Category: Residence Life

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Spartan Life: Living Arrangements Outside of Greek Groups

At Grove City College, we have a lot of different ways to participate in Greek life. From living in the group to just attending events, Greek life adds a lot of character to our small campus. But sometimes, Greek life just isn’t what every student wants to be a part of. I considered joining a housing group on campus but, after receiving a bid, I realized it wasn’t for me.

 

Grove City College has a unique campus life that prioritizes community more than other, similar colleges. Because of this, Grove City College does not house any national fraternities or sororities; each group that is present on campus only has affiliations here on campus. This helps pursue the goal of community unity because the groups are focused on their immediate surroundings, untied from the regulations and expectations of national groups. The Greek groups on campus are expected to bring the campus community together through numerous events such as dances, games, and food-oriented get-togethers. This provides a very unique and memorable campus life experience at Grove City College.

 

Starting the end of Freshman year, students may rush to join these housing groups for their Sophomore year. But some students may find that the Greek life isn’t for them and there’s nothing wrong with that. You may not be a part of the same experiences that those in these housing groups, fraternities, and sororities have, but your time at Grove City College will be full of similar experiences.

 

Life outside the Greek halls isn’t much different than if you were on the hall. Unlike most colleges, all groups still live in the dorms on campus; there are no frat/sorority houses off campus. You’ll be able to hang out in your friends’ rooms, who may be in a Greek group. You’ll still be able to walk out of your room and see your friends in the halls. You’ll still walk to lunch with them the same way that you would if there were no housing groups.

 

For me, many of the friends I have made through sports or through classes are in different Greek groups on campus. Even though I don’t want to live on a hall with a lot of guys, I still feel that I am able to be a part of their small community on campus. I still have meals with them and hang out in their rooms without feeling pressured to join them.

 

During your sophomore year, you may realize that you are spending a lot of time with your friends who are all in fraternities or sororities. If this is the case, you can always try to join! You’re never locked into a fraternity, sorority, or housing group at Grove City College. It’s up to the group but you can join during whichever year you are currently in!

 

Grove City College’s goal of achieving campus unity is expressed through its student housing arrangements. It doesn’t matter what background you come from, Grove City College has the right college living style for you.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What to Know About Hicks Hall and Memorial Hall

There are two men’s freshmen dorms on campus, Hicks and Memorial Halls. There are many pros and cons to each of these dorms, and before you have to choose your rooms, I will help you out in deciding which dorm to pick. My freshman year, back in 2018, I lived in Hicks, so I might be a little biased. But a lot of my best friends lived in Memorial, so I see the charm in Memorial Hall as well.

Memorial Hall

Memorial is no doubt the “nicer” of the two, depending on how you look at it. There is carpet in the hallways, and it definitely is a little bit more comfortable which makes it the more popular choice. There are a lot of perks to living in Memorial–you have a nicer living space, there is a nice green space out front, and the lounges in the building are nice and open so they are a great space to hang out with friends. However, you are a little farther away from the academic buildings and the dining halls which can be a con when you have to walk to dinner in the Grove City winters.

Hicks Hall

Hicks breeds men. At least, that is what my friends and I freshman year would tell ourselves. Hicks is not as cozy as Memorial. There is no carpet, except in the lounges. However, there is upgraded furniture in the lounges in Hicks which is a big plus. The rooms are generally the same size in both buildings which makes the decisions a little tricky. Also, Hicks is much closer to all of the academic buildings on campus, and you live right above the cafeteria, which at times is amazing but other times can be a nuisance because your room might start smelling like onions or whatever they are making that day downstairs. To the naked eye, Hicks might be the worse residence hall, but there are plenty of perks to living in Hicks that will make you want to live there.

Both of these residence halls have many perks, and there is not a wrong choice when you are picking where to live. You will find a great community no matter where you decide to live. But, if you want my opinion, I would lean towards Hicks, but Memorial is great as well.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

From Roommate to Life Long Friend

Ever since I was young I wanted a brother. I was still lucky to have a sister, and as I have gotten older, I have become much closer to her, which I have cherished. While I loved growing up with a sister I wanted a brother to play catch, ride bikes, and scrape my knees with. I never had that and dearly longed for it, especially as I got older and began to face new challenges in my life.

Fast forward to my senior year in high school, and it’s time to pick a roommate. Picking a roommate is quite honestly one of the closest things to a shot in the dark you can encounter.  There is an immense sense of pressure when deciding to live with someone. Doubts begin to flood in: does the person like the room cold or warm? Does he like to stay up late or go to bed early? Is he clean or messy? Living with someone slowly becomes the scariest challenge college has to offer and you are not even on campus yet.

My experience is much different than what I had expected. I expected to change roommates a couple times into college in order to find the right fit. My assumption was completely wrong. Throughout the past three years I can finally say that I have the brother I always wished I had. The fears of living with someone quickly diminished as I began to grow closer and develop a genuine friendship. As a senior in my second semester, I am beginning to reminisce on my time at Grove City College, and I have begun to realize that my most valuable takeaway from Grove City will not be my degree but the life long friend and brother I know I will have in Jack.

I am blessed beyond belief to have someone that I know I can trust and help me through the darkest times in life and celebrate in life’s most joyful moments. I can confidently say that I would not be where I am in my life without the help and guidance that I have been given. I understand that I got extremely lucky finding someone that I was completely compatible with. And the harsh reality is maybe you will not get as lucky the first try. But to prospective students, if Grove City College is your future home, developing relationships to people here is the most valuable thing you will get from your time in college. While some might disagree, I can confidently say that I have the brother I always wanted and a friend until the day I die.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Safest Campus

Grove City College

As a senior in high school, I remember being slightly afraid to come to college. I did not know how safe the campuses would be because they were in towns and cities that I did not know. I originally wanted to go to the University of Pittsburgh, but one reason that I chose to come to Grove City College is because of the safety and security of the college. As a senior, I can say without hesitation that there has never been a minute where I did not feel safe while on campus. The College is very safe, and it is one of those places where you could leave your wallet somewhere and it would be there three hours later, untouched. Considering how unsafe many colleges are, it is so important that Grove City is as safe as it is. The campus and the parking lots are well-lit and there are emergency call boxes located all around campus. There are Campus Safety vehicles constantly driving around to check on things. There is barely ever an incident report at the College.

Not only is the College a very safe place to be, but also the town is very safe. The town of Grove City is very quiet and has a low crime rate. There have been evenings that I have gone out for a walk and did not feel afraid at all. The people that live in town are kind and the community as a whole is very safe. In fact, the crime rate of Grove City is only 1/1,000. Since I am a young, female, college student, it makes me feel very safe to know that the campus is a safe place and that the community is a quiet. Overall, the campus is small and quaint and there are many reasons as to why Grove City College is special and unique. I recently asked several of my friends if they felt safe at Grove City College, and every one of them replied without hesitation, “Yes!”. My one friend said, “As a 21 year old college female, there has not been a second where I was afraid or even concerned about my safety at Grove City. It is one of the benefits of going to college in the country- I love being safe and the more I think about it, the more I am thankful that I chose Grove City. At other colleges, it is quite different.” I can confidently say that if you come to Grove City College, you will feel safe and at home, which is very important to many college students.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Home Away From Home

Keys to home

There are few people as intimately involved in creating and nurturing your new home in the residence halls as the Resident Directors (RDs) and Resident Assistants (RAs). I spoke with two RDs to bring you an inside perspective on dorm life from the ones who see it all.

Meredith Gross is the Assistant Director of Residence Life and also the Resident Director of Harker Hall, one of the women’s dorms. When I asked what she thinks is the most important lesson one can take away from living in a dorm, she discussed the real life social impact of learning to live well with others. “Living in a residence hall is great! It is fun and enjoyable, you get to live with your friends and create a new atmosphere away from home, but you also get the chance to learn to live with people who are not your family,” Meredith said, talking about the joys and struggles of living with new people. She highlighted that a strong social life has a positive correlation with doing well academically, and the students who live in residence halls are learning valuable life skills like negotiation, compromise, and leadership. Meredith strongly believes that the life skills you learn as a residential student translate well to being prepared for your goals beyond graduation.

James Phillips is the Resident Director of Ketler Hall, one of the largest men’s dorms. He cited the importance of fostering true, genuine investment in students who want it, and fights to prevent a superficial sense of belonging just by nature of being in a certain dorm or hall. As James put it, “That is more my aim – not to create an artificial sense of belonging, but to give my students space to opt in if they want to. At any given time or given day, there are people in Ketler who want to listen to what they have to say.” Community is a lot more complex than we tend to realize, and difficult to put into words. James makes it a priority to let his students know that there are Resident Assistants and himself available at any time, while making it clear that he does not intend to force a sense of superficial community. It is a hard balance, but one that he carefully tends to so that his students have fulfilling community wherever and whenever they may need it.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Going to an Out-of-State College

“If you can go to school out of state and meet all new people and become comfortable in an all new place-you can easily enter a new job, neighborhood, etc. one day”- Julia Knepper

Choosing a college can seemingly be one of the most stressful decisions and important decision you can make. With thousands of different schools that offer the same majors and degrees, the decision gets even more challenging. To add on top of all of that comes the decision to stay in the state, or leave and go farther away from home. Being an out of state student myself, I know first hand the excitement and nervousness that comes with making that decision. Although a large majority of students at Grove City are from Pennsylvania or the surrounding states, our campus is fairly diverse in the sense that many of our students are from states all across the US. In order to better explain what going to school out of state is like, I reached out to some students on campus to share their personal stories.

 Julia Knepper is a sophomore from Detroit, Mich. She heard about the College through family, which is a common reason why people come to Grove City. When asked about struggles that she went through during her first year she said, “It was hard being far away from my family and having to miss out on seeing my siblings grow up.” Not being able to go to your own home on the weekends and feeling like you are missing out are things that most out of state students experience during their time at Grove City. In my opinion, the best way to overcome all of the emotions would to begin being involved in the community on campus. This can be intimidating at first, but once you break down the potential barriers it is so rewarding. There are several different way to be involved on campus whether it be through clubs, Greek life, small groups or so many other things. One piece of advice that Julia would give to upcoming freshmen looking to go out of state would be, “Do it, learn to break away from what’s comfortable because it will force you to not only rely on God more, but to build a new community.” The community on Grove City’s campus is something worth emphasizing.

Molly Seirs, a sophomore from Colorado, found that having friends that live in Pennsylvania has been a blessing. She said that, “Knowing so many people that live near the college really helped my transition because I knew that I had so many different friends I could go home with if I needed a weekend off campus.” Having friends from around Grove City is a huge blessing to any out of state student, and since  most of the students are from within the state, those types of friends are not hard to find. When asked to give one piece of advice to a prospective student, Molly said, “Trust God and go day by day trusting that He has a plan and purpose for your time here. College can be challenging for everyone even the people who live ten minutes away, but it’s also one of the best times of your life, so don’t waste it! Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends or even professors for guidance and direction when you are struggling.”

-All of the photos in this blog were taken and edited by Julia Knepper.

Molly Siers (Brunette) and Julia Knepper (Blonde)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Inside Grove City College: A Transfer Student’s Perspective

 

The process of selecting a college is stressful, with its seemingly endless applications and interviews and paperwork. For transfer students, the excitement of going to college for the first time has worn off, and going through this process twice can seem overwhelming. It can be intimidating to think about leaving a school, a friend group, and familiar studies to start fresh somewhere else. However, seeking advice and learning as much as possible about potential schools is crucial.

Hannah, Larisa, Gab, Julia, and Tara have stepped in to make your transfer process as easy as possible. These ladies, all first-year Grovers, have offered to give you a peek into what it was like for them to join the Grove City College community as a transfer student. Their advice is an insider’s perspective on things like how to make friends as a transfer, how they chose their roommates, and how to get involved on campus.

Larisa Steiner, a sophomore, transferred from Indiana Wesleyan University and enjoys studying Management with an HR concentration. Finding a school with this specific field of study and a reputable business program was key in her transfer search. Also a sophomore, Hannah Kaufmann, an English major, was interested in Grove City because it aligned with her Christian values. Tara Pierce, as a junior, finds herself in the rare position of being an upperclass transfer student. She previously studied at a local community college, and enjoys the new Social Work major at Grove City. Julia Helmich will graduate in 2021 as an Elementary/Special Education major. She enjoys the on-campus preschool, where Education students are able to get hands-on work experience. Gab Capaldo, a sophomore, studies Communication and edits for The Collegian, the campus newspaper, in her free time.

Though none of these ladies would say that being a transfer student anywhere is easy, they are adjusting to life as a Grover and getting involved on campus. Intramural sports, Greek life, and Orientation Board events are just some of what they mention as ways to find friends and make connections at Grove City College.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

IM Leagues

Intramural Sports (IM Sports) are pretty huge at Grove City College…like, “one of the best programs” kind of huge. Most of the student body participates in some IM sport each year, and there are IM leagues for just about anything you could think of. Everything from IM Basketball to IM Settlers of Catan exist. All of them occur each year on campus.

Registering and signing up for IM sports in the past was a pretty cumbersome process. For sports, you had to fill out a release of liability form for each sport. When a student plays in several sports each year, this got pretty tiring. Plus, if your team had a conflict with one of your scheduled game times and wanted to request a time change, you primarily had to communicate via email with the other team’s captain, which took up too much time to accomplish a fairly easy task.

This year, Grove City College switched over to IM Leagues, an app that handles all aspects of IM sports, and things have been so much easier. Inside the app, a student can register for a sport, join a team, and sign off on their waiver form all digitally. Once part of a team, the schedules are then uploaded to the app, which provides alerts for when one has an upcoming game. There are tons of features that seem like they come right from fantasy football, like the ability to trade players and pick up “free agents” (those who do not have a team).

So far, the transition to the app has gone pretty smoothly, which has eliminated a lot of the common headaches that students have to deal with. It also has helped keep more teams accountable with showing up to games, which has allowed everyone to actually play instead of facing a last minute cancellation due to a communication error beforehand.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Just a Fortnite Ago

The incredibly popular video game Fortnite was released during 2017. Coincidentally, I became a freshman at Grove City College just a few weeks before this craze hit the campus. If you are unfamiliar with how to play Fortnite, the name of the game is survival. You and up to four friends can cooperatively battle with other online players in an attempt to be the last ones standing on a gradually shrinking map.

My Resident Assistant (RA) was the first person to introduce the game to our freshmen hall, and right from the very beginning I knew that it could greatly alter the dynamic of my freshman year. In the beginning, most of our hall would simply laugh off his invitations. Why would any of us just want to watch him play some video game? However, one by one it seemed that my hall-mates were beginning to get sucked in and began to play the game. In my first several weeks of school, I was met with many invitations to play Spikeball or football out in the grass in front of Memorial Hall. My experience began to change, and was now frequented with the Fortnite loading music and invitations to join my hall-mates in the online battle. This severely interrupted the community that we had been building on our hall. This was a bit concerning because it seemed like most people around me had become more involved in this online world than in the real one that was all around them. However, I soon found that my concerns were not warranted. This new game, that seemed to be separating us, had actually begun to unite us. For hours, there were rooms filled to the brim with eager players who would help others strategize if they themselves were not playing. The Fortnite craze was really getting into full swing just as we could no longer enjoy the outdoors because of the cooler temperatures. My freshman hall-mates embraced the new game and, before the end of the year, almost everyone in my dorm was an active participant.

The RA of the hall opposite of my own had a program for the entire building that included several TV’s set up in one lobby while a few played, and many observed. This was by far one of the most popular programs that any RA had all year long. I was quite nervous about this new game taking over the community of my freshman dorm, but ultimately it became a uniting force that helped bond and shape our freshman hall for the rest of the year.