Students Archives

Exploring the Higher Ideas Through Politics and Mathematics

A Spotlight on Sarah Onken, ’16. Although Sarah Onken came to love politics and mathematics through different paths, her time at Hillsdale has allowed her to have a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of what most people see as disparate fields.

Forester McClatchey with his own artwork conceptualizing dinosaurs.

A Prehistoric Thesis

For his senior thesis, Forester McClatchey, ’16, is studying dinosaur research conducted in Victorian England and working on a series of paintings that demonstrate the evolution of paleontologist art from the 1860s to the present.

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Mathematics and the Common Core

Sarah Onken is a senior majoring in politics and mathematics. For her math thesis, Sarah chose to examine the standards the common core sets for mathematics and what they reveal about how common core answers the question, “What is mathematics?”

Studying the American Mind From Three Different Perspectives

Jordan Reimschisel, ’16, enjoys the unique opportunity to study a single topic, the American mind, from three different perspectives. “How did the politics, the literature, everything interact to form the American mind? That’s what the American studies major is about. It’s writing and reading and, above all, critical thinking that encourages you to explore the relationship between those three fields.”

Treating Staph Infections with Light

The desire to seek effective alternatives to antibiotics drew Wyatt McDonnell to study MRSA. During his research, he came across an interesting method of fighting bacterial infections called photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Exploring The Central Science

If you ask the Hillsdale College chemistry faculty to describe their field, you might hear them call chemistry the “central” science. “Not necessarily the best science, mind you. It just connects everything. Besides, that title just makes chemistry sound cool,” jokes Dr. Matthew Young.

A Hillsdalian in Virginia

Rather than attending a cheery parade complete with firetrucks, mini American flags, and lollipops, junior history major Hailey Morgan spent her Memorial Day last summer working at a luminary event for a national cemetery.

The Unexpected Community of Hillsdale

The unexpected part of Hillsdale comes in the form of community. I asked some fellow freshmen what it is about Hillsdale that suprised them the most this first semester, and relationships and experiences outside of the classroom come out on top.

Music in Community: Spotlight on Chamber Choir

The chamber choir is what Prof. Holleman calls an “ambassador for the college and the students,” distinguished not only by quality of sound, but also by tradition and beauty.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Haley Hauprich

Home. Up until now, I’ve always used that word to describe the house that I’ve lived in for the past 18 years, my small and close-knit high school, or the city of Phoenix, Arizona (which, if you didn’t already know, is a place about as un-Michigan as it gets).

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Sarah Chavey

Hillsdale was hardly on my radar during my senior year of high school. I wanted a big school, a place to develop as a music major and journalist. The impossibly difficult core classes at Hillsdale College did not tempt a girl who didn’t care about Homer and Aristotle.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Andres Torres

I wish was one of those students who could say, “After properly researching many colleges I applied to Hillsdale and immediately accepted my admissions offer.” However, that was not the case. The real story is that I still had no idea where I wanted to go after applying to eight colleges.