Lindy Bowser, Author at

Posted on January 22, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

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.

Posted on January 20, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

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.

Posted on January 19, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

Liberty and Socks

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 Abigail Opst, she describes work with a business born out of a Entrepreneurship class. Enjoy!

I am a pretty competitive person by nature. It does not mean I am good at everything I enjoy, but it definitely means I love watching a good match. Even though I am not in the Entrepreneurship E-Commerce class—or an Entrepreneurship major at all for that matter—I have heard and learned a lot about it through my friends who are currently taking it. And the competition bit really piqued my interest. Over the course of a semester, the class has students form teams to start businesses and compete in selling products that ultimately support a cause of their choice. They are responsible for delegating duties—assigning chief executive, financial, and technical officers among other things—and they get to pull things together on their own.

Mended Sock Company is just one of the many companies that has come out of the class, Sophia Stangebye and Caroline Parker being my two claims to fame. Mended Sock Co. ties into the organization it supports, A21, and its mission to mend the lives of individuals who have been affected by human trafficking. Caroline explained that A21 organizes walks for freedom across the world, and Sophia added that individuals who walk dress in all black and are silent—but why not wear comfortable socks during these walks, she adds, that also support the A21 mission.

Despite the seemingly obscure class name, E-commerce is just a shortened version of electronic commerce—the idea of commercial transactions conducted over the internet. The course description describes the class as focusing on “e-commerce strategy, target market, analysis, search engine optimization, mobile commerce, social commerce, integrated marketing, [and] web usability” among other things; by “working with an external client,” students have the opportunity to explore these subjects through their own exploration of such “practical applications in the marketplace.” Though each team member takes on a different position, the goal of the class is to master the responsibilities of be each role and ultimately run an online business on your own.

Despite emphasis on eventually graduating to individual independence, the unique set of talents that each girl contributes to this team really allows their business to excel. They are open in collaboration, free from concerns about groupthink or peer pressure and conformity. Instead they can focus on what is best for the business. Mended Sock Co.’s passion for their mission and belief in their product is really attractive—and not only to me. The Dressember Foundation, another organization that aims to stop human trafficking, recently reached out to Mended Sock Co. and plans on featuring them on Instagram next week—a spotlight that has huge potential to both raise sales and thus support the mission but also to propel these girls forward into achieving their goals, supporting their mission, and feeding their passion. The fact that E-Commerce class has given them the opportunity to do this—and to see them have such success with it—is truly inspiring.

So it is time for the plug (just kidding, this was not the main point. But hey…). Not only are Mended Sock Co.’s socks super comfortable and perfect for Grove City winters, but they’re also very reasonably priced—only $8 a pair. The style is simple, delicate, and classy, but more than this, every dollar does go to benefit the A21 project. In their efforts to gain entrepreneurship experience they are also serving a greater cause, one outside themselves, and allowing buyers to get in on it as well. And so, #libertyandsocks for all.

Posted on January 18, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

Coming to America

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 Zeke Hoole, he talks about his experience being an international student for those who are nervous about making the transition from home to Grove City. Enjoy!

You there.

Yes, you.

You; a young, knowledge hungry, opportunity seeking teenager trying to find a college to commit yourself to, and perhaps knowingly or perhaps unknowingly – you have stumbled across the name of this small, Christian college buried in the middle of Western Pennsylvania called Grove City College. College is a new, nerve-wracking, often terrifying experience to anyone – but to you it is even more than that. For you this also includes traveling far from your home, from your family and far from the friends and places you have been so accustomed to all your life. And that is truly terrifying. Trust me, I know.

Because three years ago, I was you.

I spent my childhood growing up in Asia; being born in Sri Lanka and then spending my growing years between there and the country of Malaysia. Given the lacking standards of College level education in those parts of the world, I had always known that I would have to look for educational institutions abroad. After a long and interesting period of narrowing down colleges (a story for another time), I was set on going to Grove City College. The application process was exciting, and then my joy of being accepted and being sure of going there was through the roof. How could it not be? I feel that you, like me, will relate to the feeling of excitement and exhilaration that accompanied the thought of “I’m going to America!” This was the place I’d seen in all those Hollywood movies I loved watching growing up. This was the home of my favorite actors, actresses and musicians, this was the hub of culture and all things happening, this was the land of opportunity and the thought of going there was exciting. My excitement stayed with me when I boarded the plane, flew across the globe and made my way to the college I was going to. And I remember so vividly, that it was not until I said goodbye to my aunt and uncle and sat down on my bed, that the fear of being so far from home hit me.

And you will feel this way.

There will be days when you miss the smell of your house, the company of your siblings, the love and scoldings of your mother, the advice of your father, the barking of your dogs; and most of all the reassurance of being home. Perhaps the cruelest thing that the process of coming to America will ever do to you is labeling you an “alien” until you work your way into citizenship (if, like me, you choose to) – and trust me when I say that there will be times when you feel the weight of that word lay heavy on you. Unlike any of the students you will encounter here; you as an international have so much more to prove, so much more to work for and the pressure of that combined with the pressures of the academic rigor here and the strangeness you may feel at being far from home can sometimes feel like it’ll crush and drain you. But here’s where I will encourage you with two of the biggest things I have learned here at Grove City:

You are not here because of your grades or your family or your status or because of pure chance; you are here because God wants you to be here.
Of all the places you could have gone to, you have chosen to leave home to come to a school where you will feel very much at home, where the line between friends and family is often blurred.

But you have some work to do to feel at home here, and here is where I would like to give you three select pointers based on my own experiences of life in Grove City.

Shake your Self-Consciousness: It is not a secret that you are going to stand out here. With only 5% diversity and a much smaller number of international students; your skin color, your accent, your style, your mannerisms might stand out. A frequent companion to standing out is self-consciousness, but I urge you not to let self-consciousness get in the way. I have seen a lot of international students keep to themselves and stray away from groups and activities because of their self-consciousness; and as someone who did fall victim to that for a while, I can tell you that it does not help you in anyway. This maybe a campus with little diversity, but it is also a campus with little to no judgement. The community is warm, accepting and friendly; and you will go far by allowing yourself to interact with and befriend the people around you who may look and sound nothing like you.
Clubs and Activities: It is the most cliché thing about every college poster; telling you to join and be a part of clubs and activities – but on this campus, it is especially important to international students like you and me. You will find that you will meet your best of friends while sweating over an intense game of IM basketball, or while chatting over coffee at the monthly campus coffee houses, but never just by sitting by yourself in your room. Whether it is a good thing or not, there is a negative assumption of people who shy away from communicating and keeping to themselves on this campus, so engage with and surround yourself with people – it is the best way to feel comfortable here, and the friends you make here are the kind that you stay friends with permanently.
Do not be Judgmental: In the same way the Bible reminds us to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” it is important to not be judgmental of people around you here. The culture here is different, and it is easy to judge people who aren’t of the same mindset as you (especially politically here at Grove City). But in order to be a part of the American community you need to remember that all people here have the freedom of speech and more importantly opinion. So it is important to stay away from arguments or shunning people because their opinions may differ from yours. Civilized conversations on things build character, but the second you start judging people based on their beliefs and opinions, you push away people who may have been very good people for you to have in your life.

There is so much more that I could talk about because I can only imagine how many more questions you have that are yet to be answered – but whatever questions you may have I urge you to reach out to the Office of Student Life and Learning on this campus. They do a fantastic job helping international students, and guiding you throughout every process – from showing you how to add/drop a class, to helping you identify and follow the path to working and living in America. And if you would like my perspective, then don’t hesitate to email me and ask anything of me that you would like to at hooleer1@gcc.edu.

My friend, no matter where you are from – remember that you are considering or committing to a campus community that will welcome you and be good to you, if you return the favor in good fashion. Here is a place where you will make memories and build relationships that will last a lifetime. So I urge you to seize every opportunity and show people both here, and at home why you are here and why it is in every way the place God wants you to be! If my story and my advice has been helpful even in one way to you, then I am very thankful to God for using it so. And should you end up coming to Grove City and pursuing and finishing your education here, then I will pray that God will bless and do great things in your life here, like he did and continues to do for mine.

Posted on January 17, 2018January 8, 2018 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

China Intersession Abroad: A Terrible beginning Turns Into The Trip of a Lifetime

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 David Cheung, he describes his trip to China for class credit. Enjoy!

This past summer I had the amazing opportunity to go to China for class credit. We got to go to the cities of Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Xian, and Beijing. This trip was led by Dr. Hogsette and Dr. Ayers, who could not have been better chaperones. Also, nine other Grove City students were part of the trip. Almost all of the students took the Civ Lit Class that could be completed on the trip. My friend Gabe and I were the only students who chose the other option, a Chinese Culture class. This was due to Gabe and I being Chinese minors. We left for China May 21st and returned on June 2nd, so we spent a total of about 10 days, spending two days in each city.

Despite my high opinion of the trip, it ironically started out very poorly. This was not a failure on the College’s part or the professors. In fact, it was completely my fault that the trip had such a difficult start. It was early in the morning on May 21st. I was on my way to Pittsburgh to fly out from the airport there with the rest of the group. Once I arrived with all my luggage and met up with my fellow students, I reached into my pocket to get my passport. That is when my heart rate shot through the roof, because I realized I had forgotten my passport and visa! Turns out, I left it at my house which was two hours away. The speed with which I sprinted to my car could have shattered any sprinting record in PA. I was able to get ahold of my uncle who went to my house, grabbed my passport, and met me halfway back to my house. At this point the time was around 6 a.m. and my flight was scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. I reached the airport at about 6:50 a.m., turning an hour drive into a 50-minute one. At the airport, everything was a blur. I remember everyone in the line for screening, allowing me to cut past them in order to make my flight, and sprinting down the long corridor leading to all the different flights. Of course, my flight was one of the farthest possible, which made me completely out of breath when I reached the front desk. The man giving me my luggage tag and scanning my ticket seemed a bit irritated at how close I cut it. I checked my phone for the time which was 6:58 a.m. Once on the plane, everyone clapped and I sank into my seat with both embarrassment and relief.

Thankfully, this was the worst part of the trip by a very large margin. After enduring a 14-hour flight, we reached our first destination, the city of Shanghai. The sites we got to see were beautiful. The Jade temple we visited was a famous Buddhist temple and people were constantly walking around praying to these statues that are set up all over the place. Particularly the white jade Buddha is the one that is famous. They hold it in such high regard that no pictures are allowed to be taken of it. It was a little off putting, being a Christian inside a temple dedicated to the worship of these statues, and with monks chanting all over the place. I was intrigued by how much the Chinese people hope in and have reverence for these Buddhas. It showed a lot of us on the trip how blind we are to the world outside the US, and even just outside of our little college. The experience was a powerful one, and we gained insight into the cultural values of China. We also visited other more typical tourist destinations in China, such as the Great Wall. This vast and seemingly unending wall was beautiful on the mountainous landscape of eastern China.

It was a tiring, but rewarding climb up the large steps to get to the higher points of the wall. We also saw the world famous Terra Cotta Warriors museum, which had many different statues who were buried in the giant Tomb of Emperor Qin. Our tour guide told us that they protect the Emperor in the after-life. The Emperor believed that every clay item that was buried with him would go with him to heaven, so there were clay animals, bowls, pots, servants, and many other things.

Even though these sights were very grand and beautiful, my personal favorite place we visited was the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We were able to talk to Chinese college students that were our age. It was so cool to compare our experiences with theirs. They would attempt to practice their English with us, and we would do the same with Chinese. They had many different demonstrations ready, to show us their medical practices and beliefs. They placed a high importance on using herbs to heal illness rather than turning to medication. Also, they view the body as all being connected through energy pathways. This energy is called “chi.” It is easy to disregard this idea, but there has been some amazing feats performed by the Chinese people as a result of this concept. We also got to see their beautiful garden that they grow all their herbs in. It was breathtaking when we laid eyes on it.

A professor from the college led us through the garden describing all the plants as we continued along. When the time came to say good-bye to everyone at the university, they gave us all gifts to take back with us. They were such gracious hosts, and a lot of us quickly became friends and exchanged numbers. I kept in contact with them for a while after the trip and I now have lots of friends to practice my Chinese with.

Everywhere we went, our meals were all so delicious. No matter where our location, there were always vegetables cooked perfectly with a dark sauce of some sort, many kinds of chicken dishes, and of course endless amounts of tea. Also, all meals required us to eat with chopsticks, and to eat “family-style.” This means that all of the food is in the center of the table, and people grab small portions of it at a time to put on their individual plates. This is very different from in the US where we all get our own dish. I personally loved “family-style” eating because it allowed me to try everything. There are also a lot of very unusual dishes we ate while in China. A few such foods were jellyfish, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and cow stomach. Some of these dishes were completely different from what you would expect, such as the jellyfish being crunchy. On the other hand, some were exactly what was expected like the sea slugs have a slimy texture. Most of these dishes I thoroughly enjoyed (with the exception of the jellyfish) and am so glad that I was able to try this cuisine. I was hesitant to eat all of this crazy food at first, but by the end, I was eating duck eyes and not thinking twice about it. The fact we all got to try these new things together helped all of us students get closer as we marveled at these unique foods. Furthermore, the Chinese culture also believes in long meals that you leave only when you cannot take another bite. This made it so we spent a lot of time getting to know each other within the group.

Everyone in the group really got along well with each other. There was not a single person that I had any complaints about on this trip. Each person was included, no matter what we did. I largely contribute it to the fact that we all had to watch out for each other when we had free time, because we did not have a tour guide to take care of us. None of us were fluent in Chinese which made it very difficult and dangerous to be alone. However, as a result, everyone got to know each other very well. The friendships we formed continued even when we returned back to the States. We still try to grab a lunch as group every once in a while, and we have an ongoing group chat. I became closer with everyone on this trip, but much more so with the two other men that went. There were only three male students on this trip: Travis, Gabe, and myself. I was acquainted with these guys before the trip, but did not know them all that well. Gaining all these new experiences together really bonded us. We had to experience jet-lag together, eat all our meals together, sleep in the same room, shop with each other, and hangout during our free time. Every night we would re-hash everything that happened and talk about how excited we were for the next day. Nothing was ever boring with these guys, and yet I always felt relaxed around them as well. Us three still get tea together every week and are even better friends since the trip. Without going on this trip, I would have never had the great opportunity of getting to know these individuals.

I highly recommend the trip for anyone. There were so many benefits to going. I completed a class, got exposure to a different culture, got to know professors, tried new foods, and formed so many amazing friendships. I had been to China two other times prior to this Intersession trip. They do not compare to the experience I had while in China with this group. I doubt I will ever have quite the same experience again, unless I go on another trip with Grove City. If you are able to go, do not miss out on this opportunity. In looking back at it, I know it was no doubt worth every penny.

Posted on April 10, 2017April 10, 2017 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

What Happened at Admitted Students Day?

What is Admitted Students Day? ASD, for short, is an event by the Grove City College Admissions Office specifically for admitted students. This year the event took place on April 1. The purpose of the day is two-fold. First, students who have already deposited their down payment can have the opportunity to meet their fellow classmates, professors, and ask any final questions before the summer. Second, students who have been invited to come in the fall but have not made their final decision can explore campus more. It truly is a fun day for students and parents to visit campus one more time before the magical May 1 day where all college decisions are final. So what happened? I was the event photographer for the day so I have plenty of pictures to show you step-by-step what went down on ASD.

9:30-10:45

A bunch of guests came and spoke to the crowd.

To start off, Director of Admissions Sarah Gibbs warmly welcomed all in attendance.

After her, President McNulty gave a persuasive argument about why students should be excited about coming back in the fall.

Dr. Thrasher of the Career Services Office took the stand and spoke about the influence the CSO has on student life post-graduation.

The CSO even used text-polling to answer FAQ based on what question the audience voted on.

11:00-2:00

Students and parents were then free to visit the major of study they were interested in. Professors and current students were there as well to answer questions and discuss required courses.

To show the resources available for research and art, departments opened their labs, machine shops, and studios for families to peek into.

2:00-2:45

Students then listened to mock lectures close to the topics they would learn about as a Grove City College learner.

While the students were in lecture, parents had the opportunity to ask questions to parents of current students.

Still separate from their parents, students moved onto the Arena again for a Student Life and Learning presentation – including games about campus life.

3:00-5:00

After the closing presentation by President McNulty, families had numerous options on how to finish out the day. One of these options was taking a tour of campus.

Overall, ASD is designed for students to get to know the campus resources and one another better. In the end, the Admissions Office hopes students are walking away wanting to be Grovers.

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurship is the Best Major on Campus

Okay, I am a little biased as a sophomore Entrepreneurship major (or ENTR for short), but in my humble opinion the ENTR program is honestly the best major on campus. Sorry, I will try to impartial – let’s reword the title to something more specific, shall we? “5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurship is the Best Major on Campus for Me or Any Student Interested in Innovation, Chicken Wings, and Serving God.”

Wing Nights

There is this amazing thing that happens every few weeks imaginatively called, “Wing Nights.” These events are rare and they involve a trip to a restaurant in the next town over, Rachel’s Roadhouse. Professor Sweet (head of the department) will order almost 200 wings for the students lucky enough to be there and the check is covered by the department.

It pains me to admit for every Wing Night that has happened since my arrival on campus I have been to – I have yet to miss one. These dinners are so much fun because it is a chance to get away from campus and enjoy endless, delicious wings. Every time there is a new freshmen class of ENTRs we take them out on a Wing Night so they can get to know one another right after classes begin. For my class, this was crucial to our relationship as a group. We were able to talk about our lives and our professors believe now we are the tightest knit group to ever be in the department. We are a happy little family – but more on that later.

Kingdom-minded Entrepreneurship

As part of a Christian college, it is a no-brainer that God has to be integrated somewhere in the ENTR studies. For me, this is my favorite part of being an ENTR student. The main question, “How can we use our talents as entrepreneurs to spread the Word of God?” Just as an example, there is an entire course dedicated to social entrepreneurship. Students spend the whole semester reading books about tactics used in foreign areas that work spectacularly or completely fail. I am in the next level up of that class and I call it a “lab for ENTRs” because not only are we learning about the importance of being a Christian entrepreneur, but also studying different case studies of service-oriented businesses as well as developing one of our own in class.

Hands-on experience

Everything about the studies as an ENTR is about trial and error. The projects are not hypothetical, they are 100% real and can be taken out into the real world. Professor English has several products displayed in her office that started out as just ideas in her class. In one of her evening classes required as part of the major, ENTRs (and others) gather into teams and develop an entire business for the duration of the 14 weeks. This involves a lot of customer research so the team members have to set up interviews with experts or potential customers and pivot their idea as they talk to more people. Fun fact: this process is called, “getting out of the building.”

Another example is Professor English’s elective course, “Startup Founder’s Dilemmas” which dives into all the pitfalls that can come upon an entrepreneur in the real world. On top of classes, alumni and business professionals come for guest lectures regularly to share their experiences “out there.” One week we had the current CEO of Panera as a guest speaker!

Money, money, money

Don’t get too excited, it is not free money. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (a brainchild of the ENTR department) sponsors SO MANY competitions throughout the year that offer cash prizes. Outside of the campus, there are also multiple competitions Grove City College attends and wipes the floor with. A few on campus competitions are the Elevator Pitch, Shark Tank, Venture Lab, Business Plan Competition, and the Makers’ Design Competition.

Ohana means Family

I find it hard to express in words the kind of bond we have as a department. When I came in as a freshman, there were 14 people total in my class and only four of them were girls. Due to our size, it is pretty easy to get to know the people in the same classes on a personal level. We do so many projects throughout our academic careers that by the time the first semester is over we each know each other’s skillsets – we do not even need to ask anymore. Beyond the classwork, we enjoy each other’s company because we are all super awesome people. Even with the professors they go above and beyond to know who we are and encourage the innovation within us.

To better explain the ENTR department check out this video I made for Senior Crimson Day last fall. It shows you everything you need to know about the wonderful ENTRs.

Posted on March 14, 2017January 3, 2019 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

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 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 Professor 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. Tedford 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.

Posted on March 13, 2017March 13, 2017 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

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:

“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.

“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.

“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.”

“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.

“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.

“3^rd 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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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!

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Lindy Bowser — Leave a comment

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

What 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’s 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.

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

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

Lees Guitars

A hand-made guitar made of wood.

Vulcans Forge

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

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 1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd 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.