Category: Campus Life

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A Strong Start for the Men’s Basketball Team

Coming off a strong 10-point victory against Chatham University, the Grove City Men’s Basketball Team moves to 6-3 on the year. After a heartbreaking 1-point loss last season to Geneva in the semi-finals of the PAC tournament, the Wolverines look to bounce back this season and have already started to show their true potential. Here’s a rundown of how the team is constructed this year.

Having no graduating seniors last year, the Wolverines returned almost every individual on last year’s team roster. Led by team captains Chase Yarberough and Mike Christenson along with 9 other upperclassmen, the 2024-25 roster is one of the most experienced the program has ever seen. As head coach Steve Lamie enters his 26th year for the Wolverines, he looks to partner with associate head coach Sean Severson and lead the Wolverines to another PAC championship. 

The Wolverines started the year off slow, losing their first 2 out of 3 games to non-conference opponents, Pitt-Greensburg and Pitt-Bradford. However, they have won 5 out of their last 6 games, holding an impressive 4-1 record in the PAC. This makes Grove City tied for second place in the current PAC men’s basketball standings. Although it is early in the season, the Wolverines’ recent play proves how high their ceiling is and the potential for them to be very successful this year. 

The Grove City College Men’s Basketball team and athletic program as a whole place a strong emphasis on the entire college experience. The players within the program are true epitomes of student-athletes. Each team, especially the men’s basketball team, works with their players to make sure athletics are not interfering with academics, allowing each to receive a strong education that will hopefully translate into a successful career. The Grove City Basketball team has countless alumni scattered across the nation that always find ways to come back and contribute to the program. Even if it is just a motivational speech before and after a game, the impact that the program’s alumni have over the current players is unmatched. This is a testament to the strong team culture that Coach Lamie and Coach Severson have built for the program. 

The Wolverines play their next game on Wednesday, December 18th, against Alma College, looking to add another one to the win column. As the season nears the half-way point, so comes Christmas break for Grove City College. However, after the conclusion of winter break, the Wolverines will be nearing the playoffs, and it is then more than ever that the support of every Grove City College student would be greatly appreciated. Notable home games following the conclusion of winter break are on January 18th against Saint Vincent, January 22nd against Westminster, February 1st against Chatham, February 12th against Thiel, and most importantly, senior night on February 15th against Bethany. The Grove City Men’s Basketball team would greatly appreciate your support as they look toward bringing home another PAC championship. 

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A Look into Your ’24-’25 GCC Baseball Team

Baseabll Team

Offseason

The Grove City College baseball team is preparing to get into the swing of the spring season after returning from winter break. Over the fall semester, the coaching staff began to prepare their squad for the ensuing season.

A mix of outdoor practices and intrasquad games took up most of the offseason. The fall was capped off with a doubleheader scrimmage against D2 Gannon University who made the trek up from Erie, PA. The matchup featured many great outings by multiple pitchers on each side and amazing batting performances by players at the plate. The series was split by the two teams. The games provided valuable playing time, and it was a good starting point to allow the coaches to determine where their team is at.

The GCC Baseball team continues to have team lifts and sprinting/agility practices to ensure they are healthy and strong heading into the long season. Players also have access to the IM gyms where they use the batting cages and portable mounds.

The Squad

The team looks to get back into the PAC championship again this year and rewrite the ending. A lot of returning starters know what it takes to have a winning season and make a deep playoff push. Growing the team chemistry has been a big focal point this year. Outside of the diamond, the team gets together a couple times a month to hang out as friends and just have a good time.

The Senior class features the three team captains: Sam Distefano, Evan Umland, and Josh Minnich. Many other seniors will play a big role for this team in the field. Umland and Dave Leslie highlight the pitching staff this year and have a big task on their hands as they come together with the younger classes to help build a rotation of starters and relievers.

The Junior class is smaller in depth compared to others but makes a big impact in the field and at the plate. A couple returning starters have gained great experience in the years past and look to have another great season. A mix of outfielders and infielders will have an opportunity to come in this season and be impact players on the field.

The sophomore class is highlighted by the pitchers who make up a large percentage of the entire pitching staff. Many of those guys took the mound in their rookie seasons in starts, relief, and closing situations. These guys will play a big role for this team if they want to make it back to the championship. A few other sophomores made a real impact in their first season at the plate and in the field and look to do that again.

The freshman squad looked promising during the offseason. A few of them could have the opportunity to see playing time very early on and could cement their spot on the roster if they can compete and perform well during those moments. The freshman class has a lot of talent and athleticism which will complement this team very well.

Together these classes will make up the starting roster and rotation on the mound. So much talent is present on this team, and they have the potential to make headlines in D3 baseball as they have in the previous seasons.

What to Expect this Season

The Grove City College Baseball team will start practicing on the first day of the spring semester and won’t have much time until they play their first games that count towards their record. The coaches will have to make sure they keep the team focused and cover a lot of ground in less than a month.

From there, the team will travel to play a few games in Virginia during the middle of February. They will continue south down to Florida where they will play around 8 varsity games with a few JV games as well. They’ll look to get into a smooth rhythm before heading back north for conference games.

The baseball team will play a handful of non-conference games, before kicking off the doubleheader conference matchups. This part of the season tests many teams’ physical and mental capacities and is what separates the elite teams from the average. The squad will have to keep their spirits up, even during the low times, and work as a team to reach their goals.

PAC playoffs will ensue in early to mid-May. The GCC baseball team comes into this season with expectations of making playoffs and making a strong push to win the championship. Some guys further down the depth charts will need to step up and fill roles as the playoffs can mean a lot of games in a short span. Grove Baseball looks to get into the NCAA tourney and make a name for themselves at that next level if they are crowned PAC champs.

Final Thoughts

This 2025 season will be a time when these student-athletes make some of their best memories. The season will be action-packed and full of many intense games that will come down to the wire. The players continue to work hard so that when they are faced with those situations, they will rise to the challenge.

Make sure to come out to R. Jack Behringer field in the spring to support and cheer on the team!

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Life as an International Student at Grove City College

Sometimes choosing to study in a place so far from home can be intimidating. Though it presents a unique set of challenges, it also creates amazing opportunities. For the international students at Grove City College (GCC), the experience is one of growth, exploration, community, and (of course) lots of fun.

Let’s Meet Some International Grovers!

Anastasia Gaponenko (left) and Thaddeus Woo (right) outside of Henry Buhl Library

Anastasia Gaponenko, a senior Electrical Engineering major, is from Moscow, Russia. She came to the US in high school and attended a Christian high school in Philadelphia. “A lot of kids from my high school went to Grove City because it’s like a famous Christian college.” It was through her friends that she ended up applying to Grove City!

Philippe Keita hails from Dakar, Senegal, and is a senior at GCC studying Computer Science. Philippe decided to pursue his bachelors in the U.S. because of the higher level of education and potential career opportunities. “I heard about Grove City College from church connections…in Senegal…I heard that they had a good computer science program, so I came here for that.”

Thaddeus Woo, another senior international student, is pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He made his way to the U.S. from Penang, Malaysia, and found Grove City through a family friend, “My mom’s friend introduced it to her…” he said, and after discovering that Grove City carried the degree that he was seeking, “…I switched my decision from Covenant [College] to Grove City College.”

A Glimpse of Life on Campus

At GCC, all students are encouraged to get involved on campus. For many international students, it’s the perfect way to get to know fellow students and build valuable skills. You have the freedom to make your four years here your own and it’s easy to do with so many different organizations and activities to choose from.

Whether it is intramural sports, academic organizations, clubs, campus jobs, or social groups like fraternities and sororities, there is freedom to pursue your interests, or try out something new! For Thaddeus, he found a job on campus in Media Services, helping other students with their computers and technology.

Philippe found ways to make friends and have an impact on campus through his housing group (the Rhos) and different clubs. “I’m president of the Men’s Activities Board,” Phillipe says, which is a campus organization working to create “community engaging events open to all male students” (my.ggc.edu).

Annika has also taken leadership roles in the organizations she has participated in at Grove City. “Last year I was the president of the Physics Club,” she says, “…my freshman year I was involved with the Women’s Society of Engineers…it definitely contributed to my future job search.”

 

Advice for Future International Students

While looking at schools, especially if you are considering one outside of your home country, our fellow international students offered some valuable advice It is important to “…know what Grove City is before you come here,” said Philippe. The technical aspects of how to apply to a particular college are important. Still, it’s also important to learn about the culture of the campus, and their values, and consider if they are ones that you could see yourself being a part of!

It is important to lean into the tightly-knit community of GCC especially when you are new to campus as an international student. “Having a smaller community can be nice,” again, Philippe.  â€śYou see the same people (students and teachers) so it’s easier to interact with them.”

While there are plenty of things going on at GCC. Things are more spread out from campus when you get into town. Some of Annika’s advice, especially if you need something from the store, was to ask around if people are making a trip. You can even ask a friend to take you if they have a car!

College is about more than just getting your degree. It provides a chance to create lasting memories and friends in a community that supports your every step. At Grove City College, we hope that you can join in enriching our community like Anastasia, Philippe, and Thaddeus have.

 

For more information about Grove City College, and to apply, visit www.gcc.edu and click “Apply” (information for international students is listed on the right, under “How To Apply”).

Are you curious about the process of finding an internship as an international student and want some tips? Take a look at the post “How to Expand Your Career Opportunities as an International Student at Grove City College” by Evenine Paultre.

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Being an RA at Grove City College

Being an RA at Grove City College is a fantastic way to serve your campus community and develop relationships with people on your hall as well as your Residence Life Staff. Being an RA is an important position that involves community building and policy enforcement. Led by Thomas Biro, the Director of Residence Life, Grove City Residence Life exists to help students thrive in their communities and as individuals. If you’re the type of person who loves to watch people grow and challenge themselves, serve those around you, and be involved in community, then maybe the RA position is right for you!

5 girls taking a picture in a bathroom mirror while holding a ladder
Me and my fellow RAs going on a round while carrying a ladder

Across campus there are different types of RA positions available. You can be an RA for Greek Life/housing groups, for freshmen, for independents, and for the Colonial Apartments. The style and size of your hall fully depends on the size of the building you are placed in. The same is true for the size of your Residence Life staff. During the application process you get to choose what your preferences are, though the ultimate decision will be with the Resident Directors.

Some of the responsibilities as an RA include being on duty and planning events for your hall. Being on duty is the most consistent responsibility. Depending on the size of your staff it will either be every other week or weekly. “Duty” means you are the on-call RA from 7pm-7am and residents will call/come to you with emergencies, lock outs and any other things that come up during your shift. Most of the stuff that I have had to deal with while being on duty is just toilets and showers that won’t turn off, quiet hours, burnt out lights, or residents who are locked out. It’s a great opportunity to use the time in the building to connect with residents and host events.

Your residence life team will meet weekly to discuss building needs, plan events, spend time in prayer over residents, connect with each other, and dive into ways you can pursue the Res Life vision for campus. These meetings have been some of the highlights of my week and times that my team has come together to support each other. Another thing that you will do as an RA is attend bi-weekly One-on-Ones with your RD and ARD (if your building has one). These are great times to catch up with your RD, let them know about any resident concerns you have, ask them questions and more. They also use this time to ask you questions and help you grow in your faith, personal and professional life.

5 girls laughing in a hallway while taking a selfie
Me going on a round in North with a few of my residents

I am currently a junior and a freshmen RA in Harker. This is my second year on staff, but my first in Harker. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to serve with two different staffs and RDs. It had given me extra opportunities for growth in various areas of my life. Another thing that I love about being a second-year RA is that I am able to continue to connect with my residents from last year. I learned that being an RA is not just a once and done type of commitment. You create relationships that last beyond the year you are on staff, and they have the potential to extend even further. Which is truly exciting and encouraging.

Being an RA for the last two years has been the best experience of my time at college. My first year I was in North, and for this second year I am in the newly freshmen building of Harker. I have had many opportunities for growth— spiritually, personally, and professionally. I am so thankful for the ways that my RDs and fellow RAs have supported me and challenged me. This experience has been such a blessing from the Lord, and I cannot imagine where I would be if I had not applied for the RA position during my freshmen year.

If this sounds like something that would interest you, I encourage you to speak with your RA or your RD and find out more information!

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Apartment Life

Grove City College, Colonial Hall Student Housing - IKM Inc

As you grow older at Grove City College, living opportunities begin to increase. For the most part, freshmen men will live in either Memorial Hall or Hicks Hall until their sophomore year when more opportunities open up such as Lincoln, Ketler, Hopeman, or even the Colonial Apartments. Personally, I joined a fraternity my freshmen year so it is popular to live on the hall with your group.

But, my senior year, my roommate and I decided to enter the lottery for an apartment. Our hopes were to give us more room and ultimately more independence from the regular student life set up. It also helps if you are student teaching to have a kitchen to make meals for the day. The apartment comes with many pros but of course with everything there is a cost. The first most obvious cost or downfall is that you are further away from the heart of campus. This means you must add extra time into your schedule to account for the walk to class. Another cost is food. The apartments provide a full kitchen with the intention that students will cook for themselves. For a college student that is low on time or a budget, cooking food becomes more arduous.

Despite these downfalls, the apartments provided a multitude of benefits to students who live there. Some of the stand-out pros that I have found are the increased independence and the opportunity to learn how to cook. After college you enter the real world, and it is nice to have prior experience in cooking meals, especially on a budget. Another plus is the size of the space. Colonial offers spacious rooms and updated appliances. Overall, Colonial offers a sense of independence that you do not get anywhere else on campus, and it forces you to grow and live on your own. For me being so involved in my fraternity, I do not know if I would have done it again, but it has been a great experience and one I will always remember.

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Experience with Sororities at College

When it comes to meeting people and making friends at college, a lot of people immediately think of joining a sorority or a fraternity. At big schools, many people join groups to find or meet friends but everyone has a different reason. Being at a small school like Grove City College, not only are you here academically, but socially and spiritually. My faith is an important part of my life and was one of the reasons I decided to join a sorority.

Rushing a sorority can be very intense and time-consuming, but it is all in the way you look at it. The best way to approach rush is having a positive mindset and thinking that you are going to meet new people and form a friendship with them. If you meet people in a group and become friends with them because they are in that specific group, you will not have a long-lasting friendship. Take it from me. I rushed my freshman year and did not get into the group I was rushing, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I spent time figuring out who I was and what I was looking for in a group. I decided to try rushing sororities again and look at different groups, which led me to find a great group of girls who I became genuine friends with. Rush can be tiring, difficult, and time-consuming but it is worth it if you find a group of friends you can be yourself around.

For me, being in a sorority was more than being part of something on campus. It is being surrounded by a group of your peers who love the Lord and will push you in your faith, and who love you and will always be there for you. Not only do you get to know people in your class, but you look up to seniors and get to know them and get advice and wisdom from them. For some people, sororities and fraternities can be seen as being “exclusive” and “cliquey” but once you get to know all of the people in those groups, you come to find that they are great people.

Joining a group might not be for everyone, but my best piece of advice is to try it. You may not join a group but you get to know people on campus and become friends with them. As my parents always say, “What’s the worst that can happen?” You do not like the groups; you do not have to join it. Try something new! Get out of your comfort zone! Meet new people!

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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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What to Expect During Orientation Week

Coming to college for the first time is stressful. Maybe you do not know anyone and you have to make all new friends, you are starting the next academic chapter in your life, or maybe you are so excited about college and you have been waiting for this for a long time. No matter where you are in your transition to college, you will be pleasantly surprised whenever you walk on campus and you see Orientation Board waiting for you with a smile.

Your college experience is going to start with a bunch of upperclassmen coming to your car and carrying all of your stuff to your new room, so you will not have to carry anything. That is just the start of the blessing that is the Orientation Board (OB). Next, you will go to orientation and go to all of your meetings. This can seem very boring and mundane, but as a senior, I would love to go through that process all over again. Do not take it for granted.

Then the real fun begins, because that same night you will go to a dance called the “Graffiti Dance” where you wear a white T-shirt and you get signatures all over your shirt from all of your new classmates. It is such a special thing to go back and look who signed your shirt years later and realize that there are names on there that are your best friends now and you did not realize it that night.

Then there are more events on campus held by OB that will get you familiar with the campus but also familiarize you with your classmates, so you can make new friends very quickly. Just about everyone there is in the same boat as you and they are excited to be able to make friendships just like you. There are several days on campus where it is just the freshmen and OB, along with a couple of the fall sports teams preparing for their seasons. Then after a couple of days, the rest of campus will arrive, and you have even more people to meet and a lot more people that can be your friends.

Being on such a small campus is so nice during this week because you are all forced to be together all the time and make friends, whether you want to or not. The campus is not confusing, and you will be overprepared by the time the week is over. The whole OB group is welcoming and will help you with whatever you need. There is a lot more than what I talked about in this blog, but there is so much fun to be had here on campus at the start of your college experience.

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Finding Your Values at GCC

When transitioning into college life, it can be difficult to figure out who you are as an individual. You have spent your whole life following your parents’ lead and maybe kind of going through the motions, but at college, you will be challenged to formulate your own opinions and views. This is a great thing, and a natural progression, but that does not mean it is not scary.

Coming to Grove City, I was challenged both in my faith, but also views on politics and life. I came from a Christian high school, so I thought that I would have a pretty easy transition into college life since it is very similar, but that was not the case at all. Living on your own you are forced to make decisions for yourself, and you do not have to let anyone know what you are doing. I had a difficult transition period coming into school because I never really thought about who I was, but luckily the people here are so helpful and care about you.

For some people, the mandatory chapel can seem like something that is not fun or intriguing, but it can actually help you make your faith your own and make that next step in your life. Also, the professors at GCC care about your well-being and your academic performance so much that they will reach out and make sure that you are doing okay. I grew up in a home where we went to church all the time, and I was not exposed to any differing views religiously or politically at all. College was the first time when I was exposed to differing opinions, and I did not have the knowledge to back up anything I believed in. But being at Grove City is different in the sense that everyone is willing to have these difficult conversations with you and walk with you through this challenging time because they are all going through the same thing. It is challenging and may seem very daunting, but do not be discouraged.

You do not have to have everything figured out before you get to school, because there will be a lot of people in the same boat as you and that is a great thing because that means you can form meaningful relationships with people while building your faith and opinions all at the same time. There are plenty of groups and organizations on campus that can help you form your own views, and also there are so many clubs that you can join once you have decided what you are interested in. Grove City is a great place where you can form your own views and build unbreakable bonds.

 

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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.