if a
woman can pass the tests for push-ups
and crunches to get into the military,
she cannot eliminate the setbacks of
her physical anatomy.
Men and women are also different
in their chemical makeup. Men have
90-95% more testosterone in their bodies than women, making their muscles
larger. Bigger muscles mean that male
soldiers can carry more weight, run
faster, and fight better in hand-to-hand
combat than their female counterparts.
Testosterone also enlarges organs during puberty, so men have bigger hearts
and lungs than women. As a result
blood is more easily oxygenated in

men, giving them more stamina in the

heat of battle. More testosterone also
makes men feel more aggressive and
less fearful than women critical traits
of a good soldier.
Even ignoring physical differences, men are still better soldiers than
women. Why? People in Afghanistan
and other non-Western countries do

never submit to the orders of a woman

even if she were an American soldier
with a gun.
It is also important to note that the
army trains men to become primal
killing machines that follow their most
basic instincts: eat, sleep, patrol, kill.
The only male instinct missing is sex.
A female soldier in the manliest garb

not share the feminist view of women.

In nearly every country outside of Europe and North America, women are
poorly educated, physically weak, and
subservient to men. Their job is to
bear children and keep house. How
can female soldiers deployed to Iraq
or Afghanistan command any kind of
authority in a crowd of unruly men who
view women in this light? American
women will be treated with less reverence and more hostility than their male
counterparts because under Sharia law
it is offensive for a man to submit to a
woman. A member of the Taliban would

possible is still a woman. Women on

the front lines pose a physical and psychological distraction to the male soldiers who must check their sex drives
around women in the barracks. It does
not make a good male soldier, and it
could be argued that it is not safe for
female soldiers
Women should not be allowed into
the armed forces because they are
physically inferior as soldiers and the
very act of women fighting alongside
men undermines the brotherhood and
solidarity that is the one safety net for
soldiers on the front.

A female soldier in the manliest garb

possible is still a woman.

Morality & Values

Women Take

A Vocation
By: Emma Vinton

Mans unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness is one of the most

memetic phrases of the Founders. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta lifted Americas 1994 ban on females in front-line combat positions.
This change is proper, despite the fact that many on the political left advocate
it. Feminists argue that the moratorium should end so women have the chance
to demonstrate that they can fight, to prove their equality, and to break yet another
glass ceiling, but the best reason for doing eliminating it is to allow women to pursue
happiness even to the point of fighting for their country. The policy change at the
Pentagon is in the best interests of the United States because it makes Americans more
free to follow their vocation.
Aristotle wrote in the Nicomachean Ethics, that the true pursuit of happiness lies in
working to fulfill ones vocation or telos. There are countless examples of women who
fulfilled their callings in battle, and women all over the world have proved their worth
as warriors. Now, American women push toward the front, toward equal status with
their countrymen, toward the chance to serve
and protect those they love. They should not be
denied the chance to pursue their vocation, to
pursue heed their calling in heat of battle.
History, literature, and mythology give
credence to this quest. In their literature and
lore the ancients praised women warriors as
fulfilling an exceptional calling. The Amazons
were proud female fighters of Greek
mythology. Camilla, from Virgil's Aeneid,
was a lauded virgin warrior and the
heroine of the war for Italy. Her
call to battle stemmed from
her devotion to the goddess
Diana. Saint Joan of Arc

12

Photo: IDF

valiantly took up her vocation on

the front lines, leading the French
army to many victories in the
Hundred Year's War. This French
maiden received visions telling
her to drive the English from her
homeland. She took up arms to
answer her God-given calling. Hua
Mulan was the ancient Chinese
heroine who took her father's place
in the army, giving them a daughter
when they asked for sons. These
heroic and exceptional women
warriors from history back the
American women in their bid to
fight on the front lines.
American history shows that
female soldiers called to serve
their country can do well on
the front. There are several
reports of women who fought
in their husbands place when
Photo: ChodHound
they were killed or injured in the
Revolutionary War. Women had non-combat roles as nurses in World War
I, and in World War II they served in uniform in all branches the military.
This is not a light matter. If women must go to war, it should not be done
for the sake of proving feminine greatness or toughness. Someday, men
may drive around at home with bumper stickers that say, "I love my marine
wife," or "Proud husband of a front-liner," but it is not for this reason that
women should be allowed to fight on the front lines. The ban should be
lifted to protect and value human life, for love and defense of country.
America has a volunteer army; women go to the front because they have
a vocational duty, a special call. True femininity demands the proper role of
women in life. For Camilla, Joan of Arc, and countless other females, that
proper role was accomplishing their calling as warriors. American women
are no less heroic. When allowed, women have found their role in battle,
fulfilling their Aristotelian telos and American pursuit of happiness. We
must let those courageous and outstanding women called to enter service
of God and country defend America in times of need.
If women demand equality, they will get it. If they are strong enough, train
hard enough, and have an honest and God-given calling to serve, women
should not be denied equal right to serve on the front-lines in defense of the
motherland.

Alumni:WhereAreTheyNow?.

Amy Fultz

Compiled by Corrie Beth Hendon

When did you graduate? 1988
What was you major/minor? Biology
What have you been doing since graduation? During my time attending Hillsdale
College as a biology major, I was lucky enough to be chosen to attend a School
for Field Studies course on Primate Biology and Behavior in Panama working
with small tamarin monkeys. That is where my infatuation and career with
primates began. After graduation, my first job took me to UTMD Anderson
Cancer Center in Bastrop, Texas where I worked with an SPF (specific
pathogen free) colony of rhesus macaques as a research assistant. I then
moved on to working at what is now Texas Biomedical Research Institute as a
research assistant there I did behavioral work with over 3000 baboons, 240
chimpanzees, and other assorted primates. In 1995 I was one of the co-founders of Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for chimpanzees
being retired from biomedical research. In 2004, I became the Behaviorist at Chimp Haven and have been there since, my title and
duties have evolved and my specialties include chimpanzee introductions, enrichment, positive reinforcement training, behavioral
studies, and education. I have published in scientific journals and spoken to groups around the world about chimpanzees. I take
the majority of the photographs at Chimp Haven and I am the page administrator for Chimp Havens Facebook site. I am also
currently enrolled in a Masters program through Miami University of Ohio which focuses on conservation, inquiry, and participatory
based education, I should graduate in December 2012. Ive also been
honored to be chosen as a Student Leader during my time in the Global
Field Program for the Biology in the Age of Technology online course and
the Avian Ecology and Tropical Biodiversity field course in Peru. My school
experiences and work have allowed me to travel extensively including
experiences in Uganda, Denmark, Belize, and Malaysia . I am also a
single Mom to two very active girls, 11 and 15, who keep me very busy!
How has your education from Hillsdale been helpful or hurtful in life after
graduation? My education from Hillsdale has been very helpful Hillsdale
helped me to become a more well-rounded person and helped me to
learn to think and consider perspectives different from my own. I believe
that each of my classes and each of my professors at Hillsdale helped
me to grow and each taught me something different. I believe that in my
profession, I use all of the skills that Hillsdale gave me.
What have you missed most about Hillsdale since graduation?
The library and fall leaves on the walk to the library and my Black House
roommates!
Whats one thing you learned at Hillsdale that you think youll remember
for the rest of your life? That thinking about and analyzing information and
experiences is a good thing that leads to further understanding at both the
personal and professional level.

14

Professors

iPod
By: Chris McCaffery

Dr. Stephen Smith loves teaching epic poetry to his Rhetoric and
Great Books classes, but when hes not listening to the Muse sing of
swift-footed Achilles, wily Odysseus, and mankilling Hector, he says
that nothing beats the old masters. Whether hes preparing for class or
girding his loins to do battle against student papers, Smiths trustiest
friends are Bach, Mozart, and Haydn, among others. The Forum asked
Smith for a few choice recommendations, and he was kind enough to
share his desert island records with us.

JS Bach
Goldberg Variations (Murray Perahia)
Well Tempered Clavier (Sviatoslav Richter)
Mass in B Minor (John Eliot Gardiner)

Mozart
Piano Concertos (Murray Perahia)
Symphonies 35-41 (Trevor Pinnock)

Beethoven
Middle and Late String Quartets
(Takacs Quartet)

Schubert
Piano Sonatas (Alfred Brendel)
Symphony No. 9, the Great (Charles
Munch)

Haydn
Piano Trios (Beaux Arts Trio)
String Quartets, op. 20, 33, and 76 (Quatu
or Mosaiques)

Dvorak
Piano Trios (Suk Trio)
Quartets (Domus Quartet)
Quintet (Gaudier Ensemble)

CAMPUS SMACKDOWN: DRESS C

DRESSING IT UP: Spencer Bell
Why do you dress the way you do?

I dress the way I do because I want to make a good impression on people, I want to impress my teachers, impress the
opposite sex. I feel confident and it helps me, I think, with my
studies, and I feel like Im a winner.

Did you always dress the way you do?

No, not always. I started dressing like this in high school, I

dont know exactly why. Probably to impress people.

Where do you get your clothes?

Tommy Hilfiger, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, Salvation Army,

and Banana Republic.

What is your favorite outfit?

Pink and purple socks, green pants, a blue
collar shirt, and a purple tie, with dress shoes.

Do you have any recommendations for

the aspiring good dresser?

Dress the way you want to be treated, because no one is

going to want to be your friend or approach you if you look
like or smell like rotten cheese. Youre going have to dress
up anyway if you want a successful career, so you might as
well get used to it now and form your own style.

Do you think that youre

better than us?
No.

16

.
S CODE

Compiled by: Chris McCaffery Photos by Laurie Barnes

KEEPIN IT COMFY: Eric Hodgdon

What is your philosophy on
dressing for class?
Its winter, I want to be warm.

What is your favorite outfit?

Flannel lined jeans, combat boots, T-Shirt, military poncho

insert, and the hobo jacket. The key is the hobo jacket. Its
well-worn, faded, couple holes, but the wear has made
it soft and comfy.

How do you make a good

impression on people?

With my charming personality. They tell you that you should

never judge a book by its cover, so I figure Im giving everyone else an opportunity to practice.

Do you think that youre

better than us?

No, of course not. I think I may be more practical, more

realistic, but Ive got nothing to hide.

Where do you get your clothes?

My closet, and wherevers cheapest. Thrift store,

WalMart

Review

Rays Tavern:

Americana in my Mouth
By: Micah Meadowcroft Photos by Jacob Shalkhauser

he other day I decided that I

wanted a break from SAGA. I
make this decision fairly often;
usually I just walk upstairs and get a
burger or something at AJs. After all,
AJs has great burgers, quite satisfactory
for a hungry, semi-desperate student.
Once in a while, however, AJs wont cut
it, and I need to get out of Hillsdale.
If youre feeling the same way, take
the twenty-minute drive over to Reading
and grab yourself a bite at Rays Tavern.
Tucked between a Laundromat and
Country Carpets, Rays can be found at
114 S. Main St., a drab sign marking its
unobtrusive presence. Its worth the trip.
Dark wood paneling and warm yellow
light greeted my companions and me
as we walked into
the restaurant. Tireshaped bladeless fans
whirred on the ceiling.
Hockey and NASCAR
posters give the tavern
that coveted Midwest
ambiance. High on
the walls, Budweiser
and Miller iconography
battle for attention,
marking Rays an
unpretentious tavern.
Its clearly a local
favorite. It was busy
when we arrived and
busy when we left.
The waitresses were
friendly and seemed
to know everyone by

name. Multiple-generation families squeezed into the

cozy booths along the wall. The locals are what keep
it going through the whole year, Heather Bunce, our
waitress, said.
When we sat down at the bar, Bunce greeted
us warmly and asked what we would like to drink. I
asked for water, but
for the over-twentyone crowd Rays
has a modest
selection of spirits,
liquors, and draft
or canned beers.
I ordered a
double cheeseburger ($4.19)
stacked high with
perfect grilled

18

onions, caramelized yet crisp

($1.00); tomato, lettuce, and
mayo ($1.00); and mouthwatering bacon that sizzled
enticingly (priceless, but they
only charge $1.00 for it).
The meat is good, quality
beef from the Hillsdale
Market House. It didnt taste
like salt, seasonings, special
sauce. It tasted like a cooked
slab of cow on bread, as a
burger should. The portions
were generous. The patties
were a third of a pound each; add the fixings
and youve got yourself a full meal. Still
hungry? My group also ordered a basket of
fries, a trio of tacos (it was Taco Thursday),
and a slice of lemon pie. Everything was
delicious.
Bunce says that the best thing about
Rays is the small-town, family atmosphere.
More than anything, its pretty easygoing.
It was; waitress and patron alike were open
and willing to chat. Happy conversation filled
the room; in the few lulls Imagine Dragons,
Coldplay, and Muse provided background
music.
Rays has a long history. Ray Rudelier
established it in 1942, and it has stayed in
the family ever since. Today his daughter
runs the place. She was cooking in the
kitchen the night we went. If Rudelier passed
on a family recipe, it is a good one: when
USA Today celebrated the centennial of the
hamburger in 1989, it named Rays Tavern
the best burger joint in the country.
My trip to Rays was a great respite from
Hillsdale. The atmosphere was friendly
and relaxing. The sound of laughter, warm
conversation, delighted chewing, and good
music melded into a harmony of content
Americana. The food was great, the burgers

especially so. I enjoyed every hot and messy

bite.
If SAGA is getting you down and you just
want it all to end, head along the delightfullynamed Bacon Street out to Reading and
find the little family tavern. Remember: they
dont take cards, so come with cash and an
appetite.
You wont regret it.

richard norris

Hunk

Hillsdales

Year: senior
Major: History
Minor: german

What was your favorite part about Valentines Day?

No contest: Professor Gaetanos Renaissance class. We talked about the Turks.
Define your love life in three syllables
Pokmon.

If you could own any animal in the world, what would it be and why?
I would probably own a hedgehog because they are adorable. It would be
called Sedgwick.

What do you do when life gives you lemons?

I slice them up and squeeze them into my tea.
Who is your role model?
St. Anthony, the desert father. He lived a pious, contemplative, celibate life.
He also fought demons in the desert.
If you could marry anybody (deceased) from history in the last three
centuries, who would it be and why?
Audrey Hepburn because she is arguably the most beautiful woman ever,
in appearance and otherwise.
How do you relate the good, the true, and the beautiful to your daily
activitiesspecifically, your love life?
I try every day to fill my love life with those things which are most good,
true, and beautiful. Namely, Aristotle.

How much would someone have to pay you to shave your head?
They would have to pay me with a full-time job teaching at a classical school.

If you could be on any reality TV show, what would it be and why?

Full Metal Jousting. Its a reality TV show in which these recreational
jousters all live in a mansion together and joust on the weekends to find out
who is the best. Theyre all pathetically over-emotional the rest of the week.

Hottie

and

Compiled by
Savanah Tibbetts

t
Annie-Laurie Setten

of the month

Year: Junior Major: Economics

Minor: Being Hot

What was your favorite part about Valentines Day?

My favorite part of Valentines Day was receiving a beautiful valentine and a
large bouquet of purple and gold roses from Kobe Bryant. True story.
Define your love life in three syllables.
El. Oh. El.

If you could own any animal in the world, what would it be and why?
Definitely a wolf. Im kind of a one man wolf pack but Ive recently been
looking into expansion

What do you do when life gives you lemons?

I slice that baby up and make sangria!

Who is your role model?

Metta World Peace, no question. Youve gotta admire the mans composure
and general attitude towards life.

If you could marry anybody (deceased) from history in the last three
centuries, who would it be and why?
So, Ron Paul doesnt work? Thats rough. In that case, Im going to have
to go with my boy Andy Griffith. Watch an episode of Matlock if you ever
want to catch a glimpse of a silver fox.

How do you relate the good, the true, and the beautiful to your daily activitiesspecifically, your love life?
Well, I am the good, the true, and the beautiful. Its somewhat flattering,
but mostly awkward, that the whole school is after me.
If you had to live in a foreign country, which one would you choose & why?
I would live in Jamaica. Two words: Bob. Sledding.
If you could be on any reality TV show, what would it be and why?
Im going to have to go with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo because Ive always
wanted to have a nickname like Sugar Bear or Chubbs bestowed upon me.
Also, I want to ask the family exactly what it means to redneckonize.

RINOs
The Endangered Brutes of America
In America there are animals of all shapes and
sizes, from the tough, individualistic armadillos
of Texas to the banal, dependent tuna off the Bay
Area coast. Today, we will study the declining state
of the rhino, that mighty beast once identified with
strength and vigor that now bumbles its way into the
obscurity of old age and, ultimately, extinction. Well
see how its feeding customs, physical characteristics,
and reproductive habits contribute to the downfall of
this onetime leader of the American wilderness.
We find the rhino in its natural habitat: the
communal watering hole. This district is where the
action happens. Animals from distant corners of
the land congregate to talk, trade, and make those
decisions that will affect them all. In years past,
the watering hole was known for simplifying and
encouraging symbiotic relations between individual
animals, but drought and hunting had brought
hardship upon the wilderness. The rhino, once
the epitome of hard work and self-reliance, now
advocated systems of collection and distribution.
As one of these grey-skinned brutes might bellow,

how else will he scratch himself? Some say

the crocodile doesnt need her tail: but how else will
she swim? After much deliberation, the animals
agreed that if any of them should lose something,
its the rhino. His horn is intimidating and only used
for aggression it is totally unnecessary for survival.
The animals decided that the rhinos needed to lose
their horns. Far from arguing, the rhinos agreed.
With the loss of their horns, our rhinos might
be considered RINOs Rhinos In Name Only.
While the other animals would never openly mock
them, there was always a hint of derision in their
interaction. RINOs just looked ridiculous eating
from the public stores with their hornless faces.
The species slowly sank into a group depression.
Without their distinct quality, what good are they?
This question remains unanswered until we see
the fruit or lack thereof produced by the rhinos.
When the rhinos lost their defining trait they also
lost their desire to perpetuate their race by raising
offspring. There is no identity on which to found a
rhino family, so they seek fulfillment in other areas.
This is a dangerous tactic in the long run: if there is
no reproduction, how can such a species survive?
Ultimately, it cannot. We last encounter
the rhinos as they are at this moment: old and
approaching senility. In a convenient twist, our
rhinos closely resemble many of the Republicans on
Capitol Hill: ancient, drooling, and hardly capable
of coherent thought. Many of these Republicans
are also reminiscent of rhinos in appearance, with
crusty, discolored skin and wrinkled, hairy bodies.
Let us not lose hope, however. As the rhinos
slowly die of old age, a new generation of faster,
stronger, and less unattractive mammals arrive.
Though these new creatures are as yet untested,
they promise a wilderness of prosperity. As long as
they do not abandon their principle traits, the next
generation of animal leaders will deliver where our
old friends the rhinos failed.

NuuuurrrrrEEEEE-uhhhhhrrrrr.

Roughly translated, this herd-pleaser means We

need to make sure everyone has food, has water, has
the things that they need to live in this wilderness.
It worked, for a while. But problems began to
creep up, as often happens among animals. Some
creatures started to rely wholly upon the system,
others (including the rhinos themselves) used their
support for the system to garnish their own food
stores. The watering hole degenerated into a place of
corruption, catering more to the selfish desires of the
animals than to their desire for interaction.
Before long, a new development swept the
watering hole. With the system of cooperation in
place, some of the animals suggested that they should
eliminate traits of aggression or predation. If animals
eat together, they shouldnt need to fight each other.
Some say that the lion doesnt need his claws: but
22

Spotlight on Novelists
Compiled by Chris McCaffery Photos by Jacob Shalkhauser and Shaun Lichti

Alex Tacoma

Caleb Eatough

What kind of writing do you do?

Science-fiction and fantasy are my
genres of choice.
How long have you been writing?
Seriously writing, just this school
year, so, since September. But Ive
always wanted to write seriously, like
Ive dreamed of it, and at some point
you have to wake up and sit down
and write.
How much have you written?
Ive almost completed one novel; Im
three-quarters of the way through it.
Classes and life mean writing isnt
always a priority, even though I ought
to put more time into it.
So, how do you find time?
What I did last semester, when I got
the bulk of my novel written, I treated
it like homework so Id sit down and
spend an hour or two writing before I
do stuff for my other classes.
What is the book about?
Its called Slag, its about a wealthy
businessman who stages an alien
invasion.
How would you try to publish it?
Well there are a couple of different
avenues I can explore, especially
thanks to the e-book craze. I can
self-publish, but Id rather not if I can
help it, if I can find a publisher and an
agent I would love to. From what Ive
researched, youve got to go to the
conventions and editors and agents
are hanging out there kinda scouting
for talent.

What do you write about, and how

long have you been writing?
Well, I think I got serious about it
when I was 15. My current project is
a fantasy- sort of a historical fantasy.
Its about the 1860s, in Colorado. A
Native American Goddess who falls
in love with an Irish Catholic priest.
Its fun, and its interesting, and I
bring in all sorts of things from not
just Native American lore but Greek
mythology too, so the Great Books I
and Western Heritage courses have
been really influential on my writing. I
have Athena in there as a character.
Have you looked into publishing
this book?
I hope to, but it will probably end up
being self-published. Of course Im
looking for people to edit it, theres
some good copy-editors out there, for
example.
Have you written anything else?
Ive got a total of 12 other books
planned, theyre all kind of related to
each other & to this current historical
fiction, its like this whole epic series
that spans four or five thousand
years, thats a plus of having a goddess as one of your main characters.
Why do you write?
I find a lot of fulfillment in it, first off. I
feel like I can express myself better in
writing, and the written word endures
far beyond what I say, so even when
Im dead my works will still remain.

sophomore

freshman

Maggie Smith
sophomore

So, you write?

Usually I write short stories, poetry, that

sort of thing. I have written a novel. The
White Statue, by Quinn Pendry, which
is my pen name.

How did you start novel writing?

Ive been writing pretty much as long as

I can remember. The logical place to go
with that was larger amounts of writing.
I had a world in my head that needed to
get out in some shape or form, and so
the best way of doing that was to get it
all out on paper.

What did you do with your novel?

At present, after Ive published it just

because Im here at Hillsdale I havent
been able to do a lot of marketing; I
rely for the most part on word of mouth
and on some online book clubs. Its
available on Amazon and several other
large online stores, so its pretty widely
available.

Whats your book about?

Its a fantasy novel that takes place

in a world where the laws of nature
dont work quite the same way they do
here. Say you build a table or a chair,
after a year or so it will start to bend or
warp. You end up with sort of strange
proportions sort of like youd see in a
medieval tapestry; this wreaks havoc
with architecture and such. The story
takes place in this world and centers
around a group of characters who go
off in search of a legendary statue from
before a time when the laws of nature
began to do this. So a large journey
across vast expanses of land involving
pirates and suchlike.