Students in a video course have turned a hallowed part of Hillsdale College history into a documentary film.
“A Better Kind of Glory” tells the story of how Hillsdale’s football team declined its invitation to play in the 1955 Tangerine Bowl because the game’s organizers refused to let black athletes play.
The film will be shown in public for the first time on Monday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in Lane 124.
The documentary, which is still being edited, will run up to 40 minutes in length.
The students, seniors Elizabeth Bachmann, Emma Cummins, Stefan Kleinhenz, Carmel Kookogey, Regan Meyer, and junior Paul Tinkle, of a new journalism class called “Video Storytelling,” taught by two-time Emmy nominated video creator Buddy Moorehouse, created the documentary as their final project.
“This is a story that the Hillsdale College community might know a little about, but it’s never been fully told before,” Moorehouse wrote in an email. “It’s an incredible story. I’m most excited that our students will be the ones to finally tell the full story of the Tangerine Bowl. I’m also excited that our students will get an opportunity to show everyone what excellent documentary filmmakers they’ve become.”
According to Moorehouse, the film was student-led from the beginning, in the research, interviews, writing, videography, and storyline. Kleinhenz, the film’s director, described the project as a labor of love.
“Documentary filmmaking isn’t easy and doing it right isn’t easy,” Kleinhenz said. “There’s a lot of people anticipating this film, both throughout campus and those who are in it, so we have a lot of people holding us accountable.”
Despite the pressure to get it right, Kleinhenz expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of translating an important Hillsdale story into film.
“I think that it’s a beautiful story that reflects the mission statement of the college. It really shows what we stand for now, what we stood for then, and what we’ve stood for since 1844,” he wrote. “It’s something that all of us, right now, can feel a part of. But everyone who’s ever walked through these halls and walked through campus can feel proud of it too, because this is a Hillsdale story, and anyone that loves Hillsdale should come because it’s about you, too. It’s about what you believe in and what you stand for.”
Hillsdale College’s 1850 charter, granted by the state of Michigan, was the first in the United States to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, race, or religion.
Moorehouse emphasized that the movie premiere, likewise, is open to all.
“Everybody associated with Hillsdale College—every student, faculty member, staff member and alumnus—should know the story of the Tangerine Bowl,” Moorehouse said. “If you’re a fan of history and you like documentaries, you’re going to love this film. You don’t want to miss an opportunity to see this documentary with the filmmakers themselves.”
In addition to interacting with the filmmakers, attendees may even get the chance to meet at least one member of the 1955 Hillsdale football team. There will also be refreshments, likely with a tangerine theme.
“Bring as many people as you can fit in your car,” Kleinhenz said. “This is about the people that we’re featuring in the film and we get to be the ones that shine the light on them. We want you all to see it.”
