Capulets and Montagues, Hatfields and McCoys, Jets and Sharks — intense factional rivalries have dominated human history and culture from time immemorial — even prompting James Madison to comment on the “violence of faction” in Federalist No.10.
Despite the fine Georgian architecture, statues of historical icons, and a commitment to the good, the true, and the beautiful, Hillsdale College cannot evade that tribal spirit. On this campus, one rivalry rises above all others: that between Simpson Hall and Galloway Hall. But this contest does not extend as far back into college history as one might expect.
“I think it started around the ’05 period, give or take a year or two,” said Dean of Men Aaron Petersen. “Around then, you really had a growth in dorm pride. The floors started identifying with their labels, [such as] 3FN.”
But Petersen, a Simpson alumnus, said that Galloway’s dorm pride has deeper roots.
“Galloway has always had a unity and a closeness to it. I think it’s the community bathrooms.”
Whatever the reason, the dorms began to express their rivalry around that time, most notoriously in what Petersen described as a “Braveheart-style brawl” on the intramural fields of the Roche Sports Complex.
“The two dorms just charged at each other — with some rules — but it was really just a free for all.”
Junior and Simpson RA Garrett Holt heard legends of the battle as a freshman from participants and observers.
“Two kids broke their legs,” Holt said. “And when they went to the doctor, they just said that they fell down the stairs.”
Due to administrative efforts to channel this competitiveness more constructively into venues such as Spirit Week, things had remained somewhat calm and quiet in the following years. Until one night last October, when “dorm raiding,” a practice previously exclusive to Simpson, crossed over the campus quad to Galloway. Holt remembers the night well.
“One night, we were all really bored, and we decided to act on our dorm rivalry with Galloway,” said Holt. “It was a really spur-of-the-moment thing. We grabbed whatever we had — I think some guys had bananas — and headed over.”
Holt said that Galloway suspected action, but didn’t take the threat seriously until the troops arrived.
“Galloway didn’t take kindly to it,” Holst said. “Someone over there grabbed a hammer.”
Nonetheless, the raiding has continued, said Galloway Head RA Soren Geiger.
“Concerning the raids, which began last October, Simpson has come into Galloway at least three times, maybe four, and Galloway has entered Simpson once.”
Geiger, though a proponent of the rivalry, remains wary of the raids mainly for safety reasons.
“I am not a fan of the raids, primarily because students have a good chance of getting seriously injured,” he said. “Galloway has a huge open stone staircase guarded by a waisthigh railing which is inviting someone to fall over.”
“Furthermore, when one big group of guys enters another group of guys’ castle with masks and weapons, serious fighting will inevitably break out. The innate passion men have to defend their turf takes a raid and turns it more into a battle,” Geiger added.
So what does the administration make of all of this, including a bout of capture the flag between dorms during spirit week? Jeffrey Rogers, associate dean of men, shared Geiger’s concerns about safety, but still welcomes the competitive spirit.
“I don’t mind a healthy rivalry,” Rogers said. “What I do mind is when people are high-up in Galloway and might get pushed off the fourth floor by accident. But nerf fights with nerf-guns, nerf-swords — that’s just the badge of being a guy. It’s in our DNA.”
Petersen also said that he welcomes the rivalry as long as its heart is in the right place.
“As long as there’s safety and goodwill in what goes on, not danger and bad will, then I’ve told the dorm leaders that I’m not going to micromanage, that you need to guard over this,” said Petersen.
“I think healthy rivalries and competitions are good if they’re healthy — conceived with and executed out of good will.”
Assistant Professor of History Terrence Moore, whose career and academic work have focused heavily on the meaning and importance of manhood properly understood, said that he agreed with the deans.
“I don’t condone damage to or destruction of school property or violations of the Honor Code,” Moore said. “But I’m all for male dorm rivalries. It’s to be expected with any male groups that can form into teams.”
Moore added that the rivalry is an outgrowth of the college’s attachment to all-male and all-female dormitories.
“Hillsdale’s commitment to single-sex living breeds these intense rivalries among the male dorms,” Moore said. “The alternative is co-ed dorms, but in that case you get the male spirit watered down.”
Geiger said that the rivalry should not complicate cross-dorm friendships, however.
“Gallowayans and Simpsonites need to remember that we are all part of a more important institution — Hillsdale College — and that ought to be a greater community-building denominator than our placement in a specific dorm.”
Holt said that he has friends in Galloway, proving that the competition between dorms creates community with each residence while not destroying it between them.
“I think the rivalry is a good thing–both of us are very proud of who we are,” Holt said.
And as long as it remains “healthy,” in Petersen’s words, Hillsdale’s very own factional dispute is likely to continue.