Hillsdale College

Alternative Viewpoints: Democrats at a Mostly Conservative School

The presence of College Democrats on a largely conservative, Republican campus is a testament to our esteem of the First Amendment and the inalienable rights it enshrines.

Taste of Manning

That Saturday the street was blocked off, and students could wander the street, taste the different foods, and hang out in the beer tent provided by SAB, all while listening to live music. Taste of Manning was a hit.

BCSI Teacher Spotlight: Kate Nadolny

Kate Nadolny teaches music at Pineapple Cove Classical Academy at West Melbourne, Florida. A native of the Sunshine State, she received her bachelor’s degree in music from Stetson University and her master’s degree in opera performance from the University of Michigan. Describe how you came to Pineapple Cove: When I was finishing my master’s […]

Civilization and Violence: Discussing Lord of the Flies with Dr. Tom West

By Avery Lacey, ’20 Lord of the Flies by William Golding, according to Professor of Politics Dr. Tom West, “is a great little book.” He says the novel “reveals secrets about human nature that are hidden from civilization, but that you have to know in order to build and maintain civilization.” The book begins with […]

The Jungle Book: Cultivating Virtue and Imagination in Young Readers

By Tomek Grzesiak Barney Charter School Initiative Instructional Coach Written over 100 years ago, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book continues to be read by and to children of all ages. Despite his controversial colonialist views, Kipling has proven himself a master storyteller in his ability to draw readers into his rich and memorable worlds. Many readers have come to […]

Hillsdale Track team running on the football field during practice.

Mind and Body: Why Physical Education Needs to be an Essential Feature of Classical Education

Physical education: Where does it fit in today’s classical schools? Is it an afterthought or a filler class to give the homeroom teacher a free period? Far from it! In a presentation for teachers at Barney Charter School Initiative schools, Hillsdale Academy Assistant Headmaster and Athletic Director Mike Roberts argued that physical education has held […]

Watercolor cover art of the book 'The Wind in the Willows', featuring Rat and Mole rowing down a river.

Friendship in The Wind in the Willows: Timeless Lessons from a Children’s Classic

The beloved children’s book, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, has delighted readers with its whimsical animal characters since its publication more than a century ago. But those silly stories of animal antics actually offer the reader profound lessons in friendship, according to Hillsdale College Chairman and Professor of Education Daniel Coupland. At […]

BCSI Staff Spotlight—Dr. Kathleen O’Toole

This July, Hillsdale College welcomed Dr. Kathleen O’Toole as its first-ever Assistant Provost for K-12 Education. In this new role, O’Toole will help to bring all of Hillsdale College’s classical education programs—including the Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI)—together under the umbrella of the Provost’s Office and provide strategic direction in order to further the reach […]

Two women sitting under a canopy on the beach.

Five Ways to Keep in Touch over the Summer

Each year after dancing at Centralhallapalooza, stressing over finals, and final trips to Baw Beese, you say goodbye to your very best friends for a whole three months. You’ve invested in deep friendships at Hillsdale, so don’t let them waste away over the summer!

One of Hillsdale’s Finest: Ally Eads

Whether she is conquering a physics lab, laughing at the long table in the dining hall, or representing our school at national championships, senior Ally Eads takes advantage of Hillsdale’s small-school atmosphere to achieve multifaceted success.

Bowling Buddies

Many schools have programs for children with special needs but lack resources for adults. This is a void that SPARC and volunteers with the Hillsdale Buddy Program aim to fill—and do so with weekly trips to the bowling alley.

Front exterior of the Hillsdale College Ambler Health and Wellness Center.

Acknowledge Our Humanity: Conversations with Brock Lutz

The first step of asking for help is often the hardest. Sometimes, the admission of our need makes us feel like failures. Brock Lutz believes it is important that we acknowledge our humanity and take that first step, “We want people to express their emotions but recognize they can still do something with them.”