cademyA aneL Vol. 4, No. 2 • Spring 2006

In the summer of 2003, our family moved from Hillsdale to the greater Richmond, Virginia, area. Finding

a private school for our children that would build on the excellent base provided to them by Hillsdale Academy proved to be our biggest challenge in our new home. After visits to several

schools, we settled on Millwood School, a college preparatory school for kindergarten through eighth grade in Midlothian, Virginia. While Millwood was not the most expensive school in the area, the curriculum seemed similar to that of Hillsdale Academy, including Saxon Math and many of the classics in the reading curriculum. Small class sizes averaging 14 and a “no ceiling” curriculum allowed for individual attention. A student-signed “Big 10” code of self-discipline allowed a seamless transition from Hillsdale Academy to Millwood. What we didn’t know until almost a year after attending Millwood is that its founding head, Dr. Louise Bagwell-Robinson, had consulted the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide as she formed her school and that Millwood is considered a Hillsdale Academy Model School. The following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Bagwell-Robinson. As a parent and Millwood founder, she sought the same attributes in a school that most parents seek for their own children—an academically challenging, nurturing environment that seeks to strengthen self-confidence and the moral compass in students. We feel most fortunate to have found that in both Hillsdale Academy and now Millwood School.

Q: WhydidyouestablishMillwoodSchool?A: Shortly after relocating to Midlothian, I began to investigate

the various school alternatives in the Richmond metropolitan area for our two daughters. While there were outstanding independent schools in the downtown area, none were convenient to our area. I was particularly interested in academic rigor, coupled with high expectations for character development. Being able to provide a small, personal and nurturing environment was also an important criterion for me.

Q: WhatmakesMillwooddifferentfromotherareaindependentschools?

A: Millwood meets students where they are on an educational continuum and encourages them to go as far as they possibly can. There is no ceiling to our curriculum, especially in the language arts and mathematics. Small class size allows teachers to work with varying ability levels within a class. Although we are a college preparatory school with the majority of our students being above average, we do admit average students as well.

Q: Whydidyouchoosethecurriculumthatyoudid?A: I sought the advice of experts in all content areas, studied Virginia

Association of Independent School Standards, and the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide. We seek to provide a richly textured curriculum that integrates the beauty of the fine arts, technology and foreign languages. The study of foreign languages, music, art and physical education is not optional at Millwood. It is required. We also seek to promote growth and self-confidence in our students. We continue to be successful in this by providing many opportunities to speak publicly, appropriately interact with adults (self-introductions, carry on a conversation), and conduct themselves in respectful, responsible ways. Millwood students have many leadership and community service opportunities as well. We challenge students to be the best that they can be, intellectually, physically, socially and morally.

Q: AnyfinalthoughtsastowhyMillwoodhasbeensosuccessfulinitsbrief15-yearhistory?

A: As a mom, I appreciate a school where kids are safe (literally, as well as safe to take intellectual risks). I wanted an environment where the adults could and would know my girls. I have learned that there are many times in a child’s life when it is important that other adults really know what’s going on with them outside of school. A small, nurturing environment provides that for all kids. As an educator, I do not believe that kids fail to learn; I believe that some teachers and some schools fail to teach. I believe that it is the school’s responsibility to help students make forward, steady progress on all fronts. I feel very strongly about the philosophy we have in place – no two children are exactly alike nor do they learn in exactly the same way. The small class sizes allow teachers to work individually with each student. We are known for small classes and individual attention, a challenging curriculum, exceptional faculty, and a principle structure that promotes honesty, integrity and respect for others. As the founder of Millwood, I know that what we are providing for families is wonderful. Millwood School is a great place for kids, parents and faculty. When all three work together, it’s amazing what can happen.

F eatures

Faculty Notes

New Families

Guest Chapel Speaker

Accolades

15th Anniversary Highlights

Colt Corner

Dr. Louise Bagwell-Robinson

Model School Provides Solid Education After Hillsdale Academy

contributed by Nancy and Bill Phillips

Welcome…We began the 2005-2006 academic year with a number of new students and families joining the Academy community. Among our new students are children from throughout the region, Indiana, Illinois and Texas. Please welcome:Maura Altham (10th grade), Durand, Illinois – James and ElizabethAndrew Alvarez (7th grade), Jonesville, Michigan – Anthony and JenniferNatalie Barry (10th grade), Fremont, Indiana – Greg and RebeccaColleen (10th grade) and Paul (7th grade) Burns, Britton, Michigan – Kevin and MaureenAntonia Busch (6th grade), Hillsdale, Michigan – Chris and LornaElizabeth Bianchi (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – Charles and MichelleJoy Boakye (3rd grade), Osseo, Michigan – Kwasi and VeronicaToni-Marie Gossage (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – David Gossage and Karen LuparelloConnor (7th grade) and Thomas (8th grade) Irwin, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan – Stuart and SarahLaura Jenkins (Kindergarten), Jonesville, Michigan – Rick and RitaJames Jordan (8th grade), Hillsdale, Michigan – Michael and LindyGabriella Kibert (1st grade), Hillsdale, Michigan – Nathan and JessicaSigrid Kiledal (5th grade), Hillsdale, Michigan – Erik and KirstinClaire Krannawitter (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – Thomas and LoriZack Lefere (9th grade), Jackson, Michigan – Chris and AnneJohn McDonald (Kindergarten), Jackson, Michigan – Paul and DianeSpencer Moeggenberg (Kindergarten), Jackson, Michigan – Richard and CarissaKyra Moss (10th grade) and Sawyer Zopff-Moss (7th grade), San Antonio, Texas – Michael Moss and Cherise Zopff-MossConnor Oakley (Kindergarten), Jackson, Michigan – Todd and AntoinetteAlex (7th grade) and Nicholas (4th grade) Payne, Cologne, Minnesota – George Payne and Beatrice DiehlShannon Peterson (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – Aaron and KathleenSabeek Pradhan (6th grade), Coldwater, Michigan – Kamal and SabeenaAlivia Rebeck (Kindergarten), Osseo, Michigan – Robert and DanielleKathleen (9th grade) and McKenzie (7th grade) Schissler, Clark Lake, Michigan – Mark and KellyWilliam Smith (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – Stephen and LauraGabriya Snell (1st grade), Coldwater, Michigan – David and LolaAngelo Sorce (Kindergarten), Hillsdale, Michigan – Angelo and NatalieNoah Sparks (Kindergarten), Jonesville, Michigan – Kevin and TeriTaylor Thayer (6th grade), Jackson, Michigan – Timothy and BarbaraChase Vear (7th grade), Hillsdale, Michigan – Stephen and MaryMatt Waller (8th grade), Jackson, Michigan – Jeffrey and Rosemary

“Love What You Ought to Love, and Hate What You Ought to Hate!”

Guest Chapel Speaker Pastor Drew Woods,

Cement City Baptist Church, Cement City, Michigan

There is a wonderful quote by Plato on a plaque in the library here at Hillsdale Academy. Plato said that education is to be the ordering of life’s pains and pleasures so that one comes to relish

what he ought to relish, and abhor what he ought to abhor. This means several things. First of all, education has to do with trying to understand and respond to something that we “ought” to. Education doesn’t just deal with your opinion or my opinion, but rather it aims to understand something about what is true and right and good which OUGHT to be recognized by all. This means that there is a point to education! This is good news! You are not merely trying to make good grades in order to get a prestigious job someday, in order to make a bunch of money, in order to maximize your creature comforts here in this world. If you are getting a good education here at Hillsdale Academy, you will be challenged not just to keep adding to your knowledge bank, but you will be challenged to use your knowledge to discover that which “ought to be relished” and that which “ought to be abhorred.” This is to say that there is such a thing as truth, and such a thing as goodness, and as beauty, which things ought to be loved; just as there are such things as falsehood, and evil, and perversion, which ought to be hated. Therefore, when you are busy doing your math lessons, or your literature essay, or your history questions, or your science lab report, remember . . . the point in it is for you to discover what is ultimately lovely or worthy of relishing, and what is worthy of abhorring and hating and then to get at the great work of relishing and abhorring.This leads to a second important observation about Plato’s definition of education. We were meant to be passionate people. There are great and noble and good things that are meant not just to be analyzed and discussed, but also loved and prized and cherished. Also, there are things that ought to be hated and detested. Therefore, we were meant to be lovers...and haters! Our own experience tells us that we naturally tend to be lovers and haters. It seems good that we not only admit to this, but also actually and purposefully cultivate this impulse through education, such that we learn to direct our passions toward worthy objects.Plato also said that all lesser loves are to be stepping stones toward loving God. This means that everything that is truly lovely in some way points us toward God. If you saw the sunrise this morning, you witnessed a thing of beauty and design. The point of the sunrise is to point you to the good and wise designer who created it. In enjoying the beauty and consistency of the sunrise, you should seek to love and enjoy the great Creator who was pleased to design it. So it is, when we encounter truth, or beauty, or goodness in our lives, we ought to follow the stream, so to speak, up to its source, which is God, and then we ought to love God.This is at the very heart of what God requires of mankind in the Holy Scriptures. God commanded His people through Moses to be lovers of God.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

This very command was repeated by Jesus Christ.Mark 12:28-31 28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Often we tend to hear this as something that sounds burdensome. When we are commanded to love God, we tend to hear that as a command to be committed to God, or to do things that will demonstrate how important He is to us, but I think that God has something more fundamental in mind when He commands us to love Him. I think what we are supposed to hear in that greatest of all commandments is that God commands us to enjoy Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength! I went to college in Chicago. One of my fondest experiences of living for several years in Chicago was the wonderful variety of great food. I remember one particular pizza restaurant in Chicago. I was convinced nobody had a better tasting pizza than Giordano’s. When I say, “I love Giordano’s pizza!” everyone knows that what I mean is that I greatly enjoy Giordano’s pizza. I think this is what God had in mind when He commanded us to love Him. Using Plato’s expression, we are to “relish” what ought to be relished, so we are to relish God, for He is the most relish-worthy being. This is another way of saying we ought to delight in Him, enjoy Him and savor Him as the most excellent of all beings.But here we have a problem. We do not always love what we ought to love and relish what ought to be relished. In fact, our own experience teaches us that many times we love what we ought to hate. Human history also proves to us that education doesn’t cure this problem. Someone has well said that most of the time we are free to do what we want, but we are not free to want what we ought. At this point, we need something more than education to help us. Education should lead us to recognize what ought to be loved and what ought to be hated, and it can help us become convinced that we really ought to love that which is worthy of love and to hate that which is not, but education cannot make us do as we ought. This is where God must help us. This is one of the greatest of all truths – that God, the great architect of the universe, is eager and willing to come to the aid of all who humbly cry out to Him for help. This great reality is demonstrated in that God sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty of justice for our sin, and to provide the life-transforming Holy Spirit to come into those who trust Him, so that they may love what they ought to love and hate what they ought to hate. So then, as you study here at Hillsdale Academy, seek to understand those great things that ought to be loved (especially God), and ask God to help you relish what ought to be relished and abhor what ought to be abhorred.

Gail NelsonMusic Teacher

Miss Gail Nelson, Hillsdale Academy’s part-time music teacher, has been sharing her love of music with the school’s students for two years. She grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated from Hillsdale College in 2004 with a degree in music. She came to the Academy with experience gained from teaching flute at area schools and from private music tutoring. She is currently

working toward a master’s degree in music education at the Boston Conservatory. Academy Lane: Tell us about your musical background.Gail: My principal instrument is flute, but I play many more. In high school, I worked at a music company, so I was fortunate to be able to take instruments home over the weekend and learn them. I play pretty much everything but bagpipes (I don’t think I have the interest for bagpipes). I did choir and orchestra in college, played in operas and in the orchestra pit for musicals. Right now I’m playing the French horn in the community band, and I play and sing in various ensembles and organizations around Hillsdale. Academy Lane: How are you able to work on your master’s degree while teaching at the Academy? Gail: The Boston Conservatory master’s in music education program is a summer study program that allows me to teach during the year. You study for two summers, and the fall and spring in between the two summers you study as well, but at a much less intense level. Because I’m not living in Boston, I’m doing all my courses as independent studies. After next summer I will receive a master’s in music education, with certification from Massachusetts.Academy Lane: What are the current music programs at Hillsdale Academy?Gail: In the elementary-level music classes, I focus on singing and beginning music appreciation. I teach a blended version of many types of music education. I use the Dalcroze Eurythmics system of musical education, and I also teach the Kodaly System and use the Gordon methodologies of music. I’m giving the elementary students the foundation to go into a music ensemble. In my music classroom, we try to have a lot of fun. This year we started a “composer of the month” feature, where the students learn about a different composer every month. This provides an opportunity to learn about specific composers as well as different aspects of classical music. At the middle school level, we start focusing on choir and singing as an ensemble. On all grade levels we also work on preparing for the school’s Christmas and spring music concerts. The concerts are the only opportunities during the year that parents get to see what the students have learned. In the Upper School, we have a choir group. We talk about concert etiquette, and I give concert review assignments. We have listening days where we critically evaluate music on much more than a surface level. I also implement music appreciation where we learn about composers and different musical time periods. We started a band this year, for fifth grade through high school. The band is made up of Academy students, and includes a Will Carleton Academy student. I’m directing the orchestra this year as well, which is made up of Hillsdale Academy, Will Carleton Academy and homeschooled students.Academy Lane: What are your goals for the music program at the Academy? Gail: By the time they leave here, our students know music and have a sincere appreciation for it. They should be familiar with important composers and the different sounds and characteristics of various time periods.

Faculty Notes

Mrs. Katy Caspar and Mrs. Melissa Holm, who both are expecting their first children, will be leaving their full-time Upper School teaching posts at the end of the 2005-2006 school year. Mrs. Caspar will continue to coach in the Academy’s cross-country and track programs, and Mrs. Holm will continue to teach tenth-grade literature.

Academy Headmaster Dr. Kenneth Calvert has announced that two new teachers will join the Academy staff for the 2006-2007 year. Mr. Chris Heckel has been hired to teach biology and mathematics. Chris and his wife, Pam, are Hillsdale County natives and graduates of Hillsdale College. Chris holds a master’s degree in biology from the University of Georgia and is working toward a Ph.D. in biology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Miss Helen Lasseter has been hired to teach English and assist Mr. Andrew Holm in the teaching of first- and second-year Latin. She is working to complete her Ph.D. in literature at Baylor University, and received her M.A. and B.A. from the University of Dallas. She has taught courses in literature and writing, and has a good background in Latin.

Budd, Ducher Participate in Liberty Fund Weekend

In February, eighth-grade teacher Mrs. Julie Budd and 12th grade advisor Miss Deanna Ducher traveled to Savannah, Georgia, on behalf of the Academy as part of a Liberty Fund weekend. Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals. The Academy teachers, along with 15 other middle and high school teachers from around the country, participated in the seminar in a colloquium/discussion format. The topic was “Liberty and Responsibility in America’s Manifest Destiny.” Mrs. Budd and Miss Ducher prepared for the seminar by reading approximately 200 pages of primary source material on the topic.Each year, Liberty Fund conducts conferences throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. The Liberty Fund also publishes as many as 20 or more books each year.

nniversaryAth15

Hillsdale Academy opened its doors in August 1990 with 45 students in Grades K-8. Today’s student body has more than tripled in size, with 165 students enrolled in Grades K-12.

Hillsdale Academy marked its 15th year of existence with a two-day celebration that featured an evening reception on September 23 and an open house, school rededication ceremony, picnic and soccer game on September 24.

Evening Reception Draws a CrowdMore than 200 parents, students, faculty and friends of the Academy gathered in the Academy’s Commons on Friday evening for a program that included speeches, the debut of the new Hillsdale Academy video, student performances, a reading by longtime Academy supporter Dr. Irina Pabst, and remarks by Academy Headmaster Dr. Ken Calvert, Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry Arnn and Dinesh D’Souza, the nationally known speaker and author of Illiberal Education. Dr. Calvert thanked the school’s friends and donors in attendance and absent, among them Charles and Irma McIntyre, Bill and Berniece Grewcock, Clinton and Maryanne Ward, Tom and Virginia Rogers, and Maria Dotterweich of the Weatherwax Foundation. He praised the faculty and staff of Hillsdale Academy, saying, “They are able to bring into the classroom an excitement about learning and a purpose.” Dr. Calvert thanked the students and the parents for their support, and read notes of congratulations from admirers, including Hillsdale’s Mayor Doug Ingles, Annette Kirk of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, and President George W. Bush. Hillsdale Academy Parents’ Association President Al Philipp said, “For over 15 years the students at Hillsdale Academy have been given an excellent education” and mentioned the families from across the U.S. – Alaska, California, Minnesota and Texas – who have moved to Hillsdale so that their children could attend the Academy.

Dr. Calvert leads rededication ceremony

elebrationC

Fourth graders enjoy reception

nniversaryAAccolades

Anna Leutheuser

Senior Anna Leutheuser was one of two Hillsdale County high school students to qualify as state finalists in Wendy’s Restaurants “High School Heisman” program. Leutheuser received a bronze medal for being among the top 10 female candidates from Michigan. The national program recognizes outstanding student-athletes for their achievements in

athletics, academics and community service. Anna also has been named a National Merit Finalist. In addition, Anna received the Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Award for her outstanding work in the classroom and on the playing field. Anna was one of 32 scholarship recipients chosen from over 2,100 Michigan entries. On her application essay, Anna summed up her views on athletics: “Athletics are at their highest level if a spirit of sportsmanship prevails; the athletes perform better, the coaches contribute more, and the fans are more animated and encouraging. Sportsmanship ennobles any contest, and therefore must be welcomed, encouraged, and expected.” Anna will attend Hillsdale College on an academic and athletic scholarship.

Sabeek Pradhan

Sixth grader Sabeek Pradhan has won the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s Young Composers in Concert Competition, in the kindergarten through sixth grade category. Sabeek, 10, and the other members of Mrs. Somerville’s fifth- and sixth-grade class traveled to Kalamazoo on March 1 to hear a full orchestra rendition of his piece, “A Patriot’s

Call,” as part of the KSO Youth Concerts series. The competition has two categories: kindergarten through sixth grade and seventh through twelfth. Because he has moved through school at an advanced pace, this was Sabeek’s last year to compete at the younger grade level. Sabeek, who has played the piano since he was 4 years old, says he has been composing songs for about four years.

2001-2006 National Merit Standings

Class of 2001 (5 seniors) Elizabeth Wolfram, Commended

Class of 2002 (12 seniors) Erin Somerville, Semifinalist Aimee Clark, Finalist Veronica Whalen, Finalist

Class of 2003 (6 seniors) Toby Knighton, Commended

Arnn, D’Souza Cite Academy ExampleDr. Arnn talked about the good work that the Academy has done in educating its students, from its modest beginnings to its current success as a national model for learning. He evoked the wisdom of the framers of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which stated, “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” He also introduced Dinesh D’Souza, the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Mr. D’Souza said, “Students today are often forced to choose between an education that emphasizes academics and one that emphasizes character – it’s not often you find one school that has both.” What seems impressive about the Academy, he continued, is that it is “pursuing multiculturalism in a true sense – trying to look inward to see how you got where you are.” After the speeches, performances and the video premiere, the school’s students, parents, faculty and guests received Academy lapel pins and copies of the video on DVD, then enjoyed some refreshments.

Saturday Activities Complete the CelebrationSaturday, September 24, began with an open house to showcase the Academy to visitors and prospective families. At noon, a rededication ceremony was held that featured the school’s regular opening ceremony – the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, student recitations and brief remarks by Dr. Calvert. Next, students, families and guests enjoyed an outdoor picnic held behind the Academy. To end the day’s events, the Hillsdale Academy Upper School soccer team played Hillsdale High School’s team in a rousing match.

Class of 2004 (10 seniors) Nicholas Hayes, Finalist

Class of 2005 (12 seniors) Jessica Marsh, Commended Monica Craig, Finalist

Class of 2006 (12 seniors) Katie Stacey, Commended Anna Leutheuser, Finalist

elebrationC Student choir performs

Keynote speaker Dinesh D’Souza

Fourth graders enjoy reception

Guest Language Teacher and Business Consultant from Brazil

Rossana Samanamud visited Hillsdale Academy during the week of January 9 to observe Upper School classes and also taught

a Spanish class. Ms. Samanamud, a native of Peru, earned her degree in language from Argentina Technical School in Lima, Peru, in 1983. She speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. She moved to Brazil in 1985 and started teaching English and business classes. Her experience includes teaching business classes for managers and working for an online English language instruction company. She currently works for Yazigi Internexus, an educational company in Lorena, a municipality in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She oversees an English and Spanish language program for 800 students from fourth grade through high school.

Q. WhyareyouvisitingtheUnitedStates?A. I first came to the U.S. in 2003 and visited Indianapolis, where my

company has an office. As an educator and an English teacher, I am here to observe students in several American schools.

Q. HowdidyouhearabouttheAcademy?A. Traditional schools are of great interest to me – I did an Internet search

and found it online.

Q. WhatotherschoolswillyouvisitwhilehereintheU.S.?A. I’m also visiting an elementary school in Muskegon, and schools in

the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Then I’ll go back to Muskegon to visit friends – I hope to go ice fishing and snowmobiling!

Q. Whatdoyouseeasthebiggestchallengetoteachers?A. In Brazil, the students aren’t as responsive in the classroom. The teachers

try hard to motivate the students to participate in discussions. Another issue is discipline.

Q. HowistheAcademydifferentfromschoolsinBrazil?A. Hillsdale Academy is very impressive. The Upper School students have

great discipline and respect for their teachers, and they participate easily in classroom discussions. Another difference is that in my school in Brazil, the teachers change classes, not the students. I am impressed that the students change classes in such an orderly fashion. In Brazil, the students have more breaks in their day – every two classes they have a 15-minute break. During the breaks, the students play their favorite music in the classroom!

In February, Academy teams from fifth and sixth grade competed in the Hillsdale County Elementary Quiz Bowl in Pittsford, Michigan. The fifth grade competition

was arena-style with rounds of 12 questions. Approximately 30 teams of five students each participated from area schools; Hillsdale Academy entered two teams. The Academy’s Team B won first place: Andrew Ruchames, Victoria Owusu, Hannah Smith, Hunter Murray and Sigrid Kiledal. Academy Team A won second place: Christina Craig, Elyse Lisznyai, Dillon Murray, Chip Blood and Alex Vann. The sixth grade team this year consisted of Sabeek Pradhan (captain), Joel Calvert, Christopher Potts and Anders Kiledal. Team member Aaron Detmers was out sick. They played two matches, losing the first to a Litchfield team and the second to a Will Carleton team. The team was not at full strength due to a girls’ volleyball tournament the same day.

The Upper School participated in a separate Hillsdale County quiz bowl with both arena and buzzer competition. The Academy’s

buzzer team (composed of Anthony Alvarez, James Gensterblum, Clara Leutheuser, Gaby Ruchames and Lisa York) won the Hillsdale County competition, qualifying for the state tournament in late April, held at Michigan State University in Lansing. The four buzzer teams finished in first, third, fourth and fifth place (a Will Carleton team finished second). The Academy’s first-place arena team was composed of Alice Arnn, Sarah Blackstock, Gwen Buchhop and Kristen Foust. In all, 22 upper scholars participated at the county quiz bowl competition. In March, Academy seventh and eighth graders participated in the county arena competition (seventh grade) and buzzer competition (eighth grade). The seventh-grade team took first, second and third

place in the arena competition, and the eighth-grade team took second place in the buzzer competition.

Academy Students Excel In Area Quiz Bowl Competitions

Fifth-grade quiz bowl teams proudly display their first- and second-place trophies from the County Quiz Bowl competition.

The Colt athletic program soared to new heights this year with great success in the state tournaments. Coach Katy Caspar’s girls’ cross-country team won the regional championship, becoming

the first team in school history to qualify for the state meet. The girls finished 16th in the state and also earned academic all-state honors for their success in the classroom. For the boys’ team, senior Josh Risner qualified individually for the state meet for the second year in a row. Risner was named to the academic all-state team. The girls’ team also won the SCAA conference title and the boys were runner-up.

Championship Season

Under the direction of Coach Jeff Hubbard, the girls’ varsity basketball team finished the season with a 19-4 record highlighted by a district title. Junior Stacy Risner made a basket in the final second

of the game to give the Colts the victory. The team also won the Mid-South Conference with a perfect 10-0 record.

In addition to cross-country, the boys fielded a golf and soccer team. The soccer team enjoyed its third winning season in a row and finished second in the Mid-South Conference. The boys’ golf team continues to improve and for the first

time entered the district tournament.

On March 4, the girl’s varsity volleyball team hosted and won the district tournament against the favored Camden-Frontier team. They bested Camden-Frontier in four games

for the Academy’s first district volleyball championship. The Academy (34–6–5) then lost to defending state champion Battle Creek St. Philip in the regional semifinal at Mendon. Academy coach Matt Miller was pleased with the team’s winning record. “The Hillsdale Academy girls’ athletic program has now won an MHSAA trophy in each sport it has participated in this season — a regional championship in cross-country and district trophies in basketball and volleyball,” said Academy Assistant Headmaster and Athletic Director Mike Roberts. “This outstanding achievement is bringing our teams the recognition they deserve.”

Photo Credit: Hillsdale Daily News

Chelsea Detmers at varsity cross-country meet

Girls’ varsity basketball team huddles

Anthony Alvarez hits a shot

Varsity girls’ volleyball team

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VOL. 4 NO. 2 SPRING 2006

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Spelling BeeCongratulations to Academy students James Jordan, Mallory

Erwin, Alex Payne and Sabeek Pradhan for their excellent performance in the Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee, which was

held in Hillsdale on November 12th. Sabeek placed first and Mallory placed fourth in the fourth through sixth grade rounds. James placed first in the middle school rounds, and Alex performed well but finished just out of range for further competition. Sabeek, James and Mallory traveled to Lansing in January for a statewide competition.

James Jordan (8th grade), Mallory Erwin (4th grade), Alex Payne (7th grade) and Sabeek Pradhan (6th grade)

2006 Commencement SpeakerHillsdale Academy is pleased to announce that Congressman Phil Crane of Illinois (retired) will speak at this year’s commencement ceremony, scheduled for June 4 at 2:00 p.m. in the Academy Commons. Congressman Crane’s career includes service as a teacher and principal as well as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Crane served in the House from 1969 to 2005 as a Republican representing the 8th District of Illinois in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. He earned the distinction of being the longest-serving Republican member of the House. He was born in Chicago, was educated at Hillsdale College, the University of Vienna, and Indiana University (where he received a Ph.D. in history) and served in the United States Army.

Congressman Phil Crane