Grove City College is not like other colleges, but you probably already know that. And if you do not already know that, then you most likely have at least heard this from someone if you were talking to them about the College. The campus that I have called my home for a significant portion of the last three, going on four, years of my life is one that along with its worldview being based in Christianity also accordingly displays its commitment to the sense of traditional family values and relationship/fellowship between friends and loved ones. One of the ways that Grove City puts this convention into play is the way that it handles breaks.
Students throughout the country often live in apartments or cheaper homes together during their college years. Grove City on the other hand requires students to live either in the dorms or in the on-campus apartments, unless they are registered commuters. When breaks longer than a few days occur, the dorms and apartments close to students unless they enroll in intersession classes. Looking in from the outside, some could think this is restrictive of the students’ freedom, but in actuality it presents a unique experience that cannot be had at almost any other college around the country. Instead of the point of view that students are stripped of this privilege, it can be seen as a time for young adults get a chance to refocus their time out of the classroom on building and sustaining strong relationships the families they have been geographically separated from during the semester.
Since students are all on campus during school, friendships at college can develop quite naturally. Grove City through their policy to keep their students together in one general area creates a fairly tight-knit community that often extends beyond the four years of a bachelor’s degree program. Family dynamics, however, often change very significantly after the completion of college. So, given the uncertainty of where they may end up in the future, the school feels it is important to provide this time where students can be reconnected with their families.
There is a little saying at Grove City College that goes: “Ring by Spring.” This “motto” refers to a stereotype that Grovers have a peculiar desire to get engaged to someone before they finish their final semester of college. Another stereotype that is based on the same idea is that some women at Grove City seek to receive an “MRS” degree upon graduation. Regardless of the validity of these perceptions of Grove City’s students (I myself know of a decent amount of classmates that have already tied the knot), it is something that can be pondered and analyzed for good purpose. A truly distinct class that our college offers is Jim Thrasher’s Courtship and Marriage. The title may be a little intimidating for students not currently enrolled, but speaking as someone who is taking the class this semester, I can attest that it’s certainly a “don’t judge a book by its cover” situation.
