Author: justicecp1

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why My College Decision Changed My Life

Courtney Justice

As my final semester of senior year comes to a close, I have had the chance to reflect with my classmates and friends on the progress we’ve made as students. I have spent three wonderful years at Grove City College with one semester abroad and graduating a semester early, and reminiscing on how I got here has been a constant reminder that the hard work has paid off.

I struggled for a long time to decide where I wanted to attend college, and was not even sure if college was the right path to take. I had planned to study close to home, but realized close did not necessarily have to mean staying within the state. Hearing about Grove City College, a small Christian liberal arts school, was not something initially spark my interest, but I was at the point where the college search was exhausting and my parents were getting antsy for me to make a decision.

As much as I wanted my college visit to be fast and painless,  my parents were just eager to hear I wanted to do another college visit.  My previous college visits in the Southern Ohio area had been largely unsuccessful due to my lack of finding a major that I was interested in pursuing. It was pretty late in the game when I scheduled my first visit to Grove City’s campus in January of 2013. All I remember about my tour was that I was absolutely freezing, completely underdressed, and utterly blown away at how beautiful the campus was. The way the buildings all look similar and were conveniently close to each other was exactly what I had pictured my ideal college to look like.

I hated to admit how much I loved the campus for some reason, but honestly I was so nervous about having to make a decision that would affect the next four years of my life at age 18 that I was looking for some excuse to dislike Grove City. As we walked through the dorm buildings and got to see a room, the cafeterias, and academic classrooms, I felt myself becoming happier. Our tour guide was very helpful in answering all my questions about what the Communication Major was and how I could somehow combine my interests of theater, English, art, and talking into a degree that would actually help me find a job I liked post-graduate. By the end of the tour, I liked the campus so much that I was surprised at the idea that college might be something that works for me.

After sending in my application and waiting two weeks, I finally heard of my acceptance and felt such relief. One thing that has stayed with me throughout my years in college is the comfort in God’s provision, especially when I cannot see or understand his will. I thought college was not for me, yet here I am graduating – early even – from a school with professors, classes, and friends that have changed my life.

Taking the leap and deciding to attend Grove City College was something I will always be proud of and thankful for. Despite my fears and uncertainties of the future, God has always provided a reason and an answer, and diving deeper into my faith in classes has completely blown my mind through all this.

When it comes to hard choices, there might not necessarily be a perfect answer, but you still have to make a choice. By choosing to come to Grove City College, I have learned so much about taking responsibility for my actions, treating people with love and respect, and the amazing benefits of conversation. Please enjoy the TED talk above about hard choices, and always remember that God will govern your choices.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

“Anything Goes” with the Grove City Theater Department

Each semester, the Grove City College theater department puts on a major production, as well as a few smaller theater performances with students from all disciplines. This fall’s performance was Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” – a musical filled with gangsters, sailors, and of course hopeless romantics. Weeks of preparation and hard work by the cast and crew, sound and lighting technicians, and orchestra pit performers, went into creating this amazing show.

“Anything Goes” is a well-loved show about many outspoken characters on a ship from New York to London searching for love, money, and an entertaining time. The main character Hope Harcourt was played by freshman Jordan Luntz. This was Jordan’s first production at Grove City College, and as a mechanical engineering major it was a bit of a handful. “I was worried that coming to college as a mechanical engineering major, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be as involved as I would like,” Jordan explained, “but Grove City is a truly special place with truly special people that made my production easy and enjoyable.” As an underclassman, she explained how many upperclassmen and directors helped teach and encourage her to make the production an easy and enjoyable experience. “The entire cast was accepting and just a pure joy to share the stage with. They did their best to work with my schedule and make my life as easy as possible,” she said.

Our theater department goes far beyond actors and technicians, and there are many opportunities for students to get involved in ways that are convenient to them. Senior Jonathan Fisher is a communications major with a passion for theater. Jonathan was able to give some insight about what it’s like behind the scenes of larger productions, specifically as a spotlight operator. Jonathan explained how he felt right at home with the cast and crew, even as a spotlight operator. He said, “we had a lot of fun bonding, even if it was just over pre-show meetings.” Jonathan discussed his first experience with theater and how his roles have changed over the years. “When I first came into the theater program, I was so focused on acting but it did not work out as planned, and I did not want to be backstage,” Jonathan said, “But I ended up having to do some tech things for classes I was taking, and I realized when you do tech you are involved. You are the cast and crew.” The flexibility and skills in the technical part of the show was something Jonathan was happy to contribute to and greatly enjoyed.

Being in any large scale production is tons of hard work and a huge commitment, and can definitely be a strenuous process. At the end of each tech rehearsal week, Grove City cast and crew meet and give senior speeches for those who are graduating and want to give last pieces of advice. Jonathan explained, “Something that my friend Sarah Giesler said stuck with me, and that was to choose joy. Especially during tech week, Christ is the reason we can choose joy over the stress so we can  choose to look to him.” It is so important in those moments to come together to pray and encourage one another. It is such a blessing to work with a theater department that takes so much care and consideration to appreciate one another and all the work it takes to putting on an excellent show.

Along with all the hard work, this cast had just as much fun, especially making this video in their time between scenes. Enjoy the students of the theater department!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

How to Choose From Majors and Minors

Discovering what you want to major in is a difficult decision. However, did you know there are 42 possible options for choosing a minor? A minor is similar to a major, the biggest difference is the number of credit hours it takes to achieve it. Choosing a minor is a great option for a student to consider if you want to extend your studies – or if you don’t want to choose just one area to focus in.

Like any big decision, there are good sides and bad sides to pursuing a minor. The good things include a more well-rounded concentration or distinction in what you choose to study. There are many minors that highly compliment certain majors. For example, a Classical Studies minor goes well with an Education major because it shows a specific area of interest in teaching. Similarly, a National Security Studies minor goes well with a Political Science major if you have an interest in government careers. This also spreads into the STEM majors, where you could major in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, or major in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. Another great perk about minors is that you do not have to declare your minor at any specific time. After taking a few classes and getting a feel for what your major entails, one can then discuss with an academic adviser the next steps to possibly declaring a minor.

majors and minors

There is one possible down side to declaring a minor. Most minors require at least 18 credit hours to be completed, and sometimes more. Consequently, most of your elective hours will be taken up by your minor. This is not necessarily a down side if you have a specific minor in mind that you know you want to pursue. If you are unsure of your minor and just want to try out a few classes outside of your major before deciding, you might run out of credit hours available to achieve a minor in time. In order to avoid this, it is best to get your core classes and required humanities electives completed in your first few semesters before taking outside electives. The best thing you can do is meet with professors outside of your major and ask questions about classes and expectations, then begin taking classes that would go towards achieving a minor.

The Registrar’s website has all the information you need to see what courses fall under each minor, and how many courses are required for each minor. Some of the most popular minors here at Grove City are Communications, Spanish, and Philosophy. There are many options to choose from that can highlight your specific skills and interests. Be sure to ask questions and explore other classes to find the career path that best suits you.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Media Jobs on Campus Where Students Run the Show

media services technicans

               There are many awesome opportunities for students to work on-campus jobs to get some experience during the school year. While most are fairly low key and relaxing, other jobs allow you to get your first real-world work experience in a field that could become your long-term career. Grove City’s Media Services Office hires student technicians to work campus events such as concerts, dances, and lectures – and even run chapel services.

media services homecoming setup
Homecoming Dance Setup

               As a technician and office coordinator for Media Services myself, I have had two great years of learning about media technology and working with students from many different backgrounds to create some amazing setups. With our growing team of 19 student technicians, we get plenty of opportunities to learn from one another and our different academic backgrounds.

I had the chance to interview senior Casey Latario who has been involved with media services for two years through a friends’ recommendation to apply. He enjoys working various events, but one of his favorites was setting up for the Keith and Kristin Getty Concert hosted this fall. Casey discussed, “As a biology major, I see that there are engineering techs who are super technically minded and not the best at communicating, but the other techs with different majors are better at communication and they complement each other.” Since Casey is also apart of other groups on campus, including the Adelphikos fraternity, he is able to use his talents and abilities in media production to help his fraternity out during open houses. Casey explained how he got to use the lighting truss for his fraternity open house. Because he knew how to use what they needed, it was convenient. He went on to say, “It was nice to be able to use the equipment for our group’s own events.”media services technician

While there are so many different skill sets among technicians, there is a great appeal to mechanical and electrical engineers for the hands-on experience related to their field. Senior Erik Azevedo is a mechanical engineering major who became interested in Media Services after attending a dance freshman year. “I’ve always been interested at a young age in media,” says Erik, “I also did sound for my church and enjoy making electronic music.” As a part of our learning process for Media Services, there are senior positions where students can specialize in a particular skill set like video, audio, lighting, and equipment. As the senior lighting technician, Erik prefers working larger dances or coffee concerts on campus with the freedom to run the lighting board. He said, “You get hands on experience and every event is different. You have to use skills that you learn, but there is an element of creativity to it.”

One of the best things both Casey and Erik agreed upon is the benefit of the diverse team where everyone can use their skills to put together a great show. The photos displayed throughout this post show different activities the Media Services team does on a monthly to weekly basis, including the Homecoming dance and live mixing for coffee concerts. The great thing about a campus job such as this is the flexibility in scheduling, as well as hands-on experience that is guaranteed in learning about campus events. 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Are You a Film Lover? You Need a Dr. Miller Class

In all honesty, there are too many days where I wish my homework would consist of Netflix instead of organic chemical equations. Not that there’s anything wrong with chemistry, but there certainly isn’t anything wrong with movies either. Good thing Dr. Miller thinks so too – with classes like Christian Faith & Cinema, Screenwriting, and Film Theory & History, you can learn about and watch movies in class and for homework.

K.MillerThe Communications discipline is full of diverse areas of concentration, including the study of film. I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Kimberly Miller, professor and academic advisor to Communications students, who has a passion for teaching and writing film. Dr. Miller has been teaching at Grove City College for over 10 years, and is a wonderful resource in teaching students about the importance of the history and industry of film in our lives.

When I asked Dr. Miller why she chose to teach at Grove City, I was surprised to hear she really never planned on teaching at all. “I studied English writing in college,” she explained, “but I had a professor who asked me to fill in on teaching her film class one day [after graduation] and I just loved the students and their excitement to talk about advanced film theory.” Born and raised in Western PA, Dr. Miller naturally felt at home in Grove City and was amazed at the support and encouragement she received to begin teaching in the Communications department.

With the broadness of the communications discipline, Dr. Miller pointed out, “Flexibility is huge. Our classes support each other and allow for transferable skills to help figure out our paths.” Many classes and electives offered within communications include writing, presentation, and creativity skills that can be used in class and in the real world. Dr. Miller places a huge value in internships as “an opportunity to test drive your career path, and also be flexible to learn the field.” Taking the transferable skills utilized in the classroom to a professional work environment is a great way to prepare yourself for what the industry entails.

The idea of using a communications degree as a way to get involved with film is not something you might expect at a private Christian liberal arts college. One of the great things about offering film courses with the Communications degree is the variety it offers in a new way of writing and telling stories. Dr. Miller explained, “Film used to be a required course, but now it’s a choice elective. People would always ask ‘why do we have to take it?’ If you don’t love film that’s fine, but historically film has impacted us so much.” Even though it’s fun to watch movies for homework and analyze characters, film goes beyond Netflix culture. She continues, “Film tells stories, it’s a cultural language that we can all appreciate. It isn’t a mindless activity.”

Dr. Miller’s film classes are rather popular and often appeal to non-Communications majors. She said she frequently gets biology, political science, and education majors in film classes looking to improve writing and understand how to use film as a learning tool. Dr. Miller elaborated on how the department is focused on including the technical side of communications saying, “We’re looking forward to encouraging more internships and making yourself more marketable. As you take on a lot of things, having practical experience can support the theoretical side of Communications.”

Along with her love of film and enjoying movies with her family, Dr. Miller also relaxes by making jewelry. Whether it’s whipping up a pair of earrings as a gift to a friend or attending a craft show, Dr. Miller appreciated expressing creativity in and outside of the classroom. So whether you need a great movie suggestion, writing inspiration, or just a great person to talk to, Dr. Miller is an amazing asset to the Grove City family.

Interested in pursuing film or photography as a career path? Read about some possibilities here on various jobs in the media industry.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

So Now What? A Career Spotlight on Engineering Majors

engineering building

Did you know that one of the top 5 most popular areas of study at Grove City College is the engineering program? We have majors in electrical & mechanical engineering that offer students a wide variety of classes that lead to various fields and specifications in engineering.

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to look at the Communications Spotlight to get a feel for how students have discovered their passions through major classes. This spotlight focuses on electrical and mechanical engineering majors and their experiences in deciding career paths. Here are some students’ thoughts on what type of career paths engineering has to offer.

 

What do you want to do with your Engineering degree?

“I want to have a job that involves engineering as well as communications that might not have the technical knowledge of an engineering degree. I really enjoy public speaking and making presentations, which a lot of other engineers tend to shy away from. I also like the idea of taking a complex engineering idea and putting it in simpler terms that anyone can gain a basic understanding from. My dream job would be simplifying and presenting engineering ideas to business leaders or potential customers interested in an engineering design or product.“ 

-Senior Electrical Engineering major Mathieu Vavro

 

“I’ve been considering a software engineering position with my degree. GCC classes helped me figure out what I wanted to do and what I’m good at, specifically computer science classes.” 

-Senior Electrical Engineering major Braden Ritts

 

“I am not 100% sure what area of the engineering field I want to have a career in, but I do know two things I want to achieve in a career.  I want my skills and knowledge to better the world and its people, and I want to travel.  Ideally I would like to live abroad for an extended period of time.  The Grove City environment has inspired me to impact the world for the better. I want to be able to use my skills to change lives and leave a mark in a positive way.”

-Senior Electrical Engineering major Justine Stanszewski

 

“Upon graduation I plan on working for a year or two in the aerospace industry as a systems engineer. During that time I plan on applying to medical school. The GCC environment contributed to this decision through mentorship from professors as well as discussions with students who have similar interests.”

-Senior Mechanical Engineering major Justin Burke

 

“I have only had professional experience in the automation industry with my internship, so I know that I am interested in a full time career in something related to that field. I also took a Practical Circuit Design course last semester and really enjoyed everything that I learned in it; so I am very interested in a position where I would be doing circuit design full time as well. There are just so many fields to get into that it makes finding a “niche” extremely difficult; but there have been classes that taught me exactly what I do NOT want a career in!”

-Senior Electrical Engineering major Eric Martin

 

“Engineering” is as general a term as “communications” when it comes to diversity in majors and career paths. Grove City College offers students the opportunity to extend their interests and involvements with their majors through multiple organizations in different environments outside of the classroom.

My hope in presenting these career spotlights is to open the door to relating majors that seem completely unrelated so that students can bring their skill sets together to recognize the importance of diverse fields of study. 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

So Now What? A Career Spotlight on Communications Majors

We all come to the point in our lives where we have to decide what we want to be when we grow up on a practical level. We are constantly asking ourselves, “Now what?” What do I actually want to do with my life and what can I do to realistically make that happen? As a college senior, figuring out what to do with my life is beyond pertinent at this point. The best thing about college has been discovering how to use passions and turn them into a career. This is a career spotlight on what it is like to be a Communication Studies major.

In pursuing my undergraduate degree in Communication Studies and Visual Arts, I’ve learned that there are so many different fields for students who are great writers and communicators. Some of the more common career paths with Communications might be journalism, broadcasting, marketing, design, or public relations. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazingly diverse students here and have recently asked to do a career spotlight on how their college experiences have helped them decide their future career goals.

 

What Do You Want To Do With Your Communications Degree?

“I have looked into the field of local journalism and enjoyed getting to know people in different communities that have amazing stories to tell. I love the idea of getting many people excited for a common cause. The great thing about the GCC environment is that there are multiple on-campus activities that give you experience. For example, I wouldn’t have been nearly as prepared for my journalism internship this summer if it wasn’t for the opportunity I had to write for the school newspaper, The Collegian.”

-Senior Communications major Jonathan Fisher

 

“Communication Studies is such a broad major, and that’s one of the things that first attracted me to it. I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with it, but the freedom to choose from so many options was so freeing to me. I want to use my Communications degree to work in event planning and/or public relations. One of the most important aspects of a communications major, is the ability to communicate effectively with other people. The GCC environment has been helpful in my interpretation of the major because I’ve gotten to talk to many different people with interesting and unique perspectives of where their careers are headed”

-Junior Communications major Rachel Riviere

 

“I want to get involved in law enforcement using my degree with the hope of working at the federal level someday. The professors here at GCC have been truly supportive of me when I discuss my future career plans with them. They have written me several recommendation letters and have provided applicable advice”

-Senior Communications major Ethan Paszko

 

“While I’m not positive about what I’d like to do with my Communication degree, GCC has definitely provided me with pretty diverse options. I’ve had the opportunity to take classes like Crisis Communication and Organizational Communication, and look forward to taking PR and a film class next semester. I think coming into contact with the ideas presented in the individual classes I’ve taken has helped guide me in the general direction I’d like to go—it even got me interested in the internship I just finished up!”

-Senior Communications major Sarah Myers

 

“I’d love to take my Communication Studies degree and go into the field of Public Relations for theater companies. I worked with Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) this summer and got hands-on experience…. I fell in love with the idea of passionately promoting a field that is so steeped in human history. Grove City College has prepared me well for a job in public relations for theater in several ways and through the encouragement of many different people.”

-Junior Communications major Courtney Moletz

 

There are so many unique gifts and talents God gives us to explore. We are encouraged to go further than the classroom to learn about what a job might look like and get hands-on experience. The Communications department offers many different classes and programs to give students an opportunity to explore what to focus on with a broad degree. These students have been determined to discover how God can use their gifts to put them in the careers He has planned for their lives.

For more information on Communications based careers, check out One Day One Job to learn about options.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

You Know You’re a Communications Major When…

radio broadcast photo

As a prospective student, you might be asking yourself what exactly a Communication Studies major is? You know what a journalist, broadcaster, and writer does, but how does that fall under one general “Communications” degree?

When I first began my college search, I had no idea what I wanted to do or even if college was the path I was supposed to take. I knew that I liked writing, so I considered studying English. Then I thought no, too many books and old authors I don’t care about. What about my passions for theater and singing – maybe I could be a music major? Then I realized I can’t play an instrument, nor did I have the patience to learn. I also loved learning French in high school, but could I really become fluent? How can I combine writing, public performance, and communicating with people on a professional level?

Discovering Communications was the answer that combined all my interests. The Communications degree is wonderful because it is broad enough for you to try multiple things, but also allows opportunities to narrow your focus.  I have had the chance to take classes in the fields of business, marketing, art, Christian ministry, foreign language, journalism, and many more dynamic fields that a Communications degree has to offer. I found my niche in Communications because I realized that everyone has a different goal or passion, but with a like-minded, creative mindset that utilizes each unique skill specifically.

By learning in an environment with people similar to me, I’ve become more vulnerable in the classroom. It’s easy to communicate with others who love to get better at communicating, and Grove City has taught me how it feels to actually start caring about what you’re learning. So allow me to share with you some “typical Comm. major” things that you might relate with. If you enjoy..

  1. Reading or writing blogs
  2. Watching and critiquing movies & wish Netflix could be a career (hello, film class).
  3. Using social media for more than your friends’ profiles
  4. Listening to and watching sports broadcasts
  5. Doodling in your spare time and want a way to pursue art
  6. Finding wisdom through TED talks.

Be sure to take serious thought into how you can realistically pursue your passion and turn it into a degree. If you’ve never heard of TED, this is a great source to listen to other scholars about ideas, career paths, and almost anything you might find interesting. In the meantime, check out this great talk about how to be a better communicator.