Category: Academics

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Thinking Made Visual

Grove City College seeks to foster intellectual thought in all aspects of study. Its challenging liberal arts education provides students with unique educational experiences that touch various facets of learning. As our college grows, we are continually pursuing knowledge in new areas and expanding our existing departments.

One such feature that has developed in the recent past is design (within the Communication Studies and the Visual Arts department).

Five years ago, design classes were a mere idea. They are now a reality.

Professor of Design, Nate Mucha, has led the charge to expand the department through introducing a variety of classes at a high learning level. A graduate of the MFA Visual Communication Design program at Kent State University, Nate has brought a vibrant vision for the department and is actively integrating design within the campus community.

“Being image-bearers of God, design is an essential topic of exploration for Christians. There are underlying design principles that govern the universe and the way in which humans understand ideas, each other and creation. Through the study of design, students explore the way these principles interact in the pursuit of creating and sharing thoughtfully and effectively while at the same time understanding more thoroughly the mind of our Creator.” ~Professor Mucha

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He and senior design student Rebekah Fry are working to bring an AIGA student group to campus in order to offer design students a supportive out-of-class atmosphere as they grow in their knowledge and passion for design.

Through a series of comprehensive and well thought-out design classes, students will build foundations for design thinking, gain a solid understanding of essential design principals, expand their knowledge of industry-leading Adobe design software and complete projects that will challenge them in areas such as print material/layout design, web, branding, 3D interactive design, etc. They will master form while learning to collaborate, develop strategy and understand the people for whom they are designing—we call this human-centered design.

The program is an innovative and exciting look at how design integrates with the world around us and is a beautiful application for visual communication.

“A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist and evolutionary strategist.” – Buckminster Fuller

We seek to innovate in a beautiful and tangible fashion. It’s exciting, thrilling and present as we look to a future of meaningful visual communication.

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A More Specific and Relevant Education

GCC Offers New Majors and Minors

In a recent press release, Grove City College announced that they are offering new majors and minors in the 2016-2017 academic year.

In the Hopeman School of Science, Engineering, Mathematics, the Department of Biology will be offering three new majors including: Health, Molecular Biology and Conservation Biology. Counting for 10% of the student body, the study of biology attracts numerous prospective students annually. The three distinct majors are a repackaging of courses that already exist but are tailored toward careers in medicine, research and conservation application.

Dr. Jenkins, professor of Biology, states, “As a department we looked where our students were going after college and wanted to highlight certain programs that would better prepare them for graduate school or future occupations.” Out of the current 160 biology students, 10 have made a switch to the three new majors.

The Departments of Computer Science and Communications and Visual Arts are introducing a new minor in Computer Game Design and Development. Students who obtain this minor will be educated on the fundamentals of game design, development and critique. The Computer Science Department in conjunction with the Entrepreneurship Department will also be presenting a minor in High-Tech Entrepreneurship. This minor is geared towards students who have an interest in the technological division of high-tech spaces within companies.

Dr. Birmingham, chair of the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Departments, proclaims, “Both of these minors are multidisciplinary, allowing students of all majors to use there general elective hours purposefully and accessibly.” According to Birmingham, the departments initially collaborated in November of 2015 and both minors were successfully approved in December.

Under the provision of the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering, GCC is proud to present a Robotics minor to students interested in hands-on learning as well as practical design and programming. The Robotics minor equates to a capstone project for seniors. Those obtaining this minor will be educated on the integration of robotics in light of an ethical and Christian worldview.

Students also have the opportunity to achieve a minor in Medical Physics. The Physics Department is making a conscious effort to provide students with a minor that correlates with job interest in radiology, nuclear medicine and nuclear engineering.

Dave Tarnish, chemistry major of 2017, states, “The new Medical Chemistry minor helps prepare students who want to pursue the medical field get a more specific and relevant education.”

The Department of Political Science has recently added a Pre-Law minor. According to Dr. Stanton, associate professor of the Political Science Department, the Pre-Law minor will aid students seeking identifiable skills that the American Bar Association requires for those attending law school.

Stanton explains, “The minor involves courses in several departments that develop reasoning and logic skills, communication skills and some basic understanding of the U.S. Constitution, ethics and philosophy of law.” Dr. Caleb Verbois, assistant professor of Political Science, is the new Pre-Law advisor. In order to further assist students pursuing law school, Verbois is in current communication with lawyers of Grove City College’s administration, including President McNulty.

Students can learn more about these wonderful opportunities through flyers and postcards as well as digital marketing outlets including emails, phone calls and the College’s webpage.

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What Exactly is Engineering? – A Student’s Perspective

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Hoyt Hall of Engineering | Photo from www2.gcc.edu

Last weekend, Grove City College hosted its annual Junior Crimson Day, and it made me think back to when I was a junior in high school. I didn’t know where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to study, but I was beginning to look into engineering. At that point in my college search, I really didn’t know what engineering was or what engineers did.  For me, ‘engineering’ seemed to be a catch-all term for people who were good at physics in high school or liked to tear computers apart in their spare time. I didn’t even know what the difference was between electrical and mechanical engineering! After talking to many students interested in engineering, I’ve come to realize this is a common problem.

Merriam-Webster defines engineering as “the work of designing and creating large structures or new products or systems by using scientific methods.” This definition is extremely vague, and rightly so!  Within engineering, there are many types of engineering – such as mechanical, electrical, chemical or civil – and each type is almost completely different. Then, to make things more complex, there are many different applications within each type of engineering. Each application utilizes different skills and areas of expertise. For example, a mechanical engineering student could go into a career in designing the heating systems for buildings, working on machines in a factory, optimizing a valve in a fluid system or even selling engineering products – and that’s just naming a few possible careers! That’s one of the best parts of engineering. The skills that engineers learn can really be applied to any type of career – technical or non-technical. There have been a lot of students who have used their engineering degree to become doctors, lawyers or businessmen.

Electrical Engineering vs Mechanical Engineering

Grove City offers degrees in electrical engineering (EE) and mechanical engineering (MECE), which are generally considered the ‘core’ types of engineering because they can be applied to almost any career field. So then, what’s the difference between electrical and mechanical engineering, besides the obvious that EE deals with electrical components and MECE deals with mechanical assemblies? Electrical engineering is more abstract and conceptual, whereas mechanical engineering is more visual and hands-on. For instance, a professor from a different school once described the difference in terms of a robot. MECE’s are responsible for designing the body of the robots so it can easily move and function reliably, while EE’s are responsible for making the robot move and controlling its motion. This definition helped me a little bit, but I still didn’t completely understand the difference between EE’s and MECE’s.

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Image from mechengineering.hol.es

I got a little bit more insight when I came to Grove City’s Junior Crimson Day. One of the professors here explained that, in general, electrical engineers are better at abstract concepts and tend to be very good at math (like perfect scores on the math section of the SAT’s). Mechanical engineers are also good at math, but like to be able to visualize problems and have probably grown up playing with LEGO’s and K’NEX.  This explanation really helped me because I personally like to be able to visualize the forces being exerted on an object, but it’s frustrating to not be able to see what’s happening inside of a circuit or wire.  Obviously, these are just generalizations about each type of engineering, but I have found that in many cases, they are true.

The main thing that influenced my decision to pick engineering was sitting in on both EE and MECE classes. It took me sitting in on one EE class to realize that it was not for me! I recommend sophomore level classes because they give a general picture of what to expect, without being completely over your head. I didn’t fully understand what was being taught in the MECE class, but I could understand the logic behind it and I identified with that way of thinking. If you’re torn between electrical and mechanical engineering, I highly recommend sitting in on some classes and talking with professors.  Both are extremely helpful!

So What Exactly is Engineering?

With all of the different applications for engineering, what is the common denominator for engineering?  I would argue, and most engineers would agree, that engineering is all about creative problem solving.  In engineering classes, you learn how to think critically about problems and numerically develop different solutions to fix the problem. Engineering is all about weighing the options and optimizing the current resources for the best result. The problem and subsequent solution can take many different forms, but it all comes down to using problem solving skills to find creative solutions.

If you like math or science and love solving complex problems or puzzles, engineering may be a good fit for you! Engineering requires both detailed and out-of-the-box thinking to come up with the best solution for a problem. There are so many different things you can do with an electrical or mechanical engineering degree! I highly recommend talking with professors and learning about student projects to get a better idea of engineering.

Check out this link to learn more about Grove City College’s electrical engineering program or check out this link to learn more about Grove City College’s mechanical engineering program.

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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.

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When You’ve Reached the Block

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In recent years, friends have asked me what the work load is like at Grove City. My brief response is that it is challenging, but not all consuming. Sometimes the simple solution is to just push through. Nights of writers block, lack of motivation, and tiredness will come. But in the midst of it all, I pray that you find peace.

Friends will encourage you, that wall blocking your thought process will eventually leave, and late night food/coffee runs to the Student Union will brighten your spirits. But as you prepare for/begin to face those times, here are a few thoughts on the matter:

When You’ve Reached the Block:

Have you ever experienced the block? The moment you sit down intending to complete a job and you hit a wall? … A tall, thick, immovable wall.

Yup.

I am well acquainted with this feeling and it always seems to come at the worst time. But in my short years immersed in collegiate studies I discovered a helpful tip. Don’t stop. Too simple? Allow me to explain.

I often want to throw in the towel, crawl under a blanket, and forget about all the work ahead of me. Netflix calls my name and taking a nap sounds just about perfect. But when I reach that wall, I’ve tried something new. I just keep going. I pull out some paper and doodle, write, sing, plan, anything that might inspire something bigger.

So next time you find yourself in that rut, grab another cup of coffee (or tea if that’s your style), and just do it.

Writing?

Forget the introduction. We often labor over the perfect opening so long that we lose our passion for the body. Start typing those thoughts and organize them later. One time I wrote an entire page of nonsense until the ideas started pouring in.

Research for added inspiration. Have a conversation with a friend about your topic. Take notes. You’ll make it, I promise.

Studying?

Pick one topic and learn it well. You do not need to tackle it all at the same time. You can pace yourself. Start somewhere. Often times I find myself procrastinating, because I’m hesitant to begin the process. Maybe I think I’ll fail and just throw in the towel too soon or maybe I don’t understand the content. Whatever you’re facing, don’t hold back. Go to your professor’s office hours, study with a friend, or change your location to a more inspiring place. The most harmful thing you can do is to quit too soon.

So pull out your notes and settle in. You’ve got this!

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As you’re considering how to manage your time, remember to breath! It will come together. And you don’t have to do it alone. Grove City has a beautiful community of people who are eager to come alongside and encourage you through!

All the best 🙂

 

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Student Research Spotlight: Female Engineers in Anderson Lab | 2

For engineering students interested in research, there are many opportunities to get involved, both on and off campus! In fact, nearly 25% of engineering students at Grove City College are involved in some type of research or independent study. Many of these students work in ‘Anderson Lab’ with Dr. Anderson, one of Grove City College’s mechanical engineering professors. Every school year, he has between 10-15 students doing research for him for 1-3 credits. He also has students working with him at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts each summer. This semester, Dr. Anderson has 12 students working in his lab on 7 different project.

Below is an interview with one of the female engineering students who has done research with Dr. Anderson. She shares more information on her research project and some benefits of doing research.  For another interview with a student doing research with Dr. Anderson, check out this post.

 

Kimberly Schlabach – Electrical Engineering and Mathematics ‘16

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Kimberly Schlabach – Senior Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Major

What’s your project?

Spring semester of 2015, I was involved in the ant research project – automatic tracking and monitoring ant behavior through video. My job has been to improve the particle identification portion of the ant tracking code. In other words, I have written filters to help distinguish ants from other moving particles, such as grass.

How did you get involved in this research?

In the fall, I was looking for a one credit engineering elective. I received an email from Dr. Anderson that had been sent to all the engineering students. The email was looking for students who wanted to investigate biology through engineering-based research. I thought independent research would be a fascinating way to earn a one-credit engineering elective, so I responded to the email. After the interview process, Dr. Anderson found a good fit for me in the image processing side of ant research project.

What skills (technical or non-technical) have you used the most during your research experience?

I had a basic knowledge of image analysis and programming which both served me well in my research. However, Dr. Anderson was extremely helpful and patient in teaching me the additional information I needed to know for the first part of the semester. He was also very accessible throughout the semester if I ever had questions or problems.

What are some benefits of doing research?

Before joining the Anderson Lab, I had no serious interest in research. However, working on a project that other scientists are also investigating has inspired me, and I could see myself doing research after graduation.

My favorite part of working in the lab has been brainstorming with Dr. Anderson and Dr. Mohr. Working in the lab has been very beneficial because it has helped me think outside the box, build my self-confidence and open my mind to the idea of research as a future job interest.

How has doing research shaped your plans for after graduation?

I have already accepted a non-research related job when I graduate in May. However, my research at Grove City was great experience. In just one semester, we had very positive results. I was inspired by how simple and prevalent it was to apply my engineering skills to study God’s creation. If I have the opportunity to do research in the future, I will seriously consider it.

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Research screenshots, from left to right: Without the filter, every object is identified; with the filter, two ants correctly identified; comparison with and without the filter

To learn more about Grove City College’s Mechanical Engineering program, visit the department page!

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Career Spotlight: Anna Grassel Lands Position With Federated

Anna Grassel is a senior Marketing Management major at Grove City College. Recently, Anna landed a highly-sought after position working in sales at Federated Investors in Pittsburgh, PA.

Federated is a massive financial services company with its headquarters located in Pittsburgh. The company was founded in 1957, and manages about $364.1 billion of customer assets. Grassel is this financial powerhouse’s latest hire.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Grassel to talk with her about the process of landing the job, and the role the GCC Career Services Office played in the process.

The interview is below:

(Nathan) When were you first interested in working in Sales, and how did you know this was the career path you wanted to pursue?

(Anna) Two words: Professor Kocur. I took his upper level business sales class. Initially I thought it would be an “easy A.” However, I was naive into all that goes into being a successful sales associate. His passion for sales was contagious. His passion for sales couples with his experience working for GlaskoSmithKline translated into a valuable sales class.

I knew sales was for me because I love working with people! The psychology behind sales is fascinating. Beyond that, I work well against a set of goals – and that is a crucial aspect of sales. The results in sales are tangible. That is very motivating for me.

How, or where did you hear about Federated?

Federated Investors has an amazing reputation in Pittsburgh. Being a Pittsburgh native, I was familiar with them because of their involvement in the community. I have always been intrigued by the financial industry and Federated Investor’s reputation precedes itself. So they were at the top of my list when looking at companies in Pittsburgh.

Did you intern with them?  Did you think that hurt/helped your chances of getting in, or just motivated you more?

This is a funny story. I applied for a marketing internship with them my junior year. Unfortunately, I got turned down for the position. It was very motivating. From that point forward, I was determined to get more experience in the financial industry and refine my skill set to be a stellar applicant for them in the future. At the end of the day it was a blessing in disguise because I got connected with the right department within Federated.

What were the initial steps you took to break into to the Federated team?

Before I began I direct dialogue with the company personnel, I utilized Grove City College’s alumni network to connect with alums who worked in the company. Everyone I was in contact with was very encouraging and had nothing but positive things to say about Federated. This really confirmed my interest.

Next, they were coming to the Career Fair. I went and bought a rocking black suit, personalized my resume – stating a firm interest in the company, and I researched the company and opening they had listed on there website. They were the first and only company I spoke with at the Career Fair. I went in with a reasonable next step in mind. By that I mean, I asked her about open positions and expressed an interest in job shadowing. She connected me with the director of sales at Federated. And Grove City, being the amazing college it is, actually was hosting Federated for an informational meeting in a few weeks. I made sure I went to that, went there early to get face-to-face time with the Sales representatives present. After that I went to Pittsburgh the following week to job shadow. After talking to the people and seeing the work environment  I fell in love with the company. However, at that time they were not hiring, but they were encouraging about keeping the dialogue open. A few months later they contacted me for an interview for an internal sales position. The rest is history!

How did the CSO office or connections from Grove City assist you in creating a relationship with the Federated team?

The Career Service Office at Grove City College rocks my socks off! Mrs. Vago, Career Service Counselor, was a professional and emotional support during this entire process. She helped me prepare an elevator pitch and was always willing to review my resume. The most important career advice she gave me was always having a reasonable next step in mind. By that she meant going to the Career Fair and have in mind job shadowing. I think this was important because it is hard to have realistic expectations. I would not have my job if it were not for her!

It seems like you really fostered a frequent flow of communication with the Federated team during this process.  Practically, (maybe give an example of how you kept up communication) what did that look like?

I am surprised they did not file a restraining order against me 🙂 There definitely is a fine line between being pushy vs. persistent. Every time I could reaffirm my interest and give tangible examples of how I could provide value to the company was essential. In my communication my goal was to be personable. Every person I came in touch with I followed up with an email thank you note, as well as a handwritten thank you note. I was intentional to say what they had taught me and why I thought I would be a good fit.   

When do you think was the real breakthrough moment that got your “foot in the door”?

Going down and job shadowing definitely put me on the map. It showed I was serious about the company. Really, it allowed me to look at the people who worked there. After meeting my potential future colleagues I could see how they were driven (and fashionable) people. They were happy and the security guards were friendly. It was evident that people had an enjoyable working environment and took ownership of their work.

Contrasting this to other places I interviewed at was night and day. Federated has a corporate environment, but is intentionally personable. It really is the best of both worlds.

When did the interview process start for you?

I interviewed on Christmas break in December.  

Any advice for someone hoping to land a job like yours?

Take Professor Kocur’s sales class and start the job hunt fall semester of your senior year! Many companies hire early. Also, build a strong relationship with the Career Service Office at Grove City.

To follow Anna on LinkedIn, find her profile here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagrassel

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Student Research Spotlight: Female Engineers in Anderson Lab | 1

For engineering students interested in research, there are many opportunities to get involved, both on and off campus! In fact, nearly 25% of engineering students at Grove City College are involved in some type of research or independent study. Many of these students work in ‘Anderson Lab’ with Dr. Anderson, one of Grove City College’s mechanical engineering professors. Every school year, he has approximately 10-15 students doing research for him for 1-3 credits. He also has students working with him at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts each summer. This year, there are 12 students working in Anderson Lab on seven different projects.

Below is an interview with one of the female mechanical engineering students currently doing research with Dr. Anderson. She shares more information on her research project and some benefits of doing research. For another interview with a student doing research with Dr. Anderson, check out this post.

Ellen Turner – Mechanical Engineering ‘17

What’s your project?

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Turner at the lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) next to the high speed flume used to swim the bluefish.

In the Anderson Lab, I am working on resonance in the swimming of striped bass, largemouth bass, and bluefish. I process data representing the motion of the fish’s tail while it was swimming at different speeds and record the amplitude and frequency of the tail beat as well as speed and acceleration of the fish. All the processed data is then plotted to show trends in the relationships between amplitude, frequency and speed.

How did you get involved in this research?

I was invited to join the lab by Dr. Anderson when I applied to work with him over the summer doing similar research.

What skills (technical or non-technical) have you used the most during your research experience?

The ability and willingness to learn a lot of new things is a huge part of it. I knew how to code in MATLAB (a computing language mechanical engineering students learn) from my classes, but the other programs used in the lab I had to learn, but it’s not difficult. Dr. Anderson and all the other students in the lab are willing to help out anyone who has questions. My presentation skills have also improved dramatically from presenting my work done in the lab.

What are some benefits of doing research?

Anderson Lab has been an amazing opportunity for me and has opened my eyes to other paths I can take with a mechanical engineering degree beyond manufacturing. I’ve reevaluated my plan for the future to include the potential of further schooling because of how much I have enjoyed conducting research in my short time with the lab.

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Still image from a video of swimming bluefish at 1.2 m/s used in Turner’s research.

Have you done research off-campus, like at a summer internship?

Last summer, I continued doing research with Dr. Anderson at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). I worked on trailing edge analysis and fish frequency while also assisting with other research projects. This coming summer, I’ll be doing research at Vanderbilt University as part of an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program.

How has doing research shaped your plans for after graduation?

In the future I could see myself continuing with research of any kind either working for an institution or moving on to grad school and conducting research there. Working in Anderson Lab has shown me that I really enjoy putting my efforts into research.

To learn more about Grove City College’s Mechanical Engineering program, visit the department page!

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Austrian Student Scholars Conference: 9 Schools, 5 Countries, 1 Incredible Saturday

Presenters and hosts gather for a group photo at lunch on Saturday
Presenters and hosts gather for a group photo at lunch on Saturday

On Saturday, February 27th, 20 undergraduate, graduate and professor level economics scholars gathered at Grove City College to present their latest research. The Austrian Student Scholars Conference was inaugurated at GCC in 2004 by Economics Department Chair Jeffery Herbener, formerly the director of the Austrian Scholars Conference at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. The ASSC serves a similar role to the Mises Institute’s ASC (now AERC), providing a forum for students of the “Austrian School” of economics, associated with Mises, F.A. Hayek, Murray Rothbard, Israel Kirzner and Joe Salerno. However, what makes the ASSC unique is that, as the name suggests, it is intended for undergrads and graduate students to get their first experience in presenting papers and engaging in discourse with fellow students.

This presents a very special opportunity for the serious undergraduate scholar, especially Grove City students. As part of the ECON 420 ‘Economics Colloquium’ capstone class, every economics major is required to present a paper their senior year, but some students write and present papers even sooner in their careers. At this year’s conference, of the 10 Grove City students who presented two were juniors and one a freshman. Other presenters included undergraduates from Ferris State University, Ph.D. students from Auburn University, George Mason University and the University d’Angers along with a few faculty members from various institutions.

Dr. McCaffrey speaks Friday night
Dr. McCaffrey speaks Friday night

The fun kicked off with great conversation between the different groups represented at the conference over a delicious meal of salmon and pilaf on Friday night. The evening’s keynote lecture, named in honor of former economics department chair Hans Sennholz, was delivered by Dr. Matthew McCaffrey from England’s University of Manchester who spoke about the economics of social entrepreneurship. He presented a convincing argument that social enterprises, which provide social good in the context of business (such as TOMS shoes), can deliver aid more efficiently than conventional non-profits or the government. This is due, he said, to business firms being subject to economic calculation which forces them to weigh profit and loss. By weighing these, the social enterprise can be more effective than a traditional charity that just has money given to it.

Showtime for Presenters

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Dr. Jeff Herbener introduces GCC’s Susannah Estoker before her presentation

Saturday morning marked the beginning of a full day of paper reading and discussion. The sessions were organized into 1.5 hour blocks, with three papers presented in each. Sessions sorted papers into common themes which this year included Domestic Policies; Technology, Modeling and Economics; Ethics and Economics; International Policies; Labor and Wages; and Money Production. After the papers were presented, with each presenter allocated 20 minutes, there followed 30 minutes of discussion about the papers where listeners could ask questions to clarify points, or make suggestions on issues raised in the papers that could be further investigated.

After two series of sessions it was time for lunch and then on to more papers. By the end of the day, topics including Social Security, labor policy, the Gold Standard and international development had all been discussed. This diversity of topics made the day a quick introduction to serious academic thought on a variety of issues.

Judging

Before the papers were presented, they were read and judged by a panel of Grove City College faculty for the Richard E. Fox Prize. First place (with a $1,000 cash prize) went to Ph.D. student Karl-Friedrich Israel from the University d’Angers, while 2nd and 3rd prizes went to two GCC seniors, David Werner and Jon Nelson. Israel’s paper: “Modern Monetary Policy Evaluation and the Lucas Critique” addressed Robert Lucas’s argument that the results of changes in economic policy can not be adequately predicted using economic modeling. David Werner presented an overview of the effects the California Gold Rush of 1849 had on the monetary supply in his paper: “Gold: Rushing and Minting”, and Jon Nelson’s “The Economics of Science, Technology and Government Intervention” assessed some effects that governmental subsidization of applied research can have on the economy.

L-R: David Werner, Karl-Friedrich Israel, Jon Nelson
L-R: David Werner, Karl-Friedrich Israel, Jon Nelson
Dr. Brandly makes a point
Dr. Brandly makes a point

After the presentation of the prizes, Dr. Mark Brandly of Ferris State University delivered the Ludwig von Mises Memorial Lecture on “Mises, Calculation and Government Land Ownership”. His recounting of how he came to economics after majoring in math in college and working in the petroleum industry had the crowd laughing. He also managed to make the main topic of his talk: explaining how the government’s ownership of land affects investment decisions in harvesting natural resources, accessible to audience members less familiar with economic theory.

It was a busy weekend, but a fun one, and a great opportunity to meet students from other institutions. The Austrian Student Scholars Conference is just one of many ways Grove City provides unique experiences to its students.

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Is He the Professor? Dr. Thompson Quizzes Someone Else’s Class

My 12:00 economics class begins in a distinctly odd way.

Before class, a professor who doesn’t belong teaches us something we don’t need to know.

Strange? It’s definitely strange. Annoying? Not at all. To be honest, we can’t get enough of it.

Dr. Thompson Writing

Who is this guy? His name is Dr. Thompson. He teaches mathematics and definitely loves his subject. I can’t think of any other reason why he would bother challenging a bunch of economics students to calculate prime numbers and solve brain-teasers.

Yep, prime numbers and brain teasers. That’s been the name of the game so far.

Here’s how this phenomenon happened…

It was the first day of classes. Monday. My classmates and I cautiously entered “Austrian Economics” about 10 minutes early. As we began to sit down, I noticed a professor up at the front. He was writing on the board. When I looked up to see what he was writing, I got a little nervous. I had signed up for a class on economic theory, but what he had just put on the board was a ginormous number. What could this mean?

Then he spoke: “Do you think this is a prime number?”

Prime Number

Finally one student raised his hand. “I don’t know.”

Dr. Thompson was not discouraged. He cheerfully explained to us how we could know for certain it was a prime number, going through a few simple tricks. Then he left, and our econ professor entered. We looked at each other again. That was unusual.

Next class, Dr. Thompson had another one for us. “What words can you write upside-down, and they’re still a word?” We decided to engage and came up with several of them. Dr. Thompson was pleased.

By the third class, we were eager. We tackled an unscrambling word challenge. Since then, it’s been a jolly old time in econ class. The few times Dr. Thompson’s missed, we’ve sorely missed him.

What do I conclude from this?

I like that professors here at Grove City College are so passionate about their subjects. Even more commendable is the fact that students are willing to tackle challenges outside of what they signed up for. College isn’t just about learning facts for a job. It’s about learning how to learn, in whatever form that takes.

So even though Thompson doesn’t really belong in our class, we welcome him there. He shakes up the routine and gives our brains a bit of a warm-up to do economics.

As Dr. Thompson himself put it when our professor entered: “I got them all primed for you.”