Month: March 2017

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Student Spotlight: Nicolas Giorgi, Designs in Rhythm

I’ve known Nic for nearly my entire time at Grove City College. He came in as an engineer with the class of 2016 with the intent to pursue product design. After extenuating circumstances, Nic left due to medical complications, but returned with the class of 2017.

Despite immense trials, Nic pushed forward, still driven by his passion for aesthetics and practicality. With what was then a fledgling design program, Nic began to delve into the world of design, studying under Nathan Mucha, a recent Design hire at Grove City College. Through hours of study and practice, Nic honed his design skills to realize his dream.

“It’s all about the process,” Nic muses. “There isn’t necessarily a correct solution, or product, when you go into the design process. It builds on each idea you have. Likewise, the journey to becoming a good designer is not a straight shot upwards. Just like any skill or craft, there’s mistakes made; however, that’s the way things go.”

Ecce HomoAfter hours and hours of classwork and personal projects, Nic began to apply his design skills to various outlets across campus. From theatre posters to event programs, he’s applied what he’s learned to whatever comes his way.

For two years now, Nic and I have been roommates, and it’s an absolute pleasure to watch him go through the design process. The various iterations that stem from an initial concept always amaze me, but, being a perfectionist and skilled designer, Nic knows which route will bear the best results.

“Because of the classes I’ve taken and the professors I’ve been able to study under and ask questions of, I’ve had the privilege of taking part in projects which are not only campus-wide and beyond, but that have also stretched me as a designer. Grove City’s classes have taught me the basics, and the opportunities I’ve had provide me with the chance to apply those basics to a myriad of purposes.”

While Nic’s scientific background gives him the geometric and analytical tools to measure his tools with precision, his artistic experiences prior to Grove City College have tempered his design sensibilities to implement creativity into his well thought out plans. While he didn’t take many art classes before college, Nic was an avid drawer.

An aspect that ties closely into his designs, believe it or not, is his music choice. Many of my current favorite songs have come from Nic’s playlists, but his ethereal synth pop closely echos his work. There is a carefully calculated aspect to both, ideas that are filtered to ensure their purest essence is captured, and designs that are rhythmic and measured.

“Everything that I do as a designer is purposeful. It’s a microcosm of life. Whatever you may do, be it design or accounting, we are called to be meticulous and economical. We are given resources and abilities that are not to be wasted.”

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Putting the Professors in the Hot Seat

When you come to visit Grove City College, you may meet some wonderful people who say they will be there for you for the duration of your studies at Grove City College – and they are not kidding. They will tell you they are here to make sure you grow as an individual in both your spiritual and academic life. They will tell you all the cool things you have the opportunity to learn about and they will say they have been praying for you. Who are these people? None other than the professors.

To better explain why these professors are so fantastic, I have critically reviewed some I have had over the years to show you how each one is different and challenging, but always acting with your best interest in mind. Warning: this is going to be a long post.

Hot Seat #1: Dr. Messer – English

My first experience with Dr. Messer started at 9 a.m. on the first day of classes. Side note, Dr. Messer is the head of the English Department and winner of the Professor of the Year Award in 2015 (intimidating). I was in the required Writing 101 class all freshmen have to take, and I was extremely nervous to be in my first college class AND have it be a subject I am not the best at. Dr. Messer seemed pretty cool in his introduction of himself in front of all 13 IMG_0971(2)students, but what got me was he said it was required for all of us come to his office for 15 minutes before the week was over. I thought that was a little weird and out of my way – why would a professor want to see his students so early in the semester? Oh, little naive me. Upon meeting Dr. Messer in person in his office, I came to realize he requested those 15 minutes because he wanted to know who I was so he could better understand why my writing and class performance was the way it was.

The remainder of the semester I was continually impressed by Dr. Messer. Since he had met me before and knew a little bit more about my hometown and family, I felt extremely comfortable going back during his office hours to ask more questions. I knew I was not the strongest writer, and I blatantly said that during my meeting – so it was no surprise when I knocked on his door two weeks later asking for help on my persuasive essay. It is hard to put into words how helpful Dr. Messer was in a class I felt extremely like a fish out of water in. The best part about him as an instructor was he knew his faults. This was his first semester teaching Writing 101 so he was honest with us and said, “I am new to this too.” One of our assignments entailed writing on a topic within our major of study using library book resources. Do you know how many books are written by entrepreneurs? Not very many. As an Entrepreneurship major, this task was difficult so I said to him one class, “What would you like me to do? There are no entrepreneurship encyclopedias to look at.” He accommodated yet challenged me by saying, “Base your research on what you can find, but I have never studied entrepreneurship so impress me.” I did.

To this day, I see Dr. Messer around and he always says hi to me and asks me how I am doing – he still remembers my name a year and a half later.

Hot Seat #2: Professor English – Entrepreneurship

I met Yvonne English on Junior Crimson day a long time ago when the academic departments had open houses. I already knew I wanted to be an Entrepreneurship major but I had no idea what kind of academics that involved or what kind of professors I would have to deal with. I walked into the Entrepreneurship suite and my dad (to this day) said my face lit up. I was star-struck and high on cloud nine. What brought me back down to the real world was IMG_0957Professor English. She warmly welcomed me, offered me a free t-shirt (bonus!), and asked me my name, why I was into entrepreneurship, and all that typical small talk. Once she started explaining the program, she sold me on Grove City.

Fast forward to today, Professor English and I are buddies. I have had several classes with her and in each one she pushes me a little bit further outside of my comfort zone. She in no way, shape, or form babies her students. As Entrepreneurship majors, we have to know the material because it is real life, and if we fail on an idea in the real world there is no professor to hug us and say we can have a curve on our grade. Professor English takes tough love to a whole new level because she wants her students to succeed. Before she was a professor, English worked with several startups and accelerators so the topics she is teaching us in class she knows from experience.

I always go say good morning to her in her office – I feel like the day is not complete until I see her. This past semester I had another professor in a generic, required course that was really pushing my buttons and I would tell English about him when I would visit her. One morning, this professor and I just had a breaking point. I acted disrespectfully towards him and felt very bad about it, but did not know what to do. So when I wandered into English’s office I told her what was going on, and honestly, shed a tear or two because I was so upset at what happened. She handed me a tissue box and said, “I will help you write your apology email.”

I have stories upon stories of the nice things English has done for me (like buying me donuts or taking me to Rome in the summer) but that would be an entire blog post in and of itself.

Hot Seat #3: Dr. Tedford – Orchestra

My sister, Maddie, graduated last May as an early education major and during her time on campus she was the principle cellist of the orchestra. I met Dr. Tedford through Maddie. I was a timpanist (the big drums in the back of the orchestra) for all four years of high school and Maddie wanted me to play with her so she introduced me to Dr. IMG_0279Tedford in hopes he would win me over. But I am stubborn and refused to join. The story does not end there, Maddie and her roommate, Abby, were babysitters for Dr. Tedford’s two (now three) little kids. Naturally, the two got attached and Dr. Tedford created a strong bond with Maddie and Abby. So strong, in fact, when Maddie comes up to the area now to visit her boyfriend she will stay in the Tedford home. Whether they are there or not they always welcome Maddie for a visit.

What does this have to do with me? Maddie, naturally, would talk about me with Dr. Tedford and the subject of my photography came up in conversation. Dr. Tedford at the time was looking for a photographer to take photos of the orchestra so he emailed me asking if I was available for about an hour to take photos of the orchestra. I, of course, accepted. As time passed and he continued to ask me to take pictures he was so impressed with my work he hired me as the music department photographer for the band and orchestra. I have a special place in my heart for the orchestra because of Maddie and my past life as a timpanist so I have had an absolute blast being Dr. Tedford’s music photographer.

Maybe other school’s music conductors would do the same sort of thing to hire a student as a photographer – but Dr. Tedford is different. Every time I see him during rehearsal, he asks me how Maddie is doing, how my parents are, and if I am ready to listen to some music. The established relationship makes my job even better.

I believe majority of what makes my college experience great is the people I have come to know and love. These “people” include the amazing professors who have taken me under their wing and make it their goal to help me grow as a student.

 

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The Mountains are Calling – Hiking Near Grove City College

What better way is there to enjoy the recent spring-like weather then to grab a group of friends and go on a hike? Grove City College’s campus is located close to a number of excellent hiking trails. The options of where to go are endless, all you need is a car and couple of sojourners that are willing to tackle a trail with you. There is truly no better way to take a study break, then to head out into God’s creation and remind oneself to be still. There are a variety of locations close to campus with options of various trail difficulties and lengths. I’ve listed several suggestions for the casual walkers and serious hikers at GCC.

Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area Sign

The first location is Wolf Creek Narrows. If there isn’t much time to spare and a quick escape is all that is needed then Wolf Creek Narrows is the best choice. It is only a 16 minute drive from campus and a moderate difficulty hike. It isn’t a trek up a mountain, but rather just a nice casual stroll along the creek that provides a scenic view of the narrow gorge and spring wildflowers.

frewmilltrail

If hiking isn’t enough to convince people to go out for a hike, maybe cliff jumping and swimming will be sweeten the deal. The second hiking option, ABC Frew Mill Trail, is a great place to go for a hike, work up a sweat, and refresh with a nice plunge into the river. Located in Moraine State Park, the trail is about two miles long and is welcoming to individuals of all skill levels. Be sure to hop in the car for a 25 minute drive to ABC Frew Mill Trail and don’t forget to pack a swimsuit!

McConnells Mill

The third option is just five minutes beyond the ABC Frew Mill Trail, but one of GCC’s top picks for a day in the woods – McConnell’s Mill Main Trail. McConnell’s Mill was created by draining glacial lakes which left with many boulders and valley floors. The trail ranges from moderate to difficult, but if you stay on the main trail it will be moderate the whole way through. It is just a quick 30 minute drive and then you are free to choose the trail to blaze.

 

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The fourth trail on the board is Big Run Falls located in New Castle’s Cascade Park. Formerly an amusement park, Cascade Park has been transformed through the years. It has been cleaned up, the rides removed, and now is an established beautiful park that is open to the public. The falls are located along the edge of the hollow that allows people to walk around, observe, and take pictures of the area. The 45 minute trip is well worth the drive!

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I’ve saved the longest trip for last, but the hour-long ride to Cook Forest is definitely worth it. With over 15 trails to choose from, Cook Forest is a great day trip for friends. There are many trails that connect with each other, a fire tower that offers great views of the sunset, and Seneca Trail gives hikers a great view overlooking the river.

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Student Profile: Bethany Haughey on the Great Conversation

Bethany Haughey is a junior English major with a wide variety of academic interests, from chemistry to history. She is minoring in biology. I recently had the opportunity to interview her about her experience at Grove City College, and we had a great conversation.

Why Grove City?

For Bethany, acceptance to the Trustee Scholar program made Grove City College the right choice. Of the seven schools she applied to, Grove City was the only Christian one. At the end of the day, she was excited about two main communities — the community of 2,400 students on campus seeking the mind of Christ and the smaller community of fellow Trustee scholars that she would join. To her, that was better than the Honors College at the University of Maryland.

How did you choose to study English, with so many academic interests?

One cannot get far on this campus without bumping into C.S. Lewis. Bethany referenced his introduction to Athanasius’ On The Incarnation where Lewis notes the importance of understanding the great conversation around us: “If you join at eleven o’clock a conversation which began at eight you will often not see the real bearing of what is said.”

For her, studying English is a great way to catch up on this conversation. But she values other disciplines too: History provides much-needed context, and theology and philosophy tell us what the conversation has said about the most important questions.

What about chemistry?

When Bethany graduated from Rockbridge Academy in Millersville, Maryland, she wouldn’t have identified as a science person — and she says she still wouldn’t, perhaps especially not this semester. But with such a strong background in the humanities, she wanted to explore science on the collegiate level. Since biology was her favorite science in high school, she has been taking the same classes that pre-med students would take.

She has also been doing independent research on polymers for DNA delivery.

Can you tell me about your research paper?

For Dr. Smith’s Civilization and the Speculative Mind (a HUMA core requirement often called “Spec Mind” by students), Bethany wrote a history research paper on the history of missiology. Studying 18th- and 19th-century China, she followed the development of missionary activity from imperialism, which imposed Western culture, to a more culturally-accepting approach characterized by Hudson Taylor. The paper grew out of her interest in China and in missions — her local church has done regular mission trips to Brooklyn for as long as she can remember, and her frequent participation has shaped her deeply.

Dr. Smith encouraged her to present at a conference, which she did, noting that she appreciates how pro-active faculty are in matching students with opportunities.

You have a longstanding commitment to Chinese as well?

Bethany’s mom is from Hong Kong, and speaks a dialect but not Mandarin. So since fourth grade, Bethany has studied the language and her proficiency was demonstrated recently when she placed third in the US East-Coast Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition, where she gave a speech in Mandarin and played erhu, the Chinese violin.

What do you think of Grove City’s Orchestra?

Bethany played in the orchestra in high school and has continued as first violinist. She’s been in the main Orchestra since freshman year, and this year has also had the privilege of playing in the much-smaller Chamber Orchestra. She says it’s amazing how quickly everything comes together (e.g., there is a major October concert, after just two months of school), and that the campus commitment is remarkable. Around ninety students participate and there is always a good turnout for concerts.

What’s next, after Grove City College?

Grove City has really changed Bethany’s answer to this question and she finds herself torn between two paths. On one hand, she is considering medicine, as she enjoys working in the minutiae to serve others; but lately she has also been exploring the possibility of becoming a professor of literature. Her time at college has shown her how influential a good professor can be in a student’s life.

Regardless of what lies ahead, Bethany is confident that what she has learned at Grove City will continue with her, having made her a better person.

Do you have any advice to students considering Grove City College?

Two things: Talk to the students here, and talk to the professors. You will find a wonderful community. Bethany mentions her friends and freshman hall alongside the Trustee Scholars.

Any final thoughts?

Dr. Munson’s section of Civilization and the Arts (“Civ Arts”) is amazing. The HUMA core widens your perspective and allows you to see the context of where we are today on the basis of the past.

Bethany urges prospective and incoming students to think about what they want college to be. And if that vision includes being educated and influenced as a person, she urges them to take an active role. True education is both for the mind and for the soul.

* * *

This is part of a series of interviews I am conducting with current students who embody what I most appreciate about the College: Amazing peers who challenge me with their example, reminding me of the words of Paul to Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12, ESV)

Thank you for reading, and to Bethany for taking the time to talk!

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Major (Life) Changes – My Switch From Communication Studies to Entrepreneurship

When it comes to your college career – maybe you’ve got it all figured out, maybe not. I know I certainly didn’t upon entering college, and I’ve learned that’s perfectly okay! The college experience is uniquely different for everyone – no two experiences will be identical. I’ve learned so much throughout the change that I’ve endured, and it has allowed me to reflect on the past four years, to see how I’ve grown not only as a student, but as an individual. Many people come into college assuming that their academics will be their primary learning source. However, I believe that a bulk of my learning has been done outside of the college classroom.Image result for entrepreneurship

As a senior in high school, everyone asked me what I wanted to do. As any indecisive high school student, I answered “I don’t know,” and that was true up until the tail end of my freshman year of college.

I came in to Grove City College as a Communication Studies major, and it wasn’t until I took a Principles of Marketing course that I would recognize where my real calling is – business. As I sat in that course, I was deeply intrigued by the many facets of business that we discussed in that class. I loved the fast paced and ever-changing environment that the business world had to offer. It was that single class that made me ask myself the question – “what do I really want to do with my life.” It was because of this class that I decided to officially change my major to Entrepreneurship.

If you would have asked me what Entrepreneurship was my senior year of high school, I would have told you I had no idea. And to be quite honest, I still to this day sometimes struggle in spelling the word. My newfound major of Entrepreneurship has allowed me to experience a new side of life and a new side of me. I have found creative and innovative freedom through this major, as well as new skills to accompany those. I’m glad that I took the leap of faith in changing my major, because it has changed me for the better.

Now, I just made that sound like a piece of cake because I really enjoy my new major. However, sometimes it’s really hard to get where you want to be, especially if the major transition doesn’t work. Luckily, since I was switching disciplines within the school of arts and letters, I had very little issue in making the switch. I was a few credits behind, but I was able to make that up through some a summer class, an intersession, and some overtime credits.

If there’s one thing I can leave you with, it’s this – don’t think that if you come in as one major, you can’t graduate as another. As of now, I am on track to graduate with a major in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Communication Studies. And just think – I only started out as Communications! Remember, there’s no glass ceiling on what you can do when your mind’s put to it and your heart’s in it. Follow God’s call for your life – He won’t lead you astray. A lot of the time that leap of faith – whether it be changing your major, auditioning for the musical, or trying out for a sport – takes obedience on our part to get God’s blessing in our lives.

I encourage you – don’t settle for something you don’t want. Go after what GOD wants for your life!

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10 Things Grovers Say and Why They Say Them

There are some pretty common things Grove City College students always say while living on campus that range from asking about chapel to offering to go somewhere else for the day. I asked around what other people have heard and compiled a list of 10 things Grovers say and why they say them:

  1. “How many chapel credits ya got left?”

It is required as a student to acquire 16 chapel credits per semester. It is extremely easy to get this done because there are over 50 opportunities to receive a credit per semester. Because it is so easy to get all 16, it is also very easy to procrastinate going to chapel on Tuesday and Thursday morning. A great conversation between two people could start by simply asking how many credit one person has – if it’s some ridiculous number (like 24, I’m not kidding about that) Grovers can laugh at one another for not “groverachieving” when it comes to chapel.

  1. “Let’s go on a Sheetz run”

A super common, very popular eatery less than a 5 minute drive from campus – Sheetz. The MTO (Made to Order) food is to die for at 11:30 p.m. when you need fried mac n’ cheese bites. Even if you do not want to get any food, it is a great way to just get off campus for a few minutes. Kick back, sit in the car, and enjoy another student’s company.  

  1. “I wish Beans was open later”

Beans on Broad is a small coffee shop on Broad Street within walking distance of the school. The only catch: it is not open later than 6 p.m. and not at all on Sunday – not prime for a college kid. During finals, the place is packed because it has great coffee with a cozy atmosphere. Kind of like a “campus away from campus.”

  1. “I dunno, I gotta talk to my advisor about it”

Each student at GCC is assigned an academic advisor they keep for all four years. This advisor is a professor within a student’s department whom they go to for anything regarding their academic career, future career, or academic issues. Whenever a student is thinking of changing majors, it is normal to hear they have made no decisions about the transition because they have not spoken to their advisor about it yet.

  1. “Can I borrow some quarters?”

The laundry has to get done, and sometimes it has to be done whether a student has quarters/Crimson Cash or not. Yes, it is possible to run out of underwear. Since it is only $1.75 to wash and dry one load, borrowing that amount from a buddy is not that big of a deal. Make it up to them with a cup of Joe from Beans.

  1. “3rd floor HAL is the struggle”

As an Entrepreneurship major who has majority of her classes on the third floor, I relate to this quotation more than the rest. While Grove City College is considered to have some of the most fit college students in the United States, climbing up to the third floor of the academic building is no stress-free feat. I swear the only person who can do it without panting is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

  1. “What church do you go to?”

Note, not “do you go to church?”  but “What church do you go to?” GCC does not offer a Sunday morning service in Harbison Chapel because the school wants its students to make a home church off-campus. Typically freshmen are looking for suggestions on what churches to try and will ask upperclassmen for suggestions on the places they have been to – and ultimately stayed at.

  1. “McNulty is bae”

The sentence does not make the person sound very intelligent but it is more than true. Our President, Paul McNulty, is such a cool guy and he makes an effort to be at as many student events he can. His wife holds a Bible study for upperclass women every week and it is common to see their chocolate lab, Boomer, being walked around the Quad on nice days.

  1. “I’m in the mood for some chicken tenders”

Consistency is key. The student union’s GeDunk Cafe almost always has chicken tenders for lunch and dinner and thankfully they are not half bad. The downside is they aren’t as appealing after having them for three consecutive days. So when a Grover is in the mood for chicken tenders and the Gee has them, it is a good day.

  1. “You don’t know what an omelet is because you didn’t know Sherry” – all seniors

Bon Appetit is an amazing caterer for the College and every morning they have an omelet station where students can order specifically what they would like with their eggs. There used to be a worker who was an expert omelet maker (Sherry) but she has since moved on to better things and the seniors still have not gotten over it.

Next time you are on Grove City College’s campus, pay attention to student conversations and see how many times you hear one of these phrases said – I can guarantee that it will be more than you think!

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From the Spotlight to the Wings: Working in the Theatre

On-campus jobs are plentiful at Grove City College. Whether it’s working the sidelines of a Grove City football game or handling orders at the print shop, Grove City offers a multitude of options for work opportunities. For the last three years I’ve had the pleasure of working as a Pew Fine Arts Center Technician, which has been an interesting change from my first stage experience performing in Les Miserables.

Over the years, we’ve had a few leadership and job description changes, but the end goal of the PFAC Techs, as we affectionately call ourselves, has always been to run events held in Grove City College’s Ketler Auditorium, the primary stage on campus.

During both the Fall and the Spring semesters, Ketler houses theatre productions, dance shows, orchestra concerts, jazz band concerts, admitted students presentations, prospective student presentations, and, honestly, more than that.

10626373_10152448628047647_2978170312094587328_oMedia Services is the branch of Grove City’s faculty and student employees charged with bringing together multimedia events across campus. The PFAC Techs are a special group of Media Services employees dedicated to the events that occur in Ketler.

It’s been an honor to work with a group of such passionate individuals in such a fast paced setting like Ketler. The employees traditionally are involved in the theatre department’s technical aspects and are then directed to apply to the PFAC techs.

The events we work typically aren’t overly demanding, but they still require our utmost attention. Say I was working audio for an orchestra concert, and I forgot to turn the microphone on. If this happened, and I were also on friendly terms with the conductor, theoretically the conductor may embarrass me by calling my name out in front of the audience and then continue to thank me for turning the microphone on every time he spoke. Not that that has happened… But if it did, the audience and the conductor and I would have gotten a kick out of it.

All of the shenanigans aside though, there’s nothing like working backstage, providing the technical support for the likes of President McNulty and, coming up, Mark Levin. There’s a service aspect that is oft overlooked, but it’s at the core of what we do. We’re employed to assist. We’re not the stars. We’re not under the lights. The lights, however, wouldn’t be on if we weren’t there.

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Rise of the Makers: The Story of a New Competition on Campus

hoyt hallWhat is the most unique, eye-catching, ridiculous object you can come up with? This out-of-the-box question is what encompasses the Make Movement. The movement strives to clash together crazy entrepreneurs with risk-taking engineers; and the result is flame-throwing musical instruments. It was the goal of GCC senior engineers Logan Mackenzie and Sam Cooper to coax the engineers out of the shade of Hoyt Hall and the entrepreneurs off their lofty third floor in HAL – bringing them together in holy innovation, much like the Make Movement. Sam and Logan noticed that campus is rather segregated in regards to major studies. The engineers stick to their structured equations and the entrepreneurs continue to come up with ideas with no ability to develop into reality because they simply cannot build it. Logan and Sam sat down with Entrepreneurship professor Yvonne English to address this concern. In this meeting, the Maker’s Design Competition was born.

The whole concept of the competition was to encourage entrepreneurs and engineers to come together and make some sort of prototype that was exceptional in either design or functionality… or both. With the help of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Logan and Sam were able to offer a small allowance to each team to develop their idea over a period of three to four months. After Professor English had motivated Sam and Logan to write down the basics of the competition on paper it was time to find their team members. Sam sent out a mass email to several students that Professor English recommended would be a great asset to the team. Not soon after that, a team of two had grown to a team of four engineers, four entrepreneurs, and one international businessman. In the eyes of the entrepreneur, this competition was a startup, and it had to be treated, loved, and worked on as so.

Once the Maker’IMG_3606s Design Competition (MDC) team has established itself as a small family, the students began their first order of business by organizing a mixer right after Thanksgiving break to set the stage for mingling. To promote this event, Sam and Lindy (me) delegated marketing tasks to the rest of the team. Posters were hung a week before the mixer and the day before little dum-dum lollipops with advertisements on the sticks were spread all throughout the academic buildings. Fun Fact: The MDC hand-attached the advertisement tags to the lollipop sticks. In total, they prepped over 900 dum-dums. To pass the time while working, the team watched the movie, “The Grinch”.  With cookies, games, and example projects to draw in the wandering engineer/entrepreneur, over 50 individuals showed up on the night of the mixer. Of course, the night was not complete without a family MDC photo in front of the Christmas tree.

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Once engineers and entrepreneurs happily mingled, teams began to form. Within a few weeks idea submissions were stacked alongside two large pizza boxes on a table in the STU – the MDC team sitting around the table ready to read over all the applications. After about an hour, the final 10 teams were confirmed to go onto the semi-finals after Christmas break. These 10 teams were also allotted a $50 allowance to use for any materials they may need to build their prototype. Upon returning to campus, the teams had another two weeks before presenting their progress in front of a panel of six professor judges (two entrepreneurship, one marketing, one economics, two engineering). The judges then narrowed the competition down to four teams to go on to the final round.

Two weeks later these four teams stood before another panel of judges and an audience to re-present their idea.

Graphrite

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A small, plastic piece used to sketch engineering designs more accurately.

Lees Guitars

A hand-made guitar made of wood.

Vulcans Forge

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A wheelchair lift with a crank to raise/life a ramp so users did not have to bend over and lift the chair.

Quick Check

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An app for smartphones that allows users to pay for their check without going through a server or table kiosk.

With 10 minutes to wow the room and a $400 grand prize on the line, the teams were cut-throat and ready for battle at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. In a fantastic turn of events, the teams were so great the judges ultimately decided to give three prizes of $400, $300, & $200 for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place (respectively). First place went to Graphrite for their amazing design and unique product. Second place went to Lees Guitars for his presentation style and beautiful guitar, and lastly, third place went to Vulcans Forge for the wheelchair lift that was valuable to any family with a loved one in a wheel chair.

It has been a pleasure working with the MDC team and the entrepreneurship department to put this competition together. There is definitely room for improvement for next year’s competition, but the fact that the idea started in a professor’s office in September of 2016 and ended in February in Sticht Auditorium is worthy of applause.

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One Day of Thanks

Big red bows adorned buildings of Grove City College as a reminder to the student body of an opportunity to show appreciation to the many donors that support the College. “One Day of Thanks” was held on Feb. 21, 2017 as a day long recognition of appreciation which encouraged students to write letters to donors.

Members of the Crimson and White Society begin the day by hanging up crimson bows of all sizes on campus buildings such as the Library, Rathburn Hall, and the Breen Student Union. The bows serve as visible reminders to the students to take time out of their busy schedules and head to the Student Union where there were supplies available to write thank-you letters to a donor. 

10843880_731742090279663_1060159316_nA large table set up in the Student Union was manned by volunteers from the Crimson and White Society as well as GCC employees from the Carnegie Alumni Center. Some letters of gratitude were short and sweet, while others were long and thoughtful. The point of the letters is to express to the donors just how thankful the GCC student body is for their continual support and efforts to support the college. The Crimson and White Society not only wants students to have the opportunity to show their gratefulness to their donors, but to also wants to show the students how much they appreciate their participation in the event. After writing a letter, students were provided with delicious bow-shaped cookies, Refresca strawberry mint tea, and hot beverages. 

An incredible amount of attention,  advertising, and outreach is poured into One Day of Thanks. Crimson and White Society Advisor, Margaret Noel, encourages the members of the society to broadcast One Day of Thanks on their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts. For example, many students shared selfies on Instagram with a bow to alert their GCC followers of the special day. They captioned their posts “Write a letter & eat a cookie!” or “Show your gratitude and write a letter to a donor!” It did not take students long to take the hint, head to the SAC  to grab a bow cookie, some refreshing  strawberry mint tea, and a letter to write to a donor.

In its fifth year, the annual event continues to grow and become more successful. Rachel Hawranko, the president of Crimson and White, shared about how she has witnessed the development of the event. 

“I think the event gains more recognition each year, and I hope that students will continue to see the value and importance of recognizing and thanking our donors.” – Rachel Hawranko

 The One Day of Thanks is a great way to express gratitude to the college’s donors that current students not only appreciate their support of their college, but how they value a relationship with them. Grove City College cares for its community and fellowship with the individuals that are invested in their mission. The faculty and students echo the words of Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” and take it in action when they host events such as One Day of Thanks as a way to glorify God. 

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A Day at Grove City College – Video

What is it really like to be a student at Grove City College? While tours are very informational, they do not give the down-in-the-dorm experience. Overnight visits are great to see what it is like to live on a residence hall, but what if you cannot find the time to do an overnight? Do not fret, for I have recorded my entire day into a short video so you can walk in my shoes for a little while – they are pretty stylish. 😉

My typical day is not super interesting because a lot of it is dedicated to class and studying – how it should be. Thankfully, it is what I do in my free time that makes college such a blast, and I hope when you come to college it will be the same for you. There are so many things to do on campus to make it feel less like you are here just to learn – like working out, picking up an extra curricular activity, or attending alternative chapel like I do in the video. Your day at college is what you make of it, so in 2-3 years when you are here with me, what will your 2 minute video look like?