Month: April 2018

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Community Spotlight: December Graduate

When it comes to thinking about who makes up the community of Grove City College, often the first thought is students and professors. However, there are many more components – past and present – that play a vital role in the community here. I talked with Josh McFall, a December 2017 graduate. He studied accounting and participated in many camppus activities. Here is the interview that transpired:

Can you tell me a little about your academic journey?

I started my pursuit for higher education at Kent State University Trumbull Campus in the fall of 2013 as an undecided business major, after a semester I declared my major as Business Management before changing my major to accounting.

I stayed at Kent for two years before transferring to Grove City College. Three of my siblings had attended Grove City and I wasn’t convinced that it was the place for me. One of the turning points in my decision was at my sister Lizzy’s wedding at Harbison Chapel in the fall of 2014. I got to walk around the campus with my sister’s husband Joe, who also graduated from there. During this time, I got to talk with him about my preconceived notions and what I wanted from the remainder of my college career. Ultimately, that conversation and overall experience was the first event that led to my decision to attend Grove City College and I would end up applying about eight months later.

What has been the most difficult thing about graduating mid academic year?

Leaving my fiancée, sister, and friends in a rather anti-climactic way. I am a sentimental person, so I like having solid beginnings and endings as they help me compartmentalize my feelings and emotions. Graduating and leaving campus halfway through the academic school year is rather akin to walking out of a movie theater 10 minutes before the end of a movie while your friends all stay and watch it. You miss the last semester excitement and relief you share with other seniors who are about to graduate and walk to receive their diploma in May. I felt that excitement and relief mostly alone, and there was no fanfare or send off when I left campus. The vibe was just that of another winter break, and everyone else would see each other in a month.

Mind you, this is no fault of Grove City’s. There is nothing they could do to change the way things are. I was privileged to attend a dinner for the few seniors graduating in December at President and Mrs. McNulty’s house and it was a lovely time. Also, I will be back in May to walk, but if I’m being honest that is more for my parents than myself. If I had my way, I would choose not to walk simply because I have closed that chapter of my life and I am in a new one now (like I said, solid beginnings and endings).

What do you miss the most about Grove City?

What I miss may not be something unique to only Grove City, like chapel requirements, or jokes about rings by spring, but are unique to my personal experience and how it shaped my life. I miss the shenanigans and community of my transfer hall in Hicks, while living in the room with the window right above the trash cans everyone walks by to go to dinner. And I miss bonding with the guys of Pan Sophic while being their RA, and being given the opportunity to help foster community on my hall. And I miss having to amend my plan to get engaged multiple times due to inclement weather, another fraternity’s rush event, and a marching band competition this past October (I did finally pop the question and she said yes!). This is a tiny sliver of all that I value from my time and are they exclusively things that could have happened at Grove City? No, they could have happened at any college, but they didn’t, they happened at Grove City. And for that reason, I miss and reminisce about my time there. Those buildings and grounds will always be hallowed to me, not because they had uniqueness or specialness that was intrinsic to them (though they certainly do and that does play into it), but because that is the place where I built part of who I am today. So what I miss most is basically everything, the whole chapter beginning to end. I can’t think of one thing without being reminded of five other things.

What have you done post-graduation?

I work at Schneider Downs & Co in Pittsburgh which is a public accounting firm, and I am studying for the CPA exam.

How would you describe GCC’s community in your own words?

When people look at Grove City College, diversity is not necessarily the first thing that pops into their head’s, but to assume that the community here is totally homogeneous is very far from reality, I try to avoid making blanket statements for this reason. Like any other place, the overall community is like a patchwork quilt, and each patch in the quilt is itself another patchwork quilt, all the way down to the individual level. It’s true but ironic because I did end up just making a “blanket” statement… quilt… get it?

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Looking Forward to Junior Crimson Day

Calling all High School Juniors!

If you are a junior in high school, Grove City College would love to see you at Junior Crimson Day on April 21! The event will begin at 8 a.m. in the Physical Learning Center and will last until 2:30 in the afternoon. Up to 1,200 students and parents will be in attendance to get their first inside look at Grove City, and they will experience much of what the College has to offer.

After morning registration, optional sessions are provided to learn about financial aid and how to plan for college. Following these sessions, president of Grove City College, Paul J. McNulty (’80), will present a warm welcome to everyone. After listening to and learning from other respectable speakers, those attending will be able to explore the campus with various activities scheduled. Those activities include:

  • Major Interest Fair
    • Learn about the various majors at Grove City
  • Residence Hall Sneak Peek
    • A look inside freshmen halls and dorm rooms
  • Walking Tour
    • Escorted by student tour guides
  • Lunch
    • Provided by Grove City’s dining halls
  • Financial Aid and College Planning 101 Sessions
    • In case you missed the morning sessions!

Personal Experiences

After speaking with two current students about their experiences at Junior Crimson Day, I found that they were both impacted in a positive way. Attending this event helped guide them in their college decision, and it could do the same for you!

“Junior Crimson Day allowed me to see the school in a more realistic sense than I would have on a tour of the campus. I was able to spend two nights with students in their dorm rooms, exposing me to what life is like at Grove City College. The scheduled events gave my parents and I insight to what the College offers and values, along with the logistics of actually attending.”

-Gretchen Basham, Freshman

“Junior Crimson Day was the first time I had visited Grove City. I fell in love with the school by getting to see how the current students volunteered their time to be speakers, and even all the students who were working were helpful and relatable. After coming to Grove City, I decided I wanted to be able to impact incoming students the way I was impacted, so I joined the admissions team and have got to work at two Junior Crimson Days which has been a great experience”

-Victoria Graf, Senior

Registration

If you would like to register for Junior Crimson Day, you can sign up at http://www.gcc.edu/Info/Events-News/Admissions-Events/Open-Houses/Junior-Crimson-Day. The registration link is located at the bottom of the page.

Grove City College welcomes all who are available to come, and we hope to see you on April 21!

 

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Professor Spotlight: Dr. (Mr.) Homan

As the senior member of the Department of Chemistry, Dr. Timothy Homan has seen a lot at Grove City College, and I enjoyed being able to sit down and talk with him. Specifically, he mentioned that he has seen five offices, six college presidents, and the hiring of all seven of his colleagues in the department. After attending a small college in North Carolina for undergraduate, the University of Colorado for graduate school, and the University of Minnesota for post-doctoral studies, Dr. Homan spent a year teaching at Anderson University in Indiana. He learned about Grove City in the news, and soon applied here for a faculty position. He was initially rejected, but later was hired and has been here for 27 years.

For the last 14 years, Dr. Homan was the chair of the Department of Chemistry until recently handing the reigns over to Dr. Augspurger. He has served on a plethora of committees during his time here, spending the majority of his time working on the department’s accreditation with the American Chemical Society. He has also seen many big transitions in campus life, including new buildings, the abolishment of Saturday classes, students being permitted to walk on the grass, and the transition from having chapel four days a week to two days a week. He also mentioned that he has even begun to see the children of students he taught during his early years come and learn from him as well.

Although he will not be here next semester, Dr. Homan is still confident in the work done by his department. He and his wife (Dr. Kristin Homan, a psychology professor at Grove City) will both be taking sabbaticals to work as visiting scholars at the University of Wisconsin. While there, he will be working in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and he hopes to gain knowledge that he can bring back to Grove City to help develop a medicinal chemistry class.

One of the things Dr. Homan emphasized while we were talking was the principles that Grove City holds. Originally, these principles were what attracted him here. At the time, Grove City was involved in a Supreme Court case, and Dr. Homan was impressed by a college holding so firmly to its beliefs. This has not changed in the time he has been here, and he commented that “[the] principles on which the College has made its stake have been kept.” He also mentioned the commitment to science that the College has had the entirety of his time here. “One of the things I appreciated…from the very start, is the College’s commitment to science education…the College is willing to support our sciences financially, and I’m not so sure you’re going to find that level of commitment [elsewhere].”

After 27 years, Dr. Homan was able to comment very accurately on the strengths of Grove City’s Department of Chemistry. “In the years I’ve been here, we offer a very strong major and our graduates are very successful. You work hard, but I think you’ll find the department… [wants] to see you succeed and we are here to help you succeed.” He mentioned specifically the opportunities that are available to students, through research and their time in the laboratories and the classroom. Dr. Homan also had high praise for all of his colleagues, both for their work in the classroom and for the relationships they are able to build with students. “I think you’re going to get an excellent education, but it’s not just going to be an academic education. I think the life and Christian commitment of the institution is going to provide a great experience for you as well, and I think you’re going to be shaped in a way that will lead you to a good life.”

Dr. Homan has been an integral part of the education of countless students during their time at Grove City College. His reputation speaks volumes for the care he puts into his work, and the relationships he builds with students have a greater impact on them than many people could even imagine. Although I only spent a small amount of time with him, I can say with complete confidence that Grove City is blessed to have such an exemplary professor and person on our campus.

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Professor Spotlight: Dr. Guevara

If you sit in the right place in chapel on Tuesday or Thursday, you will probably have a young blonde woman scan your ID card on the way out. That woman is one of the members of our Department of Chemistry here at Grove City, Dr. Holly Guevara. Dr. Guevara is one of the newest and youngest professors in the department, having just started teaching at Grove City in the fall, right after finishing her graduate work. She got her doctorate from the University of New Hampshire, after completing her undergraduate at Eastern Nazarene University, where she was one of only four chemistry majors in her class. She originally heard about Grove City when she was doing her college search, and then made the connection for the faculty position when she was in New Hampshire. She got to know a lot of alumni in her church while she lived there, and they helped her make the connection when the position opened. Although she has not been here long, she has already become an integral part of the department.

One of the reasons Dr. Guevara came to Grove City was the opportunities that would be available at a school this size. She wanted to be able to have close relationships with students in a mentorship role, and she wanted to be able to focus on teaching and spending her time in the classroom. However, this does not mean all of her time is spent exclusively in the classroom. She is currently working to set up a research project that will begin over the summer and into the next year. They will be researching the metabolism of the benzene ring by the human body, and how it is broken down. This is a continuation of the work she did in graduate school, which is where she was first exposed to the science involved in this research. She also wants to do work with rotaxanes to see how they could be made into polymers to be used in drug delivery. Although this research still has not started, Dr. Guevara is excited about how much room there is for creativity and exploration. The access all students have to research at Grove City is one thing she highlighted, as this is something that is imperative for students to have as they pursue a chemistry education.

Even though she has been here for such a short time, Dr. Guevara is already excited about the relationships she is forming with both the other faculty in her department as well as the students she is getting to know. “I love our department…the faculty are really easy to work with from a faculty perspective, but I think from a student’s perspective they’re pretty accessible as well.” She also commented to me on the respect and community students have that she has noticed here at Grove City. Students are hardworking, respectful, and take the time to get to know their professors, and it is evident to her. “I really like the very friendly, supportive nature…you go other places and that’s not the case, so that’s really nice to have here.”

Dr. Guevara also advocated the benefits of coming to a small Christian school while we were talking, which was pleasant to hear coming from someone who has been here for such a short time. “The personal attention you get at a small school is worth it…you’re more of a name and less of a number. At a place like Grove City, the faculty and other students are advocating for you to succeed, but we do it in a God centered way.” Dr. Guevara has already made a positive impact on the students here, and I am positive she will continue to do so in her time here.

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Student Spotlight: Patty Jo Nickoloff

Patricia Nickoloff, who goes by “Patty Jo” Nickoloff, is always found with a big smile on her face that radiates happiness. Patty Jo is a freshman here at Grove City College, belonging in the Alpha Beta Tau sorority, a member of the Newman Club, taking part in the radio show, and playing rugby in her free time. She is double majoring in Communication Studies and Visual Arts and Entrepreneurship, along with a minor in International Studies. The majors she chose were what she had prepared to do in college, but her minor was unexpected as she realized how much she loves using her majors on a more global level.

Patty Jo dreams of working for an organization or magazine that focuses on worldwide missions, where she would help nonprofits operate more efficiently. The love she had for her Public Speaking, Spanish, and Entrepreneurship and Mission of the Church classes show her overall focus on her future direction. Professor Pritchard and Doctora Tinkey are teachers that impacted her mindset to give guidance to her passions.

Freshman year has been exciting and full of fun so far for Patty Jo. She appreciates the new and different atmosphere, as well as the support from the rest of the people at the school toward the new freshmen. “Everyone just wants to help you figure it all out and the want to introduce you to everything they love about GCC,” she said.

She enjoys the Department of Communication and Visual Arts because of the steps they take to send out opportunities for the students that help to expand the skills they already have. Patty Jo loves learning about languages and cultures, so she looks forward to more of her international studies classes. Having classes that teach her to think outside the box, show how businesses work, and how to be different but relevant are great preparation for real life experiences. Having the majors she has provides a wonderful source of relatability and understanding, not just during her class times but outside in her personal life.

“I’m passionate about art in all its forms. That’s why communication is great because art is all about communicating ideas. I love the history of the world and how things came to be, that’s where the international studies comes in.  I love new ideas.  Creating new and amazing things which is why entrepreneurship is a great major as well,” Patty Jo said.

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Pirates Game at PNC Park

Professional baseball games are always exciting, especially at one of the best ballparks in America. Thankfully, it is only about an hour away from the Grove City College campus. PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, gives fans a wonderful view of the city’s skyline beyond the Allegheny River. Along with the amazing view, Pirates baseball games allow you to sit back and watch some of the game’s most talented players do what they do best: play ball. All this makes for the perfect day trip away from the College campus to relax and enjoy one of America’s pastimes.
Tickets for a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game can be bought easily online through the organization itself or through the secondary market (StubHub and SeatGeek for example). Since college students are usually on a budget, the Pirates organization participates in College Cove Fridays where students receive a ticket, T-shirt, and a $10 food or drink voucher. The deal is valid for all Friday night home games. This makes for an affordable and enjoyable way to end a busy week of school.

Another great part of these ball games is the food, and there is nothing better than authentic ballpark food. A classic hot dog, pink and blue cotton candy, nachos with cheese and salsa, and salty pretzels are the main staple foods of the ballpark. Along with those, PNC also serves a Pittsburgh delicacy on game days: Mrs. T’s Pierogis. You will also see some famous pierogis running in the famous pierogi race between innings.

Although the ballpark food is great, the game itself is what draws the fans in. Pittsburgh takes great pride in their teams, the Pirates are no exception. No matter where you sit in the stadium, I can almost assure you that the guy or gal next to you will be ready to give you a two handed high five as soon as a Pirate hits a home run. Pirates baseball games are extremely fun to attend with Grove City College friends, and they are a great way to make memories. Win or lose, I can assure you that your day spent at PNC Park will be an enjoyable one.

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Professor Spotlight: Dr. Falcetta

I recently had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Dr. Michael Falcetta, one of the chemistry professors here at Grove City College. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York (Oswego), Dr. Falcetta traveled to the University of Pittsburgh where he completed his graduate and post-doctoral work. While there, he worked to build an electron-scattering instrument during his time as a post-doctoral researcher. He then took a few years off and worked at a church in the City of Pittsburgh as a youth pastor before deciding to attend seminary. Although he did not complete his seminary degree, this experience was one that has stayed with Dr. Falcetta throughout his career and impacts the way he relates to those around him. Before coming to Grove City, Dr. Falcetta worked at Anderson University and Roberts Wesleyan University. Although he had never heard of Grove City, he applied for a chemistry position here and has been a faculty member since. He now resides in the Grove City area with his wife and his daughter who is a student here.

One of the things that came up most frequently in my interview with Dr. Falcetta was how much he values his relationship with students. He told me that he “love[s] being with students, and teaching, and doing research,” and that if “they changed the character of the students…. I would really consider leaving.” He enjoys working with those of us who are “grappling with the big questions,” and he strives to do his best to get to know students outside the classroom and pursue relationships with them. “I love equipping people to do their own thing well…I really like to develop their skills, their independence, I want them to become thinkers.” He does his best to stay in touch with students after they graduate and continues to help people through the tough questions they face after college.

Dr. Falcetta was quick to highlight the relational aspect that is a part of a chemistry degree here at Grove City. Students are able to relate to each other, as well as professors, in an environment that is not overly competitive like many schools. He also mentioned the plethora of resources available at a school this size, and the success of the students that graduate from here. Research at Grove City was something he emphasized, especially the large amount of opportunities that are available to students. His main research on campus is in collaboration with a physics and engineering professor, Dr. Mark Fair. For the past 10 years, they have been doing computational research to model molecules and find out what happens when electrons are added to molecules.

While not in the classroom, Dr. Falcetta is very involved in the lives of different students on campus. Not only is he the faculty advisor for a housing group on campus, he and his wife lead a small group of students that they host in their home. He also works with students in the summers to do research work at the College. I was also surprised to learn he has an affinity for languages, and he is currently teaching himself Welsh. It is very evident his experience in seminary and working with youth still impacts his life. Although he does love working with college students, he did mention that he would love to work with young men who are not college bound and help them pursue opportunities that will help them build careers not based on college education. Even in my short interview with him, I could tell that he has a passion for the students he works with day in and day out. The work done by Dr. Falcetta at Grove City is highly praised by all who interact with him, and it is very evident this praise is justified and well deserved.

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Entrepreneurship from the Heart

Mark Sotomayor is a sophomore Entrepreneurship major at Grove City College. He is a tennis player, a member of the American Marketing Association, the Innovation Club, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. While Mark is heavily involved on campus, his creativity and hard work has placed him in a position to positively impact the environment around the world. With Grove City College’s support and standard of excellence, Mark has developed the Té Amo tea company as a means to reforest Haiti. With the catchy slogan, “Buy a Tea, Plant a Tree,” Mark has made massive strides in making his dream a reality.

Mark originally came up with the idea to sell bottled tea because he grew up drinking his grandmother’s special 30-year-old Peruvian recipe and wanted to share it with others. This past September his mother encouraged him to utilize his Grove City College entrepreneurship experience to take his tasty tea from the pitcher to the shelves. In six months, Mark and his team have been able to successfully brand Té Amo and have partnered with nine stores in which they sell!

When interviewing Mark about how he made all of this possible he commented how thankful he is to have a mother that keeps the business up and running while he focuses on his studies. He also noted the impact that the College has had on his business. “The entrepreneurship department has recently ‘stretched my entrepreneurial muscles’, so to speak, by challenging me and my team member, Ryan Budnik, to make the product better. I am more of a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ type of guy, and industry research isn’t my strong suit – so by being forced to research about the ready-to-drink tea market, I am becoming a much more well-rounded business owner/entrepreneur.” With so many people coming alongside Mark to answer questions and provide encouragement, Mark hopes to develop tea bags and eventually sell in Sheetz and Whole Foods. He exclaimed, “It will take years, but I’m pumped for the journey!”

If you have any questions about Té Amo or would like to purchase the refreshing tea, you can head to www.BuyATeaPlantATree.com.

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Strip District

There are days while on campus when you just want to get away for a while. After going to the Grove City Outlets for the umpteenth time, you start to desire more adventurous getaways. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Strip District is only about an hour from the College and is the perfect place to eat, shop, and wander around.

In terms of food and drinks, the Strip District has more than you could ask for. There are far too many places to mention, so I will tell you about a few of the places that I highly recommend going to. One of my absolute favorite places to get coffee is at La Prima Espresso Company. Their true Italian espresso makes their lattes and espresso shots deeply desirable. La Prima is the perfect place to go as soon as you arrive at The Strip to get your day started. With coffee in hand, the next place I suggest you go to is Pamela’s Diner. Their chocolate chip banana hotcakes and scrambled hash are just two of the delicious plates they offer. There is a reason it is one of the most well known diners in the Pittsburgh area. Now, if you have been to Pittsburgh and have not heard about Primanti Brothers, I would be shocked. The local “Yinzers” know that the restaurant along with its signature sandwich are a huge part of the what makes the city great. The chain is known for its grilled meat, coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries thrown between two pieces of Italian bread.

Now, if you have some money to spend, The Strip has some of the neatest and most interesting shops around. Roxanne’s Dried Flowers is somewhere I always stop by. Although the wreathes and dried flowers are usually too pricey for me, the shop is such an interesting place to walk through. The smells and displays make it worth it every time. Pittsburgh has a lot of pride in its sports teams. The Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers are loved by so many in the surrounding areas as well. Many shops in The Strip sell Pittsburgh sports franchised attire, some licensed while others are “yinzer unique.” Either way, these shops are really fun to check out.

Every time I have visited The Strip with my college friends has been so much fun and each trip seems to be more fun than the last. I highly recommend anyone takes a day trip to visit this amazing cultural district. The Strip District is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind location that can only be found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Professor Spotlight: Dr. Wong

I was given the opportunity to interview one of the most interesting members of the Department of Chemistry this last week: Dr. Ven Ney Wong. Although she is originally from Malaysia, Dr. Wong came to Grove City College three years ago as a professor. She primarily teaches the analytical and instrumental portions of the chemistry curriculum, which means she spends the majority of her time in her labs, using a variety of different instruments. Her background is in forensic chemistry, which came about after an internship at the Illinois State Crime Lab during her undergrad years at Southern Illinois University. While there, she helped to catalogue and publish the library showing the spectrum of different drugs, primarily through her work with a mass spectrometer.

Dr. Wong actually took me into her different labs while I was interviewing her, and I was able to see the instruments she uses with her students every day. The one we spent the most time at, and the one that she has the most experience with, was the mass spectrometer. Essentially, mass spectrometers show the mass of certain compounds, which can identify the “fingerprint” of compounds. One of the most popular labs she does with students is to test the amount of cocaine in various denominations of bills. They use different methods of extraction for various dollar bills, and then use the mass spectrometer to determine the levels of cocaine in the various bills.

During our tour of her instrument lab, Dr. Wong was able to show me a plethora of research projects that she is involved in at the school. One of the projects she is currently working on is in collaboration with a biology professor at Grove City, Dr. Stephen Jenkins. They are researching slave maker ants and studying how the chemical compounds of the different ants interact. She also showed me a project a student had started that was a breathalyzer that would change the color of a hydrogel if alcohol was detected. In class, she is working with students on making a lie detector that tests for skin resistance, which can show the urge to lie. She pointed out to me that a lot of the work they do in instrumental lab has a basis in forensics, since most forensics heavily relies on instruments.

Beyond all the exciting work she does with research and in her labs, Dr. Wong was able to offer a unique perspective on the atmosphere of Grove City, since she has such a different background. She commented to me how it was interesting to her to see the relationship between professors and students at Grove City. “It is more than just professor and student…the professors here do everything to help, in terms of career, time management… I think they journey with the students.” She noted how there is a lot of like-mindedness and similarity of lifestyles at Grove City that is very unlike anything else she has seen in her career. “If you’re a student who is looking forward to having a relationship and enjoying your time studying, learning, and wanting that extra push…we give lots of opportunities here.” It was evident to me in my interactions with Dr. Wong that she plays a big role in creating that atmosphere at the College. Almost all of her research she does with students, and she told me story after story about different things students have done. It is remarkable how much she could tell me about different students after only three years at Grove City, and I can only imagine how much more she will be able to recount in years to come.