Category: Academics

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Inside the Economics Department

Before coming to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I had general interest in the area of business but did not want to commit to administration. My freshmen year, I entered as a Marketing major with little to no idea where I wanted to go. After taking microeconomics my freshmen year, I quickly realized that I had some interest in pursuing Economics as a degree. I am here to debunk some of the myths that surround being an economics major at Grove City College.

First off, I want to send some praise to the great professors that have made my four years a part of the Economics department so enjoyable. The first myth is that all the economics professors are boring and have little to no care for the students. This could not be more false as the economics professors have continually tried to make curriculum more interesting and more applicable. The professors treat their students like family, inviting classes over for dinner or the Herbeners’ famous spring picnic.

Another myth is that all economics majors do is math. This is wrong, especially in the Grove City curriculum. The economics program at Grove City approaches economics from a logical and mostly narrative understanding of human interaction. The last myth is maybe the most common. Many people will say that in order to succeed in the economics department at Grove City you must have prior knowledge of economics. This could not more wrong, and I would even go as far as saying it is better to go in with no exposure. Austrian economics is at some points abstract and helps to go in with an open mind. Overall, my experience in the economics department has been enjoyable and prepared me for my current job. If you are thinking about becoming an economics major, I recommend talking to a current major or one of the many professors.

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Luke’s Top 5 Favorite Classes at Grove

As a senior, I have began to look back and reflect on some of my favorite classes I have been able to take here at Grove City. To put them in order is an extremely difficult task. Grove City offers live changing classes in all majors to all students, and I will miss the unique opportunities each class offered. For the sake of listing the top 5, they will be in no particular order, these are simply my favorite classes I have taken. Ranking these would be a whole other challenge. My hope is to provide you with my general elective as well as my economics related classes I had to take.

  1. Old Testament History with Dr. Byun: I know I said I was not going to rank these but this one would definitely be my top contender. First off, Dr. Byun is easily one of the best professors on campus. This combined with his unique and vast knowledge of Old Testament history and outstanding course outline create an experience that allows you to really grasp the purpose of the Old Testament. Difficult questions are raised and answered with the help of course material and immense dedication to teaching students about Old Testament history.
  2. Econometrics with Dr. Fuller: Metrics was hands down the most challenging course I took at Grove. Every economics major is required to take this class, and it was the challenge that made it so rewarding. Econometrics simply is a hybrid between a high level statistics course and a high level economics course. Dr. Fuller’s young personality and vast knowledge make this class extremely fun but again difficult for most.
  3. Middle Eastern Politics with Dr. Kengor: MEP (Middle Eastern Politics) was a fantastic course taught by Dr. Paul Kengor, the chair of our political science department. What made this class a fantastic learning experience was the expertise of the instructor. Dr. Kengor’s teaching style is relatively laid back and might seem unprepared but this would be false. Kengor’s vast knowledge and preparation for each class is incredible, making this class a must-take.
  4. Courtship and Marriage with Dr. Bright: I am not in a relationship, and C&M with Dr. Bright was a fantastic class that taught me how to approach relationships from a biblical and Christian perspective. Dr. Bright is one of the nicest professors you will ever meet and truly a role model and someone you could tell anything to. Classes are interesting but still provide a challenge for its students.
  5. Stagecraft with Dan Wolfe: I am currently in Stagecraft and its been one of the most hands-on classes I have ever taken. Stagecraft is unlike any other course you will take on this campus but is extremely applicable. In Stagecraft, I have learned how to use power tools and have learned new approaches to the design process in theater productions. Dan is laid back and another great guy on campus to know that has produced TV shows and movies at the highest level and is a must take as a senior.
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Freshman Spotlight: Natalie Merrick

College is a time for students to step out of their comfort zone and explore. You have the freedom of living on your own and making your own decisions. Being at Grove City, this is the time where you find out more about yourself, find friends that will be with you throughout life, and where you can grow deeper in your faith, all while being surrounded by community.

Natalie Merrick is a freshman majoring in Exercise Science with a pre-physical therapy concentration, and minoring in Psychology. While her academics are time-consuming, she has learned to find a way to balance it while playing soccer at Grove City College. For Natalie, she grew up in the Cranberry Township area (about 30 minutes from campus) and knew of Grove City College from her sister going here and people in her high school. While she was looking at other colleges, she ultimately decided on Grove City because of the Christ-centered mission of the College and the soccer program.

Along with her major and being on the women’s soccer team, she is also a part of Homecoming Committee and the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority. Her best piece of advice when it comes to rushing different sororities is to check your heart constantly and form relationships with people to be their friend, not to be in the sorority. When it comes to sororities or fraternities, you want to make sure that you “vibe” with the people in the group as your true self, not having a persona.

When asked about the impact that Grove City College has had on her faith, Natalie said her faith has grown tremendously because of the people that she surrounds herself with at college. She was intentional when getting to know the seniors in her sorority and on her soccer team. She said “watching them walk with the Lord has encouraged me to do the same and I’ve found people who prioritize their relationship with Him and encourage me in my walk of faith.” She has found that her friendships here are ones that will stay throughout her life. When asked about the community at Grove City College, she said it is welcoming and inviting to everyone and encourages growth spiritually, academically, and socially.

The best piece of advice Natalie has for future underclassmen or prospective students is to “go into everything with open hands and find chances to grow and be challenged in your academics and faith.” Keep your eyes open to new things, people, and opportunities God places right in front of you. Whatever you decide to do in college or whatever happens, God is always with you to help guide you and provide for you. College can be the best time of your lives, so get involved with activities, groups, and get to know people who can help push you to be a better person overall.

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Sophomore Spotlight: Lucca Baccari

Whether you are a prospective student looking at Grove City College or you have decided to attend Grove City in the fall, college is a time for people to learn and grow. You may not know what the “college experience” looks like, but that is okay! The best advice you can get is hearing from current students who found ways to adapt to the college environment and succeed socially and academically.

Lucca Baccari, a sophomore mechanical engineer, decided on Grove City College not only because of the baseball team but because of the reputation of having strong academics and a small, tight-knit community surrounding the campus. When asked about adjusting to “college life” he said to schedule out your weeks so you know when assignments are due but also what events or activities are happening so you can go to them. This method works best for Lucca as he is very busy juggling his workload, baseball, and being in the Beta Sigma fraternity. Finding a balance between a sport and academics in college is difficult but he makes it work by planning ahead on the weekends and working ahead on assignments, especially when he is in season. His best piece of advice for student athletes is to “have good time management and not procrastinate on assignments. You don’t want to fall behind in academics or your sport because it can be hard to recover.”

When asked about the impact that Grove City College has had on his faith, Lucca said “It’s grown to a whole new level. You’re surround by people who have come from completely different walks of life who teach you different things to help you in your walk of faith.” Faith is important to campus life, but also to the community that surrounds the college. The community of Grove City focuses on “building each other up and creating a positive experience on campus, whether it be academically or socially.”

The best piece of advice Lucca has for prospective or incoming students is to “participate in campus life as much as possible. Not only does it benefit you by helping you meet people but continues to build the campus community.” Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone to meet people. The community at Grove City College creates many opportunities and experiences for people!

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Best Places to Study on Campus

A lot of your time will be spent studying and doing homework while at school, especially when you are just starting your college career, because you will want to get off to a good start. So, I will be giving you the best places to study on campus and the pros and cons of each study area.

Staley Hall of Arts and Letters

This is my go-to place to do work. It has a good balance of being social and being quiet enough to get all of your work done. This is the main academic building for the Calderwood school, which is the liberal arts school. You are able to sign out the classrooms and use them for studying from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. This is really helpful because you can get a room with friends and have a casual study session, or you can get a room alone and grind out a lot of work in one night in silence. This is the best for me because I like studying with friends so I can get a room and study without being a disturbance to others. There is also a common area in the lobby where you can do work at tables with friends, but that is meant to be quiet so it is good when you have a small amount of work to do by yourself.

Henry Buhl Library

Originally I would say that the Library is not the place to go to study, but with the new updates, it is great. They renovated the whole library, and even though it is not finished yet, it is a great place to study. There are new tables and chairs all over the place and it is very modern; however, if you like to study in groups and be loud then the library is not for you. There are now private rooms that you can get that allow you to talk a little bit, but those rooms get taken within seconds of the library opening. It is a good place to study and get a lot of work done.

Breen Student Union 

Do not come here if you need to actually get work done. I love the student union, and I spend a lot of time here throughout the day in between classes to get some casual work done while I am talking to my friends. It is very loud and kind of the hub for students in between classes. It does quiet down a little bit at night but it is still pretty loud and can be difficult to focus on. However, if you have a group project that you need to do then this is a good place to do that because you do not need to worry about disturbing anyone. The student union is a good place to catch up with people while doing some casual work, but do not go there if you have a huge exam the next morning, unless it is 3 a.m. and this is the only building open.

There are no bad places to study on campus, and these are definitely not the only places to do work on campus, but I thought that these are the most popular and they are some of my favorites. There are a lot of good places to study, and honestly, none of them are bad places to do work.

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My Experience Running a Business

Last semester, August 2021 to December 2021, I was in an Entrepreneur class called E-Commerce. The class focused on starting a business and selling a product in-person and online. I was on a team of four people, and we created Geodesy Bracelets, personalized, hand-stamped bracelets to help you remember your favorite place or phrase.

At the beginning of the class, every student pitched an idea and the class would choose their top five favorite ideas and form teams based on those ideas. As my team formed, we had an idea for the bracelets and assumed that it would be easy to make and good for people to buy. We wanted to have a metal oval with coordinates or words stamped on it, with multicolored cords to wrap around the wrist. We ordered all the needed materials and made the prototype, only to see that we did not like anything about it. We kept asking ourselves, “Who is going to buy this bracelet? There’s no way they’re going to want to spend more than $3 on this.” We faced a problem of having the prototype look and feel of low-quality. We could not figure out how else we could stamp coordinates or words and almost came up with an entirely different business idea. We all had to decide if we wanted to do a new business idea or pivot from our original idea. We decided to stick with our original idea, and we pivoted a lot from it, which only made our products better quality and more popular to customers. As we made our products, we created a website and social media accounts to allow customers to shop all of the products, read customers’ stories, and stay updated about sales. At the end of the semester, my group donated all of our profits to a Christian summer camp, Summer’s Best Two Weeks, which allows young athletes to live in community with each other and grow in their faith. We had personal connections to Summer’s Best Two Weeks, which made us work harder to help get more donations!

My experience with Geodesy Bracelets has been awesome, and I loved the class. The class allowed me to run a business in a short time and see the behind the scenes of it. I learned a lot about working with a team and discovering different ways to pivot when faced with a challenge. Starting a business is very time consuming and at times, it feels like it is not worth it. However, this class showed me that running a business is worth all the time and effort. Why? It is because you hear customer’s stories of why they purchased from your business or what their customized order meant to them.

When looking at different classes to take at Grove City College, whatever major you are, this class gives you a real-world experience of running your own business. It has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken.

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Alumni Spotlight: Alex Locher

Grove City College prepares its students for life after college well. Alex Locher graduated from the College in 2017 with a degree in Finance and Biblical and Religious Studies. Let us take a look at how Grove City College prepared Alex for his life post-graduation!

What did you study at Grove City and why did you choose to study it?

“I studied Finance and Biblical and Religious Studies (BARS) during my time at GCC.  I chose Finance because I knew I wanted to get into the business world from a career standpoint post-graduation. However, I also had a deep interest in furthering my spiritual development while in college, so I went the Biblical and Religious Studies route as well even though I wasn’t planning on pursuing a career in formal ministry.”

What is one thing you wish you did differently during your time at the Grove?

“Looking back, I wish I would have spent more time developing deeper relationships with my professors, as they were all great resources and wonderful people.”

How did Grove City College prepare you for the “real world?”

“My Finance major gave me a lot of valuable knowledge about the economy and the way different markets operate. The classes provided a solid foundation for me to expand upon as I worked as a finance specialist at PNC and now as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo.”

What is your favorite memory from college?

“My favorite memories from college came from rooming with my brother during my sophomore year. He was a senior that year and we both decided to join the Alpha Omega housing group. It was cool to be able to spend so much time together and have that shared experience while at school. I’ll hold on to those memories for a very long time.”

I hope after reading some of Alex’s experience from the College, you are encouraged. Alex provides just a small glimpse into many success stories of Grove City students post-graduation. Grove City College prepares its students well. The College, regardless of your major, provides excellent resources and education to its students to prepare them for life after school. Do not fear, an education from Grove City will prepare you for the real world. Whether you choose to do something related to your major or not, you will be one of the hardest working employees because of your education. Please take advantage, as Alex said, of the professors in your major as they are a phenomenal resource for your career path.

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Spring Chapel: Dr. Schaefer

Grove City College’s Dr. Schaefer, one of many esteemed members of Biblical and Religious Studies (BARS), delivered the message at Chapel on March 23. The message was based on Psalm 40:1-10, and Hebrews 10:5-10. Because the content of chapels was something that appealed to me when considering admissions, and because it is what many students here consider a highlight of their experience, the “Spring Chapel” series will summarize several of these chapels and relay what I as a student see as the key takeaways.

The connection that Dr. Schaefer draws between these passages is that Hebrews is a quotation of Psalm 40. Psalm 40 seems initially like a normal psalm of thanksgiving, but it is actually a lamentation. It is an expression of a clear and present crisis that David is experiencing. As he experiences this, he remembers a time of rescue; the specific instance isn’t clear, but David is recalling a time that he experienced helplessness and hopelessness and God faithfully drew him up out of this pit.

Verses 4-5 show David recognizing that in the midst of life and myriad experiences, hope can only be found in the one living God. The “multiplied wonderful deeds” inspire David to show that hope is trusting.

Verses 6-8 should be read as telling of God’s desire that the people of God reflect on their relationship with Him. The language is strong “here I am” and “I have come,” signifying the “here I am, I have come to do your will,” mentality that God desires his people have. This was certainly David’s spirit in writing Psalm 40.

Verses 9-10 contain David’s proclamation of God’s deliverance. David makes this proclamation as a covenant person in the covenant assembly bringing forth witness testimony to God’s goodness. This highlights the importance of the proclamation of the word in verses 3, 5, 9, and 10. Faith comes by hearing the good news of God and his covenant mercies; just like David, we are to proclaim these mercies to one another because it is how we grow in union and communion.

Throughout the whole of Psalm 40, Dr. Schaefer pointed out that it is God’s magnificent splendor that calls His people together in worship. Worship is meant to be personal, but not kept private; God’s desire is for deeply felt, sincere, corporate worship.

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Major Decision

Junior and senior year of high school are extremely stressful for primarily one reason, the constant asking, “where are you going to college?” and “what are you studying?” is enough to cause a student to go crazy. Let me give you three pieces of wisdom that should put your mind at ease and that I wish someone would have told me.

  1. It is okay to change your major.

Please, hear me when I say this, it is okay if you choose a major and then change when you actually have some classes under your belt. That is part of the beauty of college, you can choose one area of study, but then change it if after some classes you realize it is not what you want anymore, or it is not what you thought it would be.

  1. Being an undeclared major is nothing to be ashamed of.

When you are 17 or 18 years old, how are you truly supposed to know what field you want to pursue for the rest of your life? Personally, I think that is really rare. Nonetheless, I think it is more admirable to enter college undeclared than choose a major just for the sake of it and pay money for classes you are not even sure if you will like. If you are unsure of what you want to study, take your first semester freshman year to take a wide variety of classes and see what you are most interested in. Do not be ashamed of being undeclared. In the long run, this could save you time and money.

  1. Even when you choose your major, you may graduate and do something completely different.

You cannot begin to understand how many people I know that receive their degree in one area of expertise and get a job in another and do just fine. I have family members and close friends that have studied very specific fields and are now doing well in a completely different one. Clearly you want to make use of your four-year degree and most college students do just that. But I want to assure you that if for some reason after your four years at Grove City College, if you want to pursue a different career than the one you got a degree in, you will also be just fine.

The last two years of high school can be really stressful when you think about not only what college you want to attend but also what you want to major in. Please do not let the stress of your last few years in high school make you nervous for college. You have the power to change your major, be undeclared and figure out what you want to study, and choose whatever career path you want to pursue.

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Learning by Moonlight: Night Classes

Night classes may sound like something taken by part time students who work during the day, or like a last resort for students who would rather have their evenings free for activities, homework, or extracurriculars. At Grove City College, however, my experience with night classes has been excellent. This post will discuss the upsides of being in class from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

  1. Longer class period. You thought I said upside to night classes–I did. Having a 2.5 hour period one time per week can sometimes seem long, but the upside is that you get “into gear” before the class period is over. While a normal Monday/Wednesday/Friday class is only 50 minutes long and Tuesday/Thursday classes are 75 minutes long, a night class is 2.5 hours. While normal classes take 15 minutes just to get through assignments, upcoming homework, recap of last class, etc. leaving only a short part of class for subject matter, a night class does not have this problem. You can find yourself extremely engrossed in the material of the class, and for many people this improves retention. Brush up or study outside of class a few times per week, and you might find yourself learning more from that one block of time than from two or three of shorter duration.
  2. Professors get fun. If 2.5 hours seems like a long time to you, do not worry. It is a long time for your professor as well. I have had many experiences where a night class professor introduces activities, games, competitions, stories, media, etc. that help the time go by faster and keep students engaged. Often this does not happen as much in day classes because the window is shorter and because the professor does not personally feel the need to break up the “monotony.”
  3. Suggestion: take courses you care about. If you find yourself taking Calculus at 6:30 p.m. twice a week and you are not a math-brain, your professor is likely to become well acquainted with the outside of your eyelids while you stare at the insides. If you find yourself taking a course you are genuinely interested in or care about, the opposite will be the case. This will separate the class from normal school hours and allow you to look forward to the relaxed, engrossing, engaging environment of a night class you enjoy.

Night classes can be a great way to knock out some extra credits or take a course you wouldn’t be able to fit in your schedule otherwise. They are not a last resort or an act of desperation, but a unique learning environment I highly recommend anyone try.