Category: Communication Studies

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

True View Ministries: Grove City College Interns Work In Live Broadcast

True View Ministries is a multimedia outlet that is passionate about proclaiming the truth of God’s Word. Specializing in television broadcasts, True View’s goal is to transform the women of the world by proclaiming the Word of God with a passion in love as well as equipping and encouraging women to live authentic Christian lives. Co-founders, Jamie Shaver and Julie Van Gorp, created this ministry network to provide women with a global source to get Biblically sound and culturally relevant insight that challenges them to live fearless Christian lives. The ministry primarily operates through the “True View” TV show, which seeks to channel the lens of the Scriptures, changing the way women view and interact with the world. Next to live broadcasts, True View also hosts and participates in conferences, posts blogs, provides mentorship, and publishes Bible Studies.

This Wednesday through Friday, True View will be producing one of their largest broadcasts from New Castle, PA. Special guests from all over the nation will be featured and discuss topics including Divorce, Purity, and Parenting. Anne Kerr, Founder and President of TrueNorth Freedom Projects, along with Mindy Pierce, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) of Grow Counseling, will address issues related to Pornography and Parenting in a sexualized culture. Other focuses more relevant to Christian Millennials include Social Media, Racial Utility, and Bullying. Justin Butterfield, Senior Counsel for Liberty Institute, will present a case in favor of defending, promoting and contending the Christian faith. Although the broadcast is projected towards parents and spouses, college students are encouraged to tune in and learn more about these pressing current dilemmas.

Two students of Grove City College’s Communication and Visual Arts Department were chosen to serve as interns for True View’s live broadcast. Katherine Hussey, Senior Communications Major and Spanish minor, will serve as Camera Operator and Floor Director. Victoria O’Brien, Senior Communications Major with concentrations in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Pre-Law, will intern as Director of Social Media Development. Both interns share a common interest and passion for news broadcast, video production, and reporting. Although GCC does not offer specific courses in these areas, Hussey and O’Brien are prepared for this opportunity through related communication courses and past internships experience. Hussey has served as a News Intern at KDKA News Radio where she was responsible for writing radio scripts and assembling recorded demo newscasts. O’Brien interned as a Video Journalist for Bold Global Media where she curated original content for the website as well as produced and anchored the company’s daily show. Both interns agree that the audio and video workshops hosted by GCC’s Media Services positively aided in their internship experiences.

True View Ministries is open to providing additional students with the opportunity to participate in future events. Shaver welcomes other students who are interested in advancing True View’s mission to contact her at jamie@trueviewministries.org.

 

True View Part II

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.

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Adventures in Nantes: Let The Fun Begin

Last semester, I studied abroad in Nantes, France as part of Grove City College’s study abroad program. Below I talk about some of the French towns I visited.

During the first six weeks, GCC’s ESC Program requires students to attend field trips to local cities and towns located in France’s Bretagne area as well as France’s capital, Paris. The first six field trips are mandatory as a participation grade for Engineering Management and Cross-Cultural Communication (an academic course that both GCC and ONIRIS students participate in, over the course of the semester) and costs are completely covered by Grove City College. I could write endless pages about each city, but I will give the top highlights of two French towns, Pornic and Anger.

Located on the Northwestern coast of France, Pornic is primarily known for its quaint shipping port and historic castle. The town is filled with bright colored buildings, seafood restaurants and cute shopping boutiques. The people of the sea are inviting and friendly, expressing the relaxed and genuine vibe the region gives off. Although Pornic appears peaceful, the tide hides a hidden terror. During the daylight hours, the tide is far out to sea, causing the shore land to be dried out. As the day turns into night, the tide swiftly comes into shore, causing the marina to fill up. If not careful, the tide can easily sweep away uninformed individuals.

dsc_08821 resized
Pornic’s marina

Once we stepped off the TGV (France’s high speed bullet train that reaches up to 200 mph), we headed to the beach where the air was cool, the sand soft and the water very clear. I found numerous pieces of sea glass on the water’s edge as I walked the shoreline. Some of the guys on our trip had courage enough to brave the freezing cold waves and dive in. After leaving the beach we headed to one of the best gelato/sorbet shops I have ever been to. Pornic is specifically praised for their chocolate pears as well as strawberries, so I enjoyed a beautiful assortment of these flavors in a delicious waffle cone.

gelato
Delicious gelato from Pornic

Anger, southwest of Paris, is the third most populous region in Northwestern France. As I stepped off the TGV I felt as though I was a princess entering a magical kingdom. From the cobblestone passage ways, to the half-timbered buildings, Anger exemplifies France’s historic Gothic and Romanesque style and history. We first visited the St. Maurice Cathedral which is preceded by an enormous stone stairway. The cathedral stands tall with large stained glass windows, flying buttresses and vibrant towers. The pulpit is carved out of wood and dates to the 19th century, representing the Word of God from the Old and New Testaments. The relics of Christian martyrs are also found at this cathedral, located behind the High Altar.  Anger’s incredible castle, Chateau d’Angers, is home to the Revelation Tapestry, also known as the Apocalypse Tapestry, which depicts Jesus’ and St. John’s intimate experiences in the book of Revelation. The tapestry stretches for a yards and includes the original 90 scenes.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Adventures in Nantes: A Day In The Life Of A ESC Student

Last semester, I studied abroad in Nantes, France as part of Grove City College’s study abroad program. In my last post, I talked about why I chose to study abroad, you should check it out! Below I describe what a regular “day in the life” of a student abroad in Nantes looks like.

Grove City College has a European Study Center (ESC) located in Nantes. Not only was the ESC our classroom but it also provided us with food and lodging for the semester. There are three separate facilities: the girl’s house with a fully functioning café, classroom, kitchen and bedrooms; the guy’s house which can house up to 16 individuals; and the director’s house which facilitates a lounge with comfy couches, a flat screen TV and delicious jars of bonbons.

ESC
The girls of ESC

With three houses and 30 individuals, there is a lot of housework. Deb Reuber, co-director of ESC, organizes students into five groups of six who exchange tasks weekly in order to get the job done. Some of our weekly tasks included: preparing meals, cleaning up after dinner, unloading and loading the dishwasher, taking out the garbage, etc. Every Monday, the designated meal team will go to E.Leclerc, the local supermarket, to pick up food for all three houses for that one week. Food shopping normally took a good two and a half hours.

Wednesdays marked mandatory cleanup day which all students participated in with different tasks. Some students were on bathroom duty while others were on household cleanup. Every two weeks, our beds were stripped and Deb took our sheets to the laundromat. Although the cleaning tasks can be tiring and overwhelming, the ESC looked its best on Wednesday afternoons.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays all students were required to attend French class at 10 a.m. On Monday nights we had our Engineering Management and Cultural Communications class at ONIRIS, a local French engineering university. At the university, GCC and ONIRIS students are paired up and given team building and self-assessment activities to complete. Through my experience I found that the Americans and French will approach problems differently. Americans tend to be more practical while the French are more meticulous and logical. Following every class, students from both schools enjoyed a nice time of food and fellowship at Crescendo Restauration.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we attended GCC courses via simulcast. Because of the six hour time difference, our classes took place in the late afternoon. According to GCC policy, we are required to take 12 credits: two GCC courses, one engineering management course and one language course.

Just like GCC, the ESC has a chapel program where students are obligated to attend church eight times during the semester. We attended a Baptist church in the heart of Boissiere. Following the service, the Reubers took us out to a different restaurant each week to taste different French specialties. My favorite restaurant in Nantes is Amour de Pomme de Terre which means “For the Love of Potatoes.” Every entrée is served with a different combination of potatoes; some are baked, others fried and some are served in a casserole.

Saturdays and Sundays were free days when numerous students will head to the centre ville, the downtown area, for music festivals, creperies and shopping. Nantes’s nightlife takes place throughout the whole city and incorporates French cafes, Irish pubs and live music. The Island of Machines features wonderful nightlife activity with their famous lit up rings along the water’s edge. The best panoramic view of Nantes is found a hundred stories above the ground, at the rooftop bar, The Nest.

I hope after reading this blog post you get a sense of what our daily lives were like in GCC’s study abroad program in Nantes, France.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Adventures in Nantes: Why I Chose To Study Abroad

Profile PicCurrently, I’m a junior at Grove City College studying Communications and Business, and last semester I attended GCC’s European Study Center (ESC) in Nantes, France.

As a Communications major, I have always been encouraged to study abroad. Professors insisted that such an experience would be a great resume booster. Being the homebody that I am, I never pictured myself living in a different country nonetheless adapting to a completely different culture. Yet God had a different plan!

During the course of my sophomore year, God truly groomed and matured my heart. I became more accepting of others and myself and took bigger risks that required immense amounts of faith. I felt as though God was preparing me for a season that I had never experienced before, a season that would require great personal independence as well as total dependence on Him. Little did I know, that I would be experiencing this season in a different country.

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

As I ponder this quote, my mind traces back to the program interview I had with Mark and Deb Reuber, the directors of GCC’s ESC. Three nights before my interview, I was rapidly scrolling through my Outlook when I came across an email reading, “GCC’s European Study Center Offers Students a Semester Abroad in France.” Feeling a little adventurous, I read the brochure and filled out the application. To my surprise my application passed the first round of acceptance and I was requested to interview.

During my interview I was asked a series of questions ranging from my academic success to recreation as well as past travel experience. As the interview concluded, Deb and Mark asked me on a scale from one to 10 (with 10 being the greatest) how badly did I want to be accepted into GCC’s ESC program. Nonchalantly, I responded with a six. At this point, my parents had no idea what I was getting myself into nor did I know if this was God’s plan for me. I left the interview feeling confident yet incomplete. I remember telling God that if I was accepted into the study abroad program, then I would go because I knew this was the plan He had intended for me.

Little time had passed before I received the acceptance email I had been anticipating. For one of the very first times, I experienced God taking complete authority and control out of my hands, while I surrendered total faith and dependence to Him.

Through my experience with a different culture with new friends, language and traditions, I constantly saw more of God than I had ever seen before. I’m continually reminded of how blessed I am to have received such an awesome opportunity to experience a country full of divine beauty and history for four months.

To read more about my study abroad experience in France, check out my post about a day in the life of an ESC student.

To learn more about Grove City College’s Nantes study abroad program, check out the ESC program’s page.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Annual Arts Festival At Grove City College

The second annual Arts Festival held at Grove City College has swept the campus in a frenzy of creativity.

2015 was the first year when an Arts Festival was held at Grove City College. Comprised of original work from the campus community, the Arts Festival is organized and curated completely by the students of the College.

And just in time for the Junior Crimson Day, held every spring in early April, the Arts Festival moves students, faculty, as well as prospective students and families through the many buildings within the campus. Each of the venues for the Arts Festival features original work spanning from photography, to paintings, to sculptures.

Pictured below are some of the beautiful pieces from the Arts Festival. The featured venue is South Lobby within the Mary Anderson Pew women’s dormitory. Take a look for yourself as a sneak peek into the vibes of this Arts Festival:

 

DSC_6672e

 

 

DSC_6675e

 

 

DSC_6680e

 

 

 

DSC_6683e

 

 

 

DSC_6697

 

 

 

DSC_6704e

 

 

 

DSC_6707e

 

 

 

DSC_6678e

 

 

 

 

DSC_6706e

The artistic talent of the campus community at Grove City can often be one of the best kept secrets of the College. Students from all years are encouraged to submit their work to the festival. From there, a group of student curators then choose the pieces of art that are to be showcased at the actual festival.

I sat down and spoke with the head of the Arts Festival, Andrew Irving, about his thoughts on the festival, “The importance of the Arts Festival is to show the importance of art in the context of a Christian community,” Irving said. Most notably, Irving is very excited for the next year of the Arts Festival. New ideas are in the works for the Arts Festival, most of which I am unable to share this far in advance, but stay tuned to see what comes next year!

As Grove City’s very own President McNulty put it, “Our campus is blessed with extraordinarily talented artists as you will quickly observe when you stop and study the many works on display,” McNulty said, “Cultivating a love for art is important because its production and presentation serve an extremely important role in strengthening a community.”

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Look at COMM 359, Screenwriting

Paper and Pencil resized

This semester I’ve had the chance to take a Communications elective course, COMM 359, Screenwriting. I’ve always had a love for writing, so I thought Screenwriting would be an enjoyable class. A friend of mine had taken it senior year and recommended it to me, so I was persuaded to sign up for it.

The course is taught by Communications professor, Dr. Kim Miller, and it serves as an introduction to the art of screenwriting. It covers topics such as character development, plot structure and storytelling techniques. It’s a great 3 credit course offered only during the spring semester that teaches students to recognize the basic elements of screenplays and gives students a chance to draft their very own screenplay.

The class is a nice mixture of lectures and group work, as well as independent in class and out of class work. Over the course of the semester we’ve worked on smaller assignments like writing short scenes using prompts given in class. We’ve also been working on our own screenplays which will be due at the end of the semester. There have been workshop days where we read each other’s stories in assigned groups, critiquing them and offering advice to each other. We’ve also watched movie clips in class and movies out of class as homework assignments, discussing various elements in these films.

Going into the course I had very little experience with screenwriting, so it has been both challenging and fun to experiment with this unique style of writing. It’s tempting to write a screenplay like a novel, telling about character’s thoughts and feelings, rather than relying on dialogue and actions to show those thoughts and feelings. The class has definitely stretched me since it requires a type of writing that I’ve never really done before.

Nonetheless, I’m learning the ins and outs of screenwriting, and it’s fascinating. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of all that goes into writing a movie and what elements work well and don’t work so well. I find myself watching movies with a more critical eye now, paying close attention to dialogue and character development.

Overall, Screenwriting has been a great outlet for creativity, especially amidst traditional classes. There aren’t too many classes where you’re assigned to watch a movie for homework. Screenwriting is a fun, relaxed class with lots of freedom for creativity, and it’s perfect for anyone interested in writing, movies or someone simply wanting to fill their schedule with a unique elective.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Q&A With The #DreamsGoLive Team

There is a movement going on at Grove City College. It’s called #DreamsGoLive. #DreamsGoLive is an initiative started by Grace Leuenberger – senior communications major at Grove City – which began in order to bring light to the musical acts performing on the Grove City College stage.

In an attempt to bring quality music to the campus, Leuenberger and the team of Stonebridge Concerts (a campus organization that brings bands to Grove City College) set out to start something new this year. But instead of me trying to tell you, I’ll let Leuenberger and the president of Stonebridge (Josh Delk) tell you all about it themselves in my interview with them.

See the Q&A interview below:

 

Tell us a bit about the start of Dreams, Grace.  Where and when did you think of it, why “Dreams Go Live” and where did it come from?

(Grace) #DreamsGoLive began back in the summer when I started getting more serious about my interest and enjoyment of music, and my belief that it provides inspiration to communities and individuals alike. I went to a concert in July that was held in this field in the middle of nowhere and singing under the stars with thousands of other people just floored me. I knew that we had to have that same feeling of excitement and inspiration at Grove City College, so I started developing the idea of making a dream I had for good music and conversations about music to become central to the life of Grove City College. And DreamsGoLive was born, a movement to bring inspirational musical concert acts to GCC, and cultivate a sense of appreciation for excellent music. I wanted people to engage more firsthand with music: live music, concerts, albums, people in the industry, etcetera.

In the end, DreamsGoLive is really about inspiring people to look at art and music and creativity as a means to bring about change and shape their communities into better, collaborative places. The huge inspiration for me is a man by the name of Larry Kloess who runs a business in Nashville called Cause A Scene. The motives behind CAS are totally in line with DGL, and Larry was a HUGE inspiration and virtual mentor to me as we set these goals to bring more music into our college community. We’ll actually be featuring Larry’s story in a DreamsGoLive blog series that will come out in April.

How did Dreams get started (the school’s involvement, Stonebridge connection, etc…) practically speaking?

(Josh) When Grace began working on this idea to have a student-led concert and featuring a popular national act on campus in the Spring, Kara Mazey and I got in contact with her to talk about what this concert might look like. We quickly realized that her idea lines up with the mission of Stonebridge, and that it was only natural for them to work with Stonebridge on helping plan this event. Early in the fall semester, the idea for a series of student-led concert events on Admitted Students Day was pitched before the school administration, and they pledged to give us the financial support we needed to make it happen! Since then we’ve been working closely together to make this concert the best that it can be: the concert of our time at GCC.

(Grace) Josh pretty much got it! Myself and my #DreamsGoLive initiative partner, Molly Wicker, approached some different campus leaders about getting this thing supported and backed up in the long run, and that’s what happened. We are fortunate to have an administration and faculty who supports the expansion of arts programs like this on our campus, and see the value it adds to our community.

How is the Dreams initiative being executed (what types of promo tactics are being utilized to get the campus involved/excited)?

(Grace) We really want people to see that The Oh Hellos are people making thoughtful, creative, beautiful, inspiring, fun music. So we’re trying to keep it fun, trying to show people how their personalities are, what their energy is like. Once anyone goes to their shows or sees them perform live, they know that this band is special, so we are trying to capture that spirit and show people that this concert is worth their time and money. It’s a band everyone can love and get in to, I think!

(Josh) We’ve been working very hard to make The Oh Hellos accessible to the student body. Links to the interviews, articles, and the band’s live performances are regularly posted on our social media sites. Because this is such a big event, we’ve also been marketing this event to the Pittsburgh area and the tri-state area. This concert is also the only date on their Spring tour in Pennsylvania, which has been useful in marketing this as a unique event.

Josh, how do you think that Dreams has influenced the Stonebridge and the school’s attempt to bring good music to the campus?

(Josh) Since its inception, the purpose of Stonebridge has been to bring Christ-centered, quality and intelligent music to Grove City in order to foster community and connection through music. DGL marks our recommitment to this idea and to the student body, by bringing in larger national acts that the students can really connect with.

What developments have you been most proud of this year, and what are you most excited for in the upcoming months?

(Josh) I’m most proud of the work our members have done throughout our events this year, and their contagious enthusiasm for music. With a lot of first-year members in the group, I’m looking forward to seeing them take the lead on projects and stepping into leadership roles in the coming year.

(Grace) This event has required so many complicated circumstances to come together in a short amount of time. I am most proud of the fact that we were able to set a goal and are carrying that goal out. On April 2nd, we really are going to have an amazing live act on campus and show our community that music is an inspiring, important thing for us to experience. I am so excited to see how this show impacts our community, how people are able to enjoy it and revel in the fun of the evening. And I’m excited for the blog series we’re launching after the concert is over. It’s a great way to continue the momentum, and it’s going to be called “Making Music Matter: Stories From the Industry.” We have some significant names from industry whose stories we get to tell, and it’s going to be so neat to do that. A true honor.

The spring concert headliner is The Oh Hellos. Can you share about the (sparknotes version) process of choosing them and bringing them to campus?

(Grace) Well, a lot of emails. Lots and lots and lots of emails. Many, many file folders on the computer. Oh, and more emails. *Laughs*

(Josh) Exactly. Booking a band starts with getting in touch with their manager or booking company. From there, the two starting points are price and the date you want the band to play. Those are settled through a contract, where both parties make revisions and send it back and forth until everybody agrees and it’s signed. After that, the planning begins! That’s pretty much how we booked these bands, just at different times. Having two bigger bands means lots of details, which is what we’re still working on now!

Why do you think The Oh Hellos are the right choice for the campus of Grove City College?

(Josh) I think Grovers are really going to connect with this band, if they haven’t already! They have an incredible live energy and stage presence, and their music ranges from foot-stomping folk anthems to introspective ballads, all under the indie-folk umbrella that I think mostly covers the students’ musical interests. Their music is also incredibly rich with Biblical and theological themes and narrative, especially their new album Dear Wormwood, named after C.S. Lewis’ classic work The Screwtape Letters. It seems like the idea of a worship band or “Christian” artist alienates a lot of people, while the Oh Hellos bring a positive and thoughtful message with exciting and engaging music.

(Grace) Josh really nailed it! You can also read this blog by a student on why he loves TOH.

We really wanted to pick an act that makes great art. That is The Oh Hellos. And with nine members who are known to crowd surf, I think we’ll have fun with it too.

What is your piece of advice for anyone who wants to start something or change something within their college campus?

(Josh) Don’t let red tape, logistics and details get in the way of making your idea come to life. If you’re committed to seeing it through, the details will fall into place.

(Grace) My mentor, Larry Kloess said it best: “You have your own story and your own path of ahead of you: so live that out. Don’t chase after other people’s dreams. Don’t compare them. Pay it forward, find ways to serve others, find where there’s a problem to be solved, a need to be met. And come alive in what you do.”  Time and time again, words like Larry’s have guided this dream, inspired me to believe that dreams are worth pursuing, that hope is worth having. I do not believe that it’s coincidental this dream-chasing experience has happened over the course my senior year — a time in life that has forced to me take Larry’s words to heart, a time that has urged me to consider how I can continue to come alive in what I do long after this particular dream has passed on. Throughout this year as I’ve been having meetings and sending emails and dreaming big, I have also applied to two post-grad programs, five summer internships and seven full-time jobs. This time and these experiences have collided together, forcing me to reflect on not only what I want to do with my life in both the present and the future, but also prompted me to consider a question I’ve had to ask so many times this year: why. Why? Why go for this job with such little pay? Why pursue such a big dream when your days at this college are numbered? Why invest in something with such little return? Why? As I thought about why I wanted a certain job,  I kept arriving at the same answer: I love dreams.

I come alive in dreams. I love how dreams are universal, how children and teenagers and moms and dads and grandpas and grandmas all have dreams. I love hearing the eagerness in someone’s voice when they’re talking about what gets them excited. I love witnessing the motivation and determination they adopt as the pursue a big goal. I love seeing the smile that spreads across their face when you affirm the hard work they have done to get to where they are now. I love helping people find the inspiration to use their talents. I love mapping out the exciting journey one takes as they pursue something they thought they’d never get the chance to. I love being part of something bigger. I love dreams, and even more than that, I come alive in them; I am inspired in the midst of them; I want to fight for them; I believe in the importance of them.

While it can be true that sometimes people don’t care, sometimes things get so hard you want to quit, sometimes people don’t want to believe or love or cultivate dreams, myself and other students have learned firsthand that people do really care, that dreams are not an allusion, that college students do believe that little moments matter, the dreams are worth chasing, that something is happening even in the little moments that each of us are a part of. So we are not going to quit. Why? Because we believe that dreams matter. We have been forever changed because of the dream we’ve been chasing this year. The hard work is going to pay off. The dream is going live. What dream do you have? Chase it. Cultivate it. Love it. Don’t give up on it. It is so worth it.

 

To learn more about #DreamsGoLive at Grove City College, please visit the website at:

http://dreamsgolive.com/

 

Also, watch the campaign kick-off video below:

[vimeo 146860730 w=500 h=281]

Introducing #DreamsGoLive from DreamsGoLive on Vimeo.