Author: Nathanael Curry

A junior Marketing Major who is on the Varsity Men's Soccer Team and a member of the AEX housing group on campus. Loves to spend time on the hall while being involved in multiple on campus activities, with the occasional binge of his favorite Netflix shows!
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AEX-mas 2017: Recap on What Happened This Year

It’s Saturday of finals week. Some students are in the thick of taking exams and studying, while some are anxiously awaiting break and finals on Monday and Tuesday before leaving. Nevertheless, campus is full of very busy and stressed individuals.

Yet one event on campus gives students the opportunity to de-stress halfway through finals! The housing group Alpha Epsilon Chi (AEX) hosts the only event allowed to occur on campus during finals: AEX-mas. Here’s the inside scoop!

Preparation:

With it being finals, there is not a whole lot of time to prepare for the event. Some members of the group do not have finals that day, so they are responsible for the set up. This event takes place on the AEX hall, the second floor of Lincoln building, so it’s relatively close for the guys.

The lights get strung, and the rooms are decorated into various activity rooms (explained later on). The smell of Wassail fills the air and a cold breeze flows in from one of the rooms. It is for some when Christmas officially begins.

Event Time!

From 7-11 p.m., everyone is invited onto the hall to celebrate Christmas and relax. There are rooms with food and drinks, as well as a caroling room where hymnals get passed out and all join in with song. Beside the extra lounge rooms there’s also the North Pole, where one room lets their windows wide open and the cold air freezes the one room and chills the rest of the hall. There are even pictures with Santa and crafts to round out all the festivities.

All in all, this event in one that is unique for both its timing, and for its closeness that is created as a result. Friends come together and interact with others they might not normally see and share conversation, carols, and sit around the craft table together and share in the finals study break time.

This year in particular, a handful of students stuck around after the event was over and had an impromptu worship session with guitars and other various instruments. Both guys and girls, seniors to freshman. This even unifies the campus and prepares hearts and attitudes towards the Christmas spirit. I am very fortunate to have been a part of this event and a part of this housing group.

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Advertising Grove City: A Class Project

In Dr. Powell’s advertising class, students were given the unique opportunity to research the College and create their own unique marketing strategies towards prospective students. Their task: to increase the number of applications submitted to Grove City by using an integrated marketing strategy that they themselves create. There were so many unique ideas presented!

Assigned throughout the majority of the semester, each class (there were two separate ones) was divided into teams of five persons, each given this same task. Dr. Powell advised these teams to begin talking to the admissions office, the marketing research class, and students on campus to advise them on particular marketing ideas and how they would resonate with their target audiences.

As data collection continued, the creative process intensified. Teams were given the task to create a sample print advertisement, a radio advertisement script, as well as a sales promotion give away, in addition to creating substantial PR. This task seemed stark, but all teams rose to the occasion and presented to Dr. Powell and students with creative, intuitive ideas to reach the demographic.

Ideas ranged anywhere from Virtual Reality Headsets to a Twitter promotion offering free tuition for a certain amount of likes. In one class, a particular team designed the theme “Rooted Deep,” and based their campaign around this idea. Their print ad reflected that idea with a tree showing immense roots, and their radio ad emulated that idea. Lastly, teams came up with a promotional video to be shown on the website that captures the essence of their big idea.

Each team presented thrice over the course of the semester, with each successive presentation becoming more and more improved with peer evaluation and teacher advising. Finally, the teams presented their IMC plans in the form of a eight- to 10-page report that laid out their vision for their advertising campaign, and subsequent examples.

Ideally, some of these ideas could get passed along to the admissions office and be implemented into the marketing and presentation of Grove City College. Regardless, and speaking as a student in this particular class, the concepts learned and applied in this project will be invaluable further down the road after graduation. The focus on creativity within a big idea is a crucial part of the marketing and business world, and many students as a result of this project will be impacted and better prepared for their future careers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Inside Look: Soccer Team Bus Rides

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

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

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

All while on an away team bus trip.

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

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

Team Movies

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

Two Truths and a Lie

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

Euchre

 

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

 

 

Sleep

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

Shenanigans

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

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

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

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

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

What kinds of tasks did this position entail for you?

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

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

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

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

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

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