On Nov. 1, writers all over the world stash away their Halloween costumes and pick up their pens, ready to participate in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Participants in NaNoWriMo write every day of November aiming to complete a first draft of a 50,000 word novel — about 1,667 words per day. “The goal...
When Elaine Riopelle wanted to see her niece get married, she found herself in a sticky situation — the wedding was in Jamaica, and she and her husband Edward Riopelle didn’t have the money to go. So, they set up a card table at the local farmers’ market. “We took the mustard, four jams, a...
Hillsdale College archivist Linda Moore swears the Oak Grove Cemetery sometimes plays tricks on her. “I know those graves don’t move, but I sure as heck have trouble finding them from year to year,” she said. According to students, however, her Halloween cemetery tours are nothing but a treat. Almost annually, Moore leads a group...
When junior Laurel Nitzel is home in Nebraska, her little brother will ask her to dance. She and Jonny Nitzel sing together, but when he starts moving to the “Cha Cha Slide,” she prefers to watch. “I don’t dance with him, but he dances and it’s pretty entertaining,” she said, admitting: “Sometimes he’ll grab my...
Hiding behind a thick line of pines off of a Hillsdale County backroad, a 140-year-old house peeks out between fat shrubs and a cluster of brick-red barns. A soft murmur passing between chirping birds fills the natural hush of the countryside, and a couple cats yawn as they loll about on the front porch. Welcome...