Hillsdale College congratulates Tomasz Ignatik and Joseph Randolph on their commissions to the U.S. Marine Corps and Joseph Hardenbergh on the commission he will receive later this summer. The college hosted an outdoor ceremony at the Civil War Soldiers’ Monument on May 11 to honor the students’ achievement and willingness to serve.

Peter Jennings, associate professor of management and former Marine infantry officer, provided an address at the ceremony. “In the history of our republic, the final guarantee of Constitutional self-government has been the willingness of patriotic and able men and women to stand and to serve,” said Jennings. “As military men and women, it is not their task to become embroiled in the great ongoing partisan battles, nor to despair of their intractability. Their task is simply to stand and to serve. To learn war and to deploy to some remote outpost, to keep watch, to fight, and if necessary, to die, in order to keep the wolves away from the house. In so doing, these men and women serve the common good in this one indispensable way: They give Constitutional self-government and the inalienable right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. One more chance for one more generation.”

Ignatik of Utica, Ohio, majored in English. He was a member of the wrestling club, the 1844 Society, and the Catholic Society. He also volunteered with A Few Good Men and Military Mentorship and worked with the maintenance and security departments.

Randolph of Ann Arbor, Michigan, majored in history. On campus, he played club rugby and intramural basketball and beach volleyball. He also volunteered with A Few Good Men and Military Mentorship and worked as a resident advisor for the Simpson Dormitory.

Hardenbergh of Northville, Michigan, majored in biology. At Hillsdale, he played on the Charger baseball team and belonged to the Athletes InterVarsity.

Because of his obligations to the Charger baseball team, Hardenbergh could not receive his commission at the ceremony. He will receive it later this summer.

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For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian, Christian liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 6.6 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.

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