Originally posted at http://adrian.edu/news/adrian-college-announces-first-intercollegiate-varsity-cornhole-team-in-mic

Tossing a bag into a hole has become extremely popular in backyards and tailgating events across the nation as the game of cornhole has evolved into a sport. Its players have also advanced, and now there are competitions at the collegiate and professional levels. The increased enthusiasm for the game has caught the attention of Adrian College and prompted the Bulldogs to create a collegiate cornhole program, scheduled to begin competing in the fall of 2022.

“Adrian College was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the number one Most Innovative College in the Midwest, and this program reflects that honor,” Adrian College Athletic Director Mike Duffy said. “People will undoubtedly say, oh my goodness, there they go again with another cool idea at Adrian. Well, we relish these reactions because we embrace innovation that distinguishes Adrian College in the marketplace and appeals to student demand. This is no different than bass fishing, and several other unique initiatives in recent years that have proven to be so successful in attracting great students.” Adrian College won the 2021 bass fishing national collegiate championship.

Duffy expects the new co-ed sports program will attract a lot of students with the Bulldogs’ players having an opportunity to compete on a national stage against some of the greatest amateur and professional players in the world.

“It’s big across the country, and there is some local talent,” Duffy said of the sport. “I expect we’ll bring in 40 to 50 students with this new program.”

He added that cornhole is an inexpensive program to run with limited equipment and travel costs. The Bulldogs already have a main sponsor backing them with Killshots Cornhole, a national cornhole equipment manufacturer located in Adrian, donating custom bags and boards.

The Bulldogs do not need to build a facility for the program, at least right away, Duffy said, “Because our athletic facilities are beautiful and we have plenty of existing space to field a great team.” Duffy said Killshots is also looking into building a facility in Adrian to host tournaments that the Bulldogs will be able to utilize as well as the Adrian community.

“College/Community partnerships are very important to the College,” Duffy said, “everyone wins when we can find ways to work with our community.”

Adrian College joined the American Cornhole League (ACL) and would play in sanctioned tournaments across the nation. The ACL, formed in 2015, would pit Adrian College against teams from NCAA DI to DIII institutions. The National College Cornhole Championship’s open format allows any size college to participate.

There is an opportunity to add additional sponsors as the cornhole team will wear uniforms similar to the bass team’s with multiple program-supporting businesses featured on the jerseys.

Adrian College’s athletic department will hire a coach in the next month or two and begin recruiting athletes to be ready to start competing by next Fall.

This year’s national championship is in Myrtle Beach, S.C. the weekend of December 31st to January 2nd. The event will be featured on ESPN broadcasts.

In cornhole competition, players take turns throwing bags filled with corn kernels or resin at a raised platform board with a hole in the far end. A bag in the hole scores three points, while one on the board scores one point. Play continues until a team or player reaches or exceeds 21 points.

Duffy said the Bulldogs are taking this sport just as seriously as any of the others.

“We’ll treat it no different than football, baseball or any other sport,” Duffy said. “The end goal is we are trying to build a great experience for student-athletes while we grow our academic departments.”

Adrian College added 12 new academic programs last year to help increase the number of students on campus. Frank Hribar, Adrian College Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs, said the addition of this newest sport will definitely add to the overall experience at the college.

“There aren’t a lot of other colleges or universities that offer such a wide variety of academic and athletic programs,” Hribar said. “This new sport should receive a lot of attention and get additional students looking at Adrian College who otherwise may not have had an interest in coming to this area.”

The addition of the cornhole program increases the number of the Bulldogs’ sports teams to 50.

For more information about Adrian College and the programs it has to offer, visit Adrian.edu.

Adrian’s new athletic venture is a reflection of the many ways Michigan’s top 14 independent colleges and universities set themselves apart from bigger public institutions. They do this by encouraging students to forge success by following their own path. The colleges are smaller and emphasize community over crowds. Often less expensive than public institutions, the independents boast higher four-year graduation rates and smaller class sizes for a truly unique and affordable experience.

Be bold. Be different. Go independent.

Originally posted at http://adrian.edu/news/hail-adrian-voted-best-fight-song-in-ncaa-division-iii

Bulldogs of all types are very dedicated to their families — especially Adrian College’s Bulldogs. When recently called on to support their college fight song, Adrian College’s students and alumni responded. The Bulldogs quickly recorded more than enough votes on D3Playbook’s Twitter account to make their fight song No. 1 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division III.

Adrian College’s “Hail Adrian!” rose to the top of the 32-school D3 Fight Song Madness bracket and was the winner over Heidelberg University’s “Victory March” by a margin of 55-45 percent in the finals, with almost 1,100 votes tallied.

The story behind Adrian College’s current fight song began in the fall of 1988 when Darin McNabb, Class of ’89, went to his band instructor and asked if he could write a new one. He was given the green light and the new song was a hit and played for the next couple of seasons before getting shelved. 

In 2007, McNabb heard the Bulldogs were creating a new marching band and asked the band director, Dr. Marty Marks, if he could rework his old fight song and create an updated version they could play. The idea was taken to Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking and he gave the go-ahead to update the song. Just a couple of months later, the marching band was proudly playing “Hail Adrian!”

McNabb said his inspiration for the song came from “The 40 Greatest College Fight Songs,” recorded by the University of Michigan marching band.

“If one listens closely to my new Adrian fight song, they can hear musical references to the fight songs of Northwestern, Wisconsin, Michigan State and the University of Michigan,” McNabb wrote in a 2008 Adrian College alumni magazine. “Yet, Hail Adrian! Is written to sound uniquely its own.”

McNabb went on to explain in the story that he wanted the words of the song to be non-gender and non-sport specific.

“I also wanted to promote a positive up-beat message that included references to school pride, school colors, a supportive crowd, and the Bulldog mascot,” he said in the article. “Finally, I wanted to be sure to include the words “heroes,” “champions,” and “victory,” to convey the concepts of excellence, pride and success, concepts I think Adrian College has always strived to instill in its graduates.

“I am so proud to know that my music will help create that great atmosphere found only at collegiate athletic events for many years to come,” McNabb said.

Hail Adrian!

Hail, hail to Adrian —

The home of the Black and the Gold!

Cheer, cheer for Adrian — 

Lift high your voices, proud and bold,

“Go, Dawgs, Go!”

Fight, fight for Adrian — 

And champions again we will be!

Our heroes will score,

and the crowd will roar,

“Another Bulldog victory!”

At Michigan’s 14 independent colleges and universities students forge success by following their own path.  The colleges are purposefully smaller and emphasize community over crowds.  Classes are taught by award-winning faculty rather than TAs, allowing students to forge tight bonds with professors.  Often less expensive than public institutions, the independents boast higher four-year graduation rates and smaller class sizes for a truly unique and affordable experience.

To learn more about Michigan’s top 14 private colleges and universities, visit our Colleges page.

Scholarships are available!  Enter the We Are The Independents scholarship drawing.

While in-person admissions visits at Michigan’s top 14 private colleges and universities have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, prospective students can still explore these beautiful campuses with the click of a button!

With virtual tours available, you can still get the chance to “walk” the campus, see and feel what life could be like for the next four years. The online tours not only give you a peak into each campus, but many schools even allow you to schedule an online information session with a live admissions counselor!  Get your questions answered and make an informed choice now from the comfort of your home.

Get more information in the links below:

Adrian College Virtual Tour

Albion College | Virtual Tour

Alma College Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

Andrews University Virtual Tour  |  Sign up for a Virtual Preview

Aquinas College Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Personal Visit

Calvin University Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

Hillsdale College Schedule a Virtual Visit

Hope College Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

Kalamazoo College Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

Madonna University Campus Tour Video  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

Olivet College Virtual Tour

Siena Heights University Virtual Tour

Spring Arbor University Virtual Tour  |  Schedule a Virtual Visit

University of Detroit Mercy Virtual Tour  |  Sign up for a Virtual Information Session

Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) is collaborating with Harvard Business School (HBS) Online to offer students at participating MCA campuses a blended learning program, and an opportunity to earn an HBS Online course credential. In the first phase, nearly 70 students from five MCA member colleges and universities completed the HBS Online’s Sustainable Business Strategy course in the spring.

“When we built this course, one of my hopes was that it could be utilized to educate young people about the important role that business has in tackling some of the challenging issues of our time,” said Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson . “The students and faculty from the MCA campuses who participated in this pilot are pioneers, and I look forward to seeing how they will apply the learnings from our course in their own communities.”

The participating colleges created a blended learning offering where students registered for the “sustainable business” course led by local faculty and featuring the HBS Online course led by Professor Henderson. Students then applied their learnings through projects with businesses that were facing sustainability challenges, including Wolverine Worldwide, Merrill, Adrian Steel and Thetford Corporation.

“This was by far the most interactive course I have ever taken,” said Mya Oleksiak , a sophomore at Adrian College . “I loved that the modules and field work put me in real-life situations, and the meetings with my professor and classmates tied it all together. It was a privilege to be part of it.”

“This was a huge opportunity to reinforce what I learned as a Sustainable Business major and to take it into the real world,” said Tyson Marsh , a senior at Aquinas College . “The conversations with people in my group, from Bangladesh and Australia , helped me see different ways to apply and approach sustainability, and it is really amazing to be able to help a big global company like Wolverine solve a real sustainability problem.”

“The HBS pilot is a perfect illustration of why MCA has become a national leader in private higher education collaboration,” said MCA President Robert Bartlett . “It embedded content from the most prominent business education brand and a global learning network into existing classes offered by our member campuses. It then connected student classroom experiences to real projects in local communities. This best practice, active pedagogy model has produced tangible outcomes for both students and local businesses throughout the state.”

MCA plans to extend the program with another Sustainable Business Strategy offering in the spring and other HBS Online courses in the future. MCA represents 14 of the top independent colleges and universities in Michigan. Participating colleges included Adrian College, Albion College, Andrews University, Aquinas College, and Spring Arbor University.

(Albion College, voted 12th Most Beautiful College in Winter)

It’s winter, and the tundra is setting in – at least it is here in Michigan. The last thing you are thinking about is planning a trip to visit campuses. Those long walks across snow-covered quads are certainly less appealing when the temperatures are teetering at the same level as the number of layers you’ll be wearing to stay warm. Or maybe you are a freshman or sophomore, and it’s just “not time yet.”

So, “When is the best time to visit?”  The answer may not be what you expect.  Here are some tips for getting the most out of campus visits:

Time of year:
As summer strolls in and the school year winds down, families across the country are gearing with plans to visit college campuses. Tours are crowded, staff is minimal, and quads are relatively barren. Although the summer months are more convenient for your time, ideally you should try to plan your visits when classes are in session and the campuses are full of life.  Think of it like trying on a pair of new shoes: do you get the proper assessment while sitting? No, you get up, walk around, and perhaps jog in them… as it should also be done visiting campuses. Simulate the day-to-day as if you are attending the school. It doesn’t necessarily mean go in the dead of winter, but consider this: it may be cold, but it’ll also be cold while you attend, won’t it?

Age of student:
It can be very rewarding to visit colleges and universities before your junior and senior year (read: before it’s decision time). You are less concerned about choosing and “buying” when you are simply “window shopping” and more interested in checking out the inventory. Expose yourself to as many different kinds of places—big schools, small schools, research universities, liberal arts colleges, urban campuses, places way out in the country—to develop a broad perspective of all the different options. Then, when it is time to make a decision, you’ll have a better foundation on which to choose.

Before stepping foot on the first campus (and each one after that…):
Your new mantra: Relax, enjoy, decide later. Resist the impulse to judge immediately, good or bad. Your first reaction is bound to be emotional, and usually overly positive—college is really cool! Sleep on it. Weigh your impressions against the other schools you visit and try to remain as objective as possible so your rose-colored glasses don’t allow you to overlook things.

How to choose:
As you visit the campuses, allow your senses to guide you. Really like something? Take note of it. Feel like something’s missing? Take note of it. Gut instinct is usually pretty accurate. Additionally, the perceptions from your visits will come in handy when completing your college applications. Remember this: tying personal experience to the campus environment will blow the minds of the admissions department!

What to look for:
Focus on fit. We perform at our best when we have a level of comfort, belonging, and value. Questions to ask yourself: How does the college meet my academic needs? Will I be challenged appropriately? Is the style of instruction a good match for how I learn? Does the college offer a community that makes me feel “at home?” Does the college offer extracurricular activities that interest me?

After the visit, before you leave:
Connect with the recruiter. Colleges and universities typically assign admissions personnel to different areas of the country for recruiting efficiency. If your area’s recruiter is available, definitely introduce yourself. Either way, get that person’s contact information. Consider him/her as your “go to” person when you have important questions later in the admissions process. And remember this: there is nothing insignificant nor too embarrassing to ask. The admissions staff is there to help!

What to do next:
Record your visit. Make notes as soon as you are able. The more campuses you visit, the more they will begin to blend together, especially from memory. Take pictures to give yourself a visual index of what you’ve seen to avoid confusion later.

And finally:
Enjoy the process. It can be easy to get lost in the excitement and have that energy turn into anxiety. Relax. Start the search early. Visit during the school year to witness the campus’s true environment. Trust your senses and take notes.

As you map your college visit road trip, include a few of Michigan’s top 14 private colleges and universities on your list. These schools are purposefully smaller and emphasize “community over crowds.” Often comparable in cost to Michigan’s public institutions, the independents boast higher four-year graduation rates, outstanding faculty who help students forge their own paths, and smaller class sizes for a truly unique and personal experience.

Be bold. Be different. Go independent.

Adrian College hosted its annual Sneak Peek Day in July, welcoming over 1,500 attendees to campus.  As in the past, the event offers visiting freshmen a glimpse of campus accommodations, student life and the opportunity to meet with their roommates to plan for the fall semester. Students and their families perused the Adrian College Bookstore, dined at Ritchie Marketplace and toured around the Mall to meet fellow incoming Bulldogs.

Corinne Fereshetian, a freshman from Farmington Hills, Michigan, attended Sneak Peek Day despite previously touring campus on recruitment visits. “I am so excited to start school at AC this fall. The campus is beautiful and everyone is always friendly,” she said. “I am most looking forward to spending time in all of the new facilities and cheering on other teams in Arrington.”

Staff and faculty were available throughout the event to answer questions, discuss the upcoming fall semester and provide a first-hand tour to incoming students, family and friends.  Sneak Peek Day also provided full access academic buildings and dorms, as well as offered drawings with prizes such as mini-fridges and an iPad. Many students also pre-registered for their fall classes in anticipation of Welcome Week in August.

“It was really helpful to have so many professors and students on campus during Sneak Peek Day, but I also liked that we had our own time to explore campus,” said Elizabeth Hume from Wheaton, IL. “Being on this kind of campus is so unique because you’re able to get to know all of your classmates, and there are ample opportunities for every single person to excel both in and outside the classroom.”

Experience the magic of Sneak Peek Day, check out the recap video!

Ready to visit a campus for yourself?  Check out our listing of on campus events and visit days.

Following in his predecessor’s paw prints, Bruiser II will turn away shots between periods at hockey games, deliver the game ball at football games, wish graduates good luck at Commencement, ride in the Homecoming parade and greet students on his walks around campus.

Almost everyone nowadays can cite scary statistics when it comes to the cost of college education.

Nationwide, the average annual tuition at private schools has more than tripled in 30 years jumping to $32,405 this year, according to inflation-adjusted statistics from the College Board.

But the cost of an elite private school education is nothing for students in Kalamazoo public schools.

You read that right.

The cost of Michigan’s 15 independent colleges and universities is zero for students who graduated from Kalamazoo Public Schools and attended since kindergarten. Graduates who attended since at least seventh grade will receive 75 percent of their tuition.

The Kalamazoo Promise is a revolutionary program that is changing lives and putting college in reach for 5,000 eligible graduates since it was launched and funded by anonymous donors in 2005.

The schools now send 85 percent of students to college, whose graduates can expect to earn $1 million more over their lifetime than peers whose education stopped at high school.

And what an education they can get, especially at Michigan’s independents: Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Aquinas College, Calvin College, Hillsdale College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Marygrove College, Olivet College, the University of Detroit Mercy, Andrews University, Madonna University, Siena Heights University and Spring Arbor University.

The schools pride themselves on helping students forge their own path. Classes are taught by professors, not teaching assistants, with average class sizes of just 17.5 students.

The independents open doors to a host of careers, from business and engineering to education and nursing, supported by a nurturing network of alumni who have become leaders in their fields.

And the independent colleges look like the world around them. One in 4 students at Michigan private colleges and universities is African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic or Latino.

Be bold. Be different. Go independent.

Doing good for students. Doing good for the community.

It’s a way of life so ingrained at Adrian College and Michigan’s 14 independent colleges that it’s practically second nature.

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise this month when Adrian announced the creation of the Baby Bulldog Center, a daycare designed to help both working parents in the Michigan community and education majors at the college.

The center on the first floor of Valade Hall is full-fledged daycare, accommodating up to 12 children from birth to 3 years old. But it’s also a lab for Adrian College students pursuing early childhood education certificates.

“As schools are increasingly under pressure to do more with less, they will look for teachers who have credentials, such as the early childhood endorsement, beyond the basic certification,” Andrea Milner, Adrian’s director of the Institute for Education, told the Adrian Daily Telegram.

“We want to provide all our students — babies and undergraduates — the best start we can.”
Rather than seek jobs outside the college, students will work in the daycare alongside licensed childcare professionals. That will help them meet the 60 hours of internship required for an early childhood education certificate.

And it will help ease a childcare crunch in Lenawee County, where an estimated three quarters of youths under 5 have two working parents.

It’s Adrian College’s second venture into childcare. Its first, a collaboration with Little Maples Preschool for toddlers, was so popular it had to open a second location in 2014.

“We’re glad we can address that need while helping our students become the best teachers they can be,” Agnes Caldwell, Adrian dean for academic affairs, told the Daily Telegram.

A daycare might not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering colleges. But it’s the sort of detail and dedication to both students and surrounding communities that make Adrian and other Michigan independent colleges unique and truly special.

National leaders in education, the schools recognize that college is about both preparing students for careers — and experience.

All emphasize community over crowds and a spirit of togetherness and cohesion that just doesn’t exist at big state schools.

With low class sizes and award-winning faculty, the schools are proud that students forge lifelong bonds with professors.

Often less expensive than public institutions, the independents boast higher four-year graduation rates for a truly unique and affordable experience.

Be bold. Be different. Go independent.

Study after study has shown that college not only transforms minds, but it lives as well as wallets.

College graduates make 25 percent more per week than the national average, and unemployment rates are significantly lower the more education is attained, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In short, college is “a ticket to the middle class,” according to Bridge Magazine.

But getting admitted to one and finishing are two different things, and it’s no secret that some colleges do far better jobs of helping low-income students graduate and get jobs.

The online magazine analyzed federal data to rank colleges on how they promote social mobility — offering tuition breaks, mentors and other aid for low-income students, as well as how long it took them to narrow the income gap with rich students after graduation.

The results? Michigan’s small, private colleges ranked the near the top.

Adrian College was the top-ranked private college in the state, enrolling the seventh-highest percentage of low-income students and graduating nearly 60 percent of them.

Madonna University was not far behind, offering low tuition for low-income students (less than $9,000) and helping them make similar salaries with high-income students 10 years after enrollment.

Olivet College and Spring Arbor University were near the tops in enrolling poor students, while Alma College, Hope College and Calvin College ranked in the top six in graduation rates.

Kalamazoo College, inexplicably, was left out of Bridge’s analysis altogether. But using its metrics, would have scored in the top 10 for graduation rates and average earnings.

The rankings reflect a deep commitment by Michigan’s top 15 private colleges and universities to improving the lives of all students and offering a path to improve lives.

Contrary to popular belief, tuition is on par with many public universities. That’s because students receive far more financial aid. At most of our schools, more than 93 percent receive aid, bringing the cost of a world-class education within reach.

Students at Michigan’s independents typically graduate in four years, rather than five or six at public schools. That means they are earning a salary while their peers at big state universities are wracking up more student debt.

That also means they have a two-year head start on their careers, which is yet another way Michigan independents help students forge their own path.

Be bold. Be different. Go independent.