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CCO’s Jubilee Conference 2019

Two summers ago, I interned with the company Coalition for Christian Outreach better known as CCO. CCO puts on Jubilee every winter which is a Christian conference held in Pittsburgh, where thousands of college students gather and learn how to worship God. The CCO has been putting on the Jubilee Conference for over 40 years now and every year it attracts more and more people. Jubilee’s main purpose is to “bring together college students to experience powerful worship, incredible speakers, and engaging topics that may impact our lives.”

Throughout the Jubilee weekend, students experience four large group gatherings that follow the Biblical narrative of the creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. For students, it is a good place to connect and meet people in their vocational field. Students can network to discover their next internship, learn how to continue their education and even plan for their future career. The CCO believes both faith and future are one in the same. This conference is unique in the fact that it is built around college students by trying to expose students to the Christian faith, but also help them plan for their futures in the post-college world. Jubilee gives students the opportunity to be part of a community, even if it is just for a weekend, which expands on the teachings of the Bible and our calling as Christians.

You can sign up for Jubilee online. Tickets went on sale Thursday, Oct. 4. The conference takes place on Feb. 22-24, 2019. Online, you can see the different deals that take place for students vs. non-students. You are able to purchase a conference pass, which is just for the events that take place, or a pass for four people and a hotel room for the weekend. The CCO blocks off rooms at a Pittsburgh hotel every year for anyone who is coming in from out of town or anyone who would like to be close to the conference for the weekend. It is a great offer and a great weekend for a group of friends or a family to join and learn more about God and what it means to be a Christian. I promise you, Jubilee will not let you down. Check out the link below to sign up and view promo videos of 2019’s Jubilee conference.

https://www.jubileeconference.com/

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My Summer Internship – Work Relationships

This previous summer I had the opportunity to work at my parents’ business, Keystone Ridge Designs, an expertise site furniture manufacturing company.  It was a comforting image to know that before I started my senior year at Grove City College, I had an internship to add to my resume.  I mainly looked at the internship as a “check off the list” of things to do before graduation.  Although, after a summer of a great deal of hard work, knowledge gained, some family tension, and strengthened relationships, I can say that working was so much more than just an internship.

Keystone Ridge Designs has been around ever since I was born, existing as a purely family business since around 1995.  My grandpa worked hard raising his family that would soon be raising me, along with building a company ever since his early 20s.  Since then, the business has excelled in terms of profitability, customer relationships, and building its brand.

The major concept I took away from my “job” was how important family businesses are and how they function in a world full of the idea of pure profit, no matter the ethics.  I appreciated the relationships between employees and their bosses, essentially my family members, except they were personal.  I watched as my family could ask their employees specific questions about their home lives because they genuinely cared to listen.  When meaningful work relationships are developed, work becomes easier.  It is more straightforward to work together, be efficient in the tasks they do, along with authenticity in the work completed.  The employees took responsibility for their actions, whether good or bad and were not purely focused on their individual career.  The collaborative atmosphere made for better problem solving and the generation of new product ideas to grow the business.  The selflessness that came from these work relationships goes to show that it is possible to profit in a business, while still caring about the needs of each employee.

Hearing about large corporations treat their employees like they are just another person working under them is something I personally could never work for, especially after seeing the relationships at Keystone Ridge Designs.  Similar to Grove City College’s ethics about faith and education, keeping them unseparated, my family’s business functioned to serve a greater purpose.  Working hard, helping others, extending generosity, and accomplishing business in a loving manner are simply four ideologies I want in any potential company I would work with.

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Grove City College Internship Opportunities – CCO

As a freshman at Grove City College, I never anticipated the opportunities that would come my way during my next four years here. During my sophomore year, I started networking with Grove City alumni. Networking for me meant talking to parents of my friends at school who either are alumni or know alumni of the College. The parents of my current roommate are both alumni and knew at the time I was interested in event planning. They helped me navigate the internship world and by March of my second semester sophomore year, I was offered an internship in the Development/Events Department with a company called Coalition for Christian Outreach, otherwise known as CCO.

My boss at CCO for that summer was Allyson Sveda, Grove City College alumna of ’88. Allyson was a Business and Communication Studies major during her time at college. To say Allyson was “involved” on Grove City College’s campus would be an understatement.  She was in the Alpha Beta Tau sorority, president of Student Government Association, president of Omicron Delta Kappa, president of Association of Women Students, while also involved in Orchesis, Campus Tour Guide, and Orientation Board.

Since May 2013, Allyson has served as the Development Director within CCO. She works with a team of six people to raise funds for CCO’s mission of “transforming college students to transform the world.” The Development team is responsible for raising money for the Next Generation Fund through direct fundraising efforts, planned giving, and annual events. As the CCO grows nationally, Allyson’s department looks for new donor bases across new regions to support the campus work in those areas.

Allyson and I have maintained a close relationship even after I completed my intern summer with CCO.  I recently spoke with her and asked why she hires Grove City College students as interns. Her response was extremely genuine and compassionate toward the campus community. “Personally, I like to give a fellow Grover the opportunity to learn new skills while they discover more about their personal strengths/weaknesses, build a more robust network, and gain solid experience that can leap frog them into their next position or future career. The CCO has a great relationship on many levels with Grove City. I will give Grove City College students first chance at any summer internship slots in our Development Office,” Allyson replied.

“Have you ever seen differences between Grove City students/alumni compared to students/alumni from other colleges? If so, please describe those differences,” I asked. “I have found the students here to be willing to dig in, be concerned with the importance of the details, creative, self-starters, great communicators, immediate contributors, motivated and willing to please! Other departments have commented on the solid nature of our Department interns. It’s no surprise to me,” Allyson said.

As my own career goals have shifted over the last couple of years, Allyson has continued to help by introducing me to other alumni of Grove City College. The Marketing and Sales internship I had after my junior year happened to be under one of Allyson’s sorority sisters! Allyson is just one prime example of all the Grove City College alumni that love to help out current students of the college. The close-knit community  happens to be a very giving and generous one. There are so many opportunities out there, even at a small school like Grove City College. Be confident, get to know more people, and keep your eyes and ears out for any possibilities that may come your way.

 

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Relationships While Studying Abroad

When I reflect on my family life, I know how strong we all are and how we always look to each other in times of need. I really appreciate the relationship I have developed with my family and look forward to continued relationship growth. My parents and I became extremely close once I started into my freshman year of college because of the distance apart from each other. While studying abroad in Italy, I found it difficult to develop the same types of relationships like I have with my family or my close friends at school. I knew that it would be challenging to be thrown into a completely new country and culture, but I did not realize how much it would impact my relationships back home. With being focused on traveling and photographing Florence, calling my parents and friends to hear about their lives was not always the easiest. I made time to try to catch up, but I also wanted to make sure I did not miss out on my time abroad.

I think something so important about intercultural relationships would be that in order for them to work, it requires an understanding of the other culture and the way they live. If we cannot grasp what they are going through in their everyday lives, how can we have an effective conversation or relate to them? My parents managed to understand what I was going through abroad and how being so far away from home impacted my faith, friendships, and lifestyle. All of which gave me a different perspective when arriving back home to the United States. The connections I made while in Italy with my Italian professors and other study abroad students are especially meaningful because we all experienced the same type of difficulties of being in a new cultural environment. If one is going into a new culture, they must be fully immersed to understand it and get the most out of the opportunities.

With studying abroad, do not be afraid of being far away from home. Meeting new people is such a fun experience and develops one’s character! Gaining relationships with people of another culture is something so special and lasting for lifelong situations.

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Study Abroad Relationships with Photography

A semester abroad in Florence, Italy left me with a perspective I have never experienced before and has provided me with lifelong thoughts. When I arrived in Europe, I was anxious for the next four months and what the Lord had in store for me. Throughout my time, I felt waves of excitement, pure joy, and love for the beautiful sights I was seeing every day. There was a constant sense of being overwhelmed by God’s creation because of how much there is to be thankful for and appreciate.

From the start, I knew my photography class was going to be my favorite. My professor, Cosimo Bargellini, lived in Florence which gave us a direct source of Italian culture, especially considering he was also a professional photographer. Our class consisted of walking around the city, learning techniques of photographing, and enjoying each other’s company.  Although he was fluent in English, Cosimo was still raised in the Italian culture. This provided a slight obstacle in that I did not fully understand everything about his culture since I was raised completely different.

Our verbal communication was acknowledgeable because Cosimo taught based off his experience and practice in photography. By discussing and showing aspects like exposure levels, shutter speed, and framing a picture, the students, myself included, learned new approaches about the way we had previously known about photography. We had differences though, relating to our faith and politics. Cosimo had grown up in a Catholic church but once he was older, he decided to become a Buddhist and focus intently on the lifestyle. One day in class, Cosimo talked about how he had hope for his next life and that it would be even better than his current. I immediately asked him to explain his thoughts further and he described how he lives following the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhism obviously is different from the Christian religion that I have grown up in, but I was still able to open my mind up to hear Cosimo’s opinions about life and the afterlife. Without alternate viewpoints, we are all agreeing on the same idea and this will not generate new concepts that could ultimately benefit a community of people. I did not agree with Cosimo’s religion because of my own but I am still able to respect and understand how Cosimo thinks, something that benefits our intercultural relationship.

His view on politics also differed from my own, but I did not let that affect our bond through the lens and about the beautiful world in which we live. Italians generally criticized the ways of “greedy Americans” and the decisions we make as a country. They especially denounced our current president, Donald Trump, and his ideas for the future of the United States. I do not particularly like to argue with people about politics because most of the time I am not knowledgeable enough and think it can be pointless in that people can be set in their ways. Despite my personal feelings, I could understand Cosimo’s feelings in that he had a heart for the nature and animals on this earth. He would tell our class stories of his expeditions in the wild, surrounded by the purest form of a safari and the amazing tigers that he photographed. His passion for photography and showing emotion through his pictures is what is truly important, not how we disagree on politics.

I think my experience with Italians abroad, specifically Cosimo, was such an important life lesson for others and any future I have with other intercultural relationships. There are always going to be stereotypes about people of different cultures, race, or ideas but we must not let that stand in the way of connecting with others and learning about alternate lifestyles. In hindsight, I absolutely loved meeting people of other viewpoints.  It expanded my personal knowledge and provided me with the ability to have a stronger compassion and perception of others, something that I believe can always be enhanced. Focusing on other’s actions, both verbal and nonverbal, is the best way we can comprehend how they are feeling and do our best to further unity among one another.

 

Cosimo Bargellini, my photography teacher during my study abroad class in Florence, Italy.

 

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Pirates Game at PNC Park

Professional baseball games are always exciting, especially at one of the best ballparks in America. Thankfully, it is only about an hour away from the Grove City College campus. PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, gives fans a wonderful view of the city’s skyline beyond the Allegheny River. Along with the amazing view, Pirates baseball games allow you to sit back and watch some of the game’s most talented players do what they do best: play ball. All this makes for the perfect day trip away from the College campus to relax and enjoy one of America’s pastimes.
Tickets for a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game can be bought easily online through the organization itself or through the secondary market (StubHub and SeatGeek for example). Since college students are usually on a budget, the Pirates organization participates in College Cove Fridays where students receive a ticket, T-shirt, and a $10 food or drink voucher. The deal is valid for all Friday night home games. This makes for an affordable and enjoyable way to end a busy week of school.

Another great part of these ball games is the food, and there is nothing better than authentic ballpark food. A classic hot dog, pink and blue cotton candy, nachos with cheese and salsa, and salty pretzels are the main staple foods of the ballpark. Along with those, PNC also serves a Pittsburgh delicacy on game days: Mrs. T’s Pierogis. You will also see some famous pierogis running in the famous pierogi race between innings.

Although the ballpark food is great, the game itself is what draws the fans in. Pittsburgh takes great pride in their teams, the Pirates are no exception. No matter where you sit in the stadium, I can almost assure you that the guy or gal next to you will be ready to give you a two handed high five as soon as a Pirate hits a home run. Pirates baseball games are extremely fun to attend with Grove City College friends, and they are a great way to make memories. Win or lose, I can assure you that your day spent at PNC Park will be an enjoyable one.

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Strip District

There are days while on campus when you just want to get away for a while. After going to the Grove City Outlets for the umpteenth time, you start to desire more adventurous getaways. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Strip District is only about an hour from the College and is the perfect place to eat, shop, and wander around.

In terms of food and drinks, the Strip District has more than you could ask for. There are far too many places to mention, so I will tell you about a few of the places that I highly recommend going to. One of my absolute favorite places to get coffee is at La Prima Espresso Company. Their true Italian espresso makes their lattes and espresso shots deeply desirable. La Prima is the perfect place to go as soon as you arrive at The Strip to get your day started. With coffee in hand, the next place I suggest you go to is Pamela’s Diner. Their chocolate chip banana hotcakes and scrambled hash are just two of the delicious plates they offer. There is a reason it is one of the most well known diners in the Pittsburgh area. Now, if you have been to Pittsburgh and have not heard about Primanti Brothers, I would be shocked. The local “Yinzers” know that the restaurant along with its signature sandwich are a huge part of the what makes the city great. The chain is known for its grilled meat, coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries thrown between two pieces of Italian bread.

Now, if you have some money to spend, The Strip has some of the neatest and most interesting shops around. Roxanne’s Dried Flowers is somewhere I always stop by. Although the wreathes and dried flowers are usually too pricey for me, the shop is such an interesting place to walk through. The smells and displays make it worth it every time. Pittsburgh has a lot of pride in its sports teams. The Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers are loved by so many in the surrounding areas as well. Many shops in The Strip sell Pittsburgh sports franchised attire, some licensed while others are “yinzer unique.” Either way, these shops are really fun to check out.

Every time I have visited The Strip with my college friends has been so much fun and each trip seems to be more fun than the last. I highly recommend anyone takes a day trip to visit this amazing cultural district. The Strip District is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind location that can only be found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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“Victory” in Finding a Church: A Closer Look at Victory Family Church

One thing I realized when I came to college was that I needed to find a church. I needed to find a place that made me feel at home. I craved to be a part of a church community to grow in and experience life with. If you have never been to Grove City, I can tell you now that there are multiple churches in the area. There are approximately 16 within the town and countless more churches in the surrounding areas. In other words, there are many churches covering a wide range of denominations close by the College, so the odds of finding a church I liked was certainly high.

During my first week at Grove City College, as a freshman, I met a girl who would end up becoming a really close friend of mine. She told me about her home church located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (a 40 minute drive from the College). It was called Victory Family Church and it turns out that her father, John Nuzzo, was the pastor there. My friend invited me to go with her and visit the church for myself, and let me just say, I am so grateful that she did. Victory Family Church exists to help all people realize that God loves them unconditionally, and I can personally testify that the church does an incredible job at this. Every time I have been to Victory Church, I have been welcomed with open arms by so many brothers and sisters in Christ. I also witness the most loving and moving worship along with a sermon that somehow always seems like it is written for me each and every week. I cannot explain to you how at home I feel when I am there. Victory Family Church has truly changed my life, and I thank God for his guidance in leading me there. I hope and pray you find a church home that you love whether that be at Victory Family Church or someplace else.

Here is what a couple other Grove City College students have to say about the church:

“I admire Pastor John for fearlessly speaking the truth. Every time I enter Victory Church, I can feel the Holy Spirit working through Pastor John and through the rest of the church family.”

“I like Victory Church because Pastor Nuzzo never fails to give a relatable and deep message. He constantly exemplifies Christ’s love to us. As a pastor, he also expresses that he is not perfect, and that’s okay because of God’s grace and mercy. I think that’s important to have in a church, especially for college students because we strive to be perfect and beat ourselves up because we’re sinners and by God’s grace, we’re perfect. Also, the church preached that you are saved by grace alone through Christ alone which is very important. The church is massive so there is tons of room to meet people and grow in community with people of all ages.”

“I love the worship at Victory! They really do a good job of drawing in this generation of young adults. The message is always great and interesting to listen to, and I always feel so welcome!”

“Victory truly makes a big church feel small. It has been a great way for me to feel connected with other young-adult believers and the messages are so applicable for my everyday life. The small groups they offer have helped me make lasting relationships. We can’t do life alone and Victory Family Church has truly brought me into the family.”

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ICO Rhode Island

Signing up for an Inner City Outreach (ICO) trip over spring break was the very best decision I made my first year at Grove City College. Since then, I have been a part of three ICO teams, and I am leading a trip this spring. That, however, is another story altogether. Most recently, I traveled with 18 other students to Providence, Rhode Island over Thanksgiving break to volunteer at a rescue mission.

While there, we gave out over 300 turkeys, organized a pantry, painted a room, served Thanksgiving dinner, smashed cardboard, set up cots, and bagged at least 300 pounds of potatoes (I still have nightmares about the potatoes). We worked hard all week long, and accomplished a lot for the mission. By Thursday, they even began to run out of projects for us to work on.

I was amazed at what 19 people were able to accomplish in less than a week. Not only did we help prepare and serve the Thanksgiving meal, we also got to meet some incredible people. The people who work at the mission are so loving and giving, working with them was truly inspiring and humbling.

The real story here is not the work we did, but rather how God worked that week. God used the stories of the people I met to constantly remind me of how blessed I am. The entire week was a lesson in humility and gratitude.

Needless to say, student-led mission trips are one of my favorite things Grove City College has to offer. The experiences I have had, the people I have met, and the friends I have made through these trips have been among the biggest blessings God has given me in my time at the college. I would absolutely recommend them to anybody looking for a way to serve God by serving others over school breaks.

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Off-Campus Activities

One of the many great things about Grove City College is that there is always something to do. Whether it is a guest lecturer, an intramural (IM) sports game, or some kind of event hosted by one of the many campus clubs and organizations, it is a rare night on campus when nothing is happening.  

The Grove City College campus is amazing, but that does not mean that you will never want to go somewhere else for a while. Sometimes the best stress relief after a week of exams and papers is to get some friends together and go somewhere else for an evening. But what is there to do? Grove City is a small town, which means that sometimes your options are limited, but the city of Pittsburgh is only an hour away – which may seem like a long drive, but it is nothing if you have a great playlist.

The convenience of the city is fantastic, and there is always something to do. Usually, the Friday nights before a break are pretty uneventful on campus, so that is a great chance to explore the city. This semester, my ICO (Inner City Outreach) team traveled down to Pittsburgh for the annual light-up night on the Friday before Thanksgiving break.

We had a fantastic time seeing the massive Christmas tree at PPG Place, an even taller tree at the Point, fireworks, an Andy Grammer concert, and drinking fantastically festive coffee. It was a fun night out away from the stress of school with some great friends. Light-up night only happens once a year, but there is still plenty to do in Pittsburgh the rest of the year. Students often travel to the city to go to concerts, museums, and restaurants. Grove City College may seem like it is in the middle of nowhere, but with a thriving city like Pittsburgh so close by, you will never be at a loss for something to do.