Author: Stephanie Millage

I am a senior Business Management major who enjoys crochet, traveling, and all things historical.
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All About Student Parking

Campus Map with Circled Student Parking Lots

A common question that most prospective students have is “How about parking? How does that work for students?”

According to the Grove City College website, “the privilege of maintaining a vehicle on campus is extended to faculty, employees, students who are sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and commuter students. Freshmen are not permitted to have vehicles on campus except for specific reasons outlined below and approved by the Office of Campus Safety.” Details about freshmen vehicle restrictions can be found here:

http://bit.ly/2i2lGLs

Since freshmen typically do not have cars except for approved reasons, how do freshmen get around? Freshmen typically do not need a car since the Main Street of Grove City is within walking distance. A 21 meal plan is included in room and board costs, so there is no need to buy food. If students wish to eat off campus there are many options within walking distance which include: Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Subway, and a local coffee shop and ice cream parlor. As far as basic necessities, there is a RiteAid within walking distance as well. Walmart is about a four-mile walk, but many freshmen are able to hitch a ride for a Walmart run with upperclassmen. Entertainment is also a short walk away as there is a movie theater called The Guthrie on Main Street.

Probably the biggest challenge for freshmen without cars is getting home on breaks. Many students live in other states and need to get to the airport. Grove City College offers shuttle services to the airport during breaks such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as at the end and beginning of each semester. There are also ride-share boards on the school website. Some students use the online student directory to locate students who live close to their hometowns and then contact them to carpool. As you can see, there are many options for students to get where they need to go.

As for upperclassmen, we are able to buy a parking permit for the year. Parking permits are purchased by students on my.gcc.edu under the “sign-up” tab. The parking application is very simple to fill out and the parking sticker will then be sent to your school mailbox. The parking sticker is valid for a year. A benefit to buying a parking permit is that you can then add temporary parking permits to your account. For example, I had my car registered for a parking permit, but my car was in the shop getting fixed so I had my dad’s car for a few weeks. I was able to go online and create a printable temporary parking pass to place on the dashboard of my dad’s car at no cost.

Students who live on campus are required to park in the assigned student parking lots. In the above campus map, the student parking lots are the circled areas. Are the parking lots full? No, there has always been a spot for me to park in when I return back to campus. Granted, I may have to park at the far end of the parking lot, but it is great because I do not have to wander all around campus looking for a place to park.

Parking at Grove City College is a simple process and there is always a spot to place your car. Even though freshmen typically do not own cars, there is not a high need for a car and upperclassmen are always happy to give them a ride when they need one.

 

 

 

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EKG Using an Oscilloscope Lab

This semester in Dr. Chu’s Linear Circuit Lab, sophomore Electrical Engineering majors were able to build a simple circuit to measure EKG.  Electrocardiography (EKG) is used to measure electrical activity of a heartbeat. EKGs are a widely used tool to diagnose cardiac diseases.

Students assembled the circuit by following a given circuit diagram. The circuit was attached to an oscilloscope, which is a device used to measure electronic waveforms. The students then attached two electrodes on the test patient’s chest. The oscilloscope displayed the EKG reading.

Theo Stangebye was one of the volunteer “patients.”
The circuit board.
The circuit board attached to the oscilloscope.

 

 

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Girl Scouts Come to Grove City College

Working on tangram puzzles.

This year, 13 girls from the Grove City Girl Scout Service Unit came to Grove City College to earn their robot badges. Girl Scouts has added some new badges this year. They include: showcasing robots, programming robots, and designing robots. The group contacted Grove City College for assistance in obtaining these badges.

Dr. Mohr, Professor of Electrical Engineering, said that the engineering department had some Lego Mindstorm robot kits that had been used previously for an Introduction to Engineering class. Since the kits were not being utilized, the College provided the kits to the Girl Scouts. The kits included wheels and motors, a computer brain called “the brick”, and an ultrasonic range sensor that measures distance.

Once a week for four weeks, the 4th grade girls came to Grove City College to work on designing, programming, and testing their robots. The goal was to be able to program the robot to stop before hitting a wall and then turn around and go another direction. The first week involved introductions and an overview. The second week was building the robot. The girls were split into four groups of three or four and came up with a design plan. The third week involved creating tangrams and writing instructions for others to solve the puzzle to practice programming. The final week was programming the robots on the computer using the software provided by the kit.

Programming the robot.
This robot features a “unicorn horn.”
The completed robot.

 

 

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Senior Engineering Design Project: Mobile Greenhouse

From left to right: Evan Smith, Jeffrey Swartzlander, and Seth Hall.

Every spring, seniors in both the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering are required to showcase what they have learned through a Senior Design Project. I met with the Mobile Greenhouse team to see what their project looks like. The team consists of five Electrical Engineering majors and their tasks include:

  • Jeffrey Swartzlander – treasurer, primary programmer
  • Seth Hall – secretary, assistant programmer
  • Evan Smith – group facilitator
  • Lige Counce – team leader
  • Kaleb Dekker – liaison between professors and the group
    Requirements for the project.

The project is a redesign of the mobile greenhouse developed from a 2014-2015 Senior Design Project. Dr. Jan Dudt from the Biology Department is the customer for this project. The greenhouse will be used in class for demonstrations and for experiments to be easily observed. Since the unit is portable, it will be stored in the basement of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) building to limit exposure from outside light sources. The previous team created the framework for the project but many elements such as the heating element, lighting, and humidity fans are not working properly. The purpose of the project is to fix these issues to provide an environment for plants to grow with proper lighting, heating, humidity, and irrigation.

Currently, the group is past most of the design stages and is now working on the heavy testing. They have ordered the fans for dehumidification and are attaching more heating sensors, since there are only four currently. The team says that staying within the $1,500 budget is not a challenge. The challenge involves restrictions inherited from the previous design, such as the design of the greenhouse itself.

Best of luck to the team! I am excited to see how the project turns out.

The mobile greenhouse.

 

 

 

 

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Engineering Senior Design Project: Underwater Robot

The preliminary design of the robot.
The Underwater Robot team during one of their meetings.

Every spring, seniors in the engineering department are required to showcase what they have  learned through a Senior Design Project.  JD Elsey, a senior Electrical Engineering major, spoke about his group’s Senior Design Project: Creating an underwater robot.

How many people are in your group?

We have five Electrical Engineering students and six Mechanical Engineering students for a total of 11 team members. We are also working with the Grove City College Robotics Club on some aspects of the design and will be working more with them on testing and feedback as we make progress.

Does each member have a specific role?

Because we are running a joint project, our team roles are somewhat complicated. The electrical and mechanical teams each have our own managerial roles, with only a couple managerial roles over the entire joint team. As far as technical roles go, we are divided into subcommittees per project piece. In other words, we have a team on the frame, a team on the motors, a team on the power system, a team on the control system, etc.

What is your project?

Our project is to design Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for use in the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) international competition for 2018.

https://www.marinetech.org/rov-competition-2/

What is the purpose of the project?

The purpose of the project is to produce an ROV to complete a series of three tasks set forth in the MATE 2018 competition specification. For us, this means we need to manipulate objects and interface/communicate with several electrical components underwater.

https://www.marinetech.org/missions-specs–scoring/

According to the MATE website, “the 2018 MATE competition highlights the role that ROVs play in supporting underwater archaeology, seismology, and renewable energy activities in the Pacific Northwest.”

What is the most challenging aspect of designing the project?

The most challenging aspect of our project is trying to play catch-up on the core components. We are in a position where we are going to have to redesign the entire project from the ground up. We need a solid, fully functional frame and motor system before we can focus on the more detailed aspects of the project.

How much of the project have you completed?

At this point, we have completed a preliminary frame design and we are currently underway on testing improved components of the electrical control and power systems.

What is the next step?

The next step is to complete the electrical evaluation, motor tests, and begin constructing the frame.

The members of the team and their roles include:

  • Justin Hullenbaugh – MECE, thrusters, secretary
  • David Fritts – EE, power distribution, editing
  • Christian Fifield – MECE, thrusters
  • Paige Foley – MECE, electrical housing and frame
  • Laura Kroening – MECE, electrical housing and frame
  • Ben Green – junior Computer Science major, president of robotics club
  • Mike Bright – project advisor
  • Evan Kovacs – EE, motor driver hardware and thruster interfacing
  • Domenic Rodriguez – EE, control systems and software
  • Ryan Krouse – EE, financial, optics and thrusters
  • Danny Downward – MECE, manipulator, MECE team leader
  • Ray Bromen – MECE, manipulator
  • JD Elsey – EE, project lead, power distribution and surface controls
The preliminary design of the robot

I also sat in on a weekly meeting. The discussion that week involved determining what cameras and rubber to use, as well as a presentation by Christian on the thrusters. Working to stay on the budget of $3,500 is also another aspect the team must take into consideration. Good luck to the team this year, I am excited to see how the finished product turns out!

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It is Finals Week!

It is the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, finals week is fast approaching. While some students dread finals week, others say that it is their favorite time of the semester. Why is that? It is the time where there is a whole day reserved in the middle of the week to study, called Study Day.  There are no other assignments due and just some tests to take. Once the final test is over, a feeling of relief comes over me. I am done with that class forever!

So how do finals work at Grove City College? Below is the final exam schedule for this semester. Every professor is required to give a final exam.  Exam week begins with night class exams being held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. Thursday is Study Day. Study Day is great because there are no other activities scheduled and the buildings on campus are all open for students to utilize. If you get up early, you can choose the best spot to study. The rest of the exams are then held on Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. Final exams have a two-hour time limit, though in many of the exams I have taken I do not need the full two hours.

 

As a senior, I will list the pros and cons of finals week from my experience here at Grove City College.

Pros:

-Not easy to get distracted because there are no other assignments due

-Just focus on studying

-No other activities or events are planned

-Study Day is essentially a “free day”

-Can study anywhere

-Many churches open their doors and allow students to study there

-Once you finish the final exam, you are done with the class!

-Winter break is approaching soon!

-You can take the exam as fast as you would like, and then leave when finished

-No more homework or assignments

Cons:

-You do have to take a bunch of tests

-More material to memorize since it is comprehensive

-So many essays!

-A two-hour time limit may be not long enough for some students

-Not much social time since everyone is studying

-Can get boring if you have already studied and there is nothing else to do on campus

-We get out later than most schools for winter break

-Possible bad weather

-If you make some friends in that class, you may not have class with them again

-You may really enjoy the class and not want it to end

 

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A Look Inside: Vespers All Saints’ Day Service

Every year, Grove City College holds an All Saint’s Day Service the Sunday before November 1st.  All Saint’s Day is a celebration of the saints in the church, those who have glorified God through their lives and have made a positive impact in the realm of Christianity. This year, the Vespers service was held on October 29th at 6:30 p.m. in Harbison Chapel.

The service began with the Chapel Choir leading the processional hymn “For All the Saints Who From Their Labor Rest.” The officiant for the service was Rev. Ronald J. Baillie. Rev. Baillie has been an Anglican priest for 50 years, serving in the diocese of two parishes in Pittsburgh. He is currently the Rector of St. Thomas Anglican Church in Gibsonia, PA.

The Chapel Choir sang excerpts from Vivaldi’s concert Gloria, as well as Nunc Dimittis by John Rutter. Nunc Dimittis is Latin for “now let depart” and is taken from Luke 2:29-32 which says, “Lord, now lettest thou servant depart in peace: according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.” The Chamber Singers were also present and sang a Latin piece by John Rutter entitled Magnificat. The echoing tones rang throughout the chapel. It was beautiful.

The sermon preached by Rev. Baillie was entitled, “I mean to be one, too!”  “And so today, as we recognize those who have gone on before us, we actually celebrate the unity of the body of Christ throughout all time. And the rest of the community turns out to be very very large indeed… On All Saints Day, we remember those individuals that we have lost to death in the past year. It gives us a moment to grieve those who have past, but it also gives thanksgiving for the life and their place now among the saints that are all there gathering in the presence of God. Rev. Baillie says how loss comes in many forms. Loss can come from disappointment at work, home, and school. All Saints Day is the time to reflect on the losses we have experienced in the past year, in whatever form the loss has come in. Saints are not only those put on pedestals in the church, but all of us should be saints too because of the grace of God. “To be a saint, you need not be famous, or perfect, or dead.  You just have to be yourself…that God created you to be…To embrace your capacity, the world, and to shine your little light like the sun.” Rev. Baillie then called everyone to remember the saints in our lives. Those who have main a positive impact and influenced us for the better are those we give thanks for.

The ending hymn entitled, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” by Lesbia Scott, was a song I had never heard before, but really enjoyed the lyrics:

“I sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true, who toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew.  And one was a doctor, and one was a queen, and one was a shepherdess on the green: they were all of them saints of God, and I mean, God helping to be one too.”

 

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Churches Around Grove City

First Baptist Church

Deciding what church to go to while in college can be a challenge.  Grove City College does not offer Sunday morning church services in Harbison Chapel. The reason is to have students get involved in the local community and to interact with those from their particular denomination. According to Admissions, “Grove City College is not affiliated with any denomination. Because students and faculty come from a wide variety of backgrounds, the College is best described as a broadly evangelical Christian institution.” Sunday mornings give students the opportunity to join a local congregation outside of Grove City College. Grove City College does offer Sunday evening services in Harbison Chapel at 6:30 p.m called Vespers. Dr. Keehlwetter, dean of the Chapel, is preaching a sermon series this semester during Vespers based on the life of Elijah, the prophet.

As a senior, I have done my share of church hopping through the years. I enjoy attending various churches and experiencing what each one has to offer. I will share a handful of the churches that I have visited, as well as some of the programs that each one has to offer.

East Main Presbyterian

The denomination of East Main is ECO (Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians). I have visited this church often. It is a 10-minute walk from campus which is convenient since freshmen are not allowed to have cars on campus. There is a traditional service at 9 a.m. which includes various choirs, traditional hymns, and organ playing. The 11 a.m. service involves more contemporary music and a band. The sermon, however, is the same regardless of what service time you attend. There is also a College Sunday School meeting at 10:05. I like this church because the attendance is quite large (many college students attend), there is a wide variety of ages in the congregation, and there is a Sunday School class just for college students. To find out more information visit: eastmainpc.org

First Baptist Church

I have also enjoyed attending First Baptist Church in Grove City. It is about a 10-minute drive from Grove City College. A van comes to campus to pick up students for both Sunday School and church if students do not have a car. There is Sunday School at 9:45, followed by a traditional church service at 11 a.m. There is also Sunday night worship at 6 p.m. and during the week  there is  a Bible study for college students. This church also has a healthy attendance. I appreciated the welcoming atmosphere and strong sermons taught here. When I visited here for the first time, I was greeted by more people than I had been greeted before in any other church I have visited. To find out more information visit: fbcgrovecity.org

Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church

This church is a member of the OPC (Orthodox Presbytery Church). It is located directly behind East Main Presbyterian, about a 10-minute walk from campus. I visited this church with some friends last semester. There is a large Sunday School service at 10am and then morning worship at 10:55 a.m. An evening service is also held at 6 p.m. There is no college Sunday School, but one adult class which is for high school students to adults. The church service is traditional, and many college students attend since it is within walking distance. My favorite thing about attending this church was the high-level of college students in attendance and the solid sermon. To find out more information visit: covenantopcgc.org/

Many other churches that are not within walking distance offer vans to take students to church. A complete list of local churches in the area can be found at:

http://www.gcc.edu/Home/Faith-Purpose/Campus-Ministries/Local-Churches

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Freshmen Fitness Class: What is It?

The new Fitwell uniforms.

Entering my freshmen year at Grove City College, I knew that there was a required fitness course, but I had no idea what to expect. I figured it would be some sort of unorganized mess of putting students in a gym and having us play various sports for the required 50 minutes, twice a week. However, my expectations were wrong. The required fitness course is called “Fitwell” and is very organized.

According to the Department of Physical Education, “The required Fitness and Wellness courses for both men and women are designed to give each incoming student an awareness of personal fitness and wellness. The evaluation process for each student is comprised of written examinations, skill tests, special projects, swimming evaluations, and fitness appraisals. The ultimate goal is to provide an opportunity for each student to develop a personal responsibility for his/her own lifestyle.”

Fitwell is a one-credit course which freshmen will take both their fall and spring semester. The first section of the course covers about half of the fall semester. It is lecture based, and men and women are split up. In the lecture section, I learned about nutrition, injuries, living a healthy lifestyle, and health disorders. I also had to complete a weekly meal log and recorded all of my meals for a week. Then I looked at the nutrition breakdown charts and compared them to the suggested calories for my specific height, weight, and activity level. It made me more aware of what I was eating and how it is a choice of whether to eat healthy.

The second half of the first semester, and the rest of the spring semester is lab based. Students will pick their top lab choices and then will go to work-out during the allotted time for Fitwell. There are many choices which include: circuit training, swimming, aerobic conditioning, walk/jog/run, weightlifting, and more.

The first lab I chose was circuit training. This involved high-intensity workouts for about 60 second intervals. Some of the stations included: step ups, jump rope, and planks. Circuit training is used to increase endurance and stamina. For the end of the lab, we had to come up with our own circuit training program. We had to take pictures of the various exercises and decide how many reps to complete. I enjoyed this lab because it was a great workout and changing stations made the workouts interesting.

The second lab I did was called aerobic conditioning. It involved longer workout sessions. One of the workouts we did were kickboxing, we watched a video and followed along. At the end of every workout, we measured our heartrate to see if we were in the target range for our specific age group. I also enjoyed this lab because of the wide variety of workouts and the longer workout sessions.

The last lab I did was walk/jog/run. This was a more individualized course because we went at our own pace and counted how many laps we completed in a certain amount of time. We also ran the mile at the beginning of the course, and then tried to improve on that time by the end of the course. I enjoyed this lab because it was so individualized, and inside the gym there is a track which made it easy to know how far I had run.

Overall, Fitwell is a great way to meet new people in the freshman class and get a break from the lecture atmosphere!

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Big News: Free Laundry!

Free laundry! Yes, this year at Grove City College, the laundry is included in tuition. No longer will students need to add money to their ID card or search for quarters in their drawers. “It’s amazing! I don’t have to pay for laundry anymore!” says Abby Jopek, a sophomore.

Not only is there no charge for laundry, the laundry rooms have also been updated and new washers and dryers have been installed over the summer. According to Operations, “the washing machines and dryers in Hicks, Memorial, Lincoln, Hopeman, Ketler, Alumni, Harker, MAP North and MAP South have been replaced. These laundry rooms were also cleaned and painted. MEP and MAP West’s washers and dryers were previously replaced and painted approximately one year ago.”

Laundry rooms are located in every dorm building, typically on every floor. The freshmen woman’s dorm hall, for example, has two washers and two dryers on every floor. The washers and dryers are very simple to use. According to the instructions posted on the wall, the washers are High-Efficiency, so it is suggested to use detergent that has a HE label. Simply put your clothes in the washer, add the detergent, select the cycle, and press go! No more inserting coins or running to the Student Union to add money to your ID card. I remember on many occasions last year, putting my laundry in the machines and not having enough money on my ID card to start the cycle. It was the middle of winter and snow covered the ground. I made the trek to the Student Union to add cash to my ID card, and then returned to start laundry. Thankfully, I do not even have to worry now about how much money is on my card!

The laundry facilities are also high tech. Many times in previous years, I found myself hauling my full laundry bag to the laundry room, only to find all the washers full. I would then proceed to go up the stairs to the next laundry room, only to be met with the same dilemma again! However, this is no longer a problem thanks to the “LaundryView Mobile” which allows students to see on their phone what washers and dryers are available in every building. The app says which washer or dryer is empty, and if it is running, it says how much time is remaining in the cycle. There are also text notifications, where students can be notified when their laundry is finished.

New folding tables and baskets are also available for use. The benefit of having a table to fold clothes on is that it is a great place to place unclaimed laundry. Sometimes students forget about their clothing in the washers or dryers, so putting their finished clothes on the table is an acceptable way to free up space so others can do their laundry. There is also a basket designated in some laundry rooms for missing socks and miscellaneous clothing items.

Now, when it is time to do laundry, I do not worry about having to stuff the machine as full as possible to save $1. The new technology, new machines, and no charge laundry has been a great addition to Grove City College.