Month: March 2018

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Housing Groups: What They Are and My Experience

If you open up a new internet tab and Google “Housing Groups” you will quickly become confused about what a Housing Group is and if it is what Google says it is (which it must be, Google is never wrong) then I am sure you are wondering why I am currently writing a blog about them as a student at Grove City College. To clear the air, no I am not writing about either a) any of the various companies that came up in your Google search with the words “Housing Groups” in their name or b) Housing associations (which if you were wondering are private, non-profit organizations in Ireland and the United Kingdom that provide low-cost “social housing,” according to Wikipedia).

So, if these Housing Groups that I write of are neither a nor b, then what are they and how are they relevant to Grove City College? Housing Groups here at Grove City College are campus recognized groups which provide the males on campus a way to serve both students and the community and also allow them the opportunity of fellowship and brotherhood. A bit more simplified way of saying this is that Housing Groups are similar to fraternities in that they are a group whom live together on campus, but they differ in that they are both less expensive, generally, and they do not require their rushes to go through Greek Unity Week.

I, myself, am in the Housing Group known as Sigma Phi Omicron. On campus we are known as the Crons. In being a member of the Cron Housing Group, I have participated in putting on multiple Omicron Lawns (a tailgate event that we put on before a Grove City College football game every year), Grove City College Family Feuds (a campus wide Family Feud-like event where people can come and watch or participate as part of a group), and have helped set up and run at least a half dozen blood drives on campus.

In being a member I have spent the past two and a half years with the group. Aside from the events and service we have done as a group, we also are highly involved in one another’s personal lives. We do the small things from getting meals together and Thursday wing nights at Rachel’s Roadhouse to planned group events like weekly Bible studies and Cron worship. Other perks of Housing Groups that I have observed include connections. A personal experience that I have is while at the most recent Grove City College career fair I spoke with an alumnus from the Sigma Phi Omicron Housing Group which led to further interviews and in turn supplied me with an internship offer.

All of this said, being part of a Housing Group has helped me grow as an individual both spiritually and physically and has supplied me with the opportunity to form lasting and growing relationships. In joining a Housing Group or any group on campus, you are able to find your place on campus. The Sigma Phi Omicron Housing Group just happened to be my place, but as a perspective student and a possible future student I encourage you to explore your options and to find yourself!

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Meet “Maskell” the Model

The great thing about being a student at Grove City College is that each day is an opportunity to learn more about oneself. Transferable skills are taught that can be utilized every day to fuel students’ passions and hobbies. Senior Madison Haskell, nicknamed “Maskell,” is a great example of someone who has applied what she has learned at the College in order to chase her dreams.

Maskell is a Slippery Rock University transfer that quickly adapted to her new environment. She is a driven Communications major that is extremely involved in extracurricular activities. Over the past few years she has participated in the following activities:

• Sigma Delta Phi Sorority Philanthropy Chair
• Marching Band Dance Line
• Color Guard
• Speech and Debate
• Spring Dance
• Orchesis & Greek Sing Choreographer
• Big Sister/Little Sister Program
• Numerous Retail & Marketing Jobs

Although she seems to be continuously busy, she still makes time for doing what she loves most.

Maskell competes in many national pageants such as Miss Ohio and Miss Midwest. Currently she is also working hard to prepare for a competitive spot in New York’s fashion week this coming fall. Throughout her competitions one thing remains the same. She uses her pageants as a platform to advocate body dysmorphia and self harm issues. She hopes that sharing her story will help her to reach out to other men and women to create positive change in the world.

Although she has always been ambitious, her classes at the College have given her an extra confidence boost. Dr. Allen taught her to not just accept her failures, but to embrace them and use them for good and in Dr. Mobley’s classes she experienced positivity and inspiration that helped her set the bar high for herself. She left each class knowing how she could apply the lectures and why they were important to her future career. Haskell commented, “Although I have found wisdom and confidence in my failures and mistakes, Grove has enforced the nature that God has my best interest at heart. His love and mercy gives us strength to follow the journey he has planned for us.”

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“Victory” in Finding a Church: A Closer Look at Victory Family Church

One thing I realized when I came to college was that I needed to find a church. I needed to find a place that made me feel at home. I craved to be a part of a church community to grow in and experience life with. If you have never been to Grove City, I can tell you now that there are multiple churches in the area. There are approximately 16 within the town and countless more churches in the surrounding areas. In other words, there are many churches covering a wide range of denominations close by the College, so the odds of finding a church I liked was certainly high.

During my first week at Grove City College, as a freshman, I met a girl who would end up becoming a really close friend of mine. She told me about her home church located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (a 40 minute drive from the College). It was called Victory Family Church and it turns out that her father, John Nuzzo, was the pastor there. My friend invited me to go with her and visit the church for myself, and let me just say, I am so grateful that she did. Victory Family Church exists to help all people realize that God loves them unconditionally, and I can personally testify that the church does an incredible job at this. Every time I have been to Victory Church, I have been welcomed with open arms by so many brothers and sisters in Christ. I also witness the most loving and moving worship along with a sermon that somehow always seems like it is written for me each and every week. I cannot explain to you how at home I feel when I am there. Victory Family Church has truly changed my life, and I thank God for his guidance in leading me there. I hope and pray you find a church home that you love whether that be at Victory Family Church or someplace else.

Here is what a couple other Grove City College students have to say about the church:

“I admire Pastor John for fearlessly speaking the truth. Every time I enter Victory Church, I can feel the Holy Spirit working through Pastor John and through the rest of the church family.”

“I like Victory Church because Pastor Nuzzo never fails to give a relatable and deep message. He constantly exemplifies Christ’s love to us. As a pastor, he also expresses that he is not perfect, and that’s okay because of God’s grace and mercy. I think that’s important to have in a church, especially for college students because we strive to be perfect and beat ourselves up because we’re sinners and by God’s grace, we’re perfect. Also, the church preached that you are saved by grace alone through Christ alone which is very important. The church is massive so there is tons of room to meet people and grow in community with people of all ages.”

“I love the worship at Victory! They really do a good job of drawing in this generation of young adults. The message is always great and interesting to listen to, and I always feel so welcome!”

“Victory truly makes a big church feel small. It has been a great way for me to feel connected with other young-adult believers and the messages are so applicable for my everyday life. The small groups they offer have helped me make lasting relationships. We can’t do life alone and Victory Family Church has truly brought me into the family.”

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Dr. Augspurger: Chemist, Chair, Commissioner

If you walk past the gym at lunch time on any given day of the week, you will probably see a collection of middle-aged-looking professors running around, playing basketball in the infamous “faculty basketball lunch league.” Included among this motley crew is their fearless commissioner, Dr. Joseph Augspurger. When he is not breaking ankles and taking names, he spends his time being the chair of the Department of Chemistry at Grove City College. I had the opportunity to interview him and learn more about his life, as well as his time at Grove City.

After growing up on a farm outside a small town, “much smaller than Grove City,” in central Illinois, a young Dr. Augspurger traveled to the University of Illinois (Champaign) to complete his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. He would eventually return to receive his Ph.D. in physical chemistry, and he would then travel to Cornell University for his post-doctoral work. In 1996, after living in five states during 11 years of marriage, he came to Grove City College to become a professor.

During his 22 years here at the College, Dr. Augspurger has seen a lot. He has seen the transition from Rockwell Hall of Science to the new Science Technology Engineering and Math building, he has seen life as both a regular professor and a department chair, he has seen his children grow up and come to college here at Grove City, but most of all, he has seen a lot of students through their time in the chemistry department. He recounted to me many stories of alumni who have gone off into wildly different directions with their chemistry degrees, all of whom have found success in the fields they have chosen (including at least 70 students who have obtained Ph.D.’s). The most interesting thing he noted was how he has seen two students get their degrees in biochemistry at Grove City and end up getting their Ph.D.’s in biology and returning to Grove City as biology professors.

Although there are countless other institutions of higher education that could both provide him a career and students an education, Dr. Augspurger believes Grove City is the place to be. He highlighted the quality of both the faculty and the students he has encountered over his time here, noting that “we attract strong students” and that the chemistry department has “always had a good department,” which makes his job much more enjoyable and fruitful. He also noted the resources and equipment in place at the College, which are outstanding for a school this size. Something he placed special emphasis on was the community and relational aspect of the department. He talked about the cohesion that exists between students in their classes and labs, and the extra interaction that exists between students and professors since it is a relatively small school. “I think we’ve got a lot to offer people that come this way…if somebody wants to make this succeed, I think we will do whatever it takes to try to make it possible.”

On a more personal note, I can attest to the work Dr. Augspurger does at the school for students. I had him for a class, and during that time he stood out to me as one of the top professors I have had. Although it was only a two-week class for non-science majors, he took the time to learn my name, and get to know me. He was thrilled to be able to open our eyes to science that we had never encountered before, and he wanted to do whatever he could to give us a positive experience. The work he does is exceptional, and everyone who encounters him will soon learn that.

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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Kimberly Miller

While interviewing Dr. Kimberly Miller, the newly-appointed chairperson for the Department of Communication and Visual Arts, it was extremely evident the passion she has developed for her job over the years and even more so now as she delves into her greater responsibilities. Miller began her career teaching at Grove City College as an adjunct professor in the spring of 2004 and quickly moved to a full-time Associate Professor in 2005.

The previous 10-year chair, Dr. Mobley, while currently on sabbatical, decided to move from that position to focus more on her interests in service learning. Dr. Miller described how amazing Dr. Mobley is in her commitment to the department as she embraced the role to serve and benefit the students of this campus. With Dr. Mobley’s switch, this allows Dr. Miller to carry on the aspects of practical, hands-on learning as she leads this particular division of study.

Immediately, Dr. Miller is excited about the upcoming film fest. Last year’s film fest was a success as it sparked students interests in watching creative short videos and showcased the talented videographers of Grove City College. After teaching a film history and theory class, Dr. Miller was able to explain to her students the enthusiasm she had for all of the aspects in the movie industry.

Her family of four, with one of her daughters as an incoming freshman this fall, makes her even more excited to dive deeper into the comprehensive future decisions of the department. When she was just 20 years old, she was the first female to land a broadcasting internship with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Though it was not easy, her perseverance every single day allowed her the success in the baseball industry and this is a trait she wants to pass on to her daughters and students.

With only three weeks under her belt in the spring semester, Dr. Miller is still adjusting to the newer issues and demands at hand in the department. She discussed how many facets of the job that are not usually realized, even something as slight as unusual classes that count toward a communication credit. Dr. Miller is extremely grateful for Dr. Mobley; her advice and guidance throughout the years has helped shaped Dr. Miller into the person she is today. Along with Dr. Mobley, fellow department professors Dr. Brown, Mr. Mucha, and even the newest adjunct Mrs. Pritchard give support and wonderful reference points. The energies and passion of the professors bring out the best for the department as a whole.  Dr. Miller looks forward to the future growth of the overall program and the ways she can further serve the students of Grove City College.

 

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Men’s LAX is Back (and Officially Varsity)

Just last year, Grove City College announced exciting news that the Men’s Lacrosse team would transition from a club to a varsity sport during the 2017-2018 year. Previously a volunteer assistant coach at Duke University, coach Alec Jernstedt was hired as Grove City’s head coach last spring, along with assistant coaches Zack Jew, Bill Sigmund, and Luke Toburen. The new varsity team has a roster of 25 players, including three senior captains. Those captains are Sam Calhoun, Ben Dumm, and Nate Sprunk.

Calhoun has experienced a tasking, yet exciting experience during this new season as he states, “The transition to varsity from club has been very exciting for everyone involved. Coach Jernstedt is incredibly knowledgeable and is an incredible leader. We also have many rising stars in the freshman class who will make an impact for four years here. Although we had a team before, a lot of what we do is still new and a challenge for us is creating a team culture and expectations that are sustainable over time and will allow the team to be successful in the future.”

Sprunk has had a similar experience to Calhoun, and he is also thankful for all of the College’s facilities and staff to make this varsity team happen. “Transitioning to varsity has so far been both a challenging and rewarding experience for me. It took time for me to adjust to the physical demand of having practice and workouts almost every day, but the payoff is worth it. The resources the school has provided us with have also been a huge blessing. Having a full coaching staff has helped to improve the focus and organization of our team as a whole. I am really excited for this season because it is the start of a new chapter for Grove City Lacrosse and we have the opportunity to do something really great.”

Dumm has also enjoyed the transition and feels that the team has worked hard to deserve this varsity spot. He states, “Our lacrosse team is a special group of guys.  We have a bunch of great lacrosse players, especially in the upperclassmen, that could have gone to play varsity at other places, but chose to come to Grove City and play club lacrosse because they loved the team and the mission and vision of being a Christian lacrosse team. To our whole team, but to these guys especially, going varsity is something that they deserved, and it is an incredible blessing. The transition has been difficult. We have a lot more responsibility and commitment. Whether it be for lifting, practice, or chalk talks, we are devoting more time to lacrosse than we ever have before. For those of us that love lacrosse, this has been the best part! Coach J has also been a huge addition to our team. His knowledge of the game and his energy have made practices more fun and challenging than ever. Just this week seeing Coach J game-plan for our first game, and seeing him draw up new plays and new strategies against each team has been so cool because he has a lot of knowledge. All in all, there have been so many challenges that have come with being a varsity team, but at the end of the day, the ability to play the game at a higher level is exciting and fun for all of us!”

All in all, these players have appreciated their chance to play as a varsity team and see a successful future for the Grove City College Men’s Lacrosse program. The team has high hopes for this season as they compete in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC), which combines the President’s Athletic Conference and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. They will play a total of 15 in-season games, 10 of which are conference games. The schedule can be found on http://athletics.gcc.edu. Grove City College wishes the lacrosse team good luck on their inaugural varsity season!

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Reel Life at Grove City College: A Chat with Jonathan, Education Major

At Grove City College, Jonathan Moore is known far and wide as friendly, active, and focused. He brightens every room he enters with a smile and laughter. As an Education major focused in Special Education, a Resident Assistant in a freshman hall, and an involved member of campus activities, he has a lot on his plate. Jonathan is a fantastic example of a college student with varied, balanced interests.

In this episode of Reel Life at Grove City College, I ask Jonathan about his experience. Hear about his favorite characteristic of Grove City students, his Friday night social activities, his one-word descriptor of his time here, and more in the video.

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Public to Private: My Journey from a Small Public School in Ohio to Grove City College

I was born and raised in the small town of New Waterford, Ohio. While growing up I attended an equally small school known as Crestview Local School. Growing up my class size varied but was usually around 90 kids. Crestview, for lack of a better way to say it, was not a prestigious high school. It was your (slightly) above average local school that was part of a close knit, small community that was good at sports and had what I would call “at par” schooling. Does this sound like your current situation? If so, you are not alone.

In growing up and attending Crestview, I was an always an average student. Most people tell you that in middle and high school they put in minimal effort and easily cruised by with A’s and the occasional B. As for myself, I was not blessed enough to be this type of student. I actually worked hard in high school, it was not always easy for me and was rather stressful. I was the not-so-normal kid who had to try at their small public high school to get the grades that I did. At the end of my senior year the class rankings came out and I was 10th out of a class of 89, and believe me when I say it I worked for it.

In looking for a college to attend post high school, I was looking for a smaller college close to home with that warm welcoming feel that would allow me the opportunity to play soccer. In visiting colleges I came across Grove City College and, like a few other colleges, it checked all of the boxes. When it came to making my final decision of my college selection my parents weighed in heavily suggesting that from conversations with others that Grove City College had the best academics (Which Grove City College did, but why would I want that when I knew that “best” only meant hardest?). After taking into consideration all of the factors at hand, I ended up choosing Grove City College and decided to take my talent to Pennsylvania. In coming to Grove City College I felt quite honestly ill-prepared and stressed at the amount of studying I was going to need to do because of the college’s academic rigor. In taking into consideration my little knowledge of what college was (in my small high school mind) and the amount of time and effort I would need to put toward achieving the grades I wanted, I decided that one of the reasons that I choose Grove City College became just a side thought which in the end led to my decision not to play soccer at Grove City College.

So, I was ready. A small town kid from an even smaller high school taking on this over-six-times-larger college as an average high school student at an academically rigorous institution like Grove City College. Needless to say this was an enormous leap for me, both academically and spiritually. If I am being honest, my first semester at the College was rough. I did schoolwork and studied non-stop and spent the time where I was not studying decompressing/resting in my room. It was not until around mid-September of my first semester that some of the kids on the hall reached out to me and got me out of my shell and out of the room. They encouraged me to do more with them and to start lifting and before I knew it I was twice as efficient with my school work and able to spend time out with friends enjoying my college experience.

Moral of this story is that whether you are a hard worker from a small public school in Ohio or a naturally blessed student from some large private school you can be successful. Take this time that you have in college, whether here at Grove City College or whatever college you choose, and have fun. Make friends and enjoy the experience. These glimpses of fun and happiness make the time fly and make the work less work and more motivation, motivation to do well so you can succeed in your future and field and motivation to work hard and be efficient so that you can spend time with people and form relationships. Whether you are my now best friends who needed to go out of their way to help get a shy kid out of his room more or whether you are that shy kid, get out! The best way to do well in college is to enjoy your time there.

If you are interested in hearing more about my story or simply want to just personally contact me about any of your specific worries feel free to at gosstd1@gcc.edu. I would be glad to help a worried younger high school me build up the courage to do things that I never did and to help you succeed to your fullest potential! God bless!