1844 Society hosts Love the Dale campaign this week

Home News 1844 Society hosts Love the Dale campaign this week
1844 Society hosts Love the Dale campaign this week
President of 1844 Society sophomore Braden Van Dyke and class treasurer senior Carrie Williams sit at the 1844 Society’s table in the Union on Tuesday. Victoria Marshall | Collegian

With love in the air this Valentine’s week, the 1844 Society hopes that some of it will be directed to their annual “Love the ‘Dale” campaign. Every day this week, the student-alumni group hopes to target a specific segment of the Hillsdale College community to show their love and appreciation.

“Our idea was that each day we wanted to show our love for Hillsdale by targeting each different facet of Hillsdale’s greater network,” sophomore Braden VanDyke, president of the 1844 Society, said.

On Monday, freshmen were recognized and donuts were offered at the society’s table in the Grewcock Student Union; on Tuesday, sophomores and juniors were highlighted and Valentine’s candy was distributed; on Wednesday, seniors were acknowledged and freshly brewed Checker Records coffee was provided; on Thursday, faculty and staff will be appreciated with a faculty guessing game that all students can participate in, and treats from Jonesville bakery will be offered. Finally, on Friday, the whole Hillsdale College community is invited to celebrate each other and the “Love the ‘Dale” campaign with a reception at Rough Draft where cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

In addition to recognizing current students and faculty, another facet of the “Love the ‘Dale” campaign is to get alumni involved in giving to the campus and fostering that student-alumni relationship.

“The affinity campaign is really targeted to alumni to give back to those things that they loved to be apart of while they were at school, whether that’s a greek house, a dorm, any club on campus, or an honorary,” VanDyke said.

Last year, the 1844 Society had 288 alumni participate in the campaign, and this year, the goal is 350.

“Everything you guys benefit from here, whether it’s your majors, classes, clubs, greek life, it’s all funded by other people—so your tuition dollars cover maybe a third of the academic year—the rest is all covered by other people who love what we’re doing here,” said Director of Alumni Engagement Colleen McGinness. “We’re trying to get alumni who love and also benefited from those things when they were here to give back so you guys can enjoy it.”  

This year, the 1844 Society is partnering with the senior class on their “Love the ‘Dale” campaign in order to highlight the senior class gift, the fountain on the quad, for alumni to fund.

“They’re being so kind to let us work together with them this week,” said senior class officer and treasurer Carrie Williams. “We’re working to promote the fountain that will be on campus, so the whole “Loving the ‘Dale” theme, the idea of being for students “present, past, and future”, that’s something that will be ingrained on the fountain.”