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The Spartan Life: Living Arrangements Outside of Greek Groups

At Grove City College, we have a lot of different ways to participate in Greek life. From living in the group to just attending events, Greek life adds a lot of character to our small campus. But sometimes, Greek life just isn’t what every student wants to be a part of. I considered joining a housing group on campus but, after receiving a bid, I realized it wasn’t for me.

 

Grove City College has a unique campus life that prioritizes community more than other, similar colleges. Because of this, Grove City College does not house any national fraternities or sororities; each group that is present on campus only has affiliations here on campus. This helps pursue the goal of community unity because the groups are focused on their immediate surroundings, untied from the regulations and expectations of national groups. The Greek groups on campus are expected to bring the campus community together through numerous events such as dances, games, and food-oriented get-togethers. This provides a very unique and memorable campus life experience at Grove City College.

 

Starting the end of Freshman year, students may rush to join these housing groups for their Sophomore year. But some students may find that the Greek life isn’t for them and there’s nothing wrong with that. You may not be a part of the same experiences that those in these housing groups, fraternities, and sororities have, but your time at Grove City College will be full of similar experiences.

 

Life outside the Greek halls isn’t much different than if you were on the hall. Unlike most colleges, all groups still live in the dorms on campus; there are no frat/sorority houses off campus. You’ll be able to hang out in your friends’ rooms, who may be in a Greek group. You’ll still be able to walk out of your room and see your friends in the halls. You’ll still walk to lunch with them the same way that you would if there were no housing groups.

 

For me, many of the friends I have made through sports or through classes are in different Greek groups on campus. Even though I don’t want to live on a hall with a lot of guys, I still feel that I am able to be a part of their small community on campus. I still have meals with them and hang out in their rooms without feeling pressured to join them.

 

During your sophomore year, you may realize that you are spending a lot of time with your friends who are all in fraternities or sororities. If this is the case, you can always try to join! You’re never locked into a fraternity, sorority, or housing group at Grove City College. It’s up to the group but you can join during whichever year you are currently in!

 

Grove City College’s goal of achieving campus unity is expressed through its student housing arrangements. It doesn’t matter what background you come from, Grove City College has the right college living style for you.

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Prioritizing Education as a Varsity Athlete

Grove City College is an NCAA Division III college, meaning that all student athletes involve themselves in sports because they love it, not due to any financial assistance. But, that’s not to say our athletic teams are bottom of the barrel, either. Among our athletic conference the President’s Athletic Conference, most of our sports consistently place in the top two or three teams at the end of the season. In fact, in 2019, the Women’s Swim team produced the national champion in the 200 yard butterfly, Anne Shirley Dassow.Dassow was soon chosen as Grove City College’s Sportswoman of the year not just because of her athletic achievements, but also her academic achievements. How do the Wolverine athletes continue to perform at such a high level while also earning some of the top grades in their class?

 

There three main ways the culture surrounding Grove City College allows you to succeed as an athlete while also succeeding as a student. First, athletes are provided the opportunity their first semester to get into good study habits through study tables. During study tables, a large group of your team get together and just do homework in the same group. This sets you on the path to good time management and sets the habit of finishing homework in the evenings when nothing is going on around campus.

Second, your coaches help keep you on track. Just like Division I and II schools, there is a minimum GPA requirement to play. Your coaches keep an eye on this and provide you with resources should you require them. Without a good GPA, you can’t play. Our coaches want you to be able to play, but at the end of the day they are more concerned with your academic progress than anything else. That’s one of the benefits of playing sports at the Division III level.

Third, your team provides you with more help than you could ever hope for. You play sports at a DIII college because you love it…and so does the rest of your team. If there is any class you’re struggling in, your team is always there to help.  No other groups on campus has that kind of cross-class reach.

 

Being a Wolverine is awesome…but it’s hard. Unlike DI and DII schools, Grove City College cares about your academic success than anything else; you’re not just a source of revenue for them. When you first begin your collegiate athletic career, your team is your number one tool for success as a new student at Grove City College.