Laughter fills the vast expanse of McNamara Rehearsal Hall, bouncing off stacks of chairs, bleachers, paneled walls, and floor-to-ceiling window panes. Stray rays of sunlight escape from unhappy clouds and reflect off the metallic surfaces of a bassoon, a clarinet, a flute, a French horn, and an oboe — tools of the trade for the Hillsdale College Faculty Woodwind Quintet....
Features
From partying to praying and painting
It was a child’s chore that inspired Steve Wismar ’72— Steve the Painter — to begin painting. Wismar and his younger brother were painting some furniture in the yard for their mom. Eventually, she let Wismar’s younger brother go play. In response to Steve Wismar’s complaints, she said: “You’re the better painter.” Almost 60 years later, Wismar runs a painting...
People-watching and pancakes
When you walk down North Howell Street late on a Friday or Saturday evening, one patch of windows on the storefront illuminates the dark street. Peek inside, wandering wayfarer. You’re welcome, and they’re open all night. It’s just after 9 p.m. on Friday at the Palace Cafe, a diner wedged into a storefront in downtown Hillsdale. Thirteen booths, 11 bar...
Ashby’s award-winning ice cream at A.J.’s
It’s the after-class treat, the late-night studying reward, the heart-to-heart conversation snack: ice cream from A.J.’s Café. In fact, it is such a popular purchase that A.J.’s sells an average of 21 3-gallon tubs of ice cream throughout one week. “I had my salesman tell me a few years ago that I sell as much ice cream here in the...
The art of the laugh: Alumnus performs comedy in India
On Feb. 10, professional stand-up comedian Warren Viegas ’15 had his first filmed half-hour comedy special in Goa, India. “We had a sold-out show with 1,000 people, so it was truly incredible,” Viegas said. “Better than I hoped for.” This may be his first filmed special, but Viegas is no stranger to comedy. He said he grew up loving...
Historic Hillsdale author revolutionized sci-fi
What do space opera, doughnuts, and Hillsdale have in common? E. E. Smith. Edward Elmer “Doc” Smith is often considered the founder of space opera, a subgenre of science fiction much like a soap opera set in space. Smith wrote the first space opera novel, “The Skylark of Space,” in 1920 while working as the chief chemist for the...
