Alpha Rho Tau: An Honorary Focused on Beauty
Written by Minte Christiansen
“Alpha Rho Tau is a community of art students striving to excel in their abilities, develop community, and encourage one another in the arts,” junior Madison Whitney told me excitedly. We’re both members of Alpha Rho Tau, Hillsdale’s self-made art honorary, and ever since we joined last spring, it’s been a blast.
The history of the honorary is a little bit murky. Passionate art students created it on Hillsdale’s campus sometime within the last ten years, but the details are vague. While it took a while to get started, the honorary has been going strong in the last year and will only become better. “I’m really excited for the future of the honorary,” sophomore member Laura Williamson said.
It’s true—our plans for the coming years are very exciting. I’m the secretary, and I work closely with Phoebe Kalthoff, our events coordinator, to turn fun ideas into actual, inspiring events for the members. Honorary trips to art museums in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Toledo are in the works, but we don’t have to leave Hillsdale to have fun! Every week, the Alpha Rho Tau president, junior Tracy Brandt, leads Sketchy Saturdays—very relaxed, live-model drawing sessions. We’ve also had a handful of rollicking mixers, meetings, and events.
“We have fun at our meetings,” Laura told me. “We get to enjoy one another’s company while talking about great art, our own creativity, and our artistic struggles.”
“Plus there’s good food!” Madison added with a laugh.
But more important than the events, Alpha Rho Tau is a thriving community of Hillsdale’s artists. “We’re a group of people who love art and invest in learning more about it,” Tracy told me. “We provide a place where artists can congratulate one another for work well-done, compete in a healthy way, and learn from one another. Everyone has a different picture in their head, and it’s amazing to see that come out.”
“I like to be in a community of other artists who challenge me to create more and push me to explore the world of art and my own talent,” Laura added, and I share her thoughts. Hillsdale’s academics can keep my schedule so full that it’s easy to forget my creative side. Being in Alpha Rho Tau, I’m reminded of what art is and how important it can be. I’m encouraged to create more, and I’m inspired by my peers.
Sophomore member Grace deSandro agreed with me that Alpha Rho Tau is a creative outlet: “I wasn’t in a community that was interested in art before I joined,” she said. “Joining the honorary made me make time to connect with others in an artistic context. It’s not time-consuming, but it’s still very active.”
Don’t get the wrong impression, though. Alpha Rho Tau isn’t separate from the Hillsdale experience. In fact, it only adds to it. Art contributes beauty to my liberal arts education, and being part of Alpha Rho Tau has helped me to grow and see that beauty in everything I study.
“Alpha Rho Tau helps my artistic experience at Hillsdale by connecting me with other art students,” Madison finished. “It encourages my pursuit of art and connects me to the larger artistic community. Most importantly, it helps give me a fuller and more fruitful liberal arts education.”
Minte Christiansen is a junior majoring in English with minors in Art and Classical Education. She is a member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honorary and the Alpha Rho Tau Art Honorary, where she is the secretary. Minte is also on the Event Planning Board for the Hillsdale Lutheran Society, and she is the Student House Director of Mauck Dormitory.