| Collegian Archives
Hillsdale College is getting a visit from Winston Churchill this weekend.
Churchill reenactor Kevin Radaker will perform at 2 p.m., on Saturday in Lane 125. The event is sponsored by the Hillsdale Community Library.
Radaker, a former professor of English at Anderson University, will give a performance on the life of the former British prime minister, focusing on the “trials and difficulties of World War Two,” according to the community library. He has performed one-man shows for over 30 years across the world, including in Beijing, China.
Radaker said he is excited to visit the Hillsdale campus, especially because of President Larry Arnn’s appreciation for Churchill.
“I am very much looking forward to offering my ‘Churchill’ at the college,” Radaker said. “In part because I know it is likely that the audience will contain persons very interested in and knowledgeable about Winston Churchill.”
He said the students’ appreciation for history at the college appeals to him.
The event is made possible by grant money from Michigan Humanities, a state humanities council that provides federal funds to Michigan art programs.
Heidi Pruitt, a staff member of the Hillsdale Community Library, said the library was hoping to bring Radaker to town last year, but the pandemic interfered.
“We applied for and were approved for an Action Grant through Michigan Humanities with the hopes of scheduling him for the fall of 2020,” she said. “The grant money was still available this year and the time to use it was extended.”
The performance will last about an hour and a half, including a Q&A section, according to Pruitt.
“It’s certainly an interesting and unique idea,” freshman Liam Martin said. “I’m interested to see what he does.”