Left to right: Freshman Trinity Lindsay, seniors Miriam Ritchey and Catherine Graham, and sophomores Hannah Foster and Molly Coleman perform Irish music at the event.
Caroline Kurt | Collegian
When friends gathered for charcuterie and wine last week, it wasn’t just to schmooze: They were benefitting future students facing family hardships.
Seniors gathered Feb. 26 for an evening of live music, discounted drinks, and camaraderie at Rough Draft. Put on by the senior class officers and the Class of 2026 Legacy Board, the event benefitted the Emerson “Emmy” Sigtryggsson Memorial Scholarship. Emerson Sigtryggsson was a member of the Class of 2026 who passed away in September 2024; the senior class is honoring her memory by establishing a scholarship in her name.
“We wanted a chill night where people could come and go,” senior and Legacy Board member Adeline Kaufman said. “For February, this felt like a good, low-energy, low-commitment event.”
A variety of student musicians strummed and sang throughout the two-hour event, among them sophomore Frank Fehringer, senior Michael Berry, juniors Maria Adamow and Amelia King, and sophomore Rylan Conley. To close out the evening, senior Miriam Ritchey performed Irish music with freshman Trinity Lindsay, sophomores Hannah Foster and Molly Coleman, and senior Catherine Graham.
“It’s really nice to have an opportunity for acoustic music on campus in casual settings,” Ritchey said. “I was grateful for that. We just practiced once or twice this week and then played.”
According to Ritchey, her favorite song to play was “Star of the County Down,” a classic Irish ballad.
“It’s hard to go wrong,” Ritchey said. “It’s very singable.”
Kaufman said she enjoyed seeing a different side of Hillsdale music.
“That was our intention with putting the event on,” Kaufman said. “We have so many events that feature full student bands and really high energy music. It’s nice to see the acoustic side of things and musicians that maybe don’t perform at other events.”
Social Chair senior Jake Waldvogel said that the senior class officers enjoyed collaborating with Legacy Board on the event, something they hadn’t done before.
“Frank Fehringer is a good friend of mine, so I’ve heard him play music before in his dorm or for me and my friends, but it was cool to see him play in front of other people,” Waldvogel said.
Waldvogel added that seniors should mark their calendars for the next senior event, coming up March 12 at 6 p.m.
“We’ll do a trivia night in the Hillsdale Brewing Company,” Waldvogel said. “I think we’ll get good attendance, and it will be happy hour too, with $1 off pints.”
According to Kaufman, seniors can also look forward to the next Legacy Board event, the annual wine tasting at Brodbeck Estate April 16.
