No,” Chief Administrative Officer Rich Pewe laughed, speaking about the group of Hillsdale faculty and staff that rode motorcycles together over the summer. “There were no ‘shenanigans.’”
But no ‘shenanigans’ doesn’t mean that nothing happened.
“One of the funniest times we ever had was when we went to Manitou Bar and Grill near Devils Lake,” Daniel York, professor of biology, recalled. “We all parked our motorcycle and went in. Everyone was just staring at us. One of the people along for the ride that day overheard a lady whispering to her husband: ‘Do you think they’re good bikers or bad bikers?’ Her husband told her, ‘No, they’re good bikers.’”
Every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. in the lot behind Lane and Kendall Halls, the riders would gather, motorcycle engines churning, to determine that week’s destination before jetting off to ride as a group.
Attendance for the coordinated rides varied greatly. According to Pewe, it was organized largely by York, but never made it to club status.
“I don’t know if I’d call it a club,” Pewe said. “It’s a group that gathered whenever possible on Thursday nights. Some nights, nobody could be there. Some nights there were big groups. Some nights, it was just the three of us: Dan York, Chris VanOrman, and me.”
Despite the difficulty of coordination and often-hectic schedules of the Hillsdale College faculty and staff that participated, the group’s weekly trips provided camaraderie for those who chose to ride.
“They’re what you would expect from Hillsdale college professors and administrators,” Pewe said. “Occasionally, we drive too fast. Good talks, good conversation, but nothing like what you would expect from a motorcycle group.”
York started thinking when VanOrman, Pewe, and he all started parking their motorcycles in the same place.
“Everybody who has a motorcycle is constantly comparing it to others,” York said.
Friendly competition and a shared love for motorcycling spurred the three to organize rides together.
Douglas Jeffrey, Vice President for External Affairs, has been riding motorcycles for around 40 years.
“I got my first motorcycle in the early ‘70s. I started taking long trips on touring motorcycles in the ‘90s. I have a Honda Goldwing now and for several years, I’ve ridden it out to California. The motorcycle I have is built for long distances, not for speed.”
York’s history with motorcycles began on a different note.
“I was sort of a redneck motorcycle rider as a teenager in Tennessee,” York admitted. “I was awful at it.”
But for York — as for others in the group — motorcycles are more than a mode of locomotion.
“There’s nothing like motorcycle riding,” York said. “It keeps you on your toes. The whole philosophy of motorcycle riding is a great sort of philosophy to have: It all has to do with risk management, the willingness to accept certain risks, but decrease certain others. Life is a dangerous endeavor, period. It all boils down to managing risk.”
Kathy Nestorak, bookstore textbook coordinator, is a sometime passenger on the rides. She expressed a bit more reserved philosophy on motorcycling.
“Some women quilt for relaxation,” Nestorak said. “My husband bikes for relaxation. But I will stay a passenger. I know my limitations.”
Pewe, likewise, bikes to relax. He and his wife have long wanted to ride a motorcycle, but only recently found themselves able to do so.
“My wife and I, ever since getting married, always wanted to get a bike,” Pewe said.
Though the motorcyclists love to ride, they come together over the growl of engines to eat, talk, and laugh.
“We’re all just a bunch of wannabes,” York said, laughing. “Ever seen Wild Hogs? That’s basically us.”
