Month: January 2018

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Study Abroad: Brianna Darnell

Brianna Darnell

Psychology Major with Biology and Spanish minors

Class of 2018

 

Where did you go?

I went to Valencia, Spain which on the east coast of Spain. I lived with a host family, I had a host mom and a host dad and an American roommate from Ohio State University. There were 40 American students in my program from around the county, we went to a variety of universities in Valencia. My host family was a Spanish speaking family. I took four Spanish courses when I was abroad and that fulfilled my final requirement I needed to finish my Spanish minor. There were no other Grove City students in my program, but that is rare because you can find both. I lived a 10-minute walk from the beach. I attended the University of Valencia.

What made you study abroad?

One of the big reasons was to practice my Spanish, I’ve always known I want to go to a Spanish speaking country. I love traveling and I’ve never been to Europe so I’ve always wanted go to. In college, your life is pretty flexible so I wanted to take opportunity of something the school offered. I wanted to experience the lifestyle in a long term situation, not just a short vacation.

What was your favorite memory from your trip?

Every Sunday, my host parents would take me out to get tapas because it was a time when families spend time with each other and be with each other. We would go to a restaurant and they would most likely know the owner, and we would sit down, order and three hours later we would still be there. In those three hours, we’d talk to the owners of the restaurants, they’d ask about my life in America and I’d learn about their lives growing up there. It was a great time bonding with them because at the best of the trip they said they saw me as one of their own children and that was a great end to studying abroad.

How were the classes?

I took one language class and three culture classes and those classes all contributed to my minor requirements. The classes were all taught in Spanish, but that was just because of my area of study. The schooling there had a very light schedule. I had school four days a week, so I had three-day weekend. I had a fair amount of homework assignments, but nothing was too time consuming. My professors worked at a pace that everyone could keep up with, and if you needed help, they would sit down with you and work on assignments, but because the work wasn’t too time consuming most of my language learning was outside the classroom because I could go outside and make friends and talk to Spanish speakers. It was important because I learned more about Spanish than I ever could. I didn’t even know they had a civil war. Some of the best parts was when Easter happened, my Latin culture professor took us out and got us Easter candies that were traditional to the holiday season. My Spanish culture professor took us to a lot of museums located in Valencia. We learned so much in exploring the city and seeing the options that city had for us. It was great to have to have opportunities with the professor inside the classroom, but also to have them take us out of the classroom.

What was the social life like?

My program was really good about hosting events for all the American students to grow close together and bond. They took us on trips around Spain, so I traveled with people I knew. I had classes with 25 of them so I became close to them. After a couple weeks we’d start to hang outside the LE, we’d play soccer together, and go to the beach together. These people became my closest friends. It was nice to be friends with them because they really wanted to share their culture with us. They would take us to Valenica soccer games, they’d invite us to paella parties, which were parties where we sent to someone’s house cooked paella for six hours and shared stories. It was a good time to spend time with people. They showed us parts of the city that tourists that we’d never go to. What I loved most about having Spanish friends it is that you’d see them every day, we’d go to a café after class and sit there for an hour or two before dinner. We would go to surrounding villages by trains. Some of my friends were not English speakers, so that helped my Spanish immensely to be able to get closer to people. I made connections there that will last a lifetime. I will definitely be going back sometime to visit them.

What advice would you give someone who is debating studying abroad?

Studying abroad is a type of experience that is what you’d make it, everyone has a different experience, you can go there and not make any friends outside the Americans, you can travel every weekend, you can assimilate in the culture since you are there a long time, but it ultimately becomes what you want to get out of it. It’s a cool opportunity to go somewhere and become a person where there is no expectations by you and you have such a raw experience that will become an important part of your life.

 

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On-Campus Jobs: Call Team Member of the Admissions Telecommunications Department

Grove City is really unique in its offerings of various on campus jobs, as well as off campus jobs. With so many local business, and some national chain stores nearby, it can be overwhelming at times. Thankfully, Grove City works with student’s schedules, and offers many on campus jobs with varying tasks.

This semester, I have had the fortunate opportunity to work as a call team member for Grove City Admissions. I started in the position beginning in late August when the semester began, and recently they have been looking for more callers to add to their team!

This position entails several tasks. Steve Vago is the organizer of the Call-Team, and is regularly interacting with the call team, whether through training, aiding a particular question, or guiding prospective students though their application process. I collaborate with Steve and get the script for the week, which is our guide to who our target audience is that we will be calling, as well as the reason for our call.

Additionally, we engage in conversation with the prospective student and answer personable questions about our own experience at Grove City. Often, high school students we call wish to learn more about juggling various activities, or as about the food on campus. What better way to show them about Grove City than to have its own students give credibility and their personal stories to others? Not only does it benefit the prospective student, but provides positive customer service experience and PR for the college.

Through this working position, I have noticed countless benefits that will be applicable to the real world. Interpersonal communication is vital in both the work place and daily life, and conversations call team members are having will enhance those skills. Additionally, the supervisor/employee relationship is very strong with this team. Steve will come in and is very understanding with students’ busy schedules and is intentional about getting to know his team members and how he can best help them succeed and relate to prospective students.

It has also been a blessing to have two other members of my housing group as call team members. Through our interactions in that setting, we have grown closer in friendship and brotherhood, and well as better collaborating and problem-solving through certain questions one of us might not be able to answer right away.

I strongly encourage students to really consider applying for an on campus position. You will learn invaluable skills and make lasting relationships with the people you work for and with.

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Jobs on Campus: Can I be a TA as an Undergrad?

Teaching Assistant at Grove City College

Typically at large universities Teaching Assistants, or TAs, are graduate students who assist with undergraduate classes. But we do not have graduate programs at Grove City College, so do we have TAs?

Yes, we do. There are many classes at Grove City College that are assisted by one or more TAs, especially classes with hands-on, practical experiences. As an Entrepreneurship and English major I have more experience with these two departments than the others at the College, but both departments offer opportunities for students to assist their professors. The Entrepreneurship department has more opportunities for students to become TAs, whereas the English department has more opportunities for students to be Student Assistants.

I will go over the basic differences between TAs and Student Assistants here, but check out my post about being a Student Assistant if you are curious about that side of things. The major difference between a Teaching Assistant and a Student Assistant is that a Teaching Assistant typically assists with a specific class, and often works both with their supervising professor as well as closely with the students in that class, while a Student Assistant typically works behind the scenes with their supervising professor, and not necessarily with other students. There are many opportunities for both kinds of positions at Grove City College.

If you are a TA, you are likely a TA for a specific class that you have taken before and done well in. In my experience as a student in classes with a TA and as a TA myself, TAs will typically work closely with students in and out of class to help them understand the course material and to understand and complete assignments well and on time. There are often TAs for science classes with labs, and in the Entrepreneurship department there are often TAs for classes that require extensive group work and practical applications of skills.

The great thing about this position is that it is very easy to fit into your schedule. Generally TAs attend regular class periods for the class they are working in, so it is important to not schedule another class at this time. Other than this, however, most of a TA’s job can be done on their own time, or during meetings set up with students in the class.

This past semester I was a TA for an Entrepreneurship class in which students are put into teams and then compete in an online business simulation throughout the semester. I regularly attended class meetings and met with the professor on a semi-regular, as-needed basis. I also met with various teams from the class throughout the week in order to answer questions, assist in game strategy, and work through team dynamics.  Due to the flexible nature of these meetings, I would work anywhere from 3-10 hours a week in this position, based on if a major assignment for the class was due, if teams needed help with their dynamics, or how busy I was in my classes.

Many Grove City College students are a TA at some point in their time at the school, and it is certainly possible to be a TA as an undergraduate.

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How to Use AP Credits: Dual-Degree Program

Grove City College Dual Degree Program

There are many ways to use AP credits towards your college degree. Some of the more common options are to graduate a semester or two early or to use them to open your schedule up to a second major or a minor or two.

I entered college with 26 AP credits. I was considering using them to graduate early, but I wanted to double major in Entrepreneurship and English, and I needed at least seven semesters worth of classes to complete all of those requirements, even with my AP credits. That did not entirely discredit that option, but as I read about Grove City College’s academic programs I found an even better one. Grove City College’s Dual-Degree program gave me a way to use my AP credits to their fullest potential in my four years of college.

The Dual-Degree program allows students to pursue two separate degrees at one time. For instance, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor of Arts in English all at once, and rather than graduating in May with one degree that lists two majors, I will have earned two separate degrees. This is something that will allow me to stand out in the professional environment post-college and will hopefully be an asset long in the future.

The requirements are fairly simple and can be found through the Grove City College Registrar’s website, the College Bulletin, or are listed on this page about Grove City College’s Dual Degree Program. Thanks to my AP credits I have not had to stress out much about the additional credits that this program requires, though I did take advantage of Grove City’s online summer class offerings as well as our internship program to lighten my schedule.

This program is an excellent way to make good use of your AP credits (or any credits that you may be bringing in with you from high school or dual-enrollment programs) and to get the best out of your four years at Grove City College.  This program is a great option for someone who wants to use the credits that they’re bringing in as much as possible, but for whatever reason does not want to graduate early.

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Inside Look: Soccer Team Bus Rides

“I’ve never been to Florida, and I’ve been to Portugal.”

You can then hear confused laughter for the next 45 seconds.

These and countless other memories seem strange to the regular college student. However, as an athlete, those memories are the foundation in which team chemistry is molded.

All while on an away team bus trip.

You can go through a preseason together, which consists of two-a-day practices, three team meals, and countless other team activities, and that creates a unique bond with each team. However, it is the away team bus trips that solidify those relationships that last further than each year’s team.

So what is it like, being on a varsity team bus on the way to a game? Here are five inside scoops, using the men’s soccer team as an example.

Team Movies

The audio visual coordinator is one of the crucial roles on the team: responsible for picking a movie to watch on especially long bus rides. His choice is to the approval or dismay of the seniors and rest of the team.

Two Truths and a Lie

A men’s soccer staple at Grove City. During one of the first trips players fill out an index card with two truths and one lie. The rest of the team is attempting to determine (obviously) which statement is a lie. Followed by this is usually stories to accompany the bold claims made.

Euchre

 

The infamous card game also makes its way onto the list. Typically coach Dreves and his assistant will team up to duel any soccer guy duo towards the front of the bus, as a way to destress before focusing on the game. Have many been successful against coach? Many have tried, and few have succeeded.

 

 

Sleep

This one is more obvious, but of course athletes need their pregame rest and relaxation before the game. Whether with pillows or sprawling out onto multiple seats, each player has a unique way of getting that last bit of energy charged up. But, with that comes…

Shenanigans

Pranks while others are sleeping, tripping teammates on their way down the aisle, and various Snapchat “snipes” (when someone takes video of a teammate dancing to music, for example). You can expect there to be some fun memories made from messing with other teammates, all in good spirit and good fun, never any form of hazing. These in particular stay with the player as a memory, myself included, as I have recalled several instances of guys messing around and enjoying a good laugh on the bus.

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All in all, athletes have their unique pregame routines. They would be remiss though if they said they had no fun whatsoever with their team on the ride to their match, and that it has stuck with them more so than even in-game memories.

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Diving: Bri Darnell

Brianna Darnell

May 2018

Psychology major w/ Biology and Spanish minors

What has been your favorite diving memory?

Most recently, it would be the Allegheny, it showed how the diving community is really an open community to be in. The divers are super nice, and it isn’t like the competitiveness gets between you and the divers, you actually get to get close when with them.

What is unique about Grove City’s diving team?

I would say that it is sort of a strange mix of people because we take walk-ons and you don’t have to have experience, you get a variety of people that are athletes in different areas and they come together to learn a new sport. It not only brings new people in the group, but new perspective into the group. New attitudes and new faces come onto the team.

What should a prospective diver know?

Never assume it’s too much of a time commitment, it’s always better to try than to count it out. You don’t wanna regret not doing something you’re passionate about in college. And even though it is a competitive sport, coming onto the team, you’re making a family and you don’t have to worry about it being cutthroat and having to reach theses standards  because you have support no matter what.

How was the diving program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective student?

I thought that it was going to be a lot more stressful than what it is. I originally said I wouldn’t dive in college because it would be too much stress and too much of a time commitment,  but the time commitment has helped me balance my time more and learn not to procrastinate. The team in general and Tammy our coach has made it just a enjoyable experience that diving will always take away from the stress of school by how the team encourages you and how Tammy encourages me.

What has your diving experience been like over the past four years and how did diving affect your collegiate experience?

Diving had placed me in contact with people that  I would have not been put in contact to, even with the swim team. It has extended my friends on campus. There’s always someone that I can get a meal with or sit next to at chapel. Mentally it is been a “dumping” group, it’s where I can dump my school work and my stress and the bad things in the day and be surrounded by people that love me and encourage me and helps take my mind of things that bother me.  Spiritually, it’s been helpful to see that diving isn’t about what glory can I gain, but at this school we focus my energy on God and that He gives me the talent to do what I can do. And if I’m not focusing on God, I’m not diving to the best of my ability and when I focus on Him I’m diving to my full ability.

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On-Campus Jobs: Business Manager of “The Collegian”

In order to have a successful collegiate newspaper, there are countless individuals working behind the scenes to create content, manage the distribution, etc.

I had the chance to talk to one of the members of the Collegian’s staff who holds in a unique position within this campus organization. Jesse Peterson is a (now) December graduate who majored in communications during his time here. He held the role of “Business Manager” within this organization.

What kinds of tasks did this position entail for you?

“I was involved in the acquisition of advertisements for the Collegian and managed some of the financial duties that the Collegian dealt with. In addition, I was the person responsible for getting the weekly paper and then distributing it throughout the various campus locations.”

Can you talk more about the distribution process? I heard it was a more unique experience!

“Yes, it’s funny you should ask that! When we get the newspaper, it is printed up in Meadville, towards Allegheny College. Every Friday morning I get up and leave campus around 4 a.m. to drive up to Allegheny and collect the printed papers, put them in my car, and come back to campus. I am responsible for making sure that the newspapers are on the stands by the time most buildings open (so around 7:30 a.m. – ish). It’s sometimes a tiring thing to drive an hour there and back with the newspapers, but I’ve gained a lot of good experience from it.”

How has this job contributed to your experience at Grove City?

“I would say that I learned quite a bit of discipline having to get up so early on a Friday morning. The advertising aspect of the position engaged me in business to business conversations, and that skill is valuable when it comes to real world experiences. At Grove City, I’ve connected with other members of the writing staff, as well as numerous professors and individuals who influence the writings and creation process. Lastly, I’ve been fortunate to have some of my friends ride along with me when I get the paper, so there have been great relationships formed and improved through having this position. I’m very grateful for the opportunity, and know that while it is a bit of work, the lessons learned and experience are worth it!”

A big thanks to Jesse Peterson for speaking to me about his position, and a shout out to the entire Collegian staff who works tirelessly to get the paper out every week! Thank you for your hard work!

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Independent Research: The Ant Robot

It is no secret that the engineers at Grove City are incredibly talented and innovative. One project that stood out to Dr. Mohr, an engineering professor here, was designed and built by sophomore Theo Stangebye. Instead of reading me go on and on about the complexities, Dr. Mohr thought it best Theo explain the process himself. Theo and his sister, Sophie, were even kind enough to put together a short video showcasing the technology – enjoy!

Hi, my name is Theo Stangebye and I’m a sophomore electrical/computer engineering major at Grove City College. This past semester, I’ve had the privilege of working in the control systems lab with Dr. Mohr through the independent study program. During that time, we’ve been working on developing a robot with the ability to track ants and other small insects as they move across a field in order to study their behavioral patterns.

The development of this robot has been a collaborative effort: the project was suggested by professors in the Biology department, the chassis was designed and 3D printed by a mechanical engineering student, and the robot’s motherboard was designed by Dr. Mohr.

The robot utilizes a tail-dragger design and measures about one foot in length from front to back. We’ve equipped the robot with many instruments and sensors which will eventually help it navigate in the wild, including a movable lidar sensor, an inertial measurement unit, quadrature encoded wheel, and a GPS receiver. Currently, however, the robots computes distance and direction solely based on the movement of its two front wheels. The whole system is controlled with a myRIO by National Instruments and is programmed by LabVIEW.

Working on the project this semester has been a blast. I’ve developed low level control algorithms which allow the robot to be controlled with series of simple, high level commands, such as “drive 30 inches at an angle of 45 degrees.” To enable this form of control, I utilized a PID loop, which constantly checks the direct the wheels to correct for errors in the robot’s heading. PID loops are standard in industry applications, so getting to write my own algorithm was an excellent learning experience.

There were challenges along the way, but getting to see the finished product has been very rewarding. The robot can perform complex maneuvers, like tracing a star pattern, with great amounts of precision. If you’d like to see the robot in action, please check out the video on this page. I’m excited to see we will accomplish in the future, especially as we interface cameras into the robot next semester.

 

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Grove City College Prison Ministry

In the fall, Professor Sweet taught a class endearingly called Internet Content Marketing. In this course, students learned the importance of tailoring content to particular audiences in order to make a profit or showcase credibility. Towards the end of the semester, Professor Sweet asked the students to put their lessons into practice and write articles for this blog. As the editor of this site, I had the awesome opportunity to read all of these articles and choose the ones that I thought our readers would find most interesting. This particular piece is by Anna Walker, she describes her work with the prison ministry on campus. Enjoy!

You do not have to go far to hear people call Grove City College “the bubble.” More than not, the bubble is not referred to as a good thing. After being here two and a half years, I can confirm, Grove City College is in many ways a giant bubble – we leave our wallets everywhere, never lock any doors, can find people praying almost anywhere on campus and almost everyone you encounter on campus is abnormally friendly. But are not we called to be salt and light? What does that look like on a Christian college campus? I have one of many solutions to that question through getting involved with Prison Ministry.

Grove City College’s Prison Ministry all began with one student getting a group of their friends together to go to neighboring Mercer County’s Prison to lead Bible studies. Since then the ministry has continued to grow and became an official organization in 2016. I found out about the ministry at the Org Fair, which is an all campus event hosted in the early fall where students are able to learn about all the different organizations on campus. I knew I wanted to get involved with an off campus ministry, but prison ministry never crossed my mind. Like many of the students at Grove City, I grew up in a Christian family, attended a Christian school am now at a Christian college – my qualifications for working with prisoners’ backgrounds was nonexistent. Which brings me to perhaps the greatest reason why Prison Ministry is such a powerful ministry to be involved in: It does not lightly penetrate the “bubble” students live in at Grove City, it tears it to pieces.

Every week, two or three individuals from the ministry are sent into the prison. Girls go into the women’s pods and the guys go into the men’s pods. It’s typical to work through a Bible study curriculum and use whatever remaining time to get to know the prisoners and to spend time praying with them. With that being said, some weeks I have gone in and never touched the planned lesson because the girls had big questions about faith or because what they needed most was simply a loving ear to listen. I quickly learned how little we as Christians know about sharing the gospel with nonbelievers. It’s so easy at a place like Grove City to feel like the ultimate superstar Christian between being involved with hall Bible studies, attending chapel twice a week and talking about God on the daily with other Christians, but we miss the mark. We so easily overlook the major component of our faith which is to share the gospel with nonbelievers.

To listen to a girl tell you she is sentenced to 30 years behind bars, to see the tears well up in her eyes as she tells she has no family, that she has lost everything because of a meth addiction and hear her say that there is no purpose for her life, it changes you. I learned that talking about God with other Christians on the daily is not a substitute for Jesus’ command to share the gospel with nonbelievers. Being a part of Prison Ministry has been one of the most challenging, growing, joyous things I have done with my time at Grove City. The ministry works as continual reminder that we are not called to merely know about Jesus, but to be Jesus’ hands and feet to this broken world.  Spending time with the prisoners forces you to trust the Lord to give you words when there are none, to give you wisdom where you lack and to fully rely on His spirit for guidance. One of the most amazing parts of going to the prison is that the individuals who come desperately want to know God. It fans into the flame the love you had for Christ when you first came to know Him and ignites a deep passion in your heart to share the life-changing news of God and what His son did on the cross.

When I come back to campus after spending time at the prison all my priorities are realigned. The trivial things of college such as the quiz I failed that morning, the research paper I have looming over my head, the stress of getting a successful job after college and selfish pursuits all fade. The Grove City bubble has been broken. I recommend this ministry to anyone who is looking to be pushed out of their comfort zone and be exceptionally challenged in their faith during these college years.

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A Glimpse into Being on the Grove City College Women’s Varsity Cross Country Team

In the fall, Professor Sweet taught a class endearingly called Internet Content Marketing. In this course, students learned the importance of tailoring content to particular audiences in order to make a profit or showcase credibility. Towards the end of the semester, Professor Sweet asked the students to put their lessons into practice and write articles for this blog. As the editor of this site, I had the awesome opportunity to read all of these articles and choose the ones that I thought our readers would find most interesting. This particular piece is by Mackenzie Tressler, she writes about her journey deciding to join the cross country team. Enjoy!

From a high school perspective, being on a college varsity team seems quite intimidating and scary, which often deters many from continuing their beloved high school sport onto the collegiate level.

When I was a senior in high school, I knew I did not want to stop running cross country, but was so scared to move from the top of the food chain to the very bottom, once again. I was committed to attending Grove City College, had met the wonderful team and coach, talked to other incoming freshman, but the nerves would not settle. I went through every day of summer training with my mind locked on the idea that I would not be good enough for the team, would not fit in, or would just not be able to handle the intensity of being on a college team. People told me all the time how I should not worry, but I made a big mistake by not completely listening.

Once summer ended and it was time to head off to college, I was so nervous, yet even more excited. I arrived with a truck full of too many clothes and unnecessary items ready to meet my new teammates and coach. Once I found coach Severson’s office, grabbed my room key and headed off to my new dorm, things started to seem less intimidating. I got out of my weird mindset to realize that my new coach and teammates were no more intimidating than those from my high school program. I met my new roommate, who coincidently was also my teammate, and the excitement continued while the nerves settled.

Contrary to my extreme expectations, practices were not full of 10-mile runs or endless mile repeats until I puked, but rather full of varying lengths and intensities that were still hard, yet still very manageable. Camp week was full of learning about the program and how to take advantage of the resources provided.

Coach Severson has two important mantras that I have learned and listened to over these past three seasons: “unbreakable” and “focus on what you can control.” These mantras and the stories behind them have shaped me into the calm and confident runner I am today by molding my attitude and motivation for training and performance a positive and selfless one. Despite any “losses,” the team knows that we cannot be broken due to the powerful mindset that we won’t be conquered, especially with our attention set toward placing Christ above all else. Coach Severson constantly tells the team to “focus on what you can control.” It reminds us that we cannot control how fast our opponents are racing, how muddy the course is, what the weather is like, but there are many things we can control. We are reminded that we can control our effort, stretching, lifting, eating, breathing, prayer and mindsets. When our focus is on simple things, we become better as a whole, without adding the extra pressure or stress on focusing on what others are doing.

Being on the team is rewarding in every aspect, whether it is athletically or socially. I have become a much stronger runner through this program, but have felt the most comfortable and confident with the hard training than I ever would without it. It has been an extreme blessing to go out on an early Saturday morning 10-mile run, with my teammates and best friends by my sides, chatting and laughing the whole time. This team is very unique as we are not just running partners, but friends and family. It is not too common for an entire team to get daily meals together, but because we all respect and truly love one another, it is a joy to spend even more time together.

The team is full of fun, as well as serious and intense dedication. Do not expect anything to be easy, because if it is too easy, one’s potential is not being reached. Expect to work hard and feel uncomfortable, but to feel amazing at the end of the week full of accomplishment and success, knowing the hard work always pays off in some way or another.