Bell on Hillsdale College campus

Thankful for Hillsdale Listicle

Written by Crystal Schupbach, Elizabeth Vietor, Katarzyna Ignatik

Hillsdale College and the town of Hillsdale are places with character. We’re grateful for the education and community our College provide, but we can name a few more specific, quirky reasons why we love the Dale.

  • 95-cent Pop-Tarts at AJ’s Cafe.
  • The Grewcock Student Union at midday. It’s a happy, hopping place.
  • Free printing.
  • The small town and all its weirdness. Where else can you find abandoned glamorous hotels, a farmers market, a natural grocer, a Thai diner in a train car, and three coffee shops within a block of one another?
  • The apple tree behind Mauck Residence that has fruit every two years.
  • The whimsical stone gazebos and cottages in the Arboretum.
  • Friends who work in different places on campus. Your library worker friend can help you research, and your cafe worker friend can let you know when there are deals on snacks.
  • The fireplaces in the Grewcock Student Union and in the library’s Heritage Room. The winter lodge vibes are strong.
  • Classics Professor Joe Garnjobst, who might give you pep talks about writing, let you read his blackout poetry, or offer you fresh fruit on Fridays.
  • The small, soundproofed, and secluded study room in the fine arts building.
  • How warm the college buildings are kept in the winter.
  • Jilly Beans coffee shop. They have an innumerable list of flavors. Plus, if it’s warm weather, you can study in their secret garden outside.
  • With a student body of roughly 1,500, you only have to walk 20 feet to find a friend.
  • The magnolia trees that turn pink and white and full in the spring.
  • Professors who have their class meet at Rough Draft, a cool industrial space that makes you feel like you’re in a big city.
  • Not having to take public transportation to class. If you live on campus, you can get away with waking up at 9:50 for your 10:00 class.
  • Liz who works in Knorr Dining Hall and Mr. Mach who works in the sports complex. They’re always welcoming and funny.
  • The ability to leave stuff anywhere without it being stolen.
  • The number of talented musicians on campus. You can find almost anything you want to listen to, wonderfully executed. Plus, they’re really humble, and half of them are probably your best friends.
  • The giant windows in the library, especially in the fall and when it’s snowing.
  • The student body in general: a group of people so diverse in talents and interests but so alike in their earnest kindness.

Crystal SchupbachCrystal Schupbach, ’20, is a Michigan native studying psychology and journalism. A few of her favorite things include dogs, summertime concerts, and garage sales–in that order.

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Vietor

Elizabeth Vietor is a junior Latin major with an affinity for thrift shops, butter, and scrunchies. She hails from Phoenix, Arizona, originally, but now that she’s here, doesn’t know how she existed for so long without seeing the leaves change every fall.

 

 

 

 

Katarzyna IgnatikKatarzyna Ignatik, ’20, studies English. She strives to live optimistically and deeply, with a healthy sense of the hilarity of life. Katarzyna believes that the world should have more genuine community, witty conversation, and appreciation for pleasant little things like green grass and bread pudding.

Published in February 2019