Mackinac Island experiences bring summer fun and lasting memories
Casey Cheney
Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: Focus
Hillsdale College senior Katy Ranville left campus this summer, but campus didn't leave her.
Aside from her status as one of maybe three conservatives on the island, Ranville said life on northern Michigan's Mackinac Island - where she spent her summer working at a bar called the Pink Pony - is similar to life at Hillsdale.
Like Hillsdale, Mackinac Island has few people, making it easy to recognize faces. Everything one does, Ranville said, is with the people one works with.
"If you don't like who you work with, then you're screwed," she said, thinking back to past summers of such an experience - roommates who never left their room.
Mackinac, however, far outdoes Hillsdale in the number of bars residents can frequent.
"It's weird because they call it 'up the hill' on the island, too," she said.
During the day, the island offers a wide variety of activities to partake in and sights to see. Ranville said her favorite place on the island is Fort Holmes, its highest point.
"You go up there and just see forever," she said.
Over the summer, Ranville hosted her Chi Omega sister, senior Mallory Root. Root said although she had stopped at the island previously, she had never seen its nightlife before.
"Anytime I've ever gone, I've never visited the nightlife," she said. "[It's] something I've never experienced."
Junior Alex Ralston, who also lived during the summer on the island, said he spent his free time either running or socializing.
He also partook in such activities as Monday Night Gentlemen's Night. His Monday night activities, he said, involved visiting hotels and taking advantage of the services provided for guests - swimming, croquet and badminton.
"[We would] just commit some general shenanigans," he said.
Ralston also worked at a fudge shop making Mackinac's famous fudge, which involved a lot of weighing ingredients, dumping them into a pot, stirring, cooking the fudge and repetition.
Aside from her status as one of maybe three conservatives on the island, Ranville said life on northern Michigan's Mackinac Island - where she spent her summer working at a bar called the Pink Pony - is similar to life at Hillsdale.
Like Hillsdale, Mackinac Island has few people, making it easy to recognize faces. Everything one does, Ranville said, is with the people one works with.
"If you don't like who you work with, then you're screwed," she said, thinking back to past summers of such an experience - roommates who never left their room.
Mackinac, however, far outdoes Hillsdale in the number of bars residents can frequent.
"It's weird because they call it 'up the hill' on the island, too," she said.
During the day, the island offers a wide variety of activities to partake in and sights to see. Ranville said her favorite place on the island is Fort Holmes, its highest point.
"You go up there and just see forever," she said.
Over the summer, Ranville hosted her Chi Omega sister, senior Mallory Root. Root said although she had stopped at the island previously, she had never seen its nightlife before.
"Anytime I've ever gone, I've never visited the nightlife," she said. "[It's] something I've never experienced."
Junior Alex Ralston, who also lived during the summer on the island, said he spent his free time either running or socializing.
He also partook in such activities as Monday Night Gentlemen's Night. His Monday night activities, he said, involved visiting hotels and taking advantage of the services provided for guests - swimming, croquet and badminton.
"[We would] just commit some general shenanigans," he said.
Ralston also worked at a fudge shop making Mackinac's famous fudge, which involved a lot of weighing ingredients, dumping them into a pot, stirring, cooking the fudge and repetition.
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