chandlermovestomichigan

[chandlermovestomichigan]

me + my favorite study spot

#Hillsdale #Michigan #rough Draft #coffee #coffee shop #studyblr #photography #photos #year four #senior year

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Thanksgiving break seems like a good time to reflect on my semester.

With only a month remaining, I’m past the point where things started to get crazy. This week was certainly one of the more difficult weeks, with a project due Thursday, a test Friday, and two papers the following Tuesday. It’s not going to get easier anytime soon, but that’s okay.

This semester, I’m completing two of my three remaining requirements for my history major and my last class that’s part of the core curriculum

Constitutional Convention - Dr. Rahe I was really excited about this course when it was first announced. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for the very extensive reading requirements for each class. I regretted taking it for a little while, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I’ve enjoyed discussing the notes from the Constitutional Convention, and having a better understanding of why the Constitution is the way it is.

Ancient Rome - Dr. Calvert This has been a great class. My favorite part is that instead of tests, we write papers. I definitely think all history classes should be this way. It’s so much more valuable to spend time with a text and analyze it than to just memorize facts, which often happens on tests. I was surprised to learn that we have two papers due during finals week, though. Until about two weeks ago, I thought there would just be one.

Human Biology - Dr. Johnson I’ve complained before on this blog (when I took Physics/Chemistry) about how awful my experiences have been with science classes. I hoped this class would be different, but it is not. There’s a tendency in the core science classes to assume that— even though they’re taught to non-science majors— everyone in the class has a pretty decent understanding of the subject from high school, and that this class is just a review and extension of everything we learned before. My last biology class was seven years ago, and it was bad. I have no knowledge to build on, and I have learned nothing in this class. I hear the tests are difficult even for people who understand the material, so you can imagine how that’s going for me.

Philosophy of Education - Dr. Beier I’ve been interested in taking this class for a while, and I’m glad I finally could. It’s been really interesting. It’s definitely a philosophy class, not so much a “how to teach” class, which I like. We’ve read Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, and, most recently, John Dewey. It’s all discussion-based, which is fun. I gave a presentation recently on “The Well-Trained Mind” by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. I think it went well.

Lastly, I’m still taking voice lessons with Kristi Matson, and that has been good, although more challenging than previous semesters.

I’m also now the web editor for the Collegian, so I edit the online-only section Study Break. It’s a good time. It’s pretty flexible, so I can pretty much run whatever I want to. It’s certainly a challenge to get writers to turn pieces in on time. There were a couple of times at the beginning of the semester when I scrambled to write something since the pieces I was counting on didn’t come in. I started assigning more pieces than I needed, and that worked for a while, but there have still been a surprising number of instances where I get pieces back very late, incomplete, or not at all.

I tend to try a new planner technique every year, and I’ve finally settled on my favorite yet. It’s called bullet journaling, and I wrote an explanation of it on Study Break. It’s been fun to adapt my layouts as the semester goes on to find out what works best for me. I like doodling, and I like the super customizable aspect.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t blog as much as I used to because I journal much more consistently. I started my “One Line a Day” journal over a year ago, so now I can read what I was doing on a year before when I write my entries, which I love. And, I can refer to my journal when I blog.

September highlights 9/2- Some guys who live off-campus in a house called “The Womb” threw a music festival called Wombstock. I had a blast listening to loud music, and later, hanging with friends at Rough Draft, my favorite coffee/cocktail place in town. 9/17- I went to the Toledo Museum of Art, thanks to the Art department! I posted a few photosets from this day earlier on the blog. We went mainly for the Berlin painter exhibit and saw a lot of really neat Greek vases, and I also enjoyed seeing two paintings by Monet and two by Van Gogh. 9/21- At every SAI meeting, someone performs a “musicale.” I performed my first this semester. I did “Sawdust & Diamonds” by Joanna Newsom. I love her and I have long wanted to perform one of her songs, but they are generally very long and require a harp. So, this was a good chance to play only the last third of this song and with a piano, since it was pretty low-key. 9/23- Every semester, SAI hosts a Rose Tea. It’s a chance to get to know our potential new members and reminisce, as seniors share a memory. It was more emotional than I intended, but in a good way. 9/29- I went to the Most Popular Fair on Earth! It was super fun seeing animals, eating donuts, and more with dear friends. My favorite part was seeing a baby cow who had been born just a few hours earlier!

October highlights 10/5- SAI pledging ceremony! My friend Elena Creed and I are now co-bigs to Jessica MacFarlane, which is very exciting! Initiation is happening soon. 10/7- The Phi Mu Alpha electric serenades are always a delight, and this year was no exception. I watched them at both the SAI house and at Mauck because I was so excited. 10/16- I took a journalism seminar with Matthew Continetti about the history of conservative journalism. There was a lot of really good reading, and I enjoyed the discussions as well. 10/20-22- Mom and dad flew in for Parent’s Weekend. We took family photos, got dinner at Handmade (a sandwich shop that I had never been to that was delicious), and hung out reading and listening to live music at Rough Draft. 10/25- Fall Break began, and I house sat for a professor. 10/16- I drove with friends to Frankenmuth, Michigan, a cute little Bavarian tourist-y town. And, my boyfriend Jonathan flew in and met us there! That was wonderful! We ate delicious German food and fudge and went to the world’s largest Christmas store. 10/27-28- I showed Jonathan around all the important spots, like the Arb, Baw Beese, Checker Records, and Rough Draft. 10/31- I went with friends to a Halloween party at Rough Draft (which I realize now I have mentioned a lot) and that was very fun!

November highlights 11/4- SAI concert! I sang Regina Spektor’s “Us” with Maddie Greb on violin and Sarah Schutte on piano. It was delightful. Here is a video. I also sang in our two group pieces (“Give My Regards to Broadway” and “New York, New York”) and in an ensemble for a Hamilton song. 11/7- Fall Convocation, and I suddenly felt like an actual senior. 11/10- I went to Phi Mu Alpha’s annual Battle of the Bands, and it was a blast, as always. 11/11- I saw the Opera Workshop performance of Pirates of Penzance, and it was incredible. 11/17- I saw the theatre department’s performance of Proof, which I really loved.

It’s been a good semester, and it’s hard to believe I only have one left.

#blog #photos #senior year #year four #fall #hillsdale #hillsdale college

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Toledo Museum of Art

#toledo museum of art #Toledo #art #museum

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Toledo Museum of Art

#Toledo #toledo museum of art #art #museum #monet #claude monet #van gogh #vincent van gogh #water lilies #Impressionism #photo #photos #photographs

[chandlermovestomichigan]

I kept thinking I was done with theatre. I was wrong.

After my joyous experience in Antigone, the first real challenging role I’d had in years, I didn’t think I’d get that same opportunity to stretch myself again, and I was wrong.

As I mentioned in my last post:

I got an email from George Angell of the theatre department asking if I was planning to audition for the upcoming play he was directing. I wasn’t, but he said he had me in mind for the female lead. All year, I’ve had this idea that if someone specifically asked me to audition for a play, and wanted me for a challenging role, then I’d do it. So that’s what happened! Now I’m playing Doctor Mathilde von Zahnd in Durrenmatt’s The Physicists. It’s quite a show. I’ll have to write a whole post about it later, for fear of spoilers. We open on Wednesday!

I certainly wasn’t expecting an email from George, and Physicists rehearsals added stress to an already busy semester, but I’m so glad I joined the cast. Now, I keep thinking that actually was last show at Hillsdale (more to free up time than because I think I couldn’t get another good role, though I don’t know about that, of course), but I guess I can’t promise anything. We’ll see what my last semester looks like, but I’ll certainly miss acting and being with people I love over in Sage.

The Physicists is a delightful play. My character, von Zahnd, is an old hunchbacked woman and is the head psychiatrist at a mental institution. The play focuses on three physicists who are patients there: one thinks he is Einstein, one Newton, and the other sees visions of King Solomon. The story is full of delightful twists and turns. It’s very well-written and includes a lot of foreshadowing. I noticed a fun new detail at every rehearsal for the first week or so, which was great fun. At the end of the play, (spoiler alert) von Zahnd reveals herself to have been the only insane- and incredibly manipulative- character all along in a dramatic monologue riddled with maniacal laughter and sarcastic facial expression. Super cool.

The cast, filled with friends old and new, was incredibly fun to work with. I had a whole entourage of big guys to make me look intimidating (see above). Nikolai and I got to yell at each other, just like in Antigone, and that never gets old (see above). One time Katie (a nurse) and Nick (Newton) stole my phone and took a selfie (see above).

The set looked like the Haunted Mansion and was very, very tall. We had a top platform that, on our first day using it, did not have rails yet. I was wearing two shoes of unequal height to add to the hunchback effect and was therefore a bit wobbly. Walking up those stairs for the first time was definitely scary. Every other time, it was awesome.

I was reminded again of how much I love acting in the Black Box, a much smaller theater than Markel Auditorium, where plays are usually performed. The audience is much closer in the Black Box, so I could rely on facial expression in a way I couldn’t on the main stage. With this particular set, I was usually on the floor and very close the audience. Sometimes, tall men even shifted their legs when I walked by because it was that close. I love that.

I don’t know if I’ll have an opportunity like this again (or if, for the sake of my sanity closing out my time at Hillsdale, I’ll take it if I do), and I’m certainly grateful for the experience.

#the physicists #physicists #junior year #blog #photos #photo

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Still around hillsdale? How's it goin?

Although I'm currently home for summer, I have one year left at Hillsdale until I graduate. It's still good!

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Spring 2017- The Semester So Far

I started writing this post back in February. And then I lost it because I couldn't remember what app I wrote it in. So yea, this is a pretty late time in the semester for a "mid-semester review," and may end up being more of a final overview. I'm okay with that.

In some ways, it feels like I'm still getting into the swing of things, so it can be hard to believe that I've been here for a month already (at least, I had in February). In other ways, it's like I never left.

Classes Overview: Renaissance - Dr. Gaetano It's a good thing that Dr. Gaetano warned us about all the reading we would have for this class, because yea, it's a lot of reading. But it's all good stuff. We started the course talking mostly about understandings of the Middle Ages, and now we've been focusing on writings on education. I guess the question of what makes up a good education has been on my mind a lot lately, so it's good for me to think about it in the scholastic/humanistic contexts. And, of course, I love history, and I like studying how people thought.

Intro to Journalism II - Mrs. Servold This is just like Intro to Journalism I but better. The focus is on feature and opinion writing. I like both of these better than news reporting, because even though interviews and research can be fun, I'm getting tired of the strict formulaic writing that comes with it. Features and op-eds are much more fun, and we've read some pretty great examples so far. This was the only midterm I've ever gotten higher than 100% on, which is just another reason I like this class.

Intro to Psychology - Dr. McArthur I signed up for this class last semester and dropped it after about a week because it was so much reading. Which it is. Most of it is pretty easy to understand, though. We recently (in February) finished the Biology section, which I'm glad about because I have a really hard time remembering that stuff. Much of my time on this class has been dedicated to a group project. We were supposed to present last week, but hadn't actually done our experiment yet. That's mostly due to my professor's inability to respond to emails in a timely manner, so luckily she doesn't mind us presenting late. The plan now is to do the experiments this week and present on Thursday, so I'll have to let you know how that goes. It's frustrating that it's taking so long, so it will be good to have it over. UPDATE: we finally did the experiment and it was super fun. We went to the preschool to test children's understanding of conservation. So for instance, I had two identical glasses with equal amounts of water, but once I poured one into a beaker, the kids thought the beaker suddenly had more water. Silly children. They don't understand that just because something changes shape doesn't mean it changes mass. Adorable.

US & the World Since WWII - Dr. Moreno It's hard to say exactly what I think of this class. We're covering a lot of material without going very in-depth, which you pretty much have to do to cover so many events in one semester. So I think I'm learning, but I feel like I could be learning better. Part of that is from putting off reading in order to focus on an upcoming paper (and other homework), so I'll be able to get on that next week. UPDATE: I've now had two papers in this class and I felt good about both of them. The first was on Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care, and the second was LBJ's Howard Commencement Address. We don't choose our own topics, which is unusual, but it's worked out.

January highlights:

My dorm, Mauck, was redecorated over the summer/fall! And it's lovely. My room is big and blue and adorable. It's nice to have such a fancy dorm with air conditioning and all kinds of important things.

The improv group "Broadway's Next Hit Musical" came to Hillsdale and performed songs based on audience suggestions, one of which turned into a full musical. It was hilarious. They really did their research, too, and made some very Hillsdale-specific jokes (i.e. "Hillsdating), which added to the charm.

I started taking voice lessons (in addition to guitar still) for the first time since second semester freshman year. I'm really enjoying it! I have the same teacher, Kristi Matson, who I had before, and I like her a lot. I had this "irrational" fear beforehand that she'd try to convince me I'm actually a soprano instead of an alto like I've always sung, which turned out to be a perfectly rational fear. But I'm liking those high notes much more than I thought I would.

A friend approached me over Christmas break about helping him edit/upload online-only pieces for the Collegian website, so I started doing that. The section is called Study Break, and we cover a range of topics, from op-eds to fun listicles or other features. I really like editing! And it's good to know the ropes of the website.

February highlights:

I started a radio show! Well, my friend Sarah Schutte asked me if I was interested in co-hosting a show with her about the history of Hillsdale College, and obviously heck yes I was. Now, we record two three-and-a-half minute clips a week with fun facts and anecdotes. You can hear episodes of "Wait, What Happened?" on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM (also SoundCloud).

I met a Hillsdale alumna named Joy Pullmann, who is both an editor at The Federalist and a homeschool mom, so basically who I plan to grow up to be. Which I told her, and then she asked if I wanted to write for her. Which obviously heck yes I did. Here is a piece I sent her!

Somehow, I wrote in my planner that I had a midterm on February 9. Felt very unprepared. Realized 30 min before that it was on March 9. Relief.

Every year, the ladies of SAI call people and perform "Singing Valentines" around Feb. 14. It's always a good time. Sometimes people request really weird songs, which adds to the bizarreness of the whole situation. I called my mom and we sang "My Heart Will Go On," which apparently my dad wasn't thrilled with because she kept singing it all day.

I got an email from George Angell of the theatre department asking if I was planning to audition for the upcoming play he was directing. I wasn't, but he said he had me in mind for the female lead. All year, I’ve had this idea that if someone specifically asked me to audition for a play, and wanted me for a challenging role, then I'd do it. So that's what happened! Now I'm playing Doctor Mathilde von Zahnd in Durrenmatt's The Physicists. It's quite a show. I'll have to write a whole post about it later, for fear of spoilers. We open on Wednesday!

I went to Jilly Beans- this cute little coffee shop in town- with friends to celebrate my 22nd birthday! It was a lovely time.

My friend Sarah and I decided to pick up a little (as in, little sister) together in SAI. Unfortunately, the girl we chose ended up deciding not to join after all, which was a bummer. But, there's still next semester.

March highlights:

Mom and dad came for Parent's Weekend! Normally, they come in the fall, but my mom wasn't able to take work off. They got to see the new Mauck, meet our professors, and hang out with us. Mom ended up sticking around a few extra days and visiting classical schools, then she and I flew home together for spring break.

We all saw the musical "Kiss Me, Kate" that the theatre department performed. It was very cute and super well done.

We also saw paintings by Winston Churchill on display in Sage.

Hillsdale went on lockdown after a former student called in a threat. It was a little scary, but no one ended up being in danger. The student was caught that same afternoon. Certainly a strange experience.

We had SAI formal in the Mauck Solarium. I took my friend Noah. It was really fun! We mostly played card games and Bananagrams. And experienced a modern day photobooth- a selfie stick and props.

April highlights:

I attended Opera Workshop. The show consisted of different songs from various operas all centering around madness and death. It was really good, though pretty long.

I wrote an op-ed on why Hillsdale students should read up on the history of the college.

The SAI concert! It was fantastic! At least, I think so. Here’s a full video. and here is where I am: Blue Skies Fairest Lord Jesus Depreston (solo) thank you Dani and Giannina! Touch the Sky Another day of Sun (solo)

I went to Chicago with some students and professors from the History department. I'd never been before, and it was really cool! I mostly stayed with my friends Mary and Patience from SAI, and we wandered the Field Museum, the Navy Pier, and other cool historic spots.

The theatre honorary (APO) had an initiation, which was theatrical as always. I now have an APO little- my friend Jonathan Henreckson. His girlfriend is my APO big, Elena Creed, and together they consider themselves Regan's parents. So we have a bizarre little family situation going on.

I stayed on campus this Easter, which I somehow didn't realize was an option until this year. It ended up being a great call. I got some work done, got to relax, and went to my home church here (Countryside) with Regan and Matthew.

I'm sitting in a brand-new coffee shop called Rough Draft. It's charming and the coffee is very good. I plan to spend lots more time here.

Looking forward:

It's hard to believe the semester is almost over. Finals week will be here before I know it.

Right in the middle of finals week is the performance of Shakespeare in the Arb's Taming of the Shrew. I joined the crew last semester as the graphic designer, and somehow found myself with two small roles as well. I think it will be a good show. We've certainly put a lot of work into it.

In my penultimate semester, I will be taking:

Constitutional Convention – Rahe

Ancient Rome – Calvert

Biology (Human) – Johnson

Philosophy of Education – Beier

Voice – Matson

And of course, more writing for the Collegian.

I don't actually believe that I only have two more semesters. Maybe it will hit me soon.

#year three #spring #hillsdale #hillsdale college #blog #photo #photos #photography

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Fall 2016 Classes

I fly back to Michigan in ten days.

I’m excited about next semester, but first, here is the promised overview of last semester’s classes. It wasn’t a super stressful semester, so that was awesome. I definitely learned a ton and brought my GPA up. Both good things.

Intro to Journalism - Mrs. Servold This was fairly easy, but also a really fun class. I know I’ve improved a lot as a writer this semester, due to this class, Political Journalism, and writing for the Collegian.

This class consisted largely of learning the basics of journalism, as one would expect, and reviewing grammar and style. I had to write a lot of articles but I was able to submit pieces from the Collegian or from my marketing job for the most part.

Mrs. Servold went on maternity leave toward the beginning of November. After that, we spent a week watching All the President’s Men, which is about the investigation of the Watergate scandal. Then Mr. Bertram from the radio station talked to us about the basics of radio, and Mr. Miller took over for the last two weeks or so. Because we’d covered everything that’s normally covered in the course before Mrs. Servold left, we didn’t have much to do by the end. We took a midterm before she left that ended up serving as a final, which meant I only had three finals this semester. And Mr. Miller was out of town for some of the last week of classes, so Intro to Journalism sort of evaporated by the end there. (Mr. Miller also cancelled some Political Journalism classes, which meant my “hell week” was super low key and not really hellish. But I had two huge papers due before Thanksgiving, so don’t worry, I still got a hell week.)

Colonial America - Dr. Raney After taking Civil War with Dr. Raney, I knew what to expect with this class, which was essentially lectures filled with rapid-fire information, way more reading assigned than I would have time for, and a big paper as the only writing assignment. The material may not have been as interesting overall as Civil War, but I did learn a lot of interesting information about a time period I didn’t know much about before. I most enjoyed the religious discussions, especially the controversies, and writing my paper on the Salem witch trials.

History of the U.S. Presidency - Dr. Folsom This was my favorite class, probably my favorite I’ve ever taken, and having Dr. Folsom was such a gift. I had known about Dr. Folsom and his wife Anita from research I did on FDR and the Great Depression in high school, so I knew I had to take him at some point before I graduated. I signed up for this course late last summer after learning a different class I had registered for had switched professors. I’m so glad I did, especially because I later learned that this would be Dr. Folsom’s last semester at Hillsdale.

The course was an amazing overview of American history and a good glimpse into each president, some of whom I certainly got to know better than others. I think I’ve learned more in this class than any other, and I loved it.

The lectures on presidents were wonderful, but part of what made this class so unique and inspiring was Dr. Folsom’s clear passion for Hillsdale. Where he could, and sometimes just for fun, he inserted bits of Hillsdale history that really added a lot to the class and made me even more proud of my school. There was one day when, about 20 minutes before class was over, he took us out to an amphitheater and talked about some of Hillsdale’s most inspiring figures, all the while encouraging us to do the same good they had.

I’m definitely going to miss Dr. Folsom. Even having known him for one semester, I feel like Hillsdale will be a different place without him. I’m very grateful for his love for the school.

Political Journalism - Mr. Miller I knew as soon as I saw this in the course catalog that I had to take this class because I really liked political journalism and now I like it more. This class also consisted of a lot of writing, of course, and reading. We read Bob Novak’s autobiography, many articles, including an essay by Orwell, and the novel Primary Colors. It was a good time. I think my favorite assignments were our Eric Leutheuser profile that I mentioned before and a couple of op-eds (which I learned stands for “opposite editorial” since they tend to be printed opposite the editorial page, and not for “opinion editorial” like you’d think).

Next semester’s classes are:

The Renaissance - Dr. Gaetano (History)

US & the World since World War II - Dr. Moreno

Intro to Psych - Dr. McArthur

Intro to Journalism II - Mrs. Servold

as well as more guitar lessons, voice lessons, more writing for the Collegian, and possibly a journalism seminar.

Tune in next time for first impressions, and to hear about my move back into Mauck.

#blog #junior year #year three #fall semester #classes #hillsdale #hillsdale college

[chandlermovestomichigan]

More winter

#winter #year three #photo #photos #hillsdale #boardwalk #snow #gif

[chandlermovestomichigan]

I obsessively read your blog this summer in order to prep for coming to Hillsdale, and now that I'm here, it's so cool to put a face to the Tumblr. I really like your writings for the Collegian.

Oh wow, thank you so much! Good luck with finals week!

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Winter

#winter #photos #year three #hillsdale college #Boardwalk #snow #central hall

[chandlermovestomichigan]

This is a semester filled with writing.

Between two journalism classes, the Collegian, my job with the Hillsdale blog, the two ten-ish page papers I turned in the other day, and other various assignments, I sort of feel like that’s all I’ve been doing.*

But it’s not.

I included a couple of reminders to myself at the end of my last blog post of what I should have written about then but I didn’t want to:

Dennis Prager came to Hillsdale! I’ve been listening to his show, often in the car while driving with my mom or on my own when I’m doing the driving, for as long as I can remember. His show is a big part of how I heard about Hillsdale. It was neat to actually meet him in person.

Back in September, the Student Activities Board hosted a concert on the quad, which was pretty fun. Regan, Matthew, Ethan, and Jared played, and they were great. A lot of other people played, too. I always love the student performances. They did another one in the coffee shop in October. I got there early to save a table, and did some research for a marketing piece while listening to my friends serenade me and a hundred other people and their parents and it was a blast.

SAI initiation is happening soon, so we did some recruitment events that were pretty fun. Unfortunately, attendance by potential new members was a little lower than anticipated. There was one event where no one new showed up, but a bunch of us got to hang out at the SAI house and eat ice cream and that was a blast. The class of Fall 2016 only consists of one member, Shiloh, but that’s alright. We’re really happy to have her. In other SAI news, we had our Charity Ball in October, which was a masquerade theme. We performed A Grand Night for Singing. Unfortunately, I got a really awful headache as soon as I arrived, and ended up leaving right after the song.

Other September highlights:

Blogger Matt Walsh came to campus, and I wrote an op-ed about his approach, which I posted a link to earlier. [link]

I mentioned last time that I was taking a one credit seminar with Lee Habeeb. That was interesting. He talked a lot about how he crafts segments for his radio show, Our American Stories. He had this one Justice Scalia clip which was really good, but he played it the first day of the seminar, and then again when he spoke in Political Journalism, and then again when he gave his campus-wide talk, so I pretty much had it memorized by the end there. But it was a fun class. We spent a lot of the time constructing stories and talking about elements, such as music or other audio clips, to incorporate.

I attended the most popular fair in the world (yes, it’s the one in Hillsdale) for the first time! It was so much fun. I went with some friends, and we wandered around in the rain, ate donuts, drank cider, and saw so many sweet animals.

October highlights:

I took the Democrats and Republicans CCA. This consisted of a number of lectures, which were unfortunately rather disappointing overall. Generally not specific enough, or not structured well, I guess. So that was too bad. I did learn that the first draft of the Republican Party platform was written in our very own Central Hall, which is neat. Luckily, I cranked my paper out way more quickly than I anticipated.

My decreased involvement in the theatre this year means I can watch more plays, so I saw The Eumenides. I liked seeing my friends, but sadly, the dialogue was nearly impossible to understand due to the masks worn by all of the supernatural characters, which was most of them. Nonetheless, the masks did look really neat, especially on the Furies. But the lost dialogue meant the play was really difficult to follow and not a favorite of mine.

Somehow my favorite events tend to revolve around music. Phi Mu Alpha, one of our men’s music fraternities, came to the SAI house for their annual electric serenade, which consisted of a bunch of guys with guitars and a keyboard and a drum kit in the back of a pickup truck. It was a blast, and certainly the best day of the semester up to that point. My favorite part was when Mark asked volunteers to suggest a key to play in, and pulled a book of poetry out of his back pocket and asked for a number. Then, they improvised a song in the given key using the given poem number for lyrics and it was a delight.

My Political Journalism class interviewed Hillsdale’s representative for state senate, and then wrote about it. Mr. Miller read all of our ledes (opening sentences) in class and said he liked mine best (something like “Eric Leutheuser’s career as a state senator began at the Palace Cafe in Downtown Hillsdale.”), which was very encouraging.

A visiting group performed Much Ado About Nothing. There were three actors, which meant combining characters and switching between characters, and if that sounds rather convoluted, over-complicated, and generally difficult to follow, it was.

I got to go home for Fall break! I’d never done that before, since it was only a couple of days, but my parents weren’t able to make it for parents weekend, and it was cheaper than flying home for Thanksgiving. It was very good to be home.

I joined the Shakespeare Society (aka Shakespeare in the Arb) quite by accident, initially as the graphic designer, and later, costume consultant. We hosted a dramatic reading of The Comedy of Errors and we’re having auditions for The Taming of The Shrew, both of which needed posters which I made.

I auditioned for the theatre department’s staged reading of Alison’s House. The staged reading is a new thing we’re going to do every year. There were fewer people who auditioned than roles, so needless to say, I was cast. I was worried initially about the level of experience we have going for us, but after a couple of rehearsals, I’ve begun to think we’ll be okay.

My grandparents came to visit! We got to show them around some of the best local restaurants and watch a jazz concert on campus. And they got to see the…

SAI concert! We all did Sandman at the beginning, and that was super fun, and then a really pretty song called The Water is Wide. I also sang Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie, and played piano for it. It was very nerve-wracking, but I’m glad I did it. [video]

November highlights:

Every fall, SAI hosts a date night event. Last year, we did a murder mystery, and this year, I wrote a scavenger hunt! I sent people all over campus looking for words to plug into puzzles, numbers to add up, that sort of thing. It was so much fun to write and overall, a pretty successful event.

Phi Mu Alpha hosted their annual Battle of the Bands. I love those things so much. Like I said, the best events are the musical events. I had such a blast watching friends and hanging out with friends and singing at the top of my lungs from the floor.

SAI; Mu Alpha, the other men’s music fraternity; and the student-led Camerata performed One Day More from Les Miserables for the Mu Alpha concert, which was fun, and similar to our Prince of Egypt medley from last year. [video, skip to about 2:10]

I wrote another op-ed for the Collegian about why you should watch an entire play instead of leaving at intermission. It seems like a weird topic, but I’ve noticed a good amount of people leaving halfway through every show I’ve seen or been in here (except for Death of a Salesman, interestingly enough), and the theatre kids are collectively tired of it. The piece specifically mentioned Death of a Salesman, which opened the day before publication, and encouraged people to stay through that show. It was surprisingly well-received. [link]

I watched Death of a Salesman! It was, without question, the best play I’ve seen here, and probably better than most of the shows I’ve been in. I really loved it. Afterward, I went with some friends to the Palace Cafe in town for midnight pancakes, and we discussed the show for about an hour. It was wonderful and cathartic. This whole night is probably tied with the PMU serenade for “best part of the semester.”

I was initiated into APO, the theatre honorary on campus. I hadn’t been planning to join, until I realized what a minimal time commitment it was. Suffice it to say that initiation was… theatrical. And certainly strange.

Now (well, when I wrote this) I’m staying with my friend Katie Scheu and her family for Thanksgiving, and doing lots of reading and relaxing. That has been much needed and I am grateful.

I’m not 100% sure what the function of this blog is now that I’m journaling every day (see previous post), which I didn’t for the last two years. I guess it’s a good place to share stuff for the family members who are interested, but I do intend to do more overview-type posts, which I don’t do with my journal. You can certainly expect an end of semester review coming up sooner than I can comprehend at this point, in case you forgot that I actually do homework and go to classes and stuff, too.

*If you’re interested in seeing the sort of writing I do: Collegian Hillsdale Blog

#blog #hillsdale college #year three #fall semester #fall #hillsdale #photo #photos #mu alpha #sai #phi mu alpha #theatre #heather #regan #matt #ethan #mark #Boardwalk #central hall

[chandlermovestomichigan]

My first opinion piece for the Collegian!

#collegian #Hillsdale college #Hillsdale #Matt Walsh #opinion

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Fall 2016- Intro to Junior Year

This semester is going to be pretty different from any I’ve had before, and it’s already changed a lot since classes started less than two weeks ago.

I told you last time about some of those changes, but I was wrong about something, it seems. I didn’t think I’d be able to minor in Journalism, which I was thinking I’d want to do. I talked to the head of the program, however, and sounds like I’ll still be able to minor, as long as I take the required courses, write for the school paper for the next four semesters, and do an internship in journalism next summer. So, that’s the plan.

Much like every semester, I am taking some classes:

The Three Credits:

Intro to Journalism - Mrs. Servold So far, this class has been delightful. There’s not a ton of homework, and it’s fairly enjoyable. Mrs. Servold is wonderful, in addition to being very pregnant, which means the last month or so of the class will be taught by other journalism professors. Class meetings themselves are fun, whether we’re talking about current events, how to write, what a newsroom looks like, or (somehow) AP style guidelines.

Colonial America - Dr. Raney I had Dr. Raney for Civil War, so I know what to expect: a lot of reading, a big paper, a ton of rapid-fire information in lectures, and to stay about 3 minutes after class because Dr. Raney can never quite say everything he wants to in 50 minutes. I’m looking forward to learning more about this time period, since I really don’t know a ton about North America before the 1770’s or so.

History of the U.S. Presidency - Dr. Folsom Dr. Folsom is a character. Last week, he wore a tie with the logos and slogans of many Republican presidents, including “I like Ike!” It was certainly patriotic. There are only 6 of us in the class, and we all sit around the conference table, which gives the class a conversational tone. Dr. Folsom is certainly very knowledgeable and rather passionate about the subject. One day, we read a portion of a letter Abigail Adams had written to John Quincy, and he found it so inspiring that he read it aloud and had all 6 of us take turns reading it, too. It was a good letter. Dr. Folsom is one of those professors I told myself I’d take before I graduated, so I’m glad to have the chance. I wish we weren’t moving through our reading so quickly, but I’m sort of keeping up.

Political Journalism - Mr. Miller I was worried I’d be the only newbie to Journalism in the class, but that’s not the case, which is nice. Our first assignment was to write a short piece on the very close Pennsylvania senate race, and I was happy with how that turned out. I like Mr. Miller. It’s neat to read his pieces and hear about all of his experiences.

The One Credits:

Guitar lessons This time there are four of us, and it’s good so far. I’m certainly hoping to improve a lot.

Storytelling in a Digital Age - Lee Habeeb I’d heard of Lee Habeeb only because he subs for Dennis Prager on the radio sometimes, and this sounded like a fun seminar. The class begins on Monday, and we’ll meet for 2 hours for a few days this week and next. I really don’t know what to expect.

Collegian I write for the Collegian now.

CCA- Democrats and Republicans The CCA stands for Center for Constructive Alternatives, which I realize doesn’t actually tell you what it is, but if I didn’t tell you, you’d be wondering. Hillsdale hosts 2 CCAs a semester, I think, which is when they bring in a bunch of speakers to talk about a subject- anything from the history of money to Winston Churchill. This will be my first time attending the week-or-so of lectures.

That’s 16 credits, which is not as many as semesters past. This was intentional. At first, I was also taking the 3 credit Intro to Psych to fill a core requirement, but that requires a lot of reading and I decided I should put that one off. I’d never dropped a class before yesterday. It was fun.

Outside of the classes, I have more new things. I live in a house now! My beloved dorm Mauck is under construction until the spring. So, myself and 11 other girls are now living in a charming abode called the Boardwalk, just down the street from Central Hall (see photos). I live with my friend Gionna, who I met in a Bible study which took place in the very same house freshman year. I always had a feeling I’d end up living there someday, which is weird because I didn’t have any particular desire to live off-campus. But here I am.

Over the summer, I designed my very own planner, which I’m very happy with (see picture). I also got a “One Line a Day” journal, which I love writing in. I plan to keep that up for the next five years. I realize now that this is a very long commitment.

I bought a bike (see picture) so I can ride to the gym, mostly, since my house is farther away than places I’ve lived before. But also it would be nice to take to the grocery store or something. 

I think that’s enough for now. Remind me to tell you next time about the Dennis Prager interview, the Concert on the Quad, and SAI things. I’m excited to see where the year will lead.

#blog #photos #hillsdale #hillsdale college #year three #junior year #journalism #boardwalk #sai #collegian

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Spring 2016 according to Instagram (@princesschandler)

#photos #year two #Hillsdale #Hillsdale college #SAI #Candace #heather #Mark #Centralhallapalooza #Mauck #solarium #winter #spring #archergwen

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Sophomore Year

And with that, I’m halfway done with college.

I’ve been pretty quiet this year, which I’m going to chalk up to a semester that was way too busy, as absent bloggers always do.

The fewer credits/some easier classes thing I mentioned last time did not go exactly as planned. But three plays in one semester alone will do that to a person.

First, class review. My guitar lessons were pretty good, and I plan to continue taking those, probably for the next two years. The class was a basic overview of a lot of different things, so while I didn’t feel like I got a ton better, I guess I got a good taste of what I’ll be learning more in-depth in the future. Not a lot to report with this class.

Next on the schedule came Physical Science. To be honest, this class was really not my thing. I had two professors, one for Physics and one for Chemistry. The former didn’t come across as very knowledgeable when we were talking about some areas such as astronomy and every lecture felt like a waste of time, either because he didn’t explain things well or went on lengthy tangents. The latter professor was probably worse, since at least we got a ridiculous amount of grace on Physics homework. She simultaneously believed that most high schoolers do not receive a very good education in chemistry, and that all of us Hillsdale students had a great understanding of the subject. However, chemistry is not a requirement for admittance to Hillsdale, which she probably didn’t realize. I hadn’t taken Chemistry before, and because she assumed everyone had, she didn’t bother to explain anything well. At all. The whole experience was really miserable. I only passed because of some friends who taught me everything my professor didn’t before my Chem midterm/final. 

Theatre History II came next. I was actually surprised that I got an A in this class. The material itself isn’t difficult, but somehow Dr. Brandon (but we all call him James) always managed to throw a question or two into quizzes about material that seemed unimportant when I was studying, or didn’t actually make it into my fairly thorough notes. But we only had one paper, a book summary, that was really easy, so I think that helped a lot. It also helped that I knew James from Theatre History I/Mother Courage, which he directed, so I knew what kind of answers he’d appreciate. For instance, I once argued that Shakespeare included female cross-dressing in his plays since he knew that one day, the roles would be played by women who would thus be able to show off their legs (which is why Spanish playwrights had their actresses in pants all the time). It was a pretty fun class. I wish I would have had time to start the reading early, because we’d tend to have days of no homework followed by a day with an entire play to read. That was difficult.

I enjoyed my Sectionalism and American Civil War class, as well. We spent a ton of time on the sectionalism part, so it felt like we had to rush through the war, especially the last two years of it. Some of the battle stuff was a little hard to follow, but I feel like I learned a lot. I wrote my paper on Lincoln’s assassination. That’s always a good time.

Theatre Design II, where I got to work with the costume designer, was an absolute blast. I started off the course researching a few plays, and doing thumbnail sketches, full sketches, or other projects. Then, I had the chance to design an ENTIRE REAL SHOW. That was a delight. The play was The Man of Destiny, featuring Napoleon Bonaparte. It was so cool to see my ideas come to life onstage. The school paper called my costumes “resplendent.”

photos source [x]

I finished the year by designing a show called Angel Street, which takes place in Victorian England, probably my favorite era for fashion.

Drawing I came last. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I saw more improvement in myself then I probably would have predicted. I learned that I really dislike drawing with charcoal, because it’s messy and hard to erase, but I also discovered how to view objects as they actually are, not how I might think they are, and how to better translate them to paper. The final project was a self-portrait that I’m pretty proud of, and I’ll post a photo when I get it back in the fall.

Three days/events jump out at me as being particularly memorable from this last year.

I think the happiest I was all year occurred on a day that happened to be a bit miserable for most locals/people who hate magic and beauty. It was, of course, the first snow day. I went to sleep one night in a Michigan filled with leafless trees and a brown horizon, and woke up in the White Witch’s Narnia. But in a good way. Seriously, the most snow I’ve ever seen in one night. Later that morning, Hillsdale’s Camerata, a student-run mini orchestra, came to play in the Mauck Solarium. It was gorgeous, as always. They brought Checker Records coffee, which is pretty much the best, so I spent my first snow day in a beautiful room, listening to Mozart and such, sipping my coffee and enjoying the view of falling snow. It was perfect.

I mentioned joining SAI, the women’s music fraternity. I’m so, so glad I did. It’s such a joy. I had the chance to perform The Moon Song by Karen O with my friends Matthew and Mark. I have very little experience singing in front of people, and I was super nervous! But it couldn’t have gone better. The best part for me was finishing, walking off, and seeing another friend and incredible musician clapping and going crazy cheering for us. It was so encouraging, I couldn’t help but grin at him. I was elated. Here’s a video.

Another new experience for me began when my frenemy, Dani, texted me and told me to audition for her play. The Man of Destiny was a student-directed show that played right before another student-directed play, Antigone. Dani was directing Antigone. At this point, I had already landed a small role in Macbeth with Shakespeare in the Arb, and I knew designing would take up a lot of extra time. So I hadn’t been planning to audition, but how could I say no? I did not. In fact, I was cast as Antigone herself. It was the first actually challenging role I’d played in years, and it was so good to dive into a role that way. Antigone is the story of a girl who defies her uncle, King Creon’s, wishes when she sets out to bury her brother Polynices. Polynices had died fighting in a civil war, and was deemed a traitor. The lack of burial served as a punishment, and would force him to wander eternally without rest. Antigone breaks up with her angsty fiancé and buries Polynices without the help of her nervous sister. Most of the play involved me arguing with Creon before convincing him to sentence me to death. A lot of lines and a short time of rehearsals made for an extra challenge, but overall, it was such an incredible experience. The play itself had a very minimal set, and the costumes didn’t place us in any particular time. Read all about it here.

photos source [x]

Despite my wonderful experience with Antigone, Design II, and everything theatre, I came to a big realization about my future at Hillsdale. For a long time, I had been planning to double-major in History and Theatre, because I loved History and wanted to learn more about it, and because I wanted to become a costume designer, hence the class. But I discovered that this isn’t really what I wanted to do anymore, or what I’m best suited for. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and I plan to explore this further. So I declared my major only in History. This is a pretty big change of plans. I don’t know if I’ll be involved in any more plays here. It really depends on what roles are offered, or if I find myself with a lot of free time (this will not happen). Plays are really time-consuming, and with long rehearsals nearly every night, I’ve had a hard enough time getting homework done, so I definitely didn’t have time to be involved in things like Bible studies, clubs, or volunteering. I don’t plan to audition again unless I know the role will be challenging and worth it. This will be okay, because I was getting tired of unchallenging roles that felt like chores, and I know there will be plays I’d prefer to watch, such as Death of a Salesman in the spring.

Next year, I’ll be taking two History courses, knocking out two of my three remaining core requirements, continuing in guitar, as I mentioned, and taking two classes and one seminar in Journalism. I don’t know what to expect, but I think Journalism is more where I belong. Minoring in Journalism does not appear to be an option, because six semesters writing for the paper are required and I only have four left. But I’ll still take the required classes. At least, that’s the plan. And I’m really excited for it.

See you next fall.

#year two #Hillsdale college #antigone #the man of destiny #theatre #angel street #dani #mark #matt #nikolai #photos #SAI #sigma alpha iota #blog

[chandlermovestomichigan]

The musical groups of Hillsdale College Mu Alpha, Phi Mu Alpha, Sigma Alpha Iota, and Camerata presenting the songs “Deliver Us”, “The Burning Bush”, and “The Plagues”. Arranged and conducted by Jonathan Edelblut.

#I am in this! #SAI #mu alpha #phi mu alpha