Posted on Leave a comment

Small Campus Big City

One of the main reasons I decided to go to Grove City College was its close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh is a short one-hour drive from campus which means if you have a means of getting to the city, you can access the many experiences Pittsburgh has to offer.

I will be the first person to admit that it is nice to get off campus once in a while, and with Pittsburgh only a short trip down the highway, there are endless opportunities. Pittsburgh has many great restaurants, bars, and great sports teams that you can generally find cheap tickets to. Another great plus to having the city is having stadiums that will facilitate great events and concerts. Earlier in the spring, a group of my friends drove down to Pittsburgh to see Tame Impala perform.

In my time at Grove City, I have been able to attend many concerts, and there are plenty of concert venues in the Pittsburgh area which make it possible to get off campus and experience the big city. One of the biggest misconceptions about Grove City is that it is remote and far away from any forms of entertainment, but this is not quite accurate. One of my favorite things I have been able to do as a student is drive down to Pittsburgh and see concerts, eat some great food, and spend time in a great city.

Another recommendation during the winter season is the Pittsburgh Penguins offer student rush tickets to college students. Tickets range from $20-$35 which would be a relatively cheap college weekend night. Overall, Grove City’s close distance to the city makes it easy to plan a fun weekend either with friends or a date. There are plenty of neighborhoods to discover in Pittsburgh so get out there and get exploring!

Posted on Leave a comment

Tam O’ Shanter: A Golf Course Review

Welcome! - Picture of Tam O'Shanter of Pennsylvania Golf Course, Hermitage - Tripadvisor

As spring rolls around campus, the weather begins to improve the opportunities to be outside begin to become more present. While some students like to go hiking or hammocking, I have fallen in love with playing local golf courses in Western Pennsylvania. Playing golf for me provides stress relief and an amazing opportunity to connect with different people off campus. Western PA’s rolling hills and mild climate provides an optimal layout for nice affordable golf courses.

Last week, I played Tam O’Shanter in Hermitage. I had played this course multiple times before but had never taken the time to review the course in general. To begin, Tam O’Shanter is one of my favorite golf layouts around the College. The course is around 30 minutes from campus so its relatively accessible. Inspired by the rough and natural layouts of traditional links style courses, Tam O’Shanter plays around 6,500 yards from the back tees.

In my opinion, this course provides the most challenging golf experience when it comes to local golf courses. Greens are fast, fairways are tight, and par 3s are generally long and unforgiving. While it might be the toughest challenge, it is one of my favorite places to play. The pros in the pro shop are always kind and love college students, and the food at the turn is very well priced and tastes great.

One of my favorite aspects of Tam O’Shanter is the course layout. Tee to green, this course provides a very scenic and enjoyable golf experience featuring winding fairways and small undulating greens. Overall, I recommend any golfer to take a weekend and a couple of friends to enjoy the historic Tam O’Shanter–just remember to bring some extra golf balls. You are going to need them.

Posted on Leave a comment

Green Meadows: A Golf Course Review

Spring at Grove City is one my favorite times on campus. The cold and snowy days are quickly replaced with the warm and pleasant breeze of Western Pennsylvania. As the weather becomes more lively, so does the campus. There is a surge of students outside to enjoy the warmth, either by studying outside or just hanging out with some friends.

One of my favorite things to do when the weather shifts is to find some friends and play one of Western Pennsylvanians many golf courses. Last week, I ventured to Green Meadows Golf Course in Volant, PA. Green Meadows is a short 20-minute drive from campus and offers a fantastic golf experience for golfers of any skill level. Green Meadows was first opened for play in 1960, so its fairways and greens have had time to reach maturity.

Green Meadows provides a test to every golfer. The course layout is a tight course with four dogleg fairways and some grass bunkers. There are sand bunkers that come into play on most holes. The sloped greens are fast, and three of them are undulating. Par for the course is 72. From the forward tees the course measures 4,680 yards and around 6,500 from the back tees.  The longest hole on the course is hole 12, a par-5 that plays to 587 yards. The shortest hole on the course is #9, a par-3 that plays to 170 yards from the back tees.

From my experience, I would recommend watching out for #7, a 438 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. Hole #7 provides a tee shot that favors a high draw due to trees that line the left portion of the landing area and dogleg fairway. It can be tempting to cut down the fairway and play over the trees but attempting this is dangerous and can often make your second approach shot more difficult. My success on this hole has been from playing a long iron to widest part of landing area and playing another long iron into green.

My favorite thing about the course is its lush fairways and rough. Last week was not my first time playing Green Meadows, and every time I have played in the past, the greens have been rolling and well-kept, and fairways are manicured and always lush. For $15 for 9 holes, the experience is unbeatable.

In the next coming weeks I will be providing more course reviews of local Grove City golf courses. Playing recreational golf is just one of the many ways that students can get off campus and enjoy the beautiful weather. I cannot wait for more students to experience the great time that Green Meadows offers.

Posted on Leave a comment

Thrifting in Grove City

May be an image of text

As a typical college student, you may not have an exorbitant amount of money to spend at the Grove City Outlets or other stores in the Mercer County area. Thrift stores are a great way to be able to get new clothes while barely spending any money, and it is also a great way to support local businesses.  In this blog, I am going to list some of the best thrift stores in the area, and some recommendations for stores in the Pittsburgh area.

  • Salvation Army: This is a Grove City College staple. Usually referred to as “Salvo,” it is a great place to get some quality clothes at a really good price. They will restock the new items on Thursday afternoons, so that is always the best day to go. Also, there are deals on Wednesdays, which is a fantastic way to get cheap clothes for an even cheaper price. Salvation Army is a great store that encourages you to give to a good cause.
  • All Good Things: This is a much smaller thrift store right across the street from Memorial Park. It is a nonprofit organization that has a great selection of clothing and other items. They have great vintage clothes and there is a building in the back that has old furniture which is great for furnishing your dorm room.
  • Thrifty Threads: This is the closest thrift store to campus. It is located right on South Center Street, and it is by Coffaro’s, a pizza shop that is home of the college special. It also very cheap for clothes there, though you may have to do some digging because they have a large selection of clothes, but you will definitely find some quality items.

These are the top thrift stores in Grove City, however if you have a car you can go down to Butler you will find more stores. For example, there is a Salvation Army, Goodwill, and some other small business thrift stores that have great character and you can find some great items. I highly recommend going to thrift stores in the area; it is a great way to find cheap clothes that look great, while supporting local small businesses!

Posted on Leave a comment

Outside The Grove: Hiking

Balancing Rock

Many students at Grove City College come to realize that though we may have mixed feelings about harsh Pennsylvania winters, there are undeniable upsides come spring and fall. Being from Colorado, I grew up with an appreciation for nature and while western PA lacks anything quite as stark as the Rocky Mountains, it certainly has its redeeming qualities. Here are a few that I have explored, anywhere from walking distance from campus to a few hours drive:

  1. Moraine State Park: Moraine State Park is built around Lake Arthur. Lake Arthur is a large and oddly shaped expanse of water with around 40 miles of shoreline. Inside the park there are floating docks, nature trails, hiking trails, bike paths, fishing docks, and plenty of rolling hills and forest. Park rules and weather conditions can be restrictive to camping, so do some research beforehand if you decide to go.
  2. Grove City “poop loop”: this area is given its nickname by students because in the middle of the open space, there is a sewage plant. Officially, the area is called the Grove City Borough Bike Trail. A quiet winding road connects the rest of Grove City to a park. At the park there are soccer fields, a disc golf course, and several miles of bike path much of which is along Wolf Creek.
  3. Trough Creek State Park: this state park is a few hours from Grove City, but I found it worth the drive. While there are over 12 miles of trails most of which I haven’t seen, the biggest attraction at this park is the Balanced Rock. The hike goes along Trough Creek and across a suspension bridge, past a waterfall, and ascends to the ledge on which the infamous rock is perched.

This is far from an exhaustive list and is simply a small sampling of the great outdoors accessible from Grove City.

Posted on Leave a comment

Grove City College: Working a Job While in College

Being a student in college takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but also a large sum of money in most cases. Summer jobs or internships are a good way to help save money to put towards college. But that does not help cover all of the costs that accrue. Between tuition, books, extra food, car payments, and whatever else may come up, there are a lot of expenses to think about. At Grove City College, there are many on-campus job opportunities for students. Anything from cafeteria help, bookstore, tutoring positions, tour guides, and many jobs in between, there is something to fit the interest of most people.

Sometimes, on-campus jobs can get applied for and taken very quickly though. If this is the case, or none of the options interest you, off-campus jobs are always an option as well. Whether you live locally and already have a job coming into school, or if you apply for one once you arrive, it is always a possible option for extra income. There are many nice restaurants, fast food chains, and stores that are interested in hiring college-aged students. Grove City Premium Outlets, only about 10 minutes away from Grove City College, is a great option when searching for a job. The outlet mall offers over 120 stores as well as a food court for people interested in the food industry.

As for myself, I have had a job at the outlet mall since the summer before my freshman year here at Grove City College. I decided to continue working throughout the school year as well rather than trying to get an on-campus job. Personally, having the off-campus job helped me to have a different change of pace every once in a while along with gaining retail experience and make some extra cash.

There are many opportunities to make some extra cash while in college, whether it is on-campus or off-campus. It gives you a way to make some extra cash, builds experience, and helps to improve time-management skills.

 

Posted on Leave a comment

ICO Spotlight: Philadelphia

What is ICO Philadelphia?

ICO (Inner-City Outreach) Philadelphia is a short-term missions trip to the city of Philadelphia over the first half of Spring Break. Partnering with The Philadelphia Project (TPP), the student group works alongside those working and volunteering with TPP in three different ministries.

What are the different ministries the student work with?

The mercy ministries focus on going out into the parts of the city with a heavy population of homeless individuals handing out food and supplies, as well as taking time to pray and just talk with some of these people.

TPP has many different work sites in the area outside of Philadelphia, renovating the homes of those who sorely need it, but cannot afford it. The students go and work alongside trained professionals, doing projects ranging anywhere from painting to tearing down walls; the students have the opportunity to serve in a more hands on manner, making direct connections in the community.

Another ministry has a few different areas the students can go, one of these is the Whosoever Gospel Mission. The Mission on the surface is an establishment similar to the Salvation Army, complete with a thrift store and locations to donate goods. However, looking deeper, there is an amazing ministry happening just above the store. The Mission offers a place for recovering male addicts to land, recuperate and go back out into the world with a renewed mindset and a more stable (faith based) foundation. In this ministry, the students get to hear the incredible stories of some of these men. They will also get the chance to work alongside them in the sorting section of the thrift store.

What has ICO Philadelphia shown its participants?

Based on what past participants (and personal experience) have taught me, the strongest thing this trip

has brought its members is community. The community forged on this mission lasts far longer the the constraints of the trip itself. The relationships built, faiths strengthened and wisdom’s earned are those which cannot be broken and will last for years to come. Trips like these bring people together for a common goal that cannot be accomplished in such a short amount of time, but every bit (regardless of length) help tremendously. Working in the kingdom alongside other like-minded individuals, for the greater good, is truly something to marvel upon.

Posted on Leave a comment

Campus Spotlight: ICO Fair

What is the ICO Fair? What does it offer?

The Inner City Outreach (ICO) Fair is an event held in the student union every fall semester. The goal of this event is to inform the campus community about what ICO trips our college offers and how they can learn more about the details of these trips. This year we had informational tables set up for ten different ICO trips, most of which will be serving during spring break and the others over Thanksgiving or fall break. The trips in attendance were ICO Los Angeles, Rhode Island, Tucson, Guatemala, Philadelphia, Czech Republic, Chicago, Buffalo, and Grove City.

How did the campus community respond to the fair?

There was a great turnout from the community at the fair. Each trip had a table with their respective leaders there, ready to answer any questions about their trip and offer some insights that might help any fresh faces decide which ICO could be a good fit for them. Although the trickle of students coming in and out of the fair was steady, there was no one trip that dominated the students’ interest. Each table consistently had a number of students around and ready to hear what the leaders had to say about their trip. Most students made it a point to cycle through the room, hearing the stories of each individual trip in attendance, making sure to really get a feel for all of the trips and see where God might be leading them on this journey of service.

How can the students receive more information?

Students can sign up for email lists for individual trips to receive updates as well as look to various posters around campus. This will allow students to know when and where info meetings are being held and how they can take steps toward being on the team of their choosing.

 

Posted on Leave a comment

On Campus Starbucks vs. Off Campus Dunkin’

Grove City College offers a variety of ways to get food on campus. A student or anyone looking for food on campus can either go to Hicks dining hall, Map dining hall, or to the Breen Student Union to get a meal. At the Student Union, the food options are smaller and to-go. This can be really useful to students with busy schedules because they can quickly grab their food, go to class, or do what is necessary for their day, while still being able to make time for meals. They also offer other items that are not part of a student meal plan, so you would have to pay for those items in either normal money or crimson cash, cash that you put on your student ID card.

One thing offered at the Student Union, that is not part of a student meal plan, is Starbucks.  This can be pretty convenient to students because they can grab a cup of coffee before their morning class or while they are doing homework. Starbucks is a well known coffee shop for quality coffee, but one problem is that it is also well known for higher prices.

Due to the higher prices and not a lot of options in the Student Unions’ Starbucks, a lot of students will look to other places for their much needed coffee. One of those places is Dunkin’ Donuts. Dunkin’ is a pretty close walk, being just across the street from the Colonial Hall Apartments, and many students take advantage of the ability to do their homework there.

Just from being present in both Dunkin’ and the Student Union, it is safe to say that more students get their coffee from Dunkin’.  This could be for multiple reasons: the coffee is less expensive, you are able to use a rewards membership unlike at the Starbucks in the Student Union, etc. If the Student Unions Starbucks made a few changes, for example, being able to use the Starbucks rewards app, then they could possibly get more business in that regard.

Posted on Leave a comment

Inside Grove City Ministries – DRIVE

Grove City College prides itself on incorporating faith into its academics and extracurriculars. One of the notable aspects about the College includes its variety of campus ministries. Students can choose to be a part of the Redbox Ministry, the International Justice Mission, or they can go on an Inner-City Outreach. A lot of these ministries focus on spreading the gospel to cities around the world, but one group has a slightly less traditional approach.

DRIVE is a ministry group on campus that tells the gospel through silent dramas performed to music. Their acronym stands for “Dramas Reaching Inner Cities through Visual Evangelism.” They minister to those living in inner cities near the College, including Youngstown, Pittsburgh and New Castle. Every few months they go to one of these cities to perform their dramas. When not doing dramas on the streets or in shelters, DRIVE holds a few on campus events a year. At least once a semester, DRIVE members do “flash mobs” where they spontaneously start doing dramas somewhere on campus. They also plan to host a “DRIVE”-in theatre event where students can view the dramas and get to understand the group’s mission better.

I sat down with some of DRIVE’s student officers and members to ask them some questions about the group and what they stand for. Because the group is so unique and focuses on off campus ministry, not everyone knows what DRIVE truly accomplishes.

The biggest theme I noticed in the answers to the questions was one of community.

During all of the interviews I filmed, everyone talked a lot about the community in DRIVE and how it not only drew them in, but kept them coming back to meetings. The mission of the group centers around giving back to communities, both spiritually and practically. Several of the members and officers give insight into this and into what being in the group is like.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWLWfAQKoE