The current war between the United States, Israel and Iran has driven global tensions to a boiling point. Many NATO allies and other states friendly to the U.S. have been unwilling to join the war effort, and President Trump has responded to their refusals with public condemnations. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, both of whom have tried to maintain cordial relationships with the Trump administration, havesplit with Trump over the Iran war, and have since been targeted both in official policy changes and through social media.

The most surprising target of the President’s ire is Pope Leo. Selected last year to replace the late Pope Francis, Leo is the first ever American pope, and until recently has tried to remain separate from the political sphere, especially in his home country. However, Leo’s commitment to peace and diplomacy has put him at odds with the Trump administration’s more aggressive foreign policy, and the Iran conflict has driven those tensions to a breaking point.

The opening volley

The war of words began with the Pope’s traditional Easter address on the morning of Apr. 5. In his address, Leo implored that “those who have weapons lay them down” and “those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” and while he did not mention the current war in Iran directly, his anti-war message was clear.

While the Pope was proclaiming a message of peace, President Trump’s Easter messages were dramatically pro-war. Early on Easter morning, Trump posted a profanity-laced rant on Truth Social, demanding that the Iranian regime “Open the F—in’ Strait [of Hormuz] … or you’ll be living in Hell.” Two days later, on the morning of April 7th, Trump doubled down, claiming that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran did not capitulate.

In the ensuing days, Pope Leo continued to position himself as anti-war and criticized world leaders for seeking war rather than diplomacy. When speaking to the leaders of the Chaldean Church (a subset of Middle Eastern Catholics) on April 10th, Leo said that the world was marked by “absurd and inhumane violence,” and argued that the Church must “never [be] on the side of those who yesterday wielded the sword and today launch bombs.”

Though Pope Leo largely avoided discussing Trump by name during this period, journalists did manage to get a more direct answer from him during interviews. When asked about Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran’s civilization, Pope Leo described the comments as “truly unacceptable,” arguing that Trump had violated both international law and basic morals. Other Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, also directly named Trump, with Coakley saying in a statement that he “[calls] on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost.”

Trump on Truth Social

On the evening of April 12th, Trump turned his attention, and his social media ire, to Pope Leo. He made a 334-word post on Truth Social in which, among other things, he described the Pope as “WEAK on crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” claimed that priests were getting arrested during the Covid pandemic for holding church services, asserted that Pope Leo would not have become pope had Trump not been president, accused Pope Leo of being an “Obama Sympathizer” and stated that he didn’t want “a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” He concluded by saying that Pope Leo’s focus on politics hurts both the Pope and the Catholic Church more broadly. Later that night, he shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Christlike figure, shrouded in golden light and healing a sick man in a hospital bed.

Reactions to these posts were immediate and harsh, especially from the Catholic community. Bishop Robert Barron, a conservative Catholic and member of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, described Trump’s remarks as “entirely inappropriate and disrespectful,” while numerous leaders of Catholic-aligned political organizations called on Trump to apologize. When asked about the President’s attacks against him, Pope Leo finally mentioned Trump by name, saying that he has “no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”

J.D. Vance and theological disputes

With tensions rising between Pope and President, observers and journalists turned to Catholic members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance, to try and ease the tensions. Vance has instead held firm to the Trump administration’s platform, saying on April 14th that the Pope should be more careful when talking about theology and that his claim that God is never on the side of warmongers is historically inaccurate.

Vance has also disputed the Pope’s interpretation of Just War Theory, a Catholic doctrine originating with Saint Augustine that describes when a state can legitimately engage in war. Notably, Pope Leo is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, and his scholarship primarily centers around Augustine’s thinking and writing. Leo began his current tour of Africa by visiting the city where Augustine lived in the 400s and has discussed Augustine’s views on just war theory (among other things) in his speeches.

Threats of Avignon

While the Trump Administration and the Vatican have been publicly feuding in the last few weeks, there are reports that further tensions between the two parties have occurred in private. On April 6th, The Free Press initially reported that meetings between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Vatican’s representatives had become tense as far back as January of 2026. Further reports have examined the context of those meetings in some detail, with most reporting indicating that the American position effectively argued that the U.S. could do anything it chose and that the Vatican should side with the Trump administration’s choices.

The most concerning part of those reports centers on the allegation that Department of Defense officials had mentioned the Avignon Papacy during their conversations with the Vatican. The Avignon Papacy occurred during the 1300s, when the King of France sent his army to arrest Pope Boniface VIII. After Boniface’s death, the French royals forced the Papal Conclave to elect a French pope, who refused to move to Rome and instead moved the papal court to Avignon, where the French monarchs could directly control both who was elected pope and what the pope could say.If those alleged threats are true, the implications are disturbing. The Avignon Papacy happened when a major world power forced the Catholic Church to obey its demands through military force. It is unlikely that the United States would use military force against the Vatican, but it was enough of a concern that the Pope has canceled his planned visit to the US amid the heightened tensions.

As editor-in-chief of the Hilltop Monitor, it is my privilege to announce that the Hilltop Monitor has returned to award-winning status.

Student newspapers across Missouri were invited to submit their best articles as part of the Missouri College Media Association (MCMA) competition. Of 29 total categories, the Hilltop Monitor submitted to 12 categories and won 7 awards, including runner-up in the Best Overall Newspaper category. The Hilltop Monitor did not enter last year’s competition due to Jewell’s declaration of financial exigency. We are grateful to Student Senate for supporting our entry this year.

Every member of the Hilltop staff contributed to awards in newspaper-wide categories, including our deep-dive investigative piece regarding changes to the College, which won two awards. All three members of the editorial board won first-place awards for individual reporting. 

Copy editor Alee Dickey expressed gratitude to Hilltop staff for maintaining an excellent standard of journalism in the face of institutional difficulties.

A full list of awards won by the Hilltop Monitor can be found below:

• News Writing, First Place: E.E. Naber, William Jewell College restructures academic programs
• Editorial Writing, First Place: Alee Dickey, Donald Trump and the Smithsonian: who gets to rewrite history
• In-Depth News Reporting, Third Place: Hilltop staff, What now? Exploring the implications of William Jewell College’s declaration of financial exigency and restructuring of academic programs
• Investigative Reporting, First Place: Hilltop staff, What now? Exploring the implications of William Jewell College’s declaration of financial exigency and restructuring of academic programs – The Hilltop Monitor
• Feature Photography, First Place: Matthew Parker, An Aurora on the Hill
• Overall Website, First Place
• Best Overall Newspaper, Second Place

Jewell’s 2026 Celebration of Honors was held on Apr. 24, 2026. It honored over 150 students who demonstrated excellence in various academic departments or showed leadership through service. The Faculty Award, the highest distinction William Jewell College offers to a graduating senior, was awarded to Lianna Morelli.

Other awards presented at the Celebration of Honors include the following. (Note: names are included here as presented in the program and may not reflect students’ preferred names or nicknames.)

Analytical Sciences

Engineering

Outstanding Senior in Civil Engineering: Drew T. Caudle

Mathematics

George A. Ross Mathematics Award (senior mathematics majors with the highest academic record in mathematics): Timothy G. Fay, Korbin W. Pugh

Physics

James R. Eaton Memorial Award (for achievement as a sophomore or junior physics major): Lucas Murcia Dominguez

C. D. Geilker Award (for achievement in the general physics course for a student majoring in physics, physics education, or dual-degree engineering): Miranda K. Menousek

John E. Davis Sigma Pi Sigma Award (for a rising senior physics major with the highest level of achievement in physics): Simon G. Lyon

Outstanding Senior Physics Major Award: Luxanna S. Sands

Behavioral, Natural, and Health Sciences

Biology

Dr. Burdette L. Wagenknecht Award (for an outstanding first-year biology major): Olivia L. Allen

Charles F. J. Newlon Award (for an outstanding sophomore biology major): Dilly R. Davies

Monte Harmon Award (for an outstanding junior biology major): Samantha J. Han

Dr. Burnell Landers Award (for an outstanding senior biology major): Javier Ortiz-Merino

Dr. Judith A. Dilts Award (for an outstanding junior or senior biology major): Madeline E. Hanna

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Outstanding First-Years in Chemistry or Biochemistry: Miles C. Heckadon, Lorelai F. Walker

James R. Eaton Memorial Award (for achievement as a chemistry major): Kennadie G. Sheppard, Walton R. Schenk, Zakary E. Wenger

Frank H. Fristoe Award (for achievement in chemistry): Maci M. Mayfield, Avery N. Reynolds, Marina S. Wilson

Outstanding Seniors in Chemistry or Biochemistry: Irene J. Taboada, Brayden S. Thomas

Nursing

Award for Compassion (BSN): Kaitlyn L. Tait, Kennedy K. Wyatt (AT)

Award for Scholarship (BSN): Meghan M. Wilson, Jasmine McDonald (AT)

Anne Bax Ozbolt Award for Servant Leadership: Jessica Stout

Mary Grant Seacole Award for Service: Adalena Shiddell

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award (BSN): Lauren E. Flickinger, Allison M. McIntyre (AT)

Outstanding Nursing Student Award (BSN): Marigrace Angelica B. Larson, Dillon Thiele (AT)

Dr. Leesa A. McBroom Spirit of Nursing Award: Ashley L. Brown

Psychological Science

Premier Graduates in Psychological Science: Paige Hefley, Erin E. Wenzel

Distinguished Graduates in Psychological Science: Lianna E. Morelli, Aimee Núñoz

Business, Communication, and Education

Business and Leadership

Hastings L. Schies Memorial Award (to a junior or senior female student majoring in business administration or finance who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement): Allison M. Welter

Walter J. Stark Award (for development in business studies): Jace D. Walker

Boatwright Economics Leadership Scholar: Xavier M. Winston

Otis and Florence Miller Academic Award (to a senior graduating with the highest GPA in accounting, business, or economics): Victoria M. Jones

Accounting Faculty Award: Victoria M. Jones

Business Faculty Award (for the outstanding senior in business administration): Riley M. Richardson

Economics Faculty Award (for the outstanding senior in economics): Jordan M. Barger

E. Anne Earnest Nonprofit Leadership Award (for the outstanding senior in nonprofit leadership): Jordan L. Riley

Communication

Award for Internship Excellence: Patrick M. Terry, Antony J. Vanderbeek

Digital Media Communication Outstanding Senior Award: Sara A. Hartmann

Outstanding Senior Debater Award: Patrick M. Terry

The Kim and Lois Anne Harris Department of Communication Outstanding Senior Award: Emilie M. Bartlett

Education

Chad Garrison “Reach Out and Touch Someone” Award (to an education major who has demonstrated sensitivity and compassion for others through volunteer service): Sadie L. Camp

Lutie Chiles Elementary Education Award (to an outstanding sophomore in elementary education): Aneesia Y Shalabi

Ida Coffman Education Award (to an outstanding junior in elementary education): Ella G. Robinson

Outstanding Junior in Secondary Education: Brenna K. Hamilton

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Teacher: Kassidy A. Schmidt

Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher: Michelle M. Johnston

Humanities, Social Sciences, and Music

English

Pinkerton-Rick Award (an English major entering the senior year who has contributed most to the English Department in exhibiting interest, helpfulness to others, creative thinking, and competent writing skills): Kariss E. Johnson

Outstanding Senior in the English Major Award: Ivan V. Calderon

History

Kenneth Chatlos Award (for best capstone essay in the Department of History): Kandace-Rose A. Gill

U.R. Pugh Memorial Award (for achievement as a history major): Rane C. Rynard

Languages

Outstanding Major in Spanish (for a Spanish major with a record of excellence): Morgan A. Mayo

Outstanding Minor in Spanish (for a Spanish minor with a record of excellence): Lucas R. Linder

Music

Ida and Maybelle Glenn Music Award (for outstanding achievement to someone preparing to teach music): Payten Elaine Davis

Edward Lakin Music Theory Award (student with the highest GPA in the first year of music theory courses): Alyssa J. Hoffman

Linda L. Thomssen String Award (for an outstanding string player): Matthew A. Gass

The Wes and Ginger Forbis Award (for rising seniors in music): Mason M. Allenbaugh, Payten Elaine Davis, H. William Speck

The Dean Wilder Voice Award (for music majors with special consideration for students who study or participate in vocal performance and who demonstrate leadership qualities): Ivan V. Calderon, Prince-Russell C. Johnson

Liberty Symphony Orchestra Collegiate Artist Competition (winners of this annual competition perform a solo with the Liberty Symphony Orchestra): Kaylen A. Fears, Bryson J. Gates, Chèrisse A. Lubbers

Political Science

Outstanding First-Year Student in Political Science: Anna M. Daughtry

Outstanding Sophomores in Political Science: Aidan T. Carter, Alyssa B. Engle

Outstanding Junior in Political Science: Andrew J. Allen

Outstanding Seniors in Political Science: Elliot M. Labeth, Ethan E. Naber

Dr. Will Adams Award (for an outstanding political science major): Zoe G. Ralston

Pi Sigma Alpha – Matthew Oliver Senior Scholar Award: Owen M. Kerrigan

Theatre

Austin Cooper Edwards Acting Awards (peer-voted award for strongest performers of the Jewell Theatre Company season): Ivan V. Calderon, Emma Kelly

Virginia D. Rice Award (for excellence in theatre throughout the year): Lianna E. Morelli

Kim Harris Golden Hammer Award (for excellence in technical theatre): Kendall M. Robbins

Alpha Psi Omega Key Award (for four years of service to Jewell Theatre Company): Ivan V. Calderon

Richard L. Harriman Theatre Award (established in 1994 by the Fine Arts Guild for outstanding theatre students): Kathryn L. Calcara, Brenna K. Hamilton

Student Publication Awards

The Hilltop Monitor

The Hilltop Monitor Newcomer Award: Simone M. Collins

The Hilltop Monitor Community Outreach and Engagement Awards: Alesia M. Dickey, Matthew J. Parker

The Hilltop Monitor Editorial Leadership Award: Ethan E. Naber

Special Honors

Graduating with Honors

Graduating with Honors in Psychological Science: Kelsey Coleman, Lianna E. Morelli

Graduating with Honors in Philosophy: Matthew J. Parker

Graduating with Honors in Mathematics: Korbin W. Pugh

Honors Institute in Critical Thinking Fellows

Simone M. Collins, Lauren E. Flickinger, Lily Frazier, Megan J. Giffin, John W. Jenkins, Ian Lewis, Molly J. McBratney, Jace D. Walker, Erin E. Wenzel, Annalyse Yoder

Pryor Leadership Fellows

Madison L. Atwood, Clifford Brandt, Lily Frazier, Megan J. Giffin, Jocelyn P. Hayes, Kevin Madrid Rodriguez, Anthony J. Vanderbeek, Erin E. Wenzel, Mya Zavala

Oxbridge Honors Program

Grace E. Allen, Ariel Chen, Jonathan Fang, Lila Frazier, Kandace-Rose A. Gill, Ethan E. Naber, Matthew J. Parker, Kaleah Petersen, Jacqueline Quach, Ryleigh Sallinger

Mortar Board

Grace E. Allen, Clifford Brandt, Hadley Fletchall, Riley E. Frasure-Smith, Kaitlyn Hodkins, Connor Hull, Liliana M. Jackson, John W. Jenkins, Landis Johnson, Owen M. Kerrigan, Sara Madsen, Morgan A. Mayo, Molly J. McBratney, Jacqueline Quach, Rane Rynard, Adalena Shiddell, Irene J. Taboada, Dylan F. Tighe, Erin E. Wenzel, Mya Zavala

Phi Epsilon Honor Society

Grace E. Allen, Kailynn R. Byrne, Ivan V. Calderon, Lauren E. Flickinger, Riley E. Frasure-Smith, Megan J. Giffin, Sara A. Hartmann, Paige Hefley, John W. Jenkins, Victoria M. Jones, Eliott Labeth, Lianna E. Morelli, Zachary Nichols, Hayley E. O’Keefe, Riley M. Richardson, Jordan L. Riley, Irene J. Taboada, Brayden S. Thomas, Laura Torres Arroyo, Erin E. Wenzel

The Faculty Award

The Faculty Award is the most significant distinction awarded to a graduating senior. Finalists are selected from those students who have spent at least three years in residence at William Jewell College and who have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. The winner is selected by a faculty committee on the basis of academic achievement and exemplification of the highest ideals of a liberal arts education.

Finalists were asked to address the following question: “Given your experience at William Jewell College, how do you understand the relationship between critical thinking, community, and the pursuit of a meaningful life?”

Faculty Award Finalists

Grace E. Allen, Derrick Ampofo, Clifford Brandt, Ivan V. Calderon, Lianna E. Morelli

This year’s finalists are:

Photos were provided by finalists as part of the application process, and provided to the Hilltop Monitor by the Marketing Department.

Allen, Ampofo, and Brandt all intend to continue to medical school after their time at Jewell. Calderon plans to work as a teaching artist in Kansas City, and Morelli will take a gap year before pursuing a Ph.D in clinical psychology.

The winner of the Faculty Award will be announced at the annual Celebration of Honors, held at 7 p.m. in Gano Chapel on Apr. 24, 2026.