Mark and Christy Maier graduated from Hillsdale in 1998 and married that summer.
Courtesy | Mark Maier
In this Quick Hits interview, Associate Provost Mark Maier ’98 discusses Hillsdale culture, telepathy, and the “cult of Christy Maier.”
How many times a day do you walk with purpose from Moss to Delp?
However many times it takes for a “chance” encounter with Dr. Lee Cole. Seriously, I only walk to Delp a few times a day, usually to meet with the academic deans or with Dr. David Whalen.
What’s your favorite thing about Christy Maier?
Too many things to say. I routinely make fun of the “cult of Christy Maier,” but she’s seriously my favorite person in the world. She deserves whatever adoration she gets.
What’s the weirdest difference between Hillsdale in 1998, when you graduated, and 2026?
It’s weird how little has changed since I graduated. Hillsdale students, no matter the time period, seem to be cut from the same cloth.
Did you anticipate staying in Hillsdale after graduation?
I never imagined staying in Hillsdale was an option. I’m glad I had to leave. My decade outside of the bubble helped me appreciate this place more.
What’s one of your favorite college memories?
I have three options. Writing papers for Dr. John Somerville and Dr. David Whalen in Christy’s Student Fed office (now an ITS training room near her office). Trips to the Gaelic League of Detroit. There was also a place in town called Casey’s that was open 24 hours a day (in the building where Checker Records currently resides) that served breakfast for $1.99. Being at Casey’s at 2 a.m. was an education in itself.
What’s one of the funniest things your kids have ever said?
This won’t surprise my kids, but most of the funny things I remember being said were spoken by the Lindley children next door — particularly Gus. But if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with my oldest son, who interpreted my explanation of the “facts of life” to mean that Kathy Petersen (Dean of Men Aaron Petersen’s wife) was present at the moment of his younger brother’s conception. She was the labor and delivery nurse for one of the Maier boys, and my son thought that the entire process from conception to birth took place in one day.
What’s the best Maier family tradition?
Literary tourism. All family vacations involve a reading list and some connection to what we are reading. I have lots of stories. We visited Larry McMurtry’s bookstore in the middle of nowhere Texas, met the author, and then had to leave quickly after one of the boys had an accident on the floor. We once took a nearly 7-hour detour to visit Ezra Pound’s birthplace and Ernest Hemingway’s grave. Both were in Idaho, and we were really trying to get to Nevada from Wyoming. Not on the way at all.
What’s the best dorm on campus and why?
I lived in both Simpson and Niedfeldt residences, but Niedfeldt was where I met the friends I still keep in touch with 28 years later.
What’s the most annoying thing students do?
I mostly interact with faculty, but if I had to choose, I’d say that it’s annoying how obsessed students seem to be with taking professors rather than classes.
